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synApps status and plans

synApps status and plans. Mark Rivers October 16, 2008 based on material provided by Tim Mooney Beamline Controls & Data Acquisition Group Advanced Photon Source Argonne National Lab. What is synApps ?. A collection of EPICS App lication s for use at syn chrotron beamlines

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synApps status and plans

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  1. synApps status and plans Mark Rivers October 16, 2008 based on material provided by Tim Mooney Beamline Controls & Data Acquisition Group Advanced Photon Source Argonne National Lab

  2. What is synApps? • A collection of EPICS Applications foruse atsynchrotron beamlines • Tools for translating user requirements into running code: • USER: “I need 40 motors, two scaler banks, an MCA, a monochromator, two optical tables, four current preamplifiers, 8 serial ports, four DAC channels, three slits, a mirror, run-time calcs, scans, ...” • DEVELOPER: edit startup files to configure hardware and load databases • Commissioning-level software for >80% of a new beamline • Example: Last month I was part of a team from IDT that commissioned a new beamline at the Australian Synchrotron and got first scientific data within 3 weeks of first light by using synApps. Linux system with new drivers for PCI PMAC and LCAIO analog I/O board, but same records and databases. • Support on which higher level, beamline-specific applications can be built • Run-time tools to help users meet unanticipated needs • Vehicle for collaborative development of beamline software • On the web: www.aps.anl.gov/aod/bcda/synApps

  3. Scope • Mostly infrastructure and generic capabilities, as opposed to experiment/technique-specific programs • E.g., things like motors, scalers, and scans, as opposed to things like EXAFS, small-angle scattering, and protein crystallography • Why? • Economics – Generic has the wider audience • Information & expertise – beamline developers have it; we don’t. • Control – Generic software allows us to contribute to user software without taking control over it. • Mostly IOC-resident code, as opposed to client-side programs • E.g., scan software could run on workstations, but instead runs on IOC’s • Why? • Access/coordination – IOC-resident code can be driven by anyone; clients generally cannot be driven by other clients. • Distribution/deployment – EPICS handles this for ioc-resident code.

  4. ...Scope • Some statistics: • 20 EPICS modules autosave, calc, camac, ccd, dac128V, dxp, ebrick, ip, ip330, ipUnidig, love, mca, modbus, motor, optics, quadem, sscan, std, vme, xxx • 16 record types aCalcout, sCalcout, swait, transform, camac, dxp, motor, mca, table, busy, sscan, scanParm, epid, scaler, sseq, vme • ~156 device types (~118 hard, ~38 soft) • ~205 EPICS databases • ~446 MEDM display files • ~596 source files (~318,000 lines of code) • ~160 documentation files (~38,000 lines of documentation)

  5. Content of a synApps module • Source code • EPICS records • EPICS device/driver support • EPICS databases • SNL and other code • autosave-request files • The database author figures out how to survive reboot • MEDM-display files (untested EDM translations are available) • The default user-interface tool • Documentation • Some modules contain runable examples

  6. synApps depends on software written by others • synApps also uses (“contains”? “second sources”?) some software written by others that is not in the form of a module • The idea is to avoid requiring synApps users to find, configure and test software that someone else has already found, configured, and tested.

  7. Sample user displays

  8. Who uses synApps? • Synchrotron beamlines • ~20 sectors of APS • Swiss Light Source • NSLS (>10 beamlines) • Diamond • Australian Synchrotron • Other EPICS sites • Many non-synchrotron sites use a few synApps modules, notably • motor • autosave • calc

  9. Recent work - General • from EPICS 3.13.9 to EPICS 3.14.8.2 • runs on Linux, Solaris, Cygwin, Windows, and vxWorks • soft ioc's, ebricks • Native Windows (win32-x86) lacks only VXI support (asyn) and MDA file-writing support (saveData) because no Sun-RPC library • single, fully linked executable (no more load-order problems) • array sizes limited by memory, not by Channel Access • scans > 2000 points, MCA spectra > 4000 channels

  10. synApps modules: autosave, calc autosave • added date/time to error messages • asVerify (verify or write new autosave file) • PV's to save can be specified in the database (“info node”) • status PV's • autosave fixes newly illegal (empty) calc expressions • autosave retry fixed -- save_restoreSet_RetrySeconds(60) • can name save file at run time, from PV (with significant limitations) • supports array-valued PV's calc • array calcs • sCalcout handles escape sequences, and some checksums • interpolation (lookup table) database • MEDM docs for all calc expressions • transform record can abort (or not) on link error

  11. synApps modules: camac, ccd, dac128V, dxp ccd • supports MAR, Bruker, Roper CCD’s • new MAR frame type for double correlated sampling • to be replaced by areaDetector module (next talk) dxp • supports XIA Saturn (EPP and USB), XMAP (PXI) and DXP2X (CAMAC) modules for x-ray spectroscopy with digital signal processing • user doesn't need root privilege on Linux • Plan to add support for on-board buffering, allowing very fast (<10 msec) spectra collection. Will use infrastructure from areaDetector (next talk)

  12. synApps modules: ebrick ebrick • new module, supports PC-104 based IOC • can support 12-bit dac, 16-bit adc, digital I/O, relays, motors, scaler • can support network attached devices (e.g., Canberra MCA) • USB 2.0 • new: standard support for custom digital circuitry

  13. synApps modules: ip ip (should be called something else – basically asynOctet devices, i.e. serial, GPIB and TCP/IP) • Newport LAE autocollimator • new thermocouple types • bitBus dropped • Pelco 6700 video switch • Agilent E3631A power supply • Federal digital encoder • picomotor • US Digital Serial Encoder • Keithley 8517 Electrometer • LakeShore 340 Temperature controller • Omega DP41 Digital Panel Meter • Pfeiffer TPG261 RS232 Vacuum Controller. • Plan to use streamDevice for new devices

  14. synApps modules: ip330, ipUnidig, love, modbus Ip330 (Industry Pack 16-bit ADC) • runs on RTEMS and Linux • uses standard asynInt32Average device support • can call back specialized code on each conversion, e.g fast-feedback, MCA record as waveform recorder) ipUnidig (Industry Pack digital I/O) • new MEDM displays • disable interrupts on reboot • runs on RTEMS and Linux • SBS IPOPTOIO8 • can call back specialized code on interrupt, e.g. QuadEM current meter which lacks interrupt capability • asyn R4-10 ring buffers allow accurate I/O Intr processing on 10 micro-second period TTL pulses (burst, not continuous) love • complete rewrite; conversion to asyn modbus • new module, supports modbus devices including PLC's • works with TCP/IP and serial Modbus protocols

  15. synApps modules: mca mca • new device: Rontec XFlash MCA • all fields now double • ACQG timing problems fixed • SIS3820 MCS VME multi-scaler, works with both scaler and MCA records on vxWorks and Linux • Canberra AIM Ethernet MCA can read compressed or uncompressed, to improve performance 3X on newer (556A) AIM's • LLC sockets for Canberra AIM. Working on vxWorks, needs debugging on Linux

  16. synApps modules: motor motor • new device types: Physik Instrumente C-630 C-848 E-662 E-862 E-710, Faulhaber MCDC2805, Parker Hannifin 6K, OMS PC68/78, Newport XPS-C8, New Focus 87xx, Spectra-Physics Encoder Mike, ACS Tech80 SPiiPlus, Encoder Mike, SmartMotor, Piezosystem jena GmbH EDS, PI E-516, Kohzu SC-800 • trajectory scan – On-the-fly scanning for Newport MM4000 and XPS motor controllers. Synchronized non-linear motion of up to 8 motor axes with hardware trigger pulses for detectors. • floats changed to double • new access security settings for motor fields

  17. synApps modules: optics, pilatus, quadEM optics • orientation matrix • XIA slit, PF4 filter • CoarseFineMotor • menu of fixed points for table database • Oxford 4ch BPM • ionization-chamber calibration database pilatus • new module, supports Dectris pixel-array detector • Replaced with areaDetector module (next talk)

  18. synApps modules: sscan sscan • pipelined data acquisition • after scan move to center of mass of peak • saveData zeros unused points • number of data points limited by ioc memory (300,000 tested) • MEDM docs • scanparms for multidimensional, multipositioner scans • array-valued detectors supported in all scan modes • can specify base name of data files via PV • array data posted during scan • saveData retries • sscan record no longer renews links during multidimensional scan • mdaExplorer.py for exploring directories of MDA files. • Dohn Arms' mdautils, also Python MDA utilities • epics_sscan IDL MDA data file display

  19. synApps modules: std, utils, vac, vme std • Femto current amplifier • new databases/displays: alarmClock, autoShutter, countDownTimer, pvHistory, ramp_tweak, scaler* • string-sequence record can wait for completion, can be aborted • asyn device support for scaler record. Makes writing a driver easier. utils • makeAutosavefiles.py can write autosave-request files from boot files • convertIocFiles.py to help with software upgrades vac • new module, supports vacuum controllers vme • support multiple instances of bunch-clock • support for Joerger VS-series scaler • Acromag 9210, 9440

  20. Thanks for your attention

  21. Appendix • Descriptions of individual modules

  22. autosave module • Records values of selected EPICS Process Variables – periodically, or in response to user-specified trigger • Restores saved values when the computer restarts • Can save/restore any scalar or array-valued PV • Developer chooses default PV’s to be saved; user can override • Defends saved values from incompetent file server, crash, etc.

  23. calc module • Evaluate expressions entered at run time • Records • sCalcout – like calcout, but also supports string expressions; user can specify wait-for-completion. • aCalcout – like sCalcout, but for arrays instead of strings; • swait – like calcout, but uses recDynLink (no “PP MS” link attributes) • transform – like 16 calcout records that share a PV data pool • Other code • string/array-calc engines • sCalcout soft device support • interpolation (lookup table), based on the genSub record

  24. ...calc module • Databases, medm displays for run-time programming • userCalc, • userStringCalc • userArrayCalc • userTransform • userAve • lookup table

  25. camac module • Support for CAMAC hardware

  26. ccd module • Support for scientific CCD detectors • Recent progress • Added new FrameType, "Dbl correlation" to collect frames with double correlation. This collects 2 frames, each with half the requested exposure time, and removes cosmic rays (zingers) by comparing the frames. (Currently only implemented on the marCCD). • Plans • Add double-correlation support for the Pilatus pixel array detector.

  27. dac128V module • Support for the dac128V IndustryPack module

  28. dxp module • Support for the dxp device • Recent progress • Supports xMAP module from XIA. • Plans • Add support for on-board buffering, allowing very fast (<10 msec) spectra collection.

  29. ebrick module • Support for running synApps on a customized PC-104-based Linux computer

  30. ip module • Originally, all IndustryPack modules • Now, only support for message-based devices • device support, SNL code, databases, and MEDM displays for message-based devices • digital multimeters, current preamplifiers, temp. controllers, etc. • deviceCmdReply • Used to write support at run time for one command/reply message • devXxStrParm device support • to be replaced by streamDevice/asyn

  31. ...ip module • Recent work: • SR630 thermocouple scanner • Pelco CM6700 video switch • Plans: • integrate streamDevice

  32. ip330 module • Support for the ip-330 IndustryPack module

  33. ipUnidig module • Support for the ipUnidig IndustryPack module

  34. love module • Support for Love brand serial-interfaced analog I/O devices

  35. mca module • Support for multichannel analyzers, multichannel scalers, and selected array-acquisition devices that use the MCA record • Recent progress • Added support for SIS3820 multi-scaler for both mca and scaler records.

  36. modbusTCP module • Support for Modbus I/O over TCP/IP • Recent progress • This is a new module

  37. motor module • Support for motors • Recent progress • Support for Newport XPS motor controller using new asyn device and driver support. Support for on-the-fly scanning with the XPS.

  38. optics module • Slits and mirrors • Monochromators • Nondispersive double-crystal • Dispersive double crystal • Spherical Grating • Optical table • Orientation matrix • (H, K, L)  (2q,q,f,c) + constraint • User/client can write to underlying motors • Automated alignment for zone-plate microscope

  39. ...optics module • Recent work: • Added ionization-chamber calibration support • Plans: • Include SLS support for plane grating monochromator? • general purpose alignment tools

  40. quadEM module • Support for the APS-developed quad-electrometer VME board

  41. sscan module • Support for user-programmable data-acquisition • sscan and busy records • saveData • recDynLink • Recent work: • fixes for pipelined data storage • saveData retries if file server is unavailable • added Python code to read, write, and operate on scan-data files • Include Dohn Arms’ (APS/XOR-7) C-code utilities for scan-data files • Plans: • Support 2D-array detectors

  42. std module • Epid record • Extended PID record • Scaler record • Controls a set of counters with a common clock, gate, and trigger • String-sequence record (i.e., ‘seq’ for strings or numbers) • Can choose to wait for completion after each step in sequence • Soft-motor database • Run-time programmable soft-motor/transform/hard-motor database • Quick solution for driving a motor through a nonlinear transform • Timestamp record [stolen from Stephanie Allison @ SLAC] • needed by SNS’ vxStats; currently not available in a module • 4-step database • Up to four steps of (set condition; read data) with an end calculation • Originally developed for dichroism experiments

  43. ...std module • Recent work • Convert scaler record to use asyn-based device support • Plans: • Emulate preset capability for Joerger VS-series scalers

  44. vme module • Support for VME devices

  45. xxx module • Prototype user directory (i.e., deployable menu of synApps software) • Builds everything in synApps into a load module • Contains command files to load/configure everything in synApps • Contains sample top-level MEDM-display file • Contains sample script to start up the user interface • Contains table of recommended address/interrupt configuration. • Recent work: • load/config examples for new devices • Plans: • more support for converting applications to new version of synApps

  46. other directories • Top-level documentation directory • How to build and deploy synApps • config directory • Configures and builds all modules in or used by synApps • MASTER_RELEASE – specifies all module versions • utils directory • changePrefix –Global search and replace of EPICS PV prefix within a copy of the xxx module • copyAdl –Find all MEDM-display files buried in a file tree; copy to specified directory • convertCmdFiles – collect info from .cmd files in old ioc directory; edit .cmd files in new ioc directory

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