The FRS Data Acquisition Manual
Components:
[Introduction]
[MBS Reference]
[On-line Guide]
[On-line Calibrations]
The FRS Data Acquisition Manual:
Introduction
by Margareta Hellström
Updated version 2.1, December 8, 1997
Contents:
[Preamble]
[Helpful people]
[Helpful documentation]
[MBS checklist]
[GOOSY checklist]
Preamble
The purpose of the series of "booklets" comprising the FRS Data
Acquisition Manual is primarily to introduce
FRS
personnel (oldtimers as well as newcomers) and guests to the new
version of the standard FRS data acquisition system. To this end,
the manual includes information about the VME front end equipment,
the computional environment, and the main software packages used
for data taking and on-line analysis at the FRS. It may also serve
the advanced FRS experimentalist as a reference book and compilation
of the essential information available, but, of course, cannot
replace either the main manuals (the "pink binder") or personal
experience from years of hard toil at the separator. Neither does
it deal with the functions and applications of standard data
acquisition electronics--for information on specific modules
the reader is referred to the manufacturers' descriptions or to
the literature.
Currently, the data acquisition manual consists of three
parts:
If needed, more parts will be added later.
A final word: data aquisition at the FRS is not really
difficult--it just requires attention to detail and rather careful
preparations. Don't be daunted by the apparent complexity; after a
couple of hours of hands-on experience, most anyone will be able to
handle the system without problems.
Peace & long life, and may your experiments run successfully
and without incident!
GSI, December 1997
Maggie Hellström
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Helpful people
Who should you turn to when you are at your wit's end, but
things still don't work? Well, if you are in a tight spot (it's
2:17 am, there is beam on target but the VME is screwed up), or
you feel you've tried "everything" and even the manuals (see below)
have let you down, CALL FOR HELP!!! (Check the List of Participants
and/or Shift Plan of your experiment for emergency telephone numbers.)
The following is a list of people at GSI who are available
(during normal office-hours) to help out with data acquisition-
related problems. Please be aware that the list does, in some way,
reflect a hierarchy-you should therefore start at the bottom and
work your way up...
| Hans Essel
| 2491
| 2.262MS
| The only real GOOSY and MBS guru.
|
| Nikolaus Kurz
| 2979
| 2.260MS
| E7/CVC hardware expert. Also answers MBS questions.
|
| Klaus
Sümmerer
| 2737
| 2.277OS
| The FRS data acquisition Guru. Knows most everything!
|
| José
Benlliure
| 2727
| 1.170aNB
| Knows the VME well. Has lots of experience with PAW as
on-line analysis client.
|
In addition, you might contact the author of the Manual,
Maggie Hellström. Although
Maggie has relocated to the University of Lund, Sweden, she is willing
to help if she can! Maggie set up the VME
front end system and adapted the C-code running on them for FRS needs.
(She knows a fair bit about GOOSY and the FRS electronics as well.)
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Helpful documentation
Apart from this manual, there is of course a lot of "official"
documentation regarding MBS, GOOSY and the hardware (VME, CAMAC, ...)
available. Much of this information can be downloaded as PostScript
files via the GSI world-wide web pages
(
http://www-gsi-vms.gsi.de/img/doc or
http://www-gsi-vms.gsi.de/daq/home), including:
-
Description of GSI Trigger module [hardware info (front panel connections)]
-
GOOSY VME description[some hardware info and event structures]
-
GSI Multi-Branch System User Manual [the reference to MBS]
-
GSI Multi-Branch System Command Reference [not so useful for beginners]
-
GOOSY Introduction [good - read this through!]
-
GOOSY manual for Data Base Manager [reference text]
-
GOOSY manual for Data Analysis [reference text]
Back to index
Quick-start checklist: MBS
This gives the basic instructions how to set up a running FRS
data aquisition system with two branches (the standard FRS and a
user-defined USR branch). Refer to Part I of the manual for a
detailed description, and to Part II for Quick Reference.
-
Check that the DLT tape drive is turned on and connected to
the master E7. Turn on the VME and CAMAC crates and boot the
E7's.
-
Using telnet from an X-windows terminal window, login as
profi on all E7 processors and, for the slaves, test
the VSB connections. (See Part II!)
-
Create a working directory under /frs/usr/profi/mbsrun and
copy all files from the path frs/usr/profi/templates/2br including
the subdirectories (frsbranch and usrbranch). Check that all
directory paths are correct in the .USF and .SCOM files!
-
Define and setup your CAMAC electronics, edit the corresponding
init- and readout-function files in the slave subdirectories.
(Normally the FRS part should stay as it is!) Check the f_user.c
files and Make the executables.
-
While logged in on e7_11, set up the MBS environment (start
the prompter and the respective Master and Slave tasks).
-
Initialize the CAMAC crates and set relevant CFD thresholds
& delays (for MW's).
-
Start the data acquisition (on E7_5).
-
Turn on the test pulser to check at least the MW part of the
readout via the "type event -v" command (E7_11).
-
If needed: in a separate X-terminal window, log in as PROFI
on AXP636 and start the remote event server using the file
REMSERVER.COM
-
Prepare for taping by inserting a new tape into the DLT drive
and initializingit.
You are now ready to take data! However, in order to monitor
the incoming data you will need some sort of on-line analysis.
In principle, a histogramming program is available under the
MBS system, but it is easier to work with analysis programs
such as GOOSY or PAW. Currently the "standard" FRS on-line
analysis client is GOOSY (but this is foreseen to change in
early 1998).
Back to index
Quick-start checklist: GOOSY
This gives the basic instructions how to set up a running
FRS on-line data analysis using GOOSY. Refer to Part II of the manual
for a slightly more detailed
description, or ask Klaus Sümmerer for help.
-
Login as PROFI on AXP636, create a working directory under
FRS$ROOT:[PROFI.GOOSY] and copy all files from the path
FRS$ROOT:[PROFI.GOOSY.NEWDAQ] or from some recent run.
-
Keeping in mind the order of parameters in the E7 code,
adjust the unpacking part of the X$ANL.PPL subroutine.
-
Adjust the X$ANL_USER.PPL subroutine and the USER.TXT
declaration file to the non-standard part of your setup
-
Refresh the text library TPRIV and compile & link the
online analysis using the file COMPILE_ALL.COM
-
Adjust the files CREATE_SPEC_USER.GCOM and SET_MEM_USER.GCOM
-
Create the GOOSY data base on the local AXP636 disk using the file
CREATE_BASE.COM
-
On the Alpha, start the GOOSY analysis environment using the file
INIT_GOOSY.COM
-
Enter GOOSY, and check the enable flags (@SHOW_ANAL) before
starting the on-line analysis using event input from the remote
event server (@START_MBS) or a direct connection to the Master
E7 (@START_E711).
-
Using the test pulser, check the online analysis (relevant
spectra and conditions).
-
Perform all necessary TDC, TAC and ADC calibrations.
-
Check (with Klaus!) that the magnet & feedthrough status
readout program on CLARA is adapted to your needs.
If this all works out, you should be ready for beam! After the
necessary beam tuning is done, it is time to continue with
calibrations and, of course, the collection of the real physics data.
-
Perform all the standard FRS calibrations. (See Part III.)
-
The taping is controlled from the MBS system (on E7_11),
whereas the totally independent on-line analysis runs on data
sampled by the remote event server.
Back to index
Concluding remarks
This concludes the "Introduction" part of the FRS data
acquisition manual. If you want more detailed information,
please refer to the suggested
reference litterature or contact
the "experts"!
If you have suggestions for improvements and/or updates, please contact
Klaus Sümmerer or the
author.