my week in berlin

May, 2002

EPICS Collaboration ESD ControlsESD Controls

My Week in Berlin

Ron Chestnut

ESD ControlsESD ControlsMay, 2002

EPICS Collaboration

Outline

Channel Archiver EDM E-Log Serial Support CALCString record RDB Support A-beans JOIMINT


EPICS Collaboration

JLAB CZAR System Overview

Database(MySQL)

DAQ Engine History Server

Manager GUI

Filesystem

XARR

StripTool

DARTH

CORBA

CORBA

Embedded SQL

JDBC


EPICS Collaboration

CZAR Data Store

Engine streams raw data to disk

Converter runs periodically, or on-demand “cooks” raw data (convert, compress, index)

Database connection history data directory file status


EPICS Collaboration

CZAR History Server Remote API

Supplies archive accessor objects to clients Client initializes range in archive accessor

data summary• first, last point

• before, after point

• num points range accessor object

• provides data pull interface

• serves sequences of data in large chunks

• timestamp, value, status, severity, control info


EPICS Collaboration

CZAR Status

Engine up since January 2002 ~ 21,000 signals ~ 2Gb / day raw; ~ 600Mb processed < 20% CPU (HP B2000, 1GB RAM)

XARR retrieve 100,000 points: ~ 3 sec.

Management GUI 1.0 99% done Port to Solaris, Oracle: June


EPICS Collaboration

Channel Archiver Overview

LibIO

(C++)

LibIO (C++)

ArchiveEngine

Archive

Config

casi

(swig)Tcl

Perl

Python

xarr

StripTool

WinBrowser

ArchiveExport

CGIExport

ArchiveManager

CA

CAManager

Online Access

to Excel/GNUplot…

Graphic Retrieval

extract, merge, delete

some examples provided


EPICS Collaboration

JLAB CZAR System Overview

Database(MySQL)

DAQ Engine History Server

Manager GUI

Filesystem

XARR

StripTool

DARTH

CORBA

CORBA

Embedded SQL

JDBC


EPICS Collaboration

(non) Decisions

Chris to continue ; Steve Hunte will testJuly target

Thomas and LeeAnn/Bob to continueJuly target

Comparison of engine capabilities needed Channel Archiver should not require Oracle or

CORBA, or CORBA should be supplied too Look again at performance at next meeting


EPICS Collaboration

EDM Status

New Features Select colors from palette or by function Blinking colors for all display depths Select color schemes by menu EDMDATAFILES is now a colon separated list Various new edit mode operations New drag & drop behavior (Thomas Birke) Online help


EPICS Collaboration

EDM Status

New widgets text entry (Kay Kasemir) text update (Kay Kasemir) strip chart (Kay Kasemir) text update with reg expr (Pam Gurd) static text with reg expr (Pam Gurd) Byte (Carl Lionberger) X-Y Graph Motif slider Radio Box Up/Down button


EPICS Collaboration

Widgets


EPICS Collaboration

X-Y Plot Widget


EPICS Collaboration

Future Complete documentation

User Widget developer

Runtime shutdown/restart Modify all widgets to utilize pv factory Implement remaining undo operations New file format (xml?) Enhance compatibility with medm Increment local PV class New scheme for printing displays


EPICS Collaboration

History

First instituted at the lab in 1996. Variously used

Official Record for DOE Knowledge repository Bulletin board to pass info among shifts

Heavily Used ~35,000 entries/year in main ops logbook 400 MB/year in main ops logbook Other logbooks for Software, FEL, etc.


EPICS Collaboration

Shortcomings

Reliance on static html files – 100,000’s Sheer number a headache to manage The html mingling of content and formatting

makes data searching and extraction difficult

Every program (60+ of them) responsible for number assignment, content formatting, not clobbering other entries. Little consistency.


EPICS Collaboration

Components of an Entry

Required Keywords/Title, Timestamps (create, commit),

Logbook(s), Entry-type Optional

Attachment(s) (screenshots, documents, etc.) Downtime information References to other logs (backward/forward) Problem-Tracking History


EPICS Collaboration

New Version

Summer 2002. Addresses shortcomings

RDMS replaces files. Dynamic Scripting replaces static HTML APIs shield apps from entry-making details

New Features Integrated problem tracking Threaded/linked entries


EPICS Collaboration

Underpinnings

Relational Database (Oracle) Web Application Server (Apache + PHP) Libraries for programs that make entries

Tcl Package Perl Module C++ Library HTTP API


EPICS Collaboration

New logbook “home page”


EPICS Collaboration

Alternative Look


EPICS Collaboration

New trouble report entry


EPICS Collaboration

Browser is not only interface


EPICS Collaboration

Logbook ComparisonOld Logbook New Logbook

Files (one per record) RDBMS (Oracle)

Separate downtime & problem tracking

Integrated downtime & problem tracking

Unauthenticated entries Authenticated entries

Web browser only interface

Accessible from scripts, browsers,spreadsheets.


EPICS Collaboration

Future Direction

Enhance Problem-Tracking Track problems with specific hardware in

addition to general hardware types. Integrate with future Plant Engineering Work

Order system Enhance Query/Search Tools

Oracle Intermedia to search attachments such as PDF, Word documents.


EPICS Collaboration

Serial Interfaces

Sharp intake of breath!


EPICS Collaboration

Vacuum Equipment Test Rack

VME 64x Crate Processors:

MVME 167 & PPC 604

IP Carriers: Hytec VICB8002 Greenspring VIPC601

Serial Interface Card: Greenspring IPOctal - 8 channel IP card


EPICS Collaboration

EPICS Devices

devAscii - Allan Honey/Jeff Hill - KECK

Stream Device - Dirk Zimoch - DELTA

MPF - Mohan Ramanathan - APS

ornlSerial - John Sinclair - Oak Ridge

tyGSOctal - Peregrine McGehee - Hawaii


EPICS Collaboration

Summary

All software built and worked minor glitches 68k / PPC

Where existing support exists - use it For new development we like:

stream device for most cases

ornlSerial for complex protocols/checksums


EPICS Collaboration

Basic record/device support

Motors Scalers Multichannel analyzer Multichannel scaler Serial (RS-232) GPIB ADC’s DAC’s

Encoders Optical table String calc, sequence Complex expressions Enhanced PID Scan Scan parameter Generic VME


EPICS Collaboration

Layered devices, techniques

Optical tables Slits Mirrors Monochromators Piezo controller Digital Multimeter Current preamplifier Interpolation

N-step measurement Serial I/O block GPIB I/O block Autocollimator Temperature controller X-ray microscope Insertion device Filter/shutter


EPICS Collaboration

String Expressions

Extends CALC record to combine string and numeric expressions

Useful for run-time programming of serial devices

EPICS links are programmable at run time


EPICS Collaboration

Serial O/I Block

Combination of string calc to construct output message, serial record to send and/or receive, and string calc to parse reply

Intended for run-time programming

Similar GPIB support


EPICS Collaboration

CCD support

CA server on CCD’s native platform Calls vendor-supplied software Stores images to local disk (HDF format) Some simple image analysis Hosts EPICS PV’s for control


EPICS Collaboration

Goal: DB Based Configuration Maintenance

Add/Delete Devices in DB

Procedures and Scripts propagate Changes to Configuration Files

Consistency Guaranteed


EPICS Collaboration

Initial BESSY Database System

Device OrientedMagnets

magnet name

device specs

family

measure

Power Supplies

Controls

node name

CAN segment

IOCnode specs

m:n

PS name

device specs

family

I/O params

EPICS specs


EPICS Collaboration

Worked Sufficiently Well for

Creation of RTDB

Graphical Editor

Text Editor

DCT

RTDB Template

Script

Text EditorSubstitutions

RTDB

Standard mechanismpower supplies, vacuum system, RF PLC-interface, triggers/timings, …

DB

Many instances (substitutions)Many instances (substitutions)of few different types of few different types (templates)(templates)


EPICS Collaboration

New Structural Overview


EPICS Collaboration

Abeans (or xal at SNS) Application framework

Applications

IOC

Hardware

Applications

Abeans

IOC

Hardware

Hide comm layer

Provide application services

Provide CS models (device, channel, etc.)

RAD, easier maintenance

:


EPICS Collaboration

Abeans Features

Hide details of Control System - just one of many: launch application/applet, remote install Logging, alarm, and communication error reporting Resource initialization and destruction, provide defaults find, choose and connect to selected device supports different protocol via plugs (e.g. CORBA, EPICS,…)

Same core code is used everywhere The code is tested very well

Visual composition and normal programming together choose device type and command through menu! almost all errors detected by compiler not during operation


EPICS Collaboration

Abeans and EPICS ? MEDM is faster for “expert” panels, TCL is simpler for prototyping, but:

Abeans application development is scalable! profit from standard Java features

• GUI layout, file I/O, XML, WebStart, resources, logging,…

Abeans fight Java deficiencies • optimize graphic performance and reduce memory usage

Use Abeans for complex applications… client-side algorithms (machine physics) display of multiple data (tables, tree, bird-view)

…and when long-term maintenance matters


EPICS Collaboration

JoiMintWhere to use it?

Create graphics ‘on the fly’ -> JoiMint does not distinguish between runtime and edit mode.All changes (adding/ removing objects; save/ restore displays) is done in the online mode.

Remote access to control system’s data Diagnostic data from ‚smart devices‘

PLC‘s or power supplies Get graphic config file from default http port

Quick diagnostic using a PDA version (planned) An example of a ‘light weight’ application for Global

Accelerator Networks


EPICS Collaboration

Basic Structure

Data Source Connector

Databases / Control Systems Applications

Graphic ObjectsAny Java Object

Configuration &Commands

?

ScanEngine

The Core Registry

Timer

Cfgfiles

Data

localthread

http client(monitor)

http server


EPICS Collaboration

XMLIs used for:

Configuration Data: Graphic Object Tab (Http) Data source definition Synoptic Displays (i.e. translated dm2k screens)

Data/ Commands Value Updates Archived Data Commands to/ from Applications


EPICS Collaboration

Diagnostic Tools: EPICS property table

Activate by MB3 on graphic device

Select: Device -> Device Property

Device Properties ‚known‘ by http (DIXI) serverNo special knowledge programmed into JoiMint

DIXI server creates JoiMint graphic (as XML file)

Display of graphic and dynamic updates in JoiMint


EPICS Collaboration

Class: JoiTextFieldObject: JoiTextField-1

Registration Register a Graphic text Object

Class: JoiTextFieldObject: JoiTextField-1Property: ValueProperty.deviceName EPICS|WLST1D32_temp

Registry

register object

Name ObjectJoiTextField-1 instance of JoiTextField

register devicename /object

EPICS|WLST1D32_temp Name Object MethodJoiTextField-1 instance of JoiTextField setValue ...

SendCommand

„JoiTextField-1“ „setWidth“ „200“

SendValue

„ EPICS|WLST1D32_temp“ „actual value“

actual value

Graphic Text Object


EPICS Collaboration

Future Plans (I)Command Record and Playback

Record all operator commands Allow command editing

Store commands as XML file Load command-set from XML file Replay commands Implementation of sequencing features:

Loops If – then – else structures

(based on live data from the underlying control system)

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