IS605/DAQ manual

This is the IS605 daq manual.

We start with on how to start MBS from scratch assuming there have been a power cut.

How do I start a file?

On pcepisdaq6 issue start_acq <filename> in any terminal. You are now running.

Starting from scratch

  1. Make sure pcepisdaq4 is running.
  2. On pcepisdaq4
    1. su (code is located on board in DAQ room)
    2. service iptables stop
    3. service nfs start
  3. Turn the crate on. If already on power off and then on.
  4. Go to pcepisdaq6 as user is605
  5. In a single terminal complete. (see “How do I??”)
    1. Initialize the VULOM
    2. Setting the trigger
    3. Viewing the scalers
  6. In a new terminal complete
    1. Starting mbs
    2. Starting relay
  7. Switch desktop (ctrl+alt+→)
  8. Start GO4 (described below)
  9. Switch desktop again
  10. New terminal.
    Start sync: sync
  11. New terminal
    1. Ssh to pcids03
      ssh upcids03@pcids03
    2. Start a screen
      screen -S sync
    3. Start sync
      ./sync.py
  12. You are now ready to take data. This can be done with start_acq <filename>. Please do it in the same desktop as sync is running.

Now MBS is running.

You need to start NUTAQ also. Go to the hall. The computer to left on the desk is the one you will be working with. There should be a manual on the table.

How do I??

Below you find the description of how you perform various tasks.

Turn the VME crate on

  • Locate the little red switch on the front of the VME crate and flip it upwards. This should turn on the crate. (If the display on the crate shows error messages, flip the red switch again.)

Initialize the VULOM

  • Ssh to the RIO ssh caisol7
  • Go to the DAQ directory
    cd daq/f_user
  • Flash the RIO
    ./flash_vulom
  • If everything went correct you should see
    Successly flashed prog 2
    If you do not see this then something is really wrong. Find an expert.

Setting the trigger

This should not be done while taking data to disk!

The trigger is performed by the VULOM using the trloii firmware.
For a short introduction look here. Details about syntax and capabilities can be found here.

  • Ssh to the RIO
    ssh caisol7
  • Go to the DAQ directory
    cd daq/f_user
  • If you need to change the trigger settings then open
    emacs RIO_trigger.trlo
  • Apply the settings ./rewire.sh

Changing the trigger

This should not be done while taking data to disk!

The trigger is controlled digitally and the configuration is stored on caisol7.

  • Ssh to the RIO
    ssh caisol7
  • Go to the DAQ directory
    cd daq/f_user
  • Open the trigger file
    emacs RIO_trigger.trlo

The relevant lines are 44-46. They should look similar to this:

// Here you enable the triggers you want active with a , between each. Please use the alias' above   
  tpat_enable += U1_OR, U3_OR, U4_OR, U5_OR, U6_OR;                                                 
  tpat_enable += GE_TRIG;
  tpat_enable += LA_TARGET_TRIG, LA_COLLI_TRIG;
  tpat_enable += PADS_TRIG;

The global trigger is an OR between all enabled subtriggers. Here in above the enabled triggers are Ge, LaBr, pads and an OR of the front/back of the DSSD.
If you want to change this simply comment in/out the lines you do not need.

Please note there also exist UX_AND triggers which is an AND between the front and back of an DSSD.

Viewing the VULOM scaler

  • Ssh to the RIO
    ssh caisol7
  • show-scalers

Monitoring the dead time

~/htj/MBS-unpacker/MBS_unpacker –stream=localhost

Starting mbs

Please make this in a screen

  • Start screen
    screen -S mbs
  • Ssh to the RIO
    ssh caisol7
  • Go to the DAQ directory
    cd daq/f_user
  • Reset the MBS state
    resl
  • Start mbs
    mbs
  • Start the acquisition
    @startup

Starting relay

In any terminal on pcepisdaq6 type start_relay.

Starting Go4

This requires the relay server to be running

Our Go4 online analysis is split into two parts the analysis server and the client.

They are split since Go4 is very prone to crashes.

  • Starting the Go4 analysis server
    go4_web_server
  • In order to view the online histograms you can run
    go4_connect

When the Go4 server is running you can also view the histograms at go4.kern.phys.au.dk

If the client crashes you can simply issue go4_connect again. If everything seems broke then try to restart go4_web_server

Taking file to disk

This requires mbs to be running

In any terminal on pcepisdaq6 you can issue

start_acq <filename>

This will create a file in /data/is605/mbs/raw/ named <filename>_<RUN_NUMBER>_<FILE_NUMBER>.lmd.gz.
<RUN_NUMBER> is an auto generated run number. <FILE_NUMBER> is a number starting from 000 incrementing by 1 for every 200MB of data acquired.

Furthermore it will create a log file named<filename>.log in the same directory.