README.MIDAS
Shutting Down MIDAS DAQ
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The following procedure describes a 'cold' stop of the DAQ.
Normally one would only need to perform steps 1 to 2.
1) If possible, stop data acquisition
MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control -> select STOP
2) If possible, quit data acquisition
MIDAS Main Menu -> select Quit
From the Quit Session Confirmation pop-up window
select -> Yes
3) If possible, stop TapeServer. The TapeServer is normally run from
a terminal session on tuda2.
In the command window where the TapeServer was started enter CTRL-C
The TapeServer should respond confirming that its processes have
received an INT signal.
MIDAS Tape Driver (5615): Received INT signal; exiting.
MIDAS Tape Driver (5614): Received INT signal; exiting.
MIDAS Tape Driver (5613): Received INT signal; exiting.
Starting MIDAS DAQ
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The following procedure describes a 'cold' start of the DAQ.
Normally one would only need to perform steps 5 to 9.
1) Login to Sun Blade 100 workstation - tuda2 ISAC-II Experimental Hall
user: tuda
password:
2) Switch off the VME crate.
Wait 20s.
Switch on the VME crate.
After a short delay (c. 20-30s) you will observe significant network
load on the Allied Telesys 8-port switch on top of the TUDA 19" racks
whilst the Lynx operating system is downloaded to the MVME 2431 CPU
and the DAQ application is loaded.
3) Open (another) command window on tuda2. Enter the commands
cd /MIDAS/TapeServer/SunOS
./master
This will start the TapeServer process which should conclude with
messages of the type
MIDAS Data Link (5821): MIDAS Data Link thread 0 using TCP port 10305.
MIDAS Data Link (5821): Entering server loop
MIDAS Data Link (5821): thread 0 listening on port 10305
4) Check whether the EPICS access repeater process is running
tuda2> ps -ef | grep caRepeater
tuda 2182 1 0 12:35:07 pts/2 0:00 caRepeater
If the EPICS access repeater is not running, you can start it
by requesting any EPICS variable, e.g.
tuda2> caget CCS2ISAC:BL2ACURRENT
CCS2ISAC:BL2ACURRENT 0
5) Open (another) command window. Enter the command
MIDAS-session
From the pop-up window select -> MIDAS Data Acquisition
If you wish to run a MIDAS session remotely (tuda3 ISAC-II Counting
Room 1) establish a Secure Shell (ssh) connection from tuda3 to tuda2
tuda3> ssh tuda2 -l tuda
and enter the command MIDAS-session in this terminal session.
It is *strongly* recommended that you do NOT run the MIDAS DAQ
locally *and* remotely.
6) From the MIDAS Main Menu select Experiment Control ... and wait
until start sequence is complete
7) From MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control select SETUP.
From Confirmation Request for Data Acquisition Setup pop-up window
select Setup Everything
... and wait until the sequence is complete with the message
MIDAS DA is SETUP and ready to GO at
8) From the MIDAS Main Menu select Experiment Control select -> Advanced.
Select Configuration/Test/Debug Frame. From confirmation pop-up select
-> Yes - Please Continue
Check the TDC mode is Common Stop, TDC reference is 0, and readout mode is 1.
Check Data Destination:Tape Server is tuda2daq and select 'Setup Connection'
Select Update.
Dismiss the Configuration/Test/Debug Frame.
9) From MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control select Tape Control.
From the Tape Drive Control window select Allocated? button adjacent
to /dev/file/0 - No should toggle to Yes.
Select corresponding Load Tape -> Mount (Append Data to old tape)
Volume name (S1195) should appear, select Continue.
If you do not wish to write data to disk (/dev/file/0) select No Storage.
Dismiss the Tape Drive Control Window.
From MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control select Redisplay. Tapes
in use should change to:
/dev/file/0 (if you are writing to disk)
Storage is not enabled (if you have selected No Storage)
Check Histogramming Enabled and TS Transfer Enabled are selected.
The TS Transfer Enabled button should be green indicating a good
connection to the Tape Server.
9) From the MIDAS Main Menu select Experiment Control select Go
If you have selected No Storage you will be reminded of this and asked
whether you wish to continue, or abort data acquisition start.
Starting data run
-----------------
Assumes DAQ is already stopped.
1) Clear VME CPU histograms (if required)
From Spectrum Directory Browser frame select -> Resource -> hist
Select -> Select All
Select -> Actions -> Zero & Deselect
The footer of window should show zeroing of spectra in progress.
2) Clear online sort spectra (if required)
From Spectrum Directory Browser frame select -> Resource -> SortSas
Select -> Select All
Select -> Actions -> Zero & Deselect
The footer of window should show zeroing of spectra in progress.
3) Start DAQ
From MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control select -> GO
If the DAQ has started OK you should see the 'Good Events' scaler
increment and 'Good Events /s' should be non-zero.
4) Complete Elog entry
The Session Log window will show the start time & date
5) Check run data file
Open a command window and enter command(s)
ls -l /net/tuda2/data2/data/S1195; sleep 60; ls -l /net/tuda2/data2/data/S1195
and check current run data file is increasing in size.
Stopping data run
-----------------
Assumes DAQ is going.
1) Stop DAQ
From MIDAS Data Acquisition Experiment Control window select -> STOP
2) Save VME CPU histograms
From Spectrum Directory Browser select -> Actions -> Save
The Spectrum Copy & Online Histogram Save window should appear.
Select -> Source Resource -> hist
Select -> Select All
Check destination Directory (e.g. /home/tuda/S1195/spectra)
Enter (sub-)Directory (e.g. run100)
Select -> Execute
3) Save online sort spectra
From Spectrum Directory Browser select -> Actions -> Save
The Spectrum Copy & Online Histogram Save window should appear.
Select -> Source Resource -> SortSas
Select -> Select All
Check destination Directory (e.g. /home/tuda/S1195/spectra)
Enter (sub-)Directory (e.g. run100)
Select -> Execute
4) Complete Elog entry
The Session Log window will show the stop time & date and # blocks written to disk
T.Davinson - May 2009
Revised - April 2011
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