Re: Beamline Controls Workshop

[mooney@aps.anl.gov (Tim Mooney)]

re...

> It looks like November is not a good month for a Beamline Controls
> Workshop.  With so many beamlines in or entering software-intensive
> stages of commissioning, few of us have time to think about a
> workshop.  How do you all feel about next February or March?

To summarize responses: would-be workshop attendees want it now;
would-be presenters want it next year.  Grant Bunker suggested a mini
workshop soon and the real thing next year, which sounds reasonable to
me.

Here's a prototype agenda for our part (the BCDA group's, I mean) of an
informal one- or two-day mini workshop, and a smattering of other
topics I think might be of general interest.  I don't want to take up
everyone's time with topics few care about, so comments/vetos are
welcome.  Topics from you are also welcome, of course--especially if
you'd like to present.

If we end up scheduling two days, I'll try to aim one day at experienced
developers and the other day at newcomers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- XFD standard beamline application: hands-on demonstration system.
  (This list turned into a core dump.  We won't have time to demonstrate all
  of this stuff.  The plan is to lift a working application off a beamline,
  or maybe to run parts of several existing beamlines remotely.)

	- {topic}
		- {highlights}

	- motors
		- Oregon Microsystems VME58 rev. C fix
		- transition board, cabling
		- StepPack microstepping module
		- Highland microstepper

	- scalers
		- Joerger VMESC8/16

	- MCA
		- Canberra AIM
		- front-panel-control and ICB ADCs
		- ROI support
		- MCA control/data catcher

	- Hideos-based serial, GPIB, DAC, ADC, etc. applications: a selection
	  from the following applications currently operating on SRI-CAT
	  beamlines.  (Depends partly on what hardware we can borrow or run
	  remotely.)
		- Stanford current preamplifier (& Nova V/F converter)
		- Lakeshore temperature controller
		- Keithley DMM thermistor measurement
		- Oriel Encoder Mike (0.1 um resolution piezo drive)
		- Systran DAC
		- Acromag ADC
		- HP laser interferometer
		- Laser Doppler Displacement Meter (i.e., Deming Shu's
		  nanoradian-resolution encoder)
		- Heidenhain encoder
		- Huber DMC motor controller
		- Moller-Wedel scanning autocollimator
		- debugging serial communication (Measurement & Control
		  Products' 'BitView' portable serial analyzer.)

	- save/restore
		- Bob Dalesio's autosave/restore software
		- save/restore/compare with BURT
		- caSaveRestore (?)

	- Miscellaneous coordinated motions (probably no actual hardware)
		- optical table
		- high-heat-load monochromator
		- double-crystal monochromator
		- slits
		- user filters
		- theta/two-theta and other impromptu coordination

	- Scan support
		- data catcher
		- IDL run-time vs. developer's licenses
		- allstop/alldone database
		- table-driver, on-the-fly scans
		- per-positioner scan parameters

	- Installing and implementing the XFD standard application
		- connection to EPICS base
		- per-station prefix
		- startup file, resource file, EPICS_CA_ADDR_LIST
		- NFS mounting disks
		- save/restore scripts
		- autosave/restore files
		- data-catcher environment-PV file
		- connection to HiDeOS tree
		- VME-hardware configuration
		- setup of user/developer account
		- fitting to beamline hardware

- Using the MVME162-532 to run EPICS [and HiDeOS]
	- VxWorks patches
	- downloading VxWorks bootrom into MVME162 flash memory

- Beamline tours (? any volunteers?)

- EPICS 3.13  (I hope to have all of the XFD standard application running
  under 3.13 by November.)
	- raw port from 3.12
	- taking advantage of 3.13

- First impressions of ScriptEase (c-subset interpreter/embeddable macro
  language).

- Machine Status panel
	- overview of current design
	- list of signals to be distributed
	- VME board option for reading the data stream directly

- Latest revision of Spec running EPICS  (Maybe we can drag Gerry down
  here for a day.)

- Delphi as channel-access-client/user-interface builder.  (?)

- Discussion
	- APS data-file format revisited

	- Standard beamline software revisited.

	- summary of recent discussions with Wind River Systems

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's all I can think of right now.  If you have something to present,
please send me a note.  I'll post a real agenda when things firm up.

If you plan to attend, please email me (mooney@aps.anl.gov) and cc
Julie Wulf (jmwulf@aps.anl.gov), or bring your own donuts.  Since we
had tentatively scheduled the full workshop for Nov 4-6, I suggest we
schedule this mini workshop during that time.  Nov. 5th and/or 6th seem
best to me.  Please reply promptly if you don't like the date.

Tim Mooney (mooney@aps.anl.gov)
Beamline Controls & Data Acquisition Group
Advanced Photon Source
Argonne National Lab