MDA library problem/fix

[Tim Mooney <mooney@aps.anl.gov>]

Dear folks,

We found and have fixed a problem in both the C++ and java versions of
the MDA library.  This library is used to read scan-data files written
by the saveData task from the VME crate directly to disk.  The library
is compiled into the programs mdals (which converts an MDA file to
ASCII text) and scan2nexus (which converts one or more MDA files into a
NeXus file), and is also used by MDABrowser (which displays the
structure and data in an MDA file).

The new versions of the MDA library, and recompiled versions of mdals
and scan2nexus, are now available from the BCDA group's software
distribution web page via the URL


	http://www.aps.anl.gov/xfd/SoftDist/custom.htm

(See 'Data-file related tools.')

The problem affected only data files acquired in fast scans (scans in
which the innermost loop lasted only a few seconds), or files acquired
while the VME processor was heavily and continuously loaded.  In these
scans, it is possible for certain descriptive information (e.g., the
engineering units associated with a positioner) to be omitted from the
data file.  This omission (which is itself a problem not yet fixed)
confused the MDA library.

SRI-CAT users: the programs mdals and scan2nexus, in the
/home/beams/BCDA/bin directory, have been updated.

Tim Mooney (mooney@aps.anl.gov) (630)252-5417
Beamline Controls & Data Acquisition Group
Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Lab