amControls¶

Content¶

About¶

This is a fully functional epics IOC that provide an example on how to create&serve epics PVs, how to connect to PV served by other epics IOCs (both referring to them as PV prefix or full PV name customizable at run time) and how to support a callback via python.

amControls is an EPICS IOC supporting the Additive Manufacturing at beamline 32-ID of the Advanced Photon Source.

Instrument¶

Laser¶

More infor¶

At beamline 32-ID we use …

Usage¶

Start EPICS IOC¶

fast@merlot $ cd ~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/iocBoot/iocAMControls
fast@merlot $ ./start_IOC

at the end of the start up process you will get the IOC console:

Starting iocInit
############################################################################
## EPICS R7.0.6.2-DEV
## Rev. R7.0.6.1-75-g91941af992f6c32ef4f4
############################################################################
reboot_restore: entry for file 'auto_settings.sav'
reboot_restore: Found filename 'auto_settings.sav' in restoreFileList.
*** restoring from './autosave/auto_settings.sav' at initHookState 6 (before record/device init) ***
reboot_restore: done with file 'auto_settings.sav'

reboot_restore: entry for file 'auto_settings.sav'
reboot_restore: Found filename 'auto_settings.sav' in restoreFileList.
*** restoring from './autosave/auto_settings.sav' at initHookState 7 (after record/device init) ***
reboot_restore: done with file 'auto_settings.sav'

cas WARNING: Configured TCP port was unavailable.
cas WARNING: Using dynamically assigned TCP port 44367,
cas WARNING: but now two or more servers share the same UDP port.
cas WARNING: Depending on your IP kernel this server may not be
cas WARNING: reachable with UDP unicast (a host's IP in EPICS_CA_ADDR_LIST)
iocRun: All initialization complete
create_monitor_set("auto_settings.req", 30, "P=32id:,R=AMControls:")
save_restore:readReqFile: unable to open file amControls.req. Exiting.
epics> auto_settings.sav: 8 of 8 PV's connected
epics>

If you do any modification to the amControls_settings.req or amControls.template files in:

~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/amcontrolsApp/Db

you neeed to rebuld the epics IOC:

epics> exit
fast@merlot $ cd ../..
fast@merlot $ make -sj
fast@merlot $ cd iocBoot/iocAMControls

and restart the IOC:

fast@merlot $ ./start_IOC

You can accomplish the same with a single line command:

fast@merlot $ cd ../.. ; make -sj ; cd iocBoot/iocAMControls ; ./start_IOC

Start MEDM screen¶

fast@merlot $ cd ~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/iocBoot/iocAMControls
fast@merlot $ ./start_medm

or:

fast@merlot $ ./start_medm_user

Start python server¶

$ bash
(base) $ conda activate amcontrols
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ cd ~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/iocBoot/iocAMControls
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ python -i start_amcontrols.py
configPVS:
CameraPVPrefix : 2bmbSP2:
ExamplePVName : 32id:m1
DefocusSelect : Positive
RayleighLength : 50.00
BeamWaist : 0
BeamWaistYPosition : 0
DesiredBeamDiameter : 0
SampleHeight : 0

controlPVS:
Example : None
Go : Done
AMStatus :
Watchdog : -38

pv_prefixes:
Camera : 2bmbSP2:
>>>

If you do any modification to the python source code files in:

~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/amcontrols/

you neeed to rebuld the python server code:

>>> exit()
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ cd ../..
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ python setup.py install
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ cd iocBoot/iocAMControls/
(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ python -i start_amcontrols.py

You can accomplish the same with a single line command:

(amcontrols) fast@merlot $ cd ../../; python setup.py install; cd iocBoot/iocAMControls/; python -i start_amcontrols.py

Demo¶

amControls allows for …

Install directions¶

Build EPICS base¶

Warning

Make sure the disk partition hosting ~/epics is not larger than 2 TB. See tech talk and Diamond Data Storage document.

$ mkdir ~/epics
$ cd epics

Download EPICS base latest release, i.e. 7.0.3.1., from https://github.com/epics-base/epics-base:
```
$ git clone https://github.com/epics-base/epics-base.git
$ cd epics-base
$ make -sj
```

Build a minimal synApps¶

To build a minimal synApp:

$ cd ~/epics

Download in ~/epics assemble_synApps.sh
Edit the assemble_synApps.sh script as follows:
1. Set FULL_CLONE=True
2. Set EPICS_BASE to point to the location of EPICS base. This could be on APSshare (the default), or a local version you built.
For amcontrols you need
1. ASYN=R4-37
2. AUTOSAVE=R5-10
3. BUSY=R1-7-2
4. XXX=R6-1
You can comment out all of the other modules (ALLENBRADLEY, ALIVE, etc.)
Run:
```
$ assemble_synApps.sh
```
This will create a synApps/support directory:
```
$ cd synApps/support/
```
Edit asyn-RX-YY/configure/RELEASE to comment out the lines starting with:
```
IPAC=$(SUPPORT)/
SNCSEQ=$(SUPPORT)/
```

Warning

If building for RedHat8 uncomment TIRPC=YES in asyn-RX-YY/configure/CONFIG_SITE

Clone the amcontrols module into synApps/support:

$ git clone https://github.com/tomography/amcontrols.git

Edit configure/RELEASE add this line to the end:
```
AMCONTROLS=$(SUPPORT)/amcontrols
```
Edit Makefile add this line to the end of the MODULE_LIST:
```
MODULE_LIST += AMCONTROLS
```
Run the following commands:
```
$ make release
$ make -sj
```

Testing the installation¶

Edit /epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/configure to set EPICS_BASE to point to the location of EPICS base, i.e.:
```
EPICS_BASE=/APSshare/epics/base-3.15.6
```

Start the epics ioc and associated medm screen with:

$ cd ~/epics/synApps/support/amcontrols/iocBoot/iocAMControls
$ start_IOC
$ start_medm

amcontrolsApp EPICS application¶

amControls includes a complete example EPICS application, including:

A database file and corresponding autosave request file that contain the PVs required by the amcontrols.py base class.
OPI screens for medm
An example IOC application that can be used to run the above databases. The databases are loaded in the IOC with the example substitutions file, amcontrols.substitutions.

Base class files¶

The following tables list all of the records in the amControls.template file. These records are used by the amcontrols base class and so are required.

amControls.template¶

This is the database file that contains only the PVs required by the amcontrol.py base class amcontrols.template.

Example PV Prefixes¶

Record name	Record type	Description
$(P)$(R)CameraPVPrefix	stringout	Contains the prefix for the detector, e.g. 2bmbSP2:

Example PV name¶

Record name	Record type	Description
$(P)$(R)ExamplePVName	stringout	Contains a PV name, e.g. 32id:m1

AM served PVs¶

Record name	Record type	Description
$(P)$(R)RayleighLength	ao	Contains the Rayleigh Length value
$(P)$(R)BeamWaist	ao	Contains the BeamWaist value
$(P)$(R)BeamWaistYPosition	ao	Contains the BeamWaistYPosition value
$(P)$(R)DesiredBeamDiameter	ao	Contains the DesiredBeamDiameter value
$(P)$(R)SampleHeight	ao	Contains the SampleHeight value

Defocus select¶

Record name	Record type	Description
$(P)$(R)DefocusSelect	mbbo	Defocus direction selector, Positive or Negative

AM status via Channel Access¶

Record name	Record type	Description
$(P)$(R)Go	busy	Setting this record to 1 starts a control action.
$(P)$(R)AMStatus	waveform	This record will be updated with the scan status while scanning.
$(P)$(R)ServerRunning	bi	This record will be `Running` if the Python server is running and `Stopped` if not. It is controlled by a watchdog timer, and will change from `Running` to `Stopped` within 5 seconds if the Python server exits.

medm files¶

amControls.adl¶

The following is the MEDM screen amControls.adl during a scan. The status information is updating.

amControlsEPICS_PVs.adl¶

The following is the MEDM screen amControlsEPICS_PVs.adl.

If these PVs are changed amControls must be restarted.