EPICS Training @ PSI

Controls Section PSI 2015

Acknowledgment

Some slides in this talk came form the „Getting started with EPICS“ lecture series of APS.

My special thanks go to Ned Arnold and John Maclean from the Advanced Photon Source.

The original talks can be found on www.aps.anl.gov/epics/docs/GSWE.php

EPICS Training @ PSI

Contents

• What is EPICS • The Parts of EPICS • What are Records • An Example for a Record • How to Solve Problems with EPICS

EPICS Training @ PSI

What is an Accelerator Control System?

The Accelerator Control System connects the Operator in the control room with the accelerator hardware. The control room might not be near the accelerator Operator

Our Control System is called EPICS EPICS Training @ PSI

Accelerators

What does EPICS Control?

For example Swiss Light Source (SLS at PSI) Accelerator components to control: ca. 200 computers ca. 600 magnets (+power supplies) 300 vacuum pumps 9 cavity structures ca. 150 beam position monitors 21 beamlines (together) ca. 300 computers 10 undulator magnets more than 1200 motors Distances between components (storage ring with 130 m diameter): 50 km power cable and more than 500 km signal cable

EPICS Training @ PSI

What is EPICS?

EPICS is

an abbreviation for:

E

xperimental

P

hysics and

I

ndustrial

C

ontrol

S

ystem •

EPICS is:

A collaboration

EPICS

• • A software tool kit A control system architecture

EPICS:

• supports distributed control systems for large research facilities like accelerators • uses Client/Server and Publish/Subscribe methods • uses the Channel Access (CA) network protocol

EPICS Training @ PSI

The History

–In1989 started a collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory (GTA) and Argonne National Laboratory (APS) (Jeff Hill, Bob Dalesio & Marty Kraimer)

GTA

: Ground Test Accelerator

APS

: Advanced Photon Source –More than 150 licenses agreements were signed, before EPICS became Open Source in 2004 –Team work on problems, for example over “Tech Talk” mailing list –Two collaboration meetings every year (spring and autumn) in turns in America, Asia, and Europe –Collaborative efforts vary • Assistance in finding bugs • Share tools, schemes, and advice

EPICS Training @ PSI

EPICS – Who is Using That?

Some members of the collaboration (not complete!): – ANL (APS Accelerator, APS Beamlines, IPNS) in Chicago, USA – LANL in Los Alamos, USA – ORNL (SNS) in Oak Ridge, USA – SLAC (SSRL, LCLS) in Standford, USA – JLAB (CEBAF) in Newport, USA – DESY in Hamburg, Deutschland – BESSY in Berlin, Deutschland – PSI (SLS, HIPA, PROSCAN, SwissFEL) in Villigen, Schweiz – KEK in Tsukuba, Japan – DIAMOND Light Source Oxfordshire, England

(

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) in – Iter (Test Fusion Power Plant), South France – ESS (European Spallation Source), Lund, Sweden

EPICS Training @ PSI

Are There Alternatives to EPICS?

• • System Name:

EPICS TANGO

• • •

DOOCS Tine ACS

•

PVSS (Cern)

Collaborations: Used at more than one Lab Pro: Bugs are already found Contra: Complicated to adapt to your problems Single Site Systems: Developed and used in one Lab Pro: Your problems solved perfectly Contra: You are on your own (no one can help) Commercial System Pro: Outsource your problems Contra: Expensive

EPICS Training @ PSI

The Architecture of EPICS

Network based Client/Server Model (hence the EPICS logo):

CA Client

EPICS

CA Client

A

Server

provides information and service A

Client

uses the service or asks for the information

CA Server CA Server

• For EPICS, client and server refer to their

C

hannel

A

ccess role: i.e. Channel Access Client and Channel Access Server • This standard control system architecture is often called 3 tier architecture or 3 layer model

EPICS Training @ PSI

What is Channel Access?

• A protocol how to transfer data over network • A single data unit is called

Process Variable

• A Process Variable has a unique name, which is used to refer to the data (Naming convention needed!) • The detailed operation of Channel Access is unimportant for most programmers (it already works…) • Channel Access is not dependent on a single programming language (native library in C/C++, Java, and C# available) • The entire set of Process Variables establish a

Distributed Real-time Database

of machine status, information and control parameters

EPICS Database Process Variables EPICS Training @ PSI Process Variables CAS Process Variables

Channel Access Network Flow

CA Client

1. Query: Broadcast 2. Answer: direct connection 3. All further queries and answers work directly (Point-To-Point)

Network CA Server 1 CA Server 2 CA Server 3 EPICS Training @ PSI

Channel Access Commands

Channel Access Client CA Client Who has a PV named “S1A:H1:CurrentAO”?

CA Server Channel Access Server Process Variables: I do.

S1A:H1:CurrentAO S1:P1:x S1:P1:y S1:G1:vacuum

“connection request” or “search request” “get” or “caget”

What is its value?

“put” or “caput”

Change its value to 30.5

“set a monitor”

Notify me when the value changes 25.5 AMPS OK, it is now 30.5

or or “put complete”

30.5 is too high. It is now set to the maximum value of 27.5.

You are not authorized to change this value EPICS Training @ PSI It is now 20.5 AMPS It is now 10.5 AMPS

“post an event” or “post a monitor”

It is now 0.0023 AMPS

How is it Done?

Channel Access Client Channel Access Client

Operator

Channel Access Server Process Variables:

Network (Channel Access Protocol)

S1A:H1:CurrentAO Computer Interface Power Supply S1:P1:x S1:P1:y S1:G1:vacuum Computer Interface Computer Interface Beam Position Monitor Vacuum Gauge EPICS Training @ PSI Channel Access Client

Machine

What is EPICS - Conclusion

• EPICS is a control system architecture • EPICS is the connection between accelerator and operator • EPICS is based on a transfer protocol named Channel Access • Channel Access works with data sets called Process Variables • EPICS is used by many institutes all over the world

EPICS Training @ PSI

Contents

• What is EPICS • The Parts of EPICS • What are Records • An Example for a Record • How to Solve Problems with EPICS

EPICS Training @ PSI

Parts of EPICS

CA Client CA Client Control Room CA Server

EPICS Training @ PSI

Client Programs: alarmhandler Striptool, caQtDM, many more … (user programs) Cannel Access: (UDP/TCP) Server Programs: (user programs) Realtime Control

Records

VME Computer

• VME is an abbreviation for VERSAmodule Eurocard • Industry Computer • Developed since 1980 •

It is not a PC

• Real-time capable (i.e. delays are calculable) • Operating system was VxWorks from Wind River company – will be real time Linux (at PSI) • Very expensive (search for new solutions in EPICS community)

EPICS Training @ PSI

What is an IOC?

IOC means

I

nput

O

utput

C

ontroller • A special CA Server and CA Client (IOCs can “talk” to each other) • A computer running the “

IOC Core

” program (at least once) • This computer may be: - VME based, operating system vxWorks (only possibility for old EPICS Versions up to 3.14), Linux, RTEMS - PC, operating system Windows, Linux, RTEMS - Apple, operating system OSX - UNIX Workstation, operating system Solaris • An IOC normally is connected to input and/or output hardware (otherwise called softIOC) • An IOC runs a record database, which defines what this IOC is doing

EPICS Training @ PSI

Some CA Clients

(from the EPICS Website - incomplete) •ALH: Alarm Handler •BURT: Backup and Restore Tool •CASR: Host-based Save/Restore •CAU: Channel Access Utility •Channel Archiver •Channel Watcher •EDM: (SNS) (SLAC) Extensible Display Manager (ORNL) •JoiMint: Java Operator Interface and Management INtegration Toolkit (DESY) •Knobs: Knob Manager und KnobConfig, eine Schnittstelle zu SunDials •MEDM: Motif Editor und Display Manager •StripTool: Strip-chart Plotting Tool •Command line tools (caget, caput, …) •and many more …

EPICS Training @ PSI

Client Program: Command Line Tools

• Read a PV named

caget NAME

• Write a PV named

caput NAME value

• Get information about that Record

cainfo NAME

>caget ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 350.56

> >caput ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 401.5

Old: ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 350.56

New: ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 401.5

> >cainfo ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT State: connected Host: sls-cagw-1 Access: read, no write Data type: DBR_DOUBLE • Start a monitor

camonitor NAME

(Cancel with [Ctrl] + [c]) ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 250.537

ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 250.533

ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT 250.525

>

EPICS Training @ PSI

Some CA Clients

(from the EPICS Website - incomplete) •ALH: Alarm Handler •BURT: Backup and Restore Tool •CASR: Host-based Save/Restore •CAU: Channel Access Utility •Channel Archiver •Channel Watcher •EDM: (SNS) (SLAC) Extensible Display Manager (ORNL) •JoiMint: Java Operator Interface and Management INtegration Toolkit (DESY) •Knobs: Knob Manager und KnobConfig, eine Schnittstelle zu SunDials •MEDM: Motif Editor und Display Manager •StripTool: Strip-chart Plotting Tool •Command line tools (caget, caput, …) •and many more …

EPICS Training @ PSI

Example: ALH

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Alarms and Colours

NO_ALARM Green Everything ok MINOR MAJOR INVALID Not connected Yellow Red Warning Error (no Controls Problem) White White block or Pink Device not reachable Record not known

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Example: ALH

Tree structure of Records Panel with more Information Guidance Usefull for users who know the environment (for example operators in the main control room)

EPICS Training @ PSI

Some CA Clients

(from the EPICS Website - incomplete) •ALH: Alarm Handler •BURT: Backup and Restore Tool •CASR: Host-based Save/Restore •CAU: Channel Access Utility •Channel Archiver •Channel Watcher •EDM: (SNS) (SLAC) Extensible Display Manager (ORNL) •JoiMint: Java Operator Interface and Management INtegration Toolkit (DESY) •Knobs: Knob Manager und KnobConfig, eine Schnittstelle zu SunDials •MEDM: Motif Editor und Display Manager •StripTool: Strip-chart Plotting Tool •Command line tools (caget, caput, …) •and many more …

EPICS Training @ PSI

Examples: StripTool

channel values EPICS Training @ PSI time

Some CA Clients

(from the EPICS Website - incomplete) •ALH: Alarm Handler •BURT: Backup and Restore Tool •CASR: Host-based Save/Restore •CAU: Channel Access Utility •Channel Archiver •Channel Watcher •EDM: (SNS) (SLAC) Extensible Display Manager (ORNL) •JoiMint: Java Operator Interface and Management INtegration Toolkit (DESY) •Knobs: Knob Manager und KnobConfig, eine Schnittstelle zu SunDials •MEDM: Motif Editor und Display Manager •StripTool: Strip-chart Plotting Tool

caQtDM: Display Manager

•and many more …

EPICS Training @ PSI

Examples for caQtDM

EPICS Training @ PSI

Contents

• What is EPICS • The Parts of EPICS • What are Records • An Example for a Record • How to Solve Problems with EPICS

EPICS Training @ PSI

Close Look at a Measured Value

Value with a data type

295,5

with a unit

mA

with a time stamp

17.2.2005 14:21:16

with a severity (alarm state)

NO_ALARM

with technical limits

0 to 400

with graphical limits

0 to 370

with a description „

Beam current in SR“ A measured value is an object with multiple related information that have different data types EPICS Training @ PSI

What are Records?

A Record is an object with – a unique name – properties (fields) that contain information (data) different data types can appear in different fields – the ability to perform actions on that data unique name

XYZ1234 Employee : James Bond Badge Number: 007 Address : Whitehall, London Salary : £70070.07

fields data

EPICS Training @ PSI

Make a Record from a Measured Value

with a unique name

ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT

A value with a data type

mA

")

295,5 ai

with a unit

mA

field (EGUL, "

0

") field (HOPR, "

370

") with a severity (alarm status)

0

")

NO_ALARM

field (DESC, "

Beam current in SR

") field (DTYP, "

HY8401

")

0 to 400

field (INP, "

#C3 S0 @

")

developer Read back from hardware/driver

with a description „

Beam current in SR“

VAL SEVR TIME

EPICS Training @ PSI

A Process Variable Name

• A PV name is comprised of two parts – The record name, and – the name of a field belonging to that record • For example… ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT .

EGU A Process variable name • A record name A dot to join them A field name Note that if no field name is given, Channel Access will default to using the .VAL field “

ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT

” is interpreted as “

ARIDI-PCT:CURRENT .VAL

”

EPICS Training @ PSI

View of a Record

record(ao,"DemandTemp") { field(DESC,"Temperature") field(ASG,"") field(SCAN,"Passive") field(PINI,"NO") field(PHAS,"0") field(EVNT,"0") field(DTYP,"VMIC 4100") field(DISV,"1") field(SDIS,"") field(DISS,"NO_ALARM") field(PRIO,"LOW") field(FLNK,"") field(OUT,"#C0 S0") field(OROC,"0.0e+00") field(DOL,"") field(OMSL,"supervisory") field(OIF,"Full") field(PREC,"1") field(LINR,"NO CONVERSION") field(EGUF,"100") field(EGUL,"0") field(EGU,"Celcius") } EPICS Training @ PSI field(DRVH,"100") field(DRVL,"0") field(HOPR,"80") field(LOPR,"10") field(HIHI,"0.0e+00") field(LOLO,"0.0e+00") field(HIGH,"0.0e+00") field(LOW,"0.0e+00") field(HHSV,"NO_ALARM") field(LLSV,"NO_ALARM") field(HSV,"NO_ALARM") field(LSV,"NO_ALARM") field(HYST,"0.0e+00") field(ADEL,"0.0e+00") field(MDEL,"0.0e+00") field(SIOL,"") field(SIML,"") field(SIMS,"NO_ALARM") field(IVOA,"Continue normally") field(IVOV,"0.0e+00")

What do Records do?

• • • Depends on 1.

2.

Record Type Field values Records are active, they do things – Get data from other records or from hardware – – Perform calculations Check values are in range and raise alarms – Put data to other records or to hardware – – Activate or disable other records Wait for hardware signals (interrupts) record do nothing until they are

processed

EPICS Training @ PSI

•Analog in •Analog out •Binary in •Binary out •Calculation •Calculation out •Compression •Data fanout •Event •Fanout •Histogram •Motor •Multi bit binary input •Multi bit binary output •PID control •Pulse counter •Pulse delay •Scan •Select •Sequence •String in •String out •Subarray •Subroutine •Waveform

Record Processing

Record processing can be

periodic

or

event driven

: •

Periodic

: Standard scan rates are… – 10, 5, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.2 and 0.1 seconds – Custom scan rates can be configured up to speeds allowed by operating system and hardware – No precise timing!

•

Event driven

: Events include – Hardware interrupts – Request from another record via links – EPICS Events – Channel Access Puts

EPICS Training @ PSI

The Record Reference Manual

• Explains records from the EPICS base release • Explains database concepts, record types, and record fields • New Version as Wiki: http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics/wiki/index.php/RRM_3-14 • Old Version (R3.13): pdf: http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics/EpicsDocumentation/AppDevManuals/RecordRef/Recordref.pdf

• More Records exist.

For example Motor Record (part of synApps package)

EPICS Training @ PSI

Contents

• What is EPICS • The Parts of EPICS • What are Records • An Example for a Record • How to Solve Problems with EPICS

EPICS Training @ PSI

Example Record

Process Temperature Sensor Normal Operation 5 - 50

°

C 0 – 100

°

C 0 – 10V

IOC

Analog to Digital Converter 8 bit ADC 0 – 10V 0 – 255 bits

Database

record (ai, “MTRT1-TEMP:READ”) { field (EGU, “deg C”) field (EGUL, “0”) field (EGUF, “100”) field (HSV, “MAJOR”) field (HIGH, “51”) field (SCAN, “.1 second”) field (DTYP, “Hy8401”) field (INP, “#C3 S0 @”) }

EPICS Training @ PSI

Example Record

caQtDM sets a CA monitor every time the value changes record triggers callback IOC Record Support

Value (34 °C) CA Client: caQtDM

Device Support Driver every 0.1 seconds the record asks the driver for a value and the driver reports back

EPICS Training @ PSI

record (ai, “MTRT1-TEMP:READ”) { … field (SCAN, “.1 second”) field (DTYP, “Hy8401”) field (INP, “#C3 S0 @”) field (VAL, “34”) … }

Get a Values from a Record

• Switch on VME (on every VME a Record is created, which is connected to the first potentiometer) • Type into a terminal:

caget MTRT1-TEMP:READ

(change the 1 to the number of your training station) • Move the potentiometer • Ask for another values

EPICS Training @ PSI

CA Commands

• Read a PV named

caget NAME

caget MTRT1-TEMP:READ • Get information about that Record

cainfo NAME

cainfo MTRT1-TEMP:READ • Start a monitor

camon NAME

camon MTRT1-TEMP:READ (Cancel with [Ctrl] + [c]) • Without argument all commands show some help caget

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Create a Graphical User Interface (GUI)

1. To start the Qt Designer: (editor to create new GUI)

caqtdm_designer &

2. To start an existing GUI (configuration file already exist):

caqtdm .ui &

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Create a caQtDM window (1/4)

select “Main Window” create

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Create a caQtDM window (2/4)

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Create a caQtDM window (3/4)

MTRT1-TEMP:READ

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Create a caQtDM window(4/4)

Temperature.ui

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Create a Graphical User Interface (GUI)

1. To start the Qt Designer: (editor to create new GUI)

caqtdm_designer &

2. To start an existing GUI (configuration file already exist):

caqtdm .ui &

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Running a caQtDM Window

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Files for the Temperature Example

• Change into local directory:

cd G/TRAINING/T

1

• Open the files in an editor:

G_TRAINING_T

1

_TEMPERATUR.template

MTEST-VME-T

1

_example.subs

For example use

nedit & (click on file -> open)

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Inside the Files

substitution file template file EPICS Training @ PSI

Why Substitution and Template Files?

• What to do if you have more than one instance of a device?

– Multiply the record and change the name works ok – If you have 20 devices the file gets lengthy – If the device not only needs one record but more (BPM with at least x, y, and intensity) the file gets even more lengthy and confusing [spell maintenance nightmare] • Solution provided by EPICS: substitution (with macro definition) and template files

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Inside the Files

DEVICE = MTRT1 $(DEVICE)-TEMP:READ MTRT1 -TEMP:READ EPICS Training @ PSI

Exercise: a Second Record

• Imagine we have a second temperature sensor – we need a second record  Edit the substitution file (MTEST-VME-T1_example.subs)

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How to get the Record to the VME

New records can only be created during restart of an IOC (for VME this means reboot) Linux PC install files Central Server get files during reboot Trainings VME

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Installing an EPICS Database

• Everything written correctly?

• Install to the boot directory of the IOC swit –V -ioc IOC-NAME (enter command in the local directory which contains the files to be installed) swit -V -ioc MTEST-VME-T1 • Reboot IOC: Log into the IOC using rmc IOC-NAME and type in (soft reboot) reboot rmc MTEST-VME-T1

MTEST-VME-T1> reboot EPICS Training @ PSI

What Happens at Booting

• Boot Info (memory) VME-IOC: where to find the startup.script

•

Load startup.script

• In startup.script: list of .subs files •

Load .subs files

• In .subs files: List of .template files •

Load .template files with substitutions

• Create all loaded records

EPICS Training @ PSI

Commands on the VME Computer

• Get a list of all installed records (on this IOC)

dbl

• Get the number of installed records

dbnr

• View interesting fields of a record

dbpr "MTRT1-TEMP:READ",1

• To get a list of VxWorks commands

help

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SLS Naming Convention

Records need unique names 1. X=Beamline, A=Machine, M=Test (1 character) 2. Project abbreviation (4 characters), e.g. 06SA, TEST, RI=Ring, DI=DIAGNOSE 3. Optional: Device, Group, Component, e.g. OP, ID 4. Device, e.g. MO 5. Optional: Function (max. 11 characters), z.B. TRY1-SET

[1][2] – [3] – [4] : [5]

Length of [3]+length of [4] ≤ 12 characters

older EPICS: Names have 27 characters at maximum EPICS Training @ PSI

Name for the Temperature Sensors

M = Test TR = Training T1, T2, T3, T4 = Training IOCs TEMP = Temperature READ = Record for reading For a second sensor: TEMP1 for the first, TEMP2 for the second: MTRT1-TEMP1:READ und MTRT1-TEMP2:READ

EPICS Training @ PSI

Exercise: caQtDM Application

• Create an caQtDM GUI, which shows: – Your own Records – All Records of the course – The alarm states of all records • More to do: Create a second GUI, which displays all records with names starting like MTEST-VME-T running on your IOC.

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IOC Status

On every IOC there are some Status Records created automatically: caqtdm -macro IOC=MTEST-VME-T1 /work/sls/config/qt/G_IOCMON_ioc_status.ui

EPICS Training @ PSI

Contents

• What is EPICS • The Parts of EPICS • What are Records • An Example for a Record • How to Solve Problems with EPICS

EPICS Training @ PSI

Solve a Problem in EPICS

Sensor T1 ADC

IOC Database Analog In

MTTR1-LI-COOL:TEMP1

INP

Problem:

VAL

Calculation

EGU:

deg C

Binary out

MTRT1-LI-COOL:CALC

In the LINAC we have a water chiller that must be

ADC

Analog In

MTRT1-LI-COOL:TEMP2

CALC:

( (A+B)/2 ) > C

SCAN:

10 second

INP EGU: VAL

deg C Sensor T2 Binary I/O Chiller

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The subs File

• Name of the file: MTEST-VME-T1_example.subs

# means this line is a comment

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Different Styles of subs files

few instances many instances

Files are written for programmers not for computers!

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The Template File

• Predefined records in the file G_TRAINING_T

1

_COOLER.template

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Useful Scripts

• Is everything spelled correctly?

externalLinks subs-File externalLinks MTEST-VME-T1_example.subs

• What was the name of this record? findrecord Name-Part findrecord MTRT1-LI • When was this IOC booted last time? bootinfo IOC-Name bootinfo MTEST-VME-T1

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Steps of Development

1. Change your files 2. Save your files 3. Check syntax with externalLinks externalLinks MTEST-VME-T1_example.subs

4. Install IOC files swit -V -ioc MTEST-VME-T1 5. Reboot IOC (in rmc window: reboot) 6. Test

EPICS Training @ PSI

10 Really Neat Things About EPICS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

It is free It is Open Source There are lots of users All a client needs to know to access data is a PV name You can pick the best tools out there … … or build your own The boring stuff is already done There is a lot of expertise available close by A good contribution becomes internationally known It does not matter, if you need 10 or 10 million PVs It is fun (don’t tell the management)

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EPICS Web Page

The central site for EPICS information - Documentation - CA Clients - Device support (driver) - Tech-talk (mailing list and archive)

http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics

EPICS Training @ PSI