Running Run Control

Abstract

Here is a short introduction on how to launch and operate the Run Control for standard data taking. The following instructions assume that the e-logbook and the environmental monitoring are already running and - more important - the 28 V power supply which powers the CU is on. If they're not, or you're not sure, don't continue with the below.

The last section of this page is a step by step howto that can be used as a refernce during shifts.

Launching Run Control

Run Control comes in two different flavours, depending on the type of Run, and is launched by a double click on the proper icon on the Desktop of lat-btserver:

Run Control: this the most common choice and it is intended to be used for runs in which the CU and the Ancillary Systems run syncronized and the data are merged online by Run Control itself.

Run Control No Synch: this should be used when the CU is run standalone.

Note that the sequence of operations for starting (and stopping) a run is, to many respects, different in the two cases, so that one should always make sure what's the configuration he's running with before starting a run.

Upon double click on the icon, two different windows are pop up:

An X terminal on which the message logger prints its output. Though in case of problems this is the main source of information for the debug, under normal conditions it can essentially be ignored by the shifter.

The Run Control main gui, which allows to perform all the operations required for standard data taking (and much more!).

Preliminary operations

The following operations should be performed each time Run Control is started.

Make sure the shifter ID is correctly set

At the Run Control startup (and essentially before each single run) the shifter should make sure that the combo box labelled as user (top-left) is properly set; the name of the shifter can be changed by accessing the relative drop-down menu. All the shifters should be already included into the menu itself; if not, everybody can add an entry from the Edit->Preferences menu, or can ask somebody else to do it.

The shifter should not pay attention to the other two combo boxes, lebelled as Particle Type and Orientation since that information is overwritten by the data taking script (which by the way is called end2endBT.py).

Check that the front end electronics is powered up

This can be done through the Power tab of the Run Control main GUI. Under normal conditions the power leds shold be active (solid green) for:

CAL 1, CAL 2, CAL 3
TKR 2, TKR 3
ACD 4LA

If some of these modules is off, it can be powered on by selecting the relative check box and pressing the Front End Power Upbutton. The front end electronics should be on in normal circumstances; doing power cycles is a serious thing that should be done only if necessary (and logged into the e-logbook), so that normally the shifters won't need to do it. It is good to check periodically that the front ends are on, though.

Check that the bias voltage to the detectors is on and set correctly

This must be done separately for the three subsystems (ACD, CAL, TKR) so one has to look at the three relative tab widgets.

ACD: this is done through the ACD tab in the Run Control main GUI. A text label on the right end of the tab notify the status of the high voltage.

CAL: this is done through the CAL tab in the Run Control main GUI. There's a button at the bottom of the tab for refreshing the BIAS DAC setting. The nominal value should be
```
0x5800
```

TKR: this is done through the TKRtab in the Run Control main GUI. There's a button for refreshing the level of the TKR bias voltage. The nominal value shuold be around
```
100 V
```

Again: under normal conditions the bias voltages to the detectors should be on all the times and the shifters should not have to turn it on/off manually.

Selecting an application

The test application is choosen by pressing the Select Applicationbutton, which opens a file browser. Under normal circumstances the shifter should always select the application called

end2endBT.py

which, by the way, is the only test application into the default directory of the file browser. After the Open button is pressed, the file browser is closed and Run Control is ready to start.

Insert the Run information

This is done by means of a GUI which is automatically prompted to the user when a test application is started from Run Control. The information which must be entered in manually includes:

The particle type.
The nominal momentum of the beam.
The current of the bending magnet.
The test category (it's there for historical reason, there's no choice other than BT).
The test number (refer to the relative documentation for more information).

Only the following particle type are allowed:

"All Particles"
"Tagged Photons"
"Full brem Photon'
"Electrons"
"Positrons"
"Protons"
"Pions"
"Muons"
"Cosmics (no beam)'
"Test"

The GUI also show other pieces of information (XY table, trigger) automatically collected from other data sources. The shifter should make its best to make sure that information is correct, though oit cannot be manually changed from the GUI.

The giudelines provided by the GUI itself (in the form of tooltips that are pop up when the mouse is over some widget and message/error boxes) should be enough for the shifter to be able to insert the information correctly.

Data taking: a step by step howto

This section is meant to be a practical reference for running data taking during the shifts. Refer to the previous sections for setails on the single items. We explicitly note that the way a run is started, again, depends on wheter the CU is operated in syncro with the Ancillary Systems of by itself (see the Launch Run Control section).

Starting a synchronized Run

This assumes that the user launches Run Control through the Run Control shortcut on the Desktop of lat-btserver.

Here is the (time ordered!) sequence of operatios for starting a non sysnchronized run;

Make sure that the hardware trigger is properly set (look at the NIM crate at the very top of the rack; the TRG->CU cable on the output of the TTL to NIM converter - third NIM module from the left - should be linked to the TRG->DAQ DAQ VETO cable). Refer to the separate documentation for more details.
Launch Run Control from the Run Controlshortcut. At any time you can tell the application you're running (wheter it's normal or no synch) by the title of the X terminal popping up along with the Run Control main GUI.
Make sure that the User is the Run Control Main GUI is properly set.
Make sure the front ends are powered up and the detectors are biased.
Select the end2endBT.py application.
Sit in front of the ancillary DAQ machine (wkxglast1) and start the acquisition by entering the command:
```
> ACQmain
```
You will be prompted to insert the number of events to be acquired and you'll have to properly start the run from a specific GUI (refer to the separate documentation for more details). Wait until the following message is prompted:
```
Starting server socket on port 2345
-> waiting for a client...
```
Go back to lat-btserver and press the START button in the Run Control main GUI.
Fill out ALL the fields in the GUI which is prompted to you for collecting the run information and press OK in the GUI itself.
Wait until the event counter on the right end of the Run Control GUI is incremented to one (it may take quite a few seconds for that) and the status changes from UNDEFINED to PASSED. Also, the state (seen in the text box below the RESET, STOP, RUN and PAUSE buttons) should have changed from RESET or STOPPED to RUNNING. At this point the system is really ready to start.
Back again to wkxglast1 and, when prompted with the message
```
Press enter when RC is ready
```
follow the instruction and press enter.
Put all relevant run-related information into the e-logbook.
The run should stop by itself when the number of events preset in the ancillary DAQ has been collected (neve press the STOP button, remember!). At that point Run Control should pass automatically into the RESETstate. If, for whatever reason, you need to stop the acquisition, press CTRL+C on wsxglast1 first, then stop Run Control. Don't forget to record the forced stop of the run in the e-logbook!
Note that in synchronized mode you should never ever push the PAUSE button. Pausing a LATTE run will completely confuse the merging code and spoil the run.
Close and restart Run Control for a new run.

Starting a NON synchronized (standalone CU) Run

This assumes that the user launches Run Control through the Run Control No Synch shortcut on the Desktop of lat-btserver.