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Typically Run Control should be launched at the beginning of the shift and, unless problems occur, multiple runs can be made without closing and re-open it. So there shouldn't be any reason for restart Run Control during the shift. Upon double click on the icon, the user is prompted with the 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
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- allows to perform all the operations required for standard data taking (and much more!).
Preliminary operations
check user ID
check power status
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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).
Selecting an application
e2eBT
Starting a run