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• the DAQ reads epicsArch.txt.  it can use either the epics name or the alias as the detname in xtc2.  This keeps things "natural" in xtc2, where each detector has one and only one user name.   Silke says the alias was optional in the LCLS1 epicsArch.txt file.
• in epicsArch right now, Ric/Matt now use the epics variable name (was "value" previously) and ignores the alias.  This would change to "prefer" the alias if it existed in epicsArch.txt, but fall back to the epics variable name.
• the DAQ optionally stores an extra epics_info object in the configure transition.  this (an analog of the LCLS1 "alias map" object).  This single object would contain ancillary information about each epics variable, e.g.
  • the full epics name
  • the alias name (defaults to the full name if not specified in epicsArch.txt)
  • anything else we decide we would like to add
• the epics_info object would have its own Detector interface
• the epics_info object (and Detector interface) could expand over time, presumably in a backwardly-compatible way by using the usual middle-version-number increment pattern.  Might be easiest if new fields for each variable were added to the end of the structin epicsArch right now, Ric/Matt now use the epics variable name (was "value" previously) and ignores the alias.  This would change to use the alias if it existed in epicsArch.txt.
• PvaDetector could use the same epics_info mechanism (see some other thoughts thoughts on PvaDetector here).

Area Detector Brainstorming (AreaDetector)

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