Abstract
Here is a short introduction on how to run 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.
Launch 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.
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, 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.
Starting a run