This note relates to Release 7.1 dated 6 Feb 2018 of the MIDAS NewGen Data Acquisition System. This software replaces previous MIDAS software which used Tk for the GUI by software based around a Web Browser for the GUI. This software release subset is for MIDAS VME data acquisition using primarly CAEN digitial acquisition moduules. Selected legacy VME modules are also being supported. There is a web page for the newgen data acquisition software - see http://npg.dl.ac.uk/MIDAS/MIDASNewGenDataAcquisition/download.html From here download the software http://npg.dl.ac.uk/MIDAS/MIDASNewGen_Core_150218.tgz which is common to all packages and http://npg.dl.ac.uk/MIDAS/MIDAS_Release/MIDASNewGen_CAEN_150218.tgz which is specific for the CAEN digitizers and associated Notes for Release 7. This is a complete archive of the MIDAS directory containing all the software needed. It is recommended that you unpack this archive into the filespace of the ID to be used for running data acquisition. You should also perform this software install using the selected ID. The software does not require any special permissions (unless noted) and you will avoid problems caused by file permissions. You will create the directory MIDAS_281117 Then create a symbolic link from /MIDAS to this directory. This does need to be performed by root. In the future when you wish to install an updated version of the software you can repeat this procedure and simply change the symbolic link. Then if needed it is easy to revert to the previous version. Note Module names such as V1751DPP have been changed to reflect the firmware supported. ie V1751DPP => V1751PSD ==== This also supports having for example PSD and PHA for the same hardware module (such as V1730) V1495 is used where the V1495 module may control acquisition but otherwise is passive and V1495DPP where in addition to control the V1495 outputs data into the acqusition data stream. The use of the Linux system name within file path names which has caused confusion in previous releases of the software has been removed. You will find that these installation and operation documents are also in /MIDAS/CAEN. Also the documentation (User Guide) is available at http://npg.dl.ac.uk/MIDAS/MIDASNewGenDataAcquisition/base.html This is a work in progress! (1) You will need to install CAEN drivers for your hardware interface and at least one CAEN library. These can be obtained from the CAEN website; however you will find the current versions in /MIDAS/CAEN The PCI driver for the hardware interface is A2818Drv-1.18-build20141126 and the PCIe driver is A3818Drv-1.5.2-build20150506 There is also a USB driver for the USB => VME bridge (V1718) CAENUSBdrvB-1.5.1 Linux driver modules need to be build for the kernel version they will be used with. The essential library is CAENVMELib-2.50. Also the library CAENComm is required if you need to use the CAEN utility for upgrading module firmware. You will find that a script for loading the hardware driver suitable for use at boot time is in /MIDAS/Linux/startup/caen. Having installed the hardware driver and connected the workstation to the VME crate you can test the installation Go to /MIDAS/CAEN/Test and run a.out Look for CAENVME_Init connected to V2718 ./a.out -a 32100000 will also perform some VME accesses to a digitizer via VME with base address 0x32100000 If using a CONET optical interface the command would be something like ./a.out -a 80000000 (for the first or only module on the optical loop) or ./a.out -a 800n0000 for the nth module. For the V1718 USB2 interface when using USB use ./a.out -a 00000000. (2) Load the MIDAS TclHttpd software. This is a web server containing the MIDAS servers needed. Start using either /MIDAS/Linux/startup/HTTPD (recommended) or /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Linux64/TclHttpd-server The software is installed using the script /MIDAS/config/TclHttpd/startup.tcl (this is confirmed in the startup monitor output). In this file you will find set ModuleMenu {PatternGen CAEN_V1495DPP CAEN_V1495 CAEN_V1290 CAEN_V1751PSD CAEN_V1730PSD CAEN_V1725PSD CAEN_V1725PHA CAEN_V1730PHA CAEN_V1724PHA CAEN_DT5780} This is the full list of currently supported CAEN digital acquisition modules (and will only get longer!). However you can remove any modules you are not using which will avoid confusion and also speed up control operations such as SETUP. Replace with set ModuleMenu {CAEN V1730PHA} ;# for V1730 with PHA firmware set ModuleMenu {CAEN_V812 CAEN_V1290 CAEN_V1751PSD CAEN_V1495DPP} ;# Surrey for FATIMA Typical startup output is: [npg@nnlxp1 ~]$ /MIDAS/Linux/startup/HTTPD tidy up tclsh8.5: no process killed System identified is CPU x86_64; Platform is unix; OS is Linux and Version is 2.6.32-431.20.3.el6.x86_64 Environment selected is CPU x64_64; Platform unix; OS Linux64 and Operating System Linux64 MIDASBASE = /MIDAS and MIDAS_LIBRARY = /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Linux64 PATH = /MIDAS/bin_Linux64:/MIDAS/TclHttpd/Linux64:/MIDAS/Linux/bin64:/usr/lib64/qt-3.3/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin package limit is not available: can't find package limit Running with default file descriptor limit package setuid is not available: can't find package setuid Could not change to user 50 group 50: not owner /debug user "debug" password "r06opzeie4kp" httpd started on port 8015 Cannot use /MIDAS/config/TclHttpd/nnlxp1@8015/startup.tcl Custom startup from /MIDAS/config/TclHttpd/nnlxp1/startup.tcl CAENVME software release 2.50.0 /VMEAccessServer /DataBaseAccessServer /NetVarService /SigTaskService Loaded MemSasAccess /SpectrumService /TapeServer loading tcl/CAENRunControl.tcl for namespace :: /DataAcquisitionControlServer DefineMessage unknown Run Control Server Implementation for CAEN RunControl loaded loading Html/RunControl/implementation.tcl for namespace :: CAEN RunControl loaded loading Html/CAEN/RunControl/implementation.tcl for namespace :: RunControl loaded /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Html/CAEN/RunControl/sys.V1724.tcl RunControl loaded /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Html/CAEN/RunControl/sys.V1720.tcl loading sys.V1740.tcl RunControl loaded /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Html/CAEN/RunControl/sys.V1740.tcl loading sys.V1751.tcl RunControl loaded /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Html/CAEN/RunControl/sys.V1751.tcl ReadRegister failed: Name=NetVar.EXEC.ID; Code= 0x10004; Info= Register name does not exist created SigTask registers 0 0 0 0 Created UI registers Set_V1724_Options Set_V1720_Options Set_V1740_Options Set_V1751_Options CAEN RunControl loaded Completed custom startup from /MIDAS/TclHttpd/Html/CAEN/RunControl/stats.defn.tcl (3) Load the data acquisition program. Note - this is now V8 Start using /MIDAS/Linux/startup/EXEC Typical startup output is: [npg@nnlxp1 startup]$ /MIDAS/Linux/startup/EXEC tidy up Defining NetVars... Loading data acquisition program... CAEN Data Acquisition Program Release 8.170817 starting Built without pthreads Creating NetVars Output buffer length = 65504; format option = 3; transfer option = 3 NetVars created and initialised Data Acquisition task has PID 18506 Statistics thread created Stat/Rate creation thread created Heartbeat thread created Installing signal handlers Done CAENVME_SwRelease returns code 0 CAENVME software release 2.50.0 Stat/Rate creation thread starting Heartbeat thread starting Statistics thread starting SemStart: semaphores initialised OK CAEN setup complete Spectra table initialised 2D Spectra table initialised Data Acquisition using storge server localhost on port 0 Initialising communication with storage server Setting Transfer Block Size 65536 Setting Transfer Mode 3 Setting Overlap Mode 0 Setting Blocking Mode 0 Setting nice 0 TCP transfer library version 3.12 TCP socket send buffer was 16384 - now 249856 TCP socket receive buffer was 87380 - now 249856 TCP socket created OK - now connecting to localhost port 10305 Connected to localhost port 10305 CAEN Data Acquisition now all ready to start SIGBUS, SIGSEGV and SIGPIPE traps setup (4) Load the MIDAS tape server (if required) Start using /MIDAS/Linux/startup/TapeServer Typical startup output is: [npg@nnlxp1 ~]$ /MIDAS/Linux/startup/TapeServer Tidy up master(10424): Operation not permitted MIDAS Tape Server: MIDAS Tape Server terminating. MIDAS Tape Driver (18570): Received TERM signal; exiting. MIDAS Tape Driver (18571): Received TERM signal; exiting. MIDAS Data Link (18572): Received TERM signal; exiting. Starting Tape Server [1] 18579 MIDAS Tape Server: Message logger not contacted. MIDAS Tape Server: MIDAS Tape Server Build February 14 2014 MIDAS Tape Server: Unable to change scheduling priority - Permission denied MIDAS Tape Server: Using default startup MIDAS Tape Server: Configuration: UDP port = 10205, SHM key=10205. MIDAS Tape Server: File mapped object /SHM_10205 of size 1331104 created MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory segment located at address 7f07b0893000. MIDAS Tape Server: Configuration file used - /MIDAS/config/TS_10205/nnlxp1/TS_configuration MIDAS Tape Server: Stats task ./stats MIDAS Tape Server: Using device file /dev/file/0 ./driver MIDAS Tape Server: Using device sink /dev/null/0 ./driver MIDAS Tape Server: Data link ./linkTCP MIDAS Tape Server: Message reporting level = 0x180fff8 MIDAS Tape Server: Message logging level = 0xfff8 MIDAS Tape Server: Tape Server Options = 0x6 MIDAS Tape Server: File device path base = /TapeData MIDAS Tape Server: Data buffer size = 65536 MIDAS Tape Server: Tape block size = 65536 MIDAS Tape Server: File mapped object /SHM_110205 of size 4195880 created MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory segment located at address 7f07b0492000. MIDAS Tape Server: File mapped object /SHM_210205 of size 3100 created MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Server: Shared memory segment located at address 7f07b09fc000. MIDAS Tape Server: Capabilities restored. MIDAS Tape Server: Master global area initialised. MIDAS Tape Server: Stats task has pid 18581 MIDAS Tape Server: Driver process for /dev/file/0 has pid 18582 MIDAS Tape Server: Driver process for /dev/null/0 has pid 18583 MIDAS Tape Server: Link task 0 has pid 18584 MIDAS Tape Server: Starting the RPC interface MIDAS Tape Server: Created RPC Program 28000205 Version 4 on UDP port 10205. MIDAS Tape Server: Entering server loop MIDAS Tape Server: MIDAS Tape Server now available on UDP port 10205. MIDAS Tape Statistics: Message logger not contacted. MIDAS Tape Statistics: MIDAS Tape Statistics Build February 14 2014 MIDAS Tape Statistics: Started with args 10205 MIDAS Tape Statistics: Configuration: SHM key=10205 MIDAS Tape Statistics: File mapped object /SHM_10205 of size 1331104 created MIDAS Tape Statistics: Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Statistics: Shared memory segment located at address 7fcd36275000. MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Message logger not contacted. MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): MIDAS Tape Driver Build February 14 2014 MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Started with args 1 10205 MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Configuration: driver=1, key=10205. MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): File mapped object /SHM_10205 of size 1331104 created MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Shared memory segment located at address 7f99ec449000. MIDAS Tape Driver (18583): Using device /dev/null/0 of type sink. MIDAS Data Link (18584): Message logger not contacted. MIDAS Data Link (18584): MIDAS Tape Data Link Build February 14 2014 MIDAS Data Link (18584): Started with args 10205 MIDAS Data Link (18584): Configuration: SHM key=10205, TCP port = 10305 MIDAS Data Link (18584): File mapped object /SHM_10205 of size 1331104 created MIDAS Data Link (18584): Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Data Link (18584): Shared memory segment located at address 7f842ba91000. MIDAS Data Link (18584): Starting the network interface MIDAS Data Link (18584): TCP socket receive buffer was 87380 - now 249856 MIDAS Data Link (18584): TCP socket send buffer was 16384 - now 249856 MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Message logger not contacted. MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): MIDAS Tape Driver Build February 14 2014 MIDAS Data Link (18584): MIDAS Data Link thread 0 using TCP port 10305. MIDAS Data Link (18584): Entering server loop MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Started with args 0 10205 MIDAS Data Link (18584): thread 0 listening on port 10305 MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Configuration: driver=0, key=10205. MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): File mapped object /SHM_10205 of size 1331104 created MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Shared memory ID is 3 MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Shared memory segment located at address 7ffa7a39b000. MIDAS Tape Driver (18582): Using device /dev/file/0 of type file. Create the directory /TapeData and ensure it is writable by the data acquisition ID. The software is now ready to go.