Create the installation directory (default location is /MIDAS but any location can be used if required) and cd into this directory. Download the distribution file MIDAS_Prospectus_080211.tar.gz. Use
tar -zxf MIDAS_Prospectus_080211.tar.gz to extract the files and fill the installation directory. The installation directory will be referred to in these notes as [MIDASBASE]. If you have used any location other than /MIDAS as the installation directory then you MUST create an environment variable MIDASBASE containing the name of your installation directory.

Before you start the software expects a 64bit Linux system in which the CAEN driver for the PCI => VME or USB2 => VME bridge (V1718/V2718) has been installed. Also the libCAENVME.so library must be installed.
You can obtain this software from the CAEN website but the versions currently used at Daresbury are also found in [MIDASBASE]/Prospectus/Caen. Use V1718 software for the USB interface and A2818 software for the PCI interface.

You can check your hardware and software installation using the program [MIDASBASE]/Prospectus/bin/probeVME. This program first attempts to access a V2718 (PCI) bridge. If this fails it then attempts to access a V1718 (USB) bridge. Assuming one is found it uses the CAENVME library and outputs the software release and hardware firmware versions. It will then attempt to access a V1724 module having a VME base address of 0x03000000 and output the firmware versions from this module.
Use [MIDASBASE]/Prospectus/bin/probeVME to run assuming built-in default addresses or [MIDASBASE]/Prospectus/bin/probeVME -a 0x******** for any other VME base address.

[npg@localhost bin]$ ./probeVME
CAENVME_SwRelease returns code 0
CAENVME software release 2.11
Looking for CAEN V2718 bridge
CAENVME_Init returns code -2 for V2718
CAEN V2718 not found so looking for CAEN V1718 bridge
CAENVME_Init connected to V1718
CAENVME_BoardFWRelease returns code 0
CAENVME firmware release 2.7
Accessing V1724 module at VME base address 0x03000000
CAENVME_ReadCycle accessing address 0x0300108c returns 0xb1128010
CAENVME_ReadCycle accessing address 0x03008124 returns 0xb10a0300
CAENVME_End returns code 0
Probe completed OK

This software requires the latest V1724 firmware version. If you access the directory [MIDASBASE]/Prospectus/CvUpdate you will find the Linux64 version of the cvUpgrade program which can be used to update the firmware. There are also scripts for USB and VME (PCI) interfaces which show how cvUpdate is used to update the firmware.
You can use the probeVME program to check that you have the latest version of the DPP firmware.

In the directory [MIDASBASE]/Linux/startup are sample bash script files. (Don't panic about the names - the scripts do not assume the host name used at Daresbury)
Check these because they all contain the absolute path of the software installation (default /MIDAS).

run nndhcp065HTTPD This will start the TclHttpd server
The software is controlled and monitored using a web browser. If you start Firefox then access http://localhost:8015/VME
Then click on the VME Configuration button.
Click on Restore Configuration. This will restore the most recent saved VME configuration.
Click on Activate Configuration. This will create the software registers for the current configuration. Return to the browser tab VME: Control and click on CAEN V1724. You now have the main web page for control and monitor of the CAEN V1724.
Click on Restore Settings. This will restore the most recent saved module settings. There is also a general page for save and restore of VME settings. Return to the browser tab VME: Control and click on VME Save/Restore
The module is now ready for acquisition.

run nndhcp065EXEC This starts the main data acquisition program.

You can start the MIDAS GUI for Prospectus by using the command /MIDAS/bin_Linux64/MIDAS-SOAPsession Prospectus
Via Access Control select the experiment PROSPECTUS
Click on Experiment Control and SETUP You can now start data collection: click GO

Access the online histograms using the MIDAS Spectrum Browser or from your web browser access http://localhost:8015/Spectrum/Spectrum.tml
The data trace for "Virtual Probe 1" is in histograms ChAn (n=0 -> 7). The data trace for "Virtual Probe 2" (when Dual Trace is enabled) is in histograms ChBn (n=0 -> 7). The Energy histograms are in En (n=0 -> 7) and the BaseLine histograms are in Bn (n=0 -> 7). The parameters of the histograms can be selected via the Experimental Options for SYS.

If for any reason you power cycle the VME crate. STOP data acquisition if you were GOing. Go to the VME Save/Restore window in the web browser and click on Restore Settings. You can now resume data acqusition.

If you change any buffering options on the board the software will need to be SETUP again. It is probably best to do this if you change any of the board configuration options.