BNMR: Getting Started

• BNMR overview
• Getting started
• Troubleshooting
• All BNMR pages
• Midas

Links

• Main Page

Introduction

This page describes starting the bnmr and bnqr DAQ software to run the experiment(s).

Hardware

Prior to starting the software, the DAQ crates on the BNMR and BNQR platforms and associated hardware (NIM bins etc.) must be powered up.

The required computers are

• the host isdaq01 located in the DAQ counting room
  • for bnmr the VMIC lxbnmr and mvme162 bnmrvw located in the VME crate on the BNMR platform
  • for bnqr the VMIC lxbnqr and mvme162 polvw located in the VME crate on the BNQR platform

Starting from Scratch

If the bnmr or bnqr experiments have not been running previously (e.g. at the start of the beam period) you will need to start from scratch. During the beam period the experiment(s) are started and run #In the Counting Room.

Outside the beam period, the experiments can be run for testing, not necessarily in the counting room. In this case, see instructions under #Testing.

In the Counting Room

Starting the DAQ system

Usually experimenters will want to run both experiments bnmr or bnqr during the beam period. In the counting room, the linux boxes isdaq01 and isdaq06 are used to run the bnmr and bnqr experiments. They are located on adjacent desks, and each have 2 screens. Note that the DAQ system for both experiments actually runs on isdaq01 . The second linux box isdaq06 is used just to display the second experiment for convenience. To start one of the experiments while logged on to isdaq06, one must first ssh to isdaq01 as shown below. Both isdaq01 and isdaq06 are part of a NIS cluster (the master is isdaq00 located in the computer room). Users access the same user and data disks from either machine.

To run the experiment(s), users will also require

• open xterms(s) logged onto the EPICS control system.
• xterm(s) running CAMP slow control system for each experiment

In the following example, bnmr experiment is run on isdaq01 console and bnqr on isdaq06 console. It doesn't matter which experiment runs on which console. If only one of bnmr or bnqr is to be run, it is simpler to start it on isdaq01.

If any other user is already logged on, log them out first.

For bnmr experiment:

1. Log onto isdaq01 console as user bnmr
2. Start a web browser (firefox)
3. Start an xterm
   1. Type kill-all to clean up and remove any DAQ software components
   2. Type start-all to start all DAQ software components
4. Point the web browser to the bnmr experiment status page ( https://isdaq01.triumf.ca:8447 ) & enter username and password. The custom status page should then be displayed.
5. Open the EPICS page on another desktop if desired.

For bnqr experiment:

1. Log onto isdaq06 console as user bnqr
2. Bring up a web browser (firefox)
3. Start an xterm
   1. ssh bnqr@isdaq01
   2. Type kill-all to clean up and remove any DAQ software components
   3. Type start-all to start all DAQ software components
4. Point the web browser to the bnqr experiment status page ( https://isdaq01.triumf.ca:8448 ) & enter username and password. The custom status page should then be displayed.
5. Open the EPICS page on another desktop if desired.

On the EPICS page, make sure that BNMR has Access.

Once the webserver is started (by start-all) the custom status page can be viewed from any browser (with username/password).

Use the webpages to select the experimental mode, then start a run.

Shutting down the DAQ

At the end of the beam period, in an xterm logged onto isdaq01 as user bnmr, type "kill-all". Do the same on a similar terminal as user bnqr. Shut down all xterms and log out of isdaq01 and isdaq06.

Testing

Experts may want to start the experiment(s) outside the beam period for testing. This can be done from any machine.

To start bnmr experiment

ssh bnmr@isdaq01
bnmr@isdaq01> kill-all
bnmr@isdaq01> start-all

Point a web browser to bnmr experiment status page ( https://isdaq01.triumf.ca:8447 )

To start bnqr experiment

ssh bnqr@isdaq01
bnqr@isdaq01> kill-all
bnqr@isdaq01> start-all

Point a web browser to bnqr experiment status page ( https://isdaq01.triumf.ca:8448 )

Outside the beam period, it is not possible to successfully run in BNMR Dual Channel Mode, because the EPICS switches are not set up for the experiment. This makes it difficult to test Dual Channel Mode completely outside the beam period.

Most testing takes place running in Single Channel Mode. If running both experiments in single channel mode simultaneously, be sure to disable helicity switching and helicity checking on at least one of the experiments, or both will be trying to drive the helicity.