CODA

From PREX Wiki
Revision as of 11:54, 19 June 2019 by Catherinef (Talk | contribs) (→‎Description of the GUI)

Jump to: navigation, search

In the process of editing and updating this page. Please contact Juliette Mammei crowder@jlab.org with questions or suggestions.

PREX Main<< HOW TOs

Starting Parity DAQ CODA

PREX I DAQ guide

Starting the GUI

Figure 1 - Main CODA window when first started.
Figure 2 - Icons at the top of the GUI, before loading a configuration.
Figure 3 - After loading the configuration, you can now press Configure.
Figure 4 - After configuring, you can now press Download, then Prestart.
Figure 5 - After a successful prestart, you can now press Go and then End.
Figure 6 - Run start window for changing info about a particular run.
Figure 7 - Run end window for entering notes about the run.
Figure 8 - CODA window after a successful run start.


  • Log in as apar@adaq1
  • In a terminal type startcoda
    • 4 xterms will appear (red, orange, green and yellow) as well as the main CODA window (see Figure 1)
    • CODA will automatically load the last configuration used. If you are ok with this then just go to Platform->Connect
  • To change the configuration, choose Configurations->Cool
    • Select the desired configuration from the dropdown list
    • Production running would be ALL_PREX
    • Once you have loaded a configuration, some of the icons (see descriptions below) will change from grey (see Figure 2) to green (Figures 3-5)
  • Press the configure icon (see Figure 3)
    • Warnings about waiting for a ROC can be ignored if it does not take too long to respond (~10s) and things are eventually successful
    • Error messages should be taken seriously
  • Press the Download icon (see Figure 4)


Starting a run

  • After starting the GUI and loading a configuration (see above)
  • Press the Prestart icon (see Figure 4)
    • As above, warnings about waiting for a ROC can be ignored (if it does not take too long to respond, ~10s) and things are eventually successful
    • Error messages should be taken seriously!
  • Press Go (see Figure 5)
    • a window will pop up where you can add notes (see Figure 6)
      • you can click the buttons to choose the data that goes to the runDB
      • you can also add a comment at the bottom if needed
      • Press "CLICK HERE TO ACCEPT AND START THE RUN"
    • the event counter should start incrementing (see Figure 8)
    • the event rates should be expected values
  • If you made a mistake, such as:
    • accidentally loading the wrong configuration
      • stop and restart the run
      • make a followup halog entry and refer to the run
      • take note of it in the run list in the shift summary
    • accidentally submitting the wrong notes in the notes window
      • you can let the run continue as long it is the correct configuration
      • make a followup halog entry and refer to the run
      • take note of it in the run list in the shift summary


Ending a run

  • Press End
    • A window should open so that you can add any needed comments (see Figure 7)
      • add any notes if necessary
      • Press "CLICK HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND EXIT"
    • if this was a normal end of the run, and it ends successfully
      • all the states should change to downloaded
      • the Prestart icon should be green
  • If the run ends because of a problem with CODA - see DAQ Troubleshooting

Description of the GUI

Numbered from the top left of the GUI window (see any of the Figures):

  1. Configure (tools) - this opens a drop-down menu to choose the configuration
  2. Download (floppy disk) - this loads the chosen configuration to the crates
  3. Prestart (triangle with point to right followed by ||) - this will prepare to start a run
  4. Go (triangle with point to right) - this starts a run
  5. End (square) - this ends a run
  6. Fast Start (double-triangle pointing right) tries to go through all the steps (can be used as long as things aren't changing)
  7. Reset (double-triangle pointing left) configured, but not downloaded (if you need to change configuration or GUI is wonky)
  8. Pause (two vertical bars) - pauses a run (rarely used - to quote Paul King "Nothing good can come of this.")

Starting Counting Mode DAQ CODA

  • After beam is set up for counting mode
  • Run CODA on adaq2
    • The default should be to take LHRS run in counting mode

Starting Compton DAQ CODA

All compton runs and analysis are taken through a VNC session on the compton machine. The VNC acts as a remote desktop for the compton machine in the counting house. Having the VNC allows compton experts to centralize control over the compton DAQ, offer that control to shifters, and still allow off-site monitoring.

Figure 9 - Annotated window of what the compton VNC should look like when open to workspace 1. Note the fact that both the compton CODA and analysis links exists entirely in one window, and shifters should be careful not to enter commands intended for adaq1 in the VNC.

Opening the VNC & CODA

  • Log in to the compton machine with ssh compton@compton
  • Once logged in run vncviewer :9 -shared
    • This will open a window in which a second desktop will appear.
  • If CODA is not open, then open a terminal window, and run kcoda (to be safe) and then startcoda
    • The Compton CODA looks almost exactly like the parity DAQ CODA with one extra window: the blue terminal window titled "ROC6." When you start up the Compton CODA if ROC6 keeps spitting out an error called udpSend: write failure then you've done it correctly.
  • With the compton CODA opened in the VNC window, first click Platform -> Connect.
  • Afterwards click "Configure."
    • The final line in the ROC6 window should be an error message saying callbackControl: Do not understand the command: session/control/setSession. If you see this error, then you've done it correctly.
  • Then click "Download."
    • If you've done it correctly, then ER1, EB6, and ROC6 will all read "downloaded" as a state.
    • If ROC6 begins showing errors other than the ones mentioned above, then contact the RC immediately.

How the VNC Works: There are a few important features about the VNC, the most important of which is: the same VNC can be open in multiple windows at one time! If someone else has the same VNC window open then you will both have simultaneous control over the mouse pointer, keyboards, etc. If you open the VNC window and you see it moving on its own then contact either the compton expert on-site or the RC to determine if the compton experts need the VNC. Generally it is the experts' responsibility to maintain control over the VNC. If an expert asks you to close your VNC window then it is safe to close without interrupting the current compton run.

Also important: if you close the VNC window it will not kill CODA or stop the compton run! However you last closed the VNC window will be the state in which it will be opened.

Also also important: Make sure you are only using the VNC for compton CODA and analysis! Any other work should be done through terminals on the adaq machines!

Starting and Stopping a Compton Run

  • Once CODA is open, configured, and the ROCs downloaded to, simply click "Start" to start a compton run.
  • Comment with the run configuration, and the current status of the beam.
  • To stop a compton run, simply click "Stop."

Shift checklist

  • Latest run type (Test, Physics,..)
    • You can get this from the auto-logs of start and stop runs
    • It is also in the runstart and runend windows
  • Is the auto replay script running?
    • ask the analysis expert
  • Run added to shift summary?
    • keep up with the run list in your shift summary
  • Please attach the left/right HV and Scalers Screenshots to the shift report (do we need this)?
  • Time of beginning of latest run
    • This is at the top of the CODA Run Control Window
    • You also can get this from the auto-logs of start and stop runs
  • Latest run number
    • This is at the top of the CODA Run Control Window
    • You also can get this from the auto-logs of start and stop runs
  • Check the scalers (snapshot)

Next in checklist >> Beamtime accounting

Retrieved from "https://prex.jlab.org/wiki/index.php?title=CODA&oldid=6354"