Changes made to Beam Control Program in August 2011 (by JPO)

Minor changes was made to the Beam Control program prior to the E120 experiments starting second half of August.

Most of the changes was based on the following wish list from EJ:

• 1. In the main screen (pic 1) there is the information (Particle Integrals / UXADT2 & UXADT3). In this case we need not the this information UXADT2 in big letters or in black bold letters. Its good to have it, but as additional information (letters in grey or smaller letters or something like this..).

JPO

The requested change was made. At the same time the division factor was changed from 10^12 to 10^15 to give more "reader friendly" numbers.

• 2. We need a third current dimension unit "particle micro ampere" selectable in (Current Type Selctor) show main screen, --> right side down.

JPO

A third scaling option was implemented to give readout in "particle flux" (in units of uA, which is sort of strange but commonly used).

• 3. When we lost the trigger (no marcopuls) come the big message (Pic 2). In case of confirmation (Ok-Button) seems all ok but the system halt and we have no information what happens. In reality we have no measurement and no data acquisition. In this case we need informations written in the logbook and a additional message "Trigger lost, no data avaialbe". Then we need the information whats to do. In card index "Logging" move switch "Log Data" ("on"--> "off" (Confirmation closing Acc..) --> "on") etc.

JPO

Not quite so easy this one, as the error message comes from the depth of HB's code. I do not want to mess to much with it right before an important beam time... I've tried to modify the error message though, but it needs to be tested (must be done on-cite, as you need to disconnect the macro pulse signas to force the error condition).

JPO

I remind everybody that this problem was already described in June, on our Wiki: The TASCA-Wiki page which describes what to do if you lose the macro pulse. I also urge everybody to both read and contribute to the Wiki pages with instructions to TASCA shift-crews.

• 4. All our interlocks should be written in the logbook (Pic 3).

JPO

Have not been able to figure this one out, but working on it...

• 5. A little bit confusing is the choose (Pic 5) "Autofit". In this case "Range:- value" does not means the maximum range the small black screen. This "Range:-value" should be show the real values. In other case (no "Autofit") the "Range" is the maximum value of the screen.

JPO

Hmm, I'm not certain I understand the problem. But I have renamed the "Range" label to "Max", as it is more appropriate. If Autofit is not selected, then the y-scale (beam intensity) will be from 0 to the Max value. If you chose autofit it will be from 0 to whatever is the highest value, this will usually be the upper beam intensity safety limit. 10% extra is added to make the safety limit clearly visible.

• 6a.) Cups: Sometime we have two malfunctions. I observed in the last beamtime. When we push the button "IN "/ "OUT" the cup dosent move! The rod grips and we need some tries for moving. Here we need a "Timer" to count how many times is need for the cup to move. When the time is over ---> "Male Function Cup". In Nodal (Pic 4) we have the information about the position LED (on/off) ( UX8DC4/Position). This is the endswitch of the pressure cylinder.

JPO

I think that since the cup position is presented as feedback from NODAL the control system the operators should be educated to understand that if you repeatedly push "In" and nothing happens, you need to ask the UNILAC operator to try the same thing. If the cup is still not moving you need somebody to look into hardware problems (nothing wrong with the control VI). If the UNILAC operator can move the cup, but not the TASCA beam control system, then there is a software problem on our control pc. But I do not think this has ever happened, or if that is the case we will not be able to read any values from NODAL. Of course, the control system could give more inteligent responses to failed "In" requests, but we have to keep the current version as simpel as possible since we already have problems to run everything within the necessary loop time (forced on us by reading every single macro pulse). Certainly, this should be changed in the future, but it will require a major rewrite of both the Beam Monitor and Beam Control programs (merging them into one, but where the FPGA handles all the fast stuf and the top-layer VI only displays values from the FPGA unit and NODAL.

• 6b.) When the cup is "in" and we have no current measurement, it can be then the "main -controlroom-UNILAC switches this cup "inaktive". You see this information in Nodal (Pic 4), too. LED (on/off) UX8DC4/Active. Its good to have this two NODAL-Informations as a color-status on the switch field "Faraday Cup UX8DC2 and Faraday Cup UX8DC4.

JPO

This information is already given, as an inactive Faraday cup will be grayed. Thus, if a cup is moved in and still gray you need to speak to the control room and as them to activate the unit. I do not think this should be written on the front of the VI as it would make a busy screen even more busy. However, it should be written as instruction to the shift crew.