EPICS Library
This provides the ChannelAccess (CA) client library
for accessing Process Variables on EPICS IOCs
via the network.
Preferences
There are two main items to configure:
- JCA Context:
There is a pure Java as well as a JNI implementation
available.
The pure Java version is the default because it is
easier to install and should
work "out of the box", while the JNI implementation
might provide maximum compatibility with existing
EPICS installations.
- addr_list and auto_addr_list:
If all CA servers (IOCs) are on the same subnet
as the computer running the CSS application,
you can stay with the default: Empty addr_list,
using auto_addr_list.
Otherwise, if you need to access PVs on a gateway or
in another subnet, list the IP addresses
of IOCs or IOC subnets in the addr_list,
and un-check the auto_addr_list.
For details on this as well as the remaining settings,
refer to the EPICS Channel Access reference manual.
Note that changes require a restart of the application,
they do not take effect at runtime!
Default Settings
While each user can specify custom settings for each workspace,
a site might have some default choices.
These are set in the "preferences.ini" file inside the
org.csstudio.platform.libs.epics plugin directory,
and can be adjusted by the system administrator.
Installation
When using the 'pure java' version, aka. CAJ,
no additional steps should be required.
To use the JNI version, you need to install OS-specific binaries.
This plugin currently includes binaries for:
- RedHat Linux (x86, g++ 3.4.6, kernel 2.6.9-55.0.2.EL)
Build 2007, Aug 20 with EPICS base R3.14.8.2 from the jca-2.3.1 sources.
Compiled as one library without further dependencies to shared EPICS libs.
- Linux (x86_64)
Provided by ernesto@slac.stanford.edu,
from base R3.14.9 and jca-2.3.1 sources.
- Mac OS X (10.4.8 on PPC)
Build 2007, Aug 14 with EPICS base R3.14.8.2 from the jca-2.3.1 sources.
Compiled as one library without further dependencies to shared EPICS libs.
Internal Issues
We would like to avoid having to set ((DY)LD_LIBRARY_)PATH.
Therefore the JCA library is preferably compiled without further
references to other shared libraries, especially without references
to the EPICS ca and Com libraries.
The plugin sources include a copy of the JCA and CAJ sources as well
as a README.txt about compilation.