An Introduction to Epics/Tango Steve Hunt Alceli EPICS Meeting 2008 INFN Legnaro 15 Oct 17:15

What is the "Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System" ? A Software framework for building scalable distributed controls systems A collaboration of ANL, ORNL, BESY, Diamond, KEK, KSTAR, plus many other projects

What is Tango? A Software framework for building scalable distributed controls systems A collaboration of ESRF, Soleil, ALBA, Petra-III, and Elettra.

Components Client software tools running on Unix and Windows. Channel Access - networking protocol based on TCP/IP Real-Time Input Output Controllers (IOC's) on PC, VME, or embedded hardware

Components Client software tools running on Unix, Windows. Corba networking 'Device Servers' on PC or VME to control hardware.

Client tools Archiving Alarm handling Trending Operator display Configuration

Client Tools Archiving Alarm handling Trending Operator display Configuration

Channel Access Networking Uses UDP broadcast for name resolution TCP connection to transfer data Monitors (with dead-bands) to cut traffic. Aggregation for efficiency 'Narrow' API interface

Networking Central database for name resolution Corba IIOP for data transfer Corba details hidden from user 'Narrow' API interface Asynchronous calls with monitors for efficiency

IOC VME or PC VxWorks, Rtems, Linux, Windows,... IOC holds databases Databases consist of records. Records consist of fields Sequencer for finite state machines

Device Server Is an executable program on VME or PC Under Linux, Windows, VxWorks, LynxOs... Includes control for one or more devices such as a power supply Mostly written in C++, Java, Python, but some, such as modbus configured from text files

Hierarchy IOC Template Device (instance)‏ Record Field mps qps.db sr/qps/5 SR/QPS/5/CUR SR/QPS/5/CUR.HIGH

Hierarchy DEVICE SERVER ATTRIBUTE PROPERTY DEVICE CLASS PS-DS/SR10 DEVICE (instance)‏ QPS SR/QPS/5 SR/QPS/5/CUR SR/QPS/5/CUR.HIG H

System configuration System configuration held in text files Graphical Tool (vdct) to build templates Spreadsheet can be used to instantiate Very easy to generate from other tools (or XML)‏

System Configuration System configuration held in database Graphical tool (jive) to manage Or can be uploaded from text files that can be auto generated (for instance from XML!)‏

Operator Displays Medm is one tool to build and run opi. Text format Can be auto generated from other tools or XML

Operator Displays Jdraw is a tool to build operator displays Displays are then run with 'synopticappli' Jdraw output can be included in java applications Possible to access screens via WEB Text format that can be auto generated (inc xml!)‏

Trending StripTool is Epics trending tool Drag and drop of selection from medm

Trending Atkmoni is the Tango trending tool

Archiving History of any device attributes Periodic On change Graphical (Archive Viewer) tool for display or Web access Text format can be auto generated (from xml!)‏

Archiving History of any device attributes Periodic On change Graphical tool (mambo) for config and display Text format can be auto generated (from xml!)‏

Alarms ALH – The Alarm Handler Multiple levels of alarms Hierarchy of Alarms grouped in any way Operator can open device medm screen Guidance for operator on what to do Text file+ record fields - can come from XML

Alarms Multiple levels of alarms Configuration as properties of attribute Can be auto generated for instance from XML

Record processing occurs On demand (passive) – for instance when an output record is written to by channel access Periodic – for instance at 10Hz On interrupt On event

Processing occurs Periodic – at a fixed rate On interrupt On an Event

Common Fields VAL RVAL DTYP DESC PREC

Common Properties Description Label format

Engineering Unit Conversions EGUF EGUL EGU LINR

Engineering Unit Conversions std_unitConversion factor to eng. Units display_unitUnit to show on operator screen

Limits HOPR LOPR

Limits max_value min_value

Alarms HIHI HIGH LOW LOLO HHSV HSV LSV LLSV

alarms max_alarm min_alarm max_warning min_warning delta_t delta_val

Conclusion A powerful but very easy to use framework Can be used as is without development Tools ensure consistency of applications Collaboration and open source development Use on many large projects proves suitability Works for both fast and slow controls Suitable for configuration from XML

Conclusion A powerful but very easy to use framework Can be used 'as is' without development Tools ensure consistency of applications Collaboration and open source development Use on many large projects proves suitability Works for both fast and slow controls Suitable for configuration from XML