1. XAL Recent Development
Paul Chu FRIB Controls Group Leader (Acting)

2. Outline XAL Introduction and features XAL software management
Open XAL status
XAL setup
Summary
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

3. Accelerator Control XAL in high-level application infrastructure
XAL and its apps
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

4. What XAL can offer? Written in Java (multi-platform support)
A hierarchical view of an accelerator
Quick physics modeling tool
A common look-and-feel graphical user interface (GUI)
Use EPICS CA
But in principle can support other control system with a proper adapter.
Oracle database adapter
Many other utility packages
Re-use as much as possible
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

5. XAL Online Model Single Particle Tracking Algorithm.
Adaptive Envelope Tracking Algorithm.
Space charge code.
Phase space coordinates, Twiss parameters, R-matrix for each modeling element.
SNS version based on Trace-3D. LCLS version based on MAD8.
Support DESIGN, EXTANT (live), and ‘what-if’ modes.
SLAC version has solenoid, T-cav.
TRIUMF needs electrostatic devices.
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

6. XAL Utility Packages Optimization Data plotting package
In-memory database
Can dump to XML
Math utility
GUI framework
Common look-and-feel
No need to go through some detail GUI programming
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

7. Services and Applications
PVLogger service
Can take machine snapshot with time correlation
Online model supports PVLogger snapshot replay
Knobs
Model GUI
Can do orbit difference, i.e. comparison
Orbit Correction
1D/2D Scan
Virtual Accelerator
General purpose PV display, aka Z-plot
Orbit Display with beam synchronous acquisition buffer display
Many other apps
Many “apps” are callable API
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

8. Scripting Interface to XAL
Scripting interfaces are available with Jython ( and Matlab
No glue code, or extra compile steps etc needed!!! Mix XAL java classes seamlessly with scripting language
Providing simple code examples.
Coding up on-the-fly experiments.
MatLab
% scan the first quad
% monitor beam positions in the last MEBT BPM
for i =1:10
fld(i) = field;
quad.setField(field);
va_chan.putVal(1); % for virtual accelerator
pause(1); % for virtual accelerator
xpos(i) = bpm.getXAvg;
ypos(i) = bpm.getYAvg;
field = field * 1.015; % increment field value
end
% Plot results
plot(fld, ypos)
Jython
# read the accelerator
acc_xml = "file:./sns.xal"
acc = XmlDataSource.parseUrlAt(acc_xml, 0)
# get the some primary sequences from the accelerator
mebt = acc.getSequence("MEBT")
dtl1 = acc.getSequence("DTL1")
dtl2 = acc.getSequence("DTL2")
print " There are ", mebt.getAllNodes().size(), "nodes in the sequence", mebt.getId()
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

9. XAL Software Management
Open Source
Open XAL – SourceForge, Git
Multi-lab collaboration
A good community support behind it
Labs presently using XAL: SNS, SLAC/LCLS, KEK (part), J-PARC (linac), BNL/NSLS-II, CSNS, MSU, GANIL/Spiral-2…
Ant build for easy deployment
Can also build with your favorite IDE
LCLS specific code in separate package which depends on XAL (LCLS own branch)
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

10. Open XAL Goals (T. Pelaia)
Support collaboration
Manage project on Source Forge
Make XAL easier to port
General cleanup
Improve the online model
Reduce overhead for adding new device types
Modernize code and eliminate obsolete code
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

11. Open XAL Completed Work (T. Pelaia)
Project skeleton with more powerful, zero configuration build architecture
Application framework ported and modernized
New online model implemented
Git repository to ease collaboration and site customization
Website with plan, roadmap and documentation
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

12. Roadmap Summary (T. Pelaia)
Due Date
Progress
Task
Oct. 31, 2010
100%
Project Skeleton
Dec. 31, 2010
Develop Website
Feb. 15, 2011
Application Framework
Apr. 30, 2011
Online Model
Aug. 31, 2011
25%
Lattice Generator
Dec. 31, 2011
40%
JSON Package
80%
Common Tools
Dec. 31, 2012 0%
Test Suites
Common Services 5%
Common Applications
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

13. Improvement Ideas Some multi-function apps are too heavy.
Need to improve performance and robustness.
Go service oriented.
Service runs continuously
Reduce initialization overhead
Avoid heavy computation in individual application
Better exception/error handling, message logging
Easy for quick prototyping/experiment setup
Separate XAL/SNS GUI from the package.
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

14. XAL Setup A repository to store everything
It is easier if source code modification necessary
Your schedule is not controlled by somebody else
(Optional) Need a database to hold input (configuration) data.
Modification to SMF/online model
If some devices which is not currently supported by XAL.
Not trivial but doable
Understanding the system
Learn XAL.
JCA (Java Channel Access) expertise
Get used to XAL
It’s not as difficult as you might have thought
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

15. Summary XAL has a lot of features
Several labs are using or evaluating XAL
Even EPICS Archiver Viewer is based on XAL
But, it’s not perfect.
Still a lot of work to do
Need your help, suggestion
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011

16. Additional Information
XAL in SourceForge
Source code
XAL workshop slides
It’s called ‘Open XAL’ now
Mailing list
USPAS XAL course material
XAL API (JavaDOC) can be generated from ‘ant javadoc-xal’.
Paul Chu, XAL, 14 Jun 2011