When performing a CR data acquisition there are some operations that have to be done before starting the run, during the run and when run has stopped.  This page is a brief summary of all steps required to complete a CR acquisition. It is structured in a top-down fashion: each step is further explained in other sub-sections that you can reach quickly just clicking on the blue titles.

0. Preliminary operations

0.1    Check that slow control programs for straw tubes are running.
0.2    Check that HV, LV and gas flow for straw tubes are regular.
0.3    Check that HV, LV and gas flow for drift chambers are regular.
0.4    Check that HV for TOF are regular.
0.5    Check straw tubes discriminator thresholds
0.6    Launch the FINUDA Run Control program [FRC]

1.1    Fill the run form .

2.1    Launch the monitor program (If not already done).
2.2    Reset the histograms for the new run.
2.3    Check that everything is going OK

3. When run has finished

3.1    Fill the logbook and the run form with the last informations (stop time, n. of events... )
3.2    Print the histograms.
3.3    Begin file transfer to the storage directory.

4. General

             4.1    How to change HV value in the finuda database.

0.1.  How to check if  ST slow controls are running.

• under construction.....

0.2.1.  How to check  straw tubes' HVs

• We assume that the slow control programs for straw tubes are running. If this is not true, please refer to chapter 1.2.
• Go to the pcstcon machine. Maximize the window of the program "Netmon.vi". You will see the following picture:







• Verify that there are no holes in the yellow region. This means that HV is properly suppilied to all straws.

0.2.2.   How to check for straw tubes' LVs

• The LV (+6V ,-6V) sources  for straw tubes are 4 power supply crates manifactured by EUTRON. Each crate has 4 independent channels. Each channel has a display for reading  voltages and currents both for positive and negative outputs.
• The 4 crates are inside the DAFNE hall and presently we have no way to check them.
• Verify that all crates are switched on and all voltages are near 6 V.

0.2.3.   How to check for straw tubes' gas flow

• We assume that the slow control programs for straw tubes are running. If this is not true, please refer to chapter 1.2.
• Go to the pcstcon machine. Maximize the window of the program "monitor.vi". You will see the following picture:

• Look at the windows labelled as "Input flow", "flow loss", "Argon flow" and "Ethan flow". Check that the read values are regular.
• For a more complete verify, you can look at the rotameters placed on the gas panels.

0.3.1. How to check for drift chambers' HVs

• The HV control program of drift chambers is named SLOWMAN and run on PC fndslw.
• HV correct values for drift chambers are know by the program. You have just to check that the status is ON.

0.3.2.   How to check for drift chambers' LVs

• The LV sources  for drift chambers are 2 power supply crates manifactured by EUTRON. Each crate has 4 independent channels. Each channel has a display for reading  voltages and currents both for positive and negative outputs.
• The 2 crates are inside the DAFNE hall and presently we have no way to check them.
• There is a piece of paper attached on the LV crates. It reports the correct values of voltages and currents . Read it and verify.

0.3.3.   How to check for drift chambers' gas flow

• Locate the orange panel with four rotameters and four electronic flow controllers.
• Only the first and third flow controllers have to be turned on.
• Read the display of both the flow controllers: verify that the values PRES are very close to SETP.
• Look at the monitor of the COMPAQ PC near the orange panel. Verify that the values of setpoints are close to the values of gas flux for the following chambers: 3o, 7o, 2i, 3i, 6i, 7i .
• Check for bubbles in the bubblers.

 

0.4.     How to check for TOF HVs

• The HV control program of TOF is named SLOWMAN and run on PC fndslw.
• Correct values for PM HVs are known by the program. You have just to check that the status is ON.

0.6.  Launch The FINUDA Run Control program [FRC]

FINUDA run control program runs on fndrun machine. Once you  have opened a session as user frc to setup and start a DAQ run, follow the instruction you can find at the following link:

How to start FRC

1.1.  Fill the RUN  form

Whenever you start a new run you have to report the main run parameters (run number, start time, active detectors etc..) on a pre-printed form.  The form must be completed at the end of the run with the latest informations (n.of collected events, stop time,  etc..).  Any other information must be written on the logbook.
You can view and print the "RUN form" just clicking below: View the RUN form

2.1.  How to launch straw tube monitor program (geb2hdt & guitest).

    "geb2hdt" is a program that reads the events from DAQ  and fills some ROOT data structures. "stbmonitor" is the program that displays these histosgram on screen.
• Locate pcfin2 machine.
• Open a new window (user: finudast). Type  cd mon and press Enter.
• Type geb2hdt  pcfinoff1   /data   stb  and press Enter. (geb2hdt is the program name, pcfinoff1 is the machine where is the database, /data is the local directory where geb2hdt writes the root files and stb is a suffix indicating that you want to run in the "online" mode processing only stb sub-event.
• Open a new window. Type  cd mon and press Enter.
• Type stbmonitor &.  This starts the histogram display program. The following window will open:



 
 
 

• Suppose you want the pattern for  layers 1 and 3 to be shown.  Click on "stb_pattern_1"   and on  "stb_pattern_3" (the related fields must became dark blue.  Click once to select, twice to unselect).  The window with the requested patterns will appear:

• When you start a new run,  may be you want to clear the  histograms of the previous run.  Select the main window of the histogram display program and press the button "Reset" on the bottom right corner (see below)

3.1. Fill the logbook and the run form with the latest informations (stop time, n. of events... )

There are some informations that you must record when a run has stopped and before starting a new run.
1. Take note of  the number of collected events before closing the window on fndrun and write it on the run form.
2. Write the stop time on the run form.
3. If any problem has occurred, describe it on the "Note" space of the run form and report it also in the logbook.
4. Print the histograms of the last run, write the run number on the printed sheet, and place it in the folder labelled "HISTOGRAMS" .
5. Record on the logbook  if  performed anything else other than the regular run procedure !
6. Fill the table on the back side of the logbook. Write the number of events and calculate the partial sum.

• On the main window of the histogram display program open the "File" menu. If it is the first time you print histograms first delect "Print Setup" option. A print window is then opened and you have to write  inside the print command (lpr or file - the first for printing on a printer, the second if you just want to save histograms in a file) and the name of the printer (i.e. prnfinuda1).

3.3. How to transfer data files to the storage directory

During the data taking,  data are written on a fndgeb local disk (/data_a, /data_b, /data_c or /data_d) that you specify when you start the run. The files named COSMxxxxx.raw (xxxxx is the run number) should be copied to dxcf01 (/exp/e831/data/finuda/cos2001) using ftp in binary mode and then deleted from fndgeb disk.
DON'T start  data transfer during a CR acquisition
The transfer may require a lot of time, typically 20 minutes for a 400MB file.
 
• Open a new window on fndrun . Go into the data directory with the command:  cd  /data  press Enter.
• Start a FTP session to dxcf01. (Type "ftp -i dxcf01" and press Enter. The system will ask you for a username and a password. Use your own).
• Go to the storage directory (type cd /exp/e831/data/finuda/cos2001 and press Enter).
• Type "bin" and press Enter. This allows data transfer in binary mode.
• If you want to transfer ALL .raw  files from  current directory,  type mput *.raw.
• If you want to transfer ONE  file from  current directory,  type put filename.

Now you have to remove the file from the original directory.

• Please ensure that the file you want to delete has been succesfully copied to dxcf01 in the directory /exp/e831/data/finuda/cos2001.
• From any window on fndrun machine grant superuser rights by issueing the command: su  followe by the root account password.
• Go to the directory where the file to delete is recorded (normally it is /data. Hence you have to type "cd /data_b" and press Enter).
• Suppose you want to delete the file  COSM09876.raw. Type "rm COSM09876.raw" and press Enter. If the system asks if you want to override a protection, answer "y".

4.1. How to change HV value in the finuda database
 

• Log to "pcfinoff1" machine.  (Type "telnet pcfinoff1" and press Enter.  The username is msql.
• Type source hv_set [value], where [value] is the HV walue you want to set.  Suppose you want to set the HV value in the database to 2200 V.

You just have to type  source hv_set 2200.
• Note that the maximum allowed value is 2400 V.

Last Update: July  14, 2002
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