Data acquisition ATLAS MDT Cosmic-ray setup

Data chain

Chamber(s), scintillators (via mezzanine)
    |
    V
MROD, controlled via argos.nikhef.nl
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    V
gimone.nikhef.nl

Procedure for data taking

1. The on-chamber electronics

The on-chamber electronics must be properly initialized after power-up of this electronics or the VME crate (see below)

2. The cosray cosselect & cosclean script

Although these scripts can be invoked as daqmustud on an arbitrary nikhef Linux system from an arbitrary area, it will be handy to obey the following: 
  [machine ]   ssh daqmustud@gimone
  [gimone]   cd data
When the system (argos/gimone) is in an undefined state, first run 
  [gimone]  cosclean
When this script end's without fatal errors within a few seconds then the infrastructure looks ok.

Start data taking by: 

  [gimone]  cosray
Files with increasing run number integrated in the crXXXX.dat filename of about half an hour will be generated in the ~daqmustud/data area.

End data taking by typing ^C in the same window

After stopping the cosray script please run: 

  [gimone]  cosclean

When not all chamber positions (chapos) contributes to the data, please use the cosselect script instead of cosray. 

  [gimone]  cosselect -flags

The cosselect script uses as flags argument a string of 6 characters. The character n (No) disables and the y (Yes) enables a chapos number. The position in the string corresponds to the chapos number. 

Examples:

  cosselect -yynyyy
    All chamber positions except chapos 2

  cosselect -nnnnny
    Only the scintillator (chapos 5) contributes.

3. Graphical display of the data

    From any linux machine that can access the data file xxx:
    - "present xxx":  provides histograms of hit maps etc.
    - "hits xxx":  provides a graphical display of the events seen
    - "hitsa xxx": automatically refreshing display of the events in the file xxx
        (has to be started by pressing the "Next event" button)
    The sources of these programs and the associated libraries can be found in the
    directory MDT-analysis. Documentation of the SUIT graphical interface can also
    be found there in the directory doc.

4. Checking the data

    From any linux machine that can access the data file xxx:
    - "mrodchk xxx":  checks the data for inconsistencies
    - "mroddmp xxx": dumps the data in a readable format to standard output.
    These programs are from Thei Wijnen.

5. Start live led display

Login as user mdtcos on dori. This because the serial line of the display is connected to the machine dori. 

  [mdtcos@dori] livedis -ilmSLl gimone



  First argument i to indicate this is a live session. (from gimone)
  Next  arguments:

    In increasing chapos order
    --------------------------------
    12 mezz chamber       s
    12 mezz chamber       S Rotated
    14 mezz chamber       m
    14 mezz chamber       M Rotated
    18 mezz chamber       l
    18 mezz chamber       L Rotated

  Last argument the producing machine.

6. Start the led display on an example file.

Login as user mdtcos on dori.

This file is made with 18 mezz not rotated chambers, otherwise correct parameters should be given. 

  The -f flag indicates the read from file mode.

  [mdtcos@dori] livedis -f ~daqmustud/data/cr6970.dat
An alias for this command is: filedis 
  [mdtcos@dori] filedis
In general correct parameters are needed. 
  [mdtcos@dori] livedis -flmmSl ~daqmustud/data/cr10524.dat

Initializing the on-chamber electronics

Login to gimone.nikhef.nl as user daqmustud and type "gjtag". A window should appear. Check that the CSM type field indicates the CSM-4 type. In the (old) example this is still indicated wrongly. (CSM-2)

Below "current node" an ELMB node number has to be entered. See for the current ELMB node numbers the NikConsole panel (on mierik).

Check and adjust the number of mezzanines in the Jtag settings.

Enter one of the ELMB numbers, then press "initialize DAQ", wait until the button is ready (color change) and on the bottom of the window an OK message appears, then press "start DAQ". Do this for all nodes in turn.

You can check (by clicking JTAG Status) the 12 flags of the CSM Status Field. This CSM Status Field is updated dynamically, so it can be opened once.

With "JTAG settings" the individual settings can be changed if required. Note that for changing e.g. the thresholds of all mezzanines on a chamber "18" has to be typed in the field under "AMT Bits" and "3" in the field under "ASD Bits".

The gjtag program stores its settings in .conf files in the ~/jtag/current directory. Example files are also available in ~/jtag/backup directory. There are currently four kind of conf files those for small medium and for normal sized chambers plus one for the scintillators. In the ~jtag/backup area are templates files: mezz_12_template mezz_14_template mezz_18_template scintil_template.

References (for the curious ...)