52.2. Writing DAQ configuration files

The DAQ configuration file is processed at the beginning of each run. The configuration file is processed in a fresh interpreter each time. You therefore cannot maintain any state across runs via your configuration file.

To illustrate module creation and configuration, this let's look at a fragment from a configuration file:

adc create myadc 0x11000000
adc config myadc -geo 15
            

The adc command implements base support for the CAEN 32 channel digitizer family (V775, V785, V792, V862). The first command creates an instance of one of those modules with a base address 0x11000000. The instance is given the name myadc to distinguish it from other digitizers of that or other types.

The second line sets a configuration parameter, the geographical address of the module, for the instance created by the first line. Each device type supports a set of configuration parameters much in the same way Tk objects support configuration options. The reference ssection 3vmusb provides detailed information about the configuration options supported by each device class.

Configuration files must also specify at least one stack and, if scaler modules are to be read periodically, a second scaler stack. See the stack(3ccusb) command in the reference material for detailed information about how to create and configure stacks.

To continue with the previous example:

stack create events
stack config event -trigger nim1 -modules [myadc]
            

Stacks are created and configured exactly like any other module. In this configuration file fragment, a stack named events is created. It is configured to manage the myadc module (-modules). It is configured to use the IN 1 input of the VM-USB (-trigger nim1) to trigger the stack.

Finally here is a configuration file fragment that sets up an SIS 3820 scaler and a scaler stack to read it every 2 seconds:

sis3820 create sisscaler 0x38000000

stack create scaler 
stack config scaler -modules [list sisscaler] -trigger scaler -period 2
            

The reference pages in 3vmusb describe, among other things the commands that implement device support that are supported by the NSCL programming group. In addtion to user device drivers that are described later in this chapter, two device drivers support modules have been contributed by Washington University at St. Louis. These modules support XLMs used to read out the ASIC systems they have developed for managing large detector arrays.

For information about how to use those modules, contact Lee Sobotka or Jon Elson at Washington University directly.