Researchers use the NSCL data acquisition system to create an experiment in much the same way you would assemble electronics from pre and custom built modules to build up an electronics setup for an experiment. This assembly takes the form of two required and one optional activity.
Production of a readout program that can respond to the event triggers your electronics produces by reading an event.
Production of a tailored SpecTcl that can create a set of meaningful parameters for each event created by the readout program.
Optional integration of the previous two items and other components of the system into a coherent whole.
Subsequent chapters will be devoted to these activities. Note that in many cases, it is not necessary to actually write readout of SpecTcl software or to build integration software. If you are using a supported NSCL apparatus, there is already software written by the maintainers of that apparatus that should at least be a close approximation to your needs. When preparing your software it is important to remeber a key maxim of re-usable programming:
Steal what you can, adapt where necessary, and write new code only as a last resort.