Overview

This section documents three programs: toxml, tocrate and tosetfile

toxml can take DDAS DSP settings from several source types and write them back out in xml.
tocrate can take DDAS DSP settings in Set files or in Crate XML files and send them to modules in a crate. Optionally those modules can be booted.

For more on the XML file format see: XML used to describe DSP settings.

The toxml program.

toxml can take settings from XIA setfiles and from live modules and writes them to XML files. The advantage of XML files is that they store settings in meaningful units of measure while Set files and the module, internally, store settings in module type dependent units.

Here is the Help text for the toxml program:

ToXml 1.0

Usage: ToXml [OPTIONS]...

  -h, --help          Print help and exit
  -V, --version       Print version and exit
  -s, --source=ENUM   Where the data to write the XML comes from  (possible
                        values="setfile", "modules")
  -c, --crate=STRING  XML Crate file that describes where module data are
                        written
  -f, --file=STRING   Setfile with the data (valid only if --source=setfile)
  -m, --msps=STRING   Only used with setfile: speeds of the modules form
                      slot:MHz

–source determines where the settings data comes from. This can be either the literal text "setfile" to take the settings from an XIA setfile or "modules" to get the settings from a module.
–crate specifies a crate XML file. This will be used to determine which slots are read, the crate id, and where each module's XML file will be written. The crate XML file will be rewritten, so it must be writable, the module XML files must also be writeable.
–file is only allowed if –source=setfile the value of this option is the path to the setfile. The setfile only has to be readable.
–mspsis only allowed if –source=sefile. In order to convert the values in a setfile to the meaningful units used in module XML files, the speed of the digitizer in MHz must be known. The default speed for each slot is set to 250. YOu can use –msps to override this on a slot by slot basis. Each occurance of –msps defines the speed of one physical slot. The value of this flag is specified in the form slot:speed where slot is the physical slot number and speed the digitizer speed in MHz

$DDAS_BIN/toxml --source=modules --crate=crate.xml

This example takes settings from the slots described in crate.xml and rewrites both crate.xml and the module settings file specified by the slot tags in it.

$DDAS_BIN/toxml --source=setfile --crate=crate.xml --file=crate_1.set \
   --msps=2:500 --msps=5:100

Converts a set file (crate_1.set) into XML. The slots converted are defined by the slot gats in crate.xml, which also says where the module parameter XML files are written. Slot 2 is defined to be a 500MHz module and slot 5 a 100MHz module. All other modules are 250MHz (the default speed).

The tocrate program

tocrate takes either XML or setfile data and loads the parameters in those files to the digitizers in specified slots. Optionally, slots can be fully booted. Here's the help text for tocrate:

tocrate 1.0

Usage: tocrate [OPTIONS]...

  -h, --help         Print help and exit
  -V, --version      Print version and exit
  -s, --source=ENUM  Where the data to load modules comes from  (possible
                       values="setfile", "xml")
  -f, --file=STRING  Set file or XML crate file depending on source
  -b, --fullboot     Perform a full boot of te modules before loading them
                       (default=on)
  -c, --crate=SHORT  ID of crate - only use this if source=setfile
  -S, --slot=INT     A slot to load - use as many times as there are slots
  -m, --msps=STRING  Speed specification of a digitizer (slot:mhz) default is
                     250MHz

–source specifies where the settings come from. –source=setfile indicate an XIA set file will provide the settings. –source=xml indicates a Crate XML file will be provided and that, in turn, will point to module settings.
–file provides either the Crate XML file (–source=xml) or the set file (–settings=setfile) from which settings are taken.
–fullboot - if provided, prior to loading the parameters, each module has firmare loaded and its FPGAs and DSP started.
–crate only legal for –source=setfile provides the crateid which will be programmed into each module.
–slot only legal if –source=setfile. Provides, in order the slot numbers that will be loaded. The order determines the module id assignment. If more than one slot is used, supply this parameter more than once.
–msps only legal if –source=setfile. Provides speed overrides for slots. Given that modules are loaded using Pixie16WriteSglModPar and Pixie16WriteSglChanPar, the speed of each digitizer must be known to convert setfile values to the units used by these functions. By default, slots are assigned a speed of 250MHz. Each occurance of –msps overrides the default speed. The argument of –msps is of the form slot:speed where slot is the slot number and the speed is the digitizer MHz.

Here are some examples:

 $DDAS_BIN/tocrate --source=xml --file=crate.xml

The slots described in crate.xml are loaded with the parameters in module XML files pointed to by their slot tags. The modules are assumed to already have their firmware loaded and running. adding the–fullboot flag to this line will boot each module prior to loading it.

 $DDAS_BIN/tocrate --source=setfile --file=crate_1.set --crate=0 \
   --slot=2 --slot=3 --slot=4 --slot=5 --slot=6                 \
   --msps=2:500 --msps=5:100   --fullboot

Loads slots 2-6 from the setfile crate_1.set. Slot 2 is specified to be 500MHz, slot 5 is specified to be 100Mhz, and all other modules are 250MHz. All modules are fully booted before being loaded.

Note that when the setfile was written, there must have been a 500Mhz module in slot2, a 100Mhz module in slot 5 and 250MHz modules in slots 3,4,6.

The load will require about 20 seconds per module regardless of the source type. This is due to the time required to call Pixie16WriteSglModPar and Pixie16WriteSglChanPar for each parameter that must be loaded.

The tosetfile program

As we've seen tocrate, run directly from an XML file takes approximately 20 seconds per module to load the configuration. For large systems, this can try the user's patience. Therefore, the program tosetfile was written to convert an XML crate specification into a setfile that can be loaded more rapidly.

Here's the help text for tosetfile:

ToSetfile 1.0

Usage: ToSetfile [OPTIONS]...

  -h, --help            Print help and exit
  -V, --version         Print version and exit
  -x, --xml=STRING      Path to XML Crate definition file
  -s, --setfile=STRING  Path to output Set file
  -m, --msps=STRING     Slot speeds each in the form slot:speed defaults are
                          250MHz

As with all of these utilities, the default module speed is 250MHz. You can override this on a per slot basis by specifying the–msps option one or more times. The value of this option is a string of the form slot:MHz where slot is the crate slot number and MHz the speed of the module in megahertz. Here's an example:

$DDAS_BIN/tosetfile --xml=crate.xml --setfile=crate.set --msps=2:500

This translates the XML crate specification rooted in crate.xml to a setfile named crate.set. Slot 2 will be a digitizer that runs at 500MHz. All other digitizers default to 250MHz..