RD Controls Software Release Note 130.0<P> <b> CrateDisplay</b>

RD Controls Software Release Note 130.0

CrateDisplay

John DeVoy

May 17, 1993

CrateDisplay is an X Window application that graphically displays the temperature and (six volt) power supply voltages for all of the crates in a particular beamline.

Starting the program

To start CrateDisplay type ``run epicure_root:[work.crate]cratedisplay.exe'' in any DECterm or DCL Command window. You can also add CrateDisplay to the Applications menu of the session manager; see the VMS DECwindows Motif User's Guide for instructions on adding items to session manager menus.

When CrateDisplay starts, it creates its main window and displays the temperatures and voltages for the initial beamline. The section on customization describes how to set the initial beamline; the default value is defined to be Meson. The main screen is divided into three areas: one for the temperatures of the crates, and one each for the positive and negative six volt power supply voltages.

The temperature area contains a bar graph showing the temperature of each crate side by side. The color of each bar in the graph is normally green. If the temperature of a particular crate exceeds a certain value, called the warning threshold, the bar for that crate will turn yellow. If the temperature continues to increase it will pass a second threshold, called the alarm threshold, and the bar will turn red. If there is an error getting data from the crate (for example, if the crate is powered off) then the bar will be black and will extend to the full height of the graph. Underneath the bar for each crate is a push button. Clicking on the push button for a particular crate will cause a dialog box to be displayed containing the exact reading (or error message) for the temperature and voltages. Note that the positive and negative voltage areas also contain push buttons for each crate; clicking on one of these buttons will cause the same dialog box to be displayed. Thus any of three buttons can be used to make a particular dialog box be displayed. Clicking on the Close button in a dialog box will make the dialog box go away.

The positive voltage area contains a bar graph showing the positive six volt power supply for each crate. The voltage is represented as an offset from a nominal value (each crate must have the same nominal value, by default it is six volts.) As with the temperature, the color of each bar is normally green. If the voltage of a particular crate deviates from the nominal (in either direction) by more than the warning threshold value, the bar will turn yellow. If it deviates further, and passes the alarm threshold, the bar will turn red. An error causes the bar to turn black and extend to the full height of the graph. Underneath each bar is a push button similar to the ones underneath the temperature bars. Clicking on a push button will cause the same dialog box that was described above to be displayed.

The negative voltage area contains a bar graph showing the negative six volt power suppply for each crate. The graph is similar to the positive voltage graph, but with a negative nominal value.

The graphs and dialog boxes (if any are being displayed) are updated periodically, by default every 15 seconds. The list of crates that are installed in each beamline is contained in the file ``warner::usr$disk1:[hdwdocs.cratemap]crates.dat.''

Exiting the program

To quit the program choose Exit from the file menu. If you have made any customizations, and have not saved them, they will be lost.

Displaying a different beamline

To display the data from a different, beamline choose one of the beamlines from the Beamlines menu. You have a choice of Proton, Neutrino, Meson and Experimental (twelfth floor test crates.)

Popup menu

Pressing the right mouse button anywhere over the main screen will cause a popup menu titled ``Beamlines'' to appear. The items in the menu are: Proton, Neutrino, Meson, Experimental, and Exit. Choosing one of these items is an alternate way to select a different beamline or exit the program. Pressing the right mouse button over a dialog box has no effect.

Customizations

Various aspects of CrateDisplay can be customized. These include the beamline displayed on startup, the rate at which data is collected, the colors used for the bars in the graphs, and the threshold values at which a bar will change color. The customizations can be saved to or restored from a file of your choosing. Warning: Any customizations that are not saved before exiting the program will be lost.

Initial beam

To change the beamline that is displayed when CrateDisplay starts, choose General... from the Options menu. A dialog box will be displayed containing an option menu button labelled ``Initial Beam'' (the dialog box also contains the update rate box, described below.) Use the option menu button to select a new initial beamline. Note that changing the initial beamline has no effect on the program as it is running; you must save your customizations and restart the program.

Update rate

To change the rate at which data is collected, choose General... from the Options menu. A dialog box will be displayed containing the update rate box (it will also contain the initial beam option menu button described above.) The update rate box allows you to set the components of the FTD (frequency-time descriptor) that specifies how often the display is updated. There are three components to an FTD: the mode, the event, and the interval.

Colors

CrateDisplay uses four colors to indicate the status of the temperature or voltage of a crate: the ``normal'' color, used to indicate that the reading is within acceptable limits; the ``warning'' color, used to indicate that the reading is slightly outside the acceptable limits; the ``alarm'' color, used to indicate that the reading is well outside the acceptable limits; and the ``error'' color, used to indicate that an error status code was returned from the data acquisition routines. The default values for these colors for color, monochrome and grayscale monitors are as follows:

To change the colors, choose Colors... from the Options menu. If you are displaying the output on a monitor that can only display fewer than 64 colors or shades of gray, or on a monochrome monitor, then this item is insensitive. The colors cannot be customized in this case. Assuming you can customize the colors, a dialog box will be displayed containing a push button for each of the four colors. If you click on one of the buttons, a color mix dialog box will be displayed for that color. Use the color mixer to select a new color. Note that you cannot set different colors for each crate; the same colors are used for every crate of every beamline.

Thresholds

To change the thresholds, choose Thresholds... from the Options menu. A dialog box will be displayed that will be divided into three areas: one each for the temperature and the positive and negative six volt power supply voltages. The areas for the voltages will each have seven text fields; you can change a value by clicking on the text field and typing a floating point number. The fields are:

The area for the temperature thresholds is similar to those for the voltages, but the text fields for the nominal, lower warning, and lower alarm values are missing.

Note that some care is required when selecting values for the above fields; if you type in asymmetric values (especially for maximum, minimim and nominal) the resulting display may look strange. Also note that as with color, you cannot set different values for each crate; the same values are used for every crate of every beamline.

Saving and restoring customizations

After you have made customizations to CrateDisplay, you must save them before exiting the program or they will be lost. Once saved they can be restored on the fly. The last five items in the Options menu relate to saving and restoring customizations:

Keywords: RDCS, crate, voltage, temperature, X

Distribution: normal

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