Creating an ISIS StreamDevice IOC

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Create a StreamDevice support module

Note: The support module is put in the EPICS\support directory, but the actual IOC(s) are put in the EPICS\ioc\master directory

First, set up the Support Module (Using the Hameg 8123 as an example.):

Make the main directory:

cd ...EPICS\support
mkdir Hameg_8123
cd Hameg_8123

Get an admin to create a git repository.

Create a stream support module:

cd ...EPICS\support\Hameg_8123\master
makeSupport.pl -t streamSCPI Hameg_8123

Edit the protocol file in Hameg_8123Sup, so it reads like:

Terminator = '\r\n';
ReplyTimeout = 2000;

getIDN {
    out "*IDN?";
    #Read no more that 39 chars (EPICS limit)
    in "%/(.{0,39})/";
    ExtraInput = Ignore;
}

getTriggerLevel {
    out "LV\$1?";
    in "%s";
    ExtraInput = Ignore;
}

setTriggerLevel {
    out "LV\$1%s?";
}

resetCounts {
    out "RES";
}

Note: I have only included a very small section of the command set for this device for brevity.

Delete the db file in Hameg_8123Sup and modify the Makefile so it not longer refers to it.

Modify the Makefile in the same directory as the protocol file to have a line like:

DATA += <protocol_file_name>

If the Makefile has a line that reads DATA += $(patsubst ../%, %, $(wildcard ../*.proto)), delete it.

Now add the directory name to the support make file (C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\support\Makefile), ie to DIRS at the top. Also add dependencies if needed.

Creating the IOC

All IOCs used at ISIS reside in the EPICS\ioc\master directory.

For this example we are using the Hameg 8123.

Please take note of the IOC naming conventions. The same name (with the same casing) should be used both for the top-level IOC directory under EPICS\ioc\master and in the makeBaseApp command, as in the example below.

First create the necessary directory structure and IOC boilerplate, starting from the EPICS\ioc directory (we're going to create at least two IOCs):

mkdir HAMEG8123
cd HAMEG8123
makeBaseApp.pl -t ioc HAMEG8123-IOC-01
makeBaseApp.pl -t ioc HAMEG8123-IOC-02
makeBaseApp.pl -i -t ioc HAMEG8123-IOC-01
<Press return>
makeBaseApp.pl -i -t ioc HAMEG8123-IOC-02
<Press return>

The next step is to adjust the Makefile in HAMEG8123-IOC-02App\src:

cd HAMEG8123-IOC-02App\src
del build.mak
notepad Makefile

In notepad, adjust the Makefile as outlined in the in-line comments, namely change the line: include $(TOP)/HAMEG8123-IOC-02App/src/build.mak to include $(TOP)/HAMEG8123-IOC-01App/src/build.mak. Don't forget to save it!

Now it is time to edit the build.mak file in HAMEG8123-IOC-01App\src - this is the master build file for all the HAMEG8123 IOCs. In notepad (or similar) add any require DBD files and LIBS to the respective listings. For example, for the Hameg it is necessary to add the DBDs for stream, asyn and the communication protocols:

...
## ISIS standard dbd ##
$(APPNAME)_DBD += devSequencer.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += icpconfig.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += pvdump.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += asSupport.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += devIocStats.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += caPutLog.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += utilities.dbd
## add other dbd here ##
$(APPNAME)_DBD += stream.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += asyn.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += drvAsynSerialPort.dbd
$(APPNAME)_DBD += drvAsynIPPort.dbd
...

Likewise, the LIBs need to be added too:

## ISIS standard libraries ##
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += seqDev seq pv
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += devIocStats
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += pvdump easySQLite sqlite
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += caPutLog
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += icpconfig
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += autosave
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += utilities
## Add other libraries here ##
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += stream
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += pcre
$(APPNAME)_LIBS += asyn

Next the db file needs to created. For the Hameg (and most devices) the db only need to be stored in HAMEG8123-IOC-01App\Db. For the Hameg the part of the db file looks like this:

record(ai, "$(P)CHAN_A:TRIG_LVL")
{
    field(SCAN, "1 second")
    field(DTYP, "stream")
    field(INP,  "@devHameg_8123.proto getTriggerLevel(A) $(PORT)")
    field(PREC, "3")
    field(EGU,  "V")
}

record(ao, "$(P)CHAN_A:TRIG_LVL:SP")
{
    field(DTYP, "stream")
    field(OUT,  "@devHameg_8123.proto setTriggerLevel(A) $(PORT)")
    field(PREC, "3")
    field(EGU, "V")
}

devHameg_8123.proto is the name of the protocol file for the Hameg created here.

Note that the db file should conform to the naming standards detailed in PV-Naming, and that ANY value which might be read and set as a block must have a :SP as well as a non post-fixed name entry.

The newly created db file needs to be added to the Makefile file in HAMEG8123-IOC-01App\Db:

#DB += xxx.db
DB += <db_file_name>.db

The final step is to rationalise the st.cmd files for each IOC. There will be a default st.cmd for each IOC which will call a common file in the 01 directory. The top files for IOC-YY should look like the following (XXXX is the name of the IOC):

#!../../bin/windows-x64/XXXX-IOC-YY

## You may have to change XXXX to something else
## everywhere it appears in this file

< envPaths

cd "${TOP}"

## Register all support components
dbLoadDatabase "dbd/XXXX-IOC-YY.dbd"
XXXX_IOC_YY_registerRecordDeviceDriver pdbbase

## calling common command file in ioc 01 boot dir
< ${TOP}/iocBoot/iocXXXX-IOC-01/st-common.cmd

The a common file, st-common.cmd should look like (NOTE: the support files location is a macro defined in the EPICS\configure\MASTER_RELEASE file):

epicsEnvSet "STREAM_PROTOCOL_PATH" "$(AMINT2L)/data"

##ISIS## Run IOC initialisation 
< $(IOCSTARTUP)/init.cmd

# For dev sim devices
$(IFDEVSIM) drvAsynIPPortConfigure("L0", "localhost:$(EMULATOR_PORT=)")

## For real device use:
$(IFNOTDEVSIM) $(IFNOTRECSIM) drvAsynSerialPortConfigure("L0", "$(PORT=NO_PORT_MACRO)", 0, 0, 0, 0)
$(IFNOTDEVSIM) $(IFNOTRECSIM) asynSetOption("L0", -1, "baud", "$(BAUD=9600)")
$(IFNOTDEVSIM) $(IFNOTRECSIM) asynSetOption("L0", -1, "bits", "$(BITS=7)")
$(IFNOTDEVSIM) $(IFNOTRECSIM) asynSetOption("L0", -1, "parity", "$(PARITY=even)")
$(IFNOTDEVSIM) $(IFNOTRECSIM) asynSetOption("L0", -1, "stop", "$(STOP=1)")

##ISIS## Load common DB records 
< $(IOCSTARTUP)/dbload.cmd

## Load our record instances
dbLoadRecords("db/devAMINT2L.db","P=$(MYPVPREFIX)$(IOCNAME):, PORT=L0, RECSIM=$(RECSIM=0), DISABLE=$(DISABLE=0)")

##ISIS## Stuff that needs to be done after all records are loaded but before iocInit is called 
< $(IOCSTARTUP)/preiocinit.cmd

cd "${TOP}/iocBoot/${IOC}"
iocInit

## Start any sequence programs
#seq sncxxx,"user=hgv27692Host"

##ISIS## Stuff that needs to be done after iocInit is called e.g. sequence programs 
< $(IOCSTARTUP)/postiocinit.cmd

Now is a good time to add everything into Git. Once that is done it is time to build it and run it:

cd c:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\ioc\master\HAMEG8123
make
cd iocBoot\iocHAMEG8123-IOC-01
runIOC.bat st.cmd

Hopefully, the IOC will start and the dbl command will list all the PVs.

Now it builds add a reference to the IOC make file in C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\ioc\master\Makefile add the directory name to IOCDIRS. If this gets to long split with IOCDIR +=

Before the IOC is complete you will need to finish the workflow to include:

1. PVs of note are designated as interesting PVs, are archive and have units. All Macros are documented.
2. Record level simulation is provided (see Record simulation)
3. The IOC has a disable record (see Disable records)