Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

Mark Rivers via Core-talk <core-talk at aps.anl.gov> · Mon, 9 Aug 2021 12:57:31 +0000

Hi Heinz,

I have not taken the next step of packaging as MSI files.  But I have been providing .zip files for Windows IOCs.  They require just unzipping and modifying a startup script to change one path.  medm is already available as an MSI package, so people who are new to EPICS can get up an running quite quickly.

This package is our main IOC application for our beamlines.  It has all of synApps, including StreamDevice, motors, scalers, MCAs, etc. The zip file includes all needed database files, OPI screens, example startup scripts, and the IOC executable for windows-x64-static.  It does not include areaDetector IOCs.

https://cars.uchicago.edu/software/pub/epics_standalone_CARS.zip

areaDetector drivers are packaged individually.  This is the pre-built package for the Spinnaker cameras from FLIR.
https://cars.uchicago.edu/software/pub/ADSpinnaker/ADSpinnaker_Prebuilt_R2-1_windows-x64-static.zip

These are the installation instructions for the areaDetector pre-built binaries:
https://areadetector.github.io/master/install_guide.html#installing-pre-built-binary-versions-of-areadetector

These packages have been used for many years by people in university labs and at synchrotron beamlines that use Windows, because I find there are very few people who have taken the time to set up a Windows build environment on EPICS.  The way I do it is quite simple, because I build in the same tree on our Linux server for all architectures:  rhel6, rhel7, rhel8, ubuntu 18, old SUSE, vxWorks, Windows static, Windows dynamic, etc.  Then I only need to maintain a couple of working directory trees (development and production).  Windows just needs Perl, make, re2c, and Visual Studio (free) to have an EPICS build environment.  The pre-built packages have also been used for Linux by people like those you describe who don't have the background to build things from source.

All machines, including Windows get all files (startup scripts, databases, executables) from the Linux server at run-time.  The exception is that Windows executables are copied locally because they cannot be deleted if they are open anywhere, so upgrades are impossible if they are running from the server.

Mark

<https://cars.uchicago.edu/software/pub/ADSpinnaker/ADSpinnaker_Prebuilt_R2-1_windows-x64-static.zip>
________________________________
From: Core-talk <core-talk-bounces at aps.anl.gov> on behalf of Heinz Junkes via Core-talk <core-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Sent: Monday, August 9, 2021 6:32 AM
To: Core talk
Subject: Epics-base together with a demo IOC and Phoebus as a Windows installation package

Hi,
unfortunately, this will be a somewhat longer mail. I hope you manage to read it until the end:

We have succeeded in an initiative of research and science in Germany to provide EPICS as a basic system:
https://www.physics.nat.fau.eu/2021/07/05/fairmat-lifting-the-treasure-trove-of-materials-data

It is perfectly clear to us that we need to start this at an university in order to familiarize students (here of physics) with the concept of EPICS.

For a "kick-off" I visited the chair last week in Erlangen to familiarize them with EPICS and the other stuff like Phoebus, ArchiverAppliance, Bluesky. So the things that we use as a matter of course. We had prepared installation scripts and in Erlangen they provided me with a PC running Ubuntu. This also worked so far and we were able to set up an IOC and read out a measuring device (Keithley K2000) via serial interface using StreamDevice.
( By the way, they still use GPIB for almost all lab setups. I thought that no longer exists ;-) )

But then I found out that the people on site couldn't really follow me. Although they are quite strongly motivated.
But unfortunately they have no experience at all with the Unix environment. They are also not familiar with editing configuration/startup text files. And also the many ways you can build an IOC now and then also the many operator possibilities just overwhelmed them.

I think it would be purposeful to address such situations in general.

The following idea:

Provide epics base with the usual support modules (async, StreamDevice) as a Windows installation package (MSI?) so that the typical Windows user only has to "double click”.
In it an example IOC (started with procserv) which is designed to "talk" to measuring devices. Provision of a low-cost/simple GPIB Ethernet gateway ( z.B. PROLOGIX GPIB-ETHERNET CONTROLLER). Installation package Windows for Phoebus, ArchiverAppliance, Bluesky.

Maybe someone has already done something in this direction and the whole thing already exists.

I think our previous attempts with ready-made UNIX VMs or installation scripts do not address the typical Windows user and prevent the spread of
EPICS in teaching or even controlling smaller experiments without existing IT infrastructure and support.

I would be happy if we could discuss this at one of our next core-developer meetings.

Viele Grüße
Heinz Junkes
--
Experience directly varies with equipment ruined.

Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System