Re: "Starter Kit" for learning EPICS?

[Fujita Jiro via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>]

Hello Scott,

I have been maintaining (well, sort of) what might fit what you are looking for.  It's listed here:

https://epics.anl.gov/distributions/index.php

As "A VMWare/VirtualBox disk image".  Unfortunately, since I am going through some server update issues; the link is broken as a consequence of it, but that does not mean I can't share you a version of the image.  Basically, I have a VirtualBox disk image of EPICS 7 with various tools including the graphical interface tools running on Scientific Linux 7.  If you are interested, please let me know. 

I created this so that undergraduate research students can start using EPICS without worrying about how to set them up while I used to work at Creighton University (I no longer work there, but still maintain contact with my former colleagues there).  My VM image probably fits very well with what you are trying to do.  At least this will gets you and your students going. 

Best,

Jiro

On 24-May-21 11:22 PM, Feister, Scott via Tech-talk wrote:

Hi EPICS users,

 

I’d like to have two of my undergraduate students learn the basics of EPICS this summer. I’m looking to buy enough equipment up front that they can tinker around with the software and learn how to set up an EPICS network, build EPICS messages, etc. I’ve never used EPICS before, and I like the idea of including my students from the start.

 

I’d like to purchase everything I need for a basic exploration of EPICS. I am imagining the following “starter kit” with which my students can build a test EPICS system:

 

2x Pynq-Z2 (for simple input/output)

Resistors, potentiometers, LEDs, etc (simple inputs/outputs)

2x PC with Linux (for central control and data storage)

1x managed switch for networking

Various ethernet cables

 

Any other suggestions to get my students’ feet wet with experimenting with and learning EPICS? Thanks!

 

Scott