Re: Getting started talking to a device

["Paduan Donadio, Marcio via Tech-talk" <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>]

Hello, Greg.

All you have is the git repo that you've mentioned?

To build an IOC you will need a configure directory, with configure/RELEASE (or configure/RELEASE.local) pointing to the needed modules, like Asyn. You will also need a Makefile on your IOC application root directory. The st.cmd file usually goes inside an iocBoot/<ioc_name> directory.

My recommendation: assuming that you have EPICS base installed, create a new directory where you want to place your IOC application and, inside it, start a new IOC application directory structure using

makeBaseApp.pl -t ioc <name_of_your_ioc_application>

Then copy the contents of the Watlow-PM/Watlow_PM862FJ-3LEJAA_Module/watlowApp/Db/ directory to <name_of_your_ioc_application>App/Db.

Next, change your configure/RELEASE file, by adding the path to where you've installed Asyn. You must add to the <name_of_your_ioc_application>App/src/Makefile, the Asyn library and dbds:

<your_application>_DBD += asyn.dbd

<your_application>_DBD += drvAsynIPPort.dbd

<your_application>_LIBS += asyn

The DBDs provides you with the functions used in the IOC shell, like drvAsynIPPortConfigure.

See if issuing make brings a successful build.

Still inside the IOC application top directory use

makeBaseApp.pl -i -t ioc <name_of_your_ioc>

This will create an iocBoot/<name_of_your_ioc> directory. Overwrite the st.cmd file with "st.cmd.ModbusAddresses Only" and rename it back to st.cmd.

This st.cmd from the repo only initializes the driver but doesn't load the databases. Without loading the databases, you will have no PV to read/write in the network.

I hope that the IOC application maintainer can contact you to describe which databases to load for your case. I know nothing about the Watlow controller and couldn't help with this.

HTH.

Márcio Paduan Donadio | Control Systems Engineer Advanced Control Systems Department SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory | Menlo Park, CA p: 650.926.5007 | w: slac.stanford.edu

---

From: Tech-talk <tech-talk-bounces at aps.anl.gov> on behalf of Leblanc, Gregory via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Sent: Friday, August 6, 2021 1:27 PM
To: tech-talk at aps.anl.gov <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Subject: Getting started talking to a device

 

Hi folks,

 

I’m still poking around at this whole EPICS thing, attempting to get my feet wet.  I thought that I might try to talk to a temp controller I have on our Cs Sputter source here.  Currently we only adjust the setpoint by walking into the vault and using Bluetooth on our phones.  The controller is an EZ-ZONE model number PM6C1CA-GAAAAAA.  We have an ethernet module for it, and it’s picked up an address from DHCP, which I can ping from the Raspberry Pi where I’ve installed EPICS Base. 

 

I found the pieces that Gary published at https://github.com/tauferg/Watlow-PM though I can’t find the controller mentioned on the Watlow website.  I cloned via git and determined that the second parameter to drvAsynIPPortConfigure should be the ip address.  From Watlow_PM862FJ-3LEJAA_IOC/st.cmd.ModbusAddresses\ Only I have:

drvAsynIPPortConfigure("watlow1", "10.0.0.196", 0, 0, 0)

 

The next step, per README.md is to “Rename the files and place in the appropriate directories.”  Which files need to be renamed, and where do they need to be placed?  What is the next step here, or do I need to back up and continue working on the st.cmd file?  Any pointers appreciated.

     Greg

 

--

Gregory Leblanc

Accelerator Engineer

Edwards Accelerator Lab - Ohio University

123 University Terrace

Athens, OH 45701

leblanc at ohio.edu

M: (401) 52-OUAL1 or (401) 526-8251