RE: [EXTERNAL] Phoebus Scan Server

["Pearson, Matthew via Tech-talk" <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>]

Hi Ian,

The scan server is used at the SNS for all the beamlines, and at about half of the beamlines at HFIR, about 25 beamlines total. It is the main automation tool and we use it in a variety of ways. I'll send you a PowerPoint presentation explaining in more detail and showing screenshots. 

It's been a very useful and reliable part of our control system, and we are planning to keep using it for the SNS Second Target Station. One of the main advantages is that it runs on a remote server and multiple instances of CS-Studio can see what's going on. It's possible to build up complex workflows using the scan server, such as beamline alignment applications, as scans can be queued up, waited on (by polling the state), automatically paused, etc. 

Most communication to our scan server goes though the PyScanClient library:
https://controlssoftware.sns.ornl.gov/css_pyscanclient/html/

Or via scripts running inside CS-Studio.

So we build and submit scans in different ways:

1) Using a spreadsheet-like interface called a table scan (a screen in CS-Studio), which can be populated from a CSV file.
2) Using Python IOC applications (using PyScanClient), via an interface screen in CS-Studio.
3) Via standalone Python scripts.

The CS-Studio scan editor is useful for testing, but I wouldn't say that is routinely used. The scan monitor is always used. On every beamline at SNS and HFIR we will usually see the scan monitor window open. 

I'm sure Kay will reply as well, and correct anything I said, since he is the main developer of the scan server.

Cheers,
Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: Tech-talk <tech-talk-bounces at aps.anl.gov> On Behalf Of Ian Gillingham via Tech-talk
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2022 8:36 AM
To: tech-talk at aps.anl.gov
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Phoebus Scan Server

The Scan Server that's packaged with Phoebus looks, on the face of it, as though it could fulfill a major part of a project requirement - i.e. 
automated sequences of operations. I've built some small test scripts (.scn XML files) and submitted them to a locally running scan server - it all looks quite slick, especially as Phoebus has a scan editor and monitor built in.

Before incorporating it into a system design, I'm interested to know whether anyone else uses it as an integral part of their control systems and what your experiences have been?

Thanks,

Ian

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Ian Gillingham