Re: Developing of record / driver / device support? Asyn?

[Eric Norum <eric@norum.ca>]

On Jul 28, 2010, at 9:52 AM, Mark Rivers wrote:

Hi Gorka,

 

On the win32-x86 architecture asyn does not currently support local RS-232 serial ports, because there is no termios driver available for them.  However, you can use the cygwin-x86 architecture on Windows to access the local serial ports.  Alternatively, with either architecture you can use an Ethernet terminal server, such as those from Moxa, to access serial ports.

 

To communicate with the device I would recommend using the streamDevice module (http://epics.web.psi.ch/software/streamdevice/).  It uses asyn for the underlying communication, and provides the device support to communicate using standard EPICS records.  I would recommend it over devGPIB for

new applications, it is simpler to use.  You don’t need to write any C code, you just create a “protocol” file that describes how to format the strings to send to the device, and how to parse the response.

Agreed.

If the device uses SCPI (IEEE-488.2) commands you can use the template in ASYN to help you get started:

/usr/local/epics/R3.14.11/modules/soft/synApps_5_5/support/asyn4-13-1/bin/darwin-x86/makeSupport.pl -t streamSCPI myDevice

This provides protocol entries and associated records for the standard SCPI commands.

Here's the template protocol file:

> cat  myDeviceSup/devmyDevice.proto 

getIDN {

    out "*IDN?";

    in "%\$1[^\r\n]";

    ExtraInput = Ignore;

}

cmd {

    out "\$1";

}

setD {

    out "\$1 %d";

}

getD {

    out "\$1?";

    in "%d";

    ExtraInput = Ignore;

}

and here's the database file:

> cat myDeviceSup/devmyDevice.db 

#

# Simple database and stream protocol file for basic SCPI (IEEE488.2) commands

#

#

# Short and long form of identification string

#

record(stringin, "$(P)$(R)IDN")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI identification string")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getIDN(39) $(PORT) $(A)")

    field(PINI, "YES")

}

record(waveform, "$(P)$(R)IDNwf")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI identification string")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getIDN(199) $(PORT) $(A)")

    field(PINI, "YES")

    field(FTYP, "CHAR")

    field(NELM, "200")

}

record(bo, "$(P)$(R)RST")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI Reset")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(OUT,  "@devmyDevice.proto cmd(*RST) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(bo, "$(P)$(R)CLS")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI Clear status")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(OUT,  "@devmyDevice.proto cmd(*CLS) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longin, "$(P)$(R)GetSTB")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI get status byte")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getD(*STB) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longin, "$(P)$(R)GetESR")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI get event status")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getD(*ESR) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longout, "$(P)$(R)SetESE")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI enable event status")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(OUT,  "@devmyDevice.proto setD(*ESE) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longin, "$(P)$(R)GetESE")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI enabled event status")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getD(*ESE) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longout, "$(P)$(R)SetSRE")

{

    field(DESC, "SCPI enable service requests")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(OUT,  "@devmyDevice.proto setD(*SRE) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longin, "$(P)$(R)GetSRE")

{

    field(DESC, "Enabled service requests")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getD(*SRE) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

record(longin, "$(P)$(R)GetOPC")

{

    field(DESC, "Output completion status")

    field(DTYP, "stream")

    field(INP,  "@devmyDevice.proto getD(*OPC) $(PORT) $(A)")

}

 

You will create a database that defines EPICS records that use the streamDevice device support.

 

You can test communication with your device by loading an “asyn” record and using it interactively to send strings to the device and examine the responses.

 

Mark

 

 

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From: tech-talk-bounces@aps.anl.gov [mailto:tech-talk-bounces@aps.anl.gov] On Behalf Of Gorka Ronda
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:34 AM
To: tech-talk@aps.anl.gov
Subject: Developing of record / driver / device support? Asyn?

 

Hi all,

 

I’m newbie to EPICS and I need some help to start using it. I’m trying to develop an IOC based on a Windows XP PC. I have already build EPICS Base 3.14.9 with win32-x86 architecture and execute the “Example IOC Application” and “Channel Access Host Example” from the Application Developers Guide.

 

Now, I would like to connect a card to the IOC (PC) via RS-232. I think I need the Asyn interface from SynApps. But, I have no clear how to do it. I have to program something or a generic support for any RS-232 connection is already made? Does it change depending on the card to be used? What would I need? Record, Device and Driver support? Some of those? One of those? Maybe, another solution…

 

On the other hand, when I have to develop the database? Before or after record/driver/device support? How to do it simply and fast?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Gorka

-- 
Eric Norum
eric@norum.ca