RE: StreamDevice with Telnet port

["Abdalla Ahmad" <abdalla.ahmad@sesame.org.jo>]

Hello Dirk, Mark

Despite various attempts at fixing the protocol file and no matter what format you use to consume inputs from the device I still get time out and format mismatch. I concluded that something wrong with the device or the firmware because I tried 3 seconds timeout and I got a timeout after 3 seconds. The current situation works "OK" for us so we will contact the company for any firmware update available.

Thank you for your support.
Abdalla.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Dirk Zimoch [mailto:dirk.zimoch@psi.ch] 
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2018 12:29 PM
To: Abdalla Ahmad <abdalla.ahmad@sesame.org.jo>
Cc: EPICS <tech-talk@aps.anl.gov>
Subject: Re: StreamDevice with Telnet port

Hello Abdalla,

Indeed I had not received a previous email.

The manual mentions RS232, '~'. Your mail talks about telnet, the ~ lines are commented out (instead "cmd" is used). Is there another interface that is not in the manual? To quickly switch between "~" and "cmd" if necessary I suggest using a variable.

I see that your enable and disable commands do not parse any input. 
Please check if it send any reply. Even something like simply "00 OK". 
If it does send something, then parse it!

Also check every input that you receive! "%*6c" simply ignores the fist
6 bytes. Better check for "00 OK " if you expect it. Do not use ExtraInput = Ignore. There is no good reason to do so. Read and check the checksum. It seems to be compatible with  "%0<sum>".


Here is my attempt to a protocol (not tested in any way):

# cmd = "~ 00";
cmd = "cmd"

Terminator = CR;

@mismatch {
	# handle errors: Put error code in another record "xxx-n:ERROR"
	# with n = \$1 (1 or 2, pump number) and device name xxx = \$2.
	in "00 ER %($\2-$\1:ERROR)x %0<sum>";
}

getCurrent
{
	out $cmd " 0A \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %E AMPS %0<sum>";
}

getPressure
{
	out $cmd " 0B \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %E %(EGU)s %0<sum>";  # put units in EGU field }

getVoltage
{
	out $cmd " 0C \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %d %0<sum>";
}

getStatus
{
	# This one is tricky:
	# get strings with spaces and optional error code.
	# The strings are translated into index 0-8 for an mbbi.
	# The error code is passed to another record "xxx-n:ERROR"
	# with n=1 or 2 and basename xxx passed as argument 2.

	out $cmd " 0D \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %{WAITING TO START|STANDBY|SAFE-CONN|RUNNING|COOL DOWN|PUMP 
ERROR|INTERLOCK|SHUT DOWN|CALIBRATION}%?($\2-$\1:ERROR)x %0<sum>";
}

isEnabled
{
	out $cmd " 61 \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK ${NO|YES} %0<sum>";  # 0 or 1 for mbbi or bi record }

enable
{
	out $cmd " 37 \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %0<sum>";
}

disable
{
	out $cmd " 38 \$1 %0<sum>";
	in "00 OK %0<sum>";
}

Use the protocols with 2 arguments: pump number and record basename. Do not have spaces between the 2 arguments, only a comma.
Not that I have changed the data types from string %s to enum %{} in some protocols. Thus change the records to mbbi or bi.

Have an error record which is passive and without DTYP. It will receive the error code if the device replies with "ER" instead of "OK" and also if getStatus reports an error.

Dirk

On 19.03.2018 08:50, Abdalla  Ahmad wrote:
> Hi Dirk
> 
> I just received an email from the mailing list that the email was rejected. So I resent the email with the attachments in case you did not receive.
> 
> Abdalla.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Abdalla Ahmad
> Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2018 3:17 PM
> To: 'Dirk Zimoch' <dirk.zimoch@psi.ch>; tech-talk@aps.anl.gov
> Subject: RE: StreamDevice with Telnet port
> 
> Hi Dirk
> 
> Please find attached the manual for the controllers along with the protocol files we are using.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Abdalla.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tech-talk-bounces@aps.anl.gov 
> [mailto:tech-talk-bounces@aps.anl.gov] On Behalf Of Dirk Zimoch
> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2018 5:43 PM
> To: tech-talk@aps.anl.gov
> Subject: Re: StreamDevice with Telnet port
> 
> Hi Abdalla,
> 
> In most cases ExtraInput = Ignore does more bad than good because it switches off part of the input checking.
> 
> If you get wrong inputs (e.g. "Running" instead of a number) this almost always related to protocols that do not consume all input that a command produces.
> 
> If for example a command sends a long, maybe multi-line string and you only parse the beginning until you find an "interesting" value, the remainder of the string is still somewhere.
> 
> StreamDevice tries to discard such "old input" at the beginning of every 'out' command, but it is a race condition. If the device sends more input as a result of the previous command after the flush, it will be received instead of the real reply of the next command. This is also true for replies on set commands. If the device sends a reply after your sent a set command, you should read it and not "fire and forget" the set value. Otherwise the replay may mix with the data of the next command.
> 
> Thus first you should remove all the ExtraInput = Ignore.
> Then find out which command replies something with "Running" which you may not have read. Try to connect with telnet and type the commands manually. In the protocol consume *everything* the device sends back.
> 
> For more details I need to know more about the device and what commands it knows. If possible send a link to the manual. Also your full protocol file would be helpful.
> 
> Dirk
> 
> 
> On 11.03.2018 13:54, Abdalla  Ahmad wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> We have the Gamma QPC ion-pump controllers controlled via 
>> StreamDevice through telnet, port 23. We have 4 parameters 
>> implemented, pressure, voltage, current, and channel status. The 
>> problem is that the IOC gives an error that the value received for the pressure PV is "Running", i.e.
>> "Input Running does not match format %E". Seems like at some point 
>> the controller is not finishing a previous parameter and the IOC 
>> receives something different than the current parameter requested.
>>
>> We have the following in the protocol file:
>>
>> OutTerminator = CR;
>>
>> InTerminator = CR;
>>
>> ReadTimeout = 2000;
>>
>> ReplyTimeout = 2000;
>>
>> And each parameter in the protocol file has ExtraInput = Ignore at 
>> the end. Any help resolving this mismatching issue?
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> Abdalla Ahmad
>>
>> Control Engineer
>>
>> SESAME
>>
>> Allan, Jordan.
>>
>> Tel: (+962-5) 3511348 , ext. 265
>>
>> Fax: (+962-5) 3511423
>>
>> Mob: (+962-7)88183296
>>
>> www.sesame.org.jo <http://www.sesame.org.jo/>
>>