Re: PVA custom structs

[Heinz Junkes via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>]

Hi,

Here’s some more information on that from the Archiver Appliance’s log file.

Are these  the main pieces of information to the issue?

2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 ERROR [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:240) - Cannot determine the timestamp bitset for PV FHIFEL:llpg_1. This means we may not save any data at all for this PV.

 java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "org.epics.pva.data.PVAStructure.get(String)" because "timeStampPVStructure" is null


2026-05-09 11:53:19,635 ERROR [Engine scheduler for misc tasks.] metadata.MetaGet (MetaGet.java:225) - Cannot determine DBR type for pv FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:58:36,583 INFO  [http-nio-17666-exec-4] engine.BPLServlet (BPLServlet.java:102) - Beginning request into Engine servlet /getVersion
2026-05-09 11:58:36,583 INFO  [http-nio-17666-exec-4] common.BasicDispatcher (BasicDispatcher.java:44) - Servicing /getVersion
2026-05-09 11:59:19,450 INFO  [Event bus] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:338) - Connecting to PV FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:59:19,478 INFO  [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:221) - channelStateChanged:SEARCHING FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:59:19,479 INFO  [UDP4-receiver /0.0.0.0:59609] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:221) - channelStateChanged:FOUND FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:59:19,481 INFO  [TCP receiver /141.14.135.0:37864] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:221) - channelStateChanged:CONNECTED FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 INFO  [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:235) - Construct the fieldValuesCache for PV FHIFEL:llpg_1
2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 ERROR [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:240) - Cannot determine the timestamp bitset for PV FHIFEL:llpg_1. This means we may not save any data at all for this PV.
2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 INFO  [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:248) - Type from structure in monitorConnect is structure
    ushort Ch1_Width
    ushort Ch2_Width
    ushort Ch1_Delay
    ushort Ch2_Delay
    ushort Ch1_ExtraDly
    ushort Ch2_ExtraDly
    ushort Ch1_Atten
    ushort Ch2_Atten
2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 INFO  [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:259) - Determined ArchDBRTypes for FHIFEL:llpg_1 as DBR_V4_GENERIC_BYTES
2026-05-09 11:59:19,580 ERROR [JCA Command Thread] pv.EPICS_V4_PV (EPICS_V4_PV.java:431) - exception when reading pv
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException: null
	at jdk.internal.reflect.DirectConstructorHandleAccessor.newInstance(DirectConstructorHandleAccessor.java:72) ~[?:?]
	at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstanceWithCaller(Constructor.java:502) ~[?:?]
	at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:486) ~[?:?]
	at org.epics.archiverappliance.engine.pv.EPICS_V4_PV.fromStructure(EPICS_V4_PV.java:277) ~[classes/:?]
	at org.epics.archiverappliance.engine.pv.EPICS_V4_PV.subscribe(EPICS_V4_PV.java:427) ~[classes/:?]
	at org.epics.archiverappliance.engine.pv.EPICS_V4_PV.handleConnected(EPICS_V4_PV.java:388) ~[classes/:?]
	at org.epics.archiverappliance.engine.pv.JCACommandThread.run(JCACommandThread.java:189) [classes/:?]
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "org.epics.pva.data.PVAStructure.get(String)" because "timeStampPVStructure" is null
	at org.epics.archiverappliance.common.TimeUtils.convertFromPVTimeStamp(TimeUtils.java:533) ~[classes/:?]
	at edu.stanford.slac.archiverappliance.PB.data.PBV4GenericBytes.<init>(PBV4GenericBytes.java:68) ~[classes/:?]
	at jdk.internal.reflect.DirectConstructorHandleAccessor.newInstance(DirectConstructorHandleAccessor.java:62) ~[?:?]
	... 6 more

Danke, Heinz

> On 8. May 2026, at 17:10, Heinz Junkes (FHI) via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I am running a P4P server on an embedded system and offer the following structure:
>
> epics@felpvagate:~$ pvinfo  FHIFEL:llpg_1
> FHIFEL:llpg_1
> Server: 10.0.0.87:5075
> Type:
>    structure
>        ushort Ch1_Width
>        ushort Ch2_Width
>        ushort Ch1_Delay
>        ushort Ch2_Delay
>        ushort Ch1_ExtraDly
>        ushort Ch2_ExtraDly
>        ushort Ch1_Atten
>        ushort Ch2_Atten
>
> Unfortunately, the archiverAppliance cannot monitor/archive these.
>
> Was ist der beste Weg um diese Werte zu archivieren?
>
> 1.) Should the 8 values be made available as ‘individual’ scalar PVs on the embedded system as well?
>
> 2.) Run a ‘converter’ on another system that maps the custom struct to scalar PVs?
>
> 3.) Another idea ?
>
> Danke Heinz
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Heinz Junkes          | VC: https://zoom.fhi.berlin/junkes
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