AreaDetector

Install directions

Build EPICS base

Warning

Ensure that the disk partition hosting ~/epics is not larger than 2 TB. See the tech talk and Diamond Data Storage documentation.

Create the base directory:

$ mkdir ~/epics-ad
$ cd ~/epics-ad

Download and build EPICS base (latest release):

$ git clone https://github.com/epics-base/epics-base.git
$ cd epics-base
$ git submodule init
$ git submodule update
$ make distclean   # run this if there was an OS update
$ make -sj

Warning

If you see an error such as configure/os/CONFIG.rhel9-x86_64.Common: No such file or directory, set the host architecture in your csh terminal and rebuild:

$ setenv EPICS_HOST_ARCH linux-x86_64

Build ADSimDetector

Download assemble_synApps.sh to ~/epics-ad from:

• assemble_synApps

Edit the assemble_synApps.sh script and include only the following modules:

$modules{'ASYN'} = 'R4-44-2';
$modules{'AUTOSAVE'} = 'R5-11';
$modules{'AREA_DETECTOR'} = 'R3-12-1';
$modules{'AREA_DETECTOR_SUBMODULES'} = 'ADSimDetector'; # Space-separated list of extra submodules to check out
$modules{'BUSY'} = 'R1-7-4';
$modules{'CALC'} = 'R3-7-5';
$modules{'DEVIOCSTATS'} = '3.1.16';
$modules{'SSCAN'} = 'R2-11-6';
$modules{'SNCSEQ'} = 'R2-2-9';
$modules{'XXX'} = 'R6-3';

Comment out all other modules (e.g. ALLENBRADLEY, ALIVE, etc.).

Run the script:

$ cd ~/epics-ad
$ ./assemble_synApps.sh --dir=synApps --base=/home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/epics-base

Warning

Replace /home/beams/FAST/ with the path of your home directory.

The script creates a synApps/support directory:

$ cd synApps/support/

Build synApps:

$ make release
$ make -sj

Testing ADSimDetector

Move to the IOC boot directory:

$ cd ~/epics-ad/synApps/support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADSimDetector/iocs/simDetectorIOC/iocBoot/iocSimDetector

Rename envPaths to envPaths.linux:

$ mv envPaths envPaths.linux

Edit st.cmd.linux from:

< envPaths.linux
< st_base.cmd

to:

< ./envPaths.linux
< ./st_base.cmd

Edit start_epics from:

#medm -x -macro "P=13SIM1:, R=cam1:" simDetector.adl &
../../bin/linux-x86_64/simDetectorApp st.cmd.linux

to:

#!/bin/csh
setenv EPICS_APP_AD /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps/support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADCore
setenv EPICS_APP_ADSIM /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps/support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADSimDetector
#####################
# prepare MEDM path
#
if (! ${?EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH}) setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH '.'
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_ADSIM/simDetectorApp/op/adl
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_AD/ADApp/op/adl
medm -x -macro "P=13SIM1:, R=cam1:" ../../../../simDetectorApp/op/adl/simDetector.adl &
../../bin/linux-x86_64/simDetectorApp st.cmd.linux

Warning

Replace /home/beams/FAST/ with the path of your home directory.

Start ADSimDetector

Run:

$ ./start_epics

Install ADAravis

Detailed instructions are available at:

• ADAravis documentation

Ensure that assemble_synApps.sh includes:

$modules{'AREA_DETECTOR_SUBMODULES'} = 'ADAravis ADGenICam'; # Space-separated list of extra submodules

Run assemble_synApps.sh:

$ cd ~/epics-ad
$ ./assemble_synApps.sh --dir=synApps --base=/home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/epics-base

Warning

Replace /home/beams/FAST/ with the path of your home directory.

Warning

If you see a make: No rule to make target ...  Stop error, set the host architecture in your csh terminal and rebuild:

$ setenv EPICS_HOST_ARCH linux-x86_64

Build ADGenICam:

$ cd ~/epics-ad/synApps/support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADGenICam
$ make -sj

(TODO: add instructions on ``envPaths`` and related files.)

Testing ADAravis

Move to the IOC boot directory:

$ cd areaDetector-R3-11/ADAravis/iocs/aravisIOC/iocBoot/iocAravis

Edit the camera name in st.cmd.Oryx_51S5. Replace the line:

# Name of camera as reported by arv-tool
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_NAME", "FLIR-Oryx ORX-10G-51S5M-18011754")

with the values obtained from arv-tool:

# Name of camera as reported by arv-tool
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_NAME", "FLIR-Oryx ORX-10G-51S5M-19173710")
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_ID", "FLIR-Oryx ORX-10G-51S5M-19173710")
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_INFO", "FLIR-Oryx ORX-10G-51S5M-19173710 (169.254.0.51)")

Edit start_epics as follows:

#!/bin/csh
setenv EPICS_APP_AD /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADCore
setenv EPICS_APP_ADGENICAM /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADGenICam
setenv EPICS_APP_ADARAVIS /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADAravis
#####################
# prepare MEDM path
#
if (! ${?EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH}) setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH '.'
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_ADARAVIS/aravisApp/op/adl
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_ADGENICAM/GenICamApp/op/adl
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_AD/ADApp/op/adl

medm -x -macro "P=13ARV1:, R=cam1:, C=FLIR-Oryx-ORX-10G-310S9M" ../../../../aravisApp/op/adl/ADAravis.adl &

../../bin/linux-x86_64/ADAravisApp st.cmd.Oryx_51S5

Warning

Replace /home/beams/FAST/ with the path of your home directory.

Start ADAravis

Run:

$ ./start_epics

Install ADSpinnaker

Detailed instructions are available at:

• ADSpinnaker documentation

Ensure that assemble_synApps.sh includes:

$modules{'AREA_DETECTOR_SUBMODULES'} = 'ADSpinnaker ADGenICam'; # Space-separated list of extra submodules

Run assemble_synApps.sh:

$ cd ~/epics-ad
$ ./assemble_synApps.sh --dir=synApps --base=/home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/epics-base

Warning

Replace /home/beams/FAST/ with the path of your home directory.

Warning

If you see a make: No rule to make target ...  Stop error, set the host architecture in your csh terminal and rebuild:

$ setenv EPICS_HOST_ARCH linux-x86_64

Build ADGenICam:

$ cd ~/epics-ad/synApps/support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADGenICam
$ make -sj

Install the Spinnaker SDK on the Windows or Linux machine that will run the IOC. The SDK installs the required camera drivers.

(TODO: add instructions on ``envPaths`` and related files.)

Testing ADSpinnaker

Move to the IOC boot directory:

$ cd areaDetector-R3-11/ADSpinnaker/iocs/spinnakerIOC/iocBoot/iocSpinnaker

Edit the camera configuration in the appropriate startup script. For example, set the camera ID and info based on the camera used:

# Use this line for a specific camera by serial number, in this case a BlackFlyS GigE
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_ID", "19173710")  # 2-BM-B 2bmbSP1:
epicsEnvSet("CAMERA_INFO", "FLIR-Oryx ORX-10G-51S5M-19173710 (169.254.0.51)")

Edit start_epics as follows:

#!/bin/csh
setenv EPICS_APP_AD /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADCore
setenv EPICS_APP_ADGENICAM /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADGenICam
setenv EPICS_APP_ADSpinnaker /home/beams/FAST/epics-ad/synApps//support/areaDetector-R3-12-1/ADSpinnaker
#####################
# prepare MEDM path
#
if (! ${?EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH}) setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH '.'
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_ADSpinnaker/spinnakerApp/op/adl
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_ADGENICAM/GenICamApp/op/adl
setenv EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH $EPICS_DISPLAY_PATH':'$EPICS_APP_AD/ADApp/op/adl

medm -x -macro "P=13SP1:, R=cam1:, C=FLIR-Oryx-ORX-10G-310S9M" ../../../../spinnakerApp/op/adl/ADSpinnaker.adl &

../../bin/linux-x86_64/spinnakerApp st.cmd.oryx_51S5

Start ADSpinnaker

Run:

$ ./start_epics

arv-tool

The arv-tool utility is part of the Aravis library and is used to manage and query GenICam-compliant cameras. It can be used to extract the camera XML description file, which is needed to automatically create the EPICS database and MEDM screens.

Clone and build Aravis:

$ git clone https://github.com/AravisProject/aravis.git
$ cd aravis

Install Meson and Ninja:

$ pip install --user meson ninja

Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH (for example in .bashrc):

export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH

Build and install Aravis:

$ meson setup builddir --prefix=$HOME/aravis-install
$ cd builddir
$ meson compile
$ meson install

Add the local installation to the environment:

export PATH=$HOME/aravis-install/bin:$PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOME/aravis-install/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$HOME/aravis-install/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
export GI_TYPELIB_PATH=$HOME/aravis-install/lib/girepository-1.0:$GI_TYPELIB_PATH

List all cameras connected to the computer:

$ arv-tool-0.10 --list

Use arv-tool to download the camera XML file. This XML file is required by ADGenICam to generate the EPICS database and MEDM screens. See the ADGenICam documentation for details:

• ADGenICam: Downloading the XML file

Configure NIC on 10 Gbit FLIR cameras

1. Requirements:

   • 64 GB memory

   • Cat 6A cable

   • Intel X550T2 Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X550-T2 (available from Sorcium as Part#: 3E9073)

2. Enable jumbo packets.

3. Disable DHCP and set a fixed IP address on the Ethernet port connected to the FLIR camera.

4. Increase the receive buffer size (MTU ≈ 9000).

5. Increase the relevant network parameters in the kernel.

6. Set the NIC TX queue length.

Steps 2–4 are documented in:

• FLIR: https://www.flir.com/support-center/iis/machine-vision/knowledge-base/lost-ethernet-data-packets-on-linux-systems/

Additional details for step 4 are in:

• FLIR: https://www.flir.com/support-center/iis/machine-vision/knowledge-base/lost-ethernet-data-packets-on-linux-systems/

• ADGenICam: https://areadetector.github.io/master/ADGenICam/ADGenICam.html#linux-usb-and-gige-system-settings

For step 5, edit /etc/sysctl.conf:

net.core.rmem_default=26214400
net.core.rmem_max=268435456

For step 6, edit /etc/rc.local and add:

# NIC camera settings and 10 Gb NIC settings
# In this example the camera is attached to ens1f1
/usr/sbin/ifconfig ens1f1 txqueuelen 3000  # hardware specific; some NICs support up to 4096, others ~512