Composite scaler readout

Composite scaler readout

Scaler readout in the NSCL system is considered to be non-hierarchical. Scaler data are readout as a single bank of scaler modules. All channels of all modules are read out. The object that represents the experiment (a CExperiment object), contains a bank of scalers. Individual scaler modules can be inserted in this bank to meet your application needs. As will be described in Traditional scaler readout), it is also possible to insert a single special scaler that wraps the old style skeleton.cpp scaler readout.

As of October 22, 2002, object oriented support has been written for the following types of scaler modules:

CCAMACScalerLRS2551 LeCroy Research systems model LRS2551 CAMAC scaler.

CCAMACScalerLRS4434 LeCroy Research systems model LRS4434 CAMAC scaler.

CVMEScalerLRS1151 LeCroy Research systems model LRS1151 VME scaler.

Software is being developed for the CAEN V830 VME scaler at this time as well.

Each of the scalers above has a parameterized constructor that describes where the scaler is plugged in. This parameterization is as follows:

• For CAMAC scalers, the parameters integers that in order represenat the branch, crate and slot of the module. If the CAMAC interface system uses interfaces that support single crates, the branch number will be 0 and the crate number will select the interface module.
• For VME scalers that do not support geographical addressing, the parameterization is a single unsigned integer that represents the VME base address the scaler is configured at.
• for VME scalers that support geographical addressing, the constructor is parameterized by three parameters, two of which have default values: (int slot, bool Geo=true, unsigned int base=0) where:

  slot Is the slot number in the VME crate. If geographical addressing is not selected, this slot will be programmed into the scaler's Geo register if possible.

  Geo=true True if the scaler is to be accessed via geographical addressing. This requires not only a module that supports this but a crate with the appropriate backplane extensions (note that e.g. Struck scalers use the VME64P extensions while CAEN use the CERN extensions and therefore if both coexist in a crate, at most one type may be geographically adressed..

  base=0 If Geo is false, this is the base address of the module for absolute addressing.

Future implementations of the NSCL Readout system will support multiple VME crates in a single system. In that case, for VME modules, an additional parameter will be added (defaulting to 0) that selects the VME crate.

To configure your readout software to use the composite scaler readout system:

• In MyExperiment.cpp, locate the implementation of SetupScalers.
• Below the comment that reads:
  // Insert your code below this comment insert lines that add the scaler modules you need to your readout. For example:

        rExperiment.AddScalerModule(new CVMEScalerLRS1151(0xc00200));
        rExperiment.AddScalerModule(new CCAMACScalerLRS2251(0,1,1));
  	    

Composite scaler readout