1. CCS Engineering Tools
The tools are used help development and debugging of VLT SW control applications
This presentation will provide a general view of the
most used engineering tools.
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

2. CCS Engineering Tools – Database Browser
The database browser provides a tool to see the database structure
ccseiDb can display the database of WS or LCU environments
The database tree is made by “points” (like directories in file system)
Points have a “symbolic name” and an “alias”
Points contain “attributes”, which contain the real data
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

3. CCS Engineering Tools – Database Browser
An attribute is described by the following parameters
Name
Attribute Type : defines the structure of the data SCALAR, VECTOR or TABLE
Data Type : defines the dbINT8, dbUINT16, dbFLOAT, dbBYTES16, …
Quality : it applies for scanned attributes of to those defined with the calculation engine.
Value
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

4. CCS Engineering Tools – Database Attribute Editing
Database attributes can be edited to modify their values
Attributes of type SCALAR can be edited directly in the list of attributes
There is a “editing” dialog for each data type
Scalars
Vectors
Tables
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

5. CCS Engineering Tools – Database Calculation Engine
The calculation Engine (CE) allows the user to use database
attributes in expressions to derive database values
ccseiDb provides a way to prototype Calculation Engine (CE) functions
By default the user cannot edit CE definitions
> Export WITH_CCS_SETCE=ON
Allows the user to change online
the CE expressions
Two new buttons can be used to modify the expression
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

6. CCS Engineering Tools – Database Monitor
Monitor Database values
Elements can easily added from Db Browser
List of monitored attributes can be saved in files
Data can be saved in files and .. later on .. displayed as plots
The sampling time can be adjusted
Start monitoring the database attributes
… and optionally the data can be saved in a file
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

7. CCS Engineering Tools – Message Window
The message command window provides an interface to the message and command interface for processes in WS and LCU environments
The user can send commands
.. see received replies
… and the whole error stack
Other interesting functionality
Load and check CDT tables
Simulated setup window
Command scripts
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

8. CCS Engineering Tools – Command Help Window
A new tools allows the user to get help for commands.
It’s a stand alone GUI that provides the list
of commands for a given process
> ccseiCmdHelp rdbServer
.. or directly the help for a given command
> ccseiCmdHelp rdbServer DBDATON
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

9. CCS Engineering Tools – Historian
History points are database points all with specific ID : “65411”
The history manager is the core of the historian … it takes care of the configuration of the history table
… it reads the samples attributes and stores the data into the history table
History tables are used to collect data for a long period of time
Database
historian config
History Point 2
history
history config
setups
statstics
History Point 1
Class
hisDHMngr
User enters new
Configuration
History Point 3
Store
Sampled
data
Attributes sampled by hisDHMngr and their value are stored in the history table
Get List of History Points
Get Hist. Point Configuration
The user interacts with the historian ALWAYS through the history manager.
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

10. CCS Engineering Tools – Historian
History tables can be started/stopped according to several conditions
At any write on sampled attributes
At any write on start/stop trigger attributes
At a given time
According to the value of the
start/stop attributes : > , < , >=, <= , !=
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

11. CCS Engineering Tools – History Table Commands
Interaction with the history tables is done by sending commands to the history manager. This applies to GUIs as well as to scripts.
The most common commands are :
CFGSTUP – Configure the history table
HTCLEAR – Clear the history table
HTCRTL – Control the status of the history table : ARM, DISARM, ENABLE, DISABLE
ONESHOT – Force the reading of all sampled attributes
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

12. CCS Engineering Tools – hisConfigTool
A set of graphical interfaces provides the basis
for the user interaction with the history tables
hisConfigTool – shows the list of all known history tables and their status
It provides a set of basic commands
“Data Configuration” allows the user to see
the data collected by the history table
“Setup Configuration” allows the user to see
the data collected by the history table
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

13. CCS Engineering Tools – plotDisplay
The plotDisplay allows the user to graphically display data.
Plot
Configuration
Buffers
Shared Memory Area
plotServer
plotDisplay
Re-Configure
Plot New
Data
Get Access to Shared Memory
New
New Data
Attach New
Notify
Termination
Database
Plot Point
Plot Data Source
Display
User enters new
Read Data based on
Polling or on event
Read New Configuration
Get Event On
NewConfiguration
Plot points are
database points
all with specific ID : “65501”
There is one plotDisplay for each plot !!
… it read the shared memory and plots the data
The plotServer takes care of the plot configuration
… it reads the samples attributes and stores the data into a shared memory area
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

14. CCS Engineering Tools – plotDisplay
The plot module provides some macros to help defining the plot points /vlt/VLT2008/CCSLite/dbl/plotCOMMON_DEFS.class
ATTRIBUTE Table "curves" (4)
BEGIN
Value ( plotCURVES_ENTRY1(1000, "red", 1,-1,1,"pen1", 0, plotDATA_XY, "[]", "[]" ),
plotCURVES_ENTRY1(1000, "green", 1,-1,1,"pen2", 1, plotDATA_XY, "[]", "[]" ),
plotCURVES_ENTRY1(1000, "yellow",0,-1,1,"pen3", 2, plotDATA_XY, "[]", "[]" ),
plotCURVES_ENTRY1(1000, "blue", 0,-1,1,"pen4", 0, plotDATA_XY, "[]", "[]" ) )
END
ATTRIBUTE Table "traits" (24)
Value ( plotTRAITS_ENTRY1(0,"magenta","red", 0),
plotTRAITS_ENTRY1(1,"cyan","green", 0),
plotTRAITS_ENTRY1(2,"turquoise","yellow", 0),
plotTRAITS_ENTRY1(3,"salmon","blue", 0) )
ATTRIBUTE Table "limits" (4)
Value (
plotLIMIT_ENTRY(0,0,"white","[]"),
plotLIMIT_ENTRY(0,0,"white","[]")
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

15. CCS Engineering Tools – plot configuration
A set of graphical interfaces provides the basis
for the user interaction with the history tables
plotSelector – shows the list of all
known plot points and their status
plotConfigTool configures the common
parameters of the plot -e.g.- x label,
Scaling, division, number of pens, …
plotConfigPenl configures single curve.
-e.g.- y label, updating mode, color,
scaling, division, …
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

16. CCS Engineering Tools – plot features
Data can be displayed as single curve
.. or displayed in groups
Data read from a db attribute with “Bad Quality” are marked
The “Application Text” are used to describe what the curve shows
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

17. CCS Engineering Tools – plot advanced features
New features are available since the 2007 release
Limit Lines – For each “plot” the user can define a lower/upper limit line
The user can “shade” the portion of the curve falling below/above the limit lines
Shading can also be used to “enhance” differences between curves
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

18. CCS Engineering Tools – plotFileDisplay
The plotFileDisplay is used to draw plots from data stored in ASCII files
Data should be arranged in columns !!
… each line representing a single “record”
The number of records shown in the plot can be configured.
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

19. CCS Engineering Tools – sampling tool
The sampling tool provides a flexible way to collect data from WS or LCU databases.
Data are sampled in “polling”.
WS attributes are sampled in sec.
LCU attributes are sampled defining :
Report Period
Sampling Rate (down to 50 msec)
The list of attributes can be saved in a file
The data can be saved in a file
Plots are automatically generated during sampling
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

20. CCS Engineering Tools – sampling script API
The sampling tool provides a script API that allows the user to :
Start sampling in “background” - i.e.- no plots generated
Start/stop several sampling tasks at the same time
The script API is made of two calls :
sampStart -v -d -n <1|0> <fileName> <plot point> <envName>
<envType> <sampleRate> <reportRate> <DB attribute list>
sampStop -v -d -n <plot point> <envName> <envType>
Example : Data are not displayed but only stored in a file :
sampStart -n 1 "./fileName" sampPEN8 lte47 LCU 1 4 <DB attribute list>
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

21. To finish I would like to provide some general guidelines.
CCS Engineering Tools
To finish I would like to provide some general guidelines.
Use history tables to record long term statistics
Use ccseiDbMonitor to monitor DB attributes from several environments
Use sampCtrl to get a FAST sampling from of the LCU database
Use sampCtrl to quickly plot data from the WS or LCU databases
plotFileDisplay is able to plot ASCII data files as long as the data are stored in columns
Due to the last two points … always define a few plot points for general usage
Use CCS macros to define plot points
.. and even more important if there are missing features … let us know before investing time for a custom made solution !!
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008

22. VLT-MAN-ESO-17210-3816 … Thanks For Your Attention
CCS Engineering Tools
… now the it’s your turn to “play” …
have fun …
history
ccseiMsg
… this and more in …
sampCtrl
VLT-MAN-ESO
ccseiDb
plotDisplay
… Thanks For Your Attention
Mauro Comin – INS Workshop 2008