An Overview The FTPC slow simulator is implemented as a stand-alone program (called ftpcsim) at the moment. Its conversion into a STAF-PAM (named FSS) was delayed due to WGG's departure, but it should be a straight-forward task. This page hopes to introduce the FSS functionality to anyone who is interested in using and/or further-developing this program for the FTPC detector. The main purposes of the ftpcsim or FSS is to evaluate the two-track resolutions evaluate the track-density and pixel occupancy provide simulated data for tuning a track-finder provide simulated data for optimizing the DAQ design Note: the left diagram is an imagemap, just click on the blocks to get familiar with the program.

How it works

The ftpcsim (programmed in C++ --- an object-oriented language) contains the following objects:

• inparam: parses the input-parameter file "config.in"
• point: reads in hit-points from an ASCII file or from a STAF table (to-be-implemented)
• chamber: defines the FTPC chamber geometry
• gas: reads in the electron transport parameters as a function of drift field, predicted by either the Magboltz program, the moments method, or any other calculations and measurements.
• field: defines the non-uniform electrical field. It is possible to use a field map if there is corrections (to-be-implemented). To consider the non-uniform magnetic field, one may think of correcting the gas parameters. (not-implemented yet)
• cluster: describles the properties (number of electrons, position and size) of an electron cloud under a radial electrical field perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field. One can add new methods for electron transport in uniform field easily just by turning-off the gradient terms.
• readout: contains methods for simulating readout processes such as avalanche, pad-response, shaper-response, digitization, and compression. Compression is not yet implemented. Other processes can be improved and refined if you consider them crude.

How to get the source code

1. Click here to download.
2. To unpack it in a new directory, type "gunzip ftpcsim.tar.gz; tar xvf ftpcsim.tar".

How to compile and test

1. Go to src/ sub-dir, and edit the make file "ftpcsim.mk" to select the right path to your C++ complier. (g++ was used by myself on AIX and Linux. Be careful if you are using other compiler.)
2. Type 'make -f ftpcsim.mk ftpcsim'
3. Go to test/ sub-dir, and type '../src/ftpcsim -i config.in' to run the program. One file called "test_point.dat" contains 3 close hit-points at r = 8 cm of FTPC. The output file "trk2_resolution.dat" can be viewed by using the PAW. A kumac-script called "view_adc.kumac" is provided.

Disclaim

This program is a public-ware. You are welcome to adopt/improve it for the STAR-FTPC project. If you have any comments/suggestions, please drop me a mail. This page is written by W.G.Gong on May 27,1997)