Doing a Pulser Run

Note: The tail pulser cable is left connected to the sectors; the pulser is enabled or disabled through MiniDAQ.

1. Verify that the anode-wire high voltage is off; other voltages should be at their normal settings.
2. Verify that the output cable from the BNC tail pulser in the Slow Controls rack is plugged into the top connector on the left side of the sectors (viewed from the FEE side).
3. Go to the Run Control desktop; if the EVENT TYPE is not ``padpulser'' and the DAQ/SC state is ``idle,'' pull down the ``OTHER EVENTS'' menu and do an ``unconfigure.''
4. When/if the DAQ/SC state is ``initialized,'' click CONFIG and a configuration window will pop up. (Only items in the configuration window are used by MiniDAQ at configuration time; you may ignore the settings in the other window.) Enable the desired Rosies by clicking on them, then double click on the ``Padpulser'' event type. Click OK. (It is better not to ``EXIT;'' the configuration window shows which Rosies were selected.)
5. When the DAQ/SC state is ``idle,'' go to the main window and set the run and tape numbers; the comment; enable taping and netfeeds, if desired. If you want to use the calculated gains online (e.g., for 10-to-8-bit translation and gain correction), you must have ``Update On-line Tables'' selected. Normally, ask for 64 events.
6. If one wants raw data events, 10-bit zero-suppressed ADC data is usually adequate. More likely, one might want to output calculated results: Channel properties, Gain shifts. The calculated result tables are tiny.
7. When the settings are final, click GETSET.
8. When the DAQ/SC state is ``poised,'' click on GO.
9. If no Run Control logger window is open, pull down the OPTIONS menu and open one. Verify that events are being logged. If events are not being logged, and the logger window has been open for awhile, exit from it and open another one...the logger windows wear out.
10. A 64-event run takes about 7 minutes. Watch the logger window for empty events; these should occur after a few more than the requested number of events. (Begin-run and slow-controls events are counted in the event number in the logger window.)
11. Click END.

Written: July, 1996 by Doug Greiner and Wayne Betts
Last modified: July 10, 1997 by R.Bossingham

Page maintenance:

Roy Bossingham, LBNL
RRBossingham@lbl.gov