Microsoft's WINDOWS operating system is a popular EPICS platform and offers many options for accessing with EPICS data. A limited set of interfaces is described below for the general NSTX user community. See the NSTX EPICS System Administrator for additional information.
A web browser can be used to view live NSTX Engineering data, such as vacuum pressure and water system status. The displays are listed here. Follow the link above for more information.
Using MEDM(Motif Editor and Display Manager)
This is the main display tool used on NSTX. Follow the link above. You need X-Server software, such as Exceed or ReflectionX, to use this program.
Using the Archive Viewer (trended data)
The EPICS Channel Access Archive Viewer program displays EPICS Process Variables collected from the NSTX EPICS system, over 300 points trended once per minute, 24/7. This includes machine measurement points such as vacuum pressure, thermocouples, computer status, shot number, TIV status...
Using LabVIEW
The LabVIEW programs that construe the web pages described above are available as pre-built/compiled executables . You do not need to own LabVIEW to run these programs. These programs provide the same information as the web page, but will provide you with faster data updates (about a five second scan).
The LabVIEW 'vi' source code for the web displays and EPICS support dll's are also available for download from the mac-pc_srv.pppl.gov server. If these vi's are downloaded, then you can modify them or create your own LabVIEW-based displays. See your EPICS System Administrator for more information as well as the EPICS record names for various NSTX process control points.
To install either of these LabVIEW resources on your PC, follow these instructions.
Using ALH (ALarm Handler)
This is the main alarm tool used on NSTX. Follow the link above. You need X-Server software, such as Exceed or ReflectionX, to use this program.
Follow the link above.
Using 'C' programs
You can use a dll and exe programs under Windows to access EPICS data. This has been done in the EPICS community but not at PPPL. These are links to C implementations: Window CA EZCA
Page edited 28JAN2005 by Paul Sichta [psichta@pppl.gov]