Finding signal names is probably the hardest part of looking at data that interests you. One of the two links at signalnames.html should help, and, of course, the cognizant physicist is always the best source. idl_class2.html shows you how to read signals and their units, as does mdsaccess.html.

To find shots you are interested in, see pages at SEARCHING/COMPARING/LISTING. Database searches may help you find shots of interest, so see searchefitdb.html or weblogplus.html might help you find shots. The IDL program DbAccess (if you have done a "module load nstx" on the Linux cluster) has many more gory details, but there isn't much guidance on which tables to use.

Once you know your signals and shot numbers, you can look at them with the plotting tools from one of many PLOTTING OPTIONS. The scope program is the most commonly-used program for looking at MDSplus data. You can browse for scopes in /p/nstxusr/util/scopes (plottable from mdsscopeadj.html) or jScopes in /p/nstxusr/util/jscp/. The "physics scope" would be good for seeing general information about shots:

   cp /p/nstxusr/util/jscp/physics.jscp physics.jscp
   jScope physics.jscp

EFIT data can be viewed from EFITviewer, run from the command line on the PPPL Linux Cluster.

combw3.pro, adapted from a program by Eric Fredrickson, lets you look at spectra from Mirnov data and X-ray data. You can browse through plots at http://nstx.pppl.gov/nstx/Software/Diagnostics/SpecFit for toroidal mode number.

See the Digraph List or NSTX_diagnostics.html for various diagnostics.

See WhatsNew.html for the lastest software of general interest.

Last modified 24-Jan-2011
For questions, contact Bill Davis