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
Some of the NSTX EPICS Process Variables (PV) are served by a LabVIEW Shared Variable Engine (SVE). List of PV's available via SVE . You can use the SVE to bring these values into your LabVIEW program. See NSTX-WBS6-UG-17 . If you would like additional PV's added to the SVE, contact the helpdesk or someone in the (IT Division) CODAC branch.
You can also use National Instruments provided LabVIEW components to have your LabVIEW program communicate directly with the EPICS servers, bypassing the SVE. See NSTX-WBS6-UG-17
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 30NOV2011 by Paul Sichta [psichta@pppl.gov]