Editing Minicom alternative - CAEN HV interface (Freeman)


== Quick Reference ==
* Login as '''root''' on host ''''' jlabdaq '''''
** type '''su''' in a terminal window
** Then type the '''root''' password
*** '''Note:''' This program uses lock files to lock a serial port. There may be a way to set permissions on the '''''/var/lock''''' directory so that you do not have to login as root. As of this writing though....you will need the root password
* Type ''''' SW1470 ''''' on the command line, logged in as ''''' root ''''' .
*Top left of screen you will see, ''' File => Add new N147x Board''' 
[[File:CAENMainWindow.png|160px]]
*This pops up a new window: 
[[File:CAENAddBoardWindow.png|150px]]

* Window Settings:
** Connection type: '''USB '''
** Comm port: '''ttyUSB0''' and '''9600''' '' (for USB port 0 and baud rate of 9600)''
** Module address: '''0''' '' (For non daisy chained module)''
*This should pop up a window with the 4 HV channel settings. '' (if not, see troubleshooting below)''
[[File:CAENHVControl.png|400px]]

== Introduction ==

I was assigned to implement an alternative interface to the ''CAEN N1470'' HV card. The original plan was to see if something existed already, then use this as a model to program something. I found that CAEN provides a java interface to their board. It requires the RXTXComm java library as the Serial interface. Getting this library to work was challenging. I just happened to find an updated .rpm package, which had updated libraries, which I was ultimately able to get working on the current installation of CentOS, on host '''jlabdaq'''. Originally, I used an older version of the RXTXComm library which was giving '''''segmentation faults''''' when triing to connect to the ttyUSBx port. Do to time constraints I was not able to program something, so the following sections highlight the installation and troubleshooting of CAEN's interface.

== Installation ==
The following are links to the download pages used for this installation.
 '''External Download Pages:'''
 [http://www.caen.it/csite/CaenProd.jsp?idmod=663&parent=42 CAEN java interface]
 [http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/4/idpl/23484871/dir/opensuse/com/rxtx-java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm.html rxtx_java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm]

 '''Local Copies:'''
 [http://jlabdaq.pcs.cnu.edu/resources/Downloads/CAEN_SW1470_1.0.tgz CAEN java interface]
 [http://jlabdaq.pcs.cnu.edu/resources/Downloads/rxtx-java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm rxtx_java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm]

=== CAEN Software ===
Download and unpack the tarball:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
cd <home dirctory>
mkdir caen
cd caen
cp <path to file>/CAEN_SW1470_1.0.tgz ./
tar xvfz CAEN_SW1470_1.0.tgz
</syntaxhighlight>

Execute the '''''install.sh''''' script, as superuser:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
./install.sh
</syntaxhighlight>

This installs ''''' SW1470.sh''''' to ''''' /usr/local/N1470/ ''''', and creates a symbolic link from ''''' /usr/bin'''''

=== RXTXComm library Installation ===

''' 1. ''' Download the rpm to your home directory then install it as superuser:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
yum install rxtx-java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm
</syntaxhighlight>

''' 2. ''' To check to see what was installed and where, type:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
rpm -qlp rxtx-java-2.2pre2-16.1.x86_64.rpm
</syntaxhighlight>

''' 3. ''' Check to see what java version you are using:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
java -version
</syntaxhighlight>

''' 4. ''' Copy ''''' RXTXcomm.jar ''''' to the current jre, get the version from Step 3 and substitute the x's for the version number:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
cd /usr/lib/jvm/<jre-x.x.x>/lib/ext
cp <find directory path from Step 2>/RXTXcomm.jar ./
</syntaxhighlight>

''' 5. ''' Copy serial library to current jre architecture specific directory:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
cd /usr/lib/jvm/<jre-x.x.x>/lib/<current acrh (amd64)>
cp <directory found in step 2>/librxtxSerial.so ./
cp <directory found in step 2>/librxtxParallel.so ./
</syntaxhighlight>

''' 6. ''' Add users to the groups ''''' lock''''' and ''''' uucp''''':
 edit '''''/etc/group''''' to include users under groups '''lock''' and '''uucp'''

== Troubleshooting ==