How to use the macintosh in the test-stand

This is a brutal guide on how to use the macintosh in the test-stand to test DFBs.
First of all, you better get confident with French, because I have never been able
to change the language of that machine; if you can, you are very welcome to do it.
Unfortunately I do not have any pictures (so far) because the mac is not connected to
the web.

What kinds of test you can do

  1. Constant Pulse
  2. Pattern test
  3. Charge threshold

The most important test is Constant pulse, because it checks all the components (both digital and analog) of the DFB.
The pattern test is useful only to test the digital part of the board.
The charge threshold can be done on one board at a time.

Crate configuration

Start the program

  1. Click on the Apple on the top left
  2. Click "Applications recentes"
  3. Choose DFBPPC &rarr this should pop up a connection window
    Do you want direct connection to the hardware?
  4. click on connect
If, instead, the connection window does not appear, it probably means that the program was turned on when the crate was still off.
In this case, the program will not recognize the boards when you turn it on.
In order to reload the DFB configuration, do the following:
  1. Click on VME on the top bar &rarr a pop up window will appear
  2. Choose Find Interface
  3. Choose PCI Bit3 from the list

Perform the test

You need to have the main control window open, which has the title
DFB Global Calibration Control
if you do not see it, you can open it this way:
  1. click on DFB in the top panel
  2. choose Show main control window

The DFB Global Calibration Control window has 4 important sections:

At this point, we are ready to make the tests.

Pattern test

  1. choose Pattern test from the Calibration sequence section
  2. check Hide Histograms from the Statistics section
  3. click on Start calibration from the Calibratio sequence section
  4. click on Book Histograms from the Statistics section
a window with 16 DFBs shouls appear, where the only meaningful ones are the ones in which you really have a DFB in the crate.
Click on Apple R to refresh or Apple E and Apple U.
You should see in the horizontal axis 64 channels per DFB.

Constant pulse

This is the most important test.
The way to make it is exactly like Pattern test, but you have to choose Constant pulse from the menu in the Prepare section.

One other thing that is very worth doing is to increase the amplitude of the pulses in case you see some noisy channels in this test.
Here is the how-to:

  1. Click on DFB in the top panel
  2. choose Show graphic control window
  3. click on the Calib Gene box &rarr a new window will appear
  4. Set -20 mV in the two sections
    Odd Pulser Dac
    Even Pulser Dac
  5. click on Start Calibration in the Calibration sequence again

Charge threshold

The steps are the same as Pattern test, but you have to choose Charge threshold in the menu in the Prepare section.

Reprogram an Altera component

If you need to replace an Altera component here at SLAC (i.e. Lupe does it for you), you need to reprogram the board in the macintosh; it is very easy (still, do not attempt to do it if you did not talk to Dominique or Christophe):
  1. make sure there is ONLY that DFB in the crate (together with the VSC, of course)
  2. click on VSC in the top panel
  3. choose Altera
  4. choose Ander# &rarr where you have to choose the right number instead of #
  5. a pop up window appears, go to the top directory
  6. choose BABAR &rarr Altera &rarr JAM &rarr Ander64.JAM
  7. your job should be done if it does not give you any errors

Quit and turn off

To quit program, just type Apple Q.
To turn off, it is trivial if you speak French, otherwise:
  1. click on Special in the top panel
  2. then Eteindre
Emmanuele Salvati
Last modified: Tue Mar 27 16:39:30 PDT 2007