exp_ini.exp

This ASCII file is automatically executed during the startup of the ONLINE program. It contains the definitions of symbols that describe the setup of the beamline and it loads the device list.

A symbol assignment that is changed quite often is the generic_scan_name, e.g.:

  generic_scan_name = cu

This symbol is a keyword which directs the general scan routine to create scan names like cu_0001, cu_0002, .... The same applies to q scans.

The default names of the scan macros are also set in exp_ini.exp:

  before_general_scan = <~.prog>before_fast_scan.gra
  during_general_scan = <~.prog>during_fast_scan.gra
  after_general_scan = <~.prog>after_fast_scan.gra

The symbol names are keyqwords. They point to files that describe the details of the scanning procedure. The above assignment selects default macros. Quite often user groups copy these macros to their own directories and modify them according to their needs. In this case they have to change the three symbol assignments to point to the modified files.

In this example the macro names point to

After the device list has been loaded, the function cmr() (check_motor_registers()) is used to compare internal and controller registers. If there are disagreements, ONLINE displays them and asks the user whether he wants to fix them. If so, he has to decide whether he trusts the controllers or the device list. It should always be clear which one is right. If all controller registers are zero (because the crate has been reset), ONLINE assumes that the internal registers are right and does not prompt the a confirmation before it resets the controller registers. If there are only a few disagreements and the controller registers are mostly non-zero, it is very likely that they are right. If you are in doubt, ask an expert or trust the controllers because the old device list is on the disk anyhow. The actions of cmr() are logged in check_motor_registers.log.

See also the 'What to do, if ...' section of the ONLINE manual for details about trouble shooting.

Exp_ini.exp reads the current UB matrix (ub_matrix.gqe), if needed (non-Tango experiments).