areaDetector: Recent Additions and Future Plans

Mark Rivers

GeoSoilEnviroCARS, Advanced Photon Source

University of Chicago

• New timestamp functions added to asynManager in response to need from LCLS. These are used to set a user-defined timestamp source, to attach that timestamp to pasynUser. Standard asyn device support sets prec->time with this value, which will be used if prec->TSE=-2.

asynStatus (*registerTimeStampSource)(asynUser *pasynUser, void *userPvt, timeStampCallback callback);

asynStatus (*unregisterTimeStampSource)(asynUser *pasynUser);

asynStatus (*updateTimeStamp)(asynUser *pasynUser);

asynStatus (*getTimeStamp)(asynUser *pasynUser, epicsTimeStamp *pTimeStamp);

asynStatus (*setTimeStamp)(asynUser *pasynUser, const epicsTimeStamp *pTimeStamp);

• Added new virtual methods to asynPortDriver for timestamp support. These are updateTimeStamp(), setTimeStamp(), getTimeStamp().

Recent Additions (R1-10)Improved timestamp support

• Added new epicsTimeStamp field to NDArray. The previous timeStamp field was a double. Useful for plotting and math, but only microsecond precision and not useful for record timestamps.

• All drivers now call the following as soon as an image is collected:

updateTimeStamp(&pImage->epicsTS);• NDPluginDriver::processCallbacks now calls the following when an

NDArray is received:

setTimeStamp(&pArray->epicsTS);• This means that all EPICS records, including plugin records,

associated with a specific NDArray will have the timestamp when that array was collected if the record has TSE=-2

Recent Additions (R1-10)Improved timestamp support

• New driver for new Princeton Instruments detectors using their LightField control program. Uses Microsoft Common Language Runtime to control their application, which is written in C#.

• Added new attribute type, NDAttrSourceFunct. This type of attribute gets its value from a user-defined C++ function. It can thus be use to get any type of metadata. Previously only EPICS PVs and driver/plugin parameters were available as metadata.

Recent Additions (R1-10)Other

• New HDF5 plugin in progress at DLS with input from APS– Features of existing areaDetector HDF5 plugin from DLS (chunking,

compression)

– Adds XML configuration file to control layout of data and attributes in XML file

– Hopefully can replace existing AD HDF5, Nexus, and Tim Madden’s HDF5 plugins with a single plugin.

• Enhanced support for controlling the file destination (path, name, number) via NDAttributes attached to the NDArray.

– Driver sets attributes to determine the values when array is collected, the plugin saves files with different names for flat fields, etc.

Near Term Plans (R1-11?)Improved support for file plugins

• areaDetector is getting too big. – New releases are held up waiting for testing on one detector types, etc.

• The next major release (R2-0) will split up areaDetector– areaDetector will include only the core components and most plugins

– Unbundle detector drivers into their own modules • ADPilatus, ADProsilica, etc..

• These can be released on a timely basis, independent of other detectors.

– Some plugins may be unbundled as well• e.g. NDPluginMagick to simplify build for those who don’t need them

– How to do this without multiplying my work by 15 with release notes for each module, etc.

Future Plans R2-0

• Hard to collaborate– Need write permission to APS SVN repository

• Move areaDetector to git and github?

Future Plans R2-0

• asynPortDriver2– Will need to be a new base class for backwards

compatibility

– Will improve to better C++ code.

– Use exceptions!

– I want suggestions and input on this

• ADDriver2 base class– Put more functionality in ADDriver base class so driver writers don’t

worry about getting attributes, etc.

– Non-trivial because different detector APIs are so different

Future Plans R3-0