Last Updated on Thursday, January 22, 2004 at 12:48:23. by Author: Don Barton

RHIC InfoExch General Info/Help

(Expert)

Contents

• Using InfoExch
  
• About InfoExch
  
• If InfoExch hangs
  
• Starting InfoExch

• How to contact author

Using InfoExch

• Polarity change request for the NEXT store should be made at flat-top or, at the latest, during the ramp-down. It will be acted on right as the RHIC magnets get back to injection field!

Polarity request will be acknowledged in comment window.  If action is not acknowledged, restart program and send again.  If still no result, call MCR.

• Vote to dump using the drop down menu during Physics ON running.  When MCR decides to dump, the program will sound a "red alert" and a pop-up will request that you acknowledge "Prepare to Dump".  Clicking OK will silence the alarm.  You should then turn the Silicon system OFF.  Then select "Ready to Dump" on the vote menu.  This entry should be promptly displayed in the status column; if not, call MCR.
  
• Indicate background quality for MCR.  This will influence collimation, so may not be useful for PHOBOS.
  
• The Physics ON/OFF status is not yet official.  Look at TV.

More information on normal operation and abnormal conditions can be had by clicking on Help in the upper right of the InfoExch window.  

About InfoExch

The RHIC "Experiment-MCR Information Exchange" is a java program which runs on Phuscia.  It is intended to replace frequent phone calls between MCR and the RHIC experiments concerning the machine state and certain experiment related actions (e.g. vote to dump).

The program is PHOBOS-specific and asks for a PHOBOS password at startup. [see Starting InfoExch for details]

The upper half of the InfoExch window contains current status information for the machine and experiments.  The lower half contains menus with which the experiment may vote to dump, indicate readiness to dump (Si off), indicate quality of background (regarding need for collimation - may not be useful for PHOBOS), and indicate chosen "polarity" [=Full Field-A, Full Field-B, or Zero Field] for the next store.  Actions other than polarity choice will be reflected in status table. 

More information on normal operation and abnormal conditions can be had by clicking on Help in the upper right of the InfoExch window. 

If InfoExch Hangs

If status wheel in the upper right hand corner of the window is not rotating, the program has stopped.  Restart it.  

If InfoExch sounds "code red" and displays a pop-up indicating that the server connection has gone down, try sending again one of the votes/requests (e.g. Collimating: Don't Care, if that's our current choice).  This will force an attempt to contact the server.  If that fails to clear the pop-up, stop the program and start it again.

  If start-up complains after entry of valid Phobos password, try again since this may be the same server connection problem.  If all fails, call MCR and report problem.

Starting InfoExch

• Click the InfoExch button on the icon bar, or type infoexch
• If a new version of the program is available on the server, it will be downloaded automatically and a dialog box will request acceptance of Controls as source.  Select Accept or OK.
• The java program will start and a dialog box will appear, prompting for a PHOBOS password.
• Use the standard password (see sheet in the drawer).