Introduction

The complete documentation for the DAQ - DCS Communication package may be found at the ATLAS DCS site http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/DAQTRIG/DCS/DDC/ddc.html

General changes

The only change of the package functionality w.r.t DDC v. 5.0 of the previous release is dropping the the DDC applications having worked with direct access to PVSS projects via PVSS API: ddc_ct, ddc_dt and ddc_mt. Only similar applications (ddc_ct_dim, ddc_dt_dim and ddc_mt_dim) communicating with PVSS via DIM interface are now available.

Reminder:

DIM based version of the package requires a PVSS project extension by

In order a DIM based application could be used, the DIM DNS (naming) server must be running on a network. Both DDC segment and DIM manager of PVSS project must refer to this server. This is to be done by DIM_DNS_NODE environment variable for the DDC segment, while the DIM manager should do this with -dim_dns_node command line parameter. It is recommended to launch DIM DNS server on the computer where the PVSS project to be connected is running.
The libdim.so shared library is included into the DDC package and, therefore, does not require any more an installation as an external library

Details of DIM, its installation and integration with PVSS one can find at http://www.cern.ch/dim/ and http://clara.home.cern.ch/clara/fw/FwDim.html

Appplications are updated to comply with TDAQ configuration and Control interface changes.

Data Transfer

No changes

Command Transfer

The bug fixed, which has caused crash of ddc_ct_dim while exiting. The segment applications ddc_dt_dim and ddc_mt_dim have not been stopped on that reason.

Message Transfer

One more message qualifier is being inserted automatically: the name of PVSS workstation having produced the message.

Databases

Two more example databases: ddc_playdaq_2controllers.data.xml (partition) and ddc_second_segment.data.xml (DDC segment) are added.
They are to demonstrate how to arrange two DDC segments, whose controllers address to the same PVSS project (may be necessary to treat TTC partition's "Not_Ready_for_DAQ" flags, if a PVSS project controls more than one TTC partition).