Useful tools

Wiki > The Backend System > Useful tools

• CA snooper

• ISIS modules for file handling

• Check DB file script

• Add sim records script

• DB changes script

• Powershell Remote

• Moxa Utils

• Analyse Network Traffic

Caget, caput, zhex and uzhex

To get the value of a compressed, hexed PV (such as those on the blockserver) type into an EPICS terminal: caget -S -t PV | uzhex where PV is the PV you are looking for

To send compressed, hexed values to a PV (such as those on the blockserver) type into an EPICS terminal: for /f "tokens=*" %x in ('zhex VAL') do caput -S PV %x where PV is as above and VAL is the data you wish to send

Console

The console can be used to inspect output from an IOC. To use it, launch the IBEX server and then, from an EPICS terminal, run

console -M localhost [IOCNAME]

and then if you see

[Enter `^Ec?' for help]
[-- MOTD -- IOC console for IOCNAME]

then press Ctrl+X to start the IOC. The IOCs available can be listed using

console -M localhost -x

To look at an IOC remotely

console -M [MACHINE_NAME] -l [USERNAME] [IOCNAME]

where username is the local user on the instrument PC (e.g. spudulike).

Key combos in the console:

• <CTRL>+X: stop/restart an IOC
• <CTRL>+E then C, then .: exit the console press
• <CTRL>+T: toggle auto restart process on/off

If attempting to run your console gives an error about port 782 being in use, the issue may be due to incorrect permissions in your Instrument\Var folder. Try moving/deleting/renaming your current var (you may need to stop the mysql service), then running config_env.bat to generate a new one and upgrade_mysql.bat in IBEX_Utils to rebuild your database.

Modbus

QModMaster is a useful piece of software to probe Modbus devices much like Putty is used with serial/Ethernet connected devices.