Pulsar Instruments

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.

====== 7 Beam Backend ====== The 7 Beam backend related information is described in this page. Open VNC session to 134.104.70.21:2 pass: FFTS@effbg ==== Enable pulsar 300 MHz mode in MultiFiba ==== On Desktop 3 in terminal blah run: python multiFIBA.py s99161Z This will re-set all attenuation levels but Ewan's auto level script should sort them out. ==== Check ADC level setting ==== - In the VNC session above, choose workspace 1 ( to load spectrometer firmware and monitor ADC level setting). Load spectrometer firmware (press uparrow to check history, and run startAFFTS-300MHz). - Cycle through the beams in the GUI (note: number displayed in the AFFTS field is offset by 1. ie 1 is beam 0, 2 is beam 1, etc..) and check ADC levels. The histogram displayed here should show a nice gaussian shape and bandpass should be visible. - If you are happy with ADC levels, go back to the window where you started startAFFTS-300MHz and hit Ctrl-C to exit. ==== Load pulsar filter bank Firmware ==== - Go to workspace 2 and change directory to /home/EFFTS/AFFTS/psrfbloader. - Load firmware by running, . ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-00.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-11.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-22.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-33.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-44.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-55.cfg ./LoadCore -configFile CARD-66.cfg NOTES: - The above loads 300-MHz cores, and assumes ADC0 is connected to psrfb0, ADC1 to psrfb1 and so on. - If you want to connect ADC4 to psrfb3, then use CARD-43.cfg, and switch the ethernet cables. ==== Start up the acquisition software ==== - Go to workspace 3 - Click on tab "psrfb4" - ssh pulsar@psrfb4 ( Use the standard password). Change directory to /home/pulsar/soft - run "./pffts -rb 4 -fc 1 -lc 512 -dp /data1/dump " - run "touch /tmp/PFFTS_RECORD" to enable recording on psrfb4. (you do it only once at start up, ie when you load the firmware). - run "mv /tmp/PFFTS_RECORD /tmp/_PFFTS_RECORD" to disable recording. (do this when you ready to leave to Bonn). Note 1: You might want to switch disks for the following observation. This, for example, will allow you to copy the just completed observation, while the next is in progress. Using the "-dp" option above, the data path can be changed. Hit Ctrl-C in the pffts window, and specify "-dp /data2/dump" if you going to copy from /data1/dump and vice versa. Note 2: You can run filterbankPFFTS followed by KJ's "421" code to reduce file size, but only on data on the disk that is NOT recording. ==== Start observation ==== - Observe test pulsar/source using the OBSE interface. - use your own catalog (check with operator) or EPOS system for a known pulsar. - From now on data-taking is auto-magic. ==== IMPORTANT!! ==== - Check switch S14/S15 ---> This turns on 50 MHz filter in the front end - If you do want to switch off S14/S15: in OBSE> frqrx 1.36 f ==== Old Notes ==== The notes made for the recent obervations (2/3rd Week of May 2010) are found [[pulsarinstruments:7beam:notes| here]]