All major functionality that will be in R3.13 is now in place. It has +been build on solaris, sunos, HPUX, alpha, SG, and winXX. +There are still some c++ related problems. In particular c++ code +does not build properly on SGI. Thus we are not yet ready for the +first official 3.13 release. Since none of the c++ code is necessary +for IOC applications this should not stop anyone from upgrading to 3.13.
+ + +The Application Developer's Guide is a major revision of the 3.12 edition. +All Application Developer's should get a hard copy (from the postscript +version) and read it. It describes the features in the latest release. +The latest version is for beta11 base release.
+ +LANL has a revision of the Record Reference Manual available. See the +LANL EPICS documentation.
+ +The document "EPICS +IOC Applications: Building and Source/Release Control" provides +guidlines for developing applications with 3.13.
+ +Epics base now builds on windows platforms
+ +The gdd library and the portable channel access server now build on +all platforms, except SGI and cygwin32, listed above. +This also means that C++ is supported on these platforms.
+ +The chapter "Building IOC Applications" is gone. It is replaced +by the document "EPICS IOC Applications, Building and Source/Release +Control". Other changes are minor. Following is a brief list:
+ +NOTE: The initHooks described in the appDevGuide is not in beta11. +In beta11 initHooks is the same as previous releases. The new version will +be in the next release.
+ +
All of base except drv/old is now being built with
+ +VX_WARN_YES = -Wall -pedantic -ansi+ + +
Most warning messages have now been eliminated. The remaining messages +should not be removed without looking hard at code.
+ +get_control_double routine returned incorrect values for fields INDX +and NELM.
+ +This is now renamed devVXStats. The new device definitions are:
++device(ai,VME_IO,devAiVXStats,"VX stats") +device(ao,VME_IO,devAoVXStats,"VX stats") ++
Thus if an application has an old base.dbd and baseLIBOBJS +including definitions for this device support they must be modified.
+ +This is removed from base. It is for APS designed and build +VME create system monitoring. The support code is available +from APS if needed. NOTE: In some beta releases baseLIBOBJS, +had an include for devSysmon.o. Applications using +an old version of baseLIBOBJS will not build until this statement is +deleted.
+ +The enums for menus had a comma after last item.
+ +recGblInitConstantLink for sgl was referencing wrong field.
+ +This did not properly support multiple clients in multi-thread environment. +
+ +Modified to be faster.
+ +Use maxCards from module_types.h instead of a #define
+ +Allow CALC to be 40 characters. Increase rpbuf from 184 to 200
+ +Add call to refresh_bits.
+ +Bx becomes no prompt for mbbi and prompt for mbbo. It was the reverse +before.
+ +A new record type that replaces old wait record. It is like a calc record +with an output and a delay. It makes the wait record obsolete.
+ +dbGetPdbAddrFromLink is a new routine. It returns NULL for all except +LINK_DB links, for which it returns the address of the associated DB_ADDR +structure.
+ +dbLoadDatabase, dbLoadRecords, and dbLoadTemplate all allow the standard +C escape sequences in quoted strings. For example a string can contain: +"\x00 \27 \t" Thus these sequences pass though the lexical analyzer +.
+ +A new routine in libCom. It is used to translate escape sequences. It +is defined in file epicsString.h. It typical place to use this is on parm +fields that contain escape sequences like "\x00 \27 \t".
+ +iocs with big databases were taking a long time to boot. It was discovered +that allocating and then freeing small amounts of memeory frequently resulted +in a VERY long memory free list. This is now fixed.
+ +init_record now initialized the RVAL field.
+ +Benjamin Franksen at BESSY reported a serious bug in the routine +ProcessCallback (not used in base). It has been fixed.
+ +postfix and calcPerform (used by calcRecord) have been changed +so that a 0 byte now ends the postfix expression. Also if postfix +detects an illegal expression it generates a 0 length postfix string. +When calcPerform is given a 0 length string it returns a error status. +Thus calcRecord no longer causes the IOC to crash if an illegal +CALC fields is loaded.
+ +
Many other minor problems, bugs, etc. were fixed.
+ ++
In porting EPICS to multiple architectures, the previous method of using +utilities to convert the database definition files to a binary file (default.dctsdr) +caused problems. The problem is that the binary file is created on one +architecture and used on another. This has worked so far for sun4 and hp +hosts combined with motorola 68xxx processors. As support for more host +and more ioc architectures is developed problems are appearing. This paper +describes changes that solve the problems.
+ +Because the changes result in extensive changes to database access, +other changes are also made. The file syntax is changed. The internal database +structures are simplified and also changed to make it easier to support +runtime add/delete of record types and record instances.
+ +EPICS defines a set of database file formats. In addition any of these +files can contain include statements. For each ioc, the application developer +will create a set of files specifying the record types, devices, and drivers +needed for that ioc. Normally a master file will be created which consists +of include statements that bring in record, device, and driver definitions. +Default configurations can be provided for new users or for particular +applications.
+ +Database configuration and utility tools access the database via the +static database access library. This library reads the files. It provides +routines for reading the information in the database and for creating and +modifying record instances. Database definition files can be read incrementally. +
+ +Other database configuration tools (capfast, relational database systems, +object oriented databases, etc.) can also be used as long as they generate +record instances in the format described below. In this case, however, +it is still necessary to generate the other files because they are needed +by database access and for record and device support modules.
+ +Tools are provided that generate C code from the database files. Header +files are generated for menu and record type definitions. These header +files are used by record and device support. In addition the record type +definitions contain code which computes field offsets and sizes and record +sizes. This code is compiled by the same cross compiler that is used to +compile other ioc code. Thus cross platform compatibility is achieved. +
+ +In order to initialize an ioc, all files needed by that ioc have to +be loaded. It is also necessary to load the record/device/driver support +modules.
+ +Everything is designed so that the following are possible:
+ +An additional feature is that, for database configuration tools, record +instance numeric fields and menu fields are stored as character strings. +This solves the following problems.
+ +Another feature is is that it is now possible to distinguish link constants +with a value of 0 from links that have never been given a value.
+ +Other changes have been made while the opportunity was available.
+ +Formats are defined for the following:
+ +See the Application Developer's Guide for details.
+ +The menu choices replace the existing global, record, and conversion +choices. The global and record choices are very similar and thus are easy +to combine. The method of handling the old conversion choices is described +below. That section also describes the breakpoint tables.
+ +The record type description format has been completely changed. It now +has a "real" syntax. It should be MUCH easier to generate new +definitions.
+ +The device choice and driver support definitions are defined so that +it is easy to provide incremental definitions.
+ +The record instance format is an extension of the 3.12.beta13 and later +GDCT .db format.
+ +Path and include statements are supported. This provides a powerful +tool for combining definitions from many sources. The path is a unix style +path, i.e. a colon separated list of directory names.
+ +NOTES
+ +The following tools are provided:
+ +For all utilities the required database definition files are generated +from a dctsdr file from a previous epics release. A dctsdr file can be +specified or else the utilities can be run in a directory which contains +default.dctsdr (or a soft link with that name). sdr2recordtype also requires +the header file generated by a previous epics release.
+ +Let's briefly review database conversion, i.e. the LINR field for ai +and ao records.
+ +The allowed conversions are:
+ +The main complication results from the breakpoint tables. Previously +EPICS handled breakpoint tables as follows:
+ +The user prepares files in one of two formats: The first is just a list +of "raw value, eng units value". The second format is a file +with a header line followed by a table of raw data values that represent +data at equally spaced engineering unit values. In either case the ascii +data is converted to an internal binary format containing breakpoint tables. +This data is part of default.dctsdr.
+ +Here is how breakpoint table are now handled.
+ +One other comment needs to be made about conversions. The Allen Bradley +device support for the IXE module uses the LINR field in a non standard +way. This was a mistake but compatibility must be maintained. Thus menuConvert +contains a lot of choices used only by the IXE device support.
+ +At the present time There are at least three Application Source/Release +Control Systems in active use. The old technique of having cat_ascii and +replace_ascii directories no longer work. In addition makesdr no longer +exists. The new system offers developers far more flexibility but it also +means that each Application Source/Release Control system has to be modified +to take advantage of the new capabilities. Again the changes in RULES and +makeBaseApp should make this task easier.
+ +The document "EPICS +IOC Applications: Building and Source/Release Control" describes +a utility makeBaseApp which can be used for small applications. It also +provides guidlines that can be used for large applications.
+ +#define GEN_SIZE_OFFSET + +#undef GEN_SIZE_OFFSET ++ +
pai->simm = pai->siml.value.value; + +is changed to + + recGblInitConstantLink(&pai->siml,DBF_USHORT,&pai->simm); ++ +
NOTE: This change also has to be made to any device support that manipulates +constant links. Normally this is only soft device support.
+ +Because it is now possible to distinguish between null links (links +that were never given a value) and CONSTANT links with the value 0, the +code now handles initialization of constant links in a uniform manner. +Several record types in previous versions had special code to handle the +case of the value 0 for constant links. These have been changed.
+ +OLD ROUTINE REPLACEMENT + +dbFindRecdes dbFindRecordType +dbFirstRecdes dbFirstRecordType +dbNextRecdes dbNextRecordType +dbGetRecdesName dbGetRecordTypeName +dbGetNRecdes dbGetNRecordTypes +dbFirstFielddes dbFirstField +dbNextFielddes dbNextField +dbGetChoices dbGetMenuChoices + ++ +
For now the old version will be supported. After one release they will +go away.
+ +MENUS += menuXXX.h + RECTYPES += xxxRecord.h ++ +
long dbGetLink(struct db_link *,short dbrType, + void *pbuffer,long *options,long *nRequest); ++ +
The last two arguments can be 0. options=0 means no options. nRequest=0 +means scalar, i.e. retrieve one value.
+ +long dbPutLink(struct db_link *,short dbrType, + void *pbuffer,long nRequest); ++ +
All record instances must be capable of being loaded into an ioc via +dbLoadDatabase, dbLoadRecords, or dbLoadTemplate. This is the same format +that dbLoadRecords and dbLoadTemplate used in 3.12 releases. Note that +if any files contain the statements:
+ + database(x) { nowhere() {
+ }
+ }
+
+or
+
+ database(x) {
+ }
+
+
+These statements must be removed. They were in pre 3.12 releases.
+ +Release 3.13 is now capably of distingushing between a null link (a +link that is not given any value at all) and a constant link with the value +0. This cause problems for some old record instance files. For example +if a record instance is defined as:
+ + record(fanout,name) {
+ field(SELN,"1")
+ field(SELL,"0")
+ }
+
+
+Such definitions can be fixed by either completly removing the link +definition or changing the value from "0" to "".
+ +here is a complete list of record types and fields that may have this +problem:
+ +pulseCounterRecord
+ +pulseDelayRecord
+ +pulseTrainRecord
+ +selRecord
+ +seqRecord
+ +stringinRecord
+ +stringoutRecord
+ +A good way to find these problems is to use grep. For example:
+ +grep SELL */*.db ++ +
This assumes that you are in directory that contains subdirectorys containing +.db files.
+ +The command dbLoad is no longer supported. The new method is to issue +one or more dbLoadDatabase commands and any combination of dbLoadRecords +and dbLoadTemplate commands.
+ +Many changes have been made to the EPICS ioc test routines, i.e., routines +given to the vxWorks shell. Please read the chapter "IOC Test Facilities" +in the Application Developer's Guide for details.
+ +The config environment has been extensively changed. BASE now has its +own set of config files. Extensions will be able to use the base config +files (for the version of base it is built against) and add it's own definitions. +Changes to extensions will come at a future time.
+ +It is now possible to compile 3.13 EPICS base with the gnu C and C++ +compilers. A C++ compiler that properly supports templates is required +to build the new ca server and the gdd library.
+ +Thanks to William Lupton at KECK the log server will now (under the +latest EPICS 3.13) obtain a new directory for the log file in response +to SIGHUP.
+ +Thanks to Kim Gillies, Bret Goodrich, and others at NOAO a problem has +been discovered and fixed in the 3.12 CA repeater under solaris.
+ +A new CA server C++ class library is available. The server library is +in libcas.a. The API is described in casdef.h. Doc is in progress. An example +server tool can be found at base/src/cas/example. The server has been tested +under sunos4 and solaris. A multi-threaded version of the new server for +vxWorks is in progress.
+ +The macro substitution library discussed in tech-talk is now part of +epics base. Thus was contributed by Bill Lupton. The static database library +uses this library. dbLoadRecords and dvbLoadTemplate also use it.
+ +Thanks to Ric Claus of SLAC a bug has been isolated in the VXI resource
+manager.
+Symptom: correct slot isnt located when EPICS_VXI_LA_BASE is set to something
+other than zero.
If asSetFile has been set in a startup file and access security initialization +fails, then iocInit returns -1 so that startup file does not finish.
+ +On Unix this now calls fprintf(stderr instead of printf
+ +This now calls printf instead of epicsPrintf to prevent deadlocks.
+ +Formerlly old database access, which does not have unsigned short called +the native type DBR_FLOAT. It now calls it DBF_LONG
+ +Analog Output Block Transfers were being requested too frequently
+ +If link_status command fails (3 times in succession) adapters are now +immediatly declared down.
+ +For btRead and btWrite, The driver now enforces a timeout of 5 seconds +which is 1 second more than scanner itself enforces. This is so that if +scanner throws away a BT request it will still timeout.
+ +For btRead and btWrite is is no longer permissible to issue a new btRead +or btWrite from tha callback routine.
+ +The on line doc has the following two changes:
+ +Support has been added by LBL. It still needs to be ansified.
+ +dbAccess (dbGetField dbPutField) make sure that link field strings are +not longer than 39 characters. They allow M for MS and N for NMS
+ +The task names have been changed to make them unique
+ +If the strlen of the new field is >= field_size an error is returned. +
+ +Multiple priorities are now supported.
+WARNING: Default PRIO is low thus old event scanned records may be executed
+at a lower priority then previous release.
Support for the allen bradley stepper motor is available. See the APS +EPICS Hardware Support page for details.
+ +INITHOOKafterCaLinkInit1 is replaced by INITHOOKafterCaLinkInit
+INITHOOKafterCaLinkInit2 no longer exists