Separated IOC startup from running tests

tests/conftest.py

@@ -1,24 +1,21 @@
 import time
 
 from caproto.sync.client import read, write
-from ioc.pystartioc import startioc
 import pytest
 
 from common import read_config
 
-TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP = 10
 TIMEOUT_READ = 2
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-def prepare_ioc():
+def check_ioc_running():
 
     config = read_config()
     pvprefix = config['pvprefix']
 
     """
-    This function checks if the test IOC is already running and attempts to
-    start it, if that is not the case.
+    This function checks if the test IOC is already running.
     """
     try:
         read(f'{pvprefix}:IOCREADY', timeout=TIMEOUT_READ)
@@ -27,18 +24,5 @@ def prepare_ioc():
         # is running
         return
     except TimeoutError:
-        # Received a timeout error -> Start the IOC
-        startioc()
-
-        # Check periodically if the IOC started successfully
-        now = time.time()
-        while now + TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP > time.time():
-            try:
-                read(f'{pvprefix}:IOCREADY', timeout=TIMEOUT_READ)
-                return
-            except TimeoutError:
-                time.sleep(0.5)
-
         # IOC startup failed in the given time -> Raise an error
-        raise TimeoutError(
-            f'Starting the IOC within {TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP} seconds failed.')
+        raise Exception('Start the test IOC first ()')