Command Initialisation

Besides the general SICS commands which are available for all instruments, there exist instrument specific commands. Such instrument specific objects are configured into the system through special commands in the initialisation file. Such special commands are described here.

MakeRuenBuffer

MakeRuenBuffer makes the RünBuffer system available.

MakeBatchManager [name]

Installs the new batch buffer management system. If no name is given, the default will be exe.

MakeDrive

MakeDrive craetes the drive command.

MakeScanCommand name countername headfile recoverfil

MakeScanCommand initialises the SICS internal scan command. It will be accessible as name in the system. The next parameter is the name of a valid counter object to use for counting. The next parameter is the full pathname of a header description file. This file describes the contents of the header of the data file. The format of this file is described below. The parameter recoverfil is the full pathname of a file to store recover data. The internal scan command writes the state of the scan to a binary file after each scan point. This allows for restarting of aborted scans.

MakePeakCenter scancommand

MakePeakCenter initialises the peak analysis commands peak and center. The only parameter is the name of the internal scan command.

DMCInit

DMCInit creates the DMC StoreData command. This command writes NeXus files for DMC.

InitSANS dictionary-filename

InitSANS creates the StoreData command for SANS. This command writes the current state of the instrument into a NeXus file. The structure of the NeXus file is described in a special dictionary file which is a required parameter to this command. For details about the format of this file see the NXDICT-API documentation.

Publish name access

The SICS server uses Tcl as its internal macro language. However, it was felt that the whole Tcl command set should not be available to all users from the command line without any protection. There are reasons for this: careless use of Tcl may clog up memory, thereby grinding the system to a halt. Invalid Tcl statements may cause the server to hang. Last not least, Tcl contains commands to manipulate files and access the operating system. This is a potential security problem when the server is hacked. However, in order to make macro procedures available the Publish command exists. It makes a Tcl command name available to SICS users with the access code access. Valid values for access are: Internal, Mugger, User and Spy.

MakeMulti name

SANS uses a special syntax feature where several motors are grouped into a component group. For example beamstop or detector. MakeMulti creates such a group with the name name. Once such a group has been created, it has to be configured. For this a few configuration commands are available:

name alias motname compname

This command makes motor motname available as component motor compname. For example: bs alias bsx x makes motor bsx available as x in the beamstop group. Then the bsx motor can be driven by the command bx x = 12..

name pos posname motname value motname value ....

The group command supports the notion of named positions. This means that a special combination of angles can be accessed through a name. This commands defines such a named position with the name posname. posname is followed by pairs of motorname value which define the position.

name endconfig

Once a group has been completely defined the configuration process must be ended with endconfig.

MakeMono name M1 M2 M3 M4

This command creates a crystal monochromator object. Such a monochromator object is necessary for the usage of the wavelength or energy variables. The parameter name defines the name of the monochromator object in the system. M1 and M2 are the names of the Theta and two Theta motors respectively. M3 is an optional parameter defining a motor for driving the horizontal curvature. M4 is an optional parameter defining a motor for driving the vertical curvature of the monochromator.

TokenInit tokenpassword

This command initialises the token control management system with the token command. The single parameter tokenpassword specifies the password for the token force command.

MakeHKL theta omega chi phi

MakeHKL creates the hkl command for the calculation of settings for a four circle diffractometer. The four parameters are the names of the motors driving the two theta, omega, chi and phi circles of the diffractometer. These motors must already exists before this command may succeed.

MakeHKLMot hkl

Creates the drivable H, k, l virtual motors using hkl, an object created by MakeHKL for calculations.

MakeDifrac tth om chi phi cter

This command installs the Difrac subsystem into SICS. Difrac is a whole F77 package for controlling a four circle diffractometer. Afterwards Difrac commands are available in SICS with the prefix dif, for example dif ah calls the difrac ah command. Difrac is described in more detail elsewhere. The parameters are the four circle motors two theta, omega, chi and phi and the counter. This is no longer maintained.

MakeOptimise name countername

This command installs the Peak Optimiser into the SICS server. The Peak Optimiser is an object which can locate the maximum of a peak with respect to several variables. The arguments are: name, the name under which the Peak Optimiser can be accessed within SICS and countername, which is the name of an already configured SICS counter box.

MakeTRICSNEXUS datanumber fileroot dictionaryfile

MakeTRICSNEXUS creates the object for writing TRICS NeXus files. This command creates a new command with the name nexus which is is used for interacting with this object. MakeTRICSNEXUS expects three parameters: The first one is the name of a data number object used for automatic data file name creation. The second is the full pathname to the directory where the dat should go. The third one is the full path name of the NXDICT dictionary file to use for positioning data in the NeXus file. Besides these explicit parameter the nexus object relies on the presence of a plethora of other objects in the system. The MakeTRICSNEXUS command should be at the end of the file.

MakeAmor2T name da

This creates a virtual two theta motor for the reflectometer AMOR. The two parameters are the name of the object in SICS and a Tcl-array with configuration parameters. The needed elements of this array are:

mom

The monochromator omega motor.

som

The sample omega motor.

coz

The height movement of the detector.

cox

The movement of the detector along the optical bench.

stz

The height movement of the sample connected to the omega circle.

soz

The height movement of the sample table.

d4b

The motor moving the whole diaphragm 4 up.

d5b

The motor moving the whole diaphragm 5 up.

com

The omega mevement of the detector.

An example:

set a2t(mom) mom
set a2t(som) som
set a2t(coz) coz
set a2t(cox) cox
set a2t(stz) stz
set a2t(soz) soz
set a2t(d4b) d4b
set a2t(d5b) d5b
set a2t(com) com
MakeAmor2T a2t a2t

creates a virtual AMOR two theta motor with the name a2t.

MakeStoreAmor hm

Creates an object for writing reflectometer data files. The name of the command is storeamor. The parameter hm denotes the histogram memory object.

MakeAmorStatus name scan hm

This creates a helper object for the reflectometer status display with name name. This object performs some operations on behalf of the status display for the reflectometer AMOR. The parameter scan denotes the name of the scan object. The parameter hm the name of the histogram memory object.

MakeMesure name scanobject hklobject omega s2t fileroot datanumberobject

MakeMesure installs the single counter four circle diffractometer measurement procedure into SICS. It will be accessible as object name afterwards. MakeMesure takes a lot of parameters:

scanobject

The name of the internal scan object.

hklobject

The name of the object which does crystallographic calculations.

omega

The name of the motor driving omega.

s2t

The name of the two theta motor for use in omega two theta scans.

fileroot

The full path to the data file directory without final /

datanumberobject

The name of the SICS data number object for creating unique file numbers.

MakeSANSWave name velo_name

> Installs a velocity selector wavelength variable into SICS. The variable will have the name given as first parameter. Usually lambda is a good idea. The second parameter, velo_name, is the name of the velocity selector which is controlled by this wavelength variable.

MakeHklscan scan hkl

Installs a command named hklscan which allows scans in reciprocal space expressed as Miller Indizes on a four circle diffractometer. scan must be the name of a scan object as created by MakeScanCommand. hkl is the name of a hkl calculation object as created by makeHKL.

MakeXYTable myname

Creates a XYTable object with the name myname. This object can store a list of x-y values.

MakeNXScript [name]

Installs the NeXus dictionary scripting module. If no name is given, the name will be nxscript.

MakeSinq

Install the listener module for the accelerator divisions broadcast messages. This creates a command sinq.

The Scan Command Header Description File

The SICS internal scan command allows to configure the contents of the header of the ASCII scan data file through a template header file. This section describes the contents of this file. This header description file consists of normal text mixed with a few special keywords. The normal test will be copied to output verbatim. The keywords indicate that their place will be replaced by values at run time. Currently only one keyword per line is supported. Keywords recognized are:

!!DATE!!

Will be replaced with the file creation date.

!!VAR(name)!!

Will be replaced with the value of the SICS variable name.

!!DRIV(name)!!

Will be replaced with the value drivable variable name. Drivable variables are all motors and all variables which may be used in a drive or run command.

!!ZERO(name)!!

Will be replaced with the value of the softzero point for motor name.

!!FILE!!

Will be replaced by the creation name of the file.