wxmtxy

an example


author: Pete R. Jemian (jemian@anl.gov)
version: 0.4 		wxmtxy logo
One way to learn how to use wxmtxy is to work through an example. This example shows how to start wxmtxy, configure it for two EPICS motors, set some positions, and save the configuration into a file.
  1. First, start the program. From the Linux/Solaris command line, type: 
    /APSshare/bin/python ~/bin/wxmtxy/wxmtxy.py &

    The wxmtxy window should appear.

    Figure 1

  2. Next, connect to two EPICS motor Process Variables, namely: 32idbLAX:m58:c1:m1 and 32idbLAX:m58:c1:m2. Mouse to the Page menu and select the item EPICS configuration.

    Figure 2

  3. A new window will appear where the PV names can be entered. Enter 32idbLAX:m58:c1:m1 into the VAL field of the X axis and 32idbLAX:m58:c1:m2 into the VAL field of the Y axis. Click the two checkboxes for X axis is motor and Y axis is motor.
    If you make a mistake in typing, or press the enter key in the wrong place, you can Revert any changes back to the default values or Clear X or Clear Y to clear all PV names and checkboxes from either of the two axes.

    Figure 3

    Note: The EPICS configuration window will change the background color on each PV field, depending on whether or not the given PV name has been identified on the local EPICS network. Pink indicates that the PV name has not been found yet, green indicates that the PV name has been found. By pressing the Enter key on the keyboard while a particular PV field is selected, wxmtxy will try to locate the named PV on the local EPICS network.

    Note: The VAL field handles the Enter key differently than the other fields. First, if the isMotorRecord checkbox is checked, then the PV names for the other fields of this axis (with empty name fields) will be filled in automatically.

    Then the software will attempt to locate all fields of this axis.
  4. Then click the Ok button and wxmtxy will close the EPICS Configuration window and attempt to connect with the local EPICS network. In the next figure, the readback and target values for both axes are displayed with the numerical precision specified by each EPICS motor record. The description and engineering units are also shown. Compare with the following figure as well.

    Figure 4

  5. Compare the previous figure with the standard motor control panel which includes both of these motors (plus one other in between).

    Figure 5

  6. Click the mouse inside the description box for the only row shown and type starting values. (No need to press the Enter key. It will be ignored so there is no harm either.)

    Figure 6

  7. Then click the Set button (just right of the description) to copy the current readback values for each axis to this row.

    Figure 7

  8. Make a new row by selecting the Page menu, Create new row item. Note that Ctrl+r is a keyboard shortcut for the same menu selection.

    Figure 8

  9. The next figure shows that a new row has been created under the current tab selection.

    Figure 9

  10. Enter a description, and X & Y position values. This example shows a small increment from the starting values. You do the math particular for your selected motor axes. Make another row (Ctrl+r) and enter more values by typing.

    Figure 10

  11. Create yet another row but this time, leave the description field empty. Press the Set button and you will see that the software has supplied a description autmoatically. The default description is the date and time that the Set button was pressed.

    Figure 11

  12. Just for practice, try deleting the last row by pressing the Delete button (far left of the row; the one with the X). You will be prompted for confirmation, as shown.

    Figure 12

  13. Time to save the current settings to a file. Choose the File menu, Save As ... item.

    Figure 13

  14. A save file window will appear. Navigate to a directory to save your settings, enter a name with the extension .XML and finish your task.

    Figure 14

  15. With a text editor (in this case, nedit from www.nedit.org), you can inspect the contents of the settings file. Amidst all the identifying jargon, you can identify the various pieces of information which have been entered so far.

    Figure 15

  16. Set the page title for this XY pair of positioners by choosing the Page menu, Change X,Y pair title item.

    Figure 16

  17. Set the title for the selected tab by choosing the Page menu, Change tab title item.

    Figure 17

  18. Save your changes to the same settings file by choosing the File menu, Save item. Inspect the settings file in a text editor.

    Figure 18

The wxmtxy application and related files are copyyright (c) 2009-2010. 
#*************************************************************************
# Copyright (c) 2009-2010 The University of Chicago, as Operator of Argonne
#     National Laboratory.
# Copyright (c) 2009-2010 The Regents of the University of California, as
#     Operator of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
# This file is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
# in the file LICENSE that is included with this distribution. 
#*************************************************************************