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Yokogawa_DAS

GM10 Support Documentation

This module has support for the Yokogawa GM10 Digital Acquisition System. It was written for Linux IOCs, where dynamic memory allocation is not a problem, while others might work as well. The /E1 Ethernet option is mandatory. The /MT mathematic option is higly recommended, while the /MC option for communication input channel options is recommended as it allows the GM10 to connect to Modbus devices. The amount of available channels for certain channel types depends on the memory option, GM10-1 or GM10-2. Support for chaining expansion units is not included in this driver.

This device uses a network interface to communicate, and has a modular design to allow the mixing of DAC, ADC, relay, TTL, and other modules. It is also an industrial device primarily used for monitoring, so its design is not optimized for high performance operation. The system is actually quite complex, as it can: read modbus channels over both serial and the network, perform calculations on the measurements, set alarms, do logging, throw relays, etc. Some subset of the functionality is supported, and features have been added as needed. However, there is no attempt made to utilize the full capability of the device from EPICS, although the device can be simultaneously controlled by vendor software or the built-in web server, as it supports multiple simultaneous and independent connections.

I assume that the support works for all modules (other than GX90UT-02-11), but this has been tested only with the following: GX90XA-10-U2, GX90YA-04-C1, and GX90WD-0806-01.

Channel descriptions

As chaining expansion units is not supported, the GM10 has an a measurement channel address space of 0001-0999, supporting up to 100 channels. The /MT math option adds either 100 or 200 computation channels: A001-A100 for GM10-1, and A001-A200 for GM10-2. The /MC communications option adds either 300 or 500 communication input channels: C001-C300 for GM10-1, and C001-C500 for GM10-2. There are 100 channels for constants (K001-K100), and 100 channels for variable constants (W001-W100).

The module bus can have up to 10 modules on it. Each of the possible ten modules has an address slice like 0X01-0X99 (where X is 0 to 9). The modules are numbered, starting at 0, in the order the are attached to the GM10 module.

Setting up the unit

Due to the complexity of the GM10, the configuration of the unit currently needs to be done through its web interface. This includes not only service configuration, but also channel configuration. The way the unit works is that there are modes of operation. Any configuration needs to be done while the "Recording" and "Computing" modes are disabled, while measuring the channels doesn't stop configuration. The modes can be toggled from EPICS or through the native web server.

Upon getting the unit, get it on your network, as described in the manual.

Plug your modules into the module bus, realizing that each module location to the left of the main module has an address starting at 0,and increases as you go left.

Operation

Once the unit is configured and running on the network, the EPICS support in this module will constantly read data, and compute calculations when math is enabled.

The default way the measurements are done is that there is a record that trigger reading all of the channel values on the device: input, output, math, and communication. By default, the records use a time value in their SCAN fields to periodically poll values and put them into a cache, and the record for these values are set to I/O Intr which allow them to be updated by an interrupt call. If a measurement record is decoupled from the master poll rates by setting their SCAN field to a time value, the measurement data associated with a record will be retrieved, with all the associated information (status and alarms) put into the cache, and the new value will be returned; however, the associated status and alarm records for the measurement will return cached values only. This means that to do read an independent channel is to read the measurement value, then forward link to all the associated records to grab the cached values from that read. A similar polling record is used for reading the constants and variable constants.

The calculations (which need to be defined through the web interface) allow the transformation of measurements with the communication input values and predefined constants. The calculation channels allow for expression strings of 120 characters.

When an error happpens, the error string is displayed, split into three 40-character string records. The error can be cleared, which also clears it from the units LED display.

Modules

The GX90XA analog input modules are of the typical voltage/current measuring type. It has many configuration options, such as configured as a thermocouple reader, giving a result through EPICS as a temperature value and units.

The GX90YA analog output modules are only directly controlled by EPICS if they are put into manual mode. If a channel is put into the restransmit mode, it is controlled by other GM10 channels, although the value can still be read by EPICS. These channels do not provide a voltage, but either a 0-20 mA or 4-20 mA current. To provide a voltage, one has to use a resistor of known resistance, and use the voltage that occurs across the resistor for a given current.

The GX90XD and GX90WD binary digital input modules can be used to sense a circuit closure or a voltage level.

The GX90YD and GX90WD digital output modules act as relays, and are typically used in one of two modes. One is direct control from EPICS (“Manual”), and the other is for it to be controlled by a GM10 alarm (“Alarm”).

Driver

The EPICS driver for the GM10 needs to be loaded using the command gm10Init.

 gm10Init( instrument handle, IP address)

The instrument handle is a string, provided by the user, that is used by records to refer to this particular GM10. For each GM10 loaded, a different handle needs to be used.

gm10_probe

Included with the module is the source code for gm10_probe utility, that will be built alongside the module. This program will generate automatically a substitutions file auto_gm10.substitutions and an autosave file auto_gm10.req. The substitutions file that can be loaded at boot time or flattened by msi into a database file.

To use it, one needs values for: the IP address of the instrument; the desired IOC PV prefix, P; the desired IOC PV name, DAU; and the handle that will be given to the driver for this instrument, HANDLE. The help can be seen by running gm10_probe with no arguments.

The resultant substitutions file will have entries for all the hardware channels, as well as 100 each of the constant, variable constant, calculation, and communication channels. In the future, an option will be added to changing the number of communication and calculation channels included.

Database Loading

The simplest way to load databases associated with a populated GM10 is by using the autogenerated substitutions file from gm10_probe.

This substitutions file references the database files using a relative path off of the YOKOGAWA_DAS variable, which needs to be set to the top of this module's installed directory. The synApps distribution does this automatically, but it can be done by hand by adding to the startup script (such as st.cmd) before loading the substitutions file a line like this:

epicsEnvSet("YOKOGAWA_DAS", "/my/path/to/YOKOGAWA_DAS")

To load the substitutions file, in the startup script, use

dbLoadTemplate("auto_gm10.substitutions")

MEDM display files

not finished

Records

There are currently 7 records supported for various purposes: ai, ao, bi, bo, mbbi, mbbo, and stringin. Record commands are also provided to determine the record function, and for record commands that can refer to multiple items or locations, addressing is used; a few commands also need sub-addressing.

DTYP format

When using the supported records with the commands, DTYP needs to be set to “Yokogawa GM10”.

INP and OUT format

For each GM10, the handle provided to the driver is used with record device support. The general format of the INP or OUT field is one of the following.

  • “@handle command”
  • “@handle command:address”
  • “@handle command:address.sub_address”

Interrupts

The input records will let you use interrupt scan mode (I/O Intr), and there are several interrupts used. The first four interrupts can be indirectly invoked after causing a read with their TRIG commands, although only the first three are necessary, as an information read is typically called when the status read notices a mode change into measurements mode.

  • Channels - This interrupt is called after reading all the channels.
  • Miscellaneous - This interrupt is called after reading all the constants and variable constants.
  • Status - This interrupt is called after reading the operational statuses of the GM10.
  • Information - This interrupt is called after reading the GM10 and channel information that can't be changed during measurement mode.
  • Error - This interrupt is called after the error state of the GM10 occurs.

Addresses

The type of address needed depends on the record, but here are all the options. The format of the addresses comes directly from the GM10, and this is how they are used internally.

  • Module addresses: 0-9
  • Hardware channel addresses: 0001-0999 Each module (of the ten possible modules) can use at most 99 hardware addresses. If module 3 has ten channels, it uses addresses 0301-0310, etc.
  • Calculation channel addresses: A001-A100 or A001-A200
  • Communication channel addresses: C001-C300 or C001-C500
  • Constant channel addresses: K001-K100
  • Variable constant channel addresses: W001-W100

Commands

MODULE_STRING - Shows the module identification string for a location, or “empty” if one doesn't exist. Linked to information interrupt.

  • stringin record: Uses module address.

MODULE_PRESENCE - Shows whether a module is at a location. Linked to information interrupt.

  • bi record: Uses module address.
    • 0 - Not present
    • 1 - Present

VAL - Send or read a numeric value for a channel. Input records are linked to either the input interrupt (input channels) or the output interrupt (output channels).

  • This command is associated with several record types.
    • bi record: Uses hardware addresses for binary digital input and output modules.
    • bo record: Uses hardware addresses for binary digital output modules.
    • longin record: Uses hardware addresses for binary integer input modules.
    • ai record: Uses hardware addresses for analog input and output modules, as well as calculation, communication, and contant addresses.
    • ao record: Uses hardware addresses for analog output modules, as well as calculation, communication, and contant addresses.

VAL_STATUS - Shows any special status for a value read from a channel. Records are linked to either the input interrupt (input channels) or the output interrupt (output channels).

  • mbbi record: Uses any hardware, calculation, or communication addresses.
    • 0 - Normal
    • 1 - Skip
    • 2 - Positive Overrange
    • 3 - Negative Overrange
    • 4 - Positive Burnout
    • 5 - Negative Burnout
    • 6 - A/D Conversion Error
    • 7 - Invalid Data
    • 16 - Math Result NAN
    • 17 - Communication Error
    • 32 - Unknown

ALARMS - Shows the alarms set for an input channel. Records are linked to the channel interrupt.

  • mbbi record: Uses any hardware or calculation addresses. Each bit of the 4-bit value corresponds to the status of an alarm, as multiple alarms can occur simultaneously; bit 0 is defined as the least significant bit.
    • bit 0 - Alarm 1
    • bit 1 - Alarm 2
    • bit 2 - Alarm 3
    • bit 3 - Alarm 4

    The bit value is defined as the following.

    • value 0 - Alarm off
    • value 1 - Alarm on

ALARM - Shows the status for a particular alarm for an input channel. Records are linked to the channel interrupt.

  • mbbi record: Uses any hardware, calculation, or communication addresses; with sub-address of 1-4. The value definitions follow, although the possible values for a record are actually determined by the module and the channel mode.
    • 0 - No Alarm
    • 1 - High Limit
    • 2 - Low Limit
    • 3 - Differential High Limit
    • 4 - Differential Low Limit
    • 5 - Rate-of-Change High Limit
    • 6 - Rate-of-Change Low Limit
    • 7 - Delay High Limit
    • 8 - Delay Low Limit

ALARM_FLAG - Shows if an alarm for any channel is set. Linked to channel interrupt.

  • bi record: No address used.

ALARM_ACK - Tells GM10 to acknowledge alarms. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work.

  • bo record: No address used.

CH_STATUS - Shows the configuration for a channel. Linked to information interrupt.

  • mbbi record: Uses any hardware, calculation, or communication addresses.
    • 0 - Skip
    • 1 - Normal
    • 2 - Differential Input

CH_MODE - Shows the operational mode for a channel, which is different depending on the type. Linked to information interrupt.

  • mbbi record: Uses hardware addresses for supported modules.

    Analog Output Channel
    • 0 - Skip
    • 1 - Retransmit
    • 2 - Manual
    Digital Output Channel
    • 0 - Alarm
    • 1 - Manual
    • 2 - Failure

UNIT - Shows the unit for a channel. Linked to information interrupt.

  • stringin record: Uses any hardware, calculation, or communication addresses.

EXPR - Shows the expression used for a calculation channel. Linked to information interrupt.

  • stringin record: Uses any calculation addresses.

IP_ADDR - Shows the IP address for the GM10. Linked to information interrupt.

  • stringin record: No address used.

SETTINGS - Shows the status of the GM10 settings. Linked to status interrupt.

  • bi record: No address used.
    • 0 - Frozen
    • 1 - Unfrozen

RECORDING_MODE - Shows whether the GM10 is in recording mode. Linked to status interrupt.

  • bi record: No address used.
    • 0 - Running
    • 1 - Stopped

    bo record: No address used.

    • 0 - Start
    • 1 - Stop

COMPUTE_MODE - Shows whether the GM10 has computations running. Linked to status interrupt. This can only be true when MEASURE_MODE is true.

  • bi record: No address used.
    • 0 - Running
    • 1 - Stopped

COMPUTE_CMD - Send a command regarding the computational mode of the GM10.

  • mbbo record: No address used.
    • 0 - Start
    • 1 - Stop
    • 2 - Reset
    • 3 - Clear

CHAN_TRIG - Trigger reading the channel records for the GM10, which will then trigger the channel interrupt. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work; typically the SCAN field is set to a time interval.

  • bo record: No address used.

CONST_TRIG - Trigger reading the constant records for the GM10, which will then trigger the constant interrupt. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work; typically the SCAN field is set to a time interval.

  • bo record: No address used.

STAT_TRIG - Trigger reading the GM10 status, which will then trigger the status interrupt; if an operational mode change to measurements is seen, it will cause a information read which will then trigger the information interrupt. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work; typically the SCAN field is set to a time interval.

  • bo record: No address used.

INFO_TRIG - Trigger reading the information for channels and the GM10 that can't be changed during measurement mode. This command doesn't really need to be used if the STAT_TRIG command is called periodically. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work; typically the SCAN field is set to a time interval.

  • bo record: No address used.

ERROR_FLAG - Shows if an error has happened. Linked to error interrupt.

  • bi record: No address used.

ERROR - Retrieve one of the three error strings used to return vendor-supplied error messages (broken to 40 character lengths). Linked to error interrupt.

  • stringin record: Uses an address of 1-3.

ERROR_CLEAR - Clears the GM10 error. This record just needs to be PROC'd to work.

  • bo record: No address used.

EPICS Databases

not finished

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