CDF Run II User's Guide to RunControl

The RunControl application controls almost every type of data acquisition and calibration required for the CDF Run II detector operation. Starting RunControl requires no special privileges and may be run from any user account on the online cluster. The main shiftcrew activities are usually performed from the cdfdaq account, while most component, data acquisition, and trigger experts use their own accounts for development, testing and calibration. Before running, you must make sure the following line is in your login file, usually .cshrc or the equivalent:

source /cdf/cdf.cshrc
Make sure that you do NOT setup any offline related products or have the line source ~cdfsoft/cdf2.cshrc in your login file, as the offline setups conflict in many cases with the online. To start RunControl, simply type the commands from the command line:
setup fer
rc
The fer stands for FrontEndReadout. The RunControl main window will appear shortly. If you are running from a group account, you will be prompted for your name and phone number.
Due to the complexity of the application, it is strongly recommended to start RunControl on the same machine as your local X display, and not to run over the network. Running over the network can significantly degrade response time.

An example of the main RunControl window can be found at the end of this page. Note the StateManager diagram displayed in the top two-thirds of the window. Using the StateManager transition buttons, you control the synchronization of the states of the system and so are able to start, stop and configure runs. When the main window is up and ready, there are three steps before you can use the StateManager to start a run:

  1. Select a Partition
  2. Select a RunConfiguration
  3. Issue transitions Partition, Config, and Activate in order to get to the Active state
Follow the links in the above list to learn more about each step. When these three steps are complete, you are ready to initiate a sequence of transitions to navigate through the various states to begin your run.

Below find an image of the main RunControl window. Note that various regions of the picture are actively linked. Click on part of the display to learn more about that function of RunControl.

W.Badgett