- tocdepth
3
This is a list of known possible issues with stations. For each problem some steps are given which can be followed to determine if that problem is indeed occuring on your station.
Here are filters to only show problems on a specific topic: Buffer size, CPU Load, Drive Space, EventRate, Labview Usage, Memory Usage, StorageGrowth, StorageSize, TriggerRate, Uptime.
Note
Multiple issues can be related to one topic.
Each problem described below has the following fields:
- First Sign
Explaining how you will probably notice the problem.
- Topic
Topic the issue is related to.
- Determination
This is a small guide explaining how to make sure that the problem being described is what you are experiencing.
- Solution
How to solve it.
- Effects
The effects of this problem.
This sections concerns itself with issues related to the station-software.
- First Sign
When the
STARTHiSPARCSoftware
program runs and the other programs ( DAQ and Updater) start normally but the Monitor does not appear or closes instantly.- Topic
EventRate, StorageGrowth, StorageSize, TriggerRate, and possibly Buffer size
- Determination
- Look in
hisparc/persistent/logs/src/
for the latest log file. - Check if there is a line that contains the text
Error: unable to open database file
. - Look in the
hisparc/persistent/data/
directory for ahsmonitor
folder. - If it does not exist than go to the solution, otherwise this is not the problem.
- Look in
- Solution
Create the missing
hsmonitor
directory inhisparc/persistent/data
.- Effects
The missing directory causes the Monitor to be unable to store events in its SQLite database, preventing it from sending events to the Nikhef datastore. Note that the DAQ should be unaffected. No events should be lost, the DAQ will store events in its MySQL database until the hard disc fills up.
- First Sign
Issue with remaining Disc Space.
- Topic
Drive Space
- Determination
- Look in
hisparc/persistent/logs/
. - Check the size of the src directory by right-clicking on it and choosing 'Properties'.
- Check if this is a significant fraction of the total disc space.
- Look in
- Solution
Remove all logs from the src directory except for the current one (present date in
dd-mm-yyyy.log
). Select all (ctrl + a) logs inhisparc/persistent/logs/src
. Deselect the current one (ctrl + click). Remove them using shift + delete (to bypass the Recycle Bin)- Effects
If the disc is full the daq can not store events in the database, preventing the station from storing more events.
- First Sign
Issue with remaining Disc Space.
- Topic
Drive Space
- Determination
- Look in
hisparc/persistent/downloads/
. - There should be some adminUpdater_v##.zip and userUnpacker_v##.exe files there.
- By right-clicking them you can see their file size is of the order of 100 MB.
- If there are many they can take up some space.
- Look in
- Solution
Remove all userUnpacker and adminUpdater files except the newest ones. Do this by selecting them and pressing shift + delete to remove them directly.
- Effects
If the disc is full the daq can not store events in the database, preventing the station from storing more events.
- First Sign
Red LED in DAQ
- Topic
- Determination
From the Start menu start odbcad32.exe. Check if the hisparc buffer is there.
- Solution
- Effects
The DAQ will not be able to store events.
- First Sign
- Topic
TriggerRate
- Determination
Look at the program , see if the button in the middle shows 'DAQ Mode'.
- Solution
Click the 'DAQ Mode' button in the .
- Effects
When the is not in DAQ Mode it will not store triggered events.
- First Sign
Errors in the Monitor:
Uncatched exception in job: need more than 1 value to unpack. Restarting...
- Topic
TriggerRate
- Determination
Check for blank lines in the file
hisparc/persistent/configuration/HisparcII.ini
.- Solution
Remove any blank lines from HisparcII.ini
- Effects
Errors in the Monitor and no TriggerRate updates for Topic.
- First Sign
Errors in the :
Uncatched exception in job: invalid literal for int() with base 10: 'difference too large'. Restarting...
- Topic
TriggerRate
- Determination
Check for the text
difference to large
inhisparc/persistent/configuration/HisparcII.ini
.- Solution
Check the PC time, make sure that it is set to the current time. Check the GPS settings, make sure that it is working and showing the correct GPS time.
- Effects
Errors in the Monitor and no TriggerRate updates for Topic.
- First Sign
Errors in the :
Error Uploader: .. Return code: 400
- Topic
StorageSize, TriggerRate
- Determination
Ensure that all required variables are being uploaded: station_id, password, data and the checksum.
- Solution
Check that the station number and password are entered correctly in the configuration file:
hisparc/persistent/configuration/config.ini
.- Effects
No data will be uploaded.
- First Sign
Error:
Buffer size: Access denied for user 'buffer'@'localhost'
- Topic
Buffer size
- Determination
Check if the file
hisparc/user/diagnosticchecks/checks.py
contains only one path to a CONFIG_INI:CONFIG_INI = "../../user/hsmonitor/data/config.ini"
.- Solution
Open the file
hisparc/user/diagnosticchecks/checks.py
in a text editor like NotePad and add the following line after the line starting withCONFIG_INI = "../..
:CONFIG_INI2 = "../../user/hsmonitor/data/config-password.ini"
. Finally several lines later is the following code:config.read(CONFIG_INI)
, replace this by:config.read([CONFIG_INI, CONFIG_INI2])
. Save the file.- Effects
Topic can not monitor the Buffer size.
- First Sign
No GPS appears in DSP Mon
- Topic
- Determination
This only occurs with III electronics when their firmware is not yet loaded, which is indicated by all LEDs on the unit being on.
- Solution
Start the DAQ to load the firmware into the electronics.
- Effects
No GPS recognized by DSP Mon.
- First Sign
The GPS date attatched to events is very inaccurate, like ~1999 or ~2019.
- Topic
- Determination
- Open Configuration -> System -> Hardware -> Browse Devices -> Com Ports.
- If the Com ports number higher than 32 the DSP Mon GPS program can not connect to the GPS.
- Solution
Lower the COM Port Number, by direct reassignment, use the com_port_reassign utility.
- Effects
No GPS recognized by DSP Mon, this causes data to get dates like 1999 or 2019, making the data unusable.
- First Sign
The GPS get no satelite signals, seen in the Satelites tab of the DAQ.
- Topic
- Determination
Open DSP Mon and check the LED status of the
Antenna Open
. It will be yellow while some of the other LEDs are green. Also all Signal Values (SV) will be 0.- Solution
Check the GPS cable for kinks or cuts, also check if the antenna is still properly attached. Once fixed the SV should rise and turn green, as well as the
Antenna Open
status.- Effects
Makes the GPS unable to determine the correct date. Is falls back to some other date like 1999 or 2019, making the data unusable.
- First Sign
No coincidences with nearby stations.
- Topic
- Determination
Open DSP Mon and check if the timing for the GPS is set to UTC or GPS, it should be GPS.
- Solution
Set the GPS Timing to use GPS time.
- Effects
There is a difference of ~16 seconds between GPS en UTC time, resulting in offset timestamps if the wrong setting is chosen.
- First Sign
No data is uploaded, the local storage fills with events.
- Topic
StorageSize
- Determination
Run Diagnostics (LocalDiagnosticTool in older versions) to check if a proxy is required.
- Solution
Run Diagnostics (LocalDiagnosticTool in older versions) to check Proxy settings, if it finds proxy settings for the system it can use these to configure them for Python. Press the Write Config.
- Effects
- First Sign
All active Topic checks are critical.
- Topic
Host, Buffer size, CPU Load, Drive Space, Labview Usage, Memory Usage, Uptime
- Determination
All of the above Topic services are crtitical eventhough the software is running properly.
- Solution
- Open the Windows Control Panel, go to Windows Firewall and Choose Advanced settings from the sidebar.
- If required enter an administrator password.
- Go the the Inbound Rules.
- Look for the three rules that start with .
- Open the Properties window for these rules, go the the Advanced tab.
- Enable the rules for both the Private and Public profiles.
- Next look for the rules called
File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In)
. - Enable those if they are not yet enabled and also ensure they are enabled for both Profiles.
- Effects
Topic can not monitor the PC status, VNC may also be blocked.
- First Sign
All Status indicators on Topic are CRITICAL.
- Topic
Host, Buffer size, CPU Load, Drive Space, EventRate, Labview Usage, Memory Usage, StorageGrowth, StorageSize, TriggerRate, Uptime
- Determination
Run Diagnostics (LocalDiagnosticTool in older versions) to check the VPN status.
- Solution
Open TCP port 443 in the firewalls.
- Effects
Topic will be unable to check the status of all services. Moreover, the support will be unable to log into the PC remotely to assist in case of problems.
- First Sign
No data is uploaded, the local storage fills with events.
- Topic
StorageSize
- Determination
Try opening a website in a browser on the detector PC, preferably www.nikhef.nl, if this fails then web traffic is blocked. If the browser has no problems, then look at the Proxy not set issue.
- Solution
Open port 80 in the firewalls
- Effects
The Uploader of the Monitor uses a HTTP POST Request to send data to our datastore, but this will be blocked if port 80 is closed.
- First Sign
An update is available but the software can not download it.
- Topic
- Determination
Try opening the link to the updater, shown in the Updater, in a webbrowser. If this fails then .exe files are probably blocked by the network.
- Solution
Allow downloading of .exe files through the firewall.
- Effects
The Updater will see there is an update and quit the DAQ. However when the update fail it will restart the software, but then see there is an update and try again, it will be stuck in this loop.
This sections concerns itself with issues related to the electronics and hardware.
- First Sign
DAQ might frequently loose the connection to the electronics or there will be fluctuations (sine) over the signal.
- Topic
- Determination
Replace the power supply with a new one and see if the problem disappears.
- Solution
Replace the power supply.
- Effects
- First Sign
Many small peaks (short pulses) in the signals in the DAQ, also the number of events will increase during day time (due to sunlight)
- Topic
TriggerRate
- Determination
Cover the detector with a light-tight blanket or foil. Now the extra peaks should disappear.
- Solution
Patch the light-leaking parts with new foil/tape.
- Effects
- First Sign
The current for one of the PMTs is very high (above 15 mA).
- Topic
- Determination
Look in the DAQ at the current used by the PMTs. If this is above 15 mA something if probably wrong.
- Solution
Try lowering the High Voltage on the PMT, or turning it off for a day. If that does not help it may need to be replaced, contact your cluster coordinator.
- Effects
The PMT will not function properly.
- First Sign
DAQ is unable to connect to the electronics.
- Topic
EventRate, StorageGrowth, StorageSize, TriggerRate
- Determination
Start the DAQ, it will show a message that no device is found. Check if the LEDs on the electronics box are lit.
- Solution
Connect the electronic box via the provided Power supply to a power outlet.
- Effects
No data can be taken.