Wiki > The Backend System > First time installing and building (Windows)

You can get more information on the development workflow here.

If any of the websites listed here do not work, contact another developer to get an alternate solution.

See https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/ibex_developers_manual/wiki/Things-to-know-as-a-developer

Download and install Strawberry Perl

Download and install latest stable version from https://wixtoolset.org/docs/wix3/

See Install Visual Studio

Install OpenJDK 17 hotspot from https://adoptium.net/?variant=openjdk17&jvmVariant=hotspot (the MSI installer is fine, tick all the boxes when it asks you which components to install)

Do not install an Oracle JDK.

You may wish to install some optional java components as detailed here.

Create C:\Tools\

Install Maven and follow the 'Windows tips' in these instructions to set 'Environment Variables' for the SDK with JAVA_HOME and maven in PATH It is recommended to install Maven into C:\Tools\

System Properties - Environment Variables - Path - New -C:\Tools\apache-maven-###\bin

The Windows Tips from the above link says you should add maven to the PATH in the user variables. If it does not recognise mvn -v afterwards, then try to add it to the list of variables in PATH in System variables.

Note: you MUST install a maven version >=3.6.0, but not 3.6.1 as this has a bug. Versions earlier than 3.6 are unable to build the GUI.

Install Git Getting-started-with-Git-and-GitHub

Install \\inst$\kits$\CompGroup\Utilities\MOXA Nport Software\drvmgr*.exe - this is required on the instruments for networked serial ports. It's required on dev machines for the database server (more specifically the moxa mappings page in the GUI)

EPICS contains lots of code that requires compilation before use, so we generally copy a pre-built version of this to save time and then build modules as changes are made.

1. Create C:\Instrument\Apps\
2. Navigate to C:\Instrument\Apps\ and check whether the EPICS directory already exists. If so, remove the EPICS directory before continuing.
3. Follow instructions on the Quick instructions section of the developer server build page to copy a built version of EPICS to \instrument\apps

To easily add EPICSTerm.bat to the start menu after copying EPICS, run C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\add_epicsterm_to_start_menu.bat

See Building and installing genie_python

See Installing and upgrading MySQL

Note: If installing for the first time, a new installation of MySQL may try to start up IBEX servers, which may lead to errors if Python isn't installed yet.

Please see Building the GUI.

Note: for all commands in this section...

• On a developer machine use your own username rather than "spudulike"
• Replace <NDXXXX> with your machine name, e.g. NDXIRISTEST1, NDLT123
• Replace <init_inst_name> with your lower case machine name, e.g. init_ndxtest1.py, init_ndlt123.py

(Note: If you already have a 'NDXXXX' folder, rename it to 'NDXXXX.old' and continue with the following steps)

1. Create the following folder structure: C:\Instrument\Settings\config

2. Navigate to the config folder

3. Enable git credential store and set a username

git config --global core.autocrlf true
git config --global credential.helper wincred
git config --global user.name "spudulike"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

4. Enable default recursive check

git config --global push.recurseSubmodules check

5. Set up branch for this machine

5a) Not A New Instrument i.e. if this machine has had IBEX installed before and the config branch already exists, run through the following commands:

cd C:\Instrument\Settings\config
git clone http://control-svcs.isis.cclrc.ac.uk/gitroot/instconfigs/inst.git NDXXXX
cd NDXXXX
git checkout NDXXXX

5b) New Instrument i.e. if no config branch exists for this machine name, run through the following:

• Via a git client clone the repository from 'http://[email protected]/gitroot/instconfigs/inst.git' to a directory with your machine name, like so:

git clone http://[email protected]/gitroot/instconfigs/inst.git NDXXXX

(when prompted, give spudulike password)

• Confirm that you now have the config file structure in place (components, configurations and synoptics directories)

• Create a branch from master with the machine name (if on an instrument) or your fedid if on a dev machine:

cd <NDXXXX>/
git checkout -b <NDXXXX>
rename "C:\Instrument\Settings\config\NDXXXX\Python\init_inst_name.py" to "C:\Instrument\Settings\config\NDXXXX\Python\init_ndxxxx.py" (note lowercase on init_ndxxxx.py)
git add Python/init_ndxxxx.py
git rm Python/init_inst_name.py
git commit -m "create initial python"
git push --set-upstream origin <NDXXXX>

(Note, the init_inst_name python file should have underscores rather than dashes if the machine name contains dashes. So NDWTEST-BLAH would have the init file init_ndwtest_blah.py).

Any configs created through IBEX will now be stored on this branch (they will only be pushed remotely if you do a manual push first e.g. the last line above)

These repositories can be web browsed via http://control-svcs.isis.cclrc.ac.uk/git/

6. Check it is possible to access the configurations of another developer or of an instrument by fetching the correct branch and switching to it, like so:

git fetch
git checkout NDXALF

7. Switch back to your new branch:

git checkout <NDXXXX>

Note: The developer branch has been created to store useful configurations that may be shared amongst all developers.

If the C:\Instrument\Settings\config\common directory already exists, cd into it and do a git pull on master. Else run the following command from a Git-enabled command prompt (or modify target to run with Git Bash):

git clone http://control-svcs.isis.cclrc.ac.uk/gitroot/instconfigs/common.git C:/Instrument/Settings/config/common

The purpose and function of the calibration files are described here.

• Make sure ISISDAE-IOC-01.exe and ISISICP.exe processes are not running
• run create_icp_binaries.bat in c:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS to get the latest version
• Open an administrator command prompt (right click on command prompt in start menu and click "run as administrator")
• cd to c:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\ICP_Binaries\isisdae\x64\Release
• Type:

    isisicp.exe /RegServer
    isisdatasvr.exe /RegServer

Unfortunately the /RegServer registration process doesn't report either success or failure. If, on later starting the ISISDAE IOC, you see lots of errors of the form "CoCreateInstanceEx (ISISICP) : Class not registered" then it means the /RegServer flag did not work. Try registering it again in case you were not Administrator when you tried it the first time. If you get messages about missing method/functions etc. it may mean a previous isisicp.exe registered successfully, but the newer one didn't - just try again as administrator

If you use Visual Studio 2017 (or older versions) and got "vcruntime140_1.dll was not found" error, you need to install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2019.

You can do this via this link:

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/ (Scroll down, expand "Other Tools, Frameworks and Redistributables" and install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2019(x64))

And try running isisicp.exe /RegServer again.

Before doing this ensure that the build.bat started in a previous step (to build EPICS) has successfully completed. In C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS\CSS\master run setup_css.bat this will create directories for the archive engine. in .\css-win.x86_64

You need to create a configuration so ISISDAE-IOC-01 will start:

• run start_ibex_server (in C:\Instrument\Apps\EPICS)
• start the GUI
• configuration -> edit current configuration -> give it a name and save as. It should now prompt you to switch to the configuration, after you do this the Config: line on the bottom of the gui screen should show this name and the instrument should be in SETUP
• now go into experiment setup in DAE view and
• • in time channels, in time regime 1 put from 10.0 to 19900.0 step 10.0 with mode DT=C. If there are no boxes to fill in, this means the configuration has not switched to the one you saved above and the ISISDAE-IOC-01 process is not running
• • in data acquisition use the dropdown for wiring, detector and spectra to choose a file with the name "ibextest" in it e.g. wiring_ibextest.dat for wiring
• • Press the Apply button
• Now go back to main DAE view and press the "BEGIN RUN" button - you should get the instrument going into RUNNING
• Press Abort and you should go back into SETUP
• You can also open a python scripting window (scripting on left) and use g.begin() and g.abort() to do the same thing

Git clone (usually in c:\Instrument\Dev) the following utilities:

git clone https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/IBEX_device_generator.git
git clone https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/ibex_utils.git
git clone https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/ConfigChecker.git

The following are not strictly required for general IBEX development. They will be useful if you are on the project for > 1 year but otherwise probably not worth installing.

To add a shortcut to open an EPICS terminal using the context menu in Windows' file explorer, Run Command Prompt as Admin, navigate to EPICS in the Command Prompt, and type add_epics_context_menu.reg (from EPICS top) to run it as admin. This will add a registry key that will enable you to right click in an empty space in file explorer and open the directory in an EPICS terminal.

If you are supporting instruments it may be useful to download a VNC client. We have not settled on one that we all use but we have used:

• VNC Viewer (just the client) which is available here

(we have used tightVNC (just the client) in past which is available here)

It is recommended that developers only install this if they know that they will at some point be using a DAQ mx. If you do not do this step, you will be unable to run certain IOCs (e.g. riken power supplies, muon separator), and consequently some of their tests will fail.

Some IOCs depends on DAQMX binaries from national instruments. Go to http://sine.ni.com/psp/app/doc/p/id/psp-268 or if not go here https://www.ni.com/en-gb/support/downloads/drivers/download.ni-daqmx.html#311818 and download the latest DAQMX drivers. When installing, ensure you check the box to install DAQMX.

If you will be developing or reviewing code involved with Beckhoff PLCs you will need to install TwinCAT XAR. This can be found on the public share in installers. More information for simulating Beckhoffs can be found here. Note that XAR is the runtime that but for testing you will need the full setup which is the installer on the share