pixie16.c-library-sdk module

Interface to C-library function provided by XIA.

The interface to python is provided by the ctypes library.

Currently calling the XIA C-library functions is only supported on Windows. Adding Linux support should be relatively straight forward though (just changing the ctype loading of the library).

We provide access to all XIA functions and try to provide a more pythonic interface. This include providing our own names for the functions (mostly just removing the Pixie16 in front and converting from CamelCase to lower case seperated by underscores).

This file only includes the functions that are in XIA’s library and a very few helper functions. We see these as more low level functions and build our own set of python function on top of these in control.py that automate several aspects, e.g. providing information from a config file, etc. See config.py for more details. There should be no need for the user to call any of the functions in here directly.

XIA’s code can be found here:

https://github.com/xiallc/pixie_sdk

Their document can be accessed here:

https://docs.pixie16.xia.com/

This is based on version 3.3a2 of XIA’s SDK.

Here is the list of supported functions and their names in our package:

Functions

SDK name

python name

Pixie16AcquireADCTrace, Pixie16ReadSglChanADCTrace

acquire_adc_trace

Pixie16AdjustOffsets

adjust_offsets

Pixie16BLcutFinder

baseline_cut_finder

Pixie16BootModule

boot_module

Pixie16CheckExternalFIFOStatus

check_external_FIFO_status

Pixie16CheckRunStatus

check_run_status

Pixi16CopyDSPParameters

copy_DSP_parameters

Pixie16EndRun

end_run

Pixie16ExitSystem

exit_system

Pixie16InitSystem

init_system

Pixie16LoadDSPParametersFromFile

load_dsp_parameters_from_file

Pixie16ReadDataFromExternalFIFO

read_data_from_external_FIFO

Pixie16ReadHistogramFromModule

read_histogram_from_module

Pixie16ReadModuleInfo

read_module_info

Pixie16ReadSglChanBaselines, Pixie16AcquireBaselines

read_baselines

Pixie16ReadSglChanPar

read_single_channel_parameter

Pixie16ReadSglModPar

read_single_module_parameter

Pixie16ReadStatisticsFromModule, Pixie16GetStatisticsSize, Pixie16ComputeRealTime, Pixie16ComputeLiveTime, Pixie16ComputeRawInputCount, Pixie16ComputeInputCountRate, Pixie16ComputeRawOutputCount, Pixie16ComputeOutputCountRate

read_statistics_from_module

Pixie16SaveDSPParametersToFile

save_dsp_parameters_as_json

Pixie16SetDACs

set_DACs

Pixie16StartHistogramRun

start_histogram_run

Pixie16StartListModeRun

start_list_mode_run

Pixie16TauFinder

tau_finder

Pixie16WriteSglChanPar

write_single_channel_parameter

Pixie16WriteSglModPar

write_single_module_parameter

XIA’s library provides several other functions that we do not expose direclty, but use in some of our calls. For example, acquire_adc_trace include the XIA call to set up the measurement.

pixie16.C_library_sdk.acquire_adc_trace(module: int) → list[numpy.ndarray]

Collects ADC traces for all 16 channels in a specific module.

Parameters:

module – Module number to collect traces from

Returns:

list containing 16 traces as numpy arrays

Return type:

List[np.ndarray]

pixie16.C_library_sdk.adjust_offsets(module: int) → None

Executes the adjust_offsets control task for a module.

Parameters:

module – Module number to collect traces from

pixie16.C_library_sdk.baseline_cut_finder(module: int, channel: int) → None

Find an appropriate baseline cuts for a channel in a module.

Parameters:

  • module – Module number

  • channel – Channel number

pixie16.C_library_sdk.boot_module(DSPParFile: Path, ComFPGAConfigFile: Path, SPFPGAConfigFile: Path, DSPCodeFile: Path, DSPVarFile: Path, ModNum: int, BootPattern: int = 127, verbose: bool = False) → None

Boot the module(s).

See page 13 of the programming manual.

Parameters:

  • ComFPGAConfigFile – config file found under Firmware

  • SPFPGAConfigFile – config file found under Firmware

  • DSPCodeFile – config file found under DSP

  • DSPParFile – config file found under Configuration

  • DSPVarFile – config file found under DSP

  • ModNum – location of module you want to boot (either 0,…,k-1 for individual modules or k for all modules) if None, check global modules variable to boot all modules

  • BootPattern – boot pattern mask. 0x7F to boot all on-board chips.

  • verbose – print out what firmware we are using

Returns:

return True on success and False on error

Return type:

bool

pixie16.C_library_sdk.check_external_FIFO_status(module: int) → int

Read how many 32bit words are available in the FIFO of a specific module.

Parameters:

module – module number

Returns:

number of 32 bit words available

Return type:

int

pixie16.C_library_sdk.check_run_status(module: int) → bool

Check the run status of a module.

See page 17 in the manual.

Parameters:

module – module number

Returns:

True if run is still ongoing, False if not and None on error.

Return type:

bool or None

pixie16.C_library_sdk.converter_IEEE754_to_ulong(x: float) → <MagicMock id='139778606259536'>

Converts a floating point number to a 32 bit integers representation.

pixie16.C_library_sdk.converter_ulong_to_IEEE754(x: <MagicMock id='139778607253840'>) → float

Converts a 32bit integer into a float.

pixie16.C_library_sdk.end_run(module: int) → None

End the current measurement run in a specific module.

Parameters:

module – module number

pixie16.C_library_sdk.exit_system(module: int) → None

Release resources used by the modules before exiting the application.

For k modules, the number is either 0,…,k-1 for individual modules or k for all modules.

Parameters:

module – module number

pixie16.C_library_sdk.init_system(modules: list[int] | None = None, offline_mode: bool = False, verbose: bool = True) → None

Initialize the system.

Parameters:

  • modules – array containing the slot numbers of each module

  • offline_mode – specify to use online or offline mode

  • verbose – if True, print more output

Returns:

returns True if system initialized or False otherwise

Return type:

bool

pixie16.C_library_sdk.load_dsp_parameters_from_file(filename: Path) → None

Read the DSP parameter from either an old .set file or a json file.

Parameters:

filename – DSP parameter file (either old .set or new .json)

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_baselines(module: int) → list[list[numpy.ndarray]]

Acquire and read back baselines for all channels in a module.

Parameters:

module – The module number

Returns:

Baselines for each channels in the module

Return type:

List[np.ndarray]

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_data_from_external_FIFO(module: int, words: int) → numpy.ndarray

Read data in 32bit words from module N.

Parameters:

  • module – module number

  • words – number of words to read

Returns:

numpy array of 32 bit words (unsigned integers 32bit)

Return type:

np.ndarray

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_histogram_from_module(module: int, channel: int, N: int = 32768) → numpy.ndarray

Read a single channel histogram from the module.

Parameters:

  • module – module number

  • channel – channel in module

  • N – number of bins in the histogram, by default 32768

Returns:

1D-numpy array with the histogram data

Return type:

np.ndarray

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_module_info(module: int) → dict

Read the module information.

Parameters:

  • module – The module number

  • Results

  • -------

  • dict – dictionary with serial number, revision and other information

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_single_channel_parameter(channel_parameter_name: str, module: int, channel: int, convert_bit_pattern: bool = True) → list[bool] | float

Read a parameter in one channel in a module.

See pg. 51 of the programmers manual for a list of parameters available.

Parameters:

  • channel_parameter_name – parameter name

  • module – module number

  • channel – channel number

Returns:

Returns the value as floating number or for bitmasks as list of bools

Return type:

float or List[bools]

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_single_module_parameter(module_parameter_name: str, module: int, convert_bit_pattern: bool | None = False) → int | float | list[bool]

Read a parameter in one module.

See pg. 53 of the programmers manual for a list of parameters available.

Parameters:

  • module_parameter_name – parameter name

  • module – module number

Returns:

The value of the parameter

Return type:

int or float

pixie16.C_library_sdk.read_statistics_from_module(module: int) → dict

Read statistics from a module.

Parameters:

module – module number

Returns:

Return stats for one module

Return type:

dict

pixie16.C_library_sdk.save_dsp_parameters_as_json(filename: Path) → None

Save the current DSP parameters to a file.

Uses the new json style.

Parameters:

Filename – DSP parameter file name (with complete path)

pixie16.C_library_sdk.set_DACs(module: int) → None

Update voltage offsets from the current setting

The new setting already needs to be set. This just activates it.

Parameters:

module – the module that will be updated

pixie16.C_library_sdk.start_histogram_run(module: int, resume: bool = False) → None

Start an MCA run in a module.

Parameters:

  • module – module number 0,…, k-1 to start individual modules, k to start all modules

  • resume – Resume the run or clear old histograms

pixie16.C_library_sdk.start_list_mode_run(module: int, resume: bool = False) → None

Start a list mode run in one channel in a module.

Parameters:

  • module – module number 0,…, k-1 to start individual modules, k to start all modules

  • resume – If False erase histogram and statistics information

pixie16.C_library_sdk.tau_finder(module: int) → numpy.ndarray

Find the decay constants.

Parameters:

module – module number

Returns:

The values of the decay constant for each channel, -1 if no tau has been found

Return type:

np.ndarray

pixie16.C_library_sdk.write_single_channel_parameter(channel_parameter_name: str, channel_parameter_data: int | float | Iterable[bool], module: int, channel: int) → None

Change a parameter in one channel in a module.

See pg. 67 of the programmers manual for a list of parameters available.

Parameters:

  • channel_parameter_name – parameter name

  • channel_parameter_data – value of the parameter you wish to set

  • module – module number

  • channel – channel number

pixie16.C_library_sdk.write_single_module_parameter(module_parameter_name: str, module_parameter_data: int | float | list[bool], module: int) → None

Change a parameter in one module.

See pg. 69 of the programmers manual for a list of parameters available.

Parameters:

  • module_parameter_name – parameter name

  • module_parameter_data – value of the parameter you wish to set

  • module – module number