TVX

TVX is a control program for developing, operating and debugging x-ray detectors, though its principles could be adapted to a variety of instrument control problems. It has an unusually flexible command sequencer for taking compact, arbitrary operator input and generating a sequence of "atomic" commands that can be fed to cameras and other applications. Thus, it is especially useful for detector development.

TVX, and the hardware-specific camserver, are organized as a set of "core" commands and facilities that are common to all versions of the programs, and sets of installation-specific subdirectories which provide commands and facilities tailored to the specific installation. An organizing committee consisting of Eric F. Eikenberry (Paul Scherrer Institute, eric.eikenberry@psi.ch) and Mark Tate (Cornell University, mark@bigbro.biophys.cornell.edu) is responsible for the content, performance and maintenance of the core routines. All changes and new material for the core routines must be approved by the committee.

TVX runs best under SUSE Linux 10. It has a robust subsystem to display images and operate on them. Several "selection tools" (box, annulus, and butterfly) permit regions of interest to be selected, and their parameters passed back to the control program, where, for example, "integrate" can extract parameters. Similarly, parameters can be set in the control program (by programming, or from the keyboard) and will show up in the images as changes in selection tools, or drawn rectangles or polygons. A 4th selection on the tool menu draws 'resolution circles' on the image, and shares parameters in both directions with the control program.

On startup, TVX reads an optional resource file (first /usr/local/etc/tvxrc, then ./tvxrc, and then ~/.tvxrc), which can set several defaults and optionally turn on command logging.

PREREQUISITES

You will need lesstif (the original free motif; works better than OpenMotif) and netpbm, which is needed for image capture.
http://www.lesstif.org
http://download.sourceforge.net/netpbm

SETUP and INSTALLATION

• Download the file PILATUS.tar.gz and unpack it. The following directory structure appears inside the folder PILATUS:
  config, correct, docs, graphs, images, programs.
• Download the latest tvx-version.tgz and put it in the folder programs, than unpack it.
• Go into the new folder tvx-version and type make (this compiles the new version of tvx).
• Go one directory up to the folder programs and delete the old soft link tvx. Make a new soft link to the new directory tvx-version by typing ln -s tvx-version tvx.
• To start only TVX, run the script tvxonly from the directory PILATUS. To start TVX and CAMSERVER, run the script runtvx.

To get a version of TVX please contact Dr. Eric Eikenberry (eric.eikenberry@psi.ch).

MATLAB

Several MATLAB routines have been developed and made available by the X04SA surface diffraction beamline at the SLS. These are routines for analyzing and manipulating images acquired with a PILATUS 100K detector, plus a manual describing their usage. You can download these tools at the following site. Please read the manual, not least to see what the requirements are for MATLAB and the toolboxes. The routines are not guaranteed to be bug free or completely unambiguous. The authors are happy to be made aware of any errors/improvements, but they can't provide service for debugging the routines.