IOC Software Configuration Management

Module Owner:: Goetz Pfeiffer

This page is the home of the EPICS Pezca module, which provides channel access support for the perl scripting language. Pezca is based on the easy channel access (ezca) library which is part of the EPICS extensions. Pezca implements interfaces to the most important functions of ezca. Support of all ezca functions will come in future versions.

This site contains links for the source code of the software and information on how to install and use it on your system.
Please email any comments and bug reports to Goetz Pfeiffer who is responsible for coordinating development and releases.

Hardware Supported

The module supports the following platforms / operating systems:

HP-UX HP-Workstations with the HP-UX operating system
Solaris Sun-Workstations with the Solaris operating system
Linux PC's with the Linux operating system
Windows NT PC's with Microsoft Windows NT

Where to Find it

You can download the software by HTTP from HZB directly from the links in the table below:

Module Version	uses EPICS Release	Filename	Remarks
0.1	3.13.1	Pezca-0.1.tar.gz	support for more ezca data-types more ezca functions
0.2	3.13.3	Pezca-0.2.tar.gz	support for Windows NT was added. Notes for the Windows NT-Version: * the port is not yet thoroughly tested * Microsoft C-Compiler is needed * "nmake" is needed
0.3	3.13.5	Pezca-0.3.tar.gz	based on the new EPICS version. Notes for the Windows NT-Version: * the port is not yet thoroughly tested * "UDP" Errors are harmless. They disappear, when the carepeater program is started * Microsoft C-Compiler is needed * "nmake" is needed
0.3.1	3.13.5	Pezca-0.3.1.tar.gz	based on the new EPICS version. small bugfixes that fix errors on Linux Notes for the Windows NT-Version: * the port is not yet thoroughly tested * "UDP" Errors are harmless. They disappear, when the carepeater program is started * Microsoft C-Compiler is needed * "nmake" is needed
0.3.2	3.13.5	Pezca-0.3.2.tar.gz	new configuration system, otherwise identical to version 0.3.1
0.3.3	newer than 3.13.4	Pezca-0.3.3.tar.gz	new configuration system. This version requires an installed EPICS Base and an ezca library (usually installed in the EPICS-Extensions directory.). Thanks to Sergey Stepanov for providing the first version of this.
0.4	newer than 3.13.4	Pezca-0.4.tar.gz	bugfixes in list functions, stand-alone and on-top. This version combines both, the stand-alone version of Pezca which contains all parts of channel access and ezca and the "on top" version which requires an installed EPICS base and ezca library. The user can select which of the two versions he wants to install (see README file). Several errors in PutList were fixed.
0.5	newer than 3.13.4	Pezca-0.5.tar.gz	The functions Perror() and GetErrorString were implemented. They call the corresponding ezca functions.

Required Modules

Pezca requires the perl-scripting language to be installed on your system. Perl sources and binaries can be downloaded at the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network CPAN.

Your system should also support the compilation of perl modules, which is usually no problem on a UNIX like systems where perl is installed.

Note that the Pezca module contains all necessary source-files from the EPICS distribution. It can be compiled even when no other parts of EPICS are installed on your system. A possible disadvantage of this is that it does never use any parts of an installed EPICS distribution since it is self-contained.

Site Installation and Building

After obtaining a copy of the distribution, it must be installed and built for use at your site. If you have a UNIX-like operating system, you have to decide first wether you want a local or global installation. For Windows NT, you should always select a global installation.

For a global installation you usually have to be "root" (or "administrator" on Windows NT) on your system. All users on your system can then use Pezca.

For a local installation you do not need to be "root" and your installation goes into an arbitrary directory. If other users want to use Pezca, you have to set access-permissions on files and directories accordingly.

Global Installation:

Select a directory where the distribution can be unpacked.
Unpack the distribution tar file. This produces a "Pezca-<version>" directory named after the release number.
Now execute the following commands:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

Local Installation:

Choose a directory where the distribution can be unpacked.
Unpack the distribution tar file. This produces a "Pezca-<version>" directory named after the release number.
Select or create a directory where your locally installed perl modules go: "<perldir>"
Now execute the following commands:
perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=<perldir>
make
make test
make install

Please email Goetz Pfeiffer so he can keep track of which sites are using this software.

Using the Module

The usage of the installed perl module depends on your type of installation:

Global Installation:

Add the following near the top of your perl script:

	use Pezca;

Local Installation:

Your can either define environment variables (the following are the shell commands):

	export PATH=${PATH}:<perldir>/bin
	export PERL5LIB=<perldir>/lib/site_perl 
	export MANPATH=${MANPATH}:<perldir>/man

	use Pezca;

or you use the following statements in your script which are independent on environment variables:

	use lib "<perldir>/lib/site_perl";
	use Pezca;

Documentation

The following documentation is available:

README: part of the distribution tar-file
Changes: Release notes, part of the distribution tar-file
Pezca.3: The Pezca man-page, generated by make

man-page

In Use

This software was originally developed by Goetz Pfeiffer at HZB, a synchrotron radiation facility in Berlin, Germany.

It is used at the following EPICS sites:

HZB undulators

tclient

Goetz Pfeiffer