Using TIGER

Turning CPU on

    This is done automatically by turning on the 28-volt power supply when the charge-controller and solar panels are not installed.  If the monitor is hooked up to the onboard PC-104 stack, you see a 10-second countdown and then the flight program starts automatically.  NSBF has the ability to send a discrete command to turn the CPU on and off.  With a keyboard hooked up to the PC-104 stack, the flight program can be started by typing “flight” and halted by typing “shift-q”.

Sending commands / receiving data

    If you are in Line-Of-Sight (LOS) mode, you need to be logged in to the TIGERLDB machine to send commands and see data coming in.  If you are in TDRSS mode, you need to be logged in to TIGERLDB3.

Starting the GSE



1.  Open a terminal and type "gse" at the tigerldb prompt (or tigerldb3 prompt in TDRSS mode) and wait as the program loads.
2.  A command window (runcmd####) and acquisition window (runacq####) will open followed by these windows:


a)  cal evts


For looking at pedestal calibrations and light (LED) calibrations.
Pedcals are given a header of “bef2” in the data stream, lightcals are given a header of “bef3”


b)  real data


For looking at real data / and flash calibrations (“bef1”).  Flash calibrations are different from lightcals in that the instrument gets its coincidence from an actual flash of light from the LEDs in the detectors that are used for coincidence, whereas coincidence is forced during lightcals.


c)  sensor hsk


For looking at temperatures, voltages, and currents in the instrument.


d)  misc hsk


For looking at discriminator, LED and external DAC levels, as well as the status of coincidence in the instrument.


e)  scalar hsk


For looking at instrument scalars


f)  replies


For looking at replies from commands sent to the instrument


g)  params hsk


Rates and others


h) anita


This window is for ANITA replies


i) storctl


These buttons can be clicked to change the run and / or file where the data is being stored.


j)  idlabel


Tells whether or not you are running in LOS mode (tigerldb) or TDRSS mode (tigerldb3)


3.  When the flight program starts, it comes up with VME racks turned on.  If for any reason they need to be turned on:


141 turns VME racks on
133 turns VME racks off


4.  Now the high-voltage power supplies need to be turned on.


138 turns 12 V supply to HVPS on
130 turns 12 V supply to HVPS off


5.  Now turn on the individual high voltages.


135 to choose power supply


0)  S2A set to 900 V
1)  S2B set to 900 V
2)  S3 set to 900 V
3)  S1A set to 900 V
4)  DO NOT SET
5)  HBY-1 set to 750 V
6)  Use only when HBY-2 backup supply is on
7)  HBX-1 set to 750 V
8)  Use only when HBX-2 backup supply is on
13)  DO NOT SET
14)  S4 set to 1100V
15)  S1 B set to 900 V
16)  C0A set to 1100 V
17)  C0B set to 1100 V
18)  C1A set to 1000 V
19)  C1B set to 1000 V
20)  HTX-1 set to 850 V
21)  Use only when HTX-2 backup supply is on
22)  HTY-1 set to 850 V
23)  Use only when HTY-2 backup supply is on
24)  DO NOT SET
25)  DO NOT SET
26)  DO NOT SET
During this process, it is a good idea to make sure that the supplies are turning on properly.  Do a sensor housekeeping.


154 and then 5 to refresh the sensor hsk window.  This automatically resfreshes every 4 minutes.
  • Each of the four hodoscope planes have two power supplies, a primary (1) and a backup (2).  If for any reason one of the planes needs to be switched to its backup supply:


179 and then 0 to turn off all external DACs
       This also turns off all the calibration LEDs!
130 to turn off 12 V supplies to HVPS
143 to select a different hodoscope supply
       Then turn on the high voltages again as described above in 3)


  • If LEDs are set to zero:


171 to choose LED amplitudes


S set to 3500
C0 set to 2100
C1 set to 2340
H set to 2370


6.  Make sure that the LED amplitudes are set properly:


154 and then 6 to refresh the misc hsk window.  This automatically refreshes every 15 minutes.


7.  If for any reason the LED widths need to be reset:


170 to choose LED widths


0)  S1 set to 48 ns
1)  S2 set to 48 ns
2)  S3 set to 48 ns
3)  S4 set to 48 ns
4)  C0 set to 44 ns
5)  C1 set to 44 ns
6)  HA1 set to 32 ns
7)  HA2 set to 20 ns
8)  HB1 set to 20 ns
9)  HB2 set to 32 ns


8.  Make sure that the LED widths are set properly:


154 and then 6 to refresh the misc hsk window.  This automatically refreshes every 15 minutes.

Doing light and pedestal calibrations



1.  To do a pedestal calibration (bef2):


186 and then 2, then choose the number of events to take, and then the delay between each coincidence.  
It is a good idea to put a delay of around 30-50 ms between each event so that the system can recover after each hit.


2.  To do a light calibration (bef3):


186 and then 3, then choose the number of events to take, and then the delay between each coincidence.  
It is a good idea to put a delay of around 30-50 ms between each event so that the system can recover after each hit.


3.  To do a flash calibration (bef1):


186 and then 0, then choose the number of events to take, and then the delay between each coincidence.  
It is a good idea to put a delay of around 30-50 ms between each event so that the system can recover after each hit.


  • Coincidence bits are set now for (S1 OR S2) AND (S3 OR S4).


To change coincidence:
174 to disable coincidence in certain detectors
134 to enable coincidnce in certain detectors
Set 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 to arrive at (S1 OR S2) AND (S3 OR S4).
The coincidence bit pattern for this setting in the misc hsk window is "0270".


  • For organizational purposes, it is a good idea to put marks in the data stream to delineate where certain data was taken:


159 and then put in a number
The standard is as follows:


Each time a MARK is put in the datastream during a test, enter a MARK corresponding to St. Louis time (ex. say you do 250 pedestal calibrations during run 00101 at 4:30 PM Central Time, enter a MARK 1630 in the datastream before sending the pedestal cal command.  Then, after it is over, say two minutes later, enter a MARK 1632).  We should try to start new runs as often as possible.  At the end of each shift, the operator should send an email out to everyone explaining which run the data was stored to, what commands were sent and the corresponding MARKs.
MARK 9999 will be for important changes / emergencies, etc.

Turning the instrument off



1.  Turn all of the high-voltage power supplies off:


179 and then 0 to turn off all external DACs.
130 to turn off 12 V supply to HVPS.
133 to turn off VME racks.


  • It is a good idea to to sensor housekeepings during this process to make sure that the instrument is powering down properly::


154 and then 5 to refresh the sensor hsk window.


2.  Now the 28-volt power supply can be turned off.
3.  To turn off the GSE program, type "shift-q" in the runcmd#### window and follow the instructions.
Click a "Quit" button on one of the cal, real or housekeeping windows (this will turn all of these windows off).  
Click "Quit" on the storctl window and close the runacq#### window.