SATAN Introduction
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| Biophysics
| SATAN long write-up
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Introduction
SATAN is
a command-line oriented progam for evaluation and analysis of experimental
data taken in list mode (event-by-event).
The main "customers" are small experiments with parameter numbers
in the hundreds or less,
and moderate requirements for event-by-event data reduction.
A typical high-energy physics experiment would not fit into this category.
Data objects
The most important data objects
SATAN (System to Analyze Tremendeous Amounts of
Nuclear Data) can handle are
- List mode data
which are taken with GSI's current or former data acquisition systems
such as the
Single Branch System (SBS), Multiple Branch System (MBS) and EDAS
- Analyzers
which comprise spectrum (histogram) with up to 4 dimensions,
conditions, windows and points.
Due to the huge space requirements
these data are usually in binary (non-ASCII) format.
Data flow and analysis
The main sources of list mode data are
running data acquisition setups (online mode), disk or tape files.
The data are reduced by feeding them into a user-written analysis
program,
where they are processed and accumulated in analyzers.
SATAN works in multithreading mode, that is,
data I/O and analysis runs as a task or thread separate from
command-driven actions. The user has full control over the system
while data events are coming in.
To support user analysis programming a set of macros is supplied.
They
are resolved into plain C code by means of a special preprocessor.
The basic idea is that as much internal information as possible is hidden
from the user, who needs only to supply an analysis program for listmode
analysis.
Commands on the shell level support preprocessing, compiling and
linking of user analysis programs.
Spectra processing
If only spectra are to be processed, SATAN
can be used also without an own analysis routine.
Spectra can be manipulated, fitted, stored in (and retrieved from)
data element libraries
and exported to other evaluation systems.
Spectra can be visualized in one or two dimensions and
data can be presented with various symbols, connecting lines, linewidths and colours.
A function fitting package is attached to allow least squares optimization
of builtin and user defined functions.
Graphics
Graphics output can be on any X-server for display or PostScript printers for paper copies.
Encapsulated PostScript files can be used later in word processors like
TeX.
At present SATAN isn't
designed to produce publication-ready graphs, it is meant as a tool for data reduction
from listmode to spectrum data.
Please use the export facilities to create data for "nice" data plotting programs such as
gd.
Command interface
SATAN sessions are usually invoked in foreground
at the shell level, thus
allowing interactive data evaluation.
Background batch execution is also supported.
SATAN supports command scripts so that batch execution is possible
by grouping several commands in a single script file which can readily
be executed rather than typing individual commands.
Historically SATAN once ran
on GSI's MVS mainframe computer.
Hence legacy data and script files (with slight modifications) can be
recycled.
Availability
SATAN is available for a variety of platforms:
- IBM RS/6000 (AIX )
- x86 (Linux)
- Amiga 68k (AmigaOS,experimental)
Versions for other operating systems depend on demand.
At GSI, SATAN is currently installed on the central AIX and Linux computers
in the /usr/local/mk/SATAN/ directory.
For use outside GSI an export package (tar'ed and compressed) is available
on GSI's ftp server or
here.
It comprises the executable, shell scripts,
tutorial data and documentation in HTML and system specific format.
| GSI
| Biophysics
| SATAN long write-up
|
Last updated: M.Kraemer@gsi.de,
7-Jul-2005
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