Raith is down until further notice. Problem: several nested interface problems to be resolved...

[James Conway]

Greetings,

During a user session this morning problems were encountered with the 
IEEE-488 interface and other communications busses between the RAITH 
computer and the RAITH hardware.  (IEEE-488 read errors)
Specifically there was a problem with the interface that controls the 
X-Y stage and the switching of the Laser to the optical coders used to 
sense the Z height of the stage.  Initially this resulted in a Load Lock 
error (5) i.e.. typically a hard hardware failure of the worse kind.  I 
was able to clear that error and get the system to load and then ran 
into problems with the encoders...

I spent the entire afternoon troubleshooting and have cleared up several 
nested problems that resulted from a loss of  stage control and then 
again a subsequent loss of the IEE-488 interface.  After reestablishing 
IEEE communications, I have been unable to reestablish control between 
the laser and coders on the system, preventing load/unload functionality 
as well as re-calibration of the stage. explicitly (FIND HOME 
POSITIONS)  This also prevents unloading the system.

Raith has been SMS'd and we will pick this up again in the morning.

I am sorry I cannot get the system back up for this evening, and for the 
delay in your EBL work.
System in red light mode and shut down until further notice.

Thank you,

James Conway