API Reference¶

Complete reference for pacsys functions, classes, and types.

Simple API¶

These functions use a global backend that is automatically initialized on first use.

`pacsys.read(device, timeout=None)` ¶

Read a single device value using the global DPM backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`device`	`DeviceSpec`	DRF string or Device object	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout for entire operation in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`Value`	The device value (float, numpy array, string, etc.)

Raises:

Type	Description
`ValueError`	If DRF syntax is invalid
`DeviceError`	If the read returns no usable data
`ReadError`	On transport-level failures (connection refused, timeout, etc.)

Note

Even if DRF specifies periodic event (@p,1000), only FIRST reading is returned. Use subscribe() for continuous data.

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads. Each call borrows a connection from the shared pool for the duration of the operation.

`pacsys.get(device, timeout=None)` ¶

Read a single device with full metadata using the global DPM backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`device`	`DeviceSpec`	DRF string or Device object	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout for operation in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`Reading`	Reading object with value, status, timestamp, and metadata.
`Reading`	Check `reading.ok` before using the value; `is_error` and
`Reading`	`is_warning` classify nonzero statuses.

Raises:

Type	Description
`ValueError`	If DRF syntax is invalid

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads.

`pacsys.get_many(devices, timeout=None)` ¶

Read multiple devices in a single batch using the global DPM backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`devices`	`list[DeviceSpec]`	List of DRF strings or Device objects (can mix)	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout for entire batch in seconds (not per-device)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[Reading]`	List of Reading objects in same order as input.

Raises:

Type	Description
`ReadError`	On transport failure (timeout, connection drop). Partial results are available via `exc.readings`.
`ValueError`	If any DRF syntax is invalid (before network I/O)

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads.

`pacsys.read_many(devices, timeout=None)` ¶

Read multiple device values in a single batch using the devices' bound backend, or the global backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`devices`	`list[DeviceSpec]`	List of DRF strings or Device objects (can mix)	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout for entire batch in seconds (not per-device)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[Value]`	List of values in same order as input (float, numpy array, string, etc.)

Raises:

Type	Description
`ReadError`	If any reading is unusable (ACNET error or missing value), or on transport failure. Partial results via `exc.readings`.
`ValueError`	If any DRF syntax is invalid (before network I/O)

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads.

`pacsys.write(device, value, timeout=None)` ¶

Write a single device value using the devices' bound backend, or the global backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`device`	`DeviceSpec`	DRF string or Device object	required
`value`	`Value`	Value to write. BasicControl values target the CONTROL property (a bare device name is retargeted; SETTING is never used).	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout in seconds	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`WriteResult`	WriteResult with status

Raises:

Type	Description
`AuthenticationError`	If no auth configured (use configure(auth=...))
`DeviceError`	If the write fails

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads.

`pacsys.write_many(settings, timeout=None)` ¶

Write multiple device values in a single batch using the devices' bound backend, or the global backend.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`settings`	`WriteSettings`	List of (device, value) tuples, or a dict mapping device -> value	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total timeout for entire batch in seconds	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[WriteResult]`	List of WriteResult objects in same order as input.

Raises:

Type	Description
`AuthenticationError`	If no auth configured (use configure(auth=...))

Thread Safety

Safe to call from multiple threads.

`pacsys.subscribe(drfs, callback=None, on_error=None)` ¶

Subscribe to devices for streaming using the global DPM backend.

Creates subscriptions that immediately start receiving data. The handle can be used as a context manager for automatic cleanup.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`drfs`	`list[DeviceSpec]`	List of device request strings or Device objects (with events, e.g. "M:OUTTMP@p,1000")	required
`callback`	`ReadingCallback \| None`	Optional function called for each reading, receives (reading, handle). If provided, readings are pushed to the callback on the receiver thread. If None, use handle.readings() to iterate over readings.	`None`
`on_error`	`ErrorCallback \| None`	Optional function called when a connection error occurs, receives (exception, handle). If not provided, errors are raised during iteration or logged in callback mode.	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`SubscriptionHandle`	SubscriptionHandle for managing this subscription

Example (callback mode): def on_reading(reading, handle): print(f"{reading.name}: {reading.value}") if reading.value > 100: handle.stop()

handle = pacsys.subscribe(["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"], callback=on_reading)
time.sleep(10)
handle.stop()
pacsys.shutdown()

Example (iterator mode): with pacsys.subscribe(["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"]) as sub: for reading, handle in sub.readings(timeout=10): print(f"{reading.name}: {reading.value}") if reading.value > 10: sub.stop() pacsys.shutdown()

Example (with error handler): def on_error(exc, handle): print(f"Connection error: {exc}")

handle = pacsys.subscribe(
    ["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"],
    callback=on_reading,
    on_error=on_error,
)

`pacsys.configure(*, dpm_host=_UNSET, dpm_port=_UNSET, pool_size=_UNSET, default_timeout=_UNSET, devdb_host=_UNSET, devdb_port=_UNSET, backend=_UNSET, auth=_UNSET, role=_UNSET)` ¶

Configure pacsys global settings.

Can be called at any time. If a backend is already initialized, it will be automatically shut down before applying the new settings. Pass None to clear a previously set value (falls back to environment variable or default).

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`dpm_host`	`str \| _Unset \| None`	DPM proxy hostname (default: from PACSYS_DPM_HOST or acsys-proxy.fnal.gov)	`_UNSET`
`dpm_port`	`int \| _Unset \| None`	DPM proxy port (default: from PACSYS_DPM_PORT or 6802)	`_UNSET`
`pool_size`	`int \| _Unset \| None`	Connection pool size (default: from PACSYS_POOL_SIZE or 4)	`_UNSET`
`default_timeout`	`float \| _Unset \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds (default: from PACSYS_TIMEOUT or 5.0)	`_UNSET`
`devdb_host`	`str \| _Unset \| None`	DevDB gRPC hostname (default: from PACSYS_DEVDB_HOST or ad-services.fnal.gov)	`_UNSET`
`devdb_port`	`int \| _Unset \| None`	DevDB gRPC port (default: from PACSYS_DEVDB_PORT or 443; TLS unless PACSYS_DEVDB_TLS=0)	`_UNSET`
`backend`	`str \| _Unset \| None`	Backend type - one of "dpm", "grpc", "dmq", "acl" (default: "dpm")	`_UNSET`
`auth`	`Auth \| str \| _Unset \| None`	Authentication object (KerberosAuth or JWTAuth) for writes, or "krb" as shortcut for KerberosAuth()	`_UNSET`
`role`	`str \| _Unset \| None`	Role for authenticated operations (e.g., "testing"); DPM backend only	`_UNSET`

Raises:

Type	Description
`ValueError`	If a supplied value or backend/auth/role combination is invalid.

`pacsys.shutdown()` ¶

Close and release the global lazy-initialized backend and DevDB client.

The global backend is automatically closed on interpreter exit via atexit, so explicit shutdown() is only needed to reset state mid-process (e.g., between tests or before re-configuring).

After shutdown(), the next read/get call will re-initialize the backend using existing configuration from configure(). Configuration is preserved across shutdown/re-init cycles -- use configure() to change settings.

Safe to call multiple times or when no backend is initialized.

Backend Factories¶

Create explicit backend instances for more control.

`pacsys.dpm(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

Create a DPM backend instance with its own connection pool.

Delegates to dpm_http(). Each subscribe() call creates its own TCP connection, allowing independent subscriptions.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`host`	`str \| None`	DPM proxy hostname (default: acsys-proxy.fnal.gov)	`None`
`port`	`int \| None`	DPM proxy port (default: 6802)	`None`
`pool_size`	`int \| None`	Connection pool size for one-shot reads (default: 4)	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`
`auth`	`Auth \| None`	Authentication object (KerberosAuth for writes)	`None`
`role`	`str \| None`	Optional role for authenticated operations (e.g., "testing")	`None`
`dispatch_mode`	`DispatchMode`	How streaming callbacks are dispatched (default: WORKER)	`WORKER`

Returns:

Type	Description
`DPMHTTPBackend`	DPMHTTPBackend instance (use as context manager or call close() when done)

Example (read-only): with pacsys.dpm() as backend: temp = backend.read("M:OUTTMP")

Example (authenticated writes): auth = KerberosAuth() with pacsys.dpm(auth=auth, role="testing") as backend: print(f"Authenticated as: {backend.principal}") result = backend.write("M:OUTTMP", 72.5)

`pacsys.grpc(host=None, port=None, auth=None, timeout=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

Create a gRPC backend instance.

Uses the DAQ gRPC service for reads and writes. Writes require JWT authentication.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`host`	`str \| None`	gRPC server hostname (env: PACSYS_GRPC_HOST, default: dce08.fnal.gov)	`None`
`port`	`int \| None`	gRPC server port (env: PACSYS_GRPC_PORT, default: 50051)	`None`
`auth`	`Auth \| None`	Authentication object (JWTAuth for writes). If None, tries PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN env.	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`
`dispatch_mode`	`DispatchMode`	How streaming callbacks are dispatched (default: WORKER)	`WORKER`

Returns:

Type	Description
`GRPCBackend`	GRPCBackend instance (use as context manager or call close() when done)

Raises:

Type	Description
`ImportError`	If grpc package is not installed

Example (read-only): with pacsys.grpc() as backend: temp = backend.read("M:OUTTMP")

Example (with JWT): auth = JWTAuth(token="eyJ...") with pacsys.grpc(auth=auth) as backend: print(f"Authenticated as: {backend.principal}") result = backend.write("M:OUTTMP", 72.5)

Example (token from environment): # export PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN="eyJ..." with pacsys.grpc() as backend: if backend.authenticated: print(f"Authenticated as: {backend.principal}")

`pacsys.dmq(host=None, port=None, timeout=None, auth=None, write_session_ttl=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

Create a DMQ backend instance (RabbitMQ/AMQP).

Uses RabbitMQ to communicate with ACNET via the DMQ server. Requires Kerberos authentication for ALL operations (including reads).

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`host`	`str \| None`	RabbitMQ broker hostname (default: from PACSYS_DMQ_HOST or appsrv2.fnal.gov)	`None`
`port`	`int \| None`	RabbitMQ broker port (default: from PACSYS_DMQ_PORT or 5672)	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds (default: 10.0)	`None`
`auth`	`Auth \| None`	KerberosAuth required for all DMQ operations	`None`
`write_session_ttl`	`float \| None`	Idle timeout for write sessions in seconds (default: 600)	`None`
`dispatch_mode`	`DispatchMode`	How streaming callbacks are dispatched (default: WORKER)	`WORKER`

Returns:

Type	Description
`DMQBackend`	DMQBackend instance (use as context manager or call close() when done)

Raises:

Type	Description
`AuthenticationError`	If auth is not provided or not KerberosAuth
`ImportError`	If pika or gssapi packages are not installed

Example

auth = KerberosAuth() with pacsys.dmq(auth=auth) as backend: temp = backend.read("M:OUTTMP") result = backend.write("Z:ACLTST", 45.0)

`pacsys.acl(base_url=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Create an ACL backend instance (read-only, no streaming, no auth).

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`base_url`	`str \| None`	ACL CGI base URL (default: https://www-bd.fnal.gov/cgi-bin/acl.pl)	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`ACLBackend`	ACLBackend instance

Example

with pacsys.acl() as backend: temp = backend.read("M:OUTTMP") reading = backend.get("M:OUTTMP") readings = backend.get_many(["M:OUTTMP", "G:AMANDA"])

`pacsys.dpm_http(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

Create a DPM HTTP backend with independent streaming subscriptions.

This backend uses the TCP/PC protocol to communicate with DPM. Each subscribe() call creates its own TCP connection, allowing truly independent subscriptions that can be started/stopped individually.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`host`	`str \| None`	DPM proxy hostname (default: acsys-proxy.fnal.gov)	`None`
`port`	`int \| None`	DPM proxy port (default: 6802)	`None`
`pool_size`	`int \| None`	Connection pool size for reads (default: 4)	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Default operation timeout in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`
`auth`	`Auth \| None`	Authentication object (KerberosAuth for writes)	`None`
`role`	`str \| None`	Role for authenticated operations (e.g., "testing")	`None`
`dispatch_mode`	`DispatchMode`	How streaming callbacks are dispatched (default: WORKER)	`WORKER`

Returns:

Type	Description
`DPMHTTPBackend`	DPMHTTPBackend instance

Example (multiple independent subscriptions): with pacsys.dpm_http() as backend: sub1 = backend.subscribe(["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"]) sub2 = backend.subscribe(["G:AMANDA@p,500"])

    # Stopping sub1 doesn't affect sub2
    sub1.stop()

    for reading, _ in sub2.readings(timeout=10):
        print(f"{reading.name}: {reading.value}")

Clients and Servers¶

`pacsys.DevDBClient` ¶

Synchronous gRPC client for DevDB device metadata queries.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`host`	`str \| None`	DevDB gRPC server hostname (default: from PACSYS_DEVDB_HOST or ad-services.fnal.gov)	`None`
`port`	`int \| None`	DevDB gRPC server port (default: from PACSYS_DEVDB_PORT or 443)	`None`
`timeout`	`float \| None`	RPC timeout in seconds (default: 5.0)	`None`
`cache_ttl`	`float`	TTL for cached results in seconds (default: 3600.0)	`3600.0`
`tls`	`bool \| None`	Keyword-only. Use TLS (default: from PACSYS_DEVDB_TLS or on). The production ingress only serves TLS; turn off for a plaintext SSH tunnel.	`None`

Raises:

Type	Description
`ImportError`	If grpc package is not available

`clear_cache(device=None)` ¶

Clear cached results.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`device`	`str \| None`	If given, clear only this device's cache. Otherwise clear all.	`None`

`close()` ¶

Close the gRPC channel.

`get_alarm_info(names)` ¶

Query alarm information for devices.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`names`	`list[str]`	Device names	required

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[AlarmInfo]`	List of AlarmInfo entries.

Raises:

Type	Description
`RpcError`	On gRPC transport failure.

`get_alarm_text(ids)` ¶

Query alarm text entries by ID.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`ids`	`list[int]`	Alarm text IDs	required

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[AlarmText]`	List of AlarmText entries.

Raises:

Type	Description
`RpcError`	On gRPC transport failure.

`get_device_info(names, timeout=None)` ¶

Query device metadata for one or more devices.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`names`	`list[str]`	Device names (e.g., ["Z:ACLTST", "M:OUTTMP"])	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	gRPC timeout in seconds (default: client's configured timeout).	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`dict[str, DeviceInfoResult]`	Dict mapping device name to DeviceInfoResult.

Raises:

Type	Description
`DeviceError`	If DevDB returns an error entry (errMsg) or a zeroed (unknown device) entry. Known devices from the same batch are still cached before raising.
`RpcError`	On gRPC transport failure.

`pacsys.supervised.SupervisedServer` ¶

gRPC proxy server with logging and policy enforcement.

Wraps any Backend and exposes the DAQ gRPC service, forwarding requests while enforcing policies and logging all traffic.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`backend`	`Backend \| AsyncBackend`	Backend instance to proxy requests to	required
`port`	`int`	Port to listen on (default: 50051)	`50051`
`host`	`str`	Host to bind (default: "[::]" for all interfaces)	`'[::]'`
`policies`	`list[Policy] \| None`	Optional list of Policy instances for access control	`None`
`token`	`str \| None`	Optional bearer token for write authentication. When set, clients must send `JWTAuth(token=...)` with this value or write (Set) RPCs are rejected with UNAUTHENTICATED. Reads are always open.	`None`

Example

from pacsys.testing import FakeBackend from pacsys.supervised import SupervisedServer, ReadOnlyPolicy

fb = FakeBackend() fb.set_reading("M:OUTTMP", 72.5)

with SupervisedServer(fb, port=50099, policies=[ReadOnlyPolicy()]) as srv: # Clients can now connect to localhost:50099 srv.wait()

`run()` ¶

Start the server and block until interrupted (SIGINT/SIGTERM).

Must be called from the main thread (signal handlers require it).

`start()` ¶

Start the server in a background daemon thread.

`stop()` ¶

Stop the server.

`wait(timeout=None)` ¶

Block until the server stops or timeout.

Types¶

Reading¶

`pacsys.types.Reading` `dataclass` ¶

A device reading with status and optional data.

Status semantics (matches gRPC Status message): - facility_code: ACNET facility identifier (0=success, 1=ACNET, 16=DBM, 17=DPM) - error_code: 0=success, >0=warning, <0=error

`value = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`value_type = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`name` `property` ¶

Device name extracted from DRF or metadata.

`drf` `instance-attribute` ¶

`units` `property` ¶

Engineering units from metadata, or None if unavailable.

`timestamp = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`cycle = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`facility_code = 0` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`error_code = 0` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`message = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`is_success` `property` ¶

True if status indicates success (error_code == 0).

`is_error` `property` ¶

True if status indicates error (error_code < 0).

`is_warning` `property` ¶

True if status indicates warning (error_code > 0).

`ok` `property` ¶

True if data is usable (success or warning with data).

WriteResult¶

`pacsys.types.WriteResult` `dataclass` ¶

Result of a write operation, optionally with verification info.

`confirmed` `property` ¶

True if the write succeeded and requested verification did not fail.

`ok` `property` ¶

True if write succeeded (error_code == 0).

`success` `property` ¶

Alias for ok.

`from_dict(d)` `classmethod` ¶

Deserialize from a dict produced by to_dict().

`to_dict()` ¶

Serialize to a JSON-safe dict. Round-trippable via WriteResult.from_dict().

SubscriptionHandle¶

`pacsys.types.SubscriptionHandle` ¶

Handle for a streaming subscription.

Provides access to subscription state and allows stopping the subscription. Each handle has its own queue for readings. Use readings() to iterate over readings from THIS subscription only.

Usage

Context manager (recommended) - auto-stops on exit¶

with backend.subscribe(["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"]) as sub: for reading, handle in sub.readings(timeout=10): print(reading.value) if reading.value > 10: sub.stop()

Manual control¶

sub = backend.subscribe(["M:OUTTMP@p,1000"]) for reading, handle in sub.readings(timeout=10): print(reading.value) sub.stop()

`stopped` `property` ¶

True if this subscription has been stopped.

`readings(timeout=None)` ¶

Yield (reading, handle) pairs for THIS subscription.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Total wall-clock window in seconds. None = block forever (until stop() called) 0 = non-blocking (drain buffered readings only)	`None`

Yields:

Type	Description
`tuple[Reading, SubscriptionHandle]`	(reading, handle) pairs

`stop()` ¶

Stop this subscription.

ValueType¶

`pacsys.types.ValueType` ¶

Bases: Enum

Type of value returned from a device read.

Authentication¶

KerberosAuth¶

`pacsys.auth.KerberosAuth` `dataclass` ¶

Bases: Auth

Kerberos authentication using system credential cache.

Requires

Valid Kerberos ticket (run kinit first)
gssapi library (pip install gssapi)

The credentials are obtained from the system credential cache, so the same KerberosAuth instance can be used across multiple backends and services.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`name`	`str \| None`	Kerberos principal to use (e.g., "user2@FNAL.GOV"). If None, uses the default principal from the credential cache.	`None`

Example

Default principal¶

auth = KerberosAuth()

Specific principal (e.g., multiple tickets in cache)¶

auth = KerberosAuth(name="operator@FNAL.GOV")

Note

Credentials are validated at construction time (fail fast).

`principal` `property` ¶

Get principal name from credential cache.

`__post_init__()` ¶

Validate credentials at construction time (fail fast).

JWTAuth¶

`pacsys.auth.JWTAuth` `dataclass` ¶

Bases: Auth

JWT token authentication.

Can be used with gRPC backend and other JWT-accepting services. Token is stored as-is; validation is done server-side.

Example

Explicit token¶

auth = JWTAuth(token="eyJ...")

From environment variable¶

auth = JWTAuth.from_env() # reads PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN

Use with gRPC backend¶

backend = GRPCBackend(auth=auth)

Note

Token is excluded from repr to prevent credential leaks in logs.

`principal` `property` ¶

Extract subject claim from JWT token.

Note: This decodes without verification. Server validates the token.

Returns:

Type	Description
`str`	Subject ('sub') claim from token

Raises:

Type	Description
`ValueError`	If token format is invalid

`from_env(var='PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN')` `classmethod` ¶

Create JWTAuth from environment variable.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`var`	`str`	Environment variable name (default: PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN)	`'PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN'`

Returns:

Type	Description
`Optional[JWTAuth]`	JWTAuth if environment variable is set, None otherwise

Errors¶

All exceptions below derive from PacsysError (as do ScalingError, SSHError, and AcnetError).

PacsysError¶

`pacsys.errors.PacsysError` ¶

Bases: Exception

Base class for all pacsys exceptions; catch this for any library-originated failure.

DeviceError¶

`pacsys.errors.DeviceError` ¶

Bases: PacsysError

Raised when a device read fails.

Attributes:

Name	Type	Description
`drf`		Device request string that failed
`facility_code`		ACNET facility identifier (1=ACNET, 16=DBM, 17=DPM)
`error_code`		Error code (negative indicates error, positive is warning)
`message`		Human-readable error description

AuthenticationError¶

`pacsys.errors.AuthenticationError` ¶

Bases: PacsysError

Raised when authentication fails or is required.

This exception is raised when: - A write is attempted without authentication - Kerberos ticket is expired or missing - JWT token is invalid or expired

ReadError¶

`pacsys.errors.ReadError` ¶

Bases: PacsysError

Batch read failure.

Raised in two scenarios: - get_many(): transport error (timeout, connection drop, auth failure). The underlying network exception is chained via __cause__. - read_many(): any device in the batch returned an unusable reading (ACNET error or missing value).

Attributes:

Name	Type	Description
`readings`		Complete results list (same length as input drfs). Includes both successful readings and error-backfilled entries.
`message`		Human-readable description of the failure.

ACLError¶

`pacsys.errors.ACLError` ¶

Bases: PacsysError

Raised when an ACL command fails.

This exception is raised when: - A one-shot ACL command exits with non-zero status - An ACL session receives an error response - The ACL prompt times out - The ACL process exits unexpectedly

Device Classes¶

Object-oriented interface for device access.

Device¶

`pacsys.device.Device` ¶

Bases: _DeviceBase

Device wrapper with DRF3 validation at construction.

Devices are immutable - modification methods return NEW Device instances.

`read(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read READING property. Raises DeviceError on failure.

`get(*, prop=None, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read device with full metadata (timestamp, cycle, meta).

`setting(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read SETTING property.

`status(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read STATUS property.

`analog_alarm(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read ANALOG alarm property.

`digital_alarm(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read DIGITAL alarm property.

`description(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read DESCRIPTION property.

`digital_status(timeout=None)` ¶

Fetch full digital status (BIT_VALUE + BIT_NAMES + BIT_VALUES).

`info(timeout=None)` ¶

Fetch device metadata from DevDB (cached).

`write(value, *, field=None, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Write to SETTING property.

`control(command, *, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Write CONTROL command.

`on(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`off(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`reset(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`set_analog_alarm(settings, *, timeout=None)` ¶

Write ANALOG alarm property.

`set_digital_alarm(settings, *, timeout=None)` ¶

Write DIGITAL alarm property.

`subscribe(callback=None, on_error=None, *, prop=None, field=None, event=None)` ¶

Subscribe to device for streaming data.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`prop`	`str \| None`	Property to subscribe to (default: READING)	`None`
`field`	`str \| None`	Sub-field (requires prop)	`None`
`event`	`str \| None`	Event string (e.g. "p,1000"). Uses device's event if None.	`None`
`callback`	`ReadingCallback \| None`	Optional callback for push-mode	`None`
`on_error`	`ErrorCallback \| None`	Optional error handler	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`SubscriptionHandle`	SubscriptionHandle (usable as context manager)

Raises:

Type	Description
`ValueError`	If no event available, or field given without prop

`with_backend(backend)` ¶

Return new Device bound to a specific backend.

ScalarDevice¶

`pacsys.device.ScalarDevice` ¶

Bases: Device

Device that returns scalar values (float).

`read(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read scalar value. Raises TypeError if not scalar.

ArrayDevice¶

`pacsys.device.ArrayDevice` ¶

Bases: Device

Device that returns array values.

`read(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read array value. Raises TypeError if not array.

TextDevice¶

`pacsys.device.TextDevice` ¶

Bases: Device

Device that returns text/string values.

`read(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

Read text value. Raises TypeError if not string.

SSH Utility¶

SSHClient¶

`pacsys.ssh.SSHClient` ¶

SSH client supporting multi-hop connections, command execution, tunneling, and SFTP.

Connection is lazy - established on first operation. Uses paramiko Transport with GSSAPI (Kerberos), key, or password authentication per hop.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`hops`	`HopSpec \| list[HopSpec]`	Target host(s). Accepts a hostname string, SSHHop, or list of either. Multiple hops create a chain (jump hosts).	required
`auth`	`object \| None`	Optional KerberosAuth for GSSAPI hops; its principal supplies the login name for hops without an explicit username. paramiko can only present the default credential-cache principal, so a `KerberosAuth(name=...)` that is not the cache default is rejected at init. If None, GSSAPI availability is checked at init and the default principal is resolved on first connect.	`None`
`connect_timeout`	`float`	TCP connection timeout in seconds (default 10.0).	`10.0`

Example

with SSHClient("target.fnal.gov") as ssh: result = ssh.exec("hostname") print(result.stdout)

`exec(command, timeout=None, input=None)` ¶

Execute a command on the remote host.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str`	Shell command to execute	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Command timeout in seconds (None = no timeout)	`None`
`input`	`str \| None`	Optional stdin data to send	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`CommandResult`	CommandResult with exit_code, stdout, stderr

Raises:

Type	Description
`SSHTimeoutError`	If timeout is exceeded
`SSHConnectionError`	If transport is not active

`exec_stream(command, timeout=None)` ¶

Execute a command and yield stdout lines as they arrive.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str`	Shell command to execute	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Command timeout in seconds	`None`

Yields:

Type	Description
`str`	Lines of stdout output

Raises:

Type	Description
`SSHCommandError`	If command exits with non-zero status (after all output)
`SSHTimeoutError`	If timeout is exceeded

`exec_many(commands, timeout=None)` ¶

Execute multiple commands sequentially.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`commands`	`list[str]`	List of shell commands	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Per-command timeout in seconds	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`list[CommandResult]`	List of CommandResult in same order as input

`forward(local_port, remote_host, remote_port)` ¶

Create a local port forward through the SSH connection.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`local_port`	`int`	Local port to listen on (0 for OS-assigned)	required
`remote_host`	`str`	Remote host to forward to	required
`remote_port`	`int`	Remote port to forward to	required

Returns:

Type	Description
`Tunnel`	Tunnel object (use as context manager or call stop())

`sftp()` ¶

Open an SFTP session on the remote host.

Returns:

Type	Description
`SFTPSession`	SFTPSession (use as context manager or call close())

`open_channel(command, timeout=None)` ¶

Open an SSH channel executing a command, with stdin kept open for interactive use.

Unlike exec(), the channel's stdin is NOT closed after opening, allowing interactive input. The caller is responsible for closing the channel.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str`	Command to execute on the remote host	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Timeout in seconds for session opening and channel reads/writes (None = Paramiko's default for opening, blocking reads/writes)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`Channel`	paramiko.Channel with the command running and stdin open

`remote_process(command, *, timeout=30.0)` ¶

Open a persistent interactive process over SSH.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str`	Command to execute on the remote host	required
`timeout`	`float`	Default timeout for read operations in seconds	`30.0`

Returns:

Type	Description
`RemoteProcess`	RemoteProcess (use as context manager or call close())

`acl_session(*, timeout=30.0)` ¶

Open a persistent ACL interpreter session.

The session keeps an acl process alive over an SSH channel, avoiding process startup overhead. Each send() is a separate script execution - state does NOT persist between calls.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`timeout`	`float`	Default timeout for prompt detection in seconds	`30.0`

Returns:

Type	Description
`ACLSession`	ACLSession (use as context manager or call close())

`acl(command, timeout=None)` ¶

Execute ACL command(s) and return output text.

Commands are written to a temp script file on the remote host and executed as acl /tmp/pacsys_acl_XXXX.acl. The remote acl runs with whatever credentials exist on that host: commands that need a Kerberos ticket there (e.g. settings) require the hop's delegate_credentials=True.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str \| list[str]`	ACL command string, or list of commands (semicolons in a string are treated as one line).	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Command timeout in seconds (default 30.0)	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`str`	Command output with ACL prompts stripped

Raises:

Type	Description
`ACLError`	If the ACL process exits with non-zero status
`ValueError`	If command list is empty

`close()` ¶

Close the SSH connection and all tunnels.

RemoteProcess¶

`pacsys.ssh.RemoteProcess` ¶

Persistent interactive process over SSH. Dumb bidirectional pipe.

Not thread-safe. Context manager. Does NOT own SSHClient.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`ssh`	`SSHClient`	Connected SSHClient instance	required
`command`	`str`	Command to execute on the remote host	required
`timeout`	`float`	Default timeout for read operations in seconds	`30.0`

`alive` `property` ¶

Process still running.

`send_line(line)` ¶

Send line + newline.

`send_bytes(data)` ¶

Send raw bytes.

`read_until(marker, timeout=None)` ¶

Read until marker found in stream, return bytes before marker.

Marker is consumed from buffer.

Raises:

Type	Description
`SSHTimeoutError`	If timeout expires before marker found
`SSHError`	If channel closes before marker found

`read_for(seconds)` ¶

Read all data arriving within timeout. Returns on idle.

`close()` ¶

Close channel (idempotent).

SSHHop¶

`pacsys.ssh.SSHHop` `dataclass` ¶

Configuration for a single SSH hop.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`hostname`	`str`	SSH server hostname (required, non-empty)	required
`port`	`int`	SSH port (default 22)	`22`
`username`	`str \| None`	SSH username (default: current OS user)	`None`
`auth_method`	`str`	"gssapi", "key", or "password"	`'gssapi'`
`key_filename`	`str \| None`	Path to private key (required when auth_method="key")	`None`
`password`	`str \| None`	Password (required when auth_method="password", excluded from repr)	`None`
`delegate_credentials`	`bool`	Forward the Kerberos TGT to this hop (GSSAPI only). Defaults to True so remote Kerberized commands can use your credentials.	`True`

CommandResult¶

`pacsys.ssh.CommandResult` `dataclass` ¶

Result of a remote command execution.

ACLSession¶

`pacsys.acl_session.ACLSession` ¶

Persistent ACL interpreter session over SSH.

Opens an acl process on a remote host via SSH and keeps it alive, avoiding process startup overhead. Each send() is a separate script execution - state (variables, symbols) does NOT persist between calls. Combine dependent commands with semicolons in a single send().

Multiple sessions can coexist on the same SSHClient (paramiko multiplexes channels on a single transport).

Not thread-safe - do not share a single session across threads. Use separate sessions per thread instead.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`ssh`	`SSHClient`	Connected SSHClient instance	required
`timeout`	`float`	Default timeout for prompt detection in seconds	`30.0`

Usage

with ssh.acl_session() as acl: acl.send("read M:OUTTMP")

Or explicitly:¶

acl = ACLSession(ssh_client) acl.send("read M:OUTTMP") acl.close()

`send(command, timeout=None)` ¶

Send a command to the ACL interpreter and return the output.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Description	Default
`command`	`str`	ACL command string	required
`timeout`	`float \| None`	Override default timeout for this command	`None`

Returns:

Type	Description
`str`	Command output with prompts and echoed command stripped

Raises:

Type	Description
`ACLError`	If the session is closed, the process exits, or prompt times out
`ValueError`	If command contains a line break

`close()` ¶

Close the ACL session (closes the SSH channel, not the SSHClient).

SSH Exceptions¶

`pacsys.ssh.SSHError` ¶

Bases: PacsysError

Base exception for SSH operations.

`pacsys.ssh.SSHConnectionError` ¶

Bases: SSHError

Connection or authentication failure.

`pacsys.ssh.SSHCommandError` ¶

Bases: SSHError

Command exited with non-zero status.

`pacsys.ssh.SSHTimeoutError` ¶

Bases: SSHError

Operation timed out.

API Reference¶

Simple API¶

pacsys.read(device, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.get(device, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.get_many(devices, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.read_many(devices, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.write(device, value, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.write_many(settings, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.subscribe(drfs, callback=None, on_error=None) ¶

pacsys.configure(*, dpm_host=_UNSET, dpm_port=_UNSET, pool_size=_UNSET, default_timeout=_UNSET, devdb_host=_UNSET, devdb_port=_UNSET, backend=_UNSET, auth=_UNSET, role=_UNSET) ¶

pacsys.shutdown() ¶

Backend Factories¶

pacsys.dpm(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER) ¶

pacsys.grpc(host=None, port=None, auth=None, timeout=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER) ¶

pacsys.dmq(host=None, port=None, timeout=None, auth=None, write_session_ttl=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER) ¶

pacsys.acl(base_url=None, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.dpm_http(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER) ¶

Clients and Servers¶

pacsys.DevDBClient ¶

clear_cache(device=None) ¶

close() ¶

get_alarm_info(names) ¶

get_alarm_text(ids) ¶

get_device_info(names, timeout=None) ¶

pacsys.supervised.SupervisedServer ¶

run() ¶

start() ¶

stop() ¶

wait(timeout=None) ¶

Types¶

Reading¶

pacsys.types.Reading dataclass ¶

value = None class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

value_type = None class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

name property ¶

drf instance-attribute ¶

units property ¶

timestamp = None class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

cycle = None class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

facility_code = 0 class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

error_code = 0 class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

message = None class-attribute instance-attribute ¶

is_success property ¶

is_error property ¶

is_warning property ¶

ok property ¶

WriteResult¶

pacsys.types.WriteResult dataclass ¶

confirmed property ¶

ok property ¶

success property ¶

from_dict(d) classmethod ¶

to_dict() ¶

SubscriptionHandle¶

pacsys.types.SubscriptionHandle ¶

Context manager (recommended) - auto-stops on exit¶

Manual control¶

stopped property ¶

readings(timeout=None) ¶

stop() ¶

ValueType¶

pacsys.types.ValueType ¶

Authentication¶

KerberosAuth¶

pacsys.auth.KerberosAuth dataclass ¶

Default principal¶

Specific principal (e.g., multiple tickets in cache)¶

principal property ¶

__post_init__() ¶

JWTAuth¶

pacsys.auth.JWTAuth dataclass ¶

Explicit token¶

From environment variable¶

Use with gRPC backend¶

principal property ¶

from_env(var='PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN') classmethod ¶

Errors¶

PacsysError¶

pacsys.errors.PacsysError ¶

DeviceError¶

`pacsys.read(device, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.get(device, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.get_many(devices, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.read_many(devices, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.write(device, value, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.write_many(settings, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.subscribe(drfs, callback=None, on_error=None)` ¶

`pacsys.configure(*, dpm_host=_UNSET, dpm_port=_UNSET, pool_size=_UNSET, default_timeout=_UNSET, devdb_host=_UNSET, devdb_port=_UNSET, backend=_UNSET, auth=_UNSET, role=_UNSET)` ¶

`pacsys.shutdown()` ¶

`pacsys.dpm(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

`pacsys.grpc(host=None, port=None, auth=None, timeout=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

`pacsys.dmq(host=None, port=None, timeout=None, auth=None, write_session_ttl=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

`pacsys.acl(base_url=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.dpm_http(host=None, port=None, pool_size=None, timeout=None, auth=None, role=None, dispatch_mode=DispatchMode.WORKER)` ¶

`pacsys.DevDBClient` ¶

`clear_cache(device=None)` ¶

`close()` ¶

`get_alarm_info(names)` ¶

`get_alarm_text(ids)` ¶

`get_device_info(names, timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.supervised.SupervisedServer` ¶

`run()` ¶

`start()` ¶

`stop()` ¶

`wait(timeout=None)` ¶

`pacsys.types.Reading` `dataclass` ¶

`value = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`value_type = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`name` `property` ¶

`drf` `instance-attribute` ¶

`units` `property` ¶

`timestamp = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`cycle = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`facility_code = 0` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`error_code = 0` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`message = None` `class-attribute` `instance-attribute` ¶

`is_success` `property` ¶

`is_error` `property` ¶

`is_warning` `property` ¶

`ok` `property` ¶

`pacsys.types.WriteResult` `dataclass` ¶

`confirmed` `property` ¶

`ok` `property` ¶

`success` `property` ¶

`from_dict(d)` `classmethod` ¶

`to_dict()` ¶

`pacsys.types.SubscriptionHandle` ¶

`stopped` `property` ¶

`readings(timeout=None)` ¶

`stop()` ¶

`pacsys.types.ValueType` ¶

`pacsys.auth.KerberosAuth` `dataclass` ¶

`principal` `property` ¶

`__post_init__()` ¶

`pacsys.auth.JWTAuth` `dataclass` ¶

`principal` `property` ¶

`from_env(var='PACSYS_JWT_TOKEN')` `classmethod` ¶

`pacsys.errors.PacsysError` ¶

`pacsys.errors.DeviceError` ¶

`pacsys.errors.AuthenticationError` ¶

`pacsys.errors.ReadError` ¶

`pacsys.errors.ACLError` ¶

`pacsys.device.Device` ¶

`read(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`get(*, prop=None, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`setting(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`status(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`analog_alarm(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`digital_alarm(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`description(*, field=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`digital_status(timeout=None)` ¶

`info(timeout=None)` ¶

`write(value, *, field=None, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`control(command, *, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`on(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`off(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`reset(*, verify=None, timeout=None)` ¶

`set_analog_alarm(settings, *, timeout=None)` ¶

`set_digital_alarm(settings, *, timeout=None)` ¶

`subscribe(callback=None, on_error=None, *, prop=None, field=None, event=None)` ¶