ICALEPCS2011 - List of Keywords (CORBA)

Paper	Title	Other Keywords	Page
TUAAULT02	Tango Collaboration and Kernel Status	TANGO, controls, software, device-server	533
	E.T. Taurel ESRF, Grenoble, France
	This paper is divided in two parts. The first part summarises the main changes done within the Tango collaboration since the last Icalepcs conference. This will cover technical evolutions but also the new way our collaboration is managed. The second part will focus on the evolution of the so-called Tango event system (asynchronous communication between client and server). Since its beginning, within Tango, this type of communication is implemented using a CORBA notification service implementation called omniNotify. This system is currently re-written using zeromq as transport layer. Reasons of the zeromq choice will be detailed. A first feedback of the new implementation will be given.
	Slides TUAAULT02 [1.458 MB]

WEAAULT03	A Platform Independent Framework for Statecharts Code Generation	software, controls, framework, target	614
	L. Andolfato, G. Chiozzi ESO, Garching bei Muenchen, Germany N. Migliorini ENDIF, Ferrara, Italy C. Morales UTFSM, Valparaíso, Chile
	Control systems for telescopes and their instruments are reactive systems very well suited to be modeled using Statecharts formalism. The World Wide Web Consortium is working on a new standard called SCXML that specifies an XML notation to describe Statecharts and provides a well defined operational semantic for run-time interpretation of the SCXML models. This paper presents a generic application framework for reactive non real-time systems based on interpreted Statecharts. The framework consists of a model to text transformation tool and an SCXML interpreter. The tool generates from UML state machine models the SCXML representation of the state machines and the application skeletons for the supported software platforms. An abstraction layer propagates the events from the middleware to the SCXML interpreter facilitating the support of different software platforms. This project benefits from the positive experience gained in several years of development of coordination and monitoring applications for the telescope control software domain using Model Driven Development technologies.
	Slides WEAAULT03 [2.179 MB]

WEPKS014	NOMAD – More Than a Simple Sequencer	controls, hardware, experiment, interface	808
	P. Mutti, F. Cecillon, A. Elaazzouzi, Y. Le Goc, J. Locatelli, H. Ortiz, J. Ratel ILL, Grenoble, France
	NOMAD is the new instrument control software of the Institut Laue-Langevin. A highly sharable code among all the instruments’ suite, a user oriented design for tailored functionality and the improvement of the instrument team’s autonomy thanks to a uniform and ergonomic user interface are the essential elements guiding the software development. NOMAD implements a client/server approach. The server is the core business containing all the instrument methods and the hardware drivers, while the GUI provides all the necessary functionalities for the interaction between user and hardware. All instruments share the same executable while a set of XML configuration files adapts hardware needs and instrument methods to the specific experimental setup. Thanks to a complete graphical representation of experimental sequences, NOMAD provides an overview of past, present and future operations. Users have the freedom to build their own specific workflows using intuitive drag-and-drop technique. A complete drivers’ database to connect and control all possible instrument components has been created, simplifying the inclusion of a new piece of equipment for an experiment. A web application makes available outside the ILL all the relevant information on the status of the experiment. A set of scientific methods facilitates the interaction between users and hardware giving access to instrument control and to complex operations within just one click on the interface. NOMAD is not only for scientists. Dedicated tools allow a daily use for setting-up and testing a variety of technical equipments.
	Poster WEPKS014 [6.856 MB]

WEPKS025	Evaluation of Software and Electronics Technologies for the Control of the E-ELT Instruments: a Case Study	controls, software, hardware, framework	844
	P. Di Marcantonio, R. Cirami, I. Coretti INAF-OAT, Trieste, Italy G. Chiozzi, M. Kiekebusch ESO, Garching bei Muenchen, Germany
	In the scope of the evaluation of architecture and technologies for the control system of the E-ELT (European-Extremely Large Telescope) instruments, a collaboration has been set up between the Instrumentation and Control Group of the INAF-OATs and the ESO Directorate of Engineering. The first result of this collaboration is the design and implementation of a prototype of a small but representative control system for an E-ELT instrument that has been setup at the INAF-OATs premises. The electronics has been based on PLCs (Programmable Logical Controller) and Ethernet based fieldbuses from different vendors but using international standards like the IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen Motion Control. The baseline design for the control software follows the architecture of the VLT (Very Large Telescope) Instrumentation application framework but it has been implemented using the ACS (ALMA Common Software), an open source software framework developed for the ALMA project and based on CORBA middleware. The communication among the software components is based in two models: CORBA calls for command/reply and CORBA notification channel for distributing the devices status. The communication with the PLCs is based on OPC-UA, an international standard for the communication with industrial controllers. The results of this work will contribute to the definition of the architecture of the control system that will be provided to all consortia responsible for the actual implementation of the E-ELT instruments. This paper presents the prototype motivation, its architecture, design and implementation.
	Poster WEPKS025 [3.039 MB]

THAAUST02	Suitability Assessment of OPC UA as the Backbone of Ground-based Observatory Control Systems	controls, software, framework, interface	1174
	W. Pessemier, G. Deconinck, G. Raskin, H. Van Winckel KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium P. Saey Katholieke Hogeschool Sint-Lieven, Gent, Belgium
	A common requirement of modern observatory control systems is to allow interaction between various heterogeneous subsystems in a transparent way. However, the integration of COTS industrial products - such as PLCs and SCADA software - has long been hampered by the lack of an adequate, standardized interfacing method. With the advent of the Unified Architecture version of OPC (Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control), the limitations of the original industry-accepted interface are now lifted, and in addition much more functionality has been defined. In this paper the most important features of OPC UA are matched against the requirements of ground-based observatory control systems in general and in particular of the 1.2m Mercator Telescope. We investigate the opportunities of the "information modelling" idea behind OPC UA, which could allow an extensive standardization in the field of astronomical instrumentation, similar to the standardization efforts emerging in several industry domains. Because OPC UA is designed for both vertical and horizontal integration of heterogeneous subsystems and subnetworks, we explore its capabilities to serve as the backbone of a dependable and scalable observatory control system, treating "industrial components" like PLCs no differently than custom software components. In order to quantitatively assess the performance and scalability of OPC UA, stress tests are described and their results are presented. Finally, we consider practical issues such as the availability of COTS OPC UA stacks, software development kits, servers and clients.
	Slides THAAUST02 [2.879 MB]

FRBHMULT05	Middleware Trends and Market Leaders 2011	controls, Windows, network, Linux	1334
	A. Dworak, P. Charrue, F. Ehm, W. Sliwinski, M. Sobczak CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
	The Controls Middleware (CMW) project was launched over ten years ago. Its main goal was to unify middleware solutions used to operate CERN accelerators. An important part of the project, the equipment access library RDA, was based on CORBA, an unquestionable standard at the time. RDA became an operational and critical part of the infrastructure, yet the demanding run-time environment revealed some shortcomings of the system. Accumulation of fixes and workarounds led to unnecessary complexity. RDA became difficult to maintain and to extend. CORBA proved to be rather a cumbersome product than a panacea. Fortunately, many new transport frameworks appeared since then. They boasted a better design, and supported concepts that made them easy to use. Willing to profit from the new libraries, the CMW team updated user requirements, and in their terms investigated eventual CORBA substitutes. The process consisted of several phases: a review of middleware solutions belonging to different categories (e.g. data-centric, object-, and message-oriented) and their applicability to a communication model in RDA; evaluation of several market recognized products and promising start-ups; prototyping of typical communication scenarios; testing the libraries against exceptional situations and errors; verifying that mandatory performance constraints were met. Thanks to the performed investigation the team have selected a few libraries that suit their needs better than CORBA. Further prototyping will select the best candidate.
	Slides FRBHMULT05 [8.508 MB]

Paper

Title

Other Keywords

Page

TUAAULT02

Tango Collaboration and Kernel Status

TANGO, controls, software, device-server

533

E.T. Taurel
ESRF, Grenoble, France

This paper is divided in two parts. The first part summarises the main changes done within the Tango collaboration since the last Icalepcs conference. This will cover technical evolutions but also the new way our collaboration is managed. The second part will focus on the evolution of the so-called Tango event system (asynchronous communication between client and server). Since its beginning, within Tango, this type of communication is implemented using a CORBA notification service implementation called omniNotify. This system is currently re-written using zeromq as transport layer. Reasons of the zeromq choice will be detailed. A first feedback of the new implementation will be given.

Slides TUAAULT02 [1.458 MB]

WEAAULT03

A Platform Independent Framework for Statecharts Code Generation

software, controls, framework, target

614

L. Andolfato, G. Chiozzi
ESO, Garching bei Muenchen, Germany
N. Migliorini
ENDIF, Ferrara, Italy
C. Morales
UTFSM, Valparaíso, Chile

Control systems for telescopes and their instruments are reactive systems very well suited to be modeled using Statecharts formalism. The World Wide Web Consortium is working on a new standard called SCXML that specifies an XML notation to describe Statecharts and provides a well defined operational semantic for run-time interpretation of the SCXML models. This paper presents a generic application framework for reactive non real-time systems based on interpreted Statecharts. The framework consists of a model to text transformation tool and an SCXML interpreter. The tool generates from UML state machine models the SCXML representation of the state machines and the application skeletons for the supported software platforms. An abstraction layer propagates the events from the middleware to the SCXML interpreter facilitating the support of different software platforms. This project benefits from the positive experience gained in several years of development of coordination and monitoring applications for the telescope control software domain using Model Driven Development technologies.

Slides WEAAULT03 [2.179 MB]

WEPKS014

NOMAD – More Than a Simple Sequencer

controls, hardware, experiment, interface

808

P. Mutti, F. Cecillon, A. Elaazzouzi, Y. Le Goc, J. Locatelli, H. Ortiz, J. Ratel
ILL, Grenoble, France

NOMAD is the new instrument control software of the Institut Laue-Langevin. A highly sharable code among all the instruments’ suite, a user oriented design for tailored functionality and the improvement of the instrument team’s autonomy thanks to a uniform and ergonomic user interface are the essential elements guiding the software development. NOMAD implements a client/server approach. The server is the core business containing all the instrument methods and the hardware drivers, while the GUI provides all the necessary functionalities for the interaction between user and hardware. All instruments share the same executable while a set of XML configuration files adapts hardware needs and instrument methods to the specific experimental setup. Thanks to a complete graphical representation of experimental sequences, NOMAD provides an overview of past, present and future operations. Users have the freedom to build their own specific workflows using intuitive drag-and-drop technique. A complete drivers’ database to connect and control all possible instrument components has been created, simplifying the inclusion of a new piece of equipment for an experiment. A web application makes available outside the ILL all the relevant information on the status of the experiment. A set of scientific methods facilitates the interaction between users and hardware giving access to instrument control and to complex operations within just one click on the interface. NOMAD is not only for scientists. Dedicated tools allow a daily use for setting-up and testing a variety of technical equipments.

Poster WEPKS014 [6.856 MB]

WEPKS025

Evaluation of Software and Electronics Technologies for the Control of the E-ELT Instruments: a Case Study

controls, software, hardware, framework

844

P. Di Marcantonio, R. Cirami, I. Coretti
INAF-OAT, Trieste, Italy
G. Chiozzi, M. Kiekebusch
ESO, Garching bei Muenchen, Germany

In the scope of the evaluation of architecture and technologies for the control system of the E-ELT (European-Extremely Large Telescope) instruments, a collaboration has been set up between the Instrumentation and Control Group of the INAF-OATs and the ESO Directorate of Engineering. The first result of this collaboration is the design and implementation of a prototype of a small but representative control system for an E-ELT instrument that has been setup at the INAF-OATs premises. The electronics has been based on PLCs (Programmable Logical Controller) and Ethernet based fieldbuses from different vendors but using international standards like the IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen Motion Control. The baseline design for the control software follows the architecture of the VLT (Very Large Telescope) Instrumentation application framework but it has been implemented using the ACS (ALMA Common Software), an open source software framework developed for the ALMA project and based on CORBA middleware. The communication among the software components is based in two models: CORBA calls for command/reply and CORBA notification channel for distributing the devices status. The communication with the PLCs is based on OPC-UA, an international standard for the communication with industrial controllers. The results of this work will contribute to the definition of the architecture of the control system that will be provided to all consortia responsible for the actual implementation of the E-ELT instruments. This paper presents the prototype motivation, its architecture, design and implementation.

Poster WEPKS025 [3.039 MB]

THAAUST02

Suitability Assessment of OPC UA as the Backbone of Ground-based Observatory Control Systems

controls, software, framework, interface

1174

W. Pessemier, G. Deconinck, G. Raskin, H. Van Winckel
KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
P. Saey
Katholieke Hogeschool Sint-Lieven, Gent, Belgium

A common requirement of modern observatory control systems is to allow interaction between various heterogeneous subsystems in a transparent way. However, the integration of COTS industrial products - such as PLCs and SCADA software - has long been hampered by the lack of an adequate, standardized interfacing method. With the advent of the Unified Architecture version of OPC (Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control), the limitations of the original industry-accepted interface are now lifted, and in addition much more functionality has been defined. In this paper the most important features of OPC UA are matched against the requirements of ground-based observatory control systems in general and in particular of the 1.2m Mercator Telescope. We investigate the opportunities of the "information modelling" idea behind OPC UA, which could allow an extensive standardization in the field of astronomical instrumentation, similar to the standardization efforts emerging in several industry domains. Because OPC UA is designed for both vertical and horizontal integration of heterogeneous subsystems and subnetworks, we explore its capabilities to serve as the backbone of a dependable and scalable observatory control system, treating "industrial components" like PLCs no differently than custom software components. In order to quantitatively assess the performance and scalability of OPC UA, stress tests are described and their results are presented. Finally, we consider practical issues such as the availability of COTS OPC UA stacks, software development kits, servers and clients.

Slides THAAUST02 [2.879 MB]

FRBHMULT05

Middleware Trends and Market Leaders 2011

controls, Windows, network, Linux

1334

A. Dworak, P. Charrue, F. Ehm, W. Sliwinski, M. Sobczak
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland

The Controls Middleware (CMW) project was launched over ten years ago. Its main goal was to unify middleware solutions used to operate CERN accelerators. An important part of the project, the equipment access library RDA, was based on CORBA, an unquestionable standard at the time. RDA became an operational and critical part of the infrastructure, yet the demanding run-time environment revealed some shortcomings of the system. Accumulation of fixes and workarounds led to unnecessary complexity. RDA became difficult to maintain and to extend. CORBA proved to be rather a cumbersome product than a panacea. Fortunately, many new transport frameworks appeared since then. They boasted a better design, and supported concepts that made them easy to use. Willing to profit from the new libraries, the CMW team updated user requirements, and in their terms investigated eventual CORBA substitutes. The process consisted of several phases: a review of middleware solutions belonging to different categories (e.g. data-centric, object-, and message-oriented) and their applicability to a communication model in RDA; evaluation of several market recognized products and promising start-ups; prototyping of typical communication scenarios; testing the libraries against exceptional situations and errors; verifying that mandatory performance constraints were met. Thanks to the performed investigation the team have selected a few libraries that suit their needs better than CORBA. Further prototyping will select the best candidate.

Slides FRBHMULT05 [8.508 MB]