ATST control systems communicate by passing sets of attribute-value pairs between system components. Each set, or configuration, defines a required state for a component to match. To coordinate the control systems using configurations, every component must implement a consistent behavior. The ATST Controller provides a base class for components to use that implements a uniform life cycle and functional behavior for matching configurations. The ATST Controller class is one of the key elements of the ATST Common Services software framework. The Controller class accepts input configurations though a simple command interface. The class is readily extended to subclasses that may perform detailed operations based on the configuration. Alternatively, ATST Controllers may be used in hierarchical systems that delegate actions to groups of lower level controllers. The Controller provides a simple configuration life cycle to determine the state of a configuration in a component. The Controller also enforces a separation of a component's command request and the ensuing action by executing each configuration in its own thread. This implementation also allows a Controller to execute simultaneous configurations, where the synchronization and exclusion details are left to the implementing subclass.

Date Published: 27 June 2006
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 6274, Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy, 62741X (27 June 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.672271

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6274:
Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy
Hilton Lewis; Alan Bridger, Editor(s)