Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems Matias Mora Klein Memoria para optar al título de Ing. Civil en Informática 6 de Diciembre de 2008 Profesora Guía: Cecilia Reyes Covarrubias (UTFSM) Correferente Externo: Jorge Ibsen Fuentes (ESO/ALMA)

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 2 Introduction Armazones (TMT?) Parana l Paranal 2 (E- ELT?) ALMA, Chajnantor Las Campanas (GMT?) Cerro Tololo Gemini South, SOAR, LSST - Co. Pachón La Silla

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 3 Introduction Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Llano de Chajnantor, Región de Atacama, Chile

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 4 Introduction

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 5 Problem Approach ● New Project involves: – New control software development – Corresponding simulation system – Hugh amount of work if redone! ● Example: ALMA hardware device simulator – Simulation classes created manually as needed – Limitation: Use of real-time communication layer ● Expected result: Design a generic hardware device simulation framework

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 6 State of the Art: Technical Context ● The ALMA Control Subsystem – Controls all antenna devices (~100) – ALMA Common Software (ACS) ● Distributed control framework ● Component-Container model (CORBA) ● IDL interfaces – Device driver code generation – Hardware device simulation ACS container Compone nt My container starts and stops me and offers its services I only care about the Lifecycle IF of my components Compone nt

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 7 State of the Art: Technical Context ● Towards a Generic Telescope Control System – Generic control with ACS – gTCS Project at UTFSM CSRG ● Telescope Simulation Environment (TelSE)

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 8 Objectives 1.To implement a hardware device simulation framework prototype for the ALMA antenna, as part of and integrated with the Control subsystem. 2.To do a detailed analysis of the software design used for the ALMA antenna simulation framework, identifying aspects that can be used in a more generic approach. This means, recognizing the common pieces of a simulation system for different telescopes and related hardware devices. 3.To design a generic hardware device simulation framework, to be used in the Generic Telescope Control System project at UTFSM CSRG. 4.Finally, to validate the proposed solution through external opinions, current experience and prototype implementation.

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 9 Proposed Solution ● Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework ● Requirements – Preserve distributed nature – Simulate runtime error conditions – Able to support different bus types – Code generate basic classes – Further real-time support capability

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 10 Proposed Solutions: Design Process ● ALMA hardware device simulation framework – Self-simulated components – Generated base code – Backward compatible ● Generic extension discussion – Class diagram improvements – Code generation framework cleanup ● Final proposal... – Prototype implementation for Nexstar 4SE

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 11 Proposed Solution: Final Proposal Class diagram

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 12 Proposed Solution: Final Proposal Sequence diagram

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 13 Proposed Solution: Final Proposal IDL diagram

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 14 Proposed Solution: Final Proposal ● Development process 1. Define the device interface in XML spreadsheet 2. Generate base classes 3. Implement specific behavior 4. Test the control component with the simulation 5. Deploy on real hardware

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 15 Conclusions ● Results – ALMA Prototype validation ● Simulation development takes 20% of the original time ● Four antennas simulation ● Main development and testing on personal workstations – TelSE prototype validation ● Framework prototype implementation, meeting all requirements ● Implementation test with Nexstar 4SE Celestron Nexstar 4SE ALMA Vertex Antenna

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 16 Conclusions – Main features ● Monitor and control points support, as well as device extensions ● General set and get methods ● Device simulators are dynamic ACS components ● Transparent communication class – Additional Documents ● Documentation ● ADASS XVIII Conference Paper ● DI-UTFSM Technical Report

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 17 Conclusions ● Main contributions – First Telescope Simulation Environment approach for the gTCS project – ACS usability and device support ● Future work – Testing suite – Simulation logic – Extend to other devices and bus types ● There are no silver bullets!

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 18 Acknowledgements ● NRAO and the ALMA-Conicyt Fund # ● Tomás Staig and Jorge Avarias for their help on the final design and implementation ● The advisors: Jorge Ibsen and Cecilia Reyes ● My family, my friends and the Computer Systems Research Group!

Towards a Generic Hardware Device Simulation Framework applied to Telescope Control Systems 19 Questions?... and Answers!