1. INTEGRATING THE SKA-MPI DISH INTO MEERKAT
32nd TANGO Collaboration Meeting 05 JUNE 2018
Presenter: Katleho Madisa
Co-author: Anton Joubert

2. SKA1-MID architecture
Simplified overview of the monitoring and control interfaces
LMC: Local Monitoring and Control
TANGO protocol
LMC
Telescope Management
x 197
(133 DISH + 64 MKAT)
LMC
LMC
LMC
LMC
LMC
LMC
LMC

3. MeerKAT architecture
Simplified overview of the monitoring and control interfaces
Control And Monitoring (CAM)
KATCP: Karoo Array Telescope Communication Protocol
KATCP protocol
Telescope Management
x 64
LMC
Control
Control
Control
LMC
LMC
Control
Correlator Beam Former
Infrastructure
Science Data Processor
Receptor

4. MeerKAT architecture + DISH
Simplified overview of the monitoring and control interfaces
Control And Monitoring (CAM)
KATCP: Karoo Array Telescope Communication Protocol
KATCP protocol
Must follow: TM-DISH ICD x1
TANGO protocol
LMC
Telescope Management
x 64
LMC
Control
Control
Control
LMC
LMC
Control
Correlator Beam Former
Infrastructure
Science Data Processor
Receptor

5. MeerKAT CAM software architecture
High level overview of the Control And Monitoring sub-system
Control And Monitoring
Proxy A
KATCP
Device A
GUI
HTTP
Proxy B
modbus
Device B
There is a proxy to interface with each external devices, e.g. weather station, antenna, correlator. Each of these devices may use a different protocol, e.g. HTTP, KATCP, modbus, TANGO
Python
ipython / script

6. MeerKAT CAM software architecture
High level overview of the Control And Monitoring sub-system
Control And Monitoring
Proxy A
KATCP
Device A
GUI
Proxy B
modbus
HTTP
Device B
Adding the SKA MID DISH requires a new proxy that can speak TANGO, and emulates the SKA TM control.
Python
Proxy C
TANGO
LMC
ipython / script

7. Discovered via ElementMaster
TM-LMC Architecture
SKA has common architecture for all elements (subsystems). TM
Central Logger
(LogConsumer)
Central AlarmsHandler
(AlarmsHandler clients)
Central Archiver
(EventSubscribers)
ElementMaster Client
All events
from element
LMC
ElementMaster
(Aggregator)
Element Logger
(LogConsumer)
Element AlarmsHandler
TANGO logs
SKA Alert change events
Attribute updates & change events
Attribute archive events
Element Archiver
(EventSubscribers)
Operational M&C
TANGO device server
Discovered via ElementMaster

8. Simulating ElementMaster
DISH Consortium provided VirtualBox VM, but:
VM is 20 GB, requires manual deployment
Would like to test CAM with many DISH elements
Rather create a basic simulator
Easier for developers to create multiple instances using CAM’s existing deployment tools
Easier to control simulation for automated testing
Will use latest VM for acceptance testing before integration on site
A description of the components (a lot of config files etc) and why we not using the whole VM but creating a simulator of it.
DSH XMI/XML analyses results
Functions of the dshmanager -> enables high-level monitoring and control of the Dish to TM and operators
Light - easy deployment (dont want to run different instances of the VMs for every developer).

9. Tools used to develop the simulators
PyTango 9.2.3
fandango
python library for developing functional and multithreaded control applications and scripts
tango-simlib
data-driven development of TANGO device simulators
Adding the SKA MID DISH requires a new proxy that can speak TANGO, and emulates the SKA TM control.
The tools used to develop the simulators
Tools developed in-house
Tools developed by the TANGO community
Reason for using fandango.
tango simlib improvements (new file parser)

10. Tool selection DishManager config files:
static (XMI) and dynamic (custom XML)
forwarded attributes config info only available at runtime
A tool to capture state of running device server
Fandango or SimulatorDS
Leverage in-house developed tango-simlib
Easily extend behaviour and control
Adding the SKA MID DISH requires a new proxy that can speak TANGO, and emulates the SKA TM control.
The tools used to develop the simulators
Tools developed in-house
Tools developed by the TANGO community
Reason for using fandango.
tango simlib improvements (new file parser)

11. The simulator generator process
Fandango file export
Replicate a running device
SimDD and Python for behaviour extension
varying attrs/overridden cmd handlers
static attrs/no-op cmds
dshlmc.fgo
DEVICE SIMULATORS
DSH LMC VM
FANDANGO EXPORTER
Fandango file export
Replicate a running device
SimDD for behaviour extension
Why not the SimulatorDS
dshlmc.simdd
behaviour.py

12. The generated simulators
Sim device with a test device interface
The ‘control’ interface for the simulator can be used to manipulate the state of the device simulator, e.g simulate failures.

13. Project Status CAM DISH proxy in progress
Refactored MeerKAT proxy code to share with DISH proxy
Refactoring KATCP-TANGO translator code to use in proxy
tango-simlib simulator
Trivial implementation done (no behaviour)
Basic behaviour almost complete
DISH qualification starts October 2018
Adding the SKA MID DISH requires a new proxy that can speak TANGO, and emulates the SKA TM control.
The tools used to develop the simulators
Tools developed in-house
Tools developed by the TANGO community
Reason for using fandango.
tango simlib improvements (new file parser)

14. SARAO, a business unit of the National Research Foundation.
The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa’s activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT and KAT-7 telescopes in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.
Contact information
Katleho Madisa Jnr Software Engineer
Anton Joubert Snr Software Engineer