DRAMA: an environment for distributed instrumentation software

Jeremy A. Bailey; Tony J. Farrell; Keith Shortridge

doi:10.1117/12.211466

8 June 1995 DRAMA: an environment for distributed instrumentation software

Jeremy A. Bailey, Tony J. Farrell, Keith Shortridge

Proceedings Volume 2479, Telescope Control Systems; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.211466
Event: SPIE's 1995 Symposium on OE/Aerospace Sensing and Dual Use Photonics, 1995, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The DRAMA software environment has been developed at the Anglo-Australian Observatory to facilitate the development of instrument and telescope control systems. It is designed to run on a distributed system consisting of machines running a variety of operating systems including UNIX, VAX/VMS, and VxWorks. DRAMA builds on ideas from the ADAM system in use at a number of observatories. It is based on the concept of a `task' which is a software object which responds to messages requesting it to perform actions. The message system provides network transport using TCP/IP as well as optimized local transport for each machine. Messages are encoded using a self-defining hierarchical data system (SDS) which allows complex data structures while transparently handling differences in machine architecture. Tasks are coded using a standard event driven structure which can be used for applications ranging from low level real-time systems to user interfaces. The latter are developed using the Tcl/Tk package incorporated into DRAMA tasks.

Citation Download Citation

Jeremy A. Bailey, Tony J. Farrell, and Keith Shortridge "DRAMA: an environment for distributed instrumentation software", Proc. SPIE 2479, Telescope Control Systems, (8 June 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.211466

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