NRAO GBT Monitor and Control

Releases

Description of Monitor and Control Releases

Software

Software Implementation Documentation

Hardware

Hardware Implementation Documentation

Maintenance Exploders

On-line Maintenance email Exploders

Telescope Programs

These programs run continuously on the telescope's control computers and can be thought of as the operating system for the telescope. The programs are initiated automatically whenever the computers are rebooted. It is necessary for these programs to have some astronomical data and algorithms, but by and large they are designed to control and monitor telescope hardware independently of any astronomial considerations. In the parlance of computer science these are server programs, i.e., they provide services, i.e., a clean software interface that allows other programs all the control and flexibility they need to get maximum use of the telescope..

User Programs

These programs are ones which the user -- either observer, operator, or engineer -- interacts with directly and there may be multiple invocations running either locally or remotely. Almost all of the astronomical calculations are performed by one or more of these prgrams. These are client programs which make requests of the telescope server programs. Note that there can exist other programs to perform these function, e.g., there exists some simple UNIX programs which can command the Gateway and read data from the Accessor, and a whole range of analysis programs which are capable of reading FITS. The programs shown are the ones planned for initial use and will be supported.

The figure shows the two sets of software that make up the GBT monitor and control system: telescope programs and user programs.

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