Integrating ACS with other (Control) Systems: ACS and EPICS

1. Integrating ACS with other (Control) Systems: ACS and EPICS Presented at 1st ACS Workshop, March 9th, 2004 By Mark Pleško

2. Need Open Standards like WinCC “Right from the start, SIMATIC WinCC has stood for the highest levels of openness and integration, since it has consistently backed Microsoft technologies. Version 6, in addition to using Microsoft SQL Server 2000 also adds Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Visual Basic Scripting (VBScript), database access via OLE DB and new OPC standards. OPC HDA, OPC A&E and OLE-DB are features of WinCC/Connectivity Pack.” Enhanced Scaleability Enhanced Web Functionality Integrated Historian Functionality Optimized for IT & Business Integration New open standards New Functions in the Basic System New Options for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Integrating ACS and EPICS

3. The Layers of Control System Packages EPICS chan. acc. MEDM TINE ACOP DOOCS DDD COACK TANGO DevIO ACS Abeans CosyBeans CDEV JDM driver data SERVER commu- nication API visual support CLIENT Applications (alarm manager, GUI, logger, trending, scripting etc.): while allhave them, their quality, flexibility, configurable etc. makes the largest difference Integrating ACS and EPICS

4. ACS tools Management, ObjectExplorer, Logging, Alarms,… Abeans Application config database plain Java code CosyBeans GUI widgets i n t e r f a c e ACS CORBA server I/O boards CORBA Abeans: libraries, device beans, plugs devIO devIO calls local EPICS db_xxx commands Abeans and ACS... and EPICS channel access Integrating ACS and EPICS

5. Why Translators are Good • Server-side systematics are guaranteed to be there. • local alarm server, local history server, queries, etc. • The data are as close to the source as possible • can use the best applications for each problem • Gateways bring a host of intermediate problems • e.g. connectivity problems are difficult to locate • another link in the chain Integrating ACS and EPICS

6. Very Successful Translators of TINE at • run EPICS2TINE directly on the IOC • don't speak channel access at all and accessEPICS database directly • we have also elegantly solved the 16 Kbyte/message barrier (i.e. 4000 floats) of the old EPICS release • DOOCS serversand clients offer the traditional SUN RPC interface as well as a TINE interface • EPICS IOCs are immediately available to DOOCS DDD clients. Using TINE2EPICS, the DOOCS IOCs are likewise available to EPICS MEDM clients. Integrating ACS and EPICS

7. Applications Applications Abeans IOC IOC Hardware Hardware Abeans: Much More than a Wrapper • Application framework • Hide comm layer • Provide application services • Provide CS models (device, channel, etc.) • RAD, easier maintenance : Integrating ACS and EPICS

8. Limitations of Plugs and the Abeans Solutions • Client-side plugs usually provide only • common functionality over several CS • if the server-side features are not available, you come up empty • generic API • requires knowledge of CS and is therefore practically useless • Abeans have a solution though • allow different CS data models (Channels, Devices, etc.) • interfaces are facades for services (plug-ins) with always at least one default implementation • we work hard to provide each single feature in a generic way – if TINE has ArchiveReader, also ACS gets it! Integrating ACS and EPICS

9. Property 1 Device Property 2 Channel 1 Channel 2 Property 3 Abeans 1/2 • Models • Logical containment of CS Objects • Channel, BACI • Plugs • Connection to remote modeling layer • TINE, EPICS, ACS CORBA Integrating ACS and EPICS

10. Abeans 2/2 Application Modeling layer abeans-EPICS:///PBEND_M_01_current?get abeans-TINE://ns.desy.de/DESY/BENDS/PBEND_M_01/current?get URI Request Response Plugs EPICS TINE CORBA Integrating ACS and EPICS

11. What a request can do and what responses are to be expected, the list of parameters, name-value pairs, timeout data, error stack, etc. All possible request targets, their names, all possible valid requests that can be issued and all possible responses, including errors, exceptions and connection timeouts Requests can be more than just simple get/set commands – they can be asynchronous, define callbacks, repeated monitors, etc. Integrating ACS and EPICS

12. Example: Device Table Integrating ACS and EPICS

13. Integrating ACS and EPICS

14. Object Explorer in use at SNS (accelerator with EPICS) • Abeans read XAL XML files with hierarchically organized EPICS PVs • Or any source of hierarchy, e.g. EPICS nameserver • The PVs are put into the Abeans Directory (GUI tree) • Properties are selected from the tree and connection is established via Abeans JCA plug (a vast improvement of JCA 1.0) • PVs are displayed with Abeans displayers • Data quality control Integrating ACS and EPICS

15. EPICS It’s a Reality: Joint Applications for + • Same look and feel: • SNS: Object Explorer • Jlab:Archive Reader (next) ACS/EPICS Office • Diamond: ControlDesk Integrating ACS and EPICS

16. Summary: Mixing ACS with EPICS • ‘EPICS-ACS’ gateway a separate process utilizing the client/server APIs of both systems • Client-side ‘EPICS-plugs’ client program developers thinkthey are talking to ACS, but they are really speaking native ‘EPICS’ • Server-side ‘ACS-translators’ EPICS server IOCs think they are being addressed by EPICS clients but are really speaking native ACS. Integrating ACS and EPICS