VLT-SW-JAN2006 - RELEASE NOTES FOR INS COMMON SOFTWARE
======================================================
XXXX:
From: A.Longinotti
Date: 25.10.2005
VLTSW20040158 - test scripts follow new scheme, based on the env.
variable TARGET and on the new common test sw
implemented in module insc
VLTSW20040351 - modify bob configuration to avoid skipping WAIT on abort
VLTSW20040352 - introduced usage of tplTry in templates
VLTSW20040353 - run archive operations in background for IR exposures
ICB:
From: A.Longinotti/R.Schmutzer
Date: 25.10.2005/01.12.2005
VLTSW20040054 - icbpan reports cyclically all failing LCUs
VLTSW20040067 - fallback init procedure documented in the ICB User Manual
VLTSW20040128 - error handling improved if no LCU is available
VLTSW20040176 - changed name to classes used by icbpanEntry (see below)
VLTSW20040208 - fix bug handling EXPSTRT command
VLTSW20040211 - error handling improved if dictionary is incomplete
VLTSW20040262 - added support for OCS.INS1.SWSIM
VLTSW20040275 - avoid nan value when calculating statistics
VLTSW20040309 - added support for LOGICAl values in ic0simControl
VLTSW20040335 - added support for assembly callback after SETUP
VLTSW20040336 - added support for assemblies in icbpan
VLTSW20040349 - fixed bug in icbpanEntry (cursor jumps)
VLTSW20040376 - new configuration keyword INS.ASSEMBLYi.FITSKEY
VLTSW20040379 - ic0ConfigSet checks for string length and truncates
VLTSW20050065 - CN77000 problem reading values fixed.
VLTSW20050206 - added widget icbpanGratNoOrd
VLTSW20050242 - icbMOT_DROT: faster update rates allowed.
VLTSW20050248 - icbLAMP: support for lamp cool-down added.
VLTSW20050270 - icbSHUTTER updated to be used as a 'generic' device.
VLTSW20050278 - set LCU functions and keywords tables to proper sizes.
VLTSW20050178 - lctooTaskWakeup acknowledged too late: fixed.
VLTSW20050328 - CN77000 serial data conversion problem fixed.
Back Incompatibities:
---------------------
- VLTSW20040176 introduced a naming backward incompatibility:
class icbpan::Tabnotebook was renamed to class icbpan::Icbpantabnotebook.
class icbpan::Tabset was renamed to class icbpan::Icbpantabset.
- VLTSW20050247: by default, FITS keyword INS.GRATi.DISP is not longer
reported (note that the value was anyway not correct). Instruments
that need this keyword to be reported in their image headers should
add the necessary code to their WS ICS control process.
INSC:
From: A.Longinotti
Date: 25.10.2005
Added several scripts to provide common support for test procedures
Only online documentation is available (see manpage of inscSelfTest)
Examples of usage are available in the Template Instrument sw
BOSS:
From: E.Pozna
Date: 14.11.2005
- VLTSW20040364 Merging of multiple files generated during one exposure
(e.g. in mosaic mode of IR detector). This functionality is only
enabled when it is configured to do so via the keyword
OCS.DETi.ARCMODE "MERGEALL" (default value of which is NORMAL).
When the requested filename (as specified by the setup by the
keywords OCS.DETi.IMGNAME/NAMING/IMGEXT) is not on the list of files
created during the exposure then a new file is created (with the specified
imagefilename).
The primary HDU of this file contains the header information collected
from subsystems but otherwise no image data, while all the datafiles are
appended as extention.
When any of the file generated during the exposure correspond to the user
specified imagefile name, then this file will occupy the primary HDU of the
final file and all the others will be appended in the order they were generated.
- VLTSW20040254 Sequential processing of archiver command queue is ensured.
- VLTSW20050050 Archiver process extended with -perftest command line option
to log time information of the individual elements of merging.
Debug options -v and -l of standard startup of the archiver process
(i.e. bossArchiver XXXX) is also supported.
These option are to be used only during development.
- VLTSW20040387 - Existance of Archiver process is checked when instrument
is set to ONLINE and also before the start of image taking exposures.
- VLTSW20030523 Improved error handling is supplied for archiver queue.
All errors during the merging are displayed at the last WAIT -all cmd
(i.e. errors that happen after WAIT -cond)
- VLTSW20040155 - Check TCS state before ONLINE command is exectuted.
Warning is given to 'Ignore TCS or set it to ONLINE' when it is not
- VLTSW20050131 - Telemetry period of FIERA is set to default
when STARTTL command is sent to FIERA as part of ONLINE command (see FIERA UM).
- VLTSW20050122 - Report the name of the sub-command failed during ONLINE command.
(e.g. commands STARTTM, STARTWP sent to FIERA during ONLINE)
- VLTSW20020714 - During the excution of EXPEND and EXPSTART commands
(i.e. collection of fits header from subsystems) OS checks if ICS is IDLE,
if not OS waits till ICS is free (i.e. not BUSY) before requesting the
header information.)
- VLTSW20050161 - Collect all available headers should error happen after
image has been generated
- VLTSW20050161 - Execution of command END is allowed in STANDBY state.
- Default debug level is set to 0 (generating no output on stdout).
- VLTSW20050140 - Allow filenames starting with letter (fiera).
- VLTSW20030437 - Retrieve cause of the error on detector if the exposure failes.
- VLTSW20040081 - Do not reset instrument mode when state of (not related)
subsystem changes.
Back incompatibilities:
-----------------------
- In the configuration of the instrument the keyword OCS.INS*.DBSUBST
must be supplied for special or second ICS subsystems denoting the
the database address of the substate of the instrument. (VLTSW20020714)
Without setting the configuration correct the OS will not start up
(use boss 1.153 to ignore false databse settings) !
Note that problem can accoure due to bad OCS.INS*.DBROOT setting also.
- Applications using SyncReply without proper message buffer handling
or proper error handling could fail. (see VLTSW20050337 and boss UM
for more details). Applicatins encounter such problems should improve
message handling or apply boss 1.153.
Known limitation:
-----------------
- Parallel exposures (OS/SOS) are not supported (and it is not forseen to be
supported) Simultaneous exposures can be achieved via semiparallel exposures
issuing two consequent start command (see manual for more details)
For more information on changes and new features see new version of document
BOSS User Manual, VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-2265 , JAN2006.
IXAC:
From: E.Pozna
Date: 14.11.2005
- VLTSW20050050 ixacTIMER_LOGS updated to show CPU times.
IBAC:
From: E.Pozna
Date: 14.11.2005
- VLTSW20050208 ibacLog updated with timestamp. Default verbose level
is set to 0. Added new functions to show wether logging and verbose
is switched on (ibacIsLog,ibacIsVerbose )
SLX/OSLX:
From: M.Nylund
Date: 30.09.2005
VLTSW20030340 - New utility "oslxCatFits" to reshuffle keywords orders in FITS
header file.
VLTSW20040319 - Oslx users have a possibility to allocate the space for the
primary header. The user will be informed by a warning if the
primary header does not have enough space allocated.
VLTSW20040355 - Command syntax for oslxReadPixels is updated.
VLTSW20040375 - Supporting long keyword string values for configuration keywords.
VLTSW20050136 - oslxFITS_EXT methods are added to the oslxSERVER.
VLTSW20050173 - SLX can be used by LCU applications.
VLTSW20050188 - The maximum number of configuration keywords are increased from
4092 to 8191.
Caution (for all releases):
--------------------------
- Dynamic buffer has to be initialized before it is used and
reset before it goes out of scope. e.g.:
slxDYN_BUF dynBuf;slxInitDynBuf(&dynBuf,&error);...;slxResetDynBuf(&dynBuf,&error);
- The first argument of 'slxLoadFile' always has to be supplied as slxFILENAME,
as it is both input and output parameter.
TPL:
From: D.Popovic
Date: 04.10.2005
VLTSW20050294 - tplOBS: Methods AddFits, ExpoId, InsMode added.
tplLib: Method tplMsgCall: added.
New methods: tplNew, tplIncr, tplNext, tplDebug.
VLTSW20050224 - tplOBS: New method PauseTimeout.
VLTSW20050250 - tplTCS: Method CheckVignetting added
VLTSW20050181 - tplDR: Addition of deafult parameter in method TFocus.
VLTSW20050182 - Added TSF report tool.
VLTSW20050150 - tplFITS: New class to access FITS file header.
tpl library: tplMakeRefFile, tplMsgCall and tplLog* procedures added.
tpl library: tplSeeVars procedure added.
VLTSW20040270 - tplLib created.
VLTSW20040353 - tplOBS: added waitArgs to method ExposeDark.
VLTSW20040277 - tplTCS: Addition of '-' in front of timeout in calls to
seq_msgRecvReply. Timeout added to Wait method.
- tplOBS: Added wait arguments to method Expose.
VLTSW20040083 - tplOBS: Corrected parameters of COMMENT command in method
Comment (bug fix).
VLTSW20040052 - tplICS: Addition of IsLcuSimulated proc.
VLTSW20040085 - tplOBS: Optional parameters added to method Wait.
Support for "-all" parameter in method Wait.
VLTSW20030481 - tplOBS: Additional parameters in methods Start and Wait.
New method Integrate.
VLTSW20040156 - tplUIF.tcl: Added support for tat tests.
TPLTOO: From: R.Schmutzer
Date: 01.12.2005
VLTSW20030499 - tpltooObdBuild: use tsf VALUE instead of TEST.VALUE.
VLTSW20040289 - tpltooObdBuild: allow setting OBS.* keywords.
VLTSW20050185 - tpltooObdBuild did not allow repetition of templates: fixed.
- TSF report tool added.
CTOO: From: R.Schmutzer
Date: 01.12.2005
VLTSW20030514 - ctooConfigArchive: adapted to Linux.
VLTSW20040183 - abort boot if .dbcfg contains an error.
VLTSW20040290 - ctooCONFIG.tcl: method Delete added.
VLTSW20050001 - ctooSEQSH.C: optional constructor args. added.
VLTSW20050287 - env. name added to cache filename.
STOO:
From: D.Popovic
Date: 04.10.2005
VLTSW20030458 - stooStop and stooStart pop up confirmation dialog
if they are called without arguments in order to prevent
unintentional starting/stopping of the complete instrument.
VLTSW20040135 - ICS simulation keyword SWSIM accepts values NONE and NORMAL
VLTSW20030498 - DCS can be excluded from startup panel if OCS.DETi.STOOSHOW == F.
VLTSW20030394 - Startup panel support for 'SOS' based instruments.
VLTSW20040320 - New kw for FIERA image directory OCS.DETi.IMGDIR specifies
where image data should be stored.
VLTSW20050180 - Addition of keyword OCS.CON.AVAIL that specifies if OS exists
or not.
VLTSW20050111, VLTSW20050159 - Support for multiple and different ICS's.
DXF:
From: D.Popovic
Date: 04.10.2005
- dxfORGCALL structure extended for better handling of timeouts in dxfSendData.
IST:
From: D.Popovic
Date: 04.10.2005
No Changes.
PCO:
From: D.Popovic
Date: 04.10.2005
- Improved error reporting, __FILE__ replaced with __FILE_LINE__.
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