Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

"Hoff, Lawrence" <[email protected]> · Sat, 12 Jul 2003 09:37:25 -0400

	We have an application where we need to specify a file (a DSP executable) to be downloaded (via 
EPICS) to a target system. We are using the technique of specifying the filename with a stringout record, 
with the assumption that the file is in the current working directory of the IOC to stay within the 40 
character limit of the stringout record.

	To try to improve on that situation, I have developed a "file selector" record. In addition to 
working around the 40 character limit of the stringout record, this record is actually file system aware. It 
can be used to navigate through a file system (or portion of a file system), and do useful things like send 
back a (filtered) directory listing to the user to make selections from (providing a remote view of the file 
system as seen by the IOC), and validate the existence of the selected file or directory.

	Following the mantra of the eXtreme Programming movement (release early, release often), I've 
attached source code and user documentation for an "alpha" version of this record. I'd like to see whether 
or not there is broad interest in such a record, solicit user feedback on features, ask for assistance filling  
in support for "other" (non-VxWorks) systems, e.g. RTEMS. In its current form, this record only fully 
supports file systems based on the VxWorks netDrv device driver. There is also support for any properly 
behaving POSIX-compliant file systems (which VxWorks nfsDrv and MS-DOS file systems emulate), but 
without filtering support at this point.

	One caveat with this record is that it works around string length constraints by implementing the 
VAL field as an array of strings, one string for each pathname element (e.g. "usr", "sbin", "arp"), and by 
implementing the directory listing field (FLIST) in a similar manner. There are a couple issues with this 
approach:

1)  Each element is still constrained to 40 characters. Therefore it will not be possible to select a 
file or directory element whose name exceeds 40 characters, and all files reported in 
directory listings are truncated to 40 characters as well.
2)  Standard display manager applications (MEDM, EDM) do not handle arrays of strings well. 
Commandline tools such as caget/caput do fine (though camonitor does not). Until and 
unless display manager applications handle arrays of string fully, any user interface to this 
record will have to be of a custom design (Java, Tkl/k, or even a perl script using 
caget/caput).

	A second caveat is that so far the record is focused on our particular needs (using VxWorks 
netDrv). It may not compile and run on a non-VxWorks (e.g. LINUX) environment without removing the 
VxWorks-specific code. Even on VxWorks systems, this record relies on the presence of support for the 
VxWorks "pipe driver" (pipeDrv) to function properly.

	In anyone has a need for such a record, I encourage you to "kick the tires" of this one and let me 
know what you think. Also if there alternate ideas about how to use EPICS as a conduit to specify a file to 
be used by the IOC, I'd like to hear them as well.

0-9.tar.gz

Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System