RE: Next generation EPICS display manager

["Elder Matias" <Elder.Matias@lightsource.ca>]

Tom,

At the CLS we have been writing Qt based EPICS applications for about
four years and very happy with the outcome.  We primarily use these to
do data acquisition, experiment control where in addition to basic
displays we also need to do file manipulation and visualize data.
Coming out of ICALEPS, Glen Wright started trying to talk to some of the
other labs using Qt with EPICS to see if there was some common interest
in trying to combine our efforts.

We also use EDM extensively for the control system display manager.

Elder


-----Original Message-----
From: tom.cobb@diamond.ac.uk [mailto:tom.cobb@diamond.ac.uk] 
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 6:35 AM
To: tech-talk@aps.anl.gov
Cc: Andrew.Rhyder@synchrotron.org.au;
andy.starritt@synchrotron.vic.gov.au; Elder Matias; mkpark@nfri.re.kr
Subject: FW: Next generation EPICS display manager

Hi all,

Here at Diamond we've just started looking around at the EPICS display
managers out there, with a view to eventually replacing our EDM GUIs
with something a little more modern. So far we have been playing with
Qt, and have a prototype with a small widget set that controls a
firewire camera and displays an mjpg stream. However, I am aware that
there are several Qt EPICS implementations out there, and I think it
would be good to collaborate with another site on this to avoid writing
yet another display manager.

Our findings so far:
* We've found PyQt and CA too slow in large GUIs, but would still like
to generate the PyQt bindings for any new widgets so we have the option
for some specialised screens
* We've found that the designer is a very handy editor, and it's very
convenient to be able to use ui files rather than having to compile
screens
* Qt's signal/slot mechanism and QVariant classes are very powerful, but
we've yet to find a neat way to fit PV Names and channels into this

I should also point out that we haven't ruled out other display
managers, we have briefly looked at Control System Studio SDS, but have
found the widget set a little small, and widgets written by other sites
seem to lack a common look and feel, but we would like to hear from
other sites about their experiences in this area.

So my questions are:
* Has anyone else out there written a recent display manager?
* How mature is it and how complete is the widget set?
* How complicated / large are the screens you have built with it, and
what's performance like?
* Would you be willing to collaborate on it?


Many thanks,
 
Tom Cobb,
Diamond Light Source Ltd.
Diamond House
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 0DE
United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0) 1235 778582

-- 
This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential, copyright and
or privileged material, and are for the use of the intended addressee
only. If you are not the intended addressee or an authorised recipient
of the addressee please notify us of receipt by returning the e-mail and
do not use, copy, retain, distribute or disclose the information in or
attached to the e-mail.
Any opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the individual
and not necessarily of Diamond Light Source Ltd. 
Diamond Light Source Ltd. cannot guarantee that this e-mail or any
attachments are free from viruses and we cannot accept liability for any
damage which you may sustain as a result of software viruses which may
be transmitted in or with the message.
Diamond Light Source Limited (company no. 4375679). Registered in
England and Wales with its registered office at Diamond House, Harwell
Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, United
Kingdom