Dear collaborators,
I would like to announce that a new sequencing tool is
being developed (and nearly finished in its first public version) at
Barcelona. Its name is FSQT (Finite State machine Queuing Tool). This tool
solves most of the problems of the current Sequencer and adds far more
flexibility and power. A summary of its features is shown below (from a
compilation of William Lupton SNL wish list and others):
Major additions: ===========
-Permits HIERARCHICAL state machine
designs. -PORTABILITY to be executed in any (supported) host computer (e.g.
Unix). -Includes a GRAPHICAL FSM editor with skeleton-code
generation. -Optionally permits several state machines share a single
task. -It is much EASIER TO DEBUG applications (no intermediate engine
present,
and no multi-tasking used). -Provides FULL C-LANGUAGE SUPPORT, including
ISRs.
Minor additions: ===========
-Allows pre and post-actions to be
executed. -Supports Channel Access put with callback. -Allows an action
not to reset timers.
I will be giving a presentation at the next EPICS
meeting in Trieste on why we need this tool, its features in detail and its
current state with a proven example developed in our lab. Preliminary
information, some documentation and a simple trial application can be found
at
for those really interested in this subject. We also
have a paper in the ICALEPCS'99. Although it is still work going on to fully
finish/test FSQT, we have found it very powerful and easy to use in our test
bench. If you want to try it, please go to the above URL and see it by
yourself (sorry but the example provided in this address doesn't have
hierarchical states (yet), we will update it soon; if you want the latest
release please contact me).
Please send comments, questions, criticisms and
suggestions.
_____________________________________________________ Dr. Josep
A. Perlas - Control System and Power Technology Lab. Llum Sincrotro - IFAE
------------ Tel: (+34 93)581.28.38 Edifici Cn, Campus
UAB ------------ Fax: (+34
93)581.32.13 E-08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) SPAIN ---- email: [email protected] _____________________________________________________
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