Mark IV VLBI System Interface (J.Quick)

The Mark IV VLBI System has already been ported to Linux and is currently running version 9.13 of the field system (FS). Unfortunately the supported Linux kernel is rather old and is not compatible with the latest ESRF ELF-based Linux binary distribution. At present when the FS runs it has full control of the telescope, calibration noise diodes and weather data acquisition via direct HPIB and SDIO links. Under NCCS the direct link via HPIB going to the DOS PC-STEER will be replaced with a device server which will accept commands from Ethernet (via TCP/IP) and then send them to the Linux PC-STEER to control the telescope. Access to the weather parameters acquired by PC-STEER will also be made through the same device server. Control of the noise diodes will be done via a SDIO device server as described above. In addition the local software in the field system will have to be modified so that it communicates with the NCCS and requests and informs it of what it is doing (for alarms, logging and security purposes).

Tasks still to be done :

$\Longrightarrow$

UPGRADE VLBI FIELD SYSTEM TO ELF-BASED LINUX VERSION 2.0+,

$\Longrightarrow$

PORT LOCAL FIELD SYSTEM SOFTWARE TO INTERFACE TO PC-STEER, NOISE DIODE, ALARM AND LOG DEVICE SERVERS.