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Paper: The CARMA Control System
Volume: 314, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XIII
Page: 708
Authors: Gwon, C.; Beard, A.D.; Daniel, P.; Hobbs, R.; Scott, S.L.; Kraybill, J.C.; Leitch, E.; Mehringer, D.M.; Plante, R.; Amarnath, N.S.; Pound, M.W.; Rauch, K.P.; Teuben, P.J.
Abstract: The Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) will be the combination of the BIMA, OVRO, and SZA millimeter arrays. With first light scheduled for 2005, CARMA will be the first heterogeneous millimeter array, combining antennas varying from 3.5 m to 10.4 m in diameter. The controls for CARMA involve creating a uniform interface for all antennas. The antennas are grouped into five independently-controlled sub-arrays, which will be used for scientific observations, engineering, or maintenance. The sub-arrays are controlled by two components: the Sub-array Command Processor (SCP) and the Sub-array Tracker (SAT). While each sub-array has a dedicated SCP for handling command processing, a single SAT computes and distributes slowly varying parameters to the necessary sub-arrays. The sub-array interface uses CORBA distributed objects to physically separate the user interface from the array. This allows for stability in the core engine controlling the array while enabling flexibility in the user interface implementation.
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