Instrument Neutral Distributed Interface

Instrument Neutral Distributed Interface

INDI (an abbreviation of Instrument Neutral Distributed Interface) is a Distributed Control System protocol to enable control, data acquisition and exchange among hardware devices and software front ends, with particular focus on astronomical instrumentation.

Introduction

Elwood Downey started the INDI Protocol initiative in 2003 to develop a platform and client independent control protocol. INDI is a simple XML-like protocol described for interactive and automated remote control of diverse instrumentation. It is small, easy to parse and stateless. In the INDI paradigm each Deviceposes all command and status functions in terms of setting and getting Properties. Each Property is a vector of one or more named members. Each Property has a current value vector; a target value vector; provides information about how it should be sequenced with respect to other Properties to accomplish one coordinated unit of observation; and provides hints as to how it might be displayed for interactive manipulation in a GUI. Clients learn the Properties of a particular Device at runtime using introspection.

This decouples Client and Device implementation histories. Devices have complete authority over whether to accept commands from Clients. INDI accommodates intermediate servers, broadcasting, and connection topologies ranging from one-to-one on a single system to many-to-many between systems of different genre. The INDI protocol can be nested within other XML elements such as RTML to add constraints for automatic scheduling and execution.

Architecture

The main key concept in INDI is that devices have the ability to describe themselves. This is accomplished by using XML to describe a generic hierarchy that can represent both canonical and non-canonical devices. In INDI, all devices may contain one or more properties. Any property may contain one or more elements. A property in the INDI paradigm describes a specific function of the device. There are five types of INDI properties:

*Text property.
*Number property.
*Switch property (Represented in GUI by buttons or check boxes).
*Light property (Represented in GUI by colored LEDs).
*Blob property (Binary data).

INDI provides powerful scripting facilities that enables complete device automation.

INDI Library

INDI Library is an implementation of the INDI wire protocol for Unix-like systems. It supports a wide variety of astronomical instruments including telescopes, CCDs, focusers, filters, and video capture devices. The INDI Library is licensed under the LGPL.

INDI Driver

INDI driver is the program that communicates directly to the device. It is responsible for controlling the device parameters and for defining them to clients. Drivers send a list of supported device properties to clients where they are parsed and presented to the end users.

INDI Clients

Clients are the software frontends that communicate with the hardware drivers. They usually communicate with INDI hardware drivers via INDI server, though they can communicate with the drivers directly. There are many types of clients, most notably:

* Generic GUI clients like KStars or Xephem. Such clients generate a dynamic GUI to offer users a control panel to control the device.
* Logger clients to record messages, alarms, and data exchanged between devices and clients.
* Watch dog clients to insure safe and proper operation of devices.
* Automated scripts to carry on complex and coordinates operations on devices.

INDI Server

INDI server is the hub that sits between drivers and clients. It reroutes traffic for control and data across distributed networks. Each device or client in the network is a node and may communicate with other nodes whenever desired. The sever supports broadcasting, chaining, and marshaling of data.

External links

* [http://indi.sourceforge.net/ INDI Library project webpage]
* [http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/INDI/INDI.pdf INDI Protocol white paper]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Robotic telescope — A robotic telescope is an astronomical telescope and detector system that makes observations without the intervention of a human. In astronomical disciplines, a telescope qualifies as robotic if it makes those observations without being operated… …   Wikipedia

  • Indi — may refer to: *Mag indi language *Division of Indi, an electoral division in the Australian House of Representatives *Indi, Karnataka, a town in the state of India *indi (Online Communications Medium), a Online Communications Medium *Instrument… …   Wikipedia

  • XEphem — Infobox Software name = XEphem caption = Screenshot of the XEphem 3.7.2 with the Earth and sky views developer = Elwood C. Downey latest release version = 3.7.3 latest release date = 24 March 2008 operating system = Unix like genre = Amateur… …   Wikipedia

  • List of observatory software — The following is a list of observatory software.Commercial software* XEphemNon commercial software* Aladin Sky Atlas * Cartes du Ciel * Celestia * Google Sky * IRAF * Instrument Neutral Distributed Interface * KStars * NASA World Wind * PP3 *… …   Wikipedia

  • Glossary of fuel cell terms — The Glossary of fuel cell terms lists the definitions of many terms used within the fuel cell industry. The terms in this glossary may be used by fuel cell industry associations, in education material and fuel cell codes and standards to name but …   Wikipedia

  • radiation — radiational, adj. /ray dee ay sheuhn/, n. 1. Physics. a. the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves. b. the complete process in which energy is emitted by one body, transmitted through an intervening medium or space, and… …   Universalium

  • spectroscopy — spectroscopist /spek tros keuh pist/, n. /spek tros keuh pee, spek treuh skoh pee/, n. the science that deals with the use of the spectroscope and with spectrum analysis. [1865 70; SPECTRO + SCOPY] * * * Branch of analysis devoted to identifying… …   Universalium

  • Nobel Prizes — ▪ 2009 Introduction Prize for Peace       The 2008 Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Martti Ahtisaari, former president (1994–2000) of Finland, for his work over more than 30 years in settling international disputes, many involving ethnic,… …   Universalium

  • Economic Affairs — ▪ 2006 Introduction In 2005 rising U.S. deficits, tight monetary policies, and higher oil prices triggered by hurricane damage in the Gulf of Mexico were moderating influences on the world economy and on U.S. stock markets, but some other… …   Universalium

  • atmosphere — atmosphereless, adj. /at meuhs fear /, n., v., atmosphered, atmosphering. n. 1. the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air. 2. this medium at a given place. 3. Astron. the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body. 4. Chem. any… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”