A user interface framework for the Square Kilometre Array: concepts and responsibilities

Alessandro Marassi; Giorgio Brajnik; Mark Nicol; Valentina Alberti; Gerhard Le Roux

doi:10.1117/12.2232903

26 July 2016 A user interface framework for the Square Kilometre Array: concepts and responsibilities

Alessandro Marassi, Giorgio Brajnik, Mark Nicol, Valentina Alberti, Gerhard Le Roux

Proceedings Volume 9913, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy IV; 991347 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232903
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is responsible for developing the SKA Observatory, the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre of collecting area and including a general headquarters as well as two radio telescopes: SKA1-Mid in South Africa and SKA1-Low in Australia. The SKA project consists of a number of subsystems (elements) among which the Telescope Manager (TM) is the one involved in controlling and monitoring the SKA telescopes. The TM element has three primary responsibilities: management of astronomical observations, management of telescope hardware and software subsystems, management of data to support system operations and all stakeholders (operators, maintainers, engineers and science users) in achieving operational, maintenance and engineering goals. Operators, maintainers, engineers and science users will interact with TM via appropriate user interfaces (UI). The TM UI framework envisaged is a complete set of general technical solutions (components, technologies and design information) for implementing a generic computing system (UI platform). Such a system will enable UI components to be instantiated to allow for human interaction via screens, keyboards, mouse and to implement the necessary logic for acquiring or deriving the information needed for interaction. It will provide libraries and specific Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to implement operator and engineer interactive interfaces. This paper will provide a status update of the TM UI framework, UI platform and UI components design effort, including the technology choices, and discuss key challenges in the TM UI architecture, as well as our approaches to addressing them.

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Alessandro Marassi, Giorgio Brajnik, Mark Nicol, Valentina Alberti, and Gerhard Le Roux "A user interface framework for the Square Kilometre Array: concepts and responsibilities", Proc. SPIE 9913, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy IV, 991347 (26 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232903

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KEYWORDS

Human-machine interfaces

Prototyping

Antennas

Telescopes

Control systems

Visualization

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