The CBI Scheduling Language.

A Tutorial Introduction to the Language

The rest of this page contains links to reference information.

Miscellaneous information

archive [combine=number, dir=/whatever, filter=true|false]

Configure the data archiver.

close archive|log

Close the current archive or log file.

catalog filename

Load sources from a source catalog file.

flush archive|log

Flush buffered data to the current archive or log file.

horizon elevation

Specify the horizon that is to be assumed by the show command.

logdir directory

Tell the control program where to put subsequent log files.

open archive|log, [dir=?]

Open a new archive or log file.

add_signals {signal_names}

Define the list of signal names.

site longitude, latitude, altitude

Set the location of the CBI.

ut1utc filename

Load an ephemeris of UT1-UTC.

update_year

Send the current year number to the control system.

alimits track|scan, az_max, el_max, dk_max

Specify the azimuth, elevation and deck acceleration limits.

camera number

Select an active optical pointing camera.

collimate radio|optical, size, direction, [camera=?]

Specify the radio or optical collimation tilts.

encodersaz_per_turn, el_per_turn, dk_per_turn

Specify the sizes of the azimuth, elevation and deck encoders.

encoder_zero_points az_zero, el_zero, dk_zero, [camera=?]

Specify the encoder angles of zero topocentric azimuth, elevation and deck angle.

flexure flexure, [camera=?]

Enter the measured gravitational flexure of the telescope.

limits az_min, az_max, el_min, el_max, dk_min, dk_max

Specify the azimuth, elevation and deck encoder limits.

monitor [interval=time]

Configure the serial-I/O monitor task.

tilts ha, lat, el, [camera=?]

Specify the tilts in the telescope axes.

rotcor [state=on|off, limit=?, encoder_zero=?, shaft_zero=?]

Specify how and if the elevation rotation meters should be used.

tilt_meter [state=on|off, limit=?]

Specify how and if the azimuth tilt meters should be used.

tv_angle angle, [camera=?]

Record the orientation angle of the optical telescope.

vlimits track|scan, az_max, el_max, dk_max

Specify the azimuth, elevation and deck velocity limits.

zero_rotcor

Zero the rotcor correction applied by the tracker.

reboot cpu|rtc|cbicontrol

Restart the control system.

load_reboot_script filename

Load a schedule script to be run whenever the real-time cpu reboots.

setdio board, set|clear|assign, mask

Change the value of the output register of a given digital I/O board.

setreg register, value

Change the value of a CBI register.

shutdown cpu|rtc|cbicontrol

Halt the control system.

strobe

Generate an artificial data-strobe pulse.

unflag board

Unflag a previously unreachable VME board.

Boolean after(time, utc|lst)

Return true if the current time is after a given time-of-day.

Boolean acquired(operations)

Return true if a specified set of operations has completed.

Boolean between(start, end, utc|lst)

Return true if the current time is within a given window of time.

Interval elapsed()

Return the time spent within the enclosing loop or until statement.

Count iteration()

Return the number of completed iterations of an enclosing loop.

Boolean archive_filtering()

Return true if archive filtering is currently enabled.

Count archiving_interval()

Return the current archiving interval.

advance_schedule index number

Move a schedule one or more entries towards the front of the schedule queue.

abort_schedule

Abort the schedule that is currently running.

catch condition {statements} {remedial_commands}

Abort the specified block of commands if the given condition becomes true.

check_schedule filename(arguments)

Check wether the specified schedule would be accepted by the schedule command.

remove_schedule index

Remove a given schedule from the schedule queue.

resume_schedule

Resume execution of a paused scheduling script.

retard_schedule index number

Move a schedule one or more entries towards the back of the schedule queue.

schedule filename(arguments)

Add a schedule to the list of pending schedules.

signal/send|init|clear name

Send a signal to a running schedule.

Signal signaled(signal)

Check whether a given signal has been sent by the user.

suspend_schedule

Temporarily suspend execution of the schedule that is currently running.

axes axes

Enable specified telescope axes, and disable the rest.

azscan amplitude, [duration=?, repeat=?]

Perform a scan of a given amplitude, for a given duration.

deck_mode track|zero

Tell the tracker how to position the deck axis when tracking a source.

halt

Stop the telescope drives and put on the brakes.

model radio|optical

Select between the radio and optical pointing models.

offset/add [az=?, el=?, dk=?]

Change the tracking offsets of one or more telescope axes.

radec_offset/add [x=?, y=?]

Change the equatorial tracking offsets.

sky_offset/add [x=?, y=?]

Change the sky-based tracking offsets.

scan file, [repeat=?, scale=?]

Perform a scan in one or more of azimuth, elevation and deck-angle.

slew [az=?, el=?, dk=?]

Slew one or more axes of the telescope to given positions.

slew_rate [az=?, el=?, dk=?]

Reduce the slew rate of one or more telescope axes.

track source

Start tracking a given source .

tv_offset right, up

Adjust the tracking offsets to move the image on the TV monitor.

Azimuth azimuth(source)

Return the current azimuth of a given source.

Date date()

Return the current date and time (UTC).

Declination declination(source)

Return the declination of a given source.

Elevation elevation(source)

Return the current elevation of a given source.

Date rise_date(source,utc,horizon)

Return the nearest date and time at which a given source rises.

Date set_date(source,utc,horizon)

Return the nearest date and time at which a given source sets.

PointingOffset sky_to_az(el, angle)

Return the azimuth offset that corresponds to a given great-circle distance.

PointingOffset sky_to_ra(dec, angle)

Return the Right Ascension offset that corresponds to a given great-circle distance.

Interval sky_to_time(dec, angle, utc|lst)

Return how long a source takes to drift across a given great-circle distance.

Time time(utc|lst)

Return the current time of day on a given time-scale.

Date today()

Return today's date (0h UTC).

Date tomorrow()

Return tomorrow's date (0h UTC).

show source, [utc=?, horizon=?]

Display contemporary information about a source.

alarm message

Trigger the cbiviewer alarm.

mark one|add|remove, features

Change the set of feature markers to be recorded in the archive.

break

Prematurely exit the innermost enclosing foreach or while loop.

cleanup {statements}

Register a list of statements to be run when the script terminates.

exit

Terminate execution of the containing script.

<datatype> name = value

Create a new scalar variable and give it a value.

command name(type name, ...) {commands}

Create a new command.

do datatype variable=start,stop,increment {commands}

Repeatedly run a set of commands while stepping the value of a local variable.

foreach(type name) list {commands}

Loop through a set of commands once for each member of a list.

function type name(type name, ...) {expression}

Create a new function.

if(clause) {commands} else if(clause) {commands} else {commands}

Conditionally execute one of a number of blocks of commands.

ifhost(clause) hostname1 {commands} hostname2 {commands} {commands}

Conditionally execute commands that are specific to given cbicontrol hosts.

import filename

Import the contents of another script.

listof type name = {value, ...}

Declare a new variable and initialize it with a list of a given type.

log "string" | $datatype(expr) | $function(args) | $variable

Record a message in the log file and send it to control clients.

next

Prematurely start the next iteration of the innermost loop.

print "string" | $datatype(expr) | $function(args) | $variable

Print one or more arguments according to their types.

return

Finish executing the enclosing command without executing any of its remaining statements.

group name {type name, ...}

Create a new aggregate datatype.

until clause

Halt script execution until the given boolean clause becomes true.

while(clause) {commands}

Repeatedly run a set of commands while the given boolean clause is true.

hostname

The name of the computer that is running cbicontrol.

AccelLimit

An acceleration limit.

AcquireTargets

A selection of ongoing transactions.

Altitude

A geodetic altitude (m).

Angle

A generic signed angle (sexagesimal degrees).

AngleLimit

A datatype used to set limits on the magnitude of angles.

ArcFile

An archive file type (archive or log).

Axes

A set of telescope axes.

Azimuth

A telescope azimuth (North=0, East=90, South=180, West=270).

BitMask

A 32-bit number specified as an unsigned number or as a set of bits.

BitMaskOper

The operator to use when applying a BitMask template to a BitMask.

Board

A CBI register-board name.

Boolean

A truth or false value.

Count

A positive integral count.

Date

A Gregorian date and time (UTC).

DeckAngle

A telescope deck-drive angle (-360..360).

DioBoard

The name of a digital I/O board.

DeckMode

The behavior of the deck-axis while tracking a source.

Double

A generic signed floating-point datatype.

Elevation

A source elevation (0..90).

Declination

A source declination (0..90).

EncoderCount

An encoder count.

Features

A set of markers that indicate features of interest in an archive frame.

Flexure

Gravitational flexure (degrees per cosine of elevation).

InputFile

The pathname of a readable file.

Integer

A generic signed integer.

Interval

A time interval.

Keyword

An unquoted case-insensitive keyword string.

Latitude

A geodetic latitude (-90..90).

LimitType

The type of motion to apply specified limits to.

Longitude

A geodetic longitude (-180..180).

Model

A pointing model (radio or optical).

OffsetMode

Is used to specify how new pointing offsets modify existing ones.

PointingOffset

A temporary ra,dec or az,el,dk pointing offset (-180..180).

QueueEntry

The index of a script within the schedule queue.

Register

A CBI register name.

RegValue

A 32-bit unsigned integer register value.

ScanFile

The pathname of a scan-definition file.

ScanScale

The amplitude-reduction factor of a scan.

Script

The pathname and arguments of a scheduling script.

Sexagesimal

A generic signed floating-point datatype expressed in sexagesimal.

Signal

A signal name.

SlewRate

A slew rate expressed as a percentage of the maximum.

Source

A source from the source catalog.

String

A literal string.

SwitchState

The on or off state of a switch.

SysType

The target subsystem of a reboot or shutdown.

Tilt

An telescope axis tilt angle.

Time

A time of day or time interval.

TimeScale

A timescale specifier (UTC or LST).

VelocLimit

A velocity limit.

Wdir

The pathname of a writable directory.