The integration of VAX and VALET-plus data acquisition software

The VALET-plus is a CERN-developed modular microcomputer system that is based on the Motorola 68K family of microprocessors in a VME environment and has had wide success as a stand-alone test and data-acquisition system. Recently, several experiments at CERN have started to use multiple VALET-plus systems controlled from VAXes or VAXstations. These are used as stand-alone systems in the early phases of the experiment and are later integrated into the final readout and online system. Facilities developed to allow the integration of such VALET-plus systems with the CERN VAX online environment, and in particular with MODEL (a suite of modular data-acquisition software packages for VAXes), are described. This has involved adapting VALET-plus software to the embedded environment, and extending MODEL services to include data flow between VALET-plus and VAX, control of VALET-plus from the VAX, error reporting, and human-interface facilities.<
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