Some Aspects of CAMAC Software

Since most CAMAC systems include computers, the generation and maintenance of computer programs may represent a substantial fraction of the effort involved in assembling a CAMAC system. The effort involved can be reduced if standard software can be used, but the generality of the hardware and the variety of computers and interfaces make the production of efficient, general software difficult. Some of the problems and some general approaches to them are discussed below. The NIM Software Working Group has been working on a set of FORTRAN subroutines for use with CAMAC systems. Though the effort is incomplete, it has reached a stage where its implementation is feasible and will prove useful. The working group has therefore concluded that it should be published in this tutorial issue to make it available to prospective users.