Image visualisation and processing in DOOCS and EPICS

The High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments, due to their large scale, required performance and precision, have to be controlled by complex, distributed control systems. The systems are responsible for processing thousands of signals from various sensors of different types. Very often, one of the data sources applied in such systems are visible light/infrared cameras or other imaging sensors. They can provide additional information about studied phenomena, which is not available on the basis of analysis data from other sensors. However, they require dedicated mechanisms for data collecting and processing. Moreover, often the images from cameras should be available to system operator. It needs the support from both operator panels interface and control application which should provide data in the dedicated format. The paper presents two different approaches to image distribution, processing and visualisation applied in distributed control systems. Discussed is the issue of support for cameras and image data implemented in the Distributed Object Oriented Control System (DOOCS) and an example control system designed to the needs of image acquisition system on the base of the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) environment.