<title>System integration for image production and real-time control</title>

Abstract

An approach to integration of software and hardware for image production closely coupled with real-time control of an instrument is described. Image production includes reconstruction, processing, display, archiving and export. Feedback of information from images to instrument control is an essential feature, often with a human operator in the loop. Real-time control requires guaranteed response to external events, support for multiple processors and a variety of interfaces to instrumentation. Image production involves implementation of reconstruction and processing algorithms, a windows system, and network support. Both functions need a consistent user interface and an adaptable programming environment . The UNIX operating system running on a network of workstations meets the needs of image production and is very well suited to user interface and software development for both imaging and control. However, high performance real-time control is not possible under most available UNIX systems, but can be accomplished using a real-time kernel running on separate hardware. This suggests a multi-processor approach based on inter-process communication between the workstation and control environments. The architecture consists of three hardware layers (UNIX workstations, board-level microcomputers, and digital signal processors) and four software layers. The real-time software layers are DSP microcode and the microprocessor code. The lower layer of workstation software is a multi-tasked command-driven program tailored for instrument control and image production. The top layer of workstation software consists of an icon or menu driven user interface. A research instrument for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging will serve as an example of this approach.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.