Progression of the XCTL System

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Progression of the XCTL System

• Kay Schützler
• Humboldt-University Berlin
• schuetzl_at_informatik.hu-berlin.de

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Topics of this presentation

• Introduction to the XCTL system
• XCTL activities in the DAAD project
• Progression of XCTL at Humboldt University
• About the future of XCTL in our project

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Introduction to the XCTL system

• Hardware controlling software used in
  experimental physics
• Usage area
• Analysis of semiconductor structures
• Displaying investigated structures in graphical
  form

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Example usage of XCTL
collimator
photo plate
sample
sample holder
X-ray tube
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Presenting structureson a photo
Picture of GaSb-islands on an AlSb-substrate

• Measuring method
• Topography

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Presenting structuresas graphics
Graphic of an atom core with its e-shell

• Measuring method
• Diffractometry/Reflectometry

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Features of XCTL

• Control motors (e.g. on sample holder)
• Control x-ray detecting devices
• Control measurement processes
• Adjust samples (before and during measurements)
• Evaluate and display results (during and after
  measurements)

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XCTL activities in the DAAD project

• Plovdiv
• Refactoring of use case LineScan finished
• AreaScan refactoring started
• Reports on both activities will be given at this
  workshop
• ? A. Stoyanova, B. Botev, R. Gospodinov
  Experiments with the XCTL system

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XCTL activities in the DAAD project

• Belgrade
• Applying URCA method to XCTL
• Realized with special version of XCTL
• Ported to Win32
• Using environment simulation, only
• Successful application was possible

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XCTL activities in the DAAD project

• Novi Sad
• Translation of requirements specification for use
  case Manual Adjustment
• By now version 2.2 available
• Very useful as a starting point when dealing with
  XCTL for the first time

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• Reengineering of user interfaces
• Redesign of user interfaces of Manual Adjustment
  and Topography
• More ergonomic versions with less errors

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• Porting activities
• New hardware without Win16 support
• Current hardware control logic not supporting
  Win32
• Win32 device drivers for motor and detector
  control developed by two of our students
• Port finished
• Tests are running

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• Automated subsystem interface recovery
• Refactorings and reengineerings dangerous for
  whole system interactivity
• Automated recovery of the actually used parts of
  the huge subsystem interfaces
• Using cross-reference data delivered by SNiFF

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• Visualisation of XCTL usage with multimedia means
• U. Sacklowski Visualization of the use of
  XCTL by multimedia means

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• ATOS Automatic regression testing
• Regression tests required because of continuous
  changes of XCTL
• Very time consuming and not very interesting
  procedure
• Automatisation of this long tests andtheir
  evaluation desired

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Progression of XCTLat Humboldt University

• ATOS Automatic regression testing
• Script controlled test system for WINDOWS
  applications
• Used for periodic and event driven regression
  tests
• Similar functionality like commercial tools e.g.
  WinRunner

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ATOS Main window
Test package
Test sequences
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ATOS Running a test
ATOS runtime window showing - current test
package,- current test sequence and - current
script command
Windows of remote controlled test object
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Diploma Theses about XCTL

• T. Kullmann/G. ReineckerRedesign of GUI for
  Manual Adjustment
• R. Harder/A. PascholdPorting Strategies for a
  HW Controlling System Using Reverse Engineering
  Methods
• T. ThielAutomated Subsystem Recovery
• J. Hanisch/J. LetzelAutomatisation of
  Regression Tests
• And several more additional student research
  projects...

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About the futureof XCTL in our project

• Students projects
• Extension of an existing system (e.g.
  visualisation of motor moves)
• Analysis and review of an existing system
• Reengineering an existing system
• Real life software ? highly motivated students

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About the futureof XCTL in our project

• Case study in the Joint Course on Software
  Engineering
• Requirements specification of use case Manual
  Adjustment
• Examples for topics on metrics, reverse
  engineering activities, functional testing (CTE),
  OOA

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About the futureof XCTL in our project

• Scientific case study
• Distributed, web-based software development
• Architectural assessment,
• Refactoring,
• Testing,
• ...