A software environment to execute automatic operational sequences on the ITER-FEAT DTP facility

The divertor test platform (DTP) maintenance operations are carried out by means of the remote handling equipments (RHE), each dedicated to perform a set of specialised remote actions. Each RHE is controlled by an RHE control system (RHE-CS) and can be locally operated by an RHE-operator using the local control panel (LOP). To perform the maintenance activity, the DTP-operator coordinates the remote operations of every RHEs, using the supervisory system (DTP_SS). Because the remote maintenance activities demand for a high degree of parallelism, automation and cooperation between various RHEs, the development of a software environment (OSAExE) that had the indicated characteristics has been necessary. The OSAExE environment is applicable to any distributed and cooperating system that is modelled as a set of autonomous subsystems. Each maintenance remote sequence needs to be modelled as a modified Petri-net diagram and subsequently ‘compiled’, in order to be automatically executed on OSAExE environment. The OSAExE architecture allows both, to program ‘event driven’ automatic sequences, and to maintain unchanged all the existing DTP_SS features.