The operator interface to the equipment of the CERN PS accelerators

A well defined equipment interface has been in use for a long time in the PS Complex. It is based on standard calling sequences to a set of object-oriented software modules, which fit the diverse equipment in homogeneous classes. In the context of the new control system, with the introduction of UNIX, MOTIF, and an on-line database management system, this concept of standardisation was extended to the workstation user interface. A single framework guides the operator through menus and options, and provides specific control widgets and displays according to configuration data found in the database. This has proved very valuable for producing new control interfaces for whole accelerators with minimal programming effort. This paper describes the current software architecture and also reviews the generic applications and commercial products for operator interaction which make use of that architecture.