Automatic generation of configuration files for a distributed control system

The CERN PS accelerator complex is composed of 9 interlinked accelerators for production and acceleration of various kinds of particles. The hardware is controlled through CAMAC, VME, G64, and GPIB modules, which in turn are controlled by more than 100 microprocessors in VME crates. To produce startup files for all these microprocessors, with the correct drivers, programs and parameters in each of them, is quite a challenge. The problem is solved by generating the startup files automatically from the description of the control system in a relational database. The generation process detects inconsistencies and incomplete information. Included in the startup files are data which are formally comments, but can be interpreted for run-time checking of interface modules and program activity.