Configuration Subsystem

Relevant source files

The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:

• Config/ConfigManager.cs
• UI/SettingsForm.cs
• UI/SettingsForm.Designer.cs
• Driver/Pulsar_DomeDriver.cs
• GNS/GNS.cs
• MQTT/MqttPublisher.cs
• Diagnostics/FileLogger.cs

The Configuration Subsystem is a critical component of the Pulsar Dome Driver, responsible for managing both persistent settings and volatile runtime state. It provides a centralized mechanism for storing, retrieving, and modifying all operational parameters of the driver. The subsystem is built around the ConfigManager class, which acts as a facade over the ASCOM Profile utility for persistence, effectively using the Windows Registry as a backing store.

A dedicated user interface, SettingsForm, allows users to configure the driver's behavior. This includes setting up the serial port, logging levels, MQTT and GNS integration, and parameters for the sophisticated hardware reset routines. The ConfigManager also serves as a state container for the driver's current operational status, such as azimuth, shutter state, and slewing activity, which are updated in real-time by the polling mechanism.

Core Components

The subsystem consists of three main parts: the ConfigManager class for data management, the SettingsForm for user interaction, and the ASCOM Profile for data persistence.

ConfigManager Class

The ConfigManager class is the central hub for all configuration and state data. It is instantiated within the main DomeDriver class and passed to other components that require access to settings or state. It uses an instance of ASCOM.Utilities.Profile to read from and write to the persistent store.

This diagram illustrates the structure of the ConfigManager class and its relationship with the ASCOM Profile and FileLogger.

Configuration Persistence and Lifecycle

Settings are persisted using the ASCOM Profile object, which typically stores data in the Windows Registry under the ASCOM device profile path.

1. Registration: When the driver is registered with ASCOM, the RegisterASCOM static method in DomeDriver is called. This method creates a ConfigManager instance and calls its RegistryEntries() method to pre-populate the registry with default values for all settings.
2. Loading: When the DomeDriver or SettingsForm is initialized, a ConfigManager instance is created. Its properties read values from the ASCOM profile on-demand using _profile.GetValue().
3. Saving: When the user clicks "OK" in the SettingsForm, the values from the UI controls are written to the ConfigManager properties, which in turn call _profile.WriteValue() to persist the changes.

The following diagram shows the flow of loading and saving settings via the UI.

Configuration Parameters

The driver's behavior is controlled by a set of parameters configured through the SettingsForm. These are stored and managed by ConfigManager.

Parameter	ConfigManager Property	UI Control (SettingsForm)	Description	Default Value
Serial Port	SerialPort	comboBoxSerialPort	The COM port for communicating with the dome controller.	"" (empty)
Log File Location	LogLocation	txtBoxLogLocation	The directory where log files will be saved.	"" (empty)
Enable MQTT	UseMQTT	chkBoxMQTT	Enables or disables publishing status updates to an MQTT broker.	false
Enable Debug Log	DebugLog	chkBoxDebugLog	Enables verbose debug-level logging.	false
Enable Trace Log	TraceLog	chkBoxTraceLog	Enables highly verbose trace-level logging for deep diagnostics.	false
Enable GNS	UseGNS	chkBoxGNS	Enables or disables sending notifications via the Good Night System (GNS).	false
GNS Executable Path	GNSPath	txtBoxGNSLocation	Path to the GNS client executable.	"" (empty)
GNS Dispatcher Path	GNSDispatcherPath	txtBoxGNSDispatherLocation	Path to the GNS Dispatcher executable.	"" (empty)
Internal (Soft) Reset	SoftReset	checkBoxInternalReset	Enables the software-based reset routine (RESTART command).	false
External (Hard) Reset	HardReset	checkBoxExternalReset	Enables the hardware-based power-cycling reset routine.	false
Reset Executable	ResetExe	txtBoxExternalExe	Path to the external executable used for the hard reset.	"" (empty)
Reset "On" Parameters	ResetOnParameters	txtBoxOnParameters	Command-line arguments for the reset executable to turn power ON.	"" (empty)
Reset "Off" Parameters	ResetOffParameters	txtBoxOffParameters	Command-line arguments for the reset executable to turn power OFF.	"" (empty)
Shutter Timeout	ShutterTimeout	txtBoxShutterTimeout	Timeout in milliseconds for shutter open/close operations.	90000
Rotation Timeout	RotationTimeout	txtBoxRotationTimeout	Timeout in milliseconds for dome rotation (slew/home/park) operations.	90000
Reboot Delay	ResetDelay	txtBoxResetDelay	Delay in milliseconds to wait for the controller to reboot after a hard reset.	5000
Power Cycle Delay	CycleDelay	txtBoxCycleDelay	Delay in milliseconds between turning power off and on during a hard reset.	5000

Sources: Config/ConfigManager.cs:96-267, UI/SettingsForm.cs:21-81, UI/SettingsForm.Designer.cs

Runtime State Management

In addition to persistent settings, ConfigManager holds the volatile, real-time state of the dome. These properties are not saved to the registry but are continuously updated by the driver's polling loop and are read by ASCOM clients to get the current status.

The following diagram shows how the polling loop updates the runtime state in ConfigManager.

Key State Properties

• Azimuth: Current dome azimuth in degrees.
• SlewingStatus: true if the dome or shutter is currently moving.
• ParkStatus: true if the dome is at the park position.
• HomeStatus: true if the dome is at the home position.
• DomeState: An integer representing the dome's rotational activity (e.g., 0=Idle, 1=Slewing, 9=Going home).
• ShutterStatus: An integer representing the shutter's state (e.g., 0=Open, 1=Closed, 2=Opening, 3=Closing, 4=Error).
• Rebooting, Resetting, ForceBusy: Volatile flags used internally to manage the state of the complex reset and command watchdog logic.

Sources: Config/ConfigManager.cs:59-75, Config/ConfigManager.cs:270-302

Conclusion

The Configuration Subsystem provides a robust and flexible way to manage the Pulsar Dome Driver's settings and state. By leveraging the ASCOM Profile for persistence and providing a clear UI via SettingsForm, it separates configuration concerns from the core driver logic. The ConfigManager class acts as an effective central repository for both persistent parameters and dynamic runtime state, making it a cornerstone of the driver's architecture. This design ensures that settings are easily configurable by the user and that the driver's operational state is consistently managed and accessible.