Generating software modules using model driven software development

Modern radio telescopes must monitor and control as many as fifty types of hardware devices with thousands of instances of these devices. The ALMA control system uses a model-driven approach to generate software products to support these hardware devices. This technique automates the lower-level portions of device drivers, enabling software developer to concentrate on the more difficult, higher-level aspects of devices. It also results in consistency across software modules in implementing a basic state model and techniques for handling faults.