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Target Scheduler

Expressions and Variables

If you used the Sequencer Powerups plugin in the past, many of these concepts migrated into the core in version 3.3 and users should migrate their usage.

NINA 3.3 and above supports the use of user and plugin-defined variables and expressions. Many core sequencer instructions were modified to use this system.

Variables

Target Scheduler now implements several variables (aka symbols) that reflect the state of the scheduler. All variables are initialized to the default value and available as soon as the TS plugin loads.

These variables will be in a state of flux while NINA 3.3 is still in the nightly release state. Expect changes.

Name Type Default When Set
TS_Version string TS version plugin start
TS_ContainerRunning bool false container start/stop
TS_ContainerWaiting bool false waiting/done waiting for next target
TS_ContainerPaused bool false container paused/unpaused
TS_ContainerLastStarted DateTime* - last container start time
TS_ContainerLastStopped DateTime* - last container stop time
TS_CurrentTargetName string - a target starts imaging
TS_CurrentProjectName string - a target starts imaging
TS_CurrentTargetCoordinates Coordinates - a target starts imaging
TS_CurrentTargetRotation double - a target starts imaging
TS_CurrentTargetStarted DateTime* - a target starts imaging
TS_CurrentFilterName string - an exposure starts
TS_CurrentExposureLength double - an exposure starts
TS_NextTargetStart DateTime* - a wait starts
TS_NextTargetName string - a wait starts
TS_NextProjectName string - a wait starts

*The DateTime variables are stored as real DateTime objects. At present, the core expression system does not handle these natively. In fact, it wants to treat time values as double seconds for use in expressions (since this code has its roots in the Sequencer Powerups plugin). I’m hoping the core system can evolve to handle DataTime as a native and convert to seconds as the usage context requires.

Variable Resets

  • All the ‘current target/project’ variables are cleared when a new target starts imaging, a wait starts, the container ends, or a reset occurs.
  • TS_CurrentFilterName and TS_CurrentExposureLength are cleared when the exposure ends or a reset occurs.
  • All the ‘next target/project’ variables are cleared when the wait ends or a reset occurs.
  • All variables (with the exception of TS_Version, TS_ContainerLastStarted, and TS_ContainerLastStopped) are reset to the default values at the following times:
    • Container stop (TS container ends execution)
    • Sequence reset
    • Sequence stopped
    • TS container error

Relation to Pub/Sub and Sequencer Powerups

The existing TS pub/sub system was leveraged almost exclusively by Sequencer Powerups (SP). It allowed SP to track the state of TS and interact more intelligently with it. At present, the pub/sub system is unchanged and should continue to work with existing SP or the Sequencer+ fork.

At some point, it may be possible to leverage the core expression system to perform the same function and eliminate reliance on pub/sub. However, it will take some additional changes to the expression system.