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Modernize THEMIS script set compilation process #21

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@jameswilburlewis

The workflow for the MOC to regenerate THEMIS onboard script sets after implmenting new ESA/SST/other configurations relied on a now long-dead Windows machine. There was a dos program "asm85.exe" to assemble the *.A files containing the IDPU commands into a binary file. Then a Windows program "thmb2c.exe" was used to convert that binary into a .raw (raw CCSDS command packets) and .prc (ITOS command script) that could be used to upload the compiled script set to the probes or FLATSAT.

We have reproduced this workflow, reproducing the .raw and .prc files for the current script set,. but in a highly fragile tower of emulated Windows and DOS programs.

Interim solution:

  • Get dosbox-x installed on the THEMIS servers, to accomplish the first step of compiling the .A files to a .B file
  • Get WINE and its dependenciees installed on the THEMIS servers, to accomplish the second step of translating the compiled script set binary into .raw and .prc files suitable for uploading to FLATSAT or the probes
  • Verify the workflow again in the THEMIS SOC environment

Longer term solution: we need to replace these two executables with something modern that reproduces the results of the workflow.

  • Look for existing open source solutions for replacing the asm85.exe program; it seems to be derived from some assembly language syntax
  • If no suitable off-the-shelf solution is available, implement our own in Python
  • Leverage any existing tmtools C code for compiling IDPU commands to raw packets, and produce a Python program to generate the raw and prc files from the compiled .B file produced in the first step.

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