The full set of routines defined in the network interface specification exist
in two forms. Each of these routines has the same 3 letter name as the network
mnemonic, one set in the NETWORK vocabulary and one set in the USER-VOC
vocabulary. They both have the same function: to start a background task in
which to execute the command. The USER-VOC versions wait for the task to
finish and then report the failure of the routine with an error message or
print something pertinant to the change of system state, for example a
starlog. This set of routines provide all the functionality of the Autoguider
and provide a common standard for the high level software running under ICL or
above this at the engineering terminal. Background tasks are used to free the
operator task for ither monitoring functions whilst the comands are operating
and, more importantly, to run each command in the same fashion as from the
network so that the commands perform in exactly the same fashion.
The routines AIT, FLD, GUI etc each start a background task which runs one
routine. This routine is common to the network and engineering code. There
is a convention that the lower level routine has the same name as the network
command but preceded by AG- for example SEL calls AG-SEL. It is the lower
level routines which are given here.
The routines are: