Concept design of a control system for the SUBARU telescope

The Japan National Large Telescope (SUBARU) is an 8.2 m optical-infrared telescope to be installed on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, to be operational in 1998. The control system for the SUBARU telescope is now in the design phase. The control system consists of distributed workstations, local processors, and data acquisition computers, which are interconnected by control LANs and data LANs. The control software uses message-based communication. Two key processes, a scheduler and a status logger cooperating with any other processes, are designed to ensure efficiency and security in observation processes. The main concept and functions of the control system for the SUBARU telescope are described.