Unified user interface for multiple independently developed instruments

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have collaborated to develop an integrated second-generation non-destructive assay (NDA) instrument for continuous, unattended measurement of UF6 gas flowing in process pipes of a blend-down facility. LANL was responsible for measuring the U-235 enrichment, and ORNL was responsible for measuring the fissile mass flow. The first generation of these instruments utilized completely independent hardware and software systems with separate and disparate user interfaces. For the second-generation system, a very high priority was placed on having a unified graphical user interface (GUI). Having a unified GUI facilitates the infrequent and short-duration inspector visits dictated by the host facility. This presentation describes the design and implementation of a software architecture that facilitates the development of a fully-unified GUI while preserving the advantages of independent instrument development. The unified GUI allows the user to perform all functions including setup, calibration, reporting and diagnostics on either instrument from either computer. The largely-independent development described herein accommodated well the challenges presented by: (1) having a tight schedule, (2) having the expertise for each of the two instruments residing at separate locations, and (3) needing to thoroughly test each subsystem before integration and yet assure proper operation of the integrated system with minimal time and effort at the end of the project. Item three can be especially important if there is insufficient NDA hardware to mock up the whole system at each location. The software architecture described here could be used for remote monitoring and control and could easily be expanded to integrate more than the two systems described here.