A language-based approach to implementing multi-vendor support in an AdvancedTCA Shelf Manager

The Pigeon Point® AdvancedTCA® Shelf Manager software supports multiple types of shelves produced by multiple vendors. While the number of supported platform configurations grew over time, hard coding platform-specific features in the software became impractical. A language-based approach has been designed and a new interpreted language for describing hardware platforms (Shelf Manager carrier boards and shelves) has been developed. Software implementation of this language includes a stand-alone compiler and an interpreter of binary data that is integrated with the Shelf Manager software. The language is now used both by Pigeon Point engineers and shelf vendors to describe new hardware platforms for the purposes of shelf management. As a result, the effort needed and the corresponding cost to support new platforms has been substantially reduced, while support responsiveness has been improved.