Streaming Data Types

FlatBuffers is the format chosen for the ISIS data streaming system, derived from the ESS messaging system.

Schema ids

ID	File name	Description
f144	f144_logdata.fbs	Controls related log data, typically from EPICS or NICOS. Note: not to be used for array data
ev44	ev44_events.fbs	Multi-institution neutron event data for both single and multiple pulses
df12	df12_det_spec_map.fbs	Detector-spectrum map for Mantid
se00	se00_data.fbs	Used for storing arrays with optional timestamps, for example waveform data. Replaces senv.
ad00	ad00_area_detector_array.fbs	EPICS area detector array data
hs01	hs01_event_histogram.fbs	Event histogram stored in n dim array
ep01	ep01_epics_connection.fbs	Status or event of EPICS connection. Replaces ep00
json	json_json.fbs	Carries a JSON payload
pl72	pl72_run_start.fbs	File writing, run start message for file writer and Mantid
6s4t	6s4t_run_stop.fbs	File writing, run stop message for file writer and Mantid
answ	answ_action_response.fbs	Holds the result of a command to the filewriter
wrdn	wrdn_finished_writing.fbs	Message from the filewriter when it is done writing a file
x5f2	x5f2_status.fbs	Status update and heartbeat message for any software
fc00	fc00_forwarder_config.fbs	Configuration update for Forwarder
al00	al00_alarm.fbs	Generic alarm schema for EPICS, NICOS, etc.
da00	da00_dataarray.fbs	Pseudo-scipp DataArray with time-dependent and constant Variables
un00	un00_units.fbs	Engineering units update

Adding new schemas

Add .fbs file to `schemas directory

Check ess-streaming-data-types first; attempt not to diverge without reason. If a new schema is really needed, then add a new .fbs schema in the schemas directory.

Note: to generate code from .fbs schemas, you will need the flatc tool installed. It can be acquired from https://github.com/google/flatbuffers/releases .

Adding Python bindings

Python bindings have low-level code (autogenerated by flatc) in the fbschemas directory, but also manually-written convenience serializers and deserializers in the top-level of the python module.

When adding or modifying a schema:

• The low-level code must be generated by manually calling flatc --python schemas\some_schema.fbs and adding the resulting generated code to python/src/streaming_data_types/fbschemas.
• Manually-written serializers & deserializers will need to be updated, and added to the lists in __init__.py.

Rust bindings

Rust bindings have low-level code in flatbuffers_generated, and a small high-level wrapper to deserialize any message.

When adding or modifying a schema:

• The low-level code must be generated by calling generate_rust_bindings.py
• The wrapper (defined in lib.rs) will need to be updated with the new schema.