ads-deploy bridges the gap between your PLC project in TwinCAT XAE + Visual Studio and the Python/EPICS tools we use for development and deployment (PyTMC, ads-ioc) by providing a full EPICS and Python environment in a containerized Docker image.

• pytmc pragma linting / verification
• Build and run ads-based EPICS IOCs directly from Windows
• Generate batch files to run the IOC outside of Visual Studio
• Auto-generate and run simple Typhon screens directly from Windows
• No need to transfer your project and files to a Linux machine just to generate the IOC

Note: this is partly outdated - Docker is no longer required and conda may be used in place of it

Step-by-step notes are available here: https://confluence.slac.stanford.edu/display/PCDS/Installing+ads-deploy+on+Windows

Using just the Docker container is simple on all platforms. Run the following to check it out:

Windows

C:\> docker run -it pcdshub/ads-deploy:latest /bin/bash

OSX / Linux

$ eval $(docker-machine env)
$ docker run -it pcdshub/ads-deploy:latest /bin/bash

Steps to update ads-deploy:

1. Update ads-ioc-docker (follow its README)
2. Tag and release pytmc (use v0.0.0 style as usual)
3. Update the FROM pcdshub/ads-ioc version
4. Update environment variables: PYTMC_VERSION, ADS_IOC_VERSION
5. Rebuild. Match the ADS_DEPLOY_VERSION with the pytmc version, as it tends to change the most:

   $ export ADS_DEPLOY_VERSION={pytmc version}
   $ docker build -t pcdshub/ads-deploy:${ADS_DEPLOY_VERSION} .
   $ docker build -t pcdshub/ads-deploy:latest .
   

6. Push to DockerHub

   $ docker push pcdshub/ads-deploy:${ADS_DEPLOY_VERSION}
   $ docker push pcdshub/ads-deploy:latest
   

7. Commit, tag, and push to GitHub

   $ git tag ${ADS_DEPLOY_VERSION}
   $ git push
   $ git push --tags
   

• Docker Hub