omit updates of unchanged values within short time

Sometimes it happens, that the same value determined once is
assigned several times to a parameter within a very short period.
Sending multiple updates is not useful in this case.

Change-Id: Icea66934c831fd9b2eac7d0394a124d002469914
Reviewed-on: https://forge.frm2.tum.de/review/c/sine2020/secop/playground/+/27091
Tested-by: Jenkins Automated Tests <pedersen+jenkins@frm2.tum.de>
Reviewed-by: Markus Zolliker <markus.zolliker@psi.ch>

secop/modules.py

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from collections import OrderedDict
 
 from secop.datatypes import ArrayOf, BoolType, EnumType, FloatRange, \
     IntRange, StatusType, StringType, TextType, TupleOf
-from secop.errors import BadValueError, ConfigError, InternalError, \
+from secop.errors import BadValueError, ConfigError, \
     ProgrammingError, SECoPError, SilentError, secop_error
 from secop.lib import formatException, mkthread
 from secop.lib.enum import Enum
@@ -243,12 +243,12 @@ class Module(HasAccessibles):
 
     # reference to the dispatcher (used for sending async updates)
     DISPATCHER = None
-
     pollerClass = Poller  #: default poller used
 
     def __init__(self, name, logger, cfgdict, srv):
         # remember the dispatcher object (for the async callbacks)
         self.DISPATCHER = srv.dispatcher
+        self.omit_unchanged_within = getattr(self.DISPATCHER, 'omit_unchanged_within', 0.1)
         self.log = logger
         self.name = name
         self.valueCallbacks = {}
@@ -441,18 +441,21 @@ class Module(HasAccessibles):
     def announceUpdate(self, pname, value=None, err=None, timestamp=None):
         """announce a changed value or readerror"""
         pobj = self.parameters[pname]
-        if value is not None:
+        timestamp = timestamp or time.time()
-            pobj.value = value  # store the value even in case of error
+        changed = pobj.value != value
-        if err:
-            if not isinstance(err, SECoPError):
-                err = InternalError(err)
-            if str(err) == str(pobj.readerror):
-                return  # do call updates for repeated errors
-        else:
         try:
+            # store the value even in case of error
             pobj.value = pobj.datatype(value)
         except Exception as e:
-                err = secop_error(e)
+            if not err:  # do not overwrite given error
+                err = e
+        if err:
+            err = secop_error(err)
+            if str(err) == str(pobj.readerror):
+                return  # do call updates for repeated errors
+        elif not changed and timestamp < (pobj.timestamp or 0) + self.omit_unchanged_within:
+            # no change within short time -> omit
+            return
         pobj.timestamp = timestamp or time.time()
         pobj.readerror = err
         if pobj.export:

secop/protocol/dispatcher.py

@@ -60,10 +60,11 @@ def make_update(modulename, pobj):
 
 
 class Dispatcher:
-
     def __init__(self, name, logger, options, srv):
         # to avoid errors, we want to eat all options here
         self.equipment_id = options.pop('id', name)
+        # time interval for omitting updates of unchanged values
+        self.omit_unchanged_within = options.pop('omit_unchanged_within', 0.1)
         self.nodeprops = {}
         for k in list(options):
             self.nodeprops[k] = options.pop(k)

test/test_iohandler.py

@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ class Data:
 
 
 class DispatcherStub:
+    # the first update from the poller comes a very short time after the
+    # initial value from the timestamp. However, in the test below
+    # the second update happens after the updates dict is cleared
+    # -> we have to inhibit the 'omit unchanged update' feature
+    omit_unchanged_within = 0
+
     def __init__(self, updates):
         self.updates = updates
 

test/test_modules.py

@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ from secop.poller import BasicPoller
 
 
 class DispatcherStub:
-    OMIT_UNCHANGED_WITHIN = 0
+    # the first update from the poller comes a very short time after the
+    # initial value from the timestamp. However, in the test below
+    # the second update happens after the updates dict is cleared
+    # -> we have to inhibit the 'omit unchanged update' feature
+    omit_unchanged_within = 0
 
     def __init__(self, updates):
         self.updates = updates