# Instrument Integration Guide

:::{note}
**Audience:** Instrument teams integrating with the data center
:::

This guide helps instrument teams understand how to integrate their hardware and software with the CCAT Data Center infrastructure.

## Integration Topics

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 1

data_flow
api_usage
filing
```

## Overview

Instrument teams need to integrate with the data center for:

- **Data Filing** - Registering observations and data packages in the operations database
- **Metadata Management** - Providing observation parameters and instrument configuration
- **Data Transfer** - Ensuring data flows from instrument to archive efficiently
- **API Integration** - Using the ops-db API to interact with the system programmatically

## Key Resources

- **ops-db API** - See {doc}`/ops-db-api/docs/index` for complete API documentation
- **Data Models** - See {doc}`../overview/core_concepts` for entity definitions and relationships
- **Example Integrations** - Reference implementations from existing instruments

## Support

For integration assistance, contact the data center development team or consult the {doc}`../components/developers` section for technical implementation details.