5  Telescope Control System

5.1) Introduction
5.2) TCS
5.3) Starting the TCS System
        5.3.1) TCS commands
        5.3.1.1) Dome and Home buttoms (Popup windows)
        5.3.2) Taking dome flats
        5.3.3) Opening the dome, dark hatch and mirror covers. (See Appendix A)
5.4) Estop 
5.5) Guiding
5.6) Hand paddle GUI and telescope hardware hand paddle
5.7) When things do not work properly
5.8) Closing (See Appendix B)

________________________________________________________________________

5.1 Introduction

In 2008 a new Telescope Control System (TCS) by Richard Treffers of Starman Systems, LLC was implemented.
The GUI is by Richard Pogge, OSU.
This chapter describes how to operate the new TCS.  The telescope can only be operated via the MDM 1.3m workstation.  At some point in the future, it is hoped that all operations can be performed remotely.
The observer will spend most of the time in the observing room where the MDM 1.3m TCS GUI,  xmis2 GUI and data acquisition windows are located on mdm13ws1, with exceptions for dome shutter, dark hatch and E-stop operations.

5.2  TCS

TCS box

The TCS is a PMAC driven system and should never be turned off.  If it does get turned off, telescope RA, DEC, focus and dome will have to be homed.

5.3 Starting the TCS system

Upon arrival, the telescope and camera systems will most likely have been set up by MDM staff.  This information is good to browse however in case you find yourself having to restart any systems during the night.  

On mdm13ws1, before the TCS GUI is brought up, an xterm window needs to be started to run the three severs.

Telescope Status Screen Capture

Once the xterm is brought up, the telescope servers (there are three) need to be started. Type "telescope help". This will give information about the telescope. To start the telescope type "telescope start".  This should tell you if the servers started.  
This will start the telescope servers (tserver, rtel and rslit).  The TCS GUI can then be started by clicking Applications, then Telescope Control, then MDM 1.3m TCS.

1.3m TCS GUI

Once telescope servers and GUI are up, click the Initialize button so that the servers and GUI can talk to each other. Once initialized, telescope commands can be issued. A Refresh maybe done at any time when the telescope servers are running.

Once the GUI is brought up, the E-stop may be disabled, if it is not already.  This is done in the dome by lightly turning the red knob on the interface box clockwise (CW).  If the knob LED is lit, power to the telescope is cut.  By turning the knob CW, the light will go off and the telescope will be energized.  To cut power to the telescope, simply push the E-stop button in.  This will also relight the LED.  Typically, it is ok to leave the E-stop disengaged when the telescope is not in use.

The Server, Floor, Tilt, Pier, Estop and Limits in the TCS GUI should all be Green .

5.3.1  TCS Commands

All of the commands can be typed in the Command: window of the GUI if need be.

1.3 Meter Telescope Commands

1.3 Meter Telescope Opening, Closing and homing commands

WARNING: In order to avoid running the telescope into the pier safety trip switch, certain safety protocols have been added to the TCS software code as well as to JSkyCalc13mGS.  Still, in the unlikely event that the limit is tripped, it is relatively easy to get backed off the limit and back to observing by utilizing this procedure.

It is extremely unlikely that you will need to home the telescope or the dome at any point during your time on the telescope.  Only home the RA,  DEC,  dome and focus if needed, through the home button in the GUI.  Home one at a time or the telescope will lose connection!!  


5.3.1.1 Dome and Home Buttons (Popup windows)
           
The Dome and the Home buttons on the TCS GUI will pop up windows that control the dome and send homing commands to the TCS.

   

When raising or lowering the Dropout for mitigating wind shake, make sure that the Enable Dome Tracking is unchecked so
the dome does not automatically move back to follow the telescope. The proper procedure follows:

 1) Open the Dome Control Panel
 2) Disable dome tracking by unchecking the "Enable Dome Tracking" box
 3) Home the dome
 4) Open/close the dropout as needed
 5) Enable dome tracking by checking that box
 6) Choose Center the Dome to do it now rather than waiting for the keep-alive cycle time (60 sec)

Remember  to check Dome Enable Tracking after you are through raising or lowering the drop out so that the dome
can resume auto-tracking the telescope.

Again, it is useful to note that unless something very strange has occurred, it is extremely unlikely that you will ever need to home any telescope or dome components during your time on the 1.3m telescope.  

The Home Telescope and Dome panel window that pops up when the Home button is pressed will send the different axes to their respective home positions and set that axis to its home number (i.e. RA =0:00:00, Dec =32:00:00, Dome =51 degrees, Focus =0).
It is imperative that you only home one item at a time!  Doing otherwise can lead to a disconnect with the telescope.  Home one item.  When it is completed, uncheck it, check the next item and home it, and so forth.  You can click on View Log on the TCS GUI to watch for completion of each item.

5.3.2   Taking dome Flats

Dome flats

5.3.3   Opening the dome, dark hatch and mirror covers (See Appendix A:  Startup Checklist)       
     
Make sure the dome is at the home position (contact boxes lined up) and open the dome from the control panel in the dome.  Make sure the E-stop is not engaged (i.e. no light). After opening the dome, open the dark hatch on the MIS. 
           If using the OSU filter wheel make sure the dark slide is pulled out.
           Once the dome and dark hatch are opened, return to the workstation and click the Mirror button on the TCS GUI.  
           This will open the motorized mirror covers in about 40 seconds.

            1.) Open dome first
            2.) Dark hatch and the dark slide if the OSU filter wheel is used.
            3.) Mirror covers last.
5.4     E-stop

        Estop

        The E-stop is located on the dome shutter control box in the dome next to the double doors. It is no longer necessary to engage it in the morning.

        The toggle switch below the E-stop allows user control of dome slit/dropleaf locally or remotely.

5.5 Auto-Guiding

1.3m Auto Guiding

5.6 Hand paddle GUI and telescope hardware hand paddle

In the TCS GUI there is a panel button called Paddle. This is the handpaddle GUI. The direction button is a press and release as this just does an offset. If the button in the sub GUI is held down it will give an error box.  If commands are issued without proper delay (~2 seconds), it will give an error box.

Hand Paddle GUI

With the hardware hand paddle, continuous holding of any direction button will move the telescope in that direction.  In order to use the physical hand paddle, a command must be issued via the TCS GUI first.  For most motions, the command to be entered is as follows:

tx paddle type=50

Once motions are completed with the physical hand paddle, GUI-based commands should complete normally again upon desire.  However, it is of note that if after issuing computer commands to move the telescope, the command above must be entered again if control from the physical hand paddle is once again desired.

hand paddle


5.7 When things do not work properly

First try all the steps in the chapter just to make sure that everything was done correctly.

Usually the first thing to do is bring up an xterm window and type: telescope status, to see if all the servers for the TCS are running i.e. 

                tserver, rtel  and rslit . You should see: mdm13ws1:obs13m% telescope status
                                                                                                                 MDM 1.3m telescope services:
                                                                                                                 tserver: running on hill owner=obs13m
                                                                                                                 rtel: running on hill owner=obs13m
                                                                                                                 rslit: running on hill owner=obs13m

                If anything is not running, type telescope stop, then in a fews seconds type telescope start and you should see everthing running.

If for some reason the telescope does not respond to commands in an xterm window try, type telescope stop and then telescope start in a terminal window, as above, to make sure the servers are acting correctly. Then, dismiss the TCS GUI and restart it. Be sure to reinitialize using the Initialize button on the TCS GUI.

When the mirror covers do not seem to close when the telescope is not functioning properly a manual close can be performed.
On the west side of the telescope there is a gray box that with a switch on it. Switch to "On" and use the open/close switch to close the mirror covers. This is all contingent on whether or not the box can be reached.   See Picture:

telescope west side


 

 If everything looks as though it was done correctly, please contact the staff.     
               

5.8  Closing up: (See Appendix B: Shutdown Checklist)

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Updated: 2016Apr13 (Galayda/MDM)