CAPS-Camera GUI Documentation

News

2024-12-04: The code has been moved to GitHub

4.0.4 (2019-06-20)

Deployment target macOS 10.13 (HighSierra).

Some minor bug fixes.

4.0.3 (2017-07-06)

Added an 'observer' edit box to the Preferences window.

This allows to change the observer without re-starting the GUI.

4.0.2 (2017-06-01)

Added 'gws' or 'nogws' to the camera window title.

4.0.1 (2017-03-13)

Less strict interpretation of the "readmode" script command.

"FF" is accepted for "FF-only"

"GW" is accepted for "GW-only"

Case insensitive interpretation of the "etype" script command.

4.0 (2017-02-13)

Installed the official release version of the macOS/Cocoa CAPSCam GUI.

Ported the CAPSCam-GUI (capsgui, X11) to macOS/Cocoa.

Added FITS records:

FFLAMPS : flat field lamps from the M2-GUI.

M2FOCUS : M2 focus from the M2-GUI.

POSANG : position angle (180-cassegrain).

Changed FITS records:

SITELONG = -70.70384 (was -70.70387)

The default data path is /Volumes/DATA_DUPONT/CAPSCAM/utYYMMD1_D2.

Screen Shots and Software Documentation

Configuration Window

Observer: observer's name

CCD/DSP: {caps.s,caps-nogws.s}

caps.s: use shutter during guide-window readouts

caps-nogws.s: do not use the shutter during guide-window readouts

CCD: {online,simulator}

simulator: for tests with no dewar

online: dewar electronics are connected and running

Telescope/TCS: {online,offline}

Online: TCS (or simulator) is running

offline: do not communicate with TCS

M2-GUI: {online,offline}

Provides focus and flat-field lamp status for the FITS header.

CCD-Server: host name of the computer that is running the 'ccdserver'.

TCS: host name of the duPont telescope control system.

M2-GUI: host name of the computer where the M2-GUI is running.

Main Menu

Preferences: Opens the Preferences window.

Load FITS: Load a FITS file into the QuickLook tool.

Show Logfile: Displays the CAPSCam logfile in the Console application.

Show DataFolder: Opens the data path folder(s) in a Finder window.

Show AppSupport: Opens the Application Support folder in a Finder window.

This folder contains the default sub-folder for Scripts.

DataPaths: Opens a window that allows to set the data path for the FITS files.

QuickLook Tool: Opens the QuickLook window.

Dewar Status: Opens the Dewar Status window.

CCD Hardhat: Opens the CCD Hardhat window.

File Number: Makes the File number edit window on the CAPSCam-GUI editable.

Please press the Enter key after you change the file number.

Software Documentation: Opens this document in a web-browser.

User Manual: Opens the official CAPSCam user manual in a web-browser.

CAPSCam-GUI

ExpTime: sets the exposure time (1..8200 seconds)

Loops: number of exposures per sequence

ReadMode: { FF-only, GW-only, FF+GW }

FF-only: full frames only

GW-only: guide windows only

FF+GW: full frames and guider windows

EType: { Object, Dark, Flat }

GuideExp: guide window exposure time

GuideGeo: guide window geomentry (x,y,w,h)

Object: OBJECT record in the FITS header

Comment: COMMENT record in the FITS header

Start: starts a loop sequence of Loops exposures

File: next file name number (prefixNNNN.fits)

This number may be manually changed via the Camera--FileNumber entry of the Main Menu.

The prefix may be set using the Preferences dialog.

Abort: aborts the current exposure (frame will be lost)

Execute: executes the script file in the edit-box to the right of the button.

TelOff dx: telescope offset R.A. [arcsec] -- TODO -- TeleGUI ?

dy: telescope offset Dec. [arcsec]

Move : move telescope by dx,dy

Data Paths

Select the data path(s) for the FITS files.
The Default button automatically sets the path following the standard at the duPont telescope.
The Browse button opens a file selector that allows to set an optional secondary data path (eg. an external USB disk).

Dewar Status

Channel-A: Temperature [C], heater current [mA] and setpoint [C] of the temperature control loop run by the DSP.

Channel-B: Temperature [C], heater current [mA] and setpoint [C] of the temperature control loop run by the DSP.

Target: target temperature [C] during cooldown.

AutoCool: {Off,On}

If On the CAPS-GUI lowers the CCD temperature by 1 deg. [C] every minute until the Target temeperature is reached.

CCD Hardhat

Reset DSP/CCD-Server: Re-Load the DSP code.

The controls below require the software to be in Engineering mode should only be used by the instrument specialists.

CCD Voltages: adjust the voltages that the DSP applies to the CCD.

QuickLook Tool

Left mouse button: moves the Magnifier window.

Right mouse button: adjusts the contrast and level of the color map (SAOimage, DS9).

Cursor keys: moves the Magnifier window by 1 pixel.

If the shift or option key are held down the magnifier moves 5 pixels (25 if both are held down).

Space-key: estimates the FWHM and flux of the object at the cursor position.

Option/Alt-c: calculates the approriate telescope offset to center the current magnifier position.

Option/Alt-g: enters the current magnifier position into the guide window geometry edit box.

Color: sets the color lookup table

{ Gray, BBdy, Rain, InvG }

Stretch: sets the dynamic range of the scaling algorithm

cuts: manual data range (edit-boxes at the top and bottom)

med3: -3..+3 sigma around the background (median of frame)

med5: -5..+3 sigma around the background

3/10: -3..+10 sigma around the background

mima: full data range

Pixel: The current cursor coordinates (center of the aperture and magnifier) and pixel value at the cursor position.

Min/Max: Minimum and maxium pixel value within the aperture.

Ave/Sig: Average and standard deviation within the aperture.

FWHM/Flux: FWHM and flux estimate.

Press the 'space' key while centered on a star to calculate an estimated FWHM and flux.

Magnification: Magnification factor of the Magnifier window.

Radius: Sets the radius for the aperture statistics (MinMax, AveSig above).

Preferences

Speak Error Messages: Makes the computer voice say "invalid exposure time" or similar.

Accept object/comment from TeleGUI: set the object name and comment when the SendToTCS button is pressed.

If a script or exposure loop are running, the new values will not be active until the loop/script have finished.

Engineering Mode: Certain features (eg. CCD-Voltages) are not available in user mode.

The password which will be requested when switching to engineering mode.

Prefix: FITS filename prefix (p0001.fits).

Observer: FITS header OBSERVER value.

Email: The GUI sends an email if the CCD temperature rises more than 5 [C] above the setpoint.

Exposure Done: sound (text) that plays after the exposure has finished readout.

Script Done: at the end of a (macro) script.

Saturation Level: pixels above this threshold will be displayed in red.

Scripting

If the filename starts with a '/' it is assumed to be an absolute path and is used directly as the macro file (like 'capsgui').
If not, the GUI first looks in this path (common to all users!):

  /Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/CAPSCam/Scripts

When you create a new macro script please ensure its read/write privileges are set to chmod a+rw so that all observers may modify the script.

exptime #

set the exposure time to '#' seconds.

loops

set the number of exposures for the next exposure loop.

readmode { FF-only , FW-only , FF+GW }

set the readout mode.

etype { object , dark , flat }

set the exposure type.

guideexp #

set the guide window exposure time to '#' seconds.

guidegeo x y w h

set the guide window geometry.

object name

set the object record in the FITS header to 'name'.

comment text

set the comment record in the FITS header to 'text'.

start

start the next exposure loop.

move dx dy

move the telescope by 'dx,dy' arc-seconds.

coord dx dy

move the telescope by 'dx,dy' arc-seconds and the guider box by '-dx,-dy'.

Instrument Software Documentation Index