Carnegie-DIMM Software Documentation

Version 2.3

Christoph C. Birk (birk AT carnegiescience DOT edu)


Location of this document: http://instrumentation.obs.carnegiescience.edu/Software/CDIMM/cdimm2.html


  • News
  • Current State: LCO
  • Screen Shots and Software Documentation
  • macOS HighSierra SBIG driver installation notes

  • Windows version (retired)


    Enable/Disable the reporting facility and watchdog

    crontab on 'weather' (LCO) [disabled on 'instruments' (SBS)]:
    */3  0-8,18-23 * * * $HOME/CDIMM/report -d $HOME/Sites/cdimm_state -a birk,ppalunas@carnegiescience.edu both
    */20 9-17      * * * $HOME/CDIMM/report -d $HOME/Sites/cdimm_state state
    

    -d: destination of the status file
    -a: addresses (comma separated list) for the daily reports.
    -g: addresses for the watchdog alerts (default=birk,ppalunas@carnegiescience.edu).
    The command (last word on the command line)
    'state': update status file
    'log': request the CDIMM logfile
    'both': update the status file and email the logfile as a night report

    The 'report' program sends out an email every 4 hours if the CDIMM programm cannot be contacted.


    News

    v2.3 (2022-04-28)
  • Added 'dy' (average) to the night reports.
  • Download CDimm-v2.3
    v2.2.4 (2022-02-18)
  • Removed <CR> characters from the "measurement timeout" and "scanline error" messages in the night report.
  • The <CR> characters caused the mail program to send the night reports as attachments instead of plain text.
    I recommend restarting the GUI or rebooting the computer after the DIMM-GUI shut down observerations and switched to AutoDIMM=OFF due to these system errors.
    v2.2.3 (2022-02-15)
  • Added counters that allow 3 CCD readout failures or measurement timeouts before turning OFF AutoDIMM.
  • Please restart the GUI (or reboot the computer) when this happens.
    v2.2.2 (2022-02-04)
  • Fixed handling a failed CCD scanline by adding a system shutdown after turning OFF AutoDIMM.
  • v2.2.1 (2022-02-03)
  • Shutdown and turn OFF AutoDIMM when an "Illegal Telescope Position" is detected.
  • v2.2 (2021-09-29)
  • Use the watchdog of the Acromag to close the dome and power-off all decives when the GUI loses contact with the Acromag (eg. host computer crash).
  • The timeout of the Acromag watchdog is set to 5 minutes at the startup of the GUI, and disabled when the GUI is closed.
    Release Notes


    Screen Shots and Software Documentation

    Setup - C-DIMM - Telescope - Preferences - Hardhat


    Setup

    Identity: used as prefix for the log- and data-files.
    Reset: reset all settings to their defaults.
    The defaults are defined inside the CDimm.app application bundle in the file Contents/Resources/defaults.xml.
    Load...: load an identity.xml file.
    You may create a new identity.xml file by copying the defaults.xml (or an existing) file to the folder
    ~/Library/Application Support/CDimm/
    rename it and modify it as necessary.
    Telescope: {LX200, RCX400, EM500, GTO1100 }
    Select the telescope model and set the IP number.
    MASS: check the box if the CDIMM software should command the MASS.
    FoV: Field of view (the MASS reduces the FoV, so the search has to use smaller steps).
    Dome: check the box if the dome may be controlled via an Acromag.
    Meteo: check the box if the weather conditions should be queried via the Magellan dome(s).
    Typically the Baade and Clay TCSIS computers provide information about the Magellan domes. If at least one dome is open it is assumed that the weather is ok.


    C-DIMM

    Dome: { Closed, Open, Stop}
    CCD: { off, asleep, On }
    Tele: { off, asleep, On }
    Fan: { off, On }
    Lamp: { off, On }
    Meteo: { Bad, Good }
    UT/ST/Sun: universal time, sidereal time, sun altitude
    Az/Alt/HA: azimuth, altitude (elevation) and hour angle of the telescope mount
    Object: object name (if in AutoDIMM mode and observing)
    Status: {idle, slewing, centering, measuiring }
    Expose: take a single exposure.
    Measure: take a single measurement at the current position.
    AutoDIMM: switch AutoDIMM mode.
    When in AutoDIMM mode the GUI will select an object; slew to it; center it; and start measurements while the sun is below a threshold.
    If the system is in AutoDome mode the GUI will also open/close the dome and the beginning/end of the night.
    Foc+/-: run the focus motor while the button is pressed.
    n1/n2 (reject): number of exposures with short/long exposure time and the number of rejected data points.
    Seeing: displays the current (averaged) seeing.
    Pressing the button opens a graph displaying a plot of all measurements of this night.
    Strehl: displays the current (averaged) strehl ratio.
    Pressing the button opens a graph displaying a plot of all measurements of this night.
    Scintillation: displays the current (averaged) scintillaion value.
    Pressing the button opens a graph displaying a plot of all measurements of this night.
    dx: displays the current (averaged) distance between the two star images (ie. focus).
    Pressing the button opens a graph displaying a plot of all measurements of this night.


    Telescope

    Telescope - SkyMap - ObjectList - AirMass

    Time: universal time, airmass and sidereal time.
    Coordinates: the current pointing of the telescope.
    Get: reads the coordinates from the telescope.
    Send: sends the coordinates to the telescope and intiates a slew.
    Offsets: the buttons offset the telescope by the amount given in the E/W and N/S edit controls.
    STOP: stops a slew or offset.
    Zero: resets the offset accumulated in the edit controls above.

    DIMM: {DIMM, SAO, ... }
    Selects the star catalog for the SkyMap display.
    Note: this is not the object list.
    Auto: {Auto, Manual }
    Sets a cut-off brightness depending on star-catalog and field-of-view.
    In/Out: zooms the field-of-view.

    Edit: opens a dialog that allows to change the currently selected object.
    Add: adds a new object to the object list.
    Remove: removes the currently selected object from the list.
    MoveTo: sends the coordinates of the currently selected object to the TeleGUI and initiates a slew.

    up/down: changes the scaling of the time axis.


    Preferences

    General - DIMM - Simulator

    Auto Startup: Do not show the Setup dialog when the GUI is launched. Uses the values from the last session.
    Auto Power: Power up the CCD and Telescope at startup.
    Auto DIMM: Turn on the AutoDimm button after startup.
    Auto Select Objects: Automatically select an object from the list.
    If this option is un-checked the system will try to observe at the current position.
    Auto Focus: Adjust the focus after each sequence if the focus is off by more than the Threshold on the DIMM tab.
    Auto CSET: Calibrate ("CMR") the telescope mount after a successful spiral search (if in AutoDIMM mode).
    Auto Save: Save expsosures and Scans as FITS files.
    Verbosity: Sets the verbosity level of the Messages window

    Measure Time: Length of each measurement sequence.
    Mode: {Scan,Image}
    The Image does not work with the ST7 camera because it does not have a shutter.
    Exposure Time: used for alignment and the Expose button.
    Scan Time: Time between line clockings in Scan mode.
    Star Radius: Size used for measuring the star traces.
    Vbin: Default binning used in Scan mode.
    Focus: Best distance between the 2 star images (traces).
    Threshold: Re-focus if the focus is off by more than this value.
    Twilight: Start observing if the sun's altitude is below this value.
    Spiral Size: {0,1,2,3,4}
    If the star is not found at the catalog position the telescope executes a spiral search.
    The number of positions are {0,8,24,48,80}.
    Threshold: Maximum allowed distance of the stars from the optimal position on the CCD.

    Seeing/Strehl/Scintillation: simulated seeing, strehl and scintillaion values.
    Spread: simulated star separation (prism) in pixels.
    f-Cosmics: likehood of a simulated cosmic ray per readout line.
    Clouds: magnitude of extinction [mag].
    F-Motion: peak frequency of the simulated dither motion.
    Pointing Error: simulated pointing error of the telescope.
    Drift: drift of the simulated telescope.
    TimeLapse: simulated time [s] per real time second.


    Hardhat

    Data - Display - Tele - MASS - Acromag - SBIG

    Reticle: {Off, On/1, On/2, On/4}
    off: Expose button takes 1 exposure.
    On/N: take continously exposure with 'N' magnification.
    Center: run the centering procedure.
    '0': take 1 exposure and just evaluate the image.
    '1': take exposures and center a single star (test without prism).
    '2': take exposure and center 2 stars (with prism, this is the same procedure that is used during AutoDIMM).
    Evaluate: calculate min/max and noise in the current exposure.
    Measure: find objects on the last exposure.
    Save FITS: save the current exposure as a FITS file.
    Darks/Take: take 'N' dark exposures and store for later use during AutoDIMM operations
    Darks/Erase: erase the dark buffer.
    Stretch: {Cuts, Med3/3, Med5/5, Med3/10, Min/Max}
    Cuts: manual scale the image display using the values in the edit boxes.
    MedN/M: scale the image display using -N/+M sigma around the median.
    Min/Max: scale the image display using the minimum/maximum of the data.
    LuT: color look-up-table { Gray, BlackBody, Rainbow, InvGray}.
    Pixel: the current pixel coordinate and data value at the cursor position (press the left mouse button).
    The data cursor may be positioned by using the cursor keys (up,down,left,right).
    Tracking On/Off: turn on/off the tracking of the telescope.
    CSET: Calibrate the absolute encoders
    Set the most recent absolute coordinates as the current pointing
    • "Send" on TeleGUI
    • "MoveTo" on Object List
    TPOINT: write a TPOINT record to the file $HOME/tpoint.log
    The "nominal" coordinates are taken from the currently selected object of the ObjectList.
    Alt/Az Update: read the altitude/azimuth position from the telescope.
    Alt/Az Sliders: move the telescope in alt/az (speed control).
    Speed: {Fast,Med,Slow} select the speed for the alt/az sliders
    Allow Meridian Flip: If not checked, the mount uses relative offsets when moving to a target position that otherwise would require a meridian flip.
    Calibrate: Calibrates the absolute encoders from the pointing given by the popup menu to the right of this button:
    Pole/E: scope points at the pole, counter weight down. The scope will later stay on the east side of the pier.
    Pole/W: scope points at the pole, counter weight down. The scope will later stay on the west side of the pier.
    Hor/SE: scope points at the southern horizon. The scope will later stay on the east side of the pier.
    Hor/SW, Hor/NE, Hor/NW: see explanation above (Hor/SE)
    Alt/Az: enter the current Alt/Az in the dialog
    Note: The "Pole/X" worked the best in my lab tests.
    Park: move the telescope to the Park position.
    MoveTo: move the telescope to the Alt/Az position

    GPS On/Off: turn on/off the telescope GPS.
    GPS/Time: initiate a time-fix of the telescope GPS.

    Command: send a command to the telescope mount that does not expect a return string.
    Request: send a command to the telescope mount that does expect a return string.

    Status: send the 'STATUS' request to the MASS software.
    Init: send the 'INIT' command to the MASS software.
    Park: send the 'PARK' command to the MASS software.
    CCD-Power: turn-on the CCD power using the Acromag controller.
    On: No initialization or communication; just turns on the power.
    off: No shutdown procedure; just cuts off the power.
    Telescope-Power: turn-on the Meade power using the Acromag controller.
    On: No initialization or communication; just turns on the power.
    off: No shutdown procedure; just cuts off the power.
    Inputs: read the inputs of the Acromag unit.
    The value is written to the Messages window.
    Shutter Open/Close: manually open/close the shutter (or cover).
    Temperature Get: read the CCD temperature from the SBIG controller.


    macOS HighSierra Installation Notes



    Christoph C. Birk, 2015-03-23, Carnegie Observatories