FourStar Software Documentation

The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science (Carnegie Observatories), Pasadena, CA

2011-09-06

Christoph C. Birk (birk AT obs DOT carnegiescience DOT edu)

Location of this document: http://instrumentation.obs.carnegiescience.edu/Software/FourStar/setup.html

System Setup and File Locations

1.0 : Setup Window: 1.1 : Startup Tab; 1.2 : IP-Numbers Tab; 1.3 : Simulator Mode
2.0 : Preferences Window: 2.1 : Arrays Tab; 2.2 : Sounds Tab; 2.3 : TempControl Tab; 2.4 : Log Tab
3.0 : System Files (Locations and Formats): 3.1 : Preferences; 3.2 : Logfiles; 3.3 : Object-Lists; 3.4 : Sounds; 3.5 : Macros

FourStar Software Main Page

The Setup Window allows the user to select which hardware of FourStar to run during the session. Once the user presses OK the FourStar software will be started. Please note that it is currently not possible to start any component at a later time. If you need to add/remove a component, please close (menu 'FourStar->Quit') the FourStar GUI and re-open it with the desired modules selected.

1.1: Startup Tab

The Startup tab shows all components of the FourStar user GUI. It defines which components will be running and if their hardware is available (online), or if that component should be run in simulator mode. This is particular useful for engineering or users that want to get acquainted with the instrument software without the requirement of the actual instrument.

Note: The Telescope should be set to 'None' for (lab) tests.
Note: Temp-Control-3 is used during warmup only.

1.2: IP-Numbers Tab

The IP-Numbers tab shows the IP-numbers of all hardware components. The StarServer processes can be run (in simulator mode) locally in Simulator Mode by entering localhost (eg. for training purposes).

Note: Enter localhost for each StarServer that you want to be emulated locally.
Note: The IP-numbers for TempCon(Det) and TempMon(Back) are identical because the Lakeshore-340 includes both a temperature controller and 8-channel monitor. The same holds for TempCon(Opt) and TempMon(Front).

1.3: Simulator Mode

The FourStar software can be run entirely in simulation mode. This is useful if you want to get acquainted with the functions of the instrument. The Setup-Window tabs should look like this:

Note: All temperature monitoring/control GUIs have been disabled in this example. They may be run in simulator mode too.

2.0: Preferences

Arrays Tab
Sounds Tab
TempControl Tab
Log Tab
Settings not available via the Preferences Window (file only)

The Preferences window allows the user/instrument specialist to change certain settings that will only to be changed under rare circumstances (eg. failure of an array or temperature controller).

2.1: Arrays Tab

ChipSelect: Select arrays used for data acquistion. De-selecting an array will ignore the respective StarServer. This would allow to continue observations if some component in the signal chain fails and cannot be fixed quickly.
ASIC-Temperature {Warm,Cold}: Warm should only be used when testing the system and the dewar is at room temperature.
Jade/Master {#1,#2,#3,#4,None}: This setting tells the software which JADE card is used as the master clock and must be consistent with the cable that connects the clocks of the 4 JADE cards. When using None the JADE/ASIC clocks will run un-synchronized and will result in substantially higher read noise.
Upload@Startup: Defines whether the JADE and/or ASIC firmware is uploaded at the startup of the FourStar GUI. If the JADE/ASIC are already running then setting this to 'None' speeds up the startup process. This is useful during testing and engineering.
For regular operations the JADE+ASIC setting should be used.

2.2: Sounds Tab

The down-arrow opens a file selector that allows the user to choose a sound file.
Entering "default" will use spoken words (eg. "exposure loop done").
The check-box enables/disable the sound feature.

StartupMusic: Plays the selected sound file during startup.
Loop-End: Plays the selected sound at the end of any loop sequence.
Macro-End: Plays the selected sound at the end of a macro.

2.3: TempControl Tab

The LakeShore 340 temperature conroller uses channel-A as the controlled channel by default. If this sensor fails the controller may be re-programmed to use any other sensor.

2.4: Log Tab

Email Alerts: Comma (,) separated list of email addresses for sending alert emails (TroubleShooting).
The Test button will send a "this is a test of the FourStar alert system" email to the addresses on the list.
Upload Datfiles and Logfiles: The FourStar software uploads the current status and logfile to the web-server at SBS every N minutes.
Smooth Shroud and Detector dewar: The LN2 sensor readings are fairly noisy and are smoothed using an "averaging-window" of the given length (minutes).

3.0 : System Files (Location and Formats)

Preferences
Logfiles
Object Lists
Sounds
Macros

3.1 : Preferences

Follwing Apple's standard the FourStar preferences are stored in a file named edu.carnegiescience.obs.fourstar.plist in the ~/Library/Preferences folder. The file is formatted as an XML file. It contains a dictionary that consists of a list of keyword and value fields. Information about the XML standard can be found at various places on the WWW, eg. http://www.w3.org/XML/.
Please be careful when editing this file by hand; this should only be necessary under rare circumstances.

List of settings not available on the Preferences Window (file only)

Name	Setting	Default
alarm-erack-temp	Alert when the 2nd highest E-Rack temperature is above	30 [C]
alarm-solenoid-open	Alert when the LN2 fill solenoid is open longer during automatic filling	40 [min]
alarm-det-heater	Alert when detector heater is below	0.1 [W]
alarm-opt-heater	Alert when optics heater is below	10 [W]
alarm-shr-dewar	Alert if shroud dewar temperature is above	85 [K]
alarm-pfeiffer	Alert when the Pfeiffer gauge is above	1.0e-5 [Torr]
alarm-ionpump	Alert when the ion pump is above	5.0e-6 [Torr]
ln2level-low	Alert when LN2 level falls below	10 [%]


pupil_open	Encoder value of the pupil "Open" position	41500
pupil_closed	Encoder value of the pupil "Closed" position	35500
pupil_range	Max. deviation from the defined pupil position	50

3.2 : Logfiles

The FourStar software logs all important events and status information into a logfile located (Apple's standard) in the ~/Library/Logs/FourStar directory. The logfile name is constructed by using the 4 digit year and the current 2 digit week number, eg. fourstar2009_12.log.
Each line in the logfile starts with the current time, eg.

Aug 25 13:35:49 startup FourStar done
Aug 25 13:36:00 LN2vac 1 3.030e-06 335986559

followed by the information to be logged. Some lines have a timestamp appended that expresses the current time as a 32-bit integer as returned by the time() system call minus 978307200.

Here is a list of all sensor outputs:

Temperature Monitor (BackEnd): TEMPM1, channels 1..8

Temperature monitor (FrontEnd): TEMPM2, channels 9..16

date   time     key    ch  temp  gradient power  timestamp
Aug 25 13:36:06 TEMPM1  2  75.5   0.000   0.0000 335986565
Aug 25 13:36:11 TEMPM2 11 198.9   0.001   0.0000 335986570

Temperature Controller (Detector): TEMPC1, channel 17

Temperature Controller (Optics): TEMPC2, channel 18

Temperature Controller (Tank): TEMPC3, channel 19

date   time     key    ch  temp  gradient power  timestamp
Aug 25 13:36:15 TEMPC1 17  76.7  -0.005   0.0000 335986574
Aug 25 13:35:56 TEMPC2 18 200.0  -0.000  14.7142 335986555

LN2 level (shroud dewar): LN2level, channel 1

LN2 level (detector dewar): LN2level, channel 2

date   time     key      ch   %   timestamp
Aug 25 13:36:00 LN2level 1  77.00 335986559
Aug 25 13:36:06 LN2level 2  64.00 335986565

Dewar vacuum (Pfeiffer): LN2vac, channel-1

Dewar vacuum (ion pump): LN2vac, channel-2

date   time     key    ch Torr     timestamp
Aug 25 13:36:00 LN2vac 1 3.030e-06 335986559
Aug 25 13:36:06 LN2vac 2 3.752e-06 335986565

Here are some example (csh) scripts that create plots (using gnuplot) of various data from a logfile:

plot-cooldown: gnu-power; gnu-env; gnu-grad; gnu-level; gnu-det; gnu-opt
plot-erack: gnu-erack
plot-vacuum: gnu-vacuum
plot-temp: gnu-temp-100; gnu-temp-200
plot-wx: gnu-wx

3.3 : Object Lists

Object lists are ASCII files that contain a name and object coordinates (R.A., Dec. and equinox) and a rotator offset angle (PA). Optionally there may be a comment field. Here is an example:

HR-1336 |  04:14:25.5 | -62:28:26.0 | 2000.0 | 0 | A Ret
HR-1393 |  04:24:02.2 | -34:01:01.0 | 2000.0 | 0 | 4 Eri
HR-1862 |  05:31:12.7 | -35:28:14.0 | 2000.0 | 0 | E Col

The objects will be superimposed onto the SkyMap window.
The default location for object lists is the ~/Library/Application Support/FourStar directory, but can be loaded from anywhere using a file selector dialog.

3.4 : Sounds

The location for the default sounds is the application resource folder, ie. inside the application folder itself. The user may choose different sounds from anywhere on the available file system using a file selector dialog.

3.5 : Macros

Macro files are ASCII files that consist of a simple sequential list of instrument commands. They allow the user to automate sequences of exposures, filter changes and telescope motions.
These Macros are created by the FourStar software in the ~/Library/Application Support/FourStar directory, but user created macros may reside anywhere.

More about Macros (tools and command list).

2009-04-08, Christoph C. Birk, Carnegie Observatories