LDSS3 Software Documentation - Release Notes

3.1 , 3.0
2.6 , 2.5 , 2.4 , 2.3 , 2.2 , 2.1 , 2.0
1.8 , 1.7 , 1.6 , 1.5 , 1.4 , 1.3 , 1.2 , 1.1 , 1.0

Reuse the Configuration/Startup window during the runtime of the GUI for renaming of the wheel positions.: Select "Configuration" from the LDSS3C MainMenu and update the wheel position names

Fixed the code that failed to handle user input properly when the Standard Focus was entered as a floating point number.

Restore the AutoFocus setting at GUI startup.: The first correction is done about 10 seconds after the GUI is opened.

Modified the SUBRASTER keyword in the FITS heater to indicate the actual subraster geometry even if the full ('0' padded) frame is saved.: SUBRASTR='[x1:x2,y1:y2]' (added the "[]" brackets)

Default readout speed changed to "Fast" (was "Slow").
Preset the stdFocus value in the dialog box with '0'.: Do not update the stdFocus and stdTemp values if the stdFocus value is left at '0'.
Write the stdFocus and stdTemp values to the logfile:: stdFocus= %d stdTemp= %.1f
Added "JD" (Julian date) to the FITS header.
Updated the readnoise/gain values in the FITS header.
Use UT in the logfile (was local time).

Issue the STOP command before the ABORT command. This stops the exposure timer and clears the STATUS to "idle". Removed the '4 second delay' introduced in v2.4.3: This stops the exposure timer and clears the STATUS to "idle".
Removed the '4 second delay' introduced in v2.4.3

Added a 4 second delay after an aborted exposure before a new exposure can be started.: The "FNAL" code is seriously confused after receiving an "ABORT" command.

Increased the wait time during the "wipe" from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.: This attempts to avoid crashes of the FNAL backend that appear to happen when an exposure is stopped or aborted right at the beginning of the exposure.

Added logging of the instrument temperature.
Added logging of auto focus adjustments.
Write error messages created by focus motions to the Messages window when in AutoFocus mode,: instead of opening popup windows.

Auto focus vs. temperature.: The GUI automatically adjust the focus with temperature when the difference to the current focus is more than 4 units.; Please use the "Options--StdFocus" menu to enter the focus of the Sloan-R filter and the temperature when it was measured. Note: The GUI presets the temperature with the current instrument temperature (_not_ the last used focus temperature).
"Abort" button.: The "Abort" button stops the exposure but does _not_ readout the CCD.

Limited the exposure time to 2000 seconds.: The FNAL/PanView code does not handle exposure times larger than about 2057 seconds.

Fixed updating of the 'Guiding' popup-buttons (MacOS-X) in the Nod&Shuffle dialog.

Make the FRAME_TIMEOUT dependent on the readout speed.: Slow: 200 seconds; Fast: 50 seconds; Turbo: 40 seconds
Adjusted the lower focus limit and standard focus value.: focus_min: 5550; focus_std: 5750 (r-sloan @ 12.6 C)

Implement the Stop Exposure feature.: It allows to close the shutter and start the readout at any time during the exposure.
Allow to change the gain, speed and binning during the exposure.
Allow to change the number of loops during an exposure loop.
Allow to change the exposure time during readout. This takes effect for the next exposure.
Removed the 'Abort Exposure' feature because the FNAL system cannot abort a readout in progress.

Forked the FNAL version and renamed the binary to ldsscgui.: This removes the option to run both OCIW/FNAL cameras from the same binary.; The new dewar has two orientations: Normal and Nod&Shuffle (Configuration Window)
Added the following FITS records: CCDSETP TEMPSTGE TEMPNECK HEATER TEMPSL1 TEMPSL3 TEMPSL5 TIME-OBS DEWARORI: CCDSETP; TEMPSTGE; TEMPNECK; HEATER; TEMPSL1; TEMPSL3; TEMPSL5; TIME-OBS; DEWARORI; Re-designed the Dewar-Status window:; Added a control to turn On/Off the substrate voltage (Vsub).; Before turning on Vsub, the GUI issues a warning about a cold and dark CCD.; The ldsscgui will issue a warning if the user attempts to take an exposure while Vsub=Off or close the GUI while Vsub=On.
Added an indicator for the disk status.: This control was on the original ldss3gui but had been removed for space considerations.
Added logging of each command to the LabView program and increased the timeout.
Reduced the number of times the ldsscgui opens/closes the TCP/IP connection to the LabView software: (ie. now only once per exposure). We may experiment with leaving the connection always open.

Installed the "LDSS3-C" (FNAL) version of the ldss3gui.: The controls on the ldss3gui have not changed. Most changes should be invisble to the observer.; One exception is the dewar status:
64-bit compatible.

Serialize the IMS-controller setup and the LDSS3 status update at program startup in an attempt to avoid a timeout when one of them takes a long time after an extended period of system in-activity.

2005-02-09, Christoph C. Birk, Carnegie Observatories