MIKE Software Documentation -- Release Notes

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

Location of this document: http://instrumentation.obs.carnegiescience.edu/Software/MIKE/notes.html

Version History

v3.2 , v3.1 , v3.0
v2.7 , v2.6 , v2.5 , v2.4 , v2.3 , v2.2 , v2.1 , v2.0

Added the object command to the TCP/IP interface.
Bugfix: Allow concurrent motion commands for both foci.
Enabled alternate syntax to command both foci simultaneously, eg. blue=1200 red=1300: camfocus 1200 1300
Enabled alternate syntax to command both exposure times simultanously, eg. blue=2 red=3: exptime 2 3
Added the datapath command to the TCP/IP interface.: It returns the primary data path.
Added the temp command to the TCP/IP interface.: It returns the instrument temperature.

Sample the CCD-temperature and -heater values before each exposure (was just once per loop).

Added a Reload button to the object name edit.: The object name will be read from the TCS catalog.
Do not synchronize the exposure time and loops count when pressing the common Start button.

Request the ADC status from the ADC-GUI and write it into the FITS header.: The "ADC-GUI Host" should be the name of the observer workstation where the ADC-GUI is running.; If you leave the field empty, the MIKE-GUI will not query the ADC status.

Removed the controls for the iodone-cell and the ADC from the GUI.: Removed the iodine-cell keywords from the FITS header.
Added a large (1024 pixels high) version of the QlTool.: If you plan to use the large QlTool, it is recommended to use a 14 pixel font height ("mikegui -h14").

Added the SUBRASTER keyword to the FITS heater to indicate the subraster geometry.: SUBRASTR='[x1:x2,y1:y2]' or; SUBRASTR='none'
Use UT in the logfile (was local time)

Updated the readnoise values in the FITS header.: Blue: slow=2.7, fast=3.1; Red: slow=2.8, fast=3.1

Write the CCD- and instrument temperatures to the logfile ($MIKELOG/mikeYYYY_WW.log).

Allow to change the Loops parameter during an exposure loop.
Point the Help menu to the new location of the software documentation (here)

Implemented the loading of FITS files into the QlTool display.
Display a warning if the GUI is started with the telescope offline.
64-bit compatible.
Write the GUI messages to a logfile.: The logfile (mikeYYYY_WW.log) is created in $MIKELOG (default= /tmp)

Created the file 'slits.ini' in ~/MIKE/ini/: This file contains a list of encoder values, one line per slit.
Added the environment variable 'MIKEINI' to the 'mike' startup script to point to the ~/MIKE/ini directory.: At startup the 'mikegui' should now read the slit positions from that file.

Open a warning dialog if a ThAr exposure is attempted that has an exposure time of more than 10 seconds.
Open a warning dialog if an exposure is started while the exposure-time or loops edit windows are still beeing edited (red).
Added an LED to indicate the lamp state.

Add QlTool windows (red+blue)
Sounds after 'shutter-closed' and 'exposure-done' (Menu: Options-Sounds).: The are are 3 ways a sound may be defined:; 1) string in quotes, eg "shutter closed" will speak those words.; 2) filename (no quotes) will play the sound-file (absolute path).; 3) empty will use the standard keyboard beep.

The GUI communicates directly with the PLC and allows control of the following devices:: SlitSize: [menu] {22 positions}; Lamp: [menu] {off, Quartz, ThAr}; Temp.MIKE: Temperature inside the MIKE instrument [C].; Blue CamFocus [edit] {900..1450}; Red CamFocus [edit] {800..1350}
The state of these controls is written to the FITS header.

Christoph C. Birk, Carnegie Observatories