CCD Software at the DuPont Telescope

Further Documentation:

News

v1.5.3 (2019-02-25)

The new (macOS) Direct GUI has been installed in /Applications/LCO/

Please use it instead of the 'ccdgui' for the Direct-CCD instrument.

v1.5.2 (2017-02-28)

The new (macOS) Echelle and WFCCD GUIs have been installed in /Applications/LCO/

Please use them instead of the 'ccdgui' for the Echelle and WFCCD instruments.

v1.5.1 (2015-11-18)

Allow to change the binning for the Snap exposure.

Menu: Options--Snap

The TCS has been updated to allow to adjust the telescope focus via a button on the CCD-GUI (added in v1.4).

v1.5 (2015-06-29)

Allow to change the number of Loops during an exposure loop.

Added a secondary data path.

The secondary data path is optional.

The Disk status bar on the GUI indicates now the fuller of the two disks.

Screen Shots and Software Documenation

CCD-GUI -- Dewar Status -- QuickLook Tool

Configuration (Startup) window

The left window shows a typical configuration (WFCCD + WF4K, cass. encoder working). If the cassegrain encoder is not properly working, please use the configuration on the right hand side and enter the current cassegrain rotator angle (typically 180 for N-up, E-left orientation).

CCD-GUI

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

Loops: number of exposures per sequence

ExpType: sets the exposure type

{ Object, Focus, Bias, Dark, Flat }

Readout: sets the readout mode

{ Full, Subraster }

Binning: sets the binning for the X,Y directions

{ 1, 2, 3, 4 }

Green rectangles: selects which quadrants should be saved to disk

Aperture: moves the aperture wheel to the selected position

Filter: moves the filter wheel to the selected position

Focus: moves the telescope focus

Object: OBJECT value in the FITS header

Comment: COMMENT value in the FITS header

Start: starts a loop sequence of Loops exposures

Snap: takes a single exposure in 4x4 binning.

After the exposure the previous settings are automatically restored

File: next file name number (ccdNNNN.fits)

The number may be set using the Preferences window

Pause: close the shutter and stop the exposure timer

Resume: open the shutter and re-start the exposure timer

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

Stop: stops the current exposure, the shutter closes and the readout will start immediately.

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

Speed: sets the readout speed/gain combination

Disk: disk status (fuller of the two disks)

Dewar Status

Displays the temperatures, heater currents and setpoints of the DSP control loop.

Quick-Look Tool

Left mouse button: moves the Magnifier window.

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

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

Cursor keys: moves the Magnifier window by 1 pixel.

Holding down the Shift or Control key moves the magnifier by 5 pixels (25 for both).

Color: sets 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

Scale: sets the scaling scope

{ Global, Chip }

Mag: Magnification factor of the Magnifier window.

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

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

min/max: Minimum and maxium pixel value within the aperture.

mean/dev: Average and standard deviation within the aperture.

flx,fwhm: flux and FWHM estimate

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