CCD Software at the DuPont Telescope

Instruments: Direct, Echelle, WFCCD

CCDs: SITe2K, WF4K

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

Version 1.5

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


Location of this document: http://instrumentation.obs.carnegiescience.edu/Software/NEWCCD/ccdgui.html


  • News
  • Screen Shots and Software Documentation
  • Getting started: Tutorial
  • Running Scripts

    Further Documentation:

  • The official User Manual
  • Data communication setup (incl. Lantronix settings)
  • UDS-10 manual
  • UDS-1100 manual
  • CCDserver 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.
    Release Notes


    Screen Shots and Software Documenation

    The 'ccdgui' runs 3 instruments:
    Direct (CCD: WF4K, SITe2K)
    WFCCD (CCD: WF4K)
    Echelle (CCD: SITeK)

    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.


    2006-07-21, Christoph C. Birk, Carnegie Observatories