IMACS progress report no. 2


B. Bigelow					1 June 1998


The objectives for May were:

	A.	Finalize project specifications, scope, budget, schedule, and
		start IMACS web-site with spec.
	B.	Freeze optical design based on completion of Epps collimator
	C.	Get Sutin up and running (he starts officially on 5/1/98),
		start optics procurement process
	D.	Complete conceptual designs for disperser server, guider stages,
		instrument structure.
	E.	Begin defining software functional requirements

1)	Project specifications

A draft of the specification for IMACS has been completed and may be
viewed or down-loaded from the IMACS web-site (which can be reached
through my home page www.ociw.edu/~bigelow). Also on the web-site are
an SPIE paper from the 3/98 Kona conference and a project summary. The
starting budget and schedule for IMACS were planned to be completed by
June 1st, but have slipped pending finalization of the spec. and
optics budgets.  A preliminary design review for IMACS will be held at
OCIW on 15 July 1998, and revised versions of the specifications,
budget, and schedule will be presented at that meeting.

3)	Staffing

Brian Sutin (formerly a post-doc with Harland Epps at Lick Obs.)
joined us on May 1st.  Brian has primary responsibility for the final
design, analysis, and procurement of approx. $1 million of optics for
IMACS.  A job ad for a mechanical engineer for IMACS has been posted
on the SPIE, OSA, and OCIW web-sites as of 5/27/98.  A consulting
opto-mechanical engineer from Wright Scientific visited in May, and we
may use him for mechanical design of the IMACS guider stages.  Our
candidate electrical engineer has decided not to move, and we will
probably be looking for an EE later in the year.
 
4)	Optics

Sutin and his computer are up and running as planned.  Following a
last look into a slightly larger field for the IMACS long camera, the
optical designs for the two cameras and collimator were frozen as of
5/22/98.  The pre-construction designs are being used by Sutin to
specify the blank sizes for purchasing the lens materials.  Sutin's
code for producing the lens drawings has officially started the optics
procurement process as planned.

5)	CCDs and Guide cameras

The electronic design process for the CCD mosaic and controller is
still scheduled to begin in July, following completion of the guide
camera design work.  Burley reports that we now have an engineering
grade EEV CCD for the TV guiders.  Circuit board design for the TV
cameras is underway, and parts ordering will begin by the end of June.
Charlie Hull has produced a mechanical design for the camera head, and
a prototype will be fabricated this month.

6)	Mechanics

Conceptual designs for most of the major sub-systems in IMACS have been
completed, with the exception of the instrument structure, which is
still in progress.  The conceptual design phase for IMACS will be
completed for the design review in July.  Following the review, we
will be determining which tasks to complete in-house, and which will
be let out to consultants.

7)	Electronics

There was no change in IMACS electronics this month.  Following the
acceptance of the project specifications and the conceptual mechanical
design, we will start the process of defining the electronics
requirements and finding staffing for those tasks.

8)	Software

Chris Birk provided a preliminary estimate of 12-18 months of programming
time for IMACS.  This work will need to occur over the two years or so,
and it is not yet clear how much of this work will be handled by Ken and
Chris.  Two consulting programmers have been contacted regarding software
requirements and production of IMACS software.  

9)	Objectives for June

	A.	Revise instrument and optics budgets in preparation for
		the design review in July.
	B.	Produce a preliminary project schedule in preparation for
		the design review in July.
	C.	Complete conceptual designs for the instrument structure,
		housing, and assembly/test stand.
	D.	Review applications for the mechanical engineering position.
		Schedule interviews as appropriate.
	E.	Place orders for optical glass, CaF2, fused silica.
		Start optical, thermal, flexure, and focus analyses 
	F.	Investigate design and fabrication of a profilometer
		for asphere fabrication.