MagE Software Documentation (macOS/Aqua)

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

Version 2.0

Christoph C. Birk (birk AT carnegiescience DOT edu)


Location of this document: http://instrumentation.obs.carnegiescience.edu/Software/MAGE/magegui2.html


  • Configuration and Startup
  • Preferences
  • Main Menu
  • MagE Instrument and Data Acquisition Window
  • Auxilliary Windows
  • Quick Look Tool
  • TCP/IP Server
  • FITS header example TODO


    Configuration Window

    Startup -- Hosts


    Observer: Name(s) of the observers for the FITS header
    Overscan: number of overscan pixels per line and output
    Biaslines: number bias lines per frame
    PLC: {offline,Online}
    offline: Simulator mode for testing
    Online: The instrument electronics powered and connected to the network
    Telescope: {offline,Online}
    offline: Simulator mode for testing
    Online: get telescope coordinates from the Baade TCSIS


    Host names or IP numbers


    MagE GUI

    TODO


    Main Menu

    MagE -- File -- Camera -- Help

    Menu - MagE

    About MagE: displays a window that shows the version of the GUI.
    Preferences: opens the Preferences window.
    Quit MagE: terminate this GUI.

    Menu - File

    Load FITS: loads a FITS file from disk into the QuickLook display tool.
    Show Logfile: opens a Console window that displays the logfile.
    Show DataFolder: opens a Finder window displaying the content of the data path folder.
    Show AppSupport: opens a Finder window displaying the content of the Application Support folder.

    Menu - Camera

    DataPath: opens a dialog that allows to set the path for the data (FITS) files.
    QuickLook: opens the QuickLook Tool windows.
    DewarStatus: opens the Dewar Status window.
    CCD-Hardhat: opens the CCD Hardhat window.
    FileNumber: enables (temporarily) the File number edit on the Data Acquisition window.

    Menu - Help

    Software Documentation: opens this web page.
    User Manual: opens the LCO User Manual.


    Preferenes

    General -- Camera -- QuickLook

    Preferences - General

    Speak Error Messages: Makes the computer voice say "invalid exposure time" or similar.
    Engineering Mode: Some functions require to switch to engineering mode as safety feature.
    eg. the CCD-Voltages.
    Email: send emails to this (comma separated) list on certain events (eg. dewar warmup).

    Preferences - Camera

    Shutter Closed: sound (text) that plays after the shutter closes.
    If the string is enclosed in quotes it will be spoken by the computer,
    otherwise it will be interpreted as a path to a soundfile.
    Exposure Done: sound (text) that plays after the readout has finished
    Snap Binning: define the binning used for snap-exposures

    Preferences - QuickLook

    Saturation Level: pixels above this threshold will be displayed in red.
    Default Subraster: subraster geometry when created by the QuickLook tool.
    Clear Display Before Readout: Clean out (black) the image buffer before readout.
    If not selected the data will simply be overwritten.
    Trim bias section from loaded FITS files: This allows to display the bias sections (overscan and biaslines)
    in the QuickLook tool for FITS files loaded from disk (not for data directly read from the array).


    Auxilliary Windows

    DataPath -- DewarStatus -- CCD-Hardhat

    Data Paths

    Select the data path(s) for the FITS files.
    Default: sets the path following the standard at the Magellan telescopes.
    Browse: opens a file selector that allows to set an optional secondary data path (eg. an external USB disk)


    Dewar Status

    Displays CCD- and cryo head temperatures, and the readout of the GP vacuum sensor and the ion-pump pressure gauge.


    CCD Hardhat

    TODO
    Reset DSP/CCD-Server:
    CCD Voltages:
    CDST:
    Gain:


    QuickLook Tool

    TODO


    TCP/IP Server

    When enabled, the GUI listens on port 51501. Each command must be terminated by a [LF] (ASCII=10, 0x0a, '\n') character. The response string will also be terminated by a [LF]. All communications are initiated by the client (your program).
    An easy way to test the interface is the 'nc' (netcat) utility. It can be run like a terminal emulator (^D terminates the connection) or be used in scripts:

    xterm> nc localhost 51501
    version
    2-beta (0037)
    ^D
    xterm>

    Command: binning # #
    Response: # #
    Set or request (without parameter) the binning.
    #: horizontal binning {1,2,3,4}
    #: vertical binning {1,2,3,4}
    The GUI returns the the current binning.

    Command: datapath1 [path]
    Command: datapath2 [path]
    Response: string
    Sets/returns the primary (secondary) data path.
    'datapath' may be used instead of 'datapath1'.
    Command: datapath2 none
    To allow clearing the 'datapath2', the special keyword 'none' (no quotes) may be used.

    Command: exptime #
    Response: #.#
    Set the exposure time in seconds. The GUI reponds with the current exposure time.

    Command: exptype { Object,Bias,Dark,Flat,ThAr-Lamp,Xe-Flash }
    Response: string
    Set the exposure type (as on the menu). The GUI responds with the current exposure type.

    Command: focus #
    Response: {1,0}
    Start a focus motion.
    Please note that this command does not block until the motor has stopped; you will have to check the motion using the 'status' command.

    Command: frame #
    Response: #
    Set the frame number. Without parameter the GUI just returns the frame number.

    Command: loops #
    Response: #
    Set the number of exposures in the loop. The GUI responds with the loop number.

    Command: object string
    Response: string
    Set or request (without parameter) the object name.
    The GUI responds with the current object name.

    Command: runtime
    Response: # [est]
    Returns the calculated remaining time in the current exposure loop. The string 'est' is appended if a non-measured binning/speed combination is active.

    Command: slit { pinholes,0.50,0.70,.. }
    Response: {1,0}
    Start a slit move.
    The GUI responds with '1' if a valid position name was requested (ie. the slit has started to move), or '0' on failure.
    Please note that this command does not block until the motor has stopped; you will have to check the motion using the 'status' command.

    Command: speed { Slow,Fast,Turbo }
    Response: string
    Set the readout speed of the CCD. The GUI returns the current speed.

    Command: start
    Response: {1,0}
    Start an exposure loop. The GUI responds with '1' if successful, '0' on failure.

    Command: status
    Response: e f s
    e: {0,1} exposure running
    f: {0,1} focus moving
    s: {0,1} slit moving
    Query the exposure loop and slit motion status.

    Command: version
    Response: 2-beta (0037)
    Query the version name (build number) of the GUI.


    Instrument Software Documentation Index


    2007-11-29, Christoph C. Birk, Carnegie Observatories