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

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


v3.3.8 (2024-07-11)
  • Added a work-around to a PLC bug handling negative temperatures.
  • v3.3.7 (2024-01-04)
  • Added the 'datapath1' and 'datapath2' commands to the TCP/IP interface.
  • v3.3.6 (2023-12-22)
  • Added the 'speed' command to the TCP/IP interface.
  • v3.3.5 (2023-11-29)
  • Added the 'frame' command to the TCP/IP interface.
  • v3.3.4 (2023-09-08)
  • Added the 'autofocus' command to the TCP/IP interface.
  • Fixed the bug introduced in v3.3.3.
  • v3.3.3 (2023-08-29)
  • Report an error when the 'camfocus' command is sent over the TCP/IP interface while the AutoFocus is active.
  • This introduced a bug that effectively disables the AutoFocus feature (fixed in v3.3.4).
    v3.3.2 (2023-08-14)
  • Fixed a bug introduced in v3.2; it removed the ability to start the blue and red camera separately.
  • v3.3.1 (2023-08-09)
  • Bug-Fix: Re-activating the AutoFocus did fail, if a manual move had been executed, while the AutoFocus feature was off.
  • v3.3 (2023-08-07)
  • Implemented the AutoFocus correction:
  • F(blue) = 1171.0 - 1.9*T
    F(red) = 1091.0 - 1.6*T
    The GUI checks the instrument temperature every 2 minutes (suspended during exposure loops) and applies the offset if the deviation is larger than 3 units.


    v3.2.2 (2023-08-01)
  • Added the readback of the slit position via the TCP/IP interface.
  • Added the readback of the camfocus position via the TCP/IP interface.
  • v3.2.1 (2023-07-25)
  • 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.
    v3.2 (2023-06-20)
  • Added a TCP/IP interface to the GUI.

  • v3.1.3 (2023-05-12)
  • Sample the CCD-temperature and -heater values before each exposure (was just once per loop).
  • v3.1.2 (2022-03-04)
  • Fixed the display of 'delta' on the GUI.
  • v3.1.1 (2022-01-27)
  • Fixed re-enabling the exposure time control after a Bias exposure loop.
  • v3.1 (2022-01-05)
  • 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.

  • v3.0 (2021-12-14)
  • The macOS GUI is now the official default version.

  • v2.7 (2019-08-05)
  • 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.


    v2.6.1 (2019-06-18)
  • Write the start of exposure and readout to the logfile.
  • v2.6 (2019-04-16)
  • 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").


    v2.5 (2018-05-08)
  • 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)

  • v2.4.1 (2017-03-27)
  • Updated the readnoise values in the FITS header.
  • Blue: slow=2.7, fast=3.1
    Red: slow=2.8, fast=3.1
    v2.4 (2017-02-02)
  • Write the CCD- and instrument temperatures to the logfile ($MIKELOG/mikeYYYY_WW.log).

  • v2.3.2 (2015-03-10)
  • Intercept Window Close events from the Window Manager (CXTLib-v4.070).
  • 64-bit executable.
  • v2.3.1 (2015-01-20)
  • Allow to change the Loops parameter during an exposure loop.
  • Point the Help menu to the new location of the software documentation (here)
  • v2.3 (2014-07-22)

  • 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)


    v2.2.1 (2012-07-05)
  • 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.
    v2.2 (2012-01-24)
  • 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.

  • v2.1 (2012-01-11)
  • 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.


    v2.0 (2011-10-13)
  • 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