Advanced Planning:

Explicit Build17 TCS checkout tests, closed dome:

• GCS-AGw oacserver transforms?

Execute TCS startup checklist (complete @ sunset - 1hr):

• Include mount encoder resets each night.
• New collimation model = clear all active/global offsets
• At end of startup, issue a standard preset:

Startup pointing & collimation correction (10 minutes):

• Use source list: Persson.cat
• Select target at mid EL (50-70 degrees)
• Preset in PARALLACTIC/TRACK mode
• Adjust IE and CA; manually focus if necessary
• Preset in POSITION/ACTIVE mode on axis
• Allow system to collimate (WFS<400nm rms)

Explicit Build17 TCS checkout tests, open dome:

MCS pre-processor algorithm verification (30 minutes):

• Use source list: Persson.cat
• Select target at mid EL (50-70 degrees)
  1. Preset ACTIVE mode on-axis to collimate
  2. Preset PARALLACTIC/TRACK mode to align DETXY to AZ/EL
  3. Start sequence with LUCIFER 120x1.0sec
  4. Do the following during the sequence acquisition:
     • Offset 20 arcsec each in XY or NE
     • Repeat steps 2-4 with larger offsets (60, 120, 240, 600 arcsec)
     • Repeat from step 1 as needed for collimation drifts
• Note if dawdle-snap behavior remains
• Data:

  LUCI#	Observation Description

• Results:

Verify collimation updates not double-applied:

• Run WFS collimation for 5 min with PSF collimation updates held
• send stepFocus 0.0
• should see resulting image in good focus/collimation
• May not need to do this if no problems seen in dawdle-snap test

Additional information from JHill:

3a) Set the Z11 and Z22 gains in PSF to 0. This will eliminate the small focus corrections that trigger the updates. But you probably don't want to run like this for more than an hour or so without a Z11 correction. The gains are changed by sending a manual correction of Z11 with the PSF Primary GUI. The manual corrections also allow changes of GAIN and FCIN along with the Zernike amplitude.

3b) Set the FCIN flags Z11 and Z22 to 1. This causes the focus correction to be implemented by bending the mirror rather than by repositioning. In stable conditions using it this way will be no problem, and you will get continuous Z11 and Z22 corrections. However, in conditions with rapidly changing mirror temperatures there is a problem that the mirror will run out of its allowed range of correction forces and panic. Bending in the focus uses more force than getting focus by moving the mirror.

3c) New in PSF 4.26 - Chris has installed a flag in lbt.conf that suppresses the focus correction for Z11 and Z22 corrections to M1. Setting leftZ4Comp to false will eliminate the focus part of the correction and apply only the minimum bending forces for Z11/Z22 to the mirror. This relies on the corrections from minute to minute being small so that the next active iteration will correct the residual focus error. We have not yet tested this on sky. This avoids the pitfalls of 3a and 3b above. It has the new pitfall that there could be a lag in the corresponding focus correction. I suggest running it in combination with Z11 and Z22 gains of 0.2 so that the corrections are applied slowly and therefore create only small focus changes.

If testing time on sky is limited. I suggest that we jump immediately to mode 3c with Z11/Z22 gains of 0.2. This is likely to be the new standard LUCIFER observing mode for spectroscopy if primary mirror jumps remain a problem.

Verify isCollimated Flag functionality:

• Watch isCollimated flag in DDViewer
• Should go to FALSE on all presets/offsets

Verify Functionality of Hold Zernike Corrections until Stepfocus

Is this the "Hold WFS Corrections" test? It is, and this is done

Verify Preset completes after Gstar on WFS (DONE 02Jan09, GCSv2.01):

Focus LUCIFER/AGW on sky (30-45 minutes/field):

• Prerequisite: Stable atmospheric seeing
• Use source list: Persson.cat, LUCIastrom.cat?
• Select target at mid EL (50-70 degrees)
• In an xterm: ssh agwuser@agw-control
• Preset in ACTIVE mode using off axis guide star
  1. Offset, take sky frame, return to preset position
  2. Offset AGW focus stage (0, -6, 6, 0, -3, 3, 0 mm from nominal).
     To set the AGw focus position, on agw-control window type:
     1. getfocus
     2. setfocus -p NN.nnn (absolute position in mm)
  3. Take min 30s exposure to average over seeing
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 stepping through focus sequence
  5. Derive best focus position (millimeters)
  6. Update focus in /lbt/tcs/current/etc/GCS/AIP_L.cfg
• Repeat for at least 3 different stars at different ELs
• Data:

  LUCI#	Focus	FWHM

• Results:

Active Optics Jump Tests (2hr)

1. Start with a faint guide source at around 80 degrees. In closed loop (active optics + guiding) demonstrate the jumps. The guide source should be selected so that 5 second exposures are possible without saturating the detector. (15 minutes ACTIVE mode)

1. Open both the guiding and active optics control loops. GCS must still report centroid positions. This data will serve as an open-loop baseline observation. GCS centroid data should be collected for 15 minutes (around 150 GCS updates). (ACTIVE mode, stop WFS, block guiding)

1. See next test. Take 5 minute data (2 sec LUCIFER images) in GUIDE mode

Verification of Guiding Performance:

• Take 5 min data (2 sec LUCIFER exposures) in GUIDE mode
• Compare with the ACTIVE mode

Measure/Correct LUCIFER rotation angle (15-30 minutes/field):

• Use source list: LUCIastrom.cat (any field with lots of stars in USNO-B1)
• Preset to field, ACTIVE mode with off-axis guide stars
• Take min 30sec exposure to average over seeing
• Offset and take a sky exposure, same settings
• Apply astrometric solution, determine rotator offset
• Update LEFTZEROPOINT in the LUCIFER section of /home/telescope/TCS/Configuration/PCS/PCSInstrument.conf
• Repeat on at least 3 fields (more=better), different elevations
• Goal: Orientation better than +/-0.02 degrees
• Data:

  LUCI#	Field/Description	PA(requested)	PA(WCSfit)

• Results:

Measure AGW Z-axis orthogonality (20min per cycle):

• Needs telescope in thermal equilibrium, decent stable seeing
• Correct pointing (IE/CA) prior to this test
• Use source list: Persson.cat, collim.cat
• Select target at mid EL (50-70 degrees)
• In an xterm: ssh agwuser@agw-control
• Preset in ACTIVE/ mode, on axis, PA=0
  1. Collimate on axis
  2. Stop WFS, stop guiding
  3. Take 10x 2sec images with guider
  4. Offset AGW focus stage -5 (+5) mm from nominal.
     To set the AGw focus position, on agw-control window type:
     1. getfocus
     2. setfocus -p NN.nnn (absolute position in mm)
  5. Take 10x 2sec images with guider
  6. Repeat steps 3-4 at other focus position
• Repeat from preset several times
• If position offset is seen, repeat at PA=+/-90
• Data:

  LUCI#	Centroid	Notes

• Results:

Re-Measure AGW-PCS Transformation (2hr per field):

• Prerequisites:
  LUCIFER accurately oriented on sky
  (PA=0 requested yields PA=0.00+/-0.02 achieved)
• Use source list: Persson.cat (9122, 9126, 9134, 9143)
• New finding charts attached to wiki page for 02-03 Jan:
  http://wiki.lbto.arizona.edu/twiki/bin/view/Commissioning/Com20090103
• Use on-axis source with off-axis guide star that can be dithered 2+ arcmin in DET_Y
  1. Take min 30s integrations at each position
  2. Measure angular offset (0.02 deg = 0.35 pixels/1000)
  3. Update SFP_rotation in /lbt/tcs/current/etc/GCS/AIP_L.cfg
  4. Repeat steps 1-2 to confirm sign is correct
• Repeat on 3 fields, different EL

Field Aberration Stability Test (1 hr):

• ARakich
• 4-8 Stars
• Needs telescope in thermal equilibrium

Update Collimation Model (2+ hrs data collection, plus processing time):

• Prerequisites:
  TELESCOPE IN THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM!
  DECENT SEEING (less than 1.25 arcsec FWHM on guider)
• Confirm needed mirror positions, temps in LUCIFER headers
• Use source list: collim.cat
• Observe sources: 25(15) < EL < 87 if possible
  1. Preset in ACTIVE mode, on-axis
  2. Allow system to collimate: WFS<400nm rms
  3. Take 2s exposure with LUCIFER to record mirror information
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 as needed to cover EL-space
• Observe minimum 1 full cycle through EL range, 12 sources,
  Prefer two cycles, 20+ sources.
• Generate new collimation model (J.Hill?)
• Implement new collimation model
• Data:

  #	LUCI#	UT	EL		#	LUCI#	UT	EL
  01				*	02
  03				*	04
  05				*	06
  07				*	08
  09				*	10
  11				*	12
  13				*	14
  15				*	16
  17				*	18
  19				*	20

• Results:

Update Pointing Model (2-4 hours data collection, plus processing time):

• Prerequisites:
  TELESCOPE IN THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM!
  Using new collimation model from previous step
  Verify with LUCIFER Team that internal flexures are corrected
  Re-measure mechanical rotator center coords on LUCIFER
  • Take pair of TRACK mode images rotated 180 degrees apart
  • New rotator center: X Y
• Update pointing and collimation prior to start, mid EL (50-70 degrees)
• Use source list: Allstars10.cat, updated to include PA=0 in list
• Turn on pointing log in PCS GUI
  Filename = ____________________
• Use /home/LBTO/POINTING/Pointingstars5 to schedule
  1. In your working directory on an observer workstation:
     cp ~LBTO/POINTING/* . to copy program files
  2. Type ./Pointingstars5 at linux prompt to run program
  3. Enter the sequential reference field number [1-88]
  4. Preset to the source listed, TRACK mode, take 30s exposure.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 for at least 24 points, 48+ would be better.
• Stop pointing log in PCS GUI
• Generate new pointing model (D.Thompson)
• Implement:
  • Copy to ~telescope/TCS/Configuration/PCS/
  • Update LUCIFER entry for LEFTPOINTINGMODEL
    in PCSInstrument.conf
  • Re-authorize LUCIFER on IIF GUI to read in new pointing model
• Test new pointing model
• Data:

  #	LUCI#	Star ID		#	LUCI#	Star ID		#	LUCI#	Star ID
  01			*	02			*	03
  04			*	05			*	06
  07			*	08			*	09
  10			*	11			*	12
  13			*	14			*	15
  16			*	17			*	18
  19			*	20			*	21
  22			*	23			*	24
  25			*	26			*	27
  28			*	29			*	30
  31			*	32			*	33
  34			*	35			*	36
  37			*	38			*	39
  40			*	41			*	42
  43			*	44			*	45
  46			*	47			*	48
  49			*	50			*	51
  52			*	53			*	54
  55			*	56			*	57
  58			*	59			*	60
  61			*	62			*	63
  64			*	65			*	66
  67			*	68			*	69
  70			*	71			*	72
  73			*	74			*	75
  76			*	77			*	78
  79			*	80			*	81
  82			*	83			*	84
  85			*	86			*	87
  88			*	89			*	90

• Results:

-- DavidThompson - 09 Jan 2009

-- DavidThompson - 09 Jan 2009