Software Release Notes for Build "AO2"

Release Date: Feb 19, 2010
Generic Release Name: AO2
Public Release Name: Adaptive Optics release 2
General Description: This release supports the Adaptive Optics functions and running as a mono-telescope for Gregorian operations on the DX (right side).

Telescope Operator Overview Information

• Authorizing an instrument (IIFGUI) is now done independently for the two sides, so there are two authorize buttons. If only one side is being changed, only that side will be affected. If both sides are being changed, either two buttons must be clicked, or the "both" box must be checked and then the left side choices also apply to the right side.
• The TCSGUI turns blue if the networkserver process is not running.
• The TCSGUI has a new box labeled "PCS Side". The desired side (left or right) must be chosen before the PCS is started. If the side needs to be changed, the PCS must first be stopped.
• This is a single-sided version of PCS where the "left" or the "right" side is specified via an input parameter (e.g., netconfig start PCS parameter left). The TCSGUI handles this for the Operations staff via the option to run PCS "Left" or PCS "Right" highlighted in yellow. Please be aware this is an interim version of PCS to be superseded by Binocular PCS.
• When a new instrument is authorized or upon initial startup of the PCS a check is now done to determine if the rotator (if applicable) associated with the authorized instrument is in the READY state. If the rotator is not READY, a warning is issued. Previously, this check did not occur until the start tracking command was issued.
• Updated the "pcsutilties" so now the original programs can be invoked as they were pre-B36. Just type the program name and any optional parameters ("ptlist", "ptreset", "ptmodify ie -33.33").

Support Astronomer Overview Information

• The IRC support for abbreviated command names has been reinstated.
• SetPMTerm now allows any pointing model term to be set.

The Details

Specific Tests that need to be performed with the Telescope

• Software Tests and Status

Patches to the Release

• Mar 5, 2010
  • The LBC IIF C interface has been changed so all OffsetPointing commands use ABS mode instead of relative.

Known Bugs

• none.

Release Overview

• GCS V2.2.11
  • GCS is fully sided now and so is its configuration. So please note that there are two sets in lbt.conf now one for GCSL and one for GCSR.
  • GCS client programs are now SIDED! That means when you call a command line program for GCS you have to provide the side it should talk to. gcsStatus must now be invoked as 'getStatus left' or 'getStatus right'. This applies to all command line programs related to GCS.
  • added DD variables for seeing values: Zernikes.ZlastSent, Zernikes.wasCollimated and Zernikes.lastSeeing
    Zernikes.lastUpdate (human readable time for ZlastSent) gets updated when transfer to PSF succeeded, before it was updated when new Z's where calculated regardless of PSF transfer
    Zernikes.ZlastSent gets updated when Zernikes.ZlastSent gets updated.
    The time stamp they both represent is from the time the coefficients where calculated but the time stamp only gets updated AFTER the PSF transfer succeeded. As a PSF update can take a significant amount of seconds, the time stamps in DD will be looking as if they were delayed.
  • there is an additional filter in lbt.conf available to disregard stars in sextractor output. It's called GCSL/R.sextractorClass and it's set to 0.1 at the moment. This is very conservative and should work just fine. If you experience problems that sextractor couldn't find a star in an acquisition image when you think it should have, set this value to 0.0 resend the preset (no GCS restart necessary)
    
    
  • additions to GCS of the previous build that haven't been exercised yet:
  • parking the AIP AGW probe should be about 6-8 seconds faster as no focus position is set any more
  • additional DD variables showing when the last image on guider or WFS cameras were taken
  • powering up AIP AGW unit when unit is turned off. Note: TO still has to power unit down manually after the end of the night if so desired.
  • automatically homing unhomed axes of AIP AGW probe when selecting unit .
• IIF Version 7.0
  • The following new commands are supported:
    • PauseGuiding
    • ResumeGuiding
    • AcquireRefAO
    • CheckRefAO
    • CorrectModesAO
    • ModifyAO
    • OffsetXYAO
    • OffsetZAO
    • PauseAO
    • PresetAO
    • PresetFlatAO
    • RefineAO
    • ResumeAO
    • RunAO
    • StartAO
    • StopAO
  • Preset, OffsetPointing, and StepFocus support AO operations.
• PCS Version-5.0
  • This is a single-sided version of PCS where the "left" or the "right" side is specified via an input parameter (e.g., netconfig start PCS parameter left). Please be aware this is an interim version of PCS to be superseded by Binocular PCS.

Operating System, System Configuration, TCS and Hardware Computers

TCS Servers / Workstations

• none.

agw-control computer

• none.

jet computer, DSP, FPGA

• none.

Networks

• none.

PLCs

• none.

TCS Subsystems and GUIs, and significant configuration files

lbt.conf

• none.

AGw control server

• none.

AOS - Adaptive Optics

• none.

ECS - Enclosure Control

• none.

ENV - Environmental Sensors

• Anemometer data collection and writing to telemetry.

IIF - Instrument Interface

• IIF Version 7.0
  • Many AO commands added.
  • Existing sequences enhanced to support AO.
• IIFGUI Version 2.0
  • Authorization is now done independently for the two sides.
  • Add a RunAO "repoint" override.

GCS - Guiding Control Version 2.2.11

• corrected MODS filter numbers to be 1-based
• added guidecam_center_x/_y to the OSU_MODS AGW configuration to define the coordinate of the physical center of the CCD chip in the guide cam image
• started adding the MODS specific procedure for the GS acquisition
• splitted autoAcquireGuidestar function into more handy and universally usable sub functions
• added WFScam_offset_x/_y for MODS unit to define the probe movement offset to put a CCD centered star in center of WFS pupil
• finished the first draft of a MODS specific GS acquisition procedure as it offsets the probe after the initial star acquisition. Tests with the MODS2 unit in Ohio showed correct offsetting as far as this was determinable with a webcam and simulated camera images.
• setting focus explicitly to zero when orchestrating probe position object for AGW probe when using MODS. This is to clarify log and event messages.
• started adding last two-sidedness changes to GCS
• changed lbt.conf configuration from GCS.xyz to GCSL.xyz and GCSR.xyz for two-sidedness support, settings were replicated so they are the same for both sides right now
• finished additions for two-sidedness of GCS, a few filenames had to change to avoid overwriting them from two GCS instances which is all related to files in /tmp
• finished converting gcsClient to support sidedness of GCS
• updated trunk with side-support changes from MODS branch
• clarified error messages when acquisition image cannot be written locally or to repository
• added a warning event if acquisition image cannot be written to repository.
• ensuring in WFS thread that if sub frame creation fails, the full frame is being saved and shown on GUI for possible problem analysis through personnel
• saved the error message in case a subsequent setFocus inside setProbePosition failed. Previously it was overwritten by the following getProbePosition call which set it to 'OK'.
• updated Source Extractor configuration to support an additional parameter for star class to increase the amount of filter capabilities
• adapted GCS to support new parameter style startup of subsystems that pass a NONE parameter per default. GCS will complain on the stdout but continue to startup.
• added DD vars for seeing values: Zernikes.ZlastSent, Zernikes.wasCollimated and Zernikes.lastSeeing
  Zernikes.lastUpdate (human readable time for ZlastSent) gets updated when transfer to PSF succeeded, before it was updated when new Z's where calculated regardless of PSF transfer
  Zernikes.ZlastSent gets updated when Zernikes.ZlastSent gets updated.
  The time stamp they both represent is from the time the coefficients where calculated but the time stamp only gets updated AFTER the PSF transfer succeeded. As a PSF update can take a significant amount of seconds, the time stamps in DD will be looking as if they were delayed.
• adapted GCS to enhanced sextractor output format including star class to add an additional filter for removing bogus detections from output file
• added GCSL/R.sextractorClass to lbt.conf for further filtering sextractor output based on starClass results. Current value is 0.1 which is very conservative (a galaxy is 0.0, a perfect star is 1.0). When testing with AGW #2 we had acquisition images where sextractor didn't find the right location of the light source and all these results had a starClass of < 0.1, so this setting should eliminate these problems. A changed value in lbt.conf is read eveyr time the GCS is analyzing a centroiding output, meaning the subsystem has not to be restarted in order to have the changed value getting applied.
• added a log message documenting the starClass value of the chosen star from the sextractor output to refine the 0.1 threshold over time
• modified WFSThread to log how much time is spent trying to match requested interval time
• split local Makefile into all: for GCS subsystem and clients: to build anything related to GCS client library

LSS - Logging and Events

• none.

MCS / mcstemp - Mount Control

• none.

OSS - Optical Support

• none.

PCS - Pointing Control

• PCS Version 5.0
  • See notes for B-36 for improvements developed for that build which were never tested.
  • This is a single-sided version of PCS where the "left" or the "right" side is specified via an input parameter (e.g., netconfig start PCS parameter left). The TCSGUI handles this for the Operations staff via the option to run PCS "Left" or PCS "Right" highlighted in yellow. Please be aware this is an interim version of PCS to be superseded by Binocular PCS.
  • When a new instrument is authorized or upon initial startup of the PCS a check is now done to determine if the rotator (if applicable) associated with the authorized instrument is in the READY state. If the rotator is not READY, a warning is issued. Previously, this check did not occur until the start tracking command was issued.
    • When the transition is made to a new authorized instrument, the rotator (if applicable) associated with the previous instrument to commanded to HOLD. If this does not happen correctly, a warning event is issued.
  • Updated the "pcsutilties" so now the original programs can be invoked as they were pre-B36. Just type the program name and any optional parameters ("ptlist", "ptreset", "ptmodify ie -33.33").
  • Modified the computeKFPCoordinates(int side, Position star) function to support better the GCS and AOS subsystems which both utilize this function. The subsystem name has been added to the event.
  • Added three new functions to support AO and their events:
    • updateReferenceOrigin, (int side, float x, float y)
    • applyTipTiltCorrection (int side, float x, float y)
    • setGuidingSubsystem (int side, string subsystem)
  • Created new AO reflective memory variables in support of the reference star analogous to the guide star variables.
  • Added error messages and event if upon startup, the PCS cannot find its configuration file, PCSInstrument.conf. PCS will not start without access to this configuration file.

PCS GUI

• PCSGUI Version 1.19
  • Added knowledge as to which PCS "side" executable is running. If the subsystem is not running, the GUI will indicate "PCS NONE".

Preset GUI

• PRESETGUI Version 1.15
  • See notes for B-36 for improvements developed for that build which were never tested.
  • Added knowledge as to which PCS "side" executable is running. If the subsystem is not running, the GUI will indicate "PCS NONE".

Pointing Kernel / Pointing Kernel tools

• none.

PMC - Primary Mirror Cell

• PMC Version 5.6
  • Add event when new hard points relative encoders are zeroed.
  • Adjust load cell force limits for new hard points per Dave Ashby.
• PMCGUI Version 5.6
  • Add support for "soft" travel limits for new hard points.
  • Change the symbols used in the new hard point limit display.
  • Improve setting color for load cell forces for new hard points.

PSF - Point Spread Function

• PSF Version 4.44
  • Add pointing adjustment tests for Andrew's "mode 1" and "mode 2" pointing changes.
• PSFGUI Version 4.26
  • Add pointing adjustment tests for Andrew's "mode 1" and "mode 2" pointing changes.

SDB - Star Database

• none.

TCS GUI

• TCSGUI Version 1.16
  • Add support for starting PCS with a side parameter.
  • Turn the background blue if the networkserver is not running.
  • Add a "netconfig ps" after stopping the network servers so the users can see if anything is still running.
  • Remove check for a subsystem running before performing a "kill" operation.
  • Add variables to lbt.conf for the path and name of the current syslog file.

WX - Weather Station

• none.

TCS Common Software

commandreturn - client command status returns

• none.

commandsequencer - client/subsystem command handling

• none.

core - foundation routines

• none.

datadictionary - reflective memory and event support

• none.

eventhandler - event handling

• none.

networkconfig - subsystem management

• Accept an optional subsystem parameter from netconfig.

reflectivememory - global shared memory

• none.

rpc - communication protocol

• none.

setvalue - reflective memory access

• none.

tcs_config - tcs configuration

• none.

TCS Tools

DDEditor - Data Dictionary Editor

• none.

DDBrowser - Data Dictionary Browser

• none.

DDViewer - Data Dictionary Viewer

• none.

Event Editor

• none.

Telemetry

Collector

• none.

Instruments and Environmental Sensors

DIMM - Differential Image Monitor

• none.

idl

• none.

iraf

• none.

IRTC - Infrared Test Camera

• IRTC Version 2.0.0
  • Allow abbreviations for IRC commands.
  • Add commands PauseGuiding and ResumeGuiding.
  • Add many AO commands.

LBC - LBT Binocular Camera

• none.

LBTO Weather Station - 3DWGUI

• none.

MAT - Mount Axillary Telescope

• none.

All Sky Monitor

• none.

-- NormCushing - 18 Feb 2010