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Frontend Interfaces. Russell O. Redman. Frontend Interfaces Overview. Frontend role is simple with automated tuning given a frequency, load, etc. tune to that frequency, direct the beam to the load, etc. report the current frequency, load, etc. to the OCS
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Frontend Interfaces Russell O. Redman
Frontend Interfaces Overview • Frontend role is simple with automated tuning • given a frequency, load, etc. tune to that frequency, direct the beam to the load, etc. • report the current frequency, load, etc. to the OCS • In normal operation the frontend is controlled using DRAMA actions issued by the TODD • INITIALISE, CONFIGURE, TUNE, SEQUENCE, . . . • Arguments are passed in XML files generated by the translator • XML files will usually be small and simple • 0 or more name-value pair • NOT necessarily disk files (may be character strings)
Frontend Interfaces DRAMA actions for Observing • Major actions • INITIALISE • CONFIGURE • TUNE • SEQUENCE • Minor actions (possibly superfluous) • LOAD • BALANCE • SHIFT_FREQ • TRACK • FSW • TEST 1
Frontend Interfaces Format of discussion • Interface 1 • item1 • new item • depreciated item • etc. • Interface 2 • item 1 • etc. • Comments
Frontend Interfaces - Major INITIALISE • Translator to Frontend • Simulate (0..3) • None=0, Hardware=1, Network=2, HardwareAndNetwork=3 • FE_Init_File(s) • sets values for variables that are not frequency-dependent • disk file with possibly a large number of name-value pairs • possibly several files? • Tuning curves, active mixer mask, . . . • Debug • (TRUE | FALSE) or (ON | OFF)? • Motor controller will home axes, so will take up to 1 minute to return.
Frontend Interface - Major CONFIGURE • Translator to Frontend • load (SKY | AMBIENT | LOAD2) • nu_rest[] rest frequency GHz • nu_if[] IF frequency (GHz) • sideband (USB | LSB) • nu_offset_scale (frequency switching scale MHz) • FE_active_channels[] array of (GOOD | UNSTABLE | BAD) • sb_mode (SSB | DSB) [ SSB for HARP-B ] • vel_source source velocity km/s • vel_defn (RADIO | OPTICAL | RELATIVISTIC) • vel_ref (TOPOCENTRIC | GEOCENTRIC | HELIOCENTRIC | LSR) • centre_corr (TRUE | FALSE)
Frontend Interface - Major CONFIGURE (cont.) • Frontend to PTCS • DOPPLER DRAMA parameter or DRAMA action with real return value • vel_source source velocity km/s • vel_defn (RADIO | OPTICAL | RELATIVISTIC) • vel_ref (TOPOCENTRIC | GEOCENTRIC | HELIOCENTRIC | LSR) • centre_corr (TRUE | FALSE)
Frontend Interfaces - Major TUNE • Translator to Frontend • Completeness (FULL | AUTO | ELECTRONIC) • Frontend to PTCS • DOPPLER DRAMA parameter or DRAMA action with real return value
Frontend Interfaces - Major SEQUENCE • Translator to Frontend • default state (FREQ_OFFSET = 0) • state 1 (FREQ_OFFSET = 1) • . . . • State N (FREQ_OFFSET = (1 | -1) • RTS to/from Frontend • SC from RTS • SR to RTS • DV from RTS • Frontend to PTCS (Doppler tracking ON) • DOPPLER
Frontend Interfaces - Major SEQUENCE (cont.) • Frontend to ACSIS DR • current values of all CONFIGURE parameters (includes LOAD) • Sequence Number • FE_NULO • DOPPLER • FREQ_OFFSET • TEMP_AMB • TEMP_LOAD2
Frontend Interfaces - Minor LOAD • Translator to Frontend • load (SKY | AMBIENT | LOAD2) • Comments: • The load could be specified in CONFIGURE • CONFIGURE does not move anything • TUNE will always update at least electronic tuning • LOAD completes in one action what would require two using CONFIGURE and TUNE
Frontend Interfaces - Minor TRACK (Doppler tracking) • Translator to Frontend • FE_Track (ON | OFF | UPDATE) • Comments: • FE_Track (ON | OFF) could be added to CONFIGURE • TRACK FE_Track=UPDATE is equivalent to TUNE Completeness=ELECTRONIC • If FE_Track=ON, when should the Doppler factor be updated? • At the start of a SEQUENCE? • Every second, gated by SEQUENCE? • How often is Doppler tracking actually used?
Frontend Interfaces - MinorBALANCE • Translator to Frontend • N/A • Comments • Directs the beam to the hot load (warmer of AMBIENT or LOAD2) • Adjusts IF attenuators to optimum levels • Redirects the beam to SKY • Does NOT adjust other parts of the receiver
Frontend Interfaces - MinorSHIFT_FREQ • Translator to Frontend • OFFSET _FREQ MHz • Comments: • Used in slow frequency switching • Equivalent to SEQUENCE with a single state
Frontend Interfaces - MinorFSW • Translator to Frontend • N/A • Only for compatability with existing systems • issue a warning and return success
Frontend Interfaces - MinorTEST 1 • Translator to Frontend • Level = 1 • Comments • This has been mentioned as a way to check the receiver lock, with the idea that it should be used at the start of every sequence. I think this is not the correct way to test the lock! • TEST 1 reads current values for all hardware variables and returns TRUE if everything seems OK, FALSE otherwise. The lock check is a side effect of this test. • Will this be used in TODD recipes?
Frontend Interfaces Miscellaneous Housekeeping • EXIT • PING • READ_TEMP • SET_TEMP • TEST • WRITE_DATA