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Current Telescope Control System

Current Telescope Control System. Big Bear Solar Observatory Pointing and Tracking Guiding Light Beam Control. Introduction. Current telescope control system has evolved since 1969. Very little of telescope is computer-controlled. Light beam control system is unique to this telescope.

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Current Telescope Control System

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  1. Current Telescope Control System Big Bear Solar Observatory Pointing and Tracking Guiding Light Beam Control

  2. Introduction • Current telescope control system has evolved since 1969. • Very little of telescope is computer-controlled. • Light beam control system is unique to this telescope.

  3. Pointing and Tracking • Equatorial mount: RA & Dec axes. • RA axis, ring gear, worm, transmission • Preload motor -- replaces weight • Slew motor. • Tracking motor -- originally synchronous motor, now stepper motor • Set / guide motor

  4. Declination • Preload spring. • Slew motor. • Set / guide motor.

  5. Computer Control System • High-level control: sundial. • Low-level control: pcguider, tracking motor controller.

  6. Software languages, interface to hardware • Sundial: Tcl/Tk, C. • Pcguider: C. • Motor controller (internal). • Interface: serial ports.

  7. Light Beam Control • Sundial also handles light beam control. • Interface to hardware LBC through digital I/O board (imitates old PDP11 DR11 cards). • Interface to cameras is either serial or TCP/IP socket interface

  8. Other hardware • LBC system also controls some other hardware. • Zeiss H-alpha filter • Filterwheel(s)

  9. PC Guider • Directly controls stepper motors for guider stages. • Communicates with telpos part of PDPRP on sundial.

  10. Tracking motor control • LBC computer communicates directly to tracking motor controller to set RA tracking speed. • Needed primarily because of variable lunar motion (photoelectric guiders correct for solar variations).

  11. Photoelectric guiders • Small telescope forms image of Sun on quad cell. Quad cell is on motor stage controlled by PC guider. • Quad cell generates error signals in RA, Dec. • Analog servo operates telescope guider motors to minimize error signal.

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