Initial report 08/20/10:
1. Phase 1:
RTS2 arrives
Petr
Kubanek visited FLWO between 16 and 20 Aug 2010. He began integrating
RTS2 with the telescope and control software. RTS2 is written in C++
and is thus portable, although there are significant variations from
site to site. The following describes the steps that Petr followed to
evolve from RTS2 to an initial version of RTS2-F.
- On the first day, Petr installed a basic version
of RTS2 on the 1.2m high-level Linux control computer, flwo48.
Installation required compilation, installation of libraries, and
testing. These steps took several hours, but were completed during the
first day, culminating with a first version of RTS2-F.
- On the second day, Petr began building into
RTS2-F the capability to write scripts to control the telescope
pointing and take exposures. These are the same scripts that are used
normally to observe with Keplercam on the 1.2m.He also addedthe
capabilityto obtain exposures with Keplercam. He tested the code by
commanding RTS2-F to slew the telescope and take an exposure at the end
of the slew. Petr also started work on the GUI (graphical user
interface) that displays the status of observations, RTS2-G.
- On the third day, Petr added code to RTS2-F to
convert our catalog format to the RTS2-F database format. The database
describes targets and includes the elements necessary to observe them
as well as the observing logs. RTS2-F interacts with the database via
SQL commands embedded in the C++ code. The database includes scripts
describing how each target should be observed, in particular the
filters, exposure lengths and number of repetitions.
- On the fourth day, Petr modified RTS2-F to include
refined constraints on exposures: observability, priority, airmass and
moon distance. These constraints are entries in the database derived
from target catalogs. RTS2-F populates the observing queue each night,
using a merit function based on the constraints for each target.
Eventually, RTS2-F will begin executing the queue at twilight.
Petr added the constraints one at a time and
tested the code as he progressed. Petr also continued developing the
capabilities of RTS2-G.
-
On the fifth day, Petr completed a first
version of RTS2-G that includes display of exposures in a
thumbnail mode.The thumbnails also allow full-size views of individual
exposures by clicking on the corresponding thumbnail. During a night of
observations, the thumbnails would be available for viewing through a
web browser. At this final stage of his visit, Petr was able to exercise
a fully-functional first version of RTS2-F. Petr also contributed to
this progress report and wrote a first draft of a manual.
2. Phase 1: Next steps
We expect to complete Phase 1 by the end of
September 2010.
As we only plan to cool down Keplercam just
before the start of the trimester ofobservations, we will exercise
RTS2-F during daytime until September 1st.
The next additions to RTS2-F include
enabling of telescope and dome tracking, and amp selection. Petr will
work on these remotely. We are planning another visit in October 2010.
During the trimester, we will use several
engineering nights for tests. We will run RTS2-F using catalogs of
available targets. We will monitor the operations, and simulate various
conditions, such as GRB warnings and bad weather.
During the rest of Phase 1, Petr will add to
RTS2-F the capability to acquire a standard set of CCD biases and dome
flats, as wellas other calibrations suchas sky flats and photometric
standards.
3. Phase 1: Updates
Through 09/07, we exercised RTS2-F
in the daytime, looking for any unexpected behavior. There have been
a number of problems that Petr has addressed remotely.
As of today, RTS2-F is able to run the system using a simple catalog
and to log results viewable through RTS2-G.
Petr is continuing to work remotely on updates to the system, in
preparation for the first engineering
night of tests on 09/13.
Update 09/13/10:
RTS2-F had its first full night of control of the 1.2m on 09/13. It was
very cloudy and variable, but the goal was to test the ability of the
software to take exposures, in this case not astronomically useful.
It did succeed in observing a large number of targets in its database (created
from a catalog in our own format). We verified that the logic of the script
is sound.
We found several problems: the script
tried to re-observe targets too many times, and at the end of the night
the last observations of a supernova
that was reobserved several times tracked the telescope into a limit
to the west. There were other smaller problems. Petr has solved these
and is addressing additional issues such as adding constraints.
Update 09/17/10:
RTS2-F had its second full night of control of the 1.2m on 09/17. It was
reasonably clear, although the seeing was mediocre. The script
did acquire more useful data, mainly SN
and gravitational lenses. It still
made excessive repetitions but Petr has solved the remaining problem with
that.
Petr added constraints such as moon distance, which are now
operational. We also added the capability to stow the dome at the end
of the night, and to obtain u band sky flats.
That needs tweaks such as the starting time. The script observed into
morning twilight about 30 minutes too long, so the background was too high.
An easy adjustment was to set the horizon to 12 deg rather than the
initial default of 10 deg. As we go, we develop additional modifications
to the scripts that bring us closer to the end of Phase 1, such as the
capability to enable tracking, home the dome, select amplifier centering,
and checking of available filters.
Update 09/28/10:
Petr updated RTS2-F to better handle input catalogs,
for example to take PI and Program name from these catalogs and
insert them in the headers of the images.
We had 2 engineering nights, 27 and 28 September. The first night
was nearly fully overcast. The second one was productive, with RTS2-F
running through the night, using several targets
available through the night, as well as a catalog of pointings in a
3x3 degree mosaic centered on the gravitational lens B2108+213.
We found several errors such as when RTS2-F found itself out of
available targets, which Petr is addressing.
Update 10/03/10:
New commands are operational to: open the mirror covers,
turn on the flat lamps and open the dome slit. These are assembled
in a script for domeflats (Telshell command Ldomes).
See the Telshell and
Robot pages for information
on all the new commands.
The only remaining hardware component of the project
is the completion of the LN2 auto-fill system. Wayne Peters is building
and testing the circuitry that will control the system. That
should be completed within the next 2 weeks. Next is the purchase
of vacuum-jacketed line for the LN2, and testing of the system on
the telescope. A significant advantage of this system is that we will
be able to replicated for TRES and FAST (when it is off the telescope).
Update 10/22/10:
Petr visited FLWO again the week of October 11. Phase 1 is completed.
The attributes of RTS2-F are:
Observes throughout the night, drawing targets from its database
that satisfy the constraints given in the catalogs.
The RTS2-F database is built from catalogs in a new format
(click here for an example),
derived from the extant .mct catalogs. Here, the observer
specifies the usual target names with coordinates including
proper motion, as well as filters,
exposure times and number of repetitions. In addition, for each
target, the catalogs
must contain values for: the CCD amp center, autoguide flag, priority, and
limits for seeing, airmass and moon angular distance.
RTS2-F will skip observations
when a requested filter is not one of
the 8 filters on the filter wheel. Observers should request
other filters well in advance of their observations, as BR (before RTS2-F).
Takes a standard set of
biases and BVri dome flats in the afternoon.
Takes u sky flats in the evening. It is also able
to take these flats in the morning, if needed.
Controls telescope hardware, such as the dome slit, mirror
covers and flat lamps.
References the telescope to zenith at the beginning of
each night.
Focuses the telescope using the method of the script
kfindfwhm, which measures the
FWHM of stars and uses that to determine the best focus.
If focusing fails, e.g.
because of clouds, RTS2-F tries again after each sequence of
exposures. If it is successful, it switches to using the quicker
tempfocus (described with kfindfwhm) to adjust the focus as
a function of temperature.
We started work on Phase 2, including adding a TOO response
capability (e.g., GRBs and SNe), autoguiding,
weather sensing and assembling the LN2 autofill system.
Update 12/03/10:
Petr has continued updating the system as we debug it by
running the telescope during engineering nights and with
the help of a few experienced observers.
Update 01/31/11:
Petr arrived at FLWO on 01/24/11 and stayed
a week. He has made great progress with
the items described in the first version of the primer. Phase 2
is on track to be completed by the end of March 2011.
Update 03/18/11:
Petr arrived at FLWO again on 03/07/11. He made
additional refinements, in particular to the queue system. We conducted
engineering runs and we tested queues during SN runs. The system has
continued to improve. Petr left on 03/12/11 and returned to Prague.
He is working on the GUI for the queues. We are in the process
of updating the primer.
Update 04/25/11:
The queue system is operational after the engineering run
of 04/19/11, although it still needs corrections. We tested it with
calibrations, SN, lenses, and a transit. The observations were
successful but there were some glitches that Petr is working to
correct now.
Update 06/08/11:
A critical part of the fully automated system is the LN2 autofill
system for Keplercam. Wayne Peters has made significant progress.
We anticipate the system will be online by the end of June.
We have had several engineering nights that have helped tune RTS2-F,
especially regarding the queues. We had full nights of observations
of supernovae
that have been particularly useful. We thank observers who have helped
test the system and have provided feedback.
Petr visited FLWO again for about a week, starting on 06/27/11.
Update 01/30/12:
Petr has spent several weeks at FLWO in 4 separate visits. RTS2-F has
operated the telescope with increasing success during 35 engineering
nights between September 2010 and January 2012. Observers have also
used it successfully for programs such as planetary transits, supernovae,
monitoring gravitational lenses and GRB tests. Petr continues working
remotely on RTS2-F updates.
The RTS2-F documentation is updated as frequently as possible. See the results
here.
Update 03/25/14:
RTS2-F, also known as Rob, has been conducting observations regularly for the
past 2 years. It has become the main method for conducting observations
as efficiently as possible, enhanced with the new 1.2m primary mirror
since September 2013.