15th August 1996 PJM McDonald ICE PFC/LF1 Manual
Updated by MLF 08 Aug 2005
Index:
Index
The bare essentials
The 30" workstation Mod 03/07/05
Window and file system organization Mod 03/07/05
Image display
The PFC interface Mod 96/03/21
The filter control language Mod 05/03/28
The focus control language Mod 96/08/15
LF1 interface
Observation parameters Mod 96/03/21
Focus mode New 96/03/21
30-inch telescope interface
General Notes
Powering up the PFC New 96/03/21
Powering down the PFC New 96/03/21
PFC shutter correction
The bare essentials:
Please read the Kitt Peak Ice manual for more information on using ICE.
Please use the IRAF package "icex" unless Computing tells you otherwise.
Remember to specify detname="lf1" in detpars, instrname="pfc" in instrpars,
pixtype="u" in obspars, and telname="0.8m" in telpars.
See the example par files in this document. In those examples, an `!' in
column one means the parameter must be set, a `*' means the parameter should
normally be set, and a `|' means the parameter is part of the instrument control
language which is set by the user and cleared by ICE after its use.
The 30" Workstation
The Sun workstation which runs the PFC and LF1 with ICE is called Titan. Its
characteristics are:
SPARCstation 20 Model 50 (serial number 447F0086)
96 MB RAM
192 MB swap space
1.05 GB internal disk
One 20-inch color monitor (2 are on luna)
Two Turbo GX graphics accelerators
1.44 MB internal floppy drive
External 9 GB hard disk (data1, data2)
10 GB 8 mm tape drive (from Sun)
Internal CD-ROM drive (from Sun)
8 serial ports, 1 parallel port SBus card
S16D high-speed I/O interface SBus board
Sun SSI transceiver #5
APC Smart-UPS 2000VA
Please note that titan is now usually accessed through luna, a new Sun Ultra 5.
Window and file system organization:
You need one IRAF window for running ICE, and typically another IRAF window for
normal IRAF operations. File system organizations for achieving this include:
1) The two invocations of IRAF are independent except for sharing the same
data directories and image display tool. They are run from different
directories (e.g. ice and iraf) with independent login.cl and parameter files.
The advantage is that the ICE data collection task is as isolated as
possible from other activities on the Sun, including IRAF activities.
2) It is highly recommended that you only run the "icex" task in the ICE
window. Running other IRAF tasks can cause IRAF to flush the "icex" task
from its task cache resulting in inefficiencies during observing. Use the IRAF
invocation started from the other directory to do non-ICE IRAF tasks (ie,
data reduction).
Image Display:
For normal display of the 2080 x 2048 image, make sure that `stdimage' within
each of your login.cl files is imt35 and that the line is uncommented:
set stdimage = imt35
This can be checked and changed during runtime with the IRAF commands:
show stdimage
set stdimage=imt35
Other possibilities for stdimage can be found in /local/iraf/dev/graphcap
The PFC interface:
The "instrument" task is used to control the PFC filter wheel and focus
mechanism. New Bessel filters were placed in the instrument
as the default filters on 02 Aug 2005.
The filter offsets may well be different from the values given below.
Use "instrpars" to specify the filter (via instrfilters), focus or focus mode
(via instrfocus), filter wheel position to filter name translation (via fts),
and the focus offsets for each filter (via filtoffs):
ic> instrpars
I R A F
Image Reduction and Analysis Facility
PACKAGE = icex
TASK = instrpars
| (instrfi= ) filter bolt positions
(apertur= ) aperture
(tvfilt = ) tv filter
(complam= ) comparison lamp
(probepo= ) probe position file
(dispers= ) disperser
(tiltpos= ) tilt position
(order = ) spectral order (0 = most efficient)
(decker = ) decker
| (instrfo= ) instrument focus
(posangl= ) position angle
(dispaxi= ) dispersion axis
* (fts = U,B,V,R,I) filter translation
* (filtoff= -225,-550,0,0,175) filter offset values
(polariz= ) polarizer angle in degrees
(instrin= ) Optional image header info about instrument
! (instrca= runlib$instrcap) Instrument capabilities file
! (instrna= pfc) Instrument name
(mode = ql)
($nargs = 0)
The PFC interface is specified by setting instrname="pfc". Above, fts=U,B,V,R,I
means U=1, B=2, V=3, R=4, I=5. Accordingly filtoff=-225,-550,0,0,175 means the
U focus is offset from the home filter (assumed to be V here) by -225 steps,
etc. Either the "observe" task or the "instrument" task commands the instrument
interface to go to the settings specified in "instrpars", and then clear the
parameters instrfilters and instrfocus. Executing "instrument" with no arguments
will read and display the status of various instrument specific parameters.
PFC interface: the filter control language (instrpars.instrfilters):
@n Move the filter to position n. n can be a filter name (from instrpars.fts), or one of the filter position names 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. For example, @2 or @B.
h[n] With no argument, declare the current filter position filter to be 1. With
an argument n = 1 to 5, declare the current filter position filter to be n.
+n increment the current filter by n positions. The `+' sign is required.
-n decrement the current filter by n positions.
r reset communications with the filter wheel. Also enables filter wheel
movement again.
d disable filter wheel movement under computer control (a safety feature).
e enable filter wheel movement after it has been disabled with `d'.
PFC interface: the focus control language (instrpars.instrfocus):
+n at the next integration, increment the current focus by n steps after
applying the temperature offset, and the filter offset if the filter has
been changed since the last focus update, both if autofocus is on.
The `+' sign is required.
-n at the next integration, decrement the current focus by n steps after
applying the temperature offset, and the filter offset if the filter has
been changed since the last focus update, both if autofocus is on.
@n go to focus position n (where n=0 corresponds to the zeropoint from the last
home), after applying the temperature offset, and the filter offset if the
filter has been changed since the last focus update, both if autofocus is on.
h home focus and activate autofocus mode, if not already on. Note that we
execute h every time we re-focus, possibly several times a night. In
autofocus mode, the focus will be updated for filter and temperature during
the initialization phase of the "observe" command.
r reset communications with the focus and temperature devices. This also
enables focus movement again.
d disable autofocus mode (mostly a safety thing).
e enable manual focus movement after it has been disabled with "d". Does NOT
imply a "home".
l read the last temperature at which the PFC was in focus from a file called
templast.dat in the IRAF home directory, subtract it from the current
temperature, multiply by steps-per-degree and move the focus motor by this
amount. Read the last filter from the same file, and if different from the
current filter, apply the relevant filter offset.
This works because every time the focus is updated automatically, the
current temperature and filter are written into the templast.dat file.
N.B. You can log out of ICE and restart later without losing focus. After
restarting ICE, run instrument with instrfocus set to "l". Repeat with
instrfocus set to "h" to reactivate autofocus mode.
The focus algorithm is:
The current focus position P = FO + TO + Zpt, where
FO = the filter offset
TO = the temperature offset = steps-per-degree*(T - T0), where
T = current temperature
T0 = home temperature
Zpt = the zeropoint, (Zpt=0 in the filter at which we homed at the home
temperature)
The value of steps-per-degree is specified in the PFC entry of file
~ice/ice-1.5/lib/runlib/instrcap by the value `sd'. As of 17/feb/00, its value
is 825. You can view this value from within ICE with "edit runlib$/instrcap".
A personal value of `sd' can be used by using instrpars.instrcap to point to
your own copy of the file instrcap.
LF1 interface:
The "detpars" task is used to specify how the CCD is to be read. The case of a
full frame, uncoadded readout is shown below. The parameters "detcap" and
"detname" should be set as shown. Sub-frame readouts are specified with the
first four parameters, and the on-chip co-addition is specified with the fifth
and sixth parameters.
ic> detpars
I R A F
Image Reduction and Analysis Facility
PACKAGE = icex
TASK = detpars
! (firstco= 1) First column of data (device coordinates)
! (lastcol= 2048) Last column of data (device coordinates)
! (firstro= 1) First row of data (device coordinates)
! (lastrow= 2048) Last row of data (device coordinates)
! (colbin = 1) Column binning factor
! (rowbin = 1) Row binning factor
(preflas= 0) Preflash time in seconds
(gain = 0) Instrumental gain setting (0 for default)
(detinfo= ) Optional image header info about detector)
! (detcap = runlib$detcap) Detector capabilities file
! (detname= lf1) Detector name
(detpix = u) Data type of detector pix (u=16-bit l=18-bit)
(integra= 1) Detector integrator (1=slow 2=medium 3=fast)
(amplifi= 1) Detector amplifier
(nframes= ) IRDetector sum/average nframes
(angle = 0) Detector angle from nominal
(mode = ql)
($nargs = 0)
For fast field acquisition (20 s), 4x4 co-addition is normally used by setting:
(colbin = 4) Column binning factor
(rowbin = 4) Row binning factor
For focussing, a subframe readout such as specified below is normally used to
shorten the readout time. Note that the readout time for subframes depends only
on the number of rows read.
(firstco= 1) First column of data (device coordinates)
(lastcol= 2048) Last column of data (device coordinates)
(firstro= 800) First row of data (device coordinates)
(lastrow= 1200) Last row of data (device coordinates)
(colbin = 1) Column binning factor
(rowbin = 1) Row binning factor
Every time the CCD is powered down, the sequence of four commands "bye, flpr,
flpr, icex (or ice)" must be executed from within the ICE window after the CCD
is powered back up. Then recover focus and activate autofocus, if appropriate,
as described in the "l" command of the focus control language. If the CCD has
been powered down or IRAF or ICE restarted or Control-C was hit during an
integration, you must re-home the filter wheel. It won't remember where it was.
Observation parameters:
Additional parameters which are set manually are "rootname" and "sequence"
(for specifying the filename), "pixtype", "observers", and "commands". The
string shown below for "commands" causes the image to be displayed at the end
of a readout on a display tool (ximtool or SAOimage). The display tool must
be running at the end of the readout.
ic> obspars
I R A F
Image Reduction and Analysis Facility
PACKAGE = icex
TASK = obspars
exposure= 1. Exposure time (seconds)
imagetyp= object Image type
objectti= Object title
* (rootnam= pjm) Image root name
* (sequenc= 1) Sequence number
* (setfilt= no) Query and set filters?
(setfocu= no) Query and set focus?
(setscan= no) Query and set nscanrows? (short scan mode)
* (filtype= instrument) Type of filters to use
* (foctype= instrument) Type of focus to use
* nfexpo = 7 Number of focus exposures
* shtype = detector Shift type
* focmode = auto Focus mode
* fstart = @-600 Starting focus value
* fdelta = +200 Focus increment
* nrvrows = 20 Number of rows to reverse shift
! (pixtype= u) Data type of IRAF pixels
* (observe= PJM) Observers
(comment= ) Comments
(comfile= ) Observer header comments file
(obsinfo= ) Optional observing info for image headers
(observa= MCDONALD) Observatory name
* (command= display %s 1) Postprocessing command
* (preallo= 60) Preallocate image (0=no 1=yes N=if exptime > N)
* (prepref= imdir$_) Preallocate image prefix
* (longexp= 300.) Long exposure time (seconds)
(verbose= yes) Type out image name?
(debug = no)
(mode = ql)
($nargs = 0)
If "preallocate" is non-zero, there must be enough space in the directory
specified by "preprefix" for an image file to be saved. Note that quotas on the
/home directory are not large enough for use of the preprefix setting of
`uparm$'. Using "imdir$_" (which is now the default when you mkiraf) is the best choice that works if, for example, imdir in
your login.cl is set to `.', and the current working directory is on the data
disk. The `_' prevents the file names of files that are preallocated from
ending with the unnecessary characters `aa'.
If you wish to be prompted for the filter at the start of each integration, set
"setfilters" to `yes' and "filtype" to `instrument'. When the prompt is issued,
use any valid filter command language command just as you would in "instrpars",
e.g. `@V'. Note that what you enter at the prompt is used as the default the
next time the prompt is issued. The default shown at the prompt does not tell
you what the current filter is.
Observation parameters: focus mode
Focus mode makes a user specified sequence of focus images on a single image
frame. Set the required image sub-frame with detpars, and the parameters shown
below with obspars. Make the observation with the command "test" (or "observe")
and respond to the prompt for the image type with "focus".
(foctype= instrument) Type of focus to use
nfexpo = 7 Number of focus exposures
shtype = detector Shift type
focmode = auto Focus mode
fstart = @-600 Starting focus value
fdelta = +200 Focus increment
nrvrows = 20 Number of rows to reverse shift
Then, with the parameters shown above as an example, an image frame will be
taken with (nfexpo=) 7 images of each object. The first six images will be
separated by (nrvrows=) 20 rows and the 7th image will be (2 x nrvrows=) 40 rows
from the 6th image to mark the end of the sequence. The focus setting for the
first image is @-600 (from fstart) and the focus is changed by +200 (from
fdelta) for each subsequent image. That is, the 7 images of each star have
focus values of @-600, @-400, @-200, @0, @200, @400, and @600. Use an IRAF tool
such as imexamine to determine the FWHM for the stars in several sequences to
determine the best focus.
The parameters "fstart" and "fdelta" are focus control language commands that
are issued to instrpars.instrfocus. In practice, "fstart" will be one of "@n",
"+n", or "-n", and "fdelta" will be one of "+n" and "-n". If "nrvrows" is
negative, the shift between integrations is a forward rather than reverse shift.
N.B. after a focus frame is taken, the focus setting remains at that of the last
integration in the sequence (@600 in the example). If that is not the desired
setting, you must use instrpars to set the focus to the desired setting.
Tip: choose a focus field away from the galactic plane to avoid crowding.
30-inch telescope interface:
ICE running on a Sun workstation can communicate with POINT running on titan.
To do this, you must run a POINT command in one of titan's non-iraf
windows (first type 'cosmo' then 'p 01 01 01 +01 01 01'). The information
from that POINT will be put into your iraf header.
ic> telpars
I R A F
Image Reduction and Analysis Facility
PACKAGE = icex
TASK = telpars
(dateobs= ) date (dd/mm/yy) of observation
(ut = ) universal time (hh:mm:ss)
(st = ) sidereal time (hh:mm:ss)
(ra = ) right ascension (hh:mm:ss)
(dec = ) declination (dd:mm:ss)
(epoch = ) epoch of ra and dec
(ha = ) hour angle (hh:mm:ss)
(zd = ) zenith distance (dd:mm:ss)
(airmass= ) airmass
(telfocu= ) telescope focus
(telfilt= ) filter bolt positions
(rotangl= ) rotation angle
(pressur= ) barometer
(teltemp= ) telescope temperature
(windspe= ) wind speed
(winddir= ) wind direction
(humidit= ) humidity
(seeing = ) seeing
(pointsr= ) point source info
* (pointdi= ) optional point source directory info
* (pointty= mean) point type header info
* (apertur= 0.762) telescope aperture size (m)
* (focalra= 2.996) telescope focal ratio
(telinfo= ) Optional image header info about telescope
! (telcap = runlib$telcap) Telescope capabilities file
! (telname= 0.8m) Telescope name
(mode = ql)
($nargs = 0)
When "telescope" is run, ICE will read the POINTLAST.DAT file FROM YOUR HOME
DIRECTORY on titan.
The retrieved POINT information is not written into the parameters of "telpars".
It is only written into the data file header.
General notes:
Powering up the PFC: Turn on the power to the PFC and initialize the PFC with
the following procedure:
-Turn on the power to the "PFC Power and Thermometer Module" by the black
power switch at the bottom of its back panel.
-Using "instrpars" within ICE, home the filter wheel to the position before
the current filter setting.
-Using instrpars within ICE, move the filter forward one filter position
(N.B. the filter wheel will not actually more).
-Currently, the "Filter Wheel Power Supply" is the bench power supply on the
floor by the south wall. Prepare the "Filter Wheel Power Supply" by setting
its switch which controls the mode of the upper left meter to display
current (position `A').
-Turn on the "Filter Wheel Power Supply" with the main power switch at the
bottom of its front panel. Check on its meter that the current being
supplied is about 80 mA. If the current has not dropped to about 80 mA
within one or two seconds, turn off the "Filter Wheel Power Supply" and the
"PFC Power and Thermometer Module", then repeat this procedure for turning
on and initializing the PFC.
-Set the switch which controls the upper left meter of the "Filter Wheel
Power Supply" to display voltage (position `V'). Check that the voltage is
28 volts. Return the switch to position `A' for normal operation.
Powering down the PFC: Turn off the power to the PFC with the following
procedure:
-Turn the "Filter Wheel Power Supply" off. Currently, this power supply is
the bench power supply on the floor by the south wall. The switch is the
main power switch at the bottom of the control panel.
-Turn off the "PFC Power and Thermometer Module" by the black power switch
near the bottom of its back panel. This module is in the instrument rack on
the Cassegrain mounting plate, and has the Omega thermometer in its front
panel.
Observers: Do NOT turn off PFC unless specifically asked to
by someone in Observing Support.
Shutter effects: The finite travel time of the shutter blades causes the
integration time to be a fixed function of position on the CCD. Images taken
with short integration times must be corrected for this if precision photometry
is the goal. You can get information on this procedure from Phillip MacQueen.
Other hardware: Other possibilities for detname, instrname, and telescope can
be found in the capabilities files detcap, instrcap, and telcap. The default
value of those parameters is "test". You can view those files from within ICE
as in the example "edit runlib$detcap".