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chara:operating_procedures [2023/05/18 14:08]
gail_stargazer 		chara:operating_procedures [2023/06/05 20:54]
gail_stargazer
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 3.9. Beacon Alignments 3.9. Beacon Alignments
  
-The beacons wil<font 14px/Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;;inherit;;inherit>l need to be aligned before g</font>oing on sky and are usually done after the lab is aligned, after the pops have been changed and M10 mirrors aligned, before sunset and again before slewing. Make sure the carts are not at the front when performing these alignments or the labao alignments will be off. Move the carts to 5m or farther from the home switch. The beacon alignments consist of opening the proper mirror, beacon and fiber covers, turning on the beacons and tel WFS cameras and labao displays, and aligning and focusing the red and blue beacons to the respective boxes on the tel WFS and labao. The obsgtk will display a green message at the bottom to confirm each alignment sequence has completed.+The beacons wil<font 14px/Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;;inherit;;inherit>l need to be aligned before g</font>oing on sky and are usually done after the lab is aligned, after the pops have been changed and M10 mirrors aligned, before sunset and again before slewing. The telescopes need to be at the stow position. Make sure the carts are not at the front when performing these alignments or the labao alignments will be off. Move the carts to 5m or farther from the home switch. The beacon alignments consist of opening the proper mirror, beacon and fiber covers, turning on the beacons and tel WFS cameras and labao displays, and aligning and focusing the red and blue beacons to the respective boxes on the tel WFS and labao. The obsgtk will display a green message at the bottom to confirm each alignment sequence has completed.
  
 In the WFS tab of the telescope GUI or the CONTROL tab of the obsgtk, turn on the red LED, open the fiber covers, then beacon flat covers. The CAMERALINK and WFS server are now part of Bootlaunch script and the ANDOR camera power should always be on in the POWER gui. Open M5 and M7 covers. In the WFS tab of the telescope GUI or the CONTROL tab of the obsgtk, turn on the red LED, open the fiber covers, then beacon flat covers. The CAMERALINK and WFS server are now part of Bootlaunch script and the ANDOR camera power should always be on in the POWER gui. Open M5 and M7 covers.
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 In the WFS GUI or obsgtk, turn the cooler on (COOL ON) and open the camera shutter (SOPEN) or SHUTTER (OPEN/CLOSE), then CameraLink on (CL ON) if it is off, Camera on (CAM ON), and start TWFS display (MOVIE). For the scopes with DMs, use the POWER ON button on the WFS GUI (WFS/AO tab) to power the DM on, make sure that the DM current and temperature are displaying numbers. In the WFS GUI or obsgtk, turn the cooler on (COOL ON) and open the camera shutter (SOPEN) or SHUTTER (OPEN/CLOSE), then CameraLink on (CL ON) if it is off, Camera on (CAM ON), and start TWFS display (MOVIE). For the scopes with DMs, use the POWER ON button on the WFS GUI (WFS/AO tab) to power the DM on, make sure that the DM current and temperature are displaying numbers.
 +
 +**NOTE:**  There are now two sets of boxes on the TWFS. The blue boxes are for locking on starlight and are the default reference position. The green boxes can be offset from these to correct for the misalignment between the beacon and the IR starlight. At the beginning of the night, the red beacon must be aligned to the blue starlight boxes with the telescope at stow (see [[:chara:new_alignment_procedures|New Alignment Procedures]]). You can zero out any offsets between the green beacon boxes and the blue starlight boxes on the telescope WFS using ZERO BCN.
  
 Turn on the ACQ camera in the obsgtk. Make sure that the beacon is going through the hole in the acquisition display. If not, use Beacon UP/DOWN etc buttons on a HUT gui or WFS tab on the obsgtk to move it into the hole. Look for spots to be in boxes on the WFS display. Turn on the boxes on the obsgtk (NOBOX) to see how the alignment is. The boxes may be in the default position or may be moved to a position that worked better when observing. Align to whichever gives a more even illumination of spots in the boxes. As the red beacon is bright, use low gains, ie. 30-50 for the BARE dichroic or 200/300 for the IR dichroic, to make these alignments. If the red beacon spots on the WFS display are in the boxes, press (ALIGN BEACON) on the ALIGN tab on the TWFS GUI or (ALIGN) TELWFS: on the obsgtk, wait for completion. The values should reach zero in both the X and Y axes. The default maximum number of tries is 10 so if it is not aligned before it ends, repeat the step if needed. Turn on the ACQ camera in the obsgtk. Make sure that the beacon is going through the hole in the acquisition display. If not, use Beacon UP/DOWN etc buttons on a HUT gui or WFS tab on the obsgtk to move it into the hole. Look for spots to be in boxes on the WFS display. Turn on the boxes on the obsgtk (NOBOX) to see how the alignment is. The boxes may be in the default position or may be moved to a position that worked better when observing. Align to whichever gives a more even illumination of spots in the boxes. As the red beacon is bright, use low gains, ie. 30-50 for the BARE dichroic or 200/300 for the IR dichroic, to make these alignments. If the red beacon spots on the WFS display are in the boxes, press (ALIGN BEACON) on the ALIGN tab on the TWFS GUI or (ALIGN) TELWFS: on the obsgtk, wait for completion. The values should reach zero in both the X and Y axes. The default maximum number of tries is 10 so if it is not aligned before it ends, repeat the step if needed.
  
-Turn labao camera (ON) and (START) the display. Make a dark with the MKDRK button in the LABAO section of the obsgtk. Turn on the blue beacon. The blue beacon should show spots on the LABAO display. Adjust the FPS lower if they are dim. 100 FPS is the default, but 40 is often used for observing. Set the M7 mirror to the default position, then use the DICHROIC buttons on the WFS tab of the telescope gui, obsgtk or HUT gtk to get them in the boxes. When the spots are inside the boxes, press (SCOPE DICH) button in the ALIGN tab on the LABAO GUI or the (ALIGN) LABAO: on the obsgtk to align the spots.+Turn labao camera (ON) and (START) the display. Make a dark with the MKDRK button in the LABAO section of the obsgtk. Turn on the blue beacon. The blue beacon should show spots on the LABAO display. Adjust the FPS lower if they are dim. 100 FPS is the default, but 40 is often used for observing. **Set the M7 mirror to the default position.**  Then use the DICHROIC buttons on the WFS tab of the telescope gui, obsgtk or HUT gtk to get them in the boxes. When the spots are inside the boxes, press (SCOPE DICH) button in the ALIGN tab on the LABAO GUI or the (ALIGN) LABAO: on the obsgtk to align the spots.
  
 If the spots do not show at all in the labao, the scope dichroic is likely out of alignment. Turn on the lab laser and set it to ND 4.0. Look for additional spots in the ACQ window that are not from the beacon. Use the Dichroic controls to make the laser spots match the blue beacon spots on the ACQ camera view. Up is to the upper right in the ACQ view. If they are way off or not visible in the ACQ, you can hit the button for the appropriate dichroic in the HUT gui and it will set the dichroic to its last saved default position. If the spots do not show at all in the labao, the scope dichroic is likely out of alignment. Turn on the lab laser and set it to ND 4.0. Look for additional spots in the ACQ window that are not from the beacon. Use the Dichroic controls to make the laser spots match the blue beacon spots on the ACQ camera view. Up is to the upper right in the ACQ view. If they are way off or not visible in the ACQ, you can hit the button for the appropriate dichroic in the HUT gui and it will set the dichroic to its last saved default position.
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 When the telescope slew finishes, check the SPY 1 to make sure that the domes are aligned with the telescope if no star shows up in the ACQ or Finder cameras. If the star is not in the ACQ window, go to the FIND window and do the same, then return to the ACQ window and repeat. When the telescope slew finishes, check the SPY 1 to make sure that the domes are aligned with the telescope if no star shows up in the ACQ or Finder cameras. If the star is not in the ACQ window, go to the FIND window and do the same, then return to the ACQ window and repeat.
  
-Locking Tiptilt using the telescope WFS+**NOTE:**  We are in the process of implementing a new alignment sequence to correct for offsets between the beacon and the IR starlight. Please follow the steps in the [[:chara:new_alignment_procedures|New Alignment Procedures]] that now replace the steps in Sections 5.6-5.7 below:
  
-[[:chara:new_alignment_procedures|See New Alignment Procedures.]]+5.6 Locking Tiptilt using the telescope WFS 
 + 
 +See [[:chara:new_alignment_procedures|New Alignment Procedures]].
  
 Before locking the star, align the twfs to the red beacon, align the blue beacon to the labao, focus the labao and then focus the twfs as shown before. Turn off the red LED and you are ready to lock the star. Before locking the star, align the twfs to the red beacon, align the blue beacon to the labao, focus the labao and then focus the twfs as shown before. Turn off the red LED and you are ready to lock the star.
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 To lock the star, hit [MOVE] on the Main Tab of the Telescope GUI and then click the right star to bring the star to the ACQ hole. Turn on the TWFS tiptilt and DM servo on scopes that have it. Make sure the twfs tiptilt spots window show green dots that show the servo is tracking. Turn on the labao servo and DM AUTO on all scopes. All values should move to zero or near zero when the servos are on. To lock the star, hit [MOVE] on the Main Tab of the Telescope GUI and then click the right star to bring the star to the ACQ hole. Turn on the TWFS tiptilt and DM servo on scopes that have it. Make sure the twfs tiptilt spots window show green dots that show the servo is tracking. Turn on the labao servo and DM AUTO on all scopes. All values should move to zero or near zero when the servos are on.
  
-Special additional alignments when IR flux is low+<font inherit/inherit;;#7f8c8d;;inherit>OBSOLETE: Special additional alignments when IR flux is low - SEE NEW IR ALIGNMENT PROCEDURES INSTEAD. INSERT HERE WHEN FINALIZED.</font>
  
-If the flux is low on telescopes on pop 5 or 4, there can be a misalignment of the IR starlight with respect to the blue beacon due to low elevation and the long distance to the lab. If this is the case, follow these steps to improve the flux.+<font inherit/inherit;;#7f8c8d;;inherit>If the flux is low on telescopes on pop 5 or 4, there can be a misalignment of the IR starlight with respect to the blue beacon due to low elevation and the long distance to the lab. If this is the case, follow these steps to improve the flux.</font>
  
-On the obsgtk, set the beacon step size to 222 or 333. Click the Left button while watching the MIRCX flux plot or the STST image display. If watching the MIRCX flux plot, look for increases in flux after a click or two. Allow the DM AUTO function to adjust the blue beacon after each step by not moving the beacon out of the boxes. Remap the fiber to see if the flux is further increased when the labao has recentered the beacon. If using the STST, move the image flux towards the reference position set by the STS or CHARA beams.+<font inherit/inherit;;#7f8c8d;;inherit>On the obsgtk, set the beacon step size to 222 or 333. Click the Left button while watching the MIRCX flux plot or the STST image display. If watching the MIRCX flux plot, look for increases in flux after a click or two. Allow the DM AUTO function to adjust the blue beacon after each step by not moving the beacon out of the boxes. Remap the fiber to see if the flux is further increased when the labao has recentered the beacon. If using the STST, move the image flux towards the reference position set by the STS or CHARA beams.</font>
  
-5.6 Locking Lab Tiptilt (only used in special cases)+5.7 Locking Lab Tiptilt (only used in special cases)
  
-See New Alignment Procedures.+See [[:chara:new_alignment_procedures|New Alignment Procedures]].
  
 With the star aligned with the acquisition ticks, check to make sure there are counts on the TipTilt server or the white plots in the TT windows have condensed. On the Main Tab of the Telescope GUI, click [TIP/TILT] under the Pointing Servo menu. If this button is not pressed, then the green dots on the tiptilt windows will drift and eventually drop TT lock. The [STAR ACQUIRED] button on Cosmic Debris also starts the Tiptilt servo for all active scopes with one push of a button. On the Tiptilt Servo Control GUI, turn tiptilt [ON] for each telescope or use the [TT ON] button on Cosmic Debris to perform this function for all active scopes. With the star aligned with the acquisition ticks, check to make sure there are counts on the TipTilt server or the white plots in the TT windows have condensed. On the Main Tab of the Telescope GUI, click [TIP/TILT] under the Pointing Servo menu. If this button is not pressed, then the green dots on the tiptilt windows will drift and eventually drop TT lock. The [STAR ACQUIRED] button on Cosmic Debris also starts the Tiptilt servo for all active scopes with one push of a button. On the Tiptilt Servo Control GUI, turn tiptilt [ON] for each telescope or use the [TT ON] button on Cosmic Debris to perform this function for all active scopes.
 +
 +Offloading DM Tilt to M7
 +
 +Old method: DMTILT is gray (reconstructor ignores tilt). M7AUTO will adjust M7 to keep blue beacon centroids aligned to labAO WFS.
 +
 +New method: DMTILT is green (use tilt when computing reconstructor). DMAUTO will use DM to correct for tilt and offload to M7 when magnitude of tilt is beyond range of DM.
  
 Acquisition Laser Alignment if the star does not lock in Tiptilt Acquisition Laser Alignment if the star does not lock in Tiptilt
chara/operating_procedures.txt · Last modified: 2023/09/01 02:50 by gail_stargazer

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