Report from Jean-Baptiste le Bouquin about his experiences with the CHARA AO systems

CHARA-AO-v0p3.pdf

• (MI) Default NUM for averaging should be 30 (not 200)(TtB the rate should be in Hz not frame numbers)
• (MI) On the beacon alignment, “click down = right” and “click right =up” : should be fixed. (DONE but not tested on sky)
• (MI) “-D200” to be default on labaogtk and wfsgtk (DONE)
• (MI) LABAO needs a reopen to the telescopegtk (DONE command “oscope”)
• (MI) WFS needs a low-flux auto-off for tip/tilt.
• (MI) Need to purchase blue filters for Lab AO (ASSUMING this is the cause of the weird shift for Arcturus AND the use of the WL source for alignment is important).
• (MI) Default gain for wfs should be -0.15(DONE not tested onteh sky)
• The acquisition needs to be able to automatically put the star down the centre of the hole. A tricky algorithm…
• (TtB) Need to have three default DM flat one for each Dichroic. It would help if it know which dichroic was in. (DONE untested on sky)
• (TtB) “togref” command should work at a lower level → On the centroid positions ala the Flat.
• automatic way to tweak beacon x,y on tel WFS and/or ACQ hole
• automatic way to focus fiber on lab WFS
• send tip tilt offsets from lab to tel WFS
• send higher order zernikes from tel WFS to lab AO servo.
• align scales of the zernike terms for the two WFS
• have zernike terms be robust against lost subapertures
• when in closed loop, we need some way to know what zernike terms are being commanded to the DM
• should not need to repeatedly click “set flat” while locking on lab AO DM. i.e. an integral term is needed.
• Safety to EMCCD Camera to close shutter/stop camera when too bright with EM gain
• Safetu t EMCCD cooling to kot allow suddent shutoff of TE cooler, but ramp temperature up to higher level before shutting off cooler. (to avoid thermal shock)
• standard (or option for now) to stream time-stamped telemetry containing the zernike terms and other diagnostics (centroid positions? – for both lab and TEL WFS
• defaults in gui need set like – 10000 for beacon focus,.
• Using tel WFS, automatically focus the telescope secondary, including astigmatism/coma terms if possible
• sometimes alignment is off by one lenslet. we need simple way add up light in each lenslet to computer the illumination centroid, not just the centroid based on spot locations inside the boxes

TODO for Laszlo et al

• Dust cover is a high priority.
• 2-hole mask is needed at all telescopes

Priority TODO now:
ON-SKY:
- Dual WFS data, for feedback between WFSs (for offsets).
- S1 tel focus check with new motors.
- Tel focus feedback (software first?)
- TWFS→LWFS zernike offset code.
- Tip/tilt servo tuning.

Other:
- Test telescope rotation dichroic align.
- S2 focus hardware change.
- Implement WFS math.