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News/Alerts:

2024-01-31:
Tip-Tilt Camera: Adjusted the TT camera lens a small amount in Z to focus and things now look very good on the TT Camera.
2024-01-26:
Tip-Tilt Camera: The TT Camera has been replaced. Things are looking better and more stable. Unfortunately, the cameras were not completely identical, so that the image on the replacement camera is slightly out of focus. This may not be significant expect on good seeing nights, but I’ll examine things on-sky tonight if the weather allows --- E. Gates.
2023-08-29:
Bottom row of subapertures in 8x was under-illuminated when on sky but not in the lab. Adjusting Fold 1 mirror gave better Strehl for faint objects. For both 8x and 16x, adjusted Fold 1Ry = 67.50 (old value 68.2) to fine tune left/right centering. Fold 1Rx = 7.50 for best performance on sky for 8x NGS and LGS operations (note, the 16x fold mirror positions work better for the 8x LGS with Na filter). The change in 1Ry position introduces about a 5 arcseconds E/W shift between 8x and 16x. 3 new saomot setups:
  1. default_setup-2023-08-26 with the new default Fold 1 Ry position (otherwise identical to the previous default setting).
  2. 2023-16x-fold1 which only changes Lenslet and Fold 1 positions for 16x operations.
  3. 2023-8x-fold1 which only changes Lenslet and Fold 1 positions for 8x operations>
The two *fold1 setups are to help to easily switch the Fold1Rx values when switching between 16x and 8x modes.

While things will work using the default_setup for 16x and 8x, better performance should result in 8x (no Na filter) with the new 8x Fold 1Rx position.

Performance OK with the laser in 8x mode, no Na filter, with no tweaking of Hartmann modes. Unable to get good performance with the laser with Na filter installed (suspect count levels too low).

40 Hz on the TT sensor is useless. Better S/N at 125Hz. Recommend using 125Hz instead of 40Hz.

shadow formerly known as shaman.

Galil 7 amplifier fault, affects WFS focus, WFS Y, WFS X motors.
Refer to: SHANEAO WFS focus, WFS Y, WFS Y / Galil 7 Amplifier Fault.

2022-07-08: Recurrence:

  1. In ShaneAO motor control GUI: Actions, Lock stages...; Unselect all.

    Select WFS focus, WFS X & WFS Y.

    Add entry to explanation field (e.g. "Trouble report 12779").

    Select Lock.

  2. Wait a judicious amount of time (e.g. several hours) for locked motors to cool.

    For the interim, use workaround script on shimmy:

    /u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/objsky.tcl <Nexposures> <Xloops>

    This script takes N exposures on axis with the loops closed, opens the loops, moves the telescope 30 arcseconds and takes either N or 3 (whichever is less) sky frames, then goes back on axis and closes loops, repeats X times.

  3. In ShaneAO Power Controls GUI: Power-cycle Galil 7 (C7), with an unpowered phase of 30--60 seconds.

    Following restoration of power, re-calibrate WFS X & WFS Y.

    Following recalibration, set:

    WFS X to -1290

    WFS Y to -7725

2022-06-27: WFS X & WFS Y seem to move fine for NGS field steering as long as WFS focus (WFS Z) is off. Therefore, for NGS, execution of pre-ordained scripts via ScriptProc GUI can be resumed.

Further investigation required to determine the actual issue causing the amplifier faults.

Pre-2022-06-27: Use workaround script on shimmy:

/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/objsky.tcl <Nexposures> <Xloops>

This script takes N exposures on axis with the loops closed, opens the loops, moves the telescope 30 arcseconds and takes either N or 3 (whichever is less) sky frames, then goes back on axis and closes loops, repeats X times. 2022-05-XX: Recurrence: Galil 7 amplifier fault, affects WFS focus, WFS Y, WFS X motors.

Trouble issue(s): 12779; 12795.

2022-06-10: Tip-Tilt filter wheel reinstalled.
Failed again in Apr 2022 and sent to ThorLabs for repair. Now returned, working, and reinstalled in ShaneAO.

Trouble issue(s): 12831.

2022-04-XX: Beware of visiting instruments (e.g. FLIR cameras) connecting directly to local systems, provoking IP address conflicts.

Trouble issue(s): 12896.

2022-04-XX: Recurrence. TT filter wheel removed from ShaneAO and locked out.
Sent to Thorlabs for repair.

2022-02-19: TT filter wheel removed from ShaneAO and locked out pending further investigation, since a similar problem has been experienced with this device. Repaired and re-installed.

TT filter wheel in SAO needed power cycling (2022-02-17) and service restarting to move. The problem got worse 2022-02-18, when occassionally the filter wheel would move properly, but an error would soon occur, putting the filter wheel in a bad position (half way between filters).

Trouble issue(s): 12831.

2021-12-XX--2022-01-XX: Galil 7 amplifier fault, affects WFS focus, WFS Y, WFS X motors.
Use workaround script on shimmy:

/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/objsky.tcl <Nexposures> <Xloops>

This script takes N exposures on axis with the loops closed, opens the loops, moves the telescope 30 arcseconds and takes either N or 3 (whichever is less) sky frames, then goes back on axis and closes loops, repeats X times.

Trouble issue(s): 12779; 12795.

2021-09-20:
New characterization scripts (ta, sa) introduced. DIMM script deprecated.

2021-05-29:
Dither script introduced (May 2021) to enable limited (2-arcsec) 5-point dithering in LGS mode, even in the absence of Tip-Tilt motors:

user@shimmy:∼/observers/lgs/scripts/lgs-ttroi.tcl N

where N is the integer number exposures at each point in the 5-point dither pattern.

2021-05-10:
In 2021B we do not expect to have the field steering tip-tilt for the laser working. Thus, we expect to have ShaneAO LGS on axis in the same way it operated in 2021A.
2020-10-27:
ShaneAO on-sky re-commissing following replacement of Wave Front Sensor mechanism.

In consequence, some motors/keywords have been disabled:

TTCAMXLCK = Motors removed

TTCAMYLCK = Motors removed

WFSDICHRLCK = broken Hall sensor

2020-02-XX: A new virtual machine shark introduced (to reduce load on shred)
shark runs on the other virtual machine head from shred.

The following services now run on shark:

  • saomot1
  • saomot2
  • saomot3
  • saomot4
  • saomot5
  • saomot7
  • saopower
  • saomon1
  • saomon2
  • shawcs
  • mako
  • sharcstherm (after updating the Agilent code to work with recent changes to the python dispatcher library).

The services file no longer lists shred as a runhost for any of the AO dispatchers. Therefore, if we need to revert to running one or more dispatchers on shred, use: 

 
   ao start!

instead of simply: 

 
   ao start

  • The saomot_gui detail panel has changed for TTCamX and TTCamY. Pos ON and Pos OFF are no longer offered as options in the Mode list. Instead make sure Pos is selected and the next field down is onAtEnd (MOE) where you select whether the motor will turn off at the end of the move (so you get Pos OFF) or stay on (Pos On).

    • 2019-08-18: E. Gates writes:

    LGS field steering working for Dec > 20 degrees (probably will work for Dec > 15 deg).

    If going to Dec < 15 for NGS or LGS, put the TTCamX and TTCamY motors in Pos OFF mode while near zenith before moving the telescope to the lower Dec target.

    Procedures for LGS field steering for lower Decs are on the LickWiki.

    We are monitoring the torque and temperature of the TTCamY motor:

    gshow -s saomot -c ttcamytor

    gshow -s sharcstherm -c testa

    If the temperature of the TTCamY motor gets to 50 C we need to move closer to zenith and set it to Pos OFF mode to let it cool off.

    If the torque is pegged at +6.25 V or -6.25 V it will heat up the motor and will fail to do dither moves correctly. If the torque is close to one of these values, LGS dither move might not work correctly.

    2019-02-01: Replacement Galil hardware and accompanying upgraded firmware and code installed.
    1. Whenever the Galils are power-cycled, the saomot dispatchers must be restarted.
    2. To calibrate the brushless motor stages (lenslet, TTCamX, and TTCamY) after a Galil power-cycle, it is necessary to issue the calibrate commnad twice.

    2018-10-26: Introduction of additional NGS Mode Dithering scripts (8x mode):

    • NGS 8x mode dither script:

      /local/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/saoBxytmp8xNGS <Number_Exposures> (center)

      where;

      • <Number_Exposures> is the integer number of exposures at each position of a 4-point, or (optionally) 5-point, dither pattern with a fixed scale of 5 arcseconds.
      • center is an optional argument to take an additional set of <nexpo> exposures in the center point of the dither pattern, thus adding a 5th dither position.

    • NGS 8x mode on-axis script:

      /local/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/on-axis8

    These scripts introduced in addition to the 16x mode NGS mode dithering scripts (for scales larger than 2.5 arcseconds):

    • NGS 16x mode dither script (introduced 2016-09-14):

      /local/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/saoBxy4tmpNGS <Dither_Scale> <Number_Exposures>

      where;

      • <Dither_Scale> is an integer number of arcseconds. As of 2016-09-14 the value can only be 1, 2, 3 or 4 (the only calibrated distances as of 2016-09-14)
      • <Number_Exposures> is the integer number of exposures at each dither position.

    • NGS 16x mode on-axis script (introduced 2017-09-28):

      /local/u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/on-axis

    2017-07-10: WFS steer 1 Ry failing to achieve final dither position. WFS Steering Motor 1 Ry:
    • Workaround: Use temporary script. Trouble issue: 11537.

    2018B: ToO Programs:
    • J. Tollefson [2018A_S000]: Origin and Evolution of Storms, Clouds and Hazes on Uranus and Neptune.

    2018-07-04: Temporary recovery for ShARCS aperture wheel following power cycle.

    2018-03-28: Tip-Tilt Camera Malfunction.

    2016-10-27: shaneao Software Crash After Internet Outage.
    • Solution: Quit shaneao software, re-boot real.ucolick.org, re-start shaneao.

    This document last updated (UTC): Tuesday 04 March 2025