1 INTRODUCTION

The software described in this manual is intended to be used in the ESO VLT project by ESO and authorized external contractors only.

While every precaution has been taken in the development of the software and in the preparation of this documentation, ESO assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damage resulting from the use of the software or of the information contained herein.

1.1 Purpose

This document is the User Manual of the FIERA CCD control software (all the modules with the fcd¹ prefix).

It is intended to provide people, who intend to use the FIERA CCD Controller, with all the necessary information to:

1. install from scratch the FIERA CCD software (section Installation Guide)

Pre-requisites:

a. Experience with the installation of other VLT sw packages.

b. Knowledge of UNIX operating system.

c. Knowledge of HP RTAP database.

d. Familiarity with the VLT sw standard environment.

2. interact programmatically with the FIERA DCS sw (section User's Guide)

Pre-requisites:

a. Experience with programming within the VLT sw environment.

3. operate the CCD camera as simple standalone instrument (section Standalone Operations)

Pre-requisites:

a. Some experience with CCD camera operation.

The manual assumes that the reader has some knowledge of C/C++ and Tcl/Tk languages, UNIX Operating System, HP RTAP and the VLT Software, in particular CCS. It is not intended to be an introduction to CCD cameras, and therefore it uses common terminology in this field (e.g. pixel, binning, readout, frame-transfer chip, etc.) without further explanation.

In addition to the Introduction, this manual contains other major chapters:

User's Guide: it contains information about:

4. Definitions: exposure id, type and status, operational mode and state.

5. Image processing

6. Startup/Shutdown

7. Include files

8. Command Interface to the FIERA DCS software

9. Function Interface (C library) to the FIERA DCS software

10. GUI panel classes for applications using the FIERA DCS software.

11. Data

a. Dictionary

b. Setup files and setup parameters.

c. Image files. Interface with Observation Software.

d. Public section of the FIERA DCS on-line database.

12. Example of usage of the FIERA DCS Software from applications using scientific CCD cameras.

Reference: manual pages of functions available to external software, as well as scripts and processes interacting with external sw and their Command Definition Tables, include files and examples of files of various type to be used as templates.

Installation Guide: step-by-step description of the procedure to be followed to install the software.

Error Messages: reference to files containing information about errors produced by the FIERA CCD software.

Standalone Operation: description of the usage of the FIERA CCD Controller as a simple standalone instrument.

1.2 Scope

The present document is intended to be used for scientific CCD cameras.

1.3 Applicable Documents

The following documents, of the exact issue shown, form a part of this document to the extent specified herein. In the event of conflict between the documents referenced herein and the contents of this document, the contents of this document shall be considered as a superseding requirement.

[1] VLT-PRO-ESO-10000-0228, 1.0 10/03/93 ---- VLT Software Programming Standards

[2] VLT-SPE-ESO-17212-0001, 3.0 30/01/04 ---- VLT Instrumentation Sw Specification

[3] VLT-SPE-ESO-17240-0385, 3.0 30/01/04 ---- INS Common Software Specification

[4] GEN-SPE-ESO-19400-0794, 2.0 21/05/02 ---- ESO Data Interface Control Document

[5] VLT-SPE-ESO-13640-1266, 1.0 16/04/97 ---- FIERA CCD Controller, Software Functional Specifications

[6] VLT-ICD-ESO-17240-19400, 2.4 06/11/96 ---- ICD between VCS and VLT Archive System

[7] GEN-SPE-ESO-19400-0794, 3.0 01/02/05 ---- Data Interface Control Document

1.4 Reference Documents

The following documents contain additional information and are referenced in the text.

The document versions are the ones defined in the VLT Common Software distribution to which the present document belongs.

[8] VLT-MAN-ESO-17200-0642 ---- VLT Common Software Installation Manual

[9] VLT-MAN-ESO-17200-2238 ----VLT Common Software, Combined OS Installation Manual

[10] VLT-MAN-ESO-17200-0888 ---- VLT Common Software Overview

[11] VLT-MAN-ESO-17210-0619 ---- VLT CCS User Manual

[12] VLT-MAN-ESO-17210-0707 ---- On Line Database Loader User Manual

[13] VLT-MAN-ESO-17210-0690 ---- Graphical User Interface User Manual

[14] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0637 ---- INS Common Sw - dxf User Manual

[15] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0726 ---- INS Common Sw - slx User Manual

[16] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0853 ---- INS Common Sw - oslx User Manual

[17] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0866 ---- INS Common Sw - rtd User Manual

[18] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0725 ---- INS Common Sw - pco User Manual

[19] VLT-MAN-ESO-17240-0672 ---- CCD Detector Control Sw - User Manual

[20] VLT-MAN-ESO-13640-1707 ---- FIERA Sw Maintenance Manual

1.5 Abbreviations and Acronyms

The following abbreviations and acronyms are used in this document:

ACE Array Control Electronics

AO Adaptive Optics

ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode

CCD Charge-Coupled Device

CCS Central Control Software

CDT Command Definition Table

CPU Central Processing Unit

DCL Device Control Library

DCS Detector Control Software

DMD Data Management Division

ESO European Southern Observatory

FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface

FIERA Fast Imager Electronic Readout Assembly

FITS Flexible Image Transport System

HW Hardware

INS Instrumentation Software Package

I/O Input/Output

LAN Local Area Network

LCU Local Control Unit

MIDAS Munich Image Data Analysis System

N/A Not Applicable

OLDB Online Database

RMS Root Mean Square

RTAP Real Time Application Program

RTD Real Time Display

SCCD Scientific CCD

SLCU SPARC Local Control Unit

SPARC Scalable Processor Architecture

SW Software

TBC To Be Clarified

TBD To Be Defined

TCS Telescope Control Software

TIM Time Interface Module

TRS Time Reference System

UIF (Portable) User Interface (Toolkit)

VLT Very Large Telescope

WAN Wide Area Network

WS Workstation

1.6 Glossary

First CCD pixel With the following assumptions:

1) looking at a CCD from the illuminated side,

2) the serial registers define the horizontal direction,

3) the output register defined by the manufacturer as the first output (usually called A), is set at the bottom,

the first pixel of a CCD is the pixel on the bottom, left corner. It has coordinates 1,1.

From [5]:

Overlapping windows windows with pixels in common.

1.7 Stylistic Conventions

The following styles are used:

bold in the text, for commands, file names, etc. as they must be typed.

italic in the text, for parts that have to be substituted with the real content before typing.

teletype for examples.

<name> in the examples, for parts that have to be substituted with the real content before typing.

The bold and italic styles are also used to highlight words.

1.8 Naming conventions

This implementation follows the naming conventions as outlined in [2].

1.9 Problem Reporting/Change Request

The form described in [8] shall be used.

¹

The fcd prefix has been chosen to resemble the prefix (ccd) used for the LCU-ACE CCD Controller software modules.

Quadralay Corporation http://www.webworks.com Voice: (512) 719-3399 Fax: (512) 719-3606 sales@webworks.com