Array Control Electronics (ACE): ESO's next generation of CCD controllers for the Very Large Telescope

Roland Reiss

doi:10.1117/12.176692

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1 June 1994 Array Control Electronics (ACE): ESO's next generation of CCD controllers for the Very Large Telescope

Roland Reiss

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Proceedings Volume 2198, Instrumentation in Astronomy VIII; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176692
Event: 1994 Symposium on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1994, Kailua, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

A new controller concept based on transputer modules and digital signal processors (DSPs) has been developed at ESO. The controller can handle single CCDs or CCD mosaics with 1 to 64 outputs and with up to 256 clocks with software programmable independent high and low voltages. The same basic concept will be used for slow scan scientific and fast auto guiding/wavefront sensing applications. While the transputers are mainly used for data acquisition, communications and supervisory tasks, a DSP with very simple external logic performs the time-critical CCD clock pattern generation. The low noise, high speed clock driver with built-in telemetry is designed for highest operational safety. ACE can easily be interfaced to various types of host computers, PCs, Unix workstations or Local Control Units.

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Roland Reiss "Array Control Electronics (ACE): ESO's next generation of CCD controllers for the Very Large Telescope", Proc. SPIE 2198, Instrumentation in Astronomy VIII, (1 June 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176692

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