Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Victor M. Blanco 4-m Telescope: an upgrade to the telescope control system

Timothy M. C. Abbott; German Schumacher; Michael Warner; Eduardo Mondaca; Ricardo E. Schmidt; Rolando Cantarutti; Manuel Martinez; Omar Estay; Francisco Delgado; Alistair Walker

doi:10.1117/12.789614

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10 July 2008 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Victor M. Blanco 4-m Telescope: an upgrade to the telescope control system

Timothy M. C. Abbott, German Schumacher, Michael Warner, Eduardo Mondaca, Ricardo E. Schmidt, Rolando Cantarutti, Manuel Martinez, Omar Estay, Francisco Delgado, Alistair Walker

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7012, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II; 70123K (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789614
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

The CTIO V. M. Blanco 4-m telescope is to be the host facility for the Dark Energy Survey (DES), a large area optical survey intended to measure the dark energy equation of state parameter, w. The survey is expected to use ~30% of the telescope time over 5 years and use a new 520 megapixel CCD prime focus imaging system: the Dark Energy Camera (DECam). The Blanco telescope will also be the southern hemisphere platform for NEWFIRM, a large area infrared imager currently being commissioned at the Mayall Telescope at KPNO. As part of its normal cycle of continuing upgrades and in preparation for the arrival of these new instruments, the Blanco telescope control system (TCS) will be upgraded to provide a modern platform for observations and maximize the efficiency of survey operations. The upgraded TCS will be based on that used at the SOAR telescope and will be a prototype of the TCS to be used by LSST. It will be optimized for programmed and queued survey observations, will provide extended real-time telemetry of site and facility characteristics, and will incorporate a distributed observer interface allowing for on- and off-site observations and real time quality control. Hardware modifications will include the use of absolute tape encoders and a modern servo control and power driver systems.

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Timothy M. C. Abbott, German Schumacher, Michael Warner, Eduardo Mondaca, Ricardo E. Schmidt, Rolando Cantarutti, Manuel Martinez, Omar Estay, Francisco Delgado, and Alistair Walker "Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Victor M. Blanco 4-m Telescope: an upgrade to the telescope control system", Proc. SPIE 7012, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II, 70123K (10 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789614

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