The SALT observation control system

Janus Brink; Anne Charles; Christian Hettlage; Tim-Oliver Husser; Anthony Koeslag; Encarni Romero-Colmenero

doi:10.1117/12.787632

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14 July 2008 The SALT observation control system

Janus Brink, Anne Charles, Christian Hettlage, Tim-Oliver Husser, Anthony Koeslag, Encarni Romero-Colmenero

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Proceedings Volume 7019, Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy II; 70190N (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787632
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

With the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) on the brink of entering its fully operational phase, its suite of telescope control software has matured significantly towards the fully fledged control system intended to meet the demands of the user community. In this paper the authors present an overview of the design and implementation of the SALT Telescope Control System (TCS); detailing its main components and the interfaces between them - specifically in relation to the Observation Control System (OCS) that will allow the SALT to be used in an efficient queue-scheduled fashion. Finally, the capabilities and constraints of the design are highlighted to guide the SALT user community in preparing proposals that make optimal use of the available telescope time.

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Janus Brink, Anne Charles, Christian Hettlage, Tim-Oliver Husser, Anthony Koeslag, and Encarni Romero-Colmenero "The SALT observation control system", Proc. SPIE 7019, Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy II, 70190N (14 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787632

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