The real-time control system for the CANARY multi-object adaptive optics on-sky demonstrator

N. A. Dipper; A. Basden; N. E. Looker; E. Gendron; D. Geng; D. Gratadour; Z. Hubert; F. Vidal; R. M. Myers; G. Rousset; A. Sevin; E. J. Younger

doi:10.1117/12.857242

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28 July 2010 The real-time control system for the CANARY multi-object adaptive optics on-sky demonstrator

N. A. Dipper, A. Basden, N. E. Looker, E. Gendron, D. Geng, D. Gratadour, Z. Hubert, F. Vidal, R. M. Myers, G. Rousset, A. Sevin, E. J. Younger

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Proceedings Volume 7736, Adaptive Optics Systems II; 77364P (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857242
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

CANARY is a Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO) system designed to demonstrate the AO aspects of proposed EELT instruments such as the multi-object spectrograph EAGLE. The first phase of Canary will be executed on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope in 2010. We describe here the AO Real-time Control System (RTCS) for Canary. This is based on a distributed architecture of components interconnected by a fast serial fabric (sFPDP). The hardware used is a hybrid of FPGA and CPU technology. The middleware used for system data telemetry and control is based on CORBA and the publish/subscribe pattern. The system is designed to be easily modified and extended for the later, higher order, phases of CANARY. In order to provide the increase in computational power required in higher order systems, the current CPU technology can be readily replaced by acceleration hardware based on FPGA or GPU technologies. The Canary RTCS thus provides a test-bed for these new technologies that will be required for E-ELT instruments. These design concepts can be developed to provide an RTCS for E-ELT instruments and are in line with those under consideration by ESO for the E-ELT AO systems to which instruments such as EAGLE will be required to interface.

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N. A. Dipper, A. Basden, N. E. Looker, E. Gendron, D. Geng, D. Gratadour, Z. Hubert, F. Vidal, R. M. Myers, G. Rousset, A. Sevin, and E. J. Younger "The real-time control system for the CANARY multi-object adaptive optics on-sky demonstrator", Proc. SPIE 7736, Adaptive Optics Systems II, 77364P (28 July 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857242

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