MIKE-GUI Software Documentation (macOS/Aqua)

Configuration Window

Observer: [edit] : observer's name

Camera: [menu] : {Blue,Red,Blue+Red}

Select one or both cameras.

[menu] : {online,simulator}

simulator: for tests with no dewar

online: dewar electronics are connected and running

Overscan: number of overscan pixels at the end of the readout line (default 128).

Biaslines: number of bias lines after the CCD lines (default 128).

PLC: [menu] : {offline, online }

offline: for tests with no PLC connected

online: mechanics and electronics connected and running

Telescope: [menu] : { offline, Clay }

ADC-GUI: [menu] : {offline, online }

TCP/IP Server: enable the TCP/IP interface (port 50801) when checked (default on).

The Hosts tab sets the hostnames/IPs used to reach the CCD-B, CCD-R, PLC, TCS and ADC-GUI servers. The Defaults button restores the built-in values (CCD-B ccd04, CCD-R ccd05, PLC 200.28.147.203:502, TCS mag2tcs:5811, ADC-GUI guanaco:52401).

At startup the GUI switches both calibration lamps off, and reads the UT from the TCS. The difference to the Mac clock is logged ("offtime=") and applied to all exposure time stamps in the FITS header (DATE-OBS, UT-START, UT-TIME, ...). Restart the GUI if the TCS clock was wrong at startup.

The GUI always uses the light appearance, regardless of the macOS Dark Mode setting. If "Warning: AppNap enabled" appears at launch, run defaults write <bundle id> NSAppSleepDisabled -bool YES and restart the GUI.

Instrument Control and Data Acquisition

The Exp.Time, Loops, Start, Pause and Abort controls in the upper panel act on both cameras; the controls in the lower Blue (B) and Red (R) panels act on one camera.

ExpTime: sets the exposure time (1..8200 seconds)

Object: OBJECT value in the FITS header.

This field will be sampled at the beginning of the readout.

The 'reload' button reads the object name from the TCS catalog.

Loops: number of exposures per sequence (1..99).

ImageType: sets the exposure type { Object, Comp, Bias, Dark, Flat }

SlitSize: Move the slit plate to the selected slit.

Lamp: Select the lamp from {off,Quartz,ThAr} .

As a safety feature, if a lamp stays on for 30 minutes with no exposure loop active on either camera (i.e. no exposure or readout in progress), the GUI automatically switches the lamp off. The idle time restarts whenever an exposure runs or a lamp is selected, so the lamp is not switched off during a sequence of exposures. When this happens a warning window names the lamp and the UT at which it was switched off; it stays open until closed by the user, and the event is written to the log file.

(example, taken with the timeout shortened to 1 minute for testing)

Only a lamp selected in this GUI (menu or TCP/IP lamp command) is tracked by the auto-off timer. While a lamp is on, the indicator next to the Lamp menu blinks green.

Config: CONFIG value in the FITS header (configuration notes).

Comment (upper panel): INSTCOM value in the FITS header (both cameras).

Comment (camera panels): CAMCOM value for that camera, truncated to 60 characters.

These fields are sampled at the beginning of the readout. Keep Object, Config and Comment entries under ~60 characters (one 80-column FITS card).

Image#: next file name number (rNNNN.fits,bNNNN.fits); wraps to 1 after 9999.

The number may be set using the Camera--FileNumber menu.

Start: starts a loop sequence of Loops exposures.

Pause: close the shutter and stop the exposure timer.

Resume: open the shutter and re-start the exposure timer.

Abort: asks for confirmation, then aborts the current exposure or readout. An aborted readout is discarded and its file number is re-used by the next frame.

Readout: sets the readout mode { Full, Subraster }

Selecting Subraster opens a sheet to define up to 6 subrasters (XYWH or XXYY coordinates; Load/Save/Clear/CopyToAll; SaveMode Full/Minimal). If no subraster is defined the mode reverts to Full.

Speed: sets the readout speed/gain combination { Slow, Fast}

Gain / read noise written to EGAIN/ENOISE: Blue Slow 0.45/2.7, Blue Fast 0.90/3.1, Red Slow 0.90/2.8, Red Fast 0.90/3.1 (e−/DU, e−).

Binning: set the binning { 1-8 x 1-8 }

CamFocus: move the camera focus mechanism.

AutoFocus: [check] when enabled, the GUI samples the instrument temperature every ~2 minutes (suspended during exposure loops) and corrects the camera focus per F(blue) = 1171.0 − 1.9·T, F(red) = 1091.0 − 1.6·T. A move is issued only when the deviation exceeds 3 units.

Diffuser: read-only status of the diffuser (IN/OUT).

If a science exposure (ImageType=Object, Exp.Time≥60) is started while the diffuser is not OUT, the GUI opens a warning dialog.

Grating: grating position (FITS header only, no motion control).

Filter: filter for the FITS header (no motion control).

TCP/IP Interface

xterm> nc localhost 50801
version
v3.8 (131c1f8)
^D
xterm>

Command: autofocus {blue,red} {0,1}

Command: autofocus {0,1} {0,1}

Response: # #

Turn on/off the AutoFocus feature for the red/blue camera.

The second form allows to switch both cameras at the same time. With a single parameter both cameras are switched; without parameter the current state (order: blue red) is returned.

Command: binning # #

Response: # #

Set or request (without parameter) the binning for both cameras

#: horizontal binning {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}

#: vertical binning {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}

With a single parameter the same binning is used for both axes. Invalid values are ignored. The GUI returns the current binning.

Command: camfocus {blue,red} #

Command: camfocus # #

Response: {0,1,2} [Eautofocus]

Moves the 'red' or 'blue' camera focus. The GUI responds with the number of focus motors moving, ie. '0' is returned when an error occured.

If no color is given you may send both camera foci (order: blue red).

Please note that this command does not block until the motion has stopped; you have to check using the 'status' command.

If the AutoFocus feature is active, the string "Eautofocus" is appended to the return string.

Command: camfocus

Response: # #

Without any parameters the GUI returns the focus of both cameras.

Command: camfocus {blue,red}

Response: #

Returns the focus of one camera.

Command: datapath1 [path]

Command: datapath2 [path]

Response: string

Sets/returns the primary (secondary) data path.

'datapath' may be used instead of 'datapath1'.

The path must not contain spaces. If the directory cannot be created or is not writable, the setting is not changed and the current path is returned.

Command: datapath2 none

To allow clearing the 'datapath2', the special keyword 'none' (no quotes) may be used.

Command: diffuser

Response: {0,1,-1}

0: OUT

1: IN

-1: failure to read the status

Command: exptime {blue,red} #

Response: #

Set the exposure time for the 'red' or 'blue' camera in seconds. If no color is given, the time is set for both cameras.

The GUI reponds with the current exposure time.

Command: exptime # #

Response: # #

Set or request (without parameters) the exposure time for both cameras (order: blue red).

Request: exptime

Response: # #

Without any parameters the GUI returns both exposure times (order: blue red)

Command: frame {blue,red} #

Response: #

Command: frame # #

Command: frame #

Response: # #

Set the frame number (file name) the red/blue camera.

The second form allows to switch both cameras at the same time.

If there is only one parameter, both frame numbers are set to the same value.

Without parameter (or with values ≤0) the next frame numbers (order: blue red) are returned.

Command: imagetype {Object,Comp,Bias,Flat,Dark}

Response: string

Set or request (without parameter) the image type. The GUI responds with the current image type.

Command: lamp {off,Quartz,ThAr}

Response: string

Set or request the lamp.

The GUI returns the current lamp status.

Command: loops #

Response: #

Set (or request) the number of exposures in the loop. The GUI responds with the loop number. Valid range 1..99; the value applies to both cameras.

Command: object string

Response: string

Set or request (without parameter) the object name.

The GUI responds with the current object name. Names longer than 56 characters are truncated.

Command: runtime

Response: # [est]

Returns the calculated remaining time in the current exposure loop. The string 'est' is appended if a non-measured binning/speed combination is active. Returns '0' when no loop is running.

Command: slit name

Response: {0,1}

name may be any of the slit names in the slitSize menu (case-sensitive, eg. 0.35x0.35, 1.00x0.70, 0.50x5.00).

The GUI responds with '1' if a valid position name was requested (ie. the slit motor has started to move), or '0' on failure.

Please note that this command does not block until the motion has stopped; you have to check using the 'status' command.

Command: slit

Response: name

Without any parameter the GUI returns the slit position name.

Command: speed {blue,red} {Slow,Fast}

Response: speed

Command: speed {Slow,Fast} {Slow,Fast}

Response: speed_blue speed_red

Set the readout speed of the red/blue camera.

The second form allows to switch both cameras at the same time.

If there is only one parameter, both speeds are set to the same value.

Command: start

Response: {0,1,2} | -Eexposing

Start an exposure loop on all configured cameras. The GUI responds with the number of cameras whose loop is running (2 = both started, 0 = failure). If a loop is already running, the command is refused with '-Eexposing'.

If the diffuser warning dialog appears (see Diffuser), the response is delayed until the dialog is answered.

Command: status

Response: # # #

#: {0,1,2}: number of cameras with an exposure loop running

#: {0,1}: '1' means that the slit is moving

#: {0,1,2}: indicates the number of focus motors moving

Command: tempmike

Response: #

Returns the instrument temperature.

Command: version

Response: v3.8 (131c1f8)

Returns the release version and the git commit (short SHA) of the running GUI.

Main Menu

Menu - MIKE

About MIKE: shows the release version and git commit of the GUI, eg. "Version v3.8 (131c1f8)". Preferences: opens the Preferences window. Quit MIKE: terminate this GUI.

Menu - File

Load FITS: submenu {Blue, Red} — loads a FITS file from disk into the QuickLook display tool for the selected camera. Show Logfile: opens a Console window that displays the logfile. Show AppSupport: opens a Finder window displaying the content of the Application Support folder. Show Datapath: opens a Finder window displaying the content of the data path folder.

Menu - Camera

DataPath: opens a dialog that allows to set the path for the data (FITS) files. QuickLook: opens the QuickLook Tool windows. DewarStatus: opens the Dewar Status window. CCD-Hardhat: opens the CCD Hardhat window. FileNumber: enables (temporarily) the File number edit on the Data Acquisition window. PLC-Hardhat: opens the PLC Hardhat window (requires Engineering Mode).

Menu - Help

MIKE Software: opens this web page. User Manual: opens the LCO User Manual.

Preferences

Preferences - General

Observer: observer's name for the FITS header.

Engineering Mode: Some functions require to switch to engineering mode as safety feature.

eg. the PLC-Hardhat and the CCD-Voltages.

Engineering Mode is not saved; it is off after every restart of the GUI.

Preferences - Camera

Shutter Closed: sound after the shutter closes on the last exposure of a loop (before its readout); not played for Bias or Dark.

Exposure Done: sound when the whole loop has finished. If the loop fails, 'exposure loop failed' is spoken instead.

If the the text in the edit-box is enclosed in single quotes ('), it will be spoken using the default system voice; otherwise the string will be interpreted as a sound file name and be played.

Unless an absolute path is given, the file is expected to reside in the "/Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/MIKE" directory.

Preferences - QuickLook

Saturation Level: pixels above this level will be shown in red (per camera, default 65535).

Default Subraster: subraster width and height (8..512, default 32) when adding a subraster using the 'a' key on the display.

Clear Display Before Readout: clears (black) the display before a new exposure is read out.

Trim bias section from loaded FITS files: when checked (default), the bias sections (overscan and biaslines) are removed from FITS files loaded from disk; uncheck to display them in the QuickLook tool.

Does not affect data read directly from the array.

Auxiliary Windows

Data Paths

Select the data path(s) for the FITS files.

Default: sets the path following the standard at the Magellan telescopes: /Volumes/DATA_CLAY/MIKE/utYYMMDD_DD (night date, UT−9h).

Browse: opens a file selector that allows to set an optional secondary data path (eg. an external USB disk)

Each frame is written to both paths. In the primary path, b.fits / r.fits are symbolic links to the last completed frame.

Dewar Status

Displays the temperatures, heater currents and setpoints of the DSP control loop.

CCD Hardhat

Reset DSP/CCD-Server: reloads the DSP code.

CCD Voltages: opens a window that allows to modify the CCD voltages (requires engineering mode)

PLC Hardhat

Slit Position: manually move the slit.

Shutter: manually open/close the shutter.

The PLC Hardhat window only opens in Engineering Mode.

QuickLook Tool

Per-camera display that updates after each readout (and can also load FITS files from disk via File → Load FITS). It opens two windows:

Overview: full-frame image.

Scale: {cuts, med3, med5, 3/10, mima} sample statistics used to set the display range.

Stretch: {Chip, Global} apply the range per chip or across the whole frame.

Color: lookup table {Gray, BBdy, Rain, InvG}.

Pixels above the Saturation Level are shown in red.

Click selects the magnified pixel; arrow keys nudge it (Shift/Ctrl/Opt/Cmd ×5). Key a adds a default-size subraster at the cursor, r removes one (keys a/r only while the Subraster sheet is open), space runs a FWHM fit. Dragging moves the magnifier; right-click (or Ctrl-click/drag) changes the colour-map contrast. Arrow keys and space also work in the Magnifier window.

Loading a FITS file is refused while an exposure loop is running.

Magnifier: zoomed view with Pixel, Min/Max, Ave/Sig, FWHM/Flux, Magnification and Radius readouts.

MIKE Software Documentation