From dsummers@keck.hawaii.edu Wed Nov 6 07:49:02 2002 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 13:04:24 -1000 From: Doug Summers To: "'Doug Simons (E-mail)'" , "'wainscoat (E-mail)'" , "'takami (E-mail)'" , "'veillet (E-mail)'" , "'Brent Ellerbroek (E-mail)'" , 'Celine d'Orgeville' , 'Jacques Sebag' , 'Tony Denault' , "Tom Vermeulen (E-mail)" , "Yutaka Hayano (E-mail)" , "Corinne Boyer (E-mail)" , Paul Stomski Cc: Peter Wizinowich Subject: Keck's Nov 2002 laser run & pre-run planning activities [The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] Aloha, This note is a rather long note regarding several details for our upcoming November laser run and LTCS action items from the last MKLGSTWG. Here's an executive summary for those needing few details: Executive Summary: Laser run Nov. 16,17,21 Please get your LTCS URLs up and running this week for pre-run testing. LTCS parameters in-use are attached FYI. New LTCS Screens will be available for your use during this run. Primer attached. Would any observatories be available to collaborate during this next run? For those wanting/needing more information: The upcoming Keck laser run is scheduled to begin on the night of November 16. In preparation, I intend to perform LTCS passive mode testing between now and the run to validate URLs and logging outputs. As such, I am requesting that all sites turn on their LTCS URLs this week so I can determine and resolve any issues prior to the run. I'll send out additional email starting Thursday communicating problems. If you can please support this request, it would be greatly appreciated. I also received some action items at the last MKLGSTWG in regards to LTCS operating parameters and screens. Here are the parameters we have been running with up to now: collector URL read rates and stale data processing times: CFHT_PERIOD = 3 CFHT_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 40 SUBARU_PERIOD = 1 SUBARU_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 120 GEMINI_PERIOD = 1 GEMINI_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 120 UH2.2M_PERIOD = 1 UH2.2M_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 120 IRTF_PERIOD = 15 IRTF_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 8 KECK1_PERIOD = 1 KECK1_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 120 KECK2_PERIOD = 1 KECK2_STALE_DATA_FACTOR = 120 Note: Period is the URL read rate in seconds., Stale-data-factor is the number of URL reads performed while detecting an out-of-date timestamp before the site is marked red on the LTCS screens and taken out of collision calculations (it appears yellow as soon as the incorrect timestamp is detected). Currently, the effective rate for all telescopes is 2 minutes in "stale" mode before going into "failed" mode. GA: # Atmospheric Constants MAX_SODIUM_ALTITUDE = 100000.0 MIN_SODIUM_ALTITUDE = 80000.0 MAX_RAYLEIGH_ALTITUDE = 15000.0 KECK2_LASER_BEAM_SIZE = 0.5 Error terms: GEMINI_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 KECK1_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 CFHT_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 SUBARU_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 UH2.2M_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 IRTF_ERROR_TERM = 0.10 Note: Error terms are percentage factors. They apply against aperture at ground level, and to aperture + FOV at altitude. All apertures are currently set for actual size. LTCS Screens primer: New LTCS user screens for use by all observatories are planned to be in use for this run. Please test them from your site before the run, and have your operators plan to use them during the laser run. Information on how to run the screens follows. The LTCS web site is located at: http://kapoli.keck.hawaii.edu:8080/ltcs/screens/ltcs_main.html The main screen used during operations is the LTCS Status screen. This screen shows URL status for all observatories. It is a self-refreshing screen (10 second intervals) with visual indicators (green to red) for each URL. URL indicators determine how the LTCS system is perceiving data quality from each observatory. This screen's data is only valid when all three LTCS system heartbeat indicators (collector, ga_engine, and status_manager) are colored green! Otherwise, they just represent the last update status in the database. The Status screen also gives the current state of the Keck laser, and information regarding any collision or predicted collision. Active predictions are noted in summary line format. The predicted collision cell may be selected (mouse click) for more detailed information on predicted collision times and durations(screen popup, also self refreshing). (note that during the passive testing between now and the run, the Keck Laser will indicate the laser is "on-sky" even though it isn't; this is a simulation artifact; also, I've left the example data there for viewing; it will be removed prior to the run). You may set observatory nightly operation parameters (laser impacted, fov, and data logging flags) using the LTCS config screen (or you may set these parameters within your URL software). The config screen has been preconfigured with password = "ltcs". You may call me to setup a different password (sorry, no automated password save feature yet in LTCS). If you use the config screen, please note that you must set the "Override run-time URL control fields" to YES along with the override fields values. A setting of NO will effectively ignore any parameter changes (although the values will be saved for future reference). Overrides take priority over corresponding values set in the URL. Please remember that changing data logging to OFF should not be performed unless absolutely necessary (no after-the -fact analysis of logged collision data to investigate problems can occur when this field is off...the calculation data is not stored). By agreement with the MKLGSTWG members, this field should remain on during the LTCS evaluation period. Hopefully, you'll see that the LTCS screens are pretty self explanatory; the description is worse than the actual screen. Call me if you have questions; I'll be glad to help. Please let me know of any requested changes to system parameters asap. I'll try to get changes made and checked out prior to the run. Collaborations possible? Finally, we would appreciate any opportunity to jointly test system functions with other observatories. This might include such things as intentional collisions, viewing the beam at different geometries, screens checkout, etc. Please let me know if you'd like to perform some tests, and we'll precoordinate the activities for best results. Again, the test dates are Nov 16,17, and 21. Thanks, and best regards, Doug Summers CARA, W. M. Keck Observatory, 808 881-3887 [Part 2, Text/HTML (charset: ISO-8859-1 "Latin 1") 159 lines] [Unable to print this part]