Other LUCI Software

The Telescope Service GUI allows you to perform telescope presets or offsets manually, interrupt waiting for collimation, and some other telescope-related functions. This GUI must be opened separately through an x-term by typing:

luci_telescope_gui

This GUI has 2 main functions useful to observers:

1. 1. To execute manual offsets to tweak spectroscopic mask alignment. To execute offsets manually, enter the offsets you want, set the coordinate systems (normally this would be DETXY Relative, but check), click “Right Offset” or “Left Offset” to enable them (the buttons will turn green), select async for small offsets, and then click “Commit Offset” to send the offset request to the telescope.  Be careful with relative vs. absolute offsets.  Spectroscopic scripts dither with absolute offsets.  If you use relative offsets to tweak mask alignment outside the normal sequencing, be sure to click “absorb” before continuing the script.  Ask LBTO support for more information if this is not clear.
   2. To abort waiting for the telescope collimation. LUCI will automatically wait for the telescope to reach a set wavefront error (~800 nm) to be reached before the telescope is considered to be collimated after each new preset. If your collimation is good enough, you can save a little time by bypassing this wait for collimation. Click the “Abort wait for coll.” button.

Readout Manager GUI allows one to manually set all of the relevant parameters for reading out the detector: DIT, NDIT, NEXP, readmode, savemode, frame type. The last and next filenames are also shown, as is an exposure countdown timer. The RMGUI is not normally needed for routine observing and can be kept closed unless needed. To open the RMGUI, click the “READ1” or “READ2” buttons at the bottom of the status panels on the Observer Panel GUI.

Standard parameters can be adjusted on the left side of the GUI, and current values are reflected on the right. At the bottom of the GUI are “Reset“, “Abort” and “Submit” buttons. “Reset” is like a software initialize for the detector controller, loading in defaults for the parameters. The “Abort” button will immediately interrupt any ongoing exposure and that data will be lost. “Submit” is used to trigger an exposure that will use the parameters you have entered on the left.

The Instrument Manager GUI is used for manual configuration of all of the relevant mechanisms inside LUCI, including the camera and filter wheels, grating turret, MOS masks. This GUI can also be used to start and stop flexure compensation, move the calibration unit in or out, and turn calibration lamps on or off. To open the IMGUI, click the “LUCI1” or “LUCI2” buttons at the bottom of the status panels on the Observer Panel GUI.

The right hand side shows the state of the instrument the last time it was changed via that GUI. It does not automatically keep in sync with the current configuration of the instrument. In order to update, click the “Refresh” button at the bottom.

At the top of the IMGUI there is an “Initialize” dropdown menu where instrument mechanisms can be initialized separately, all at once, or all but the MOS unit (click the “I” to reveal the menu). Start any given night by initializing all units. If you have any mechanisms encounter an error except for the MOS unit and the log does not seem to indicate more than a random error, then initializing that unit should clear the error.
For MOS errors, all observing must stop immediately and the OSA must be notified.