manual for the GCP
Contents
1. Deactrvate Schedule 3 1 Manual Control To move the telescope manually one must first choose from among three movement options these are GUIDING CENTERING or SLEWING and are selected by clicking their respective buttons Guiding and Centering derive their speeds from their respective settings in the HARDWARE SCREEN Slewing however derives its speed from the dropdown menu in the MCSS itself This feature allows the user to switch slew speeds quickly and conveniently Slew speed set in the MCSS affects both Manual Control and Manual Targeting operations it is a function of sidereal speed x 15 asse as follows n s n 240 x 1 lt n lt 6 where n is an integer There are five 5 buttons in the MCSS for Manual Control of the telescope The E ast and West buttons move the telescope in right ascension while the N orth and S outh buttons move it in declination The unlabeled button at the center is the STOP button clicking it stops all telescope movement The directional buttons can operate in either Toggle Mode or Touch Mode according to whether the TOUCH MODE CHECK BOX is checked In Toggle Mode a first click begins the telescope s motion and a second click of the same button or the central button stops it By clicking two buttons in sequence the telescope can be moved in RA and Dec simultaneously In Touch Mode motion of the telescope occurs while a directional button is depressed and 19 Author Michael R2. Michael Rudolph Daniel Gorlich Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Table of Contents Introduction 1 Installation amp Startup 1 1 The Restart Screen 1 2 The Initial Alignment Screen 2 The Main GCP Window 2 1 The Profile Screen 2 2 The Hardware Screen 2 3 The Site Screen 2 4 The Session Screen 2 5 The Modeling Screen 2 6 The Catalogs Screen 2 7 The Gemini Log Screen 3 The Manual Control amp Schedule Screen 3 1 Manual Control 2 The Observation Schedule Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Website http www docgoerlich de 11 12 13 15 17 19 19 20 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de Introduction The Gemini Astronomical Positioning System Gemini is a sophisticated computer controlled servo system u developed jointly by Scott Losmandy and Ren Gorlich It is currently available for the Losmandy G 8 G11 and HGM 200 German Equatorial Mounts for the Mountain Instruments MI 250 and also for the Celestron CI 700 LOSMANDY A significant virtue of the Gemini is that it is fully GEMINI o functional in the field without the need of separate PC SYSTEM El control yet is also capable of being driv
3. 1 Installation amp Startup The Gemini Control Program GCP can be operated from any PC running Windows version 95 or newer The only other requirements are the availability of a serial port capable of at least 9600 Baud and 1 MB of hard disk space The GCP can be downloaded as a zip file from Ren G rlich s web site Unzip the file into any directory on your PC being sure to keep all resulting files together Since the four initially provided gcf files are intended as templates to assist you in constructing your own observation profiles t behooves you to protect them from accidental erasure by setting them to read only in Windows Explorer In preparation for launching the program locate the Gemini exe file in Windows Explorer and create a shortcut icon on the Windows desktop The GCP may then be launched conveniently by double clicking the icon The Gemini Control Program communicates with the Gemini positioning device via a special cable connected from the device to the serial port on your computer This cable may either be purchased or constructed according to the pin assignments described in either of the Gemini manuals for Levels 1 or 2 downloadable from Ren Gemini Serial Port G rlich s web site If the cable is connected Gemini is Pin assignments turned on and GEMINI CONTROL is set to the active COM 9 Pin 25 Pin connectors port or to AUTO Detect a computer link is made as soon as the GCP i
4. A session name can be deleted by clicking REMOVE When the SESSION NAME Box becomes blank either type a replacement name and click ADD or select another name from the SESSION pull down menu Hand Controller Visual Kode Tracking Speed Mame Replace Remove The HAND CONTROLLER BOX displays the mount s current Hand Controller mode and its pull down menu enables the user to change modes from the GCP This selection only affects the operation of the Hand Controller and has no affect on the MANUAL CONTROL SCREEN settings of the GCP The TRACKING SPEED and TVC VALUE fields are duplicates of and serve the same function as their counterparts in the HARDWARE SCREEN When they are changed in one screen the changes are reflected in the other TVC VALUE s the only setting on the SESSION SCREEN that is not saved when REPLACE is clicked It is however saved with the profile 2 5 The Modeling Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen is accessed v a the MODELING button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW 13 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de The initial star alignment is done at the telescope after the mount has been polar aligned also at the telescope After that additional alignments can be done from the GCP s CATALOGS SCREEN The
5. click ADD Each time ADD is clicked a new line is created and inserted into the list according to the time value entered Any line in the list can be edited by highlighting it making a change and clicking REPLACE Similarly any line can be removed by highlighting it and clicking REMOVE clicking CLEAR ALL removes all the lines at once There are occasions where one may wish to construct an Observation Schedule but disable it from triggering when Slew Times are reached This can be accomplished by clicking the DEACTIVATE SCHEDULE button Similarly to activate a deactivated list click ACTIVATE SCHEDULE Observation Schedules deactivate automatically after their last slew is triggered Observation Schedules can also be used to perform Goto Slews at will rather than at specified times This can be accomplished by highlighting a line on the list and clicking INITIATE SLEW Now This feature is particularly useful when one must slew back and forth between specified objects such as when making photometric measurements Observation Schedules and all current MCSS settings can be saved in profiles This raises a need for caution because Observation Schedules saved while they are active revert to a deactivated state when they are reloaded and must therefore be re activated before they can be used Also keep in mind that Slew Times are independent of date and an elapsed time will trigger again after 24 hours if the Observation Schedule is allowed to
6. delete a site on the list first select it from the pull down menu and then click REMOVE The menu box will go blank and an ADD button will appear You may now either type in a new site name and click ADD or select another site from the pull down list In either case the site you deleted has been removed from the list The LONGITUDE and LATITUDE of the site are edited by first entering a plus or a minus and then entering degrees 2 digits and minutes 2 digits For longitude means West and means East for latitude means North and means South TIMEZONE is entered as UTC n where n is the number of hours that local standard time 1s ahead of or behind UTC For example the timezone in Chicago is UTC 5 Consequently when the local standard time in Chicago is 13 00 EST UTC is 18 00 GEMINI TIME and GEMINI DATE are automatically uploaded from the Gemini when it is linked to the GCP Date and time are not stored as part of profiles The SYNCHRONIZE DATE and SYNCHRONIZE TIME buttons are provided to conform the Gemini s date and time to that of the PC that is running the GCP The procedural sequence for maximizing date and time accuracy iS 1 Set the PC s timezone date and time using a clock NTP SNTP or a GPS receiver 2 Launch the Gemini Control Program 3 Load a suitable profile Gf desired 4 Click on SYNCHRONIZE DATE 5 Click on SYNCHRONIZE TIME If after launching the GCP or loading a profile you change Gem
7. example the user may set his location to Madrid his slewing speed to 800 and his tracking speed to sidereal He may then assign the name Lyra Project to this profile and save it When it is needed again for a future observing session it may be retrieved by selecting Lyra Project from the CURRENT PROFILE pull down menu and clicking the button marked LOAD There are four templates provided from which you may customize your own profiles they are Losmandy Standard gcf for the Losmandy and Celestron Level 2 Geminis Losmandy_L1V21 gcf for the Losmandy and Celestron Level 1 Gemini Mountain Instruments Standard gcf for the Mountain Instruments Level 2 Gemini and MI_L1V21 gcf for the Mountain Instruments Level 1 Gemini The profile that appears the first time GCP is launched is Losmandy Standard gcf On subsequent startups the profile which first appears is the last one used If that is not the profile needed another may be selected via the pull down menu aa we Ostnandy Standard oct status Profle loaded Profile version Level 2 Version 1 Gemini control COL Status Connection established serum version Level 2 Version 1 1 Cache delay 1000 nullseconds E cend current settings Reply Timeout 0150 milliseconds E Receive current settings BESTE OCC ruilliseconeds Te w Precision The PROFILE SCREEN contains four buttons for managing profiles The LOAD button activates the profile
8. i Chisel nandy standard ecf Tie Aute save off Fr status Profile loaded Profile version Level 2 Version 1 Gemini control COM status Connection established Serum version Level 2 Version 1 1 Cache delay 1000 milliseconds Reply Timeout 0150 milliseconds Fec current settings Te a l O milliseconds In the upper right corner of the MAN GCP WINDOW are six function buttons partially encircling an icon of the moon also a button The first of these buttons toggles the size of the MAIN GCP WINDOW for optimal viewing in either 800X600 or the default resolution of the computer The second button launches a MANUAL CONTROL amp SCHEDULE SCREEN to be described later The third button toggles the background from opaque to transparent in order to be able to view the MAIN GCP Window simultaneously with the Windows desktop The fourth button minimizes the MAIN GCP WINDOW to a small icon on the tray bar left clicking the minimized icon restores the window and right clicking the icon allows you to either quit the program or access the MANUAL CONTROL amp SCHEDULE SCREEN The fifth button closes the program The sixth button displays credits a copyright notice and legal disclaimer Finally the moon button toggles the display to night vision mode red for comfortable night viewing At the bottom of the MAIN GCP WINDOW is a display panel containing time settings control settings telescope pos
9. remain active 1 The telescope does not stop instantaneously when mo ving at slew speed Allowance must therefore be made for its additional travel while it is ramping down 20 See the CATALOGS SCREEN for a similar Goto Operation Again see the CATALOGS SCREEN for a similar Goto operation Slewing does not occur when the target coordinate is below the local horizon No warning is given in such cases 20 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de Notes 21
10. s Declination in degrees arc minutes and arc seconds A saved catalog of celestial objects can be loaded into the OBJECT LIST BOX by selecting its name in the CATALOG DROPDOWN MENU and clicking LOAD It can also be deleted from the catalog list by selecting it and clicking DELETE Once celestial objects are placed in the OBJECT LIST Box either by loading or typing several operations on them can be performed We have already seen that they can be individually edited and saved as a named catalog They can also be downloaded to the Gemini s User Database by clicking DOWNLOAD Once there they can be used in every way that internal database objects can be used using Gemini s Hand Controller and they can be added to by doing subsequent downloads There is only one User Database on the Gemini and all objects downloaded to it cumulate there until erased by clicking CLEAR They can also be retrieved to the GCP s OBJECT LIST BOX by clicking UPLOAD Celestial objects can be used directly from the OBJECT LIST BOX without downloading them Most notably an object can be slewed to by highlighting it and then clicking Goto When this is done several new buttons appear and the telescope immediately begins to slew toward the selected object One of the buttons that appears is the EMERGENCY SLEW STOP Its purpose is to stop the telescope s movement mid slew whenever necessary Two other buttons which appear after a slew are ADDITIONAL ALIGN and SYNCHRONI
11. 40 45 59 5 3Capella a Aur 020125223018005 16 27 46 01 10 18 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de 3 The Manual Control amp Schedule Screen This screen is accessed via the MANUAL CONTROL amp SCHEDULE SCREEN MCSS button in the upper right corner of the MAIN GCP WINDOW This Screen is so named because it contains both manual and automated features At the top left side of the screen is a MANUAL CONTROL area that employs four directional buttons similar to Gemini s Hand Controller for manually moving the telescope at selected speeds Immediately below is a MANUAL TARGETING area for inputting and slewing to specified celestial coordinates On the right side of the screen is an OBSERVATION SCHEDULE area where a list of celestial coordinates and their respective times can be entered for automatic slewing To close the MCSS click the button in the upper right corner to defocus it click anywhere on the MAIN GCP WINDOW Manual Control Observation Schedule Guiding BEE EEE BEE Gau D Toggle Mode Add Replace Remove ra ear AN Centering Centering Touch Mode Ww E 01 20 30 Albireo 19h 30m Slewing S Manual Targeting Current RA 06h47m33 TargetRA za Current Dec 90 00 00 Target Dec In titate Slew Now
12. ZE The Initial Alignment that was performed when the Gemini was first powered up produces a pointing model accuracy that can be improved upon by doing several Additional Alignments An Additional Alignment is done by slewing to the desired object centering it in the telescope s field of view using the GCP s MANUAL CONTROL or Gemini s Hand Controller and then clicking ADDITIONALALIGN The procedure for performing a gar Synchronization is similar to that of an Additional Alignment but whereas an Additional Alignment alters Gemini s pointing model a Synchronization retains all of the modeling parameters and merely shifts Gemini s internal frame of reference to a new coordinate on the celestial sphere A common reason for doing a Synchronization is to compensate for drift caused by imprecise polar alignment Another reason is to adjust for optical mechanical offsetting movements such as the kind that 16 Since the User Catalog s syntax supports only Latin fonts all Greek characters should be represented by their Latin equivalents e g a for amp b for B etc 17 See the MANUAL CONTROL amp SCHEDULE SCREEN for other Goto operations 16 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de sometimes occurs when a diagonal is rotated For more information on alignments and s
13. are installed for hand slewing If accessory encoders are installed they may be disabled by selecting IGNORE ENCODER If none are installed this feature performs no function Mount Type Losmandy G 11 En Use Encoder RA Resolution DEC Resolution Mowing Speeds Mannal Slew Centering nuchtg Tracking Speed TVG Value I I i ma gt Ei S LA oa Tu Mr mem Set balety Limit RA RESOLUTION and DEC RESOLUTION entries default to 4096 but can be changed As with the ENCODER options these entries perform no function if accessory encoders are not installed Four MOVING SPEEDS may be entered as multiplicative coefficients of sidereal speed 15 sse MANUAL SLEW and GOTO SLEW are relatively fast movements and their entries may be as high as 440 CENTERING is done relatively slowly and so its entry may not exceed 255 times the sidereal rate GUIDING is the slowest movement 0 2 to 0 8 times the tracking rate Five TRACKING SPEEDs may be selected from a pull down menu SIDEREAL is selected for tracking stars and other objects appearing stationary with respect to stars LUNAR is selected for tracking the moon SOLAR for tracking the sun and NONE TERRESTRIAL when tracking is not desired KING RATE deserves special mention It adapts the telescope s tracking rate to the apparent speed of a celestial object that is influenced by atmospheric refraction because it is located near the horizon The King Rate is therefore a function
14. ch 2000 etc The most recent catalogs are Epoch 2000 and so all of the objects in Gemini s internal databases are recorded in Epoch 2000 17 Br nn Gemini Control Pro gram en st Gorlich e Mail mrudolph eRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de Term Log Los January 15th 2002 les Load Reload SAVE Delete status File loaded 0201191036 17 C 1s 44 25 90 00 008 O20 119104104006 56 37 26 565 198 0201191100310 1s 4e 36 90 00 008 201191250500 le Each line in the Gemini Log represents a single Gemini operation that has occurred Its syntax is as follows yymmddhhmmss hh mm sstdd mm ss amp where e yymmddhhmmss is the date and time year month day hour minute second e isa letter character representing one of the following Gemini operations Additional Align Cold Start Realign first Initial Align after a Warm Restart Goto operation Primary Initial Align Power Off Warm Restart Synchronize S Object Selection W Warm Start hh mm ss is Right Ascension hours minutes seconds dd mmi ss is Declination degrees arc minutes arc seconds amp is an object name up to 10 characters long in S and G operations only 1s the line s termination symbol POVAJ Typical Gemini Log entries are illustrated below 020129121223S05 17 25 46 00 00Capella a Aur 020129121223G05 16
15. displayed in the CURRENT PROFILE BOX The RELOAD button performs the same function except that in the midst of typing a new profile name clicking the RELOAD button restores the previously activated profile The SAVE button stores all of the PROFILE HARDWARE SITE SESSION and MODELING settings under the profile name that appears in the CURRENT PROFILE BOX The DELETE button erases the profile displayed in the CURRENT PROFILE BOX leaving a blank that must be replaced before proceeding Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de AUTO SAVE initially defaults to OFF but remains in the state in which it is when its profile is saved When it is set to ON all profile parameters are automatically saved when the program is shut down In the center of the PROFILE SCREEN is the COM port pull down menu If you know the COM port to which the Gemini is connected you should select it If not select AUTO DETECT in order to direct the GCP to search COMI through COM4 in an attempt to automatically locate the proper port connection The Offline option is used when you want to let other programs such as TheSky share the same port as the Gemini For example if you want to switch telescope control to TheSky you first go offline with the GCP and then link to TheSky When yo
16. e FR Dechnation FD 14 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de 2 6 The Catalogs Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen is accessed via the CATALOGS button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW Its purpose is to create save and manage user defined catalogs of celestial objects and their equatorial RA Dec coordinates The objects saved in a catalog can be retrieved edited downloaded to the Gemini and used as targets for slewing User Catalog Bright Star List euc Load Reload SAVE Delete status Pile loaded Achernar a En 0l arge 5r 14 124 Acre a O112 26 55 65 05 5 Adara CMa U6 36 3 7 25 56 240 Albah Aqr 204740 09 29 45 Albireo b Cyg 19 30 43 273 559 A User Catalog is usually constructed by an astronomer to contain only those celestial objects needed for a particular night s observation and in the order in which they will be observed The internal databases of the Gemini are Epoch 2000 catalogs but their data cannot be uploaded for use with the GCP Consequently Ren Gorlich has made all of these catalogs available on his web site from where they may be downloaded as text files to any convenient directory on your computer Selected objects from these catalogs or other catalogs may then be cut and pasted int
17. e s polar and initial star alignment must be performed at the telescope and must be periodically confirmed The Gemini Control Program does not perform these functions but does provide the most dependable easy to operate remote control of the Gemini Astronomical Positioning System that there is The Gemini Control Program is designed to be used primarily with Level 2 Gemini firmware While it may also be used with Level 1 ts functions when so used are greatly reduced and consequently Level 1 Gemini owners who wish to remotely control their systems are urged to upgrade to Level 2 Finally this GCP Users Manual is intended to be used in conjunction with the Gemini System User Manual available at Ren Gorlich s website Scott Losmandy Website http www losmandy com e Mail scott losmandy com Ren G rlich Website http www docgoerlich com e Mail rene docgoerlich com Losmandy Astronomical Product Equatorial Mounts http www losmandy com eq mounts html Mountain Instruments MI 250 Go To http www mountaininstruments com pages mi250Go To html Celestron CI 700 German Equatorial Mount http www celestron com access ci700 htm Daniel G rlich Website http www docgoerlich com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net 2 a rr FP QU N m a nn Gemini Control Pro gram et sean res G rlich e Mail mrudolp eRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de
18. en remotely by a Autasuder IT P C using planetarium or other control software While such third party software is often able to perform the basic Goto functions of slewing to and guiding on celestial objects none is capable of remotely performing all of the functions of which the Gemini is capable Consequently Fy abe despite such software s value in its area of specialty the OE OFRON operator must nevertheless remain with his telescope ih SER s Hand Control Encoders The Gemini Control Program GCP developed by Daniel Gorlich is a giant step toward complete remote control and automation With it the operator can set most Gemini parameters remotely can access extended databases and can program observing sequences through user defined entries Also he or she is freed from having to scroll through multiple menus of the Hand Controller and from the difficulty of having to accomplish everything through five buttons and an LED display In short the Gemini Control Program serves as both a user friendly interface and a customizable vehicle for operating a Gemintconnected telescope with control room comfort There are two exceptions to total remote control of a telescope The first and most obvious is that as in all equipment the optical mechanical and electrical components of a telescope system can fail and when they do on site access is absolutely necessary A second exception is that a telescop
19. files of which they are a part As a beginning the profile templates provided with the GCP include lists of cities and regions with their respective time zones and geographic coordinates You may use the closest site provided but for most purposes that will not be accurate enough and you will want to define your own sites Site Chicage United stat Replace Remove Longitude e FP ag Latitude Sl Timezone UTC 05 Local Time 09 49 32 Synchronize toPC Alarm Time Set Alarm To access a SITE that is already on the list select it from the SITE pull down menu To create and save a site that is not yet part of the site list highlight the SITE BOX and replace its contents with a new descriptive name e g Home As soon as the GCP recognizes that a 11 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de new name is being typed an ADD button appears When you have finished typing the name click ADD At this point the settings of this new site are still those of the previous one so you must change them to your specifications When you have made the changes click REPLACE then go to the PROFILE SCREEN and click SAVE If a site is created and saved in one profile t does not automatically appear n the site list of another profile To
20. first time a star alignment Initial Align is done a Gemini modeling algorithm initiates and all internal modeling parameters are reset After that each subsequent star alignment Additional Align contributes to the growing model causing ever increasing accuracy in Gemini s ability to point to given celestial objects or coordinates On each alignment Gemini s modeling parameters are recomputed and collectively indicate the degree of telescope misalignment The closer the parameters are to zero the closer the telescope is to perfect alignment It takes several star alignments to acquire meaningful modeling data The first two Additional Aligns initiate an estimate of Polar Misalignment and after subsequent alignments Non Perpendicularities are also calculated The more alignments done the better are the estimates The Modeling parameters do not upload from the Gemini to the GCP automatically To visualize the most recent parameters click RECEIVE CURRENT SETTINGS in the CURRENT PROFILE SCREEN This Manual cannot go further in explaining the significance of each modeling parameter the user is therefore referred to the Gemini System User Manual for more information on modeling and on performing initial and additional star alignments Polar Misahgrment Azmuth Av Elevation E Hon Perpendiculanties Pole HE Equator ME Index Error Hour Anele IH Dechnation ID Meridian Flip Error Hour Angl
21. henever the Gemini has been started Gemini is powered up and needs an ARE INITIAL ALIGN before the GCP can be Please do an Initial Align used for pointing to celestial objects Mote You must use the handcontroller to pertorm the initial alionment This requires a star on which to alien the telescope Ifthe star you want to use for this purpose is not contained in Terms databases you can add it now Initial Alignments are done with the Hand Controller at the telescope employing an Initial Alignment Star List that is resident on the Gemini Sometimes however an observer Object Name wishes to do an INITIAL ALIGN on a l star that is not on the alignment list Liai A823 non For such occasions the INITIAL Declination Add ALIGNMENT SCREEN provides a ne means by which you can add any star RRQERE e aaae ann E Teana LaLa TAR amelie a to the list Simply type the star s WS name its current RA Dec coordinates chick uit to exit the Germ Control Program corrected to the equinox of the day Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de not its Epoch 2000 coordinates and click ADD Then go to the telescope locate and center the star and select INITIAL ALIGN on the Hand Controller The star you downloaded will appear in Hand Controlle
22. ini s TIMEZONE be sure to synchronize the date and time a second time Also be sure that the TIMEZONE of the GCP and your PC are always the same A time alarm is provided by the Gemini to time photographic exposures ALARM TIME is set in hours minutes and seconds and the alarm is set when SET ALARM is ON An additional feature of the alarm is that when the designated time has been reached a signal is sent to pin 1 of the AG port where a control can be installed to close a camera shutter automatically 2 4 The Session Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen is accessed via the SESSION button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW 13 Caution The new site has been added to the site list but is impermanent because it has not yet been saved as part of a profile 14 Caution If you do not click REPLACE the changes you have made will remain operative on the SITE SCREEN but will not be stored in the profile for future retrieval 12 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de The SESSION NAME BOX comes equipped with three sample names that can be changed or deleted To add a session name type it in the SESSION NAME BOX and when an ADD button pops up click it The REPLACE button performs a similar function to that of the REPLACE button in the SITE SCREEN
23. ire that the Gemini be set in its low precision mode To create and name a new profile begin by loading an existing profile or profile template To do this select a suitable profile from the CURRENT PROFILE pull down menu and click LOAD Next click to highlight the CURRENT PROFILE BOX type in the new profile s name and click on SAVE This new profile contains all of the settings of the profile from which it was created You may now navigate to the other screens change any or all of the settings return to the PROFILE SCREEN and again click on SAVE to save your new profile with its new settings 2 2 The Hardware Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen 1s accessed via the HARDWARE button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW it consists entirely of entry sites for settings that define the telescope mount s characteristics The MOUNT TYPE s selected from the list of mounts contained in its pull down menu Bisque Astronomy Software TheSky http www bisque com Products TheSky TheSky asp 9 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de ENCODER options are also selected from a pull down menu the choices being USE ENCODER TEST ENCODER and IGNORE ENCODER Since the Gemini servo has its own motor axis encoders this item only applies if additional encoders
24. ition and Initial Alignment status This screen may be closed by clicking anywhere on it or by typing any key 6 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de COMPUTER LOCAL TIME and COMPUTER UTC TIME are functions of the date time and timezone settings in the computer s Control Panel They are immediately displayed upon launching the GCP whereas GEMINI LOCAL TIME derived from the Gemini s internal clock and Geminis Timezone setting is only displayed when the Gemini and the computer are linked Gemini Control Version 1 1 Current profile Losmandy Standard ecf 7 Profile Load Reload Dave Delete Hardware i Status Protile loaded Site Profile version Level 2 Version 1 Session ermin control COM 7 status Connection established Mo deling Gemini version Level 2 Version 1 1 Catalogs Cache delay 1000 milliseconds Send current settings Reply Timeout 0150 milliseconds Recetve current settings Gemini Log Update Interval 1000 milliseconds Togele Low Precision Time Settings Position Controller Settings a POSITION is the point coordinate on the celestial sphere expressed as right ascension and declination to which the telescope is pointing This value can only be displayed when the Gemini and the computer are linked and an Ini
25. ld start the Gemini is poised to receive an initial star alignment Initial Align and any number of additional alignments necessary to build a new pointing model This is the kind of start needed when the telescope is initially set up or after it has been relocated and polar realigned WARM START causes the Gemini to remember its previous modeling data but requires a new Initial Align because it has lost its pointing orientation This is the kind of start needed when the telescope remains polar aligned at its unchanged location but has been hand slewed by loosening its RA and or DEC clutches After the Initial Align no further alignments are needed to restore its pointing accuracy WARM RESTART causes the Gemini to remember both its previous modeling data and its orientation It is the kind of start needed when there has been no change in the telescope s location and polar alignment and the RA and or DEC clutches have not been loosened for any reason After a warm restart no star alignments are needed to retain the telescope s previous pointing accuracy QUIT causes the Gemini Control Program to shut down leaving the Gemini to be operated by its Hand Controller For a fuller discussion of modeling and the various ways to start the Gemini see the Gemini System Users Manual which may be downloaded from Ren G rlich s website 1 2 The Initial Alignment Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen appears w
26. o the OBJECT LIST BOX in the GCP CATALOGS SCREEN forming the basis of a User defined Catalog Each GCP User Catalog is a named text file with the suffix guc 3 A User Catalog can be created or edited 1 by typing its list of celestial objects and their respective coordinates directly into the OBJECT LIST BOX on the CATALOGS SCREEN 2 by first creating the list in a word processor and copying the list to the OBJECT LIST BOX or 1 gt The suffix guc stands for Gemini User Catalog 15 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de 6 3 by creating the list in a word processor saving it as a text file with the suffix guc and placing it in the same computer directory as the Gemini Control Program If the first two methods are used the list is saved as a catalog by typing its name in the CATALOG NAME BOX and clicking SAVE If the third method is used the file will automatically be recognized as a User Catalog by the GCP at startup or when a profile is loaded Each line in a catalog represents a celestial object The syntax of the line must be as follows ObjectName hh mm ss dd mm ss where e ObjectName is the name of the object e hh mm ss is the object s Right Ascension in hours minutes and seconds e dd mmi ss is the object
27. of the observer s geographic coordinates and the pointing direction of the telescope See the Gemini System Users Manual for greater detail The SESSION SCREEN contains an identical TRACKING SPEED pull down menu both menus reflect changes made in the other 10 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de TVC VALUE can be set anywhere between 0 and 255 It is a means for eliminating hysteresis when changing directions in DEC and is only active in Photographic Mode The SESSION SCREEN also has a field for entering and viewing TVC VALUE both screens reflect TVC value changes made in the other Finally SET SAFETY LIMIT has a button to its right that is labeled Now Although the Gemini has default RA safety limits you may have to change the limits when adding devices such as cameras to the OTA or knobs or other protrusions to the mount To do this slew the OTA in RA to the first limit you want to set and click on NOW Do this for the other limit as well 2 3 The Site Screen This screen is accessed via the SITE button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW SITE means observing location and is described both geographically and in real time Multiple sites can be defined and stored for later retrieval and incorporation into user profiles Sites do not exist independent of the pro
28. r s LED ready for Initial Alignment An Initial Alignment is the minimum necessary for the Gemini to be able to point the telescope to celestial objects Additional Alignments while not absolutely required increase Gemini s pointing accuracy If the PROCEED button is clicked without first doing an Initial Alignment the user cannot perform Goto functions but can do setup operations such as setting the GCP s parameters saving profiles and doing manual slews The Initial Alignment can be done later QUIT causes the Gemini Control Program to shut down leaving the Gemini to be operated by its Hand Controller See chapter 2 7 The Catalogs Screen for a further explanation of Epoch vs Current coordinates 10 See chapter 2 7 The Catalogs Screen for an alternative way to download an Initial Alignment Star 5 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de 2 The Main GCP Window The Gemini Control Program opens to a Window that contains a central panel of selectable screens The first screen that appears after startup is the PROFILE SCREEN containing the Losmandy Standard gcf profile template To the left of the central screen are seven buttons that selectively determine which screen is displayed at any given time Gemini Control Version l
29. rforms it cumulates from observation to observation until it is manually cleared The GEMINI LOG is uploaded from the Gemini to the LOG VIEWING BOX by clicking UPLOAD and is erased from the Gemini by clicking CLEAR The LOG VIEWING BOX can be cleared by highlighting its contents Ctr A and pressing Del on the computer keyboard To save an uploaded log highlight the LOG NAME BOX and replace its contents by typing in a new descriptive name e g Log Jan 2 2002 As soon as the GCP recognizes that a new log name is being typed a SAVE button appears When you have finished typing the name click SAVE the uploaded log is saved to a log file and three additional buttons appear LOAD RELOAD and DELETE To load a previously saved log file into the LOG VIEWING Box select its name from the LOG PULL DOWN MENU and click LOAD The RELOAD button performs the same function as LOAD except that in the midst of typing a new log name clicking the RELOAD button restores the previous log To delete a log file which is not already in the LOG NAME BOX select it from the LOG PULL DOWN MENU and click DELETE If it is already in the LOG NAME Box just click DELETE Logs are not saved as part of profiles Star catalogs cannot be republished every day or every week to account for progressive coordinate changes They are however revised every 50 years and the coordinates contained therein are known as Epoch 1900 Epoch 1950 Epo
30. s launched c g g Uld cud Ud Lugs ud pasnjoN 1 1 The Restart Screen This screen appears whenever the Gemini is powered up following an dserving session wherein an initial star alignment Initial Align was either performed during that session or remembered from a previous one The RESTART SCREEN will not appear f the Gemini was previously shut down after a cold start or a warm start which was not followed by Gemini has been restarted Please an Initial Align In such a a a dee choose a startup mode or quit MENT SCREEN appears in order to remind the user that Cold Start Warm tart he or she must do an Initial anaes Pearle ee a Align with the Hand Controller at the telescope before any Goto operation can be performed T Warm Ee start nt 7 Gemini Control Program Download from http www docgoerlich de Rene html 8 Gemini Users Manual Level 1 http www docgoerlich de manL1 V21 manual21 html Level 2 http www docgoerlich de manL2V 11 manL2V11 html 3 Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro gram Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 User S Manual Website http www docgoerlich de The RESTART SCREEN displays four buttons labeled COLD START WARM START WARM RESTART and QUIT COLD START clears the Gemini s memory of all modeling data from previous star alignments After a co
31. tial Alignment has been performed INITIAL ALIGNMENT indicates whether or not an Initial Alignment has been done This status only displays in Gemini Level 2 or higher BRIGHTNESS refers to both the LED display of the Gemini and the PC monitor The brightness display on the GCP defaults to 100 maximum brightness but may be edited by selecting another value from the drop down menu In night vision mode the PC s brightness is automatically conformed to the Gemini s settings but never goes lower than 40 although the Gemini s LED can go as low as 6 Finally STARDATE is the local mean sidereal time LST derived from the PC s clock date and geographic coordinates It is the right ascension RA of all points on the current meridian of the celestial sphere and is related to the hour angle HA of a telescope s RA setting circle by the equation HA LST RA STARDATE is therefore useful for positioning the telescope and for planning an observation sequence of celestial objects at or near the meridian Author Michael Rudolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de 2 1 The Profile Screen This screen is accessed via the PROFILE button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW A profile is a retrievable collection of settings and databases intended for use in a particular observing session or project For
32. u want to switch back you reverse the procedure You go offline with TheSky select the appropriate GCP COM port or Auto detect and click RECEIVE CURRENT SETTINGS to synchronize the GCP with the Gemini At the bottom of the PROFILE SCREEN are entry sites for three parameters CACHE DELAY default 1000 msecs specifies the number of milliseconds the system waits before informing the Gemini that a GCP setting was changed REPLY TIMEOUT default 0150 msecs specifies the number of milliseconds allowed for the system s reply and UPDATE INTERVAL 1000 msecs specifies the number of milliseconds between synchronization of the GCP and the Gemini By default the program asks for current parameter settings every second except for date and time which are every ten seconds The UPDATE INTERVAL must be set to at least 6 times the REPLY TIMEOUT Under normal circumstances these parameters should not have to be changed The PROFILE SCREEN contains 2 buttons for uploading and downloading Gemini profile settings The SEND CURRENT SETTINGS button downloads the current GCP profile settings to the Gemini device The RECEIVE CURRENT SETTINGS button does the opposite it uploads the Gemini settings to the GCP but does not save them as a profile unless the SAVE button is pressed Finally the TOGGLE LOW PRECISION button does exactly what its name suggests it switches the Gemini in and out of low precision See the Gemini manual for circumstances which requ
33. udolph Gemini Control Pro ST am Programmer Daniel G rlich e Mail mrudolph TheRabbi com e Mail daniel goerlich gmx net Release Date March 3rd 2002 Users Manual Website http www docgoerlich de stops when it is released This mode is especially suitable for making fine movements however bidirectional movement in this mode is not possible As previously stated the MANUAL TARGETING area of the MCSS is for inputting and slewing to specified coordinates on the celestial sphere To slew the telescope to a desired point enter its current RA and Dec coordinate and click GO As the telescope moves its Current RA and Dec pointing position is displayed to the left of the TARGET RA and DEC input boxes In emergencies the telescope s movement can be stopped by clicking the unlabeled STOP button previously described 3 2 The Observation Schedule The Observation Schedule of the MCSS derives its Goto Slew speed from the HARDWARE SCREEN An Observation Schedule is a list of points on the celestial sphere and corresponding local times computer time when the telescope will automatically and sequentially slew to each point this process is sometimes referred to as scripting In emergencies telescope movement can be stopped mid slew by clicking the unlabeled STOP button previously described To construct an Observation Schedule enter a Slew Time an Object Name the current Right Ascension and Declination of a desired target point and
34. ynchronizations see the Gemini System User Manual on Ren Gorlich s website The RA Dec coordinates of a Celestial object can be recorded in one of two ways either Epoch on the equinox of each son year 12 00 UTC on January Ist as n star catalogs or Current corrected to the equinox of the day Over time stars change their position on the celestial sphere relative to an observer on the earth While there are several phenomena that cause this the earth s precession is the most significant Stars also appear to change their position as they approach the horizon this is due to atmospheric refraction When constructing a user catalog for the Gemini one must decide whether to use Epoch 50 year or Current corrected coordinates The choice should be made based upon how the catalog is to be used For slewing or doing star alignments from the GCP use Current coordinates For downloading objects to Gemini s User Database in order to slew or do star alignments with the Hand Controller use Epoch coordinates The most convenient way to determine an object s Current coordinates corrected to the date and time of observation is with planetarium software such as TheSky which provides both Epoch 2000 and Current coordinates for each catalogued object 2 7 The Gemini Log Screen Requires Gemini level 2 or higher This screen is accessed via the GEMINI LOG button in the MAIN GCP WINDOW The log is a list of all actions the Gemini pe
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