VLT control software in its final test phase

Gianni Raffi; Krister Wirenstrand

doi:10.1117/12.268984

21 March 1997 VLT control software in its final test phase

Gianni Raffi, Krister Wirenstrand

Proceedings Volume 2871, Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.268984
Event: Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow, 1996, Landskrona/Hven, Sweden

Abstract

The ESO VLT control software consists of all the software, which will be used to directly control the VLT Observatory and associated instrumentation. This is now in the implementation phase, performed to a large extent by ESO staff in the VLT software group. Consortia of Institutes responsible for some ESO instruments and contractors, who implement some of the telescope subsystems, are also involved. The main foundation body of the VLT control software, called VLT common software, is basically complete in its main functions. It has a size of about 500 K lines of code. This software is used in all the developments for the VLT telescopes and instruments and is distributed by ESO to all the collaborating consortia and contractors. The key components of the telescopes control software (TCS) have also been implemented. They make use of the VLT common software and have been field-tested in a first version in December 1995 at the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) in Chile. The NTT is being upgraded in parallel to the VLT development, using the same software. At the end of this conference a scheduled period of 6 months of site tests with the VLT main structure is going to start in Milan, Italy. This will allow us to perform hardware specific tests on this software. The Alt/Az axes control and hydraulics bearing subsystems are also part of the tests, which involve a set-up of two workstations and three VME/VxWorks based controllers. In parallel the first enclosure, including its software, is going to be accepted at the VLT site in Chile. This will mark the beginning of the control system implementation at the Paranal site. This paper gives an overview of the VLT control software, and describes its main components and characteristics.

Citation Download Citation

Gianni Raffi and Krister Wirenstrand "VLT control software in its final test phase", Proc. SPIE 2871, Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow, (21 March 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.268984

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