Servo control of the movable stages using PMAC controllers for the W.M. Keck Telescope adaptive optics system

Kevin Ho; Paul J. Stomski Jr.; Mark J. Sirota; Kevin Tsubota

doi:10.1117/12.308803

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26 May 1998 Servo control of the movable stages using PMAC controllers for the W.M. Keck Telescope adaptive optics system

Kevin Ho, Paul J. Stomski Jr., Mark J. Sirota, Kevin Tsubota

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Proceedings Volume 3351, Telescope Control Systems III; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.308803
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 1998, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

The adaptive optics system design for the W. M. Keck Telescope incorporates over twenty tracking and movable stages on the optical bench. This paper presents a commercial solution for controlling and positioning these stages. It describes the hardware system and the EPICS software interface used to communicate with the off the shelf hardware controllers. It touches on the positional accuracy and repeatability requirements and the selection of hardware to meet those requirements. It examines the cost and packaging issues and tradeoffs between developing custom hardware and software versus commercially available equipment. A method of synchronizing the stages to absolute time for telescope tracking is also presented.

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Kevin Ho, Paul J. Stomski Jr., Mark J. Sirota, and Kevin Tsubota "Servo control of the movable stages using PMAC controllers for the W.M. Keck Telescope adaptive optics system", Proc. SPIE 3351, Telescope Control Systems III, (26 May 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.308803

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