User interfaces for the NRAO-Green Bank Telescope

Ronald J. Maddalena

doi:10.1117/12.463555

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13 December 2002 The user interfaces for the NRAO-Green Bank Telescope

Proceedings Volume 4848, Advanced Telescope and Instrumentation Control Software II; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.463555
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

The NRAO-Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest, fully steerable radio telescope, is now in routine use by visiting astronomers. The telescope is unique because of its offset optical design and its complex suite of state-of-the-art instruments. To exploit the full powers of the system, observers and staff members require intuitive user interfaces. We will demonstrate one of the various graphical user interfaces that have been built for the telescope. The interface, written in Tcl/Tk and used predominately by staff engineers, telescope operators, and programmers, is designed for very detailed monitoring and debugging of telescope components. The interface lies on top of an object-oriented control system that provides the GUI builder a set of software methods that is the same for every GBT device, from receivers to detectors. The uniform set of methods reduces the work normally needed in creating a high-level user interface and allows for the creation of interfaces in a range of programming languages.

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Ronald J. Maddalena "The user interfaces for the NRAO-Green Bank Telescope", Proc. SPIE 4848, Advanced Telescope and Instrumentation Control Software II, (13 December 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.463555

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