Nik Meheula resigned his position as Summit Operations Manager in order to
pursue a career as a partner in an Industrial automation contractor. In Nik's
one year of service he was very successful in coordinating the efforts of the
summit crew to accomplish notable improvements in Preventative Maintenance and
Safety compliance. (RA)
Larry Millard completed a 2 month term employment to help establish our safety
plan. Larry's work helped establish the CFHT Safety manual and conduct staff
training. (RA)
The integrated temperature/relative humidity sensor was replaced due to a corrosion-related
failure. (RC)
In September we learned indirectly of EPA mandated upgrades to our summit underground fuel-oil storage tank. The new regulation requires the addition of spill, overfill and corrosion protection upgrades. Installation of the spill and overfill protection devices were completed. An evaluation of the tank and soil in order to gain acceptance for adding a corrosion protection system with no further re-work to the tank was conducted by an independent EPA approved contractor. Due to the age of the tank, the results analysis indicated that further evaluation of the condition of the tank, or re-lining will be necessarry in addition to corrosion protection. The Tank was temporarily taken out-of-service in order to comply with the December 22, 1998 EPA deadline. The Observatory standby generator has a 75 gallon storage tank inside the building which allows for running the generator for 5 - 9 hours of continuous operation. We have explored a number of possible actions to bring the tank to compliance and are in the process of reviewing the quotations. The deadline for tank re-work is December 1999. (RA)
The standby generator was serviced and operationally tested. A utilitypower
failure simulation was conducted to test the automatic switch whichbrings the
standby generator on-line and then re-transfers power back to
utility power once it is re-established. A problem was discovered as there-transfer
of power resulted in the building circuit breakers tripping.A potential solution
has been identified, and time during the upcoming July 1999 shutdown testing
is scheduled. In the interim following a power outage, the motor-generator has
to be manually switchedback on-line. (RA)
The Heidenhain indicator gauges were configured to measure the run out of the
dome shutter. A remote sampling circuit was built to automatically sample the
indicators which were interfaced to a PC to record the data. (GB)
Assisted in initial troubleshooting which led to discovery of the failed bearing.
Worked with daycrew and gearbox engineer to provide historical data on HA drive
torques over several years. Made measurements of drive torque after the gearbox
was reinstalled, and helped to confirm proper operation. (WC)
Helped with initial problem identification and first attempts to locate its
source. (WC)
The wide-field corrector was placed in service again after being disassembled
to coat the middle element. A reduction in scattered light was noticed by the
observers. (GB)
The primary mirror pneumatic support system failed and required removal of
the primary mirror to repair. This opportunity was used to wash the primary
mirror while it was out of the mirror cell. The mirror coating is holding up
well and the washing returned the mirror to a quality nearly the same as when
originally coated. (GB)
An air bladder seal within the one of the 24 primary mirror axial supports failed
and was noted during observing on Friday 26 February 1999. We had faced a rash
of problems in 1995 - 96 with bladder failures due to age and ozone exposure
deterioration of the bladders which had been in storage for many years. A new
mold was made and new bladders were manufactured which we installed in April
1996. These bladders had recently been replaced, during last July 1998 shutdown,
with a freshly manufactured set as a preventative measure. (RA)
Following Telescope disassembly, Primary Mirror removal and disassembly of an
axial support puck, one bladder seal was confirmed to have a leak. It was discovered
that one of the bladders had ruptured. Examination under magnification revealed
that the 0.5mm thin membrane had areas of uneven dispersion of the elastomer
components. This had resulted in a tear. Careful examination of other seals
from the batch also revealed areas of uneven elastomer dispersion. The seals
were sent to the manufacturer who confirmed the problem to be non-homogenous
dispersion and blamed the fact that this newest batch of bladders was made in
a small batch that was more likely to result in this type of problem. They remade
a complete set of bladders with a slightly revised elastomer formulation and
they appear very uniform under magnified examination. A sample has been sent
to an independent testing laboratory for determination if a not-destructive
test can be used to further assess the integrity. Contacting manufacturers of
specialty elastomers to investigate if alternative materials or processes for
improvement is in progress. (RA)
The new Gumball optics have been seen to interfere with the Cassegrain Bonnette
central mirror drive. The solution to this problem which has been decided on
to relieve this problem is to drive the central mirror such that it avoids the
area of interference. This solution allows the central mirror to access all
ports except for the east port in an up-looking configuration. The solution
has not yet been implemented, but the interference is not encountered by moving
the mirror into the position in which it is typically used.
Data has been taken using Gecko to begin to characterize the Fabry-Perot sources
in Gumball. Extremely high resolution spectra of the channel specta from both
the red and blue etalons has been taken and is now being reduced. The reduced
data will be sent to the Observatoire de Lyon for use with the Oasis data reduction
software. (GB)
Discovered this problem during TCS IV testing of cass bonnette functionality.
Have proposed a solution in software where the bonnette's central mirror will
be intelligently rotated so that it will not encounter the interference. This
will be done when the cass bonnette software is moved to the TCS IV computers.
(WC)
The repair of the multiple valid home problem on the atmospheric dispersion
compensator (ADC) revealed problems with the calibration of the dispersion and
the position angles being sent to the ADC. These problems were noticed by the
Oasis observers from the Observatoire de Lyon. A better dispersion relation
was obtained through modeling of the ADC position using the atmospheric dispersion
model in Zemax. This relation has been implemented and test and seems to be
working well. A correction to the position angle calibration was identified
by the Observatoire de Lyon. This correction has been implemented and test data
has been taken using AOB visible imaging, but it may require the greater sensitivity
of Oasis to see if the calibration is completely valid yet. (GB)
Problems have been encountered with the fiber optic data link between the WFS
electronics on the 5th floor and the WFS electronics on the 4th floor. The original
fibers were replaced during the last shutdown with fibers routed through the
Cassegrain cable wrap. The fibers worked well for several runs, but problems
were encountered during setup for recent runs. The major problem is that the
signal from the 5th floor electronics is marginal, so small changes to the fiber
characteristics can cause large signal loss. It is planned to replace the fiber
transceivers currently used with some higher signal transceivers. In the mean
time, the fibers have been replaced with a new set with a hopefully longer lifetime.
(GB)
A problem with low APD counts as seen by the 4th floor acquisition system was
traced to the data fiber run through the cassegrain wrap. An additional cable
was pulled through the wrap, solving the problem. The cause of the failure is
TBD. (RC)
The efficiency for all of the MOS/OSIS grisms has been determined using the spectrophotometer. The efficiency curves for the grisms have been published on the Web to allow access to this data to the observers. (GB)
A new shutter system has been designed and fabricated for the exposure meter
and slit shutters. The new shutters should be far more reliable that the old
shutters which normally required maintenance at least once during every run.
The new shutters are based on a latching solenoid mechanism and so will have
zero heat dissipation. The shutters have not yet been integrated into Gecko,
but should be ready for the May run. (GB)
The image quality of both spectrographs were checked using Loral3 (a thick CCD
was used to get rid of the line spreading which occurs with thinned CCDs). The
image quality for both the red and UV spectrographs was found to be well within
the specifications for the spectrographs. (GB)
The counter module for the exposure meter was relocated from the 3rd floor outer
Coude area to the 4th floor observing area. (RC)
A long-standing problem with frequency stability of the HeNe laser has been resolved. The laser can unlock and mode sweep due to external thermal perturbations. Using a commercial PID temperature controller and existing heater elements, the temperature at the body of the laser is now maintained within +.2/-.1C of the set point. Initial runs show no evidence of the instability problem. (RC)
Safety interlocks have been installed on the Lama doors which will shutdown the lasers when the doors are opened. It was possible to implement this safety feature now that the auto-focus mechanism has been installed and is working since it is no longer necessary to focus the laser by hand. (GB)
Fibers allowing Detector Host communication were run from the Computer Room
to the Clean Room. (RC)
Air conditioning was installed for the inner area of the Clean Room. (RC)
KIR was disassembled to install indium foil between the cold finger and the
focal plane. (RC)
A thermal problem (focal plane temperature ~10 C higher than normal) has been
diagnosed as a fault in the LN2 fill procedure. A new procedure was drafted
and implemented. (RC)
The contact problem with the ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket on the original
focal plane board has been remedied with construction of a new board utilizing
LIF (Low Insertion Force) pin sockets by Ron Johnson at UBC. An output amplifier
earlier diagnosed as nonfunctional on the engineering grade device became operational
with installation in the new LIF socket design. (RC)
The EEV engineering and science grade arrays were installed in the Luppino dewar,
cooled and imaged. Preliminary measurements (unoptimized) on the science grade
device yield 8e- read noise. (RC)
The Redeye failure was manifested by "0"'s for the image element
values and loading of the bias voltages. These problems continued in Waimea
with a warm dewar. The loading of the bias voltages continued until the focal
plane board was removed. With no device in the focal plane board socket and
the board reinstalled, the bias voltages returned to nominal values. (RC)
The NICMOS3 device used in Redeye was sent to Rockwell for examination where
it demonstrated normal performance at room temperature without the bias loading
seen earlier. (RC)
The device was returned to CFHT for reinstallation. We will reexamine the focal
plane board and wiring harness, and replace of the focal plane board connector.
(RC)
We have significantly tightened external access to the CFHT network due to security concerns. All restrictions apply only to accessing CFHT from the Internet. There are no CFHT restrictions on going to any other Internet destination from a CFHT machine. We presently have two ways of logging into the CFHT network from the Internet. These two methods are via the "secure shell" software and our new SecurID Token system. The secure shell is a public domain software package which encrypts and compresses the communications between two machines. While this method has some shortcomings it vastly improves remote connection security. The SecurID and now the preferred method for logging into the CFHT network from the Internet is by using the SecurID Token system. This system, consisting of both software and hardware, provides very secure remote access (telnet and ftp). The hardware consists simply of a smaller-than-a-credit-card-sized token which is carried by a traveling CFHT staff member. The token has a associated PIN number and displays a 6 digit number which changes every 60 seconds. Basically, logging in from the Internet requires one to enter both the PIN number and the current 6 digits on the token, after logging into a normal user account. (BG)
Additional data storage capacity has been acquired and installed at the summit to keep up with the large amount of data produced by the CFH12k detector system. The present capacity has been increased to 100 Gbytes in a mirror configuration to increase system redundancy. (BG)
Continuing with the plan to provide support for Waimea remote observing a Picturel video conferencing system has been acquired and installed at the summit and Waimea. The system allows also to connect to other places around the world using an ISDN line, This option has been currently used to conduct video conferencing with DAO to discuss the work in progress of the MegaPrime project. We hope to use it in the near future to conduct remote meetings with members of the Megacam project at CEA. (BG)
An initial release version of TCS IV came on line in early February. The release
was scheduled for the end of the month, but the initial experience with the
system was so positive that a decision was made to continue running it for all
observing. Since then we have run entirely with the new system. Of course all
is not perfect with this infant system. Two month's experience has resulted
in about 90% up time fro the system, with problems frequency gradually decreasing.
Overall the system has required less direct support than expected (feared),
and this too is decreasing. (WC)
This initial release still depends on TCS III for bonnette and dome services,
as well as for balancing the telescope. A few features, such as a proper reference
star catalog, are also missing. These deficiencies are being tackled as time
permits, with the goal of eliminating usage of the HP 1000 set for early this
summer. The project has officially been closed and the staff redistributed,
but "project" work will continue until the end of the year. (WC)
The project to provide a fiber feed from Cassegrain to coude, replacing the
coude trains, is well underway at the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon (OPM). The
project, which has been contracted to OPM, will provide a stand-alone fiber
feed system including a thorium-argon calibration lamp and a halogen flat field
lamp. CFHT is only providing the fiber routing and storage and related mechanics,
a very small amount of electronic integration, and software integration. (GB)
The fiber chosen should provide as good or better throughput from 1100 nm down
to about 400 nm as the current mirror trains. The throughput, unfortunately,
will drop quickly from 400 nm down to 300 nm with a predicted throughput at
310 nm of about 18%. Although the UV mirror train will still be used for the
near future, it will also be retired when MegaPrime is completed. (GB)
The project is still on schedule and is expected to be completed at OPM by about
the beginning of June 1999 and will hopefully be installed onto the telescope
before the end of July 1999. (GB)
CFH12K Technical activities for software and CCDs
The last issues on reliability of the SDSUII controller have been successfully
addressed in October and early November. Several thousands of readout with power
on and off sequences were obtained without a failure.
The 12 CCDs have been implemented in the cryostat in November at IfA and the
whole system has been shipped to Waimea where optimization of the CCDs took
place for 3 weeks. Apart of two defective CCD (on the far left of the mosaic:
one with bad CTE and one with bad linearity), the 10 remaining CCDs have been
optimized for a use in sky background noise limited conditions. Noise is about
5 electrons, linearity is better than 1% over the whole range of the ADC converter
(16 bits), CTE is better than 0.99999 and the dark current is low enough to
be neglected or at least handled in a easier way than the UH8K. Readout time
is 58 seconds (two controllers in parallel).
The CCDs have been carefully checked in various conditions on the sky since
January and appear to be behaving perfectly, confirming results obtained in
the laboratory.
The CFH12K can be controlled by the observer either from a command line interface,
a graphical interface or scripts.
Various observing tools have been tested: focus, offset, shift-and-add. They
greatly reduce the overheads, making the CFH12K a very efficient instrument
(for 10mn exposures and a sequence of 6 exposure in a shift-and-add script,
the overhead is only 11%).
The multi-extension FITS (MEF) format is now available to the users. Each file
is 200 Mb and contains 12 extensions (13 soon, the 13th being the binned by
8 image of the mosaic to allow very quick look without having to read the whole
file).
A large amount of data has been collected during the engineering time and will
allow a complete characterization of the camera and the prime focus environment:
improvement of the scattered lights, astrometry, guide probe mapping, residual
image, shutter ballistic, Z value for each filters, bonnette alignment, noise
contributions.
CFH12K Software - Status Report
Scope of effort
Read out reliably the 12Kx8K mosaic in less than a minute. Run reliably the
camera for several weeks at the summit without any failure. Provide proper observing
tools to ensure that the higher quality data are acquired off the sky.
The available hardware at the time of the CFH12K project start were the SDSU
GenII CCD controller (became available spring 1998), and the current UH8K acquisition
system (a Sparc 20 with EDT SBUS boards and the custom IfA fiber interface).
These two main components had enough throughput to ensure the system would be
limited by the detectors performances.
The CCD controllers had to be configured so they allow the optimal use of the
detectors (DSP code development). The data acquisition software had to be developed
along the line of 8kcom (UH8K interface) and DetI to allow both low level engineering
capabilities as well as high level commands for normal operations on the sky.
The data acquisition software had to be developed to allow remote troubleshooting
and along the same line: allow remote operation. Other tools were required to
allow efficient remote observing down from Waimea.
State of completion
CCD controllers:
The SDSU GenII controller has been carefully looked at and troubleshooted in
the CFH12K configuration. All the issues on power consumption, state initialization
have been addressed.
DSP code has been developed to allow optimal operations of the CFH12K MIT/LL
2K4K CCDs (readout modes)n.
Synchronization of both controllers has been successfully implemented to allow
a reduction of the readout time by a factor of two.
Control of CFH12K parts has been implemented: ACE IOs (shutter, filter wheel,
temperature,...).
Data acquisition host:
A new version of director has been developed to allow multiple agents running
at once. This allows the CFH12K interface to control from the same level the
CCD controllers (pixels acquisition) and other functions allowing proper control
of the various CFH12K parts (power supplies,...).
12kcom, the agent for the data acquisition, is a rich interface to the camera
based on a command line interface but it allows also commands to be sent from
a Graphical Interface based on RPM or from a script. 12kcom provides all the
low-level commands for engineering development as well as troubleshooting capabilities.
It also proposes all the essential commands to run the camera in normal observing
mode.
Observing tools:
Various tools have been developed to allow efficient operation on the sky:
focus, shift-and-add, offsets,...
Efforts needed for completion
An automatic and efficient display tool is not yet available and is terribly
needed to improve observing efficiency. As a first step, a binned by 8 image
can be created to allow the user a quick look at the general aspect of the image.
Then a real display of the whole image (or ways to access it) must be implemented.
The binned by 8 image is the higher priority since it allows very quickly to
check the integrity of the data before starting a new exposure. The NOAO display
seems to appear the only solution at the moment for a mosaic display but it
is still under development at NOAO.
The operation of the camera is a bit limited by the low amount of disk space
available on the session host. This should be upgraded to 100 Gb (currently
50 Gb).
To ensure the best scientific return out of the CFH12K data, a support to the
data calibration frame should be provided by CFHT. This implies further development
and tests of tools presently available (FLIPS for example). The main element
remains the way the good recipes are implemented. Recipes are being now established
in part of the instrument verification phase.
The instrument needs to be documented and advertised: technical documentation,
user's manual, cookbook, web site, publications, public relations.
Minimal acceptable package
The binned by 8 image and the automatic display are a must. Sidik needs to spend
at least 2 or 3 weeks on this. This is a scientific requirement.
The present CFH12K code (DSP code, C code, C++ code) is well commented and does
not need further works.
All the work on the documentation of the instrument is crucial. I need to spend
several weeks over the next 3 to 4 months to conduct this work.
Providing the calibrations, or at least a help for the calibration is essential
(as advocated by the SAC). This is a large amount of work to organize and install
properly the packages. The basics of the software exist but the pipeline needs
to be developed and tested. This fits perfectly in the future with the service
observing and block scheduling modes. This work will extend easily over the
summer (jcc).
Project Management
Manpower (this section to include time spent by all agencies involved and the
manpower from CFHT)
Contracts
CEA
Observatoire de Paris, Meudon
Division Technique de INSU
CCD procurement
MegaCam
Wide-Field Corrector
Image Stabilizing Unit (ISU)
Guiding and Focusing Unit (GFU)
Worked with MegaPrime group and with William Rambold of DAO on conceptual design
of the GFU and its interfaces with TCS IV. (WC)
Prime Focus Environment
A preliminary study on the heat extraction at the prime focus was completed
at CFHT. The analysis studied the potential for heat extraction using a suction
air handler located off the Telescope. The study concluded that the narrow ducts
in-line with the spider supports resulted abnormally high air velocities that
could result in vibration. An analysis of cooling the MegaPrime instrument enclosure
and electronics enclosures using glycol heat exchangers is in progress. (RA)
Conclusion
After signature of the contract between CFHT and Universite de Montreal (UdeM)
on October 14, 1998, the project is now progressing reasonably well.
Project Status
Optics:
The optical design has been approved by CFHT and the corresponding purchase
order has been issued to Janos Technology Inc. on March 25. Delivery of the
complete set of lenses with coating is expected for July.
Cryostat and cold mechanisms
The final design of the cryostat and the cold subsystems has been submitted
to CFHT by UdeM end of March and is currently being reviewed. A first quotation
has also been received from Infrared Laboratories, based on that final design.
We expect to issue the purchase order by the beginning of May for a delivery
of the cryostat by September. UdeM is also ready to start the manufacturing
of the cold subsystems.
Interfaces with OSIS and the Cassegrain Bonnette
The preliminary design of the interface between CFHT-IR and OSIS has been received
by CFHT at the end of March and will be reviewed in the coming weeks. UdeM is
presently designing the interface with the F/8 bonnette.
Acquisition system and electronical subsystems
Due to important loads in other projects at CFHT, the integration of the acquisition
system and the design of the electronical subsystems has been delayed to May.
We expect a completion of this part of the project by October, in time for the
integration and tests of the camera.
Detectors
We received the HAWAII engineering grade array in February and we are currently
discussing with Rockwell the selection of the science grade array.
Schedule
Following the current development schedule, we now expect to have CFHT-IR ready
for commissioning by February 2000.