Nickel POCO User's Guide


Table of Contents


Introduction
Menu & Title Bar
Target Panel
Position Display
Guider Buttons
Dome Status
Limit Status
Time Display
Start/Stop
Functions
Virtual Joystick
Manual Slew
Offset Telescope
Guider Offsets
Guider - CCD Setup
Non-Sidereal Rates
Focus Telescope
Home Telescope
Park Telescope
Manual Dome
All Limits Status
Message Log
Starlist & Starchart
Trouble-shooting

Mt. Hamilton Homepage

Telescope Limit Status

The "Limits" portion of the Main Window diplays the status of the three telescope position limits: N-S, E-W, and Elevation (or horizon). Each limit can be in one of four states: clear, near, soft, or hard. The limit "clear" message changes to "near" as one approaches the limit, "near" changes to "soft" when a software limit is reached. On very rare occasions it is possible to push the telescope into a "hard" limit where it actually trips a hardware limit switch. When in a soft or hard limit, telescope motion is halted and tracking and autodome are disabled. The operator can move out of a software limit by either entering coordinates that lift the telescope out of the limit, by manually moving out with the virtual joystick, or manual slew functions.

POCO will not permit a "Move to Target" if the target coordinates exceed any of the telescope limits, but it is possible to track or to manually move into a limit. Manually slewing into a limit may cause the telescope to coast past the software limit and into a hardware limit. The best way to avoid this is not to use manual slew when near a limit. If you do trip a hardware limit, call a support scientist or telescope technician.

Clicking anywhere in the limits status panel will generate the "All Limits Status" window. This window displays the telescope pointing limits in all directions as well as the status of each limit. Below are the limit information windows for both direct imaging and spectroscopy configurations.

Direct Imaging Limit Information

Spectroscopy Limit Information


sa@ucolick.org
Last modified: Tue May 12 15:25:55 PDT 2009