Computer Systems

Two computer systems are used for controlling the operation of an ObservatoryScope telescope. Both computer systems can be located within a control room which is located up to 500 feet away from the telescope.

A Drive System Computer, running PC-TCS software, performs all of the necessary low level functions and computations for operating the telescope's drive system. This computer is completely isolated from the local computer network and from the Internet since no network card or networking software is installed. The Drive System Computer is linked to the Operator's Computer using a serial cable link. PC-TCS receives all commands either directly from the keyboard or via this serial link.

The Operator's Computer runs the camera control and image processing software, the planetarium software, Astronomer's Control Program for scripting and Web interface access and control, and ObservatoryScope's proprietary automation scripts for automatic target acquisition and imaging. RealVNC is also installed on the Operator's Computer, permitting direct access and control of all software and programs running on the Operator's Computer via a local computer network or via the Internet. Antivirus and firewall software is also installed on the Operator's Computer since this computer is optionally accessible through the local computer network and the Internet.

Computer Specifications

Computer Software

A variety of software is included with every 20" to 36" ObservatoryScope. We specifically use software which has been proven to be both reliable and easy to use for controlling and automating our telescopes. These software packages are ideally suited for use by students and educators. Of course you may choose to use your own software or other software programs for controlling your ObservatoryScope instrument. The following software is included as standard equipment with each of our observatory class telescopes:

PC-TCS

The PC-TCS telescope control system is quite simply the most reliable and bullet-proof telescope control package available today. Simplicity of operation and the fact that it runs completely stand-alone on its own dedicated computer are the keys to its reliability. PC-TCS features a simple menu driven control interface for direct control of the telescope, and provides for remote control of the telescope by the software installed on the Operator's Computer. The real power behind PC-TCS are the various mathematical algorithms and subroutines which have been thoroughly debugged by the manufacturer over the years. Following is a screen capture.

MaxIm DL

The MaxIm DL CCD camera control and image processing software can control a wide variety of CCD cameras, filter wheels and autoguiders. It features a complete Active-X automation interface for scripting and external control of the program itself, CCD cameras, filter wheels and autoguiders. MaxIm DL features powerful image processing functions, yet MaxIm DL's operation and image processing functions are relatively easy to learn and use. The user can easily combine LRGB images to produce full color images of targets, can easily perform photometry measurements of images, and can easily blink old and new images to visually search for asteroids, supernovas and other transient phenomena. Following is a screen capture.

TheSky Planetarium Software

TheSky planetarium software remains the "standard" to which all other planetarium programs are compared. TheSky is intuitively easy to use. The user can literally point-and-click to command the telescope to slew to a particular target of interest for viewing or imaging. The telescope's current location is always displayed on the screen. TheSky features extensive databases of celestial objects, the ability to add your own custom databases, and the ability to download updated databases for comets and asteroids. Following is a screen capture.

Astronomer's Control Program (ACP)

ACP is ObservatoryScope's preferred automation interface. Users can run ACP's included automation scripts, can run ObservatoryScope's proprietary automation scripts, or users can write their own automation scripts in VBScript, JavaScript, PerlScript or Python. ACP, and thus the automation script, can talk to and directly control any type of instrument or device which has an ASCOM compliant driver written for it by the manufacturer. ACP also features a Web Interface which provides local computer network and Internet users with limited access to the Operator's Computer. The Web Interface only allows authorized network and Internet users to run plan files for automated target acquisition and optionally to have the resulting images sent to them via FTP. Following is a screen capture.

FocusMax

FocusMax focusing software is an extraordinarily reliable method for automatically focusing the telescope. FocusMax features a very simple interface where the user merely has to click "Find" to find a suitable star within the CCD frame to focus on, and then click "Focus" to automatically and precisely focus the telescope even in relatively poor atmospheric seeing conditions. ObservatoryScope's proprietary automation scripts will automatically command the telescope to slew to an appropriate star and autofocus the telescope.

Dimension4

Dimension4 is a freeware Internet atomic time synchronization utility. This utility continuously runs in the background on the Operator's Computer (which has Internet access) to keep it accurately synched to an atomic time server. ObservatoryScope's proprietary scripts automatically push the correct date and time to the Drive System Computer to assure that the Drive System Computer remains synchronized to the current date and time.

RealVNC

RealVNC is a freeware program which premits complete local computer network or Internet access.

ObservatoryScope's Telescope Automation Made Simple Scripts

ObservatoryScope has written proprietary TAMS scripts for use with ACP which automatically handle all automation aspects of the telescope, the imaging camera, the filter wheel, the focuser, the autoguider and the observatory enclosure. Our TAMS scripts make the automated operation of the telescope and the entire observatory very simple to accomplish. TAMS scripts use simple, easily remembered commands which you add to your list of targets to produce a "plan file". Once you load your plan file, TAMS will automatically handle all aspects of running the entire observatory for the entire night.

Some notable built-in features of our TAMS scripts include:

• Error Traps - TAMS performs extensive error checking and error trapping during the automated operation of the entire observatory. We have engineered TAMS to trap and logically handle momentary lost connections and other potential problems while robotically controlling the observatory and instrumentation.
• E-mail Alerts - E-mail or pager alerts can be sent to you if any serious problem is encountered while robotically operating the telescope and the observatory. For example, if the dome is instructed to close and it just won't close then an email or pager alert will immediately be sent twice to assure that the message is received.
• Easy Tri-Color - Simple to use commands (#LRGB or #RGB) make tricolor imaging unbelievably simple for the beginner and for students.
• Easy Photometry - Just create a plan file with your target stars and reference stars. Use the #UBVRI command to automatically take images through your photometric filters. TAMS will automatically adjust exposure times to assure valid data with high signal to noise ratios.
• Easy Image Composition - Permits the user to easily compose (artistically frame) the target before taking images of the target. This feature makes it easy for beginners to take "pretty pictures" of objects.
• Intelligent Autofocus - TAMS will automatically refocus the telescope as necessary throughout the entire night's observing run.
• Manual Focus - TAMS also supports manual focusing of the telescope. TAMS will automatically slew the telescope to a suitable focus star, alert the user and then pause to allow the user to manually focus the telescope. This is particularly useful if you are using any sensor other than a CCD camera, perhaps even an old film camera, on the telescope.
• Automatic Filter Focus Offsets - Assure that images taken with each filter are correctly focused, correcting for different filter thicknesses and/or for longitudinal chromatic aberration within the telescope's optical system. These filter focus offsets are automatically applied by TAMS when each filter is used.
• Precision Bias Rate Corrections - are automatically applied if you don't have an autoguider to correct for target motion, refraction and polar alignment error. During long exposures, these corrections are continually calculated and applied within a feedback loop to assure that these corrections are applied to sub-arc second accuracy regardless of the exposure duration.
• Simple Bias Rate Corrections - are automatically used if you have an autoguider for guiding your long exposure images. TAMS calculates the initial bias rates and assumes that the autoguider will guide the telescope during the remainder of the exposure. If the autoguider fails at any time during the exposure, TAMS will automatically switch into precision bias rate corrections mode for the remainder of the exposure.
• Random Pointing Offsets - of up to several arc seconds optionally may be automatically applied when taking multiple exposures of the same target. This TAMS feature assures that hot/dead pixels don't remain in exactly the same place in your images. Thus these CCD defects will automatically be removed when combining your images by using either a median or sigma reject algorithm.
• USER Adjustable Constants - are set and saved in a separate file called USER_Constants.txt. The values of these constants give you complete control for configuring exactly how TAMS will perform all automated operations of the telescope and the observatory.

150 watt power supplies

Stepper Drivers

High Torque Stepper Motors

ObservatoryScope uses reliable stepper motors, stepper drivers, power supplies and other electronics hardware for powering our Hybrid Band-Worm Drive Systems. We use high torque stepper motors which provide far more torque than required to power our Hybrid Band-Worm Drive Systems. This is necessary in order to prevent even the remotest possibility of a motor stall or losing steps during the acceleration and deceleration phases of a slew. The stepper drivers incorporate advanced technology which maximizes the power throughput and minimizes heat dissipation, and feature patented Pole Damping Technology™ which prevents jitter within the motor as the motor nears its inherent full step position. The power supplies feature extremely good isolation to protect against transient line surges, and have a MTBF of over eight years.

Electronics Specifications