The hardware control system for WEAVE at the William Herschel Telescope

Jose Miguel Delgado, Saúl Menéndez Mendoza, Jose Alonso Burgal, Jose Miguel Herreros, Sergio Picó, Don Carlos Abrams, Carlos Martin, Diego Cano, F. J. Gribbin, Jure Skvarč, Kevin Dee, Emilie Lhome, Gavin Dalton, Kevin Middleton, Scott Trager, J. Alfonso L. Aguerri, Piercarlo Bonifacio, Antonella Vallenari, Esperanza Carrasco

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademic

Abstract

When an alt-azimuth telescope is tracking at a specific field, it is necessary to use a de-rotator system to compensate the Earth's rotation of the field of view. In order, to keep the telescope tracking the field of view selected, the instrument will need to a rotation system for compensating it [1]. The new WEAVE [2] two degrees field of view requires a new field de-rotator on the top-end of the telescope. The rotator system has been designed with a direct drive motor which eliminates the need for mechanical transmission elements such as gearboxes, speed reducers, and worm gear drives. This design is a huge advantage for the system performance and lifetime because it eliminates undesirable characteristics such as long-time drift, elasticity, and backlash. The hardware control system has been developed with a Rockwell servo-drive and controller. The rotator has to be controlled by the high-level software which is also responsible for the telescope control. This paper summarizes the model developed for simulating and the software which will be used to accept the rotator system. A performance study is also carried out to test the CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) for communications between the high-level software and the rotator hardware.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings Volume 10700
Subtitle of host publication Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VII
PublisherSPIE.Digital Library
Pages1070033
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6-Jul-2018
EventSPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018 - Austin, Texas, United States
Duration: 10-Jun-201815-Jun-2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of the SPIE
PublisherSPIE
Volume10700
ISSN (Print)0361-0748

Conference

ConferenceSPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin, Texas
Period10/06/201815/06/2018

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