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Briefly, a Macintosh lix computer interfaces to the telescope controller, to two acquisition cameras mounted on the main telescope tube, and to an Atari ST computer which controls the tracker and steering mirror. (Fig. 1) Using available ephemeris, the Macintosh dynamically points the telescope until the desired target is seen in the acquisition cameras. Video from these cameras is digitized and displayed in a rectangle on the computer monitor. If the computer "mouse" is "clicked" on the displayed target, the software modifies the ephemeris so that the target image moves to the center and illuminates the tracker. The Macintosh then accepts measurements from the Atari and holds the target to within a few arc-seconds of the boresite of the telescope. To achieve sub-microradian tracking , the Atari also sends correction signals at 300 hz to the fast steering mirror controller which causes the mirror to reduce the remaining tracking errors. |
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Telescopes
Mirrors
Computing systems
Cameras
Video
Human-machine interfaces
Satellites
