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Programs
for Professional Observatories
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PTC - Professional Telescope Control
The 91cm Telescope Automation: PTC
2000
- Telescope -
Solar Telescope
- Motors - Block diagram
2: The Telescope
Built
in the years '60, this telescope is located at our stellar station
at Serra La Nave (mt 1750 asl). In order to achieve a good level
of automation of the pointing system, the original mechanics has
been modified by observatory staff. The original system of ac
motors and gear-boxes was sobstituted with only two brushless
motors capable of run, with constant torque, up to 5000 rpm. The
same motor, therefore, allows a positioning of the telescope without
jerks by a soft moving, up to a speed of 2 degrees for second.
For both axis of the telescope, the original transmission system
of endless screw & toothed whell has been mechanically interfaced
with two incremental encoders for a pointing with an accuracy
better of 5 arcsec. The "glue" between mechanics and software
is electronics. From the hardware level of power to the motors
to the high level of the user interface, the system has four levels
of feedback for control the speed of the motors, the precision
of their speed, their positioning and the position of the whole
telescope.
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The
following images show the telescope test and verification
of the software PTC 2000
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The
electronic section of the system was developed by Eugenio
Martinetti of the Astrophysical Observatory of
Catania
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The authors of PTC 2000
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