The main observing GUI : pics_gui



The pics_gui widget provides the main user interface for conveniently taking exposures and obtaining a graphical representation of the resulting spectra on the screen. Owing to the layered software structure which is shown in Fig. 1, the GUI is a fairly independent frontend for the underlying programmes and can essentially be killed and restarted at any time.



Fig. 2 Observing widget pics_gui. For full resolution image, click on Fig. 3



Observing with pics_gui :

pics_gui provides the following pulldown menu options for operating the camera:

File : "Load Image CCD1" load image CCD1 from disk and display in Window 1
"Load Image CCD2" load image CCD2 from disk and display in Window 2
"Info picsdb" Print picsdb string array (instrumental parameters)
"Set SPEC data path" define new data path for writing exposures to disk
"Set SPEC prefix" define new FITS file prefix
"Quit" Exit pics_gui.
Display : "Display CCD1" display CCD2 image in Window 2
"locut CCD1" set low cut level CCD1 image (Window 1)
"hicut CCD1" set high cut level CCD1 image (Window 1)
"clear CCD1" erase CCD1 image memory
"Display CCD2" display CCD2 image in Window 2
"locut CCD2" set low cut level CCD2 image
"hicut CCD2" set high cut level CCD2 image
"clear CCD2" erase CCD2 image memory
ObsRun : "Create New Run" - currently not available -
"Terminate Run" - currently not available -
"Resume Run" - currently not available -
ObsNight : "Begin Night" - currently not available -
"Finish Night" - currently not available -
"Resume Night" - currently not available -
SetMode : "Observing"
"Calibration"
"Guiding"
"Internal A&G CCD"
"External TV Guider"
DefExp : "Define PBLOCK"
"List PBLOCKs"
Sequence : "Sequence"
Grating : "grotPos"
"grotStop"
"lambda"
"maintenance/grating exchange"
"maintenance/re-init"
Focus : "Set CAMFOC"
"Set COLFOC"
"FSPEC focus series"
"Telescope focus series"
Lamps : "Power/PS1 (LMP1)/on"
"Power/PS1 (LMP1)/off"
"Power/PS2 (LMP2/3)/on"
"Power/PS2 (LMP2/3)/off"
"Power/PS3 (LMP4/5)/on"
"Power/PS3 (LMP4/5)/off"
"Power/PS4 (LMP6)/on"
"Power/PS4 (LMP6)/off"
"Power/ALL/on"
"Power/ALL/off"
"select Lamps/LMP(2/3)/LMP2"
"select Lamps/LMP(2/3)/LMP3 (spare)"
"select Lamps/LMP(4/5)/LMP4"
"select Lamps/LMP(4/5)/LMP5 (spare)"
"Shutters/Shutter 1/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 1/close"
"Shutters/Shutter 2/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 2/close"
"Shutters/Shutter 3/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 3/close"
"Shutters/Shutter 4/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 4/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 4/close"
"Shutters/Shutter 5/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 5/close"
"Shutters/Shutter 6/open"
"Shutters/Shutter 6/close"
"Shutters/Shutter --ALL--/open"
"Shutters/Shutter --ALL--/close"
Tools : "Zoom/Zoom 2x CCD1"
"Zoom/Zoom 4x CCD1"
"Zoom/Zoom 8x CCD1"
"PLOT"
Expert Mode : " ... " for debugging purposes (staff only)
About pics_gui : "pics_gui Version" print pics_gui Version number
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last change : 13/01/2003 mmr | Comments AIP | CAHA