Release Notes for New User Interface Program
H. Yoshida
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory
1 About This Release
This is the first release of the User Interface Program (UIP) which
runs on Unix/Linux platforms.
2 Syntactic Differences
Compared to the original UIP, the following syntactic differences exist:
- Under the original UIP, commands could have some parameters and
qualifiers. Qualifier identifiers started with a forward slash
"/". Qualifiers could have a value or list of
values. Qualifiers could be negated by prefixing the name with
"NO". Under the new UIP, commands can have some
arguments and options. Option identifiers start with a forward
slash "/". Options can have one or more arguments.
Options can not be negated.
- Under the original UIP, command parameters and qualifiers could
be given in any order. Under the new UIP, command arguments must
immediately follow the command identifier. For example, the
following two lines had the same effect under the original UIP:
-
FIVE_POINT 15 /ONE_OFF
FIVE_POINT /ONE_OFF 15
However, only the former is accepted by the new UIP. The latter
is invalid because 15 is interpreted as the argument of
the /ONE_OFF option rather than the required first
command argument OFFSET.
- Under the original UIP, if a qualifier took a value, they were
separated from each other by a equal sign "=". If a
qualifier took a list of values, they were comma ","
separated and enclosed by parentheses "(" and
")". Under the new UIP, an option identifier and
option arguments are separated by whitespace, and option arguments
are delimited by the next option identifier or end of line. For
example, the following line changed the center frequency of all
four subbands of the AOS5 by 50 MHz under the original UIP:
-
SPECTROMETER /AOS5 = ( 0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0.05 )
Under the new UIP, it is written as follows:
-
SPECTROMETER /AOS5 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05
- Under the new UIP, whitespace is needed in front of each option.
Under the original UIP, whitespace was optional. For example, the
following was accepted by the original UIP but is not by the new
UIP:
-
SECONDARY/STOP
3 New Features
The following new features are available in this release:
- The pyuip package provides access to UIP commands
from within Python programs. The SIC\PYTHON
command enables to execute Python programs from within the UIP.
For example, you can do something like this in Python:
-
import pyuip
throw = 300
pyuip.comm('azo /chop ' + str(throw / 2)) # Nod
- Some score board variables are accessible as SIC variables.
For example, you can do something like this:
-
SPECTROMETER /FFTS1
LO 12CO2-1 /RECEIVER RX230
TCAL /OFFSET 180
IF 'FFTS1_TSYS'.GT.1000 THEN
SAY "Nice..."
END IF
4 New Commands
The following commands are new in this release:
- EQU - supersedes the DEC2,
DECLINATION, RA, and RA2
commands. It allows you to enter equatorial coordinates directly.
For example, the following will instruct the telescope to track
the equatorial coordinates αB1950.0 = 05h 32m 47s, δB1950.0 = −05° 24′24′′:
-
EQU 05:32:47 -05:24:24 1950
- FCAL - was part of the CALIBRATE
command. It allows you to take a frequency calibration scan.
- GAL - supersedes the GB and
GL commands. It allows you to enter Galactic
coordinates directly.
- OFF_POSITION - allows you to specify the default
offsets for OFF scans. For example, the following sets the
default to 300′′ symmetric OFF for the
OO_SCAN command and +300′′ asymmetric
OFF for the TCAL command and others which can only take
either asymmetric or designated OFF:
-
OFF_POSITION 300
- OPTICAL_POINTING - was part of the
OBSERVE and POINTING_FILE commands. It
allows you to make an optical pointing measurement.
- TCAL - was part of the CALIBRATE
command. It allows you to take a temperature calibration scan.
- TEXAS - was part of the UCB_SCAN
command. It allows you to control the telescope in Texas mode.
- VANE - was part of the CALIBRATE
command. It allows you to move the temperature calibration vane
in and out of the telescope beam.
- _NEW_POSITION - renamed from SBUPDATE.
- _OFF_POSITION - renamed from OFF_POSITION.
- _ON_POSITION - renamed from ON_POSITION.
- _TAKE_DATA - renamed from TAKE_DATA.
5 Commands with Major Changes
The following commands have major changes in their interface and
functionality compared to the corresponding ones in the original UIP:
- AZO, DECO, ELO,
GBO, GLO, RAO, & ZAO
- the first command argument specifies the "standard" offset.
The mapping offset is specified as /MAPPING option's
argument. The field offset is specified as /FIELD
option's argument. The "standard", mapping, and field offsets
can be specified simultaneously. For example, the following
zeroes all three declination offsets:
-
DECO 0 /MAPPING 0 /FIELD 0
- BEEP, TOANTENNA, TO_DWNCVTR,
& TO_SPECTROMETER - the MESSAGE argument
must be enclosed by double-quotes if it contains whitespace. For
example:
-
TOANTENNA "TEMP F?"
- FLSIGNAL & FLWAIT - the antenna
digital input and output lines and their values are specified
differently. For example, any of the followings sets the output
line 8 to high:
-
FLSIGNAL 1 /BIT 7
FLSIGNAL 128 /MASK 128
- OBSERVE - optical pointing check is done by the
separate command OPTICAL_POINTING.
- OO_SCAN - parameters are not sticky. The
default (sticky) OFF position can be specified using the
OFF_POSITION command.
- PLANET - the /JPL_HORIZONS option
allows you to generate ephemerides on the fly using the JPL
Horizons System.
- POINTING_FILE - optical pointing check is done
by the separate command OPTICAL_POINTING. Wildcard
listing of known pointing files and the /NONAME_CHANGE
option are not available.
6 Features Not Available
The following feature is not available in this release:
- Ability to create and control execution of UIP subprocesses.
There is no plan to reinstate this feature as it can be
substituted by foreground execution of command procedures
(macros).
7 Commands Not Available
The following commands are not available in this release:
- BOLOMETER - removed. The single pixel facility
bolometer is no longer supported.
- C - removed due to conflict with SIC's
CONTINUE command. Substituted by the !.
- CALIBRATE - superseded by the FCAL,
TCAL, and VANE commands.
- DCL - substituted by the
SIC\SYSTEM command.
- DEC2 - superseded by the EQU command.
- DECLINATION - superseded by the EQU
command.
- DEFINE - substituted by the
SIC\SYMBOL and SIC\@
commands and command procedures (macros).
- DEBUG - not implemented.
- DOPSET - not implemented.
- EXECUTE - not implemented.
- FIX_TIME - not implemented.
- FORGET - removed. Catalog files can be edited
directly.
- FS_SCAN - removed. It was a duplicate of the
FSWITCH command.
- FTS - superseded by the INSTRUMENT
command.
- GB - superseded by the GAL command.
- GET - not implemented.
- GL - superseded by the GAL command.
- GOTO_S - not supported by the SIC.
- GUIDE_STAR_CAT - not implemented.
- HOLD - not implemented.
- INTERPRET - substituted by the SIC\@ command.
- KILL_SUBPROCESS - not implemented.
- LAST_EXECUTION - not implemented.
- LINE - removed. Catalog files can be edited
directly.
- LOGON - superseded by the LOG command.
- MAPPER - not implemented.
- NOLOG - superseded by the LOG command.
- OFF_POSITION - renamed to _OFF_POSITION.
- ON_POSITION - renamed to _ON_POSITION.
- PAUSE - not implemented.
- RA - superseded by the EQU command.
- RA2 - superseded by the EQU command.
- RASTER_SCAN - not implemented.
- RESUME - not implemented.
- SBUPDATE - renamed to _NEW_POSITION.
- SOURCE - removed. Catalog files can be edited
directly.
- TAKE_DATA - renamed to _TAKE_DATA.
- VIEW_LOG - removed. Log files are always
readable.
- XRASTER_SCAN - renamed to RASTER_SCAN.
8 System and User Configuration/Data Files
- Various system default configuration and data files
(e.g., pointing files, default catalogs, ephemerides, and
logs) are located in kilauea:/opt/uip.
- User configuration and data files (e.g., private
catalogs and private ephemerides) are located in
kilauea:~/.uip.
- Many files are first searched in the current working
directory, next under an appropriate subdirectory in the user file
location, then in the system default file location by the new
UIP.
9 Catalogs
- Source and line catalogs for the new UIP are in plain text.
They are meant to be edited directly using a text editor rather
than the SOURCE, LINE, and FORGET
commands.
- The format of source catalogs is very similar to the one used
by the GILDAS astro program. Below are a few lines from the
default source catalog:
-
W3OHUH EQ 1950.00 02:23:16.700 61:38:54.01 LSR -47.40
ORIUH EQ 1950.00 05:32:47.000 -05:24:21.00 LSR 9.00
W51UH EQ 1950.00 19:21:27.001 14:24:30.00 LSR 57.10
S146UH EQ 1950.00 22:47:29.998 59:39:00.01 LSR -49.60
- Line catalogs do not contain the default LO multiplication
factor. It is instead implied from the receiver in use or
specified explicitly using the LO command. Below are a
few lines from the default line catalog:
-
12CO2-1 230.5379700 GHz LSB
12CO3-2 345.7959900 GHz USB
12CO4-3 461.0408110 GHz LSB
12CO6-5 691.4729800 GHz USB
12CO7-6 806.6517200 GHz LSB
10 Ephemerides
- The format of ephemerides has been changed to closely match to
the output of the JPL Horizons System. Below are a few lines from
the ephemeris file for Titan:
-
2454832.500000000 11 33 04.8430 +05 08 56.079 9.00952445513056 -29.4049816
2454832.625000000 11 33 05.4242 +05 08 58.749 9.00739372774336 -29.6222299
2454832.750000000 11 33 05.9865 +05 09 01.449 9.00524749734546 -29.8343300
2454832.875000000 11 33 06.5286 +05 09 04.179 9.00308615465248 -30.0407553
2454833.000000000 11 33 07.0492 +05 09 06.937 9.00091012827573 -30.2409828
On each line are universal time in JD, apparent, geocentric
right ascension in HMS and declination in DMS, range in AU, and
range rate in km s−1.
11 Log Files
- Under the original UIP, it was possible to open and append to
the most recently used log file. The new UIP always creates a new
log file when it is started.
12 UIP Related Services
TCP port numbers of the various UIP related services (
e.g., UIP
daemon) are unchanged. Only the server address needs to be changed
from
alpha1.submm.caltech.edu to
kilauea.submm.caltech.edu.
A References
B Revision History
- 1.0 (July 1, 2009) HY - Initial release as User Guide.
- 1.1 (July 2, 2009) HY - Added examples for catalogs and
ephemerides.
- 1.2 (July 8, 2009) HY - Released as Release Notes. Some
contents were moved to new User Guide.
- 1.3 (August 17, 2009) HY - Corrected UIP installation path.
- 1.4 (August 31, 2009) HY - Cosmetic changes.
- 1.5 (September 2, 2009) HY - Removed comment commands.
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On 21 Feb 2012, 13:20.