A C++ class library for telescope pointing

David L. Terrett

doi:10.1117/12.669935

27 June 2006 A C++ class library for telescope pointing

David L. Terrett

Proceedings Volume 6274, Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy; 627412 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669935
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

tpk is a C++ class library, layered on TCSpk and slalib that implements virtual telescope objects for generating mount and rotator position (and optionally, velocity and acceleration) demands, predicting the position of guide probes etc. in the focal plane and tip and tilt for steerable optics. These objects allocate and manage storage for the kernel context in a thread safe manner enabling a pointing kernel for a specific telescope configuration to be constructed simply by creating the necessary objects and calling their "fast", "medium" and "slow" update methods at the appropriate rates. Additional facilities include: Tracking of solar system objects using orbital elements as tabulated by the Minor Planet Center, the JPL Horizons system and the Astronomical Almanac or the for the major planets, built-in ephemeredes due to Chapront and Francou - Management of pointing models including the logging of pointing test data capable of being read into TPOINT, catalogues of pointing reference stars and pointing adjustments from handsets and guiders including the necessary digital filters - Generation of world coordinate system mappings and FITS keywords for instruments. The library can be tailored for a particular operating environment by replacing the mutex and clock classes. For "off-line" or otherwise non time-critical application the existing Posix and Windows implementations can be used.

Citation Download Citation

David L. Terrett "A C++ class library for telescope pointing", Proc. SPIE 6274, Advanced Software and Control for Astronomy, 627412 (27 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669935

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