udas_detect_ro command

This page is part of the ING manual INS-DAS-29 Operations manual for UltraDAS.

Function:

Udas_detect_ro monitors a named camera and returns when the camera starts to read out (or if the camera's server-programme exits). A command on the ICS or TCS can be done while the observation is reading out and saving itself.

Usage:

    udas_detect_ro <camera>

where camera is the formal name of the camera, e.g. WFC.

Example:

    gocat 5C12.144
    run WFC 500 "5C12.144" &
    udas_detect_ro WFC ; gocat 5C12.145
    wait
    run WFC 500 "5C12.145" &
    udas_detect_ro WFC ; gocat 5C12.148
    wait
    run WFC 500 "5C12.148"

This observes three objects from a target list in sequence, slewing to the next target as soon as each observation starts to read out; the slew time is hidden inside the readout time.

The run commands are done in the background of the shell - hence the ampersand - and the slews in the foreground. After each slew, the script waits - using the shell's built-in wait command - for the previous run to read out and save itself.

This example works with the shells csh and tcsh.

Notes and caveats:

Commands should not be sent to the camera while it is reading out and saving its run. This kind of construct will fail miserably:

    run WFC 500 &
    udas_detect_ro WFC ; filter R ; run WFC 600

because the second run will collide with the end of the first. Use wait (or the equivalent in your scripting language) to avoid this.