Starting up IGRINS computers & data taking software

Owned by
Kyle F Kaplan
Last updated: May 16, 2016 by
Mace, Gregory N
5 min read

This procedure assumes that IGRINS has already been tested by observatory staff, or used the previous night. For a complete restart (perhaps after a power failure) see below.

            If the ICC is rebooted you do not need to reinitialize the detectors.

            You should reboot the ICC and DSC at the start of each observing run, and more often if there are socket communication errors.

  • To start a new observing night you must close the IGRINS control software and restart it. This will create new directories and log files.
    • On the ICC...
      • Click the red 'X' on the upper left corner of the Data Taking Package, Slitview Camera GUI, and the Housekeeping Package.
      • Close out of the Quick Look Packages, also using the red 'X', if they are running.
      • Make sure that all python scripts have been killed and that there are no rocket icons on the bottom dock.
      • Open a terminal and type...
        • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
          • Go to main directory where we run all the IGRINS stuff from.
        • "bash mntrun"

          • Mounts remote directories.

          • Ask if you need to know the password.
          • It might error if these directories already exist.  This is okay.
        • "python tmp350.py"
          • Starts temperature controller monitoring.  This ensures the heaters stay on.
          • This terminal now should run in the background for the whole observing run.
        • Minimize this terminal, you should not need it again
  • You start a new observing session by: 
    • Opening a terminal and typing:
      • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
      • "python mtini.py""cd ~/igrins_admin"
        • Shut down the housekeeping package (HKP) if it is open.
        • There are three motors you can home, and by default you should use option (0).For now: run 2, run 3, run 1 but motor will get stuck.  When it says the same position over and over control-c to get out of mtini.py
          • 0 - Initialize all motors
          • 1 - Lower translator (pseudo-dark mask)
          • 2 - Upper translator (fold mirror for looking at the calibration sources)
          • 3 - Lamp selector (lets you select lamps or arcs)
        • 5 - quit motor homing script
      • "sudo python ibunny.py" and provide the date when prompted. Leave this terminal running in the background.
    • After running ibunny.py, in a separate terminal type:
      • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
      • "sudo bash icsrun" and enter the IGRINS password again if prompted.
      • Take a 'Single' and 'Start Exposure' with autosave enabled to check the detector readout when the instrument control software is first started.
      • Turn off autosave and adjust the windows so that the House Keeping Package is on the far left screen, the Slit-Viewing Camera is on the left of the ICC screen, and the Data Taking Package is on the right side of the ICC screen.
    • You must restart ibunny.py every time you exit and restart icsrun - if you fail to do this the DTP will state that the H and K detectors are disconnected. 
    • Now you are ready to use the Data Taking Software.  Next, go to the manual for Using the IGRINS Data Taking Software.

 

How start up the IGRINS computers and software from a power failure (Do not attempt alone. Contact IGRINS support so they can assist.)

  • If there has been a power failure, you need to check the Lakeshore temperature controllers to ensure that the correct operating temperatures are being maintained.

  • Start/restart the "Instrument Control Computer" (ICC) if it is not already running.  It is the big iMac. This is required to establish proper socket connections. 
  • Turn on the "Data Storage Computer" (DSC).  It is the Mac tower.
  • On the ICC...
    • Open a terminal and type...
      • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
        • Go to main directory where we run all the IGRINS stuff from.
      • "bash mntrun"

        • Mounts remote directories.

        • Ask if you need to know the password.
        • It might error if these directories already exist.  This is okay.
      • "python tmp350.py"Minimize this terminal, you should not need it again.
        • Starts temperature controller monitoring.  This ensures the heaters stay on.
        • This terminal now should run in the background for the whole observing run.
      • Minimize this terminal, you should not need it again
    • If you think the positions of the motors are off, or the motors are unresponsive, open a terminal and run the following script to reset their positions...
      • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
      • "python mtini.py"
        • Shut down the housekeeping package (HKP) if it is open
        • There are three motors you can home, and by default you should use option (0) - However, we are having issues with the dark mirror motor.
          • 0 - Initialize all motors - don't do this
          • 2 - Upper translator (fold mirror for looking at the calibration sources)
          • 3 - Lamp selector (lets you select lamps or arcs)
          • 1 - Lower translator (pseudo-dark mask) - This will hang and you will need to Cntrl-C out.
        • 5 - quit motor homing script
    • Load up the remote desktops for all the detector software running on the 3 Dell computers in the instrument rack.
      • Open 3 remote desktops sessions either by right clicking in the dock or opening a terminal and typing "open -n Remote\ Desktop\ Connection.app/".
      • Go to the following IP addresses in each of the remote desktop windows:
        • 192.168.2.4 - DCC for SVC - Data control computer for the slit view camera
        • 192.168.2.5 - DCC for H-band - Data control computer for the H-band camera
        • 192.168.2.6 - DCC for K-band - Data control computer for the K-band camera
      • Ask if you need  to know the username and password.
      • If you see a warning about the certificate, click connect, it will still work.
    • Run the following on each of the three detector control computers (DCCs) to get the detectors running...
      • Double click "HAL Server" icon on the desktop.
      • Click "Start" then minimize the HAL window.
        • If you get a USB error, check to make sure the USB are fully plugged in.
      • Click "HXRG" on desktop.
        • Click to continue.
      • Click "Initialize" at the top left of the window.
        • Wait ~5 seconds.
      • In the pop-up-window...
        • Check box "Download Jade2 Firmware".
        • "Download Jade2 Register Database" should already be checked.
        • Click "Initialize"
        • Wait ~20 seconds for the Jade card to initialize.
      • Ensure that the "ASIC Main Power" box is checked (top left panel of HXRG testing software).
      • In the middle left panel "Detector Configuration" set "# of Detector Outputs" to 32
      • In the top left panel press the "SET CONFIG PARAMETERS" button.
        • This tells the chips to use all 32 channels for maximum readout speed, instead of just 4.
      • In the middle center panel select "Fowler Sampling"
        • It can be confusing but "Fowler Sampling" is a button.  Just click it.
        • "Fowler Exp. time" will ungrey after you click "Fowler Sampling".
      • In the top right panel press "ACQUIRE" to take a test image.
        • If it looks normal, you are ready to take data!
    •  You are now free to disconnect the 3 remote desktops.
    • Open a terminal...
      • "cd ~/igrins_admin"
      • "sudo bash icsrun"
        • This opens the IGRINS operating software
    • The python IGRINS control software wil now open 5 windows
    • Now you are ready to use the Data Taking Software.  Next, go to the manual for Using the IGRINS Data Taking Software.

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