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howto:taking_images

Following paragraphs document how to take images with RTS2. It is assumed that you have everything installed, and RTS2, including CCD drivers, runs on your computer. The examples given here assume that your camera name in RTS2 system is C0. If your camera is called differently, please use its name.

rts2-xfocusc

rts2-xfocusc displays CCD image on XWindow scree. If you have XWindows installed (graphical desktop on Linux), and you are either physically setting in front of the machine with camera or you are using ssh with the machine, rts2-xfocusc is the quickest way how to check that CCD is working. To take 2 second exposures, you will type:

rts2-xfocusc -d C0 -e 2

See attached example of the output:

user@host:~$ rts2-xfocusc -d C0 -e 2
2009-06-08T15:23:48.180 app 2 Cannot find value 'astrometry_devices' in section 'imgproc'.
Cannot open horizon file 
Display opened succesfully
2009-06-08T15:23:48.473 app 2 Cannot find value 'ter_xoa' in section 'C0'.
2009-06-08T15:23:48.473 app 2 Cannot find value 'ter_yoa' in section 'C0'.
2009-06-08T15:23:48.473 app 2 Cannot find value 'instrume' in section 'C0'.
2009-06-08T15:23:48.473 app 2 Cannot find value 'telescop' in section 'C0'.
2009-06-08T15:23:48.473 app 2 Cannot find value 'origin' in section 'C0'.
Get conn: C0
State changed (C0):  value:0 idle | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  (0)
State changed (C0):  value:0 EXPOSING | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  | BLOCK TELESCOPE MOVEMENT (67108865)
2009-06-08T15:23:50.252 app 2 Cannot find value 'environment' in section 'C0'.
State changed (C0):  value:0 READING | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  (2)
2009-06-08T15:23:52.549 app 8 exposureEnd C0
Get data : [1024x1024]
Create ximage 1024x1024
Ximage created
Window median:94 stdev 0.6745 low:91 hig:97
State changed (C0):  value:0 EXPOSING | 0 READING | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  | BLOCK TELESCOPE MOVEMENT (67108867)
State changed (C0):  value:0 EXPOSING | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  | BLOCK TELESCOPE MOVEMENT (67108865)
State changed (C0):  value:0 READING | SHUTTER_CLEARED | COOLING_OFF  (2)
2009-06-08T15:23:54.985 app 8 exposureEnd C0

For more options (you can change binning, do sub-window images, takes darks,..) please consult rts2-xfocusc -h.

rts2-focusd

rts2-focusd is similar to rts2-xfocusc. The only difference is that it will not use XWindows display to display images. By default it will save images in current directory, using <camera_name>_<yyyy><mm><dd>-<hh><mm><ss>-<msec>.fits as file name. Please consult rts2-focusc -h for more details.

rts2-scriptexec

rts2-scriptexec can be used to execute RTS2 scripts on camera. Scripts are complex, yet simple “programs” used to take exposure, set various variables, etc.. Please consult man rts2.script for more details about RTS2 scripts.

The following example will take 2 20 seconds exposure, then change telescope named T0 offsets by 2 degrees in both RA and DEC, will take 2 10 seconds exposures, change filter to 2nd filter, and will take 11 1 seconds exposures, followed by darks for 1, 10 and 20 seconds:

user@host:~# rts2-scriptexec -d C0 -s 'for 2 { E 20 } T0.WOFFS+=(2,2) for 2 { E 10 } filter=2 for 11 { E 1 } D 1 D 10 D 20'

The resulting images are saved as <camera_name>_<yyyy><mm><dd>-<hh><mm><ss>-<msec>.fits to the current directory. If you will try to modify script, please bear in mind that you need to put space around brackets - e.g. this:

user@host:~# rts2-scriptexec -d C0 -s 'for 2 {E 20}'

is wrong, while this:

user@host:~# rts2-scriptexec -d C0 -s 'for 2 { E 20 }'

is correct.

howto/taking_images.txt · Last modified: 2010/04/10 00:00 (external edit)