Bringing FORS into the ELT era: implementation of the control software

M. Porru; V. Baldini; S. Bertocco; H. M. J. Boffin; G. Calderone; R. Cirami; I. Coretti; C. Cumani; D. Del Valle; F. Derie; P. Di Marcantonio; M. Kiekebusch; C. Moins; P. Gutierrez Cheetham; A. Manescau; D. Popovic; R. Siebenmorgen; V. Strazzullo; A. Sulich

doi:10.1117/12.3018267

25 July 2024 Bringing FORS into the ELT era: implementation of the control software

M. Porru, V. Baldini, S. Bertocco, H. M. J. Boffin, G. Calderone, R. Cirami, I. Coretti, C. Cumani, D. Del Valle, F. Derie, P. Di Marcantonio, M. Kiekebusch, C. Moins, P. Gutierrez Cheetham, A. Manescau, D. Popovic, R. Siebenmorgen, V. Strazzullo, A. Sulich

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13101, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy VIII; 131012E (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018267
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Conference Poster

Abstract

FORS2 (FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph) is a multimode (imaging, polarimetry, long slit and multi-object spectroscopy) optical instrument mounted on the Cassegrain focus of the UT1 of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Its versatility and large wavelength range (330-1100 nm) make it one of the most requested instruments at the VLT. To keep it operational for at least the next 15 years, the FORS upgrade project (FORS-Up), a collaboration between ESO and INAF-OATs, was started: the twin spectrograph FORS1, decommissioned in 2009, has been sent to Europe and is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment in the integration hall of the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste. Once the upgrade is finished, FORS1 will replace FORS2 at the VLT. In this paper, we report the status of the work currently in progress on the control software: the original one is based on the VLT standards, and it is now being reimplemented within the new ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) software framework. New GUIs have been designed for FORS, which give the user in-depth control over the instrument; new templates for observational, engineering and maintenance procedures have been developed; hardware components have been configured, either as standard devices or as special devices (requiring customized solutions). The upgrade will ensure the continued operation of FORS and represent an invaluable testbed for the new ELT software framework.

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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M. Porru, V. Baldini, S. Bertocco, H. M. J. Boffin, G. Calderone, R. Cirami, I. Coretti, C. Cumani, D. Del Valle, F. Derie, P. Di Marcantonio, M. Kiekebusch, C. Moins, P. Gutierrez Cheetham, A. Manescau, D. Popovic, R. Siebenmorgen, V. Strazzullo, and A. Sulich "Bringing FORS into the ELT era: implementation of the control software", Proc. SPIE 13101, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy VIII, 131012E (25 July 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018267

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