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Installation Notes

Environment (optional) - 2024

  • Update python to 3.11.9
  • Update Windows Terminal and PowerShell
    • winget install --id=Microsoft.PowerShell -e
  • "pip install pickleshare" may be needed for IPython
  • install Visual Studio Code
  • install GIT
  • For ARC controller DSP code modifications, install motoroladsptools
  • For Archon controller systems, install archongui from STA website.

AzCam root folder

mkdir /azcam
cd /azcam

Get Repositories

git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam-console
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam-90prime  # example
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam-tool  # windows only

Install repositories

pip install -e azcam
pip install -e azcam-console
pip install -e azcam-90prime  # example

Optionally install and start xpans from ../azcam/support/ds9

Execution examples

python -i -m azcam_90prime.server
ipython -i -m azcam_90prime.server
ipython -i --profile azcamserver -m azcam_90prime.server -- -archon -nogui
ipython --ipython-dir=/data/ipython --profile azcamserver -i -m azcam_itl.server -- -system LVM -instrument EB
ipython --ipython-dir=~/data/ipython --profile azcamserver -i -m azcam_mods.server

Linux Notes

  • upgrade python3 to python 3.11 and add pip
  • alias python to python3
  • create and goto ~/azcam
  • python -m pip install --user -e ./azcam
  • python -m pip install --user -e ./azcam-console
  • python -m pip install --user -e ./azcam-90prime
  • sudo apt install saods9
  • sudo apt install xpa-tools

Windows azcam-tool GUI

  • install Labview 2014 runtime for azcam-tool
  • install ds9, xpans, and nssm from ../azcam/support

Camera Server Windows 10 machines

  • install ARC Win10 PCI card driver
  • install and configure controller server for proper camera server port

Example installation sequence for fresh Linux installation (WSL under Windows 11)

wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install python3.11
echo "alias python=/usr/bin/python3.11" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
python -m pip install --upgrade pip

sudo apt install saods9
sudo apt install xpa-tools

mkdir ~/azcam
mkdir ~/data
cd ~/azcam
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam-console
git clone https://github.com/mplesser/azcam-90prime

ipython --profile azcamserver -i -m azcam_90prime.server -- -archon -nogui

Time Sync

AzCam sets the time written into FITS image headers as close as possible to when an integration would start (just before the shutter opens). This occurs from the exposure.begin() method by the exposure.record_current_times() method. The keywords set are:

  • "DATE-OBS", "UTC shutter opened"
  • "DATE", "UTC date and time file writtten"
  • "TIME-OBS", "UTC at start of exposure"
  • "UTC-OBS", "UTC at start of exposure"
  • "UT", "UTC at start of exposure"
  • "TIMESYS", "Time system"
  • "TIMEZONE", "Local time zone"
  • "LOCTIME", "Local time at start of exposure"

(Windows OS) For the local machine time to be as accurate as possible, some machines sync time on a fairly short interval (every few minutes). A time sync setup app may be used to set the sync interval and remote time server addresses for the w32tm system time process. This file is typically a shell file named setup_time_sync and is found in the azcam environment support folders. It is usually executed automatically when the machine boots (see the shell:startup fodler).

ARC controller Camera Server

installation of camera servers is generally a two part process. First install drivers and then install the azcam camera server application. We use the Windows 10 OS for our camera servers. The drivers were devleoped by ARC and provided in 32- and 64-bit versions for both PCI (ARC-64) and PCIe (ARC-66) fiber optic boards. Administrative privileges are required for these installations.

For the CAstroArcCameraServer64.exe program, vcredist_x64.exe may be required to be installed.

The azcam InstallService.bat script erquires the XYNTService.exe utility.