Telescope Control System

A general issue with warnings and alarms from the TCS is that they are relatively easy to miss (both in sight and sound). TCS log entries are now sent to the observing system and through the general Talker system provide audible and visible warnings on the screen of the observing system.

We are continuously expanding the amount of TCS data that is send to the general observing system data-base. This allows both for better warning and alarm systems, and for more complete and sophisticated observing scripts. This does provide an increased load on the TCS, but through the use of the data-base the number of direct calls to the TCS can be reduced which in turn reduces the load on the TCS.

With the possibility to operate most of our (observing) systems at the mountain remotely there is a safety issue. As the TCS is a closed system it is in principle simple to isolate and exclude commands issued remotely. The command ``Inhibit-Remote-Commands'' and ``Permit-Remote-Commands'' were implemented that can only be issued from the TCS user interface in the control room. The commands were fully tested in the control room itself, but a remote test is still pending.

It was noted that the printed documentation for the TCS in the control room was rather outdated and scattered. A printed version of all the information about the new TCS in a single binder was made and all outdated printed information was removed.