Pixcel follows the windows3 convention of having a .ini file to store configuration and setup from one run to the next. This is a plain text file with one entry per line and a format of KEYWORD=VALUE.
Some of the values in the file are changed by buttons on the control panels inside the program and some can only be changed by editing the file.
That there are such a large number of configuration parameters is a tribute to the flexiblity of the astronomers minds and working practices.
Important: The file can only be edited when pixcel is not running, otherwise any changes will be overwritten when pixcel exits.
The new parameters are in five groups at end of the pixcel.ini file:
Infrared
Filter
Fits
Log
Remote
- DETECTOR=Hawaii (or Picnic)
- A text value used for the DETECTOR keyword in the fits file
- CAMERA=Cirsi (or Cohsi etc)
- A text value used for the CAMERA keyword in the fits file
- SAMCYCLE=2
- An integer value of the number of cycles in the sam code delay loop, needed to allow accurate display of the pixel read rate.
- READS=1 to n
- Stores the number of reads selected by the read box in the infrared sequence control
- SAVE_TIME=0 to 999
- An estimate of the time taken to read the arrays and save the data. This is used by the system to decide whether to save the data during the exposure time between reads or save at all the data at the end. Set 0 to force interleaved saves or aa long time sucha as 999 to force save at the end. See the timing section for more details.
- PRE_READ=TRUE / FALSE
- If true the camera is readout before the start of each sequence and the data discarded. This avoids any artifacts which occur in the first frame due to saturation or remnants of earlier images.
- FILTER_POSITION=0 to 7
- The current selected filter position, select with the filter pull-down menu.
- FILTERn
- The name of each of the filters in the wheel, as used by the filter pull-down menu. These should be strings containing no spaces.
- RUN=0 to n
- A run number is inserted into each file written, the number is automatically incremented with each new sequence. To disable this feature set RUN=0
- LINES=0 to n
- A number of blank lines can be inserted in the end of the fits header before the END record. This allows later data processing software to add its own keywords without having the extend the file.
- SUBTRACT=TRUE or FALSE
- Subtracts the reset image before saving the fits file. In RRR mode this subtracts the reset image from its associated read image and discards the first set of reads. In NDR mode it subtracts the first image from all subseuent images and also stores the first image.
- CONSTANT=0 to n
- A constant to add to the subtracted image to avoid negative values.
- LIST_CHIPS=TRUE or FALSE
- Includes the number of the chip and quadrant in the file name, eg _c1q3_ for chip 1 quadrant 3.
- OBJECT_FILE=FALSE or TRUE
- If true the name of the object as entered in the Object box will be prefixed on the filename when saved. If set to false the filename will start with the run number.
- TYPE=string
- the type of observation as selected in the Observation box, this will also be placed in the fits file with the OBSTYPE keyword.
- INVERT=FALSE or TRUE
- inverts the image vertically before saving it. Pixcel displays the image with the first pixcel in the top left corner. IRAF displays fits files starting in the lower left. This allows the displays to match.
- COMBINE_QUADS=FALSE or TRUE
- Stores each chip in a single file with the four quadrant images arranged in their correct orientation. This reduces the number of files by 4 but makes each file larger.
- FITSFILE=filename (or path or none)
- This allows an external fits file header segment to be inserted into each file saved.
The external file must conform to the fits standard for formatting but can have a CR at the end of each line allowing it to be written with a standard text editor.
There are four ways to specify the file.
- A filename, the file is read from the current directory.
- A full path and filename, that file is read
- A path ( ending in \ ) the file RUN.hdr is read from that directory
- The single word path, the file RUN.hdr is read from the data directory
- none, no file is read
The file is read at the start of the sequence before any data is taken.
- LOG_FILE=filename (or path or none)
- Those fits header parameters which are the same for the whole sequence are written to a file which can be included in a database. File format is currently either comma-seperated values or an html table.
There are four ways to specify the file.
- A filename, the file is read from the current directory.
- A full path and filename, that file is read
- A path ( ending in \ ) the file RUN.dat is written in that directory
- The single word run, the file RUN.dat is written in the data directory
- The word none, no file is written
- LOG_FORMAT=format for log file and extension
- this entry is used for the file extension of the log file. If LOG_FORMAT is htm or html ( case insensitive ) then html format is used otherwise a comma separated variable list is used.
- LOG_URL=
- The url of a web database to send the log file to. Not implemented yet.
- STATUS_FILE=filename or none
- A small html format file is written containing the status of the camera, thiis can be one of:
- Idle: The software has started but is not taking data
- Waiting: Pixcel has started a sequence and is waiting for the trigger
- Running: Pixcel is exposing and taking data
- Error: An error has occured
- REMOTE=TRUE/FALSE
- Enable remote control, or use local windows interface. This is also selected from the remote tab.
- SOCKET=n
- The socket number to use for the remote connection. Standard is 23 (telnet) but any unused socket can be used.
- CLIENT=ip1,ip2
- A list of IP numbers of clients allowed to control the camera.