ICIMACS v5.5 Instrument Computer (IC) Command Set for CCD's

(ICIMACS = Instrument Control and Image Acquisition System

USAGE: Commands for the IC can be entered either from its keyboard, with output appearing on the IC monitor, or through a serial port, with output returned through that port. See the ICIMACS Command Protocol page for inter-machine communication specifics.
For commands with optional parameters, entering the command alone will return its current values.

New Commands

CONFIG

Display current instrument hardware configuration

DISKS

List disk parameters

FOCUS objectname

Enable focus frame mode, allowing multiple exposures per acquired frame via the SHOPEN and RESUME commands

+LOG

Enable logging of all activity

-LOG

Disable logging of all activity

PAUSE

Close the shutter, stop the exposure countdown, and wait for RESUME

RESUME

Open the shutter and resume the exposure countdown

SHCLOSE

Close the shutter

SHOPEN n

Open the shutter for n seconds

SNAP n

Acquire and display n frames without committing to disk

SYNCHRO

Display data disk synchronization status

GETFILE filename [new_filename]

Converts local file filename into a fits file and saves it to the mount point either with the same name or as new_filename.

Program Control

QUIT

Saves the current configuration and quits the program

ICSTATUS

Returns the values of selected operating variables

CONFIG

Display current instrument hardware configuration

SYSINFO

Displays information on the computer hardware and BIOS

VERSION

Returns the program version number, and the executable path, name, compilation date, and compilation time

SAVECONFIG

Saves the current program configuration to the .ini file on disk, according to the variable names in the template file (ini*.tpl)

FREE

Shows the current free memory and stack usage

+LOG

Enable logging of all activity

-LOG

Disable logging of all activity

SEQINIT

Enable sequencer functions and initialize the head electronics box com ports

-SEQ

Disable sequencer functions, including the head electronics box com ports

VALUE [n/RAMP]

When the sequencer is disabled, loads the memory buffer with fixed value n, or with a ramped data function scaled to the greyscale parameters

Exposure Control

EXP [n]

Set exposure time to n seconds

SHCLOSE

Close the shutter

SHOPEN n

Open the shutter for n seconds

GO

Take one exposure

MGO n

Take n exposures

TV or MOVIE

Take exposures continuously without saving to disk

SNAP n

Acquire and display n frames without committing to disk

PAUSE

Close the shutter, stop the exposure countdown, and wait for RESUME

RESUME

Open the shutter and resume the exposure countdown

STOP

Exit exposure count-down and read out one frame

ABORT

Exit acquisition loop without reading out

FLASH n [s/ms/us]

When an LED is connected to the head electronics box, flashes the LED for n seconds/milliseconds/microseconds

Detector Readout Control

READOUT amps

Reads out detector using the amplifiers specified by amps. See the software usage page for details.

GAINDL n

Sets the pixel integration time used in the sequencer map to n sequencer clock ticks (one tick = 300 nanoseconds)

XBIN [n]

Set on-detector binning of pixel columns to n

YBIN [n]

Set on-detector binning of pixel rows to n

OVERX [n]

Set the number of overscan columns per amplifier to n. Note that this refers to physical clocking of the detector, not necessarily the number of overscan columns present in the final image. The number of overscan columns in the final data is the OVERX set value, times the number of amplifiers, divided by the x-axis binning factor. n must be less than 256/(number of amplifiers)

OVERY [n]

Set the number of overscan rows to n. Note that this refers to physical clocking of the detector, not necessarily the number of rows present in the final image. The number of overscan rows is the OVERY set value, divided by the y-axis binning factor. n must be less than 256.

ROI [x0 x1 y0 y1] [OFF/ON]

Sets the region-of-interest; the area of the detector, in physical detector pixels, to read out; also toggles between ROI readout and full-detector readout. See the Software Notes for usage details.

CLEAN [n]

Set the number of clean cycles performed before each exposure to n

POSTCLEAN [n]

Set the number of readouts performed after the clean cycles and before each exposure to n

CBIN [x y]

Set the binning during the clean cycle to x columns and y rows

PCBIN [x y]

Set the binning during the postclean cycle to x columns and y rows

PCPAUSE n

Sets the number of seconds to pause between the postclean cycle and the beginning of integration to n seconds

PCDELAY n

Sets the number of seconds to delay between successive postclean cycles to n seconds

ROICLEAN [ON/OFF]

Toggles whether the clean and/or postclean cycles set with CLEAN and POSTCLEAN commands are performed when ROI is enabled. Set to OFF to get the fastest read-out rate.

READSEQ n

Reads back the sequencer memory contents starting at address n.

Display Control

DISPL [min [max [sat]]]

Set data display scaling so that data <=min appears as black, data =>max is white, and data =>sat appears as bright red

ZOOMCEN +-/x +-/y

Center the zoom display window on pixel x y. If the / prefix is used, coordinates are in physical, unbinned pixels. If a + or - prefix is appended, the coordinates are relative to the current window center.

BRUCE [T/F]

BRUCE T makes the zoom window larger than than the full device, binned window. BRUCE F reverses this

STATS [+-FULL][+-ZOOM][+-USER][x0 y0 x1 y1]

Controls calculating and display of image statistics on each acquired frame. +-FULL toggles full-image statistics, +-ZOOM toggles the area within the zoomed window, +-USER toggles the user defined area. Set the user defined area with the x0 y0 x1 y1 coordinates.

Disk Write Control

REQ MOUNT

Returns a list of the current valid disks for writing data.

PATH [pathname]

Selects pathname as the disk and path for data writes

FULLPATH [pathname]

set/show complete path for image writes; pathname must include full mount point

USE PATH pathname

Makes pathname the current path

USE MOUNT [mountname/n]

Selects mountname as the current disk and path for data writes. Alternatively, the number n can be used, where n is the number of the desired mountpoint returned from the REQ MOUNT command (zero-based).

FILENAME filename

Selects filename as the base name for image files written to disk.

DELETE filespec

Deletes image files on local mount point matching filespec. filespec may include wildcards (* and ?). Note that only FITS files can be deleted with this command.

FITS Header Control

TIME YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss timezone

Sets the system time, and the timezone identifier. Should be executed at least once a night to ensure that the time and date stamps in image FITS headers are accurate.

OBSERVER Larry,Moe,Curly

Sets the observer names included in the FITS image header to Larry,Moe and Curly

OWNER OSU

Sets the image owner reported in the FITS image header to OSU

CBBAGAIN n

Declares the clock/bias board analog gain level to be reported in the FITS image header to n

PA_TAU n

Declares the time constant of the pixel charge integrating capacitor to be reported in the FITS image header to n

OBJECT,BIAS,DARK,FLAT,SKY,DOMEFLAT,STANDARD,ZERO,COMP,STD,TEMPOBJ,TEMPBIAS,TEMPDARK,FOCUS objectname

Sets the image type and object name in the FITS header. Note that BIAS and ZERO also set the exposure time to zero, and the other image types restore the exposure time used before the last BIAS or ZERO image type was set. The TEMP* image types allow overwriting of images on the local disks. The FOCUS image type allows multiple exposures on each acquired frame via the SHOPEN and RESUME commands.

COMMENT This is my comment

Sets the comment string in the FITS header.

PROPID A12345

Sets the propid string appearing in the FITS image header to A12345

RECID kpno21m

Sets the recid prefix appearing in the FITS image header to kpno21m

Communication Control

RECOVER

Reinitializes communication without resetting current table of active hosts

RESTART

Clears table of hosts and path mount table and reinitializes communication

PING [ALL]

Communication initialization request; responds with a PONG

PONG

Communication initialization acknowledge; no response is given

BUFFER n

Display contents of communication port n buffer

FLUSH n

Clear contents of communication port n buffer

ROUTE nn

Until <esc> is pressed, route all commands from the keyboard to machine nn

PORTS

Returns a list of the active ports (keyboard/screen=0,com ports=1-4,head electronics com ports=7-9)

HOSTS

Lists all message sender addresses that have been received.

VERBOSE

Echoes all incoming and outgoing communications onscreen

CONCISE

Suppresses echoing of communications onscreen

UARTINIT

If sequencer is enabled, initialize com ports in the head electronics box

Data Disk and Mount Point Synchronization (systems with ISL WC's only)