KEYWORDS: Quality control, Calibration, Equipment, Data processing, Data archive systems, Large telescopes, Data storage, Data acquisition, Process control, Signal processing
We present the tool qcFlow designed to handle the quality control process at ESO’s LaSilla-Paranal Observatory in the ELT era. We highlight the top-level requirements and the way they are implemented in the tool. We also describe the supporting data flow software that allows the quality control process for a large suite of different astronomical instruments to be efficient and automated to a high degree.
ESO’s La Silla Paranal Observatory uses a set of integrated tools for preparation and execution of Service and Visitor Mode (SM and VM, respectively) observations. The web interface for the observation preparation (p2) provides a versatile and robust environment for users to efficiently design their observations. The software architecture of p2 enabled implementation of new services, modeled according to the instruments’ specifications and operational standards. The automatic creation of Finding Charts is integrated within p2 and the Observation Preparation (ObsPrep) tool enables interactive observing strategy configuration including for example fine-tuning of the science field pointings, selection of blind offset and guide stars as well as selection of auxiliary stars for instruments using Adaptive Optics. Through the Visitor Execution Sequence, observers can plan and monitor in real-time their (on-site or remote) observations. For Service Mode runs the use of scheduling containers, recently extended to include nesting of containers, enables design of complex observing strategies that are machine readable, which allows programmatic preparation of short term scheduling for execution and planning of the night at the observatory.
Service mode observations at ESO's Paranal Observatory relies on the ability to grade science observations. The grading criteria, as defined by the submitter of the program are based mainly on external conditions (e.g. sky transparency, atmospheric seeing) and the grading is done by the night crew immediately after the observations.
One of the top-level requirements for operating the E-ELT is to improve observation grading scheme by including criteria based on pipeline-reduced science data. The implementation of a science data grading for a range of different instruments and data types requires the development of new versatile software tools. They would feature real time data visualization, the ability to measure a variety of data quality indicators and able to render the necessary information to the night operators in order to properly grade the science data. We will present the SCUBA software which provides a visualization interface for quality control to all data taken at Paranal.
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