P.A.R.I. Enclosure Encoding
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

 

Keith Redmon

Department of Computer Science
University of North Carolina at Asheville

Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science

Concentration in Computer Systems

April 18, 2006
 

 

Advisor:

Dr. Joseph K. Daugherty Ph.D.

Professor Department of Computer Science
University of North Carolina at Asheville

 

 

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing research and educational access to radio and optical astronomy located in Rosman, N.C. At present PARI is in the process of bringing several optical telescopes online, to be accessed over the World Wide Web. The enclosures for the five telescopes include two "roll back" roofs, two "clam type" enclosures and one "swing up" door. All these telescopes are located over five hundred meters from the main control room. A computer in the main control room controls the opening and closing of the telescope enclosures, however, at present there is no encoding of the exact position of the roofs or doors as they open and close. Thus, at present, there is an "open" or "close" signal sent, with no feedback as to the progress of the operation of the roofs or doors. Dr. Dennison and Dr. Castelaz would like to have the position of the roofs and doors encoded such that the position would be known to within two to three centimeters.

 

            This Project will draw upon all the disciplines I have learned at UNCA from a low-level analog design to high-level language development utilizing JAVA, C and C++. Existing components will have to be effectively interfaced, reliable communication and position encoding will have to be developed. Cost is an ongoing concern as PARI is a non-profit organization, also power at the telescope enclosures is provided by batteries charged by solar panels, thus energy will have to be conserved as much as possible. Any JAVA modules will have to be able to seamlessly integrate with the overall JAVA application which will be used by the end users of the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute.