Progress

[Tom Droege <droege@wwa.com>]

I have been working away.  Friday I sent the camera head board out for printed
circuits.  I have been working on the main logic board.  I have it divided
up into three major parts, the Stamp controller, the scanner, and the ADC
section.  It will be one 10" x 16" printed circuit board.  It is now
complete, but I am still checking and adding things like grounds around
the edge, etc..

There is one more board to do and it is half done.  It contains the
miscellaneous stuff.   One section contains the TEC drivers and it is
completed.  The second section contains all the motor drivers.  I have
not started it yet.  It is not complex but there is a lot of little things.

The electronics will take up about 10" x 26" of board space.  Two big boards.

Merle is working on revisions to the memory board.  

I think I have decided to mount the boards directly on the telescopes.  With
four telescopes in a row, there is a lot of room.  This will make for very
short leads from the camera heads to the electronics, and I like that.
But it does put the electronics out in the open.   It will also reduce the
number of heavy cables that must come off the moving mount.  I don't
think this will be a problem but I might as well limit the wiring if I can.
This is always a problem for big telescopes. I figure the electronics can
stand any weather that the lenses can stand.

I feel good about the progress.  A few weeks and I will be testing.  (and
writing code).

Meanwhile, I have been getting the first Mark III data in what seems like
months.  Not much since mid November.  One or two days and that was
low quality data.  

Tom Droege