Gemini Planet Imager integration to the Gemini South telescope software environment

TL;DR

This paper discusses the integration of the Gemini Planet Imager with the Gemini South telescope's software environment, aiming for seamless operation by a single observer and operator through well-defined interfaces.

Contribution

It presents the design, implementation, and testing of software and hardware interfaces for integrating GPI with the Gemini South telescope system.

Findings

Successful integration of GPI with the telescope environment.

Enhanced operational efficiency for observers and operators.

Validated control interfaces and system stability.

Abstract

The Gemini Planet Imager is an extreme AO instrument with an integral field spectrograph (IFS) operating in Y, J, H, and K bands. Both the Gemini telescope and the GPI instrument are very complex systems. Our goal is that the combined telescope and instrument system may be run by one observer operating the instrument, and one operator controlling the telescope and the acquisition of light to the instrument. This requires a smooth integration between the two systems and easily operated control interfaces. We discuss the definition of the software and hardware interfaces, their implementation and testing, and the integration of the instrument with the telescope environment.