Control Software for the SST-1M Small-Size Telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper describes the development and deployment of control software for the SST-1M prototype telescope of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, utilizing standard software frameworks and protocols for subsystem management and operation.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive control software architecture for the SST-1M telescope, integrating subsystems via ACS and OPC UA protocols, and demonstrates early operational capabilities.

Findings

Successful control software implementation for all subsystems

Prototype telescope operated without the camera

Camera capable of data acquisition with artificial light

Abstract

The SST-1M is a 4-m Davies--Cotton atmospheric Cherenkov telescope optimized to provide gamma-ray sensitivity above a few TeV. The SST-1M is proposed as part of the Small-Size Telescope array for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the first prototype has already been deployed. The SST-1M control software of all subsystems (active mirror control, drive system, safety system, photo-detection plane, DigiCam, CCD cameras) and the whole telescope itself (master controller) uses the standard software design proposed for all CTA telescopes based on the ALMA Common Software (ACS) developed to control the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Each subsystem is represented by a separate ACS component, which handles the communication to and the operation of the subsystem. Interfacing with the actual hardware is performed via the OPC UA communication protocol, supported either natively by dedicated industrial standard servers (PLCs) or separate service applications developed to wrap lower level protocols (e.g. CAN bus, camera slow control) into OPC UA. Early operations of the telescope without the camera were already carried out. The camera is fully assembled and is capable to perform data acquisition using artificial light source.