Paper detail

The Simons Observatory: Antenna control software integration and implementation

The Simons Observatory (SO) is a ground-based cosmic microwave background survey experiment that consists of three 0.5 m small-aperture telescopes and one 6 m large-aperture telescope, sited at an elevation of 5200 m in the Atacama Desert in Chile. SO will study the polarization and temperature anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The observatory will require well-understood telescope pointing and scanning. Good antenna control will allow us to execute the scan strategy devised to optimize sensitivity to our scientific goals, calibrate the system with celestial targets, and make maps. To achieve this, we integrate the data acquisition and control of the telescopes' Antenna Control Units (ACUs) within the software framework of the SO Observatory Control System (OCS). We present here the current status of the software integration for the ACUs, as well as measurements of the Small Aperture Telescope platforms' responsiveness to software commanding in the factory, plans for in situ measurements, and prospects for implementation on the Large Aperture Telescope.