RE: Observational session control

[Robert Creager <Robert@CarolineCreager.com>]

> 
> A few comments
> 
> 1) XML is a program to program interface.  Human's should never
> have to read/write it.  Use XML is you like but you don't need
> to tell us that you are 

Good point.  I'll distil what RTML provides into a human form and post that.  Then, if 
anyone wants to provide remote observation capabilities, they can use RTML without 
modifying the compiler/scheduler.  The XML would be converted into code for the 
compiler.

> 
> 2) The one example of an active Mk IV user we have to go by (Tom)
> does not use the "target list model" to control his system.  He
> uses a simple algorithum that defines a scan sequence.  This
> is actually the best use of the system in terms of photons
> per hour

Tom gave me his requirements of:
1) take dark
2) take bias
3) scan the sky.   This is a mode where the maximum amount of sky is 
covered as long as it runs.
4) follow.  Follow a field as long as possible.  Next available field, or 
wait for some RA to be available, meanwhile do "scan the sky"
5) scan the sky preferring these fields if available f f f
6) get fields from this table if possible.  Meanwhile "scan the sky"
7) unpark at delay after dusk (program should compute dawn and dusk from 
data and latitude
8) park at delay before dawn

> 
> Whatever the input to the scheduler looks like it had better allow
> a user to specify a loop and relative movement.

Hmmm.  I see what you are getting at, but I don't see the need just yet.  I have not 
thought about this enough, but it seems like this can be handled without getting that 
complex.  Regardless, if folks don't mind using Perl, they use whatever Perl 
language features they like in specifying the target.  I don't know TCL, which is why I 
say Perl...  I would imagine that TCL is doing something like Perl's <eval>.

> 
> You could make the "targt" a very large patch of sky and have the
> program design the best scan pattern.

Very good idea.

> 
> It might be good to first compile a list of requirements:

I'm trying, but Tom is the only one talking.  Maybe everyone else is just waiting to see 
what happens?

> 
> Some people are wanting to do a scan pattern but jump over the
> specif fields as they get near.  

Why?  Because of crowing?  Something else?

> 
> What about overlapping operations?  For example doing a dark
> frame while the mount moves?

Well, if there was a means of specifying how many dark's and bias's were desired for 
the night, then these could be scheduled during moves, or at other times, 
automatically.  At 32x sidereal rate, we have 7.5 seconds per degree (right?), which 
doesn't allow long dark/bias exposures just during moves.  But more observing time 
will be gained if some of the dark/bias time is during the moves, rather than not using 
the moves.

> 
> How many people would really use the target list model?  I don't
> think most will use that as the primary method 
> That's what drove me to think a programing language was required.

Dunno.  But relatively easy to do.