Software
MaximDL is used to control the Apogee AP7b, AO-7 tip-tilt mirror and ST7 for tracking with the AO-7. Doug George at Cyanogen made some custom changes to the software for spectroscopy that work well.
Quick Fringe is our “can’t live without” fringe analysis software. The JPG image of the fringes is imported into this program and it automatically traces the fringes and gives you multiple graphs showing the mirror figure. Used in conjunction with our interferometer we can measure to a fraction of a wavelength just like the big boys!
ACP from DC-3 Dreams is our choice for telescope control software. Bob Denny is promoting the open software concept through ASCOM so all our programs can talk to each other.
LabVIEW from National Instruments. Widely used as machine control software, this innovative programming language uses icons and wiring diagrams to do all the functions of a regular programming language. In our application it records pulses from the Phot Multiplier Tube and the various temperatures in and around the spectrograph enclosure.
We use Microsoft Excel to build plots and graphs of observing runs.