TICS-24 --- An Integrated Telescope Control System Using Hypercard

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Session 47 -- Radio Telescopes, Miscellaneous
Display presentation, Thursday, January 13, 9:30-6:45, Salons I/II Room (Crystal Gateway)

[47.04] TICS-24 --- An Integrated Telescope Control System Using Hypercard

R.L. Hawkins (Whitin Obs., Wellesley C.), S.J. Ratcliff (Middlebury C.)

Starting from scripts generously provided by Ratcliff, the author has developed an integrated telescope and instrumentation control system for Hypercard on the Macintosh. The Telescope Integrated Control System (TICS-24) uses Hypercard scripts, HyperBASIC XFCN's, and APDA serial port XFCN's to control a telescope and another instrument over the built-in serial ports on a Macintosh. Additionally, TICS-24 has the ability to act as an object database with finder charts for frequently observed targets. The system is expandable, since new functions simply become new scripts and/or ``cards''. The system is also easily adaptable to other telescopes and instrumentation, since controlling a different telescope or instrument only requires rewriting the actual serial commands to match those expected by the new instrument.

Thursday program listing