CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
ATCA Users Guide
Preface
this Guide
Conventions
(1) The Australia Telescope Compact Array
/1./The Australia Telescope Compact Array
/1.1/The Australia Telescope National Facility
/1.2/Overview of the ATCA
/1.3/Centimetre Observations (16–3 cm bands)
/1.4/Millimetre-wave observations (15mm–3mm)
/1.5/Choosing an Observing Frequency
/1.6/Choosing Angular and Frequency Resolution
/1.7/Additional Observing Notes and Techniques
/1.8/High Time Resolution, Pulsars, Planets and VLBI
/1.9/Other Things to Consider
/1.10/Submitting a proposal
/1.11/Successful Proposals
(2) Preparing for Observations
/2./Preparing for Observations
/2.1/Scheduling Strategy
/2.2/Calibration Requirements
/2.3/How to Prepare a Schedule File
/2.4/How to Prepare a Mosaic File
/2.5/Observation Requirements
/2.6/Pre-observation Checklist
(3) Observing
/3./Observing
/3.1/Changeover
/3.2/Setting up
/3.3/Observing
/3.4/Troubleshooting
/3.5/cm Observing Startup Checklist
/3.6/mm Observing Startup Checklist
(4) After your Observations
/4./After your Observations
/4.1/Archiving Your Data
/4.2/Report Your Experiences
/4.3/Data Analysis
/4.4/Publishing Results
(A) caobs reference
/A./caobs reference
/A.1/Using caobs
(B) cacor reference
/B./cacor reference
/B.1/Cacor Status Panel
/B.2/Cacor Data Panel
/B.3/Cacor Timing Panel
/B.4/Cacor Log Panel
/B.5/Cacor Command Panel
/B.6/Cacor Commands
(C) SPD reference
/C./SPD reference
/C.1/Introduction to SPD
/C.2/SPD Commands
(D) vis
/D./vis
/D.1/VIS Commands
(E) Web Scheduler
/E./Web Scheduler
/E.1/Scheduler Fields
/E.2/Scheduler Actions
(F) Observatory Coordinates
/F./Observatory Coordinates
/F.1/Site Location
/F.2/Station Locations
(G) ATCA Configurations
/G./ATCA Configurations
/G.1/Array Configurations
/G.2/Shadowing Diagrams
(H) People to contact
/H./People to contact
 Index
[Printable Guide] [Printable Chapter]

3.4 Troubleshooting

3.4.1 Stop-Start Problem  
3.4.2 No Correlation  

3.4.1 Stop-Start Problem

When CAOBS is first started, it is possible for the correlator and CAOBS to be out of sync. In this case, there will be no update of data in SPD or VIS and the CACOR window will have a new blue-coloured message every cycle reporting something like:

DELBAT...

The solution is to issue a stop in CAOBS, then restart observing.

3.4.2 No Correlation

There are a number of problems that may result in loss of correlation.

3.4.2.1 Conversion System Out of Lock  

3.4.2.1 Conversion System Out of Lock

It is possible to lose lock in the conversion system. Check the following in MONICA. Currently there isn’t a standard page with these in it and you have to create your own pages in MONICA (see below).

To create a new page in MONICA that monitors the CACOR conversion system

In MONICA choose

Window → New Window → Setup → Add panel → Time Series

This brings up the page for setting up a time series.

Optical Power Photodiode biases need to be a reasonable value (if < 0.2mA will lead to loss of lock)

Won’t get any sync errors, correlator will look ok, but no correlation because tuned to the wrong frequency.

Users Guide last modified on 2011-04-27 15:49:06