File

1. Important tips before getting started

1.1. Inspecting and viewing streams

cacao uses shared memory streams to store real-time data and communicate through processes. At any time, you can inspect the content of a stream by launching:

shmimmon <streamname>

You can also view the stream :

shmimview /tmp/<streamname>.im.shm

As you go through the example below, you will make frequent use of these commands to check status.

1.2. Checking processes

Processes run in tmux sessions. To list all tmux sessions:

tmux ls

To enter a tmux session

tmux a -t <sessionname>

To detach from the session, type CTRL-B and then D. Do not type CTRL-C or exit, this will kill the process.

2. Starting the linear hardware simulator

In this example, we will set a hardware simulator of the AO system. The simulator takes DM shapes and computes corresponding WFS images, so it replaces the actual hardware. cacao will then connect to this simulator, as if it was connected to actual hardware.

STEP 1: Create a working directory <workdir>

STEP 2: Install cacao scripts into <workdir>:

cd <srcdir>/src/AOloopControl/scripts
./syncscripts -e <workdir>
cd <workdir>
./syncscripts

Note: on scexao computer, <srcdir> = /home/scexao/src/cacao

STEP 3: Download a calibration, consisting of zonal response matrix and a WFS reference. Place the file in a new directory <workdir>/simLHS

Calibration files :

WFS reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LnYfc8mKYyERc9cNMCiVTvwX-3wRsdFU
WFS zonal response: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rBkLllb6rR0z-D9YfysHedAWFE_Umwil

On scexao computer, files are in /home/scexao/conf directory:

cp /home/scexao/conf/cacao/simLHS/LHS_zrespM_2018-01-25_05:09:52.fits.gz <workdir>/simLHS ./simLHS/
cp /home/scexao/conf/cacao/simLHS/LHS_wfsref0_2018-01-25_05:09:52.fits.gz <workdir>/simLHS ./simLHS/

STEP 4: Launch aolconf, loop number 5, loop name simtest:

./aolconf -L 5 -N simtest

Note that you subsequent calls to aolconf should then be without the -L and -N options.

STEP 5: Set DM :

set DM index to 01
set size to match the calibration. dmxs and dmys GUI top menu. Both should be set to 50.

STEP 6: Autoconfigure DM: nolink in GUI top menu. This will configure the DM in its simplest setting (no link to other loops).

STEP 7: Turn off dmvolt, as we are not connected to actual hardware: dmvolt0 in GUI top menu.

STEP 8: Set DM averaging mode to 2: dmcombam in GUI top menu.

STEP 9: Start DMcomb. initDM in GUI top menu. This will start DM channels and the process that monitors them and adds them to a single total displacement channel.

STEP 10: Load all memory. M in GUI top menu

STEP 11: Link LHS files. From main menu, go to "Test mode" submenu. Select zrespMlinsim and wfsref0linsim.

STEP 12: Start the LHS process.
Select GPU device and start LHS process.
To check that output WFS image is updating:

shmimmon aol5_linsimWFS

You should see counter cnt0 increment and the corresponsing frame rate should show the update rate.

To check GPU useage:

nvidia-smi

You should see that the GPU selected for linear simulation is somewhat busy.

3. Acquiring calibration, compute control matrix

Under configuration GUI menu (Configure/link AO loop):

Measure hardware timing: mlat. You will bye asked how many frames to use for sampling. Keep the default value (100). This command will update timing parameters (measured loop frequ, hardware latency).
set Hadamard mode to ON: Hon
set modal RM to ON: RMMon
set modal RM amplitude to 0.05um: rmMamp
set modal RM cycle per aperture to 3: rmMcpa
set RM excluded frames to 1: rmexfr
Acquire automatic calibration: nAUTOc

Under control matrix GUI menu :

Select maximum control spatial frequency: modeCPA
Create modes and control matrix: mkModes0
update configuration: confUp
load shared memory: SMload

Load and manage configuration :

load configuration
save configuration

4. Running the loop

OPTIONAL: Start artificial turbulence.

4.1. Loop configuration

Go to Loop Control screen.

Select GPU0 set.
Turn off GPU1 set.
Select GPU for DM filtered write
Set GPUall to OFF.
Set CMMODE to OFF.
Toggle all processes to ON.
Turn on DM filtered write.

4.2. Turning loop ON / OFF

Start AO processes, wait a few seconds
Turn ON DM filtered write
Turn ON WFS computation
Start/stop AO loop as needed

4.3. Checking the loop performance

You can view the following streams:

aol5_dmC
aol5_wfsim