Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-10
The Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (Espresso) installed at the VLT provides unprecedented precision in the search
for exoplanets. (Image: ESO/P. Horálek)
tion of the UT Coudé Train, which transmits
the starlight from the individual
telescopes to the front-end units, spectrographs
and detectors, according to
Mario Kiekebusch, Head of Instrument
Control Software Group at ESO.
" Beckhoff technology is now being used
in a number of systems at the observatory,
primarily in second- and third-generation
astronomical instruments, " Kiekebusch
said. " The first instrument to be implemented
fully with Beckhoff control
systems is the Echelle Spectrograph for
Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic
Observations (Espresso). By detecting
minimal changes in the light properties
of stars, it can be used to search for exoplanets
with unprecedented precision.
The light of all four VLT telescopes can
now also be combined for the first time,
thus achieving the light-collecting power
of a 16-meter telescope. "
According to Kiekebusch, the Gravity
system is another very important instrument
that uses Beckhoff controllers.
This instrument already helped confirm
the existence of a black hole in our galaxy.
Now, by combining the light from
all four VLT 8-meter telescopes into one
super telescope, Gravity offers the resolution
of a telescope of up to 130 meters
in diameter.
Four controllers are used on average
for each instrument, primarily CX20xx
series Embedded PCs. TwinCAT 3 is
the control software used, generally
with the basic runtime components
TwinCAT 3 PLC/NC PTP 10 (TC1250)
and TwinCAT 3 C++ (TC1300), as
well as the TwinCAT 3 OPC UA function
(TF6100). TwinCAT has proven
its power and openness in multiple
telescope applications. The end-to-end
engineering and runtime platform supports
programming of control logic in
many languages, such as those included
in IEC 61131-3, including object-oriented
extensions, and the computer
science languages offered in Microsoft
Visual Studio®, from C++ to Python.
The software can automatically scan
and configure third-party devices over
ADS and EtherCAT, providing an optimal
platform for tasks from sensing to
motion control.
On average, about 10 EtherCAT
Terminals are directly connected to
each Embedded PC acting as a PLC.
The ESO systems most commonly use
the ES2xxx and ES3xxx digital and
analog input and output terminals
and communication interfaces like the
EL6002 serial interface, Kiekebusch
explained. Additionally, the stepper
and DC motion controllers used include
the EL7041 stepper motor terminal
with EL5152 external encoder
terminal and the EL7342 DC motor
terminal with the EL5101 incremental
encoder interface.
Moreover, future plans for the ELT
include the use of around 560 EL2044
four-channel digital output terminals
with extended diagnostics. With a wide
range of hardware and software solutions
at its disposal, ESO plans to keep its telescopes
and equipment on the cutting
edge of astronomical exploration.
This article was written by Stefan
The Gravity system is a second-generation instrument for the VLT Interferometer and will enable measurement
of the positions and movements of astronomical objects on much smaller scales than currently possible. (Image:
ESO/GRAVITY consortium)
10
Ziegler, Editorial Management PR,
Beckhoff Automation (Savage, MN). For
more information, visit www.beckhoff.
com/embedded-pc.
Motion Design, October 2022
http://www.beckhoff.com/embedded-pc
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Intro
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sponsor1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 1
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 2
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - 4
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-1A
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Comsol-2A
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-Cov1
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - MD-Cov4
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-Cov1
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2022 - Sensor-Cov4
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