The European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is a first-of-its-kind project, putting together a range of unique engineering challenges. The performances of its mirror cells are particularly demanding, and their verification has required the development of innovative methodologies. This paper addresses the developed verification methodologies for the most critical performances of the Secondary and Tertiary Mirror Cells (M2 and M3) and the Fifth Mirror Cell (M5). Concerning the monolithic 4-meter class M2 and M3 Cells, that is the maximum surface error (SFE) allowed in operational conditions. The SFE due to manufacturing and integration tolerances is singularly complex to evaluate, and testing is required to ensure compliance of the Cell supports as built. Moreover, such testing must be performed with a non-reflective Dummy Mirror. Hence, a methodology to obtain the SFE from the forces measured on all Mirror supports was developed. The application of uncertainty reduction techniques was essential to obtain reliable conclusions. The M5 Cell supports the largest fast steering mirror (2.7 by 2.2 metres) ever employed in a telescope. The most challenging performances regarding dynamic response are its control bandwidth above 10 Hz, a phase lag below 30 degrees up to 4 Hz, and a cross-coupling below 1% between degrees of freedom. After investigations with an actuator prototype, a method based on application of optimised frequency sweep commands was selected. The test setup was designed to avoid artificial resonant modes, and dedicated postprocessing methods to extract the frequency response were developed. This paper describes in detail the SFE verification methodology for the M2 and M3 Cells, and the tip-tilt capability verification for the M5 Cell. The obtained test results are presented and discussed.
The primary mirror of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope contains 798 hexagonal segments, which are equipped with position actuators (PACT) for segment piston-tip-tilt actuation and edge sensors (ES) to measure the relative segment displacements. PACT and ES are used for M1 figure control, i.e. for maintaining the reference shape of the primary mirror. Due to the sheer number of used sensors (4524), ES failures cannot be excluded. In order to minimize the influence of such failures on observations, an automated approach for ES failure handling has been developed. Besides identification of one or more malfunctioning sensors, replacement values for the erroneous sensor signals are calculated and fed back into the figure loop, enabling uninterrupted observations. The figure loop position actuators are hybrid actuators, combining brushless DC motors for a large range of motion with Piezo actuators for high accuracy and fast settling. Motions larger than the Piezo range (∼10μm) are restricted to a maximum velocity of 100μm/s. Since the figure loop is controlled in modal space such a rate limit introduces non-linearities in this large Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) system resulting in cross-coupling of modes and undesirable transient behavior. A custom management scheme for MIMO systems with actuator non-linearities has been developed and successfully tested. It minimizes overshoots and cross-coupling between modes during transitions considering the PACT velocity limitation. In addition, this scheme simplifies closure of the figure loop from any initial condition. This paper covers advancements in both areas. After a brief description of the relevant subsystems, the algorithm to detect faulty ES is introduced. The closely related calculation of ideal replacement values is shown and simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the Fault Detection, Isolation & Recovery (FDIR) measures for the ELT M1. Then the theory of considering actuator non-linearities in large MIMO systems is introduced. A custom scheme is derived and applied to the ELT M1 Figure Loop. Simulation results and measurements taken with ESO’s seven segment M1 Test Facility are presented.
Fringe stability and tracking are a determining aspect for the performance of current interferometric observations. While the theory predicts that the aperture of large telescopes such as the VLTI UT should yield smoothed-out piston perturbations that could be compensated using a slow fringe tracker running at a few tens of Hz, this is far from the current experimental reality. In practice, the optical path variations observed with the GRAVITY fringe tracker still contain high frequency components that limit the fringe-tracking exposure time and therefore its precision and limiting magnitude. Most of these perturbations seem to come from mechanical vibrations in the train of mirrors, leading to the instrument, and in particular from the mirrors of the telescope. With this work, and as part of the GRAVITY+ efforts, accelerometers were added to all the mirrors of the coudé train, including the coming M8, to complement the existing instrumentation of M1, M2, and M3, and compensate in real-time the optical path using the main delay lines. We show how the existing architecture, while optimal for the first mirrors, is not suitable for the vibration content found in the new mirrors, and we opt instead for narrow-band filters based on phase-locked-loop filters (PLL). Thanks to this architecture, we were able to reclaim up to 50nm of OPD RMS from vibrations peaks between 40 and 200Hz. We also outline the avenues to push this approach further, through the upgrade of the deformable mirrors and the beam-compressor differential delay lines (BCDDL) as part of GRAVITY+, paving the way to obtaining better than 100nm RMS fringe tracking, even on faint targets.
The METIS instrument (Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph) is one of the three first-light instruments for the ELT. It will work in the mid-infrared with a set of four different focal planes, grouped in three different subsystems: the imager (IMG) and the spectrograph (LMS) are the two scientific focal planes, and the last one, SCAO, is the dedicated adaptive optics system. In total, this instrument requires five H2RG detectors (5.3μm cutoff), one SAPHIRA detector (2.5μm) and one GEOSNAP (13.5μm). All of these detectors will be controlled by the New General Controller, second generation (NGCII). These three separate subsystems require specific tests and development : the IMG needs a fast readout for both N and LM channels, the LMS requires a mosaic of four detectors and SCAO works with one single detector operated fast for AO corrections. In this paper, we will present the challenges for the development of the detector systems of the three detector subunits in METIS. This includes the design, tests and preparations for the AIT/AIV phases that each subsystem has to go through. First, we describe the detector-specifics of all the instruments. In a second part, we go over the design challenges for these detector subunits. In the end, we will report on the current testing.
The Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS) is one of the first-light scientific instruments for the ELT with over 75 optical components. The science cases of METIS impose tight stability requirements on the optical performance. To assess whether the optical performance is harmed by micro-vibrations, the effect of numerous vibration sources on the optical stability are analyzed. We present the analysis approach and results for METIS. This includes finite element analysis to obtain transfer functions, compute rigid body motion response of optical elements and assess the optical impact by ray-tracing.
The ELT construction programme some months ago passed the 50% completion in terms of earned value. In the last couple of years, the detailed design phase of the ELT was finalised and many subsystems are already under construction (some close to be delivered to ESO). As part of the final design consolidation, there was still room for optimizing the diffractionlimited performance of the telescope. A significant effort has been devoted to investigating potential areas of improvement in the as-designed ELT system. The most prominent cases are local-seeing reduction, pupil fragmentation mitigation and vibration rejection. Although the work in these areas started years ago when stating requirements on the concerned subsystems to arrive to the as-specified telescope, in the last two years we have been able to run system-level simulations with the as designed subsystems providing unvaluable feedback for optimizing the ELT performance. This paper presents the several system-level activities that have been undertaken and describes the objectives, the work done, as well as the results that have been obtained so far.
The ELT Phasing and Diagnostic Station (PDS), is a multi-purpose optomechanical system providing metrology tools to phase the segmented primary mirror of the ELT and hosting the sensors required to verify AO-assisted diffraction limited image quality at the ELT. The purpose of the PDS in the context of the ELT lifecycle is twofold. On one side, during the AIV phase of the ELT, the PDS will be the fundamental tool enabling commissioning of the telescope. On the other hand, during operation, the PDS will provide the essential metrology means to monitor performance and detect and isolate potential failures within the observatory. The project, which is one of the most important internal development endeavors at ESO, passed PDR in mid-2021 and underwent an optical final design review in late 2021, where challenges associated to the schedule were identified and more time was given to optimize the design. The project underwent a restructuring in early 2022 before starting its final design phase which has been successfully completed in 2023. In the same period all procurements concerning critical long lead items have been launched. The present contribution first introduces the project in the context of the ELT construction programme, outlining the project structure and the project management tools employed for planning and progress monitoring. Subsequently, the main system engineering processes used within the project will be described. Finally, we report on the main technical results obtained during the final design phase and the plans for the assembly, integration and test of the system.
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is a 39-meter optical telescope under construction in the Chilean Atacama desert. The optical design is based on a five-mirror scheme and incorporates adaptive optics. The primary mirror consists of 798 segments. Scientific first light is planned by the end of 2027. The status of the project is described in [1]. The major challenges for the control of the telescope and the instruments are in the number of sensors (~25,000) and actuators (~15,000) to be controlled in a coordinated fashion, the computing performance and low latency requirements for the phasing of the primary mirror, performing adaptive optics and coordinating all sub-systems in the optical path. Industrial contractors are responsible for the low-level control of individual subsystems and ESO for the development of coordination functions and control strategies requiring astronomical domain knowledge. In this paper we focus on architecture and design of the High-Level Coordination and Control (HLCC). It is the component of the control software responsible for coordination of all telescope subsystems to properly perform the activities required by scientific and technical operations. We first identify the HLCC context by introducing the global architecture of the telescope control system and by discussing the role of HLCC and its interfaces with the other components of the control system. We then analyze the internal architecture of the HLCC, and the primary design patterns adopted. We also discuss how the features identified from the requirements and the use cases are mapped into the design. Finally, the timeline and the current status of development activities are presented.
The primary mirror of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope contains 798 hexagonal segments, which are equipped with edge sensors (ES) to measure the relative segment displacement. These ES are used for M1 figure control, i.e. for maintaining the reference shape of the primary mirror. Measuring with nanometric precision in three axes with a large dynamic range of hundreds of microns, the figure loop needs to be frequently calibrated. In this paper we present a combination of simulated case studies of operational scenarios and test results gained with a test setup (M1 Test Facility) comprising seven M1 segments, 21 position actuators, and 24 ES (12 around the inner segment, 12 between the outer segments), running a scaled down version of the figure control loop. The impact of ES uncertainties originating from calibration and linearization errors on the figure control of ELT‘s primary mirror is investigated with the purpose of improving the understanding of the ES performance in the ELT covering their complete lifecycle. The paper starts with a description of the relevant subsystems before comparing performance data of the ES validation models against specification values. Then the figure loop that controls the M1 shape is described as well as the simulation environment, including a FE model of the M1 and an ES model. A brief description of the M1 Test Facility is followed by simulations of operational scenarios to study the interaction of ES uncertainties with M1 figure control. Finally, some test results measured with the figure control of the M1 Test Facility are presented.
ESO took a systematic approach at earliest phases of the ELT programme to address different aspects of vibration at the telescope, from modelling, error budgeting, requirement specifications, to envisaging verification and mitigation methods. Recent activities focused on measuring and characterizing the vibrational forces generated by typical equipment in the observatory. In addition, the measurements are performed to design and verify the efficiency of the required isolation systems. In this paper, a complete system analysis using these measurement data as input to the detailed model of the telescope structure combined with hosted units, i.e. mirrors, instruments and other equipment, (all at final design phase) is presented. The analysis serves as a verifying tool to observe the actual state of the performance versus the top-level budget. It is also discussed how the results are used for improving the design and envisaging the potential mitigation strategies.
Management of equipment vibration will be a challenge for the upcoming generation of extremely large telescopes (ELTs) (GMT, TMT, and ESO’s ELT) and is being dealt with proactively by all three projects. We document the approaches, techniques, and future efforts by all three ELTs in their attempts to manage vibration in their telescopes. We detail the approaches to developing component requirements, characterizing vibration sources, simulating telescope structural movements, and approaches to mitigating source vibrations. We illustrate the iterative approach taken by the three observatories with several examples of concrete processes, measurements, and other details of use to future observatories.
The present paper reports on the results of the validation test campaign of the ELT M1 Position Actuators (M1 PACTs). The main function of these actuators is positioning the 798 segments composing the primary mirror (M1) of the ELT with nanometric tracking error over the relatively large stroke of ten millimetres. In order to achieve this challenging goal the PACTs feature an hybrid actuation concept including a spindle drive for large and coarse movements in series with a piezo actuator for fine position adjustments. Active damping techniques are used to ensure robustness and benign dynamic response to perturbations transmitted through the supporting back structure. The design and manufacturing project of the M1 PACTs has recently entered in the final design phase. In this phase extensive validation testing is planned to verify that the final product is fit for purpose throughout its lifecycle. To this end the M1 PACT is first tested in stand-alone mode, with the objective of verifying its performances in a controlled and stable environment and deriving a reliable model of its dynamic response to be exploited for M1 performance estimation. Then several M1 PACTs are integrated in the M1 Test Stand, a small-scale mock-up of the primary mirror of the ELT. In this configuration multiple actuators are driven together to demonstrate relative position control between two segments. On the basis of the obtained results the paper discusses the expected M1 performance and possible control tuning strategies to be used during the commissioning of the ELT in Chile.
ESO took a systematic approach at earliest phases of the ELT programme to address different aspects of vibration at telescope, from modelling, error budgeting, requirement specifications, to envisaging verification and mitigation methods. Recent activities focused on characterisation of the vibrational forces generated by typical equipment in the observatory. Those measured forces combined with the models of the telescope are used to verify various subsystems specification as well as to verify the overall system performance. In this paper, an approach used for vibration force measurements together with some examples of the characterised sources are discussed. The verification of performance/requirements at telescope system/subsystem is performed using these measured data.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is managing the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) system performance and budgets. The Telescope Main Structure, Hosted Optical Units and Scientific Instruments are designed and built outside ESO by contractors and consortia. Within this scope, system simulations are performed including the coupling between the Telescope Main Structure and its Hosted Units. Both dynamic couplings relevant for control-structure interaction, seismic loads, and micro-vibrations as well as quasi-static deflections are included in these simulations. This paper explains the modeling approach and the first simulation results.
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is the largest optical and infrared telescope being planned and constructed at the present time. Its resolution overtakes current limits of performance for large telescopes, as well as current levels for all the engineering fields involved in the design and realization of the telescope. The design of the ELT Main Structure (MS) is supported by exhaustive performance and resistance analyses, which have now largely been completed. A Finite Element Model (FEM) of the MS has been created to analyse the telescope behaviour against all the significant actions, among which gravity, wind, seism, thermal, manufacturing and alignment tolerances can be mentioned. The model is characterized by several millions of degrees of freedom and it includes the Telescope pier and foundation, as well as the seismic isolation system and the natural soil. A detailed Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model has been produced and validated with the support of a wind tunnel test campaign. Several cases of telescope orientation and Altitude configuration, wind velocities and turbulence intensities have been analysed. A State Space model has been set-up to perform the Servo analysis of the Azimuth and Altitude axes. Frictions and motor disturbances, encoders quantization, loops sampling and latencies have been considered, to assess tracking, slewing and offsetting performances and to assess the structural behaviour and the wind rejection. Finally, a comprehensive mathematical model of Dome, MS and soil has been set-up to perform the vibration analysis of the whole observatory. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the generated models, the performed analyses and the most significant obtained results.
The construction of a diffraction limitable telescope as large as the ESO’s ELT is enabled by its embedded deformable quaternary mirror. Besides its essential function in the telescope control, M4 also contributes to compensating the free atmosphere aberrations for all post-focal AO applications. The paper presents how the telescope manages M4 to maintain its optical performance while offering to the instruments a clean wavefront interface, supporting the desired AO functionalities. The paper reviews the telescope strategy to derive its wavefront dynamic properties directly from the analysis of the control data collected in science mode, with the goal to minimize the observatory time spent on dedicated wavefront calibration tasks.
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is a 39 meters optical telescope under construction at an altitude of about 3000m in the Chilean Atacama desert. The optical design is based on a novel five-mirror scheme and incorporates adaptive optics mirrors. The primary mirror consists of 798 segments, each 1.4 meters wide[1]. The control of this telescope and of the instruments that will be mounted on it is very challenging, because of its size, the number of sensors and actuators, the computing performance required for the phasing of the primary mirror, the adaptive optics and the correlation between all the elements in the optical path. In this paper we describe the control system architecture, emerging from scientific and technical requirements. We also describe how the procurement strategy (centered on industrial contracts at subsystem level) affects the definition of the architecture and the technological choices. We first introduce the global architecture of the system, with Local Control Systems and a Supervisory Control layer. The Local Control Systems is astronomy-agnostic and isolate the control of the subsystems procured through industrial contracts. The Supervisory Control layer is instead responsible for coordinating the operation of the different subsystems to realize the observation cases identified for the operation of the telescope. The control systems of the instruments interface with the telescope using a well-defined and standardized interface. To facilitate the work of the Consortia responsible for the construction of the instruments, we provide an Instrumentation Control Software Framework. This will ensure uniformity in the design of the control systems across instruments, making maintenance easier. This approach was successfully adopted for the instrumentation of the Very Large Telescope facility. We will analyze the process that was followed for defining the architecture from the requirements and use cases and to produce a design that addresses the technical challenges.
The E-ELT primary mirror is 39m in diameter composed of 798 segments. It is exposed to external large but slow amplitude perturbations, mostly gravity, thermal and wind. These perturbations are efficiently rejected by a combination of edge sensor loop and adaptive optics (AO) in order to leave a small residual wavefront error (WFE). Vibrations induced by various equipment in the observatory are typically smaller amplitude but higher frequency perturbations exceeding the rejection capabilities of these control loops. They generate both, low spatial frequency and high spatial frequency WFE. Especially segment phasing errors, i.e. high spatial frequency errors, cannot be compensated by AO. The effect of vibrations is characterized by excitation sources and transmission of the telescope structure and segment support. They all together define the WFE caused by M1 due to vibrations. It is important to build a proper vibration error budget and specification requirements from an early stage of the project. This paper presents the vibration analysis and budgeting approach developed for E-ELT M1 and addresses the impact of vibrations onto WFE.
GALACSI is the Adaptive Optics (AO) module that will serve the MUSE Integral Field Spectrograph. In Wide Field Mode it will enhance the collected energy in a 0.2”×0.2” pixel by a factor 2 at 750 nm over a Field of View (FoV) of 1’×1’ using the Ground Layer AO (GLAO) technique. In Narrow Field Mode, it will provide a Strehl Ratio of 5% (goal 10%) at 650 nm, but in a smaller FoV (7.5”×7.5” FoV), using Laser Tomography AO (LTAO). Before being ready for shipping to Paranal, the system has gone through an extensive testing phase in Europe, first in standalone mode and then in closed loop with the DSM in Europe. After outlining the technical features of the system, we describe here the first part of that testing phase and the integration with the AOF ASSIST (Adaptive Secondary Setup and Instrument Stimulator) testbench, including a specific adapter for the IRLOS truth sensor. The procedures for the standalone verification of the main system performances are outlined, and the results of the internal functional tests of GALACSI after full integration and alignment on ASSIST are presented.
In this paper we will briefly revisit the optical vibration measurement system (OVMS) at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) and how these values are used for disturbance compensation and particularly for the LBT Interferometer (LBTI) and the LBT Interferometric Camera for Near-Infrared and Visible Adaptive Interferometry for Astronomy (LINC-NIRVANA). We present the now centralized software architecture, called OVMS+, on which our approach is based and illustrate several challenges faced during the implementation phase. Finally, we will present measurement results from LBTI proving the effectiveness of the approach and the ability to compensate for a large fraction of the telescope induced vibrations.
The E-ELT dynamical modeling toolkit is used extensively to understand the effect of vibrations from observatory equipments on the final performance of the telescope. The dynamical and control modeling toolkit uses the finite element model of the telescope structure and mirror units, the optical sensitivity and knowledge of the wavefront control correction capability to estimate the transmission of vibration from potential vibrational sources to the wavefront error. In addition, it helps i) to identify the sensitive optical units and sensitive vibrational sources and the frequency intervals they might affect most the wavefront error, ii) to perform design trade-offs, and iii) to derive subsystem specification requirements. In this paper, a vibration budgeting approach for the E-ELT using the modeling toolkit is presented.
The E-ELT is an active and adaptive 39-m telescope, with an anastigmat optical solution (5 mirrors including two flats), currently being developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The convex 4-metre-class secondary mirror (M2) is a thin Zerodur meniscus passively supported by an 18 point axial whiffletree. A warping harness system allows to correct low order deformations of the M2 Mirror. Laterally the mirror is supported on 12 points along the periphery by pneumatic jacks. Due to its high optical sensitivity and the telescope gravity deflections, the M2 unit needs to allow repositioning the mirror during observation. Considering its exposed position 30m above the primary, the M2 unit has to provide good wind rejection. The M2 concept is described and major performance characteristics are presented.
KEYWORDS: Actuators, Control systems, Mirrors, Standards development, Prototyping, Control systems design, Field programmable gate arrays, Telescopes, Position sensors, Telecommunications
The fifth mirror of the European Extremely Large Telescope optical train is a field stabilization tip/tilt unit responsible for correcting the dynamical tip and tilt caused mainly by wind load on the telescope. A scale-one prototype including the inclined support, the fixed frame and a basic control system was designed and manufactured by NTE-SENER (Spain) and CSEM (Switzerland) as part of the prototyping and design activities. All interfaces to the mirror have been reproduced on a dummy structure reproducing the inertial characteristics of the optical element. The M5 unit is required to have sufficient bandwidth for tip/tilt reference commands coming from the wavefront control system. Such a bandwidth can be achieved using local active damping loop to damp the low frequency mechanical modes before closing a position loop. Prototyping on the M5 unit has been undertaken in order to demonstrate the E-ELT control system architecture, concepts and development standards and to further study active damping strategies. The control system consists of two nested loops: a local damping loop and a position loop. The development of this control system was undertaken following the E-ELT control system development standards in order to determine their applicability and performance and includes hardware selection, communication, synchronization, configuration, and data logging. In this paper we present the current status of the prototype M5 control system and the latest results on the active damping control strategy, in particular the promising results obtained with the method of positive position feedback.
During the last 2 years ESO has operated the “M1 Test Facility”, a test stand consisting of a representative section of the E-ELT primary mirror equipped with 4 complete prototype segment subunits including sensors, actuators and control system. The purpose of the test facility is twofold: it serves to study and get familiar with component and system aspects like calibration, alignment and handling procedures and suitable control strategies on real hardware long before the primary mirror (hereafter M1) components are commissioned. Secondly, and of major benefit to the project, it offered the possibility to evaluate component and subsystem performance and interface issues in a system context in such detail, that issues could be identified early enough to feed back into the subsystem and component specifications. This considerably reduces risk and cost of the production units and allows refocusing the project team on important issues for the follow-up of the production contracts. Experiences are presented in which areas the results of the M1 Test Facility particularly helped to improve subsystem specifications and areas, where additional tests were adopted independent of the main test facility. Presented are the key experiences of the M1 Test Facility which lead to improved specifications or identified the need for additional testing outside of the M1 Test Facility.
GALACSI is the Adaptive Optics (AO) modules of the ESO Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) that will correct the wavefront delivered to the MUSE Integral Field Spectrograph. It will sense with four 40×40 subapertures Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors the AOF 4 Laser Guide Stars (LGS), acting on the 1170 voice-coils actuators of the Deformable Secondary Mirror (DSM). GALACSI has two operating modes: in Wide Field Mode (WFM), with the four LGS at 64” off axis, the collected energy in a 0.2”×0.2” pixel will be enhanced by a factor 2 at 750 nm over a Field of View (FoV) of 1’×1’ using the Ground Layer AO (GLAO) technique. The other mode, the Narrow Field Mode (NFM), provides an enhanced wavefront correction (Strehl Ratio (SR) of 5% (goal 10%) at 650 nm) but in a smaller FoV (7.5”×7.5”), using Laser Tomography AO (LTAO), with the 4 LGS located closer, at 10” off axis. Before being shipped to Paranal, GALACSI will be first integrated and fully tested in stand-alone, and then moved to a dedicated AOF facility to be tested with the DSM in Europe. At present the module is fully assembled, its main functionalities have been implemented and verified, and AO system tests with the DSM are starting. We present here the main system features and the results of the internal functional tests of GALACSI.
The fifth mirror unit (M5) of the E-ELT is a field stabilization unit responsible to correct for the dynamical tip
and tilt caused mainly due to the wind load on the telescope. The unit is composed of: i) an electromechanical
subunit, and ii) an elliptical mirror with a size of approximately 2.4 by 3-m. The M5 unit has been designed
and prototyped using a three point support for the mirror actuated by piezo actuators without the need of a
counter weight system. To be able to meet the requirements of the telescope, i.e. sufficient wavefront rejection
capability, the unit shall exhibit a sufficient bandwidth for tip/tilt reference commands. In the presence of the
low damped mechanical resonant modes, such a bandwidth can be guaranteed thanks to an active damping loop.
In this paper, different active damping strategies for the M5 unit are presented. The efficiency of the approaches
are analyzed using a detailed model of the unit. On a scale-one prototype active damping was implemented and
the efficiency was demonstrated.
During the advanced design phase of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) several critical components
have been prototyped. During the last year some of them have been tested in dedicated test stands. In particular, a
representative section of the E-ELT primary mirror has been assembled with 2 active and 2 passive segments. This test
stand is equipped with complete prototype segment subunits, i.e. including support mechanisms, glass segments, edge sensors, position actuators as well as additional metrology for monitoring. The purpose is to test various procedures such as calibration, alignment and handling and to study control strategies. In addition the achievable component and subsystem performances are evaluated, and interface issues are identified. In this paper an overview of the activities related to the E-ELT M1 Test Facility will be given. Experiences and test results are presented.
In order to evaluate the telescope performance and to derive error budget and stroke allocations a ray-tracing and performance analysis toolkit was developed at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) during project Phase B. Performance estimates and individual error and stroke budget allocations are derived by analyzing the impact of a defined set of perturbations at sub - system level after propagation through a model of the wavefront control. The ray-tracing and performance analysis toolkit is used in parallel to other modeling activities such as structural, control and detailed adaptive optics modeling and provides interfaces to any of those.
The ray-tracing and performance analysis toolkit consists of a set of models each suitable for analyzing sub-systems at a specific temporal and spatial frequency. The impact of quasi - static and dynamic loads is computed by implementing finite element model (FEM) and control model analysis results in optical models which either use linear optical sensitivities or ray - tracing at different levels of resolution.
In this paper two case studies, highlighting the role of the integrated modeling in the performance prediction and requirement verification of the E-ELT are presented. First example discusses the effect of the local wind load on the secondary mirror and the global wavefront error. Analysis and simulations showed that such local effect is one of the main contributors to the telescope error budget. A detailed modeling and simulation approach with the possibility to modify some important mechanical and control parameters led to a better understanding of the problem and searching for appropriate mitigation strategies. In the second example the effect of friction devices of the lateral support of the azimuth structure is presented. Such devices were originally proposed by the telescope structure contractor to reduce the induced stresses and force due to the temperature variations. A detailed modeling of the friction devices and its inclusion into the telescope dynamical model revealed that some performance and interface requirements are violated.
To predict the performance of the E-ELT three sets of toolkits are developed at ESO: i) The main structure and associated optical unit dynamical and feedback control toolkit, ii) Active optics and phasing toolkit, and iii) adaptive optics simulation toolkit. There was a deliberate policy not to integrate all of the systems into a massive model and tool. The dynamical and control time scale differences are used to separate the simulation environments and tools. Therefore, each toolkit contains an appropriate detail of the problem and holds sufficient overlap with the others to ensure the consistency of the results. In this paper, these toolkits together with some examples are presented.
The dynamical behavior of the primary mirror (M1) has an important impact on the control of the segments and the performance of the telescope. Control of large segmented mirrors with a large number of actuators and sensors and multiple control loops in real life is a challenging problem. In virtual life, modeling, simulation and analysis of the M1 bears similar difficulties and challenges. In order to capture the dynamics of the segment subunits (high frequency modes) and the telescope back structure (low frequency modes), high order dynamical models with a very large number of inputs and outputs need to be simulated. In this paper, different approaches for dynamical modeling and simulation of the M1 segmented mirror subject to various perturbations, e.g. sensor noise, wind load, vibrations, earthquake are presented.
The image motion (tip/tilt) of the telescope is dominated by two types of perturbations: a) atmospheric b)
wind load. The wind load effect on E-ELT can be an order of magnitude higher than the atmospheric effect.
Part of the image motion due to the wind load on the telescope structure is corrected by the main axis control
system (mainly large amplitude, low frequency errors). The residual tip/tilt is reduced by M5 and M4 mirror
units. M5 with its large stroke and relative low bandwidth (higher than main axes) corrects for large amplitude
and low frequency part of the image motion and M4 unit takes the higher frequency parts with smaller stroke
availability. In this paper the two stage control strategy of the E-ELT field stabilization is introduced. The
performance of the telescope due to the wind load and in the presence of the major imperfections in the control
system is presented.
Control of primary segmented mirror of an extremely large telescope with large number of actuators and sensors
and multiple control loops is a complex problem. The designer of the M1 unit is confronted to the dilemma of
trade-off between the relatively though performance requirements and the robust stability of the control loops.
Another difficulty arises from the contradictory requirements of the stiffness of the segment support system and
position actuators for wind rejection on one hand and vibration mitigation on other hand. The presence of low
frequency mechanical modes of the back structure and possible interaction of the large number of control loops
through such structure could be a limiting factor for achieving the required control bandwidths. To address these
issues a better understanding of dynamical behavior of segmented mirror is necessary. This paper addresses the
trade-offs on dynamical aspects of the M1 segmented mirror and the robust stability conditions of various control
loops.
Associated to tracking capabilities, the main axes control system of the E-ELT is the first correcting system in the
chain of control loops for reducing the image motion (tip/tilt) caused by perturbations on the telescope. The main
objective of the closed-loop performance analysis of the axes is to evaluate the trade offs for the choice of control
system hardware, i.e. specification and location of the motors and sensors (encoders/tachometers). In addition,
it defines the design constraints and requirements (actuator stroke and bandwidth) of other correcting systems
in the chain: the field stabilization (M5 unit) and adaptive deformable mirror (M4 unit). In this paper the main
axes control analysis of E-ELT is presented and the performance of telescope in face of external perturbations
such as wind and imperfections of the drive (cogging/ripple) and sensing (noise) systems is evaluated. The
performance metric is the wavefront error at the focal plane which is derived from the mechanical motion of the
telescope's optical elements together with their respective optical sensitivities.
The drive and bearing technologies have a major impact on the static and dynamic performance of steerable
structures such as telescope and dome. Merging drive and bearing system into friction drive mechanical devices
(bogie) can reduce the complexity and cost of the design. In the framework of ELT design study (European
FP6) a breadboard test setup was realized to test and evaluate the static and dynamic behavior of such bogies.
In this paper some of the characterization test results are presented. Characterization of the bogies and the
setup structure in the frequency domain, quantification and measure of the most important parameters of the
friction forces, the control of the bogies and the tracking performance of the test setup are among the main
results discussed in this paper.
During the past year the control of the 42m segmented primary mirror of the E-ELT has been studied.
This paper presents the progress in the areas of M1 figure control and control hardware implementation. The critical
issue of coupling through the supporting structure has been considered in the controller design. Different control
strategies have been investigated and from a tradeoff analysis modal control is proposed as a solution addressing the
topics of wind rejection as well as sensor noise in the presence of cross-coupling through the supporting structure.
Various implementations of the M1 Control System have been studied and a centralized architecture has been selected as
baseline. This approach offers maximum flexibility for further iterations. The controller design and main parts of the
control system are described.
he VLT observatory operated by ESO is located on Cerro Paranal in
Chile and consists of four identical 8-m telescopes and four 1.8-m
VLTI Auxiliary telescopes (ATs). In order to further improve the
tracking axes performance of telescopes regarding wind rejection,
different control techniques have been evaluated. Ongoing investigation and studies show that by measuring the
acceleration and using that in appropriate control strategy the
performance of telescope tracking in face of external perturbation
can be improved. The acceleration signal contains the non filtered
information (advanced phase compared to velocity and position) of
the perturbation load, e.g. wind load. As a result the reaction of
the control is faster and hence the perturbation rejection is more
efficient. In this paper, two acceleration feedback techniques are
discussed and the results of the measurement test on an AT telescope
are presented.
Integrated models including optics, structures, control systems, and disturbances are important design tools
for Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). An integrated model has been formulated for the European ELT
and it includes telescope structure, main servos, primary mirror segment control system, wind, optics, wavefront
sensors, deformable mirror, and an AO reconstructor and controller. There are three model phases: Initialization,
execution of a solver to determine time responses, and post-processing. In near future, the model will be applied
for performance studies and design trade-offs for the European ELT.
The Active Segmented Mirror is a key subsystem of the Active Phasing Experiment. The size of the ASM is 154 mm in diameter. It will be used to test new types of phasing sensors recently developed within the ELT design study supported by the European Union. To our knowledge it is the first time that such miniature active optics composed of hexagonal segments having 3 degrees of freedom with a resolution of the order of a few nanometers and a range of several micrometers is manufactured. The ASM is composed of 61 hexagonal segments called "modules". Each module is assembled, glued and integrated from standard (piezo-actuators) and custom-made (mirrors, mechanics) parts procured from industries. The ASM has been designed and integrated at the European Southern Observatory. Specifications, designs, assembly tools, hand work skills, electronics, software, control algorithms and test procedures are the field of competences required to obtain in the end a "plug and play" product. The concept of the ASM is tested and validated by a prototype version composed of 7 modules equivalent of the central area of the ASM itself. The design, integration and results of the ASM tests are presented.
The purpose of the Active Phasing Experiment, designed under the lead of ESO, is to validate wavefront control concepts for ELT class telescopes. This instrument includes an Active Segmented Mirror, located in a pupil image. It will be mounted at a Nasmyth focus of one of the Unit Telescopes of the ESO VLT. APE contains four different types of phasing sensors, which are developed by Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Arcetri, Instituto Astrofisica Canarias, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille and ESO. These phasing sensors can be compared simultaneously under identical optical and environmental conditions. All sensors receive telecentric F/15 beams with identical optical quality and intensity. Each phasing sensor can measure segmentation errors of the active segmented mirror and correct them in closed loop. The phasing process is supervised by an Internal Metrology system developed by FOGALE Nanotech and capable of measuring piston steps with an accuracy of a few nanometers. The Active Phasing Experiment is equipped with a turbulence generator to simulate atmospheric seeing between 0.45 and 0.85 arcsec in the laboratory. In addition, the Active Phasing Experiment is designed to control simultaneously with the phasing corrections the guiding and the active optics of one of the VLT Unit Telescopes. This activity is supported by the European Community (Framework Programme 6, ELT Design Study, contract No 011863).
The control system of the ESO 100m telescope (OWL) has to reject slow and fast perturbations in several subsystems. In this paper we focus on the wind rejection control strategies for two subsystems: the main axes and the segmented mirror. It is shown that facing the same disturbance the 2 control designs have to deal with completely different problems: control of a flexible SISO (Single input-Single output) system for the altitude axis versus a dynamically coupled MIMO (Multi input-Multi output) system for the segmented mirror. For both subsystems feasible solutions are given.
The "phase A" of the opto-mechanical design, which started in 1997, is now basically completed. It provides a clean, symmetrical geometry of the pupil, with a near-circular outer edge. The modular design of the mechanical structure is built on the size of the hexagonal segments, provides a perfect match with the optical elements and allows production at reasonable costs. This paper is a summary of the various design iterations. A discussion is devoted to the evaluation of the design assumptions and principles which have been set at the beginning of the study, and to their validity after the completion of this first phase. This includes a discussion about specific aspects whose criticality had been under- or overestimated, and the methodology applied to define system and sub-system requirements. Finally, we present a summary of the present and future activities, which are mainly devoted to sub-systems definition.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.