Controlling the dome

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Control of the dome can be executed in two ways:

- using the buttons placed on the card

- using software running on your computer which controls the observatory.

Depending on the status of sensors program blocks executing certain actions, f.e. you can not command to open the dome when it is already opened, or turn on the synchronization of the dome and telescope’s positions while the telescope’s position is not known.

Home button starts the dome’s Home sensor searching process. After finding it the dome is stopped. This command must be entered whenever the power supply of the observatory’s control card turns on. Only after passing the dome through the Home sensor controlling software exactly knows its accurate position.

Note: The exact delimitation Home sensor position is crucial for the proper exeqution of the procedures which control dome's movement.

Tips: It is easy to turn off the dome after the observing session is finished at the Home position. Thanks to that, the dome, after its steering card re-powers, is immediately ready to work.

Through the control buttons CW and CCW you can rotate the dome clockwise or counter-clockwise.
GoTo button moves the dome to the given azimuth. Selecting the azimuth from the list will automatically move the dome to the specified azimuth.

STOP command stops the dome at any time during its movement.