The infrared Pixcel has a network interface to allow configurations to be changed and data to be taken under remote control. Communication is by a tcp/ip socket in the pixcel software receiving text commands ending with a carriage return. The connection can be from either a normal telent client or a custom program. The port for telnet connections is set by the PORT entry in the pixcel.ini file.
Over the network link commands can be sent, data taken and configurations changed.
Commands to the camera are sent as text strings ending with a carriage return. The camera understands the following commands, which can be abbreviated to th first letter.
- Go (g) - Starts a sequence grab
- Live (l) - Starts a live grab
- Help (h) - Gives summary of commands
- Status (s) - Returns string describing what the camera is doing
- Params (p) - Returns list of all the parameters which can be changed
- Values (V) - Returns list of all parameters and their current values
To help synchronise the operation of pixcel with other programs the camera reports the current operation back over the remote link. The values sent are the same as those returned by the status command.
- READY - Camera is able to start a new sequence, or has just finished one
- BUSY - Camera is initialising the controller.
- READING - Arrays are being read out
- EXPOSING - Exposure time between readouts
- SAVING - Data is being written
- UNKNOWN - Something has gone wrong.
Most of the parameters in the camera configuration can be set remotely. To return the current value of a parameter send the name of the parameter, to set a new value send the name and the value separated by a space. Pixcel will echo back the new value. If the value is of the wrong type or out of permitted range then no change is made and the old value is sent back.
The name of the parameter is the same as the key in the pixcel.ini file. Most of the parameters added by the infrared version at the end of pixcel.ini can be changed eg. [INFRARED] [FITS] [LOG] [FILTER] . The values of the [REMOTE] options cannot be changed remotely for obvious reasons.
In addition there are a number of other parameters which can be changed remotely.
QUAD - A comma separated list of quadrants to select, ALL to reset all.
CHIP - A comma separated list of Chips to select, ALL to reset all.
LOOPS - The number of loops
EXPTIME - The integration time in seconds.
EXPOSURE - Same as EXPTIME.
MODE - Readout mode, either RRR or NDR.
READMODE - Same as MODE.
PATH - Path to write image files.
DATE - Synchronise camera by setting system clock, format is either time as hh:mm:ss or full date as YYYYMMDDThh::mm:ss.
TIMET - Synchronise camera by setting time_t, ie number of seconds since 1970.
SAVE - Turns saving on and off
FLUSHES - Number of flushes to perform when reseting chip
SENSITIVITY - Sets controller gain, range is 0 (lowest) to 19 (highest)
PIXEL_RATE - Sets readout rate from 0 (fastest) to 21 (slowest).