Distributed Control Software for the Active Surface System of Tian-ma Radio Telescope

Abstract

The Tian-ma Radio Telescope (TMRT) applies an Active Surface System (ASFS), which corrects for large-scale deformations due to gravity and thermal on the primary reflector. The centralized and automated management of the ASFS using software has become a challenge, for which we have developed the TMRT Active Surface System Control Software (TASCS). This paper describes the design and implementation of TASCS for device control, status monitoring, human-computer interaction, and data management functionalities. TASCS adopts the open-source Tango Controls framework and distributes middleware technology to realize real-time automated adjustment of the primary reflector through remote centralized control of a large number of actuators. At present, it has been successfully deployed on the TMRT and has played an important role in Event Horizon Telescope observations.