Introduction

The XMET display is an informational widget providing current meteorlogical information. XMET is a monitor program and offers no controls.

To start XMET, right click on a blue background desktop in your VNC session and from the popup menu select, depending on the instrument:

K2 Telescope Status Menu → XMET - Weather

or:

Telescope GUIs → XMET - Weather

Stop XMET by using the Close option from the window menu, accessible by clicking the button at the top left of the window.

The observers version of XMET displays a graph of temperatures over a selectable time period. Instantaneous values are displayed, as well as the following values on the graph, which is updated every minute:

• Dewpoint point, maximum (dark blue line)
• Primary mirror temperature, actual (green line)
• Secondary mirror temperature, actual (magenta line)
• Outside air temperature, minimum (cyan line)
• Dome temperature (red line)

There is a second line graph which displays the outside humidity (cyan line) and dome humidity (red line) over a selectable period of time. Both graphs are updated every minute.

XMET also displays the wind speed (mph) and direction. The wind speed is shown as the instantaneous current value, the last minute maximum and the last 30 minutes maximum. The wind direction is represented in terms of the minimum, maximum and average value within the last minute.

The stop-lite buttons on the right side of the display warn if the dewpoint is approaching the specified temperature (e.g., primary or secondary mirror temperatures or outside temp). These calculations are based on instantaneous data and they are color coded as follows:

• Green: The dewpoint is 5 degrees or more below the specified temperature.
• Amber: The dewpoint is between 2 and 5 degrees below the specified temperature.
• Red: The dewpoint is dangerously within 2 degrees below the specified tempeperature.
• Pri-Dew: Difference between the primary mirror temperature and dewpoint.
• Sec-Dew: Difference between the secondary mirror temperature and dewpoint.
• Out-Temp: Difference between the outside temperature and dewpoint.

Warning messages

Warning text displayed in the red alarm box indicate the following:

• NO MET DATA: means the met VME crate is possibly down or the tcl scripts are not running (see Trouble-Shooting Section below). When this happens, no data values or appropriate stop-lite warnings will be displayed. You will notice that the linegraph trends may 'spike downwards'. The data labels will also turn red.
• STALE GE DATA; Check TCL Scripts: means that the data has not changed for a while (see Trouble-Shooting Section below.)
• INVALID GE DATA: dewpoint, outside air, and outside humidity will turn red.
• GE CLEANING: means that the GE unit is going through its daily cleaning cycle. You will not see GE dewpoint, outside air, and outside humidity since these values should be ignored during these times. The appropriate line graphs will spike downward.
• GE NEEDS SVC: means that the GE unit needs service. Follow the instructions under the Electronics group homepage. You will not see GE data values during this time. You may also see the data spike downwards.
• NO PRI MIRR DATA: means that the ACS is not in the correct mode to output data. If the label for SECONDARY is red also, this means that the AUX crate is down.