This page contains engineering details about NIRC which are generally not of interest to observers, but aimed more at Instrument Specialists and Instrument technicians.

TROUBLESHOOTING

• Software crashes
• Troubleshooting the filter wheels
• Vignetting and similar problems

Miscellaneous information

• Cooldown Procedure
• Cooldown and warmup characteristics
• Warmup between runs: procedure & notes
• NIRC/PDS phasing
• NIRC vs. Guider Focus and Tilt Comparison
• Timing Patterns Decoded
• Installing and Removing NIRC
• Opening the NIRC Dewar
• Opening the Filter Wheel
• Lakshore 201/208 manual (PDF)
• Filling the Dewars
• The NIRC/LWS Test Station
• Unloading the dewar from its shippiong container.

Images, Diagrams, and Drawings

• Digital images of the NIRC exterior
  • The N2 and He vent tubes
  • Tertiary mirror mechanism
  • Filter wheel
  • Mounting plate and fill lines
  • Slit mechanism
  • Slit mask mechanism
• Schematics
  Note that drawing numbers are in parantheses in some cases.
  • Parts List
  • NIRC Dewar
  • Optical path (cutaway view of dewar)
  • Optical Layout (099001)
  • Dewar cutaway showing motors
  • Slit and mask mechanism
    • Drive Gear (007002)
    • Slit mechanism (014002)
    • Slit mechanism
    • Slit Drive 1 (008007)
    • Slit Drive 2 (008008)
    • Stepper Motor Assembly (012002)
  • Filter mechanism
    • Filter Wheels (007004)
    • Filter Wheel Support Assembly (008002)
    • Filter Drive (008010)
  • Camera Lens
    • Lens Detector Assembly (011002-1)
    • Biconvex Aspheric Lens (033003)
    • Biconcave Aspheric Lens (033004)
    • Meniscus Spheric Lens 1 (033005)
    • Meniscus Spheric Lens 2 (033006)
    • Biconvex Spheric Lens 3 (033007)
    • Meniscus Spheric Lens 4 (033008)
    • Meniscus Spheric Lens 5 (033009)