Before proceeding with NIRSPEC AO checkout below, make sure the Power Up Procedure steps have been completed first, following the reconfig of NIRSPEC into AO.

Set the software keyword for NIRSPAO operations

1. Open a local xterm within the instrument VNC session. (NIRSPEC menu → login windows → local xterm)
2. modify -s nsmores instrume=NIRSPAO

Start up NIRSPEC software from any user session (preferably nspeceng)

If you have not done it yet, on the VNC background menu: NIRSPEC Control Menu → NIRSPEC Start Up.

This will launch the following GUIs:

• Control 0:
  • NIRSPEC Format Simulator (AO Mode) GUI, aka. Echelle Formal Simulator (EFS).
  • NIRSPEC instrument control GUI (mechanisms)
  • Program Identification GUI (PIG)
  • Eventsounds GUI
• Control 1:
  • SCAM Ginga display GUI
  • SCAM detector dialog
  • NSCAM Status display
• Control 2:
  • SPEC Ginga display GUI
  • SPEC detector Dialog
  • NSPEC Status display
• Telstatus: Optionally, the following GUIs can be launched from the VNC pulldown menu:
  • NIRSPEC MAGIQ UI
  • K2 Telescope Status Menu → FACSUM
  • K2 Telescope Status Menu → XMET - Weather

Begin AO calibration for NIRSPAO

1. Follow the steps for calibrating the AO system for NIRSPAO using the standard AO checklist.
2. NOTE: skip the DM/WLS registration step, if this has already done for NIRC2 going on sky in the same night.
3. Stop just before the beginning of the image sharpening section.

Find the Fiber Light Source on SCAM

The following procedure can be used to take continuous images with SCAM while modifying the SFP obsfz value until the best image quality is achieved.

1. Keck II calib → Light Source Control → ND6
2. SC GUI → SF (SFP) → sharpscam
3. EFS → Obs. Mode → Setup Only
4. EFS → Filter → NIRSPEC-7
5. EFS → Slit → 0.041 x 1.13
6. NOTE: If the Slit size options displayed in the pull down list of the EFS show Seeing limited values instead of the correct AO sized slits, then:
   • Verify the NIRSPAO keyword is being applied: show -s nsmores instrume, and modify it to NIRSPAO if it says NIRSPEC.
   • Quit out of the EFS, and restart that GUI via the background menu: NIRSPEC GUIs Menu → EFS GUI
   • Verify that the correct slit menu is now present in the EFS pull down, and repeat the steps above.
7. EFS → GO

Monitor the setup progress on the NIRSPEC instrument control GUI and on the wait_wrapper popup terminal. Double check that:

• The Fold mirror stays Out
• The FEU flip stays In
• The Pinhole stays Out
• The Hatch stays Closed

Once the setup is completed, take a SCAM backgroung image on a nirspec terminal with the following commands:

• tint2 0.67 (shortest SCAM exposure time in seconds)
• coadds2 1
• goi2

Set the last image as background for Ginga. On the SCAM Ginga display NIRSPEC_SCAM → Use last as subtraction

Open the NIRSPEC hatch and start taking continuous images with SCAM:

• NIRSPEC instrument control → Hatch → New value → Open → Apply
• On a nirspec terminal, use the following command:

  goi2 100

• You should see the fiber spot imaged to the right of the slit in the SCAM field when viewing the Ginga image with the Raw channel. If not, increase fiber power to ND5 or less try again.
• If you don't see the fiber spot anywhere on SCAM, but you can see it on ACAM when the SFP is on optnirspao, check into these possible issues:
• The fore-optics mount for NIRSPAO (required for the needed ~12x magification) may need to be installed, or re-positioned inside the AO enclosure, and requires summit staff to enter AO to check.
• NIRSPEC may need to be re-defined in its AO position. This requires summit staff to pull NIRSPEC back a little and then forward again to re-engage its defining points inside the AO enclosure.
• Other possible reasons that may make it difficult to see the fiber spot on SCAM are:
  • The filter NIRSPEC-7 was selected, but the AO stop was not. Check that Current Stop says "AO" (instead of "Thin") on the NIRSPEC Instrument Control GUI when clicking on the SPEC filter selection
  • The SFP obsfz value is way off.

Check the AO pupil alignment using the Fiber Image on SCAM

1. Configure NIRSPEC for the NIRSPEC-7 filter, and take a SCAM background with tint2 and coadds2 as above:
2. Put the fiber way out of focus: SFP obsz to -10mm away from its current value
3. Take an exposure and check for any obvious vignetting. View the SCAM Ginga image in the Difference channel.
4. Increase the fiber power from ND6 to ND5, as needed for adequent signal on the out-of-focus image. Note that SCAM goes non-linear above 10,000 counts.
5. Repeat the steps above using the NIRSPEC KL filter, and check for any obvious vignetting here.
6. Here are examples of un-vignetted pupil images for N7 and KL filters.

Verify Pointing Origins for NIRSPAO are same as NIRC2

The Ref-N and Ref-L pointing origins need to be identical for NIRSPAO as they are with NIRC2. Follow these steps to check and update, if needed, these NIRSPAO PO values.

1. Open a TCSU GUI and access the configServiceUI menu via the TCS menu pull down.
2. Scroll down to supNIRC2 and expand that menu via "+".
3. Select the NIRC2po1 item, and make a note of the NIRC2 Ref-N PO values (x and y).
4. Do the same for NIRC2 Ref-L values and make a note: Select the NIRC2po4 item.
5. Look up the NIRSPAO Ref-N vlaues: Scroll down to supNIRSPAO and expand that menu via "+", then select NIRSPAOpo3.
6. Look up the NIRSPAO Ref-L vlaues: select NIRSPAOpo4.
7. If either set of PO values between NIRC2 and NIRSPAO do not agree, change the NIRSPAO values to be the same as NIRC2, and click Submit Changes in the lower left. Then exit the window.

Proceed with the AO calibrations for NIRSPAO

Follow the AO calibration steps, including the image sharpening, for NGS or LGS, and including the image quality check procedure, which ends with NIRSPEC and K2AO in safe mode.