168 lines
8.3 KiB
TeX
168 lines
8.3 KiB
TeX
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% SatNOGS_Optical.tex
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%
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% SatNOGS Optical Unofficial Guide
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% Copyright (C) 2022, Jeff Moe
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%
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% This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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% International Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Jeff Moe.
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%
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\section{SatNOGS Optical HOWTO}
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\label{sec:optical-howto}
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\gls{SatNOGS-Optical} is the nascent distributed network of optical
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\glspl{ground-station}.
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This chapter gives a top level review what is needed in terms of hardware and
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software to build an operating optical \gls{ground-station}.
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\index{hardware}\index{software}
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\section{Toolchain}
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\label{sec:toolchain}
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See below for a \gls{SatNOGS-Optical} Process Overview.%
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\footnote{\url{https://spacecruft.org/spacecruft/SNOPO}}
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See figure \ref{fig:snopo}, page \pageref{fig:snopo}, described below.
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\begin{mdframed}[backgroundcolor=blue!10,linecolor=blue!30]
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\begin{description}
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\item [Hardware] --- Hardware, such as cameras and \glspl{embedded-system}, is to be selected and set up.
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\item [Software] --- The best currently available software is to be downloaded, installed, and configured.
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\item [Acquire] --- Data samples, typically in the form of \gls{FITS} file photographs, need to be acquired by running a camera outside at night taking pictures of the sky.
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\item [\Gls{plate-solver}] --- Acquired data samples in \gls{FITS} files need to be processed by a \gls{plate-solver}. See section \ref{sec:plate-solver}, page \pageref{sec:plate-solver}.
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\item [Detect \glspl{satellite}] --- Using \glspl{TLE} and the ``solved'' plates, detect \glspl{satellite}. See section \ref{sec:satellite-detection}, page \pageref{sec:satellite-detection}.
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\item [Identify \glspl{satellite}] --- With \glspl{satellite} detected in the previous step, identify what they are. See \ref{sec:overview-identify}, page \pageref{sec:overview-identify}.
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\end{description}
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\end{mdframed}
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\index{hardware}\index{software}\index{acquire}\index{detect}\index{identify}
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\index{camera}
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\begin{sidewaysfigure}[p!]
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\begin{center}
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\includegraphics[keepaspectratio=true,height=1.00\textheight,width=1.00\textwidth,angle=0]{SNOPO.png}
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\caption{\gls{SatNOGS-Optical} Process Overview}
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\label{fig:snopo}
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\index{process}
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\end{center}
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\end{sidewaysfigure}
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\section{Hardware}
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\label{sec:hardware}
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\index{hardware}
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Discussed in this section are some of the hardware options to be
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explored. More explicit instructions of a particular hardware installation
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can be see in section \ref{sec:hardware-overview}, page \pageref{sec:hardware-overview}.
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Discussed below are camera options, for details on \glspl{embedded-system} and other parts,
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also see hardware in section \ref{sec:hardware-overview}, page \pageref{sec:hardware-overview}
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\index{camera}
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For the purposes here, there are three main categories of hardware. Depending which
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category of equipment is selected, it impacts everything else, such as the
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software used. Main categories:
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\begin{mdframed}[backgroundcolor=blue!10,linecolor=blue!30]
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\begin{description}
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\item [Motion video cameras] --- Moving images.
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\item [Still camera] --- Still photos.
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\item [Allsky cameras] --- Views of all, or nearly all of the sky.
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\end{description}
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\end{mdframed}
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\index{motion video}\index{still camera}\index{allsky}
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Different types of equipment can be used in different categories.
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Some can be used in multiple setups, most just in one.
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If available, using motion video cameras will work best for
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detecting \glspl{satellite} with the developing \gls{SatNOGS} \gls{toolchain}.
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Examples of motion video camera sources that could be used:
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\begin{mdframed}[backgroundcolor=blue!10,linecolor=blue!30]
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\begin{description}
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\item [The Imaging Source Cameras based on IMX174] --- Known to work. Recommended.
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High quality cameras, believed to be usable following \gls{DFSG}.
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\item [ZWO ASI based on IMX174] --- Known to work. Not \gls{DFSG} compatible.
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Uses proprietary \gls{SDK}. Currently in prototype development. \index{proprietary}
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\item [\gls{UVC}/\gls{V4L2}] --- ``Any'' video camera that works with the \gls{Linux} kernel.
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Typically, the device will appear similar to \texttt{/dev/video0}. A camera
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that works with the software isn't necessarily sensitive enough to detect
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satellites, however, as most are designed for brighter environments.
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\item [\gls{OpenCV}] --- cameras that work with \gls{OpenCV} can be used, same as \gls{UVC}.
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To work well, they need to be sensitive.
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\item [\gls{Raspberry-Pi}] --- The PiCamera can be used. A good lower cost option.
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Recommended. Many non-\gls{Raspberry-Pi} devices, such as Odroid are also compatible with the Pi
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\gls{MIPI} interface.\index{PiCamera}\index{Odroid}
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\end{description}
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\end{mdframed}
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\index{The Imaging Source}\index{ZWO ASI}
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Still cameras can also be used productively. The current \gls{Python} \gls{toolchain}
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is in very early development and not completely usable yet.
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See the list below for still camera options:
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\begin{mdframed}[backgroundcolor=blue!10,linecolor=blue!30]
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\begin{description}
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\item [\Glspl{telescope}] --- Can definitely take images of \glspl{satellite}.
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Not the best tool at present, as it isn't well integrated into the \gls{SatNOGS-Optical} toolchain.
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The \gls{FoV} is generally too small. The mounts are optimized for
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different types of tracking than satellites. This is changing, and longer
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term could be well-supported. Using \gls{RASA} style \glspl{astrograph}
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is likely the best option.
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\item [\gls{INDI}] --- Typically used for control of \glspl{telescope} and
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associated instrumentation, such as tracking mounts and cameras.
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Cannot be used directly with the current developing \gls{SatNOGS} toolchain.
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It is not seen as the future path forward as it isn't well optimized for
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\gls{SatNOGS-Optical} usage. That said, it is very useful at present for
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running a tracking mount with \gls{KStars} and Ekos, for example,
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in lieu of a better option. Camera software in the \gls{INDI} platform typically
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produce image \gls{FITS} files.
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\item [\gls{gPhoto}] --- The \gls{Linux} kernel recognizes many cameras that can be
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used with \gls{gPhoto} tools and drivers, available in \gls{Debian}.
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This is the recommended option at present for still cameras.
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\gls{DSLR} cameras, such as from major manufacturers Canon and Nikon, are
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used with \gls{gPhoto}.
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\end{description}
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\end{mdframed}
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\index{Ekos}\index{track}\index{mount}\index{Canon}\index{Nikon}
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Considering the hardware options above, they need to be matched with
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corresponding software. Not all options work (at all), and some cannot be
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easily used to perform all steps needed.
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There are also broader ``paths'' that need to be considered:
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\begin{mdframed}[backgroundcolor=blue!10,linecolor=blue!30]
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\begin{description}
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\item [\gls{sattools}] --- Deprecated because it is in \gls{C}, and the
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decision by upstream and the \gls{LSF} was made to move forward with applications primarily
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written in \gls{Python}. \Gls{sattools} is the most complete toolkit,
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however, so no matter what path is chosen, some parts of it will likely
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be used for now. It can be used with motion video cameras and
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still cameras. It includes many other software tools related to
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\glspl{satellite}.
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\item [\gls{stvid}] --- This is the best path if a motion video camera
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is available. It is in \gls{Python} and is the tool the
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\gls{SatNOGS-Optical} project is using as the basis for future development.
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It still depends on some \gls{C} tools from \gls{sattools}.
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\item [\texttt{stphot}] --- Written in \gls{Python} this is what the
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\gls{SatNOGS-Optical} project will likely use in the future
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for still cameras.
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It is in very early development, but can acquire data (take photos)
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with \gls{gPhoto}-compatible cameras.
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\item [\texttt{asm}] --- All Sky Monitor for taking pictures of all, or nearly all
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of the sky, such as with a 150 or 180 degree view. The \texttt{asm}
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application is in pre-development, but is in \gls{Python} and could be
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the basis for future \gls{SatNOGS-Optical} development.
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The difficulty with all sky cameras is the \gls{plate-solver} isn't
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written to use images from the ``fish-eye'' view of an all sky camera.
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\item [Other] --- There are many other satellite and \gls{telescope} software
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packges freely available on the Internet. Perhaps some could be adapted for
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usage.
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\end{description}
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\end{mdframed}
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\index{motion video}
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\index{still camera}\index{allsky}\index{stphot}\index{allsky}
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