Abstract:
The advent of personal computers (PC) has resulted in flexible and low cost solution for the control and acquisition of data from spectrum scanner used with optical telescopes. The PC enables user- friendly dialogue for instruments set-up, provides flexibility in modes of operation (sequential or random scans), on line Display of spectrum build up and storage of data as files in secondary storage media. This paper describes the hardware and software interfaces of an IBM compatible PC to a spectrum Scanner developed for the 1-meter telescope at the Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur. The performance of the instrument is also discussed with examples.