Differences

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--- faq [2010/11/06 08:21] – pkubanek
+++ faq [2014/06/28 15:29] – [How to add and schedule a new target?] pkubanek
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-===== How to add and schedule a new target? =====
+===== Is RTS2 an open standard? =====
+Yes, it is. RTS2 defines TCP/IP interfaces between devices found at the observatory, services observatory shall provide, and central server, which registers devices and services and provides observatory-wide state propagation and blocking.
+===== Who is using RTS2? =====
+RTS2 is used on more than 20 observatories around the world, ranging in diameter from 10cm to almost 2m. RTS2 was selected by ESA in an open bid for environment to control its space monitoring telescopes.
+===== Will RTS2 run on Windows? =====
+Yes. If you don't want to change anything, please use cygwin environment and compile RTS2 in it. If you want native Windows interface, please consider providing Windows port or get in touch with us for negotiation details. We don't need Windows, and as long as nobody will pay us to provide direct support for Windows, Microsoft Windows (or any other closed source operation system) will remain unsupported.
+===== Why there aren't precompiled binary packages? =====
+Because we are not funded for providing binary packages. If you want them, please consider either providing them, or get in contact with us regarding funding necessary to have binary packages.
+===== Why I should use RTS2 instead of ASCOM? =====
+ASCOM is a standard tightly coupled with Windows closed source COM/DCOM model, now being depreciated by its backing company in favour of .NET and other marketing tricks. We are not interested in upgrading our environment every few years.
+ASCOM has following bottlenecks, which makes its use at big observatories difficult:
+* it is strictly typed, it is not possible to extend devices with additional information - consider switching on/off hydraulics, or various variables RTS2 image processor can output to signal current observation conditions
+* it hardly scales over network
+* it does not provide in our sense reasonable weather reaction subsystem - in RTS2, every device can signal bad weather and block operations of the observatory
+===== How do I add and schedule a new target? =====
 There is a [[howto:mpec|MPEC howto]]. Entering target is very similar, just instead of MPEC one-line you put in target name (resolvable by SIMBAD):