Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is PrecisionPEC? A. PrecisionPEC is a Windows application that can be used to accurately determine Paramount ME's periodic error (under virtually any seeing conditions), and then directly update the Paramount ME's internal firmware with the optimal periodic error correction curve for your mount.
Remember, there's simply no substitute for using the precision worms and gears found on the Paramount ME. The Paramount ME's worms and gears have a guaranteed peak-to-peak periodic error of 5 arcseconds or less, and have set a new standard in the industry for precision gears. The Paramount ME's gear train also produces very smooth, and therefore very repeatable, periodic error curve.
This "minimal initial error baseline" ensures the best overall tracking performance, and the best possible results from periodic error correction algorithms.
That said, PrecisionPEC allows you to analyze the periodic error of your mount, and then determine the optimal periodic error curve that minimizes the errors caused by the fundamental harmonics in the belt/pulley/worm system. This curve can then be permanently stored in the flash RAM of the control system.
How does PrecisionPEC work? A. You collect periodic error data of multiple worm cycles for your Paramount ME using a CCD camera controlled by CCDSoft's "autoguiding" capabilities (that is, CCDSoft logs the position of a star's motion without making any relay corrections).
CCDSoft generates a "guiding" log file that can be opened by PrecisionPEC. PrecisionPEC graphs the raw data, and can determine the optimal periodic error correction curve by performing a high-powered mathematical analysis of the data. This optimized curve is then loaded directly into the Paramount ME control system's flash memory for permanent use.
Now, not only will your mount have the minimal mechanical, uncorrected periodic error, you'll also enjoy the benefits of having an optimal periodic error correction curve for your mount.
Does PrecisionPEC work with mounts other than the Paramount ME? A. No. PrecisionPEC's periodic error correction algorithms are designed specifically for the Paramount ME.
Does PrecisionPEC display the magnitude of the corrected periodic error? A. No. PrecisionPEC does not display the magnitude of the corrected periodic error. The magnitude of the corrected periodic error must be measured (independently) using other means.
Is minimizing periodic error a panacea for all tracking-related errors? A. No. If you plan on taking long exposures (that is, longer than one complete worm cycle, which is 2.5 minutes for the Paramount ME), then there are a myriad of other system errors that affect tracking (tube flexure, imperfect polar alignment, refraction, etc.). These additional tracking errors can be corrected by using TPoint's ProTrack (or by autoguiding).
In other words, the benefits from small periodic error can only be observed for shorter exposures, or when all other, larger magnitude tracking errors are corrected.
What are the advantages of using PrecisionPEC? A. Here are some of the advantages of PrecisionPEC.
* PrecisionPEC is designed by Software Bisque specifically to detect and minimize the fundamental harmonics found in the Paramount ME. Therefore, PrecisionPEC generates the a very accurate periodic error curve for your mount.
* PrecisionPEC's "final" PEC curve is loaded directly into the control system's flash memory. There is no need to "play back" the periodic error curve using the telescope's internal relays. This ensures the most accurate representation of the periodic error curve is stored in the Paramount ME control system's permanent flash RAM.
* PrecisionPEC has the ability to accommodate periodic error over two periods of the worm. Software Bisque's research shows that periodic error may be repeatable over two periods of the worm, not just one.
* PrecisionPEC is one more link in Software Bisque's chain of tools (TheSky6, CCDSoft, TPoint, ProTrack, Orchestrate, Internet Astronomy Software, AutomaDome) that ensures integrated, optimal performance from your Paramount ME.
What is the period of the Paramount ME worm when tracking at the sidereal rate? A. The period of the Paramount ME's worm is 2.5 minutes when tracking at the sidereal rate.
How do I measure, or quantify, the Paramount ME's corrected periodic error? A. See Quantifying the Corrected Periodic Error for details about measuring periodic error.
