Station Software

This section will outline the function of the station software in order to allow users to adapt it to their needs and for different hardware.

run_scanner.py

This is the main program that controls the scanner. The figure below outlines the workflow of the main station program run_scanner.py.

Scanner Flowchart

Flowchart of the main station program

The run_scanner.py script should be launched when the Raspberry Pi boots and will perform a number of tasks before scanning begins. It is advised to have the Raspberry Pi be powered on for 1 - 2 hours either side of the scanning window to allow plenty of time for these tasks. The exact time that the station will turn on will depend on the power settings in the /home/pi/wittyPi/schedule.wpi file as described in Station Setup.

Modules

The main program calls additional functions in order to communicate with the various components of the scanner as a whole. These can be found in the openso2 library within the main open_so2 directory.

scanner

analyse_scan

call_gps

program_setup

julian_time