Hawk Naea was born in American Samoa and raised on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. He graduated from Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i Campus and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Hawai‘i. His goal is to be comfortable and to be able to make an impact on the world and in certain communities. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, singing, and playing video games.
Home Island: Hawai‘i Island
High School: Kamehameha Schools
Institution when accepted: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Project Site: Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Pukalani, Maui
Mentor: Andy Ferayorni
Project title: Adding New Status Monitoring Functionality to the DKIST Motion-Control Systems
Project Abstract:
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope’s (DKIST) instrument motion systems consist of various motors that control the telescope’s moving parts. The software responsible for operating the telescope communicates with motion-control electronics via an interface, which sends signals to the motors and receives feedback signals from them. This interface transmits a wide array of status data, with specific elements selected based on how valuable the information is for the telescope software user. These status elements are compiled into a status report, which is used to generate user interface screens. Currently, several valuable status elements have yet to be implemented. In particular, the current draw of each axis and the amplifier’s backplane voltage are two elements that could significantly improve operational efficiency but are still missing. This project aims to incorporate these critical status elements into the reports and create intuitive user interface screens for telescope operators. Data obtained from the motors will be utilized to calculate both the current draw and backplane voltage, thus adding these two new elements to the status report. After implementation, user interface screens can be created that are easily digestible for the users. Additionally, consideration was given to other status elements worth reporting and other user interface screens worth generating. The results presented should demonstrate the convenience of these user interface screens and the value of these new status elements.