TLC is a computer program that determines corrections for radiotelescopepointing errors associated with tilts and elastic deformations. These errors occur because for rotation in azimuth, a radiotelescope is mounted on wheels that move on a circular track that deviates from perfect flatness. TLC processes radiotelescope field data through smoothing, filtering, segment-fitting, trend-removal, Fourier-transform, and high-passfiltering algorithms to generate a lookup table that contains the pointing corrections. The field data in question are readouts from four inclinometers, the relative positions of the inclinometers, and readouts from an azimuth-angle encoder. Written in the Matlab software system, TLC is a user-friendly program that provides a graphical user interface that enables even an unfamiliar user to proceed, step by step, to the final result.

This work was done by Wodek Gawronski and Erin Maneri of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.nasatech.com/tsp  under the Software category.

This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Don Hart of the California Institute of Technology at (818) 393-3425. Refer to NPO-21135.



This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
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Program Computes Pointing Corrections for a Radiotelescope

(reference NPO-21135) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

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