2004: a Bruker Fourier Transform Spectrometer with solar tracker, self-contained liquid nitrogen filling system and meteorological station.
Solar observations using Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometers are frequently used to monitor the chemical composition of the atmosphere. To be able to measure at remote sites it is necessary to run the instrument remotely and/or in an autonomous mode.
For this purpose, the Bruker Automation and Remote COntrol System (BARCOS) is developed. BARCOS includes a Bruker FTS with a sophisticated solar tracker, a self-contained liquid nitrogen filling system and a versatile meteorological station. The software enables control of all system components in an integrated way.
Delivery year: 2004 and following
BARCOS suntracker installed on a tower on the Space Pole in Brussels
The operation of Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometers for the regular monitoring of the chemical composition of the atmosphere by solar absorption measurements is costly in terms of manpower, especially if the instrument is located at a remote site. Still there is a strong demand to increase the number of such observations and to have them take place at sites that are more difficult to access, for example at high altitude, in the tropics, at inhabited locations, etc.
In particular the Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), has a non-uniform spread of observatories, with a larger concentration in the Northern hemisphere and in the United States, and lacks observatories in the tropics, in Africa, in Asia and the Southern hemisphere. At many locations, FTIR observations are carried out on a campaign basis, because of the lack of available manpower to run the instruments continuously.
BARCOS meteo station at Ile de la Réunion
Therefore, to acquire more observations in a more cost-effective way, it is of great interest to develop systems to run such instruments in a remote-control and/or automatic mode. Such a system has been developed to control the automatic operation of a Bruker Fourier transform Spectrometer (FTS) for performing atmospheric solar absorption measurements. It is called BARCOS which stands for ‘Bruker Automation and Remote COntrol System for atmospheric observations’.
It has been implemented successfully first during FTIR campaign observations at Ile de la Réunion (21°S, 55°E):
- in October 2002 at the high mountain side of Piton du Maido (2200 m above sea level),
- in September-October 2004 at the university campus at Saint-Denis.
BARCOS has been installed at several other remote locations and contributed through many campaigns over the years (Sodankyla, Finland; Porto Velho, Bresil; Xianghe, China).
BARCOS system installed on a container at Maido mountain on Ile de la Réunion (BIRA-IASB suntracker)
Once the BARCOS hardware is completely installed, the entire system can be controlled by software from one master PC. The only requirement is that for every observation day a corresponding script can be found in the master PC. At the beginning of each day, BARCOS will search for this script and execute it. A script contains a list of commands, each wearing a tag. The tag can be either the time or the solar zenith angle at which the command has to be executed.
BARCOS with first (Denver) suntracker
Before and during the execution of any BARCOS script line, a set of external parameters (carefully selected by the operator) is checked and interpreted in order to take decisions on whether to start, interrupt or stop a measuring sequence.
Using scripts eases the instrument control from a remote location. New scripts can be uploaded (or existing ones can be modified) at any time. The ultimate solution for remote control is to mirror the master PC’s peripheral access (keyboard/mouse/screen) to a remote PC, provided that a high bit rate internet link between the measuring site and the remote user’s desktop is available.
BARCOS first suntracker (built at University of Denver)
Although a high degree of automation is aimed for, the possibility to manually control the instrument remains present at all software levels through user-friendly graphical interfaces.
Data storage and status logging are supported respecting a strict file directory structure.
Publications
Neefs, E.; De Mazière, M.; Scolas, F.; Hermans, C.; Hawat, T. (2007), “BARCOS, an automation and remote control system for atmospheric observations with a Bruker interferometer”, Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 78, Issue 3, 035109, DOI: 10.1063/1.2437144
