Lego

The CCAT Heterodyne Array Instrument (CHAI) is a modular, dual-frequency band array receiver and is one of two instruments used for CCAT's early science observations. The single-pixel version of the CHAI, miniCHAI, will be on the telescope as the first-light instrument covering the 455-495 GHz and 800-820 GHz frequency ranges simultaneously. We are developing both instruments using our expertise built up over many years of experience with heterodyne receivers and mixers, including instruments for the KOSMA 3-meter telescope {link = https://astro.uni-koeln.de/observational-astrophysics/kosma}, NANTEN2 {link = https://astro.uni-koeln.de/observational-astrophysics/nanten2}, and (up)GREAT at SOFIA {link=https://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/4480530/great}, among others.

Developing software for instrument operation and observation is also an important part of our work. This includes optimizing instrument parameters and observing schemes, generating command sequences to synchronously operate telescope movement and instrument data acquisition, and creating an interface for remote observing. It also involves collecting and organizing instrumental and observing information needed for data analysis and a long-term data archive. Although we use the same framework as in previous observatory projects, we continuously improve the operational scheme based on our experience. Additionally, each instrument and telescope is unique, necessitating extensive adaption. Well-tested, optimized software is essential for efficient observation and, ultimately, for the quality of the scientific output.