What a job this was! The instrument control and data acquisition computer (ICS) had recently been moved down into the electronics area on the second floor of the INT building. This was done to free up a sizable area of floor space adjacent to the telescope control room which was later fitted out with workstations for visiting astronomers to use. Many cables needed to be shortened and we took this opportunity to remove redundant cables also. A job of this nature needs a considerable amount of planning as at the end of each working day, the telescope and instruments must be operational.
Roberto Martinez and myself somewhat lost of where to make a start! To right of Roberto is the Perkin
Elmer 3220 instrument control computer (ICS) which we had recently moved into this area. A few years
later, this was 'ceremoniously' switched off forever by the head of the ING Board. We had now moved
over to SUN workstations that took over instrument control and image acquisition.
NEARING COMPLETION
Phil Symonds from the computer group tidying up the computer terminal cables and Roberto standing beside the Perkin Elmer 3210 telescope control computer (TCS) with all the cables now neatly laid in trays. Shortly after the old instrument computer was de-commissioned, the TCS followed suit and was replaced with a DEC ALPHA workstation. A great relief to the night duty staff as we were expected to repair these mini-frame computers if they failed.
BEFORE
Showing the 'rats nest' of cables that had been pulled back from the INT control room above.
AFTER
The same area several weeks later with all the redundant cables removed and those remaining neatly bundled together going into the equipment racks.
