A Study of Remote Access Techniques for An RTS2 Autonomous Observation Software System Based on the XML-RPC

An autonomous observation software system is a key component in modern autonomous astronomical telescope observation, which has been an important new research direction of astronomical technologies in recent years. Among established autonomous observation software systems, the RTS2 has a variety of advantages and has received relatively more attention. However, the RTS2 does not provide any function for remote access and control. In this paper, we have an in-depth study on installing in an RTS2 system function callings and data-access interfaces based on the XML-RPC technology. We provide a prototype of a terminal system for autonomous telescope control based on the XML-RPC. We present the details of the source codes including descriptions of interface functions and interface parameters. Our experimental results show that the XML-RPC based methods are simple for expanding the applications of an RTS2 system. These methods could also be helpful for further development of autonomous observation systems.