The Design and Implementation of a Low Power Consumption System of Remote Power Control and Video Monitoring for Telescope-Site Selection

Telescope-site selection for astronomy is important to astronomical research. It is needed to ensure a telescope in the wild for site selection to be effectively operated for its designated tasks. In this paper we present a remote-control system that can serve this purpose. The system allows users to take real-time videos and monitor the status of a telescope. We use an ARM9 board for development of the system. The ARM9 board has a S3C2440 processor as its core unit. The ARM9 board, which incorporates a Linux operation system, is of low cost and low power consumption, but can perform excellently. Through an RS485 bus the system can communicate with a module to control power-switch circuits. It can also take videos of connected modules with OV9655 COMS cameras. Based on the B/S framework the system has a series of realized functions, including remote control and status monitoring through a Web interface. The remote control/monitoring can be applied to turn on, reset, or cut off electric power supply to an on-site equipment. Cutting off will be especially needed in a case of emergency. Our system can also be applied in the maintenance of an automated telescope.