EELT-HIRES the high resolution spectrograph for the E-ELT: software and hardware solutions for its control

Abstract

The current E-ELT instrumentation plan foresees a High Resolution Spectrograph conventionally indicated as EELTHIRES whose Phase A study has started in March 2016. Since 2013 however, a preliminary study of a modular E-ELT instrument able to provide high-resolution spectroscopy (R 100,000) in a wide wavelength range (0.37-2.5 μm) has been already conducted by an international consortium (termed "HIRES initiative"). Taking into account the requirements inferred from this preliminary work in terms of both high-level operations as well as low-level control, we will present in this paper possible solutions for HIRES hardware and software architecture. The validity of the proposed architectural and hardware choices will be eventually discussed based also on the experience gained on a real-working instrument, ESPRESSO, the next generation high-stability spectrograph for the VLT and to certain extent the precursor of HIRES. <P />