Emergency Procedures - Carleton-SRCL/SPOT GitHub Wiki

E-Stop

The Emergency Stop Button is located on the ground station table. To engage the e-stop, PRESS DOWN. To disengage the e-stop, TWIST the button clockwise until it clicks back up. When the e-stop is engaged (pressed down), the LED status light on each platform will turn RED. In this state, the platforms can still float on the table, but the thrusters will be disengaged. When the e-stop is disengaged (twisted into its normal position), the LED status light on each platform will be BLUE.

[!WARNING] IN AN EMERGENCY, get control of the platforms FIRST. Once you are sure the platforms will not leave the table, you can have someone press the e-stop, and then you can stop the experiment.

For specific details on this system, see this page.

LED System

LEDs are used to alert the operator to the current status of the Emergency Stop circuitry. The E-Stop LED is solid blue when the "good" E-Stop signal is being received. When the LED is solid red, this indicates that the "bad" signal was received. When the LED flashes red, this indicates that no E-Stop signal is received, that the E-Stop has been triggered, and that there is a fault in the Emergency Stop circuitry. The same "good" and "bad" signals are transmitted blindly to all receivers. Therefore, when the E-Stop is triggered, all active spacecraft platforms will simultaneously trigger their Emergency Stop circuitry.

Avoiding Damage to the Pucks

The pucks are extremely expensive and extremely sensitive.

[!CAUTION]

• Do not touch the surface of the pucks without wearing gloves.
• Do not place the platforms down on the table without floating.
• Ensure the pucks have been cleaned properly before putting them on the table.
• Do not allow the pucks to slide off the table in an experiment.

Consider the following picture of a puck following an incident in 2017, which resulted in all pucks on RED and BLACK being replaced. Don't be that person!

Compressor Failure

[!CAUTION] Hearing and eye protection must be worn while operating the compressor. In the event of a failure, such as a rupture of the compressor line, air will escape and create significant noise, which can result in permanent hearing damage.

Assess the situation. If safe to do so, power off the compressor. Otherwise, leave the area and contact Carleton Campus Safety Services at (613) 520-3612.

Platform Leaks

Platform leaks happen OFTEN. If you hear a leak, start by evaluating the severity of the leak. If the leak is small and is having a negligible impact on the experiment, it may be safe to continue. However, if the leak is significant enough to cause the spacecraft to move unprompted, then it is best to stop all experiments until the leak can be resolved.