ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for January 2018

1.  ACIS Characterization

1.3 Monitor scientific on-orbit performance of ACIS

  ...  Continued monitoring of ACIS CTI, gain, trailing pixel pulseheight, detector efficiency, corner pixel distribution, spectral line centroid and width, and focal plane temperature.  Updated monitoring web pages. (http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/monitor.html).


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  All engineering data remains nominal.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the JAN0818 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.
  
  ...  Continued to work on procedure to switch from DEA-A to DEA-B.  Identified CC-mode parameter blocks that could be used in post-switch verification.  Reviewed notes on previous Engineering Unit verification and developed plan for new tests.

  ...  Examined data from 1DACTBT, a temperature sensor at the top of the DA collimator, which is approaching its yellow high limit.  This is not a health and safety limit.  The team is considering raising both the yellow and red high limits. 

  ...  Answered SOT question about radiation hardness of ACIS electronics.  Designed to tolerate a dose of 50 Krad.  Since neither of the on-chip radiation monitors has tripped, this indicates the current dose is less than about 17 Krad.

2.2 Flight software maintenance

  ...  Flight software patch F-G-H (improved buscrash2) uploaded in June 2014.

  ...  We continue to monitor threshold crossing rates.  The current TXINGS parameters, which were last updated on July 28, 2016, are still be valid, but are being verified currently.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Reviewed OCC relocation plans, SOP development, and thermal issues.

  ...  Continued daily quick-look processing of ACIS telemetry and maintained Web interface to ACIS real-time data.

  ...  Continued to publish the "annotated DOT" timeline reports.


3.  CXC Support

3.1 Provide user support

  ...  Wrote ACIS update article for upcoming Chandra newsletter.

  ...  Substantial discussion of configuration and SI mode availability for a proposed DDT observation.  The observation was not approved.

  ...  ACIS memo listing calibration ObsIDs and observation characteristics (ACIS Memo #165) will no longer be updated.  Functionality is replaced by new web page (http://acis.mit.edu/asc/evt-page.html), which provides the same information but is more automated.

3.2 Provide data analysis support
  
  ...  Discussed how observations with out-of-spec focal plane temperatures are being dealt with in the pipeline and V&V.  Recommended that V&V warnings about out-of-spec temperatures should be reinstated.

  ...  Continued to maintain ACIS calibration database of ground and flight data products.

  ...  Participated in program planning for upcoming IACHEC meeting (April in Italy).  Began travel approvals process.

4.  OCC Support

4.1 Use of MIT/ACIS EGSE at OCC

  ...  Continued support and maintenance of ACIS EGSE software and hardware at the OCC.  Performed monthly check of all ACIS hardware and software in the TST room at the OCC.  Working on updating documentation.

  ...  Discussed sotmaxaf password with FOT MP.  They will need to use it more frequently after the OCC move to install updated ACIS tables.

  ...  New EGSE workstations for the relocated OCC are currently being configured and set up with appropriate software.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  In response to FOT request, created new ACIS power command that powers down all the video boards but turns three FEPs on and three FEPs off for use during perigee passages to help keep the ACIS DPA within thermal limits.  Tested on the engineering unit and released to the FOT for use in mission planning.  Answered general FOT questions about ACIS power commands.  Reviewed test command loads using the new perigee commanding.  New ACIS power command is now in regular use.

  ...  Answered FOT MP question about how to identify CTI observations in a command load backstop file.  Gave a list of parameter blocks which are unique to CTI observations.

  ...  Working on removing ACIS ops dependence on "expect" by replacing the functionality with a perl module under ACIS ops configuration control.

  ...  Continued review and updating of SACGS documentation (SACGS = SOT ACIS Command Generation System).

  ...  Continuing familiarization with SACGS operation and under-the-hood functioning.

  ...  Reviewed JAN2218A, JAN2218B, JAN1918A, and JAN1918B command loads. Reviewed JAN2218 (x2), JAN1918, JAN2918 preliminary schedules, JAN2218 (x2), JAN1918, JAN2918 final OR list, and FEB0518 Long Term Schedule OR list.

  ...  Reviewed JAN1518T test load, with new ACIS power commands during perigee passages.

  ...  Assigned 1 SI modes.  Dropped chips from 10 ObsIDs

  ...  Last of the problematic AO-19 initial configurations fixed.  Checked for chip drop contingency modes for all unobserved ObsIDs for 1-, 2-, and 3-chip drops down to 3 CCDs on.  All necessary SI modes exist.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.