ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for April 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).

  ... New raw mode frames collected in April.  Analyzed and poster to http://space.mit.edu/home/fergason/acis/raw.html.

  ...  Reviewed slides on ACIS status and presented at the Chandra Quarterly.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Closing out the ACIS door enabled anomaly from March.  Reviewed new quick-response web page for future occurences.  A flight note is in the works.

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  A review of engineering data over the past 60 days shows all continues to be well.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the APR0918 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

  ...  Reviewed and provided comment on SOP: Switch from DEA-A to DEA-B, including command timing and verifying command IDs.

  ...  Reviewed CLD and RTS files for the SOP: Turn on DEA-A and Test Video Boards.

  ...  ACIS Engineering Unit powered down and then up again during building electrical work.  Post power-up tests nominal.

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, will need to be updated in the next few months to keep the trigger thresholds well above the increasing particle background.  This update will likely be the last increase, as the rates should subsequently start dropping again.

  ...  Participated in discussions between ACIS and the FOT about on-board thermal limit check, which could autonomously stop a science run and power down FEPs and video boards.  The two possible approaches are the OBC monitoring the ACIS engineering channels or an ACIS flight software patch which can directly monitoring the BEP and FEP board temperatures.  Both approaches have pros and cons which we’re currently discussing. 

  ...  Developed, tested, and documented a patch to the ACIS flight software that allows ACIS to monitor it's own FEP / BEP board temperatures and either autonomously turn off FEP power or set a bilevel pattern to indicate that the OBC should run SCS107 if temperatures go above the red limit.

ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for April 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).

  ... New raw mode frames collected in April.  Analyzed and poster to http://space.mit.edu/home/fergason/acis/raw.html.

  ...  Reviewed slides on ACIS status and presented at the Chandra Quarterly.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Closing out the ACIS door enabled anomaly from March.  Reviewed new quick-response web page for future occurences.  A flight note is in the works.

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  A review of engineering data over the past 60 days shows all continues to be well.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the APR0918 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

  ...  Reviewed and provided comment on SOP: Switch from DEA-A to DEA-B, including command timing and verifying command IDs.

  ...  Reviewed CLD and RTS files for the SOP: Turn on DEA-A and Test Video Boards.

  ...  ACIS Engineering Unit powered down and then up again during building electrical work.  Post power-up tests nominal.

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, will need to be updated in the next few months to keep the trigger thresholds well above the increasing particle background.  This update will likely be the last increase, as the rates should subsequently start dropping again.

  ...  Participated in discussions between ACIS and the FOT about on-board thermal limit check, which could autonomously stop a science run and power down FEPs and video boards.  The two possible approaches are the OBC monitoring the ACIS engineering channels or an ACIS flight software patch which can directly monitoring the BEP and FEP board temperatures.  Both approaches have pros and cons which we’re currently discussing. 

  ...  Developed, tested, and documented a patch to the ACIS flight software that allows ACIS to monitor it's own FEP / BEP board temperatures and either autonomously turn off FEP power or set a bilevel pattern to indicate that the OBC should run SCS107 if temperatures go above the red limit.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed plans for the OCC move, and strategies for on-board thermal limit checking.

  ...  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

  ...  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

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops ACIS response discussion group.  Discussed new contamination results.

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

  ...  Attended 13th IACHEC meeting as a representative for ACIS.  Chaired the CCD and Backgrounds working group.  Gave a presentation on work using ACIS raw mode data to study the non-X-ray background.

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.

  ...  Successfully ported all EGSE software to the new EGSE workstations for the relocated OCC.  Awaiting stand alone IDL licenses.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  In response to FOT request, discussing whether reducing ACIS power by turning off FEPs and video boards between observations (during slews and intermediate attitudes) would be desirable.  Working on the details of which commands and their timing with the FOT.

  ...  Checked on lingering chip drops in the ObsCAT, from observations that are removed from a schedule.  Found three.  Discussed with SOT MP how to prevent these from being forgotten in the future.

  ...  Tested an update to the format of preliminary schedule OR lists by SOT MP.

  ...  Continuing to work on improving performance issues with SACGS scripts that use the perl expect module.

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

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

  ...  Reviewed APR3018A command load. Reviewed APR3018 and MAY0718 preliminary schedules, APR3018 and MAY0718 final OR lists, and MAY1418 Long Term Schedule OR list.

  ...  Assigned 1 SI mode.  Dropped chips from 3 ObsIDs.  Undropped chips from 4 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.

  ...  Reviewed released notes for upcoming DS10.6.3 upgrade.  No impact for ACIS operations.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed plans for the OCC move, and strategies for on-board thermal limit checking.

  ...  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

  ...  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

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops ACIS response discussion group.  Discussed new contamination results.

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

  ...  Attended 13th IACHEC meeting as a representative for ACIS.  Chaired the CCD and Backgrounds working group.  Gave a presentation on work using ACIS raw mode data to study the non-X-ray background.

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.

  ...  Successfully ported all EGSE software to the new EGSE workstations for the relocated OCC.  Awaiting stand alone IDL licenses.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  In response to FOT request, discussing whether reducing ACIS power by turning off FEPs and video boards between observations (during slews and intermediate attitudes) would be desirable.  Working on the details of which commands and their timing with the FOT.

  ...  Checked on lingering chip drops in the ObsCAT, from observations that are removed from a schedule.  Found three.  Discussed with SOT MP how to prevent these from being forgotten in the future.

  ...  Tested an update to the format of preliminary schedule OR lists by SOT MP.

  ...  Continuing to work on improving performance issues with SACGS scripts that use the perl expect module.

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

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

  ...  Reviewed APR3018A command load. Reviewed APR3018 and MAY0718 preliminary schedules, APR3018 and MAY0718 final OR lists, and MAY1418 Long Term Schedule OR list.

  ...  Assigned 1 SI mode.  Dropped chips from 3 ObsIDs.  Undropped chips from 4 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.

  ...  Reviewed released notes for upcoming DS10.6.3 upgrade.  No impact for ACIS operations.