ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for May 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.  A review of engineering data over the past 60 days shows all continues to be well.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the MAY0718 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.

  ...  Reviewed FOT version for the SOP: Turn on DEA-A and Test Video Boards.

  ...  Reviewed quick-response anomaly web page for trickle-bias/t-plane anomaly.

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.

  ...  Released review documentation for ACIS patch level G-H-I to the MIT team.  This patch makes two changes to the current FGH patches.  Updated buscrash2 patch to force end of science run following SCS107, and new deahktrip patch to respond to “red alert” DPA component temperatures.

  ...  Compiled a spreadsheet of all ACIS CLD files, along with the included commands and comments on what they do.  Spreadsheet is under review.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed plans for the OCC move, SOP development, 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 and impact of potential increases in the focal plane temperature limits.

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


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.

  ...  Sucessfully configured new EGSE workstations for the relocated OCC.  Will be tested in the current OCC in June.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  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 high count rate Chandra AO-20 proposals for potential health and safety issues.

  ...  Reviewed and suggested changes for the load review checklist items regarding dither.

  ...  Reviewed JUN0418A command load. Reviewed JUN1118 preliminary schedule, JUN1118 final OR list, and JUN1818 Long Term Schedule OR list (x2).

  ...  Assigned 2 SI mode.  Dropped chips from 5 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.

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