ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for June 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).

  ...  Presented a poster and submitted a proceedings paper to the June Astronomical Telescopes SPIE meeting on "Reducing the Athena WFI background with the science products module: Lessons from Chandra ACIS".  Included data analysis of particle tracks in ACIS raw frames.


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 no unexpected trends.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the JUN0418 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

  ...  Powered down the ACIS Engineering Unit due to issues with building HVAC system and elevated room temperatures.  Returned to service after HVAC stabilized, post-shutdown testing showed no issues.

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.

  ...  Reviews completed for ACIS patch level G-H-I.  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.  Documentation given wider release: ftp://acis.mit.edu/pub/ACIS_Patch_G-H-I.pdf
  
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.

  ...  Answered questions from FOT about accessing ACIS DEA housekeeping data.

  ...  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.

2.5 Participated in Chandra activities

  ...  Supported Backup OCCDS demonstration at CDP.  Displayed simulated telemetry feed.

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.

  ...  New EGSE workstations for the relocated Wayside OCC tested in the Hampshire St OCC in parallel with the existing EGSE.  A comparison of the telemetry received by the new EGSE to the real-time and SSR dump data shows no more or less drop outs than usual for COG data.  Tested functionality of IDL analysis codes.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Answered SOT MP question on numbering of subarray rows in the ObsCat and in the instrument parameter blocks, and on how the FEP/CCD assignments are indexed.

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

  ...  Reviewed JUL0218A and JUL0218B command loads. Reviewed JUL0918 preliminary schedule, JUL0918 final OR list, and JUL1918 Long Term Schedule OR list, and JUL0218 post-final OR list.

  ...  Dropped chips from 4 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.