ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for July 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).

  ...  Answered SOT ACIS question about "pmon" limits and alerts.

  ...  Supported HEAD user account change for MIT account that runs pipeline processing and real-time monitoring.


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 JUL0918 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

2.2 Flight software maintenance

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

  ...  Ran a real-time CAP to dump the ACIS flight software.  Wrote, reviewed, and presented CAP for approval.  Supported CAP execution by verifying commanding and the flight software dump itself.  On-board flight software is as expected.  This same CAP will be rerun after the OCC move to verify ground support equipment and software commanding.

  ...  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.  Made improvements to ECO text and changed default temperature limit table to agree with ground monitoring.

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.

  ...  Answered CXC Cal question about on-board grade filtering.  ECS data are taken with a wider filter and only remove grade 255.

  ...  Reviewed list of suggested "generic" SI modes for Cool Targets program.

  ...  Met with new CXC SDS hire to discuss future improvements to the temperature-dependent CTI correction in acis_process_events.

  ...  Confirmed commanding used for previous calibration observations at elevated temperatures.

  ...  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.  Tested IDL functionality.  During real-time ACIS CAP, new workstation was used to verify flight software dump.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Reviewed test load review products in which all FEPs are powered down between observations, given sufficient time, and during the first hour of perigee passages.

  ...  Tested potential fix for scripts that call the OCAT tool param_extract.

  ...  Answered question on FEP/CCD assignment in SACGS.

  ...  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.  Sent out for wider review.

  ...  Reviewed JUL3018A command load. Reviewed AUG0218 and AUG0618 preliminary schedules, AUG0618 final OR list, and AUG1318 Long Term Schedule OR list.

  ...  Dropped chips from 6 ObsIDs.  Assigned one SI mode.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.