ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for April 2019

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).

  ...  ACIS real-time monitoring machines, acisway and ishmael, are both located at Wayside and now receiving telemetry. 

  ...  Prepared and reviewed slides, presented at the Chandra Quarterly.

  ...  Supported Chandra senior review panel question response.

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 APR0819 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.

  ...  We continue to monitor threshold crossing rates.  The current TXINGS parameters, which were last updated on July 28, 2016, may 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.

  ...  Continuing forward with ACIS patch level G-H-I.  This patch makes two changes to the current F-G-H patches.  Updated buscrash2 patch to force end of science run following SCS107, and new deahktrip patch to respond to "red alert" DPA component temperatures.  Starting to build command packets for approval by Flight Directors Board and upload.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed final stages of Wayside OCC testing include ACIS demo test.

  ...  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 status of time and temperature dependent gain calibration, central node gain droop, and contamination.

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

  ...  Preparing for upcoming IACHEC meeting in May.  Organizing Detectors and Background Working Group activities.

  ...  Answered CXC SDS question on how temperature dependent calibration currently works.  Supplied example ObsIDs with large temperature swings.

  ...  Answered CXC SDS question on faint with bias mode.

  ...  Answered user question on ACIS gain accuracy.


4.  OCC Support

4.1 Use of MIT/ACIS EGSE at OCC

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

  ...  Continued support of the move of the OCC to Wayside.  Final configuration of MIT EGSE machines complete.  Participated in phase 3 testing.  Working on updating documentation and scripts for ACIS real-time activity support.

  ...  Supported phase 3 Wayside testing.  Supported Unsafe ACIS SIM remotely, submitted test report for ACIS ops.  Supported Anomalous Safing SIM in person at Wayside, including a simulated ACIS flight software patch upload.

  ...  Ran CAP1441A, the ACIS commanding and telemetery verification demo, which finished phase 3 Wayside testing.  This CAP successfully dumped the ACIS flight software (EEPROM), with commanding from Wayside, then verified the correct number of packets and the contents of the dump, also from Wayside.  Nearly the entire MIT ACIS team was present in person at Wayside for this test.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Began training new ACIS operations team member, Jack Steiner, to review OR lists, assign SI modes and drop chips.

  ...  Worked with USINT to configure fast TOO with an existing SI mode.

  ...  Notified USINT of new NRAO/Chandra joint observation with suspect optional chip order.

  ...  In response to the misunderstanding of ACIS spatial windows, released a new memo with a detailed description of event filtering and window operation. (ftp://acis.mit.edu/pub/acis-event-filtering-v1.0.pdf)

  ...  Reviewed APR0819A and APR0819T (test) command loads.  Reviewed APR0819(x2) and APR1519 preliminary schedules.  Reviewed APR0819 and MAY0619 final OR lists.  Reviewed APR2219 LTS OR list.

  ...  Built new SI mode to support chip drop configuration required for MAY0619 schedule.

  ...  Assigned 4 SI modes.  Dropped chips from 15 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.