ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for March 2024

0.  Participating in preparations for the Operation Paradigm Change Review

1.  ACIS Characterization

1.3 Monitor scientific on-orbit performance of ACIS

  ...  Due to high radiation environment, the ACIS TXings radiation monitor triggerred a shutdown of science observing on March 24.  Shutdown was nominal.  Supported radiation environment discussions pre- and post-shutdown, and return to science efforts. Shutdown was timely and saved ACIS a substantial soft proton fluence.

  ...  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).

  ...  Analyzed new raw mode data frames and posted to https://space.mit.edu/home/fergason/acis/raw.html and https://space.mit.edu/home/fergason/acis/rawStats.html

  ...  Working to update monitoring pipeline to accept ECS data in Very Faint mode, like the recent long ECS observations.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  Engineering trending over the past 60 days is nominal.

  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the MAR0424A loads. Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

  ...  Continued weekly physical audit of the ACIS Engineering Unit lab.  All nominal in February.

  ...  Reviewed proposed ACIS-related changes in Telemetry Database P017.  ACIS changes were as expected.

2.2 Flight software maintenance

  ...  ACIS flight software patch H-J-K uploaded on September 19, 2023.  First new patch set since August 2022.  No issues to date.

  ...  Continued development of diagnostic BEP/FEP memory dump procedures.  Reviewed and approved two CLDs for BEP memory dump commands.  A full library of BEP memory dump commands is now available for anomaly diagnosis. Continuing testing of FEP dump commands in realistic conditions to avoid FEP firmware latch-ups.

  ...  We continue to monitor threshold crossing rates which have recently flatten out. The current set of TXing parameters were uploaded on October 11, 2023.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed instrument status (good), focal plane temperatures during perigee (high but OK), the new thermal model for 1DPAMYT, status of the MIT EGSE at Wayside, and preparation for BEP anomalies.

  ...  Participated in SOT radiation working group.  Discussed HRC radiation safing needs and posture, and interaction with ACIS safing.

  ...  Reviewed new 1DPAMYT thermal model violation checking code.

  ...  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 web page (http://acisweb.mit.edu/asc/evt-page.html), which provides the same information but is more automated.

3.2 Provide data analysis support

  ...  Worked with calibration scientist on understanding the exposure records and instrument setups for early mission observations of Cas A.

  ...  Responded to query from the DS pipeline about ObsID 27226 which was interrupted by the radiation shutdown.  Confirmed that the instrument was operating nominally, with no telemetry saturation, up to the point of the shutdown.  Background counts were elevated, and the observer needs to evaluate whether their science was impacted and then talk to CDO if they need additional time.

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

  ...  Participated in planning telecon for upcoming IACHEC meeting in May. 


4.  OCC Support

4.1 Use of MIT/ACIS EGSE at OCC

  ...  Continued support and maintenance of ACIS EGSE software and hardware at the Wayside OCC.  Restarted both EGSE machines routinely.

  ...  Replaced the ailing chassis fan in the MIT EGSE machine malang. Restart was nominal.

  ...  Supported successful backup OCC demo. Submitted to the GOT a detailed comparison of the BU OCC telemetry feed to the feed from other sources.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Continued to work with USINT on remaining problematic ACIS configurations in cycle 25.

  ...  Worked with USINT on the ACIS configuration for a medium-fast DDT.

  ...  Participated in Mission Planning Constraints Working Group discussion on the verision control and distribution of the ACIS tables.

  ...  Reviewed MAR2624A and APR0124 command loads; APR0124 final OR list; APR0124 preliminary schedule; and APR0124 and APR1524 LTS OR lists.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.