ATNF Science Operations Update: CABB
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Presentation Transcript
CABB update Philip Edwards Head of Science Operations 14 October 2010
Outline • Introduction • What’s currently available? • What’s coming soon? • What’s coming later? • Current issues • Documentation • Miriad • Final considerations CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations
The story so far • CABB shutdown March/April 2009, old correlator removed • First scheduled observing April 22, 2009 • The new CABB scheduler interfaces directly with calibrator database and velocity calculator • Staged releases of ATCA schedules as new modes developed • 2009APR and 2009JUL • 2010APR v1, v2, v3, v4, v5, v6, v7 CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations
What’s currently available? • “Standard” CABB mode 1M-0.5k (Apr 2009) • 2IFs with 2048 channels across 2.048 GHz • Currently 128 ch (one board) missing in each IF • Up to four zoom bands (2048ch across 1MHz) per IF • Currently one band missing all baselines to CA04 in one polarisation • Configuring zoom bands currently requires Warwick • First implementation of 64M-32k (Sep 2010) • A single 64 MHz band in each IF, with 2048ch • A combination of these two (Oct 2010)
Example of a missing CABB block
Coming soon • Pulsar binning • by mid November • High time resolution mode • Time resolution > 10msec, with reduced number of spectral channels • by mid January • All baselines to CA04 in zoom bands & 16 zoom bands per IF • by end of year
Further afield • A single channel 16M-8k mode • A single channel 4M-2k mode • These modes will allow parallel development of correlator software • Full 32 x 64MHz channels in each IF • Expected in time for 2011APR
Current issues • Missing baseline/pol in 1 of 4 zoom bands • Not possible to know in advance which zoom band • Missing 128 channels in each IF • Calibration and data reduction of 20/13cm data more involved until L/S upgrade complete • Configuring zoom modes not yet straightforward • Configurations changed manually, not via the schedule file • Calibrating delays more difficult in current implementation of 64MHz mode • Careful use of delavg, tvchan and/or cycle time required
Documentation • “Ink is better than the best memory.” -- Chinese proverb • “If a program is useful it will have to be changed. If a program is useless it will have to be documented.” • “Voluminous documentation is part of the problem, not part of the solution.” -- Tom DeMarco • “I guess it’s better to have too much information than too little. It makes the manufacturer feel good, keeps writers employed, and makes attorneys work a little harder. Besides, it gives me something to read as I’m eating those chewy white peanuts that came with my new computer.” -- Dave Glardon CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations
CABB documentation • CABB webpage • www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/CABB.html • CABB Scheduler • www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/sched/cabb • ATCA User Guide (updated Oct 2010) • www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/users_guide/html/atug.html • ATCA forum • atcaforum.freeforums.org • ATCA wiki • atug.wikidot.com • Miriad manual (updated Sep 2010) • www.atnf.csiro.au/computing/software/miriad
Miriad • Binary distribution kits provided for linux, SunOS, Intel Macs • Other platforms not supported directly but autoconf-based build system available • Miriad distribution tar files are regenerated weekly • Those with ssh access to an ATNF computer can use rsync to update miriad • The mirsync script will refresh and files or subdirectories in $MIR that are present on the master (and delete anything within $MIR that is not on the master). • ftp://ftp.atnf.csiro.au/pub/software/miriad/INSTALL.html CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations
Final considerations • Documentation is continuing to be worked on as our understanding of this wonderful new capability improves • Discussions have been started on the future of data reduction software: miriad, casa, ASKAPsoft • Will provide a stock of 64Gb thumb drives for purchase • ATCA forum to be moved in-house (and wiki ceased?) • Warwick Wilson will retire in several months time CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations
Thank you CSIRO/ATNF Philip Edwards CSIRO ATNF Head of Science Operations Email:Philip.Edwards@csiro.au Web: www.atnf.csiro.au Thank you Contact UsPhone: 1300 363 400 or +61 3 9545 2176Email: Enquiries@csiro.au Web: www.csiro.au CSIRO. ATUC report May 2010: ATNF Science Operations