====== Preparing Schedule Files ======

The documentation below assumes an experiment called ''v456a'' and that Katherine is the antenna. Just substitute the experiment name for other experiments and [[operations:documentation:computers_software|appropriate computer names]] for other stations.

===== Get the VEX file =====

First, download the vex files into ''/usr2/sched/'' on pcfske. The easiest way is to use the following commands:
<code>
cd /usr2/sched
ncftpget ftp://ftp.atnf.csiro.au/pub/people/vlbi/v465/v465a/v465a.vex
</code>

The ftp address is on the ATNF wiki pages. 

===== Drudg the VEX file =====

If any of the schedules have experiment names longer than 6 characters, drudg will refuse to deal with these. If it's urgent, rename the file to something shorter but sensible but always let the LBA chat (and Chris Phillips and Cormac Reynolds by email) know. 

Note that all VEX files should now contain the correct LO frequencies for AuScope antennas. A visual inspection of the VEX file will verify this, or you can look at the LO settings in the .prc file that drudg produces (check the ''ifd01'' definition). The correct LO frequencies are 1900 MHz for S-band and 7600 MHz for X-band. If they are incorrect, edit the VEX file and re-run drudg.

For each experiment, run ''drudg v465a.vex'' and follow the prompts.
  * Select the relevant station 
  * Select 12 to make the procedure (''v465ake.prc'')
  * Select 3 to make the SNAP file
  * Select 5 to print out the summary of the SNAP file (''v465ake.snp'')
  * Select 0 to quit from drudg

===== Checking and editing the procedure file =====

Open the ''v465ake.prc'' file in a text editor. The Mark5 mode in the ''setup01'' procedure will need checking, and the DBBC setup will need editing too.


==== Mark 5 mode ====

The mk5_mode in the drudged file may differ from the one specified in the ''setup01'' procedure. For example, for v252ae this is set to ''mk5b_mode=ext,0x0000CCCC''. This mode must be consistent with DBBC settings. So it is quite possible that, after setting up the DBBC configuration, you will have to edit the .prc file and change the Mark5 mode. For example, for v252ae the mode needs to be changed to ''mk5b_mode=ext,0x000000FF''. The same must be done for the fringe test ''.prc'' file. Full details are in the next (DBBC config) section. 

In a nutshell, the ''mk5b_mode'' is an 8-character hexadecimal word, where each character represents the recording mode. For example, the last ''F'' is equivalent to ''1111'' in binary, which stands for two-bit mapping in each of channels 1 and 2 (each 11 representing the fact that magnitude and sign get recorded; for one-bit sampling the equivalent would be 01 for each channel, or 0101 = ''5'' in hexadecimal for each channel pair).

==== DBBC config ====

The DBBC is now configured by the Field System so building and loading custom DBBC config files on ''dbbcke'' is no longer necessary. It will be necessary to modify the ''dbbc01d'' and ''ifd01'' procedures to get the input bands, BBC channels etc configured correctly.

Follow this link for notes on [[operations:documentation:lba_dbbc_config|getting the DBBC configured for LBA observations]].


==== Additional procedures ====

Now you need to add in some ''preob'', ''postob'' and ''systemp'' procedures. Run <code>cat /usr2/proc/ke12m.prc >> v465ake.prc</code> to attach the preob routine. For the postob routine, you need to know the number channels being recorded - check the ATNF wiki for the experiment. v465a records 8 channels, so the command to attach the postob routine is <code>cat /usr2/proc/postob_8x16MHz_2 >> v465ake.prc</code>. Here, ''8x16MHz'' refers to the number of channels and bandwidth, and ''_2'' to two-bit recording. Finally, systemp - v465a is recording S-band, dual polarisation so the command is <code>cat /usr2/proc/systemp12srl >> v465ake.prc</code>. 

Finally, copy the edited procedure to the correct directory with <code>mv v465ake.prc /usr2/proc/</code>

===== Drudging Fringe-check schedules =====

First, download the vex files into @@/usr2/sched/@@ on pcfske. The easiest way is to use the following commands

@@cd /usr2/sched/ @@\\
@@wget -c ftp://ftp.atnf.csiro.au/pub/people/vlbi/fringe-checks/vc171/vc171.vex@@

The ftp address is on the ATNF wiki pages. 

If any of the schedules have experiment names longer than 6 characters, drudg will refuse to deal with these. If it's urgent, rename the file to something shorter but sensible but always let the LBA chat (and Chris Phillips & Cormac Reynolds by email) know. 

For each experiment, run @@drudg vc171.vex@@ and follow the prompts.
* Select the relevant station 
* Select 11 to set the receiver type
** Enter @@16 14 1 1@@ to set the rack to Mark5, recorder to Mark5B, and to set no secondary recorder
* Select 15 to set the "Data Transfer Override" - this controls exporting little snippets of data for fringe-checking.
** Enter @@10 /data/@@
** Enter @@0@@ to return to the main menu
* Select 12 to make the procedure (@@vc171ke.prc@@)
* Select 3 to make the SNAP file
* Select 5 to print out the summary of the SNAP file (@@vc171ke.snp@@)
* Select 0 to quit from drudg

Open the @@vc171ke.prc@@ file in a text editor and edit the @@setup01@@ procedure - remove all references to @@pcal@@, @@tpi@@, @@vsi@@, @@vc@@ or @@ifd@@.

'''Before'''\\
@@define  setup01       00000000000x@@\\
@@pcaloff@@\\
@@tpicd=stop@@\\
@@mk5b_mode=ext,0x0000FFFF,1@@\\
@@mk5b_mode@@\\
@@vsi4=geo@@\\
@@vsi4@@\\
@@vc01d@@\\
@@ifd01@@\\
@@bank_check@@\\
@@tpicd@@\\
@@enddef@@

'''After'''\\
@@define  setup01       00000000000x@@\\
@@mk5b_mode=ext,0x0000FFFF,1@@\\
@@mk5b_mode@@\\
@@bank_check@@\\
@@enddef@@

Now you need to add in the @@preob@@. Run @@cat /usr2/proc/ke12m.prc >> vc171ke.prc@@ to attach the @@preob@@ routine. There is no @@postob@@ or @@systemp@@ procedure for fringe-checks. 

Finally, copy the edited procedure to the correct directory with @@mv vc171ke.prc /usr2/proc/@@