If necessary, load a new module. Here are a couple of videos showing how it's done:

• Mark5 module installation
• Removing a Mark5 module

Log in to mk5ya as oper:

ssh oper@mk5ya

First check if the dimino program is running:

ps -ef | grep dim

If not, start it with

dimino -m0&

While your at the prompt, check that the ntp time is correct by running

ntpq

and then issuing the peers command. The offset and delay to tac32ho should be small (less than ~5 milliseconds). If it is not, then the best thing to do is to run “fmset” on pcfshb, set the time (with “.”) and then sync the formatter (“s”, followed by “y”). Exit from fmset as soon as you have finished.

It's worthwhile making a test recording using the Mark5. To do this you can either use tstdimino on mk5ya or the fs. The instructions below are for the fs but to use them in tstdimino, omit the leading “mk5=”.

First set up the Mark5 recording mode. There are two ways to do this, but the best way is to use the experiment procedure file:

proc=<experiment_name>hb

e.g.

proc=r1473hb

then type

setupsx

This will configure the Mark5 for the experiment. The alternative is to set the mode manually. For VSI recording, 1-bit sampling and 8 MHz bandwidths ((e.g. R1 and R4 experiments):

mk5=mode=ext:0x55555555:2

For VSI recording, 1-bit sampling and 4 MHz bandwidths (e.g. APSG, CRF, OHIG and T2 experiments)

mk5=mode=ext:0x55555555:4

Now check that the times reported are correct, that FHG_off and syncerr_eq_0, and that the final number is less than ~5 ms:

mk5=dot?

If you see something like syncerr_gt_3 then fmset may need to be run again. Also check that the maser-GPS and delay through the DBBC are the same (to within 1 microsec) with the

clkoff

and

maserdelay

commands which read the Agilent counters.

If one or both counters are not responding to these commands, you will see an error message like this

ERROR sp   -4 GPIB Device time-out on response c2

To fix this, try re-setting the counters. In the oprin window, type

counter

and try the maserdelay and clkoff commands again.

Now make a test recording:

disk_record=on
mk5=dot?                 (As before, but it should say FHG_on)
disk_record=off

Now check the data are OK:

mk5=scan_check?

Check the last numbers are the correct date at the start of the scan, duration, the data rate (should be 256 for the 8MHz mode, 128 for the 4 MHz mode) and 0 at the end for no problems. Then plot an autocorrelation from the data:

postob

If there are dropped or strange-looking bands, the DBBC may need reprogramming.