• Observing schedule and module usage overview
• Schedule changeover procedure
• Observatory checking procedure (every 3 days)
• Fringe Checks

Please read the Overview Page for information on the observations, start and stop times etc. The google calendar on the schedules page describes experiment and shift times.

The AUSTRAL schedules are named A13nn where (nn = 01, 02, 03, … , 15). Interleaved with the AUSTRAL sessions are R1614, CRF79 and R4615. There is only a 5 minute gap between AUSTRAL observations, just enough time to change schedule files and modules (if needed). Every three days, an hour is set aside for detailed checks at each site. They are staggered so that only one antenna is out of the array at a time. Check times for AuScope sites are as follows:

We are using 16 TB modules at each station. They will hold two days of data each, so module changes will occur at every second schedule change. The schedule files are written such that the same source is observed at the same sidereal time every day, so the actual schedule changes are NOT at the same UT every time. Note also that R1614, CRF79 and R4615 will go on different modules to the AUSTRALs. Please refer to the Module Usage Spreadsheet for a list of which modules to use for which experiments.

The sections below describe how operations differ from normal.

All schedule files for the period from A1301 to A1315 should already be prepared and ready to use before your shift. However, if you are starting R1614, CRF79 or R4615, you will need to make the usual schedule file preparations.

Please carry out the regular two-hourly checks as normal during the observations.

• Description of checklist parameters

There is only a 5 minute gap between the AUSTRAL schedules. When no module swap is required, the last line of each schedule will be a command to start the next one (unless the next one is not an AUSTRAL experiment) so it should happen automatically. However, if a module change is required, the changeover should be done by hand. Here's what to do, and as an example, here is the swap from A1302 to A1303 at Hobart. All commands can go in eRemoteCtrl:

1. At least 10 minutes before the schedule ends, bring up the control room camera display and read the module VSN numbers in both banks. Confirm that the module you are going to swap to is there and is currently inactive. The control room Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) web cameras are:
   • Hobart: http://ptzhb.phys.utas.edu.au
   • Katherine : http://ptzke.phys.utas.edu.au
   • Yarragadee : http://ptzyg.phys.utas.edu.au
     These cameras have pre-defined way-points (menu in lower right). Select the Mark5 recorder (e.g. for Hobart it's “mk5hb”). You may have to pan and zoom a bit to read the label.
2. Wait for the schedule to finish
3. Change to the station log:

   log=station

4. Change modules

   mk5=bank_set=inc

   You should see on the camera that the red activity light changes from one module to the next.

5. Check that the VSN you read off the camera display agrees with the one shown by the Field System

   ready_disk
   mk5=vsn?

   If it doesn't, then the VSN will need setting:

   1. Setting a module VSN code
6. Now start the new schedule. Include the ,#1 section so that you start the schedule on the first line, e.g.

   schedule=a1303hb,#1

Once the new schedule has started:

• Send a start message to IVS.
• Send off the log files to IVS. Refer to the page Prepare the comments file and transfer the logs for details. Note that all modules for AUSTRAL experiments from Yarragadee and Katherine are shipped to Hobart, and all AUSTRAL data are eTransfer-ed to Curtin for correlation.

Manual stop and start. An hour allocated but re-start ASAP. Use a different log file for the system checks Log MONICA output

Sometimes, another IVS observation will follow from the one just finished. In this case, some of the setup procedure will need repeating. Here's a run-down of what needs doing and what can be skipped:

This should already be done and can be skipped. However, you can check for schedule and procedure files on the pcfs machines. For example, for Hobart there should be the following files on pcfshb for r4556:

/usr2/sched/r4556hb.snp
/usr2/proc/r4556hb.prc

If they aren't there, follow the following steps to prepare them:
* Preparing the schedule and procedure files
* On occasions, the Hobart data are written to disk between scans for e-transfer to Tsukuba for ultra-rapid EOP observations. Some additional changes to the schedule files are required in this case:
* Additional schedule preparation for Hb ultra-rapid EOP experiments

This software should still be running from the previous experiment. Skip.

For reference, here's a description of software on the timing PC

As you shouldn't have terminated the Field System, this should still be running. Skip. Again, for reference:

• Starting the PC Field System Software
• Some notes on antenna control and monitoring using the new version of the Field system

Should still be running. Skip.

If you do need to re-start: Start the System Monitor

This should still be running too, but there are a few things to do here.

If for some reason you need to re-start eRemoteControl, here's how:
* Start e-Remote Ctrl

eRemoteControl will still be writing a local log file and pcfs_log_monitor will still be monitoring it. Although that log file has a name that doesn't match the new experiment, it's not essential to start a new local log (as it's only used locally and the master log on the pcfs is used at the correlator).

If you do want to start a new local log and monitor it, click on the red dot icon in econtrol to make the green bar go away:
.
Then set up the log monitor to provide warnings and alarms

To keep all log messages related to the new experiment in the same file, the next thing to do is

• Open a new PCFS log file
• Now start the Checklist by loading the procedure file for the experiment, then exper_initi. e.g for R1556 at Hobart:

  proc=r1556hb
  exper_initi

The checklist should now be visible. The items in the list are described below and can be ticked off as you go, but many can be skipped in a follow-on experiment.

The RF and IF signal paths, and DBBC are now configured through the Field System.

Should already be setup and correct. Skip.

For referenece here are notes on configuring the RF and IF signal paths

The DBBC should already be running and the PCFS should be able to communicate with it.

There should be no need to start any software on the DBBC but for reference here are the notes on setting up the DBBC:
* DBBC Setup

At the start of every scan, the pcfs executes the setupsx or setup8f procedure (depending on experiment type) which sets the DBBC input channels, filters and BBC frequencies (and configues the Mark5). However, it's a good idea to execute it now so that a recorder test can be made:

• For R1, R4, RD, RDV, T2, ANZ, CRDS, CRF, OHIG:

  setupsx

• For AUST, CONT:

  setup8f

setupsx (or setup8f) calls ifdsx which sets up the DBBC Conditioning module inputs, filters and power levels, then dbbcsx8 (or dbbcsx4 for a 4 MHz DBBC mode) which sets the BBC frequencies. Then if you type:

iread

You will see what the current Conditioning module settings are. Output format is:

<time>/<Module label>/<IF input number>,<Auto or Manual gain control>,<Nyquist filter number>,<Target power level>,<attenuation>,<actual power level>

Check there’s agreement with what appears in ifdsx. The actual power level should agree pretty well with the target level. The attenuation number can be anywhere between 0 (none) and 63 (maximum). If you see it at 0 or 63, it means the Conditioning module is having trouble getting the power to the right level. You may want to contact the on-call person in this case for help on getting the levels in range.

Then type:

bread

You will see what the DBBC has set the BBC freqs to (compare with the .prc file). Output looks like this:

<time>/<bbc name>/<Frequency (MHz)>/<Conditioning module in use>,<Bandwidth (MHz)>,...

the Frequency, Conditioning module label and bandwidth should agree with the listing in dbbcsx8 (or dbbcsx4).

• Hydrogen Maser check

Next the Mark5 recorder needs to be prepared for the observations.

If you need to swap disk modules:

• Notes on swapping between Mark5 disk modules

Now check that the times are all OK:

mk5=dot?

look for syncerr_eq_0, and that the final number is less than ~5 ms. If you see something like syncerr_gt_3 then fmset may need to be run to synchronise the clocks. To do this, open a terminal on pcfs[hb|ke|yg], and type

fmset

When the interface appears, type

s

then confirm with a

y

Following this, the clocks should all be synchronised and agree with UT. Press the [Esc] key to exit fmset. Then check the times again:

mk5=dot?

• Checking clock offsets and delays

Test recording notes are given below.

• Making a test recording

• Tsys measurement check

Skip these.

* Antenna checks

• Weather conditions

Skip this unless you have at least an hour to spare!

• Fringe checking procedure

• Sending a station ready email to IVS

• Start Skype and begin a chat session with all participating sites plus the on-call person

The usual startup procedure can now be done: Starting and Monitoring

On 1921-293 every day. Procedure?