Overall status: In D configuration (all antennas moved as of the 26th; end of D is 27 December). Smooth operations for ~week. Recent issues with transition from 3-bit to 8-bit operation have caused individual antenna/IF issues. EA12 IFA has been disabled for the last week. Odd jump in delays on Sunday. Ongoing work with the holography campaign and gain compression investigations. Discussion of temperature dependence of gains.
Key dates:
26 Sep - 27 Dec: D configuration
Visitors:
Michiel Brentjens: 11 Jun - 11 Nov (Holography; characterizing polarized beams)
Bob Sault: 08 Nov - 08 Dec (V Stokes, anti-aliasing, etc).
Hardware status and updates (Langley, Perley, Rupen)
Array (Perley/Langley):
Antennas: EA19 is out.
Receivers:
Lab: RF Switch testing ongoing
Calibration (Perley): Gain compression/expansion ongoing (Hayward). Status:
Holography (Brentjens): Notes:
WIDAR (Rupen):
Notes (Rupen/Sowinski): Relatively stable; 62/64 BlB pairs available. Updated CM version in use. Flagging problem in MCAF (flagging antennas that were fine) was resolved (but not fully determined). Overall, focus on smooth 3-bit testing and 3-bit-to-8-bit transitions.
NOTE: Please cc me on submitted tests so that it can be assigned the appropriate priority!
Commissioning priorities for the week (McMullin, Chandler); Note: Change for Mondays in D configuration - dedicated to science operations/planned commissioning tests.
Mon
Science operations and testing
Tue:
1000-1700: Testing/software development time
1800-0900: Science operations and testing
Wed: Maintenance day
0630-1700: Maintenance operations
1800-0900: Science operations and testing
Thu:
0900-1700: Testing/software development time
1800-0900: Science operations and testing
Fri (not-yet-a-holiday but next week is!):
0900-0900: Science operations and testing
Sat-Sun
Science operations + planned testing
Issues Affecting Science Observing:
Correlator: [Rupen/Carlson w/ Momjian/Sault] V stokes issues.Status: Bob Sault returns 8 November.
Correlator: [Pokorny/Rupen/McMullin] time mislabeling in SDM data (non-synchronous operation between correlator dumps and CBE can require additional 1/2 integration time padding for online flags). .Needs close-out testing (Michael-update activation time testing).
Correlator: [Clark/Carlson] Delay rocking across bands. (October)
Array: [All] Zoo of other effects (some data are very good, some still seeing antenna-based IF/Polarization issue).
Testing This week/soon
3-bit sampler testing
Holography
RSRO D configuration tests (remaining).
OTF test.
Subarrays: cleanup.
Stage 2 mixer testing to relax sub 128 MHz BW grids
Ott: Proposed spectral line observations for the move time. (review wide-narrow transfer, uniform noise setups, channel isolation, spectral dynamic range (presence of RFI)). Obtained; pending reports. Gibbs phenomenon has returned testing out shift strategy.