MIDL for Cassini - Status Updates
2011-02-18
- the Test Version now requires Java 6
- the regular version (which is now the previous Test Version
without the fixes mentioned here) can still be run with JAva 5
- fixed a problem with ELS data in which some ELS data was erroneously
marked as bad and was thrown out.
Details: Some ground calibrated data had a special mode setting that was
being rejected by MIDL as invalid.
Also, there are some MCP levels in the ELS data which are FILL - every other record sometimes.
These FILL values are now being replaced with the previous value (as long as
it was valid - so only alternating FILL and valid values are changed - long
strings of FILL will only have the first FILL value replaced.)
- fixed a problem on Windows machines that was
preventing MIDL from running at all.
Details: Path names with
spaces were showing up with URL escape sequences due
to Java's deprecation of File.toURL() in favor of toURI().
2007-05-24
- access to single-pixel averages of INCA data for Hydrogen and Oxygen
- access to ELS data - almost all the CAPS/ELS data is now viewable in MIDL;
NOTE: this is VERY slow since for now I'm reading raw data and
calibrating on the fly; depending on demand, the speed can
be improved
- comparison of APL and Kansas calibration values for LEMMS
On the LEMMS instrument settings you can now select the source of
calibration numbers to use for LEMMS (non-PHA) channels.
The choices are for APL or Kansas.
More details will be provided at the team meeting after which I will compile some notes on the new features and send those around too.
2006-03/28
Recall that there are two versions of MIDL for the
Cassini team - a test version and a regular version.
These changes apply to the regular version and the test version:
-
The regular version of MIDL now requires Java 1.5 (also called J2SE 5.0). A copy of the older version is still available for those who have not upgraded ther Java yet.
-
There is a critical fix in the way ephemeris times are looked up - this affects L-Shell values, and fixed an apparent inbound/outbound L-shell asymmetry in the LEMMS particle data (i.e., the asymmetry was not real but was the result of a timing bug).
-
An obscuration correction mechanism is now available for LEMMS regular channels
in which you desginate certain subsectors as unusable, and an interpolation is
done over those subsectors.
These changes apply only to the test version:
-
The test version is essentially the same as the regular version right now.
2005-09/29 - Multiple changes.
The strategy is to provide two versions of MIDL for the
Cassini team - a test version and a regular version.
Both versions have been updated.
The test version has been
updated substantially, and now requires Java 1.5 to run.
These are the changes to the regular version.
The test version of MIDL (which requires Java 1.5 to run) has the
above updates, plus some additional changes:
- MAG data available in coordinate systems other than spacecraft
coordinates (currently this is only for 2004 - I am still waiting
for some specialized, compressed attitude data for other years).
- MAJOR ADDITION: a new caching mechanism is available which will
allow you to use MIDL when not connected to the network.
By default the cache is turned off, but you can turn it on using
a new "Cache" menu item accessible on the main MIDL screen.
After turning on the cache, you can set the cache to auto-cache
anything you happen to look at, or you can preload data into
the cache, allowing you to analyze data on your laptop even
when its not connected.
When you are connected, the cache can be configured to check
every time for a new version of any cached file, to that you
are always working with the latest data. This check-every-time
option is enabled by default.
- updated geometry factors for LEMMS PHA A channels to the values
distrubted after the April 2005 team meeting
- Behind the scenes: attitude data is now being pulled into MIDL;
(this is what enables the MAG data to be shown in different coord.
systems); all handling of attitude info is automatic - the
right C-Kernels are automatically downloaded and cached on your
computer, and MIDL reads these; Scott Turner has compressed the
Cassini attitude data so you probably won't even notice the
extra download
- CHEMS data from the Earth fly-by and after now automatically excludes
all even DPPS steps; (this was causing a problem in which the
spectrograms did not appear)
- all the progress monitors (which popup when you are doing something
that takes a long time) were changed to use a mechanism which is
more friendly to the underlying infrastructure used by the new
caching; the cancel button may be less responsive in some cases,
but this was necessary to prevent the caching database from
getting corrupted by an immediate cancelling.
2005-01-13 : Several Updates -
-
Fixed a timing problem - was not correctly converting to UT from ET; there was a 64.184
sec lag in the data (the data was showing up too late)
-
Changed the way time averaging is done in the particle line plots. In the past,
the averaging intervals were dependent on the data points. The start of the first averaging
interval would be at the time of the first data point. Then if there were gaps, the averaging
intervals would then reset on the start time of the next data after the gap.
Now the time bins are fixed according to the start time of the data window used for the plot.
This mimics the way the time averaging is done in the spectrograms, and it allows
a more direct comparison between the data in the spectrograms and the data in the line plots.
-
LEMMS PHA data is now normalized with the singles rates (also just learned
from Stefano that this might not be right - stay tuned)
-
LEMMS calibrations used are very close to the latest from Stefano, but there are likely to
be more changes soon.
The PHA calibrations are now close, but the LEMMS E and F detectors still have some
disagreements.
-
PostScript orientation problem now fixed (has been fixed before, but not reported here).
-
Spectrogram plot window can be resized and the spectrogram will be redrawn (has been available beofre, but not reported here).
-
Fixed a problem in the spectrogram plot tool where the bottom row of flux would not show up sometimes.
-
Fixed the spectrogram definition for the spectrograms which combine LEMMS PHA detectors E and F
-
Added CHEMS accumulator rates to the tool; also added ability to look at all DPPS steps together
-
Added ability to scale the axes in the MAG line plots
2004-08-10 : Two updates -
-
LEMMS pitch angle plots are now available. The pitch angle is calculated on the
fly using the MAG data in the spacecraft frame, and the calculated LEMMS look direction.
- In an effort to speed up the tool, MIDL now gets its Cassini data not from the Level 1A ascii files, but from binary
files (which are created from the Level 1A files). This binary data is in the process of
being examined by team scientists for correctness. This binary data is available from
2003, day of year 1, to 2004, day of year 218.
2003-11-14 : MIDL now moved outside the restricted area to limit the number of
password prompts.
You are now asked only once, and if you the select "remember" button, them MIDL will save
this info on your computer so you never have to type it again.
2003-11-14 : LEMMS Priority channels now fixed. Still no LEMMS angle info for pitch
angle plots
2003-11-14 : LEMMS now has settings (look under the list of instruments for the
settings button) which allow the data to be shown as count rates, raw counts, etc.
You can also choose the in-memory caching level.
2003-11-14 : Settings can now be saved. You can save the above LEMMS settings, and
you can also choose a specific date to see initially (click the mission settings button under
the list of missions on the top right)
2003-11-14 : ephem data not working yet...
LEMMS Priority channels now fixed. Still no LEMMS angle info for pitch angle plots
MIDL now moved outside the restricted area to limit the number of password prompts.