SSOC Tohban Report for Week 43 (18-Oct-99 -- 24-Oct-99) SSOC: N. Shinohara, R. Kano KSC: Y. Katsukawa, M. Shimojo 0. Meeting Attendance S. Akiyama, L. Fletcher, R. Kano, J. Khan, T. Kosugi, D. McKenzie, Y. Ogawara, T. Sakao, T. Takanashi, Te. Watanabe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Solar Activity The solar activity was not so high. One M-class (M1.7) and many small flares (about C3 class) occurred. The GOES background level was about C1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Standard Operations 2.1 SXT Table Uploads The following SXT tables were uploaded during week 43: ================================================================ JST Day UT Start Time Pass Table ID ================================================================ Monday 18-OCT-99 03:33 1 991018 P1 ARS1 DARK Monday 18-OCT-99 08:40 4 991018 P4 ARS1 DIFF Tuesday 19-OCT-99 07:10 3 991019 P3 ARS2 FLARE SPEC Wednesday 20-OCT-99 03:58 1 991020 P1 ARS0 FLARE SPEC Wednesday 20-OCT-99 09:07 4 991020 P4 ARS2 FLARE SPEC Thursday 21-OCT-99 04:12 2 991021 P2 ARS2 FLARE SPEC Friday 22-OCT-99 04:25 3 991022 P3 ARS2 FLARE SPEC Saturday 23-OCT-99 01:14 1 991023 P1 ARS1 STD ================================================================ 2.2 STT Timer setting STT timer was set during Pass 1 of 19-Oct-99 (UT). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Special Operations 3.1 Change of Normal Flare Threshold Level Before the flare campaign (Pass 1 of October 18; 991018-0308), the threshold level for normal flares was changed lower by a block command "DP BC C694". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Errors and Problems 4.1 BCS Errors: None 4.2 SXT Errors: None 4.3 SXT Table Transmission Failure: On October 16, SXT CO executed the procedure to transmit the SXT table for Pass 1 of October 18 to KSC. But, just before the KSC contact, KSC tohbans and NEC operators noticed that it had not yet arrived at KSC MS computer. Because SXT CO transmitted it again by KSC (and SSOC) tohbans' request, the SXT table upload was succeeded without any problems. Before and after satellite operations at KSC, KSC MS becomes the IPL (Initial Program Load) mode. During this mode, any files cannot be transmitted from SSOC MS to KSC MS. NEC operators at KSC manually transmit them after the IPL mode. But at this time, they forgot to do. This type of failures sometimes happened and then reported at WOM. For example, week 43 in 1995 and week 4 in 1996. Kosugi san wrote a Yohkoh Operation Memo on November 3, 1995 (See Appendix.1). But, it seems that this english memo is not be referred so frequently. 4.4 STT Timer Trouble in W41 Seko san found that STT did not catch Canoopus from 04:00 UT to 21:00 UT on October 8. The angle around Z-axis (solar direction) differed from the nominal value by one degree. This trouble happened, because the wrong parameters of the STT eclipse timer were set on October 5. These parameters was calculated as the parameters for September 28. We should read the STT manual carefully, if we prepare the STT commmand by ourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. NASA Station Scheduling 5.1 Contact pass cancellations/additions The following DSN/NASA passes were added/deleted: =========================================================================== DSN/NASA Schedule Week Schedule Changes =========================================================================== Real-time 43 3 Cancellations by SSOC Final 44 1 Cancellation by SSOC Preliminary 45 2 Cancellations by SSOC 4 Additions requested by SSOC Strawman 46 59 Cancellations by SSOC =========================================================================== 5.2 Data Transmission from NASA Ground Stations ----(Copy of /home/flare1/yohkoh/dsn_corrupt/99_43)---- 280 16 0639 lacking data requested 13-Oct same data requested 18-Oct Closed/ same data 281 46 1838 lacking data requested 13-Oct same data requested 18-Oct Closed/ same data 285 76 2155 corrupted tape requested 20-Oct no response tape requested 22-Oct 289 80 2105 corrupted tape requested 20-Oct no response tape requested 22-Oct 291 80 0044 corrupted tape requested 20-Oct no response tape requested 22-Oct DOY-280 G16 0639 - 0650 : 10804 blocks - Due to antenna problem. DOY-281 C46 1838 - 1848 : 14612 blocks - Due to antenna problem. DOY-284 W80 0052 - 0104 : 10312 blocks - After AOS, TLM had lock on data DOY-290 G16 0346 - 0357 : No Data Checked CMC log and it showed separate link comfiguration for each s/c. Checked SCP1 tape inventory display and it showed s/c 186(Astro-D) with pass 4030(SOLAR-A). Took LMC log dump for each support which showed that TLM program for T5 comfigured for astro-d was not ended and appended to the subsequent SOLAR-A pass as ASTRO-D. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. KSC Pass Conflicts and Schedule In Week 43, 13 KSC contacts were lost, 12 to ASCA and 1 to HALCA. In Week 44, 13 KSC contacts will be lost, 12 to ASCA and 1 to Akebono. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Hikitsugi Items 7.1 Tohbans for Week 43 SSOC: T. Takanashi, S. Akiyama KSC: M. Shimojo, T. Shimizu 7.2 STT Timer Setting The next STT TIMER SET is due on Tuesday, 26-Oct-99 (UT). 7.3 Holiday Schedule Next Yohkoh holiday will be Sunday, 31-Oct-99 (JST). 7.4 A New Antenna System in Wallops This is not a new topic, but it has not been reported at WOM. Sine October 1, a new antenna GN-WGS is used instead of a 9m antenna DSS-76 in Wallops station. SSOC tohbans should not be surprised at the unfamiliar antenna code GN-WGS in the DSN schedules. This new code GN-WGS is replaced with DSS-80 in solass.w## and solsf.w## by the program "fmt_wallops". But some programs for the strawman scheduling replace it with DSS-0. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Unchanged Hikitsugi Items from Last Week 8.1 Weekend Terminators If possible, please schedule terminator opportunities on any weekend table (i.e., if room permits). 8.2 Keeping Santiago contacts Currently, ASCA conflicts cause the loss of about 10 KSC contacts per week. We do not know which contacts Yohkoh will lose until the weekly meeting. Santiago contacts occur on the same orbits as KSC contacts. Therefore, please keep as many Santiago contacts as possible in the DSN Strawman and Preliminary Forecasts. 8.3 OP and Real-time Command Glossary We need a shorthand glossary for common OP and command-sheet commands. This already exists pretty much in the Sakao-san manual in Japanese, and the Week 26 tohbans started accumulating an English version on "yohkoh.glossary" 8.4 Software Problems pr_gev with /hc keyword produces a temporary output file but does not print it at the printer. 8.5 OP_FIRST_GUESS problem (w38) In a situation with two KSC cancellations on each of two days (a rare condition) the BDR optimization feature of OP_FIRST_GUESS crashed. After experimentation, we found that it ran OK without the final cancellation request (two the first day, but just the first one on the second day). The second one then had to be removed manually. Records of the problem were forwarded to Lemen-san, but no answer had arrived at the time of writing. 8.6 Keeping Wallops contacts (w42) This is not a new policy, but to emphasize (paraphrased from e-mail from Hugh Hudson): We should keep all valid Wallops passes, independent of day/night status, in order to maximize our Wallops use and minimize our DSN use. NASA won't give us many DSN passes anyway, so if we select a Goldstone pass in preference to a Wallops one, we'll normally just lose both. Another reason is that CANCEL_DSN software needs some repair, since it seems to replace the DSS identifier WGS with 0. This is likely to cause confusion, but of course if we don't cancel Wallops passes we won't have this problem often. 8.7 OP_FIRST_GUESS problem (w42) In one instance, op_first_guess produced a nested RB HV RDCT ON/ RB HV RDCT OFF sequence (i.e. ON-ON-OFF-OFF). This problem is easily spotted, and corrected by deleting the second ON command and the first OFF command manually. The bug has been reported to J. Lemen. 8.8 Tohban Manual (w42) The English-language version of the Tohban Manual has been updated recently and should be considered authoritative. The corresponding checksheet is also new (August 1999). === END === -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix.1 Yokoh Operation Memo 1995 November 3 written by T. Kosugi (with R. Kano) Subject: Transmission of OP/OG or SXT Table files from SSOC to KSC There have been troubles in transmitting OP/OG files or SXT Table file from SSOC to KSC, which resulted in a rumor that OP/OG or SXT Table files are better NOT to be transmitted during a certain period, say, from 30 min prior to the KSC AOS till 10 min after the KSC LOC of an ASCA satellite. This is not a groundless rumor, of course, because we have actually experienced troubles, because we have discussed this at WOM, and also because we have seriously hoped to avoid unnecessary troubles due to a missing transmission. It has become clear, however, that this passive attitude is not good to solve the real problem by removing bugs which may still be alive in our operation system. Now we'd like to establish a new guideline, whose aim is to pinpoint the cause of the trouble. This memo is written for this purpose. Please read carefully and obey this new guideline when you are assigned SSOC or KSC Tobans. The SXT Chief Observer is also requested to know the following. 1. Possible causes of missing transmission ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The figure below shows the transmission route. SSOC #1 ---| |--------> SSOC MS ---------> KSC MS SSOC #2 ---| OP/OG files are edited either by SSOC #1 or SSOC #2 and stored in a common DASD between them. On the other hand, SXT Tables are handled only by SSOC #1. Both are first sent to SSOC MS computer, through which they are transmitted to KSC MS computer. Thus, possible causes of missing transmission are: i) Files are not created in SSOC #1 or #2; ii) Files are not sent to SSOC MS; iii) Files are missing in between SSOC and KSC MS computers. If the cause is Case iii) above, the NEC operator at KSC may handle the recovery. The known cause for this is either of the following two: a) Files are sent when KSC MS is under IPL. b) Files are sent when KSC MS is hung up. In either case, once the KSC MS is set up, the NEC operator at KSC can know if there are files in SSOC MS which have not been sent to KSC MS, and to resend them from SSOC MS to KSC MS. I have asked the NEC operator at KSC to establish a procedure to check this point, say 10 min prior to the start of the operation. The SSOC Toban is responsible for Cases i) and ii), if any (I don't know whether we've experienced such cases). I strongly recommend the SSOC Toban as well as the SXT Chief Observer to retry the transmission IF they are not sure whether what they've done is the correct handling of the SSOC #1/#2 computers in transmitting the files. IMPORTANT: From now on, no checking is required on the file transmission status by checking the MS displays or printouts at the third floor of Building B. Instead, SSOC Toban as well as the SXT Chief Observer is requested to make a report on the trouble, especially on the transmission time. By knowing the precise times we can trace the problem. Please let Shuto san as well as me know if Toben has such a case. 2. Transmission Timings ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There is no need to be concerned about the timing of file transmission from SSOC to KSC. 3. If Files are Found Missing or Not Prepared in Time ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In cases when the NEC operator at KSC finds that there are no files successfully received by neither of SSOC nor KSC MS computers, say at 10 min prior to the operation, 1) (OP/OG files) KSC Toban is requested to logon the SSOC #1 or #2 and retry to send the relevant files to KSC MS. 2) (SXT Table file) As a baseline, KSC Toban may cancel the planned operation (upload of the table) at that pass, and halt the SXT operation by placing Yobi-A command and an SXT HALT OG 46H (OG 70 in decimal) as ROG. When the KSC Toban is sure that the current SXT Table does not contain anything dangerous, the SXT operation may be continued. The most important thing is to take a record on the times of file creation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (in cases of OP/OG files, the time to press return key for the transmission) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ and let Shuto san and Kosugi know the time if a trouble happens. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (end of memo)