Recap:
Ken Young (KY) and Jun-Hui Zhao (JHZ) attended;
Alice Argon sent in email for not able to attend but will attend the next meetings.
- SWARM testing data
JHZ: read through 130202_12:38:42 to 400 that was packed with the old data strusture.
For the SWARM testing data that were packed with the new data structure
appeared to have problems to read through and extract the data strings
from the subsets of binary files in each sets.
He has tried to use the c-modules used for reading the data from either the
standard or double-band correlator with the new headers for packing the new
correlator data (the SWARM testing data) in the online software. He
made some changes to the c-modules with limited success.
KY: pointed out that for the new correlator data packed with new online computers
the byte-order swapping for the data strings is no longer needed.
JHZ: The byte-order swapping is not the issue; Miriad software has never been bothered
by the byte-order.
- New Data structure
We went through the new data structures of
bl_read (), baseline parameters
in_read (), integration track parameters
JHZ: pointed out that several new parameters and previous parameters
are confusing. The current notes interleaved in the new data structures
are not clear and in the programmer personel style, which are difficult
to be understood by other programmers. Suggested to write a document
(programmer manual for handling SMA correlator data) in which each
of the parameters needed to be defined clearly and a description is needed for
the purpose of using it. If KY runs into problems for some of the parameters
that used in the new data structure, he need to ask the testing crew or
someone else who required for adding these parameters in the new data structure.
The document needs to be written in a style that both software programmers,
hardware engineers and scientists can understand. Also keep the version tracking
and poster it on the SMA website.
He also noticed that each of the new structures is tailed with unused six integer
and six double precision parameters. It will be good to circulate the
document among the relevant SMA staff.
KY: they (used parameters) will be filled with 0 for now and will be used in the future.
He proposed this in an earlier's software meeting but no objections that he
has received.
JHZ: has no objection. just pointed out that this is just programmer's personel style,
which does add a quite significant amount of unused data in the structured string
(60/158 in bytes in the bl_read() structure, for example).
sch_read (), visibility data
JHZ: noticed some changes and also the order of packing data (parameter)
has been given. Need a new c-module to extract and read through the
packed binary strings.
KY: minor changes were made and will discuss the issue off the meeting.
tsys_read (), system temperature variables
JHZ: pointed out the new structure quite different (more complicated) from
previous structure. Need a technical/science memo to describe the
new Tsys structure for engineering and scientific calibration purposes.
It would be useful to consult ALMA engineers and CASA-ALMA software crew for
the current and future plan in handling Tsys data. For calibration and
imaging weighting, and something else.
KY: for the numerical concerns, he does not think that the Tsys structure is so
complicated to read out and extract the variables from the binary file.
JHZ: Miriad does not have an infrastructure for supporting the new Tsys structure
based on his knowledge. It does not make sense for the pipeline code
to interpret the Tsys structure that will not used in further data reduction
in Miriad.
Both of them agreed to have a special meeting to discuss this issue;
KY pointed out that the ILD/MIR programmers need to be involved.
JHZ: pointed out the working load is far beyound what KY has thought of and
planned.
The meeting went on for one hour until students came for next scheduled class.
- Attachement: Meeting announcement / Document links
Email: announcement for software development
Date: Wed, 8 May 2013 11:27:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jun-Hui Zhao
To: Patricia Mailhot
Cc: Taco , cqi@cfa.harvard.edu, mgurwell@cfa.harvard.edu, aargon@cfa.harvard.edu
Subject: Miriad Software/users meeting
We will have Miriad Software/Users meeting
on Thursday (5/9).
Time : 9am-10am
Place : M240
Agenda:
1) discussion and description of the new data structure
of formatting the Interim Correlator data
2) software modules (c routines) to read and extract
the online formatted new correlator data
3) the SWARM correlator test data.
Jun-Hui Zhao
5/8/2013
Discussion & Description of New Data Structure
- Module to extract data (c-routines)
to read and extract data string from binary files:
The variables:
sp_read
tsys_read
bl_read
...
and
The visibilities