GBT Test/Maintenance Requirements for Trimester 07B

(June 1, 2007 - September 30, 2007)

Deadlines:

1 February: Call for Proposal Deadline ( 2/1/7)
10 February: Proposals distributed to scientific and technical referees ()
5 March: Test (hardware, software, etc) and Commissioning trimester time estimates due ()
12 March: Proposal reviews (scientific and technical) deadline ()
24 April: Proposal Selection Committee meets ( note change) ()
4 May: Proposal dispositions emailed ( 4/25/7)
1 May: Draft call for proposals ()
7 May: Call for proposals released ( 5/8/7)
15 May: Start constructing June through September astronomical schedule ()
30 May: September schedule finalized (n/a - ?)

Commissioning Summary & Milestones: June 1 - September 30

The following time-line is a master summary of the all the tasks listed below. It folds in our discussion on July 17 concerning the various interactions and dependencies of the various projects. The time-line also includes targets that we discussed on July 17 but that are missing in the discussion below.

This plan assumes that the Ka/Zpec tests in the 1st week of August are successful and that the track shutdown finishes on Aug 17. Within the next two weeks, I will add the contingency plan if the test prove unsuccessful.

Please don't edit the following time-line since it reflects a fair number of inter-dependencies. If you see something that needs to be changed or added, please send an email with your changes to Ron Maddalena.

July 17 through Aug 1 : L-Band refrigerator work. Must be completed for Governor's school
Aug 1 through Aug 31 (originally Aug 17, the end of track shutdown) : Reinstall Q-band; pump and cool.
Aug 6 : Install Mustang
Aug 6 through no later than Sept 7 : Mustang tests
By Aug 13 (Originally Aug 10) : Decision as to whether we will use this fall the one polarization configuration of Ka-band.
By Aug 10 (1 week before end of track shutdown) : Install S-band and X-band. The receivers will already be cold when they are installed. Due date is set by the end of the track repairs and so may slip forward or backward. Installing by Aug 10 is preferable since that will give us time for receiver checkouts during the track shutdown.
By Aug 31 (originally Aug 17, the end of track shutdown) : receiver checkouts for S-, X-, and Q-band. Includes pulsar checks of new S-band filters. Two nighttime 4 hr sessions per week, the LST is to be determined.
(New Item) Aug 27 Remove Q-band from telescope to investigate high Tsys in one channel.
Aug 31 - Sept 15 (originally Aug 17 - Aug 30, the end of shutdown to 2 weeks later) : Contingency test time for any remaining S-, X-, and Q-band receiver checkouts. (K-band was added after these plans were formed.) One nighttime 4 hr sessions per week. Dynamically scheduled.
Aug 31 (originally Aug 17, the end of track shutdown) : start of PTCS recommissioning of the track
No later than Sept. 3 : K-band pumped and cooled
No later than Sept. 10 but no sooner than 1 week after K-band is cold: K-band receiver checkout. Dynamically scheduled.
No later than Sept 7 : Mustang removed
Sept 28 (originally Sept 14, four weeks after the end of track shutdown) : End of PTCS recommissioning of track
Week of Sept 17 or Sept 24 : Install Ka-band. Contingent on Aug 10 decision.
Before Sept 24 : Ku-band removed to make room for Zpec. No need to cool Ku until it is reinstalled (Nov?). Contingent on Aug 10 decision.
Week of Sept 24 or Oct 1: Install Zpec. Contingent on Aug 13 decision.
No later than the week of Sept 24 : Q-band reinstalled () and receiver checkout (8 hrs)
Sept 23 - Sept 30 : SDD software tests for Oct 3 release
Week of Sept 24 (), Oct 1 (), and Oct 8: Ka-band/Spectrometer recommissioning. Contingent on Aug 10 decision. One 8 hr sessions per week of A-class weather (nighttime, dynamically scheduled).

Receiver Installation Schedules: June 1 - September 30

Mon August 6 -- install MUSTANG on GBT. We need 8h of access this day, and two days of at least 4h access later in the week.
Fri August 17 -- nominal date to remove MUSTANG. 8h access needed. We'd like to have the option to stay on a week further, however, should more extensive tests be necessary
Fri August 24 -- backup date to remove MUSTANG. 8h access
Week of Sept 17-21 -- Ka RX Installation on a full Maintenance day.
Week of Sept 24-28 -- Ka RX Installation Back up, on a full Maintenance day.
Week of Sept 24-28 -- Zpectrometer Installation on a full Maintenance day.

Test / Maintenance Time Requests

All activities which will impact the amount of astronomical time available for this trimester should be briefly outlined below. This includes commissioning, specific equipment tests, and all maintenance requirements as well as receiver and backend availability during this period.

PTCS Tests

Recommissioning time - 7th August through 31st August
Band	Task	Shifts	Conditions	Tentative Dates	Comments
none	TILT		D	Aug 7-10	Slow azimuth scans to measure new track tilt, at different elevations
X	PNT		B	Aug 13-17	24-hour all-sky pointing runs under benign conditions
X	SSTRACK		B	Aug 20-24	Single source pointing tracks to confirm model
X	HALFPOW		B	Aug 27-31	Long half-power tracks to confirm track model
X	SERVO		B		Measure following error during traditional holography map rates

Semester 07B - 01 September through 30 September
X	PNT	2	C		Pointing checks under all conditions, 2 x 8hr, two weeks apart.
Ka/Q	OOF	1	A		Test new OOF techniques under thermally benign conditions, 8hr
Ka/Q	OOF	1	B		Test new OOF techniques under thernally extreme conditions, 8hr
X	SERVO	0.5 * 4	D	Any	Four hour chunks to test servo improvements, need to move antenna

NOTE: in the above table "1 shift" means one 8 hour observing shift, on average.

A - clear skies (low opacity), low wind (less than 2.5 m/s), thermally stable (00:00 - 08:00)
B - clear skies (low opacity), low wind (less than 2.5 m/s).
C - clear skies (low opacity)
D - any observing weather.
E - can be done in parallel with maintenance, but needs antenna at access and M&C available. When scheduled this work may exceed the time required for other maintenance activities.

Total 07B requirements: 16 hours.

High Frequency Instrumentation (Ka, Q, Zpectrometer, CCB, Penn Array) Tests

MUSTANG fit check -- (16h/wk access needed) tentatively in the Aug 6-19 timeframe, possibly running to the end of the next week.
MUSTANG sky check -- if we can get a shift or two of nighttime full motion that would be great, but not mandatory for our purposes

Spectral Baseline Tests

Spigot 8-bit Calibration tests

Need ~8 hours of time in total. Antenna is not required for all of it, but would be useful for the last ~2 hours for testing.

Other Electronics Tests

Software Tests

Planning cycles for 07B include:

Cycle 4: May 16 - Jun 30 - Requested release date: 27 June 2007
Cycle 5: Jul 01 - Aug 15 - Requested release date: 15 August 2007
Cycle 6: Aug 16 - Sep 30 - Requested release date: 03 October 2007

Approximately 6-10 days prior to release date:

Two blocks of 4 hours each for integration tests; full system and antenna. Preferably during a weekday.

Approximately 2-6 days prior to release date:

One block of 6 hours for regression tests (full system and antenna) followed by around 8 hours of commissioning time. Preferably during a weekday.
- Notes: The commissioning time could be used for calibration tests, pointing, etc. The theory is that if the six hours of regression tests went horribly wrong, we'd revert to the current M&C version, the commissioning tests would then use the old version, and we could re-schedule. If the six hours of regression testing went well, the next eight hours would be a "sympathetic" observer using the new version, and a chance to catch/fix trivial problems. We'd revert to the current M&C version at the end of the commissioning tests.

Within +/- 2 business days of end of development cycle:

One block of 4 hours for integration tests (to resolve/test any issues/solutions found during regression testing).
We will schedule our release for a scheduled maintenance day. No additional time required. Ideally, it would be good to have a "sympathetic" observer scheduled to use the system directly after maintenance that day. If we have a dedicated release time rather than releasing during maintenance, we only need 2 hours.

Averages 18 hours of time per cycle.

Only assign integration and regression testing outside of maintenance hours during the track shutdown if telescope motion is allowed. Otherwise, we will do our integration and regression testing during maintenance days.

-- AmyShelton - 11 May 2007

Receiver Maintenance

PF1 - Two weeks in the lab in fall.

General Maintenance

Sep 1 - 30
- One maintenance day (08:00-16:30) per week dynamically scheduled (Tue/Thu)
  - scheduled on alternating weeks
  - priority of paired day possibilities: Tue/Thu, Wed/Fri, Mon/wed
- Two maintenance days (08:00-16:30) per week dynamically scheduled (Tue/Thu)
  - scheduled on alternating weeks
  - priority of paired day possibilities: Mon/wed, Tue/Thu

Track Refurbishment

Gain Calibration

? -- Frank Ghigo and Ron Maddalena

Receiver commissioning and checkouts

By end of track shutdown : receiver checkouts for S-, X-, and Q-band. Includes pulsar checks of new S-band filters. Two nighttime 4 hr sessions per week, the LST is to be determined. Need to involve Scott.
Aug 17 - Sept 1 (end of shutdown to 2 weeks later) : Contingency test time for any remaining S-, X-, and Q-band receiver checkouts. One nighttime 4 hr sessions per week, dynamically scheduled.
No later than Sept. 10 but no sooner than 1 week after K-band is cold: K-band receiver checkout. One 4-hr, dynamically scheduled session
Sept 17-30 : C-band astronomical commissioning. Three 8-hr C-weather sessions (need to check this with Dana)
Week of Sept 24, Oct 1, and Oct 8: Ka-band/Spectrometer recommissioning. Contingent on Aug 10 decision. One 8 hr sessions per week of A-class weather (nighttime, dynamically scheduled).

-- Ron Maddalena

Scheduling Constraints

Avoid scheduling project changes exactly at 0700 or 1900 ET to minimize operator overload
- Attempt to have project changes around 0730 and 1930 ET instead of at 0700 and 1900 exactly
- If not possible, attempt a half hour earlier around 0630 and 1830 ET

-- CarlBignell - 17 Jan 2007

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