Minutes from March 1999 EXES Meeting

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JL, DJ, MKH, TG, and MR attending

Report on SOFIA Science Steering Committee (SSSC) Meeting:
Matt attended SSSC meeting. Major items for EXES are relaxation of pointing stability specification to 0.5" rms, inability to change design of tertiary tower, and a schedule slip. The pointing will result in 1.4X bigger images at 5 microns. USRA will provide a plan for meeting the 0.2" rms spec within first three years of operations. The size of the tertiary tower is fixed because of strength/stiffness requirements. If it were smaller, the pointing would be worse. As a consequence, the central blockage will be bigger than geometrically needed. The schedule slip means the instruments should be well tested before installment on the telescope. The new goal for operations, April 30, 2002, is recognized as a difficult goal to meet.

Mechanical Design:
Design is progressing, but final drawings may not be ready until the end of summer. This is a 1 month behind our last schedule. Jeff Cottrell of McDonald Observatory is putting John's drawings into Mechanical Desktop.

TEXES:
Ground-based instrument being cooled with first 36" long grating from Hyperfine. Hyperfine is working on 10" grating with 0.3" groove spacing. 0.3" groove spacing will be used for SOFIA grating, too.

Software:
Matt talked with Bill Spiesman (McDonald Software Engineer) about computer system architecture. Bill advocates PC running instrument through window popped open on Sun with communications through ethernet. Should be easier and more robust. Bill also found LINUX drivers for cards that provide more serial lines. EXES will need about 7-10 serial lines for instrument control.

Matt worked with Luke Keller on TCL/tk drivers written by Livermore team. They were able to understand basic operation and build some time-saving macros.

Electronics:
Dan is working with Luke on ROM tables for clocking their detector. Wallace will be supplying similar system for EXES electronics. We will need to know how to adjust clocking for different readout schemes.

Dan needs to work with Doug Edmonston regarding plugset and header board.

EPO:
Mary Kay, Dan, and Matt have scheduled classroom visits with Jody, MJ, and Shannon, respectively. Matt, Tommy, and John need to contact partners for Collaboration Grants.

April meeting will include discussion of WIRE, exercises with gratings and monochrometer, and some test of Hyperfine grating.

Schedule:
March telescope run swapped with McDonald Engineering for April 26-29. Also have TEXES run June 24-27.

ACTION ITEMS:
JL:
-Order detector and readout.
-Contact Lorna about Collaboration Grant.

DJ:
-Work with Doug E. on plugset and header boards.
-Talk with John about requirements for cables/connectors.
-Contact Wallace regarding electronics progress report.
-Remind John of general progress and specific McDonald Observatory contributions for inclusion in quarterly reports.

MR:
-Contact Steve about Collaboration Grant.
-Remind John of general progress and specific McDonald Observatory contributions for inclusion in quarterly reports.

TG:
-Contact Richard about Collboration Grant.

OPEN:
-Check out monochrometer for EPO meeting in April.

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