Contents

• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Introduction
  • About this Document
    • Conventions
  • The Australia Telescope National Facility
  • Overview of Observing Procedure
  • Overview of the ATCA
    • Design and Operation of the ATCA
    • Signal Path
    • Sensitivity and System Temperature
    • Online Calibration
    • Online Computers: Overview of Observing System
  
  
• Services for Observers
  • Who to Talk To
    • How to Contact ATNF
    • The `Friend' and the Duty Astronomer
  • Information about Australia
    • Climate
    • Driving
    • Financial Matters
  • Travel and Accommodation
    • Travel to the ATNF Sydney Headquarters
    • Where to Stay in Sydney
    • Travel to Narrabri
    • Narrabri
    • Facilities at the Compact Array
  • Computer Resources at Sydney Headquarters
    • Computing Help at Sydney Headquarters
  • Computer Resources at the Narrabri Observatory
  • Information Resources
    • ATNF Library at Sydney Headquarters
    • The Narrabri Observatory Library
    • Astronomical Catalogues, Plates and Data Archives
    • Other ATNF Facilities
  
  
• Before Observing
  • Planning Your Observations
    • Observation Databases
    • Sky Coverage
    • Sensitivity
    • Angular Resolution, Image Complexity, Observing Time
    • Antenna Configurations
    • Confusion
    • Bandwidth and Correlator Configuration
    • Bandwidth Smearing
    • Interference
    • Weather
    • Polarisation
    • Calibrators
    • Pointing Errors
  • Applying For Observing Time
  • How to Prepare a Schedule File
    • How to Use ATCASCHED
    • ATCASCHED Example
    • ATCASCHED Keywords and Fields
    • ATCASCHED Commands
    • Making & Changing Schedule Files
  • Observing Modes
    • Spectral Line and Continuum
    • Mosaic
    • Snapshot
    • Pulsar Binning
    • Frequency Switching and Multi-Frequency Synthesis
    • Tied Array
    • Reference Pointing
    • Observing Solar System Objects
  
  
• Important Information about Observing Operations
  • Using the Australia Telescope Compact Array
    • Introduction to the Array
    • The Duty Astronomer
    • Emergencies
    • Safety Procedures and Monitoring Systems
    • ATCA Generators
    • Stowing for storms
    • How to Stow the Compact Array
  
  
• Observing
  • Observing Logs
  • Your Feedback Please
  • Most Recent System Information
  • How to Start Observations
    • Check Disk Space
    • Check Essential Online Tasks
    • Array Initialisation
    • Track a Strong, Compact Source
    • Sampler Statistics and Attenuator Levels
    • Set the Delays, Gains and Phases: CACAL
    • Check Lag Spectrum
    • Start Observing
    • How to Open and Close Data Files
    • Data File Sizes
  • Monitoring Observations
    • ASSISTANCE
    • The CACOR Window
    • Displaying Data with VIS
    • Displaying the correlator output with SPD
    • Monitoring CAOBS
    • Displaying the Monitoring Data with CAMON
    • Storm Indicators
  • How to Finish Observations
  • Data Files, Disk Space and Data Acquisition Rates
    • How to Obtain a Directory Listing of Data Files
    • How to Find Out How Much Data Disk Space Remains
  • Remote Observing
  
  
• After the Observations
  • How to Back Up Your Data
  • Transferring Data from CACCC
  • Report
  • Data Analysis
  • Giving a Talk at ATNF
  • Publishing ATNF Results
  
  
• Troubleshooting
  • Alarms - Primary Monitor
    • Mopra Alarms
  • xbones-ACC Communications Problems
    • ATDAEMON Restart
    • Legacy Server Restart
    • MPSERVER Restart
    • ACC Reset
  • ASSISTANCE Reports Gated Total Power or Synch Demodulated Output Errors
  • Azimuth/Elevation/Encoder Error
  • CACAL Does Not Work
  • CACOR: Block Crashes
  • Delay Unit Control Computer: Block Failure
  • CACOR Failure
  • CACOR: Integration Cycles Missed
  • CACOR Window Disappears
  • CAMON or ASSISTANCE Failure
  • CAOBS Does Not Start
  • CAOBS Errors
  • CAOBS Failure
  • Corrupt Data Suspected
  • Delays Exhibit 8ns Jumps
  • Discrepant Values
  • Drive Times Seem Too Long
  • Drives Fail to Power Up
  • Everything Stops
  • LO Phase Stabilisation Not Active
    • RT Hung
    • LOMON failure
    • LO Phase Transfer Failure
  • Scans are Not Cycling
  • Synch Errors
  • VIS Does Not Display Visibilities
  • VIS Displays Flat Delays
  • VIS Displays Unexpected Visibilities
  • ASSISTANCE complains that WEATHER is not working
  • Windows on Pericles disappear
  
  
• Online Programs, Processes and Displays
  • Communications Between the VAX and the ACCs
    • LEGACY SERVER
    • Antenna Control Computers (ACCs)
    • ATDAEMON
    • MPSERVER
    • ATDRIVEMON
    • ATLOGOBS
  • CAOBS
    • How to Start CAOBS
    • How to Stop CAOBS
    • Using CAOBS
    • CAOBS Features
    • CAOBS Commands
  • CACOR
    • Starting CACOR
    • CACOR Windows on CACCC
    • How to Configure the Correlator
    • CACOR Commands
  • Spectra Display (SPD)
    • Examples
    • How to Select Variables for XBONES Processes
  • ASSISTANCE
    • ASSISTANCE Commands
  • CAMON
    • Using CAMON
  • MONICA
  • VIS
    • Using VIS
    • Baseline Selection
    • Polarisations
    • VIS Commands
    • CACAL
    • Local Oscillator Software
    • Seeing Monitor
    • CATIE Program (VLBI)
  • Weather Monitoring
  
  
• mm Observing
  • mm Observing Summary
  • 3mm Observation Preparation
  • 3mm Calibration
    • 3mm IF Pointing Setup
  
  
• ATNF Documentation and References
  • ATNF web site
  • ATNF Anonymous FTP
  • ATNF Documentation Available by ftp
  • ATNF Technical Memo Series
  • References
  
  
• Observatory Coordinates and Elevation
  • Cartesian Coordinates
  • Geodetic Coordinates on WGS84
  • Coordinates on AGD84
  
  
• ATCA Array Configurations
• ATCA Station Locations
• ATCA Antenna Shadowing Plots
• Flux Scale for the AT Compact Array
  • Introduction
  • The Flux Density Measurements
  • Polynomial Fit to the Data
  • Conclusions
  • References
  
  
• Interference
• Correlator Configurations
• ATCA Calibrators
• CACAL - Compact Array Calibration
  • Using CACAL
  • Problems with the standard calibration
    • Narrow bandwidth problems
    • Interference problems
  • Background
  • Calibration in Automatic mode
  • Interactive mode
  • Expert Mode
  
  
• EARLY - Compact Array Early/Normal Calibration Program
  • What is Early/Normal
  • Monitoring the sampler phases
  • When do early/normal problems occur
  • Recognising early/normal problems
  • Running EARLY
    • Taking the data
    • Monitoring the calibration
    • Analysing the results
  
  
• CAIN - Compact Array INitialization
  • Restarting the integration clocks
  • Setting integration cycle parameters
  
  
• Checklist 1: How to Start an Observation
• Checklist 2: How to Monitor Observations
• Checklist 3: Most Common Problems
  • ACC errors
  • Attenuators, Sampler levels, GTP
  • CACAL error
  • Everything Stops
  
  
• Some Useful Linux/UNIX (and VMS) Commands
• Index