PST Scan Configuration Through TMC

Overview

This page provides the steps to execute PST observations.

1. AssignResources

It is required to provide the pst beam ids (list) as part of AssignResources command input JSON.

Example:

{
    "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-tmc-assignresources/2.4",
    "transaction_id": "txn-....-00001",
    "subarray_id": 1,
    "csp": {
        "pst": {
            "pst_beam_ids": [
                1
            ]
        }
    },
...
}

2. Configure

TMC supports 4 PST processing modes. TMC support only one mode at a time. The JSON example are as follows:

  1. Voltage Recorder mode

Example:

{
    "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-tmc-configure/6.0",
    "transaction_id": "",
    "pointing": {
        "target": {
            "reference_frame": "ICRS",
            "target_name": "Polaris Australis",
            "ra": "21:08:47.92",
            "dec": "-88:57:22.9",
            "ca_offset_arcsec": 0.0,
            "ie_offset_arcsec": 0.0
        },
        "correction": "UPDATE"
    },
    "dish": {
        "receiver_band": "1"
    },
    "csp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-csp-configurescan/8.3",
        "common": {
            "config_id": "sbi-mvp01-20200325-00001-science_A",
            "frequency_band": "2",
            "eb_id": "eb-m001-20230712-56789"
        },
        "pst": {
            "beams": [{
            "beam_id": 1,
            "scan": {
                "centre_frequency": 10550000000.0,
                "total_bandwidth": 2496345600.0,
                "observer_id": "jdoe",
                "project_id": "project1",
                "receiver_id": "receiver3",
                "max_scan_length": 20000.0,
                "subint_duration": 30.0,
                "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"],
                "receptor_weights": [0.4, 0.6],
                "pst_processing_mode": "VOLTAGE_RECORDER",
                "target": {
                    "target_name": "J1921+2153",
                    "reference_frame": "icrs",
                    "attrs": {
                        "c1": 290.43672917,
                        "c2": 21.884,
                        "epoch": 2000.0
                    }
                }
            }
        }]
        },
        "transaction_id": "txn-....-00001",
        "midcbf": {
            "pst_bf": {
                "processing_regions": [{
                    "fsp_ids": [5],
                    "start_freq": 495075840,
                    "channel_count": 3700,
                    "timing_beams": [{
                        "timing_beam_id": 1,
                        "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"]
                    }]
                }]
            }
        }
    },
    "sdp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-sdp-configure/0.4",
        "scan_type": "target:a"
    },
    "tmc": {
        "scan_duration": 5.0,
        "partial_configuration": false
    }
}
  1. Flow Through mode

Example:

{
    "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-tmc-configure/6.0",
    "transaction_id": "",
    "pointing": {
        "target": {
            "reference_frame": "ICRS",
            "target_name": "Polaris Australis",
            "ra": "21:08:47.92",
            "dec": "-88:57:22.9",
            "ca_offset_arcsec": 0.0,
            "ie_offset_arcsec": 0.0
        },
        "correction": "UPDATE"
    },
    "dish": {
        "receiver_band": "1"
    },
    "csp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-csp-configurescan/8.3",
        "common": {
            "config_id": "sbi-mvp01-20200325-00001-science_A",
            "frequency_band": "2",
            "eb_id": "eb-m001-20230712-56789"
        },
        "pst": {
            "beams": [{
            "beam_id": 1,
            "scan": {
                "centre_frequency": 10550000000.0,
                "total_bandwidth": 2496345600.0,
                "observer_id": "jdoe",
                "project_id": "project1",
                "receiver_id": "receiver3",
                "max_scan_length": 20000.0,
                "subint_duration": 30.0,
                "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"],
                "receptor_weights": [0.4, 0.6],
                "pst_processing_mode": "FLOW_THROUGH",
                "target": {
                    "target_name": "J1921+2153",
                    "reference_frame": "icrs",
                    "attrs": {
                        "c1": 290.43672917,
                        "c2": 21.884,
                        "epoch": 2000.0
                    }
                },
                "ft": {
                    "channel_polarisation_selection": {
                        "channels": [0, 100],
                        "polarisations": "Both"
                    },
                    "rescale": {
                        "algorithm": "MedianMAD",
                        "periodic_update": true,
                        "timescale": 1.0
                    },
                    "requantisation": {
                        "num_bits_out": 4,
                        "scale": 1.0
                    }
                }
            }
        }]
        },
        "transaction_id": "txn-....-00001",
        "midcbf": {
            "pst_bf": {
                "processing_regions": [{
                    "fsp_ids": [5],
                    "start_freq": 495075840,
                    "channel_count": 3700,
                    "timing_beams": [{
                        "timing_beam_id": 1,
                        "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"]
                    }]
                }]
            }
        }
    },
    "sdp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-sdp-configure/0.4",
        "scan_type": "target:a"
    },
    "tmc": {
        "scan_duration": 5.0,
        "partial_configuration": false
    }
}
  1. Pulsar Timing mode

Example:

{
    "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-tmc-configure/6.0",
    "transaction_id": "",
    "pointing": {
        "target": {
            "reference_frame": "ICRS",
            "target_name": "Polaris Australis",
            "ra": "21:08:47.92",
            "dec": "-88:57:22.9",
            "ca_offset_arcsec": 0.0,
            "ie_offset_arcsec": 0.0
        },
        "correction": "UPDATE"
    },
    "dish": {
        "receiver_band": "1"
    },
    "csp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-csp-configurescan/8.3",
        "common": {
            "config_id": "sbi-mvp01-20200325-00001-science_A",
            "frequency_band": "2",
            "eb_id": "eb-m001-20230712-56789"
        },
        "pst": {
            "beams": [{
            "beam_id": 1,
            "scan": {
                "centre_frequency": 10550000000.0,
                "total_bandwidth": 2496345600.0,
                "observer_id": "jdoe",
                "project_id": "project1",
                "receiver_id": "receiver3",
                "max_scan_length": 20000.0,
                "subint_duration": 30.0,
                "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"],
                "receptor_weights": [0.4, 0.6],
                "pst_processing_mode": "PULSAR_TIMING",
                "target": {
                    "target_name": "J1921+2153",
                    "reference_frame": "icrs",
                    "attrs": {
                        "c1": 290.43672917,
                        "c2": 21.884,
                        "epoch": 2000.0
                    }
                },
                "pt": {
                    "dispersion_measure": 100.0,
                    "rotation_measure": 0.0,
                    "ephemeris": "",
                    "pulsar_phase_predictor": "",
                    "output_frequency_channels": 1,
                    "output_phase_bins": 64,
                    "num_sk_config": 1,
                    "sk_config": [{
                        "sk_range": [0.8, 0.9],
                        "sk_integration_limit": 100,
                        "sk_excision_limit": 25.0
                    }],
                    "target_snr": 0.0
                }
            }
        }]
        },
        "transaction_id": "txn-....-00001",
        "midcbf": {
            "pst_bf": {
                "processing_regions": [{
                    "fsp_ids": [5],
                    "start_freq": 495075840,
                    "channel_count": 3700,
                    "timing_beams": [{
                        "timing_beam_id": 1,
                        "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"]
                    }]
                }]
            }
        }
    },
    "sdp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-sdp-configure/0.4",
        "scan_type": "target:a"
    },
    "tmc": {
        "scan_duration": 5.0,
        "partial_configuration": false
    }
}
  1. Detected Filterbank

Example:

{
    "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-tmc-configure/6.0",
    "transaction_id": "",
    "pointing": {
        "target": {
            "reference_frame": "ICRS",
            "target_name": "Polaris Australis",
            "ra": "21:08:47.92",
            "dec": "-88:57:22.9",
            "ca_offset_arcsec": 0.0,
            "ie_offset_arcsec": 0.0
        },
        "correction": "UPDATE"
    },
    "dish": {
        "receiver_band": "1"
    },
    "csp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-csp-configurescan/8.3",
        "common": {
            "config_id": "sbi-mvp01-20200325-00001-science_A",
            "frequency_band": "2",
            "eb_id": "eb-m001-20230712-56789"
        },
        "pst": {
            "beams": [{
            "beam_id": 1,
            "scan": {
                "centre_frequency": 10550000000.0,
                "total_bandwidth": 2496345600.0,
                "observer_id": "jdoe",
                "project_id": "project1",
                "receiver_id": "receiver3",
                "max_scan_length": 20000.0,
                "subint_duration": 30.0,
                "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"],
                "receptor_weights": [0.4, 0.6],
                "pst_processing_mode": "DETECTED_FILTERBANK",
                "target": {
                    "target_name": "J1921+2153",
                    "reference_frame": "icrs",
                    "attrs": {
                        "c1": 290.43672917,
                        "c2": 21.884,
                        "epoch": 2000.0
                    }
                },
                "df": {
                    "dispersion_measure": 100.0,
                    "output_frequency_channels": 1,
                    "stokes_parameters": "Q",
                    "num_bits_out": 16,
                    "time_decimation_factor": 10,
                    "frequency_decimation_factor": 4,
                    "requantisation_scale": 1.0,
                    "requantisation_length": 1.0
                }
            }
        }]
        },
        "transaction_id": "txn-....-00001",
        "midcbf": {
            "pst_bf": {
                "processing_regions": [{
                    "fsp_ids": [5],
                    "start_freq": 495075840,
                    "channel_count": 3700,
                    "timing_beams": [{
                        "timing_beam_id": 1,
                        "receptors": ["SKA001", "SKA036"]
                    }]
                }]
            }
        }
    },
    "sdp": {
        "interface": "https://schema.skao.int/ska-sdp-configure/0.4",
        "scan_type": "target:a"
    },
    "tmc": {
        "scan_duration": 5.0,
        "partial_configuration": false
    }
}

There is no change for other commands and their JSON examples.