The SAX Final Observation Tape


Final Observation Tapes (FOTs, the name being mutuated from the EXOSAT mission) are the way by which SAX observation data are made available to observers by SAX/SDC .

A FOT consists in a series of files, containing scientific, housekeeping and other kind of auxiliary data. One FOT contains the data of all NFI instruments or of the two WFC. As an example the following list of MECS files is present in a NFI FOT:

ephemeris_000000_00_0.dat       ephemeris 
attitude_000000_00_0.dat        attitude data

m1dir002_00315_01_n.dat         scientific data MECS 1
m1dir002_00315_04_n.dat         scientific data MECS 1            
m1eng000_00315_01_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 1
m1eng000_00315_04_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 1
m2dir002_00315_01_n.dat		scientific data MECS 2
m2dir002_00315_04_n.dat		scientific data MECS 2
m2eng000_00315_01_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 2
m2eng000_00315_04_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 2
m3dir002_00315_01_n.dat		scientific data MECS 3
m3dir002_00315_04_n.dat		scientific data MECS 3
m3eng000_00315_01_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 3
m3eng000_00315_04_n.dat		engeenering data MECS 3
mehkd000_00315_01_n.dat		housekeeping data MECS 1+2+3
mehkd000_00315_04_n.dat		housekeeping data MECS 1+2+3

nnkkkkkk_ppppp_qq_r.dat         name structure

nn     = instrument
kkkkkk = packet type; dir002 = direct mode 002
                      eng    = engeenering data
                      hkd    = housekeeping data 
ppppp  = observing period
qq     = observation 
r      = flag, n=normal, i=slew in, o=slew out


meexconf_00315_01_n.dat		experiment configuration
meexconf_00315_04_n.dat		experiment configuration


tapedirtape_000000_00_0.dat     directory files. They contain the
meinstdirtape_000000_00_0.dat   list of files in a tape, for each 
meobsdirtape_000000_01_n.dat    instrument and each observation
meobsdirtape_000000_02_n.dat
meobsdirtape_000000_03_n.dat
meobsdirtape_000000_04_n.dat

obt_utc_000000_00_0.dat		table for OBT-UTC conversion

tchkd000_000000_00_0.dat