Summary List of Setup File Parameters

A list of the setup parameters is given below, followed by detailed information on each setup paramater in Section 3.6.4. All of the parameters revert to the previous value if not specified for a station. This allows most to be specified only once per setup file. Some of the more difficult parameters, such as track assignments and pulse cal configurations have defaults in SCHED that should nearly always be used. There needs to be a separate group for each station, but after the first, the group may only contain the station name. The generic station ``VLBA'' can be used for all VLBA stations. If it is desired to specify one VLBA station differently from the the rest, that specific station (eg ``VLBA_PT'') should be given before the generic ``VLBA'' station. All parameters can have different values for different stations.

Note that the VLBA uses the concept of baseband channels. Many of the parameters take an array of arguments, one for each baseband channel. The corresponding elements of the arrays specify the required information for the baseband channel, such as the BBC from which the signal will come, the VLBA IF that BBC is attched to, the bandwidth of the BBC, and the frequency of the BBC. There is nothing to prevent more than one baseband channel from being assigned to one BBC/sideband. In such cases, care should be taken to insure that the same frequency, bandwidth, and input VLBA IF are assigned for each such baseband channel. If this is not done, the on-line system can get confused about what signal is in each baseband channel.

 

AZCOLIM:  Colimation offset in azimuth.

 

BAND:     Specify the frequenies generically.

 

BARREL:   Control barrel roll mode.

 

BBFILTER: BBC bandwidth for each baseband channel.

 

BBC:      BBC assigned to each baseband channel.

 

BBSYN:    BBC frequency setting for each baseband channel.

 

BBSYN2:   Second set of BBC frequencies for frequency switching.

 

BITS:     Number of bits per sample.

 

DUALX:    Mode allowing more than 500 MHz at X band.

 

DBE:      The personality to use in a digital backend.

 

ELCOLIM:  Colimation offset in elevation.

 

FE:       Receivers to be used.

 

FIRMFILE: A firmware file name to use - VLBA testers only!

 

FIRSTLO:  Sum of all LOs except the one set if FREQ used.

 

FORMAT:   Recording format to use -- (VLBA1:2 etc.

 

FREQOFF:  Value to add to FREQREF for each baseband channel to get LO sum.

 

FREQREF:  LO sum is FREQREF+FREQOFF. Alternative to BBSYN.

 

FRSWITCH: Specifies frequency switching.

 

IFCHAN:   IF channel to BBC for each baseband channel.

 

IFDIST:   Attenuation of and input to IF Distributers.

 

LCHAN:    IFCHAN to use if IFCHAN=L (LCP).

 

LEVEL:    Attenuator setting for BBCs.

 

LOGGING:  Type of logging to be done.

 

LCP50CM:  Controls narrow band filter at 50 cm for LCP.

 

M4PATCH:  Controls which MarkIV patching to use.

 

MODETEST: Allow use of features still under development

 

NCHAN:    Number of baseband channels.

 

NETSIDE:  Net sideband of baseband channel.

 

NOISE:    Noise diode switching mode.

 

NOISEFRQ:    Noise diode switching frequency (VLA or VLBA).

 

PERIOD:   Averaging time in the BBCs.

 

PCAL:     Mode for pulse cal generator.

 

PCALFR1:  Pulse cal frequencies to be detected by detector ch1.

 

PCALFR1:  Pulse cal frequencies to be detected by detector ch2.

 

PCALXB1:  Bit and channel assignment of ch1 of a pcal detector.

 

PCALXB2:  Bit and channel assignment of ch2 of a pcal detector.

 

PTINCR:   Step size for pointing patterns.

 

PTOFF:    Off source distance for pointing patterns.

 

RCHAN:    IFCHAN to use if IFCHAN=R (RCP).

 

RCP50CM:  Controls narrow band filter at 50 cm for RCP.

 

SAMPRATE: Sample rate.

 

SIDEBAND: BBC sideband for each baseband channel.

 

STATION:  Station name.

 

STRING1:  80 character string to pass to VLBA file.

 

STRING2:  Another string.     For any parameters

 

STRING3:  Another string.     not understood

 

STRING4:  Another string.     by SCHED.

 

SWTCHDUR: Duration of the scans in a frequency switching loop.

 

SYNTH:    2-16 GHz synthesizer settings.

 

TPMODE:   Number of passes per index position.

 

TPSPEED:  Speed of the recorder in inches per second (obsolete).

 

TPSPEEDH:  Tape speed in inches per second at high density (obsolete).

 

TPSPEEDL:  Tape speed in inches per second at low density (obsolete).

 

TRACK1:   Tape or Mark5A tracks for pass 1 at an index position.

 

TRACK2:   Tape tracks for pass 2 (obsolete).

 

TRACK3:   Tape tracks for pass 3 (obsolete).

 

TRACK4:   Tape tracks for pass 4 (obsolete).

 

TRACK5:   Tape tracks for pass 5 (obsolete).

 

TRACK6:   Tape tracks for pass 6 (obsolete).

 

TRACK7:   Tape tracks for pass 7 (obsolete).

 

TRACK8:   Tape tracks for pass 8 (obsolete).