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AERI Daily Preventative Maintenance Procedure

Instrument:   AERI
Starting Date:   1 January 2014
Instrument Mentor:   Jonathan Gero
Facility:   SGP-C1, AMF-M1
PM Frequency:   Daily


The following procedure is for performing scheduled daily preventative maintenance on the AERI.  All results are recorded on the PM checklist.

Physical check of instrument

Inspection of front-end enclosure

Inspect the AERI outdoor front-end enclosure for damage, debris, or precipitation accumulation.  Check the the front panel and all hardware pieces are secure.  Check for signs of insect or bird activity.  Check for obstructions on the exterior fan/filter.  Clear any debris or precipitation accumulation.

Checklist Response: 

No Problems Noted
Problem – See CM Report

Inspection of sky hatch assembly

Inspect the sky hatch for damage, debris, or precipitation accumulation.  Check that the hatch is clear of obstructions and can open freely.  Check that the internal rain sensor, external rain sensor, and the sun sensor are clean and free of damage.  Clean sensors with a KimWipe towel and distilled water if necessary.  Clear any debris or precipitation accumulation.

Checklist Response:

No Problems Noted
Problem – See CM Report

Sky hatch status

Observe and record the current hatch position.  Ensure the position is correct for current instrument and weather conditions.  If the hatch is closed and there is no precipitation, clean the blue surface of the rain sensor with water.

Checklist Response:

Open – No Problems Noted
Open – Problem – See CM Report
Closed – No Problems Noted
Closed – Problem – See CM Report
Intermediate – Problem – See CM Report

Inspection of internal components

Inspect the AERI indoor back-end for debris.  Clear any debris.  Inspect the cryocooler assembly.  Check that the heat sink fins are clean and clear of debris.  Check that the 2 fans are operational; if airflow is reduced, clean the fan assembly.  Inspect the connections between the AERI instrument, computer, iBootBar, ethernet switch, and the AC power source for tightness.  Ensure that all components are powered on and cables are neat and secure.

Checklist response:

No Problems Noted
Problem – See CM Report

Inspection of through-wall installation

Check for evidence of precipitation seepage through the wall.

Checklist response:

No Problems Noted
Problem – See CM Report

Inspection of interferometer relative humidity

Check the relative humidity (RH) paper indicator on the desiccator tube on the left side of the interferometer box.  If RH > 20%, the desiccant should be changed soon.  If RH > 30%, the desiccant should be changed immediately (see instructions).

Checklist response:

RH < 20%
RH > 20% – Desiccant was changed
RH > 20% – Desiccant was not changed
RH > 30% – Desiccant was changed
RH > 30% – Desiccant was not changed – See CM Report

Functional check of instrument

Check of instrument power

Check that the instrument is powered on.  Check that the green LED power indicators are lit on the Parker CompuMotor and Connect Power DC-DC power supply.  Check that the LINK and ACT LEDs are flashing on the interferometer box.

Checklist response:

Instrument is Powered On
Problem – See CM Report

Check of displayed date/time

Locate the date and time in the lower right corner of the computer display, and the lower right corner of FTSW window.  Compare with current SDS date/time.

Checklist response:

Date and Time are Correct
Problem – See CM Report

Check that the data graphs are displayed

Look at the ‘Acquisition’ tab in the FTSW window, and ensure that both Channel A (MCT, blue) and Channel B (InSb, red) are displayed and updating.

Checklist response:

Graphs displayed and appear reasonable
Graphs displayed but not updating – See CM Report
No graphs displayed – See CM Report

Check that ingest is running

Select the Ingest window.  Ensure that data is updating (scrolling).

Checklist response:

Ingest is running
Ingest is not running – See CM Report

Check that status boxes are all green

Look at the ‘Monitoring’ tab in the FTSW window, or look at http://webmads.ssec.wisc.edu/ Ensure that all status boxes are green.

Checklist Response:

No Problems Noted
Problem – See CM Report

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