This web site documents the September 2000 field test of FIDO, a Mars rover prototype.

The field test data are grouped by sol, by instrument, and by target. Tables list scientific and engineering events in summary fashion. Links provide access to detail information and the data products. The nature of the summary tables necessitates slightly cryptic column headings.

Instrument symbols have been employed to facilitate easier visual scans through the summary tables. Clicking on an instrument symbol will link to a summary table of events for that symbol. The symbol key  is shown below.

Rover commands	Pancam
IR Point Spectrometer	Moessbauer Spectrometer
Raman Spectrometer	Navcam
Mini-Corer	Front Hazcam    Rear Hazcam
Microscopic Imager	Bellycam

The IPS data in the Experiment's Notebook have been processed and graphed. Raw and processed data are available.

Radiance Coefficient Calculation

1. Apply a 31-point smooth to the data and the associated reference spectrum. This processing step is the product of experience. It has been determined through trial and error that the 31-point smooth removes a good deal of the high frequency noise from the signal, without obliterating important spectral features such as the Kaolinite doublet.
2. Approximate a dark current correction by subtracting the minimum value present in the data spectrum from all channels in the data spectrum. This operation is also performed on the associated reference spectrum. During the field trial, the IPS instrument was not returning reliable dark current (DC) values. As a result, we were forced to assume that the DC contribution to the measured spectrum was constant across the spectral range.
3. Calculate the Radiance Coefficient Radiance Coefficient (RC) is calculated by dividing, channel by channel, the data spectrum by the associated reference spectrum. In this case we divided the smoothed, DC corrected data by the smoothed, DC corrected reference.

Error Envelope Calculation

1. Determine the standard deviation of the data and associated reference spectra. The standard deviation (STDEV) of the data and reference spectra is determined by examining a spectral interval wholly inside a water absorption band (2.4-2.5 um). Due to the absorption of electromagnetic radiation over this wavelength range by atmospheric water, the signal received by the IPS instrument should be flat-lined. (Aside: Typically, the minimum value used for the approximate DC correction is also found in this spectral range.) Therefore, any variation in the signal received over this interval is due entirely to noise, and so the STDEV for the spectrum can be calculated. As an added complication, it was determined during the field test that the data in the 2.4-2.5 um interval were not randomly distributed about a constant value, but rather around a decreasing linear function. The final processing code removes this linear trend prior to the calculation of the STDEV.
2. Calculate spectral error. The final spectral error is calculated via the following equation:

delta(RCi) <= (delta(I) + RCi*delta(S)) / (Si - Ds)

Where: delta(RCi): Spectral Radiance Coefficient error delta(I): STDEV(data spectrum) RCi: Spectral Radiance Coefficient delta(S): STDEV(reference spectrum) Si: Reference spectrum Ds: DC value of the reference spectrum

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Exploration Technology Rover team
FIDO Science Server