Support Engineering Group : CTD-Optode

This page last changed on Jun 04, 2009 by rich.

This page documents the flow and responsibilities for maintaining the CTD and O2 Optode and auxilliary environmental (xmissometer, fluorometer etc) sensors on the ROV Doc Ricketts and Western Flyer.

System Diagram

Parties Involved

Science User
Support Engineer
CTD Technician

Tasks

Keep track of which calibrations and coefficients are valid for which times
Maintain the Optode and CTD on the vehicle (verify t,s oxygen minimums, maximums, etc.)
Use the various access methods to verify the CTD and optode data is correct

History

Optode was reporting funny oxygen values apparently beginning in February when Ricketts first went operational. Was noticed by scientists during dives in April and May.
An SBE43 O2 sensors was installed on the CTD (May nn) and is being reported through a spare A/D channel to provide ground-truth the Optode until problems are resolved
The Optode was replaced in late May (~5/26) to see if it fixes the problem.
O2 calib.coefficient found to be incorrect on configuration file for sensor deployed February through 5/26..

Outstanding questions

We have now reprocessed the optode from February up to when the sensor changed in late May, the data looks "better". Is it correct?
If optode data is now accepted as correct - we need to notify to get data downstream of processing VARS, SamplesDB corrected and inform science users
How often should/is the O2 data routinely checked by human eyes as first-level QC? (and T,S xmiss as well)
What is the criteria to be used in check above?
Who is signing of that the optode is doing the final signoff that optode is being properly handled.

Attachments:

CTD_Optode_Diagram (text/xml)

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