| Description: The type attribute classifies the instrument according to its function. |
| Namespace Id: pds | Steward: pds | Class Name: Instrument | Type: ASCII_Short_String_Collapsed |
| Minimum Value: None | Maximum Value: None | Minimum Characters: 1 | Maximum Characters: 255 |
| Unit of Measure Type: None | Default Unit Id: None | Attribute Concept: Type | Conceptual Domain: Short_String |
| Status: Deprecated | Nillable: false | Pattern: None |
| Permissible Value(s) | Value | Value Meaning |
| | Accelerometer | An instrument that measures proper (i.e., its own) acceleration. |
| | Alpha Particle Detector | An instrument that measures the number and/or distribution of alpha particles. |
| | Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer | An instrument that bombards a sample with alpha particles and X-rays and measures the energy spectrum of scattered alpha particles and X-rays to determine the sample's elemental composition. |
| | Altimeter | An instrument that measures its own altitude above a reference surface. |
| | Anemometer | An in situ instrument that measures wind speed. |
| | Atmospheric Sciences | A top level category for atmospheric science instruments. |
| | Atomic Force Microscope | An instrument that uses atomic forces between a probe and a sample to produce high-resolution topographic scans of the sample. |
| | Barometer | An in situ instrument that measures atmospheric pressure. |
| | Biology Experiments | An instrument that conducts one or more experiments on samples to determine their potential for biological activity. |
| | Bolometer | An instrument that estimates radiation intensity by measuring changes in electrical resistivity as the temperature of its sensor varies in response to the incident power density. |
| | Camera | An instrument that records and stores analog images (compare 'imager'). |
| | Cosmic Ray Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures cosmic rays. |
| | Drilling Tool | A tool that drills into samples. |
| | Dust | An instrument that detects and/or measures dust. |
| | Dust Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures dust. |
| | Electrical Probe | An in situ instrument that measures electrical properties (e.g., conductivity) of a medium into which it is inserted. |
| | Energetic Particle Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures energetic charged particles. |
| | Gamma Ray Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures gamma rays. |
| | Gas Analyzer | A high-temperature furnace combined with a mass spectrometer that heats a sample and analyzes the mass distribution of the evolved gases. |
| | Gravimeter | An instrument that measures the local gravitational field. |
| | Grinding Tool | A tool that grinds into samples. |
| | Hygrometer | An instrument used to measure the moisture content of its environment. |
| | Imager | An instrument that records and stores digital images. |
| | Imaging Spectrometer | An instrument that combines the functions of a spectrometer and an imager - i.e., it captures and stores multiple images, each at a slightly different wavelength. |
| | Inertial Measurement Unit | An instrument that measures changes in its own velocity and orientation by using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or other devices. |
| | Infrared Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the spectral distribution of infrared radiation. |
| | Interferometer | An instrument used to measure small displacements, refractive index changes and surface irregularities using interferometry. |
| | Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer | An instrument that uses an active laser to generate a plasma from a target and then measures the energy spectrum of the evolved plasma. |
| | Magnetometer | An instrument that measures the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field. |
| | Mass Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the number of particles in a sample as a function of their mass. |
| | Microscope | An instrument used to view objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. |
| | Microwave Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the spectral distribution of microwave radiation. |
| | Moessbauer Spectrometer | An instrument that uses the Mossbauer effect to determine the abundance of Fe-bearing minerals in a sample. |
| | Naked Eye | Observations made with the naked eye and recorded in a data product. |
| | Neutral Particle Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures neutral particles. |
| | Neutron Detector | An instrument that measures the number and/or energy distribution of neutrons. |
| | Particle Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures charged particles. |
| | Photometer | An instrument that measures radiation intensity (e.g., of visible light), sometimes with the goal of inferring optical properties of materials. |
| | Plasma Analyzer | An instrument that measures the spectral distribution of energy in a low-frequency plasma. |
| | Plasma Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures low energy charged particles. |
| | Plasma Wave Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the energy distribution in a low-frequency plasma. |
| | Polarimeter | An instrument used to measure the angle of rotation caused by passing polarized electromagnetic radiation through an optically active substance. |
| | Radar | An instrument that transmits and receives radio signals for the purpose of detecting, determining the range (distance) to, velocity of, and/or direction of one or more distant targets. |
| | Radio Science | An instrument suite used to conduct measurements at radio frequencies. |
| | Radio Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the spectral distribution of electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies. |
| | Radio Telescope | An instrument used to focus and capture radio waves. |
| | Radio-Radar | An instrument used to conduct measurements at radio frequencies. |
| | Radiometer | An instrument which measures the radiant flux of electromagnetic radiation. |
| | Reflectometer | An instrument that measures the reflectance of surfaces. An electron reflectometer measures the properties of electrons trapped along magnetic field lines to infer the strength and direction of the field remotely. |
| | Regolith Properties | A top level category for the science instruments associated with the Geosciences. |
| | Robotic Arm | A tool used to place in-situ instruments on surface rocks or soil, dig into a surface, and/or to collect surface samples for other instruments to analyze on a spacecraft. |
| | Seismometer | An instrument that measure motion of the ground. |
| | Small Bodies Sciences | A top level category for the science instruments associated with Small Bodies. |
| | Spectrograph | An instrument that separates light into a frequency spectrum and records the signal using a camera. |
| | Spectrograph Imager | See Imaging Spectrometer. |
| | Spectrometer | An instrument that measures a spectrum, reporting intensity as a function of wavelength, frequency, energy, momentum, or mass. |
| | Thermal Imager | An instrument that captures an image at thermal infrared wavelengths. |
| | Thermal Probe | An in situ instrument that measures thermal properties (e.g., temperature) at one or more points along its length. |
| | Thermometer | An instrument that measures temperature. |
| | Ultraviolet Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the spectral distribution of ultraviolet radiation. |
| | Weather Station | An instrument that collects data for the scientific study of weather and weather-related phenomena such as (but not limited to) temperature, pressure, wind speed, wind direction, etc. |
| | Wet Chemistry Laboratory | An instrument that mixes soil samples with solutions to measure material properties such as pH, conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential, etc. |
| | X-ray Detector | An instrument that detects and/or measures X-rays. |
| | X-ray Diffraction Spectrometer | An instrument that uses a beam of X-rays to probe the internal structure of a powdered sample and identify its mineral composition. |
| | X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer | An instrument that measures the emission of secondary X-rays to determine the elemental composition of a sample that has been irradiated with primary X-rays. |