Data Set Overview
  =================
    This data set contains data that is used to assess the morphology,
    topography, and geologic context of each rover site, to determine
    surface photometric properties, and to constrain aerosol
    physical and radiative properties. The calibration has removed bias,
    dark current, and flatfield effects from the raw Navcam EDRs
    and resulted in the generation of estimated radiance-on-sensor data
    from Navcam, in units of W/m^2/nm/sr. No geometric or camera-model
    calibrations or transformations have been applied. For details, see
    Soderblom, J.M., J.F. Bell III, J.R. Johnson, J. Joseph, and M.J. Wolff
    (2008) Mars Exploration Rover Navigation Camera (Navcam) in-flight
    calibration, J. Geophys. Res., 113, E06S19, doi:10.1029/2007JE003003.
 
 
  Processing
  ==========
    MER Camera Payload RDRs are considered Level 3 (Calibrated Data
    equivalent to NASA Level 1-A), Level 4 (Resampled Data
    equivalent to NASA Level 1-B), or Level 5 (Derived Data
    equivalent to NASA Level 1-C, 2 or 3). The RDRs are
    reconstructed from Level 2 edited data, and are assembled
    into complete images that may include radiometric and/or geometric
    correction.
 
    MER Camera Payload EDRs and RDRs are generated by JPL's
    Multimission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL) under the OPGS
    subsystem of the MER GDS. RDRs are also generated by the Athena
    Pancam Science and Microscopic Imager Science Teams under the SOAS
    subsystem of the GDS.
 
    RDR data products are generated by, but not limited to, MIPL
    using the Mars Suite of VICAR image processing software at JPL, the
    Athena Pancam Science Team using IDL software at Cornell University
    and JPL, and the Microscopic Imager Science Team using ISIS software
    at USGS (Flagstaff) and JPL. The RDRs produced are processed
    data. The input is one or more Camera EDR or RDR data products
    and the output is formatted according to the MER Camera EDR/RDR SIS. 
    Additional meta-data may be added by the software to the PDS label.
 
    There may be multiple versions of MER Camera RDRs.
 
 
  Data
  ====
    RDR products generated by MIPL have a VICAR label wrapped by a
    PDS label, and their structure can include the optional EOL label
    after the binary data. RDR products not generated by MIPL may
    contain only a PDS label. Or, RDR products conforming to a standard
    other than PDS, such as JPEG compressed or certain Terrain products,
    are acceptable without a PDS header during mission operations, but
    may not be archivable.
 
    The RDR data product is comprised of radiometrically decalibrated
    and/or camera model corrected and/or geometrically altered versions
    of the raw camera data, in both single and multi-frame (mosaic)
    form. Most RDR data products have PDS labels, or if generated
    by MIPL (OPGS), dual PDS/VICAR labels. Non-labeled RDRs include
    JPEG compressed products and the Terrain products.
 
 
  Software
  ========
    MER Camera Payload downlink processing software is focused on rapid
    reduction, calibration, and visualization of images in order to make
    discoveries, to accurately and expeditiously characterize the
    geologic environment around the rover, and to provide timely input
    for operational decisions concerning rover navigation and Instrument
    Deployment Device (IDD) target selection. Key software tools have
    been developed at Cornell University, at JPL by the MIPL, SSV, and
    APSS groups, at NASA Ames, and at the USGS/Flagstaff. These tools
    can also be used to process MI images (see below), as well as Navcam
    and Hazcam images, which have substantial scientific potential in
    addition to their operational importance
 
    PDS-labeled images and tables can be viewed with the program
    NASAView, developed by the PDS and available for a variety of
    computer platforms from the PDS web site
    http://pdsproto.jpl.nasa.gov/Distribution/license.html.
    There is no charge for NASAView.

See SODERBLOMETAL2008 for a
      description of Navcam in-flight calibration. The authors estimate that
      their absolute radiometric calibration has an absolute accuracy of 10%
      and a relative precision of 2.5%. The calibration pipeline includes
      steps to model and remove the bias offset, the dark current charge that
      accumulates in both the active and readout regions of the CCD, and the
      shutter smear. It also corrects pixel-to-pixel responsivity variations
      using flat-field images.