Data Set Overview : This data set contains raw Pancam science data. If 12 to 8 bit scaling was commanded, these images HAVE been transformed back to 12 bits. Therefore, these images can be used for quantitative studies of the surface color and mineralogic properties, to constrain aerosol physical and radiative properties, and to asses the morphology, topography, and geologic context of each rover site.   Processing : This documentation uses the Committee on Data Management and Computation (CODMAC) data level numbering system. The MER Camera Payload EDRs referred to in this document are considered Level 2 or Edited Data (equivalent to NASA Level 0). The EDRs are to be reconstructed from Level 1 or Raw Data, which are the telemetry packets within the project specific Standard Formatted Data Unit (SFDU) record. They are to be assembled into complete images, but will not be radiometrically or geometrically corrected.  EDR data products will be generated by MIPL using the telemetry processing software mertelemproc at JPL. The EDRs produced will be raw uncalibrated data reconstructed from telemetry packet SFDUs and formatted according to this SIS. Meta-data acquired from the telemetry data headers and a meta-data database will be used to populate the PDS label. Missing packets will be identified and reported for retransmission to the ground as partial datasets. Prior to retransmission, the missing EDR data will be filled with zeros. The EDR data will be reprocessed only after all partial datasets are retransmitted and received on the ground. In these cases, the original EDR version will be overwritten.   Data : As the fundamental science image data archive product, the Science EDR will be generated by the Athena Pancam Science and Microscopic Imager Science Teams under SOAS at JPL to recover the original 12-bit raw measurement obtained by the respective science camera to within the uncertainty of the noise in the original measured value. The size of a Science EDR data product is approximately 2 MB. The total estimated volume of Science EDRs over the course of the nominal 90-day MER mission is less than that of the Operations EDRs, and depends on the definition of the Science EDR archive set.  The data packaged in the camera data files will be decoded, decompressed camera image data in single frame form as an Experiment Data Record (EDR). The Full Frame form of a standard image data file has the maximum dimensions of 1024 lines by 1024 samples.  1) Full Frame EDR Full Frame EDRs are stored as 16-bit signed integers. If 12-to-8 bit scaling is performed, then pixels are stored in 16-bit format and only the last 8 bits of the 16-bit integer are used.  2) Thumbnail EDR Thumbnail EDRs are stored as 16-bit signed integers or 8-bit unsigned integers. If 12-to-8 bit scaling is performed, then pixels are stored in 16-bit format and only the last 8 bits of the 16- bit integer are used. The Thumbnail EDR is a sized down version of the original acquired image (i.e., camera returned pixel data), and size of the binary EDR image data is variable. However, the original acquired image is not always downlinked. The main purpose of a Thumbnail EDR is to provide an image summary using a very low data volume compared to the original image.  3) Sub-frame EDR Sub-frame EDRs are a subset of rows and columns of the 1024 x 1024 full frame image. Sub-frame EDRs are stored as 16-bit signed integers. If 12-to-8 bit scaling is performed, then pixels are stored in 16-bit format and only the last 8 bits of the 16- bit integer are used.  4) Downsampled EDR A downsampled EDR is a smaller version of the 1024 x 1024 full frame or subframed image using the following methods: 1) nearest neighbor pixel averaging, 2) pixel averaging with outlier rejection or 3)computing the median pixel value. Downsampled EDRs are stored as 16-bit signed integers. If 12-to-8 bit scaling is performed, then pixels are stored in 16-bit format and only the last 8 bits of the 16- bit integer are used.  5) Reference Pixels The onboard CCD array has 16 pre-Reference dark pixels (12-bits) located at the beginning and 15 post-Reference dark pixels (12-bits) located at the end of each row. The values of these pixels indicate the bias level of the camera at the time of each observation. The Reference Pixel images were losslessly compressed for downlink. For complex design reasons, the last post-Reference pixel is a copy of the next-to-last post-Reference pixel. Following the last post-Reference dark pixel, at the very end of each row, is the camera hardware serial number (left-shifted by 4 bits if 12-bit data).   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 PSS 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.   Media/Format : The data set will initally be delivered and kept online. Upon Mission completion, the Pancam EDRs will be delivered to PDS on DVD.

NULL