DATA_SET_DESCRIPTION |
Data Set Overview
=================
This data set contains images acquired by the Navcams for the
support of rover traverse planning, post-traverse assessment, rover
localization, operation of the instrument arm, and the selection of
science targets. Most Navcam images were commanded via ground
commands from Earth, although a subset of Navcam images were
commanded autonomously during rover traverses by the Rover onboard
autonomous navigation system. The Navcams were extensively used to
acquire end of drive 360-degree panoramas. These panoramas serverd
as the primary set of data from which Pancam and Mini-TES targets
were chosen from. The Navcam panoramas were also extensively used
for rover traverse planning and generally cover more of the local
Martian surface terrain than the Pancam or Hazcam cameras.
Processing
==========
This data set uses the Committee on Data Management and
Computation (CODMAC) data level numbering system. The MER Camera
Payload EDRs are considered Level 2 or Edited Data (equivalent
to NASA Level 0). The EDRs are 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 are not be radiometrically or
geometrically corrected.
NAVCAM EDR data products were generated by the Multi-mission Image
Processing Lab at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory using the telemetry
processing software mertelemproc. The EDRs produced are raw
uncalibrated data reconstructed from telemetry packet SFDUs and
formatted according to the Camera EDR/RDR Software Interface
Specification. Meta-data acquired from the telemetry data headers
and a meta-data database were used to populate the PDS label. There
will not be multiple versions of a MER Camera Payload EDR. Missing
packets will be identified and reported for retransmission to the
ground as partial datasets.
Data
====
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 teh 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 spatially
downsampled version of the original acquired source image
(all EDRs for a particular image are derive from the same source
image). For example, in the case of subframe image products
the thumbnail image represents the full-frame contextual image
form which the subframe image data was extracted from. Note that
the original acquired image is not always downlinked, and in some
cases thumbnails are the only returned data for a particular
observation. The main purposes of a Thumbnail EDR are to provide
image previews and contextual information, both at 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.
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 JPL by the Multimission Image Processing
Laboratory (MIPL). These tools were also used to process Pancam and
MI images.
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 initially be delivered and kept online. Upon
Mission completion, the Navigation cmaera EDRs will be delivered to
PDS on DVD as part of the complete MER EDR data set.
|