Data Set Information
DATA_SET_NAME VG2 URA PRA EDITED RDR HIGH RATE 60MS V1.0
DATA_SET_ID VG2-U-PRA-2-RDR-HIGHRATE-60MS-V1.0
NSSDC_DATA_SET_ID
DATA_SET_TERSE_DESCRIPTION Voyager 2 edited high rate Radio Astronomy data from the Uranus encounter. The data set provides 60 millisecond calibrated measurements of the wave flux density at 4 given frequencies and a bandwidth.
DATA_SET_DESCRIPTION
This data set (VG2-U-PRA-2-RDR-HIGHRATE-60MS-V1.0) contains data
acquired by the Voyager-2 Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) instrument
during the Uranus encounter.  Since the PRA instrument is able to
observe planetary phenomenon at much larger ranges than other fields
and particles experiments, thus the PRA data cover a variable and
longer encounter period. PRA lowband data provided here cover the
entire Uranus Encounter Phase (1985-10-24 to 1988-07-14).

Each file within the dataset represents a single PRA high rate frame,
of duration 48 seconds. Each file contains a 28 octet header, followed
by 1280000 octets of data.

The header format is described as below:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Length (bytes) Name            Contents
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2              Year            Year A.D.
2              Day             Day of year (1 Jan == 1)
1              Hour            Hour of day (midnight == 0)
1              Minute          Minute of hour (o'clock = 0)
1              Second          Second of Minute
                                 (exact minute == 0)
1              Spacecraft      1 == V1, 2 == V2
2              Integral FDS    Integer part of FDS count
1              Fractional FDS  Fractional part of FDS count
4              Freq. 1         Frequency of 1st channel (Hz)
4              Freq. 2         Frequency of 2nd channel (Hz)
4              Freq. 3         Frequency of 3rd channel (Hz)
4              Freq. 4         Frequency of 4th channel (Hz)
1              Bandwidth       Bandwidth (kHz)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
where all values are unsigned, and multi-octet values are presented
with the most significant byte first.

The data are 16 bit numbers, most significant byte first, with 0
indicating unavailable data. The data are presented as a single
stream of 16 bit numbers. The frame is logically divided into lines
(although there is no indication of the lines within the file). This
terminology comes from the fact that in this high rate mode, the PRA
data are treated exactly as if they were imaging data, and a 48 second
image comprises 800 horizontal scan lines. Similarly, there are 800
logical lines within a PRA frame. Each line comprises 800 values,
representing 400 data pairs. In the high rate mode, the PRA measures
the flux at two frequencies _simultaneously_ and returns these two data
sequentially. A sample pair is acquired every (actually every 138.88...
microseconds), through an RC filter with a 100 microsecond time constant.
A single line comprises 60 milliseconds of data. Lines are NOT contiguous
in time. There is a 4444.44... microsecond gap between the ending of one
line and the start of the succeeding line.

The PRA samples a frequency pair in this manner for 24 seconds. It then
has the option of switching to a second pair for the final 24 seconds.
These frequencies are designated Freq. 1 through Freq. 4 in the header.
The data are presented such that the higher of the relevant frequency
pair is presented first.

    SAMPLING_PARAMETER_NAME        = TIME
    SAMPLING_PARAMETER_RESOLUTION  = N/A
    MINIMUM_SAMPLING_PARAMETER     = N/A
    MAXIMUM_SAMPLING_PARAMETER     = N/A
    SAMPLING_PARAMETER_INTERVAL    = 138.8
    MINIMUM_AVAILABLE_SAMPLING_INT = 138.8
    SAMPLING_PARAMETER_UNIT        = MICROSECOND
    DATA_SET_PARAMETER_NAME        = RADIO WAVE SPECTRUM
    NOISE_LEVEL                    = 2400
    DATA_SET_PARAMETER_UNIT        = MILLIBEL
DATA_SET_RELEASE_DATE 1993-02-01T00:00:00.000Z
START_TIME 1985-10-24T11:23:12.000Z
STOP_TIME 1988-07-14T07:43:09.000Z
MISSION_NAME VOYAGER
MISSION_START_DATE 1972-07-01T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_STOP_DATE N/A (ongoing)
TARGET_NAME URANUS
TARGET_TYPE PLANET
INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID VG2
INSTRUMENT_NAME PLANETARY RADIO ASTRONOMY RECEIVER
INSTRUMENT_ID PRA
INSTRUMENT_TYPE RADIO SPECTROMETER
NODE_NAME Planetary Plasma Interactions
ARCHIVE_STATUS ARCHIVED
CONFIDENCE_LEVEL_NOTE
Permitted downlink bit error rates are considerably higher for high
rate operation than for low rate. Consequently, it is not uncommon
for there to be considerable noise in a high rate frame. The probability
of any particular datum being incorrect is small, but there are a lot of
data in a frame. Generally, a datum should not be assumed to be real if
it forms no part of a pattern and is markedly different from its neighbors.
Bit error rates are as likely to result in a falsely low reading as a
falsely high one.

The data presented are calibrated but not otherwise manipulated. An
improvement in data quality can often be obtained by making allowance
for the 2.4 kHz spacecraft switching power supply, whose signal is
clearly superimposed on much of the PRA high rate data.

The noise background is considerably higher for these data than for
low rate data. This is because of the wide bandwidth usually used
(200 kHz instead of the 1 kHz used for low rate), which permits many
harmonics of the spacecraft power supply to appear in the data, as well
as many of the noise products of other spacecraft subsystems. However,
most naturally occurring signals last for (at least) several samples
and have an appearance quite unlike the distinctly regular artificial
interferences.
CITATION_DESCRIPTION Evans, D.R., VG2-U-PRA-2-RDR-HIGHRATE-60MS-V1.0, VG2 URA PRA EDITED RDR HIGH RATE 60MS V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 1993.
ABSTRACT_TEXT This data set (VG2-U-PRA-2-RDR-HIGHRATE-60MS-V1.0) contains data acquired by the Voyager-2 Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) instrument during the Uranus encounter. Since the PRA instrument is able to observe planetary phenomenon at much larger ranges than other fields and particles experiments, thus the PRA data cover a variable and longer encounter period. PRA lowband data provided here cover the entire Uranus Encounter Phase (1985-10-24 to 1988-07-14).
PRODUCER_FULL_NAME DR. DAVID R. EVANS
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