[amsat-bb] Initial RUDAK tests successful

["Jim White" <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

5/1/2001

This morning the RUDAK experiment on AO-40 was powered on and made 
available to the RUDAK team for testing.  During the period from about 
1400U through about 1615U the RUDAK-A processor was commanded through a 
series of tests by Jim White, WD0E, in Colorado.  Commanding was quite 
reliable on the L band uplink.  The gain of modulator 1 was turned up and 
the resulting downlink at 2401.72 was usable for most of this period as 
squint angles improved below 50 degrees.  Some initial software was loaded 
and executed, the real-time clock was set, a short text message was put in 
the downlink queue and some tests to measure deviation and frequencies were 
completed.  Further software loading was in progress at LOS.  All testing 
during this period was successful, however much remains to be tested and 
exercised.

The plan for 5/2/2001 includes additional software loading, some initial 
tests on RUDAK-B, and possibly some initial telemetry.  If time and squint 
angles allow the CAN server will be loaded and we will take a look at the 
16 temperatures available through RUDAK.  It may also be possible to power 
up the CEDEX experiment and obtain some initial radiation data.

Testing and commissioning plans after that are uncertain and will depend 
mainly on squint angles and pass visibility.

Please do not attempt to uplink to RUDAK until testing is completed and it 
is made available for general operation.  That milestone will be announced 
on the RUDAK downlinks and via ANS.  Watch www.amsat.org for further status 
updates as commissioning progresses.

Jim White
wd0e@amsat.org
jim@coloradosatellite.com

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