National Aeronautics and Space Administration

******************************************************************************
                       RELEASE NOTES FOR HEASOFT 6.0.3
                              October 7, 2005
******************************************************************************

The HEASoft 6.0.3 release is primarily driven by the release of the Swift
software version 2.2, but also includes updates to several tasks in the
attitude subpackage and to the FTOOLS utilities 'xselect', 'extractor',
and 'grppha2', which have been revised to mirror the current development
versions in use at the HEASARC.  This release also includes CFITSIO v3.003
(updated from v3.001 in the last release).

As before, configuration-related changes thoughout the package means that
users who already have HEASoft v6.0X installed will need to completely
replace their software installation; there is no clean way to simply
overlay this new release or to update an existing installation.

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                                ATTITUDE
******************************************************************************

 aberrator -
     allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 aspcorr [NEW TASK] -
     Apply an attitude correction to sky images

 attcombine -
     added parameter interpolation to set attitude interpolation mode
     output now contains records only at times from first input file
     optionally transfer input POINTING to output file

 coordinator -
     added parameter interpolation to set attitude interpolation mode
     allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 prefilter -
     allow qualified CALDB query for alignfile and leapname parameters [1]

 tristarid [NEW TASK] -
     Perform triplet-based star identification

******************************************************************************
                                 CFITSIO
******************************************************************************

Version 3.003:

  Enhancements
  
  - enhanced the string column reading routing fits_get_col_str to 
    support cases where the user enters a null pointer (rather than
    a null string) as the nulval parameter.

  - modified the low level ffread and ffwrite routines that physically
    read and write data from the FITS file so that they write the name
    of the file to the CFITSIO error stack if an error occurs.

  - changed the definition of fits_open_file into a macro that will test
    that the version of the fitsio.h include file that was used to 
    build the CFITSIO library is the same version as included when
    compiling the application program.

  - made a simple modification to region.c to support regions files
    of type "linear", for compatibility with ds9 and fv.
    
  - modified the internal ffgpr routine (and renamed it ffgprll) so
    that it returns the TNULL value as a LONGLONG parameter instead
    of 'long'.
    
  - in fits_get_col_display_width, added support for TFORM = 'k'
  
  - modified fitsio.h, fitsio2.h, and f77_wrap.h to add test for (_SX)
    to identify NEC SX supercomputers.

  - modified eval_f.c to treat table columns of TULONG  (unsigned long)
    as a double.  Also added support for TLONGLONG (8-byte integers) as
    a double, which is only a temporary fix, since doubles only have about
    52 bits of precision.

  - changed the 'blank' parameter in the internal ffgphd function to
    to type LONGLONG to support integer*8 FITS images.

  - when reading the TNULL keyword value, now use ffc2jj instead of
    ffc2ii, to support integer*8 values.

  Bug fixes

  - fixed a significant bug when writing character strings to a variable
    length array column of a binary table. This bug would result in some
    unused space in the variable length heap, making the heap somewhat
    larger than necessary.  This in itself is usually a minor issue, since
    the FITS files are perfectly valid, and other software should have
    no problems reading back the characters strings. In some cases, however,
    this problem could cause the program that is writing the table
    to exit with a status = 108 disk read error.

  - modified the standalone imcopy.c utility program to fix a memory allocation
    bug when running on 64-bit platforms where sizeof(long) = 8 bytes.

  - added an immediate 'return' statement to ffgtcl if the input status >0, 
    to prevent a segfault on some platforms.

******************************************************************************
                                  HEASARC
******************************************************************************

 extractor v4.56 -

    Fixed problem that arises if the input event file has no GTIs and there
    are selection GTIs in use. The resulting event file was given the
    selection GTIs instead of the correct result of no GTIs.

    Modified the region file reading routine to ignore the 'CR' character
    if it is the last character on the line.  If the region file was created
    on a PC, which uses CR LF as the 2 End-of-Line characters, then the CR
    is left over when read on a Unix machine, which uses only a single LF
    character to mark the end of line.

    Fixed inconsistency between rotation angle defined in ds9 ELLIPSE and BOX
    regions and their use in extractor. It appears that extractor was treating
    these angles as clockwise from the x-axis while ds9 defines the angles as
    counter-clockwise from the same axis.


 grppha2 -

    Change error to warning if ROWID column is not found.

 xselect v2.3:
   Fixed error that datamode keyword was not allowed to be different for
   different instruments.  Trapped case of a blank string being entered for
   a filename.

   xsl_chandra_acis_makeresp:
   mkacisrmf wants the spectrum file as the input of the wmap parameter, not the
   weighting file produced by mkwarf (as mkrmf did).  Modified call to mkacisrmf
   to include all required parameters.

******************************************************************************
                                  SWIFT
******************************************************************************

Swift software v 2.2:

----------------------
BAT specific tools
----------------------

batoccultgti [NEW TASK] -
   this new task computes good time intervals that are unocculted by
   the earth, moon, and/or sun.  The user enters as input the
   observation "prefilter" (or "SAO") file and the position of the
   source.  The output is a standard good time interval file which can
   be used for selecting BAT survey data (it can be used as input to
   the 'mgtime' or 'batbinevt' tasks).

   This task is used when the source of interest is known.

batoccultmap [NEW TASK] -
   this new task computes an exposure correction based on occultations
   by the earth, moon and/or sun.  The user enters as input the
   observation "prefilter" (or "SAO") file and the image to be
   corrected.  Portions of the image which are occulted by the earth
   or other bodies have their exposure reduced accordingly.  The
   motion of these bodies in the BAT field of view as a function of
   time are accounted for as well.

   This task is used when a blind image search will be performed, or
   if there are many sources being analyzed at the same time.  When
   the source is known in advance, unocculted data should be selected
   using batoccultgti instead.

batphasyserr [NEW TASK] -
   this new task applies a systematic error vector to a user-generated
   BAT spectrum (PHA file).  By default the systematic error vector is
   taken from CALDB.  Both type I and type II spectral formats are
   handled.  If the user binning does not match the systematic error
   template, then the template is rebinned to match.

batbinevt   -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: outtype, as detailed below 
      new output format: type I spectral format (for outtype="PHA1")
      the type II format can be output by using outtype=PHA2
      when outtype=PHA is given, then the output is either
           type I, if only one output spectrum is produced OR
           type II, if more than one output spectrum is produced
      THUS, THE DEFAULT SPECTRUM TYPE HAS CHANGED FROM TYPE II TO TYPE I

   a warning is produced if the users asks for a COUNTS spectrum
   of type II format; this is particularly poorly supported by
   OGIP/HEASARC downstream software
 
   remove some confusing WCS keywords held over from the original input

   handle cases where the input file is corrupted or mishandled; for
   example, if the GTI extension is missing from a DPH
  
   proper exposure-type keywords are written to the GTI and EBOUNDS
   extensions

batcelldetect -
   BUG FIX in the handling of multiple images in tangent plane
   coordinates
    
   BUG FIX in the handling of long catalog NAMEs and keyword strings
 
   TDISPn keywords are written so that catalog entries are displayed
   more readably
 
   the task now uses the WCSLIB coordinate routines more fully

batclean -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: several apertures can be chosen from CALDB;
   use the "CALDB:flux" aperture by default
  
   NEW PARAMETER: snrcol so the user can choose which column to
   use for S/N thresholding
  
   BUG FIXes in the handling of long catalog NAMEs and null values
  
   some code cleanups

batdrmgen -
   Added a better gain correction method to improve energy scale

   Added more realistic energy-dependent resolution
  
   The task now can correct for the "tile edge effect" more flexibly
  
   REQUIRES new CALDB released with build 16

bateconvert -
   Changed limits on energy to -10 to +3276.8 keV

baterebin -
   NEW PARAMETER detmask, an optional input detector quality map
  
   BUG FIXes to the handling of the upper and lower integral bins
   
   Reduced number and apparent urgency of error messages
  
   Added more diagnostic information

batfftimage -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: several apertures can be chosen from CALDB;
   use the "CALDB:flux" aperture by default
 
batmasktaglc -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: scale=1.3 is a new scale factor to account
   for the error in the flight software mask tagging

   Task now writes a SCALEAPP keyword to record the scale factor used

batmaskwtevt -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: several apertures can be chosen from CALDB;
   use the "CALDB:flux" aperture by default

   BUG FIX for the flat field correction
   NOTE: this fix means that previous analysis must be re-run

batmaskwtimg -
   PARAMETER CHANGE: several apertures can be chosen from CALDB;
   use the "CALDB:flux" aperture by default

   BUG FIX for the flat field correction
   NOTE: this fix means that previous analysis must be re-run

   NEW PARAMETER: outtype, which selects the filter applied to the
   output image

   NEW PARAMETER: combmeth, which controls how multiple output
   images are combined (if at all)

batupdatephakw -
   the task now handles both type I and type II spectral files,
   in order to be compatible with changes to batbinevt.

Tasks batevt2dpi, batgse2dpi, batgse2dph, and batmasktagpha are
considered obsolete, and/or not for end users.

Known Open Issues Regarding BAT Analysis Software in Build 16 see :

  http://swift.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/swift/analysis/bat_digest.html

-------------------
XRT specific tool
--------------------
 xrttam - 
     Do not consider bias map and NULL frames in the calculation of the TAM Detector corrections
  
     Modify check to see if the xrt header file time range covers the attitude one

     New input parameters 'alignfile' and 'interpolation'  needed to 'attcombine' call

 xrttdrss - 
     Apply a DN correction to Postage Stamp Image  pixels when the telemetry version of the Message is 2
     
     Calculate the Postage Stamp image flux taking into account only pixels overthe background (set to 9DN)

 xrtpipeline - 
      Updated calls to xrttdrss and coordinator.

-------------------
 UVOT specific tool
-------------------
 uvot2pha -
    errors now recorded as STAT_ERROR column instead of keyword

 uvotbadpix -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 uvotdetect -
    added parameter zerobkg for the limit of zeros/nulls in the image 
    before background and variance are calculated externally and
      passed to SExtractor

 uvotbadpix -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 uvotexpmap -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1] [2]
    improved determination of interior pixels

 uvotflatfield -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 uvotgcn -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1] [2]

    output files ending in .gz are gzipped

    if insufficient sources are found
      attempt source detection with lower threshold
    use tristarid for finding attitude correction

    apply attitude correction [if found] to sky images

 uvotmag -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

    added parameter syserr to control whether systematic errors
      are included in results

 uvotmaghist -
    added parameter syserr to control whether systematic errors
      are included in results

 uvotrmfgen -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 uvotscreen -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

 uvotskycorr [NEW TASK] -
    determine/apply attitude corrections to UVOT sky images

 uvotstarid [REPLACED by attitude/tristarid]

 uvottfc -
    allow qualified CALDB query [1]

    added parameter exposure for estimate of exposure duration

    scale rate errors by EXPGUESS / write EXPGUESS keyword

[1] Most tools support the special parameter value CALDB which indicates
to query CALDB for the appropriate calibration file.  A qualified CALDB
query allows the user finer control over how CALDB is queried.  Specifying
        parameter=CALDB:<qualifier>[,<qualifier>...]
where each qualifier looks like
        key=value
applies the comma-delimited list of qualifiers to the query.  Supported
qualifiers include
        MISSION INSTRUMENT DETECTOR FILTER EXPRESSION
        STARTDATE STARTTIME STOPDATE STOPTIME DATE TIME

[2] CALDB queries for the UVOT telescope definition file now include an
expression
                FILTER.eq.<filter>.and.WHEELPOS.eq.<wheelpos>

--------------------
Swift General tool
--------------------
 swiftxform -
    ensure TELDEF file used is appropriate for each image (HDU)
    allow qualified CALDB query [1] [2]
    added parameter skytime to set time at which attitude is sampled for
      sky transformation

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