GLAST Standard Analysis Environment (SAE) Evaluation Questionnaire
Checkup 1
October 12, 2004 - October 29, 2004


Reviewer: David Band
Software Component: obsSim
Summary of Tests Performed:
1. GRB, fixed time
2. GRB, fixed number of events

User Interface


1. What, if anything, about the choice and meaning of parameters
could be improved? Are there new parameters which need to be
added? Are the current parameters sensible?

Instead of querying the user for a number, and then querying
whether this number should be a time or number of counts, I
think it would make sense to query the user whether he/she
wants to enter time or number of counts, and then branch
to a query for time or number based on the user's response.
This type of branching occurs for other tools.


2. Are there any prompts you would suggest rewording?

If events are everything that is telemetered down and photons
are the events considered to be real astrophysical photons,
should the prompts for obsSim use photons rather than events?
Shouldn't the file that is created have the name 'photons'
rather than 'events' embedded in it?


3. Are there any hidden parameters which you think should be
prompted for or vice versa?


4. Would you like the prompts to appear in a different order?


5. Would you suggest changes to the default values of any
parameters? Changes to min, max fields?



Tool Behavior


6. In what way, if any, did the tool perform unexpectedly?

JIRA GRB-9: obsSim hangs(?) when burst ends before number of
requested photons are accumulated
When the user requests a specified number of photons rather
than time for a burst, obsSim appears to hang (runs indefinitely?)
when the burst ends before the requested number of photons are
accumulated. It is pretty silly for a user to request a specified
number of photons for a burst, but he/she might, and some sort
of protection should be installed against letting the program run
forever, or filling up the user's directory with ft2 files.


7. Were there any aspects of the tool's output which seem
scientifically suspicious to you? (e.g. fluxes too large,
number of events selected too small, etc.)


8. Was there information (i.e. output) the tool did not provide
which you think it should?


9. Was there information (i.e. output) the tool provided which
you think it should not?



Future Development


10. List new features you would like to see implemented, in
descending order of importance. Please flag any which you
think are critical for DC2.


11. Are there any aspects of this tool you would change in order
for it to work more smoothly with other parts of the SAE?



JIRA Summary


Please list the identifiers of any/all JIRA issues which were filed
in connection with this evaluation.

GRB-9


General Notes


Please include here any comments about this tool which do not
fit into one of the categories above.