Release note for pipeline 02000037/20010806.101411

This note describes the changes between the previous production pipeline and 
the new one. The previous production pipeline (04000005/20010712.130904) used 
SAS 5.1.1, and became operational on 2001-07-12T13:09:04. The new pipeline 
(02000037/20010806.101411) uses the pipeline-only SAS version 5.1.2 (ie 
xmmsas_20010727_1900), it became operational on 2001-08-06T10:14:11.

Brief summary of scientifically important pipeline changes:
-----------------------------------------------------------

Improved gain calculations for EPIC pn burst, timing, small & large window 
modes. New odfingest (caloalutils) now recognises EPIC pn eFF mode exposures, 
and is more robust against timing problems. RGS HTR mode exposures are now 
excluded from the pipeline (until such time as they can be correctly 
processed). Correct EPIC mode-dependence of bad pixels in CAL (was affecting 
at least pn timing mode). Packages eexpmap & rgslib had fixes for occasionally 
fatal bugs.

28/08/01 Supplementary note:

We have found that ~50% of the ODFs which include EPIC pn Extended Full
Frame mode exposures are misrepresented in the ODF summary file and ODF
summary product file (P*OBX000SUMMAR0000.HTM). They are described in these
files as having Prime Full Frame mode, whereas they should give the
exposure mode as Extended Full Frame. It should be noted that, regardless
of this summary file error, the EPIC pn Extended Full Frame exposures will
have been processed correctly, using the appropriate Extended Full Frame
mode calibration parameters. This was possible because the SAS task
epframes determines the EPIC pn mode independantly of the ODF summary
file. Please also note that the FITS keyword SUBMODE is correctly filled
in these cases, response matrices made with rmfgen will thus also use the
correct calibration information relating to EFF mode.