Release note for pipeline 04000011/20040406.152514 The previous production pipeline (02000051/20030917.155521, prod) used SAS 5.4.3, that is xmmsas_20030911_1631. The new pipeline started operations on 06/04/2004. It uses SAS 6.0.0, that is xmmsas_20040318_1831 with ppssumm-3.1.7. The pipeline is prod2 version 04000011/20040406.152514 Summary: -------- The new version of the SAS used in this pipeline (SAS 6) collects together a large number of changes accumulated over many months, and includes many bug fixes not listed here. This new SAS has much improved fits i/o performance; it also uses a new parameter system, substantial revision of pipeline task command lines has occurred. This pipeline, as previously, makes use of new calibration (CCF) files as soon as they become available. In general improvements are not noted here. However, specific to SAS 6 is a significant revision of the EPIC optical axis position, leading to improved vignetting corrections for source fluxes. The pipeline infrastructure has also seen many changes, including new specific modules for PN and MOS image production, a re-organisation of the pipeline parameter configuration, making less use of the O2 database system, having better memory usage control and cacheing arrangements, no longer making the (experimental and not delivered) all-EPIC source lists, removal of product delivery within the pipeline (in preparation for the use of a new delivery scheme), and not necessarily using a static SAS build. EPIC: ONTIME keyword now correctly reflects combined GTIs. Exposure maps now aware of OFFSET extension in MOS event list. Background determination for source detection improved by better source in-filling, weighting of spline fits, and sigma clipping. Source detection improvements and efficiency enhancements. Source position rectification accuracy improved. Combined source list flux units corrected. PN: Improved ODF AUX file time jump detection and correction. Correction of signal propagation delay. MOS: Events on flickering and bad-offset pixels suppressed. Improved bright/dead col/row searching, including flickering pixels/event clusters. Better treatment of bad offset values. OM: Improved interpolation of pixel values in sky images. Better source detection performance for fainter and confused sources. Better geometric distortion correction. Light curve 1 pixel shift error corrected. Improved calculation of average magnitude in source light curves, also light curve file format improvements for better compatibility with other tasks. RGS: Window border and node interface pixels explicitly flagged. Extra keywords added to event list. General: Remove tcsfix from verifyODF module, superseded by new file in ODF. Improved text layout in plot products. HTML products now more compact layout and provide more internal links, 'no catalogue products' page made when appropriate. FITS products now have correct LONGSTRNG keyword.