Two types of instrument housekeeping parameter files are defined:
At least one housekeeping file of each type can be found in an ODF/SDF for each instrument. All instrument periodic housekeeping files are FITS files. They consist of a primary header unit, a primary data unit of zero length and a binary table extension header data unit. Each calibrated instrument housekeeping parameter or derived parameter being represented by a column of the binary table. All operational housekeeping parameters are given as a function of time. The time units can be converted to UT using the Time Correlation file (see Sect. 4.1.11.1). The column names are generic, and the exact specification of the periodic housekeeping parameters, how they are calibrated and how they are stored within the periodic housekeeping files is to be found in the Operational Database definition.
Some details on the housekeeping parameters can also be found in the ODF/SDF control document [6].
The periodic housekeeping file contains the calibrated instrument periodic housekeeping parameters and instrument-related derived parameters. The periodic housekeeping parameters are extracted from the telemetry packets and the derived parameters calculated. The parameters are then calibrated using the applicable calibration function (as defined in the XMM-Newton telemetry database) and stored, with the corresponding time key, in the relevant instrument periodic housekeeping file.