HIAPER MTP Operation Instructions


MJ Mahoney
Last Revision: April 08, 2008

Acronyms:

KVM     - Keyboard - Video - Mouse
LED       - Light Emitting Diode
MPDB   - Main Power Distribution Box (located at the front entrance to the aircraft)
MCC     - MTP Cabin Computer (located anywhere in the cabin and shares a Keyboard/Display via a KVM switch)
MTP      - Microwave Temperature Profiler (located on a wing strut in a DMT canister)
PSP       - MTP Power and Status Panel (generally located above or below the MCC)
SPDB    - Secondary Power Distribution Box (four located on either side of the aircraft)
SPDDB - Secondary Power Distribution Drop Box (located in a rack)

Power Requirements

Before either the MTP wing-strut-mounted instrument or the MTP Cabin Computer can operate power must be provided at three locations:

1) The 115 VAC 60 Hz wing power fuse must be engaged on the MPDB. This will provide power to the four MTP Temperature Controllers, but it will not cause the instrument to operate. That is controlled by the "MTP Operate" switch on the MTP Power and Display Panel in the cabin (see Figure 1). If the MTP is not going to be operated (for example, just the MTP Cabin Computer is going to be used), this step can be ignored.

2) For the MTP Cabin Computer to operate, the 115 VAC 60 Hz to the MTP Power and Status Panel must be on. This will depend on where the computer is plugged in, but power must be provided from the MPDB to the appropriate SPDB and SPDDB.

3) Since the MTP Cabin Computer will share a Keyboard/Display/Mouse via a KVM switch, 115 VAC 60 Hz power must also be provided to the Keyboard/Display from the MPDB to the appropriate SPDB and SPDDB.

MTP_PSP

Figure 1. The MTP 1U Power and Status Panel (top) and 1U Rackmount Computer (bottom) mounted in a NCAR GV rack.

Instrument Operation

To turn either the MTP on or the MCC on a 5 A breaker on the MTP PSP must be pushed in (see left upper side of Figure 1).  If power is available, a red "Panel Power" LED above the breaker will illuminate. If the LED does not illuminate, power from either the MPDB, SPDB or SPDDB has hot been turned on. If the red LED does come on (see Figure 1), the MCC will start to boot if it was not gracefully powered down (i.e., power was simply removed without turning off the computer.) This is the preferred way to shut down. If the MCC is shut down gracefully, the the Reset button behind the computer grill must be depressed to cause it to boot. No logon information is required during the boot. (Eventually the program that runs the MTP will start up automatically. Today it must be started manually.)

If the MTP is to be operated, lift the "MTP Operate" toggle switch on the PSP.

After the MCC has booted, open the MTP folder on the desktop and click on the MTPH_CTRL shortcut. This opens VB6 with the MTP control program in immediate mode; depress the F5 key to start it running. In the upper right corner of the main form of the Control Program you should see the scan elevation angle updating. On the Engineering tab of this form, verify that the Sythesizer temperature does not exceed 50 C. If it does, turn off the "MTP Operate" toggle switch for 15 minutes. (This is only an issue on the ground, and will be rectified at a later time.)

To turn off the MTP, do not bother to exit the VB6 program. Simply turn the "MTP Operate" toggle switch off, then pull the "Panel Power" breaker on the PSP.