==================================================

EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUMMARY

10jan03 bsm: for 13jan03 weekly projects coord mtg

==================================================

***CALTECH BACKEND***

-Caltech well into detailed design of both hardware and software. BSM
has been iterating in detail with CIT on various interface
specifications (hardware to driver interface; radiometer server to
manager interface).

-Some of Rich Lacasse's time has been set aside this month to assist
CIT with mechanical & electronic interface specifications; RFI
mitigation; and to make recommendations for acceptance testing.  Rich
has been provided with a packet of information to help him get
oriented.

-A request has been submitted to SDD for M&C consulting, validating
CIT interface drafts, assistance in defining acceptance tests, &
working with BSM on the manager interface and FITS file specs.

-Tim Pearson feels that the hardware design is well under control and
they could be ready for a CDR by mid Feb on that front.  However he is
concerned about the software and feels that they cannot commit to a
CDR date until some progress has been made on this (nominally, the end
of January).

-We may also need to review our goals for the CDR, particularly in
connection with the software.  We stated a) data simulator & b) quick
look program as desirable for the CDR-- however, these are not
essential to review the *design*.  SDD may, of course, require these
deliverables for some of its own work to proceed.

IMPACTS: 

-Lack of 2 week FTE allocation from SDD over Jan 15 - Feb 15 would
push the CDR back to late March at the earliest.  More ambitious goals
for the CDR would probably push this back further.  With the requested
SDD allocation we could probably achieve a late Feb or early March
CDR.

-The CDR is shiftable within the overall schedule without impacting
the budget, however we should be wary of incremental delays which add
up.

=======================================================

***PENN ARRAY***

-Progress at Penn and GSFC has been good.  A number of issues point
towards a CDR (nominal date: 13mar03).  Penn has suggested a series of
"mini-reviews" instead to allow work to proceed more quickly.
Some key issues are:

  *packaging & RFI mitigation
  *agreeing on the final optics design
  *agreeing on production filters
  *control software interfaces & FITS spec

Devlin & Dicker are considering when they might be ready for a CDR and
assessing what they would need from us for it.  

IMPACTS:

-Within 1-month, none likely.

-Within the next couple of months, I estimate a similar amount of
effort as the Caltech Continuum Backend project has required for its
CDR, and with similar deliverables (critical review of CDR docs + the
mtg; interface documentation; specification of acceptance tests). That
is, 2 weeks FTE from each of electronics and software, plus a day or
two for those involved in the actual CDR or mini-reviews.