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The HEASARC is running nominally. If you are trying to download a lot of data, please consider using the AWS cloud copy of most HEASARC data. As an alternative to locally installing HEASoft, SciServer is an online platform which has the software installed and data available when you login.

CALDB Documentation for Users and Developers

User Documents

The CALDB as Installed at the HEASARC

  • CAL/GEN/91-001: "The HEASARC Calibration Database (brief overview)" (Nov 22 2005 Version; html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/93-006: "The Organization of the HEASARC CALDB" (Nov 28 2005 Version; html, pdf)

CALDB Installation, Maintenance and Use

  • CAL/GEN/94-004: "How to Install a Calibration Database" (2009 Aug 04 version; html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-015: "How to Manage a Calibration Database" (November 16, 2005 version; html, pdf)
    Entirely rewritten in Nov 2005; Breedon's original version is still available.

User Guides

  • CAL/GEN/94-002: "The Calibration Database User's Guide" (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/95-008: "MATHPHA User's Guide" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/SW/93-010: "The GRPPHA User's Guide" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/SW/93-011: "CALCRPSF User's Guide" (html, pdf)

Mission-Specific Calibration Documentation

(organized alphabetically)

CALDB-Related Legacy articles



Developer's Documentation

FITS Calibration File Formats/Conventions

  • CAL/SW/2006-001: "Length Limits In Calibration Database Software and Files" (html; pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-011: "Required and Recommended FITS keywords for Calibration Files" (html, pdf)
    A list of required keywords is also available.
  • OGIP/93-001: "Specification of Physical Units within OGIP FITS files" (html, ps)
  • OGIP/93-013: "Standard Strings for Mission, Instrument, Filter, Detector & Grating Names for OGIP FITS files" (html, ps)
    Feb 17, 2006: A draft update of this memo is now available (pdf, html; Excel Workbook)
  • OGIP/94-001: "Standard strings for Detector Operating and Observing Modes" (html, ps)
  • CAL/GEN/92-003: "Basic Calibration File (BCF) & Calibration Product File (CPF) Guidelines" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-008: "Calibration Index Files" (html, pdf)

High Energy Spectrometry & Timing File Formats

  • CAL/GEN/92-002: "The Calibration Requirements for Spectral Analysis." (html, pdf)
    (A description of the RMF & ARF OGIP file formats; published in Legacy, 2, 51.)
  • CAL/GEN/92-002a: "The Calibration Requirements for Spectral Analysis (Addendum)" (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/92-007: "The OGIP Spectral File Format" (html, pdf)
    • The OGIP Spectral File Format Addendum: Changes log (OGIP/92-007a) (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/92-009: "The XSPEC Table Model File Format" (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/96-001: "The Format for WMAPs in Spectral Files" (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/93-003: "The Proposed Timing FITS File Format for High Energy Astrophysics Data" (html, pdf)

General Instrumental Calibration Files

  • CAL/GEN/92-019: "The HEASARC format for Effective Areas" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-020: "The HEASARC format for Radial PSF datasets" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-021: "The HEASARC format for Vignetting Functions" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-022: "The HEASARC format for Obscuration Factor datasets" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-024: "The HEASARC format for Filter & Window Transmissions" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/GEN/92-027: "The HEASARC format for 2D (image) PSF datasets" (html, pdf)

CALDB Software Documentation

  • CAL/SW/95-002: "HEASARC CALDB Access Subroutines" (html, pdf) Updated 2006-08-21
  • CAL/SW/93-005: "Summary of CALLIB Routines" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/SW/93-004: "Summary of CALTOOLS Tasks" (html, pdf)
  • OGIP/92-012: "The OGIP FORTRAN Programming Standard" (html, pdf)
  • CAL/SW/93-018: "How to Install Callib & Caltools software" (html, pdf)

Data Delivery

In Progress

  • CAL/GEN/2004-001: "Specifying the Location of Defects in Charge Coupled Devices: The BADPIX File Format" (pdf)

Also see the HEASARC FITS File Format Recommendations

Page author: Michael F. Corcoran
Last updated: Monday, 21-Apr-2025 17:48:34 EDT.