MISR science software code available to users

Part A: Introduction

This page is designed to give users information on the software source code developed by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Visualization and analysis software is downloadable to users.

The full range of MISR software includes all the science processing software used by the Atmospheric Sciences Data Center (ASDC) of NASA's Langley Research Center in production of standard MISR data products of Level 1 or higher. It also includes software used by the MISR Project at JPL for instrument calibration, data visualization, and data analysis. This currently includes the misr_view and hdfscan visualization tools, an HDF-EOS to GeoTIFF converter, HDF-Binary converter and Radiance/BRF calculation tool.

For an introductory description of MISR data processing, see the guide document on the ASDC web site.

JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Under the terms of past and current NASA/Caltech contracts, Caltech retains all right, title, and interest to inventions, including software, subject to the Government's right, royalty-free, to use such inventions and software for Government purposes.

Part B: Software Code Components

The MISR software code exists in eight separate categories, as listed in the table below. All of the packages contain multiple programs.

All of this code has been developed on SGI computers, such as the Origin 2000 and later ported to and validated on x86_64. Use with other architectures may require considerable conversion effort, although the IDL codes are likely to be readily transferable.

In addition, many of the software code components require significant system environment setup, such as the toolkit needed for the production PGEs. The PGE information in the table below is primarily for informational purposes; that is, it is not intended that users should build/run it, nor that the MISR Project or the Langley ASDC will provide assistance in installing or running the code. Note that the EOS Science Data Processing Toolkit is not part of these packages.

Please note: If you have questions or problems regarding the software, you may contact the ASDC User Services. However, resources for in-depth assistance may not be available, and prompt or complete response to detailed inquiries cannot be guaranteed.

Part C: Contents of the packages

Here are brief descriptions of the eight categories of packages (defined above) to be used in distributed MISR software source code:

1. MISR Level 1 Calibration software (PGE 4, PGE 5): Production code used to generate Level 1A data  products from the MISR on-board calibrator (OBC) data. This code requires the EOS Science Data Processing (SDP) Toolkit. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
2. MISR Level 1 engineering software (PGE 2, PGE 3): Production code used to generate Level 1A data products from the MISR instrument's engineering data packets and motor current packets. This code requires the SDP Toolkit. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
3. MISR Level 1 science software (PGE 1, PGE 6, PGE 7): This code requires the SDP Toolkit, together with various ancillary data sets. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
4. MISR Level 2 aerosol/surface software: Production code to generate the Level 2 aerosol and surface products. This code requires the SDP Toolkit. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
5. MISR Level 2 top-of-atmosphere/cloud software (PGE 8a, PGE 8c): This code requires the SDP Toolkit. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
6. MISR radiometric calibration software: Code used at the MISR SCF to process data from the on-board-calibrator and create the Ancillary Radiometric Product (ARP), i.e. the radiometric calibration coefficients. Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
7. MISR geometric calibration software: Code used at the MISR SCF to create ancillary data sets such as the Projection Parameters (PP) and the Ancillary Geometric Product (AGP). Information is provided here for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be an operable package because of the complexity of the operating environment.
8. MISR visualization and analysis tools: A variety of analysis tools used at the MISR SCF. Some of these will be easily usable as stand-alone programs. Others will require greater effort and investment, e.g. they may be an assortment of routines that run only with a commercially supplied analysis package requiring a substantial purchase cost and specialist training. Currently available software includes hdfscan, an HDF-EOS to GeoTIFF converter, MISR Toolkit, MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX), HDF-Binary converter, and a Radiance/BRF calculation tool. Note: misr_view, a display and analysis tool for many types of MISR and AirMISR data, is not available here. It can be obtained from the GitHub.)