GMOS MEF to NDF

The CONVERT package handles the GMOS/CIRPASS MEF working format without complaint, as in the following example.

    % fits2ndf
    IN - Input FITS file(s) > gmos.fits
    1 file selected.
    OUT - Output NDF data structure(s) > out
    %

Converting the MEF to a Starlink standard NDF, the FITS binary table is converted into a normal NDF extension. An example of a resulting NDF is illustrated below. The $<$ $>$ indicate the data type of a component. Those beginning with an underscore are primitive types; others are structures.

IFS_FILE  <NDF>

   DATA_ARRAY     <ARRAY>
      ORIGIN(2)      <_INTEGER>
      DATA(2010,750)  <_REAL>

   MORE           <EXT>
      FITS_EXT_1      <TABLE>
         NROWS          <_INTEGER>
         COLUMNS        <COLUMNS>
            ID              <COLUMN>
               DATA(750)    <_INTEGER>

            RA          <COLUMN>
               COMMENT      <_CHAR*19>
               DATA(750)    <_REAL>

            DEC         <COLUMN>
               COMMENT      <_CHAR*19>
               DATA(750)    <_REAL>

            SKY         <COLUMN>
               COMMENT      <_CHAR*19>
               DATA(750)    <_INTEGER> 

      FITS(790)       <_CHAR*80>

   VARIANCE       <ARRAY> 
      DATA(2010,750)  <_REAL>
      ORIGIN(2)       <_INTEGER>

   QUALITY        <QUALITY>
      QUALITY         <ARRAY>
         DATA(2010,750)   <_UBYTE>
         ORIGIN(2)        <_INTEGER>

Here the right ascension and declination position of each fibre is preserved in the FITS_EXT_1 NDF extension along with and array indicating whether the fibre is `on sky'.