General information about SPICE I-kernels ========================================= In the SPICE system, I-kernels contains instrument parameters such as field-of-view size, shape, and orientation, timing information, detector and filter attributes, etc. The data contained in I-kernel files can be accessed and manipulated by subroutines which are part of the SPICE library, the major component of the SPICE toolkit. The SPICE subroutines can be integrated into user application programs. For information on the SPICE toolkit and/or how to obtain it, please consult SPICE_INST.CAT and SOFT.CAT. Refer to the KERNEL.REQ document provided with the Toolkit to get more information on how to access I-kernel data. Venus Express IK Files ====================== This file describes the contents of the DATA/IK directory of the Venus Express SPICE dataset. All these IK files are produced manually with the information supplied by Venus Express teams describing the science instruments. All IK files (*.TI) contained in this directory are UNIX text files. In order to be used in a non-UNIX environment, they have to be converted to the appropriate end-line convention. For example, the lines have to be terminated by a combination for Windows platforms. Venus Express I-Kernels Contained in this Data Set ================================================== The following I-kernels are provided in this data set (vv refers to the version of the kernel): VEX_ASPERA4_Vvv.TI ASPERA instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for ASPERA. VEX_MAG_Vvv.TI MAG instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for MAG. VEX_PFS_Vvv.TI PFS instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for PFS. VEX_SOIR_Vvv.TI SOIR instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for SOIR. VEX_SPICAV_Vvv.TI SPICAV instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for SPICAV. VEX_VIRTIS_Vvv.TI VIRTIS instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for VIRTIS. VEX_VMC_Vvv.TI VMC instrument kernel, containing instrument parameters for VMC. Note that the kernels are put in the data set when they are created by the Instrument Teams. Therefore, some kernels might be missing at the time this release of the dataset is made public. In the case that several versions of the same instrument kernel are provided, the most recent one supersedes the other versions. Kernel file details =================== The most detailed description of the data in an IK file is provided in meta data included inside the description area of the file. This information can be viewed using any text editor program. At least a basic knowledge of the SPICE system is needed in order to use this kernels. The SPICE toolkit provides versions in FORTRAN (SPICELIB), C (CSPICE), IDL (icy) and Matlab (mice), and the user can choose any one that suits him/her. The SPICELIB routine FURNSH, CSPICE function furnsh_c, and icy/mice routine cspice_furnsh load a kernel file into the kernel pool as shown below. CALL FURNSH( 'kernel_name' ) furnsh_c( ''kernel_name'' ); cspice_furnsh, 'kernel_name' cspice_furnsh( 'kernel_name' ); In the case when two or more files contain data overlapping in time for a given object, for binary kernels, the file loaded last takes precedence. If two (or more) text kernels assign value(s) using the '=' operator to identical keywords, the data value(s) associated with the last loaded occurrence of the keyword are used -all earlier values have been replaced with the last loaded value(s).