Ensuring the AMS Detector Stays Healthy
The New Monitoring Interface for the AMS Experiment
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is constantly exposed to harsh condition on the International Space Station. As such, there is a need to constantly monitor and perform adjustments to ensure the AMS operates safely and efficiently. With the addition of the Upgraded Tracker Thermal Pump System, the legacy monitoring interface was no longer suitable for use. Thus began the effort to create a brand-new AMS Monitoring Interface (AMI).
The new AMI is built with state-of-the-art time series database and analytics software. It uses a custom feeder program to process AMS Raw Data as time series data points, feeds them into InfluxDB databases, and uses Grafana as a visualization tool. It follows modern design principles, allowing client CPUs to handle the processing work, distributed creation of AMI dashboards, and up-to-date security protocols. In addition, it offers a simpler way of modifying the AMI and allows the use of APIs to automate backup and synchronization.
The new AMI has been in use since January 2020 and was a crucial component in remote shift taking during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, you can find the paper we published here.
