iraf.net

Hello,I have been trying to process images using CCDPROC but have been getting the error message "Error in image section specification". According to other forum posts I have seen, this means that there is a problem in the image headers for my images. However, I have been unable to track down this error. One potential issue is that the headers were written by ACP and Maxim DL, but I'm not sure what this means for IRAF. How can I fix this? Here is a sample image header: [code:1:f733aadcb2]
001.B.100.2.2.fts[1528,1528][ushort]: 00021
No bad pixels, min=0., max=0. (old)
Line storage mode, physdim [1528,1528], length of user area 5589 s.u.
Created Tue 14:54:22 08-Jun-2010, Last modified Tue 10:11:00 08-Jun-2010
Pixel file "001.B.100.2.2.fts" [ok]
EXTEND = T / File may contain extensions
BSCALE = 1.000000E0 / REAL = TAPE*BSCALE + BZERO
BZERO = 3.276800E4 /
ORIGIN = 'NOAO-IRAF FITS Image Kernel July 2003' / FITS file originator
DATE = '04/05/10 ' / Date FITS file was generated
IRAF-TLM= '2010-06-08T15:11:00' / Time of last modification
OBJECT = '00021 ' / Name of the object observed
DATE-OBS= '2010-05-04T04:12:53' / [ISO 8601] UTC date/time of exposure start
EXPTIME = 1.00000000000E+002 / [sec] Duration of exposure
EXPOSURE= 1.00000000000E+002 / [sec] Duration of exposure
SET-TEMP= -25.000000000000000 /CCD temperature setpoint in C
CCD-TEMP= -24.783261750000005 /CCD temperature at start of exposure in C
XPIXSZ = 24.000000000000000 /Pixel Width in microns (after binning)
YPIXSZ = 24.000000000000000 /Pixel Height in microns (after binning)
XBINNING= 2 / Binning level along the X-axis
YBINNING= 2 / Binning level along the Y-axis
XORGSUBF= 0 /Subframe X position in binned pixels
YORGSUBF= 0 /Subframe Y position in binned pixels
FILTER = 'B ' / Filter name
IMAGETYP= 'object ' / Type of image
SITELAT = '32 54 10' / Latitude of the imaging location
SITELONG= '-105 31 45' / Longitude of the imaging location
FOCALLEN= 4115.0000000000000 /Focal length of telescope in mm
APTDIA = 500.00000000000000 /Aperture diameter of telescope in mm
APTAREA = 196349.54631328583 /Aperture area of telescope in mm^2
SWCREATE= 'MaxIm DL Version 5.08' /Name of software that created the image
SBSTDVER= 'SBFITSEXT Version 1.0' /Version of SBFITSEXT standard in effect
TELESCOP= 'RCOS 0.5m' / Telescope name
INSTRUME= 'Apogee USB/Net' / Detector instrument name
OBSERVER= 'Suggs and/or Cooke' / Observer name
NOTES = 'New Mexico Skies Site of NASA/MSFC ALAMO'
FLIPSTAT= 'Flip/Mirror'
SWMODIFY= 'MaxIm DL Version 5.08' /Name of software that modified the image
HISTORY Edit Flip
HISTORY Edit Mirror
CSTRETCH= 'Medium ' / Initial display stretch mode
CBLACK = 1240 /Initial display black level in ADUs
CWHITE = 2379 /Initial display white level in ADUs
PEDESTAL= 0 /Correction to add for zero-based ADU
SWOWNER = 'Leigh Smith' / Licensed owner of software
PIERSIDE= 'EAST '
IMGROLL = 'Y '
HISTORY File was processed by PinPoint 5.0.14 at 2010-05-04T04:14:40
TIME-OBS= '04:12:53' / [old format] UTC time of exposure start
UT = '04:12:53' / [old format] UTC time of exposure start
TIMESYS = 'UTC ' / Default time system
RADECSYS= 'FK5 ' / Equatorial coordinate system
AIRMASS = 1.12813447046E+000 / Airmass (multiple of zenithal airmass)
ST = '12 00 21.24' / Local apparent sidereal time of exp. start
LAT-OBS = 3.29027777778E+001 / [deg +N WGS84] Geodetic latitude
LONG-OBS= -1.05530277778E+002 / [deg +E WGS84] Geodetic longitude
ALT-OBS = 2.22500000000E+003 / [metres] Altitude above mean sea level
OBSERVAT= 'ALAMO NMS' / Observatory name
RA = '10 37 30.82' / [hms J2000] Target right ascension
OBJCTRA = '10 37 30.82' / [hms J2000] Target right ascension
DEC = '+12 46 46.1' / [dms +N J2000] Target declination
OBJCTDEC= '+12 46 46.1' / [dms +N J2000] Target declination
CLRBAND = 'R ' / [J-C std] Std. color band of image or C=Color
HISTORY File was processed by PinPoint 5.0.14 at 2010-05-04T04:14:42
FWHM = 1.00000000000E+002 / [pixels] Mean Full-Width-Half-Max of image star
ZMAG = 2.01966131241E+001 / Mag zero point for 1 sec exposure
EQUINOX = 2000.0 / Equatorial coordinates are J2000
EPOCH = 2000.0 / (incorrect but needed by old programs)
PA = 1.31116218142E+000 / [deg, 0-360 CCW] Position angle of plate
CTYPE1 = 'RA---TAN' / X-axis coordinate type
CRVAL1 = 1.59378354417E+002 / X-axis coordinate value
CRPIX1 = 7.64000000000E+002 / X-axis reference pixel
CDELT1 = -3.40192434123E-004 / [deg/pixel] X-axis plate scale
CROTA1 = -1.31116218142E+000 / [deg] Roll angle wrt X-axis
CTYPE2 = 'DEC--TAN' / Y-axis coordinate type
CRVAL2 = 1.27798885303E+001 / Y-axis coordinate value
CRPIX2 = 7.64000000000E+002 / Y-axis reference pixel
CDELT2 = -3.40164199141E-004 / [deg/pixel] Y-Axis Plate scale
CROTA2 = -1.31116218142E+000 / [deg] Roll angle wrt Y-axis
CD1_1 = -3.40103361700E-004 / Change in RA---TAN along X-Axis
CD1_2 = -7.78367115805E-006 / Change in RA---TAN along Y-Axis
CD2_1 = 7.78431723371E-006 / Change in DEC--TAN along X-Axis
CD2_2 = -3.40075134111E-004 / Change in DEC--TAN along Y-Axis
TR1_0 = 7.64000230662E+002 / [private] X-axis distortion coefficients
TR1_1 = 1.52799683602E+003
TR1_2 = 3.57872462535E-001
TR1_3 = 3.08717939320E+000
TR1_4 = 6.61571122218E-001
TR1_5 = -3.00715611211E-001
TR1_6 = 1.78553212976E+000
TR1_7 = -1.40907420385E+000
TR1_8 = -4.44784442933E+000
TR1_9 = 1.57915667839E+000
TR1_10 = -2.04301711581E+001
TR1_11 = -8.00503856839E+000
TR1_12 = -3.01170037062E+000
TR1_13 = -3.63127929969E+000
TR1_14 = 8.40636639102E-001
TR2_0 = 7.64000002155E+002 / [private] Y-axis distortion coefficients
TR2_1 = 1.11111957731E-003
TR2_2 = 1.52800312261E+003
TR2_3 = -1.20741037997E+000
TR2_4 = 1.71777830188E+000
TR2_5 = 9.23249278452E-001
TR2_6 = -1.92261931895E+000
TR2_7 = -4.78714921839E+000
TR2_8 = 6.61644909668E-001
TR2_9 = 1.18566021703E+000
TR2_10 = -9.68317174101E-001
TR2_11 = -1.71642572504E+001
TR2_12 = 1.18339951243E+001
TR2_13 = -4.38271591199E-001
TR2_14 = -5.07578540188E+000
HISTORY WCS added by PinPoint 5.0.14 at 2010-05-04T04:14:42
HISTORY Matched 59 stars from the Gray GSC-ACT Catalog
HISTORY Average residual was 0.31 arc-seconds
PLTSOLVD= T / Plate has been solved by PinPoint
[/code:1:f733aadcb2][/quote]Thanks!
Matt

The message only applies to the image header when you specify the sections in the header and the ccdproc.biassec keyword is 'image'. I presume you have the section directly to the parameter and there is a syntax error of some kind there. Could you also please post the "dpar ccdproc" output so I can see the parameters you used.Note that in image sections, a ':' is used to delimit a range in each dimension, and a ',' (comma) delimits the dimensions. For example, "[100:200,1:1024]"

Hello,Here are the parameters I was using in ccdproc:ccdred> dpar ccdproc
ccdproc.images = ""
ccdproc.output = ""
ccdproc.ccdtype = ""
ccdproc.max_cache = 0
ccdproc.noproc = no
ccdproc.fixpix = no
ccdproc.overscan = no
ccdproc.trim = no
ccdproc.zerocor = no
ccdproc.darkcor = yes
ccdproc.flatcor = yes
ccdproc.illumcor = no
ccdproc.fringecor = no
ccdproc.readcor = no
ccdproc.scancor = no
ccdproc.readaxis = "line"
ccdproc.fixfile = "ql"
ccdproc.biassec = "no"
ccdproc.trimsec = "no"
ccdproc.zero = "no"
ccdproc.dark = "mdark100.25.fit"
ccdproc.flat = "mflatB.25.fit"
ccdproc.illum = "no"
ccdproc.fringe = "no"
ccdproc.minreplace = 1.
ccdproc.scantype = "shortscan"
ccdproc.nscan = 1
ccdproc.interactive = no
ccdproc.function = "legendre"
ccdproc.order = 1
ccdproc.sample = "*"
ccdproc.naverage = 1
ccdproc.niterate = 1
ccdproc.low_reject = 3.
ccdproc.high_reject = 3.
ccdproc.grow = 0.
ccdproc.mode = "ql"
Thanks!
Matt

See the CCDPROC help file description of the parameters: 'biassec' and 'trimsec' are expected to be a valid image section or the string 'image' to tell it to look in the header (your header does not have these keywords). The boolean value 'no' is causing the problem.

Thanks for the help! CCDPROC is working fine now.

This isn't the first time I have seen an issue with ACP headers in IRAF. Fitz, This made me wonder what exactly you guys did to fix this issues I was unable to completely grasp it from reading through the post. Are we forced to go in and alter the image headers by hand one by one or is there a change that carries all of the tasks under one umbrella.Have you ever used http://www.neverfailgroup.com business continuity software? My understanding of technology is having a hard time keeping up so thank you for your response.

---

**Telescopic Baby**

In this particular case the problem is that [b:5a2164dee7]either[/b:5a2164dee7] you need to specify the CCDPROC parameters to have the explicit image sections for the e.g. bias and trim sections, [b:5a2164dee7]or[/b:5a2164dee7] you specify the parameter to be 'image' and the header contains those sections in the keywords. This behavior is task-dependent, in general the task help pages will explain the required keywords.

I am trying to run CCDPROC in order to apply flat correction to some images. I am using an old param file (have not used IRAF
in several years). I get the error: "ERROR: Error in image section specification". Previous posts explained this is usually due to errors in specifying the biassec and trimsec, but I tried all options mentioned (either specifying sections like [1:100,1:100], or "image" or "!biassec"
and "trimsec" and they all give the same error, Help would be greatly appreciated!

The parameter file:

ccdproc.images = "@Rlist"
ccdproc.output = "@Rlistout"
ccdproc.ccdtype = " "
ccdproc.max_cache = 0
ccdproc.noproc = no
ccdproc.fixpix = no
ccdproc.overscan = no
ccdproc.trim = no
ccdproc.zerocor = no
ccdproc.darkcor = no
ccdproc.flatcor = no
ccdproc.illumcor = no
ccdproc.fringecor = no
ccdproc.readcor = no
ccdproc.scancor = no
ccdproc.readaxis = "line"
ccdproc.fixfile = ""
ccdproc.biassec = "!biassec"
ccdproc.trimsec = "!trimsec"
ccdproc.zero = ""
ccdproc.dark = ""
ccdproc.flat = "FlatR"
ccdproc.illum = ""
ccdproc.fringe = ""
ccdproc.minreplace = 1.
ccdproc.scantype = "shortscan"
ccdproc.nscan = 1
ccdproc.interactive = yes
ccdproc.function = "legendre"
ccdproc.order = 2
ccdproc.sample = "*"
ccdproc.naverage = 1
ccdproc.niterate = 1
ccdproc.low_reject = 3.
ccdproc.high_reject = 3.
ccdproc.grow = 0.
ccdproc.mode = "ql"
# EOF