This is the log file of changes made form the feedback from the revisors. All the lines starting with [X] means that the change has been applied. Many of them are typo/grammar mistakes that have been corrected, for content related issues there is an also an explanation of the actions carried out about it.
--- 2015/05/11 ---
[X] \"so-called\" instead of \"so called\".
[X] Section \"1. Introduction\" May I propose the following change (compare
comments in earlier reviews):\"Neutron Monitor data is widely used by
researchers in different research fields not necessarily related to cosmic
rays, such as space weather and/or geomagnetic studies.\" --->\"Neutron
Monitor measurements are widely used by researchers in different research
fields, such as space weather and/or geomagnetic studies.\"
[ ] \"Detection of inactivity, i.e, if there is no data uploaded in NMDB for
the last minutes.\" --->\"Detection of inactivity, i.e. if there are no data
uploaded in NMDB for the last minutes.\"
Even though the observation is right ("data" is plural), according to
the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, when data refers to an abstract mass
noun (like "information"), it takes a singular verb and singular
modifiers. It is also a widely accepted usage form in standard English.
Reference: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data
[X] As you always use in the text \"Neutron Monitors\" or \"Neutron
Monitor\": \"Neutron monitors are formed by several counter tubes\"
--->\"Neutron Monitors are formed by several counter tubes
[X] \"Figure caption of Figure 1:The figure caption is scarce, I would
desire a somewhat detailed caption.
--> "Possible error sources identified in our acquisition process."
[X] Section \"2. System architecture\"\"This separation of roles ...
pattern[4].The figure ...\" --->\"This separation of roles ... pattern[4].
The figure ...\"
[X] Section \"3. The spike tool\"It is not clear what you want to say with
\"no data grouping\" in the sentence: \"Due to the fact that there are 18
channels this option is available only when no data grouping is needed.\"
Once we have a spike located, we can see the raw reading of the counter
tubes, which allows us to better track the spike. This option is only
activated when representation time scale is small enough to allow
plotting every single value for each counter without neither
overplotting nor cluttering the chart.
--- 2015/04/07 ---
[X] \"Most of the times those malfunctions are caused by the instruments forming
the data acquisition system, so detecting the corrupt data helps us improve and
learn more about its cause.\"
--->
\"Most of the time these malfunctions are caused by the instruments forming
the data acquisition system, so detecting the corrupt data helps us improve and
learn more about its cause.\"
[X] \"The first one is a small and ... system on a Beagle Bone Black
embedded system[2].\"
--->
\"The first one is a small and ... system on a BeagleBone Black embedded
system[2].\"
[X] \"A new design from University of New Hampshire of the front-end
amplifiers provides a pulse which width is proportional to the energy of
the incidentparticle.\"
--->
\"A new design from University of New Hampshire of the front-end
amplifiers provides a pulse from which the width is
proportional to the energy of the incident particle.\"
--- 2015/03/25 ---
Revisions Log: Autors
[X] Initial of the authors first name without point.
Revisions Log: Abstract
[X] Define abbreviation NOAS. -->
NOAS is not an abbreviation, it is just a given name from an informal
"Nacho and Oscar Acquisition System". We have changed the original text
"with the new NOAS" for "with the so called NOAS".
[X] Typo error: "If features"-->"It features".
Revisions Log: Introduction
[X] Syntax error: "Neutron Monitor data is widely widely"-->
"Neutron Monitor data are widely". As data are plural here I would use:
"data are widely used".
Even though the observation is right ("data" is plural), according to
the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, when data refers to an abstract mass noun
(like "information"), it takies a singular verb and singular modifiers.
It is also a widely accepted usage form in standard English.
Reference: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data
[X] Typo error: "real time"-->"real-time".
[X] What about drifts and steps.
The next has been included as "future work":
"Even though this tool is focused on spikes, there are many other
data anomalies that affect data quality, like data drift, steps,
missing data, and so one. Dealing with each one of these requires
a very different approach and further study is therefore required.
When available, the software designed to address these problems
could be easily integrated in the NMCP as a new service."
[X] What is meant with inactivity.
The next has been added in the introduction:
"Detection of inactivity, i.e, there are no data uploaded in NMDB
for the last minutes. This will lead to a notification to the team
responsible for the Neutron Monitor station."
[X] Syntax error: "Monitor neutron"-->"Neutron monitor".
[X] All the references to "neutron monitor" have been uppercased.
[X] The abbreviation "NM" is not explicitly introduced.
Abbreviation was not necessary as it is not used later in the document,
so we have restructured the paragraph as follows:
"Comparing the data from one station to the data of different nearby
stations. Detecting isolated events could indicate that there is a
malfunction in that station."
[X] "those malfunctions are caused by the instruments forming the data
acquisition system". Can you define what are the different components of the
"data acquisition system".
A new figure has been introduced, along with the following text, to
clarify this point:
"The figure \ref{fig:NoisePoints} shows schematically the main
sources of errors. Most of them are Electro-Magnetic Interferences
(EMI) in the preamplifiers (A), in the transmission lines from the
amplifiers to the data acquisition system (B) and in the data
acquisition hardware itself (C). Also malfunctions in the software
(D) can introduce undesirable artifacts in the data."
Revisions Log: System Architecture
[X] Caption of Figure 1: "Architecture"-->"System Architecture".
[X] "sanity controls" not appropriate. Maybe "sanity checks".
[X] Most readers do not understand "REST-like web services".
The following has been introduced to clarify:
"Several controllers adapt and serve the model data as REST-like web
services, using JSON for data representation. REST is a well known
software architecture that constraints the design of components to
increase compatibility and isolation, standardising the way that
services can be consumed."
[X] Reference "Json" or give full name.
Cited.
[X] Introduce the abbreviation "API".
[X] Figure 1. System Architecture.
[X] Syntax error: "Frontend make use"-->"Frontend makes use".
[X] Highstock, Ajax, PHP, ZendFramework, BeagleBone Black Figure 1: In
Figure 1 there are several components that are not mentioned in the text
and that are probablynot known for many of the potential readers of this
paper: "HIGHSTOCK", "Ajax", nice blue elephant whitch characters "php",
"ZEND FRAMEWORK", "BeagleBone Black". I think that "python" is a
software language and not a data acquisition software. Please help the
reader to understand.
Some explanations have been included:
-----
[..] All the software running in this component has been written in
JavaScript, and make intensive use of two libraries:
HighStock\cite{web:highstock} to draw plots and charts, and Sencha
ExtJS\cite{web:extjs} that is a very powerful framework that handles
between other things the graphical user interface.[..]
-----
[..] There are two databases involved in this component, one in the
data acquisition system itself and another in a regular server. The
first one is a small and light SQLite database, running in the data
acquisition system on a Beagle Bone Black embedded
system\cite{Garcia2014}. This database stores per detector count
rates, atmospheric pressure and voltage levels along with a time
stamp. The data from this database are edited, corrected and sent to a
second database server running MySQL\cite{web:mysql}. This is a
enterprise grade relational database server, used also by NMDB. The
software needed to implement the editors, correction, and transfer
between databases has been written in PHP programming language, using
the Zend\cite{web:zend} as support framework [..]
-----
[..] using JSON\cite{wiki:JSON} for data representation. REST is a well
known software architecture that constraints the design of components to
increase compatibility and isolation, standardising the way that
services can be consumed. This web services are designed to be a
documented Application Programming Interface (API) for accessing the
station information and services, allowing third party applications to
be further developed. The main consumer of this API right now is the
spike tool, which is used to track and mark anomalous surges in the data
from the station. The next section describes this tool in detail. [..]
Revisions Log Spike Tool
[X] Syntax error: "there is 18 channels"-->"there are 18 channels".
[X] "to update that revisited data"-->" to update the revisited data".
[X] "grid"-->"table"
[X] "revisited"-->"revised"
Revisions Log Future Work
[X] Define : "FPGA", "IP-core" and "NOAS".
proportional to the energy of the incident particle. The new data
acquisition system NOAS features a different programmed core running in
its Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device. This core enables the
system to read these pulses and to generate a histogram with the
distribution of the pulse energy over a given time interval. This will
enable a mechanism for non-intrusive diagnostics of the counter tubes.
#[X] Explain "non-intrusive diagnostics".
A new design from University of New
Hampshire of the front-end amplifiers provides a pulse which width is
proportional to the energy of the incident particle. The new data
acquisition system NOAS features a different programmed core running in
its Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device. This core enables the
system to read these pulses and to generate a histogram with the
distribution of the pulse energy over a given time interval. This will
enable a mechanism for non-intrusive diagnostics of the counter tubes.
This means that diagnostics can be carried out without disconnecting the
detector, changing its biasing voltage or, in general, altering its
normal operational parameters. Therefore there is no need to interrupt
the radiation measurements while the tests are being conducted.
[X] "New Hampshire University"-->"University of New Hampshire".
[X] "generate an histogram"-->"generate a histogram".
[X] "distribution of the pulses energy"-->"distribution of the pulse energy"