In oposition to other international networks, the European SkyRad users network is distributed and open sourced.
To be distributed means that the ESR network does not maintain a centralized node where the data can be sent for processing and displaying. The network cannot neither afford a logistic center where the instruments can be sent for calibration nor mechanical maintenance. The maintenance operations must be performed by the instrument responsable (eventually through the manufacturer).
Not only are the operators responsable of the instrument performance; they must be in charge of the processing of its own data. The ESR algorithms are provided as free open source code that the responsable is encouraged to use and modify, and eventually participate on its improvement.
In this setting, the homogeneization is accomplished by the application of a common default protocol. In the ESR package, the algorithms are provided with auxiliary tools for the automatic data processing and display on a local website. These ESR package include: