Index: /trunk/ippconfig/recipes/ppSim.config
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ippconfig/recipes/ppSim.config	(revision 24098)
+++ /trunk/ippconfig/recipes/ppSim.config	(revision 24099)
@@ -5,4 +5,6 @@
 
 IMAGE.TYPE      STR     BIAS            # default image type
+
+OBS_MODE        STR     NONE
 
 BIAS            BOOL    TRUE
Index: /trunk/ippconfig/simtest/format.config
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ippconfig/simtest/format.config	(revision 24098)
+++ /trunk/ippconfig/simtest/format.config	(revision 24099)
@@ -40,4 +40,5 @@
 	FPA.DEC		STR	DEC
 	FPA.OBJECT	STR	OBJECT
+        FPA.OBS.MODE    STR     OBS_MODE
 	FPA.TIME	STR	DATE-OBS UTC-OBS	# Date and time
 	FPA.EXPOSURE	STR	EXPTIME
Index: /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimArguments.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimArguments.c	(revision 24098)
+++ /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimArguments.c	(revision 24099)
@@ -31,4 +31,5 @@
     psMetadataAddStr(arguments,  PS_LIST_TAIL, "-format", 0, "Camera format name", NULL);
     psMetadataAddStr(arguments,  PS_LIST_TAIL, "-type", 0, "Exposure type (BIAS|DARK|FLAT|OBJECT)", NULL);
+    psMetadataAddStr(arguments,  PS_LIST_TAIL, "-obs_mode", 0, "observation mode", NULL);
     psMetadataAddStr(arguments,  PS_LIST_TAIL, "-filter", 0, "Filter name", NULL);
     psMetadataAddF32(arguments,  PS_LIST_TAIL, "-exptime", 0, "Exposure time (s)", NAN);
@@ -108,4 +109,9 @@
     ppSimArgToRecipeF32(&status, options, "STARS.DENSITY", arguments, "-starsdensity");
     ppSimArgToRecipeBool(&status, options, "PHOTOM",        arguments, "+photom");
+    psString obs_mode = psMetadataLookupStr(&status, arguments, "-obs_mode");
+    if (obs_mode) {
+        psMetadataAddStr(options, PS_LIST_TAIL, "OBS_MODE", 0, "observation mode", obs_mode);
+    }
+
 
     // if we are loading the input image (not creating it), then we can skip the remaining arguments
Index: /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimSequenceObject.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimSequenceObject.c	(revision 24098)
+++ /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimSequenceObject.c	(revision 24099)
@@ -95,4 +95,5 @@
 			    psStringAppend (&command, " -dec %f", dec);
 			    psStringAppend (&command, " -pa %f", pos);
+                            psStringAppend (&command, " -obs_mode OBJECT.%s", (char *) filters->data[i]);
 
 			    double frnd = psRandomUniform(rng);
Index: /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimUtils.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimUtils.c	(revision 24098)
+++ /trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimUtils.c	(revision 24099)
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@
 
     char *typeStr = psMetadataLookupStr(NULL, recipe, "IMAGE.TYPE"); // Type of image to simulate
+    char *obs_mode = psMetadataLookupStr(NULL, recipe, "OBS_MODE");
 
     psMetadataAddStr(fpa->concepts, PS_LIST_TAIL, "FPA.OBSTYPE", PS_META_REPLACE, "Observation type", typeStr);
     psMetadataAddStr(fpa->concepts, PS_LIST_TAIL, "FPA.OBJECT", PS_META_REPLACE, "Observation name", typeStr);
+    psMetadataAddStr(fpa->concepts, PS_LIST_TAIL, "FPA.OBS.MODE", PS_META_REPLACE, "Observation mode", obs_mode);
     psMetadataAddF32(fpa->concepts, PS_LIST_TAIL, "FPA.EXPOSURE", PS_META_REPLACE, "Exposure time (sec)", expTime);
     psMetadataAddStr(fpa->concepts, PS_LIST_TAIL, "FPA.FILTERID", PS_META_REPLACE, "Filter name", filter);