SBIR Phase II: A 500 MHz Bandwidth, 256 Channel Correlator Chip for Radio Astronomy at Sub-Millimeter Wave Lengths

*9801003这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将开发一种专用相关器集成电路，用于毫米和亚毫米波长射电天文观测中的相关光谱学。在第一阶段开发、制造和测试了一个相关器芯片的实验室原型，为第二阶段计划开发的更大的相关器芯片的开发提供了关键的设计信息。相关芯片的技术目标成功地实现了128时滞，4个量化电平，相关芯片的最大带宽为660 MHz。第二阶段的技术目标是设计、制造、测试和评估具有以下特征的新一代专用相关器芯片：a)至少500 MH~带宽；b)每个芯片划分在两个独立的相关器中，每个芯片总共有56个滞后，每个独立的相关器有128个滞后。C)四个量化级别，d)每个LAG 32位积分计数器，以及e)每个LAG的四倍缓冲。为了达到这一前所未有的性能水平，建议的相关器芯片将采用创新的片上并行处理架构。结合位脉动阵列、新型超高频cmos数字电路和先进的0.5um cmos制造工艺，将实现在500 mhz时钟频率下的可靠运行。该公司的业务计划是专注于研究、开发、营销、销售、技术支持和维护一系列应用于射电天文、大气科学、蜂窝电话频率分配的最先进的相关器芯片和光谱仪。和无线电频率监视。***

*** 9801003 Timoc This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a special-purpose correlator integrated circuit for correlation spectroscopy in radio-astronomy observations at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths. A laboratory prototype of a correlator chip was developed, fabricated, and tested in Phase I to provide the critical design information for the development of a larger correlator chip planned for Phase II. The technical objectives were successfully achieved with a 1 28-lag, 4 quantization levels, correlator chip demonstrated to operate at maximum bandwidth of 660 MHz. The technical objectives of Phase II are to design, fabricate, test, and evaluate a new generation of special-purpose correlator chips with the following characteristics: a) a minimum of 500 MH~ bandwidths, b) a total of ~56 lags per chip partitioned in two independent correlators with 128 lags each. c) four quantization levels, d) a 32-bit integration counter per lag, and e) quadruple buffering for each lag. To reach this unprecedented level of performance, the proposed correlator chips will employ an innovative on-chip parallel processing architecture. Reliable operation at a clock frequency of 500 MHz will be achieved with a combination of: bit-systolic arrays, a novel family of hyper-frequency CMOS digital circuits, and an advanced 0.5 um CMOS fabrication process. The proposing firm's business plan is to focus on the research, development, marketing, selling, technical support, and maintenance of a family of state-of-the-art correlator chips and spectrometers with application in radio astronomy, atmospheric science, cellular phones frequency allocation. and radio-frequency surveillance. ***