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

* 9801003 该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。 相关器芯片的实验室原型在第一阶段开发、制造和测试，为第二阶段计划的更大相关器芯片的开发提供关键设计信息。成功地实现了1 28滞后，4个量化水平，相关器芯片的最大带宽为660 MHz的工作。 第二阶段的技术目标是设计、制造、测试和评估新一代专用相关器芯片，该芯片具有以下特性：a）最小500 MH~带宽，B）每个芯片总共有~56个滞后，被分成两个独立的相关器，每个相关器有128个滞后。c）四个量化级，d）每滞后32位积分计数器，以及e）每滞后的四重缓冲。 为了达到这一前所未有的性能水平，拟议的相关器芯片将采用创新的片上并行处理架构。 在500 MHz的时钟频率的可靠操作将实现与组合：位脉动阵列，超高频CMOS数字电路的一个新的家庭，和一个先进的0.5 μ m CMOS制造工艺。 该公司的商业计划是专注于研究，开发，营销，销售，技术支持和维护一系列最先进的相关器芯片和光谱仪，应用于射电天文学，大气科学，蜂窝电话频率分配。和无线电频率监控 ***

*** 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. ***