Development of a Flexible Wideband Digital Backend for Radio Interferometry - A Consortium Proposal

AST-0521233/惠特尼，MIT现代高速模数转换器和基于浮点门阵列的架构将被用于开发一种多功能的新的超长基线干涉测量数字后端系统，该系统将为超长基线干涉测量的实践带来显著的改进。开发计划将：更换装满当前模拟后端设备的近一个机架；轻松连接世界上几乎任何射电望远镜的接收器系统；处理100 MHz至12 GHz范围内两个输入(例如，信号的两个极化)中每一个的512 MHz带宽；将输出数据速率从每秒1千兆位扩展到每秒4千兆位；直接与包括Mark5在内的新一代高数据速率超长基线干涉测量数据系统接口；成本约为当前后端系统的5%。

AST-0521233/Whitney, MITModern high speed analog-to-digital converters and Floating Point Gate Array-based architectures will be used to develop a versatile new Very Long Baseline Interferometry digital backend system that will bring dramatic improvements to the practice of Very Long Baseline Interferometry. The development program will: replace nearly a rack full of current analog backend equipment; interface easily to the receiver system of almost any radio telescope in the world; process 512 MHz of bandwidth from each of two inputs (for example, both polarizations of a signal) in the range 100 MHz to 12 GHz; extend the output data rate from 1 gigabit per second to 4 gigabits per second; interface directly to the new generation of high-data-rate Very Long Baseline Interferometry data systems, including the Mark 5; and cost approximately 5% of the current backend system.