Reconfigurable and streaming signal processing for real-time imaging, calibration and RFI mitigation

The Square Kilometer Array is a next generation radio telescope which will be able to form simultaneous images in multiple regions within the field of view. The performance goals for SKA are ambitious. In addition to a very wide frequency range (0.7 and 35 GHz), the input bandwidth ~25% at observing frequencies below 16 GHz, and 4 GHz above 16 GHz, imaging of multiple regions within the field of view (~1 degree at 1.4 GHz) with an image fidelity 10⁴ is specified for the instrument. The images should have at least 10⁵ beam areas at the maximum angular resolution. Each frequency band is to have ~10⁵ spectral channels with a minimum accumulation interval 0.5s (SKA Memo 45, SKA Memo 100).

The high sensitivity of SKA coupled with wide fields of view implies a need for very high imaging dynamic range, in very complex fields, far in excess of dynamic ranges routinely achievable today. It is unlikely that all of the main SKA goals can be met with a single design or even with a single tool. These performance goals cannot be met by simply scaling up current instruments and techniques, which were developed with far less demanding requirements in mind. The same applies to data handing and reduction techniques (SKA Memo 54).

Field Programmable Gate Arrays, ASICs and specialized streaming processors are currently the technological platforms to address some of the design challenges.

Theme Members

• Dr Slava Kitaev, Centre for Reconfigurable Systems, AUT
• Dr Tim Molteno, Electronics Research, Department of Physics, University of Otago
• Mr Achala Perera, School of Engineering, AUT

Graduate Students

• Mr Maxim Leonov, AUT
• Mr Hitul Shah, AUT
• Ian Scott (University of Otago)
  

Research Capabilities

UoO and AUT teams have developed significant capabilities in DSP using FPGAs and general HPC.

International Engagement

• PrepSKA work package 2.
• ASKAP