AA-mid Strategy to proceed to SRR & next steps

Author Andrew Faulkner AA dCoDR: 23 November 2011

General AAVS Schedule

AA-mid

Individual tile demonstrators Single array performance demonstrator AAVS0 AAVS1 multi-array interferometer performance demonstrator AAVS2 SKA 1 capable costed design 2011 2013 2016 2016

AA system

AA-low and AA-mid AA-CoDR SKA 2 technology roadmap & costed system design 2011 2014 AA-mid SRR not yet fixed but will be 1Q2013 The work will be affected by the WBS being undertaken and the SoW for SKA PEP

Digital processing architectures

• AAVS0 – EMBRACE processing • AAVS1 – use similar processors to AA-low deployment – UNIBOARD per AA-low AAVS1 • AAVS2 – Updated for current programmable devices – UNIBOARDx per AA-low AAVS2 • SKA 2 Deployment….

– Upgraded to the then current generation devices

Decisions, decisions....

• Front-end – Element type – Element pitch – LNA • Signal processing – Beamforming – Data rates • Physical – Tiles – Station processing

etc. etc.

Vivaldi or ORA Frequency range and performance Single ended or differential Split analogue/digital e.g.Tile to Station Processor Split or contiguous Location

Principal design option decisions • AA-mid element selection

Q4 2014

– Vivaldi or ORA – Take forward viable designs through AAVS1 – Decision prior to AAVS2 PRR • Processing Architecture

Q1 2013 & 2015

– AAVS0 & 1: not critical for processing hardware – Choose actual devices as late as possible – Decision after AAVS2, for build decision on SKA implementation

Critical design aspects

1. An acceptable cost level 2. An acceptable power level 3. Reduction of the system noise temperature 4. Scalability 5. Calibrateability 6. A verified performance for radio astronomy

A lot of focus on:

Cost & Power

Summary

• AA-mid finalising specifications: DRM, system SRR • AA-mid on an SKA 2 timescale • Progressive development through AAVS0-2 • Options and selection available Progression over many years leading to SKA