SSOL: Radio Telescope Industrial Review Panel Presentation

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SSOL Radio TelescopeIndustrial Review Panel
Presentation

• Team Ongo-02c
• December 7th, 2005
• Client Iowa Space Grant Consortium
• Advisor Dr. Basart

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Team Members

• Second Semester Students
• Temur Safdar (EE)
• Eric Schares (EE)
• Nicholas Zeitler (CprE)
• First Semester Students
• Matt Fischer (CprE)
• LaTasha Mabry (EE)
• Ankur Tandon (CprE)
• Eng. 466 Students
• Parikshit Advani (CprE)
• Ron Charles (ME)
• Matt Moore (ME)

Fick Observatory
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Presentation Outline

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

Radio Telescope
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List of Definitions

• DAQ Data acquisition
• LNA Low noise amplifier Amplifies radio
  signal from
• the source to a level great enough to be used
  in
• processing
• Azimuth The measurement of the
• horizontal movement of
• the dish.
• Elevation The measurement of the
• vertical movement of the
• dish.

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List of Definitions Cont
Right Ascension
Declination

• Right ascension The distance to a point on the
  celestial sphere, measured eastward from the
  vernal equinox along the celestial equator to the
  hour circle of the point and expressed in hours,
  minutes and seconds (where one hour of right
  ascension corresponds to 15 of celestial
  longitude).
• Declination The angular distance to a point on
  a celestial sphere, measured north or south from
  the celestial equator.

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Acknowledgments

• Financial support
• Iowa Space Grant Consortium
• Professors John Lamont and Ralph Patterson III
• Advising
• Dr. John P. Basart

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Problem Statement

• Conversion of satellite tracking equipment into a
  radio telescope at the Fick Observatory in Boone,
  IA
• Major mechanical work completed
• Majority of the electrical systems completed
• Most of the software systems
• completed for full operation

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Operating Environment

• Amplification system is to be placed outdoor
  where
• temperatures ranges from -20F to 110F with
• possibility of snow, ice and strong wind
• Vulnerability to lightning which could lead to
  signal
• interference and equipment damage
• Remaining part of the system will be held
  indoors at
• regular room temperature

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Intended Users and Uses

• Intended Users
• Faculty research in astronomy
• Astronomy students
• Intended Uses
• Radio mapping of the sky at frequency around 1420
  MHz
• Tracking celestial objects
• Data collection
• Mapping celestial objects

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End Product Description
408 MHz
10e9 MHz
1420 MHz
A radio telescope to be used by the ISU community
that can accurately track record data from
celestial objects with remote operation
capabilities.
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Ankur Tandon

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Assumptions Limitations

• Assumptions
• 1420 MHz is an appropriate frequency for the
  radio telescope.
• Dish will pick up relevant signals
• Motors and gearboxes are capable of precise
  movement

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Assumptions Limitations

• Limitations
• Dish unable to be positioned to true north
• Positioning accuracy dependant on motors and
  gears
• Radio sources less than 2.5 degrees apart appear
  as one source due to beam width of dish
• Weather conditions limit the work that can be
  done on the exterior components of the dish

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LaTasha Mabry

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Previous Accomplishments

• Limit switches were installed to prevent the dish
  from exceeding its limits
• The original dish was designed to operate at a
  different frequency than 1420 MHz. A new
  waveguide and feed horn was designed and
  assembled.
• Back end receiver shipped to the manufacturer for
  repairs and reinstalled
• Remote access, which allows users to operate the
  dish remotely

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Previous Accomplishments Cont..

• Motor control, tracking, and calibration software
  written in LabVIEW.
• Feedback system uses potentiometer to measure in
  each axis of motion.
• Data acquisition software written in LabVIEW.
• 50-pin connector installation to connect the rest
  of the system to the computer.

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Present Accomplishments

• Anemometer/weather station installed
• Separate webcams installed to monitor dish and
  control panel
• Replaced LEDs in the motor control box front
  panel
• Receiver front end tested and repaired
• Raster scan program completed

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Present Accomplishment Cont

• Diagnosed elevation positioning sensor
• Analyzed pointing errors due to wind loading
• Gearbox lubrication to prevent deterioration
• Exact blind spots of dish discovered

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Future Required Activities

• Design a power fault recovery system
• Automate the motor control box power
• Test new software with repaired receiver front
  and
• back ends
• Combine all software into a web-based user
  interface
• Upgrade to high-speed internet connection
• Conduct complete system test

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Eric Schares

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Software
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Hardware Components

• Motor Control Box
• Houses circuitry needed to run the positioning
  system through control room computer
• Receiver system
• Receives data from celestial objects
• In need of repair this semester
• Webcams
• Allows remote monitoring of the dish system and
  observatory
• Weather Station
• Provides live weather conditions at observatory
• Temperature, wind speed, humidity, barometric
  pressure

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Hardware ComponentsMotor Control Box Front Panel
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Hardware ComponentsMotor Control Box
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Hardware ComponentsElevation Potentiometer

• Located in upper junction box at the elevation
  axis of rotation.
• Was not giving feed back for proper elevation
  positions.
• Actions taken
• Check the potentiometer for obvious mechanical
  failure.
• Check the potentiometer for proper varying
  resistance.
• Check all wiring connections.
• It was determined that all parts are working
  correctly and wiring connections are correct on
  the dish. The problem is in the wiring into the
  building.

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Support ComponentsWeb Cameras

• Dish
• Allows remote monitoring of dish
• and surroundings
• Safety issues, including human
• occupation and possible obstructions

Logitech Fusion
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Support ComponentsWeb Cameras

• Control Panel
• Allows remote
• monitoring of control panel
• Allows user to see state of LEDs
• Allows user to see position of power switch

Logitech Communicate STX
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Support ComponentsWeather Station

• Allows to accurately monitor weather conditions
• Displays current temperature, humidity,
  barometric pressure, wind speed, and rainfall
• Allows for proper use of the dish

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Temur Safdar

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Software
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Repairs and RevisionsFront-end

• Located on the tower, to receive 1420 MHz
  signals
• from the celestial objects.
• Contains
• LNA (low noise amplifier)
• Coaxial switch
• Noise source
• Directional coupler
• 1.42 GHz down-converter
• Coaxial cable
• Sends a converted signal of 70 MHz to the back-
• end of the receiver.

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Repairs and RevisionsFront-end Cont

• Every component was tested, to make sure the
  front-end
• is in a working condition.
• A fault in the circuit of 1420 MHz
  down-converter was
• found, with two capacitors not connected
  together, which
• was fixed.
• A 1420 MHz signal was input into the front-end
  of the
• receiver and a 70 MHz signal was received,
  which proved
• the proper functionality of all of the
  front-end
• components.

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Repairs and RevisionsBack-end

• After successfully testing the front-end of the
  receiver system, the back-end of the receiver was
  tested.
• The back-end of the receiver was brought back to
  the SSOL laboratory for testing and
  troubleshooting.
• All the ICs in the backend were tested, which
  were in a working condition.
• A 70 MHz signal was input to the backend of the
  receiver and a signal was observed.
• Work is still needed for the backend to properly
  respond to the commands sent by the computer.

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Ron Charles

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Software
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Mechanical Issues Wind-Loading

• Objectives
• Determine expected wind-loads and resulting
  pointing errors
• Compare with measured pointing errors for normal
  operation of the dish
• Use the model to predict the effects and errors
  under abnormal (high wind speed) conditions

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Mechanical Issues Wind-Loading Cont

• Methods Considered
• Wind tunnel testing using scale model or full
  scale section
• Mounting load sensors or strain gauges on the
  dish surface
• Theoretical Calculations
• Method Used
• Theoretical Calculations

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Mechanical Issues Wind-Loading Cont

• Types of wind-loading considered
• Static Wind-loads applied while the dish is
  stationary
• Dynamic Wind-loads applied when the dish is in
  motion, as in when tracking a satellite

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Mechanical Issues Wind-Loading Cont

• Completed Tasks
• Determined wind-loading for a range of wind
  speeds and angles incident on the dish surface
  and their associated pointing errors
• Tasks to be completed
• Obtain actual pointing differences under normal
  operating conditions for comparison
• Create a model to determine the correction
  factors to be applied under moderately abnormal
  conditions
• Problems encountered
• Not yet able to collect dish position data

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Mechanical Issues Maintenance

• Lubrication Applied
• multi-purpose grease to gears

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Mechanical Issues Maintenance Cont

• Grease was applied to
• Elevation axis of rotation
• Azimuth gear box
• Azimuth driving gear
• Elevation driving gear housing

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Parikshit Advani

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Software
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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SoftwareRequirements

• Higher-level requirement
• Raster scan program
• Scan a 2D array of data points
• Generate graphical results

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SoftwareRequirements Cont

• Move the dish to a desired location
• Feedback voltages must be calibrated to yield
  actual dish position (degrees)
• Measure and record the signal intensity from the
  dish
• Signal must be calibrated from intensity reading
  to W/m2
• Perform dish position calibration
• Measure feedback voltages at dish limits
• Feedback voltage is linearly proportional to dish
  position
• Convert celestial coordinates to absolute
  coordinates
• Depends on time of day
• Predict when a coordinate is visible

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SoftwareApproach
Overall Module Diagram
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Matt Fischer

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Software
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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SoftwareTechnology

• LabVIEW platform chosen
• Supports modular approach
• Integrated, real-time documentation
• Extensive libraries included
• Built-in support for remote access
• Bottom-up approach
• Basic modules first (I/O)
• Build more complex programs by using several
• basic modules

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Software Technology
Example Module Motor Controller
Front panel (user interface)
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Software Technology Cont
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Software Technology Cont
Example Module Motor Controller
Connection diagram (program interface)
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Software Implementation

• Interface Existing Modules Together
• Celestial Coordinates Conversion
• Receiver serial communication
• Write new software modules
• Pointing Correction
• Mapping
• Document work

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Software Testing

• Component Testing
• Master control panel, to directly control the raw
  dish voltages, view feedback from input devices,
  etc.
• Use to diagnose electrical problems

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Matt Moore

• Definitions
• Acknowledgements
• Problem Statement
• Operating Environment
• Intended Users and Uses
• End Product
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Accomplishments
• Project Activities
• Resource Requirements
• Lessons Learned
• Closing Summary

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Schedule
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Personal Effort
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Financial Budget
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Fall 2005 MilestonesMechanical

• Analytical reporting on wind-loading
• Solve problem of water in motors and gearboxes
• Perform maintenance on mechanical systems.

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Fall 2005 MilestonesSoftware

• Convert last semesters software to use new
  hardware setup
• Add support for new hardware (anemometer
  webcams)
• Remote access
• Write/update modules to communicate with receiver
  via serial, and test
• Write/update mapping and pointing modules
• User interface within the new website

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Fall 2005 MilestonesElectrical

• Solve problem with noise source and receiver
  power
• Additional Circuitry for remote operation
• Repair the Receiver front-end/back-end

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Lessons Learned

• The importance of team communication, project
  contribution, and attendance allow for completion
  of this semesters tasks
• Dealing with technical problems before they
  complicate the overall system
• Importance of clear and concise documentation

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Closing Summary

• This semesters accomplishments lead the way to
  a fully operational radio telescope. Hardware is
  still in non-working order to begin receiving
  signals and the current software will allow for
  data collection, pointing corrections, and
  mapping celestial objects to begin.

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Questions?
SSOL Radio Telescope Team Ongo-02c