RadioNet FP7 Planning Meeting Proposed Joint Research Activities for SKA related developments

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RadioNet FP7 Planning MeetingProposed Joint
Research Activitiesfor SKA related developments
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General positioning

• Several SKA PathFinders are well underway
• LOFAR -gt Science PathFinder AA (at low
  frequencies, but incl calibration
  control)
• PHAROS -gt Concept Demonstrator FPA
• SKADS -gt Technology PathFinder AA (FPA)
• Why then propose SKA related JRAs for RadioNet?
• Fill-in some important niches (well-focused)
• Avoid more-of-the-same
• Avoid scattering losses
• Further strengthen European collaboration
• and scientific/technical position

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Low Power Smart Antennas for SKA

• The issue
• The SKA power bill will be immense
• SKADS mainly addresses low-cost production
• Need to catch up on low-power semiconductor
  roadmaps
• Need to demonstrate possible power reductions
  given performance requirements

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Scope of the JRA

• Define well-founded technology roadmap and design
  guidelines
• Confront semi-conductor roadmap (public or under
  NDA) with our technical requirements
• Build technology demonstrator of power-optimized
  receiver system in L-band.
• Low power front-end for evaluation at several
  sites (like PHAROS)
• Clear interaction with IC technology lab proposal
  (Limiti)
• Join forces on a key technological issue for SKA
• Dont try to reproduce whats already there

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Integration and diversification
Semiconductor Roadmap
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Application Spectrum
SKA
Semiconductor Roadmap
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Partners, timeline and budget

• Partners
• ASTRON Roadmaps, system design, integration
• Obs Paris Meudon design of RFIC (beamformer),
  digital part of the antenna
• Chalmers nano-technology experiments
• Typically four year study
• Y1/Y2 roadmap for astronomy demonstrator system
  spec design
• Y3/Y4 design guidelines, impact for SKA
  demonstrator construction evaluation
• Y3,Y4 neatly feed into SKA System Design!
• Resources
• Total 15 FTE
• Hardware 150k
• Services travel 50k

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Development of phased arrays into science
instruments

• The issue
• SKADS can pay insufficient attention to several
  aspects related to optimizing scientific
  performance of phased array telescopes
• Identify focussed studies that
• Are complementary to SKADS
• Can be demonstrated on PathFinders
• LOFAR, EMBRACE, 2PAD
• Provide input/steering on SKA System Design

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Scope (1/2)

• Station-level Calibration
• Calibrate the phase-array receiver chains, for
  on-line calibration in order to maximize SNR/DR.
• Determine optimal correction/control
  coefficients.
• Verify with EMBRACE/2PAD in line with LOFAR
• System Monitoring and Graceful Degradation
• Ensure degradation scenarios are well understood
  and are taken into account in the SKA System
  Design.
• MTBF/FMECA studies
• Scenario development (when to switch off
  completely)

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Scope (2/2)

• Simulation implementation of array macro
  characteristics
• Optimizing array characteristics, in particular
  mutual coupling and edge effects.
• Mainly simulations.
• Performance optimisation with limited
  digitisation bits
• Assuming an affordable bit-depth, optimise RFI
  mitigation and filtering/beamforming algorithms.
• Mainly system study and modelling.
• Feed-back into SKA design

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Partners, Timeline and Budget

• Partners
• Proposed by UMAN (Wilinson, Faulkner)
• ASTRON/LOFAR interested
• OPAR, Univ Bordeaux possibly interested
• Timeline
• Three/four year projects
• Should fold in with SKA System Design!!!
• Budget
• Total 4 x 5 FTE, total 50k travel/materials

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Optical Processing towards SKA

• Scope
• Hybrid photonic chip technology may be crucial
  for SKADS from cost and performance perspective
• In particular fibre-on-chip
• Hybrid chip demonstrators not covered by SKADS
• Needs a low-level activity with industrial
  involvement to apply existing technologies
• Could be integrated in low-power smart antennas

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Partners, timeline and budget

• Interested partners
• ASTRON system work, integration in SKADS
• Centre for Integrated Photonics system,
  components
• LionIX/Cambridge Resolution components
• Timeline
• Three year project to develop prototype
• Resources
• 6 FTE, 100k materials

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High Stability Clocks towards SKA

• The issue
• Long-distance clock distribution for SKA is far
  from being solved
• Maser-based systems to expensive
• RubidiumGPS insufficiently accurate gt 500MHz
• Analog clocks over fibre insufficiently tested
  over longer distances
• Hybrid, hierarchical architecture using
  next-generation low-cost standards in combination
  with analog fiber might well be the solution
• Needs study and demonstration.

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Scope

• Define SKA clock architecture
• Roadmap of COTS components
• Demonstration over e-EVN network

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Partners, timeline and budget

• Partners
• ASTRON architecture (reusing LOFAR experience)
• EVN partners architecture, demonstrators
• LNE-SYRTE (Observatoire de Paris)
  largeexperience in development of  ultra-stable
  clocks in microwave and optical domains.
• Timeline
• Four year project
• 10 FTE, 150k materials