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13-01-2014
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Apertif DCU sub-rack

Submitter: Erik van der Wal
Description: Displayed is the down-converter sub-rack of Apertif in its present state. The main purpose of the subrack is to perform frequency translation of the 32 inputs, from the desired RF frequency range to the 300 MHz input bandwidth of the A/D-converter.

The design of this sub-rack started as a derivative of the receiver sub-rack for AAVS and EMMA. Mechanically it is still roughly the same. However from an electronics perspective, due to the ever increasing requirements, the design has significantly changed since then.

The sub-rack consists of four types of modules:
  • First and foremost is the DownConverter Unit (DCU), which performs the actual frequency translation. It also incorporates amplification, filtering, local oscillator distribution as well as gain control.
  • A splitter module is used for distribution of both local oscillator signals.
  • The power module is used to connect the external power supply to the backplane.
  • Finally the control module takes care of all control signals in the subrack, as well as local power supply and temperature monitoring. Communication is performed over ethernet.

    Currently the design of the backplane, splitter-module, power-module and control-module hardware has finished. The design of the DCU is still ongoing. It is expected to have enough prototype hardware ready in the second half of March, to build three sub-racks. These subracks will then be used for the Alpha-3 testing of Apertif.
    • Copyright: Astron
     
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