Daily Image
26-05-2014
The Low Noise Tile: Full array results
| Submitter: | Bert Woestenburg, Roel Witvers, Mark Ruiter and Pieter Benthem |
| Description: | In our series of daily images (18-12-2013 ,21-02-2014 and 21-03-2014) on the progress of the Low Noise Tile (LNT) project, today's image shows the measurement results for the Medium Size Tile (MST) inside THACO. The plot, top left, shows 2 lines, whereas the upper is the measurement result of the 2010 design, which uses discrete transistors including several lumped components. The lower line shows the measurement result of the MST, using an low noise amplifier module with integrated active bias, as the first amplifier stage. As one can see, we are able to get the noise temperature down by ~20%, which is very promising, as such an array noise temperature is in line with SKA sensitivity requirement! The MST is currently being shipped to Australia, where it will be used for comparative testing, next to the Australian ASKAP checkerboard array and the Canadian AFAD thick vivaldi array, during the Phased Array Feed Element Test Protocol by the SKA Dish Consortium at the Parkes telescope site, May - June 2014. Goal of this measurement campaign is to benchmark the candidate Feed Array/LNA technologies for use in the SKA1-survey PAF systems. The front end module design shown, is limited in frequency range down to 1000 MHz, as it holds GSM band filtering. Future work will continue investigating the design possibilities down to 500 MHz, the lower frequency limit of the MFAA system. |
| Copyright: | ASTRON |
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