e-VLBI progress in the South Tasso Tzioumis ATNF, CSIRO September 2006 “Towards e-VLBI”  “e-VLBI”

Outline Overview - details in other presentations/posters Current LBA systems/developments –Tapes - phasing out –DAS - digital filters –Disks - LBADR –Software Correlators Network developments “Real” e-VLBI tests Plans & the Future

LBA x NTD x New Norcia

Long baseline Array (LBA) Telescopes in Australia –ATNF, U.Tasmania, NASA - “core” Oz VLBI network + South Africa + Telescopes in Asia Pacific region –Japan, China, Hawaii, VLBA,…  Asia Pacific Telescope (APT) (VSOP support) Open network (EVN model of operations) (+ Tests with NZ - fringes ok - no large antenna)

LBA -S2 tape system Canadian S2 VCR-based recorder –8 VCR recorders  128 Mbps max data rates –S2 maintenance issues (no external support) 7-station S2 LBA correlator at ATNF Sydney –XF architecture (ATCA correlator design) –Difficult to upgrade correlator The main production-VLBI system for > 12 years 2005 workshop: Phase-out S2 within ~3-4 years? 2006 workshop: Decommission S2 in !! Move to disk-systems + software correlation –Correlation contracted to Swinburne - 1 October 2006

LBA - DAS DAS: Based on Digital Filters (> 10 years old!) –2 input 64 MHz BW (2 pols or 2 frequencies) –Sampling (10 bits) + Digital filters (ideal passbands) –Bands: 64MHz  125 KHz –S2 mode: 2 x 16 MHz (  128 Mbps to match S2) –Huygens mode: 4 x 16 MHz (256 Mbps) –Maximum: 2 x 64 MHz (512 Mbps) - tested in 2006 –Multibit mode: 2 x 16 MHz x 8(10) bits  1 Gbps Interference excision? ATNF stations: 2 DAS units –512 Mbps for Huygens (8 x 16 MHz) –1 Gbps by 4 x 64 MHz channels - developed & tested in 2006 Remains the main DAS for LBA system(s) –BUT no more units available!! Move to new VLBI dBBC units? (Haystack) - timescales?

LBADR - Disk recorders (See C. Phillips poster for details) PCEVN-Metsahovi VSI interface system –VSIC (ECL-LVDS) & VSIB(computer) –Connects to LBA DAS –All LBA antennas equipped COTS computers –New Tyan “Thunder K8WE” motherboards (2005) Multiple PCI bus systems Internal disks; IDE removable disks; X-RAID on fibre channel (Replaced test systems on Dell 1600SC servers) Apple Xserve hardware RAID systems (7 TB)

Software correlators See poster by S. Tingay & A. Deller FX software correlator(s) Swinburne Supercomputer – 300 Dell computers in cluster –Real time correlation (“normal” modes) nodes Smaller clusters at telescopes –(Parkes: 32 nodes; ATCA: 16 nodes) Cray XD-1 supercomputer in WA + FPGAs –Under development Very versatile & robust (can run on most systems) Only correlators in Australia for disk systems!

“Real-time” fringe testing Disk-systems –Can run parallel to S2 VCRs (S2 C2 output port) –Short segment (~0.1s) data or use full recorded data –Transfer to Swinburne - (slow) ftp or fast links Correlate and post on web –Start correlating immediately (not all data needed) –Fringe in a few secs; web post within minutes Semi-automatic operation Routine for all LBA observations –Setup fringe tests for all observations –  Increased LBA reliability and robustness

Network connectivity -1 See talk by Shaun Amy AARNet3 Regional Network Fibre tails to ATNF antennas in –$2M project, funded by CSIRO corporate –Fibre “tails” owned by CSIRO –“e-vlbi” tests in March Official start June 2006! –Legal contract problems!! 2 x 1 Gbps connectivity –1 operating now; 2nd circuit to be connected 10 Gbps (x multiple wavelengths) backbone Good international connectivity

AARNet3 Regional Network

Network connectivity -2 Swinburne: 1 Gbps link(s) constructed –Operation delayed by legal problems!! (again) –(10 Gbps link from Parkes?) –Enables software correlator connectivity Hobart: Fibre links funded and in construction (2006) –1 Gbps - telescope ---> University –10 Gbps to AARNet –(BUT Bass-link limited to ~0.5 Gbps?) WA Connectivity UWA) –CeNTIE: 3 x 1 Gbps BUT closes in 2006! –AARNet3 links planned –Impact on x-NTD? (Tidbinbilla - NASA: 2 Mbps commercial links –Future links? )

First Oz real “e-VLBI” Date: 24 August 2006 Antenna: Parkes, Mopra, ATCA Data rate:128 Mbps (per station) Bandwidth:2x16 MHz (per station) Processor:Dual AMD server (ie only 2 CPUs) No disk buffering --> “e-VLBI” Time:10minutes + 1-bas test Parkes-ATCA at 256 Mbps/station

Plans - Near term Transition production VLBI to disk systems + software correlation (2006-7) –Investigate remote-disk recording –Acquire ~$0.5M of disks Extensive “real” e-VLBI tests –To Swinburne cluster correlator (in 2006) –To JIVE correlator under EXPReS (2006-7) Data disk formatting issues (LBA - Mk5a) - VSI-E?? –Tests to Haystack/Japan/Global - VSI-E?? DAS replacement?

Special “e-VLBI” Instrument? Parkes-Mopra- Narrabri –1 Gbps links installed – 1 Gbps data from 2 x DAS systems –Software correlation (Parkes or ATCA cluster)  Real-time VLBI instrument at 1 Gbps –Cf PTI instrument (Parkes 10 MHz BW) Very popular with non-VLBI specialists –Fast detection observations/surveys –May operate in parallel with disk recording E.g. correlate 2nd 512 Mbps stream from ATNF antennas

Plans - Longer term CABB - Broadband upgrade of ATCA –4 Gsamples x (8) bits  32 Gbps streams – 4 IFs per antenna; 8 antennas –Digital Polyphase filters -- > CABB Correlator ATCA operation in –VLBI capability designed-in (2008?) Need for VLBI operation: –n x 10 Gbps connections to ATCA (Narrabri) –Broadbanding of Rx systems (Mopra, Parkes) Narrabri polyphase filters? –Broadband and Fast links from non-ATNF antennas  Multiple 10 Gbps inputs & e-VLBI

Multiple Zoom (>2 possible) Compound Zoom Simple Zoom Basic Configuration FFT FIR Filterbank Fringe Rotators Correlator s DMUX A 2GHz bandwidth polyphase digital filterbank with 4096 channels will fit into four XC2V6000 FPGAs FPGA hardware may be completely reprogrammed to produce many different filterbank configurations, as different observations may require. RF, IF and Baseband Signal Path Filterbank Architecture A Wideband Upgrade for the Australia Telescope Compact Array Luneburg Lens Phased Array 6 * 22m antenna AT Compact Array

Summary S2 tape LBA system to be decommissioned LBADR - disk recorder developed Software correlation - “real time” speeds –Very versatile, robust and portable LBA transition: disk recording + software correlation Digital DAS - need to augment/replace 1 Gbps links to ATNF antennas operating –Links to correlator and other telescopes in construction First “real” e-VLBI tests successful Plans for eVLBI instrument (Pks-Mop-Nar) Future: 10 Gbps links + CABB correlator