17. scientific computing with fpgas. high performance centroiding

The ESAC Trainee Project | Deborah Baines | UCM/UAM | January 2012 | Pag. 1

17. Scientific computing with FPGAs.High performance centroiding

Duration: 6 monthsRequirements: FPGA programming, VHDLTutors: R. Kohley, A. Mora, J-M Martín-Fleitas (Ralf.Kohley@esa.int)

FPGAs are used in space missions for on-board data processing. Some advantages are reduced telemetry weight and power. Examples: Gaia and Solar Orbiter.

Centroiding algorithms have been developed for Gaia reaching the maximum precision possible (Cramér-Rao lower bound). They are used to reconstruct the telescope wavefront using the on-board Shack-Hartmann sensors.

Adaptive optics requires wavefront sensors and benefits from fast and precise centroid determination. Hundreds of centroids must be determined within one millisecond.

Tasks. The trainee will implement the algorithms on a Xilinx Virtex 6 testbed available at the Gaia SOC calibration team.

Adaptive optics in astronomy

Wavefront sensor: image centroiding