![Page 1: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Cross correlators
for radio astronomy
Adam Deller
May 12, 2014
![Page 2: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Correlators and Interferometry
Sky brightness Visibilities
(real component shown)
F
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Visibilities
Wave -> voltage Wave -> voltage
Downconversion Downconversion
Sampling,
Quantization
Sampling,
Quantization
t1 t2
The function of a correlator
Incident radiation Delay t
x
Compensate
for this…
before/while
splitting by
frequency and
multiplying
![Page 4: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Why care about correlators?
1. One day you want to be a radio interferometry guru
2. To help you propose the right observations and identify problems in data or images
![Page 5: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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A “dumb” correlator
• Use many analog filters to make many narrow channels; correlate each one separately with a separate complex correlator
![Page 6: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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A “dumb” correlator
• Use many analog filters to make many narrow channels; correlate each one separately with a separate complex correlator
![Page 7: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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The output
B
metres
![Page 8: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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The output
B’
metres
![Page 9: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Making it feasible
• Analog filters are costly & unstable; expensive and poor performance
![Page 10: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Making it feasible
• Analog filters are costly & unstable; expensive and poor performance
• Fortunately, we can (and do) digitize the signal – meaning we can use a digital substitute: digital filterbank
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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The advantage of going digital
• Stable, cheap filters
• Produces complex output: use a 1 complex multiplier rather than 2 real multipliers and a phase shift
eif = cos f + i sin f
cos f = (eif + e-if)/2
sin f = (eif - e-if)/2i
Animation from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unfasor.gif
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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FL1n
n
Voltage
Time
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
x
The “FX” correlator
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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The “FX” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
window,
FFT
x x x x x
window,
FFT
window,
FFT
window,
FFT
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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The “FX” correlator
• Since this architecture consists of a Fourier transform (F) followed by cross-multiplication (X), we dub this the “FX” correlator
window,
FFT
window,
FFT
window,
FFT
window,
FFT
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
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May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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But first, we must compensate
Visibilities
Wave -> voltage Wave -> voltage
Downconversion Downconversion
Sampling,
Quantization
Sampling,
Quantization
t1 t2
x
![Page 16: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Sampling
• Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem:
– real-valued signal is sampled every Δt sec
– Original signal can be reconstructed perfectly so long as contains no power at frequencies ≥ 1 / (2 Δt) Hz (band-limited)
Adequately sampled
Undersampled,
cannot be
reconstructed
![Page 17: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Sampling
• Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem:
– real-valued signal is sampled every Δt sec
– Original signal can be reconstructed perfectly so long as contains no power at frequencies ≥ 1 / (2 Δt) Hz (band-limited)
Frequency
Spectral power
1/(2Δt) 1/(Δt) 3/(2Δt) -3/(2Δt) -1/(Δt) -1/(2Δt) 0
![Page 18: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Sampling
• Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem:
– real-valued signal is sampled every Δt sec
– Original signal can be reconstructed perfectly so long as contains no power at frequencies ≥ 1 / (2 Δt) Hz (band-limited)
Frequency
Spectral power
1/(2Δt) 1/(Δt) 3/(2Δt) -3/(2Δt) -1/(Δt) -1/(2Δt) 0
![Page 19: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Quantization
• When correlation is low (almost always) even very coarse quantization is ok!
Sensitivity loss:
![Page 20: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Quantization
• When correlation is low (almost always) even very coarse quantization is ok!
![Page 21: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Quantization
• When correlation is low (almost always) even very coarse quantization is ok!
![Page 22: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Quantization
• When correlation is low (almost always) even very coarse quantization is ok!
![Page 23: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Quantization
• When correlation is low (almost always) even very coarse quantization is ok!
Sensitivity loss:
8 bit: 0.1%
4 bit: 1.3%
2 bit: 12%
1 bit: 36%
Correct visibility amplitudes
for this sensitivity loss (done
after correlation, exact
correction depends on
correlation level)
![Page 24: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Delay compensation
• Delay to the nearest sample is easy:
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
t
![Page 25: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Delay compensation
• Delay to the nearest sample is easy:
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
t
t
![Page 26: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Delay compensation
• In practise, delay all to common reference
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
t2
t2
t1
t1
![Page 27: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Fractional-sample correction
• Sampling prevents perfect alignment of datastreams; always a small error
t
e
Voltage amplitude
time
![Page 28: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Fractional-sample correction
• Sampling prevents perfect alignment of datastreams; always a small error
t
e
Voltage amplitude
time
Visibility phase
frequency 0
![Page 29: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Fractional-sample correction
• Sampling prevents perfect alignment of datastreams; always a small error
t
e
Voltage amplitude
time
Visibility phase
frequency
f = n x e
0
![Page 30: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
Fractional-sample correction
• Sampling prevents perfect alignment of datastreams; always a small error
t
e
Voltage amplitude
time
Visibility phase
frequency
Correction applied
with a complex
multiplication to
rotate phase
0
f = - n x e
![Page 31: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x Signal at
sky frequency
~GHz
Signal at
baseband ~0 Hz
Downconversion
Fringe rotation
![Page 32: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Fringe rotation
• Implementation: rotate phase using complex multiplier
• Δf = 2p n0 tg n0 = sky frequency, tg = applied delay
• Most accurate: apply to voltages directly (time domain)
– if tg is changing slowly (short baseline length), approximate as constant for short time, apply after FFT (frequency domain)
![Page 33: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
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Alternate implementation
• We have shown how to build a practical FX correlator, which first Fourier transforms and then multiplies
• Convolution theorem: Multiplication in the frequency domain is equivalent to convolution in the time domain
• It is mathematically equivalent to convolve the two signals in the time domain and then Fourier transform
![Page 34: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
![Page 35: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
![Page 36: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
Multiply
& accum.
lag
visibility
amplitude
![Page 37: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
Multiply
& accum.
lag
visibility
amplitude
![Page 38: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
lag
visibility
amplitude
Multiply
& accum.
![Page 39: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
lag
visibility
amplitude
![Page 40: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
frequency
visibility
amplitude
![Page 41: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
May 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro
x
frequency
visibility
amplitude
An equivalent “XF” correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
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A realistic XF correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
![Page 43: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
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A realistic XF correlator
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
FL1n
n
sample# (time)
level/
binary code
0000
1111
0.08
1.74
110
4-
Gau
ssx
0, 2,
()
77
-x
lag
amplitude
![Page 44: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
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XF vs FX
• Different windowing in time domain gives different spectral response
XF
FX
Channel
Sp
ectr
al R
esp
on
se
Lag weighting
22% sidelobes! Reduce
with Hanning smoothing
5% sidelobes
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XF vs FX: which is better?
• Advantages and disadvantages to both
– FX many fewer operations overall
– XF can make use of very efficient low-precision integer multipliers up-front
– FX: access to frequency domain at short timescale allows neat tricks and higher precision correction of delay effects
– But issues with simple implementation of FX for very high spectral resolution
![Page 46: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
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Correlator platforms
…
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Correlators on CPUs
• Many positive points:
– Can implement in “normal” code (e.g., C++); maintainable, many skilled coders
– Development effort transferrable across generations of hardware
– Incremental development is trivial
– Natively good at floating point (good for FX), no cost to do high precision
• One major disadvantage:
– CPUs not optimised for correlation; big system like JVLA would take many CPUs.
![Page 48: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
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Correlators on CPUs
GMRT, India, 30 stations
The
European
VLBI
Network,
~20 stations
The Long
Baseline
Array,
Australia,
~6 stations
The Very
Long
Baseline
Array,
10 stations
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Correlators on GPUs
Like CPUs, GPUs are mounted
on a standard motherboard
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Correlators on GPUs
• Advantages:
– More powerful and more efficient than CPUs
– Also good at floating point
• Disadvantages:
– Writing code is more difficult (GPUs are more specialized, less flexible: need to carefully manage data transfers)
– Fewer trained GPU programmers available
– Transfer-ability of code across hardware generations not yet reliable (but close)
![Page 51: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
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Correlators on GPUs
The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), 70 stations
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Correlators on FPGAs
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Correlators on FPGAs
• Advantages:
– More efficient than CPUs or GPUs, particularly for integer multiplication
• Disadvantages:
– Programming is harder again (especially debugging), yet fewer trained people
– Transfer-ability across hardware generations even more limited
– Synchronous (clocked) system, less robust to perturbations c.f. CPUs/GPUs
![Page 54: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
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Correlators on FPGAs
The Precision Array to Probe the Epoch
of Reionization (PAPER), 128 stations
“Roach” reconfigurable
FPGA board used for
correlation
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Correlators on ASICs
As with FPGAs, ASICs are mounted on boards
![Page 56: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/56.jpg)
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Correlators on ASICs
• Advantages:
– Highest possible efficiency, low per-unit cost
• Disadvantages:
– Highest development cost (time and manufacturing setup)
– Specialized knowledge required
– Can’t be changed / very difficult to upgrade during lifetime
![Page 57: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/57.jpg)
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Correlators on ASICs
The Westerbork Synthesis
Radio Telescope, Netherlands
The Very Large Array,
New Mexico
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Correlator platform overview
Correlator
capacity per
hardware $$
Development effort required
GPU
CPU
FPGA
Reuse-
ability
ASIC
![Page 59: VLBI surveys A tailor-made radio AGN filter · PDF fileMay 12 2014, Fourteenth Synthesis Imaging Workshop, NRAO Socorro x Why care about correlators? 1. One day you want to be a radio](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051721/5a7e0c997f8b9a563b8e3706/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
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Questions?
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Trends in correlator design
• Now: Small scale systems completely dominated by CPU, medium-scale being taken over by “custom GPU”
• Soon: GPUs become more CPU-like; “prepackaged” GPU systems available
• 5+ years: the mother of all correlators (Square Kilometre Array) must be built: will have to be highly optimized