Engaging industry The Australian SKA experience

Dr Carole Jackson, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science

NAOJ, Mitaka, 5 November 2010

Astronomy and SpaceScience(formerly ATNF)

Parkes, NSW

Narrabri,

NSW

• The largest single astronomical institution in Australia (~300 staff)

• Sydney HQ + Parkes (the ‘Dish’), Narrabri (Compact Array), and Mopra, near Coonabarabran.

• Operates NASA CDSCC (Tidbinbilla)

• CSIRO ATNF is designing and building the Australian SKA Pathfinder ASKAP

ASKAP - CASS

Engaging industry – Australian SKA

SKA will need a high level of industry involvement -> mass production and deployment

SKA benefits to industry

- Engage creative energies of the best professionals- Perfect leading-edge techniques and products in a demanding application- Raise company profile/visibility working with high profile, international mega-science project

- Early involvement in a € 1.5 billion (2007) project spanning a wide range of engineering and computing disciplines

SKA - a Global collaboration

Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP)

Australia’s contribution to the SKA - the largest scientific instrument to be built on earth

• ASKAP - an SKA Pathfinder demonstrates• A novel technology advanced array telescope.

• Australia’s candidate SKA site, the Murchison Radio Observatory (MRO).

• Australia’s capacity to host large international projects

• ASKAP’s as a radio telescope - • World’s fastest survey radio telescope at cm frequencies.

• Survey science projects (key drivers)

• Astronomy surveys defined by international groups of astronomers

High-dynamic range, wide field-of-view telescopeNumber of dishes 36 = 630 baselinesDish diameter 12 mMax baseline 6kmResolution 30 arc secSensitivity 70 m2/KSpeed 1.5x105 m4/K2.deg2

Observing frequency 700 – 1800 MHzField of View 30 deg2

Processed Bandwidth 300 MHzChannels 16kFocal Plane Phased Array 188 elements (94x dual pol)

ASKAP - Specification

Australian SKA Industry Opportunity

ASKAP as an SKA Pathfinder • To demonstrate SKA subsystems & key technologies

Engage in early-phase R&D (via co-investment or supply) • Demonstrate capability to international SKA community

• Develop skills

• Foster international relationships (industry & astronomy)

Australian SKA Industry cluster Self-funding group of support companies & Government agencies

Forum for ASKAP/SKA development

Industry briefings, Industry (technical) news & updates from CASS

Networking; showing development of skills towards SKA (to Government)

ASKAP’s Industry Engagement

Industry

OpportunitiesRegister

AustralianIndustry

Participation Plan

IndustryCollaboration

& support

Briefing industry(ongoing):

Briefs, news &Other events

Published: web based – freely available

Describes how we ensure Australian industry has fair opportunity

(Fairness & Professional Procurement)

ASKAP/SKA technical workshopsVisits/advice from many ASKAIC companies

R&D collaborationsDevelop strong partner suppliers

Industry chiefs meet with Minister Carr.Industry visit to sites

News & ongoing communications

Site management & infrastructure – roads, power, optical fibre

Australian expertise for remote sites

Project management – Build, maintenance, operations & scheduling

Consulted with many companies - Boeing, Raytheon, BAE, etc on

System Engineering best practice

Low-cost antennas

Sought near “off-the-shelf solution” high production rate antennas

Low noise uncooled receiver components (‘receiver-on-chip’)

Working with industry to develop low-cost solutions

High speed, low cost DSP

Seeking low cost solutions off’-the-shelf

High performance computing

ASKAP as a development platform for a “single digital backend “

Australian SKA Industry Opportunities

Engaging industry – Australian SKA

Engaging industry – Australian SKA

ASKAP Antennas - industry supply

Low-cost antennas

Sought near “off-the-shelf solution” antennas

Close to SATCOM x-band 12m commercial antennas

Used open Tender process - very successful, great response from international companies

Negotiated contract with CETC54 for 36 antennas,

- Developed very productive, successful relationship

- New market for CETC54 – international, high profile, civilian

ASKAP antenna = 85% CETC54 ‘production’ design

15% ‘new’ = 3-axis, astronomy precision & RFI specification

ASKAP Antennas - industry supply

ASKAP Antenna team involved in design consultation & ensuring technical specification is delivered

• Contract award October 2008• PPR Mar 2009 • 1st antenna on site January 2010• 6 antennas built October 2010

36 antenna order

“Traditional” panel reflector, heavy antenna

ASKAP rms = 0.5mm (20 GHz)

High precision, low cost.

ASKAP Antennas - industry supply

Successful industry procurement: lessons

1.Long project design leadtime before Tender (4 years)

very well defined technical specification – not a build blueprint

2.Experienced team managing tender, negotiation and

delivery

2.Excellent relationship with CETC54

3.Treated antenna 1 as a

‘design proof of concept’

antenna 2 onwards are ‘production’

Engaging industry – Australian SKA

CSIRO. PrepSKA WP2 meeting - Oxford - 27-30 October 2010

ASKAP/SKA Receivers – current design

Receiver elements

LNA 700-1300 MHz

700-1800 MHz

Band selection

1000-1800 MHz

Mixer1BPF

Mixer2 Anti Alasing filterAmp

LO2=4430MHz(Low side LO)

LO1=5850-6650MHz(High side LO)

IF=570MHzBW=300MHz

IF=5GHzBW=300MHz

To ADCIF1 IF2

Antenna/LNA Sub-octave band selection

Conversion module

DigitalAttenuator

Gain control

RF Cable(20-25m)

Antenna Pedestal

Focus Package

LO15850-6650 MHz

LO24430 MHz

CSIRO. PrepSKA WP2 meeting - Oxford - 27-30 October 2010

ASKAP/SKA Receivers – future?

Allows entire receiver to be housed behind feed• Lightweight and compact• Low power• Low cost (minimal connectors and cabling)• RF in, digital fibre out.

ASKAP/SKA Receivers – industry R&D

Collaborative R&D – strong investment – clear product

- Industry gains IP, designs, etc

- Excellent relationship based on previous R&D

Digital fibreOut

Receiver cards

LNAs

PAF elements

ASKAP/SKA Receivers – industry R&D

Sapphicon 0.25um Silicon on Sapphire process

Direct-down conversion I/Q architecture with divide-by-2 LO• Single out of band LO required• I/Q amplitude and phase match expected to be adequate to ensure

40 dB image suppression

Implementation of whole receiver from LNA to ADC input• Including LO synthesiser and all filters• Minimal external components and cost• LNA off-chip for minimum Tn and maximum flexibility• Off-chip ADC to reduce development cost• Includes high power ADC drivers

Adjustable operations – bandwidth, gain, filters

Schematic designs meeting design specs complete for:• Balun

• Mixer

• LO filters

• Baseband attenuator

• ADC driver

Layouts complete for:• Balun

• Mixer

• LO filters

First tape-out of completed blocks Nov 2010.

November 2010, November 2010, SapphiconSapphicon changed its name to changed its name to SilannaSilanna

ASKAP/SKA Receivers – industry R&D

ASKAP R&D Collaboration

Successful collaboration: experience

1.Start –up R&D to establish relationship (LNA)

Agree detailed technical specification – not a build blueprint

2.Get the right expert engineers working together; enthusiasm

Avoid endless discussions on what ‘we might do’

3. Excellent relationship

4.Be very honest where this R&D fits for ‘SKA’

Expectations can be too high.

Engaging industry – Australian SKA

ASKAP 2010

Thank you

CSIRO Astronomy and Space ScienceDr Carole Jackson

Phone: +61 2 9372 4407Email: Carole.Jackson@csiro.auWeb: www.atnf.csiro.au/projects/askap

Contact UsPhone: 1300 363 400 or +61 3 9545 2176

Email: Enquiries@csiro.au Web: www.csiro.au