Hi Karl, On Thu, 15 Mar 2018 at 21:59 Karl Warnick <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi all, > > I have a non-astronomical comms antenna array project that does not have > detailed specs for bandwidth and number of antenna elements. I need to > build a programmable platform that I can use for multichannel sampling > and real time DSP. > > Our group has considerable experience with ROACH based systems over the > years and hybrid FPGA - GPU architectures, but the students with much of > the expertise have graduated and moved on, as students tend to do. We > have an x64 board and ROACH that on paper could do the job, but the > hardware seems old enough now that I wonder if it might be wise to move > to a new platform for my new project. We also like the easier > programmability of GPUs for matrix based array signal processing > algorithms. We also have a system with digitizers, polyphase filterbanks > running on ROACH boards, ethernet switch, and HPCs with GPUs, but that > system is in operation at GBO and is probably overkill for the current > project. > > This leads to my question. To realize a system with 16 analog channels > and analog bandwidth ranging between a few MHz up to 100 MHz (I realize > that this is a rather ill defined range, but I feel fortunate to have > the flexibility), that can do digitization, filterbank to separate into > frequency channels, and enough processor power for real time XB > (correlator/beamformer) type signal processing, with current CASPER > hardware, what would be the ideal, recommended hardware setup? > I think your options here are either a/some SNAP board(s) -- 12 ADC channels at up to 250 MSample/s sampling rate, or a ROACH2 + adc16 card -- 16 channels at up to 250MSample/s. Either would give you Ethernet output on SFP+ connectors. SNAP can do up to 20Gb/s output, ROACH2 up to 80Gb/s. In either case, there should be some simulink designs you could use as a starting point, from PAPER/HERA or other projects. Cheers Jack > > The relatively modest bandwidth requirement may also point to a > commercial FPGA/ARM core board with an ADC expansion board, and I'm > pursuing that path as well. From another project, I have an expansion > board of our own design with eight ADC channels that plugs into a > microZED board, which actually comes somewhat close to meeting the > current requirements. Expanding the ADC board and moving to a bigger > commercial digital board is an option. > > Thanks to all for any feedback! > > Best, > Karl > > -- > Karl F. Warnick > Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering > Brigham Young University > 459 Clyde Building > Provo, UT 84602 > (801) 422-1732 > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups " > [email protected]" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "[email protected]" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
