• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.371-372
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• 2006

In this paper, we propose a method that measures quality of digital correlator. Quality of digital correlator in field of image composition of radio astronomy have as important position for acquisition of radio wave image with high precision. Digital correlator should have wide bandwidth and high precision to study on deep space. Digital correlator, therefore, should be designed to have high speed processing and high precision. But, real time measurement of quality of digital correlator using acquisition data is difficult to compare accuracy of result because digital correlator should process a large quantity of data with high speed. Measurement method of quality, also, has intricate implementation of experiment equipment. this paper present methods that compose experiment equipment without external installation easily and verify quality of digital correlator perfectly.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.125-137
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• 2015

We report results of the performance evaluation of a new hardware correlator in Korea, the Daejeon correlator, developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). We conduct Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at 22 GHz with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) in Korea and the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) in Japan, and correlated the aquired data with the Daejeon correlator. For evaluating the performance of the new hardware correlator, we compare the correlation outputs from the Daejeon correlator for KVN observations with those from a software correlator, the Distributed FX (DiFX). We investigate the correlated flux densities and brightness distributions of extragalactic compact radio sources. The comparison of the two correlator outputs shows that they are consistent with each other within < 8%, which is comparable with the amplitude calibration uncertainties of KVN observations at 22 GHz. We also find that the 8% difference in flux density is caused mainly by (a) the difference in the way of fringe phase tracking between the DiFX software correlator and the Daejeon hardware correlator, and (b) an unusual pattern (a double-layer pattern) of the amplitude correlation output from the Daejeon correlator. The visibility amplitude loss by the double-layer pattern is as small as 3%. We conclude that the new hardware correlator produces reasonable correlation outputs for continuum observations, which are consistent with the outputs from the DiFX software correlator.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.567-588
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• 2009

Korea-Japan Joint VLBI Correlator (KJJVC) is being developed by collaborating KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), Korea, and NAOJ(National Observatory of Japan), Japan. In early 2010, KJJVC will work in normal operation. In this study, we developed the software correlator which is based on VCS (VLBI Correlation Subsystem) hardware specification as the core component of KJJVC. The main specification of software correlator is 8 Gbps, 8192 output channels, and 262,144-points FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) function same as VCS. And the functional algorithm which is same as specification of VCS and arithmetic register are adopted in this software correlator. To verify the performance of developed software correlator, the correlation experiments were carried out using the spectral line and continuum sources which were observed by VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry), NAOJ. And the experimental results were compared to the output of Mitaka FX correlator by referring spectrum shape, phase rate, and fringe detection and so on. Through the experimental results, we confirmed that the correlation results of software correlator are the same as Mitaka FX correlator and verified the effectiveness of it. In future, we expect that the developed software correlator will be the possible software correlator of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) with KJJVC by introducing the correlation post-processing and modifying the user interface as like GUI (Graphic User Interface).

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.11-19
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• 2016

This paper presents the results of test observations toward a point source, 4C39.25, for observation modes with various bandwidths and numbers of IF streams in order to examine a reliability of the Daejeon hardware correlator performance for correlating VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) data obtained with the several observation modes of the KVN (Korean VLBI Network). We used a DiFX software correlator (DiFX) as a reference, for investigating the output visibilities from the Daejeon corelator. It is found that the band shapes of the output visibilities from two correlators are similar to each other and the correlated flux density for each baseline obtained from the Daejeon hardware correlator is lower by 3 - 7% than that from the DiFX. The flux difference is attributed to the limitation of FPGA resources and the difference of fringe rotation algorithm of the Daejeon hardware correlator. The conversion factor, 0.93 ~ 0.97, is proposed for future correlation with the Daejeon hardware correlator.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.91-107
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• 2008

In this paper, we introduce the performance evaluation and development of Raw VLBI Data Buffer(RVDB) system for the synchronized playback processing of observed data in Korea-Japan Joint VLBI Correlator(KJJVC). The high-speed correlation processing system is under development so that the radio data obtained with 8192 channels and 8 Gbps speed from 16 stations will be able to be processed. When the recorded data of each station are played to correlator, the time synchronization of each station is very important because the correlator should process the data obtained with same time and condition. There are many types of recorder systems in the East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN). Therefore it is required to prepare the special time synchronized playback processing system to synchronize the time tag of observed data. The developed RVDB system consists of Data Input Output(DIO), 10GbE switch, and Disk Data Buffer(DDB). It can record the data with maximum 2 Gbps speed, and can play back the data to correlator with nominal 2 Gbps speed. To enable to play back the data of different playback system to the correlator, we developed the high-speed time synchronized playback processing system. We carried out the experiments of playing back and correlation for gigabit correlator and VCS trial product so as to confirm the performance of developed time synchronized playback processing system. In case of online and offline playing back experiment for gigabit correlator, we confirmed that the online and offline correlation results were the same. In case of playing back experiment for VCS trial product, we verified that the wide band and narrow band correlation results were also the same. Through the playing back experiments of RVDB system, the effectiveness of developed RVDB system was verified. In this paper, the system design, construction and experimental results are shown briefly.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.53-60
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• 2016

In this paper, we introduce the implementation and test results of a new method of correlated result storage to achieve the full performance of the Daejeon hardware correlator. Recently, the observation of 8 Gbps speed, which is the maximum observational standard of KVN(Korean VLBI Network), has been performed. The correlation processing using the Daejeon hardware correlator is also required. Therefore, a new correlation result storage introduction has become necessary. The maximum correlation result output speed of the Daejeon hardware correlator is 1.4 GB/sec per 25.6 ms integration time. The conventional correlation result storage system can not cope with the maximum correlation output speed of the Daejeon hardware correlator, and the output speed is limited to 1/4. That is, among the four input ports of the Daejeon hardware correlator, the three inputs are limited to correspond to the observation rate of 1 Gbps. This new storage system uses the Gluster file system among many of the latest technologies used in storage systems. In tests that meet the maximum output rate of 1.4 GB/sec for the Daejeon hardware correlator, 350 MB/sec for each of the four optical outputs, resulting in 1.4 GB/sec in total.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.229-236
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• 2015

We report results of investigation of amplitude calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with Korean VLBI Network (KVN). Amplitude correction factors are estimated based on comparison of KVN observations at 22 GHz correlated by Daejeon hardware correlator and DiFX software correlator in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 22 GHz by DiFX software correlator in National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). We used the observations for compact radio sources, 3C 454.3, NRAO 512, OJ 287, BL Lac, 3C 279, 1633+382, and 1510–089, which are almost unresolved for baselines in a range of 350-477 km. Visibility data of the sources obtained with similar baselines at KVN and VLBA are selected, fringe-fitted, calibrated, and compared for their amplitudes. We find that visibility amplitudes of KVN observations should be corrected by factors of 1.10 and 1.35 when correlated by DiFX and Daejeon correlators, respectively. These correction factors are attributed to the combination of two steps of 2-bit quantization in KVN observing systems and characteristics of Daejeon correlator.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.54.1-54.1
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• 2015

We report results of investigation of amplitude calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with Korean VLBI Network (KVN). Amplitude correction factors are estimated based on comparison of KVN observations at 22 GHz correlated by Daejeon hardware correlator and DiFX software correlator in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institue (KASI) with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 22 GHz by DiFX software correlator in National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). We used the observations for compact radio sources, 3C 454.3 and NRAO 512 which are almost unresolved for baselines in a range of 350-477 km. VLBA visibility data of the sources observed with similar baselines as KVN are selected, fringe-fitted, calibrated, and compared in their amplitudes. We found that visibility amplitudes of KVN observations should be corrected by factors of 1.14 and 1.40 when correlated by DiFX and Daejeon correlators, respectively. These correction factors are attributed to the combination of two steps of 2-bit quantization in KVN observing systems and characteristics of Daejeon correlator.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.20 no.1 s.24
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• pp.125-134
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• 2005

In this paper, we propose a small-scale Gigabit VLBI observing system for the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) under construction. The system consists of high-speed sampler, IP-VLBI board, PC-VSI board, and software correlator. Radio signal received by receiver is sampled by high-speed sample. at 1 Gsps (Gigabit sample per second) rate with 2 bits quantization. The digitized signal is recorded in PC and the software correlator does the cross correlation. IP-VLBI board will be used for the geodesy VLBI observation, while PC-VSI board is for the astronomical VLBI observation. The PC-VSI board adopts the VSI-H (VLBI Standard Interface Hardware). The proposed system is based on commercial PCs and therefore can be built inexpensively.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.587-592
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• 2002

A new digital correlator fur an airborne synthetic aperture radiometer was designed in order to replace the conventional analog correlator unit which will become very complicated while the number of channels is increasing. The digital correlator uses digital IQ demodulator instead of the intermediate frequency (IF) phase shifter to make the correlation processing performed digitally at base band instead of analogly at IF. This technique has been applied to the digital receiver in softradio. The down-converted IF signals from each pair of receiver channels become low rate base-band digital signals after under-sampled, Digitally Down-Converted (DDC), decimated and filtered by FIR filters. The digital signals are further processed by two digital multipliers (complex correlation), the products are integrated by the integrators and finally the outputs from the integrators compose of the real part and the imaginary part of a sample of the visibility function. This design is tested by comparing the results from digital correlators and that from analog correlators. They are agreed with each other very well. Due to the fact that the digital correlators are realized with the help of Analog-Digital Converter (ADC) chips and the FPGA technology, the realized volume, mass, power consumption and complexity turned out to be greatly reduced compared with that of the analog correlators. Simulations show that the resolution of ADC has an influence on the synthesized antenna patterns, but this can be neglected if more than 2bit is used.