New DTS Passes Preliminary Design Review 

26 December, 2024 / Read time: 3 minutes

The preliminary design review for the new Data Transmission System (DTS) for the ALMA radiotelescope has been completed successfully, allowing the development project to proceed to the following detailed design phase. This system is being developed as part of the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU), which aims to enhance ALMA’s observational capabilities significantly. The WSU encompasses performance improvements for many components, including receivers. The DTS plays a critical role in transferring the vast amounts of data generated by astronomical observations to the correlator and spectrometer at high speeds. 

The development is led by the National Astronomy Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) in collaboration with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the United States. The Photonic Network Laboratory of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has also provided technical support. The team aims to meet the requirement of a data rate of 1.2 Tb/s, approximately 10 times higher than the current maximum rate of 120 Gb/s. The team also has set a stretch goal of supporting a data rate of 1.6 Tb/s. 

The preliminary design review is a crucial process to evaluate the technical feasibility and progress of the development. A review meeting attended by reviewers, stakeholders, and development team members was held on October 24, 2024, at the Mitaka Campus of NAOJ. During the meeting, the development team provided detailed reports on the system design, performance verification test results, and other key aspects. The participants engaged in active discussions, offering constructive feedback on technical matters. Furthermore, a demonstration using the DTS components was presented at the NAOJ Advanced Technology Center on the same campus. This provided stakeholders with a valuable opportunity to see and observe the WSU equipment in actual operation for the first time. 

The review panel acknowledged the development team’s efforts to overcome challenges during the design process to meet the demanding technical requirements. Having passed this important milestone, the team has now proceeded to the critical design phase, aiming to bring the WSU system closer to realization. 

Additional Information 

Core Members of the Development Team Shun Ishii (NAOJ), Takeshi Kamazaki (NAOJ), Christoph Jacques (NRAO), Eiichi Ebihara (NAOJ), and Miho Fujieda (NICT). 

The original announce was published by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), an ALMA partner on behalf of East Asia. 

ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada), NSTC and ASIAA (Taiwan), and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ. 
 

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