DBBC2

Introduction

Both the Mark IV and VLBA VLBI terminals use now obsolete analog electronics for mixing up to 14 and 8 channels respectively down to baseband. A project was started a few years ago to develop digital converters/mixers for this task. Gino Tuccari of Noto Observatory designed and develops such a system. MPIfR (M. Wunderlich) designed the analog to digital converter boards. The first and second versions are ready now. A VSI to 10 GE converterboard will be ready in a few months.

The production of DBBC Version 2 (DBBC.2) is about to start. From January 2009 on DBBCs can be ordered from a spin-off company called HAT-Lab, founded by IRA-INAF and supported by MPIfR (1 technician working here 1/2 time).

As of December 2010 the DBBC as such seems to work with polyphase filterbank firmware and digital downconverter firmware. The project is thus successfully ended.

Project Web Page:    http://www.noto.ira.inaf.it/index.php/project