Table of contents
- 1. Standard frequency setup (2Gbps, dual-pol)
- 2. Setup for 4 Gbps
- 2.1.1. DBBC Setup
- 2.1.2. Fila10G Setup
- 3. ALMA Mode 4 Gbps (fullband mode)
- 3.1.1. DBBC2 setup
- 3.1.2.
- 3.1.3. FILA10G setup
Standard frequency setup (2Gbps, dual-pol)
The standard GMVA frequency setup is used for more than 90% of all observations. The data-rate is at present restricted to 2 Gbps due to limitations at the VLBA, which may get lifted in the near future.
Other frequency setups which are listed in the VLBA table of setups (see frequency.dat of SCHED) for the 86 GHz receiver are possible though, but not all stations may be able to tune to all the LOs given in that table.
Setup (European stations & VLBA)
def 86380.00MHz16x32MHz;
* mode = 1 stations =Eb:Ef:On:Mh:Ys:Pv:Gb:Nl:Pt:La:Fd:Kp:Ov:Br:Mk:Lm
sample_rate = 64.000 Ms/sec; * (2bits/sample)
chan_def = : 86380.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH01 : &BBC01 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86380.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH02 : &BBC02 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86348.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH03 : &BBC03 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86348.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH04 : &BBC04 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86316.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH05 : &BBC05 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86316.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH06 : &BBC06 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86284.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH07 : &BBC07 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86284.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH08 : &BBC08 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86252.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH09 : &BBC09 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86252.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH10 : &BBC10 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH11 : &BBC11 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH12 : &BBC12 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86188.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH13 : &BBC13 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86188.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH14 : &BBC14 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH15 : &BBC15 : &L_Cal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH16 : &BBC16 : &L_Cal; *Lcp
enddef;
Setup (KVN stations)
def 86156.00MHz8x32MHz;
* mode = 1 stations =Ky:Ku:Kt
sample_rate = 64.000 Ms/sec; * (2bits/sample)
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH01 : &BBC01 : &NoCal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH02 : &BBC02 : &NoCal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : U : 32.00 MHz : &CH03 : &BBC01 : &NoCal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86156.00 MHz : U : 32.00 MHz : &CH04 : &BBC02 : &NoCal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH05 : &BBC01 : &NoCal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : L : 32.00 MHz : &CH06 : &BBC02 : &NoCal; *Rcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : U : 32.00 MHz : &CH07 : &BBC01 : &NoCal; *Lcp
chan_def = : 86220.00 MHz : U : 32.00 MHz : &CH08 : &BBC02 : &NoCal; *Rcp
enddef;
LO=85500 MHz
DBBC2 stations have to use the flex mode with the following channel selection in the prc-file:
vsi1=a05,a06,a07,a08,a09,a10,a11,a12,b05,b06,b07,b08,b09,b10,b11,b12
Stations which can only offer a reduced bandwidth of bitrate are considered non-standard. Setups have to be negotiated with the GMVA technical team (chair: W. Alef, MPIfR)
All other setups are non-standard and require consultation with the GMVA scheduler or technical team (chair: W. Alef, MPIfR).
Setup for 4 Gbps
In this mode 32 channels of 32 MHz from the PFB will be used. 16 channels for each polarization. To avoid the complications by the tracklist in the flex mode it would be preferred to observe this part using the basic "dbbcform=spol" mode. This requires the IFs to be connected to the last two Core2Boards. As we need this for the ALMA mode below as well this should not be an issue for this test. If necessary at all stations need to recable any how.
The configuration is then quite simple:
DBBC Setup
dbbcform=spol
All data from the last Core2Board (presumably IFD) will be send to VSI1 and all from last-1 (presumably IFC) to VSI2.
Fila10G Setup
splitmode off inputselect vsi1-2 vsi_samplerate 64000000 reset vdif_frame 2 32 8000 reset
This will produce a joint 64 bit stream with the first 32 bits from VSI1 and the second half with 32 bits from VSI2. If the correlator prefers to have alternating channels we would also need to command the permutation matrix from below.
regwrite chan_perm 0 0x21200100
regwrite chan_perm 1 0x23220302
regwrite chan_perm 2 0x25240504
regwrite chan_perm 3 0x27260706
regwrite chan_perm 4 0x29280908
regwrite chan_perm 5 0x2B2A0B0A
regwrite chan_perm 6 0x2D2C0D0C
regwrite chan_perm 7 0x2F2E0F0E
regwrite chan_perm 8 0x31301110
regwrite chan_perm 9 0x33321312
regwrite chan_perm 10 0x35341514
regwrite chan_perm 11 0x37361716
regwrite chan_perm 12 0x39381918
regwrite chan_perm 13 0x3B3A1B1A
regwrite chan_perm 14 0x3D3C1D1C
regwrite chan_perm 15 0x3F3E1F1E
reset
After all the settings have been done, the Fila10G needs a timesync from FMSET or in case of an internal GPS a manual fila10g=timesync.
ALMA Mode 4 Gbps (fullband mode)
For ALMA compatibilty the DBBC2 stations must observe in fullband PFB mode covering the full 512 MHz per polarisation in a single IF channel.
NOTE: You must use the last two core boards in the DBBC2 board stack for the fullband mode. All data from the last Core2Board (presumably IFD) will be send to VSI1 and all from last-1 (presumably IFC) to VSI2. There is no option to choose something else.
DBBC2 setup
Restart of the DBBC PFB control software is not required unless the DDC mode was used prior to the fullband mode.
The only option to be commanded is
dbbcform=full_auto
FILA10G setup
To combine the both VSI streams it is usually enough to set the Fila10G to:
splitmode off
inputselect vsi1-2
vsi_samplerate 64000000
reset keepsync
vdif_station PV (<-change to your station code)
vdif_frame 2 2 5000 ct=off
reset keepsync
regwrite chan_perm 0 0x21200100
regwrite chan_perm 1 0x23220302
regwrite chan_perm 2 0x25240504
regwrite chan_perm 3 0x27260706
regwrite chan_perm 4 0x29280908
regwrite chan_perm 5 0x2B2A0B0A
regwrite chan_perm 6 0x2D2C0D0C
regwrite chan_perm 7 0x2F2E0F0E
regwrite chan_perm 8 0x31301110
regwrite chan_perm 9 0x33321312
regwrite chan_perm 10 0x35341514
regwrite chan_perm 11 0x37361716
regwrite chan_perm 12 0x39381918
regwrite chan_perm 13 0x3B3A1B1A
regwrite chan_perm 14 0x3D3C1D1C
regwrite chan_perm 15 0x3F3E1F1E
reset keepsync
timesync
Note: the last command "timesync" will only work if your FiLA10G is equipped with a GPS module/antenna. If this is not the case at your station you can do the time syncronization either:
-
manually: timesync <YYYY>-<MM>-<DD>T<hh>:<mm>:<ss>
-
use the FS fmset command. This must be done prior to executing the above procedure!
IMPORTANT: Do not use FMSET to sync the FILA10G after executing the above procedure as this will partially overwrite the above setting.
Note: The regwrite statements will join the two steams to a single 64 bit stream one after each other VSI1 bit 0-31 and VSI2 bit 32 to 61. The correlator expects to have alternating bits from channel 1 and 2. VSI1 bit 0+1, VSI2 bit2+3, ....
The mode has been succesfully tested at Effelsberg (details).
