JBO - MERLIN Development Correlator

The MERLIN Development Correlator

The MERLIN Development Correlator

A small scale version of the MERLIN Correlator has been built and provided with real time signals from three telescopes. It provides two functions. Firstly it provides a facility for fault diagnosis and repair of the board types used in the MERLIN Correlator under full operational conditions. Secondly it is providing a test bed on which the hardware and software for the MERLIN Correlator upgrade can be developed.

The MERLIN Correlator is currently operated under the overall control of a microVAX computer system. This is interfaced to the correlator system through a 68010 microprocessor system. The present system limits the maximum rate at which data can be transferred from the Correlator Cards making some observations less efficient than they could be given faster processors to retrieve and store the data. The upgrade to the MERLIN Correlator will replace the microVAX computer with SUN workstation based system and upgrade the 680010 microcomputer with a new system using the more powerfull 68040 processor.

Until the new Development Correlator was built, development work on the new system was limited to periods when MERLIN was non-operational such as the summer engineering period. Now the software development can be carried out full time using the functionally identical Development Correlator.

When the MERLIN Correlator has been upgraded the Development Correlator will continue to have a valuable role in the repair and testing of parts of the Correlator system.

Splitter to provide the Development Correlator with signals from three Telescopes.

Current Status

The hardware system is complete and can accept the signals from three telescopes. It has been used to carry out a major testing and refurbishment programme on the Correlator Cards, and is now being used for hardware and software development of the new Correlator Computer System.

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