The MUSCAT Readout Electronics Backend: Design and Pre-deployment Performance

Journal of Low Temperature Physics, vol. 211, pp. 289–301

Abstract

Abstract MUSCAT is a new large-format 1.1 mm continuum camera for local and extra-galactic astronomy currently being installed at the 50 m Large Millimetre Telescope Alfonso Serrano, LMT. The focal plane is populated with 1458 feedhorn coupled Aluminium LEKIDs, cooled to 130 mk, and read out with 6 frequency division multiplexed RF readout chains, each with a 500 MHz bandwidth. The nominal mux ratio is $$\sim$$ ∼ 250 resonators per chain with an average spacing of 2 MHz between resonators. In each RF chain, the multiplexed waveform generation/decomposition is performed with the BLAST-TNG firmware on a ROACH2 FPGA board with a MUSIC DAC/ADC. The quadrature modulated IF signals are mixed to and from the LEKID readout band on a custom card that houses IQ mixers, a programmable synthesizer, and additional programmable input and output gain control and filtering. Within the cryostat, the RF signals are attenuated prior to reaching the focal plane array and then amplified at 4K. A novel software system controls all the programmable hardware and handles instructions from the LMT instrument control system to record and store observation data, as well as performing automated resonator retuning and providing results of quick look analysis to the telescope operators. In this paper, we present the detailed design and in-lab performance of the cryogenic and room temperature electronics, and the software control system.

Authors 22

1. Sam Rowe corresponding

   Cardiff University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

2. Peter S. Barry

   Argonne National Laboratory · University of Chicago

   Affiliation as printed

   Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Lemont, IL, USA

   University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL, USA

   Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, USA

   University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

3. K. S. Karkare

   Cardiff University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

4. Ανδρέας Παπαγεωργίου

   Cardiff University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

5. Peter A. R. Ade

   Cardiff University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

   School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

6. Thomas L. R. Brien Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

   Space Research Organisation Netherlands

   Affiliation as printed

   SRON-Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands

   SRON-Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Groningen, The Netherlands

7. Edgar Castillo-Domínguez

   National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

   Affiliation as printed

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

8. D. Ferrusca

   National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

   Affiliation as printed

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

9. Víctor Gómez-Rivera

   National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

   Affiliation as printed

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

   Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

10. Peter Hargrave

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

11. José Luis Hernández-Rebollar

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

12. Amber L. Hornsby

    Cardiff University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

13. J. M. Jáuregui-García

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

14. Philip D. Mauskopf

    Arizona State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Arizona State University, Tempe, USA

15. Dulce Murias

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

16. Enzo Pascale

    Sapienza University of Rome

    Affiliation as printed

    Dipartimiento di Fisica, La Sapienza Universitá di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Dipartimiento di Fisica, La Sapienza Universitá di Roma, Rome, Italy

17. Abel Pérez

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

18. Matthew W. L. Smith

    Cardiff University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

19. Carole Tucker

    Cardiff University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

20. Miguel Velázquez

    Cardiff University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

21. David H. Hughes

    National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Santa María Tonantzintla, 72840, Puebla, Mexico

    Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Puebla, Mexico

22. Simon M. Doyle

    Cardiff University

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, CF24 3AA, Cardiff, UK

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK