Architecture of the MAD real-time computer

Enrico Fedrigo; Robert Donaldson

doi:10.1117/12.458926

7 February 2003 Architecture of the MAD real-time computer

Enrico Fedrigo, Robert Donaldson

Proceedings Volume 4839, Adaptive Optical System Technologies II; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458926
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

The ESO-MAD (MCAO Technological Demonstrator) is a fast track project aimed at demonstrating the maturity of the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics concept through a prototype MCAO instrument that uses only natural guide stars. This prototype features two different wavefront sensing architectures (Shack-Hartmann and Layer-Oriented), two deformable mirrors and one tip/tilt stage. One of the objectives of MAD is also to explore computing architectures different from the ones adopted so far. MAD-RTC is based on the latest generation general-purpose processors in a parallel architecture that can easily (even though not unexpensively) scale up to accomodate large or very large MCAO systems. MAD-RTC is a multi-wavefront-sensor multi-algorithm real time computer implemented in a Quad-G4 PPC computing board. It is designed to be a test-bed to study different solutions for the future MCAO systems: it can accept data from multiple CCDs in different configurations, use different reconstruction and control algorithms and drive multiple mirrors simultaneously.

Citation Download Citation

Enrico Fedrigo and Robert Donaldson "Architecture of the MAD real-time computer", Proc. SPIE 4839, Adaptive Optical System Technologies II, (7 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458926

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