MWAX: A New Correlator for the Murchison Widefield Array
arXiv:2303.11557 · doi:10.1017/pasa.2023.15
Abstract
We describe the design, validation, and commissioning of a new correlator termed "MWAX" for the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) low-frequency radio telescope. MWAX replaces an earlier generation MWA correlator, extending correlation capabilities and providing greater flexibility, scalability, and maintainability. MWAX is designed to exploit current and future Phase II/III upgrades to MWA infrastructure, most notably the simultaneous correlation of all 256 of the MWA's antenna tiles (and potentially more in future). MWAX is a fully software-programmable correlator based around an ethernet multicast architecture. At its core is a cluster of 24 high-performance GPU-enabled commercial-off-the-shelf compute servers that together process in real-time up to 24 coarse channels of 1.28 MHz bandwidth each. The system is highly flexible and scalable in terms of the number of antenna tiles and number of coarse channels to be correlated, and it offers a wide range of frequency / time resolution combinations to users. We conclude with a roadmap of future enhancements and extensions that we anticipate will be progressively rolled out over time.
arXiv commentAccepted for publication in PASA. 22 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables
References in corpus (8)
- Astropy: A Community Python Package for Astronomy
- CASA, the Common Astronomy Software Applications for Radio Astronomy
- DSPSR: Digital Signal Processing Software for Pulsar Astronomy
- Characterization of a Low-Frequency Radio Astronomy Prototype Array in Western Australia
- Cobalt: A GPU-based correlator and beamformer for LOFAR
- The Murchison Widefield Array Correlator
- Low(er) frequency follow-up of 28 candidate, large-scale synchrotron sources
- An Ultra-High Time Resolution Cosmic Ray Detection Mode for the Murchison Widefield Array