Monitor and Control Hardware

Introduction
Typical GBT receivers, those with four or fewer pixels, utilize a monitor and control system based on the VLBA Standard Interface Board. At the time the Standard Interface Board was designed it had more capacity than the foreseen needs of NRAO receivers, up to 256 digital control bits and 64 analog voltage inputs connected via an RS-485 Serial bus. The K-band Focal Plane Array with a projected 61 dual polarization pixels and associated down converters presents a need for on the order of a thousand digital control bits and two thousand analog voltage channels. Additionally, newer, complex GBT instruments are connected to the telescope network via Ethernet over optical fiber. Clearly a higher capacity Monitor and Control system is needed.

Distributed Monitor and Control
Since the K-band Focal Plane Array is a ‘distributed’ receiver with active modules spread over a large area relative to a traditional receiver the argument can be made for distributing the monitor and control system as well, especially since a central M + C system would require a formidable complex of wiring to achieve the necessary connections. For the K-band Focal Plane Array we plan to utilize the Inter-Integrated Circuit bus standard, or I2C, for communicating commands and data between small Monitor and Control modules located in or near the distributed receiver components. This is a bi-directional, two wire, serial interface with one wire providing a clock running at up to 400 kHz and the other wire carrying commands and data to and from intelligent devices. Individual devices have three bit addresses and groups of eight will be isolated by gated bus buffers.

For biasing the cryogenic low noise amplifiers a constant drain current source is controlled by voltage references in turn adjusted by non-volatile, digital potentiometers. The non-volatility of the settings results in bias levels automatically returning to their previous settings immediately after power has been removed and restored. Not that resetting all the bias settings would be time consuming, to reset and verify the bias for all 488 amplifier stages takes less than a second. Verification of bias settings is done on the bias card by a pair of multi channel A/D converters that return the data to the controller over the I2C bus.

Other components of the receiver would contain the necessary I2C components for monitoring and control of their particular function and be addressed via the I2C bus. More than one I2C bus would be used with major groups of receiver components on a bus specific to their function.

General Concept

  • An Ethernet card with associated circuitry to monitor the receiver.
  • Master controller would have one Ethernet connection to the outside world.
  • Master controller would live in an RFI-tight box, with only power, fiber, and I2C lines exiting the enclosure.
  • Pixel-select line 0 could be used for selection of global monitor and control points.
  • IIC A/D converters and parallel I/O should be used to interface the global monitor points. Signal conditioning will be provided to put the signals in the best place to use the available bits of the A/D converter.
  • Adjusting and monitoring of the bias would take place between scans or other times active observing is not taking place and the IIc bus will be dormant during observing to eliminate any possible RFI generated by the IIC bus.

Monitor and Control Points

  • KFPA7MCB.xls: MCB I2C addressing data for the seven pixel receiver.

The usual M+C points of a GBT Receiver:
  1. LNA Bias Vdd and Idd.
  2. 15K, 50K and 300K stage temperatures.
  3. Power supply voltages.
  4. Dewar and Pump vacuum levels.
  5. Cryogenic system logic state (Control and Monitor).
  6. Calibration system logic state (Control and Monitor).
  7. CAL ON state
  8. LO1 levels

Plus:
  1. Additional 15k and 50K monitors
  2. Calibration system monitoring: Vd(overall), Vg(overall), Id per pixel, ~63 points. The Id/pixel could be done with the planned LNA bias system by not monitoring Vg on the last LNA stages, monitoring Id-noise and V-LED, but there would need to be a command to fire the noise source and check the current between scans.
  3. Integrated Downconverter Modules: Power supplies V and I, LO Power and amp current levels, attenuator control bits per pixel, ~440 analog monitor points, ~610 digital control and monitor bits. Quite substantial, certainly something for the IIc bus concept, maybe it calls for an IIc M+C sub-card with 8-16 analog inputs and 16 digital in/outputs, in this case piggybacked on the down converter body or M+C/power connector.

HEMT Bias

Current Bias Plan:
  • A diagram of the system internal to the dewar is attached below.
  • Use the IIc bus protocol to address bias adjustments and bias monitoring through the dewar wall, keeping the micro or single board outside the dewar and running the IIc bus through a hermetic connector.
  • Inside the dewar will be a backplane carrying the cryogenic LNA bias regulator cards. IIc bus buffers controlled by a 16 channel I2C I/O expander control IIc communications with the bias cards, allowing only one card at a time to be addressed. The I/O expander has 3 user-configurable bits, 8 can be placed on the same I2C bus in future, expanded arrays.
  • LNA On/Off by polarization will be controlled by 16 channel I2C I/O expanders. Each I/O expander has 3 user-configurable bits, 8 can be placed on the same I2C bus.
  • Each pixel bias card supplies both polarizations and will have an IIc bus buffer/enable to address the particular pixel, a bias circuit covering all eight LNA stages and IIc, 12 channel A/D converters for monitoring of individual V-drain, I-drain V-gate and V-LED values. The A/D converters are available in 4 different base addresses per model number.
  • Bias circuit will use the analog, LNA part of the ALMA bias circuit but will derive control voltages from voltage reference sources and non-volatile, IIc interface, digital potentiometers. Each non-vol pot has 3 user-configurable bits, 8 can be placed on the same I2C bus.
  • Adjusting and monitoring would have to take place between scans or other times active observing is not taking place and the IIc bus shut off during observing.

Thermal Contribution of the Bias Wires
  • Load:
    • Using figures from VLBA Technical Report 3, #32 brass (260) wires, 10 per LNA, 61 elements, 2 polarizations (1220 wires) from 300K to 15K loads the 15K stage with approximately 2.7 watts.
    • Using figures from Lake Shore tables and from eq. 1 of NRAO EDIR 306, manganin wire 40 cm long, 10 per LNA, 61 elements, 2 polarizations (1220 wires) from 300K to 15K would put approximately 430 milliwatts into the 15K stage.
    • Phosphor-bronze wire in the same conditions would put approximately 921 milliwatts into the 15K stage.
    • #36 manganin wire in the same conditions would put approximately 168 milliwatts into the 15K stage.
    • #36 Phosphor-bronze wire in the same conditions would put approximately 360 milliwatts into the 15K stage.
  • Considering both conduction and dissipation due to lead resistance #32 manganin wire will have the lowest thermal contribution.

Notes on the Bias Design

Each amplifier requires 10 bias wires, so N (number of elements) x 2 = somewhere near 1200 wires.

How are all these bias wires managed?
  • Locate the cards in the dewar and use a multiplex for the monitor points.
    • Will the bias settings need to be changed after the dewar is pumped down and cooled? We're assuming 'yes,' and designing the system to do that.
  • Is there room inside the dewar?
    • Footprint of bias system must be no larger than the feed array footprint. Bias cards can be located anywhere within ~40cm of wire run from the LNA's.


As-Built Circuit Schematics, Images

IIC Enable/Cal Switching Module: 7pixEnCal.pdf

LNA Bias Card Backplane: Backplane-D.pdf

LNA Bias Card: BiasCard-F-54.pdf

Cryo Temperature Sensor Card: TempSensor-A.pdf

Vacuum Sensor Card: VacSense-A.pdf

LNA Bias Enclosure:
Bias backplane in the back of the enclosure, temperature sensor card at the lower-left, flexi-conduit to the cryostat at the upper-right.
11020015.JPG


SBC and Media Converter Enclosure:
Netburner SBC at upper-left, I2C connections to Enable/Cal board at upper-right, fiber to Ethernet converter at lower-left.
11050028.JPG


Populated Bias Backplane:
One bias card per amplifier, seven dual-polarization pixels, fourteen bias cards.
11050030.JPG
>

Full receiver without covers.:
IMG 0907.jpg

Component Data Sheets:

* LK204-25.pdf: LK204-25 LCD IIc Display

* MAX5477-MAX5479.pdf: MAX5477-MAX5479 Series of Non-Volatile, Dual, Digital Potentiometers

* MAX1136-MAX1139M.pdf: MAX1136-MAX1139M Series of 10 Bit, 12 Channel A/D Converters

* MAX1036-MAX1039M.pdf: MAX1036-MAX1039M Series of 8 Bit, 12 Channel A/D Converters

* MAX320-MAX322.pdf: MAX320-MAX322 Analog Switches (MAX321)

* pca9534a.pdf: PCA9534 8 bit I/O expander

* pca9535.pdf: PCA9535 16 Bit I/O Expander

* ies5501-datasheet.pdf: IES5501 IIc Bi-Directional Bus Buffer


Topic attachments
I Attachment Action Size Date Who Comment
11020015.JPGJPG 11020015.JPG manage 60 K 2022-09-02 - 13:36 GalenWatts LNA Bias Enclosure
11050028.JPGJPG 11050028.JPG manage 58 K 2022-09-02 - 13:39 GalenWatts SBC and Media Converter Enclosure
11050030.JPGJPG 11050030.JPG manage 60 K 2022-09-02 - 13:42 GalenWatts Populated Bias Backplane
7pixEnCal.pdfpdf 7pixEnCal.pdf manage 59 K 2022-09-02 - 13:31 GalenWatts IIC Enable/Cal Switching MOdule
Backplane-D.pdfpdf Backplane-D.pdf manage 184 K 2022-09-02 - 13:32 GalenWatts LNA Bias Card Backplane
BiasCard-F-54.pdfpdf BiasCard-F-54.pdf manage 140 K 2022-09-02 - 13:33 GalenWatts LNA Bias Card
I2CblockC.pdfpdf I2CblockC.pdf manage 114 K 2008-02-13 - 10:01 GalenWatts  
IMG_0907.jpgjpg IMG_0907.jpg manage 278 K 2022-09-09 - 11:57 GalenWatts Full receiver without covers.
LK204-25.pdfpdf LK204-25.pdf manage 4 MB 2008-04-23 - 13:46 GalenWatts  
MAX1036-MAX1039M.pdfpdf MAX1036-MAX1039M.pdf manage 427 K 2008-02-11 - 07:56 GalenWatts  
MAX1136-MAX1139M.pdfpdf MAX1136-MAX1139M.pdf manage 527 K 2008-02-11 - 07:55 GalenWatts  
MAX320-MAX322.pdfpdf MAX320-MAX322.pdf manage 109 K 2008-03-10 - 09:40 GalenWatts  
MAX5477-MAX5479.pdfpdf MAX5477-MAX5479.pdf manage 693 K 2008-02-11 - 07:55 GalenWatts  
MonCtrlSpec0.docdoc MonCtrlSpec0.doc manage 276 K 2008-02-18 - 12:29 GalenWatts M+C Spec A02920N002
TempSensor-A.pdfpdf TempSensor-A.pdf manage 45 K 2022-09-02 - 13:33 GalenWatts Cryo Temperature Sensor Card
VacSense-A.pdfpdf VacSense-A.pdf manage 38 K 2022-09-02 - 13:35 GalenWatts Vacuum Sensor Card
ies5501-datasheet.pdfpdf ies5501-datasheet.pdf manage 713 K 2008-02-11 - 08:01 GalenWatts  
ina132.pdfpdf ina132.pdf manage 305 K 2008-03-04 - 09:11 GalenWatts INA132 DIff Amp
ina152.pdfpdf ina152.pdf manage 291 K 2008-03-04 - 09:11 GalenWatts INA152 Diff Amp
pca6107.pdfpdf pca6107.pdf manage 503 K 2008-02-11 - 07:53 GalenWatts  
pca9534a.pdfpdf pca9534a.pdf manage 964 K 2008-03-04 - 09:03 GalenWatts 8 bit I/O expander
pca9535.pdfpdf pca9535.pdf manage 1021 K 2008-02-11 - 07:55 GalenWatts  
tlc226xa.pdfpdf tlc226xa.pdf manage 1 MB 2008-03-04 - 09:15 GalenWatts TI TLC226x Op Amps
This topic: KPAF > DirectorsOffice > EngPlanning > HEMTBiasCard
Topic revision: 2022-09-09, GalenWatts
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