ALMA correlator Tunable Filter Bank prototype

ALMA Correlator Tunable Filter Bank prototype being tested at the Observatoire de Bordeaux.

The ALMA Correlator, to be installed in the AOS Technical Building, is the last component in the receiving end of the data transmission. It is a very large data processing system, composed of four quadrants, each of which can process data coming from up to 16 different antennas. The complete correlator will have 2912 printed circuit boards, 5200 interface cables and more than 20 million solder points.

Integral parts of the Correlator are Tunable Filter Bank (TFB) cards. The layout is such that four TFB cards are needed for the data coming from a single antenna. The TFB cards have been developed and optimized by the University of Bordeaux.