Low Power Digital Correlator System for PATH Mission

The NASA's PATH mission employs a synthetic aperture radiometer that produces 768 IF (10MHz - 500MHz) signals. Digitizing the signals results in 1.536Tb/s (1GS/s, 2-bit) data stream. Within the NASA's SBIR contracts NNX12CE50P and NNX13CP01C, Pacific Microchip Corp. has developed a low power 64x64 cross-correlator ASIC offering the reduction of the amount of data to manageable levels. This ASIC includes an array of 128 digitizers operated at 1GS/s and 2-bit precision. This ASIC is the key component in the proposed cross-correlator system for the PATH mission. The innovation offers to greatly reduce the power consumption, weight and the system's complexity. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of implementation of the system based on the developed ASIC. We will design the cross-correlator system's schematic, its behavioral model and will run the simulations proving the requirements of the PATH mission can be met. The PCB will also be designed to prove the feasibility of the system's physical implementation and meeting electrical and thermal requirements. Phase II will result in the complete system's assembly, its electrical and thermal characterization and validation on the PATH's radiometer which is being developed at JPL.