Improved Adaptive Reconstructor Algorithm Performance using Field Programmable Gate Arrays

This effort will develop a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) architecture/processor for implementation of Adaptive Reconstructor Algorithms (ARA's) for adaptive optics applications. The processor is central to the successful implementation of advancedadaptive optics systems. A processor based on FPGA's offers significant advantages in implementing an ideal image processing architecture These include: true parallelism, high interface throughput, multiply accumulate throughput, determinism, simplicity,and flexibility. With this improved processing capability, it will be possible to implement a new class of Adaptive Reconstructor Algorithm, which can be used to more accurately estimate the wave front. The ARA offers significant improvement in AOperformance by changing the basic characteristics of the AO loop to minimize the residual slope error. The computational load, memory requirement and input-output requirements of the ARA will be accommodated by the new processor architecture.