ESO Adaptive Optics NGSD/LGSD Prototype Controller for the E-ELT

摘要

This paper presents the development of the ESO prototype detector controller for the Adaptive Optics imager in the E-ELT which is based on the e2v Natural Guide Star Detector (NGSD) and Laser Guide Star Detector (LGSD). NGSD is a 880×840 pixel CMOS array organized as 44×42 sub-apertures of 20×20 pixel each. NGSD is exactly 1/4 of the LGSD and therefore it is considered a scaled down demonstrator for the LGSD. The detector controller requirements present important challenges in the design of the electronics due to the low-power, low-noise and high parallel data rate of the detectors involved. The general architecture of the controller along with the front-end electronics to drive and read-out the detector are described here. This electronics is based on Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGAs.