ALMA Memo #380
The Correlator at the OSF?

Bryan Anderson and Roshene McCool
University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory

2001-07-02

In the baseline ALMA system, the correlator is housed at the Array Operating Site (AOS) near the telescope array. It might, however, minimise the costs of buildings, construction and operations if the correltor were to be housed at the Operations Support Facility (OSF), some way down the mountain. This document is intended to provide information on costings which could influence the location of the correltor in the final ALMA system.

A previous memo (ALMA memo 349), has shown that there are no significant technical difficulties in extending the IF Data transfer fibers as far as San Pedro. In this study, the incremental costs of extra fibres and fibre optic components for IF data transmission to an OSF in one of two different locations are estimated. We illustrate that the increased fiber-optics costs seem modest compared to the likely costs of buildings and operations at the AOS in the baseline plan. It is left to other groups to evaluate these costs so that a decision on which option to pursue can be taken.

View a pdf version of ALMA Memo 380.