December 2022

RadioUniversePRO is the most advanced software ever developed for radio astronomy with compact radio telescopes: it gives you all the power to control the different components of your radio telescope with an immediate and easy-to-use interface. You do not have to worry about using different softwares, RadioUniversePRO is your intuitive control and data acquisition interfaces with the radio telescope. RadioUniversePRO is not sold separately and is supplied only with SPIDER radio telescopes.

 

Included with every SPIDER radio telescope, our RadioUniversePRO software allows you to control the antenna position and acquisition parameters of the receiver. This way you cannot only record data coming from the sky (deleting eventual artificial signal interferences) but also transits or radio-images of radio sources in the sky you want to study.

 

RadioUniversePRO radio astronomy software for SPIDER radio telescopes: key features

• Control software for SPIDER radio telescopes
• Intuitive and easy-to-use: in single a screen it shows all the controls of the radio telescope
• Mount control: it allows you to remotely control SPIDER 300A and SPIDER 500A radio telescopes with alt-az computerized mount, and SPIDER 230C radio telescope with german computerized equatorial mounts and ASCOM driver (it requires the installation of ASCOM platform)
• Receiver control: it allows you to connect and control H142-One receiver of SPIDER radio telescopes
• Data save in graphic format (PNG) and raw (FITS) compatible with NASA FITS Viewer.

 

RadioUniversePRO: IF Monitor

It displays the data coming from the radio telescope to the receiver in form of a Power Spectrum (upper row) and FFT Waterfall (lower row), both for Left and Right Polarization. Power spectrum is the graphical representation of the electromagnetic power distribution in the operative band, through the RF chain.

 

RadioUniversePRO: BBC Tool

BBC Tools window allow you to visualize in real time the uncalibrated power spectrum of the input signal in both IF left and right. RadioUniversePRO allows you to use a group of digital filters (16+16) fully tunable on the 2 Intermediate Frequencies. Every filter is identified by a BBC (Base Band Converter) label and a number from 01 to 16. Every filter can be set in frequency and bandpass.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Offset alignment

Offset alignments is the instrument that is used to synchronize the radio telescope on the radio sources position on the sky, by reducing the pointing errors on 2 axis of the mount. The radio telescope will perform automatic measurements of Total Power values by varying latitude and longitude offsets. When the procedure is completed, RadioUniversePRO will complete plotting of the graphs and calculate the best offsets to send to the mount electronics in order to better align to the pointed radio source.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Source visibilities

Source Visibilities tab lists the most powerful radio sources in the sky. This tab is designed in order to allow you to have a quick idea on the radio sources available that you can point and study with your radio telescope (detection level is different based on the SPIDER radio telescope model you use). In order to point the radio telescope to any of the listed radio sources, just make a mouse double click on the radio source row and the radio telescope will point it.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Gain calibration

Gain Calibration procedure executes Total Power measurements (by using the proper BBC filters the users selects) on a set of radio sources with a known radio flux by literature. During the Gain Calibration procedure, a proper polinome function allow RadioUniversePRO to calculate the theoretical flux in Jy the radio telescope would record without any atmospheric attenuation or any gain loss because of different factors (antenna deformation because of its weight for example).

 

RadioUniversePRO: OnOff

OnOff tab allows you to perform an ON-OFF recording on a radio source. The radio telescope is pointed to the radio source (ON position) and the data is collected. Then it’s moved in a position OFF the source and another set of data is collected and used to calibrate the previous one. This way you’re able to reduce the radio noise and the effect of external components (like the Earth atmosphere).

 

RadioUniversePRO: Spectrometer

During acquisition, every spectrum is shown in the “Spectrometer” tab, both for left and right polarizations. At the end of acquisition, RadioUniversePRO will automatically perform an average of the data and will display the spectrum. During data acquisition, you can zoom in the spectrum to better visualize parts of it.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Total Power Plots

Total Power Plots are the perfect instruments to easily visualize and record the variation of the radio signal flux over time. Just select the “Plot” option and you will see the value in counts for every BBC filter plotted over time. In the Total Power Plots tab you have the controls that allow the radio telescope to automatically perform a Cross Scan.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Mapping

Mapping tool lets you scan a sky area and convert it into an image map. Select the Mapping tab to reveal Mapping options in the Setup Map area. You can set Width/Height (the side of the Map you want to create), Delta (a moltiplicative factor of the HPBW of your radio telescope, this is the distance from pixel to pixel of the map RadioUniversePRO will create), Average(number of seconds the antenna has to track every pixel and average values).

 

RadioUniversePRO: Envirnomental data

Environmental data tab shows all the data related to environmental conditions and coming from the external sensors of the radio telescope. Here you can connect to the Ultrasonic Wind Sensor and monitor wind speed, check for internal temperature of the WP-100 and WP-400 mounts, and connect to the All Sky Cam and see in real time, inside of the RadioUniversePRO software, the radio telescope you’re controlling.

 

RadioUniversePRO: Dark and Light mode

In order to improve visibility of displayed graphs and recorded results, RadioUniversePRO has a Dark Mode that also makes it easier to stay focused on data coming from the SPIDER radio telescope. You can always come back to the Light mode by selecting View -> Light.

 

RadioUniversePRO: FITS format

RadioUniversePRO lets you save recorded data in graphical format (PNG) as visualized on the user interface but you can also save raw data in FITS format compatible with NASA FITS Viewer, the same software often used by professional radio telescopes. This way users can quickly open and view their data and export them to process with other softwares.

 

RadioUniversePRO: system requirements

• Operative system: Windows 10 (suggested: 64 bit version)
• Screen resolution: at least 1920 x 1080
• RAM memory: 4 GB (suggested: 8 GB)
• Processor: i3 (suggested: i5 or i7)

Would you like for us to build a radio telescope at your location? Our  team is able to ship to you and install one or more of our radio telescopes – here what you need to know beforehand.

 

Radio telescope schematics

Radio2Space radio telescopes are composed of components to be installed outside (radio telescope antenna and mount) and others to be installed inside (receiver, antenna control unit, other accessories and control software). All elements must be properly powered and must be connected to each other with special data cables provided with the radio telescope. Here you can see the general schematics of the elements composing Radio2Space radio telescopes.

 

 

Power and data cables

The antenna has to be connected to the radio telescope control room with an underground pipe where power and data cables have to be inserted. In order to avoid too high gain losses, we suggest having the control room closer than 50 meters from the radio telescope antenna. If you have longer distances, we recommend the optional Radio over Fiber Optics kit.

 

 

Concrete base

In order to guarantee utmost safety and stability, it is necessary to install the radio telescopes (except for the SPIDER 230C model that comes with a field tripod) on a reinforced concrete base that has to be prepared by the customer (we can provide the concrete base suggested design to the customer). The radio telescope is equipped with a dedicated column for ground anchorage to support the forces generated by large antenna.

 

 

In the control room

In the control room, receivers and various devices can be set on a table or in a standard 19″ rack. If you haven’t a rack, we can supply you our RK19 rack that comes with fans for temperature control and remote power on/off. The entire radio telescope is controlled with our RadioUniversePRO software that has to be installed on a Windows computer that is not included with the radio telescope. If you haven’t a PC, we can provide you with our CMP-19 computer for radio telescopes.

 

 

Security and environmental control

Radio2Space radio telescopes (except for 230C model) are designed to be functional also in bad weather and windy conditions. However, the radio telescope has to be parked in Stow position (with the antenna facing the Zenith) when the wind exceed 50 km/h. The optional UltraSonic Wind Sensor continuously monitor the speed and direction of the wind and, if the wind speed exceeds 50 km/h, automatically parks the radio telescope in safety position (thus reducing the wind load on the antenna).

 

If you like for us to build a radio telescope at your location and you want more info, click here to contact us.

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Affordable radio interferometry

Radio interferometry is the technique used by professional radio astronomers to create a single large radio telescope using multiple smaller antennas. Radio interferometry allows radio astronomers to obtain radio pictures with higher angular resolution, but up until now this technique has been used only in very expensive research instruments….

Today we present our next challenge – To develop the first affordable radio interferometry system for SPIDER radio telescopes!

 

 

Radio interferometry and angular resolution

Exploring the Universe by means of detecting radio waves has many advantages, like performing radio astronomy during daytime and in adverse weather conditions. However, since the angular resolution of a telescope is directly proportional to the wavelength, a radio telescope has an angular resolution much smaller than an optical telescope. For example, the angular resolution is calculated by this formula:

θ = 2.5 x 10⁵ * (λ/D)

where θ is in arcseconds and λ (wavelength) and D (telescope diameter) are in meters.

Considering an optical telescope with 50cm diameter (0.5m) with medium value of 550nm of λ (5,5×10-7 m), the theoretical angular resolution is:

θ = 2.5 x 10⁵ * (5.5×10^-7 / 0,5) = 0.275 arcseconds

If we want to have the same angular resolution with a radio telescope recording 21cm wave length, we’ll need to solve this equation:

0.275 arcseconds = 2.5 x 10⁵ * (0.21 m /D)

And this bring us to a diameter of 190909 meters. This means, in order for a radio telescope to have the same angular resolution of a 50cm optical telescope, the antenna would need to be 191 km in diameter, far too large to actually build! However, by using radio interferometry we can effectively create a single telescope as large as the distance between the two farthest radio telescopes composing the array.

 

 

The advantage of radio interferometry with compact radio telescopes

Many radio telescopes are designed as an array of more compact antennas instead of a single massive instrument. Examples can be found at the new Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, composed of many 7 and 12 meter diameter antennas as well as the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico (USA) that uses 27 antennas, each 25 meters diameter. SPIDER radio telescopes use smaller antennas, with diameters ranging from 2.3 to 5 meters – This is one of the reasons that makes the SPIDER so affordable, even within the reach of schools, universities or a science museum budget.

As you begin building an antenna with a diameter larger than the 5 meter model used in the SPIDER 500A, the costs of the radio telescope increase dramatically due to the massive mount that would be required not only to precisely move such an antenna (precise movement is critical in radio astronomy applications) but to also safely handle any adverse weather conditions, like the more compact SPIDER radio telescopes. When we studied the possibility of developing a larger radio telescope, we found that the manufacturing costs of a 8 meter model would be more than 3 times that of the SPIDER 500A radio telescope… Clearly radio interferometry is the solution.

 

 

Today we embark on our next challenge: radio interferometry

When we developed the SPIDER line of radio telescopes, we brought to market the first line of affordable, professional, compact radio telescopes developed specifically for radio astronomy. Now we want to extend this development to radio interferometry to create complete arrays of radio telescopes, allowing you to do radio interferometry with ready-to-use SPIDER systems! In order to accomplish this, there are different goals we will need to meet:

1. Development of a Fiber Optic Device that, by replacing standard RF cables, will maximize the signal from the compact antennas capable of sending data over medium/long distances between the LNA and the receiver, allowing flexibility in the interferometer design.
2. Development of the BKND-Pro Professional Backend that, not only will provide very high spectral resolution for single dish radio astronomy and SETI applications, but it will also be designed to sample the signal in the time domain in preparation for data correlation from multiple SPIDER telescopes.
3. Development a Synchronization Device for the different clocks of the radio telescopes and for the acquisition system.
4. Development of the Correlator that will acquire data coming from the different SPIDER radio telescopes and merge all of the signals to create a single high resolution radio map of the Universe.

We’ll publish all these developments on our website so please subscribe to our newsletter or to our Social Media channels to be sure and get the latest updates!

 

If you like to know more about our affordable radio interferometry system for SPIDER radio telescopes, contact us.

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