A team of researchers, engineers and technicians developed a "SMARTbox" to power the world's largest radio telescope. The Power and Signal Distribution (PaSD) SMART box (Small Modular Aggregation Radio Repeater) is an important component of the Square Kilometer Array Low Frequency (SKA-Low) telescope, which is currently under construction at the Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Murchison Radio Astronomy Observatory) in Western Australia.
The SMART box powers the SKA-Low telescope’s 131,072 antennas and collects signals received from the sky for processing offsite.
The engineering and operations team at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) Curtin University node designed and built the first set of 24 SMART boxes over a 10-year period. "They are the only electrical equipment that must be placed between the antennas, which poses a challenge for such sensitive equipment," said Tom Booler, ICRAR's director of engineering and operations programs.
The SKA-Low telescope will receive weak signals spanning billions of years across the universe. To detect these signals, the SKA-Low telescope will be built in a pristine radio quiet zone, far away from interference from modern technology.
" The observatory's radio quiet zone is very quiet, and the biggest potential sources of interference are electronic devices like ours because they are so close to the antenna. This means our project The project had to meet the most stringent radio emission requirements for SKA stations across Australia. "
The team had to procure special 'radio silent' components with minimal interference to replace the 'noisier' components. The components are then wrapped in a specially designed box to prevent any stray radio waves from leaking out.
The boxes were tested at a dedicated electromagnetic testing facility in South Africa and passed with flying colors.
"The 'radio silence' effect achieved by the SMART box designed by ICRAR reaches the highest standards of radio astronomy." Booler said: "Mobile phones on the lunar surface will interfere with the antenna more than the SMART box interferes with the antenna."
Following a competitive bidding process, Perth-based AVI was recently awarded the contract to build up to 12,000 SMART boxes for the overall fit-out of the SKA-Low telescope. This is the largest contract for SKA construction, external infrastructure and software in Australia, delivering the expected benefits of the Australian Government’s investment in SKA pre-construction activities over the past decade.
Booler said he was pleased to see that the SMART box would be built in Western Australia, showing that Australia's sovereign capabilities in the space sector were promising and could be exploited in the future.
AVI general manager Tony Routledge said the company was proud to be involved: "Participating in the SKA project is a unique opportunity for AVI to add 35 years of experience in providing ruggedized electronic systems to the defense, security and mining sectors. Contributing what we have learned about systems. Harsh environments are our specialty, and the extreme temperatures, intrusion protection, and low noise requirements, combined with the remoteness of this location, provide us with more opportunities to learn and develop. I think we are all eager to be a part of the discoveries that the radio telescope may eventually reveal."