Speaker
Description
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is a major source of data loss and contamination in radio astronomy experiments. Flagging this RFI in real time, pre-integration, is a powerful tool for salvaging frequency channels containing fast timescale RFI. I will present the preliminary design and development efforts for an FPGA based RFI monitor intended for real time tracking and excision of horizon based RFI sources, as well as early results from a prototype system. While the monitor is designed for general purpose use, the first iteration is optimized for use in the upcoming Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Real-time transient Detector (CHORD). The monitor will provide full 360 degree horizon coverage with higher gain than the full CHORD array, producing RFI flags that will be fed in real time to CHORD. These flags will allow RFI excision on timescales as short as the cadence of the onboard FFT.
