Michael Neuberg Christopher Picard
Encoders are used to determine the exact rotational position for elevation or azimuth of the radar dish The encoders will go in the platform seen here:
The data from the encoder will be interfaced to a Xilinx FPGA This will convert the SSI data from the encoder to data that the DSP can use The encoders being used have a angular resolution of 0.01degrees A circuit board will be made to interface these devices once the logic for the FPGA is complete
The FPGA being implemented is the Xilinx Spartan 3E Current progress has been slow, but I am beginning to program board Programming using ISE Webpack in VHDL Specifications of Spartan 3E: 2,160 to 33,192 logic cells 66 to 376 I/O External PROM 18 x 18 multipliers 18 kbit dual port RAM Low cost
ISE example This is the design tool kit that is provided by Xilinx It features FPGA programming along with being able to simulated data Problems now with being able to do at school (working on fixing it)
Currently, a new radar dish is being built at CHILL Here are some pictures of the facility at this time The top picture shows the dish that will be put up The bottom shows the concrete where the dish will sit
BLIZZARD TORNADO CHILL has recorded great amounts of data Here are some examples of this: