The Engineering Development Array: A low frequency radio telescope utilising SKA precursor technology

TL;DR

The paper presents the design, deployment, and performance analysis of the Engineering Development Array, a low frequency radio telescope built with SKA precursor technology, demonstrating its practicality and potential for future upgrades.

Contribution

It introduces a low frequency phased-array telescope built rapidly using SKA precursor tech, validating its performance and scalability for future large-scale arrays.

Findings

Sky-noise limited operation between 60 and 240 MHz

Measured sensitivity aligns with model predictions

Modular design facilitates staged upgrades

Abstract

We describe the design and performance of the Engineering Development Array (EDA), which is a low frequency radio telescope comprising 256 dual-polarisation dipole antennas working as a phased-array. The EDA was conceived of, developed, and deployed in just 18 months via re-use of Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursor technology and expertise, specifically from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope. Using drift scans and a model for the sky brightness temperature at low frequencies, we have derived the EDA's receiver temperature as a function of frequency. The EDA is shown to be sky-noise limited over most of the frequency range measured between 60 and 240 MHz. By using the EDA in interferometric mode with the MWA, we used calibrated visibilities to measure the absolute sensitivity of the array. The measured array sensitivity matches very well with a model based on the array layout and measured receiver temperature. The results demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of using MWA-style precursor technology for SKA-scale stations. The modular architecture of the EDA allows upgrades to the array to be rolled out in a staged approach. Future improvements to the EDA include replacing the second stage beamformer with a fully digital system, and to transition to using RF-over-fibre for the signal output from first stage beamformers.