Real-time RFI Filtering for uGMRT: Overview of the Released System and Relevance to the SKA
Kaushal D. Buch (1), Ruta Kale (1), Mekhala Muley (1), Sanjay Kudale, (1), Ajithkumar B. (1) ((1) Digital Backend Group, Giant Metrewave Radio, Telescope, NCRA-TIFR, Pune, India)

TL;DR
This paper presents a real-time RFI filtering system developed for uGMRT, demonstrating its effectiveness across various data types and discussing its relevance and potential implementation for the SKA.
Contribution
The paper introduces a real-time RFI filtering scheme for uGMRT, including its testing, deployment, and implications for SKA receiver chain integration.
Findings
Effective RFI mitigation across multiple data types
System deployed for regular uGMRT observations
Potential adaptation for SKA receiver systems
Abstract
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) of impulsive nature is created by sources like sparking on high-power transmission lines due to gap or corona discharge and automobile sparking, and it affects the entire observing frequency bands of low-frequency radio telescopes. Such RFI is a significant problem at the Upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT). A real-time RFI filtering scheme has been developed and implemented to mitigate the effect on astronomical observations. The scheme works in real-time on pre-correlation data from each antenna and allows the detection of RFI based on median absolute deviation statistics. The samples are identified as RFI based on user-defined thresholds and are replaced by digital noise, a constant or zeros. We review the testing and implementation of this system at the uGMRT. We illustrate the effectiveness of the filtering for continuum, spectral…
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Taxonomy
TopicsRadio Astronomy Observations and Technology · Scientific Research and Discoveries · GNSS positioning and interference
