Microgate Engineering
Microgate’s engineering division exploits the dynamism and organization of Microgate
to provide the right solution to the most challenging electronics demands. The main
field of interest deals with the development and production of sophisticated control
systems for adaptive optics and telescopes control.
Adaptive optics and telescopes
Microgate has been engaged in developing advanced control systems for adaptive optics
and other astronomical applications since 1995. In this frame, Microgate has established
a tight cooperation with scientific institutions and other companies. Among our
customers:
- Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
- European Southern Observatory (ESO)
- Keck Observatory
- INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
- LBT - Large Binocular Telescope Corporation
- Max Plank Institut für Astronomie (MPIA)
- Steward Observatory - University of Arizona
Adaptive secondaries
From the beginning, Microgate has been one of the major contributors to the development
of the adaptive secondary concept, having conceived and realized a fully dedicated
control electronics that is currently at its third generation.
Main projects:
- MMT 336 : First Adaptive
Secondary Mirror ever installed on a telescope
- LBT 672 : Building of
the two adaptive secondaries for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).
- VLT DSM : Manufacturing,
assembly, integration and test of a the VLT deformable secondary mirror.
- E-ELT M4 : Conceptual Design, Prototyping and Preliminary Design of the
M4 Adaptive Unit for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT)
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Adaptive Optics electronics
Microgate has developed state-of-the-art digital and analog electronics whose strength
is in its modularity, flexibility and easiness of use. This electronics can therefore
represent a reliable solution for various applications in adaptive optics and high
speed, parallel computation field. The two main elements of this electronics (DSP
control board and BCU board) can be easily interfaced to already existing parts
of your control system through standard interfaces.
Main projects:
- Keck NGWFC : Development and implementation of the New Generation
WaveFront Controller for the Keck I and Keck II Telescopes.
- Slope Computer
: based on a single board (Microgate BCU – Basic Computational Unit) can be easily
interfaced to various CCD controllers through a re-programmable parallel interface.
- Real
Time Reconstructor : modular system based on two main components, a Basic Computational
Unit, used for real time and diagnostic communication, and a DSP control board,
each capable of ~1 Giga-MACs/s (floating point).
- STRAP Tip-Tilt
Control System : complete adaptive optics sensor and real time compensator for
tip-tilt correction.
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Radio Telescopes
Microgate experience also covers the implementation of complex control systems based
on standard hardware and software platforms, in particular VME systems running under
VxWorks or RTAI Linux real time operating systems.
Microgate has successfully completed the design, construction and testing of the
Antenna Control Unit (ACU) and metrology system for the ALMA-EU European prototype.
Main projects:
- ALMA :ALMA (Atacama
Large Millimetric Array) is the most ambitious radioastronomy project for the next
decade. It foresees the construction of 64 radiotelescopes (12m dish diameter),
placed at 5000m (16400 feet) elevation on a plateau in the Atacama desert (Chile)
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