Architecture
Overview
Each deployed instance of the PST (Pulsar Timing Signal Processor) processes a single, dual-polarisation, oversampled, tied-array beam (from here on, simply referred to as a “beam”) formed in one of the SKA1 beamformers (CSP_Mid.CBF or CSP_Low.CBF), producing data products for use in one of the SKA1 Science Data Processors (SDP_Mid or SDP_Low). The type of data product generated by the PST depends on its configuration; currently, the following four observation modes will be supported:
Voltage Recorder (Array Assembly 0.5);
Flow Through (Array Assembly 1.0);
Dynamic Spectrum (Array Assembly 2.0);
Pulsar Timing (Array Assembly 3.0).
The observation mode for each beam is independently configured; therefore, multiple PST instances are capable of producing multiple different types of data product simultaneously.
Software Components
The PST is composed of the following components; the links in this list lead to the documentation for each component:
COMMON – Common elements used by PST components
LMC – Local Monitoring and Control
RECV – High-speed data acquisition
SMRB – Shared memory ring buffer manager
DSP – Digital signal processing pipelines
STAT – Incoming data quality statistics monitor
SEND – Output data collation, curation and archival
Artefacts
All PST software components are built and packaged into artefacts. The software binaries are published as OCI images and their deployment configurations are published as Helm artefacts.
OCI IMAGES
OCI Image Name |
OCI Image Registry |
|---|---|
ska-pst-lmc |
|
ska-pst-recv |
|
ska-pst-smrb |
|
ska-pst-dsp |
|
ska-pst-stat |
|
ska-pst-send |
Helm Charts
The ska-pst is an umbrella chart consisting of ska-pst-core and ska-pst-lmc sub-charts.
See the Helm Chart Overview for further information.