Pulsar Backend for 21 CentiMeter Array: Implementation of Data Acquisition and Initial Results

arXiv:2607.01975 · astro-ph.IM, astro-ph.HE · Submitted 2026-07-02 · Read on arXiv

Yukai Zhou, Junhua Gu, Mengyao Xue, Faxin Shen, Jian Li, Qiuyang Fu, Cijie Zhang, Youling Yue, Weiwei Zhu, Kejia Lee, Renxin Xu

astro-ph.IM, astro-ph.HE

Submitted: 2026-07-02

Comments: submitted to RAA

Code: https://github.com/fxzjshm/rfsoc_data_acquisition

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

The gist: We implemented a data acquisition system for 21 CentiMeter Array (21CMA), enabling baseband observations targeting pulsars and fast radio bursts.

Terminology

Abstract

We implemented a data acquisition system for 21 CentiMeter Array (21CMA), enabling baseband observations targeting pulsars and fast radio bursts. Based on the Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) platform, the new backend is capable of instantaneously covering the effective bandwidth from 50 to 350 MHz, with multi-board synchronization achieved at the timescale of the sampling clock. We observed PSR B0329+54 with a single station to verify the signal path integrity; then solved phase relations of multiple station pairs using bright persistent radio sources like Cas A and Cyg A; using these phase solutions, a multiple-station coherently beamformed observation of PSR B0329+54 was carried out, showing a signal-to-noise ratio of 699.09 for a 2.5-hour observation with eight stations, opening up a possibility of tied-array low-frequency pulsar observations on 21CMA.

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