WFI electronics and on board data processing
The Wide Field Imager is one of two instruments on board the future ATHENA X ray observatory. Its main scientific objective is to perform a sky survey in the energy range of 0.2 keV up to 15 keV with an end of life spectral resolution (FWHM) better than 170 eV (at 7 keV) and a frame rate of at least 200 Hz. The field of view will be 40 arcmin squared wherefore a focal plane array with 4 large sensors each with a size of 512 times 512 pixels will be developed. Additionally, a fast detector with a size of 64 times 64 pixels and a frame rate of 12.5 kHz will be implemented in order to enhance the instrument with high count rate detection of bright sources. The data processing electronics within the WFI instrument is distributed over several subsystems: DEPFET sensors sensitive in the x ray energy regime and front end electronics are located inside the Camera Head. Data pre processing inside the Detector Electronics will be performed in an FPGA based frame processor. FPGA external memory will be used to store offset and noise maps wherefore memory controllers have to be developed. Fast read and write access to the maps combined with robustness against radiation damage (e.g. bit flips) has to be ensured by the frame processor design.
Astronomical Telescopes Instrumentation