Projects/IsisArray

Intercepted Signals For Ionospheric Science

The ISIS Array (Intercepted Signals for Ionospheric Science) is coherent software radio network designed for investigation and monitoring of the near space environment using a variety of radio techniques.

• Operations
  Schedule
  Database
  Results

  Primary ISIS Array Sites	node	000	001	002	003	004	005	006	007
  	location	Millstone Hill ISR	NRAO Greenbank	University of Washington	Manastash Ridge Observatory	Siena College	Dartmouth	Cornell	Haystack Observtory
  Secondary ISIS Array Sites	node	008	009	010	011
  	location	Cheney EWU	Calgary	Saskatoon	Wasington, D.C., (NSF HQ)

Technical Details

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Introduction

This project seeks to construct a coherent software radio network capable of operating as a flexible multi-role distributed radio science instrument. In particular operational modes involving active and passive multistatic radar imaging, satellite beacon observation of TEC and scintillation, and radio intercept and TDOA applications will be supported over a wide range of operating frequencies (0.5 to 1600 MHz). The system will be constructed of a series of MIDAS-Mobile data systems which can coherently capture wide bandwidths of RF signals from a variety of antennas. The array will be capable of applying high performance Grid based supercomputing to the real time and batch processing requirements of a variety of experiments. Different operational modes may require the array to be configured with different antennas, however the underlying software radar technology will allow a unified data, processing, and control system. The system will also be used to evaluate a wide variety of configurations and techniques for applications involving scientific and defense applications of intercepted signals as a precursor to the much larger DASI effort (distributed arrays of small instruments).

Seven primary MIDAS-M nodes have been constructed and deployment of these systems has begun. An additional equivalent capability is also in use at the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar as part of that ISR data acquisition system. Several other receivers that currently form the Manastash Ridge Radar System will also be incorporated into the overall ISIS network and a few smaller intercept receivers will probably be constructed. Long term plans include the development of highly integrated receivers, a significantly expanded array, and the fielding of selected array locations with much higher overall antenna aperature.

Contact Information

Contact Frank Lind (flind @ haystack.mit.edu) regarding this project.