Academic CentreProject general description
SLR station Riga currently uses event timers RTS 2006(2 units), developed by EDI in collaboration with Institute of Astronomy [1]. RTS 2006 is a specialised device, based on well known event timer A032-ET. Event timers, developed by EDI, is widely used in the International Laser Ranging Service(ILRS) network stations to whom belongs also station 1884 Riga, operated by Institute of Astronomy, UL.
RTS 2006 is a customised version of A032-ET with additional features. One of them is a parallel measurement of return signal strength or amplitude. This information can be used to compensate for range biases introduced by signal amplitude variations and also can be used to monitor and attenuate received signal. The signal processing module design responsible for amplitude measurement is now ten years old and have several limitations – it cannot measure weak signal amplitudes and it can’t bypasses to use event timer in CFD only or single photon measurement setup. In world market there are only a few manufacturers with time interval measurement accuracy 8ps or better, suited satellite laser ranging tasks and none of them offers simultaneous amplitude measuring.
1. Yu. Artyukh, V. Bespal'ko, K. Lapushka, A. Rybakov. Event Timing System for Riga SLR Station. Proceedings of the 15th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Canberra, Australia, October 16-20, 2006, http://cddisa.gsfc.nasa.gov/lw15/lw_proceedings.html
About the results of the project: https://www.fonds.lv/en/about-us/news/detail-view/t/61036/
This project is managed by LU fonds and sponsored by SIA "Mikrotīkls"