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HIGH-PERFOMANCE EVENT
TIMERS FOR SATELLITE LASER
RANGING
Jurijs Artjuhs /Yuri Artyukh/
Head of Time Measurement Laboratory
Institute of Electronics and Computer Sciences
Riga, LATVIA
artyukh@edi.lv
www.edi.lv

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

ABOUT US

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (IECS)

was founded 50 years ago (jubilee!), and was the largest
scientific institution in Latvia for long time. Currently IECS is a
public research institution with staff about 90 specialists, and
provides applied research in the following basic directions:
Advanced Digital Signal Processing (randomized, event-driven, etc.),
Smart sensors and networked embedded systems,
Image acquisition and real-time processing,
UWB signal generation and high-sensivity acquisition,
Wired/wireless network management
and
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGH-PRECISION EVENT TIMING

The last direction of the research is the most closely related with the Space, namely
with SATELLITE LASER RANGING (SLR). The research is conducted in Time
Measurement Laboratory by scientific/ engineering group currently consisting of 10
specialists where four of them have doctoral degree.

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

Elektronikas un
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FOCUS OF OUR ACTIVITY WITHIN SLR

Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

In SLR a global network of stations measure the instantaneous round trip time of flight of
ultra-short laser pulses to satellites. This provides instantaneous range measurements of
very high precision, which can be accumulated to provide accurate orbits and a lot of
important products for a wide range of scientific, engineering, and operational
applications.
Satellite

Distance

Near
Middle
Distant (geodetic)
Very distant (GPS)
Geo-stationary

< 500 km
< 1 500 km
~ 6 000 km
~ 20 000 km
36 000 km

SLR single shot RMS resolution:

currently
1-2 cm
in the near future 2-5 mm

Our R&D activity is focused on the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) measurements that

represent an integral part of SLR
ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

SHORT HISTORY OF OUR ACTIVITY IN SLR

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

We conduct R&D activity related with TOF measurement for more than 30 years. As a
leader in this field, we were in a number of large-scale projects in the former USSR. In
particular, in 1980ies we have cooperated with the Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS in
development of the laser network Crimea for the Lunar and satellite ranging.

Starting in 2000, our activity in SLR

area was re-oriented to the
demands worldwide.
Specifically, the main efforts in
development of Riga event timers
were directed to meet the current
demands of International Laser
Ranging Service (ILRS) in highperformance timing instruments for
ILRS laser network.
ILRS laser network

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

OUR CURRENT SPECIALIZATION

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

As known, the SLR performance considerably depends on the performance of TOF

measurements. Currently it is generally recognised that the epoch event timers should be
used for TOF measurement to reach millimetre precision in range:

If we truly wish to have 1mm systems we must migrate away from the
interval timers in common use amongst the SLR community and
convert to epoch timers. However epoch timers are very expensive and
time consuming to build.
(from Summary of International Laser Ranging Service
Workshop, Eastbourne, UK, October 2005)

In view of that, our field of specialization is development and design

of high-performance and reasonably priced epoch event timers for
SLR and related applications.
Scientific background of such activity is R&D results concerning
innovative technologies for high-precision event timing.

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

WHY WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THIS FIELD

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

Experience
We have long experience of collaboration with SLR community. That allows well to
understand the current problems in TOF measurement and find the best solution of
them. Over many years we support close relationships with specialists of Riga SLR
station that is the main proving ground for testing and applying of our devices.
Innovative technology
In the 2000-ties we invented and applied a completely new technology for designing
high-performance event timers. Unlike traditional technologies, the new technology is
based on special Digital Signal Processing (DSP), allowing a wide application of typical
DSP tools instead of intricate analog circuits. This results in high performance of event
timers combined with high reliability in operation and low unit cost.
Growing demand
SLR community defines the Riga event timers as the best ones for SLR. In 2002, the
fraction of Riga event timers in ILRS laser network was 8%. Currently it is about 30%.
Subsequent growing of this percentage is expected as well as widening the application
area of Riga event timers (e.g., on absolute gravimetry).

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

OFFERING THE PRODUCTS

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Along with usual publishing of our basic R&D results (mostly at the ILRS
Workshops), we develop and offer the Riga event timers for SLR
community for practical applications. The offered product is periodically
updated in view of the latest R&D results.
The product represents a spin-off of our basic activity. It is made in the
form of prototype carefully implemented and tested and is available on
contract basis. The contract conditions can include certain customizing of
the product on user request.
The basic way of dissemination of the data concerning our new timing
products within SLR community is their placement at our web page
(www.edi.lv) and ILRS web page (http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov) as well as
announcements at the ILRS Workshops.

SERVICES
They concern mainly development of customized event timer systems for
various applications including but not limited to SLR.

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

To meet different user demands, we have developed and offered an adaptable-toapplication event timer that allows creating user-defined event timer systems in two
basic configurations:
Networked system (event timer interacts with application via network)
Integrated system (timers software and application software are integrated)
Both systems are based on the same hardware and differ by software.
Main features:
Precision: 3-4 ps RMS
Event rate:
up to 20 MHz (in bursts)
up to 15 KHz continuously
Reasonable unit cost
Short manufacturing cycle
Customizing on user request
The product performance is quite comparable with the best commercial products of such kind
(e.g., with Advanced Event Timer from Honeywell). During 2005-2009 years 30 units of such
product have been made and delivered for ILRS network.
ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

THE BEST PRACTICE OF APPLICATION

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Institute of
Electronics and
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We have a number of ongoing agreements on scientific and technical collaboration with

different European and Asian institutions from SLR community. Basically these
agreements are aimed for the most efficient applications of Riga event timers.
The best results have been achieved in such collaboration with Chinese SLR stations
where the Riga event timers are widely used in various applications, including but not
limited to the conventional SLR*.
As an example, the experiment with time transfer by Laser link was carried out in July
2007 - March 2008 at Chinese SLR stations. The experiment was directed to
extremely precise synchronising of terrestrial clocks through Chinese satellite
COMPASS-M1. In this experiment Riga event timers were used for onground
measurements in parallel with onboard measurements, providing the data for clock
comparison.
Reference:
Zhang Zhongping et al., (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS), Yu. Artyukh (Institute of
Electronics and Computer Science, Riga, Latvia ). Applications of Riga Event Timer at Shanghai
SLR Station // Proceedings of the 16th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Poznan,
Poland, 2009, Vol.2, pp. 447- 453.
*

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

SERVICES

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

We offer our knowledge, skill and experience for custom designs of high-performance
event timer systems (including auxiliary electronics, application software, etc) strictly
tailored to the specific user requirements.
The Riga Event Timer System RTS-2006 represents
an example of such system designed and built for
Riga SLR station.
Along with high-precision TOF measurement, the
RTS-2006 provides pre-processing of STOP pulses
to reduce the noise influence for daytime SLR.
Additionally the RTS-2006 precisely measures
amplitude of each STOP-pulse to digitally correct the
bias in satellite range. Embedded computer supports
all real-time software functions, including satellite
autotracking.

Unlike the offering of almost completed product, such services are preferable for us,
combining R&D and knowledge-based engineering. We hope to extend such activity,
including our participation in International joint projects.
ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010

IS ONBOARD RIGA EVENT TIMER POSSIBLE?

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Institute of
Electronics and
Computer Science

Some applications of satellite technologies (such as laser time transfer, one-way

interplanetary laser ranging) need high-preformance onboard event timers. It seems that
the Riga technology for event timing is well suited for onboard event timer design.
Achieved performance
Precision: 2 ps RMS
Event rate: 25 MHz
Size (one card): 160x175 mm
Power consumption: 7 W

Compact Riga Event Timer (experimental

model)

is quite comparable with that for the

high-precision onboard event timers
known to us.

The mentioned ambitions can be satisfied only in close cooperation with experienced
designers of space instrumentation. We are very interested to be in ESA programs and
projects and in this way realise, among other ones, these ambitions.

ESA INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES AUDIT IN LATVIA. Riga, 22 March, 2010