A fast embedded system for radio detection of cosmic rays

For the detection of radio signals from ultra high energy (>; 10¹⁷ eV) cosmic rays in the frequency range up to 80 MHz an embedded system was designed, built, and tested. A steep band-pass filter in the range of 30 to 80 MHz suppresses the main source of radio frequency interferences. To fulfill the data acquisition (DAQ) task, four 180 MHz twelve bit ADCs have to be read-out by a FPGA into a two gigabyte buffer memory. Furthermore the FPGA contains the trigger and a Altera NIOS II soft-core processor for data management. A GPS receiver controls the timing of the system. For the read-out an Ethernet-link and a CAN interface to a WLAN communication board is foreseen. The architecture of the system and the measured performance of the DAQ-board are described.