Radio Storm Monitorig Station

Mobile VLF lightning mapping station based on multi-directional loop antenna array. The array could be mounted stationary or mobile on the car roof.

The instrument is capable to process the lightning signal and generate trigger to another instruments (fast-camera as example).

Fatures and parameters

• Time precision of samples recording:  100 ns
  • Network connection: 1000M metalic ethernet * FPGA type: Zynq XC7Z01
  • Central processing unit: ARM® Cortex®-A9
  • Cumputing coprocessor: Epiphany III  E16G301
  • Operating system: Linux Ubuntu
  • RAM size: 1 GB
  • Recording media: uSD card
  • Recording media size: 16GB
  • Maximal recording lenght: 1.46 s
  • Ability to record signal before trigger: yes
  • Pre-trigger recording lenght: 0.7 s
  • Sampling rate: 2.5 MHz
  • Sample bit depth: 12bit.
  • Antenna array: 3 loop ortogonal VLF antenna
  • Trigger output to other instruments: Yes, TTL
  • Delay to rendering signal preview: 2 s
  • Input power voltage: 9 - 14.8 V (Car compatible)

Block Schematics

Visualization

Relevant scientific publications

• In situ ground-based mobile measurement of lightning events above central Europe