Big Techday 23 & MuniHac 2023: Haskell at the Heart of Terabit Laser Communication [EN] - C. Baaij

Haskell at the Heart of Terabit Laser Communication

In this presentation, we will focus on the use of Haskell in addressing challenges related to high-speed data transmission via laser signals between ground stations and satellites. At the onset, we will discuss how atmospheric conditions induce deformations in the laser signal, which could impede data transmission. We will explain how adaptive optics, utilizing segmented deformable mirrors, have been used to counter these deformations. In addition, we will highlight the crucial role of wavefront sensors that operate at a minimum sample rate of 5 kilohertz to manage terabit-level throughput.

A substantial part of our discussion will revolve around the calibration of the mirror segments. This process involves computing 256 two-dimensional gravity points from each image within a strict timeframe of 3 microseconds. We found that this task was beyond the capability of a standard x86 processor.

To address this, we used an FPGA which was programmed using Haskell. We will describe our use of the Clash compiler to transform Haskell to low-level VHDL in order to create a suitable FPGA configuration. A key section of the talk will be dedicated to our methodical approach in Haskell, starting from a high-level specification and refining it to a detailed specification that meets the performance requirements of 3 microseconds. Our goal is to provide a deep understanding of how Haskell, in combination with the Clash compiler, can be efficiently applied in high-performance computing scenarios.

About the speaker:
Christiaan Baaij: Christiaan is co-founder at QBayLogic where he and the rest of the team build custom FPGA solutions for a worldwide clientele. Christiaan's journey into Haskell started in 2009 when he together with another student built the first version of the Clash compiler, a compiler from Haskell to hardware. Aside from the Clash project itself, Christiaan also maintains various GHC plugins for type-level natural numbers that have found their use outside of the Clash project.

Видео Big Techday 23 & MuniHac 2023: Haskell at the Heart of Terabit Laser Communication [EN] - C. Baaij канала TNG Technology Consulting GmbH