System engineering of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
2012
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will be composed of 66 high precision antennae located at
5000 meters altitude in northern Chile. This paper will present the methodology, tools and processes adopted to system
engineer a project of high technical complexity, by system engineering teams that are remotely located and from
different cultures, and in accordance with a demanding schedule and within tight financial constraints. The technical and
organizational complexity of ALMA requires a disciplined approach to the definition, implementation and verification of
the ALMA requirements. During the development phase, System Engineering chairs all technical reviews and facilitates
the resolution of technical conflicts. We have developed analysis tools to analyze the system performance, incorporating
key parameters that contribute to the ultimate performance, and are modeled using best estimates and/or measured values
obtained during test campaigns. Strict tracking and control of the technical budgets ensures that the different parts of the
system can operate together as a whole within ALMA boundary conditions. System Engineering is responsible for
acceptances of the thousands of hardware items delivered to Chile, and also supports the software acceptance process. In
addition, System Engineering leads the troubleshooting efforts during testing phases of the construction project. Finally,
the team is conducting System level verification and diagnostics activities to assess the overall performance of the
observatory. This paper will also share lessons learned from these system engineering and verification approaches.
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