Efficient low-cost system for monitoring the fiber-induced delay-shift within Radio Astronomic Scenarios

In the framework of radio astronomic systems, and in particular in the realization of the Aperture Array Verification Systems of the low frequency part of the Square Kilometre Array project, a monitoring of the delay introduced by the fiber optic cable of the antenna downlink is necessary in order to properly calibrate the receiver chain. A simple and relatively low-cost system is here proposed, which can directly provide such measurement without the use of complex post-processing systems, with precision estimated in 60ps for 6Km of fiber length.