Case Study: University of Stellenbosch achieves validated RFI mitigation for SKA/MeerKAT with Altair FEKO

The SKA Radio Telescope a Global Project for a Better Understanding of the Universe

The University of Stellenbosch, working on EMC and RFI mitigation for the SKA/MeerKAT radio telescope programme, faced the challenge of predicting and preventing radio-frequency interference between closely spaced, extremely sensitive antennas during design and planning. To model these electrically large structures and their coupling mechanisms the team used Altair’s FEKO electromagnetic simulation software, running large-scale analyses on the Cape Town Centre for High Performance Computing.

Using Altair FEKO’s parallel method-of-moments solver, the team validated dish-scale models against anechoic-chamber and on-site measurements (ERS transfer-function tests) with close agreement, completing simulations in days and enabling rigorous studies of EM-induced current paths. The FEKO-driven analysis let the University of Stellenbosch identify coupling mechanisms and produce concrete shielding, cable-routing and bonding recommendations for SKA South Africa, delivering validated models and measurable RFI-mitigation guidance to inform hardware and layout decisions.

University of Stellenbosch

Gideon Wiid

Lecturer