Mechatronics design of vibration rejection of the feed supporting system for the square kilometer array

The modified optomechatronics design of the feed supporting system for next generation large radio telescope-square kilometer array (SKA) consisting of two parallel manipulators. Stewart fine tuning platform is connected to the parallel cable manipulator with the cabin structure. Because the cabin structure is driven by six large span cables, large vibration will induced resulting from the reaction forces of Stewart fine tuning platform. A mechatronics design strategy is proposed to achieve the vibration rejection, and the basic idea is to use the damping force of electrorheological (ER) damper to counteract the reaction force of Stewart fine tuning platform. The reaction forces acting on the cabin structure is derived. The prototype of ER variable damper is designed, and the relationship between the damping force and required voltage is established. The feasibility of this mechatronics method is verified with numerical simulations, which has laid a solid base for the engineering implementation of the high precision tracking of the feed for the SKA