Development of the test interferometer for ALMA

The ALMA Test Interferometer appeared as an infrastructure solution to increase both ALMA time availability for science activities and time availability for Software testing and Engineering activities at a reduced cost (<30000K USD) and a low setup time of less than 1 hour. The Test Interferometer could include up to 16 Antennas when used with only AOS resources and a possible maximum of 4 Antennas when configured using Correlator resources at OSF. A joined effort between ADC and ADE-IG took the challenge of generate the Test Interferometer from an already defined design for operations which imposed a lot of complex restrictions on how to implement it. Through and intensive design and evaluation work it was determined that is possible to make an initial implementation using the ACA Correlator and now it is also being tested the feasibility to implement the Testing Interferometer connecting the Test Array at AOS with Correlator equipment installed at the OSF, separated by 30 km. app. Lastly, efforts will be done to get interferometry between AOS and OSF Antennas with a baseline of approximately 24 km.