fast-physics system testbed: Topics by Science.gov

Sample records for fast-physics system testbed

New Educational Modules Using a Cyber-Distribution System Testbed

DOE PAGES

Xie, Jing; Bedoya, Juan Carlos; Liu, Chen-Ching; ...

2018-03-30

At Washington State University (WSU), a modern cyber-physical system testbed has been implemented based on an industry grade distribution management system (DMS) that is integrated with remote terminal units (RTUs), smart meters, and a solar photovoltaic (PV). In addition, the real model from the Avista Utilities distribution system in Pullman, WA, is modeled in DMS. The proposed testbed environment allows students and instructors to utilize these facilities for innovations in learning and teaching. For power engineering education, this testbed helps students understand the interaction between a cyber system and a physical distribution system through industrial level visualization. The testbed providesmore » a distribution system monitoring and control environment for students. Compared with a simulation based approach, the testbed brings the students' learning environment a step closer to the real world. The educational modules allow students to learn the concepts of a cyber-physical system and an electricity market through an integrated testbed. Furthermore, the testbed provides a platform in the study mode for students to practice working on a real distribution system model. Here, this paper describes the new educational modules based on the testbed environment. Three modules are described together with the underlying educational principles and associated projects.« less
New Educational Modules Using a Cyber-Distribution System Testbed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Jing; Bedoya, Juan Carlos; Liu, Chen-Ching

At Washington State University (WSU), a modern cyber-physical system testbed has been implemented based on an industry grade distribution management system (DMS) that is integrated with remote terminal units (RTUs), smart meters, and a solar photovoltaic (PV). In addition, the real model from the Avista Utilities distribution system in Pullman, WA, is modeled in DMS. The proposed testbed environment allows students and instructors to utilize these facilities for innovations in learning and teaching. For power engineering education, this testbed helps students understand the interaction between a cyber system and a physical distribution system through industrial level visualization. The testbed providesmore » a distribution system monitoring and control environment for students. Compared with a simulation based approach, the testbed brings the students' learning environment a step closer to the real world. The educational modules allow students to learn the concepts of a cyber-physical system and an electricity market through an integrated testbed. Furthermore, the testbed provides a platform in the study mode for students to practice working on a real distribution system model. Here, this paper describes the new educational modules based on the testbed environment. Three modules are described together with the underlying educational principles and associated projects.« less
A Monocular Vision Measurement System of Three-Degree-of-Freedom Air-Bearing Test-Bed Based on FCCSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhanyu; Gu, Yingying; Lv, Yaoyu; Xu, Zhenbang; Wu, Qingwen

2018-06-01

A monocular vision-based pose measurement system is provided for real-time measurement of a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) air-bearing test-bed. Firstly, a circular plane cooperative target is designed. An image of a target fixed on the test-bed is then acquired. Blob analysis-based image processing is used to detect the object circles on the target. A fast algorithm (FCCSP) based on pixel statistics is proposed to extract the centers of object circles. Finally, pose measurements can be obtained when combined with the centers and the coordinate transformation relation. Experiments show that the proposed method is fast, accurate, and robust enough to satisfy the requirement of the pose measurement.
Advanced Wavefront Sensing and Control Testbed (AWCT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Fang; Basinger, Scott A.; Diaz, Rosemary T.; Gappinger, Robert O.; Tang, Hong; Lam, Raymond K.; Sidick, Erkin; Hein, Randall C.; Rud, Mayer; Troy, Mitchell

2010-01-01

The Advanced Wavefront Sensing and Control Testbed (AWCT) is built as a versatile facility for developing and demonstrating, in hardware, the future technologies of wave front sensing and control algorithms for active optical systems. The testbed includes a source projector for a broadband point-source and a suite of extended scene targets, a dispersed fringe sensor, a Shack-Hartmann camera, and an imaging camera capable of phase retrieval wavefront sensing. The testbed also provides two easily accessible conjugated pupil planes which can accommodate the active optical devices such as fast steering mirror, deformable mirror, and segmented mirrors. In this paper, we describe the testbed optical design, testbed configurations and capabilities, as well as the initial results from the testbed hardware integrations and tests.
Formation Algorithms and Simulation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wette, Matthew; Sohl, Garett; Scharf, Daniel; Benowitz, Edward

2004-01-01

Formation flying for spacecraft is a rapidly developing field that will enable a new era of space science. For one of its missions, the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) project has selected a formation flying interferometer design to detect earth-like planets orbiting distant stars. In order to advance technology needed for the TPF formation flying interferometer, the TPF project has been developing a distributed real-time testbed to demonstrate end-to-end operation of formation flying with TPF-like functionality and precision. This is the Formation Algorithms and Simulation Testbed (FAST) . This FAST was conceived to bring out issues in timing, data fusion, inter-spacecraft communication, inter-spacecraft sensing and system-wide formation robustness. In this paper we describe the FAST and show results from a two-spacecraft formation scenario. The two-spacecraft simulation is the first time that precision end-to-end formation flying operation has been demonstrated in a distributed real-time simulation environment.
Flight Research into Simple Adaptive Control on the NASA FAST Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Curtis E.

2011-01-01

A series of simple adaptive controllers with varying levels of complexity were designed, implemented and flight tested on the NASA Full-Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST) aircraft. Lessons learned from the development and flight testing are presented.
The NASA/OAST telerobot testbed architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matijevic, J. R.; Zimmerman, W. F.; Dolinsky, S.

1989-01-01

Through a phased development such as a laboratory-based research testbed, the NASA/OAST Telerobot Testbed provides an environment for system test and demonstration of the technology which will usefully complement, significantly enhance, or even replace manned space activities. By integrating advanced sensing, robotic manipulation and intelligent control under human-interactive supervision, the Testbed will ultimately demonstrate execution of a variety of generic tasks suggestive of space assembly, maintenance, repair, and telescience. The Testbed system features a hierarchical layered control structure compatible with the incorporation of evolving technologies as they become available. The Testbed system is physically implemented in a computing architecture which allows for ease of integration of these technologies while preserving the flexibility for test of a variety of man-machine modes. The development currently in progress on the functional and implementation architectures of the NASA/OAST Testbed and capabilities planned for the coming years are presented.
Developmental Cryogenic Active Telescope Testbed, a Wavefront Sensing and Control Testbed for the Next Generation Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leboeuf, Claudia M.; Davila, Pamela S.; Redding, David C.; Morell, Armando; Lowman, Andrew E.; Wilson, Mark E.; Young, Eric W.; Pacini, Linda K.; Coulter, Dan R.

1998-01-01

As part of the technology validation strategy of the next generation space telescope (NGST), a system testbed is being developed at GSFC, in partnership with JPL and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), which will include all of the component functions envisioned in an NGST active optical system. The system will include an actively controlled, segmented primary mirror, actively controlled secondary, deformable, and fast steering mirrors, wavefront sensing optics, wavefront control algorithms, a telescope simulator module, and an interferometric wavefront sensor for use in comparing final obtained wavefronts from different tests. The developmental. cryogenic active telescope testbed (DCATT) will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 will focus on operating the testbed at ambient temperature. During Phase 2, a cryocapable segmented telescope will be developed and cooled to cryogenic temperature to investigate the impact on the ability to correct the wavefront and stabilize the image. In Phase 3, it is planned to incorporate industry developed flight-like components, such as figure controlled mirror segments, cryogenic, low hold power actuators, or different wavefront sensing and control hardware or software. A very important element of the program is the development and subsequent validation of the integrated multidisciplinary models. The Phase 1 testbed objectives, plans, configuration, and design will be discussed.
Active suppression of acoustically induced jitter for the airborne laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaese, Roger M.; Anderson, Eric H.; Janzen, Paul C.

2000-07-01

The Airborne Laser (ABL) system has extremely tight jitter requirements. Acoustic disturbances, such as those caused by the pressure recovery system of the high power laser, are a significant jitter source. Several technologies may be appropriate for reducing the acoustically induced jitter. The first choice for mitigation will be passive approaches, such as acoustic blankets. There is, however, some uncertainty whether these approaches will provide sufficient attenuation and there is concern about the weight of these approaches. A testbed that captured the fundamental physics of the ABL acoustically induced optical jitter problem was developed. This testbed consists of a flexure-mounted mirror exposed to an acoustic field that is generated outside a beam tube and then propagates within the tube. Both feedback and adaptive feedforward control topologies were implemented on the testbed using either of two actuators (a fast steering mirror and a secondary acoustic speaker located near the precision mirror), and a variety of sensors (microphones measuring the acoustic disturbance, accelerometers and microphones mounted on the precision optic, and an optical position sensing detector). This paper summarizes the results from these control topologies for reducing the acoustically induced jitter with some control topologies achieving in excess of 40 dB jitter reduction at a single frequency. This work was performed under an SBIR Phase I funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate.
Network testbed creation and validation

DOEpatents

Thai, Tan Q.; Urias, Vincent; Van Leeuwen, Brian P.; Watts, Kristopher K.; Sweeney, Andrew John

2017-03-21

Embodiments of network testbed creation and validation processes are described herein. A "network testbed" is a replicated environment used to validate a target network or an aspect of its design. Embodiments describe a network testbed that comprises virtual testbed nodes executed via a plurality of physical infrastructure nodes. The virtual testbed nodes utilize these hardware resources as a network "fabric," thereby enabling rapid configuration and reconfiguration of the virtual testbed nodes without requiring reconfiguration of the physical infrastructure nodes. Thus, in contrast to prior art solutions which require a tester manually build an emulated environment of physically connected network devices, embodiments receive or derive a target network description and build out a replica of this description using virtual testbed nodes executed via the physical infrastructure nodes. This process allows for the creation of very large (e.g., tens of thousands of network elements) and/or very topologically complex test networks.
Network testbed creation and validation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thai, Tan Q.; Urias, Vincent; Van Leeuwen, Brian P.

Embodiments of network testbed creation and validation processes are described herein. A "network testbed" is a replicated environment used to validate a target network or an aspect of its design. Embodiments describe a network testbed that comprises virtual testbed nodes executed via a plurality of physical infrastructure nodes. The virtual testbed nodes utilize these hardware resources as a network "fabric," thereby enabling rapid configuration and reconfiguration of the virtual testbed nodes without requiring reconfiguration of the physical infrastructure nodes. Thus, in contrast to prior art solutions which require a tester manually build an emulated environment of physically connected network devices,more » embodiments receive or derive a target network description and build out a replica of this description using virtual testbed nodes executed via the physical infrastructure nodes. This process allows for the creation of very large (e.g., tens of thousands of network elements) and/or very topologically complex test networks.« less
Testbed-based Performance Evaluation of Attack Resilient Control for AGC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ashok, Aditya; Sridhar, Siddharth; McKinnon, Archibald D.

The modern electric power grid is a complex cyber-physical system whose reliable operation is enabled by a wide-area monitoring and control infrastructure. This infrastructure, supported by an extensive communication backbone, enables several control applications functioning at multiple time scales to ensure the grid is maintained within stable operating limits. Recent events have shown that vulnerabilities in this infrastructure may be exploited to manipulate the data being exchanged. Such a scenario could cause the associated control application to mis-operate, potentially causing system-wide instabilities. There is a growing emphasis on looking beyond traditional cybersecurity solutions to mitigate such threats. In this papermore » we perform a testbed-based validation of one such solution - Attack Resilient Control (ARC) - on Iowa State University's \\textit{PowerCyber} testbed. ARC is a cyber-physical security solution that combines domain-specific anomaly detection and model-based mitigation to detect stealthy attacks on Automatic Generation Control (AGC). In this paper, we first describe the implementation architecture of the experiment on the testbed. Next, we demonstrate the capability of stealthy attack templates to cause forced under-frequency load shedding in a 3-area test system. We then validate the performance of ARC by measuring its ability to detect and mitigate these attacks. Our results reveal that ARC is efficient in detecting stealthy attacks and enables AGC to maintain system operating frequency close to its nominal value during an attack. Our studies also highlight the importance of testbed-based experimentation for evaluating the performance of cyber-physical security and control applications.« less
Test-bed for the remote health monitoring system for bridge structures using FBG sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chin-Hyung; Park, Ki-Tae; Joo, Bong-Chul; Hwang, Yoon-Koog

2009-05-01

This paper reports on test-bed for the long-term health monitoring system for bridge structures employing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which is remotely accessible via the web, to provide real-time quantitative information on a bridge's response to live loading and environmental changes, and fast prediction of the structure's integrity. The sensors are attached on several locations of the structure and connected to a data acquisition system permanently installed onsite. The system can be accessed through remote communication using an optical cable network, through which the evaluation of the bridge behavior under live loading can be allowed at place far away from the field. Live structural data are transmitted continuously to the server computer at the central office. The server computer is connected securely to the internet, where data can be retrieved, processed and stored for the remote web-based health monitoring. Test-bed revealed that the remote health monitoring technology will enable practical, cost-effective, and reliable condition assessment and maintenance of bridge structures.
Phased Array Antenna Testbed Development at the NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, Kevin M.; Kubat, Gregory; Johnson, Sandra K.; Anzic, Godfrey

2003-01-01

Ideal phased array antennas offer advantages for communication systems, such as wide-angle scanning and multibeam operation, which can be utilized in certain NASA applications. However, physically realizable, electronically steered, phased array antennas introduce additional system performance parameters, which must be included in the evaluation of the system. The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is currently conducting research to identify these parameters and to develop the tools necessary to measure them. One of these tools is a testbed where phased array antennas may be operated in an environment that simulates their use. This paper describes the development of the testbed and its use in characterizing a particular K-Band, phased array antenna.
Cyber-Physical System Security of a Power Grid: State-of-the-Art

DOE PAGES

Sun, Chih -Che; Liu, Chen -Ching; Xie, Jing

2016-07-14

Here, as part of the smart grid development, more and more technologies are developed and deployed on the power grid to enhance the system reliability. A primary purpose of the smart grid is to significantly increase the capability of computer-based remote control and automation. As a result, the level of connectivity has become much higher, and cyber security also becomes a potential threat to the cyber-physical systems (CPSs). In this paper, a survey of the state-of-the-art is conducted on the cyber security of the power grid concerning issues of: the structure of CPSs in a smart grid; cyber vulnerability assessment;more » cyber protection systems; and testbeds of a CPS. At Washington State University (WSU), the Smart City Testbed (SCT) has been developed to provide a platform to test, analyze and validate defense mechanisms against potential cyber intrusions. A test case is provided in this paper to demonstrate how a testbed helps the study of cyber security and the anomaly detection system (ADS) for substations.« less
Cyber-Physical System Security of a Power Grid: State-of-the-Art

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Chih -Che; Liu, Chen -Ching; Xie, Jing

Here, as part of the smart grid development, more and more technologies are developed and deployed on the power grid to enhance the system reliability. A primary purpose of the smart grid is to significantly increase the capability of computer-based remote control and automation. As a result, the level of connectivity has become much higher, and cyber security also becomes a potential threat to the cyber-physical systems (CPSs). In this paper, a survey of the state-of-the-art is conducted on the cyber security of the power grid concerning issues of: the structure of CPSs in a smart grid; cyber vulnerability assessment;more » cyber protection systems; and testbeds of a CPS. At Washington State University (WSU), the Smart City Testbed (SCT) has been developed to provide a platform to test, analyze and validate defense mechanisms against potential cyber intrusions. A test case is provided in this paper to demonstrate how a testbed helps the study of cyber security and the anomaly detection system (ADS) for substations.« less
Full-Scaled Advanced Systems Testbed: Ensuring Success of Adaptive Control Research Through Project Lifecycle Risk Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pavlock, Kate M.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research Center completed flight testing of adaptive controls research on the Full-Scale Advance Systems Testbed (FAST) in January of 2011. The research addressed technical challenges involved with reducing risk in an increasingly complex and dynamic national airspace. Specific challenges lie with the development of validated, multidisciplinary, integrated aircraft control design tools and techniques to enable safe flight in the presence of adverse conditions such as structural damage, control surface failures, or aerodynamic upsets. The testbed is an F-18 aircraft serving as a full-scale vehicle to test and validate adaptive flight control research and lends a significant confidence to the development, maturation, and acceptance process of incorporating adaptive control laws into follow-on research and the operational environment. The experimental systems integrated into FAST were designed to allow for flexible yet safe flight test evaluation and validation of modern adaptive control technologies and revolve around two major hardware upgrades: the modification of Production Support Flight Control Computers (PSFCC) and integration of two, fourth-generation Airborne Research Test Systems (ARTS). Post-hardware integration verification and validation provided the foundation for safe flight test of Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion and Model Reference Aircraft Control adaptive control law experiments. To ensure success of flight in terms of cost, schedule, and test results, emphasis on risk management was incorporated into early stages of design and flight test planning and continued through the execution of each flight test mission. Specific consideration was made to incorporate safety features within the hardware and software to alleviate user demands as well as into test processes and training to reduce human factor impacts to safe and successful flight test. This paper describes the research configuration, experiment functionality, overall risk mitigation, flight test approach and results, and lessons learned of adaptive controls research of the Full-Scale Advanced Systems Testbed.
Cyber-Physical Test Platform for Microgrids: Combining Hardware, Hardware-in-the-Loop, and Network-Simulator-in-the-Loop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Austin; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Wang, Dexin

This paper presents a cyber-physical testbed, developed to investigate the complex interactions between emerging microgrid technologies such as grid-interactive power sources, control systems, and a wide variety of communication platforms and bandwidths. The cyber-physical testbed consists of three major components for testing and validation: real time models of a distribution feeder model with microgrid assets that are integrated into the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) platform; real-time capable network-simulator-in-the-loop (NSIL) models; and physical hardware including inverters and a simple system controller. Several load profiles and microgrid configurations were tested to examine the effect on system performance withmore » increasing channel delays and router processing delays in the network simulator. Testing demonstrated that the controller's ability to maintain a target grid import power band was severely diminished with increasing network delays and laid the foundation for future testing of more complex cyber-physical systems.« less
Adjustable Autonomy Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Schrenkenghost, Debra K.

2001-01-01

The Adjustable Autonomy Testbed (AAT) is a simulation-based testbed located in the Intelligent Systems Laboratory in the Automation, Robotics and Simulation Division at NASA Johnson Space Center. The purpose of the testbed is to support evaluation and validation of prototypes of adjustable autonomous agent software for control and fault management for complex systems. The AA T project has developed prototype adjustable autonomous agent software and human interfaces for cooperative fault management. This software builds on current autonomous agent technology by altering the architecture, components and interfaces for effective teamwork between autonomous systems and human experts. Autonomous agents include a planner, flexible executive, low level control and deductive model-based fault isolation. Adjustable autonomy is intended to increase the flexibility and effectiveness of fault management with an autonomous system. The test domain for this work is control of advanced life support systems for habitats for planetary exploration. The CONFIG hybrid discrete event simulation environment provides flexible and dynamically reconfigurable models of the behavior of components and fluids in the life support systems. Both discrete event and continuous (discrete time) simulation are supported, and flows and pressures are computed globally. This provides fast dynamic simulations of interacting hardware systems in closed loops that can be reconfigured during operations scenarios, producing complex cascading effects of operations and failures. Current object-oriented model libraries support modeling of fluid systems, and models have been developed of physico-chemical and biological subsystems for processing advanced life support gases. In FY01, water recovery system models will be developed.
Spectroscopic Binary Star Studies with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boden, A. F.; Lane, B. F.; Creech-Eakman, M.; Queloz, D.; PTI Collaboration

1999-12-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline near-infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory. Following our previous work on resolving spectroscopic binary stars with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI), we will present a number of new visual and physical orbit determinations derived from integrated reductions of PTI visibility and archival radial velocity data. The six systems for which we will present new orbit models are: 12 Boo (HD 123999), 75 Cnc (HD 78418), 47 And (HD 8374), HD 205539, BY Draconis (HDE 234677), and 3 Boo (HD 120064). Most of these systems are double-lined binary systems (SB2), and integrated astrometric/radial velocity orbit modeling provides precise fundamental parameters (mass, luminosity) and system distance determinations comparable with Hipparcos precisions. The work described in this paper was performed under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Transactive Control of Commercial Building HVAC Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corbin, Charles D.; Makhmalbaf, Atefe; Huang, Sen

This document details the development and testing of market-based transactive controls for building heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These controls are intended to serve the purposes of reducing electricity use through conservation, reducing peak building electric demand, and providing demand flexibility to assist with power system operations. This report is the summary of the first year of work conducted under Phase 1 of the Clean Energy and Transactive Campus Project. The methods and techniques described here were first investigated in simulation, and then subsequently deployed to a physical testbed on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) campus formore » validation. In this report, we describe the models and control algorithms we have developed, testing of the control algorithms in simulation, and deployment to a physical testbed. Results from physical experiments support previous simulation findings, and provide insights for further improvement.« less
Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds †

PubMed Central

Frank, Jared A.; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

2016-01-01

Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability. PMID:27556464
Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds.

PubMed

Frank, Jared A; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

2016-08-20

Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability.
Resolution and Orbit Reconstruction of Spectroscopic Binary Stars with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boden, A. F.; Lane, B. F.; Creech-Eakman, M. J.; Queloz, D.; Koresko, C. D.

2000-05-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline near-infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory. For the past several years we have had an ongoing program of resolving and reconstructing the visual and physical orbits of spectroscopic binary stars with PTI, with the goal of obtaining precise dynamical mass estimates and other physical parameters. We will present a number of new visual and physical orbit determinations derived from integrated reductions of PTI visibility and archival and new spectroscopic radial velocity data. The systems for which we will discuss our orbit models are: iota Pegasi (HD 210027), 64 Psc (HD 4676), 12 Boo (HD 123999), 75 Cnc (HD 78418), 47 And (HD 8374), HD 205539, BY Draconis (HDE 234677), and 3 Boo (HD 120064), and 3 Boo (HD 120064). All of these systems are double-lined binary systems (SB2), and integrated astrometric/radial velocity orbit modeling provides precise fundamental parameters (mass, luminosity) and system distance determinations comparable with Hipparcos precisions.
A Cooperative IDS Approach Against MPTCP Attacks

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

physical testbeds in order to present a methodology that allows distributed IDSs (DIDS) to cooperate in a manner that permits effective detection of...reconstruct MPTCP subflows and detect malicious content. Next, we build physical testbeds in order to present a methodology that allows distributed IDSs...hypotheses on a more realistic testbed environment. • Developing a methodology to incorporate multiple IDSs, real and virtual, to be able to detect cross
Fast-responding liquid crystal light-valve technology for color-sequential display applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssen, Peter J.; Konovalov, Victor A.; Muravski, Anatoli A.; Yakovenko, Sergei Y.

1996-04-01

A color sequential projection system has some distinct advantages over conventional systems which make it uniquely suitable for consumer TV as well as high performance professional applications such as computer monitors and electronic cinema. A fast responding light-valve is, clearly, essential for a good performing system. Response speed of transmissive LC lightvalves has been marginal thus far for good color rendition. Recently, Sevchenko Institute has made some very fast reflective LC cells which were evaluated at Philips Labs. These devices showed sub millisecond-large signal-response times, even at room temperature, and produced good color in a projector emulation testbed. In our presentation we describe our highly efficient color sequential projector and demonstrate its operation on video tape. Next we discuss light-valve requirements and reflective light-valve test results.
NASA Stennis Space Center Integrated System Health Management Test Bed and Development Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Figueroa, Fernando; Holland, Randy; Coote, David

2006-01-01

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) is a capability that focuses on determining the condition (health) of every element in a complex System (detect anomalies, diagnose causes, prognosis of future anomalies), and provide data, information, and knowledge (DIaK)-not just data-to control systems for safe and effective operation. This capability is currently done by large teams of people, primarily from ground, but needs to be embedded on-board systems to a higher degree to enable NASA's new Exploration Mission (long term travel and stay in space), while increasing safety and decreasing life cycle costs of spacecraft (vehicles; platforms; bases or outposts; and ground test, launch, and processing operations). The topics related to this capability include: 1) ISHM Related News Articles; 2) ISHM Vision For Exploration; 3) Layers Representing How ISHM is Currently Performed; 4) ISHM Testbeds & Prototypes at NASA SSC; 5) ISHM Functional Capability Level (FCL); 6) ISHM Functional Capability Level (FCL) and Technology Readiness Level (TRL); 7) Core Elements: Capabilities Needed; 8) Core Elements; 9) Open Systems Architecture for Condition-Based Maintenance (OSA-CBM); 10) Core Elements: Architecture, taxonomy, and ontology (ATO) for DIaK management; 11) Core Elements: ATO for DIaK Management; 12) ISHM Architecture Physical Implementation; 13) Core Elements: Standards; 14) Systematic Implementation; 15) Sketch of Work Phasing; 16) Interrelationship Between Traditional Avionics Systems, Time Critical ISHM and Advanced ISHM; 17) Testbeds and On-Board ISHM; 18) Testbed Requirements: RETS AND ISS; 19) Sustainable Development and Validation Process; 20) Development of on-board ISHM; 21) Taxonomy/Ontology of Object Oriented Implementation; 22) ISHM Capability on the E1 Test Stand Hydraulic System; 23) Define Relationships to Embed Intelligence; 24) Intelligent Elements Physical and Virtual; 25) ISHM Testbeds and Prototypes at SSC Current Implementations; 26) Trailer-Mounted RETS; 27) Modeling and Simulation; 28) Summary ISHM Testbed Environments; 29) Data Mining - ARC; 30) Transitioning ISHM to Support NASA Missions; 31) Feature Detection Routines; 32) Sample Features Detected in SSC Test Stand Data; and 33) Health Assessment Database (DIaK Repository).
Development of an automated electrical power subsystem testbed for large spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David K.; Lollar, Louis F.

1990-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed two autonomous electrical power system breadboards. The first breadboard, the autonomously managed power system (AMPS), is a two power channel system featuring energy generation and storage and 24-kW of switchable loads, all under computer control. The second breadboard, the space station module/power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) testbed, is a two-bus 120-Vdc model of the Space Station power subsystem featuring smart switchgear and multiple knowledge-based control systems. NASA/MSFC is combining these two breadboards to form a complete autonomous source-to-load power system called the large autonomous spacecraft electrical power system (LASEPS). LASEPS is a high-power, intelligent, physical electrical power system testbed which can be used to derive and test new power system control techniques, new power switching components, and new energy storage elements in a more accurate and realistic fashion. LASEPS has the potential to be interfaced with other spacecraft subsystem breadboards in order to simulate an entire space vehicle. The two individual systems, the combined systems (hardware and software), and the current and future uses of LASEPS are described.
A test harness for accelerating physics parameterization advancements into operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firl, G. J.; Bernardet, L.; Harrold, M.; Henderson, J.; Wolff, J.; Zhang, M.

2017-12-01

The process of transitioning advances in parameterization of sub-grid scale processes from initial idea to implementation is often much quicker than the transition from implementation to use in an operational setting. After all, considerable work must be undertaken by operational centers to fully test, evaluate, and implement new physics. The process is complicated by the scarcity of like-to-like comparisons, availability of HPC resources, and the ``tuning problem" whereby advances in physics schemes are difficult to properly evaluate without first undertaking the expensive and time-consuming process of tuning to other schemes within a suite. To address this process shortcoming, the Global Model TestBed (GMTB), supported by the NWS NGGPS project and undertaken by the Developmental Testbed Center, has developed a physics test harness. It implements the concept of hierarchical testing, where the same code can be tested in model configurations of varying complexity from single column models (SCM) to fully coupled, cycled global simulations. Developers and users may choose at which level of complexity to engage. Several components of the physics test harness have been implemented, including a SCM and an end-to-end workflow that expands upon the one used at NOAA/EMC to run the GFS operationally, although the testbed components will necessarily morph to coincide with changes to the operational configuration (FV3-GFS). A standard, relatively user-friendly interface known as the Interoperable Physics Driver (IPD) is available for physics developers to connect their codes. This prerequisite exercise allows access to the testbed tools and removes a technical hurdle for potential inclusion into the Common Community Physics Package (CCPP). The testbed offers users the opportunity to conduct like-to-like comparisons between the operational physics suite and new development as well as among multiple developments. GMTB staff have demonstrated use of the testbed through a comparison between the 2017 operational GFS suite and one containing the Grell-Freitas convective parameterization. An overview of the physics test harness and its early use will be presented.
Data distribution service-based interoperability framework for smart grid testbed infrastructure

DOE PAGES

Youssef, Tarek A.; Elsayed, Ahmed T.; Mohammed, Osama A.

2016-03-02

This study presents the design and implementation of a communication and control infrastructure for smart grid operation. The proposed infrastructure enhances the reliability of the measurements and control network. The advantages of utilizing the data-centric over message-centric communication approach are discussed in the context of smart grid applications. The data distribution service (DDS) is used to implement a data-centric common data bus for the smart grid. This common data bus improves the communication reliability, enabling distributed control and smart load management. These enhancements are achieved by avoiding a single point of failure while enabling peer-to-peer communication and an automatic discoverymore » feature for dynamic participating nodes. The infrastructure and ideas presented in this paper were implemented and tested on the smart grid testbed. A toolbox and application programing interface for the testbed infrastructure are developed in order to facilitate interoperability and remote access to the testbed. This interface allows control, monitoring, and performing of experiments remotely. Furthermore, it could be used to integrate multidisciplinary testbeds to study complex cyber-physical systems (CPS).« less
Prototyping Control and Data Acquisition for the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luchetta, Adriano; Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare; Soppelsa, Anton; Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo; Barbato, Paolo; Breda, Mauro; Capobianco, Roberto; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Polato, Sandro; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico

2013-10-01

The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility will be the project's R&D facility for heating neutral beam injectors (HNB) for fusion research operating with H/D negative ions. Its mission is to develop technology to build the HNB prototype injector meeting the stringent HNB requirements (16.5 MW injection power, -1 MeV acceleration energy, 40 A ion current and one hour continuous operation). Two test-beds will be built in sequence in the facility: first SPIDER, the ion source test-bed, to optimize the negative ion source performance, second MITICA, the actual prototype injector, to optimize ion beam acceleration and neutralization. The SPIDER control and data acquisition system is under design. To validate the main architectural choices, a system prototype has been assembled and performance tests have been executed to assess the prototype's capability to meet the control and data acquisition system requirements. The prototype is based on open-source software frameworks running under Linux. EPICS is the slow control engine, MDSplus is the data handler and MARTe is the fast control manager. The prototype addresses low and high-frequency data acquisition, 10 kS/s and 10 MS/s respectively, camera image acquisition, data archiving, data streaming, data retrieval and visualization, real time fast control with 100 μs control cycle and supervisory control.
How Much Higher Can HTCondor Fly?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fajardo, E. M.; Dost, J. M.; Holzman, B.

The HTCondor high throughput computing system is heavily used in the high energy physics (HEP) community as the batch system for several Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) resources. Moreover, it is the backbone of GlidelnWMS, the pilot system used by the computing organization of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. To prepare for LHC Run 2, we probed the scalability limits of new versions and configurations of HTCondor with a goal of reaching 200,000 simultaneous running jobs in a single internationally distributed dynamic pool.In this paper, we first describe how we created an opportunistic distributed testbed capable of exercising runsmore » with 200,000 simultaneous jobs without impacting production. This testbed methodology is appropriate not only for scale testing HTCondor, but potentially for many other services. In addition to the test conditions and the testbed topology, we include the suggested configuration options used to obtain the scaling results, and describe some of the changes to HTCondor inspired by our testing that enabled sustained operations at scales well beyond previous limits.« less
The NASA LeRC regenerative fuel cell system testbed program for goverment and commercial applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maloney, T.M.; Prokopius, P.R.; Voecks, G.E.

1995-01-25

The Electrochemical Technology Branch of the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has initiated a program to develop a renewable energy system testbed to evaluate, characterize, and demonstrate fully integrated regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for space, military, and commercial applications. A multi-agency management team, led by NASA LeRC, is implementing the program through a unique international coalition which encompasses both government and industry participants. This open-ended teaming strategy optimizes the development for space, military, and commercial RFC system technologies. Program activities to date include system design and analysis, and reactant storage sub-system design, with a major emphasis centered upon testbedmore » fabrication and installation and testing of two key RFC system components, namely, the fuel cells and electrolyzers. Construction of the LeRC 25 kW RFC system testbed at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Labortory (JPL) facility at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) is nearly complete and some sub-system components have already been installed. Furthermore, planning for the first commercial RFC system demonstration is underway. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}« less
Decentralized State Estimation and Remedial Control Action for Minimum Wind Curtailment Using Distributed Computing Platform

DOE PAGES

Liu, Ren; Srivastava, Anurag K.; Bakken, David E.; ...

2017-08-17

Intermittency of wind energy poses a great challenge for power system operation and control. Wind curtailment might be necessary at the certain operating condition to keep the line flow within the limit. Remedial Action Scheme (RAS) offers quick control action mechanism to keep reliability and security of the power system operation with high wind energy integration. In this paper, a new RAS is developed to maximize the wind energy integration without compromising the security and reliability of the power system based on specific utility requirements. A new Distributed Linear State Estimation (DLSE) is also developed to provide the fast andmore » accurate input data for the proposed RAS. A distributed computational architecture is designed to guarantee the robustness of the cyber system to support RAS and DLSE implementation. The proposed RAS and DLSE is validated using the modified IEEE-118 Bus system. Simulation results demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the DLSE and the effectiveness of RAS. Real-time cyber-physical testbed has been utilized to validate the cyber-resiliency of the developed RAS against computational node failure.« less
Decentralized State Estimation and Remedial Control Action for Minimum Wind Curtailment Using Distributed Computing Platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ren; Srivastava, Anurag K.; Bakken, David E.

Intermittency of wind energy poses a great challenge for power system operation and control. Wind curtailment might be necessary at the certain operating condition to keep the line flow within the limit. Remedial Action Scheme (RAS) offers quick control action mechanism to keep reliability and security of the power system operation with high wind energy integration. In this paper, a new RAS is developed to maximize the wind energy integration without compromising the security and reliability of the power system based on specific utility requirements. A new Distributed Linear State Estimation (DLSE) is also developed to provide the fast andmore » accurate input data for the proposed RAS. A distributed computational architecture is designed to guarantee the robustness of the cyber system to support RAS and DLSE implementation. The proposed RAS and DLSE is validated using the modified IEEE-118 Bus system. Simulation results demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the DLSE and the effectiveness of RAS. Real-time cyber-physical testbed has been utilized to validate the cyber-resiliency of the developed RAS against computational node failure.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Youssef, Tarek A.; Elsayed, Ahmed T.; Mohammed, Osama A.

This study presents the design and implementation of a communication and control infrastructure for smart grid operation. The proposed infrastructure enhances the reliability of the measurements and control network. The advantages of utilizing the data-centric over message-centric communication approach are discussed in the context of smart grid applications. The data distribution service (DDS) is used to implement a data-centric common data bus for the smart grid. This common data bus improves the communication reliability, enabling distributed control and smart load management. These enhancements are achieved by avoiding a single point of failure while enabling peer-to-peer communication and an automatic discoverymore » feature for dynamic participating nodes. The infrastructure and ideas presented in this paper were implemented and tested on the smart grid testbed. A toolbox and application programing interface for the testbed infrastructure are developed in order to facilitate interoperability and remote access to the testbed. This interface allows control, monitoring, and performing of experiments remotely. Furthermore, it could be used to integrate multidisciplinary testbeds to study complex cyber-physical systems (CPS).« less
Development of Liquid Propulsion Systems Testbed at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Reginald; Nelson, Graham

2016-01-01

As NASA, the Department of Defense and the aerospace industry in general strive to develop capabilities to explore near-Earth, Cis-lunar and deep space, the need to create more cost effective techniques of propulsion system design, manufacturing and test is imperative in the current budget constrained environment. The physics of space exploration have not changed, but the manner in which systems are developed and certified needs to change if there is going to be any hope of designing and building the high performance liquid propulsion systems necessary to deliver crew and cargo to the further reaches of space. To further the objective of developing these systems, the Marshall Space Flight Center is currently in the process of formulating a Liquid Propulsion Systems testbed, which will enable rapid integration of components to be tested and assessed for performance in integrated systems. The manifestation of this testbed is a breadboard engine configuration (BBE) with facility support for consumables and/or other components as needed. The goal of the facility is to test NASA developed elements, but can be used to test articles developed by other government agencies, industry or academia. Joint government/private partnership is likely the approach that will be required to enable efficient propulsion system development. MSFC has recently tested its own additively manufactured liquid hydrogen pump, injector, and valves in a BBE hot firing. It is rapidly building toward testing the pump and a new CH4 injector in the BBE configuration to demonstrate a 22,000 lbf, pump-fed LO2/LCH4 engine for the Mars lander or in-space transportation. The value of having this BBE testbed is that as components are developed they may be easily integrated in the testbed and tested. MSFC is striving to enhance its liquid propulsion system development capability. Rapid design, analysis, build and test will be critical to fielding the next high thrust rocket engine. With the maturity of the BBE testbed, MSFC propulsion engineering will bring forward a national capability that enables growth of both commercial and government interests.
Large Scale Data Mining to Improve Usability of Data: An Intelligent Archive Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram; Isaac, David; Yang, Wenli; Morse, Steve

2005-01-01

Research in certain scientific disciplines - including Earth science, particle physics, and astrophysics - continually faces the challenge that the volume of data needed to perform valid scientific research can at times overwhelm even a sizable research community. The desire to improve utilization of this data gave rise to the Intelligent Archives project, which seeks to make data archives active participants in a knowledge building system capable of discovering events or patterns that represent new information or knowledge. Data mining can automatically discover patterns and events, but it is generally viewed as unsuited for large-scale use in disciplines like Earth science that routinely involve very high data volumes. Dozens of research projects have shown promising uses of data mining in Earth science, but all of these are based on experiments with data subsets of a few gigabytes or less, rather than the terabytes or petabytes typically encountered in operational systems. To bridge this gap, the Intelligent Archives project is establishing a testbed with the goal of demonstrating the use of data mining techniques in an operationally-relevant environment. This paper discusses the goals of the testbed and the design choices surrounding critical issues that arose during testbed implementation.
Computer graphics testbed to simulate and test vision systems for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheatham, John B.; Wu, Chris K.; Lin, Y. H.

1991-01-01

A system was developed for displaying computer graphics images of space objects and the use of the system was demonstrated as a testbed for evaluating vision systems for space applications. In order to evaluate vision systems, it is desirable to be able to control all factors involved in creating the images used for processing by the vision system. Considerable time and expense is involved in building accurate physical models of space objects. Also, precise location of the model relative to the viewer and accurate location of the light source require additional effort. As part of this project, graphics models of space objects such as the Solarmax satellite are created that the user can control the light direction and the relative position of the object and the viewer. The work is also aimed at providing control of hue, shading, noise and shadows for use in demonstrating and testing imaging processing techniques. The simulated camera data can provide XYZ coordinates, pitch, yaw, and roll for the models. A physical model is also being used to provide comparison of camera images with the graphics images.
Implementation of a virtual link between power system testbeds at Marshall Spaceflight Center and Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doreswamy, Rajiv

1990-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) owns and operates a space station module power management and distribution (SSM-PMAD) testbed. This system, managed by expert systems, is used to analyze and develop power system automation techniques for Space Station Freedom. The Lewis Research Center (LeRC), Cleveland, Ohio, has developed and implemented a space station electrical power system (EPS) testbed. This system and its power management controller are representative of the overall Space Station Freedom power system. A virtual link is being implemented between the testbeds at MSFC and LeRC. This link would enable configuration of SSM-PMAD as a load center for the EPS testbed at LeRC. This connection will add to the versatility of both systems, and provide an environment of enhanced realism for operation of both testbeds.

Advanced turboprop testbed systems study. Volume 1: Testbed program objectives and priorities, drive system and aircraft design studies, evaluation and recommendations and wind tunnel test plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, E. S.; Little, B. H.; Warnock, W.; Jenness, C. M.; Wilson, J. M.; Powell, C. W.; Shoaf, L.

1982-01-01

The establishment of propfan technology readiness was determined and candidate drive systems for propfan application were identified. Candidate testbed aircraft were investigated for testbed aircraft suitability and four aircraft selected as possible propfan testbed vehicles. An evaluation of the four candidates was performed and the Boeing KC-135A and the Gulfstream American Gulfstream II recommended as the most suitable aircraft for test application. Conceptual designs of the two recommended aircraft were performed and cost and schedule data for the entire testbed program were generated. The program total cost was estimated and a wind tunnel program cost and schedule is generated in support of the testbed program.
Remotely Accessible Testbed for Software Defined Radio Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lux, James P.; Lang, Minh; Peters, Kenneth J.; Taylor, Gregory H.

2012-01-01

Previous development testbeds have assumed that the developer was physically present in front of the hardware being used. No provision for remote operation of basic functions (power on/off or reset) was made, because the developer/operator was sitting in front of the hardware, and could just push the button manually. In this innovation, a completely remotely accessible testbed has been created, with all diagnostic equipment and tools set up for remote access, and using standardized interfaces so that failed equipment can be quickly replaced. In this testbed, over 95% of the operating hours were used for testing without the developer being physically present. The testbed includes a pair of personal computers, one running Linux and one running Windows. A variety of peripherals is connected via Ethernet and USB (universal serial bus) interfaces. A private internal Ethernet is used to connect to test instruments and other devices, so that the sole connection to the outside world is via the two PCs. An important design consideration was that all of the instruments and interfaces used stable, long-lived industry standards, such as Ethernet, USB, and GPIB (general purpose interface bus). There are no plug-in cards for the two PCs, so there are no problems with finding replacement computers with matching interfaces, device drivers, and installation. The only thing unique to the two PCs is the locally developed software, which is not specific to computer or operating system version. If a device (including one of the computers) were to fail or become unavailable (e.g., a test instrument needed to be recalibrated), replacing it is a straightforward process with a standard, off-the-shelf device.
FastLane: Agile Drop Notification for Datacenter Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-23

interactivity dead- lines mean that networks are increasingly evaluated on high percentile completion times of these short flows. Achieving consistent flow...triggering retransmissions based on out-of-order delivery. We evaluate FastLane in a number of scenarios, us- ing both testbed experiments and simulations...Results from our evaluation demonstrate that FastLane improves the 99.9th percentile completion time of short flows by up to 75% compared to TCP
A distributed parallel storage architecture and its potential application within EOSDIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, William E.; Tierney, Brian; Feuquay, Jay; Butzer, Tony

1994-01-01

We describe the architecture, implementation, use of a scalable, high performance, distributed-parallel data storage system developed in the ARPA funded MAGIC gigabit testbed. A collection of wide area distributed disk servers operate in parallel to provide logical block level access to large data sets. Operated primarily as a network-based cache, the architecture supports cooperation among independently owned resources to provide fast, large-scale, on-demand storage to support data handling, simulation, and computation.
The SMART-NAS Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aquilina, Rudolph A.

2015-01-01

The SMART-NAS Testbed for Safe Trajectory Based Operations Project will deliver an evaluation capability, critical to the ATM community, allowing full NextGen and beyond-NextGen concepts to be assessed and developed. To meet this objective a strong focus will be placed on concept integration and validation to enable a gate-to-gate trajectory-based system capability that satisfies a full vision for NextGen. The SMART-NAS for Safe TBO Project consists of six sub-projects. Three of the sub-projects are focused on exploring and developing technologies, concepts and models for evolving and transforming air traffic management operations in the ATM+2 time horizon, while the remaining three sub-projects are focused on developing the tools and capabilities needed for testing these advanced concepts. Function Allocation, Networked Air Traffic Management and Trajectory Based Operations are developing concepts and models. SMART-NAS Test-bed, System Assurance Technologies and Real-time Safety Modeling are developing the tools and capabilities to test these concepts. Simulation and modeling capabilities will include the ability to assess multiple operational scenarios of the national airspace system, accept data feeds, allowing shadowing of actual operations in either real-time, fast-time and/or hybrid modes of operations in distributed environments, and enable integrated examinations of concepts, algorithms, technologies, and NAS architectures. An important focus within this project is to enable the development of a real-time, system-wide safety assurance system. The basis of such a system is a continuum of information acquisition, analysis, and assessment that enables awareness and corrective action to detect and mitigate potential threats to continuous system-wide safety at all levels. This process, which currently can only be done post operations, will be driven towards "real-time" assessments in the 2035 time frame.
VR Simulation Testbed: Improving Surface Telerobotics for the Deep Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, M. E.; Burns, J. O.; Szafir, D. J.

2018-02-01

Design of a virtual reality simulation testbed for prototyping surface telerobotics. The goal is to create a framework with robust physics and kinematics to allow simulated teleoperation and supervised control of lunar rovers and rapid UI prototyping.
Overview of Target Fabrication in Support of Sandia National Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroen, Diana; Breden, Eric; Florio, Joseph; Grine-Jones, Suzi; Holt, Randy; Krych, Wojtek; Metzler, James; Russell, Chris; Stolp, Justin; Streit, Jonathan; Youngblood, Kelly

2004-11-01

Sandia National Laboratories has succeeded in making its pulsed power driver, the Z machine, a valuable testbed for a great variety of experiments. These experiments include ICF, weapon physics, Equation of State and astrophysics. There are four main target types: Dynamic Hohlraum, Double Pinch, Fast Igniter and EOS. The target sizes are comparable to projected NIF sizes. For example, capsules up to 5 mm have been fielded. This talk will focus on the assembly challenges and the use of foams to create these targets. For many targets, diagnostics and capsules are embedded in the foams, and foam dopants have been added. It is the 14 mg/cc foam target with an embedded capsule (containing deuterium) that has reproducibly produced thermonuclear neutrons. For all target types, the characterization and documentation has had to develop to ensure understanding of target performance. To achieve the required resolution we are using a Nikon automated microscope and a custom OMEGA/NIF target assembly system. Our drive for quality has lead us develop a management system that been registered to ISO 9001.
Sensor Networking Testbed with IEEE 1451 Compatibility and Network Performance Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurkan, Deniz; Yuan, X.; Benhaddou, D.; Figueroa, F.; Morris, Jonathan

2007-01-01

Design and implementation of a testbed for testing and verifying IEEE 1451-compatible sensor systems with network performance monitoring is of significant importance. The performance parameters measurement as well as decision support systems implementation will enhance the understanding of sensor systems with plug-and-play capabilities. The paper will present the design aspects for such a testbed environment under development at University of Houston in collaboration with NASA Stennis Space Center - SSST (Smart Sensor System Testbed).
Embedded Data Processor and Portable Computer Technology testbeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alena, Richard; Liu, Yuan-Kwei; Goforth, Andre; Fernquist, Alan R.

1993-01-01

Attention is given to current activities in the Embedded Data Processor and Portable Computer Technology testbed configurations that are part of the Advanced Data Systems Architectures Testbed at the Information Sciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The Embedded Data Processor Testbed evaluates advanced microprocessors for potential use in mission and payload applications within the Space Station Freedom Program. The Portable Computer Technology (PCT) Testbed integrates and demonstrates advanced portable computing devices and data system architectures. The PCT Testbed uses both commercial and custom-developed devices to demonstrate the feasibility of functional expansion and networking for portable computers in flight missions.
Emulytics for Cyber-Enabled Physical Attack Scenarios: Interim LDRD Report of Year One Results.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clem, John; Urias, Vincent; Atkins, William Dee

Sandia National Laboratories has funded the research and development of a new capability to interactively explore the effects of cyber exploits on the performance of physical protection systems. This informal, interim report of progress summarizes the project’s basis and year one (of two) accomplishments. It includes descriptions of confirmed cyber exploits against a representative testbed protection system and details the development of an emulytics capability to support live, virtual, and constructive experiments. This work will support stakeholders to better engineer, operate, and maintain reliable protection systems.
Distributed simulation for formation flying applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohl, Garett A.; Udomkesmalee, Santi; Kellogg, Jennifer L.

2005-01-01

High fidelity engineering simulation plays a key role in the rapidly developing field of space-based formation flying. This paper describes the design and implementation of the Formation Algorithms and Simulation Testbed (FAST).
Development of a Scalable Testbed for Mobile Olfaction Verification.

PubMed

Zakaria, Syed Muhammad Mamduh Syed; Visvanathan, Retnam; Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Yeon, Ahmad Shakaff Ali; Md Shakaff, Ali Yeon; Zakaria, Ammar; Kamarudin, Latifah Munirah

2015-12-09

The lack of information on ground truth gas dispersion and experiment verification information has impeded the development of mobile olfaction systems, especially for real-world conditions. In this paper, an integrated testbed for mobile gas sensing experiments is presented. The integrated 3 m × 6 m testbed was built to provide real-time ground truth information for mobile olfaction system development. The testbed consists of a 72-gas-sensor array, namely Large Gas Sensor Array (LGSA), a localization system based on cameras and a wireless communication backbone for robot communication and integration into the testbed system. Furthermore, the data collected from the testbed may be streamed into a simulation environment to expedite development. Calibration results using ethanol have shown that using a large number of gas sensor in the LGSA is feasible and can produce coherent signals when exposed to the same concentrations. The results have shown that the testbed was able to capture the time varying characteristics and the variability of gas plume in a 2 h experiment thus providing time dependent ground truth concentration maps. The authors have demonstrated the ability of the mobile olfaction testbed to monitor, verify and thus, provide insight to gas distribution mapping experiment.
Development of a Scalable Testbed for Mobile Olfaction Verification

PubMed Central

Syed Zakaria, Syed Muhammad Mamduh; Visvanathan, Retnam; Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Ali Yeon, Ahmad Shakaff; Md. Shakaff, Ali Yeon; Zakaria, Ammar; Kamarudin, Latifah Munirah

2015-01-01

The lack of information on ground truth gas dispersion and experiment verification information has impeded the development of mobile olfaction systems, especially for real-world conditions. In this paper, an integrated testbed for mobile gas sensing experiments is presented. The integrated 3 m × 6 m testbed was built to provide real-time ground truth information for mobile olfaction system development. The testbed consists of a 72-gas-sensor array, namely Large Gas Sensor Array (LGSA), a localization system based on cameras and a wireless communication backbone for robot communication and integration into the testbed system. Furthermore, the data collected from the testbed may be streamed into a simulation environment to expedite development. Calibration results using ethanol have shown that using a large number of gas sensor in the LGSA is feasible and can produce coherent signals when exposed to the same concentrations. The results have shown that the testbed was able to capture the time varying characteristics and the variability of gas plume in a 2 h experiment thus providing time dependent ground truth concentration maps. The authors have demonstrated the ability of the mobile olfaction testbed to monitor, verify and thus, provide insight to gas distribution mapping experiment. PMID:26690175
Risk assessment of technologies for detecting illicit drugs in containers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandenstein, Albert E.

1995-03-01

This paper provides the highlights of the role risk assessment plays in the United States technology program for nonintrusive inspection of cargo containers for illicit drugs. The Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center is coordinating the national effort to develop prototype technologies for an advanced generation, nonintrusive cargo inspection system. In the future, the U.S. Customs Service could configure advanced technologies for finding not only drugs and other contraband hidden in cargo, but for a wide variety of commodities for customs duty verification purposes. The overall nonintrusive inspection system is envisioned to consist primarily of two classes of subsystems: (1) shipment document examination subsystems to prescreen exporter and importer documents; and (2) chemical and physics-based subsystems to detect and characterize illicit substances. The document examination subsystems would use software algorithms, artificial intelligence, and neural net technology to perform an initial prescreening of the information on the shipping manifest for suspicious patterns. This would be accomplished by creating a `profile' from the shipping information and matching it to trends known to be used by traffickers. The chemical and physics-based subsystems would apply nuclear physics, x-ray, gas chromatography and spectrometry technologies to locate and identify contraband in containers and other conveyances without the need for manual searches. The approach taken includes using technology testbeds to assist in evaluating technology prototypes and testing system concepts in a fully instrumented but realistic operational environment. This approach coupled with a substance signature phenomenology program to characterize those detectable elements of benign, as well as target substances lends itself particularly well to the topics of risk assessment and elemental characterization of substances. A technology testbed established in Tacoma, Washington provides a national facility for testing and evaluating existing and emerging prototype systems in an operational environment. The results of initial tests using the advanced x-ray subsystem installed at the testbed are given in this paper. A description of typical cargo contents and those characteristics applicable to nuclear interrogation techniques are provided in the appendix.
Sparse matrix methods research using the CSM testbed software system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Eleanor; George, J. Alan

1989-01-01

Research is described on sparse matrix techniques for the Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Testbed. The primary objective was to compare the performance of state-of-the-art techniques for solving sparse systems with those that are currently available in the CSM Testbed. Thus, one of the first tasks was to become familiar with the structure of the testbed, and to install some or all of the SPARSPAK package in the testbed. A suite of subroutines to extract from the data base the relevant structural and numerical information about the matrix equations was written, and all the demonstration problems distributed with the testbed were successfully solved. These codes were documented, and performance studies comparing the SPARSPAK technology to the methods currently in the testbed were completed. In addition, some preliminary studies were done comparing some recently developed out-of-core techniques with the performance of the testbed processor INV.
Principal Component-Based Radiative Transfer Model (PCRTM) for Hyperspectral Sensors. Part I; Theoretical Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen

2005-01-01

Modern infrared satellite sensors such as Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CrIS), Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) are capable of providing high spatial and spectral resolution infrared spectra. To fully exploit the vast amount of spectral information from these instruments, super fast radiative transfer models are needed. This paper presents a novel radiative transfer model based on principal component analysis. Instead of predicting channel radiance or transmittance spectra directly, the Principal Component-based Radiative Transfer Model (PCRTM) predicts the Principal Component (PC) scores of these quantities. This prediction ability leads to significant savings in computational time. The parameterization of the PCRTM model is derived from properties of PC scores and instrument line shape functions. The PCRTM is very accurate and flexible. Due to its high speed and compressed spectral information format, it has great potential for super fast one-dimensional physical retrievals and for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) large volume radiance data assimilation applications. The model has been successfully developed for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) and AIRS instruments. The PCRTM model performs monochromatic radiative transfer calculations and is able to include multiple scattering calculations to account for clouds and aerosols.
A Novel UAV Electric Propulsion Testbed for Diagnostics and Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorospe, George E., Jr.; Kulkarni, Chetan S.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbed for systems level diagnostics and prognostics of an electric propulsion system used in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle). Referencing the all electric, Edge 540T aircraft used in science and research by NASA Langley Flight Research Center, the HIL testbed includes an identical propulsion system, consisting of motors, speed controllers and batteries. Isolated under a controlled laboratory environment, the propulsion system has been instrumented for advanced diagnostics and prognostics. To produce flight like loading on the system a slave motor is coupled to the motor under test (MUT) and provides variable mechanical resistance, and the capability of introducing nondestructive mechanical wear-like frictional loads on the system. This testbed enables the verification of mathematical models of each component of the propulsion system, the repeatable generation of flight-like loads on the system for fault analysis, test-to-failure scenarios, and the development of advanced system level diagnostics and prognostics methods. The capabilities of the testbed are extended through the integration of a LabVIEW-based client for the Live Virtual Constructive Distributed Environment (LVCDC) Gateway which enables both the publishing of generated data for remotely located observers and prognosers and the synchronization the testbed propulsion system with vehicles in the air. The developed HIL testbed gives researchers easy access to a scientifically relevant portion of the aircraft without the overhead and dangers encountered during actual flight.
Advanced turboprop testbed systems study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldsmith, I. M.

1982-01-01

The proof of concept, feasibility, and verification of the advanced prop fan and of the integrated advanced prop fan aircraft are established. The use of existing hardware is compatible with having a successfully expedited testbed ready for flight. A prop fan testbed aircraft is definitely feasible and necessary for verification of prop fan/prop fan aircraft integrity. The Allison T701 is most suitable as a propulsor and modification of existing engine and propeller controls are adequate for the testbed. The airframer is considered the logical overall systems integrator of the testbed program.
Response of a 2-story test-bed structure for the seismic evaluation of nonstructural systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soroushian, Siavash; Maragakis, E. "Manos"; Zaghi, Arash E.; Rahmanishamsi, Esmaeel; Itani, Ahmad M.; Pekcan, Gokhan

2016-03-01

A full-scale, two-story, two-by-one bay, steel braced-frame was subjected to a number of unidirectional ground motions using three shake tables at the UNR-NEES site. The test-bed frame was designed to study the seismic performance of nonstructural systems including steel-framed gypsum partition walls, suspended ceilings and fire sprinkler systems. The frame can be configured to perform as an elastic or inelastic system to generate large floor accelerations or large inter story drift, respectively. In this study, the dynamic performance of the linear and nonlinear test-beds was comprehensively studied. The seismic performance of nonstructural systems installed in the linear and nonlinear test-beds were assessed during extreme excitations. In addition, the dynamic interactions of the test-bed and installed nonstructural systems are investigated.
Development of Hardware-in-the-loop Microgrid Testbed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, Bailu; Prabakar, Kumaraguru; Starke, Michael R

2015-01-01

A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) microgrid testbed for the evaluation and assessment of microgrid operation and control system has been presented in this paper. The HIL testbed is composed of a real-time digital simulator (RTDS) for modeling of the microgrid, multiple NI CompactRIOs for device level control, a prototype microgrid energy management system (MicroEMS), and a relay protection system. The applied communication-assisted hybrid control system has been also discussed. Results of function testing of HIL controller, communication, and the relay protection system are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed HIL microgrid testbed.

Trace explosives sensor testbed (TESTbed)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Greg E.; Malito, Michael P.; Tamanaha, Cy R.; Hammond, Mark H.; Giordano, Braden C.; Lubrano, Adam L.; Field, Christopher R.; Rogers, Duane A.; Jeffries, Russell A.; Colton, Richard J.; Rose-Pehrsson, Susan L.

2017-03-01

A novel vapor delivery testbed, referred to as the Trace Explosives Sensor Testbed, or TESTbed, is demonstrated that is amenable to both high- and low-volatility explosives vapors including nitromethane, nitroglycerine, ethylene glycol dinitrate, triacetone triperoxide, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine. The TESTbed incorporates a six-port dual-line manifold system allowing for rapid actuation between a dedicated clean air source and a trace explosives vapor source. Explosives and explosives-related vapors can be sourced through a number of means including gas cylinders, permeation tube ovens, dynamic headspace chambers, and a Pneumatically Modulated Liquid Delivery System coupled to a perfluoroalkoxy total-consumption microflow nebulizer. Key features of the TESTbed include continuous and pulseless control of trace vapor concentrations with wide dynamic range of concentration generation, six sampling ports with reproducible vapor profile outputs, limited low-volatility explosives adsorption to the manifold surface, temperature and humidity control of the vapor stream, and a graphical user interface for system operation and testing protocol implementation.
Exploration Systems Health Management Facilities and Testbed Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Scott; Waterman, Robert; McCleskey, Carey

2004-01-01

Presentation Agenda : (1) Technology Maturation Pipeline (The Plan) (2) Cryogenic testbed (and other KSC Labs) (2a) Component / Subsystem technologies (3) Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) (3a) System / Vehic1e technologies (4) EL V Flight Experiments (Flight Testbeds).
Photonically enabled Ka-band radar and infrared sensor subscale testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohr, Michele B.; Sova, Raymond M.; Funk, Kevin B.; Airola, Marc B.; Dennis, Michael L.; Pavek, Richard E.; Hollenbeck, Jennifer S.; Garrison, Sean K.; Conard, Steven J.; Terry, David H.

2014-10-01

A subscale radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) testbed using novel RF-photonics techniques for generating radar waveforms is currently under development at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) to study target scenarios in a laboratory setting. The linearity of Maxwell's equations allows the use of millimeter wavelengths and scaled-down target models to emulate full-scale RF scene effects. Coupled with passive IR and visible sensors, target motions and heating, and a processing and algorithm development environment, this testbed provides a means to flexibly and cost-effectively generate and analyze multi-modal data for a variety of applications, including verification of digital model hypotheses, investigation of correlated phenomenology, and aiding system capabilities assessment. In this work, concept feasibility is demonstrated for simultaneous RF, IR, and visible sensor measurements of heated, precessing, conical targets and of a calibration cylinder. Initial proof-of-principle results are shown of the Ka-band subscale radar, which models S-band for 1/10th scale targets, using stretch processing and Xpatch models.
Micromagnetics on high-performance workstation and mobile computational platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, S.; Chang, R.; Couture, S.; Menarini, M.; Escobar, M. A.; Kuteifan, M.; Lubarda, M.; Gabay, D.; Lomakin, V.

2015-05-01

The feasibility of using high-performance desktop and embedded mobile computational platforms is presented, including multi-core Intel central processing unit, Nvidia desktop graphics processing units, and Nvidia Jetson TK1 Platform. FastMag finite element method-based micromagnetic simulator is used as a testbed, showing high efficiency on all the platforms. Optimization aspects of improving the performance of the mobile systems are discussed. The high performance, low cost, low power consumption, and rapid performance increase of the embedded mobile systems make them a promising candidate for micromagnetic simulations. Such architectures can be used as standalone systems or can be built as low-power computing clusters.
Performance Evaluation of a Data Validation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Edmond (Technical Monitor); Sowers, T. Shane; Santi, L. Michael; Bickford, Randall L.

2005-01-01

Online data validation is a performance-enhancing component of modern control and health management systems. It is essential that performance of the data validation system be verified prior to its use in a control and health management system. A new Data Qualification and Validation (DQV) Test-bed application was developed to provide a systematic test environment for this performance verification. The DQV Test-bed was used to evaluate a model-based data validation package known as the Data Quality Validation Studio (DQVS). DQVS was employed as the primary data validation component of a rocket engine health management (EHM) system developed under NASA's NGLT (Next Generation Launch Technology) program. In this paper, the DQVS and DQV Test-bed software applications are described, and the DQV Test-bed verification procedure for this EHM system application is presented. Test-bed results are summarized and implications for EHM system performance improvements are discussed.
Description of the SSF PMAD DC testbed control system data acquisition function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baez, Anastacio N.; Mackin, Michael; Wright, Theodore

1992-01-01

The NASA LeRC in Cleveland, Ohio has completed the development and integration of a Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC Testbed. This testbed is a reduced scale representation of the end to end, sources to loads, Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF EPS). This unique facility is being used to demonstrate DC power generation and distribution, power management and control, and system operation techniques considered to be prime candidates for the Space Station Freedom. A key capability of the testbed is its ability to be configured to address system level issues in support of critical SSF program design milestones. Electrical power system control and operation issues like source control, source regulation, system fault protection, end-to-end system stability, health monitoring, resource allocation, and resource management are being evaluated in the testbed. The SSF EPS control functional allocation between on-board computers and ground based systems is evolving. Initially, ground based systems will perform the bulk of power system control and operation. The EPS control system is required to continuously monitor and determine the current state of the power system. The DC Testbed Control System consists of standard controllers arranged in a hierarchical and distributed architecture. These controllers provide all the monitoring and control functions for the DC Testbed Electrical Power System. Higher level controllers include the Power Management Controller, Load Management Controller, Operator Interface System, and a network of computer systems that perform some of the SSF Ground based Control Center Operation. The lower level controllers include Main Bus Switch Controllers and Photovoltaic Controllers. Power system status information is periodically provided to the higher level controllers to perform system control and operation. The data acquisition function of the control system is distributed among the various levels of the hierarchy. Data requirements are dictated by the control system algorithms being implemented at each level. A functional description of the various levels of the testbed control system architecture, the data acquisition function, and the status of its implementationis presented.
An architecture for integrating distributed and cooperating knowledge-based Air Force decision aids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nugent, Richard O.; Tucker, Richard W.

1988-01-01

MITRE has been developing a Knowledge-Based Battle Management Testbed for evaluating the viability of integrating independently-developed knowledge-based decision aids in the Air Force tactical domain. The primary goal for the testbed architecture is to permit a new system to be added to a testbed with little change to the system's software. Each system that connects to the testbed network declares that it can provide a number of services to other systems. When a system wants to use another system's service, it does not address the server system by name, but instead transmits a request to the testbed network asking for a particular service to be performed. A key component of the testbed architecture is a common database which uses a relational database management system (RDBMS). The RDBMS provides a database update notification service to requesting systems. Normally, each system is expected to monitor data relations of interest to it. Alternatively, a system may broadcast an announcement message to inform other systems that an event of potential interest has occurred. Current research is aimed at dealing with issues resulting from integration efforts, such as dealing with potential mismatches of each system's assumptions about the common database, decentralizing network control, and coordinating multiple agents.
Description of the control system design for the SSF PMAD DC testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baez, Anastacio N.; Kimnach, Greg L.

1991-01-01

The Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC Testbed Control System for Space Station Freedom was developed using a top down approach based on classical control system and conventional terrestrial power utilities design techniques. The design methodology includes the development of a testbed operating concept. This operating concept describes the operation of the testbed under all possible scenarios. A unique set of operating states was identified and a description of each state, along with state transitions, was generated. Each state is represented by a unique set of attributes and constraints, and its description reflects the degree of system security within which the power system is operating. Using the testbed operating states description, a functional design for the control system was developed. This functional design consists of a functional outline, a text description, and a logical flowchart for all the major control system functions. Described here are the control system design techniques, various control system functions, and the status of the design and implementation.
Technology Developments Integrating a Space Network Communications Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwong, Winston; Jennings, Esther; Clare, Loren; Leang, Dee

2006-01-01

As future manned and robotic space explorations missions involve more complex systems, it is essential to verify, validate, and optimize such systems through simulation and emulation in a low cost testbed environment. The goal of such a testbed is to perform detailed testing of advanced space and ground communications networks, technologies, and client applications that are essential for future space exploration missions. We describe the development of new technologies enhancing our Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE) that enable its integration in a distributed space communications testbed. MACHETE combines orbital modeling, link analysis, and protocol and service modeling to quantify system performance based on comprehensive considerations of different aspects of space missions. It can simulate entire networks and can interface with external (testbed) systems. The key technology developments enabling the integration of MACHETE into a distributed testbed are the Monitor and Control module and the QualNet IP Network Emulator module. Specifically, the Monitor and Control module establishes a standard interface mechanism to centralize the management of each testbed component. The QualNet IP Network Emulator module allows externally generated network traffic to be passed through MACHETE to experience simulated network behaviors such as propagation delay, data loss, orbital effects and other communications characteristics, including entire network behaviors. We report a successful integration of MACHETE with a space communication testbed modeling a lunar exploration scenario. This document is the viewgraph slides of the presentation.
Development of a Rotor-Body Coupled Analysis for an Active Mount Aeroelastic Rotor Testbed. Degree awarded by George Washington Univ., May 1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilbur, Matthew L.

1998-01-01

At the Langley Research Center an active mount rotorcraft testbed is being developed for use in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. This testbed, the second generation version of the Aeroelastic Rotor Experimental System (ARES-II), can impose rotor hub motions and measure the response so that rotor-body coupling phenomena may be investigated. An analytical method for coupling an aeroelastically scaled model rotor system to the ARES-II is developed in the current study. Models of the testbed and the rotor system are developed in independent analyses, and an impedance-matching approach is used to couple the rotor system to the testbed. The development of the analytical models and the coupling method is examined, and individual and coupled results are presented for the testbed and rotor system. Coupled results are presented with and without applied hub motion, and system loads and displacements are examined. The results show that a closed-loop control system is necessary to achieve desired hub motions, that proper modeling requires including the loads at the rotor hub and rotor control system, and that the strain-gauge balance placed in the rotating system of the ARES-II provided the best loads results.
Development of performance specifications for collision avoidance systems for lane change crashes. Task 6, interim report : testbed systems design and associated facilities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-11-01

This report documents the design of an on-road testbed vehicle. The purposes of this testbed are twofold: (1) Establish a foundation for estimating lane change collision avoidance effectiveness, and (2) provide information pertinent to setting perfor...
Space Station power system autonomy demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kish, James A.; Dolce, James L.; Weeks, David J.

1988-01-01

The Systems Autonomy Demonstration Program (SADP) represents NASA's major effort to demonstrate, through a series of complex ground experiments, the application and benefits of applying advanced automation technologies to the Space Station project. Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) will first jointly develop an autonomous power system using existing Space Station testbed facilities at each center. The subsequent 1990 power-thermal demonstration will then involve the cooperative operation of the LeRC/MSFC power system with the Johnson Space Center (JSC's) thermal control and DMS/OMS testbed facilities. The testbeds and expert systems at each of the NASA centers will be interconnected via communication links. The appropriate knowledge-based technology will be developed for each testbed and applied to problems requiring intersystem cooperation. Primary emphasis will be focused on failure detection and classification, system reconfiguration, planning and scheduling of electrical power resources, and integration of knowledge-based and conventional control system software into the design and operation of Space Station testbeds.
The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP 3 ) framework; establishment of a national network of testbed sites to support sustainable algae production

DOE PAGES

McGowen, John; Knoshaug, Eric P.; Laurens, Lieve M. L.; ...

2017-07-01

Well-controlled experiments that directly compare seasonal algal productivities across geographically distinct locations have not been reported before. To fill this gap, six cultivation testbed facilities were chosen across the United States to evaluate different climatic zones with respect to algal biomass productivity potential. The geographical locations and climates were as follows: Southwest, desert; Western, coastal; Southeast, inland; Southeast, coastal; Pacific, tropical; and Midwest, greenhouse. The testbed facilities were equipped with identical systems for inoculum production and open pond operation and methods were standardized across all testbeds to ensure accurate measurement of physical and biological variables. The ability of the testbedmore » sites to culture and analyze the same algal species, Nannochloropsis oceanica KA32, using identical pond operational and data collection procedures was evaluated during the same seasonal timeframe. This manuscript describes the results of a first-of-its-kind coordinated testbed validation field study while providing critical details on how geographical variations in temperature, light, and weather variables influenced algal productivity, nitrate consumption, and biomass composition. We found distinct differences in growth characteristics due to the geographic location and the resulting climatic and seasonal conditions across the sites, with the highest productivities observed at the desert Southwest and tropical Pacific regions, followed by the Western coastal region. The lowest productivities were observed at the Southeast inland and Midwest greenhouse locations. These differences in productivities among the sites correlated with the differences in pond water temperature and available solar radiation. In addition two sites, the tropical Pacific and Southeast inland experienced unusual events, spontaneous flocculation, and unusually cold and wet (rainfall) conditions respectively, that negatively affected outdoor algal growth. In addition, minor variability in productivity was observed between the different experimental treatments at each site, much smaller compared to differences due to geographic location. Finally, the successful demonstration of the coordinated and standardized operation of the testbed sites established a rigorous basis for future validation of algal strains and operational conditions and protocols across a geographically diverse testbed network.« less
The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP 3 ) framework; establishment of a national network of testbed sites to support sustainable algae production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGowen, John; Knoshaug, Eric P.; Laurens, Lieve M. L.

Well-controlled experiments that directly compare seasonal algal productivities across geographically distinct locations have not been reported before. To fill this gap, six cultivation testbed facilities were chosen across the United States to evaluate different climatic zones with respect to algal biomass productivity potential. The geographical locations and climates were as follows: Southwest, desert; Western, coastal; Southeast, inland; Southeast, coastal; Pacific, tropical; and Midwest, greenhouse. The testbed facilities were equipped with identical systems for inoculum production and open pond operation and methods were standardized across all testbeds to ensure accurate measurement of physical and biological variables. The ability of the testbedmore » sites to culture and analyze the same algal species, Nannochloropsis oceanica KA32, using identical pond operational and data collection procedures was evaluated during the same seasonal timeframe. This manuscript describes the results of a first-of-its-kind coordinated testbed validation field study while providing critical details on how geographical variations in temperature, light, and weather variables influenced algal productivity, nitrate consumption, and biomass composition. We found distinct differences in growth characteristics due to the geographic location and the resulting climatic and seasonal conditions across the sites, with the highest productivities observed at the desert Southwest and tropical Pacific regions, followed by the Western coastal region. The lowest productivities were observed at the Southeast inland and Midwest greenhouse locations. These differences in productivities among the sites correlated with the differences in pond water temperature and available solar radiation. In addition two sites, the tropical Pacific and Southeast inland experienced unusual events, spontaneous flocculation, and unusually cold and wet (rainfall) conditions respectively, that negatively affected outdoor algal growth. In addition, minor variability in productivity was observed between the different experimental treatments at each site, much smaller compared to differences due to geographic location. Finally, the successful demonstration of the coordinated and standardized operation of the testbed sites established a rigorous basis for future validation of algal strains and operational conditions and protocols across a geographically diverse testbed network.« less
Kite: Status of the External Metrology Testbed for SIM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dekens, Frank G.; Alvarez-Salazar, Oscar; Azizi, Alireza; Moser, Steven; Nemati, Bijan; Negron, John; Neville, Timothy; Ryan, Daniel

2004-01-01

Kite is a system level testbed for the External Metrology system of the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). The External Metrology System is used to track the fiducial that are located at the centers of the interferometer's siderostats. The relative changes in their positions needs to be tracked to tens of picometers in order to correct for thermal measurements, the Kite testbed was build to test both the metrology gauges and out ability to optically model the system at these levels. The Kite testbed is an over-constraint system where 6 lengths are measured, but only 5 are needed to determine the system. The agreement in the over-constrained length needs to be on the order of 140 pm for the SIM Wide-Angle observing scenario and 8 pm for the Narrow-Angle observing scenario. We demonstrate that we have met the Wide-Angle goal with our current setup. For the Narrow-Angle case, we have only reached the goal for on-axis observations. We describe the testbed improvements that have been made since our initial results, and outline the future Kite changes that will add further effects that SIM faces in order to make the testbed more SIM like.
Development and validation of a low-cost mobile robotics testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Michael; Hayes, Martin J.

2012-03-01

This paper considers the design, construction and validation of a low-cost experimental robotic testbed, which allows for the localisation and tracking of multiple robotic agents in real time. The testbed system is suitable for research and education in a range of different mobile robotic applications, for validating theoretical as well as practical research work in the field of digital control, mobile robotics, graphical programming and video tracking systems. It provides a reconfigurable floor space for mobile robotic agents to operate within, while tracking the position of multiple agents in real-time using the overhead vision system. The overall system provides a highly cost-effective solution to the topical problem of providing students with practical robotics experience within severe budget constraints. Several problems encountered in the design and development of the mobile robotic testbed and associated tracking system, such as radial lens distortion and the selection of robot identifier templates are clearly addressed. The testbed performance is quantified and several experiments involving LEGO Mindstorm NXT and Merlin System MiaBot robots are discussed.
Development of performance specifications for collision avoidance systems for lane change, merging, and backing. Task 6, Interim report : testbed systems design and associated facilities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-05-01

This report represents the documentation of the design of the testbed. The purposes of the testbed are twofold 1) Establish a foundation for estimating collision avoidance effectiveness and 2) Provide information pertinent to setting performance spec...
Consortium for Robotics & Unmanned Systems Education & Research (CRUSER)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

as facilities at Camp Roberts, Calif. and frequent experimentation events, the Many vs. Many ( MvM ) Autonomous Systems Testbed provides the...and expediently translate theory to practice. The MvM Testbed is designed to integrate technological advances in hardware (inexpensive, expendable...designed to leverage the MvM Autonomous Systems Testbed to explore practical and operationally relevant avenues to counter these “swarm” opponents, and
Kite: status of the external metrology testbed for SIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekens, Frank G.; Alvarez-Salazar, Oscar S.; Azizi, Alireza; Moser, Steven J.; Nemati, Bijan; Negron, John; Neville, Timothy; Ryan, Daniel

2004-10-01

Kite is a system level testbed for the External Metrology System of the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). The External Metrology System is used to track the fiducials that are located at the centers of the interferometer's siderostats. The relative changes in their positions needs to be tracked to an accuracy of tens of picometers in order to correct for thermal deformations and attitude changes of the spacecraft. Because of the need for such high precision measurements, the Kite testbed was build to test both the metrology gauges and our ability to optically model the system at these levels. The Kite testbed is a redundant metrology truss, in which 6 lengths are measured, but only 5 are needed to define the system. The RMS error between the redundant measurements needs to be less than 140pm for the SIM Wide-Angle observing scenario and less than 8 pm for the Narrow-Angle observing scenario. With our current testbed layout, we have achieved an RMS of 85 pm in the Wide-Angle case, meeting the goal. For the Narrow-Angle case, we have reached 5.8 pm, but only for on-axis observations. We describe the testbed improvements that have been made since our initial results, and outline the future Kite changes that will add further effects that SIM faces in order to make the testbed more representative of SIM.
Nickel cadmium battery expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The applicability of artificial intelligence methodologies for the automation of energy storage management, in this case, nickel cadmium batteries, is demonstrated. With the Hubble Space Telescope Electrical Power System (HST/EPS) testbed as the application domain, an expert system was developed which incorporates the physical characterization of the EPS, in particular, the nickel cadmium batteries, as well as the human's operational knowledge. The expert system returns not only fault diagnostics but also status and advice along with justifications and explanations in the form of decision support.

Analysis of 2D Torus and Hub Topologies of 100Mb/s Ethernet for the Whitney Commodity Computing Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pedretti, Kevin T.; Fineberg, Samuel A.; Kutler, Paul (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

A variety of different network technologies and topologies are currently being evaluated as part of the Whitney Project. This paper reports on the implementation and performance of a Fast Ethernet network configured in a 4x4 2D torus topology in a testbed cluster of 'commodity' Pentium Pro PCs. Several benchmarks were used for performance evaluation: an MPI point to point message passing benchmark, an MPI collective communication benchmark, and the NAS Parallel Benchmarks version 2.2 (NPB2). Our results show that for point to point communication on an unloaded network, the hub and 1 hop routes on the torus have about the same bandwidth and latency. However, the bandwidth decreases and the latency increases on the torus for each additional route hop. Collective communication benchmarks show that the torus provides roughly four times more aggregate bandwidth and eight times faster MPI barrier synchronizations than a hub based network for 16 processor systems. Finally, the SOAPBOX benchmarks, which simulate real-world CFD applications, generally demonstrated substantially better performance on the torus than on the hub. In the few cases the hub was faster, the difference was negligible. In total, our experimental results lead to the conclusion that for Fast Ethernet networks, the torus topology has better performance and scales better than a hub based network.
An Experimental Testbed for Evaluation of Trust and Reputation Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, Reid; Cohen, Robin

To date, trust and reputation systems have often been evaluated using methods of their designers’ own devising. Recently, we demonstrated that a number of noteworthy trust and reputation systems could be readily defeated, revealing limitations in their original evaluations. Efforts in the trust and reputation community to develop a testbed have yielded a successful competition platform, ART. This testbed, however, is less suited to general experimentation and evaluation of individual trust and reputation technologies. In this paper, we propose an experimentation and evaluation testbed based directly on that used in our investigations into security vulnerabilities in trust and reputation systems for marketplaces. We demonstrate the advantages of this design, towards the development of more thorough, objective evaluations of trust and reputation systems.
So ware-Defined Network Solutions for Science Scenarios: Performance Testing Framework and Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Settlemyer, Bradley; Kettimuthu, R.; Boley, Josh

High-performance scientific work flows utilize supercomputers, scientific instruments, and large storage systems. Their executions require fast setup of a small number of dedicated network connections across the geographically distributed facility sites. We present Software-Defined Network (SDN) solutions consisting of site daemons that use dpctl, Floodlight, ONOS, or OpenDaylight controllers to set up these connections. The development of these SDN solutions could be quite disruptive to the infrastructure, while requiring a close coordination among multiple sites; in addition, the large number of possible controller and device combinations to investigate could make the infrastructure unavailable to regular users for extended periods ofmore » time. In response, we develop a Virtual Science Network Environment (VSNE) using virtual machines, Mininet, and custom scripts that support the development, testing, and evaluation of SDN solutions, without the constraints and expenses of multi-site physical infrastructures; furthermore, the chosen solutions can be directly transferred to production deployments. By complementing VSNE with a physical testbed, we conduct targeted performance tests of various SDN solutions to help choose the best candidates. In addition, we propose a switching response method to assess the setup times and throughput performances of different SDN solutions, and present experimental results that show their advantages and limitations.« less
Development of a space-systems network testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lala, Jaynarayan; Alger, Linda; Adams, Stuart; Burkhardt, Laura; Nagle, Gail; Murray, Nicholas

1988-01-01

This paper describes a communications network testbed which has been designed to allow the development of architectures and algorithms that meet the functional requirements of future NASA communication systems. The central hardware components of the Network Testbed are programmable circuit switching communication nodes which can be adapted by software or firmware changes to customize the testbed to particular architectures and algorithms. Fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration has been implemented in the Network with a hybrid approach which utilizes features of both centralized and distributed techniques to provide efficient handling of faults within the Network.
In-Space Networking on NASA's SCAN Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, David E.; Eddy, Wesley M.; Clark, Gilbert J.; Johnson, Sandra K.

2016-01-01

The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, an external payload onboard the International Space Station, is equipped with three software defined radios and a flight computer for supporting in-space communication research. New technologies being studied using the SCaN Testbed include advanced networking, coding, and modulation protocols designed to support the transition of NASAs mission systems from primarily point to point data links and preplanned routes towards adaptive, autonomous internetworked operations needed to meet future mission objectives. Networking protocols implemented on the SCaN Testbed include the Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) link-layer protocol, Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Encapsulation Packets, Internet Protocol (IP), Space Link Extension (SLE), CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), and Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols including the Bundle Protocol (BP) and Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). The SCaN Testbed end-to-end system provides three S-band data links and one Ka-band data link to exchange space and ground data through NASAs Tracking Data Relay Satellite System or a direct-to-ground link to ground stations. The multiple data links and nodes provide several upgradable elements on both the space and ground systems. This paper will provide a general description of the testbeds system design and capabilities, discuss in detail the design and lessons learned in the implementation of the network protocols, and describe future plans for continuing research to meet the communication needs for evolving global space systems.
Analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) testbed development and evaluation to support dynamic mobility applications (DMA) and active transportation and demand management (ATDM) programs — summary report for the Chicago testbed. [supporting datasets - Chicago Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

The datasets in this zip file are in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) report FHWA-JPO-16-385, "Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applica...
Analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) testbed development and evaluation to support dynamic mobility applications (DMA) and active transportation and demand management (ATDM) programs : Dallas testbed analysis plan. [supporting datasets - Dallas Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-26

The datasets in this zip file are in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) report FHWA-JPO-16-385, "Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applica...
Algorithms and software for solving finite element equations on serial and parallel architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Eleanor; George, Alan

1988-01-01

The primary objective was to compare the performance of state-of-the-art techniques for solving sparse systems with those that are currently available in the Computational Structural Mechanics (MSC) testbed. One of the first tasks was to become familiar with the structure of the testbed, and to install some or all of the SPARSPAK package in the testbed. A brief overview of the CSM Testbed software and its usage is presented. An overview of the sparse matrix research for the Testbed currently employed in the CSM Testbed is given. An interface which was designed and implemented as a research tool for installing and appraising new matrix processors in the CSM Testbed is described. The results of numerical experiments performed in solving a set of testbed demonstration problems using the processor SPK and other experimental processors are contained.
Development and application of a real-time testbed for multiagent system interoperability: A case study on hierarchical microgrid control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cintuglu, Mehmet Hazar; Youssef, Tarek; Mohammed, Osama A.

This article presents the development and application of a real-time testbed for multiagent system interoperability. As utility independent private microgrids are installed constantly, standardized interoperability frameworks are required to define behavioral models of the individual agents for expandability and plug-and-play operation. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive hybrid agent framework combining the foundation for intelligent physical agents (FIPA), IEC 61850, and data distribution service (DDS) standards. The IEC 61850 logical node concept is extended using FIPA based agent communication language (ACL) with application specific attributes and deliberative behavior modeling capability. The DDS middleware is adopted to enable a real-timemore » publisher-subscriber interoperability mechanism between platforms. The proposed multi-agent framework was validated in a laboratory based testbed involving developed intelligent electronic device (IED) prototypes and actual microgrid setups. Experimental results were demonstrated for both decentralized and distributed control approaches. Secondary and tertiary control levels of a microgrid were demonstrated for decentralized hierarchical control case study. A consensus-based economic dispatch case study was demonstrated as a distributed control example. Finally, it was shown that the developed agent platform is industrially applicable for actual smart grid field deployment.« less
Development and application of a real-time testbed for multiagent system interoperability: A case study on hierarchical microgrid control

DOE PAGES

Cintuglu, Mehmet Hazar; Youssef, Tarek; Mohammed, Osama A.

2016-08-10

This article presents the development and application of a real-time testbed for multiagent system interoperability. As utility independent private microgrids are installed constantly, standardized interoperability frameworks are required to define behavioral models of the individual agents for expandability and plug-and-play operation. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive hybrid agent framework combining the foundation for intelligent physical agents (FIPA), IEC 61850, and data distribution service (DDS) standards. The IEC 61850 logical node concept is extended using FIPA based agent communication language (ACL) with application specific attributes and deliberative behavior modeling capability. The DDS middleware is adopted to enable a real-timemore » publisher-subscriber interoperability mechanism between platforms. The proposed multi-agent framework was validated in a laboratory based testbed involving developed intelligent electronic device (IED) prototypes and actual microgrid setups. Experimental results were demonstrated for both decentralized and distributed control approaches. Secondary and tertiary control levels of a microgrid were demonstrated for decentralized hierarchical control case study. A consensus-based economic dispatch case study was demonstrated as a distributed control example. Finally, it was shown that the developed agent platform is industrially applicable for actual smart grid field deployment.« less
Computer networks for remote laboratories in physics and engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starks, Scott; Elizandro, David; Leiner, Barry M.; Wiskerchen, Michael

1988-01-01

This paper addresses a relatively new approach to scientific research, telescience, which is the conduct of scientific operations in locations remote from the site of central experimental activity. A testbed based on the concepts of telescience is being developed to ultimately enable scientific researchers on earth to conduct experiments onboard the Space Station. This system along with background materials are discussed.
International Space Station Research Plan: Assembly Sequence. Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

These viewgraphs discuss the International Space Station's Research Plan. The goals for the International Space Station Utilization are to provide a state-of-the-art research facility on which to study gravity's effects on physical, chemical, and biological systems. It is also an advanced testbed for technology and human exploration as well as a commercial platform for space research and development.
Spacelab system analysis: A study of the Marshall Avionics System Testbed (MAST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingels, Frank M.; Owens, John K.; Daniel, Steven P.; Ahmad, F.; Couvillion, W.

1988-09-01

An analysis of the Marshall Avionics Systems Testbed (MAST) communications requirements is presented. The average offered load for typical nodes is estimated. Suitable local area networks are determined.
Spacelab system analysis: A study of the Marshall Avionics System Testbed (MAST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingels, Frank M.; Owens, John K.; Daniel, Steven P.; Ahmad, F.; Couvillion, W.

1988-01-01

An analysis of the Marshall Avionics Systems Testbed (MAST) communications requirements is presented. The average offered load for typical nodes is estimated. Suitable local area networks are determined.
Technology developments integrating a space network communications testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwong, Winston; Jennings, Esther; Clare, Loren; Leang, Dee

2006-01-01

As future manned and robotic space explorations missions involve more complex systems, it is essential to verify, validate, and optimize such systems through simulation and emulation in a low cost testbed environment. The goal of such a testbed is to perform detailed testing of advanced space and ground communications networks, technologies, and client applications that are essential for future space exploration missions. We describe the development of new technologies enhancing our Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE) that enables its integration in a distributed space communications testbed. MACHETE combines orbital modeling, link analysis, and protocol and service modeling to quantify system performance based on comprehensive considerations of different aspects of space missions.
A Petri net controller for distributed hierarchical systems. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, Joseph E.

1991-01-01

The solutions to a wide variety of problems are often best organized as a distributed hierarchical system. These systems can be graphically and mathematically modeled through the use of Petri nets, which can easily represent synchronous, asynchronous, and concurrent operations. This thesis presents a controller implementation based on Petri nets and a design methodology for the interconnection of distributed Petri nets. Two case studies are presented in which the controller operates a physical system, the Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration Dual Arm Robotic Testbed.
The computational structural mechanics testbed procedures manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Caroline B. (Compiler)

1991-01-01

The purpose of this manual is to document the standard high level command language procedures of the Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Testbed software system. A description of each procedure including its function, commands, data interface, and use is presented. This manual is designed to assist users in defining and using command procedures to perform structural analysis in the CSM Testbed User's Manual and the CSM Testbed Data Library Description.
New Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) Flight Testbed for Hypersonic Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bui, Trong T.; Lux, David P.; Stenger, Mike; Munson, Mike; Teate, George

2006-01-01

A new testbed for hypersonic flight research is proposed. Known as the Phoenix air-launched small missile (ALSM) flight testbed, it was conceived to help address the lack of quick-turnaround and cost-effective hypersonic flight research capabilities. The Phoenix ALSM testbed results from utilization of two unique and very capable flight assets: the United States Navy Phoenix AIM-54 long-range, guided air-to-air missile and the NASA Dryden F-15B testbed airplane. The U.S. Navy retirement of the Phoenix AIM-54 missiles from fleet operation has presented an excellent opportunity for converting this valuable flight asset into a new flight testbed. This cost-effective new platform will fill an existing gap in the test and evaluation of current and future hypersonic systems for flight Mach numbers ranging from 3 to 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the Phoenix missile is a highly capable platform. When launched from a high-performance airplane, the guided Phoenix missile can boost research payloads to low hypersonic Mach numbers, enabling flight research in the supersonic-to-hypersonic transitional flight envelope. Experience gained from developing and operating the Phoenix ALSM testbed will be valuable for the development and operation of future higher-performance ALSM flight testbeds as well as responsive microsatellite small-payload air-launched space boosters.
Parallel Navier-Stokes computations on shared and distributed memory architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayder, M. Ehtesham; Jayasimha, D. N.; Pillay, Sasi Kumar

1995-01-01

We study a high order finite difference scheme to solve the time accurate flow field of a jet using the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. As part of our ongoing efforts, we have implemented our numerical model on three parallel computing platforms to study the computational, communication, and scalability characteristics. The platforms chosen for this study are a cluster of workstations connected through fast networks (the LACE experimental testbed at NASA Lewis), a shared memory multiprocessor (the Cray YMP), and a distributed memory multiprocessor (the IBM SPI). Our focus in this study is on the LACE testbed. We present some results for the Cray YMP and the IBM SP1 mainly for comparison purposes. On the LACE testbed, we study: (1) the communication characteristics of Ethernet, FDDI, and the ALLNODE networks and (2) the overheads induced by the PVM message passing library used for parallelizing the application. We demonstrate that clustering of workstations is effective and has the potential to be computationally competitive with supercomputers at a fraction of the cost.
Dynamic testbed demonstration of WFIRST coronagraph low order wavefront sensing and control (LOWFS/C)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Fang; Cady, Eric; Seo, Byoung-Joon; An, Xin; Balasubramanian, Kunjithapatham; Kern, Brian; Lam, Raymond; Marx, David; Moody, Dwight; Mejia Prada, Camilo; Patterson, Keith; Poberezhskiy, Ilya; Shields, Joel; Sidick, Erkin; Tang, Hong; Trauger, John; Truong, Tuan; White, Victor; Wilson, Daniel; Zhou, Hanying

2017-09-01

To maintain the required performance of WFIRST Coronagraph in a realistic space environment, a Low Order Wavefront Sensing and Control (LOWFS/C) subsystem is necessary. The LOWFS/C uses a Zernike wavefront sensor (ZWFS) with the phase shifting disk combined with the starlight rejecting occulting mask. For wavefront error corrections, WFIRST LOWFS/C uses a fast steering mirror (FSM) for line-of-sight (LoS) correction, a focusing mirror for focus drift correction, and one of the two deformable mirrors (DM) for other low order wavefront error (WFE) correction. As a part of technology development and demonstration for WFIRST Coronagraph, a dedicated Occulting Mask Coronagraph (OMC) testbed has been built and commissioned. With its configuration similar to the WFIRST flight coronagraph instrument the OMC testbed consists of two coronagraph modes, Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) and Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC), a low order wavefront sensor (LOWFS), and an optical telescope assembly (OTA) simulator which can generate realistic LoS drift and jitter as well as low order wavefront error that would be induced by the WFIRST telescope's vibration and thermal changes. In this paper, we will introduce the concept of WFIRST LOWFS/C, describe the OMC testbed, and present the testbed results of LOWFS sensor performance. We will also present our recent results from the dynamic coronagraph tests in which we have demonstrated of using LOWFS/C to maintain the coronagraph contrast with the presence of WFIRST-like line-of-sight and low order wavefront disturbances.

A Testbed Environment for Buildings-to-Grid Cyber Resilience Research and Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sridhar, Siddharth; Ashok, Aditya; Mylrea, Michael E.

The Smart Grid is characterized by the proliferation of advanced digital controllers at all levels of its operational hierarchy from generation to end consumption. Such controllers within modern residential and commercial buildings enable grid operators to exercise fine-grained control over energy consumption through several emerging Buildings-to-Grid (B2G) applications. Though this capability promises significant benefits in terms of operational economics and improved reliability, cybersecurity weaknesses in the supporting infrastructure could be exploited to cause a detrimental effect and this necessitates focused research efforts on two fronts. First, the understanding of how cyber attacks in the B2G space could impact grid reliabilitymore » and to what extent. Second, the development and validation of cyber-physical application-specific countermeasures that are complementary to traditional infrastructure cybersecurity mechanisms for enhanced cyber attack detection and mitigation. The PNNL B2G testbed is currently being developed to address these core research needs. Specifically, the B2G testbed combines high-fidelity buildings+grid simulators, industry-grade building automation and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in an integrated, realistic, and reconfigurable environment capable of supporting attack-impact-detection-mitigation experimentation. In this paper, we articulate the need for research testbeds to model various B2G applications broadly by looking at the end-to-end operational hierarchy of the Smart Grid. Finally, the paper not only describes the architecture of the B2G testbed in detail, but also addresses the broad spectrum of B2G resilience research it is capable of supporting based on the smart grid operational hierarchy identified earlier.« less
The ac power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mildice, J.; Sundberg, R.

1987-01-01

The object of this program was to design, build, test, and deliver a high frequency (20 kHz) Power System Testbed which would electrically approximate a single, separable power channel of an IOC Space Station. That program is described, including the technical background, and the results are discussed showing that the major assumptions about the characteristics of this class of hardware (size, mass, efficiency, control, etc.) were substantially correct. This testbed equipment was completed and delivered and is being operated as part of the Space Station Power System Test Facility.
Testbeds for Assessing Critical Scenarios in Power Control Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dondossola, Giovanna; Deconinck, Geert; Garrone, Fabrizio; Beitollahi, Hakem

The paper presents a set of control system scenarios implemented in two testbeds developed in the context of the European Project CRUTIAL - CRitical UTility InfrastructurAL Resilience. The selected scenarios refer to power control systems encompassing information and communication security of SCADA systems for grid teleoperation, impact of attacks on inter-operator communications in power emergency conditions, impact of intentional faults on the secondary and tertiary control in power grids with distributed generators. Two testbeds have been developed for assessing the effect of the attacks and prototyping resilient architectures.
Adaptive controller for a strength testbed for aircraft structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laperdin, A. I.; Yurkevich, V. D.

2017-07-01

The problem of control system design for a strength testbed of aircraft structures is considered. A method for calculating the parameters of a proportional-integral controller (control algorithm) using the time-scale separation method for the testbed taking into account the dead time effect in the control loop is presented. An adaptive control algorithm structure is proposed which limits the amplitude of high-frequency oscillations in the control system with a change in the direction of motion of the rod of the hydraulic cylinders and provides the desired accuracy and quality of transients at all stages of structural loading history. The results of tests of the developed control system with the adaptive control algorithm on an experimental strength testbed for aircraft structures are given.
Pre-Flight Testing and Performance of a Ka-Band Software Defined Radio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downey, Joseph A.; Reinhart, Richard C.; Kacpura, Thomas

2012-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a space-qualified, reprogrammable, Ka-band Software Defined Radio (SDR) to be utilized as part of an on-orbit, reconfigurable testbed. The testbed will operate on the truss of the International Space Station beginning in late 2012. Three unique SDRs comprise the testbed, and each radio is compliant to the Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard. The testbed provides NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop communications, navigation, and networking applications in the laboratory and space environment, while at the same time advancing SDR technology, reducing risk, and enabling future mission capability. Designed and built by Harris Corporation, the Ka-band SDR is NASA's first space-qualified Ka-band SDR transceiver. The Harris SDR will also mark the first NASA user of the Ka-band capabilities of the Tracking Data and Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) for on-orbit operations. This paper describes the testbed's Ka-band System, including the SDR, travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA), and antenna system. The reconfigurable aspects of the system enabled by SDR technology are discussed and the Ka-band system performance is presented as measured during extensive pre-flight testing.
Thermalization and prethermalization in isolated quantum systems: a theoretical overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Takashi; Ikeda, Tatsuhiko N.; Kaminishi, Eriko; Ueda, Masahito

2018-06-01

The approach to thermal equilibrium, or thermalization, in isolated quantum systems is among the most fundamental problems in statistical physics. Recent theoretical studies have revealed that thermalization in isolated quantum systems has several remarkable features, which emerge from quantum entanglement and are quite distinct from those in classical systems. Experimentally, well isolated and highly controllable ultracold quantum gases offer an ideal testbed to study the nonequilibrium dynamics in isolated quantum systems, promoting intensive recent theoretical endeavors on this fundamental subject. Besides thermalization, many isolated quantum systems show intriguing behavior in relaxation processes, especially prethermalization. Prethermalization occurs when there is a clear separation of relevant time scales and has several different physical origins depending on individual systems. In this review, we overview theoretical approaches to the problems of thermalization and prethermalization.
Results from Tests of the Fast Alternative Cryogenic Experiment Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, A.

1999-01-01

To address the gap in manifest opportunities for low temperature microgravity payloads that has accompanied the start of the build era for the International Space Station (ISS), development of a new facility compatible with one or more carriers in the baseline shuttle manifest has been undertaken.
Autonomous power expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walters, Jerry L.; Petrik, Edward J.; Roth, Mary Ellen; Truong, Long Van; Quinn, Todd; Krawczonek, Walter M.

1990-01-01

The Autonomous Power Expert (APEX) system was designed to monitor and diagnose fault conditions that occur within the Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF/EPS) Testbed. APEX is designed to interface with SSF/EPS testbed power management controllers to provide enhanced autonomous operation and control capability. The APEX architecture consists of three components: (1) a rule-based expert system, (2) a testbed data acquisition interface, and (3) a power scheduler interface. Fault detection, fault isolation, justification of probable causes, recommended actions, and incipient fault analysis are the main functions of the expert system component. The data acquisition component requests and receives pertinent parametric values from the EPS testbed and asserts the values into a knowledge base. Power load profile information is obtained from a remote scheduler through the power scheduler interface component. The current APEX design and development work is discussed. Operation and use of APEX by way of the user interface screens is also covered.
In-Space Networking On NASA's SCaN Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, David; Eddy, Wesley M.; Clark, Gilbert J., III; Johnson, Sandra K.

2016-01-01

The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, an external payload onboard the International Space Station, is equipped with three software defined radios (SDRs) and a programmable flight computer. The purpose of the Testbed is to conduct inspace research in the areas of communication, navigation, and networking in support of NASA missions and communication infrastructure. Multiple reprogrammable elements in the end to end system, along with several communication paths and a semi-operational environment, provides a unique opportunity to explore networking concepts and protocols envisioned for the future Solar System Internet (SSI). This paper will provide a general description of the system's design and the networking protocols implemented and characterized on the testbed, including Encapsulation, IP over CCSDS, and Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN). Due to the research nature of the implementation, flexibility and robustness are considered in the design to enable expansion for future adaptive and cognitive techniques. Following a detailed design discussion, lessons learned and suggestions for future missions and communication infrastructure elements will be provided. Plans for the evolving research on SCaN Testbed as it moves towards a more adaptive, autonomous system will be discussed.
Flight Projects Office Information Systems Testbed (FIST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liggett, Patricia

1991-01-01

Viewgraphs on the Flight Projects Office Information Systems Testbed (FIST) are presented. The goal is to perform technology evaluation and prototyping of information systems to support SFOC and JPL flight projects in order to reduce risk in the development of operational data systems for such projects.
Implementation of Motion Simulation Software and Visual-Auditory Electronics for Use in a Low Gravity Robotic Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, William Campbell

2011-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) to assist in manned space missions. One of the proposed targets for this robotic vehicle is a near-Earth asteroid (NEA), which typically exhibit a surface gravity of only a few micro-g. In order to properly test ATHLETE in such an environment, the development team has constructed an inverted Stewart platform testbed that acts as a robotic motion simulator. This project focused on creating physical simulation software that is able to predict how ATHLETE will function on and around a NEA. The corresponding platform configurations are calculated and then passed to the testbed to control ATHLETE's motion. In addition, imitation attitude, imitation attitude control thrusters were designed and fabricated for use on ATHLETE. These utilize a combination of high power LEDs and audio amplifiers to provide visual and auditory cues that correspond to the physics simulation.
Enabling IPv6 at FZU - WLCG Tier2 in Prague

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouba, Tomáš; Chudoba, Jiří; Eliáš, Marek

2014-06-01

The usage of the new IPv6 protocol in production is becoming reality in the HEP community and the Computing Centre of the Institute of Physics in Prague participates in many IPv6 related activities. Our contribution presents experience with monitoring in HEPiX distributed IPv6 testbed which includes 11 remote sites. We use Nagios to check availability of services and Smokeping for monitoring the network latency. Since it is not always trivial to setup DNS in a dual stack environment properly, we developed a Nagios plugin for checking whether a domain name is resolvable when using only IP protocol version 6 and only version 4. We will also present local area network monitoring and tuning related to IPv6 performance. One of the most important software for a grid site is a batch system for a job execution. We will present our experience with configuring and running Torque batch system in a dual stack environment. We also discuss the steps needed to run VO specific jobs in our IPv6 testbed.
Problems in water recycling for Space Station Freedom and long duration life support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janik, D. S.; Crump, W. J.; Macler, B. A.; Wydeven, T., Jr.; Sauer, R. L.

1989-01-01

A biologically-enhanced, physical/chemical terminal water treatment testbed for the Space Station Freedom is proposed. Recycled water requirements for human, animal, plant and/or combined crews for long duration space missions are discussed. An effective terminal treatment method for recycled water reclamation systems that is based on using granular activated carbon as the principal active agent and the controls of microbial contamination and growth within recycled water systems are examined. The roles of plants in water recycling within CELSS is studied.
Picometer Level Modeling of a Shared Vertex Double Corner Cube in the Space Interferometry Mission Kite Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuan, Gary M.; Dekens, Frank G.

2006-01-01

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is a microarcsecond interferometric space telescope that requires picometer level precision measurements of its truss and interferometer baselines. Single-gauge metrology errors due to non-ideal physical characteristics of corner cubes reduce the angular measurement capability of the science instrument. Specifically, the non-common vertex error (NCVE) of a shared vertex, double corner cube introduces micrometer level single-gauge errors in addition to errors due to dihedral angles and reflection phase shifts. A modified SIM Kite Testbed containing an articulating double corner cube is modeled and the results are compared to the experimental testbed data. The results confirm modeling capability and viability of calibration techniques.
Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed (PMHT): System Concept Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Thomas P.

2007-01-01

A viewgraph presentation of the Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed (PMHT) is shown. The contents include: 1) Need and Goals; 2) Phoenix Missile Hypersonic Testbed; 3) PMHT Concept; 4) Development Objectives; 5) Possible Research Payloads; 6) Possible Research Program Participants; 7) PMHT Configuration; 8) AIM-54 Internal Hardware Schematic; 9) PMHT Configuration; 10) New Guidance and Armament Section Profiles; 11) Nomenclature; 12) PMHT Stack; 13) Systems Concept; 14) PMHT Preflight Activities; 15) Notional Ground Path; and 16) Sample Theoretical Trajectories.
Versatile simulation testbed for rotorcraft speech I/O system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Carol A.

1986-01-01

A versatile simulation testbed for the design of a rotorcraft speech I/O system is described in detail. The testbed will be used to evaluate alternative implementations of synthesized speech displays and speech recognition controls for the next generation of Army helicopters including the LHX. The message delivery logic is discussed as well as the message structure, the speech recognizer command structure and features, feedback from the recognizer, and random access to controls via speech command.
Principles and Foundations for Fractionated Networked Cyber-Physical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-13

spectrum between autonomy to cooperation. Our distributed comput- ing model is based on distributed knowledge sharing, and makes very few assumptions but...over the computation without the need for explicit migration. Randomization techniques will make sure that enough di- versity is maintained to allow...small UAV testbed consisting of 10 inex- pensive quadcopters at SRI. Hard ware-wise, we added heat sinks to mitigate the impact of additional heat that
Towards an autonomous telescope system: the Test-Bed Telescope project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racero, E.; Ocaña, F.; Ponz, D.; the TBT Consortium

2015-05-01

In the context of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme of ESA, it is foreseen to deploy several large robotic telescopes in remote locations to provide surveillance and tracking services for man-made as well as natural near-Earth objects (NEOs). The present project, termed Telescope Test Bed (TBT) is being developed under ESA's General Studies and Technology Programme, and shall implement a test-bed for the validation of an autonomous optical observing system in a realistic scenario, consisting of two telescopes located in Spain and Australia, to collect representative test data for precursor NEO services. It is foreseen that this test-bed environment will be used to validate future prototype software systems as well as to evaluate remote monitoring and control techniques. The test-bed system will be capable to deliver astrometric and photometric data of the observed objects in near real-time. This contribution describes the current status of the project.
The NASA LeRC regenerative fuel cell system testbed program for goverment and commercial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maloney, Thomas M.; Prokopius, Paul R.; Voecks, Gerald E.

1995-01-01

The Electrochemical Technology Branch of the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has initiated a program to develop a renewable energy system testbed to evaluate, characterize, and demonstrate fully integrated regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for space, military, and commercial applications. A multi-agency management team, led by NASA LeRC, is implementing the program through a unique international coalition which encompasses both government and industry participants. This open-ended teaming strategy optimizes the development for space, military, and commercial RFC system technologies. Program activities to date include system design and analysis, and reactant storage sub-system design, with a major emphasis centered upon testbed fabrication and installation and testing of two key RFC system components, namely, the fuel cells and electrolyzers. Construction of the LeRC 25 kW RFC system testbed at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Labortory (JPL) facility at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) is nearly complete and some sub-system components have already been installed. Furthermore, planning for the first commercial RFC system demonstration is underway.
Advanced data management system architectures testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, Terry

1990-01-01

The objective of the Architecture and Tools Testbed is to provide a working, experimental focus to the evolving automation applications for the Space Station Freedom data management system. Emphasis is on defining and refining real-world applications including the following: the validation of user needs; understanding system requirements and capabilities; and extending capabilities. The approach is to provide an open, distributed system of high performance workstations representing both the standard data processors and networks and advanced RISC-based processors and multiprocessor systems. The system provides a base from which to develop and evaluate new performance and risk management concepts and for sharing the results. Participants are given a common view of requirements and capability via: remote login to the testbed; standard, natural user interfaces to simulations and emulations; special attention to user manuals for all software tools; and E-mail communication. The testbed elements which instantiate the approach are briefly described including the workstations, the software simulation and monitoring tools, and performance and fault tolerance experiments.

Experiences with the JPL telerobot testbed: Issues and insights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Henry W.; Balaram, Bob; Beahan, John

1989-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Telerobot Testbed is an integrated robotic testbed used to develop, implement, and evaluate the performance of advanced concepts in autonomous, tele-autonomous, and tele-operated control of robotic manipulators. Using the Telerobot Testbed, researchers demonstrated several of the capabilities and technological advances in the control and integration of robotic systems which have been under development at JPL for several years. In particular, the Telerobot Testbed was recently employed to perform a near completely automated, end-to-end, satellite grapple and repair sequence. The task of integrating existing as well as new concepts in robot control into the Telerobot Testbed has been a very difficult and timely one. Now that researchers have completed the first major milestone (i.e., the end-to-end demonstration) it is important to reflect back upon experiences and to collect the knowledge that has been gained so that improvements can be made to the existing system. It is also believed that the experiences are of value to the others in the robotics community. Therefore, the primary objective here will be to use the Telerobot Testbed as a case study to identify real problems and technological gaps which exist in the areas of robotics and in particular systems integration. Such problems have surely hindered the development of what could be reasonably called an intelligent robot. In addition to identifying such problems, researchers briefly discuss what approaches have been taken to resolve them or, in several cases, to circumvent them until better approaches can be developed.
Partial feedback linearization control for 3-D underactuated overhead crane systems.

PubMed

Wu, Xianqing; He, Xiongxiong

2016-11-01

In this paper, a novel anti-swing control method is proposed for 3-dimensional (3-D) underactuated overhead crane systems, which guarantees fast transportation and efficient swing suppression. Specifically, to increase the performance of the payload swing suppression, a swing-suppressing element is introduced, based on which a novel positioning error signal is constructed. Then, a new control method is developed, and the overall system is divided into two subsystems. The stability analysis of the two subsystems and the overall system is given. In addition, the convergence of the system states is proved. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed controller over the existing controllers. Meanwhile, the practical performance of the proposed controller is experimentally validated on a portable overhead crane test-bed. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Integration of advanced teleoperation technologies for control of space robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stagnaro, Michael J.

1993-01-01

Teleoperated robots require one or more humans to control actuators, mechanisms, and other robot equipment given feedback from onboard sensors. To accomplish this task, the human or humans require some form of control station. Desirable features of such a control station include operation by a single human, comfort, and natural human interfaces (visual, audio, motion, tactile, etc.). These interfaces should work to maximize performance of the human/robot system by streamlining the link between human brain and robot equipment. This paper describes development of a control station testbed with the characteristics described above. Initially, this testbed will be used to control two teleoperated robots. Features of the robots include anthropomorphic mechanisms, slaving to the testbed, and delivery of sensory feedback to the testbed. The testbed will make use of technologies such as helmet mounted displays, voice recognition, and exoskeleton masters. It will allow tor integration and testing of emerging telepresence technologies along with techniques for coping with control link time delays. Systems developed from this testbed could be applied to ground control of space based robots. During man-tended operations, the Space Station Freedom may benefit from ground control of IVA or EVA robots with science or maintenance tasks. Planetary exploration may also find advanced teleoperation systems to be very useful.
A Testbed for Evaluating Lunar Habitat Autonomy Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawler, Dennis G.

2008-01-01

A lunar outpost will involve a habitat with an integrated set of hardware and software that will maintain a safe environment for human activities. There is a desire for a paradigm shift whereby crew will be the primary mission operators, not ground controllers. There will also be significant periods when the outpost is uncrewed. This will require that significant automation software be resident in the habitat to maintain all system functions and respond to faults. JSC is developing a testbed to allow for early testing and evaluation of different autonomy architectures. This will allow evaluation of different software configurations in order to: 1) understand different operational concepts; 2) assess the impact of failures and perturbations on the system; and 3) mitigate software and hardware integration risks. The testbed will provide an environment in which habitat hardware simulations can interact with autonomous control software. Faults can be injected into the simulations and different mission scenarios can be scripted. The testbed allows for logging, replaying and re-initializing mission scenarios. An initial testbed configuration has been developed by combining an existing life support simulation and an existing simulation of the space station power distribution system. Results from this initial configuration will be presented along with suggested requirements and designs for the incremental development of a more sophisticated lunar habitat testbed.
New Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) Flight Testbed for Hypersonic Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bui, Trong T.; Lux, David P.; Stenger, Michael T.; Munson, Michael J.; Teate, George F.

2007-01-01

The Phoenix Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) flight testbed was conceived and is proposed to help address the lack of quick-turnaround and cost-effective hypersonic flight research capabilities. The Phoenix ALSM testbed results from utilization of the United States Navy Phoenix AIM-54 (Hughes Aircraft Company, now Raytheon Company, Waltham, Massachusetts) long-range, guided air-to-air missile and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) F-15B (McDonnell Douglas, now the Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) testbed airplane. The retirement of the Phoenix AIM-54 missiles from fleet operation has presented an opportunity for converting this flight asset into a new flight testbed. This cost-effective new platform will fill the gap in the test and evaluation of hypersonic systems for flight Mach numbers ranging from 3 to 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the Phoenix missile is a highly capable platform; when launched from a high-performance airplane, the guided Phoenix missile can boost research payloads to low hypersonic Mach numbers, enabling flight research in the supersonic-to-hypersonic transitional flight envelope. Experience gained from developing and operating the Phoenix ALSM testbed will assist the development and operation of future higher-performance ALSM flight testbeds as well as responsive microsatellite-small-payload air-launched space boosters.
Large-scale structural analysis: The structural analyst, the CSM Testbed and the NAS System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Mccleary, Susan L.; Macy, Steven C.; Aminpour, Mohammad A.

1989-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) activity is developing advanced structural analysis and computational methods that exploit high-performance computers. Methods are developed in the framework of the CSM testbed software system and applied to representative complex structural analysis problems from the aerospace industry. An overview of the CSM testbed methods development environment is presented and some numerical methods developed on a CRAY-2 are described. Selected application studies performed on the NAS CRAY-2 are also summarized.
The Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT) I: overview and air-side system description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Brian A.; Lyon, Richard G.; Petrone, Peter; Ballard, Marlin; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Bolognese, Jeff; Clampin, Mark; Dogoda, Peter; Dworzanski, Daniel; Helmbrecht, Michael A.; Koca, Corina; Shiri, Ron

2016-07-01

This work presents an overview of the Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT), a project that will pair an actively-controlled macro-scale segmented mirror with the Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC). SAINT will incorporate the VNC's demonstrated wavefront sensing and control system to refine and quantify end-to-end high-contrast starlight suppression performance. This pathfinder testbed will be used as a tool to study and refine approaches to mitigating instabilities and complex diffraction expected from future large segmented aperture telescopes.
Continuation: The EOSDIS testbed data system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emery, Bill; Kelley, Timothy D.

1995-01-01

The continuation of the EOSDIS testbed ('Testbed') has materialized from a multi-task system to a fully functional stand-alone data archive distribution center that once was only X-Windows driven to a system that is accessible by all types of users and computers via the World Wide Web. Throughout the past months, the Testbed has evolved into a completely new system. The current system is now accessible through Netscape, Mosaic, and all other servers that can contact the World Wide Web. On October 1, 1995 we will open to the public and we expect that the statistics of the type of user, where they are located, and what they are looking for will drastically change. What is the most important change in the Testbed has been the Web interface. This interface will allow more users access to the system and walk them through the data types with more ease than before. All of the callbacks are written in such a way that icons can be used to easily move around in the programs interface. The homepage offers the user the opportunity to go and get more information about each satellite data type and also information on free programs. These programs are grouped into categories for types of computers that the programs are compiled for, along with information on how to FTP the programs back to the end users computer. The heart of the Testbed is still the acquisition of satellite data. From the Testbed homepage, the user selects the 'access to data system' icon, which will take them to the world map and allow them to select an area that they would like coverage on by simply clicking that area of the map. This creates a new map where other similar choices can be made to get the latitude and longitude of the region the satellite data will cover. Once a selection has been made the search parameters page will appear to be filled out. Afterwards, the browse image will be called for once the search is completed and the images for viewing can be selected. There are several other option pages, but once an order has been selected the Testbed will bring up the order list page and the user will then be able to place their order. After the order has been completed, the Testbed will mail the user to notify them of the completed order and how the images can be picked up.
Smart Antenna UKM Testbed for Digital Beamforming System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Mohammad Tariqul; Misran, Norbahiah; Yatim, Baharudin

2009-12-01

A new design of smart antenna testbed developed at UKM for digital beamforming purpose is proposed. The smart antenna UKM testbed developed based on modular design employing two novel designs of L-probe fed inverted hybrid E-H (LIEH) array antenna and software reconfigurable digital beamforming system (DBS). The antenna is developed based on using the novel LIEH microstrip patch element design arranged into [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] uniform linear array antenna. An interface board is designed to interface to the ADC board with the RF front-end receiver. The modular concept of the system provides the capability to test the antenna hardware, beamforming unit, and beamforming algorithm in an independent manner, thus allowing the smart antenna system to be developed and tested in parallel, hence reduces the design time. The DBS was developed using a high-performance [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] floating-point DSP board and a 4-channel RF front-end receiver developed in-house. An interface board is designed to interface to the ADC board with the RF front-end receiver. A four-element receiving array testbed at 1.88-2.22 GHz frequency is constructed, and digital beamforming on this testbed is successfully demonstrated.
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) robotics technology testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnurr, Rick; Obrien, Maureen; Cofer, Sue

1989-01-01

Much of the technology planned for use in NASA's Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) and the Demonstration Test Flight (DTF) is relatively new and untested. To provide the answers needed to design safe, reliable, and fully functional robotics for flight, NASA/GSFC is developing a robotics technology testbed for research of issues such as zero-g robot control, dual arm teleoperation, simulations, and hierarchical control using a high level programming language. The testbed will be used to investigate these high risk technologies required for the FTS and DTF projects. The robotics technology testbed is centered around the dual arm teleoperation of a pair of 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulators, each with their own 6-DOF mini-master hand controllers. Several levels of safety are implemented using the control processor, a separate watchdog computer, and other low level features. High speed input/output ports allow the control processor to interface to a simulation workstation: all or part of the testbed hardware can be used in real time dynamic simulation of the testbed operations, allowing a quick and safe means for testing new control strategies. The NASA/National Bureau of Standards Standard Reference Model for Telerobot Control System Architecture (NASREM) hierarchical control scheme, is being used as the reference standard for system design. All software developed for the testbed, excluding some of simulation workstation software, is being developed in Ada. The testbed is being developed in phases. The first phase, which is nearing completion, and highlights future developments is described.
Optical Design of the Developmental Cryogenic Active Telescope Testbed (DCATT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Pam; Wilson, Mark; Young, Eric W.; Lowman, Andrew E.; Redding, David C.

1997-01-01

In the summer of 1996, three Study teams developed conceptual designs and mission architectures for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). Each group highlighted areas of technology development that need to be further advanced to meet the goals of the NGST mission. The most important areas for future study included: deployable structures, lightweight optics, cryogenic optics and mechanisms, passive cooling, and on-orbit closed loop wavefront sensing and control. NASA and industry are currently planning to develop a series of ground testbeds and validation flights to demonstrate many of these technologies. The Deployed Cryogenic Active Telescope Testbed (DCATT) is a system level testbed to be developed at Goddard Space Flight Center in three phases over an extended period of time. This testbed will combine an actively controlled telescope with the hardware and software elements of a closed loop wavefront sensing and control system to achieve diffraction limited imaging at 2 microns. We will present an overview of the system level requirements, a discussion of the optical design, and results of performance analyses for the Phase 1 ambient concept for DCATT,
Outer Planet Science Missions enabled by Solar Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, M.; Klaus, K.; Smith, D. B.

2009-12-01

Our studies demonstrate that New Frontiers-class science missions to the Jupiter and Saturn systems are possible with commercial solar powered space craft. These spacecraft are flight proven with more than 60 years of in-space operation and are equipped with highly efficient solar arrays capable of up to 25kW in low earth orbit. Such a vehicle could generate nearly 1kW in the Jovian System. Our analysis shows substantially greater power at the end of mission with this solar array system than the system that is planned for use in the Europa Jupiter System Flagship mission study. In the next few years, a new solar array technology will be developed and demonstrated by DARPA that will provide even higher power. DARPA’s Fast Access Space Testbed (FAST) program objective is to develop a revolutionary approach to spacecraft high power generation. This high power generation Subsystem, when combined with electric propulsion, will form the technological basis for a light weight, high power, highly mobile spacecraft platform. The FAST program will demonstrate the implementation of solar concentrators and high flux solar cells in conjunction with high specific impulse electric propulsion, to produce a high performance, lightweight power and propulsion system. A basic FAST spacecraft design provides about 60 kW in LEO, which scales to > 2 kW at 5 AU, or a little less than 1 kW at 10 AU. In principle, higher power levels (120 kW or even 180kW at 1 AU) could be accommodated with this technology. We envision missions using this FAST array and NASA’s NEXT engines for solar electric propulsion (SEP) Jovian and Saturn system maneuvers. We envision FAST arrays to cost in the tens of millions, making this an affordable, plutonium-free way to do outer planets science. Continued funding will mean flight experiments conducted in the 2012 timeframe that could make this technology flight proven for the New Frontiers 4 opportunity.
Design of testbed and emulation tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundstrom, S. F.; Flynn, M. J.

1986-01-01

The research summarized was concerned with the design of testbed and emulation tools suitable to assist in projecting, with reasonable accuracy, the expected performance of highly concurrent computing systems on large, complete applications. Such testbed and emulation tools are intended for the eventual use of those exploring new concurrent system architectures and organizations, either as users or as designers of such systems. While a range of alternatives was considered, a software based set of hierarchical tools was chosen to provide maximum flexibility, to ease in moving to new computers as technology improves and to take advantage of the inherent reliability and availability of commercially available computing systems.
Development of Ada language control software for the NASA power management and distribution test bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Ted; Mackin, Michael; Gantose, Dave

1989-01-01

The Ada language software developed to control the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution testbed is described. The testbed is a reduced-scale prototype of the electric power system to be used on space station Freedom. It is designed to develop and test hardware and software for a 20-kHz power distribution system. The distributed, multiprocessor, testbed control system has an easy-to-use operator interface with an understandable English-text format. A simple interface for algorithm writers that uses the same commands as the operator interface is provided, encouraging interactive exploration of the system.
Human Centered Autonomous and Assistant Systems Testbed for Exploration Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Mount, Frances; Carreon, Patricia; Torney, Susan E.

2001-01-01

The Engineering and Mission Operations Directorates at NASA Johnson Space Center are combining laboratories and expertise to establish the Human Centered Autonomous and Assistant Systems Testbed for Exploration Operations. This is a testbed for human centered design, development and evaluation of intelligent autonomous and assistant systems that will be needed for human exploration and development of space. This project will improve human-centered analysis, design and evaluation methods for developing intelligent software. This software will support human-machine cognitive and collaborative activities in future interplanetary work environments where distributed computer and human agents cooperate. We are developing and evaluating prototype intelligent systems for distributed multi-agent mixed-initiative operations. The primary target domain is control of life support systems in a planetary base. Technical approaches will be evaluated for use during extended manned tests in the target domain, the Bioregenerative Advanced Life Support Systems Test Complex (BIO-Plex). A spinoff target domain is the International Space Station (ISS) Mission Control Center (MCC). Prodl}cts of this project include human-centered intelligent software technology, innovative human interface designs, and human-centered software development processes, methods and products. The testbed uses adjustable autonomy software and life support systems simulation models from the Adjustable Autonomy Testbed, to represent operations on the remote planet. Ground operations prototypes and concepts will be evaluated in the Exploration Planning and Operations Center (ExPOC) and Jupiter Facility.
James Webb Space Telescope Optical Simulation Testbed I: overview and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrin, Marshall D.; Soummer, Rémi; Choquet, Élodie; N'Diaye, Mamadou; Levecq, Olivier; Lajoie, Charles-Philippe; Ygouf, Marie; Leboulleux, Lucie; Egron, Sylvain; Anderson, Rachel; Long, Chris; Elliott, Erin; Hartig, George; Pueyo, Laurent; van der Marel, Roeland; Mountain, Matt

2014-08-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Simulation Testbed (JOST) is a tabletop workbench to study aspects of wavefront sensing and control for a segmented space telescope, including both commissioning and maintenance activities. JOST is complementary to existing optomechanical testbeds for JWST (e.g. the Ball Aerospace Testbed Telescope, TBT) given its compact scale and flexibility, ease of use, and colocation at the JWST Science & Operations Center. We have developed an optical design that reproduces the physics of JWST's three-mirror anastigmat using three aspheric lenses; it provides similar image quality as JWST (80% Strehl ratio) over a field equivalent to a NIRCam module, but at HeNe wavelength. A segmented deformable mirror stands in for the segmented primary mirror and allows control of the 18 segments in piston, tip, and tilt, while the secondary can be controlled in tip, tilt and x, y, z position. This will be sufficient to model many commissioning activities, to investigate field dependence and multiple field point sensing & control, to evaluate alternate sensing algorithms, and develop contingency plans. Testbed data will also be usable for cross-checking of the WFS&C Software Subsystem, and for staff training and development during JWST's five- to ten-year mission.
The telerobot testbed: An architecture for remote servicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matijevic, J. R.

1990-01-01

The NASA/OAST Telerobot Testbed will reach its next increment in development by the end of FY-89. The testbed will have the capability for: force reflection in teleoperation, shared control, traded control, operator designate and relative update. These five capabilities will be shown in a module release and exchange operation using mockups of Orbital Replacement Units (ORU). This development of the testbed shows examples of the technologies needed for remote servicing, particularly under conditions of delay in transmissions to the servicing site. Here, the following topics are presented: the system architecture of the testbed which incorporates these telerobotic technologies for servicing, the implementation of the five capabilities and the operation of the ORU mockups.
Characterization of Solute Transport in Subsurface Using Permeable Pavement and Artificial Precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

HAN, K.; Hong, U.; Yeum, Y.; Yoon, J.; Lee, J.; Song, K.; Kwon, S.; Kim, Y.

2016-12-01

Permeable block as low impact development (LID) management can reduce storm water runoff, improve surface water quality and increase groundwater recharge. Recently, in Korea, application of the permeable block has growing trend for urban planning. However, few studies have evaluated how infiltrated rainfall through permeable block affect groundwater quality. Therefore, we conducted monitoring and evaluating of contaminants transport from permeable block surface to aquifer at LID installed three test-bed site. Pollutant materials as total nitrogen (T-N), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), total phosphorus (T-P), phosphate (PO42-), total organic carbon (TOC), sodium (Na+) and bromide (Br-) such as nonreactive tracer were sprinkled under permeable block and sprayed artificial precipitation of 100 mm/hr intensity during a 4 hours by rainfall simulator. All the test-bed area is 2 m x 2 m and monitoring wells were drilled a maximum depth of 10 m. Test-bed 1,2 and 3 groundwater level was approximately 1.9 m, 3.6 m and 4.6 m below ground surface, respectively. Test-bed 1 and 2, time to maximum concentration of Br- as tracer were 0.15 day and 1.71 day after simulated rainfall. In the test-bed 1, average normalized concentration (C* = Cmonitoring/C0, C0 is mass of sprinkled pollutant divide by sprayed water volume) of Br-, T-N, NO3-, NH4+, T-P, PO42-, TOC and Na+ were observed 0.26, 0.08, 0.14, N.D(not detected), 0.05, 0.05, 0.13 and 0.11, respectively. C* of tracer and other solutes on test-bed 2 were 0.52, 0.15, 0.25, N.D, 0.02, 0.02, 0.16 and 0.15, respectively. These phenomena that distinctions between C* of Br-and other solutes indicate to occur retardation by physical/chemical and biological process while pollutant containing water permeate from unsaturated soil to saturated aquifer. However, at the test-bed 3 distinct concentration of all solutes were not detected until 40 days. In this study evaluated the effects of groundwater quality by rainfall leachate from permeable block. Infiltration rate of solutes were measured NO3- > TOC > Na+ >>> PO42- > NH4+. Especially, these results suggested that organic N and T-P (PO42-) need not consideration for groundwater quality at permeable LID system.
The CSM testbed software system: A development environment for structural analysis methods on the NAS CRAY-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillian, Ronnie E.; Lotts, Christine G.

1988-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Activity at Langley Research Center is developing methods for structural analysis on modern computers. To facilitate that research effort, an applications development environment has been constructed to insulate the researcher from the many computer operating systems of a widely distributed computer network. The CSM Testbed development system was ported to the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulator (NAS) Cray-2, at the Ames Research Center, to provide a high end computational capability. This paper describes the implementation experiences, the resulting capability, and the future directions for the Testbed on supercomputers.
Regenerative Fuel Cell System Testbed Program for Government and Commercial Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center's Electrochemical Technology Branch has led a multiagency effort to design, fabricate, and operate a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system testbed. Key objectives of this program are to evaluate, characterize, and demonstrate fully integrated RFC's for space, military, and commercial applications. The Lewis-led team is implementing the program through a unique international coalition that encompasses both Government and industry participants. Construction of the 25-kW RFC testbed at the NASA facility at Edwards Air Force Base was completed in January 1995, and the system has been operational since that time.

Accelerating Innovation that Enhances Resource Recovery in the Wastewater Sector: Advancing a National Testbed Network.

PubMed

Mihelcic, James R; Ren, Zhiyong Jason; Cornejo, Pablo K; Fisher, Aaron; Simon, A J; Snyder, Seth W; Zhang, Qiong; Rosso, Diego; Huggins, Tyler M; Cooper, William; Moeller, Jeff; Rose, Bob; Schottel, Brandi L; Turgeon, Jason

2017-07-18

This Feature examines significant challenges and opportunities to spur innovation and accelerate adoption of reliable technologies that enhance integrated resource recovery in the wastewater sector through the creation of a national testbed network. The network is a virtual entity that connects appropriate physical testing facilities, and other components needed for a testbed network, with researchers, investors, technology providers, utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies and processes that are needed for the water resource recovery facility of the future. Here we summarize and extract key issues and developments, to provide a strategy for the wastewater sector to accelerate a path forward that leads to new sustainable water infrastructures.
A Scalable and Dynamic Testbed for Conducting Penetration-Test Training in a Laboratory Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

entry point through which to execute a payload to accomplish a higher-level goal: executing arbitrary code, escalating privileges , pivoting...Mobile Ad Hoc Network Emulator (EMANE)26 can emulate the entire network stack (physical to application -layer protocols). 2. Methodology To build a...to host Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android , and other operating systems without much effort. 4 E. A simple and automatic “restore” function: Many
Cyber-Physical Multi-Core Optimization for Resource and Cache Effects (C2ORES)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

DoD-sponsored ATAACK mobile cloud testbed funded through the DURIP program, which is deployed at Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt University to conduct...0.9.2. Jug was configured to use a filesystem (network file system (nfs)) backend for locking and task synchronization. 4.1.7.2 Experiment 1...and performance-aware virtual machine placement technique that is realized as cloud infrastructure middleware. The key contributions of iPlace include
The CELSS Antarctic Analog Project: an advanced life support testbed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.

PubMed

Straight, C L; Bubenheim, D L; Bates, M E; Flynn, M T

1994-01-01

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is a joint endeavor between the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its fundamental objective is to develop, deploy and operate a testbed of NASA CELSS technologies and life support approaches at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, located at latitude 90 degrees S, longitude 0 degrees. The goal of NASA's CELSS Program is to develop technologies and systems that will allow spacefaring scientists and explorers to carry out long duration extraterrestrial missions, leading ultimately to permanent habitation of the Solar System, without total dependence on a costly resupply system. A CELSS would do this by providing regenerated life support materials (air, food and water) and by processing "waste" materials into useful resources. This will be accomplished using biological and physical/chemical techniques in a nearly closed environmental habitation system. CELSS technologies also have great implications for application to terrestrial systems with intrinsic transferability to society at large. The CELSS Program intends to provide opportunities for the transfer of these systems and technologies outside the US Space Program, to applications within the American economy as space technology spin-offs.
Integration of Biological, Physical/Chemical and Energy Efficient Systems in the CELSS Antarctic Analog: Performance of Prototype Systems and Issues for Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Flynn, Michael T.; Lamparter, Richard; Bates, Maynard; Kliss, Mark (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is a joint endeavor between the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The fundamental objective is to develop, deploy, and operate a testbed of advanced life support technologies at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station that enable the objectives of both the NSF and NASA. The functions of food production, water purification, and waste treatment, recycle, and reduction provided by CAAP will improve the quality of life for the South Pole inhabitants, reduce logistics dependence, enhance safety, and minimize environmental impacts associated with human presence on the polar plateau. Because of the analogous technical, scientific, and mission features with Planetary missions, such as a mission to Mars, CAAP provides NASA with a method for validating technologies and overall approaches to supporting humans. Prototype systems for waste treatment, water recycle, resource recovery and crop production are being evaluated in a testbed at Ames Research Center. The combined performance of these biological and physical/chemical systems as an integrated function in support of the human habitat will be discussed. Overall system performance will be emphasized. The effectiveness and efficiency of component technologies will be discussed in the context of energy and mass flow within the system and contribution to achieving a mass and energy conservative system. Critical to the discussion are interfaces with habitat functions outside of the closed-loop life support: the ability of the system to satisfy the life support requirements of the habitat and the ability to define input requirements. The significance of analog functions in relation to future Mars habitats will be discussed.
Space Software Defined Radio Characterization to Enable Reuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortensen, Dale J.; Bishop, Daniel W.; Chelmins, David

2012-01-01

NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Testbed is beginning operations on the International Space Station this year. The objective is to promote new software defined radio technologies and associated software application reuse, enabled by this first flight of NASA's Space Telecommunications Radio System architecture standard. The Space Station payload has three software defined radios onboard that allow for a wide variety of communications applications; however, each radio was only launched with one waveform application. By design the testbed allows new waveform applications to be uploaded and tested by experimenters in and outside of NASA. During the system integration phase of the testbed special waveform test modes and stand-alone test waveforms were used to characterize the SDR platforms for the future experiments. Characterization of the Testbed's JPL SDR using test waveforms and specialized ground test modes is discussed in this paper. One of the test waveforms, a record and playback application, can be utilized in a variety of ways, including new satellite on-orbit checkout as well as independent on-board testbed experiments.
Graphical interface between the CIRSSE testbed and CimStation software with MCS/CTOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hron, Anna B.

1992-01-01

This research is concerned with developing a graphical simulation of the testbed at the Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration (CIRSSE) and the interface which allows for communication between the two. Such an interface is useful in telerobotic operations, and as a functional interaction tool for testbed users. Creating a simulated model of a real world system, generates inevitable calibration discrepancies between them. This thesis gives a brief overview of the work done to date in the area of workcell representation and communication, describes the development of the CIRSSE interface, and gives a direction for future work in the area of system calibration. The CimStation software used for development of this interface, is a highly versatile robotic workcell simulation package which has been programmed for this application with a scale graphical model of the testbed, and supporting interface menu code. A need for this tool has been identified for the reasons of path previewing, as a window on teleoperation and for calibration of simulated vs. real world models. The interface allows information (i.e., joint angles) generated by CimStation to be sent as motion goal positions to the testbed robots. An option of the interface has been established such that joint angle information generated by supporting testbed algorithms (i.e., TG, collision avoidance) can be piped through CimStation as a visual preview of the path.
Flight Testing of Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems on the Mighty Eagle Robotic Lander Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannan, Mike; Rickman, Doug; Chavers, Greg; Adam, Jason; Becker, Chris; Eliser, Joshua; Gunter, Dan; Kennedy, Logan; O'Leary, Patrick

2015-01-01

During 2011 a series of progressively more challenging flight tests of the Mighty Eagle autonomous terrestrial lander testbed were conducted primarily to validate the GNC system for a proposed lunar lander. With the successful completion of this GNC validation objective the opportunity existed to utilize the Mighty Eagle as a flying testbed for a variety of technologies. In 2012 an Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C) algorithm was implemented in flight software and demonstrated in a series of flight tests. In 2012 a hazard avoidance system was developed and flight tested on the Mighty Eagle. Additionally, GNC algorithms from Moon Express and a MEMs IMU were tested in 2012. All of the testing described herein was above and beyond the original charter for the Mighty Eagle. In addition to being an excellent testbed for a wide variety of systems the Mighty Eagle also provided a great learning opportunity for many engineers and technicians to work a flight program.
Thermodynamic and cloud parameter retrieval using infrared spectral data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Huang, Hung-Lung A.; Li, Jun; McGill, Matthew J.; Mango, Stephen A.

2005-01-01

High-resolution infrared radiance spectra obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. A fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. The retrieval algorithm is presented along with its application to recent field experiment data from the NPOESS Airborne Sounding Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I). The retrieval accuracy dependence on cloud properties is discussed. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with an accuracy of approximately 1.0 km. Preliminary NAST-I retrieval results from the recent Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign (ATReC) are presented and compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL).
Exploring excited eigenstates of many-body systems using the functional renormalization group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klöckner, Christian; Kennes, Dante Marvin; Karrasch, Christoph

2018-05-01

We introduce approximate, functional renormalization group based schemes to obtain correlation functions in pure excited eigenstates of large fermionic many-body systems at arbitrary energies. The algorithms are thoroughly benchmarked and their strengths and shortcomings are documented using a one-dimensional interacting tight-binding chain as a prototypical testbed. We study two "toy applications" from the world of Luttinger liquid physics: the survival of power laws in lowly excited states as well as the spectral function of high-energy "block" excitations, which feature several single-particle Fermi edges.
Autonomous power expert fault diagnostic system for Space Station Freedom electrical power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truong, Long V.; Walters, Jerry L.; Roth, Mary Ellen; Quinn, Todd M.; Krawczonek, Walter M.

1990-01-01

The goal of the Autonomous Power System (APS) program is to develop and apply intelligent problem solving and control to the Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF/EPS) testbed being developed and demonstrated at NASA Lewis Research Center. The objectives of the program are to establish artificial intelligence technology paths, to craft knowledge-based tools with advanced human-operator interfaces for power systems, and to interface and integrate knowledge-based systems with conventional controllers. The Autonomous Power EXpert (APEX) portion of the APS program will integrate a knowledge-based fault diagnostic system and a power resource planner-scheduler. Then APEX will interface on-line with the SSF/EPS testbed and its Power Management Controller (PMC). The key tasks include establishing knowledge bases for system diagnostics, fault detection and isolation analysis, on-line information accessing through PMC, enhanced data management, and multiple-level, object-oriented operator displays. The first prototype of the diagnostic expert system for fault detection and isolation has been developed. The knowledge bases and the rule-based model that were developed for the Power Distribution Control Unit subsystem of the SSF/EPS testbed are described. A corresponding troubleshooting technique is also described.
Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs : Evaluation Report for the San Diego Testbed : Draft Report. [supporting datasets - San Diego

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-06-26

The datasets in this zip file are in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) report FHWA-JPO-16-385, "Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applica...
Analysis of 100Mb/s Ethernet for the Whitney Commodity Computing Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fineberg, Samuel A.; Pedretti, Kevin T.; Kutler, Paul (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

We evaluate the performance of a Fast Ethernet network configured with a single large switch, a single hub, and a 4x4 2D torus topology in a testbed cluster of "commodity" Pentium Pro PCs. We also evaluated a mixed network composed of ethernet hubs and switches. An MPI collective communication benchmark, and the NAS Parallel Benchmarks version 2.2 (NPB2) show that the torus network performs best for all sizes that we were able to test (up to 16 nodes). For larger networks the ethernet switch outperforms the hub, though its performance is far less than peak. The hub/switch combination tests indicate that the NAS parallel benchmarks are relatively insensitive to hub densities of less than 7 nodes per hub.
Rover Attitude and Pointing System Simulation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanelli, Charles A.; Grinblat, Jonathan F.; Sirlin, Samuel W.; Pfister, Sam

2009-01-01

The MER (Mars Exploration Rover) Attitude and Pointing System Simulation Testbed Environment (RAPSSTER) provides a simulation platform used for the development and test of GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) flight algorithm designs for the Mars rovers, which was specifically tailored to the MERs, but has since been used in the development of rover algorithms for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) as well. The software provides an integrated simulation and software testbed environment for the development of Mars rover attitude and pointing flight software. It provides an environment that is able to run the MER GNC flight software directly (as opposed to running an algorithmic model of the MER GNC flight code). This improves simulation fidelity and confidence in the results. Further more, the simulation environment allows the user to single step through its execution, pausing, and restarting at will. The system also provides for the introduction of simulated faults specific to Mars rover environments that cannot be replicated in other testbed platforms, to stress test the GNC flight algorithms under examination. The software provides facilities to do these stress tests in ways that cannot be done in the real-time flight system testbeds, such as time-jumping (both forwards and backwards), and introduction of simulated actuator faults that would be difficult, expensive, and/or destructive to implement in the real-time testbeds. Actual flight-quality codes can be incorporated back into the development-test suite of GNC developers, closing the loop between the GNC developers and the flight software developers. The software provides fully automated scripting, allowing multiple tests to be run with varying parameters, without human supervision.
The computational structural mechanics testbed data library description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Caroline B. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

The datasets created and used by the Computational Structural Mechanics Testbed software system are documented by this manual. A description of each dataset including its form, contents, and organization is presented.
The computational structural mechanics testbed data library description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Caroline B. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

The datasets created and used by the Computational Structural Mechanics Testbed software system is documented by this manual. A description of each dataset including its form, contents, and organization is presented.
VLTI-PRIMA fringe tracking testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abuter, Roberto; Rabien, Sebastian; Eisenhauer, Frank; Sahlmann, Johannes; Di Lieto, Nicola; Haug, Marcus; Wallander, Anders; Lévêque, Samuel; Ménardi, Serge; Delplancke, Françoise; Schuhler, Nicolas; Kellner, Stefan; Frahm, Robert

2006-06-01

One of the key components of the planned VLTI dual feed facility PRIMA is the Fringe Sensor Unit (FSU). Its basic function is the instantaneous measurement of the Optical Path Difference (OPD) between two beams. The FSU acts as the sensor for a complex control system involving optical delay lines and laser metrology with the aim of removing any OPD introduced by the atmosphere and the beam relay. We have initiated a cooperation between ESO and MPE with the purpose of systematically testing this Fringe Tracking Control System in a laboratory environment. This testbed facility is being built at MPE laboratories with the aim to simulate the VLTI and includes FSUs, OPD controller, metrology and in-house built delay lines. In this article we describe this testbed in detail, including the environmental conditions in the laboratory, and present the results of the testbed subsystem characterisation.
First results of the Test-Bed Telescopes (TBT) project: Cebreros telescope commissioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocaña, Francisco; Ibarra, Aitor; Racero, Elena; Montero, Ángel; Doubek, Jirí; Ruiz, Vicente

2016-07-01

The TBT project is being developed under ESA's General Studies and Technology Programme (GSTP), and shall implement a test-bed for the validation of an autonomous optical observing system in a realistic scenario within the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The goal of the project is to provide two fully robotic telescopes, which will serve as prototypes for development of a future network. The system consists of two telescopes, one in Spain and the second one in the Southern Hemisphere. The telescope is a fast astrograph with a large Field of View (FoV) of 2.5 x 2.5 square-degrees and a plate scale of 2.2 arcsec/pixel. The tube is mounted on a fast direct-drive mount moving with speed up to 20 degrees per second. The focal plane hosts a 2-port 4K x 4K back-illuminated CCD with readout speeds up to 1MHz per port. All these characteristics ensure good survey performance for transients and fast moving objects. Detection software and hardware are optimised for the detection of NEOs and objects in high Earth orbits (objects moving from 0.1-40 arcsec/second). Nominal exposures are in the range from 2 to 30 seconds, depending on the observational strategy. Part of the validation scenario involves the scheduling concept integrated in the robotic operations for both sensors. Every night it takes all the input needed and prepares a schedule following predefined rules allocating tasks for the telescopes. Telescopes are managed by RTS2 control software, that performs the real-time scheduling of the observation and manages all the devices at the observatory.1 At the end of the night the observing systems report astrometric positions and photometry of the objects detected. The first telescope was installed in Cebreros Satellite Tracking Station in mid-2015. It is currently in the commissioning phase and we present here the first results of the telescope. We evaluate the site characteristics and the performance of the TBT Cebreros telescope in the different modes and strategies. Average residuals for asteroids are under 0.5 arcsecond, while they are around 1 arcsecond for upper-MEO* and GEO† satellites. The survey depth is dimmer than magnitude 18.5 for 30-second exposures with the usual seeing around 4 arcseconds.
Implementation of a Wireless Time Distribution Testbed Protected with Quantum Key Distribution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonior, Jason D; Evans, Philip G; Sheets, Gregory S

2017-01-01

Secure time transfer is critical for many timesensitive applications. the Global Positioning System (GPS) which is often used for this purpose has been shown to be susceptible to spoofing attacks. Quantum Key Distribution offers a way to securely generate encryption keys at two locations. Through careful use of this information it is possible to create a system that is more resistant to spoofing attacks. In this paper we describe our work to create a testbed which utilizes QKD and traditional RF links. This testbed will be used for the development of more secure and spoofing resistant time distribution protocols.
Prototype Development of the GMT Fast Steering Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Soo; Koh, J.; Jung, H.; Jung, H.; Cho, M. K.; Park, W.; Yang, H.; Kim, H.; Lee, K.; Ahn, H.; Park, B.

2013-06-01

A Fast Steering Mirror (FSM) is going to be produced as a secondary mirror of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). FSM is 3.2 m in diameter and the focal ratio is 0.65. It is composed of seven circular segments which match with the primary mirror segments. Each segment contains a light-weighted mirror whose diameter is 1.1 m. It also contains tip-tilt actuators which would compensate wind effect and structure jitter. An FSM prototype (FSMP) has been developed, which consists of a full-size off-axis mirror segment and a tip-tilt test-bed. The main purpose of the FSMP development is to achieve key technologies, such as fabrication of highly aspheric off-axis mirror and tip-tilt actuation. The development has been conducted by a consortium of five institutions in Korea and USA, and led by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. The mirror was light-weighted and grinding of the front surface was finished. Polishing is in progress with computer generated hologram tests. The tip-tilt test-bed has been manufactured and assembled. Frequency tests are being performed and optical tilt set-up is arranged for visual demonstration. In this paper, we present progress of the prototype development, and future works.

Spacecraft crew procedures from paper to computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oneal, Michael; Manahan, Meera

1991-01-01

Described here is a research project that uses human factors and computer systems knowledge to explore and help guide the design and creation of an effective Human-Computer Interface (HCI) for spacecraft crew procedures. By having a computer system behind the user interface, it is possible to have increased procedure automation, related system monitoring, and personalized annotation and help facilities. The research project includes the development of computer-based procedure system HCI prototypes and a testbed for experiments that measure the effectiveness of HCI alternatives in order to make design recommendations. The testbed will include a system for procedure authoring, editing, training, and execution. Progress on developing HCI prototypes for a middeck experiment performed on Space Shuttle Mission STS-34 and for upcoming medical experiments are discussed. The status of the experimental testbed is also discussed.
CoNNeCT Antenna Positioning System Dynamic Simulator Modal Model Correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Tevor M.; McNelis, Mark E.; Staab, Lucas D.; Akers, James C.; Suarez, Vicente

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an on-orbit, adaptable, Software Defined Radios (SDR)/Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS)-based testbed facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance technologies, reduce risk, and enable future mission capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project will provide NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in both the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, software-defined radio platforms and the STRS Architecture. The CoNNeCT Payload Operations Nomenclature is "SCAN Testbed," and this nomenclature will be used in all ISS integration, safety, verification, and operations documentation. The SCAN Testbed (payload) is a Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM) based payload that will launch aboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Multipurpose Exposed Pallet (EP-MP) to the International Space Station (ISS), and will be transferred to the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) via Extravehicular Robotics (EVR). The SCAN Testbed will operate on-orbit for a minimum of two years.
CoNNeCT Antenna Positioning System Dynamic Simulator Modal Model Correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Trevor M.; McNelis, Mark E.; Staab, Lucas D.; Akers, James C.; Suarez, Vicente J.

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an on-orbit, adaptable, Software Defined Radios (SDR)/Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS)-based testbed facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance technologies, reduce risk, and enable future mission capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project will provide NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in both the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, software-defined radio platforms and the STRS Architecture. The CoNNeCT Payload Operations Nomenclature is SCAN Testbed, and this nomenclature will be used in all ISS integration, safety, verification, and operations documentation. The SCAN Testbed (payload) is a Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM) based payload that will launch aboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Multipurpose Exposed Pallet (EP-MP) to the International Space Station (ISS), and will be transferred to the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) via Extravehicular Robotics (EVR). The SCAN Testbed will operate on-orbit for a minimum of two years.
Managing autonomy levels in the SSM/PMAD testbed. [Space Station Power Management and Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashworth, Barry R.

1990-01-01

It is pointed out that when autonomous operations are mixed with those of a manual nature, concepts concerning the boundary of operations and responsibility become clouded. The space station module power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) automation testbed has the need for such mixed-mode capabilities. The concept of managing the SSM/PMAD testbed in the presence of changing levels of autonomy is examined. A knowledge-based approach to implementing autonomy management in the distributed SSM/PMAD utilizing a centralized planning system is presented. Its knowledge relations and system-wide interactions are discussed, along with the operational nature of the currently functioning SSM/PMAD knowledge-based systems.
Robot graphic simulation testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, George E.; Sztipanovits, Janos; Biegl, Csaba; Karsai, Gabor; Springfield, James F.

1991-01-01

The objective of this research was twofold. First, the basic capabilities of ROBOSIM (graphical simulation system) were improved and extended by taking advantage of advanced graphic workstation technology and artificial intelligence programming techniques. Second, the scope of the graphic simulation testbed was extended to include general problems of Space Station automation. Hardware support for 3-D graphics and high processing performance make high resolution solid modeling, collision detection, and simulation of structural dynamics computationally feasible. The Space Station is a complex system with many interacting subsystems. Design and testing of automation concepts demand modeling of the affected processes, their interactions, and that of the proposed control systems. The automation testbed was designed to facilitate studies in Space Station automation concepts.
TACCDAS Testbed Human Factors Evaluation Methodology,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

3 TEST METHOD Development of performance criteria................... 8 Test participant identification ...................... 8 Control of...major milestones involved in the evaluation process leading up to the evaluation of the complete testbed in the field are identified. Test methods and...inevitably will be different in several ways from the intended system as foreseen by the system designers. The system users provide insights into these
ISWHM: Tools and Techniques for Software and System Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, Johann; Mengshoel, Ole J.; Darwiche, Adnan

2010-01-01

This presentation presents status and results of research on Software Health Management done within the NRA "ISWHM: Tools and Techniques for Software and System Health Management." Topics include: Ingredients of a Guidance, Navigation, and Control System (GN and C); Selected GN and C Testbed example; Health Management of major ingredients; ISWHM testbed architecture; and Conclusions and next Steps.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.; Drira, Anis

Embedded instrumentation and control systems that can operate in extreme environments are challenging due to restrictions on sensors and materials. As a part of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology cross-cutting technology development programs Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation topic, this report details the design of a bench-scale embedded instrumentation and control testbed. The design goal of the bench-scale testbed is to build a re-configurable system that can rapidly deploy and test advanced control algorithms in a hardware in the loop setup. The bench-scale testbed will be designed as a fluid pump analog that uses active magnetic bearings tomore » support the shaft. The testbed represents an application that would improve the efficiency and performance of high temperature (700 C) pumps for liquid salt reactors that operate in an extreme environment and provide many engineering challenges that can be overcome with embedded instrumentation and control. This report will give details of the mechanical design, electromagnetic design, geometry optimization, power electronics design, and initial control system design.« less
Laboratory MCAO Test-Bed for Developing Wavefront Sensing Concepts.

PubMed

Goncharov, A V; Dainty, J C; Esposito, S; Puglisi, A

2005-07-11

An experimental optical bench test-bed for developing new wavefront sensing concepts for Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) systems is described. The main objective is to resolve imaging problems associated with wavefront sensing of the atmospheric turbulence for future MCAO systems on Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). The test-bed incorporates five reference sources, two deformable mirrors (DMs) and atmospheric phase screens to simulate a scaled version of a 10-m adaptive telescope operating at the K band. A recently proposed compact tomographic wavefront sensor is employed for star-oriented DMs control in the MCAO system. The MCAO test-bed is used to verify the feasibility of the wavefront sensing concept utilizing a field lenslet array for multi-pupil imaging on a single detector. First experimental results of MCAO correction with the proposed tomographic wavefront sensor are presented and compared to the theoretical prediction based on the characteristics of the phase screens, actuator density of the DMs and the guide star configuration.
Variable Coding and Modulation Experiment Using NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downey, Joseph A.; Mortensen, Dale J.; Evans, Michael A.; Tollis, Nicholas S.

2016-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Space Communication and Navigation Testbed on the International Space Station provides a unique opportunity to evaluate advanced communication techniques in an operational system. The experimental nature of the Testbed allows for rapid demonstrations while using flight hardware in a deployed system within NASA's networks. One example is variable coding and modulation, which is a method to increase data-throughput in a communication link. This paper describes recent flight testing with variable coding and modulation over S-band using a direct-to-earth link between the SCaN Testbed and the Glenn Research Center. The testing leverages the established Digital Video Broadcasting Second Generation (DVB-S2) standard to provide various modulation and coding options. The experiment was conducted in a challenging environment due to the multipath and shadowing caused by the International Space Station structure. Performance of the variable coding and modulation system is evaluated and compared to the capacity of the link, as well as standard NASA waveforms.
Full Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST): Capabilities and Recent Flight Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Christopher

2014-01-01

At the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center research is being conducted into flight control technologies that will enable the next generation of air and space vehicles. The Full Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST) aircraft provides a laboratory for flight exploration of these technologies. In recent years novel but simple adaptive architectures for aircraft and rockets have been researched along with control technologies for improving aircraft fuel efficiency and control structural interaction. This presentation outlines the FAST capabilities and provides a snapshot of the research accomplishments to date. Flight experimentation allows a researcher to substantiate or invalidate their assumptions and intuition about a new technology or innovative approach Data early in a development cycle is invaluable for determining which technology barriers are real and which ones are imagined Data for a technology at a low TRL can be used to steer and focus the exploration and fuel rapid advances based on real world lessons learned It is important to identify technologies that are mature enough to benefit from flight research data and not be tempted to wait until we have solved all the potential issues prior to getting some data Sometimes a stagnated technology just needs a little real world data to get it going One trick to getting data for low TRL technologies is finding an environment where it is okay to take risks, where occasional failure is an expected outcome Learning how things fail is often as valuable as showing that they work FAST has been architected to facilitate this type of testing for control system technologies, specifically novel algorithms and sensors Rapid prototyping with a quick turnaround in a fly-fix-fly paradigm Sometimes it's easier and cheaper to just go fly it than to analyze the problem to death The goal is to find and test control technologies that would benefit from flight data and find solutions to the real barriers to innovation. The FAST vehicle is a flexible laboratory for nascent technologies that would benefit from early life cycle flight research data It provides a robust and safe environment where innovative techniques can be explored in a fly-fix-fly rapid prototyping paradigm IRAC Simple adaptive control technologies can provide real benefits without undo complexity Adverse pilot/adaptive system interactions can be mitigated and tools have been developed to evaluate those interactions ICP Substantial fuel savings can be achieved over a broad range of vehicles and configurations with intelligent control solutions LVAC The AAC design is robust and effective for the SLS mission, and promises to provide benefits to other platforms as well OCLA Hopefully will show that structural feedback can be seamlessly integrated with performance and stability objectives All of these control technologies have been implemented into the same baseline control law and could be combined into one control solution that answers many pressing questions for modern vehicle configurations
The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT): Recent Progress and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.; Frey, Bradley J.; Leisawitz, David T.; Lyon, Richard G.; Maher, Stephen F.; Martino, Anthony J.

2008-01-01

Continued research with the Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) has achieved several important milestones. We have moved WIIT into the Advanced Interferometry and Metrology (AIM) Laboratory at Goddard, and have characterized the testbed in this well-controlled environment. The system is now completely automated and we are in the process of acquiring large data sets for analysis. In this paper, we discuss these new developments and outline our future research directions. The WIIT testbed, combined with new data analysis techniques and algorithms, provides a demonstration of the technique of wide-field interferometric imaging, a powerful tool for future space-borne interferometers.
Starlight suppression from the starshade testbed at NGAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuele, Rocco; Glassman, Tiffany; Johnson, Adam M. J.; Varshneya, Rupal; Shipley, Ann

2009-08-01

We report on progress at the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) starshade testbed. The starshade testbed is a 42.8 m, vacuum chamber designed to replicate the Fresnel number of an equivalent full-scale starshade mission, namely the flagship New Worlds Observer (NWO) configuration. Subscale starshades manufactured by the NGAS foundry have shown 10-7 starlight suppression at an equivalent full-mission inner working angle of 85 milliarseconds. In this paper, we present an overview of the experimental set up, scaling relationships to an equivalent full-scale mission, and preliminary results from the testbed. We also discuss potential limitations of the current generation of starshades and improvements for the future.
Evolution of System Architectures: Where Do We Need to Fail Next?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermudez, Luis; Alameh, Nadine; Percivall, George

2013-04-01

Innovation requires testing and failing. Thomas Edison was right when he said "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work". For innovation and improvement of standards to happen, service Architectures have to be tested and tested. Within the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), testing of service architectures has occurred for the last 15 years. This talk will present an evolution of these service architectures and a possible future path. OGC is a global forum for the collaboration of developers and users of spatial data products and services, and for the advancement and development of international standards for geospatial interoperability. The OGC Interoperability Program is a series of hands-on, fast paced, engineering initiatives to accelerate the development and acceptance of OGC standards. Each initiative is organized in threads that provide focus under a particular theme. The first testbed, OGC Web Services phase 1, completed in 2003 had four threads: Common Architecture, Web Mapping, Sensor Web and Web Imagery Enablement. The Common Architecture was a cross-thread theme, to ensure that the Web Mapping and Sensor Web experiments built on a base common architecture. The architecture was based on the three main SOA components: Broker, Requestor and Provider. It proposed a general service model defining service interactions and dependencies; categorization of service types; registries to allow discovery and access of services; data models and encodings; and common services (WMS, WFS, WCS). For the latter, there was a clear distinction on the different services: Data Services (e.g. WMS), Application services (e.g. Coordinate transformation) and server-side client applications (e.g. image exploitation). The latest testbed, OGC Web Service phase 9, completed in 2012 had 5 threads: Aviation, Cross-Community Interoperability (CCI), Security and Services Interoperability (SSI), OWS Innovations and Compliance & Interoperability Testing & Evaluation (CITE). Compared to the first testbed, OWS-9 did not have a separate common architecture thread. Instead the emphasis was on brokering information models, securing them and making data available efficiently on mobile devices. The outcome is an architecture based on usability and non-intrusiveness while leveraging mediation of information models from different communities. This talk will use lessons learned from the evolution from OGC Testbed phase 1 to phase 9 to better understand how global and complex infrastructures evolve to support many communities including the Earth System Science Community.
TEXSYS. [a knowledge based system for the Space Station Freedom thermal control system test-bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, John

1990-01-01

The Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project has recently completed a major test and evaluation of TEXSYS, a knowledge-based system (KBS) which demonstrates real-time control and FDIR for the Space Station Freedom thermal control system test-bed. TEXSYS is the largest KBS ever developed by NASA and offers a unique opportunity for the study of technical issues associated with the use of advanced KBS concepts including: model-based reasoning and diagnosis, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, integrated use of model-based and rule-based representations, temporal reasoning, and scale-up performance issues. TEXSYS represents a major achievement in advanced automation that has the potential to significantly influence Space Station Freedom's design for the thermal control system. An overview of the Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project, the thermal control system test-bed, the TEXSYS architecture, preliminary test results, and thermal domain expert feedback are presented.
Embedded Sensors and Controls to Improve Component Performance and Reliability -- Loop-scale Testbed Design Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.

2016-09-01

Embedded instrumentation and control systems that can operate in extreme environments are challenging to design and operate. Extreme environments limit the options for sensors and actuators and degrade their performance. Because sensors and actuators are necessary for feedback control, these limitations mean that designing embedded instrumentation and control systems for the challenging environments of nuclear reactors requires advanced technical solutions that are not available commercially. This report details the development of testbed that will be used for cross-cutting embedded instrumentation and control research for nuclear power applications. This research is funded by the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologymore » program's Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation topic. The design goal of the loop-scale testbed is to build a low temperature pump that utilizes magnetic bearing that will be incorporated into a water loop to test control system performance and self-sensing techniques. Specifically, this testbed will be used to analyze control system performance in response to nonlinear and cross-coupling fluid effects between the shaft axes of motion, rotordynamics and gyroscopic effects, and impeller disturbances. This testbed will also be used to characterize the performance losses when using self-sensing position measurement techniques. Active magnetic bearings are a technology that can reduce failures and maintenance costs in nuclear power plants. They are particularly relevant to liquid salt reactors that operate at high temperatures (700 C). Pumps used in the extreme environment of liquid salt reactors provide many engineering challenges that can be overcome with magnetic bearings and their associated embedded instrumentation and control. This report will give details of the mechanical design and electromagnetic design of the loop-scale embedded instrumentation and control testbed.« less
The Fizeau Interferometer Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Xiaolei; Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Lyon, Richard G,; Huet, Hubert; Marzouk, Joe; Solyar, Gregory

2003-01-01

The Fizeau Interferometer Testbed (FIT) is a collaborative effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the Naval Research Laboratory, Sigma Space Corporation, and the University of Maryland. The testbed will be used to explore the principles of and the requirements for the full, as well as the pathfinder, Stellar Imager mission concept. It has a long term goal of demonstrating closed-loop control of a sparse array of numerous articulated mirrors to keep optical beams in phase and optimize interferometric synthesis imaging. In this paper we present the optical and data acquisition system design of the testbed, and discuss the wavefront sensing and control algorithms to be used. Currently we have completed the initial design and hardware procurement for the FIT. The assembly and testing of the Testbed will be underway at Goddard's Instrument Development Lab in the coming months.
Design, Development, and Testing of a UAV Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbed for Aviation and Airspace Prognostics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan; Teubert, Chris; Gorospe, George; Burgett, Drew; Quach, Cuong C.; Hogge, Edward

2016-01-01

The airspace is becoming more and more complicated, and will continue to do so in the future with the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), autonomy, spacecraft, other forms of aviation technology into the airspace. The new technology and complexity increases the importance and difficulty of safety assurance. Additionally, testing new technologies on complex aviation systems & systems of systems can be very difficult, expensive, and sometimes unsafe in real life scenarios. Prognostic methodology provides an estimate of the health and risks of a component, vehicle, or airspace and knowledge of how that will change over time. That measure is especially useful in safety determination, mission planning, and maintenance scheduling. The developed testbed will be used to validate prediction algorithms for the real-time safety monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the prediction of unsafe events. The framework injects flight related anomalies related to ground systems, routing, airport congestion, etc. to test and verify algorithms for NAS safety. In our research work, we develop a live, distributed, hardware-in-the-loop testbed for aviation and airspace prognostics along with exploring further research possibilities to verify and validate future algorithms for NAS safety. The testbed integrates virtual aircraft using the X-Plane simulator and X-PlaneConnect toolbox, UAVs using onboard sensors and cellular communications, and hardware in the loop components. In addition, the testbed includes an additional research framework to support and simplify future research activities. It enables safe, accurate, and inexpensive experimentation and research into airspace and vehicle prognosis that would not have been possible otherwise. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of this system. Software reliability, safety and latency are some of the critical design considerations in development of the testbed. Integration of HITL elements in the development phases and veri cation/ validation are key elements to this report.
SPHERES tethered formation flight testbed: advancements in enabling NASA's SPECS mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Soon-Jo; Adams, Danielle; Saenz-Otero, Alvar; Kong, Edmund; Miller, David W.; Leisawitz, David; Lorenzini, Enrico; Sell, Steve

2006-06-01

This paper reports on efforts to control a tethered formation flight spacecraft array for NASA's SPECS mission using the SPHERES test-bed developed by the MIT Space Systems Laboratory. Specifically, advances in methodology and experimental results realized since the 2005 SPIE paper are emphasized. These include a new test-bed setup with a reaction wheel assembly, a novel relative attitude measurement system using force torque sensors, and modeling of non-ideal tethers to account for tether vibration modes. The nonlinear equations of motion of multi-vehicle tethered spacecraft with elastic flexible tethers are derived from Lagrange's equations. The controllability analysis indicates that both array resizing and spin-up are fully controllable by the reaction wheels and the tether motor, thereby saving thruster fuel consumption. Based upon this analysis, linear and nonlinear controllers have been successfully implemented on the tethered SPHERES testbed, and tested at the NASA MSFC's flat floor facility using two and three SPHERES configurations.
Development and Evaluation of Sensor Concepts for Ageless Aerospace Vehicles: Report 5 - Phase 2 Implementation of the Concept Demonstrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batten, Adam; Dunlop, John; Edwards, Graeme; Farmer, Tony; Gaffney, Bruce; Hedley, Mark; Hoschke, Nigel; Isaacs, Peter; Johnson, Mark; Lewis, Chris;

2009-01-01

This report describes the second phase of the implementation of the Concept Demonstrator experimental test-bed system containing sensors and processing hardware distributed throughout the structure, which uses multi-agent algorithms to characterize impacts and determine a suitable response to these impacts. This report expands and adds to the report of the first phase implementation. The current status of the system hardware is that all 192 physical cells (32 on each of the 6 hexagonal prism faces) have been constructed, although only four of these presently contain data-acquisition sub-modules to allow them to acquire sensor data. Impact detection.. location and severity have been successfully demonstrated. The software modules for simulating cells and controlling the test-bed are fully operational. although additional functionality will be added over time. The visualization workstation displays additional diagnostic information about the array of cells (both real and simulated) and additional damage information. Local agent algorithms have been developed that demonstrate emergent behavior of the complex multi-agent system, through the formation of impact damage boundaries and impact networks. The system has been shown to operate well for multiple impacts. and to demonstrate robust reconfiguration in the presence of damage to numbers of cells.

User interface design principles for the SSM/PMAD automated power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jakstas, Laura M.; Myers, Chris J.

1991-01-01

Martin Marietta has developed a user interface for the space station module power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) automated power system testbed which provides human access to the functionality of the power system, as well as exemplifying current techniques in user interface design. The testbed user interface was designed to enable an engineer to operate the system easily without having significant knowledge of computer systems, as well as provide an environment in which the engineer can monitor and interact with the SSM/PMAD system hardware. The design of the interface supports a global view of the most important data from the various hardware and software components, as well as enabling the user to obtain additional or more detailed data when needed. The components and representations of the SSM/PMAD testbed user interface are examined. An engineer's interactions with the system are also described.
The advanced orbiting systems testbed program: Results to date

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsome, Penny A.; Otranto, John F.

1993-01-01

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems Recommendations for Packet Telemetry and Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) propose standard solutions to data handling problems common to many types of space missions. The Recommendations address only space/ground and space/space data handling systems. Goddard Space Flight Center's AOS Testbed (AOST) Program was initiated to better understand the Recommendations and their impact on real-world systems, and to examine the extended domain of ground/ground data handling systems. Central to the AOST Program are the development of an end-to-end Testbed and its use in a comprehensive testing program. Other Program activities include flight-qualifiable component development, supporting studies, and knowledge dissemination. The results and products of the Program will reduce the uncertainties associated with the development of operational space and ground systems that implement the Recommendations. The results presented in this paper include architectural issues, a draft proposed standardized test suite and flight-qualifiable components.
Utilizing the EUVE Innovative Technology Testbed to Reduce Operations Cost for Present and Future Orbiting Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This report summarizes work done under Cooperative Agreement (CA) on the following testbed projects: TERRIERS - The development of the ground systems to support the TERRIERS satellite mission at Boston University (BU). HSTS - The application of ARC's Heuristic Scheduling Testbed System (HSTS) to the EUVE satellite mission. SELMON - The application of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Selective Monitoring (SELMON) system to the EUVE satellite mission. EVE - The development of the EUVE Virtual Environment (EVE), a prototype three-dimensional (3-D) visualization environment for the EUVE satellite and its sensors, instruments, and communications antennae. FIDO - The development of the Fault-Induced Document Officer (FIDO) system, a prototype application to respond to anomalous conditions by automatically searching for, retrieving, and displaying relevant documentation for an operators use.
Architecture for spacecraft operations planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, William S.

1991-01-01

A system which generates plans for the dynamic environment of space operations is discussed. This system synthesizes plans by combining known operations under a set of physical, functional, and temperal constraints from various plan entities, which are modeled independently but combine in a flexible manner to suit dynamic planning needs. This independence allows the generation of a single plan source which can be compiled and applied to a variety of agents. The architecture blends elements of temperal logic, nonlinear planning, and object oriented constraint modeling to achieve its flexibility. This system was applied to the domain of the Intravehicular Activity (IVA) maintenance and repair aboard Space Station Freedom testbed.
Space Radiation Shielding Studies for Astronaut and Electronic Component Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuchs, Jordan Robert

2010-01-01

The dosimetry component of the Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) will design, develop and characterize the response of a suite of radiation detectors and supporting instrumentation and electronics with three primary goals that will: (1) Use established space radiation detection systems to characterize the primary and secondary radiation fields existing in the experimental test-bed zones during exposures at particle accelerator facilities. (2) Characterize the responses of newly developed space radiation detection systems in the experimental test-bed zones during exposures at particle accelerator facilities, and (3) Provide CRESSE collaborators with detailed dosimetry information in experimental test-bed zones.
Model-Based Diagnosis in a Power Distribution Test-Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scarl, E.; McCall, K.

1998-01-01

The Rodon model-based diagnosis shell was applied to a breadboard test-bed, modeling an automated power distribution system. The constraint-based modeling paradigm and diagnostic algorithm were found to adequately represent the selected set of test scenarios.
A Virtual Laboratory for Aviation and Airspace Prognostics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan; Gorospe, George; Teubert, Christ; Quach, Cuong C.; Hogge, Edward; Darafsheh, Kaveh

2017-01-01

Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), autonomy, spacecraft, and other aviation technologies, in the airspace is becoming more and more complicated, and will continue to do so in the future. Inclusion of new technology and complexity into the airspace increases the importance and difficulty of safety assurance. Additionally, testing new technologies on complex aviation systems and systems of systems can be challenging, expensive, and at times unsafe when implementing real life scenarios. The application of prognostics to aviation and airspace management may produce new tools and insight into these problems. Prognostic methodology provides an estimate of the health and risks of a component, vehicle, or airspace and knowledge of how that will change over time. That measure is especially useful in safety determination, mission planning, and maintenance scheduling. In our research, we develop a live, distributed, hardware- in-the-loop Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed for aviation and airspace prognostics. The developed testbed will be used to validate prediction algorithms for the real-time safety monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the prediction of unsafe events. In our earlier work1 we discussed the initial Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed development work and related results for milestones 1 & 2. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of the integrated tested which are part of milestone 3, along with our next steps for validation of this work. Through a framework consisting of software/hardware modules and associated interface clients, the distributed testbed enables safe, accurate, and inexpensive experimentation and research into airspace and vehicle prognosis that would not have been possible otherwise. The testbed modules can be used cohesively to construct complex and relevant airspace scenarios for research. Four modules are key to this research: the virtual aircraft module which uses the X-Plane simulator and X-PlaneConnect toolbox, the live aircraft module which connects fielded aircraft using onboard cellular communications devices, the hardware in the loop (HITL) module which connects laboratory based bench-top hardware testbeds and the research module which contains diagnostics and prognostics tools for analysis of live air traffic situations and vehicle health conditions. The testbed also features other modules for data recording and playback, information visualization, and air traffic generation. Software reliability, safety, and latency are some of the critical design considerations in development of the testbed.
Development of nickel hydrogen battery expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shiva, Sajjan G.

1990-01-01

The Hubble Telescope Battery Testbed employs the nickel-cadmium battery expert system (NICBES-2) which supports the evaluation of performances of Hubble Telescope spacecraft batteries and provides alarm diagnosis and action advice. NICBES-2 also provides a reasoning system along with a battery domain knowledge base to achieve this battery health management function. An effort to modify NICBES-2 to accommodate nickel-hydrogen battery environment in testbed is described.
A Reference Software Architecture to Support Unmanned Aircraft Integration in the National Airspace System

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

and Avoid ( SAA ) testbed that provides some of the core services . This paper describes the general architecture and a SAA testbed implementation that...that provides data and software services to enable a set of Unmanned Aircraft (UA) platforms to operate in a wide range of air domains which may...implemented by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in the form of a Sense and Avoid ( SAA ) testbed that provides some of the core services . This paper describes the general
Advanced Artificial Intelligence Technology Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anken, Craig S.

1993-01-01

The Advanced Artificial Intelligence Technology Testbed (AAITT) is a laboratory testbed for the design, analysis, integration, evaluation, and exercising of large-scale, complex, software systems, composed of both knowledge-based and conventional components. The AAITT assists its users in the following ways: configuring various problem-solving application suites; observing and measuring the behavior of these applications and the interactions between their constituent modules; gathering and analyzing statistics about the occurrence of key events; and flexibly and quickly altering the interaction of modules within the applications for further study.
Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Weather and Climate using the Multi-testbed approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, B.; Lee, T.; Buban, M.; Dumas, E. J.

2017-12-01

Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Weather and Climate using the Multi-testbed approachC. Bruce Baker1, Ed Dumas1,2, Temple Lee1,2, Michael Buban1,21NOAA ARL, Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, Oak Ridge, TN2Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN The development of a small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) testbeds that can be used to validate, integrate, calibrate and evaluate new technology and sensors for routine boundary layer research, validation of operational weather models, improvement of model parameterizations, and recording observations within high-impact storms is important for understanding the importance and impact of using sUAS's routinely as a new observing platform. The goal of the multi-testbed approach is to build a robust set of protocols to assess the cost and operational feasibility of unmanned observations for routine applications using various combinations of sUAS aircraft and sensors in different locations and field experiments. All of these observational testbeds serve different community needs, but they also use a diverse suite of methodologies for calibration and evaluation of different sensors and platforms for severe weather and boundary layer research. The primary focus will be to evaluate meteorological sensor payloads to measure thermodynamic parameters and define surface characteristics with visible, IR, and multi-spectral cameras. This evaluation will lead to recommendations for sensor payloads for VTOL and fixed-wing sUAS.
Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments.

PubMed

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-12-02

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means.
Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments

PubMed Central

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-01-01

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means. PMID:27918454
Telescience Testbed Pilot Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, Maria L. (Editor); Leiner, Barry M. (Editor)

1988-01-01

The Telescience Testbed Pilot Program (TTPP) is intended to develop initial recommendations for requirements and design approaches for the information system of the Space Station era. Multiple scientific experiments are being performed, each exploring advanced technologies and technical approaches and each emulating some aspect of Space Station era science. The aggregate results of the program will serve to guide the development of future NASA information systems.
Passive Thermal Design Approach for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed Experiment on the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siamidis, John; Yuko, Jim

2014-01-01

The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program Office at NASA Headquarters oversees all of NASAs space communications activities. SCaN manages and directs the ground-based facilities and services provided by the Deep Space Network (DSN), Near Earth Network (NEN), and the Space Network (SN). Through the SCaN Program Office, NASA GRC developed a Software Defined Radio (SDR) testbed experiment (SCaN testbed experiment) for use on the International Space Station (ISS). It is comprised of three different SDR radios, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) radio, Harris Corporation radio, and the General Dynamics Corporation radio. The SCaN testbed experiment provides an on-orbit, adaptable, SDR Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) - based facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance the Software Defined Radio, Space Telecommunications Radio Systems (STRS) standards, reduce risk (Technology Readiness Level (TRL) advancement) for candidate Constellation future space flight hardware software, and demonstrate space communication links critical to future NASA exploration missions. The SCaN testbed project provides NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, software defined radio platforms and the STRS Architecture.The SCaN testbed is resident on the P3 Express Logistics Carrier (ELC) on the exterior truss of the International Space Station (ISS). The SCaN testbed payload launched on the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) and was installed on the ISS P3 ELC located on the inboard RAM P3 site. The daily operations and testing are managed out of NASA GRC in the Telescience Support Center (TSC).
Aerospace Engineering Systems and the Advanced Design Technologies Testbed Experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDalsem, William R.; Livingston, Mary E.; Melton, John E.; Torres, Francisco J.; Stremel, Paul M.

1999-01-01

Continuous improvement of aerospace product development processes is a driving requirement across much of the aerospace community. As up to 90% of the cost of an aerospace product is committed during the first 10% of the development cycle, there is a strong emphasis on capturing, creating, and communicating better information (both requirements and performance) early in the product development process. The community has responded by pursuing the development of computer-based systems designed to enhance the decision-making capabilities of product development individuals and teams. Recently, the historical foci on sharing the geometrical representation and on configuration management are being augmented: 1) Physics-based analysis tools for filling the design space database; 2) Distributed computational resources to reduce response time and cost; 3) Web-based technologies to relieve machine-dependence; and 4) Artificial intelligence technologies to accelerate processes and reduce process variability. The Advanced Design Technologies Testbed (ADTT) activity at NASA Ames Research Center was initiated to study the strengths and weaknesses of the technologies supporting each of these trends, as well as the overall impact of the combination of these trends on a product development event. Lessons learned and recommendations for future activities are reported.
Overview of the Telescience Testbed Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasmussen, Daryl N.; Mian, Arshad; Leiner, Barry M.

1991-01-01

The NASA's Telescience Testbed Program (TTP) conducted by the Ames Research Center is described with particular attention to the objectives, the approach used to achieve these objectives, and the expected benefits of the program. The goal of the TTP is to gain operational experience for the Space Station Freedom and the Earth Observing System programs, using ground testbeds, and to define the information and communication systems requirements for the development and operation of these programs. The results of TTP are expected to include the requirements for the remote coaching, command and control, monitoring and maintenance, payload design, and operations management. In addition, requirements for technologies such as workstations, software, video, automation, data management, and networking will be defined.
Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture. Part 1; Tutorial - Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handler, Louis M.; Briones, Janette C.; Mortensen, Dale J.; Reinhart, Richard C.

2012-01-01

Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard provides a NASA standard for software-defined radio. STRS is being demonstrated in the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed formerly known as Communications, Navigation and Networking Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT). Ground station radios communicating the SCaN testbed are also being written to comply with the STRS architecture. The STRS Architecture Tutorial Overview presents a general introduction to the STRS architecture standard developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), addresses frequently asked questions, and clarifies methods of implementing the standard. The STRS architecture should be used as a base for many of NASA s future telecommunications technologies. The presentation will provide a basic understanding of STRS.
SAVA 3: A testbed for integration and control of visual processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crowley, James L.; Christensen, Henrik

1994-01-01

The development of an experimental test-bed to investigate the integration and control of perception in a continuously operating vision system is described. The test-bed integrates a 12 axis robotic stereo camera head mounted on a mobile robot, dedicated computer boards for real-time image acquisition and processing, and a distributed system for image description. The architecture was designed to: (1) be continuously operating, (2) integrate software contributions from geographically dispersed laboratories, (3) integrate description of the environment with 2D measurements, 3D models, and recognition of objects, (4) capable of supporting diverse experiments in gaze control, visual servoing, navigation, and object surveillance, and (5) dynamically reconfiguarable.
Approaching the new reality. [changes in NASA space programs due to US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diaz, Al V.

1993-01-01

The focus on more frequent access to space through smaller, less costly missions, and on NASA's role as a source of technological advance within the U.S. economy is discussed. The Pluto fast flyby mission is examined as an illustration of this approach. Testbeds are to be developed to survive individual programs, becoming permanent facilities, to allow for technological upgrades on an ongoing basis.

Prototype Development of the GMT Fast Steering Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Soo; Koh, J.; Jung, H.; Jung, H.; Cho, M. K.; Park, W.; Yang, H.; Kim, H.; Lee, K.; Ahn, H.; Park, B.

2014-01-01

A Fast Steering Mirror (FSM) is going to be provided as the secondary of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) for the first light observations. FSM is 3.2 m in diameter and the focal ratio is 0.65. It is composed of seven circular segments which match with the primary mirror segments. Each segment contains a light-weighted mirror whose diameter is 1.1 m, and each mirror is activated by three tip-tilt actuators which compensate image degradations caused by winds and structure jitter. An FSM prototype (FSMP) has been developed to achieve the key technologies, fabrication of highly aspheric off-axis mirror and precise tip-tilt actuation. It consists of a full-size off-axis mirror segment and a tip-tilt test-bed. The development has been conducted by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute together with four other institutions in Korea and USA. The mirror was light-weighted by digging about a hundred holes at the backside, and the front surface has been polished. The result of computer generated hologram measurements showed the surface error of 11.7 nm rms. The tip-tilt test-bed has been manufactured and assembled. Tip-tilt range and resolution tests complied the requirements, and the attenuation test results also satisfied the performance requirements. In this paper, we present the successful developments of the prototype.
California ATMS Testbed : PHASE III: Operational Research Implementation : Final Report [Volume 1: Executive Summary ; and, Volume II: Technical Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-10-01

This report summarizes research and development that has been conducted to position the Testbed to support prototype deployment and evaluation of Advanced Transportation Management Systems (ATMS) products and services. The various elements contained ...
Telescience Testbed Pilot Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, Maria L. (Editor); Leiner, Barry M. (Editor)

1988-01-01

The Telescience Testbed Pilot Program is developing initial recommendations for requirements and design approaches for the information systems of the Space Station era. During this quarter, drafting of the final reports of the various participants was initiated. Several drafts are included in this report as the University technical reports.
Current Sounding Capability From Satellite Meteorological Observation With Ultraspectral Infrared Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.

2008-01-01

Ultraspectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. The intent of the measurement of tropospheric thermodynamic state and trace abundances is the initialization of climate models and the monitoring of air quality. The NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I), designed to support the development of future satellite temperature and moisture sounders, aboard high altitude aircraft has been collecting data throughout many field campaigns. An advanced retrieval algorithm developed with NAST-I is now applied to satellite data collected with the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite launched on 4 May 2002 and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite launched on October 19, 2006. These instruments possess an ultra-spectral resolution, for example, both IASI and NAST-I have 0.25 cm-1 and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760 cm-1. The retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. The physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error less than 1 km). Retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud microphysical properties with the AIRS and IASI observations are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed? Interferometer (NAST I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the AIRS and IASI are investigated. These advanced satellite ultraspectral infrared instruments are now playing an important role in satellite meteorological observation for numerical weather prediction.
Delay Tolerant Networking on NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Sandra; Eddy, Wesley

2016-01-01

This presentation covers the status of the implementation of an open source software that implements the specifications developed by the CCSDS Working Group. Interplanetary Overlay Network (ION) is open source software and it implements specifications that have been developed by two international working groups through IETF and CCSDS. ION was implemented on the SCaN Testbed, a testbed located on an external pallet on ISS, by the GRC team. The presentation will cover the architecture of the system, high level implementation details, and issues porting ION to VxWorks.
Thermal structure analyses for CSM testbed (COMET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xue, David Y.; Mei, Chuh

1994-01-01

This document is the final report for the project entitled 'Thermal Structure Analyses for CSM Testbed (COMET),' for the period of May 16, 1992 - August 15, 1994. The project was focused on the investigation and development of finite element analysis capability of the computational structural mechanics (CSM) testbed (COMET) software system in the field of thermal structural responses. The stages of this project consisted of investigating present capabilities, developing new functions, analysis demonstrations, and research topics. The appendices of this report list the detailed documents of major accomplishments and demonstration runstreams for future references.
CSM Testbed Development and Large-Scale Structural Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Gillian, R. E.; Mccleary, Susan L.; Lotts, C. G.; Poole, E. L.; Overman, A. L.; Macy, S. C.

1989-01-01

A research activity called Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center is described. This activity is developing advanced structural analysis and computational methods that exploit high-performance computers. Methods are developed in the framework of the CSM Testbed software system and applied to representative complex structural analysis problems from the aerospace industry. An overview of the CSM Testbed methods development environment is presented and some new numerical methods developed on a CRAY-2 are described. Selected application studies performed on the NAS CRAY-2 are also summarized.
An adaptable, low cost test-bed for unmanned vehicle systems research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goppert, James M.

2011-12-01

An unmanned vehicle systems test-bed has been developed. The test-bed has been designed to accommodate hardware changes and various vehicle types and algorithms. The creation of this test-bed allows research teams to focus on algorithm development and employ a common well-tested experimental framework. The ArduPilotOne autopilot was developed to provide the necessary level of abstraction for multiple vehicle types. The autopilot was also designed to be highly integrated with the Mavlink protocol for Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) communication. Mavlink is the native protocol for QGroundControl, a MAV ground control program. Features were added to QGroundControl to accommodate outdoor usage. Next, the Mavsim toolbox was developed for Scicoslab to allow hardware-in-the-loop testing, control design and analysis, and estimation algorithm testing and verification. In order to obtain linear models of aircraft dynamics, the JSBSim flight dynamics engine was extended to use a probabilistic Nelder-Mead simplex method. The JSBSim aircraft dynamics were compared with wind-tunnel data collected. Finally, a structured methodology for successive loop closure control design is proposed. This methodology is demonstrated along with the rest of the test-bed tools on a quadrotor, a fixed wing RC plane, and a ground vehicle. Test results for the ground vehicle are presented.
Development of the CSI phase-3 evolutionary model testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gronet, M. J.; Davis, D. A.; Tan, M. K.

1994-01-01

This report documents the development effort for the reconfiguration of the Controls-Structures Integration (CSI) Evolutionary Model (CEM) Phase-2 testbed into the CEM Phase-3 configuration. This step responds to the need to develop and test CSI technologies associated with typical planned earth science and remote sensing platforms. The primary objective of the CEM Phase-3 ground testbed is to simulate the overall on-orbit dynamic behavior of the EOS AM-1 spacecraft. Key elements of the objective include approximating the low-frequency appendage dynamic interaction of EOS AM-1, allowing for the changeout of components, and simulating the free-free on-orbit environment using an advanced suspension system. The fundamentals of appendage dynamic interaction are reviewed. A new version of the multiple scaling method is used to design the testbed to have the full-scale geometry and dynamics of the EOS AM-1 spacecraft, but at one-tenth the weight. The testbed design is discussed, along with the testing of the solar array, high gain antenna, and strut components. Analytical performance comparisons show that the CEM Phase-3 testbed simulates the EOS AM-1 spacecraft with good fidelity for the important parameters of interest.
An Internet Protocol-Based Software System for Real-Time, Closed-Loop, Multi-Spacecraft Mission Simulation Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Richard D.; Davis, George; Cary, Everett; Higinbotham, John; Hogie, Keith

2003-01-01

A mission simulation prototype for Distributed Space Systems has been constructed using existing developmental hardware and software testbeds at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center. A locally distributed ensemble of testbeds, connected through the local area network, operates in real time and demonstrates the potential to assess the impact of subsystem level modifications on system level performance and, ultimately, on the quality and quantity of the end product science data.
Co-Simulation Platform For Characterizing Cyber Attacks in Cyber Physical Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sadi, Mohammad A. H.; Ali, Mohammad Hassan; Dasgupta, Dipankar

Smart grid is a complex cyber physical system containing a numerous and variety of sources, devices, controllers and loads. Communication/Information infrastructure is the backbone of the smart grid system where different grid components are connected with each other through this structure. Therefore, the drawbacks of the information technology related issues are also becoming a part of the smart grid. Further, smart grid is also vulnerable to the grid related disturbances. For such a dynamic system, disturbance and intrusion detection is a paramount issue. This paper presents a Simulink and OPNET based co-simulated test bed to carry out a cyber-intrusion inmore » a cyber-network for modern power systems and smart grid. The effect of the cyber intrusion on the physical power system is also presented. The IEEE 30 bus power system model is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the simulated testbed. The experiments were performed by disturbing the circuit breakers reclosing time through a cyber-attack in the cyber network. Different disturbance situations in the proposed test system are considered and the results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed co-simulated scheme.« less
Real-Time Sensor Validation, Signal Reconstruction, and Feature Detection for an RLV Propulsion Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Amy L.; Fulton, Christopher E.; Binder, Michael P.; Maul, William A., III; Meyer, Claudia M.

1998-01-01

A real-time system for validating sensor health has been developed in support of the reusable launch vehicle program. This system was designed for use in a propulsion testbed as part of an overall effort to improve the safety, diagnostic capability, and cost of operation of the testbed. The sensor validation system was designed and developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center and integrated into a propulsion checkout and control system as part of an industry-NASA partnership, led by Rockwell International for the Marshall Space Flight Center. The system includes modules for sensor validation, signal reconstruction, and feature detection and was designed to maximize portability to other applications. Review of test data from initial integration testing verified real-time operation and showed the system to perform correctly on both hard and soft sensor failure test cases. This paper discusses the design of the sensor validation and supporting modules developed at LeRC and reviews results obtained from initial test cases.
Evaluation and recommendation of sensitivity analysis methods for application to Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation models.

PubMed

Mokhtari, Amirhossein; Christopher Frey, H; Zheng, Junyu

2006-11-01

Sensitivity analyses of exposure or risk models can help identify the most significant factors to aid in risk management or to prioritize additional research to reduce uncertainty in the estimates. However, sensitivity analysis is challenged by non-linearity, interactions between inputs, and multiple days or time scales. Selected sensitivity analysis methods are evaluated with respect to their applicability to human exposure models with such features using a testbed. The testbed is a simplified version of a US Environmental Protection Agency's Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation (SHEDS) model. The methods evaluated include the Pearson and Spearman correlation, sample and rank regression, analysis of variance, Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST), and Sobol's method. The first five methods are known as "sampling-based" techniques, wheras the latter two methods are known as "variance-based" techniques. The main objective of the test cases was to identify the main and total contributions of individual inputs to the output variance. Sobol's method and FAST directly quantified these measures of sensitivity. Results show that sensitivity of an input typically changed when evaluated under different time scales (e.g., daily versus monthly). All methods provided similar insights regarding less important inputs; however, Sobol's method and FAST provided more robust insights with respect to sensitivity of important inputs compared to the sampling-based techniques. Thus, the sampling-based methods can be used in a screening step to identify unimportant inputs, followed by application of more computationally intensive refined methods to a smaller set of inputs. The implications of time variation in sensitivity results for risk management are briefly discussed.
A global spacecraft control network for spacecraft autonomy research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kitts, Christopher A.

1996-01-01

The development and implementation of the Automated Space System Experimental Testbed (ASSET) space operations and control network, is reported on. This network will serve as a command and control architecture for spacecraft operations and will offer a real testbed for the application and validation of advanced autonomous spacecraft operations strategies. The proposed network will initially consist of globally distributed amateur radio ground stations at locations throughout North America and Europe. These stations will be linked via Internet to various control centers. The Stanford (CA) control center will be capable of human and computer based decision making for the coordination of user experiments, resource scheduling and fault management. The project's system architecture is described together with its proposed use as a command and control system, its value as a testbed for spacecraft autonomy research, and its current implementation.
Development of the On-board Aircraft Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Bryan D. W.; Mezu, Okechukwu A.

2004-01-01

Phase II will focus on the development of the on-board aircraft networking portion of the testbed which includes the subnet and router configuration and investigation of QoS issues. This implementation of the testbed will consist of a workstation, which functions as the end system, connected to a router. The router will service two subnets that provide data to the cockpit and the passenger cabin. During the testing, data will be transferred between the end systems and those on both subnets. QoS issues will be identified and a preliminary scheme will be developed. The router will be configured for the testbed network and initial security studies will be initiated. In addition, architecture studies of both the SITA and Immarsat networks will be conducted.
The Challenge of Grounding Planning in Simulation with an Interactive Model Development Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Bradley J.; Frank, Jeremy D.; Chachere, John M.; Smith, Tristan B.; Swanson, Keith J.

2011-01-01

A principal obstacle to fielding automated planning systems is the difficulty of modeling. Physical systems are modeled conventionally based on specification documents and the modeler's understanding of the system. Thus, the model is developed in a way that is disconnected from the system's actual behavior and is vulnerable to manual error. Another obstacle to fielding planners is testing and validation. For a space mission, generated plans must be validated often by translating them into command sequences that are run in a simulation testbed. Testing in this way is complex and onerous because of the large number of possible plans and states of the spacecraft. Though, if used as a source of domain knowledge, the simulator can ease validation. This paper poses a challenge: to ground planning models in the system physics represented by simulation. A proposed, interactive model development environment illustrates the integration of planning and simulation to meet the challenge. This integration reveals research paths for automated model construction and validation.
Genetic Algorithm Phase Retrieval for the Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rakoczy, John; Steincamp, James; Taylor, Jaime

2003-01-01

A reduced surrogate, one point crossover genetic algorithm with random rank-based selection was used successfully to estimate the multiple phases of a segmented optical system modeled on the seven-mirror Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment testbed located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
An Integration and Evaluation Framework for ESPC Coupled Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

the CESM-HYCOM coupled system under the OI for ESPC award. This should be simplified by the use of the MCT datatype in ESMF. Make it available to...ESPC Testbed: Basic optimization Implement MCT datatype in ESMF and include in ESMF release. This was not yet started. 5 ESPC Testbed
Flight demonstration of a milliarcsecond pointing system for direct exoplanet imaging.

PubMed

Mendillo, Christopher B; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Cook, Timothy A; Hicks, Brian A; Lane, Benjamin F

2012-10-10

We present flight results from the optical pointing control system onboard the Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment (PICTURE) sounding rocket. PICTURE (NASA mission number: 36.225 UG) was launched on 8 October 2011, from White Sands Missile Range. It attempted to directly image the exozodiacal dust disk of ϵ Eridani (K2V, 3.22 pc) down to an inner radius of 1.5 AU using a visible nulling coronagraph. The rocket attitude control system (ACS) provided 627 milliarcsecond (mas) RMS body pointing (~2'' peak-to-valley). The PICTURE fine pointing system (FPS) successfully stabilized the telescope beam to 5.1 mas (0.02λ/D) RMS using an angle tracker camera and fast steering mirror. This level of pointing stability is comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. We present the hardware design of the FPS, a description of the limiting noise sources and a power spectral density analysis of the FPS and rocket ACS in-flight performance.
Dynamics at the Many-Body Localization Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Lea; Torres-Herrera, Jonathan

2015-05-01

Studies about localization in interacting systems have recently boomed. The interest in the subject is motivated by indications of the existence of a many-body localization (MBL) phase and by advances in experiments with optical lattices, which may serve as testbeds for corroborating theoretical predictions. A paradigmatic system for these analysis is the one-dimensional isolated Heisenberg model with random magnetic fields. We study the dynamics of this system for initial states prepared with high energies. Our focus is on the probability for finding the initial state later in time, the so-called survival probability. Two distinct behaviors are identified before the saturation of the relaxation process. At short times, the decay is very fast, as typical of clean systems. It subsequently slows down and develops a powerlaw behavior with an exponent related with the multifractal structure of the eigenstates. The curve of the powerlaw exponent versus the disorder strength exhibits an inflection point that is associated with the metal-insulator transition point. This work was supported by the NSF grant No. DMR-1147430.

Performance Evaluation of Communication Software Systems for Distributed Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fatoohi, Rod

1996-01-01

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in object-oriented distributed computing since it is better quipped to deal with complex systems while providing extensibility, maintainability, and reusability. At the same time, several new high-speed network technologies have emerged for local and wide area networks. However, the performance of networking software is not improving as fast as the networking hardware and the workstation microprocessors. This paper gives an overview and evaluates the performance of the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) standard in a distributed computing environment at NASA Ames Research Center. The environment consists of two testbeds of SGI workstations connected by four networks: Ethernet, FDDI, HiPPI, and ATM. The performance results for three communication software systems are presented, analyzed and compared. These systems are: BSD socket programming interface, IONA's Orbix, an implementation of the CORBA specification, and the PVM message passing library. The results show that high-level communication interfaces, such as CORBA and PVM, can achieve reasonable performance under certain conditions.
A system for intelligent teleoperation research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orlando, N. E.

1983-01-01

The Automation Technology Branch of NASA Langley Research Center is developing a research capability in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly as applicable in teleoperator/robotics development for remote space operations. As a testbed for experimentation in these areas, a system concept has been developed and is being implemented. This system termed DAISIE (Distributed Artificially Intelligent System for Interacting with the Environment), interfaces the key processes of perception, reasoning, and manipulation by linking hardware sensors and manipulators to a modular artificial intelligence (AI) software system in a hierarchical control structure. Verification experiments have been performed: one experiment used a blocksworld database and planner embedded in the DAISIE system to intelligently manipulate a simple physical environment; the other experiment implemented a joint-space collision avoidance algorithm. Continued system development is planned.
Frameworks and Tools for High-Confidence Design of Adaptive, Distributed Embedded Control Systems. Multi-University Research Initiative on High-Confidence Design for Distributed Embedded Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

controllers (currently using the Robostix+Gumstix pair ). The interface between the plant simulator and the controller is ‘hard real-time’, and the xPC box... simulation ) on aerobatic maneuver design for the STARMAC quadrotor helicopter testbed. In related work, we have developed a new optimization scheme...for scheduling hybrid systems, and have demonstrated the results on an autonomous car simulation testbed. We are focusing efforts this summer for
The UCLA Design Diversity Experiment (DEDIX) system: A distributed testbed for multiple-version software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avizienis, A.; Gunningberg, P.; Kelly, J. P. J.; Strigini, L.; Traverse, P. J.; Tso, K. S.; Voges, U.

1986-01-01

To establish a long-term research facility for experimental investigations of design diversity as a means of achieving fault-tolerant systems, a distributed testbed for multiple-version software was designed. It is part of a local network, which utilizes the Locus distributed operating system to operate a set of 20 VAX 11/750 computers. It is used in experiments to measure the efficacy of design diversity and to investigate reliability increases under large-scale, controlled experimental conditions.
The implementation of the Human Exploration Demonstration Project (HEDP), a systems technology testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosen, Robert; Korsmeyer, David J.

1993-01-01

The Human Exploration Demonstration Project (HEDP) is an ongoing task at the NASA's Ames Research Center to address the advanced technology requirements necessary to implement an integrated working and living environment for a planetary surface habitat. The integrated environment consists of life support systems, physiological monitoring of project crew, a virtual environment work station, and centralized data acquisition and habitat systems health monitoring. The HEDP is an integrated technology demonstrator, as well as an initial operational testbed. There are several robotic systems operational in a simulated planetary landscape external to the habitat environment, to provide representative work loads for the crew. This paper describes the evolution of the HEDP from initial concept to operational project; the status of the HEDP after two years; the final facilities composing the HEDP; the project's role as a NASA Ames Research Center systems technology testbed; and the interim demonstration scenarios that have been run to feature the developing technologies in 1993.
A proposed research program in information processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schorr, Herbert

1992-01-01

The goal of the Formalized Software Development (FSD) project was to demonstrate improvements productivity of software development and maintenance through the use of a new software lifecycle paradigm. The paradigm calls for the mechanical, but human-guided, derivation of software implementations from formal specifications of the desired software behavior. It relies on altering a system's specification and rederiving its implementation as the standard technology for software maintenance. A system definition for this paradigm is composed of a behavioral specification together with a body of annotations that control the derivation of executable code from the specification. Annotations generally achieve the selection of certain data representations and/or algorithms that are consistent with, but not mandated by, the behavioral specification. In doing this, they may yield systems which exhibit only certain behaviors among multiple alternatives permitted by the behavioral specification. The FSD project proposed to construct a testbed in which to explore the realization of this new paradigm. The testbed was to provide operational support environment for software design, implementation, and maintenance. The testbed was proposed to provide highly automated support for individual programmers ('programming in the small'), but not to address the additional needs of programming teams ('programming in the large'). The testbed proposed to focus on supporting rapid construction and evolution of useful prototypes of software systems, as opposed to focusing on the problems of achieving production quality performance of systems.
Neural Networks for Modeling and Control of Particle Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edelen, A. L.; Biedron, S. G.; Chase, B. E.

Myriad nonlinear and complex physical phenomena are host to particle accelerators. They often involve a multitude of interacting systems, are subject to tight performance demands, and should be able to run for extended periods of time with minimal interruptions. Often times, traditional control techniques cannot fully meet these requirements. One promising avenue is to introduce machine learning and sophisticated control techniques inspired by artificial intelligence, particularly in light of recent theoretical and practical advances in these fields. Within machine learning and artificial intelligence, neural networks are particularly well-suited to modeling, control, and diagnostic analysis of complex, nonlinear, and time-varying systems,more » as well as systems with large parameter spaces. Consequently, the use of neural network-based modeling and control techniques could be of significant benefit to particle accelerators. For the same reasons, particle accelerators are also ideal test-beds for these techniques. Moreover, many early attempts to apply neural networks to particle accelerators yielded mixed results due to the relative immaturity of the technology for such tasks. For the purpose of this paper is to re-introduce neural networks to the particle accelerator community and report on some work in neural network control that is being conducted as part of a dedicated collaboration between Fermilab and Colorado State University (CSU). We also describe some of the challenges of particle accelerator control, highlight recent advances in neural network techniques, discuss some promising avenues for incorporating neural networks into particle accelerator control systems, and describe a neural network-based control system that is being developed for resonance control of an RF electron gun at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility, including initial experimental results from a benchmark controller.« less
Neural Networks for Modeling and Control of Particle Accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edelen, A. L.; Biedron, S. G.; Chase, B. E.; Edstrom, D.; Milton, S. V.; Stabile, P.

2016-04-01

Particle accelerators are host to myriad nonlinear and complex physical phenomena. They often involve a multitude of interacting systems, are subject to tight performance demands, and should be able to run for extended periods of time with minimal interruptions. Often times, traditional control techniques cannot fully meet these requirements. One promising avenue is to introduce machine learning and sophisticated control techniques inspired by artificial intelligence, particularly in light of recent theoretical and practical advances in these fields. Within machine learning and artificial intelligence, neural networks are particularly well-suited to modeling, control, and diagnostic analysis of complex, nonlinear, and time-varying systems, as well as systems with large parameter spaces. Consequently, the use of neural network-based modeling and control techniques could be of significant benefit to particle accelerators. For the same reasons, particle accelerators are also ideal test-beds for these techniques. Many early attempts to apply neural networks to particle accelerators yielded mixed results due to the relative immaturity of the technology for such tasks. The purpose of this paper is to re-introduce neural networks to the particle accelerator community and report on some work in neural network control that is being conducted as part of a dedicated collaboration between Fermilab and Colorado State University (CSU). We describe some of the challenges of particle accelerator control, highlight recent advances in neural network techniques, discuss some promising avenues for incorporating neural networks into particle accelerator control systems, and describe a neural network-based control system that is being developed for resonance control of an RF electron gun at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility, including initial experimental results from a benchmark controller.
Neural Networks for Modeling and Control of Particle Accelerators

DOE PAGES

Edelen, A. L.; Biedron, S. G.; Chase, B. E.; ...

2016-04-01

Myriad nonlinear and complex physical phenomena are host to particle accelerators. They often involve a multitude of interacting systems, are subject to tight performance demands, and should be able to run for extended periods of time with minimal interruptions. Often times, traditional control techniques cannot fully meet these requirements. One promising avenue is to introduce machine learning and sophisticated control techniques inspired by artificial intelligence, particularly in light of recent theoretical and practical advances in these fields. Within machine learning and artificial intelligence, neural networks are particularly well-suited to modeling, control, and diagnostic analysis of complex, nonlinear, and time-varying systems,more » as well as systems with large parameter spaces. Consequently, the use of neural network-based modeling and control techniques could be of significant benefit to particle accelerators. For the same reasons, particle accelerators are also ideal test-beds for these techniques. Moreover, many early attempts to apply neural networks to particle accelerators yielded mixed results due to the relative immaturity of the technology for such tasks. For the purpose of this paper is to re-introduce neural networks to the particle accelerator community and report on some work in neural network control that is being conducted as part of a dedicated collaboration between Fermilab and Colorado State University (CSU). We also describe some of the challenges of particle accelerator control, highlight recent advances in neural network techniques, discuss some promising avenues for incorporating neural networks into particle accelerator control systems, and describe a neural network-based control system that is being developed for resonance control of an RF electron gun at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility, including initial experimental results from a benchmark controller.« less
TUNABLE IRRADIATION TESTBED

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wootan, David W.; Casella, Andrew M.; Asner, David M.

PNNL has developed and continues to develop innovative methods for characterizing irradiated materials from nuclear reactors and particle accelerators for various clients and collaborators around the world. The continued development of these methods, in addition to the ability to perform unique scientific investigations of the effects of radiation on materials could be greatly enhanced with easy access to irradiation facilities. A Tunable Irradiation Testbed with customized targets (a 30 MeV, 1mA cyclotron or similar coupled to a unique target system) is shown to provide a much more flexible and cost-effective source of irradiating particles than a test reactor or isotopicmore » source. The configuration investigated was a single shielded building with multiple beam lines from a small, flexible, high flux irradiation source. Potential applications investigated were the characterization of radiation damage to materials applicable to advanced reactors, fusion reactor, legacy waste, (via neutron spectra tailored to HTGR, molten salt, LWR, LMR, fusion environments); 252Cf replacement; characterization of radiation damage to materials of interest to High Energy Physics to enable the neutrino program; and research into production of short lived isotopes for potential medical and other applications.« less
A Battery Certification Testbed for Small Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, Zachary; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Luna, Ali Guarneros; Goebel, Kai; Poll, Scott

2015-01-01

A battery pack consisting of standard cylindrical 18650 lithium-ion cells has been chosen for small satellite missions based on previous flight heritage and compliance with NASA battery safety requirements. However, for batteries that transit through the International Space Station (ISS), additional certification tests are required for individual cells as well as the battery packs. In this manuscript, we discuss the development of generalized testbeds for testing and certifying different types of batteries critical to small satellite missions. Test procedures developed and executed for this certification effort include: a detailed physical inspection before and after experiments; electrical cycling characterization at the cell and pack levels; battery-pack overcharge, over-discharge, external short testing; battery-pack vacuum leak and vibration testing. The overall goals of these certification procedures are to conform to requirements set forth by the agency and identify unique safety hazards. The testbeds, procedures, and experimental results are discussed for batteries chosen for small satellite missions to be launched from the ISS.
Big Data over a 100G network at Fermilab

DOE PAGES

Garzoglio, Gabriele; Mhashilkar, Parag; Kim, Hyunwoo; ...

2014-06-11

As the need for Big Data in science becomes ever more relevant, networks around the world are upgrading their infrastructure to support high-speed interconnections. To support its mission, the high-energy physics community as a pioneer in Big Data has always been relying on the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to be at the forefront of storage and data movement. This need was reiterated in recent years with the data-taking rate of the major LHC experiments reaching tens of petabytes per year. At Fermilab, this resulted regularly in peaks of data movement on the Wide area network (WAN) in and out ofmore » the laboratory of about 30 Gbit/s and on the Local are network (LAN) between storage and computational farms of 160 Gbit/s. To address these ever increasing needs, as of this year Fermilab is connected to the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) through a 100 Gb/s link. To understand the optimal system-and application-level configuration to interface computational systems with the new highspeed interconnect, Fermilab has deployed a Network Research & Development facility connected to the ESnet 100G Testbed. For the past two years, the High Throughput Data Program (HTDP) has been using the Testbed to identify gaps in data movement middleware [5] when transferring data at these high-speeds. The program has published evaluations of technologies typically used in High Energy Physics, such as GridFTP [4], XrootD [9], and Squid [8]. Furthermore, this work presents the new R&D facility and the continuation of the evaluation program.« less
Big Data over a 100G network at Fermilab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garzoglio, Gabriele; Mhashilkar, Parag; Kim, Hyunwoo

As the need for Big Data in science becomes ever more relevant, networks around the world are upgrading their infrastructure to support high-speed interconnections. To support its mission, the high-energy physics community as a pioneer in Big Data has always been relying on the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to be at the forefront of storage and data movement. This need was reiterated in recent years with the data-taking rate of the major LHC experiments reaching tens of petabytes per year. At Fermilab, this resulted regularly in peaks of data movement on the Wide area network (WAN) in and out ofmore » the laboratory of about 30 Gbit/s and on the Local are network (LAN) between storage and computational farms of 160 Gbit/s. To address these ever increasing needs, as of this year Fermilab is connected to the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) through a 100 Gb/s link. To understand the optimal system-and application-level configuration to interface computational systems with the new highspeed interconnect, Fermilab has deployed a Network Research & Development facility connected to the ESnet 100G Testbed. For the past two years, the High Throughput Data Program (HTDP) has been using the Testbed to identify gaps in data movement middleware [5] when transferring data at these high-speeds. The program has published evaluations of technologies typically used in High Energy Physics, such as GridFTP [4], XrootD [9], and Squid [8]. Furthermore, this work presents the new R&D facility and the continuation of the evaluation program.« less
System engineering techniques for establishing balanced design and performance guidelines for the advanced telerobotic testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, W. F.; Matijevic, J. R.

1987-01-01

Novel system engineering techniques have been developed and applied to establishing structured design and performance objectives for the Telerobotics Testbed that reduce technical risk while still allowing the testbed to demonstrate an advancement in state-of-the-art robotic technologies. To estblish the appropriate tradeoff structure and balance of technology performance against technical risk, an analytical data base was developed which drew on: (1) automation/robot-technology availability projections, (2) typical or potential application mission task sets, (3) performance simulations, (4) project schedule constraints, and (5) project funding constraints. Design tradeoffs and configuration/performance iterations were conducted by comparing feasible technology/task set configurations against schedule/budget constraints as well as original program target technology objectives. The final system configuration, task set, and technology set reflected a balanced advancement in state-of-the-art robotic technologies, while meeting programmatic objectives and schedule/cost constraints.
Hierarchical Bio-Inspired Cooperative Control for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems and Hardware Demonstration

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-03

cooperative control, LEGO robotic testbed, non-linear dynamics 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES...testbed The architecture of the LEGO robots (® LEGO is a trademark and/or copyright of the LEGO Group) used in tests were based off the quick-start
A Laboratory Testbed for Embedded Fuzzy Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srivastava, S.; Sukumar, V.; Bhasin, P. S.; Arun Kumar, D.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel scheme called "Laboratory Testbed for Embedded Fuzzy Control of a Real Time Nonlinear System." The idea is based upon the fact that project-based learning motivates students to learn actively and to use their engineering skills acquired in their previous years of study. It also fosters initiative and focuses…
Telescience testbed pilot program, volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiner, Barry M.

1989-01-01

Space Station Freedom and its associated labs, coupled with the availability of new computing and communications technologies, have the potential for significantly enhancing scientific research. A Telescience Testbed Pilot Program (TTPP), aimed at developing the experience base to deal with issues in the design of the future information system of the Space Station era. The testbeds represented four scientific disciplines (astronomy and astrophysics, earth sciences, life sciences, and microgravity sciences) and studied issues in payload design, operation, and data analysis. This volume, of a 3 volume set, which all contain the results of the TTPP, is the executive summary.
The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed: Recent Progress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was designed to demonstrate the practicality and application of techniques for wide-field spatial-spectral ("double Fourier") interferometry. WIIT is an automated system, and it is now producing substantial amounts of high-quality data from its state-of-the-art operating environment, Goddard's Advanced Interferometry and Metrology Lab. In this paper, we discuss the characterization and operation of the testbed and present the most recent results. We also outline future research directions. A companion paper within this conference discusses the development of new wide-field double Fourier data analysis algorithms.
A Dynamic Calibration Method for Experimental and Analytical Hub Load Comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreshock, Andrew R.; Thornburgh, Robert P.; Wilbur, Matthew L.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the results from an ongoing effort to produce improved correlation between analytical hub force and moment prediction and those measured during wind-tunnel testing on the Aeroelastic Rotor Experimental System (ARES), a conventional rotor testbed commonly used at the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). A frequency-dependent transformation between loads at the rotor hub and outputs of the testbed balance is produced from frequency response functions measured during vibration testing of the system. The resulting transformation is used as a dynamic calibration of the balance to transform hub loads predicted by comprehensive analysis into predicted balance outputs. In addition to detailing the transformation process, this paper also presents a set of wind-tunnel test cases, with comparisons between the measured balance outputs and transformed predictions from the comprehensive analysis code CAMRAD II. The modal response of the testbed is discussed and compared to a detailed finite-element model. Results reveal that the modal response of the testbed exhibits a number of characteristics that make accurate dynamic balance predictions challenging, even with the use of the balance transformation.
MRMS Experimental Testbed for Operational Products (METOP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

Accurate high-resolution quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) at the continental scale is of critical importance to the nation's weather, water and climate services. To address this need, a Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system was developed at the National Severe Storms Lab of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that integrates radar, gauge, model and satellite data and provides a suite of QPE products at 1-km and 2-min resolution. MRMS system consists of three components: 1) an operational system; 2) a real-time research system; 3) an archive testbed. The operational system currently provides instantaneous precipitation rate, type and 1- to 72-hr accumulations for conterminous United Stated and southern Canada. The research system has the similar hardware infrastructure and data environment as the operational system, but runs newer and more advanced algorithms. The newer algorithms are tested on the research system for robustness and computational efficiency in a pseudo operational environment before they are transitioned into operations. The archive testbed, also called the MRMS Experimental Testbed for Operational Products (METOP), consists of a large database that encompasses a wide range of hydroclimatological and geographical regimes. METOP is for the testing and refinements of the most advanced radar QPE techniques, which are often developed on specific data from limited times and locations. The archive data includes quality controlled in-situ observations for the validation of the new radar QPE across all seasons and geographic regions. A number of operational QPE products derived from different sensors/models are also included in METOP for the fusion of multiple sources of complementary precipitation information. This paper is an introduction of the METOP system.

Benchmarking Diagnostic Algorithms on an Electrical Power System Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtoglu, Tolga; Narasimhan, Sriram; Poll, Scott; Garcia, David; Wright, Stephanie

2009-01-01

Diagnostic algorithms (DAs) are key to enabling automated health management. These algorithms are designed to detect and isolate anomalies of either a component or the whole system based on observations received from sensors. In recent years a wide range of algorithms, both model-based and data-driven, have been developed to increase autonomy and improve system reliability and affordability. However, the lack of support to perform systematic benchmarking of these algorithms continues to create barriers for effective development and deployment of diagnostic technologies. In this paper, we present our efforts to benchmark a set of DAs on a common platform using a framework that was developed to evaluate and compare various performance metrics for diagnostic technologies. The diagnosed system is an electrical power system, namely the Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT) developed and located at the NASA Ames Research Center. The paper presents the fundamentals of the benchmarking framework, the ADAPT system, description of faults and data sets, the metrics used for evaluation, and an in-depth analysis of benchmarking results obtained from testing ten diagnostic algorithms on the ADAPT electrical power system testbed.
WFIRST Coronagraph Technology Development Testbeds: Status and Recent Testbed Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Fang; An, Xin; Balasubramanian, Kunjithapatham; cady, eric; Gordon, Brian; Greer, Frank; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Kern, Brian; Lam, Raymond; Marx, David; Moody, Dwight; Patterson, Keith; Poberezhskiy, Ilya; mejia prada, camilo; Gersh-Range, Jessica; Eldorado Riggs, A. J.; Seo, Byoung-Joon; Shields, Joel; Sidick, Erkin; Tang, Hong; Trauger, John Terry; Truong, Tuan; White, Victor; Wilson, Daniel; Zhou, Hanying; JPL WFIRST Testbed Team, Princeton University

2018-01-01

As a part of technology development for the WFIRST coronagraph instrument (CGI), dedicated testbeds are built and commissioned at JPL. The coronagraph technology development testbeds include the Occulting Mask Coronagraph (OMC) testbed, the Shaped Pupil Coronagraph/Integral Field Spectrograph (SPC/IFS) testbed, and the Vacuum Surface Gauge (VSG) testbed. With its configuration similar to the WFIRST flight coronagraph instrument the OMC testbed consists of two coronagraph modes, Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) and Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC), a low order wavefront sensor (LOWFS), and an optical telescope assembly (OTA) simulator which can generate realistic LoS drift and jitter as well as low order wavefront error that would be induced by the WFIRST telescope’s vibration and thermal changes. The SPC/IFS testbed is a dedicated testbed to test the IFS working with a Shaped Pupil Coronagraph while the VSG testbed is for measuring and calibrating the deformable mirrors, a key component used for WFIRST CGI's wavefront control. In this poster, we will describe the testbed functions and status as well as the highlight of the latest testbed results from OMC, SPC/IFS and VSG testbeds.
FAST Spacecraft Battery Design and Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, David S.; Rao, Gopalakrishna; Ahmad, Anisa

1997-01-01

The Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) Explorer spacecraft is to study the physical processes that produce the aurora borealis and aurora australis. It is a unique plasma physics experiment that will take fundamental measurements of the magnetic and electrical fields. This investigation will add significantly to our understanding of the near-earth space environments and its effect. The FAST has a 1 year requirement and 3-year goal for its mission life in low earth orbit. The FAST power power system topology is a Direct Energy Transfer (DET) system based on the SAMPEX design. The FAST flight battery supplies power to the satellite during pre-launch operations, the launch phase, the eclipse periods for all mission phases, and when the load is about 50 watts.
The low-order wavefront control system for the PICTURE-C mission: preliminary testbed results from the Shack-Hartmann sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howe, Glenn A.; Mendillo, Christopher B.; Hewawasam, Kuravi; Martel, Jason; Finn, Susanna C.; Cook, Timothy A.; Chakrabarti, Supriya

2017-09-01

The Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment - Coronagraph (PICTURE-C) mission will directly image debris disks and exozodiacal dust around three nearby stars from a high-altitude balloon using a vector vortex coronagraph. We present experimental results of the PICTURE-C low-order wavefront control (LOWFC) system utilizing a Shack-Hartmann (SH) sensor in an instrument testbed. The SH sensor drives both the alignment of the telescope secondary mirror using a 6-axis Hexapod and a surface parallel array deformable mirror to remove residual low-order aberrations. The sensor design and actuator calibration methods are discussed and the preliminary LOWFC closed-loop performance is shown to stabilize a reference wavefront to an RMS error of 0.30 +/- 0.29 nm.
A Numerical Testbed for Remote Sensing of Aerosols, and its Demonstration for Evaluating Retrieval Synergy from a Geostationary Satellite Constellation of GEO-CAPE and GOES-R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Jun; Xu, Xiaoguang; Ding, Shouguo; Zeng, Jing; Spurr, Robert; Liu, Xiong; Chance, Kelly; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2014-01-01

We present a numerical testbed for remote sensing of aerosols, together with a demonstration for evaluating retrieval synergy from a geostationary satellite constellation. The testbed combines inverse (optimal-estimation) software with a forward model containing linearized code for computing particle scattering (for both spherical and non-spherical particles), a kernel-based (land and ocean) surface bi-directional reflectance facility, and a linearized radiative transfer model for polarized radiance. Calculation of gas absorption spectra uses the HITRAN (HIgh-resolution TRANsmission molecular absorption) database of spectroscopic line parameters and other trace species cross-sections. The outputs of the testbed include not only the Stokes 4-vector elements and their sensitivities (Jacobians) with respect to the aerosol single scattering and physical parameters (such as size and shape parameters, refractive index, and plume height), but also DFS (Degree of Freedom for Signal) values for retrieval of these parameters. This testbed can be used as a tool to provide an objective assessment of aerosol information content that can be retrieved for any constellation of (planned or real) satellite sensors and for any combination of algorithm design factors (in terms of wavelengths, viewing angles, radiance and/or polarization to be measured or used). We summarize the components of the testbed, including the derivation and validation of analytical formulae for Jacobian calculations. Benchmark calculations from the forward model are documented. In the context of NASA's Decadal Survey Mission GEOCAPE (GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events), we demonstrate the use of the testbed to conduct a feasibility study of using polarization measurements in and around the O2 A band for the retrieval of aerosol height information from space, as well as an to assess potential improvement in the retrieval of aerosol fine and coarse mode aerosol optical depth (AOD) through the synergic use of two future geostationary satellites, GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-series) and TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution). Strong synergy between GEOS-R and TEMPO are found especially in their characterization of surface bi-directional reflectance, and thereby, can potentially improve the AOD retrieval to the accuracy required by GEO-CAPE.
Evaluation of power control concepts using the PMAD systems test bed. [Power Management and Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, R. F.; Kimnach, G. L.; Jett, T. A.; Trash, L. M.

1989-01-01

The Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) System testbed and its use in the evaluation of control concepts applicable to the NASA Space Station Freedom electric power system (EPS) are described. The facility was constructed to allow testing of control hardware and software in an environment functionally similar to the space station electric power system. Control hardware and software have been developed to allow operation of the testbed power system in a manner similar to a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system employed by utility power systems for control. The system hardware and software are described.
Automatic Integration Testbeds validation on Open Science Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero, J.; Thapa, S.; Gardner, R.; Potekhin, M.

2011-12-01

A recurring challenge in deploying high quality production middleware is the extent to which realistic testing occurs before release of the software into the production environment. We describe here an automated system for validating releases of the Open Science Grid software stack that leverages the (pilot-based) PanDA job management system developed and used by the ATLAS experiment. The system was motivated by a desire to subject the OSG Integration Testbed to more realistic validation tests. In particular those which resemble to every extent possible actual job workflows used by the experiments thus utilizing job scheduling at the compute element (CE), use of the worker node execution environment, transfer of data to/from the local storage element (SE), etc. The context is that candidate releases of OSG compute and storage elements can be tested by injecting large numbers of synthetic jobs varying in complexity and coverage of services tested. The native capabilities of the PanDA system can thus be used to define jobs, monitor their execution, and archive the resulting run statistics including success and failure modes. A repository of generic workflows and job types to measure various metrics of interest has been created. A command-line toolset has been developed so that testbed managers can quickly submit "VO-like" jobs into the system when newly deployed services are ready for testing. A system for automatic submission has been crafted to send jobs to integration testbed sites, collecting the results in a central service and generating regular reports for performance and reliability.
Recent Developments in the Design, Capabilities and Autonomous Operations of a Lightweight Surface Manipulation System and Test-bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsey, John T.; Jones, Thomas C.; Doggett, W. R.; Brady, Jeffrey S.; Berry, Felecia C.; Ganoe, George G.; Anderson, Eric; King, Bruce D.; Mercer, David C.

2011-01-01

The first generation of a versatile high performance device for performing payload handling and assembly operations on planetary surfaces, the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System (LSMS), has been designed and built. Over the course of its development, conventional crane type payload handling configurations and operations have been successfully demonstrated and the range of motion, types of operations and the versatility greatly expanded. This enhanced set of 1st generation LSMS hardware is now serving as a laboratory test-bed allowing the continuing development of end effectors, operational techniques and remotely controlled and automated operations. This paper describes the most recent LSMS and test-bed development activities, that have focused on two major efforts. The first effort was to complete a preliminary design of the 2nd generation LSMS that has the capability for limited mobility and can reposition itself between lander decks, mobility chassis, and fixed base locations. A major portion of this effort involved conducting a study to establish the feasibility of, and define, the specifications for a lightweight cable-drive waist joint. The second effort was to continue expanding the versatility and autonomy of large planetary surface manipulators using the 1st generation LSMS as a test-bed. This has been accomplished by increasing manipulator capabilities and efficiencies through both design changes and tool and end effector development. A software development effort has expanded the operational capabilities of the LSMS test-bed to include; autonomous operations based on stored paths, use of a vision system for target acquisition and tracking, and remote command and control over a communications bridge.
NASA Hybrid Reflectometer Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynch, Dana; Mancini, Ron (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Time-domain and frequency-domain reflectometry have been used for about forty years to locate opens and shorts in cables. Interpretation of reflectometry data is as much art as science. Is there information in the data that is being missed? Can the reflectometers be improved to allow us to detect and locate defects in cables that are not outright shorts or opens? The Hybrid Reflectometer Project was begun this year at NASA Ames Research Center, initially to model wire physics, simulating time-domain reflectometry (TDR) signals in those models and validating the models against actual TDR data taken on testbed cables. Theoretical models of reflectometry in wires will give us an understanding of the merits and limits of these techniques and will guide the application of a proposed hybrid reflectometer with the aim of enhancing reflectometer sensitivity to the point that wire defects can be detected. We will point out efforts by some other researchers to apply wire physics models to the problem of defect detection in wires and we will describe our own initial efforts to create wire physics models and report on testbed validation of the TDR simulations.
Adaptive Coding and Modulation Experiment With NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downey, Joseph; Mortensen, Dale; Evans, Michael; Briones, Janette; Tollis, Nicholas

2016-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Space Communication and Navigation Testbed is an advanced integrated communication payload on the International Space Station. This paper presents results from an adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) experiment over S-band using a direct-to-earth link between the SCaN Testbed and the Glenn Research Center. The testing leverages the established Digital Video Broadcasting Second Generation (DVB-S2) standard to provide various modulation and coding options, and uses the Space Data Link Protocol (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standard) for the uplink and downlink data framing. The experiment was conducted in a challenging environment due to the multipath and shadowing caused by the International Space Station structure. Several approaches for improving the ACM system are presented, including predictive and learning techniques to accommodate signal fades. Performance of the system is evaluated as a function of end-to-end system latency (round-trip delay), and compared to the capacity of the link. Finally, improvements over standard NASA waveforms are presented.
Software-Implemented Fault Tolerance in Communications Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gantenbein, Rex E.

1994-01-01

Software-implemented fault tolerance (SIFT) is used in many computer-based command, control, and communications (C(3)) systems to provide the nearly continuous availability that they require. In the communications subsystem of Space Station Alpha, SIFT algorithms are used to detect and recover from failures in the data and command link between the Station and its ground support. The paper presents a review of these algorithms and discusses how such techniques can be applied to similar systems found in applications such as manufacturing control, military communications, and programmable devices such as pacemakers. With support from the Tracking and Communication Division of NASA's Johnson Space Center, researchers at the University of Wyoming are developing a testbed for evaluating the effectiveness of these algorithms prior to their deployment. This testbed will be capable of simulating a variety of C(3) system failures and recording the response of the Space Station SIFT algorithms to these failures. The design of this testbed and the applicability of the approach in other environments is described.
Adaptive Coding and Modulation Experiment With NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downey, Joseph A.; Mortensen, Dale J.; Evans, Michael A.; Briones, Janette C.; Tollis, Nicholas

2016-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Space Communication and Navigation Testbed is an advanced integrated communication payload on the International Space Station. This paper presents results from an adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) experiment over S-band using a direct-to-earth link between the SCaN Testbed and the Glenn Research Center. The testing leverages the established Digital Video Broadcasting Second Generation (DVB-S2) standard to provide various modulation and coding options, and uses the Space Data Link Protocol (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standard) for the uplink and downlink data framing. The experiment was con- ducted in a challenging environment due to the multipath and shadowing caused by the International Space Station structure. Several approaches for improving the ACM system are presented, including predictive and learning techniques to accommodate signal fades. Performance of the system is evaluated as a function of end-to-end system latency (round- trip delay), and compared to the capacity of the link. Finally, improvements over standard NASA waveforms are presented.
The Advanced Orbiting Systems Testbed Program: Results to date

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otranto, John F.; Newsome, Penny A.

1994-01-01

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Recommendations for Packet Telemetry (PT) and Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) propose standard solutions to data handling problems common to many types of space missions. The Recommendations address only space/ground and space/space data handling systems. Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC's) AOS Testbed (AOST) Program was initiated to better understand the Recommendations and their impact on real-world systems, and to examine the extended domain of ground/ground data handling systems. The results and products of the Program will reduce the uncertainties associated with the development of operational space and ground systems that implement the Recommendations.
Adaptive x-ray threat detection using sequential hypotheses testing with fan-beam experimental data (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thamvichai, Ratchaneekorn; Huang, Liang-Chih; Ashok, Amit; Gong, Qian; Coccarelli, David; Greenberg, Joel A.; Gehm, Michael E.; Neifeld, Mark A.

2017-05-01

We employ an adaptive measurement system, based on sequential hypotheses testing (SHT) framework, for detecting material-based threats using experimental data acquired on an X-ray experimental testbed system. This testbed employs 45-degree fan-beam geometry and 15 views over a 180-degree span to generate energy sensitive X-ray projection data. Using this testbed system, we acquire multiple view projection data for 200 bags. We consider an adaptive measurement design where the X-ray projection measurements are acquired in a sequential manner and the adaptation occurs through the choice of the optimal "next" source/view system parameter. Our analysis of such an adaptive measurement design using the experimental data demonstrates a 3x-7x reduction in the probability of error relative to a static measurement design. Here the static measurement design refers to the operational system baseline that corresponds to a sequential measurement using all the available sources/views. We also show that by using adaptive measurements it is possible to reduce the number of sources/views by nearly 50% compared a system that relies on static measurements.
KSC Tech Transfer News, Volume 2, No. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Makufka, David (Editor); Dunn, Carol (Editor)

2009-01-01

This issue contains articles about: (1) the Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) and the manager of the program, Alexis Hongamen, (2) New Technology Report (NTR) on a Monte Carlo Simulation to Estimate the Likelihood of Direct Lightning Strikes, (3) Kennedy Space Center's Applied Physics Lab, (4) a virtual ruler that is used for many applications, (5) a portable device that finds low-level leaks, (6) a sun-shield, that supports in-space cryogenic propellant storage, (7) lunar dust modeling software, (8) space based monitoring of radiation damage to DNA, (9) the use of light-emitting diode (LED) arrays vegetable production system, (10) Dust Tolerant Intelligent Electrical Connection Systems, (11) Ice Detection Camera System Upgrade, (12) Repair Techniques for Composite Structures, (13) Cryogenic Orbital Testbed, and (14) copyright protection.
Cognitive Medical Wireless Testbed System (COMWITS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

Number: ...... ...... Sub Contractors (DD882) Names of other research staff Inventions (DD882) Scientific Progress This testbed merges two ARO grants...bit 64 bit CPU Intel Xeon Processor E5-1650v3 (6C, 3.5 GHz, Turbo, HT , 15M, 140W) Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz Quad Core, 77W) Dual Intel Xeon
Demonstration of a High-Efficiency Free-Space Optical Communications Link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birnbaum, Kevin; Farr, William; Gin, Jonathan; Moision, Bruce; Quirk, Kevin; Wright, Malcolm

2009-01-01

In this paper we discuss recent progress on the implementation of a hardware free-space optical communications test-bed. The test-bed implements an end-to-end communications system comprising a data encoder, modulator, laser-transmitter, telescope, detector, receiver and error-correction-code decoder. Implementation of each of the component systems is discussed, with an emphasis on 'real-world' system performance degradation and limitations. We have demonstrated real-time data rates of 44 Mbps and photon efficiencies of approximately 1.8 bits/photon over a 100m free-space optical link.
Large autonomous spacecraft electrical power system (LASEPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugal-Whitehead, Norma R.; Johnson, Yvette B.

1992-01-01

NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center is creating a large high voltage electrical power system testbed called LASEPS. This testbed is being developed to simulate an end-to-end power system from power generation and source to loads. When the system is completed it will have several power configurations, which will include several battery configurations. These configurations are: two 120 V batteries, one or two 150 V batteries, and one 250 to 270 V battery. This breadboard encompasses varying levels of autonomy from remote power converters to conventional software control to expert system control of the power system elements. In this paper, the construction and provisions of this breadboard are discussed.
Telescience testbed pilot program, volume 2: Program results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiner, Barry M.

1989-01-01

Space Station Freedom and its associated labs, coupled with the availability of new computing and communications technologies, have the potential for significantly enhancing scientific research. A Telescience Testbed Pilot Program (TTPP), aimed at developing the experience base to deal with issues in the design of the future information system of the Space Station era. The testbeds represented four scientific disciplines (astronomy and astrophysics, earth sciences, life sciences, and microgravity sciences) and studied issues in payload design, operation, and data analysis. This volume, of a 3 volume set, which all contain the results of the TTPP, contains the integrated results. Background is provided of the program and highlights of the program results. The various testbed experiments and the programmatic approach is summarized. The results are summarized on a discipline by discipline basis, highlighting the lessons learned for each discipline. Then the results are integrated across each discipline, summarizing the lessons learned overall.
BMDO materials testing in the EOIM-3 experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, Shirley Y.; Brinza, David E.; Minton, Timothy K.; Liang, Ranty H.

1995-01-01

The NASA Evaluation of Oxygen Interactions with Materials-3 (EOIM-3) experiment served as a testbed for a variety of materials that are candidates for Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) space assets. The materials evaluated on this flight experiment were provided by BMDO contractors and technology laboratories. A parallel ground-based exposure evaluation was conducted using the Fast Atom Sample Tester (FAST) atomic-oxygen simulation facility at Physical Sciences, Inc. The EOIM-3 flight materials were exposed to an atomic oxygen fluence of approximately 2.3 x 10(exp 20) atoms/sq cm. The ground-based exposure fluence of 2.0 - 2.5 x 10(exp 20) atoms/sq cm permits direct comparison with that of the flight-exposed specimens. The results from the flight test conducted aboard STS-46 and the correlative ground-based exposure are summarized here. A more detailed correlation study is presented in the JPL Publication 93-31 entitled 'Flight-and Ground-Test Correlation Study of BMDO SDS Materials: Phase 1 Report'. In general, the majority of the materials survived the AO environment with their performance tolerances maintained for the duration of the exposure. Optical materials, baffles, and coatings performed extremely well as did most of the thermal coatings and tribological materials. A few of the candidate radiator, threat shielding, and structural materials showed significant degradation. Many of the coatings designed to protect against AO erosion of sensitive materials performed this function well.

Langley's CSI evolutionary model: Phase O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. Keith; Elliott, Kenny B.; Horta, Lucas G.; Bailey, Jim P.; Bruner, Anne M.; Sulla, Jeffrey L.; Won, John; Ugoletti, Roberto M.

1991-01-01

A testbed for the development of Controls Structures Interaction (CSI) technology to improve space science platform pointing is described. The evolutionary nature of the testbed will permit the study of global line-of-sight pointing in phases 0 and 1, whereas, multipayload pointing systems will be studied beginning with phase 2. The design, capabilities, and typical dynamic behavior of the phase 0 version of the CSI evolutionary model (CEM) is documented for investigator both internal and external to NASA. The model description includes line-of-sight pointing measurement, testbed structure, actuators, sensors, and real time computers, as well as finite element and state space models of major components.
High-Performing, Low-Temperature-Operating, Long-Lifetime Aerospace Lubricants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, Prakash

2015-01-01

Long-duration space exploration will require spacecraft systems that can operate effectively over several years with minimal or no maintenance. Aerospace lubricants are key components of spacecraft systems. Physical Sciences Inc., has synthesized and characterized novel ionic liquids for use in aerospace lubricants that contribute to decreased viscosity, friction, and wear in aerospace systems. The resulting formulations offer low vapor pressure and outgassing properties and thermal stability up to 250 C. They are effective for use at temperatures as low as -70 C and provide long-term operational stability in aerospace systems. In Phase II, the company scaled several new ionic liquids and evaluated a novel formulation in a NASA testbed. The resulting lubricant compounds will offer lower volatility, decreased corrosion, and better tribological characteristics than standard liquid lubricants, particularly at lower temperatures.
Application of Model-based Prognostics to a Pneumatic Valves Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Gorospe, George

2014-01-01

Pneumatic-actuated valves play an important role in many applications, including cryogenic propellant loading for space operations. Model-based prognostics emphasizes the importance of a model that describes the nominal and faulty behavior of a system, and how faulty behavior progresses in time, causing the end of useful life of the system. We describe the construction of a testbed consisting of a pneumatic valve that allows the injection of faulty behavior and controllable fault progression. The valve opens discretely, and is controlled through a solenoid valve. Controllable leaks of pneumatic gas in the testbed are introduced through proportional valves, allowing the testing and validation of prognostics algorithms for pneumatic valves. A new valve prognostics approach is developed that estimates fault progression and predicts remaining life based only on valve timing measurements. Simulation experiments demonstrate and validate the approach.
Modeling Circumstellar Disks of B-Type Stars with Observations from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grzenia, B. J.; Tycner, C.; Jones, C. E.; Rinehart, S. A.; vanBelle, G. T.; Sigut, T. A. A.

2013-01-01

Geometrical (uniform disk) and numerical models were calculated for a set of B-emission (Be) stars observed with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). Physical extents have been estimated for the disks of a total of15 stars via uniform disk models. Our numerical non-LTE models used parameters for the B0, B2, B5, and B8spectral classes and following the framework laid by previous studies, we have compared them to infrared K-band interferometric observations taken at PTI. This is the first time such an extensive set of Be stars observed with long-baseline interferometry has been analyzed with self-consistent non-LTE numerical disk models.
MIT's interferometer CST testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyde, Tupper; Kim, ED; Anderson, Eric; Blackwood, Gary; Lublin, Leonard

1990-01-01

The MIT Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) has developed a controlled structures technology (CST) testbed based on one design for a space-based optical interferometer. The role of the testbed is to provide a versatile platform for experimental investigation and discovery of CST approaches. In particular, it will serve as the focus for experimental verification of CSI methodologies and control strategies at SERC. The testbed program has an emphasis on experimental CST--incorporating a broad suite of actuators and sensors, active struts, system identification, passive damping, active mirror mounts, and precision component characterization. The SERC testbed represents a one-tenth scaled version of an optical interferometer concept based on an inherently rigid tetrahedral configuration with collecting apertures on one face. The testbed consists of six 3.5 meter long truss legs joined at four vertices and is suspended with attachment points at three vertices. Each aluminum leg has a 0.2 m by 0.2 m by 0.25 m triangular cross-section. The structure has a first flexible mode at 31 Hz and has over 50 global modes below 200 Hz. The stiff tetrahedral design differs from similar testbeds (such as the JPL Phase B) in that the structural topology is closed. The tetrahedral design minimizes structural deflections at the vertices (site of optical components for maximum baseline) resulting in reduced stroke requirements for isolation and pointing of optics. Typical total light path length stability goals are on the order of lambda/20, with a wavelength of light, lambda, of roughly 500 nanometers. It is expected that active structural control will be necessary to achieve this goal in the presence of disturbances.
C-SIDE: The control-structure interaction demonstration experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohl, James B.; Davis, Hugh W.

1993-01-01

The Control-Structure Interaction Demonstration Experiment (C-SIDE) is sponsored by the Electro-Optics and Cryogenics Division of Ball Aerospace Systems Group. Our objective is to demonstrate methods of solution to structure control problems utilizing currently available hardware in a system that is an extension of our corporate experience. The larger space structures with which Ball has been associated are the SEASAT radar antenna, Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) -A, -B and -C antennas and the Radarsat spacecraft. The motivation for the C-SIDE configuration is to show that integration of active figure control in the radar's system-level design can relieve antenna mechanical design constraints. This presentation is primarily an introduction to the C-SIDE testbed. Its physical and functional layouts, and major components are described. The sensor is of special interest as it enables direct surface figure measurements from a remote location. The Remote Attitude Measurement System (RAMS) makes high-rate, unobtrusive measurements of many locations, several of which may be collocated easily with actuators. The control processor is a 386/25 executing a reduced order model-based algorithm with provision for residual mode filters to compensate for structure interaction. The actuators for the ground demonstration are non-contacting, linear force devices. Results presented illustrate some basic characteristics of control-structure interaction with this hardware. The testbed will be used for evaluation of current technologies and for research in several areas. A brief indication of the evolution of the C-SIDE is given at the conclusion.
Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) Portable Liquid Oxygen Hardware Demonstrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oostdyk, Rebecca L.; Perotti, Jose M.

2011-01-01

The Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) hardware demonstration will highlight the effort being conducted by Constellation's Ground Operations (GO) to provide the Launch Control System (LCS) with system-level health management during vehicle processing and countdown activities. A proof-of-concept demonstration of the FDIR prototype established the capability of the software to provide real-time fault detection and isolation using generated Liquid Hydrogen data. The FDIR portable testbed unit (presented here) aims to enhance FDIR by providing a dynamic simulation of Constellation subsystems that feed the FDIR software live data based on Liquid Oxygen system properties. The LO2 cryogenic ground system has key properties that are analogous to the properties of an electronic circuit. The LO2 system is modeled using electrical components and an equivalent circuit is designed on a printed circuit board to simulate the live data. The portable testbed is also be equipped with data acquisition and communication hardware to relay the measurements to the FDIR application running on a PC. This portable testbed is an ideal capability to perform FDIR software testing, troubleshooting, training among others.
Development and experimentation of an eye/brain/task testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, Nora; Villarreal, James

1987-01-01

The principal objective is to develop a laboratory testbed that will provide a unique capability to elicit, control, record, and analyze the relationship of operator task loading, operator eye movement, and operator brain wave data in a computer system environment. The ramifications of an integrated eye/brain monitor to the man machine interface are staggering. The success of such a system would benefit users of space and defense, paraplegics, and the monitoring of boring screens (nuclear power plants, air defense, etc.)
Data-Aware Retrodiction for Asynchronous Harmonic Measurement in a Cyber-Physical Energy System.

PubMed

Liu, Youda; Wang, Xue; Liu, Yanchi; Cui, Sujin

2016-08-18

Cyber-physical energy systems provide a networked solution for safety, reliability and efficiency problems in smart grids. On the demand side, the secure and trustworthy energy supply requires real-time supervising and online power quality assessing. Harmonics measurement is necessary in power quality evaluation. However, under the large-scale distributed metering architecture, harmonic measurement faces the out-of-sequence measurement (OOSM) problem, which is the result of latencies in sensing or the communication process and brings deviations in data fusion. This paper depicts a distributed measurement network for large-scale asynchronous harmonic analysis and exploits a nonlinear autoregressive model with exogenous inputs (NARX) network to reorder the out-of-sequence measuring data. The NARX network gets the characteristics of the electrical harmonics from practical data rather than the kinematic equations. Thus, the data-aware network approximates the behavior of the practical electrical parameter with real-time data and improves the retrodiction accuracy. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the data-aware method maintains a reasonable consumption of computing resources. Experiments on a practical testbed of a cyber-physical system are implemented, and harmonic measurement and analysis accuracy are adopted to evaluate the measuring mechanism under a distributed metering network. Results demonstrate an improvement of the harmonics analysis precision and validate the asynchronous measuring method in cyber-physical energy systems.
Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

ATTAP activities during the past year included test-bed engine design and development, ceramic component design, materials and component characterization, ceramic component process development and fabrication, ceramic component rig testing, and test-bed engine fabrication and testing. Significant technical challenges remain, but all areas exhibited progress. Test-bed engine design and development included engine mechanical design, combustion system design, alternate aerodynamic designs of gasifier scrolls, and engine system integration aimed at upgrading the AGT-5 from a 1038 C (1900 F) metal engine to a durable 1372 C (2500 F) structural ceramic component test-bed engine. ATTAP-defined ceramic and associated ceramic/metal component design activities completed include the ceramic gasifier turbine static structure, the ceramic gasifier turbine rotor, ceramic combustors, the ceramic regenerator disk, the ceramic power turbine rotors, and the ceramic/metal power turbine static structure. The material and component characterization efforts included the testing and evaluation of seven candidate materials and three development components. Ceramic component process development and fabrication proceeded for the gasifier turbine rotor, gasifier turbine scroll, gasifier turbine vanes and vane platform, extruded regenerator disks, and thermal insulation. Component rig activities included the development of both rigs and the necessary test procedures, and conduct of rig testing of the ceramic components and assemblies. Test-bed engine fabrication, testing, and development supported improvements in ceramic component technology that permit the achievement of both program performance and durability goals. Total test time in 1991 amounted to 847 hours, of which 128 hours were engine testing, and 719 were hot rig testing.
Sensitivity of a Simulated Derecho Event to Model Initial Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei

2014-05-01

Since 2003, the MMM division at NCAR has been experimenting cloud-permitting scale weather forecasting using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Over the years, we've tested different model physics, and tried different initial and boundary conditions. Not surprisingly, we found that the model's forecasts are more sensitive to the initial conditions than model physics. In 2012 real-time experiment, WRF-DART (Data Assimilation Research Testbed) at 15 km was employed to produce initial conditions for twice-a-day forecast at 3 km. On June 29, this forecast system captured one of the most destructive derecho event on record. In this presentation, we will examine forecast sensitivity to different model initial conditions, and try to understand the important features that may contribute to the success of the forecast.
Design of a solar array simulator for the NASA EOS testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Steve J.; Sable, Dan M.; Lee, Fred C.; Cho, Bo H.

1992-01-01

The present spacecraft solar array simulator addresses both dc and ac characteristics as well as changes in illumination and temperature and performance degradation over the course of array service life. The computerized control system used allows simulation of a complete orbit cycle, in addition to automated diagnostics. The simulator is currently interfaced with the NASA EOS testbed.
Developing the science product algorithm testbed for Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellites: Fengyun-4 series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Min; Wu, Chunqiang; Li, Chuan; Liu, Hui; Xu, Na; Wu, Xiao; Chen, Lin; Wang, Fu; Sun, Fenglin; Qin, Danyu; Wang, Xi; Li, Bo; Zheng, Zhaojun; Cao, Guangzhen; Dong, Lixin

2017-08-01

Fengyun-4A (FY-4A), the first of the Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellites, launched in 2016, offers several advances over the FY-2: more spectral bands, faster imaging, and infrared hyperspectral measurements. To support the major objective of developing the prototypes of FY-4 science algorithms, two science product algorithm testbeds for imagers and sounders have been developed by the scientists in the FY-4 Algorithm Working Group (AWG). Both testbeds, written in FORTRAN and C programming languages for Linux or UNIX systems, have been tested successfully by using Intel/g compilers. Some important FY-4 science products, including cloud mask, cloud properties, and temperature profiles, have been retrieved successfully through using a proxy imager, Himawari-8/Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), and sounder data, obtained from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder, thus demonstrating their robustness. In addition, in early 2016, the FY-4 AWG was developed based on the imager testbed—a near real-time processing system for Himawari-8/AHI data for use by Chinese weather forecasters. Consequently, robust and flexible science product algorithm testbeds have provided essential and productive tools for popularizing FY-4 data and developing substantial improvements in FY-4 products.
Recent select Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Testbed analog results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malespin, C.; McAdam, A.; Teinturier, S.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Freissinet, C.; Knudson, C. A.; Lewis, J. M.; Millan, M.; Steele, A.; Stern, J. C.; Williams, A. J.

2017-12-01

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) testbed (TB) is a high fidelity replica of the flight instrument currently onboard the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater, Mars1. The SAM testbed is housed in a Mars environment chamber at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), which can replicate both thermal and environmental conditions. The testbed is used to validate and test new experimental procedures before they are implemented on Mars, but it is also used to analyze analog samples which assists in the interpretation of results from the surface. Samples are heated using the same experimental protocol as on Mars to allow for direct comparison with Martian sampling conditions. Here we report preliminary results from select samples that were loaded into the SAM TB, including meteorites, an organically rich iron oxide, and a synthetic analog to the Martian Cumberland sample drilled by the rover at Yellowknife Bay. Each of these samples have been analyzed under SAM-like conditions using breadboard and lab instrument systems. By comparing the data from the lab systems and SAM TB, further insight on results from Mars can be gained. References: [1] Mahaffy, P. R., et al. (2013), Science, 341(6143), 263-266, doi:10.1126/science.1237966.
James Webb Space Telescope optical simulation testbed III: first experimental results with linear-control alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egron, Sylvain; Lajoie, Charles-Philippe; Leboulleux, Lucie; N'Diaye, Mamadou; Pueyo, Laurent; Choquet, Élodie; Perrin, Marshall D.; Ygouf, Marie; Michau, Vincent; Bonnefois, Aurélie; Fusco, Thierry; Escolle, Clément; Ferrari, Marc; Hugot, Emmanuel; Soummer, Rémi

2016-07-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Simulation Testbed (JOST) is a tabletop experiment designed to study wavefront sensing and control for a segmented space telescope, including both commissioning and maintenance activities. JOST is complementary to existing testbeds for JWST (e.g. the Ball Aerospace Testbed Telescope TBT) given its compact scale and flexibility, ease of use, and colocation at the JWST Science and Operations Center. The design of JOST reproduces the physics of JWST's three-mirror anastigmat (TMA) using three custom aspheric lenses. It provides similar quality image as JWST (80% Strehl ratio) over a field equivalent to a NIRCam module, but at 633 nm. An Iris AO segmented mirror stands for the segmented primary mirror of JWST. Actuators allow us to control (1) the 18 segments of the segmented mirror in piston, tip, tilt and (2) the second lens, which stands for the secondary mirror, in tip, tilt and x, y, z positions. We present the full linear control alignment infrastructure developed for JOST, with an emphasis on multi-field wavefront sensing and control. Our implementation of the Wavefront Sensing (WFS) algorithms using phase diversity is experimentally tested. The wavefront control (WFC) algorithms, which rely on a linear model for optical aberrations induced by small misalignments of the three lenses, are tested and validated on simulations.
Flexible and evolutionary optical access networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsueh, Yu-Li

Passive optical networks (PONs) are promising solutions that will open the first-mile bottleneck. Current PONs employ time division multiplexing (TDM) to share bandwidth among users, leading to low cost but limited capacity. In the future, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies will be deployed to achieve high performance. This dissertation describes several advanced technologies to enhance PON systems. A spectral shaping line coding scheme is developed to allow a simple and cost-effective overlay of high data-rate services in existing PONs, leaving field-deployed fibers and existing services untouched. Spectral shapes of coded signals can be manipulated to adapt to different systems. For a specific tolerable interference level, the optimal line code can be found which maximizes the data throughput. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate and compare several optimized line codes. A novel PON employing dynamic wavelength allocation to provide bandwidth sharing across multiple physical PONs is designed and experimentally demonstrated. Tunable lasers, arrayed waveguide gratings, and coarse/fine filtering combine to create a flexible optical access solution. The network's excellent scalability can bridge the gap between conventional TDM PONs and WDM PONs. Scheduling algorithms with quality of service support are also investigated. Simulation results show that the proposed architecture exhibits significant performance gain over conventional PON systems. Streaming video transmission is demonstrated on the prototype experimental testbed. The powerful architecture is a promising candidate for next-generation optical access networks. A new CDR circuit for receiving the bursty traffic in PONs is designed and analyzed. It detects data transition edges upon arrival of the data burst and quickly selects the best clock phase by a control logic circuit. Then, an analog delay-locked loop (DLL) keeps track of data transitions and removes phase errors throughout the burst. The combination of the fast phase detection mechanism and a feedback loop based on DLL allows both fast response and manageable jitter performance in the burst-mode application. A new efficient numerical algorithm is developed to analyze holey optical fibers. The algorithm has been verified against experimental data, and is exploited to design holey optical fibers optimized for the discrete Raman amplification.
Description of real-time Ada software implementation of a power system monitor for the Space Station Freedom PMAD DC testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludwig, Kimberly; Mackin, Michael; Wright, Theodore

1991-01-01

The authors describe the Ada language software developed to perform the electrical power system monitoring functions for the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC testbed. The results of the effort to implement this monitor are presented. The PMAD DC testbed is a reduced-scale prototype of the electric power system to be used in Space Station Freedom. The power is controlled by smart switches known as power control components (or switchgear). The power control components are currently coordinated by five Compaq 386/20e computers connected through an 802.4 local area network. The power system monitor algorithm comprises several functions, including periodic data acquisition, data smoothing, system performance analysis, and status reporting. Data are collected from the switchgear sensors every 100 ms, then passed through a 2-Hz digital filter. System performance analysis includes power interruption and overcurrent detection. The system monitor required a hardware timer interrupt to activate the data acquisition function. The execution time of the code was optimized by using an assembly language routine. The routine allows direct vectoring of the processor to Ada language procedures that perform periodic control activities.
Soldier-worn augmented reality system for tactical icon visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, David; Menozzi, Alberico; Clipp, Brian; Russler, Patrick; Cook, James; Karl, Robert; Wenger, Eric; Church, William; Mauger, Jennifer; Volpe, Chris; Argenta, Chris; Wille, Mark; Snarski, Stephen; Sherrill, Todd; Lupo, Jasper; Hobson, Ross; Frahm, Jan-Michael; Heinly, Jared

2012-06-01

This paper describes the development and demonstration of a soldier-worn augmented reality system testbed that provides intuitive 'heads-up' visualization of tactically-relevant geo-registered icons. Our system combines a robust soldier pose estimation capability with a helmet mounted see-through display to accurately overlay geo-registered iconography (i.e., navigation waypoints, blue forces, aircraft) on the soldier's view of reality. Applied Research Associates (ARA), in partnership with BAE Systems and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), has developed this testbed system in Phase 2 of the DARPA ULTRA-Vis (Urban Leader Tactical, Response, Awareness, and Visualization) program. The ULTRA-Vis testbed system functions in unprepared outdoor environments and is robust to numerous magnetic disturbances. We achieve accurate and robust pose estimation through fusion of inertial, magnetic, GPS, and computer vision data acquired from helmet kit sensors. Icons are rendered on a high-brightness, 40°×30° field of view see-through display. The system incorporates an information management engine to convert CoT (Cursor-on-Target) external data feeds into mil-standard icons for visualization. The user interface provides intuitive information display to support soldier navigation and situational awareness of mission-critical tactical information.
Power system monitoring and source control of the Space Station Freedom DC power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimnach, Greg L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

1992-01-01

Unlike a terrestrial electric utility which can purchase power from a neighboring utility, the Space Station Freedom (SSF) has strictly limited energy resources; as a result, source control, system monitoring, system protection, and load management are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the SSF Electric Power System (EPS). These functions are being evaluated in the DC Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Testbed which NASA LeRC has developed at the Power System Facility (PSF) located in Cleveland, Ohio. The testbed is an ideal platform to develop, integrate, and verify power system monitoring and control algorithms. State Estimation (SE) is a monitoring tool used extensively in terrestrial electric utilities to ensure safe power system operation. It uses redundant system information to calculate the actual state of the EPS, to isolate faulty sensors, to determine source operating points, to verify faults detected by subsidiary controllers, and to identify high impedance faults. Source control and monitoring safeguard the power generation and storage subsystems and ensure that the power system operates within safe limits while satisfying user demands with minimal interruptions. System monitoring functions, in coordination with hardware implemented schemes, provide for a complete fault protection system. The objective of this paper is to overview the development and integration of the state estimator and the source control algorithms.
Power system monitoring and source control of the Space Station Freedom dc-power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimnach, Greg L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

1992-01-01

Unlike a terrestrial electric utility which can purchase power from a neighboring utility, the Space Station Freedom (SSF) has strictly limited energy resources; as a result, source control, system monitoring, system protection, and load management are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the SSF Electric Power System (EPS). These functions are being evaluated in the dc Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Testbed which NASA LeRC has developed at the Power System Facility (PSF) located in Cleveland, Ohio. The testbed is an ideal platform to develop, integrate, and verify power system monitoring and control algorithms. State Estimation (SE) is a monitoring tool used extensively in terrestrial electric utilities to ensure safe power system operation. It uses redundant system information to calculate the actual state of the EPS, to isolate faulty sensors, to determine source operating points, to verify faults detected by subsidiary controllers, and to identify high impedance faults. Source control and monitoring safeguard the power generation and storage subsystems and ensure that the power system operates within safe limits while satisfying user demands with minimal interruptions. System monitoring functions, in coordination with hardware implemented schemes, provide for a complete fault protection system. The objective of this paper is to overview the development and integration of the state estimator and the source control algorithms.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Technology Status and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Perter R.; Ahmed, A.; Gappinger, R. O.; Ksendzov, A.; Lay, O. P.; Martin, S. R.; Peters, R. D.; Scharf, D. P.; Wallace, J. K.; Ware, B.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on the technology status and plans for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer is shown. The topics include: 1) The Navigator Program; 2) TPF-I Project Overview; 3) Project Organization; 4) Technology Plan for TPF-I; 5) TPF-I Testbeds; 6) Nulling Error Budget; 7) Nulling Testbeds; 8) Nulling Requirements; 9) Achromatic Nulling Testbed; 10) Single Mode Spatial Filter Technology; 11) Adaptive Nuller Testbed; 12) TPF-I: Planet Detection Testbed (PDT); 13) Planet Detection Testbed Phase Modulation Experiment; and 14) Formation Control Testbed.
Dynamic Modeling, Controls, and Testing for Electrified Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Joseph; Stalcup, Erik

2017-01-01

Electrified aircraft have the potential to provide significant benefits for efficiency and emissions reductions. To assess these potential benefits, modeling tools are needed to provide rapid evaluation of diverse concepts and to ensure safe operability and peak performance over the mission. The modeling challenge for these vehicles is the ability to show significant benefits over the current highly refined aircraft systems. The STARC-ABL (single-aisle turbo-electric aircraft with an aft boundary layer propulsor) is a new test proposal that builds upon previous N3-X team hybrid designs. This presentation describes the STARC-ABL concept, the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) which will allow testing of the STARC-ABL powertrain, and the related modeling and simulation efforts to date. Modeling and simulation includes a turbofan simulation, Numeric Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS), which has been integrated with NEAT; and a power systems and control model for predicting testbed performance and evaluating control schemes. Model predictions provide good comparisons with testbed data for an NPSS-integrated test of the single-string configuration of NEAT.
STRS Radio Service Software for NASA's SCaN Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortensen, Dale J.; Bishop, Daniel Wayne; Chelmins, David T.

2012-01-01

NASAs Space Communication and Navigation(SCaN) Testbed was launched to the International Space Station in 2012. The objective is to promote new software defined radio technologies and associated software application reuse, enabled by this first flight of NASAs Space Telecommunications Radio System(STRS) architecture standard. Pre-launch testing with the testbeds software defined radios was performed as part of system integration. Radio services for the JPL SDR were developed during system integration to allow the waveform application to operate properly in the space environment, especially considering thermal effects. These services include receiver gain control, frequency offset, IQ modulator balance, and transmit level control. Development, integration, and environmental testing of the radio services will be described. The added software allows the waveform application to operate properly in the space environment, and can be reused by future experimenters testing different waveform applications. Integrating such services with the platform provided STRS operating environment will attract more users, and these services are candidates for interface standardization via STRS.
STRS Radio Service Software for NASA's SCaN Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortensen, Dale J.; Bishop, Daniel Wayne; Chelmins, David T.

2013-01-01

NASA's Space Communication and Navigation(SCaN) Testbed was launched to the International Space Station in 2012. The objective is to promote new software defined radio technologies and associated software application reuse, enabled by this first flight of NASA's Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) architecture standard. Pre-launch testing with the testbed's software defined radios was performed as part of system integration. Radio services for the JPL SDR were developed during system integration to allow the waveform application to operate properly in the space environment, especially considering thermal effects. These services include receiver gain control, frequency offset, IQ modulator balance, and transmit level control. Development, integration, and environmental testing of the radio services will be described. The added software allows the waveform application to operate properly in the space environment, and can be reused by future experimenters testing different waveform applications. Integrating such services with the platform provided STRS operating environment will attract more users, and these services are candidates for interface standardization via STRS.
An interactive physics-based unmanned ground vehicle simulator leveraging open source gaming technology: progress in the development and application of the virtual autonomous navigation environment (VANE) desktop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohde, Mitchell M.; Crawford, Justin; Toschlog, Matthew; Iagnemma, Karl D.; Kewlani, Guarav; Cummins, Christopher L.; Jones, Randolph A.; Horner, David A.

2009-05-01

It is widely recognized that simulation is pivotal to vehicle development, whether manned or unmanned. There are few dedicated choices, however, for those wishing to perform realistic, end-to-end simulations of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). The Virtual Autonomous Navigation Environment (VANE), under development by US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), provides such capabilities but utilizes a High Performance Computing (HPC) Computational Testbed (CTB) and is not intended for on-line, real-time performance. A product of the VANE HPC research is a real-time desktop simulation application under development by the authors that provides a portal into the HPC environment as well as interaction with wider-scope semi-automated force simulations (e.g. OneSAF). This VANE desktop application, dubbed the Autonomous Navigation Virtual Environment Laboratory (ANVEL), enables analysis and testing of autonomous vehicle dynamics and terrain/obstacle interaction in real-time with the capability to interact within the HPC constructive geo-environmental CTB for high fidelity sensor evaluations. ANVEL leverages rigorous physics-based vehicle and vehicle-terrain interaction models in conjunction with high-quality, multimedia visualization techniques to form an intuitive, accurate engineering tool. The system provides an adaptable and customizable simulation platform that allows developers a controlled, repeatable testbed for advanced simulations. ANVEL leverages several key technologies not common to traditional engineering simulators, including techniques from the commercial video-game industry. These enable ANVEL to run on inexpensive commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. In this paper, the authors describe key aspects of ANVEL and its development, as well as several initial applications of the system.
Monitoring of shallow landslides by distributed optical fibers: insights from a physical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luca, Schenato; Matteo, Camporese; Luca, Palmieri; Alessandro, Pasuto; Salandin, Paolo

2017-04-01

Shallow landslides represent an extreme risk for individuals and structures due to their fast propagation and the very short time between appearance of warning signs and collapse. A lot of attention has been paid in the last decades to the analysis of activation mechanisms and to the implementation of appropriate early warning systems. Intense rainfall, stream erosion, flash floods, etc, are only few of the possible triggering factors that have been identified. All those factors may induce an increase in the forces acting and/or in the pore water pressure that eventually trigger the collapse. Due to the decrease of the shear resistance of soils, significant stresses develop at the sliding surface, determining local anomalous strain even before the collapse. This highlights the importance of monitoring the early appearance of hazardous strain fields. In light of the intrinsic lack of control and reproducibility in real cases, strain sensors have been applied in small-scale physical models and testbeds. Nonetheless, it has been observed that a reliable correlation between the landslide evolution and the strain field can be determined only by using minimally invasive sensors, while comprehensive information can be achieved at the cost of very fine spatial sampling, which represents the primary issue with small-to-medium scale physical models. It is evident how the two requirements, i.e., minimal invasiveness and high spatial resolution, are a limiting factor for standard sensor technology. In this regard, strain is one of the first variable addressed by optical fiber sensors, yet only recently for geotechnical applications and in very few case for landslide monitoring. In particular, the technology of distributed fiber optic sensors, with centimeter scale resolution, has the potential to address the aforementioned needs of small scale physical testing. In this work, for the first time, the strain field at the failure surface of a shallow landslide, reproduced in an artificial experimental hillslope, has been monitored by a distributed optical fiber sensing system based on optical fiber domain reflectometry with centimeter spatial resolution. The optical sensing system has been integrated with hydrological sensors for pore water pressure and moisture content, to the aim of supporting the data analysis. From the whole monitoring system a thorough knowledge of the collapsing mechanism has been achieved and it has been possible to identify precursory signs of the soil collapse well before its actual occurrence. The deployment of the sensing system and analysis of the collected data are discussed, together with possible potential for field installation.
Requirements specification for nickel cadmium battery expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The requirements for performance, design, test, and qualification of a computer program identified as NICBES, Nickel Cadmium Battery Expert System, is established. The specific spacecraft power system configuration selected was the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Electrical Power System (EPS) Testbed. Power for the HST comes from a system of 13 Solar Panel Arrays (SPAs) linked to 6 Nickel Cadmium Batteries which are connected to 3 Busses. An expert system, NICBES, will be developed at Martin Marietta Aerospace to recognize a testbed anomaly, identify the malfunctioning component and recommend a course of action. Besides fault diagnosis, NICBES will be able to evaluate battery status, give advice on battery status and provide decision support for the operator. These requirements are detailed.
Design of Bi-Directional Hydrofoils for Tidal Current Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedyalkov, Ivaylo; Wosnik, Martin

2015-11-01

Tidal Current Turbines operate in flows which reverse direction. Bi-directional hydrofoils have rotational symmetry and allow such turbines to operate without the need for pitch or yaw control, decreasing the initial and maintenance costs. A numerical test-bed was developed to automate the simulations of hydrofoils in OpenFOAM and was utilized to simulate the flow over eleven classes of hydrofoils comprising a total of 700 foil shapes at different angles of attack. For promising candidate foil shapes physical models of 75 mm chord and 150 mm span were fabricated and tested in the University of New Hampshire High-Speed Cavitation Tunnel (HiCaT). The experimental results were compared to the simulations for model validation. The numerical test-bed successfully generated simulations for a wide range of foil shapes, although, as expected, the k - ω - SST turbulence model employed here was not adequate for some of the foils and for large angles of attack at which separation occurred. An optimization algorithm is currently being coupled with the numerical test-bed and additional turbulence models will be implemented in the future.
Performance Sensitivity Studies on the PIAA Implementation of the High-Contrast Imaging Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidick, Erkin; Lou, John Z.; Shaklan, Stuart; Levine, Marie

2009-01-01

We have investigated the dependence of the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) Phase Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph system performance on the rigid-body perturbations of various optics. The structural design of the optical system as well as the parameters of various optical elements used in the analysis are drawn from those of the PIAA/HCIT system that have been and will be implemented, and the simulation takes into account the surface errors of various optics. In this paper, we report our findings when the input light is a narrowband beam.
Basic Requirements for Systems Software Research and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuszmaul, Chris; Nitzberg, Bill

1996-01-01

Our success over the past ten years evaluating and developing advanced computing technologies has been due to a simple research and development (R/D) model. Our model has three phases: (a) evaluating the state-of-the-art, (b) identifying problems and creating innovations, and (c) developing solutions, improving the state- of-the-art. This cycle has four basic requirements: a large production testbed with real users, a diverse collection of state-of-the-art hardware, facilities for evalua- tion of emerging technologies and development of innovations, and control over system management on these testbeds. Future research will be irrelevant and future products will not work if any of these requirements is eliminated. In order to retain our effectiveness, the numerical aerospace simulator (NAS) must replace out-of-date production testbeds in as timely a fashion as possible, and cannot afford to ignore innovative designs such as new distributed shared memory machines, clustered commodity-based computers, and multi-threaded architectures.
Mini-mast CSI testbed user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanner, Sharon E.; Pappa, Richard S.; Sulla, Jeffrey L.; Elliott, Kenny B.; Miserentino, Robert; Bailey, James P.; Cooper, Paul A.; Williams, Boyd L., Jr.; Bruner, Anne M.

1992-01-01

The Mini-Mast testbed is a 20 m generic truss highly representative of future deployable trusses for space applications. It is fully instrumented for system identification and active vibrations control experiments and is used as a ground testbed at NASA-Langley. The facility has actuators and feedback sensors linked via fiber optic cables to the Advanced Real Time Simulation (ARTS) system, where user defined control laws are incorporated into generic controls software. The object of the facility is to conduct comprehensive active vibration control experiments on a dynamically realistic large space structure. A primary goal is to understand the practical effects of simplifying theoretical assumptions. This User's Guide describes the hardware and its primary components, the dynamic characteristics of the test article, the control law implementation process, and the necessary safeguards employed to protect the test article. Suggestions for a strawman controls experiment are also included.
NASA Electric Aircraft Test Bed (NEAT) Development Plan - Design, Fabrication, Installation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Rodger W.

2016-01-01

As large airline companies compete to reduce emissions, fuel, noise, and maintenance costs, it is expected that more of their aircraft systems will shift from using turbofan propulsion, pneumatic bleed power, and hydraulic actuation, to instead using electrical motor propulsion, generator power, and electrical actuation. This requires new flight-weight and flight-efficient powertrain components, fault tolerant power management, and electromagnetic interference mitigation technologies. Moreover, initial studies indicate some combination of ambient and cryogenic thermal management and relatively high bus voltages when compared to state of practice will be required to achieve a net system benefit. Developing all these powertrain technologies within a realistic aircraft architectural geometry and under realistic operational conditions requires a unique electric aircraft testbed. This report will summarize existing testbed capabilities located in the U.S. and details the development of a unique complementary testbed that industry and government can utilize to further mature electric aircraft technologies.
Genetic Algorithm Phase Retrieval for the Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Jaime; Rakoczy, John; Steincamp, James

2003-01-01

Phase retrieval requires calculation of the real-valued phase of the pupil fimction from the image intensity distribution and characteristics of an optical system. Genetic 'algorithms were used to solve two one-dimensional phase retrieval problem. A GA successfully estimated the coefficients of a polynomial expansion of the phase when the number of coefficients was correctly specified. A GA also successfully estimated the multiple p h e s of a segmented optical system analogous to the seven-mirror Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment (SIBOA) testbed located at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center. The SIBOA testbed was developed to investigate phase retrieval techniques. Tiphilt and piston motions of the mirrors accomplish phase corrections. A constant phase over each mirror can be achieved by an independent tip/tilt correction: the phase Conection term can then be factored out of the Discrete Fourier Tranform (DFT), greatly reducing computations.
Wavefront tilt feedforward for the formation interferometer testbad (FIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shields, J. F.; Liewer, K.; Wehmeier, U.

2002-01-01

Separated spacecraft interferometry is a candidate architecture for several future NASA missions. The Formation Interferometer Testbed (FIT) is a ground based testbed dedicated to the validation of this key technology for a formation of two spacecraft. In separated spacecraft interferometry, the residual relative motion of the component spacecraft must be compensated for by articulation of the optical components. In this paper, the design of the FIT interferometer pointing control system is described. This control system is composed of a metrology pointing loop that maintains an optical link between the two spacecraft and two stellar pointing loops for stabilizing the stellar wavefront at both the right and left apertures of the instrument. A novel feedforward algorithm is used to decouple the metrology loop from the left side stellar loop. Experimental results from the testbed are presented that verify this approach and that fully demonstrate the performance of the algorithm.
Mitigation of High Altitude and Low Earth Orbit Radiation Effects on Microelectronics via Shielding or Error Detection and Correction Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, Kajal (Technical Monitor); Kirby, Kelvin

2004-01-01

The NASA Cooperative Agreement NAG4-210 was granted under the FY2000 Faculty Awards for Research (FAR) Program. The project was proposed to examine the effects of charged particles and neutrons on selected random access memory (RAM) technologies. The concept of the project was to add to the current knowledge of Single Event Effects (SEE) concerning RAM and explore the impact of selected forms of radiation on Error Detection and Correction Systems. The project was established as an extension of a previous FAR awarded to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), under the direction of Dr. Richard Wilkins as principal investigator. The NASA sponsored Center for Applied Radiation Research (CARR) at PVAMU developed an electronic test-bed to explore and quantify SEE on RAM from charged particles and neutrons. The test-bed was developed using 486DX microprocessor technology (PC-104) and a custom test board to mount RAM integrated circuits or other electronic devices. The test-bed had two configurations - a bench test version for laboratory experiments and a 400 Hz powered rack version for flight experiments. The objectives of this project were to: 1) Upgrade the Electronic Test-bed (ETB) to a Pentium configuration; 2) Accommodate more than only 8 Mbytes of RAM; 3) Explore Error Detection and Correction Systems for radiation effects; 4) Test modern RAM technologies in radiation environments.
Benefits of 20 kHz PMAD in a nuclear space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sundberg, Gale R.

1987-01-01

Compared to existing systems, high frequency ac power provides higher efficiency, lower cost, and improved safety benefits. The 20 kHz power system has exceptional flexibility, is inherently user friendly, and is compatible with all types of energy sources; photovoltaic, solar dynamic, rotating machines and nuclear. A 25 kW, 20 kHz ac power distribution system testbed was recently (1986) developed. The testbed possesses maximum flexibility, versatility, and transparency to user technology while maintaining high efficiency, low mass, and reduced volume. Several aspects of the 20 kHz power management and distribution (PMAD) system that have particular benefits for a nuclear power Space Station are discussed.
Implementation strategies for load center automation on the space station module/power management and distribution testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Karen

1990-01-01

The Space Station Module/Power Management and Distribution (SSM/PMAD) testbed was developed to study the tertiary power management on modules in large spacecraft. The main goal was to study automation techniques, not necessarily develop flight ready systems. Because of the confidence gained in many of automation strategies investigated, it is appropriate to study, in more detail, implementation strategies in order to find better trade-offs for nearer to flight ready systems. These trade-offs particularly concern the weight, volume, power consumption, and performance of the automation system. These systems, in their present implementation are described.
Description of a MIL-STD-1553B Data Bus Ada Driver for the LeRC EPS Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackin, Michael A.

1995-01-01

This document describes the software designed to provide communication between control computers in the NASA Lewis Research Center Electrical Power System Testbed using MIL-STD-1553B. The software drivers are coded in the Ada programming language and were developed on a MSDOS-based computer workstation. The Electrical Power System (EPS) Testbed is a reduced-scale prototype space station electrical power system. The power system manages and distributes electrical power from the sources (batteries or photovoltaic arrays) to the end-user loads. The electrical system primary operates at 120 volts DC, and the secondary system operates at 28 volts DC. The devices which direct the flow of electrical power are controlled by a network of six control computers. Data and control messages are passed between the computers using the MIL-STD-1553B network. One of the computers, the Power Management Controller (PMC), controls the primary power distribution and another, the Load Management Controller (LMC), controls the secondary power distribution. Each of these computers communicates with two other computers which act as subsidiary controllers. These subsidiary controllers are, in turn, connected to the devices which directly control the flow of electrical power.
Remote sensing information sciences research group: Browse in the EOS era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, John E.; Star, Jeffrey L.

1989-01-01

The problem of science data browse was examined. Given the tremendous data volumes that are planned for future space missions, particularly the Earth Observing System in the late 1990's, the need for access to large spatial databases must be understood. Work was continued to refine the concept of data browse. Further, software was developed to provide a testbed of the concepts, both to locate possibly interesting data, as well as view a small portion of the data. Build II was placed on a minicomputer and a PC in the laboratory, and provided accounts for use in the testbed. Consideration of the testbed software as an element of in-house data management plans was begun.
Evolution of a Simulation Testbed into an Operational Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Kapil; Bilimoria, Karl D.; Sridhar, Banavar; Sterenchuk, Mike; Niznik, Tim; O'Neill, Tom; Clymer, Alexis; Gutierrez Nolasco, Sebastian; Edholm, Kaj; Shih, Fu-Tai

2017-01-01

This paper describes the evolution over a 20-year period of the Future ATM (Air Traffic Management) Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) from a National Airspace System (NAS) based simulation testbed into an operational tool. FACET was developed as a testbed for assessing futuristic ATM concepts, e.g., automated conflict detection and resolution. NAS Constraint Evaluation and Notification Tool (NASCENT) is an application, within FACET, for alerting airspace users of inefficiencies in flight operations and advising time- and fuel-saving reroutes.It is currently in use at American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, TX. The concepts assessed,research conducted, and the operational capability developed, along with the NASA support and achievements are presented in this paper.

Research on an autonomous vision-guided helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amidi, Omead; Mesaki, Yuji; Kanade, Takeo

1994-01-01

Integration of computer vision with on-board sensors to autonomously fly helicopters was researched. The key components developed were custom designed vision processing hardware and an indoor testbed. The custom designed hardware provided flexible integration of on-board sensors with real-time image processing resulting in a significant improvement in vision-based state estimation. The indoor testbed provided convenient calibrated experimentation in constructing real autonomous systems.
Evaluating Aerosol Process Modules within the Framework of the Aerosol Modeling Testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fast, J. D.; Velu, V.; Gustafson, W. I.; Chapman, E.; Easter, R. C.; Shrivastava, M.; Singh, B.

2012-12-01

Factors that influence predictions of aerosol direct and indirect forcing, such as aerosol mass, composition, size distribution, hygroscopicity, and optical properties, still contain large uncertainties in both regional and global models. New aerosol treatments are usually implemented into a 3-D atmospheric model and evaluated using a limited number of measurements from a specific case study. Under this modeling paradigm, the performance and computational efficiency of several treatments for a specific aerosol process cannot be adequately quantified because many other processes among various modeling studies (e.g. grid configuration, meteorology, emission rates) are different as well. The scientific community needs to know the advantages and disadvantages of specific aerosol treatments when the meteorology, chemistry, and other aerosol processes are identical in order to reduce the uncertainties associated with aerosols predictions. To address these issues, an Aerosol Modeling Testbed (AMT) has been developed that systematically and objectively evaluates new aerosol treatments for use in regional and global models. The AMT consists of the modular Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, a series testbed cases for which extensive in situ and remote sensing measurements of meteorological, trace gas, and aerosol properties are available, and a suite of tools to evaluate the performance of meteorological, chemical, aerosol process modules. WRF contains various parameterizations of meteorological, chemical, and aerosol processes and includes interactive aerosol-cloud-radiation treatments similar to those employed by climate models. In addition, the physics suite from the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) have also been ported to WRF so that they can be tested at various spatial scales and compared directly with field campaign data and other parameterizations commonly used by the mesoscale modeling community. Data from several campaigns, including the 2006 MILAGRO, 2008 ISDAC, 2008 VOCALS, 2010 CARES, and 2010 CalNex campaigns, have been incorporated into the AMT as testbed cases. Data from operational networks (e.g. air quality, meteorology, satellite) are also included in the testbed cases to supplement the field campaign data. The CARES and CalNex testbed cases are used to demonstrate how the AMT can be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of simple and complex representations of aerosol processes in relation to computational cost. Anticipated enhancements to the AMT and how this type of testbed can be used by the scientific community to foster collaborations and coordinate aerosol modeling research will also be discussed.
77 FR 18793 - Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

.... 120322212-2212-01] Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program AGENCY: National Telecommunications... Innovation Test-Bed pilot program to assess whether devices employing Dynamic Spectrum Access techniques can... Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed (Test-Bed) pilot program to examine the feasibility of increased...
A Robot Hand Testbed Designed for Enhancing Embodiment and Functional Neurorehabilitation of Body Schema in Subjects with Upper Limb Impairment or Loss

PubMed Central

Hellman, Randall B.; Chang, Eric; Tanner, Justin; Helms Tillery, Stephen I.; Santos, Veronica J.

2015-01-01

Many upper limb amputees experience an incessant, post-amputation “phantom limb pain” and report that their missing limbs feel paralyzed in an uncomfortable posture. One hypothesis is that efferent commands no longer generate expected afferent signals, such as proprioceptive feedback from changes in limb configuration, and that the mismatch of motor commands and visual feedback is interpreted as pain. Non-invasive therapeutic techniques for treating phantom limb pain, such as mirror visual feedback (MVF), rely on visualizations of postural changes. Advances in neural interfaces for artificial sensory feedback now make it possible to combine MVF with a high-tech “rubber hand” illusion, in which subjects develop a sense of embodiment with a fake hand when subjected to congruent visual and somatosensory feedback. We discuss clinical benefits that could arise from the confluence of known concepts such as MVF and the rubber hand illusion, and new technologies such as neural interfaces for sensory feedback and highly sensorized robot hand testbeds, such as the “BairClaw” presented here. Our multi-articulating, anthropomorphic robot testbed can be used to study proprioceptive and tactile sensory stimuli during physical finger–object interactions. Conceived for artificial grasp, manipulation, and haptic exploration, the BairClaw could also be used for future studies on the neurorehabilitation of somatosensory disorders due to upper limb impairment or loss. A remote actuation system enables the modular control of tendon-driven hands. The artificial proprioception system enables direct measurement of joint angles and tendon tensions while temperature, vibration, and skin deformation are provided by a multimodal tactile sensor. The provision of multimodal sensory feedback that is spatiotemporally consistent with commanded actions could lead to benefits such as reduced phantom limb pain, and increased prosthesis use due to improved functionality and reduced cognitive burden. PMID:25745391
A robot hand testbed designed for enhancing embodiment and functional neurorehabilitation of body schema in subjects with upper limb impairment or loss.

PubMed

Hellman, Randall B; Chang, Eric; Tanner, Justin; Helms Tillery, Stephen I; Santos, Veronica J

2015-01-01

Many upper limb amputees experience an incessant, post-amputation "phantom limb pain" and report that their missing limbs feel paralyzed in an uncomfortable posture. One hypothesis is that efferent commands no longer generate expected afferent signals, such as proprioceptive feedback from changes in limb configuration, and that the mismatch of motor commands and visual feedback is interpreted as pain. Non-invasive therapeutic techniques for treating phantom limb pain, such as mirror visual feedback (MVF), rely on visualizations of postural changes. Advances in neural interfaces for artificial sensory feedback now make it possible to combine MVF with a high-tech "rubber hand" illusion, in which subjects develop a sense of embodiment with a fake hand when subjected to congruent visual and somatosensory feedback. We discuss clinical benefits that could arise from the confluence of known concepts such as MVF and the rubber hand illusion, and new technologies such as neural interfaces for sensory feedback and highly sensorized robot hand testbeds, such as the "BairClaw" presented here. Our multi-articulating, anthropomorphic robot testbed can be used to study proprioceptive and tactile sensory stimuli during physical finger-object interactions. Conceived for artificial grasp, manipulation, and haptic exploration, the BairClaw could also be used for future studies on the neurorehabilitation of somatosensory disorders due to upper limb impairment or loss. A remote actuation system enables the modular control of tendon-driven hands. The artificial proprioception system enables direct measurement of joint angles and tendon tensions while temperature, vibration, and skin deformation are provided by a multimodal tactile sensor. The provision of multimodal sensory feedback that is spatiotemporally consistent with commanded actions could lead to benefits such as reduced phantom limb pain, and increased prosthesis use due to improved functionality and reduced cognitive burden.
High Efficiency Traveling-Wave Tube Power Amplifier for Ka-Band Software Defined Radio on International Space Station-A Platform for Communications Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Force, Dale A.; Kacpura, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

The design, fabrication and RF performance of the output traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) for a space based Ka-band software defined radio (SDR) is presented. The TWTA, the SDR and the supporting avionics are integrated to forms a testbed, which is currently located on an exterior truss of the International Space Station (ISS). The SDR in the testbed communicates at Ka-band frequencies through a high-gain antenna directed to NASA s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which communicates to the ground station located at White Sands Complex. The application of the testbed is for demonstrating new waveforms and software designed to enhance data delivery from scientific spacecraft and, the waveforms and software can be upgraded and reconfigured from the ground. The construction and the salient features of the Ka-band SDR are discussed. The testbed is currently undergoing on-orbit checkout and commissioning and is expected to operate for 3 to 5 years in space.
The Mini-Mast CSI testbed: Lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanner, Sharon E.; Belvin, W. Keith; Horta, Lucas G.; Pappa, R. S.

1993-01-01

The Mini-Mast testbed was one of the first large scale Controls-Structure-Interaction (CSI) systems used to evaluate state-of-the-art methodology in flexible structure control. Now that all the testing at Langley Research Center has been completed, a look back is warranted to evaluate the program. This paper describes some of the experiences and technology development studies by NASA, university, and industry investigators. Lessons learned are presented from three categories: the testbed development, control methods, and the operation of a guest investigator program. It is shown how structural safety margins provided a realistic environment to simulate on-orbit CSI research, even though they also reduced the research flexibility afforded to investigators. The limited dynamic coupling between the bending and torsion modes of the cantilevered test article resulted in highly successful SISO and MIMO controllers. However, until accurate models were obtained for the torque wheel actuators, sensors, filters, and the structure itself, most controllers were unstable. Controls research from this testbed should be applicable to cantilevered appendages of future large space structures.
Realistic Modeling of Wireless Network Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

wireless environment, namely vehicular networks. We also made a number of improvements to an emulation-based wireless testbed to improve channel model...and the two wireless devices used in the experiment (bottom). This testbed was used for point-point vehicular wireless experiments that used the...DSRC-based vehicular networks (~5.9 GHz). We were able to meet that goal, as described below. Figure 3: DSP Card 3.3 System design and
Exploring Issues of Quality of Service in a Next Generation Internet Testbed: A Case Study Using PathMaster

PubMed Central

Shifman, Mark A.; Sayward, Frederick G.; Mattie, Mark E.; Miller, Perry L.

2002-01-01

This case study describes a project that explores issues of quality of service (QoS) relevant to the next-generation Internet (NGI), using the PathMaster application in a testbed environment. PathMaster is a prototype computer system that analyzes digitized cell images from cytology specimens and compares those images against an image database, returning a ranked set of “similar” cell images from the database. To perform NGI testbed evaluations, we used a cluster of nine parallel computation workstations configured as three subclusters using Cisco routers. This architecture provides a local “simulated Internet” in which we explored the following QoS strategies: (1) first-in-first-out queuing, (2) priority queuing, (3) weighted fair queuing, (4) weighted random early detection, and (5) traffic shaping. The study describes the results of using these strategies with a distributed version of the PathMaster system in the presence of different amounts of competing network traffic and discusses certain of the issues that arise. The goal of the study is to help introduce NGI QoS issues to the Medical Informatics community and to use the PathMaster NGI testbed to illustrate concretely certain of the QoS issues that arise. PMID:12223501
High Contrast Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Contrast, Performance and Null Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Herein we report on our contrast assessment and the development, sensing and control of the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraphy (VNC) for exoplanet detection and characterization. Tbe VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled, segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be flown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center has an established effort to develop VNC technologies, and an incremental sequence of testbeds to advance this approach and its critical technologies. We discuss the development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). The VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(exp 8), 10(exp 9) and ideally 10(exp 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the laboratory results, optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.
Aviation Communications Emulation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheehe, Charles; Mulkerin, Tom

2004-01-01

Aviation related applications that rely upon datalink for information exchange are increasingly being developed and deployed. The increase in the quantity of applications and associated data communications will expose problems and issues to resolve. NASA Glenn Research Center has prepared to study the communications issues that will arise as datalink applications are employed within the National Airspace System (NAS) by developing a aviation communications emulation testbed. The Testbed is evolving and currently provides the hardware and software needed to study the communications impact of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and surveillance applications in a densely populated environment. The communications load associated with up to 160 aircraft transmitting and receiving ATC and surveillance data can be generated in real time in a sequence similar to what would occur in the NAS.
The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT): Recent Progress in the Simulation and Synthesis of WIIT Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juanola Parramon, Roser; Leisawitz, David T.; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Maher, Stephen F.; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Iacchetta, Alex; Savini, Giorgio

2016-01-01

The Wide-field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) is a double Fourier (DF) interferometer operating at optical wavelengths, and provides data that are highly representative of those from a space-based far-infrared interferometer like SPIRIT. This testbed has been used to measure both a geometrically simple test scene and an astronomically representative test scene. Here we present the simulation of recent WIIT measurements using FIInS (the Far-infrared Interferometer Instrument Simulator), the main goal of which is to simulate both the input and the output of a DFM system. FIInS has been modified to perform calculations at optical wavelengths and to include an extended field of view due to the presence of a detector array.
PubMed on Tap: discovering design principles for online information delivery to handheld computers.

PubMed

Hauser, Susan E; Demner-Fushman, Dina; Ford, Glenn; Thoma, George R

2004-01-01

Online access to biomedical information from handheld computers will be a valuable adjunct to other popular medical applications if information delivery systems are designed with handheld computers in mind. The goal of this project is to discover design principles to facilitate practitioners' access to online medical information at the point-of-care. A prototype system was developed to serve as a testbed for this research. Using the testbed, an initial evaluation has yielded several user interface design principles. Continued research is expected to discover additional user interface design principles as well as guidelines for results organization and system performance
BACT Simulation User Guide (Version 7.0)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waszak, Martin R.

1997-01-01

This report documents the structure and operation of a simulation model of the Benchmark Active Control Technology (BACT) Wind-Tunnel Model. The BACT system was designed, built, and tested at NASA Langley Research Center as part of the Benchmark Models Program and was developed to perform wind-tunnel experiments to obtain benchmark quality data to validate computational fluid dynamics and computational aeroelasticity codes, to verify the accuracy of current aeroservoelasticity design and analysis tools, and to provide an active controls testbed for evaluating new and innovative control algorithms for flutter suppression and gust load alleviation. The BACT system has been especially valuable as a control system testbed.
The telerobot workstation testbed for the shuttle aft flight deck: A project plan for integrating human factors into system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauerwein, Timothy

1989-01-01

The human factors design process in developing a shuttle orbiter aft flight deck workstation testbed is described. In developing an operator workstation to control various laboratory telerobots, strong elements of human factors engineering and ergonomics are integrated into the design process. The integration of human factors is performed by incorporating user feedback at key stages in the project life-cycle. An operator centered design approach helps insure the system users are working with the system designer in the design and operation of the system. The design methodology is presented along with the results of the design and the solutions regarding human factors design principles.
The MIST /MIUS Integration and Subsystems Test/ laboratory - A testbed for the MIUS /Modular Integrated Utility System/ program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckham, W. S., Jr.; Keune, F. A.

1974-01-01

The MIUS (Modular Integrated Utility System) concept is to be an energy-conserving, economically feasible, integrated community utility system to provide five necessary services: electricity generation, space heating and air conditioning, solid waste processing, liquid waste processing, and residential water purification. The MIST (MIUS Integration and Subsystem Test) integrated system testbed constructed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston includes subsystems for power generation, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), wastewater management, solid waste management, and control and monitoring. The key design issues under study include thermal integration and distribution techniques, thermal storage, integration of subsystems controls and displays, incinerator performance, effluent characteristics, and odor control.
Space station automation of common module power management and distribution, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashworth, B.; Riedesel, J.; Myers, C.; Jakstas, L.; Smith, D.

1990-01-01

The new Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution System (SSM/PMAD) testbed automation system is described. The subjects discussed include testbed 120 volt dc star bus configuration and operation, SSM/PMAD automation system architecture, fault recovery and management expert system (FRAMES) rules english representation, the SSM/PMAD user interface, and the SSM/PMAD future direction. Several appendices are presented and include the following: SSM/PMAD interface user manual version 1.0, SSM/PMAD lowest level processor (LLP) reference, SSM/PMAD technical reference version 1.0, SSM/PMAD LLP visual control logic representation's (VCLR's), SSM/PMAD LLP/FRAMES interface control document (ICD) , and SSM/PMAD LLP switchgear interface controller (SIC) ICD.
Analysis of Technology for Solid State Coherent Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin

1997-01-01

Over the past few years, considerable advances have been made in the areas of the diode-pumped, eye-safe, solid state lasers, wide bandwidth, semiconductor detectors operating in the near-infrared region. These advances have created new possibilities for the development of low-cost, reliable, and compact coherent lidar systems for measurements of atmospheric winds and aerosol backscattering from a space-based platform. The work performed by the UAH personnel concentrated on design and analyses of solid state pulsed coherent lidar systems capable of measuring atmospheric winds from space, and design and perform laboratory experiments and measurements in support of solid state laser radar remote sensing systems which are to be designed, deployed, and used by NASA to measure atmospheric processes and constituents. A lidar testbed system was designed and analyzed by considering the major space operational and environmental requirements, and its associated physical constraints. The lidar optical system includes a wedge scanner and the compact telescope designed by the UAH personnel. The other major optical components included in the design and analyses were: polarizing beam splitter, routing mirrors, wave plates, signal beam derotator, and lag angle compensator. The testbed lidar optical train was designed and analyzed, and different design options for mounting and packaging the lidar subsystems and components and support structure were investigated. All the optical components are to be mounted in a stress-free and stable manner to allow easy integration and alignment, and long term stability. This lidar system is also intended to be used for evaluating the performance of various lidar subsystems and components that are to be integrated into a flight unit and for demonstrating the integrity of the signal processing algorithms by performing actual atmospheric measurements from a ground station.
A knowledge-based approach to identification and adaptation in dynamical systems control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, B. J.; Wong, C. M.

1988-01-01

Artificial intelligence techniques are applied to the problems of model form and parameter identification of large-scale dynamic systems. The object-oriented knowledge representation is discussed in the context of causal modeling and qualitative reasoning. Structured sets of rules are used for implementing qualitative component simulations, for catching qualitative discrepancies and quantitative bound violations, and for making reconfiguration and control decisions that affect the physical system. These decisions are executed by backward-chaining through a knowledge base of control action tasks. This approach was implemented for two examples: a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and a two-phase thermal testbed. Results of tests with both of these systems demonstrate that the software replicates some or most of the functionality of a human operator, thereby reducing the need for a human-in-the-loop in the lower levels of control of these complex systems.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sadi, Mohammad A. H.; Dasgupta, Dipankar; Ali, Mohammad Hassan

The important backbone of the smart grid is the cyber/information infrastructure, which is primarily used to communicate with different grid components. A smart grid is a complex cyber physical system containing a numerous and variety number of sources, devices, controllers and loads. Therefore, the smart grid is vulnerable to grid related disturbances. For such dynamic system, disturbance and intrusion detection is a paramount issue. This paper presents a Simulink and Opnet based co-simulated platform to carry out a cyber-intrusion in cyber network for modern power systems and the smart grid. The IEEE 30 bus power system model is used tomore » demonstrate the effectiveness of the simulated testbed. The experiments were performed by disturbing the circuit breakers reclosing time through a cyber-attack. Different disturbance situations in the considered test system are considered and the results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed co-simulated scheme.« less

Automated Platform Management System Scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hull, Larry G.

1990-01-01

The Platform Management System was established to coordinate the operation of platform systems and instruments. The management functions are split between ground and space components. Since platforms are to be out of contact with the ground more than the manned base, the on-board functions are required to be more autonomous than those of the manned base. Under this concept, automated replanning and rescheduling, including on-board real-time schedule maintenance and schedule repair, are required to effectively and efficiently meet Space Station Freedom mission goals. In a FY88 study, we developed several promising alternatives for automated platform planning and scheduling. We recommended both a specific alternative and a phased approach to automated platform resource scheduling. Our recommended alternative was based upon use of exactly the same scheduling engine in both ground and space components of the platform management system. Our phased approach recommendation was based upon evolutionary development of the platform. In the past year, we developed platform scheduler requirements and implemented a rapid prototype of a baseline platform scheduler. Presently we are rehosting this platform scheduler rapid prototype and integrating the scheduler prototype into two Goddard Space Flight Center testbeds, as the ground scheduler in the Scheduling Concepts, Architectures, and Networks Testbed and as the on-board scheduler in the Platform Management System Testbed. Using these testbeds, we will investigate rescheduling issues, evaluate operational performance and enhance the platform scheduler prototype to demonstrate our evolutionary approach to automated platform scheduling. The work described in this paper was performed prior to Space Station Freedom rephasing, transfer of platform responsibility to Code E, and other recently discussed changes. We neither speculate on these changes nor attempt to predict the impact of the final decisions. As a consequence some of our work and results may be outdated when this paper is published.
Control structural interaction testbed: A model for multiple flexible body verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chory, M. A.; Cohen, A. L.; Manning, R. A.; Narigon, M. L.; Spector, V. A.

1993-01-01

Conventional end-to-end ground tests for verification of control system performance become increasingly complicated with the development of large, multiple flexible body spacecraft structures. The expense of accurately reproducing the on-orbit dynamic environment and the attendant difficulties in reducing and accounting for ground test effects limits the value of these tests. TRW has developed a building block approach whereby a combination of analysis, simulation, and test has replaced end-to-end performance verification by ground test. Tests are performed at the component, subsystem, and system level on engineering testbeds. These tests are aimed at authenticating models to be used in end-to-end performance verification simulations: component and subassembly engineering tests and analyses establish models and critical parameters, unit level engineering and acceptance tests refine models, and subsystem level tests confirm the models' overall behavior. The Precision Control of Agile Spacecraft (PCAS) project has developed a control structural interaction testbed with a multibody flexible structure to investigate new methods of precision control. This testbed is a model for TRW's approach to verifying control system performance. This approach has several advantages: (1) no allocation for test measurement errors is required, increasing flight hardware design allocations; (2) the approach permits greater latitude in investigating off-nominal conditions and parametric sensitivities; and (3) the simulation approach is cost effective, because the investment is in understanding the root behavior of the flight hardware and not in the ground test equipment and environment.
CRYOTE (Cryogenic Orbital Testbed) Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gravlee, Mari; Kutter, Bernard; Wollen, Mark; Rhys, Noah; Walls, Laurie

2009-01-01

Demonstrating cryo-fluid management (CFM) technologies in space is critical for advances in long duration space missions. Current space-based cryogenic propulsion is viable for hours, not the weeks to years needed by space exploration and space science. CRYogenic Orbital TEstbed (CRYOTE) provides an affordable low-risk environment to demonstrate a broad array of critical CFM technologies that cannot be tested in Earth's gravity. These technologies include system chilldown, transfer, handling, health management, mixing, pressure control, active cooling, and long-term storage. United Launch Alliance is partnering with Innovative Engineering Solutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and others to develop CRYOTE to fly as an auxiliary payload between the primary payload and the Centaur upper stage on an Atlas V rocket. Because satellites are expensive, the space industry is largely risk averse to incorporating unproven systems or conducting experiments using flight hardware that is supporting a primary mission. To minimize launch risk, the CRYOTE system will only activate after the primary payload is separated from the rocket. Flying the testbed as an auxiliary payload utilizes Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle performance excess to cost-effectively demonstrate enhanced CFM.
Design and Development of a 200-kW Turbo-Electric Distributed Propulsion Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papathakis, Kurt V.; Kloesel, Kurt J.; Lin, Yohan; Clarke, Sean; Ediger, Jacob J.; Ginn, Starr

2016-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) (Edwards, California) is developing a Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed (HEIST) Testbed as part of the HEIST Project, to study power management and transition complexities, modular architectures, and flight control laws for turbo-electric distributed propulsion technologies using representative hardware and piloted simulations. Capabilities are being developed to assess the flight readiness of hybrid electric and distributed electric vehicle architectures. Additionally, NASA will leverage experience gained and assets developed from HEIST to assist in flight-test proposal development, flight-test vehicle design, and evaluation of hybrid electric and distributed electric concept vehicles for flight safety. The HEIST test equipment will include three trailers supporting a distributed electric propulsion wing, a battery system and turbogenerator, dynamometers, and supporting power and communication infrastructure, all connected to the AFRC Core simulation. Plans call for 18 high performance electric motors that will be powered by batteries and the turbogenerator, and commanded by a piloted simulation. Flight control algorithms will be developed on the turbo-electric distributed propulsion system.
Data-Aware Retrodiction for Asynchronous Harmonic Measurement in a Cyber-Physical Energy System

PubMed Central

Liu, Youda; Wang, Xue; Liu, Yanchi; Cui, Sujin

2016-01-01

Cyber-physical energy systems provide a networked solution for safety, reliability and efficiency problems in smart grids. On the demand side, the secure and trustworthy energy supply requires real-time supervising and online power quality assessing. Harmonics measurement is necessary in power quality evaluation. However, under the large-scale distributed metering architecture, harmonic measurement faces the out-of-sequence measurement (OOSM) problem, which is the result of latencies in sensing or the communication process and brings deviations in data fusion. This paper depicts a distributed measurement network for large-scale asynchronous harmonic analysis and exploits a nonlinear autoregressive model with exogenous inputs (NARX) network to reorder the out-of-sequence measuring data. The NARX network gets the characteristics of the electrical harmonics from practical data rather than the kinematic equations. Thus, the data-aware network approximates the behavior of the practical electrical parameter with real-time data and improves the retrodiction accuracy. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the data-aware method maintains a reasonable consumption of computing resources. Experiments on a practical testbed of a cyber-physical system are implemented, and harmonic measurement and analysis accuracy are adopted to evaluate the measuring mechanism under a distributed metering network. Results demonstrate an improvement of the harmonics analysis precision and validate the asynchronous measuring method in cyber-physical energy systems. PMID:27548171
RACORO Continental Boundary Layer Cloud Investigations: 3. Separation of Parameterization Biases in Single-Column Model CAM5 Simulations of Shallow Cumulus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Wuyin; Liu, Yangang; Vogelmann, Andrew M.; Fridlind, Ann; Endo, Satoshi; Song, Hua; Feng, Sha; Toto, Tami; Li, Zhijin; Zhang, Minghua

2015-01-01

Climatically important low-level clouds are commonly misrepresented in climate models. The FAst-physics System TEstbed and Research (FASTER) Project has constructed case studies from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility's Southern Great Plain site during the RACORO aircraft campaign to facilitate research on model representation of boundary-layer clouds. This paper focuses on using the single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (SCAM5) simulations of a multi-day continental shallow cumulus case to identify specific parameterization causes of low-cloud biases. Consistent model biases among the simulations driven by a set of alternative forcings suggest that uncertainty in the forcing plays only a relatively minor role. In-depth analysis reveals that the model's shallow cumulus convection scheme tends to significantly under-produce clouds during the times when shallow cumuli exist in the observations, while the deep convective and stratiform cloud schemes significantly over-produce low-level clouds throughout the day. The links between model biases and the underlying assumptions of the shallow cumulus scheme are further diagnosed with the aid of large-eddy simulations and aircraft measurements, and by suppressing the triggering of the deep convection scheme. It is found that the weak boundary layer turbulence simulated is directly responsible for the weak cumulus activity and the simulated boundary layer stratiform clouds. Increased vertical and temporal resolutions are shown to lead to stronger boundary layer turbulence and reduction of low-cloud biases.
RACORO continental boundary layer cloud investigations. 3. Separation of parameterization biases in single-column model CAM5 simulations of shallow cumulus

DOE PAGES

Lin, Wuyin; Liu, Yangang; Vogelmann, Andrew M.; ...

2015-06-19

Climatically important low-level clouds are commonly misrepresented in climate models. The FAst-physics System TEstbed and Research (FASTER) project has constructed case studies from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility's Southern Great Plain site during the RACORO aircraft campaign to facilitate research on model representation of boundary-layer clouds. This paper focuses on using the single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (SCAM5) simulations of a multi-day continental shallow cumulus case to identify specific parameterization causes of low-cloud biases. Consistent model biases among the simulations driven by a set of alternative forcings suggest that uncertainty in the forcing plays only amore » relatively minor role. In-depth analysis reveals that the model's shallow cumulus convection scheme tends to significantly under-produce clouds during the times when shallow cumuli exist in the observations, while the deep convective and stratiform cloud schemes significantly over-produce low-level clouds throughout the day. The links between model biases and the underlying assumptions of the shallow cumulus scheme are further diagnosed with the aid of large-eddy simulations and aircraft measurements, and by suppressing the triggering of the deep convection scheme. It is found that the weak boundary layer turbulence simulated is directly responsible for the weak cumulus activity and the simulated boundary layer stratiform clouds. Increased vertical and temporal resolutions are shown to lead to stronger boundary layer turbulence and reduction of low-cloud biases.« less
Software Defined Networking (SDN) controlled all optical switching networks with multi-dimensional switching architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yongli; Ji, Yuefeng; Zhang, Jie; Li, Hui; Xiong, Qianjin; Qiu, Shaofeng

2014-08-01

Ultrahigh throughout capacity requirement is challenging the current optical switching nodes with the fast development of data center networks. Pbit/s level all optical switching networks need to be deployed soon, which will cause the high complexity of node architecture. How to control the future network and node equipment together will become a new problem. An enhanced Software Defined Networking (eSDN) control architecture is proposed in the paper, which consists of Provider NOX (P-NOX) and Node NOX (N-NOX). With the cooperation of P-NOX and N-NOX, the flexible control of the entire network can be achieved. All optical switching network testbed has been experimentally demonstrated with efficient control of enhanced Software Defined Networking (eSDN). Pbit/s level all optical switching nodes in the testbed are implemented based on multi-dimensional switching architecture, i.e. multi-level and multi-planar. Due to the space and cost limitation, each optical switching node is only equipped with four input line boxes and four output line boxes respectively. Experimental results are given to verify the performance of our proposed control and switching architecture.
Airborne Simulation of Launch Vehicle Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilligan, Eric T.; Miller, Christopher J.; Hanson, Curtis E.; Orr, Jeb S.

2014-01-01

In this paper we present a technique for approximating the short-period dynamics of an exploration-class launch vehicle during flight test with a high-performance surrogate aircraft in relatively benign endoatmospheric flight conditions. The surrogate vehicle relies upon a nonlinear dynamic inversion scheme with proportional-integral feedback to drive a subset of the aircraft states into coincidence with the states of a time-varying reference model that simulates the unstable rigid body dynamics, servodynamics, and parasitic elastic and sloshing dynamics of the launch vehicle. The surrogate aircraft flies a constant pitch rate trajectory to approximate the boost phase gravity-turn ascent, and the aircraft's closed-loop bandwidth is sufficient to simulate the launch vehicle's fundamental lateral bending and sloshing modes by exciting the rigid body dynamics of the aircraft. A novel control allocation scheme is employed to utilize the aircraft's relatively fast control effectors in inducing various failure modes for the purposes of evaluating control system performance. Sufficient dynamic similarity is achieved such that the control system under evaluation is optimized for the full-scale vehicle with no changes to its parameters, and pilot-control system interaction studies can be performed to characterize the effects of guidance takeover during boost. High-fidelity simulation and flight test results are presented that demonstrate the efficacy of the design in simulating the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle dynamics using NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's Full-scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST), a modified F/A-18 airplane, over a range of scenarios designed to stress the SLS's adaptive augmenting control (AAC) algorithm.
SCDU Testbed Automated In-Situ Alignment, Data Acquisition and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werne, Thomas A.; Wehmeier, Udo J.; Wu, Janet P.; An, Xin; Goullioud, Renaud; Nemati, Bijan; Shao, Michael; Shen, Tsae-Pyng J.; Wang, Xu; Weilert, Mark A.;

2010-01-01

In the course of fulfilling its mandate, the Spectral Calibration Development Unit (SCDU) testbed for SIM-Lite produces copious amounts of raw data. To effectively spend time attempting to understand the science driving the data, the team devised computerized automations to limit the time spent bringing the testbed to a healthy state and commanding it, and instead focus on analyzing the processed results. We developed a multi-layered scripting language that emphasized the scientific experiments we conducted, which drastically shortened our experiment scripts, improved their readability, and all-but-eliminated testbed operator errors. In addition to scientific experiment functions, we also developed a set of automated alignments that bring the testbed up to a well-aligned state with little more than the push of a button. These scripts were written in the scripting language, and in Matlab via an interface library, allowing all members of the team to augment the existing scripting language with complex analysis scripts. To keep track of these results, we created an easily-parseable state log in which we logged both the state of the testbed and relevant metadata. Finally, we designed a distributed processing system that allowed us to farm lengthy analyses to a collection of client computers which reported their results in a central log. Since these logs were parseable, we wrote query scripts that gave us an effortless way to compare results collected under different conditions. This paper serves as a case-study, detailing the motivating requirements for the decisions we made and explaining the implementation process.

Department of Defense In-House RDT&E Activities. FY2000 Management Analysis Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

Blossom Point, Maryland * White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), WSMR, New Mexico . They are presented in this publication in that location breakout. ADELPHI... MEXICO ULTRA WIDEBAND (UWB) SYNTHETIC-APERTURE RADAR (SAR) TESTBED A mobile UWB SAR testbed, featuring a 150-ft measurement system, is used to...Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico , this range performs assembly and live-fire testing of surface-to-air, surface-to-surface weapons, and research rockets
Planning and reasoning in the JPL telerobot testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Stephen; Mittman, David; Collins, Carol; Omeara, Jacquie; Rokey, Mark

1990-01-01

The Telerobot Interactive Planning System is developed to serve as the highest autonomous-control level of the Telerobot Testbed. A recent prototype is described which integrates an operator interface for supervisory control, a task planner supporting disassembly and re-assembly operations, and a spatial planner for collision-free manipulator motion through the workspace. Each of these components is described in detail. Descriptions of the technical problem, approach, and lessons learned are included.
Using the ISS as a testbed to prepare for the next generation of space-based telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postman, Marc; Sparks, William B.; Liu, Fengchuan; Ess, Kim; Green, Joseph; Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Thronson, Harley; Goullioud, Renaud

2012-09-01

The infrastructure available on the ISS provides a unique opportunity to develop the technologies necessary to assemble large space telescopes. Assembling telescopes in space is a game-changing approach to space astronomy. Using the ISS as a testbed enables a concentration of resources on reducing the technical risks associated with integrating the technologies, such as laser metrology and wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C), with the robotic assembly of major components including very light-weight primary and secondary mirrors and the alignment of the optical elements to a diffraction-limited optical system in space. The capability to assemble the optical system and remove and replace components via the existing ISS robotic systems such as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), or by the ISS Flight Crew, allows for future experimentation as well as repair if necessary. In 2015, first light will be obtained by the Optical Testbed and Integration on ISS eXperiment (OpTIIX), a small 1.5-meter optical telescope assembled on the ISS. The primary objectives of OpTIIX include demonstrating telescope assembly technologies and end-to-end optical system technologies that will advance future large optical telescopes.
Adapting a commercial power system simulator for smart grid based system study and vulnerability assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navaratne, Uditha Sudheera

The smart grid is the future of the power grid. Smart meters and the associated network play a major role in the distributed system of the smart grid. Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) can enhance the reliability of the grid, generate efficient energy management opportunities and many innovations around the future smart grid. These innovations involve intense research not only on the AMI network itself but as also on the influence an AMI network can have upon the rest of the power grid. This research describes a smart meter testbed with hardware in loop that can facilitate future research in an AMI network. The smart meters in the testbed were developed such that their functionality can be customized to simulate any given scenario such as integrating new hardware components into a smart meter or developing new encryption algorithms in firmware. These smart meters were integrated into the power system simulator to simulate the power flow variation in the power grid on different AMI activities. Each smart meter in the network also provides a communication interface to the home area network. This research delivers a testbed for emulating the AMI activities and monitoring their effect on the smart grid.
High Vertically Resolved Atmospheric and Surface/Cloud Parameters Retrieved with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, WIlliam L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25/cm and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760/cm. Ultra-spectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. This physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the cloud-free and/or clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals are achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations are obtained and presented. These retrievals will be further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated indicating a high vertical structure of atmosphere is retrieved.
Development, Demonstration, and Control of a Testbed for Multiterminal HVDC System

DOE PAGES

Li, Yalong; Shi, Xiaojie M.; Liu, Bo; ...

2016-10-21

This paper presents the development of a scaled four-terminal high-voltage direct current (HVDC) testbed, including hardware structure, communication architecture, and different control schemes. The developed testbed is capable of emulating typical operation scenarios including system start-up, power variation, line contingency, and converter station failure. Some unique scenarios are also developed and demonstrated, such as online control mode transition and station re-commission. In particular, a dc line current control is proposed, through the regulation of a converter station at one terminal. By controlling a dc line current to zero, the transmission line can be opened by using relatively low-cost HVDC disconnectsmore » with low current interrupting capability, instead of the more expensive dc circuit breaker. Utilizing the dc line current control, an automatic line current limiting scheme is developed. As a result, when a dc line is overloaded, the line current control will be automatically activated to regulate current within the allowable maximum value.« less
The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) Nulling Testbed II: Closed-loop Path Length Metrology And Control Subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, B. J.; Barry, R. K.; Danchi, W. C.; Hyde, T. T.; Lee, K. Y.; Martino, A. J.; Zuray, M. S.

2006-01-01

The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging and nulling interferometer in the near to mid-infrared spectral region (3-8 microns), and will be a scientific and technological pathfinder for upcoming missions including TPF-I/DARWIN, SPECS, and SPIRIT. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we have constructed a symmetric Mach-Zehnder nulling testbed to demonstrate techniques and algorithms that can be used to establish and maintain the 10(exp 4) null depth that will be required for such a mission. Among the challenges inherent in such a system is the ability to acquire and track the null fringe to the desired depth for timescales on the order of hours in a laboratory environment. In addition, it is desirable to achieve this stability without using conventional dithering techniques. We describe recent testbed metrology and control system developments necessary to achieve these goals and present our preliminary results.
The solution of linear systems of equations with a structural analysis code on the NAS CRAY-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poole, Eugene L.; Overman, Andrea L.

1988-01-01

Two methods for solving linear systems of equations on the NAS Cray-2 are described. One is a direct method; the other is an iterative method. Both methods exploit the architecture of the Cray-2, particularly the vectorization, and are aimed at structural analysis applications. To demonstrate and evaluate the methods, they were installed in a finite element structural analysis code denoted the Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Testbed. A description of the techniques used to integrate the two solvers into the Testbed is given. Storage schemes, memory requirements, operation counts, and reformatting procedures are discussed. Finally, results from the new methods are compared with results from the initial Testbed sparse Choleski equation solver for three structural analysis problems. The new direct solvers described achieve the highest computational rates of the methods compared. The new iterative methods are not able to achieve as high computation rates as the vectorized direct solvers but are best for well conditioned problems which require fewer iterations to converge to the solution.
HEP Data Grid Applications in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Kihyeon; Oh, Youngdo; Son, Dongchul; Kim, Bockjoo; Lee, Sangsan

2003-04-01

We will introduce the national HEP Data Grid applications in Korea. Through a five-year HEP Data Grid project (2002-2006) for CMS, AMS, CDF, PHENIX, K2K and Belle experiments in Korea, the Center for High Energy Physics, Kyungpook National University in Korea will construct the 1,000 PC cluster and related storage system such as 1,200 TByte Raid disk system. This project includes one of the master plan to construct Asia Regional Data Center by 2006 for the CMS and AMS Experiments and DCAF(DeCentralized Analysis Farm) for the CDF Experiments. During the first year of the project, we have constructed a cluster of around 200 CPU's with a 50 TBytes of a storage system. We will present our first year's experience of the software and hardware applications for HEP Data Grid of EDG and SAM Grid testbeds.
Establishment of a sensor testbed at NIST for plant productivity monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, D. W.; Hutyra, L.; Reinmann, A.; Trlica, A.; Marrs, J.; Jones, T.; Whetstone, J. R.; Logan, B.; Reblin, J.

2017-12-01

Accurate assessments of biogenic carbon fluxes is challenging. Correlating optical signatures to plant activity allows for monitoring large regions. New methods, including solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), promise to provide more timely and accurate estimate of plant activity, but we are still developing a full understanding of the mechanistic leakage between plant assimilation of carbon and SIF. We have initiated a testbed to facilitate the evaluation of sensors and methods for remote monitoring of plant activity at the NIST headquarters. The test bed utilizes a forested area of mature trees in a mixed urban environment. A 1 hectare plot within the 26 hectare forest has been instrumented for ecophysiological measurements with an edge (100 m long) that is persistently monitored with multimodal optical sensors (SIF spectrometers, hyperspectral imagers, thermal infrared imaging, and lidar). This biological testbed has the advantage of direct access to the national scales maintained by NIST of measurements related to both the physical and optical measurements of interest. We offer a description of the test site, the sensors, and preliminary results from the first season of observations for ecological, physiological, and remote sensing based estimates of ecosystem productivity.

A qualitative study into the impact of fasting within a large tertiary hospital in Australia--the patients' perspective.

PubMed

Carey, Sharon K; Conchin, Simone; Bloomfield-Stone, Susan

2015-07-01

This qualitative study aims to explore the physical and emotional impact of fasting from the patients' perspective. Fasting patients in hospital is common practice and generally viewed as necessary for symptom management or for safety of healthcare provision. Negative impacts of repeated or prolonged fasting on nutritional status have been well researched, but little is documented as to how fasting impacts an individual patient's psyche. Qualitative descriptive design within a tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Twelve patients having had prolonged periods of continuous or intermittent fasting were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview between January-September 2012. Questions for interview explored each patient's experience of fasting, including physical and emotional impacts, interpretation of communication regarding fasting and the process of recommencing on fluids or foods. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used. Analyses showed six main themes: physical impacts; emotional impacts; food as structure; nil by mouth as jargon; fear of food re-introduction; and dissatisfaction regarding unnecessary fasting. Overwhelmingly, thirst was reported as the worst physical effect of fasting. In the first few days of fasting, patients became emotionally fixated on food. This quickly dissipated leading to a lack of appetite and fear of starting to eat again. Discomfort experienced by patients coupled with lack of appetite resulting from prolonged fasting and difficulty with food re-introduction strengthens the argument for reducing fasting times in hospital. When patients are fasted, proper hydration and establishing alternate routes of medication administration should be a priority. It is well recognised that fasting for prolonged periods is detrimental to health outcomes, but this study also shows the distress that fasting can cause. Inadequate hospital systems and out-dated practices need to be replaced with evidence-based, patient-centred governance, addressing the physical, emotional and psychosocial impact of fasting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The CELSS Antarctic Analog Project: An Advanced Life Support Testbed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straight, Christian L.; Bubenheim, David L.; Bates, Maynard E.; Flynn, Michael T.

1994-01-01

CELSS Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) represents a logical solution to the multiple objectives of both the NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). CAAP will result in direct transfer of proven technologies and systems, proven under the most rigorous of conditions, to the NSF and to society at large. This project goes beyond, as it must, the generally accepted scope of CELSS and life support systems including the issues of power generation, human dynamics, community systems, and training. CAAP provides a vivid and starkly realistic testbed of Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) and life support systems and methods. CAAP will also be critical in the development and validation of performance parameters for future advanced life support systems.
Performance and Usage of Biometrics in a Testbed Environment for Tactical Purposes

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

19 c. Facial Recognition ..................................................................20...geometry, iris recognition, and facial recognition (Layman’s, 2005). Behavioral biometrics can be described not as a physical characteristic, but are...are at: • Correction facilities • Department of Motor Vehicle • Military checkpoints • POW facilities c. Facial Recognition Facial recognition is
A Business-to-Business Interoperability Testbed: An Overview

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulvatunyou, Boonserm; Ivezic, Nenad; Monica, Martin

In this paper, we describe a business-to-business (B2B) testbed co-sponsored by the Open Applications Group, Inc. (OAGI) and the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) to advance enterprise e-commerce standards. We describe the business and technical objectives and initial activities within the B2B Testbed. We summarize our initial lessons learned to form the requirements that drive the next generation testbed development. We also give an overview of a promising testing framework architecture in which to drive the testbed developments. We outline the future plans for the testbed development.
Telescience testbed pilot program, volume 3: Experiment summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiner, Barry M.

1989-01-01

Space Station Freedom and its associated labs, coupled with the availability of new computing and communications technologies, have the potential for significantly enhancing scientific research. A Telescience Testbed Pilot Program (TTPP), aimed at developing the experience base to deal with issues in the design of the future information system of the Space Station era. The testbeds represented four scientific disciplines (astronomy and astrophysics, earth science, life sciences, and microgravity sciences) and studied issues in payload design, operation, and data analysis. This volume, of a 3 volume set, which all contain the results of the TTPP, presents summaries of the experiments. This experiment involves the evaluation of the current Internet for the use of file and image transfer between SIRTF instrument teams. The main issue addressed was current network response times.
VCE testbed program planning and definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westmoreland, J. S.; Godston, J.

1978-01-01

The flight definition of the Variable Stream Control Engine (VSCE) was updated to reflect design improvements in the two key components: (1) the low emissions duct burner, and (2) the coannular exhaust nozzle. The testbed design was defined and plans for the overall program were formulated. The effect of these improvements was evaluated for performance, emissions, noise, weight, and length. For experimental large scale testing of the duct burner and coannular nozzle, a design definition of the VCE testbed configuration was made. This included selecting the core engine, determining instrumentation requirements, and selecting the test facilities, in addition to defining control system and assembly requirements. Plans for a comprehensive test program to demonstrate the duct burner and nozzle technologies were formulated. The plans include both aeroacoustic and emissions testing.
The Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colavita, M. M.; Wallace, J. K.; Hines, B. E.; Gursel, Y.; Malbet, F.; Palmer, D. L.; Pan, X. P.; Shao, M.; Yu, J. W.; Boden, A. F.

1999-01-01

The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline infrared interferometer located at Palomar Observatory, California. It was built as a testbed for interferometric techniques applicable to the Keck Interferometer. First fringes were obtained in 1995 July. PTI implements a dual-star architecture, tracking two stars simultaneously for phase referencing and narrow-angle astrometry. The three fixed 40 cm apertures can be combined pairwise to provide baselines to 110 m. The interferometer actively tracks the white-light fringe using an array detector at 2.2 microns and active delay lines with a range of +/-38 m. Laser metrology of the delay lines allows for servo control, and laser metrology of the complete optical path enables narrow-angle astrometric measurements. The instrument is highly automated, using a multiprocessing computer system for instrument control and sequencing.
ATLAS fast physics monitoring: TADA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabato, G.; Elsing, M.; Gumpert, C.; Kamioka, S.; Moyse, E.; Nairz, A.; Eifert, T.; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The ATLAS experiment at the LHC has been recording data from proton-proton collisions with 13 TeV center-of-mass energy since spring 2015. The collaboration is using a fast physics monitoring framework (TADA) to automatically perform a broad range of fast searches for early signs of new physics and to monitor the data quality across the year with the full analysis level calibrations applied to the rapidly growing data. TADA is designed to provide fast feedback directly after the collected data has been fully calibrated and processed at the Tier-0. The system can monitor a large range of physics channels, offline data quality and physics performance quantities. TADA output is available on a website accessible by the whole collaboration. It gets updated twice a day with the data from newly processed runs. Hints of potentially interesting physics signals or performance issues identified in this way are reported to be followed up by physics or combined performance groups. The note reports as well about the technical aspects of TADA: the software structure to obtain the input TAG files, the framework workflow and structure, the webpage and its implementation.
NASA Langley's AirSTAR Testbed: A Subscale Flight Test Capability for Flight Dynamics and Control System Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Thomas L.; Bailey, Roger M.

2008-01-01

As part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) project, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed a subscaled flying testbed in order to conduct research experiments in support of the goals of NASA s Aviation Safety Program. This research capability consists of three distinct components. The first of these is the research aircraft, of which there are several in the AirSTAR stable. These aircraft range from a dynamically-scaled, twin turbine vehicle to a propeller driven, off-the-shelf airframe. Each of these airframes carves out its own niche in the research test program. All of the airplanes have sophisticated on-board data acquisition and actuation systems, recording, telemetering, processing, and/or receiving data from research control systems. The second piece of the testbed is the ground facilities, which encompass the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to provide comprehensive support services for conducting flight research using the subscale aircraft, including: subsystem development, integrated testing, remote piloting of the subscale aircraft, telemetry processing, experimental flight control law implementation and evaluation, flight simulation, data recording/archiving, and communications. The ground facilities are comprised of two major components: (1) The Base Research Station (BRS), a LaRC laboratory facility for system development, testing and data analysis, and (2) The Mobile Operations Station (MOS), a self-contained, motorized vehicle serving as a mobile research command/operations center, functionally equivalent to the BRS, capable of deployment to remote sites for supporting flight tests. The third piece of the testbed is the test facility itself. Research flights carried out by the AirSTAR team are conducted at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The UAV Island runway is a 50 x 1500 paved runway that lies within restricted airspace at Wallops Flight Facility. The facility provides all the necessary infrastructure to conduct the research flights in a safe and efficient manner. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the development of the AirSTAR testbed.
An Overview of NASA's SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumann, Ethan; Hernandez, Joe; Ruhf, John

2013-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center acquired a Gulfstream III (GIII) aircraft to serve as a testbed for aeronautics flight research experiments. The aircraft is referred to as SCRAT, which stands for SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed. The aircraft’s mission is to perform aeronautics research; more specifically raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of advanced technologies through flight demonstrations and gathering high-quality research data suitable for verifying the technologies, and validating design and analysis tools. The SCRAT has the ability to conduct a range of flight research experiments throughout a transport class aircraft’s flight envelope. Experiments ranging from flight-testing of a new aircraft system or sensor to those requiring structural and aerodynamic modifications to the aircraft can be accomplished. The aircraft has been modified to include an instrumentation system and sensors necessary to conduct flight research experiments along with a telemetry capability. An instrumentation power distribution system was installed to accommodate the instrumentation system and future experiments. An engineering simulation of the SCRAT has been developed to aid in integrating research experiments. A series of baseline aircraft characterization flights has been flown that gathered flight data to aid in developing and integrating future research experiments. This paper describes the SCRAT’s research systems and capabilities
An Overview of NASA's Subsonic Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumann, Ethan; Hernandez, Joe; Ruhf, John C.

2013-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center acquired a Gulfstream III (GIII) aircraft to serve as a testbed for aeronautics flight research experiments. The aircraft is referred to as SCRAT, which stands for SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed. The aircraft's mission is to perform aeronautics research; more specifically raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of advanced technologies through flight demonstrations and gathering high-quality research data suitable for verifying the technologies, and validating design and analysis tools. The SCRAT has the ability to conduct a range of flight research experiments throughout a transport class aircraft's flight envelope. Experiments ranging from flight-testing of a new aircraft system or sensor to those requiring structural and aerodynamic modifications to the aircraft can be accomplished. The aircraft has been modified to include an instrumentation system and sensors necessary to conduct flight research experiments along with a telemetry capability. An instrumentation power distribution system was installed to accommodate the instrumentation system and future experiments. An engineering simulation of the SCRAT has been developed to aid in integrating research experiments. A series of baseline aircraft characterization flights has been flown that gathered flight data to aid in developing and integrating future research experiments. This paper describes the SCRAT's research systems and capabilities.
Quasi-real-time telemedical checkup system for x-ray examination of UGI tract based on high-speed network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakano, Toshikazu; Yamaguchi, Takahiro; Fujii, Tatsuya; Okumura, Akira; Furukawa, Isao; Ono, Sadayasu; Suzuki, Junji; Ando, Yutaka; Kohda, Ehiichi; Sugino, Yoshinori; Okada, Yoshiyuki; Amaki, Sachi

2000-05-01

We constructed a high-speed medical information network testbed, which is one of the largest testbeds in Japan, and applied it to practical medical checkups for the first time. The constructed testbed, which we call IMPACT, consists of a Super-High Definition Imaging system, a video conferencing system, a remote database system, and a 6 - 135 Mbps ATM network. The interconnected facilities include the School of Medicine in Keio University, a company's clinic, and an NTT R&D center, all in and around Tokyo. We applied IMPACT to the mass screening of the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract at the clinic. All 5419 radiographic images acquired at them clinic for 523 employees were digitized (2048 X 1698 X 12 bits) and transferred to a remote database in NTT. We then picked up about 50 images from five patients and sent them to nine radiological specialists at Keio University. The processing, which includes film digitization, image data transfer, and database registration, took 574 seconds per patient in average. The average reading time at Keio Univ. was 207 seconds. The overall processing time was estimated to be 781 seconds per patient. From these experimental results, we conclude that quasi-real time tele-medical checkups are possible with our prototype system.
A Simulation Testbed for Airborne Merging and Spacing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santos, Michel; Manikonda, Vikram; Feinberg, Art; Lohr, Gary

2008-01-01

The key innovation in this effort is the development of a simulation testbed for airborne merging and spacing (AM&S). We focus on concepts related to airports with Super Dense Operations where new airport runway configurations (e.g. parallel runways), sequencing, merging, and spacing are some of the concepts considered. We focus on modeling and simulating a complementary airborne and ground system for AM&S to increase efficiency and capacity of these high density terminal areas. From a ground systems perspective, a scheduling decision support tool generates arrival sequences and spacing requirements that are fed to the AM&S system operating on the flight deck. We enhanced NASA's Airspace Concept Evaluation Systems (ACES) software to model and simulate AM&S concepts and algorithms.
Electrodynamic Tethers and E-Sails as Active Experiment Testbeds and Technologies in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilchrist, B. E.; Wiegmann, B.; Johnson, L.; Bilen, S. G.; Habash Krause, L.; Miars, G.; Leon, O.

2017-12-01

The use of small-to-large flexible structures in space such as tethers continues to be studied for scientific and technology applications. Here we will consider tether electrodynamic and electrostatic interactions with magneto-plasmas in ionospheres, magnetospheres, and interplanetary space. These systems are enabling fundamental studies of basic plasma physics phenomena, allowing direct studies of the space environment, and generating technological applications beneficial for science missions. Electrodynamic tethers can drive current through the tether based on the Lorenz force adding or extracting energy from its orbit allowing for the study of charged bodies or plasma plumes moving through meso-sonic magnetoplasmas [1]. Technologically, this also generates propulsive forces requiring no propellant and little or no consumables in any planetary system with a magnetic field and ionosphere, e.g., Jupiter [2]. Further, so called electric sails (E-sails) are being studied to provide thrust through momentum exchange with the hypersonic solar wind. The E-sail uses multiple, very long (10s of km) charged, mostly bare rotating conducting tethers to deflect solar wind protons. It is estimated that a spacecraft could achieve a velocity over 100 km/s with time [3,4]. 1. Banks, P.M., "Review of electrodynamic tethers for space plasma science," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 234-239, 1989. 2. Talley, C., J. Moore, D. Gallagher, and L. Johnson, "Propulsion and power from a rotating electrodynamic tether at Jupiter," 38th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 2000. 3. Janhunen, P., "The electric sail—A new propulsion method which may enable fast missions to the outer solar system," J. British Interpl. Soc., vol. 61, no. 8, pp. 322-325, 2008. 4. Wiegman, B., T. Scheider, A. Heaton, J. Vaughn, N. Stone, and K. Wright, "The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)—Design, trades, and analyses performed in a two-year NASA investigation of electric sail propulsion systems," 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conf., 10-12 July 2017, Atlanta, GA.
Intelligent Elements for the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes (ITP) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maul, William A.; Park, Han; Schwabacher, Mark; Watson, Michael; Mackey, Ryan; Fijany, Amir; Trevino, Luis; Weir, John

2005-01-01

Deep-space manned missions will require advanced automated health assessment capabilities. Requirements such as in-space assembly, long dormant periods and limited accessibility during flight, present significant challenges that should be addressed through Integrated System Health Management (ISHM). The ISHM approach will provide safety and reliability coverage for a complete system over its entire life cycle by determining and integrating health status and performance information from the subsystem and component levels. This paper will focus on the potential advanced diagnostic elements that will provide intelligent assessment of the subsystem health and the planned implementation of these elements in the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes (ITP) Project under the NASA Exploration Systems Research and Technology program.
An Overview of Research Activity at the Launch Systems Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vu, Bruce; Kandula, Max

2003-01-01

This paper summarizes the acoustic testing and analysis activities at the Launch System Testbed (LST) of Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A major goal is to develop passive methods of mitigation of sound from rocket exhaust jets with ducted systems devoid of traditional water injection. Current testing efforts are concerned with the launch-induced vibroacoustic behavior of scaled exhaust jets. Numerical simulations are also developed to study the sound propagation from supersonic jets in free air and through enclosed ducts. Scaling laws accounting for the effects of important parameters such as jet Mach number, jet velocity, and jet temperature on the far-field noise are investigated in order to deduce full-scale environment from small-scale tests.
COMET-AR User's Manual: COmputational MEchanics Testbed with Adaptive Refinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moas, E. (Editor)

1997-01-01

The COMET-AR User's Manual provides a reference manual for the Computational Structural Mechanics Testbed with Adaptive Refinement (COMET-AR), a software system developed jointly by Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory and NASA Langley Research Center under contract NAS1-18444. The COMET-AR system is an extended version of an earlier finite element based structural analysis system called COMET, also developed by Lockheed and NASA. The primary extensions are the adaptive mesh refinement capabilities and a new "object-like" database interface that makes COMET-AR easier to extend further. This User's Manual provides a detailed description of the user interface to COMET-AR from the viewpoint of a structural analyst.
Experimental aerodynamic and acoustic model testing of the Variable Cycle Engine (VCE) testbed coannular exhaust nozzle system: Comprehensive data report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, D. P.; Morris, P. M.

1980-01-01

The component detail design drawings of the one sixth scale model of the variable cycle engine testbed demonstrator exhaust syatem tested are presented. Also provided are the basic acoustic and aerodynamic data acquired during the experimental model tests. The model drawings, an index to the acoustic data, an index to the aerodynamic data, tabulated and graphical acoustic data, and the tabulated aerodynamic data and graphs are discussed.
Vacuum Nuller Testbed (VNT) Performance, Characterization and Null Control: Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Petrone, Peter; Mallik, Udayan; Madison, Timothy; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Noecker, M. Charley; Kendrick, Stephen; Helmbrecht, Michael

2011-01-01

Herein we report on the development. sensing and control and our first results with the Vacuum Nuller Testbed to realize a Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC) for exoplanet coronagraphy. The VNC is one of the few approaches that works with filled. segmented and sparse or diluted-aperture telescope systems. It thus spans a range of potential future NASA telescopes and could be Hown as a separate instrument on such a future mission. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a well-established effort to develop VNC technologies. and has developed an incremental sequence of VNC testbeds to advance this approach and the enabling technologies associated with it. We discuss the continued development of the vacuum Visible Nulling Coronagraph testbed (VNT). Tbe VNT is an ultra-stable vibration isolated testbed that operates under closed-loop control within a vacuum chamber. It will be used to achieve an incremental sequence of three visible-light nulling milestones with sequentially higher contrasts of 10(sup 8), 10(sup 9) and ideally 10(sup 10) at an inner working angle of 2*lambda/D. The VNT is based on a modified Mach-Zehnder nulling interferometer, with a "W" configuration to accommodate a hex-packed MEMS based deformable mirror, a coherent fiber bundle and achromatic phase shifters. We discuss the initial laboratory results, the optical configuration, critical technologies and the null sensing and control approach.
SURA-IOOS Coastal Inundation Testbed Inter-Model Evaluation of Tides, Waves, and Hurricane Surge in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, P. C.; Donahue, A.; Westerink, J. J.; Luettich, R.; Zheng, L.; Weisberg, R. H.; Wang, H. V.; Slinn, D. N.; Davis, J. R.; Huang, Y.; Teng, Y.; Forrest, D.; Haase, A.; Kramer, A.; Rhome, J.; Feyen, J. C.; Signell, R. P.; Hanson, J. L.; Taylor, A.; Hope, M.; Kennedy, A. B.; Smith, J. M.; Powell, M. D.; Cardone, V. J.; Cox, A. T.

2012-12-01

The Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), in collaboration with the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System program and other federal partners, developed a testbed to help accelerate progress in both research and the transition to operational use of models for both coastal and estuarine prediction. This testbed facilitates cyber-based sharing of data and tools, archival of observation data, and the development of cross-platform tools to efficiently access, visualize, skill assess, and evaluate model results. In addition, this testbed enables the modeling community to quantitatively assess the behavior (e.g., skill, robustness, execution speed) and implementation requirements (e.g. resolution, parameterization, computer capacity) that characterize the suitability and performance of selected models from both operational and fundamental science perspectives. This presentation focuses on the tropical coastal inundation component of the testbed and compares a variety of model platforms as well as grids in simulating tides, and the wave and surge environments for two extremely well documented historical hurricanes, Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). Model platforms included are ADCIRC, FVCOM, SELFE, SLOSH, SWAN, and WWMII. Model validation assessments were performed on simulation results using numerous station observation data in the form of decomposed harmonic constituents, water level high water marks and hydrographs of water level and wave data. In addition, execution speed, inundation extents defined by differences in wetting/drying schemes, resolution and parameterization sensitivities are also explored.

COLUMBUS as Engineering Testbed for Communications and Multimedia Equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bank, C.; Anspach von Broecker, G. O.; Kolloge, H.-G.; Richters, M.; Rauer, D.; Urban, G.; Canovai, G.; Oesterle, E.

2002-01-01

The paper presents ongoing activities to prepare COLUMBUS for communications and multimedia technology experiments. For this purpose, Astrium SI, Bremen, has studied several options how to best combine the given system architecture with flexible and state-of-the-art interface avionics and software. These activities have been conducted in coordination with, and partially under contract of, DLR and ESA/ESTEC. Moreover, Astrium SI has realized three testbeds for multimedia software and hardware testing under own funding. The experimental core avionics unit - about a half double rack - establishes the core of a new multi-user experiment facility for this type of investigation onboard COLUMBUS, which shall be available to all users of COLUMBUS. It allows for the connection of 2nd generation payload, that is payload requiring broadband data transfer and near-real-time access by the Principal Investigator on ground, to test highly interactive and near-realtime payload operation. The facility is also foreseen to test new equipment to provide the astronauts onboard the ISS/COLUMBUS with bi- directional hi-fi voice and video connectivity to ground, private voice coms and e-mail, and a multimedia workstation for ops training and recreation. Connection to an appropriate Wide Area Network (WAN) on Earth is possible. The facility will include a broadband data transmission front-end terminal, which is mounted externally on the COLUMBUS module. This Equipment provides high flexibility due to the complete transparent transmit and receive chains, the steerable multi-frequency antenna system and its own thermal and power control and distribution. The Equipment is monitored and controlled via the COLUMBUS internal facility. It combines several new hardware items, which are newly developed for the next generation of broadband communication satellites and operates in Ka -Band with the experimental ESA data relay satellite ARTEMIS. The equipment is also TDRSS compatible; the open loop antenna tracking system employing star sensors enables usability with any other GEO data relay satellite system. In order to be prepared for the upcoming telecom standards for ground distribution of spacecraft generated data, the interface avionics allows for testing ATM-based data formatting and routing. Three testbeds accompany these studies and designs: i)a cable-and-connector testbed measures the signal characteristics for data transfer of up to 200 Mbps through the ii)an avionics &embedded software testbed prepares for data formatting, routing, and storage in CCSDS and ATM; iii)a software testbed tests newly developed S/W man-machine interfaces and simulates bandwidth limitations, on- This makes COLUMBUS a true technology testbed for a variety of engineering topics: - application of terrestrial standard data formats for broadband, near-real-time applications in space - qualification &test of off-the-shelf multimedia equipment in manned spacecraft - secure data transmission in flexible VPNs - in-orbit demonstration of advanced data transmission technology - elaboration of efficient crew and ground operations and training procedures - evaluation of personalized displays (S/W HFI) for long-duration space missions
Optical Atomic Clock for Fundamental Physics and Precision Metrology in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jason; Le, Thanh; Kulas, Sascha; Yu, Nan

2017-04-01

The maturity of optical atomic clocks (OC), which operate at optical frequencies for higher quality-factor as compared to their microwave counterparts, has rapidly progressed to the point where lab-based systems now outperform the record cesium clocks by orders of magnitude in both accuracy and stability. We will present our efforts to develop a strontium optical clock testbed at JPL, aimed towards extending the exceptional performance demonstrated by OCs from state-of-the-art laboratory designs to a transportable instrument that can fit within the space and power constraints of e.g. a single express rack onboard the International Space Station. The overall technology will find applications for future fundamental physics research, both on ground and in space, precision time keeping, and NASA/JPL time and frequency test capabilities. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
A QoS adaptive multimedia transport system: design, implementation and experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Andrew; Coulson, Geoff

1997-03-01

The long awaited `new environment' of high speed broadband networks and multimedia applications is fast becoming a reality. However, few systems in existence today, whether they be large scale pilots or small scale test-beds in research laboratories, offer a fully integrated and flexible environment where multimedia applications can maximally exploit the quality of service (QoS) capabilities of supporting networks and end-systems. In this paper we describe the implementation of an adaptive transport system that incorporates a QoS oriented API and a range of mechanisms to assist applications in exploiting QoS and adapting to fluctuations in QoS. The system, which is an instantiation of the Lancaster QoS Architecture, is implemented in a multi ATM switch network environment with Linux based PC end systems and continuous media file servers. A performance evaluation of the system configured to support video-on-demand application scenario is presented and discussed. Emphasis is placed on novel features of the system and on their integration into a complete prototype. The most prominent novelty of our design is a `distributed QoS adaptation' scheme which allows applications to delegate to the system responsibility for augmenting and reducing the perceptual quality of video and audio flows when resource availability increases or decreases.
Large Eddy Simulations of Continental Boundary Layer Clouds Observed during the RACORO Field Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endo, S.; Fridlind, A. M.; Lin, W.; Vogelmann, A. M.; Toto, T.; Liu, Y.

2013-12-01

Three cases of boundary layer clouds are analyzed in the FAst-physics System TEstbed and Research (FASTER) project, based on continental boundary-layer-cloud observations during the RACORO Campaign [Routine Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aerial Facility (AAF) Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations] at the ARM Climate Research Facility's Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. The three 60-hour case study periods are selected to capture the temporal evolution of cumulus, stratiform, and drizzling boundary-layer cloud systems under a range of conditions, intentionally including those that are relatively more mixed or transitional in nature versus being of a purely canonical type. Multi-modal and temporally varying aerosol number size distribution profiles are derived from aircraft observations. Large eddy simulations (LESs) are performed for the three case study periods using the GISS Distributed Hydrodynamic Aerosol and Radiative Modeling Application (DHARMA) model and the WRF-FASTER model, which is the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model implemented with forcing ingestion and other functions to constitute a flexible LES. The two LES models commonly capture the significant transitions of cloud-topped boundary layers in the three periods: diurnal evolution of cumulus layers repeating over multiple days, nighttime evolution/daytime diminution of thick stratus, and daytime breakup of stratus and stratocumulus clouds. Simulated transitions of thermodynamic structures of the cloud-topped boundary layers are examined by balloon-borne soundings and ground-based remote sensors. Aircraft observations are then used to statistically evaluate the predicted cloud droplet number size distributions under varying aerosol and cloud conditions. An ensemble approach is used to refine the model configuration for the combined use of observations with parallel LES and single-column model simulations. See Lin et al. poster for single-column model investigation.
Control and Optimization of Electric Ship Propulsion Systems with Hybrid Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Jun

Electric ships experience large propulsion-load fluctuations on their drive shaft due to encountered waves and the rotational motion of the propeller, affecting the reliability of the shipboard power network and causing wear and tear. This dissertation explores new solutions to address these fluctuations by integrating a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) and developing energy management strategies (EMS). Advanced electric propulsion drive concepts are developed to improve energy efficiency, performance and system reliability by integrating HESS, developing advanced control solutions and system integration strategies, and creating tools (including models and testbed) for design and optimization of hybrid electric drive systems. A ship dynamics model which captures the underlying physical behavior of the electric ship propulsion system is developed to support control development and system optimization. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed control approaches, a state-of-the-art testbed has been constructed which includes a system controller, Li-Ion battery and ultra-capacitor (UC) modules, a high-speed flywheel, electric motors with their power electronic drives, DC/DC converters, and rectifiers. The feasibility and effectiveness of HESS are investigated and analyzed. Two different HESS configurations, namely battery/UC (B/UC) and battery/flywheel (B/FW), are studied and analyzed to provide insights into the advantages and limitations of each configuration. Battery usage, loss analysis, and sensitivity to battery aging are also analyzed for each configuration. In order to enable real-time application and achieve desired performance, a model predictive control (MPC) approach is developed, where a state of charge (SOC) reference of flywheel for B/FW or UC for B/UC is used to address the limitations imposed by short predictive horizons, because the benefits of flywheel and UC working around high-efficiency range are ignored by short predictive horizons. Given the multi-frequency characteristics of load fluctuations, a filter-based control strategy is developed to illustrate the importance of the coordination within the HESS. Without proper control strategies, the HESS solution could be worse than a single energy storage system solution. The proposed HESS, when introduced into an existing shipboard electrical propulsion system, will interact with the power generation systems. A model-based analysis is performed to evaluate the interactions of the multiple power sources when a hybrid energy storage system is introduced. The study has revealed undesirable interactions when the controls are not coordinated properly, and leads to the conclusion that a proper EMS is needed. Knowledge of the propulsion-load torque is essential for the proposed system-level EMS, but this load torque is immeasurable in most marine applications. To address this issue, a model-based approach is developed so that load torque estimation and prediction can be incorporated into the MPC. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an input observer with linear prediction is developed as an alternative approach to obtain the load estimation and prediction. Comparative studies are performed to illustrate the importance of load torque estimation and prediction, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of improved efficiency, enhanced reliability, and reduced wear and tear. Finally, the real-time MPC algorithm has been implemented on a physical testbed. Three different efforts have been made to enable real-time implementation: a specially tailored problem formulation, an efficient optimization algorithm and a multi-core hardware implementation. Compared to the filter-based strategy, the proposed real-time MPC achieves superior performance, in terms of the enhanced system reliability, improved HESS efficiency, and extended battery life.
Physics and technology in the ion-cyclotron range of frequency on Tore Supra and TITAN test facility: implication for ITER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Litaudon, X; Bernard, J. M.; Colas, L.

2013-01-01

To support the design of an ITER ion-cyclotron range of frequency heating (ICRH) system and to mitigate risks of operation in ITER, CEA has initiated an ambitious Research & Development program accompanied by experiments on Tore Supra or test-bed facility together with a significant modelling effort. The paper summarizes the recent results in the following areas: Comprehensive characterization (experiments and modelling) of a new Faraday screen concept tested on the Tore Supra antenna. A new model is developed for calculating the ICRH sheath rectification at the antenna vicinity. The model is applied to calculate the local heat flux on Toremore » Supra and ITER ICRH antennas. Full-wave modelling of ITER ICRH heating and current drive scenarios with the EVE code. With 20 MW of power, a current of 400 kA could be driven on axis in the DT scenario. Comparison between DT and DT(3He) scenario is given for heating and current drive efficiencies. First operation of CW test-bed facility, TITAN, designed for ITER ICRH components testing and could host up to a quarter of an ITER antenna. R&D of high permittivity materials to improve load of test facilities to better simulate ITER plasma antenna loading conditions.« less
SCaN Testbed Software Development and Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kacpura, Thomas J.; Varga, Denise M.

2012-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed an on-orbit, adaptable, Software Defined Radio (SDR)Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS)-based testbed facility to conduct a suite of experiments to advance technologies, reduce risk, and enable future mission capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The SCAN Testbed Project will provide NASA, industry, other Government agencies, and academic partners the opportunity to develop and field communications, navigation, and networking technologies in the laboratory and space environment based on reconfigurable, SDR platforms and the STRS Architecture.The SDRs are a new technology for NASA, and the support infrastructure they require is different from legacy, fixed function radios. SDRs offer the ability to reconfigure on-orbit communications by changing software for new waveforms and operating systems to enable new capabilities or fix any anomalies, which was not a previous option. They are not stand alone devices, but required a new approach to effectively control them and flow data. This requires extensive software to be developed to utilize the full potential of these reconfigurable platforms. The paper focuses on development, integration and testing as related to the avionics processor system, and the software required to command, control, monitor, and interact with the SDRs, as well as the other communication payload elements. An extensive effort was required to develop the flight software and meet the NASA requirements for software quality and safety. The flight avionics must be radiation tolerant, and these processors have limited capability in comparison to terrestrial counterparts. A big challenge was that there are three SDRs onboard, and interfacing with multiple SDRs simultaneously complicatesd the effort. The effort also includes ground software, which is a key element for both the command of the payload, and displaying data created by the payload. The verification of the software was an extensive effort. The challenges of specifying a suitable test matrix with reconfigurable systems that offer numerous configurations is highlighted. Since the flight system testing requires methodical, controlled testing that limits risk, a nearly identical ground system to the on-orbit flight system was required to develop the software and write verification procedures before it was installed and tested on the flight system. The development of the SCAN testbed was an accelerated effort to meet launch constraints, and this paper discusses tradeoffs made to balance needed software functionality and still maintain the schedule. Future upgrades are discussed that optimize the avionics and allow experimenters to utilize the SCAN testbed potential.
ADAPT: The Agent Development and Prototyping Testbed.

PubMed

Shoulson, Alexander; Marshak, Nathan; Kapadia, Mubbasir; Badler, Norman I

2014-07-01

We present ADAPT, a flexible platform for designing and authoring functional, purposeful human characters in a rich virtual environment. Our framework incorporates character animation, navigation, and behavior with modular interchangeable components to produce narrative scenes. The animation system provides locomotion, reaching, gaze tracking, gesturing, sitting, and reactions to external physical forces, and can easily be extended with more functionality due to a decoupled, modular structure. The navigation component allows characters to maneuver through a complex environment with predictive steering for dynamic obstacle avoidance. Finally, our behavior framework allows a user to fully leverage a character's animation and navigation capabilities when authoring both individual decision-making and complex interactions between actors using a centralized, event-driven model.
Project Morpheus: Lessons Learned in Lander Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olansen, Jon B.; Munday, Stephen R.; Mitchell, Jennifer D.

2013-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing, that is designed to serve as a testbed for advanced spacecraft technologies. The lander vehicle, propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a 500kg payload to the lunar surface, provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at Johnson Space Center, the initial flight test campaign began on-site at JSC less than one year after project start. After two years of testing, including two major upgrade periods, and recovery from a test crash that caused the loss of a vehicle, flight testing will evolve to executing autonomous flights simulating a 500m lunar approach trajectory, hazard avoidance maneuvers, and precision landing, incorporating the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) sensor suite. These free-flights are conducted at a simulated planetary landscape built at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The Morpheus Project represents a departure from recent NASA programs and projects that traditionally require longer development lifecycles and testing at remote, dedicated testing facilities. This paper expands on the project perspective that technologies offer promise, but capabilities offer solutions. It documents the integrated testing campaign, the infrastructure and testing facilities, and the technologies being evaluated in this testbed. The paper also describes the fast pace of the project, rapid prototyping, frequent testing, and lessons learned during this departure from the traditional engineering development process at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
On Designing Multicore-Aware Simulators for Systems Biology Endowed with OnLine Statistics

PubMed Central

Calcagno, Cristina; Coppo, Mario

2014-01-01

The paper arguments are on enabling methodologies for the design of a fully parallel, online, interactive tool aiming to support the bioinformatics scientists .In particular, the features of these methodologies, supported by the FastFlow parallel programming framework, are shown on a simulation tool to perform the modeling, the tuning, and the sensitivity analysis of stochastic biological models. A stochastic simulation needs thousands of independent simulation trajectories turning into big data that should be analysed by statistic and data mining tools. In the considered approach the two stages are pipelined in such a way that the simulation stage streams out the partial results of all simulation trajectories to the analysis stage that immediately produces a partial result. The simulation-analysis workflow is validated for performance and effectiveness of the online analysis in capturing biological systems behavior on a multicore platform and representative proof-of-concept biological systems. The exploited methodologies include pattern-based parallel programming and data streaming that provide key features to the software designers such as performance portability and efficient in-memory (big) data management and movement. Two paradigmatic classes of biological systems exhibiting multistable and oscillatory behavior are used as a testbed. PMID:25050327
On designing multicore-aware simulators for systems biology endowed with OnLine statistics.

PubMed

Aldinucci, Marco; Calcagno, Cristina; Coppo, Mario; Damiani, Ferruccio; Drocco, Maurizio; Sciacca, Eva; Spinella, Salvatore; Torquati, Massimo; Troina, Angelo

2014-01-01

The paper arguments are on enabling methodologies for the design of a fully parallel, online, interactive tool aiming to support the bioinformatics scientists .In particular, the features of these methodologies, supported by the FastFlow parallel programming framework, are shown on a simulation tool to perform the modeling, the tuning, and the sensitivity analysis of stochastic biological models. A stochastic simulation needs thousands of independent simulation trajectories turning into big data that should be analysed by statistic and data mining tools. In the considered approach the two stages are pipelined in such a way that the simulation stage streams out the partial results of all simulation trajectories to the analysis stage that immediately produces a partial result. The simulation-analysis workflow is validated for performance and effectiveness of the online analysis in capturing biological systems behavior on a multicore platform and representative proof-of-concept biological systems. The exploited methodologies include pattern-based parallel programming and data streaming that provide key features to the software designers such as performance portability and efficient in-memory (big) data management and movement. Two paradigmatic classes of biological systems exhibiting multistable and oscillatory behavior are used as a testbed.
US-Korea collaborative research for bridge monitoring test beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, C. B.; Sohn, H.; Lee, J. J.; Park, S.; Wang, M. L.; Zhang, Y. F.; Lynch, J. P.

2010-04-01

This paper presents an interim report on an international collaborative research project between the United States and Korea that fundamentally addresses the challenges associated with integrating structural health monitoring (SHM) system components into a comprehensive system for bridges. The objective of the project is to integrate and validate cutting-edge sensors and SHM methods under development for monitoring the long-term performance and structural integrity of highway bridges. A variety of new sensor and monitoring technologies have been selected for integration including wireless sensors, EM stress sensors and piezoelectric active sensors. Using these sensors as building blocks, the first phase of the study focuses on the design of a comprehensive SHM system that is deployed upon a series of highway bridges in Korea. With permanently installed SHM systems in place, the second phase of the study provides open access to the bridges and response data continuously collected as an internal test-bed for SHM. Currently, basic facilities including Internet lines have been constructed on the test-beds, and the participants carried out tests on bridges on the test road section owned by the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) with their own measurement and monitoring systems in the local area network environment. The participants were able to access and control their measurement systems by using Remote Desktop in Windows XP through Internet. Researchers interested in this test-bed are encouraged to join in the collaborative research.
CanOpen on RASTA: The Integration of the CanOpen IP Core in the Avionics Testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furano, Gianluca; Guettache, Farid; Magistrati, Giorgio; Tiotto, Gabriele; Ortega, Carlos Urbina; Valverde, Alberto

2013-08-01

This paper presents the work done within the ESA Estec Data Systems Division, targeting the integration of the CanOpen IP Core with the existing Reference Architecture Test-bed for Avionics (RASTA). RASTA is the reference testbed system of the ESA Avionics Lab, designed to integrate the main elements of a typical Data Handling system. It aims at simulating a scenario where a Mission Control Center communicates with on-board computers and systems through a TM/TC link, thus providing the data management through qualified processors and interfaces such as Leon2 core processors, CAN bus controllers, MIL-STD-1553 and SpaceWire. This activity aims at the extension of the RASTA with two boards equipped with HurriCANe controller, acting as CANOpen slaves. CANOpen software modules have been ported on the RASTA system I/O boards equipped with Gaisler GR-CAN controller and acts as master communicating with the CCIPC boards. CanOpen serves as upper application layer for based on CAN defined within the CAN-in-Automation standard and can be regarded as the definitive standard for the implementation of CAN-based systems solutions. The development and integration of CCIPC performed by SITAEL S.p.A., is the first application that aims to bring the CANOpen standard for space applications. The definition of CANOpen within the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) is under development.
Recent developments and near term directions for Navy laser weapons system (LaWS) testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlak, Robert J.

2012-11-01

The Laser Weapons System (LaWS) testbed has been a demonstrator of many High Energy Laser (HEL)-related technologies for the Navy. LaWS employs a sharedaperture design with incoherent beam combining, and makes extensive use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies in the areas of inertial sensing, fiber lasers, sensors, and video trackers. Since the system has demonstrated the art of the possible with COTS elements, it is useful to examine where performance can be increased with the greatest possible effect, as well as which modifications are necessary to support better integration with ships' systems. A review of past test events, architectures, and further plans will be provided, while emphasizing the past and future evolution of the LaWS system. These evolutions will relate within the context of technical drivers that most affected system development.
Design of a nickel-hydrogen battery simulator for the NASA EOS testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gur, Zvi; Mang, Xuesi; Patil, Ashok R.; Sable, Dan M.; Cho, Bo H.; Lee, Fred C.

1992-01-01

The hardware and software design of a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) battery simulator (BS) with application to the NASA Earth Observation System (EOS) satellite is presented. The battery simulator is developed as a part of a complete testbed for the EOS satellite power system. The battery simulator involves both hardware and software components. The hardware component includes the capability of sourcing and sinking current at a constant programmable voltage. The software component includes the capability of monitoring the battery's ampere-hours (Ah) and programming the battery voltage according to an empirical model of the nickel-hydrogen battery stored in a computer.
Documentation of the DART/FITT system

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-05-01

Photographic documentation of the Dextrous Anthropomorphic Robot Testbed (DART)/Full-Immersion Telepresence Testbed (FITT) system. Photos were taken in the Dexterous Robotics Lab, bldg 9N, room 113, and include: DART with upper arm cover removed (08920-1); DART head fully assembled (08922); DART head (08923,08939); DART only official view (08924-5); DART head with shell removed (08926-7); DART/FITT together with operator (08928-9); DART with tools (08930-1,08934); DART with tether hook (08932); DART with rope (08933); DART with Portable Foot Restraint (PFR) (08935); DART pulling out ORU (08936); DART with electronics panel (08937); and DART with automated ball grasp (08938).
Using the ISS as a Testbed to Prepare for the Next Generation of Space-Based Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ess, Kim; Thronson, Harley; Boyles, Mark; Sparks, William; Postman, Marc; Carpenter, Kenneth

2012-01-01

The ISS provides a unique opportunity to develop the technologies and operational capabilities necessary to assemble future large space telescopes that may be used to investigate planetary systems around neighboring stars. Assembling telescopes in space is a paradigm-shifting approach to space astronomy. Using the ISS as a testbed will reduce the technical risks of implementing this major scientific facility, such as laser metrology and wavefront sensing and control (WFSC). The Optical Testbed and Integration on ISS eXperiment (OpTIIX) will demonstrate the robotic assembly of major components, including the primary and secondary mirrors, to mechanical tolerances using existing ISS infrastructure, and the alignment of the optical elements to a diffraction-limited optical system in space. Assembling the optical system and removing and replacing components via existing ISS capabilities, such as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) or the ISS flight crew, allows for future experimentation and repair, if necessary. First flight on ISS for OpTIIX, a small 1.5 meter optical telescope, is planned for 2015. In addition to demonstration of key risk-retiring technologies, the OpTIIX program includes a public outreach program to show the broad value of ISS utilization.
Unique Challenges Testing SDRs for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chelmins, David; Downey, Joseph A.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Nappier, Jennifer M.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the approach used by the Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed team to qualify three Software Defined Radios (SDR) for operation in space and the characterization of the platform to enable upgrades on-orbit. The three SDRs represent a significant portion of the new technologies being studied on board the SCAN Testbed, which is operating on an external truss on the International Space Station (ISS). The SCaN Testbed provides experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms and applications for communication, networking, and navigation concepts and advance the understanding of developing and operating SDRs in space. Qualifying a Software Defined Radio for the space environment requires additional consideration versus a hardware radio. Tests that incorporate characterization of the platform to provide information necessary for future waveforms, which might exercise extended capabilities of the hardware, are needed. The development life cycle for the radio follows the software development life cycle, where changes can be incorporated at various stages of development and test. It also enables flexibility to be added with minor additional effort. Although this provides tremendous advantages, managing the complexity inherent in a software implementation requires a testing beyond the traditional hardware radio test plan. Due to schedule and resource limitations and parallel development activities, the subsystem testing of the SDRs at the vendor sites was primarily limited to typical fixed transceiver type of testing. NASA s Glenn Research Center (GRC) was responsible for the integration and testing of the SDRs into the SCaN Testbed system and conducting the investigation of the SDR to advance the technology to be accepted by missions. This paper will describe the unique tests that were conducted at both the subsystem and system level, including environmental testing, and present results. For example, test waveforms were developed to measure the gain of the transmit system across the tunable frequency band. These were used during thermal vacuum testing to enable characterization of the integrated system in the wide operational temperature range of space. Receive power indicators were used for Electromagnetic Interference tests (EMI) to understand the platform s susceptibility to external interferers independent of the waveform. Additional approaches and lessons learned during the SCaN Testbed subsystem and system level testing will be discussed that may help future SDR integrators
Unique Challenges Testing SDRs for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Sandra; Chelmins, David; Downey, Joseph; Nappier, Jennifer

2013-01-01

This paper describes the approach used by the Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed team to qualify three Software Defined Radios (SDR) for operation in space and the characterization of the platform to enable upgrades on-orbit. The three SDRs represent a significant portion of the new technologies being studied on board the SCAN Testbed, which is operating on an external truss on the International Space Station (ISS). The SCaN Testbed provides experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms and applications for communication, networking, and navigation concepts and advance the understanding of developing and operating SDRs in space. Qualifying a Software Defined Radio for the space environment requires additional consideration versus a hardware radio. Tests that incorporate characterization of the platform to provide information necessary for future waveforms, which might exercise extended capabilities of the hardware, are needed. The development life cycle for the radio follows the software development life cycle, where changes can be incorporated at various stages of development and test. It also enables flexibility to be added with minor additional effort. Although this provides tremendous advantages, managing the complexity inherent in a software implementation requires a testing beyond the traditional hardware radio test plan. Due to schedule and resource limitations and parallel development activities, the subsystem testing of the SDRs at the vendor sites was primarily limited to typical fixed transceiver type of testing. NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) was responsible for the integration and testing of the SDRs into the SCaN Testbed system and conducting the investigation of the SDR to advance the technology to be accepted by missions. This paper will describe the unique tests that were conducted at both the subsystem and system level, including environmental testing, and present results. For example, test waveforms were developed to measure the gain of the transmit system across the tunable frequency band. These were used during thermal vacuum testing to enable characterization of the integrated system in the wide operational temperature range of space. Receive power indicators were used for Electromagnetic Interference tests (EMI) to understand the platform's susceptibility to external interferers independent of the waveform. Additional approaches and lessons learned during the SCaN Testbed subsystem and system level testing will be discussed that may help future SDR integrators.
Addressing the impact of environmental uncertainty in plankton model calibration with a dedicated software system: the Marine Model Optimization Testbed (MarMOT 1.1 alpha)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemmings, J. C. P.; Challenor, P. G.

2012-04-01

A wide variety of different plankton system models have been coupled with ocean circulation models, with the aim of understanding and predicting aspects of environmental change. However, an ability to make reliable inferences about real-world processes from the model behaviour demands a quantitative understanding of model error that remains elusive. Assessment of coupled model output is inhibited by relatively limited observing system coverage of biogeochemical components. Any direct assessment of the plankton model is further inhibited by uncertainty in the physical state. Furthermore, comparative evaluation of plankton models on the basis of their design is inhibited by the sensitivity of their dynamics to many adjustable parameters. Parameter uncertainty has been widely addressed by calibrating models at data-rich ocean sites. However, relatively little attention has been given to quantifying uncertainty in the physical fields required by the plankton models at these sites, and tendencies in the biogeochemical properties due to the effects of horizontal processes are often neglected. Here we use model twin experiments, in which synthetic data are assimilated to estimate a system's known "true" parameters, to investigate the impact of error in a plankton model's environmental input data. The experiments are supported by a new software tool, the Marine Model Optimization Testbed, designed for rigorous analysis of plankton models in a multi-site 1-D framework. Simulated errors are derived from statistical characterizations of the mixed layer depth, the horizontal flux divergence tendencies of the biogeochemical tracers and the initial state. Plausible patterns of uncertainty in these data are shown to produce strong temporal and spatial variability in the expected simulation error variance over an annual cycle, indicating variation in the significance attributable to individual model-data differences. An inverse scheme using ensemble-based estimates of the simulation error variance to allow for this environment error performs well compared with weighting schemes used in previous calibration studies, giving improved estimates of the known parameters. The efficacy of the new scheme in real-world applications will depend on the quality of statistical characterizations of the input data. Practical approaches towards developing reliable characterizations are discussed.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Facts 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

efforts span all network layers (from physical to application), with primary focuses on radio - frequency (RF) military satellite communications (MILSATCOM...upgrade, Kwajalein Atoll ■■ Extremely high- frequency submarine communications demonstrated ■■ Lincoln Experimental Satellites 8 and 9 Overview 5...Immersive Surveillance ■■ Lincoln Adaptable Real-time Information Assurance Testbed ■■ Graph detection algorithms ■■ Miniaturized radio - frequency
Time in the Mind: Using Space to Think about Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casasanto, Daniel; Boroditsky, Lera

2008-01-01

How do we construct abstract ideas like justice, mathematics, or time-travel? In this paper we investigate whether mental representations that result from physical experience underlie people's more abstract mental representations, using the domains of space and time as a testbed. People often talk about time using spatial language (e.g., a "long"…
Earth Observing System (EOS) Communication (Ecom) Modeling, Analysis, and Testbed (EMAT) activiy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desai, Vishal

1994-01-01

This paper describes the Earth Observing System (EOS) Communication (Ecom) Modeling, Analysis, and Testbed (EMAT) activity performed by Code 540 in support of the Ecom project. Ecom is the ground-to-ground data transport system for operational EOS traffic. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Communications (Nascom) Division, Code 540, is responsible for implementing Ecom. Ecom interfaces with various systems to transport EOS forward link commands, return link telemetry, and science payload data. To understand the complexities surrounding the design and implementation of Ecom, it is necessary that sufficient testbedding, modeling, and analysis be conducted prior to the design phase. These activities, when grouped, are referred to as the EMAT activity. This paper describes work accomplished to date in each of the three major EMAT activities: modeling, analysis, and testbedding.
Estimation of Faults in DC Electrical Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorinevsky, Dimitry; Boyd, Stephen; Poll, Scott

2009-01-01

This paper demonstrates a novel optimization-based approach to estimating fault states in a DC power system. Potential faults changing the circuit topology are included along with faulty measurements. Our approach can be considered as a relaxation of the mixed estimation problem. We develop a linear model of the circuit and pose a convex problem for estimating the faults and other hidden states. A sparse fault vector solution is computed by using 11 regularization. The solution is computed reliably and efficiently, and gives accurate diagnostics on the faults. We demonstrate a real-time implementation of the approach for an instrumented electrical power system testbed, the ADAPT testbed at NASA ARC. The estimates are computed in milliseconds on a PC. The approach performs well despite unmodeled transients and other modeling uncertainties present in the system.
Automation of Shuttle Tile Inspection - Engineering methodology for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiskerchen, M. J.; Mollakarimi, C.

1987-01-01

The Space Systems Integration and Operations Research Applications (SIORA) Program was initiated in late 1986 as a cooperative applications research effort between Stanford University, NASA Kennedy Space Center, and Lockheed Space Operations Company. One of the major initial SIORA tasks was the application of automation and robotics technology to all aspects of the Shuttle tile processing and inspection system. This effort has adopted a systems engineering approach consisting of an integrated set of rapid prototyping testbeds in which a government/university/industry team of users, technologists, and engineers test and evaluate new concepts and technologies within the operational world of Shuttle. These integrated testbeds include speech recognition and synthesis, laser imaging inspection systems, distributed Ada programming environments, distributed relational database architectures, distributed computer network architectures, multimedia workbenches, and human factors considerations.
Multiple Autonomous Discrete Event Controllers for Constellations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esposito, Timothy C.

2003-01-01

The Multiple Autonomous Discrete Event Controllers for Constellations (MADECC) project is an effort within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center's (NASA/GSFC) Information Systems Division to develop autonomous positioning and attitude control for constellation satellites. It will be accomplished using traditional control theory and advanced coordination algorithms developed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). This capability will be demonstrated in the discrete event control test-bed located at JHU/APL. This project will be modeled for the Leonardo constellation mission, but is intended to be adaptable to any constellation mission. To develop a common software architecture. the controllers will only model very high-level responses. For instance, after determining that a maneuver must be made. the MADECC system will output B (Delta)V (velocity change) value. Lower level systems must then decide which thrusters to fire and for how long to achieve that (Delta)V.
Supersonic combustion engine testbed, heat lightning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoying, D.; Kelble, C.; Langenbahn, A.; Stahl, M.; Tincher, M.; Walsh, M.; Wisler, S.

1990-01-01

The design of a supersonic combustion engine testbed (SCET) aircraft is presented. The hypersonic waverider will utilize both supersonic combustion ramjet (SCRAMjet) and turbofan-ramjet engines. The waverider concept, system integration, electrical power, weight analysis, cockpit, landing skids, and configuration modeling are addressed in the configuration considerations. The subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics are presented along with the aerodynamic stability and landing analysis of the aircraft. The propulsion design considerations include: engine selection, turbofan ramjet inlets, SCRAMjet inlets and the SCRAMjet diffuser. The cooling requirements and system are covered along with the topics of materials and the hydrogen fuel tanks and insulation system. A cost analysis is presented and the appendices include: information about the subsonic wind tunnel test, shock expansion calculations, and an aerodynamic heat flux program.
Experimenting Galileo on Board the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fantinato, Samuele; Pozzobon, Oscar; Gamba, Giovanni; Chiara, Andrea Dalla; Montagner, Stefano; Giordano, Pietro; Crisci, Massimo; Enderle, Werner; Chelmins, David T.; Sands, Obed S.;

2016-01-01

The SCaN Testbed is an advanced integrated communications system and laboratory facility installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2012. The testbed incorporates a set of new generation of Software Defined Radio (SDR) technologies intended to allow researchers to develop, test, and demonstrate new communications, networking, and navigation capabilities in the actual environment of space. Qascom, in cooperation with ESA and NASA, is designing a Software Defined Radio GalileoGPS Receiver capable to provide accurate positioning and timing to be installed on the ISS SCaN Testbed. The GalileoGPS waveform will be operated in the JPL SDR that is constituted by several hardware components that can be used for experimentations in L-Band and S-Band. The JPL SDR includes an L-Band Dorne Margolin antenna mounted onto a choke ring. The antenna is connected to a radio front end capable to provide one bit samples for the three GNSS frequencies (L1, L2 and L5) at 38 MHz, exploiting the subharmonic sampling. The baseband processing is then performed by an ATMEL AT697 processor (100 MIPS) and two Virtex 2 FPGAs. The JPL SDR supports the STRS (Space Telecommunications Radio System) that provides common waveform software interfaces, methods of instantiation, operation, and testing among different compliant hardware and software products. The standard foresees the development of applications that are modular, portable, reconfigurable, and reusable. The developed waveform uses the STRS infrastructure-provided application program interfaces (APIs) and services to load, verify, execute, change parameters, terminate, or unload an application. The project is divided in three main phases. 1)Design and Development of the GalileoGPS waveform for the SCaN Testbed starting from Qascom existing GNSS SDR receiver. The baseline design is limited to the implementation of the single frequency Galileo and GPS L1E1 receiver even if as part of the activity it will be to assess the feasibility of a dual frequency implementation (L1E1+L5E5a) in the same SDR platform.2)Qualification and test the GalileoGPS waveform using ground systems available at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Experimenters can have access to two SCaN Testbed ground based systems for development and verification: the Experimenter Development System (EDS) that is intended to provide initial opportunity for software testing and basic functional validation and the Ground Integration Unit (GIU) that is a high fidelity version of the SCaN Testbed flight system and is therefore used for more controlled final development testing and verification testing.3)Perform in-orbit validation and experimentation: The experimentation phase will consists on the collection of raw measurements (pseudorange, Carrier phase, CN0) in space, assessment on the quality of the measurements and the receiver performances in terms of signal acquisition, tracking, etc. Finally computation of positioning in space (Position, Velocity and time) and assessment of its performance.(Complete abstract in attached document).

New optical architecture for holographic data storage system compatible with Blu-ray Disc™ system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, Ken-ichi; Ide, Tatsuro; Shimano, Takeshi; Anderson, Ken; Curtis, Kevin

2014-02-01

A new optical architecture for holographic data storage system which is compatible with a Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) system is proposed. In the architecture, both signal and reference beams pass through a single objective lens with numerical aperture (NA) 0.85 for realizing angularly multiplexed recording. The geometry of the architecture brings a high affinity with an optical architecture in the BD system because the objective lens can be placed parallel to a holographic medium. Through the comparison of experimental results with theory, the validity of the optical architecture was verified and demonstrated that the conventional objective lens motion technique in the BD system is available for angularly multiplexed recording. The test-bed composed of a blue laser system and an objective lens of the NA 0.85 was designed. The feasibility of its compatibility with BD is examined through the designed test-bed.
Telerobotic system performance measurement - Motivation and methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondraske, George V.; Khoury, George J.

1992-01-01

A systems performance-based strategy for modeling and conducting experiments relevant to the design and performance characterization of telerobotic systems is described. A developmental testbed consisting of a distributed telerobotics network and initial efforts to implement the strategy described is presented. Consideration is given to the general systems performance theory (GSPT) to tackle human performance problems as a basis for: measurement of overall telerobotic system (TRS) performance; task decomposition; development of a generic TRS model; and the characterization of performance of subsystems comprising the generic model. GSPT employs a resource construct to model performance and resource economic principles to govern the interface of systems to tasks. It provides a comprehensive modeling/measurement strategy applicable to complex systems including both human and artificial components. Application is presented within the framework of a distributed telerobotics network as a testbed. Insight into the design of test protocols which elicit application-independent data is described.
Development of the dynamic motion simulator of 3D micro-gravity with a combined passive/active suspension system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoshida, Kazuya; Hirose, Shigeo; Ogawa, Tadashi

1994-01-01

The establishment of those in-orbit operations like 'Rendez-Vous/Docking' and 'Manipulator Berthing' with the assistance of robotics or autonomous control technology, is essential for the near future space programs. In order to study the control methods, develop the flight models, and verify how the system works, we need a tool or a testbed which enables us to simulate mechanically the micro-gravity environment. There have been many attempts to develop the micro-gravity testbeds, but once the simulation goes into the docking and berthing operation that involves mechanical contacts among multi bodies, the requirement becomes critical. A group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has proposed a method that can simulate the 3D micro-gravity producing a smooth response to the impact phenomena with relatively simple apparatus. Recently the group carried out basic experiments successfully using a prototype hardware model of the testbed. This paper will present our idea of the 3D micro-gravity simulator and report the results of our initial experiments.
BEATBOX v1.0: Background Error Analysis Testbed with Box Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knote, Christoph; Barré, Jérôme; Eckl, Max

2018-02-01

The Background Error Analysis Testbed (BEATBOX) is a new data assimilation framework for box models. Based on the BOX Model eXtension (BOXMOX) to the Kinetic Pre-Processor (KPP), this framework allows users to conduct performance evaluations of data assimilation experiments, sensitivity analyses, and detailed chemical scheme diagnostics from an observation simulation system experiment (OSSE) point of view. The BEATBOX framework incorporates an observation simulator and a data assimilation system with the possibility of choosing ensemble, adjoint, or combined sensitivities. A user-friendly, Python-based interface allows for the tuning of many parameters for atmospheric chemistry and data assimilation research as well as for educational purposes, for example observation error, model covariances, ensemble size, perturbation distribution in the initial conditions, and so on. In this work, the testbed is described and two case studies are presented to illustrate the design of a typical OSSE experiment, data assimilation experiments, a sensitivity analysis, and a method for diagnosing model errors. BEATBOX is released as an open source tool for the atmospheric chemistry and data assimilation communities.
Analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) testbed development and evaluation to support dynamic applications (DMA) and active transportation and demand management (ATDM) programs — leveraging AMS testbed outputs for ATDM analysis – a primer.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The primary objective of AMS Testbed project is to develop multiple simulation Testbeds/transportation models to evaluate the impacts of DMA connected vehicle applications and the active and dynamic transportation management (ATDM) strategies. Throug...
Wireless Sensor Networks for Environmental Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, X.; Liang, Y.; Navarro, M.; Zhong, X.; Villalba, G.; Li, Y.; Davis, T.; Erratt, N.

2015-12-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have gained an increasing interest in a broad range of new scientific research and applications. WSN technologies can provide high resolution for spatial and temporal data which has not been possible before, opening up new opportunities. On the other hand, WSNs, particularly outdoor WSNs in harsh environments, present great challenges for scientists and engineers in terms of the network design, deployment, operation, management, and maintenance. Since 2010, we have been working on the deployment of an outdoor multi-hop WSN testbed for hydrological/environmental monitoring in a forested hill-sloped region at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP), Pennsylvania, USA. The ASWP WSN testbed has continuously evolved and had more than 80 nodes by now. To our knowledge, the ASWP WSN testbed represents one of the first known long-term multi-hop WSN deployments in an outdoor environment. As simulation and laboratory methods are unable to capture the complexity of outdoor environments (e.g., forests, oceans, mountains, or glaciers), which significantly affect WSN operations and maintenance, experimental deployments are essential to investigate and understand WSN behaviors and performances as well as its maintenance characteristics under these harsh conditions. In this talk, based on our empirical studies with the ASWP WSN testbed, we will present our discoveries and investigations on several important aspects including WSN energy profile, node reprogramming, network management system, and testbed maintenance. We will then provide our insight into these critical aspects of outdoor WSN deployments and operations.
Airborne Simulation of Launch Vehicle Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Christopher J.; Orr, Jeb S.; Hanson, Curtis E.; Gilligan, Eric T.

2015-01-01

In this paper we present a technique for approximating the short-period dynamics of an exploration-class launch vehicle during flight test with a high-performance surrogate aircraft in relatively benign endoatmospheric flight conditions. The surrogate vehicle relies upon a nonlinear dynamic inversion scheme with proportional-integral feedback to drive a subset of the aircraft states into coincidence with the states of a time-varying reference model that simulates the unstable rigid body dynamics, servodynamics, and parasitic elastic and sloshing dynamics of the launch vehicle. The surrogate aircraft flies a constant pitch rate trajectory to approximate the boost phase gravity turn ascent, and the aircraft's closed-loop bandwidth is sufficient to simulate the launch vehicle's fundamental lateral bending and sloshing modes by exciting the rigid body dynamics of the aircraft. A novel control allocation scheme is employed to utilize the aircraft's relatively fast control effectors in inducing various failure modes for the purposes of evaluating control system performance. Sufficient dynamic similarity is achieved such that the control system under evaluation is configured for the full-scale vehicle with no changes to its parameters, and pilot-control system interaction studies can be performed to characterize the effects of guidance takeover during boost. High-fidelity simulation and flight-test results are presented that demonstrate the efficacy of the design in simulating the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle dynamics using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center Fullscale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST), a modified F/A-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois), over a range of scenarios designed to stress the SLS's Adaptive Augmenting Control (AAC) algorithm.
Recent Successes and Future Plans for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Testbed on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.; Sankovic, John M.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Lux, James P.; Chelmins, David T.

2014-01-01

Flexible and extensible space communications architectures and technology are essential to enable future space exploration and science activities. NASA has championed the development of the Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) software defined radio (SDR) standard and the application of SDR technology to reduce the costs and risks of using SDRs for space missions, and has developed an on-orbit testbed to validate these capabilities. The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed (previously known as the Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT)) is advancing SDR, on-board networking, and navigation technologies by conducting space experiments aboard the International Space Station. During its first year(s) on-orbit, the SCaN Testbed has achieved considerable accomplishments to better understand SDRs and their applications. The SDR platforms and software waveforms on each SDR have over 1500 hours of operation and are performing as designed. The Ka-band SDR on the SCaN Testbed is NASAs first space Ka-band transceiver and is NASA's first Ka-band mission using the Space Network. This has provided exciting opportunities to operate at Ka-band and assist with on-orbit tests of NASA newest Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). During its first year, SCaN Testbed completed its first on-orbit SDR reconfigurations. SDR reconfigurations occur when implementing new waveforms on an SDR. SDR reconfigurations allow a radio to change minor parameters, such as data rate, or complete functionality. New waveforms which provide new capability and are reusable across different missions provide long term value for reconfigurable platforms such as SDRs. The STRS Standard provides guidelines for new waveform development by third parties. Waveform development by organizations other than the platform provider offers NASA the ability to develop waveforms itself and reduce its dependence and costs on the platform developer. Each of these new waveforms requires a waveform build environment for the particular SDR, helps assess the usefulness of the platform provider documentation, and exercises the objectives of STRS Standard and the SCaN Testbed. There is considerable interest in conducting experiments using the SCaN Testbed from NASA, academia, commercial companies, and other space agencies. There are approximately 25 experiments or activities supported by the project underway or in development, with more proposals ready, as time and funding allow, and new experiment solicitations available. NASA continues development of new waveforms and applications in communications, networking, and navigation, the first university experimenters are beginning waveform development, which will support the next generation of communications engineers, and international interest is beginning with space agency partners from European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). This paper will provide an overview of the SCaN Testbed and discuss its recent accomplishments and experiment activities.Its recent successes in Ka-band operations, reception of the newest GPS signals, SDR reconfigurations, and STRS demonstration in space when combined with the future experiment portfolio have positioned the SCaN Testbed to enable future space communications and navigation capabilities for exploration and science.
Remotely Piloted Vehicles for Experimental Flight Control Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motter, Mark A.; High, James W.

2009-01-01

A successful flight test and training campaign of the NASA Flying Controls Testbed was conducted at Naval Outlying Field, Webster Field, MD during 2008. Both the prop and jet-powered versions of the subscale, remotely piloted testbeds were used to test representative experimental flight controllers. These testbeds were developed by the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project s emphasis on new flight test techniques. The Subsonic Fixed Wing Project is under the Fundamental Aeronautics Program of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). The purpose of these testbeds is to quickly and inexpensively evaluate advanced concepts and experimental flight controls, with applications to adaptive control, system identification, novel control effectors, correlation of subscale flight tests with wind tunnel results, and autonomous operations. Flight tests and operator training were conducted during four separate series of tests during April, May, June and August 2008. Experimental controllers were engaged and disengaged during fully autonomous flight in the designated test area. Flaps and landing gear were deployed by commands from the ground control station as unanticipated disturbances. The flight tests were performed NASA personnel with support from the Maritime Unmanned Development and Operations (MUDO) team of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division
A Testbed to Evaluate the FIWARE-Based IoT Platform in the Domain of Precision Agriculture.

PubMed

Martínez, Ramón; Pastor, Juan Ángel; Álvarez, Bárbara; Iborra, Andrés

2016-11-23

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) represent one of the most promising technologies for precision farming. Over the next few years, a significant increase in the use of such systems on commercial farms is expected. WSNs present a number of problems, regarding scalability, interoperability, communications, connectivity with databases and data processing. Different Internet of Things middleware is appearing to overcome these challenges. This paper checks whether one of these middleware, FIWARE, is suitable for the development of agricultural applications. To the authors' knowledge, there are no works that show how to use FIWARE in precision agriculture and study its appropriateness, its scalability and its efficiency for this kind of applications. To do this, a testbed has been designed and implemented to simulate different deployments and load conditions. The testbed is a typical FIWARE application, complete, yet simple and comprehensible enough to show the main features and components of FIWARE, as well as the complexity of using this technology. Although the testbed has been deployed in a laboratory environment, its design is based on the analysis of an Internet of Things use case scenario in the domain of precision agriculture.
A Testbed to Evaluate the FIWARE-Based IoT Platform in the Domain of Precision Agriculture

PubMed Central

Martínez, Ramón; Pastor, Juan Ángel; Álvarez, Bárbara; Iborra, Andrés

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) represent one of the most promising technologies for precision farming. Over the next few years, a significant increase in the use of such systems on commercial farms is expected. WSNs present a number of problems, regarding scalability, interoperability, communications, connectivity with databases and data processing. Different Internet of Things middleware is appearing to overcome these challenges. This paper checks whether one of these middleware, FIWARE, is suitable for the development of agricultural applications. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no works that show how to use FIWARE in precision agriculture and study its appropriateness, its scalability and its efficiency for this kind of applications. To do this, a testbed has been designed and implemented to simulate different deployments and load conditions. The testbed is a typical FIWARE application, complete, yet simple and comprehensible enough to show the main features and components of FIWARE, as well as the complexity of using this technology. Although the testbed has been deployed in a laboratory environment, its design is based on the analysis of an Internet of Things use case scenario in the domain of precision agriculture. PMID:27886091
Bio-inspired motion detection in an FPGA-based smart camera module.

PubMed

Köhler, T; Röchter, F; Lindemann, J P; Möller, R

2009-03-01

Flying insects, despite their relatively coarse vision and tiny nervous system, are capable of carrying out elegant and fast aerial manoeuvres. Studies of the fly visual system have shown that this is accomplished by the integration of signals from a large number of elementary motion detectors (EMDs) in just a few global flow detector cells. We developed an FPGA-based smart camera module with more than 10,000 single EMDs, which is closely modelled after insect motion-detection circuits with respect to overall architecture, resolution and inter-receptor spacing. Input to the EMD array is provided by a CMOS camera with a high frame rate. Designed as an adaptable solution for different engineering applications and as a testbed for biological models, the EMD detector type and parameters such as the EMD time constants, the motion-detection directions and the angle between correlated receptors are reconfigurable online. This allows a flexible and simultaneous detection of complex motion fields such as translation, rotation and looming, such that various tasks, e.g., obstacle avoidance, height/distance control or speed regulation can be performed by the same compact device.

NASA's telemedicine testbeds: Commercial benefit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doarn, Charles R.; Whitten, Raymond

1998-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been developing and applying telemedicine to support space flight since the Agency's beginning. Telemetry of physiological parameters from spacecraft to ground controllers is critical to assess the health status of humans in extreme and remote environments. Requisite systems to support medical care and maintain readiness will evolve as mission duration and complexity increase. Developing appropriate protocols and procedures to support multinational, multicultural missions is a key objective of this activity. NASA has created an Agency-wide strategic plan that focuses on the development and integration of technology into the health care delivery systems for space flight to meet these challenges. In order to evaluate technology and systems that can enhance inflight medical care and medical education, NASA has established and conducted several testbeds. Additionally, in June of 1997, NASA established a Commercial Space Center (CSC) for Medical Informatics and Technology Applications at Yale University School of Medicine. These testbeds and the CSC foster the leveraging of technology and resources between government, academia and industry to enhance health care. This commercial endeavor will influence both the delivery of health care in space and on the ground. To date, NASA's activities in telemedicine have provided new ideas in the application of telecommunications and information systems to health care. NASA's Spacebridge to Russia, an Internet-based telemedicine testbed, is one example of how telemedicine and medical education can be conducted using the Internet and its associated tools. Other NASA activities, including the development of a portable telemedicine workstation, which has been demonstrated on the Crow Indian Reservation and in the Texas Prison System, show promise in serving as significant adjuncts to the delivery of health care. As NASA continues to meet the challenges of space flight, the technologies adapted to support humans in extreme and remote environments, and the resultant protocols and procedures will further evolve the commercial practice of medicine and thereby enhance life on Earth.
Fading testbed for free-space optical communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Amita; Giggenbach, Dirk; Mustafa, Ahmad; Pacheco-Labrador, Jorge; Ramirez, Julio; Rein, Fabian

2016-10-01

Free-space optical (FSO) communication is a very attractive technology offering very high throughput without spectral regulation constraints, yet allowing small antennas (telescopes) and tap-proof communication. However, the transmitted signal has to travel through the atmosphere where it gets influenced by atmospheric turbulence, causing scintillation of the received signal. In addition, climatic effects like fogs, clouds and rain also affect the signal significantly. Moreover, FSO being a line of sight communication requires precise pointing and tracking of the telescopes, which otherwise also causes fading. To achieve error-free transmission, various mitigation techniques like aperture averaging, adaptive optics, transmitter diversity, sophisticated coding and modulation schemes are being investigated and implemented. Evaluating the performance of such systems under controlled conditions is very difficult in field trials since the atmospheric situation constantly changes, and the target scenario (e.g. on aircraft or satellites) is not easily accessible for test purposes. Therefore, with the motivation to be able to test and verify a system under laboratory conditions, DLR has developed a fading testbed that can emulate most realistic channel conditions. The main principle of the fading testbed is to control the input current of a variable optical attenuator such that it attenuates the incoming signal according to the loaded power vector. The sampling frequency and mean power of the vector can be optionally changed according to requirements. This paper provides a brief introduction to software and hardware development of the fading testbed and measurement results showing its accuracy and application scenarios.
Visually guided grasping to study teleprogrammation within the BAROCO testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devy, M.; Garric, V.; Delpech, M.; Proy, C.

1994-01-01

This paper describes vision functionalities required in future orbital laboratories; in such systems, robots will be needed in order to execute the on-board scientific experiments or servicing and maintenance tasks under the remote control of ground operators. For this sake, ESA has proposed a robotic configuration called EMATS; a testbed has been developed by ESTEC in order to evaluate the potentialities of EMATS-like robot to execute scientific tasks in automatic mode. For the same context, CNES develops the BAROCO testbed to investigate remote control and teleprogrammation, in which high level primitives like 'Pick Object A' are provided as basic primitives. In nominal situations, the system has an a priori knowledge about the position of all objects. These positions are not very accurate, but this knowledge is sufficient in order to predict the position of the object which must be grasped, with respect to the manipulator frame. Vision is required in order to insure a correct grasping and to guarantee a good accuracy for the following operations. We describe our results about a visually guided grasping of static objects. It seems to be a very classical problem, and a lot of results are available. But, in many cases, it lacks a realistic evaluation of the accuracy, because such an evaluation requires tedious experiments. We propose several results about calibration of the experimental testbed, recognition algorithms required to locate a 3D polyhedral object, and the grasping itself.
Distributed computing testbed for a remote experimental environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butner, D.N.; Casper, T.A.; Howard, B.C.

1995-09-18

Collaboration is increasing as physics research becomes concentrated on a few large, expensive facilities, particularly in magnetic fusion energy research, with national and international participation. These facilities are designed for steady state operation and interactive, real-time experimentation. We are developing tools to provide for the establishment of geographically distant centers for interactive operations; such centers would allow scientists to participate in experiments from their home institutions. A testbed is being developed for a Remote Experimental Environment (REE), a ``Collaboratory.`` The testbed will be used to evaluate the ability of a remotely located group of scientists to conduct research on themore » DIII-D Tokamak at General Atomics. The REE will serve as a testing environment for advanced control and collaboration concepts applicable to future experiments. Process-to-process communications over high speed wide area networks provide real-time synchronization and exchange of data among multiple computer networks, while the ability to conduct research is enhanced by adding audio/video communication capabilities. The Open Software Foundation`s Distributed Computing Environment is being used to test concepts in distributed control, security, naming, remote procedure calls and distributed file access using the Distributed File Services. We are exploring the technology and sociology of remotely participating in the operation of a large scale experimental facility.« less
Holodeck Testbed Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arias, Adriel (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The main objective of the Holodeck Testbed is to create a cost effective, realistic, and highly immersive environment that can be used to train astronauts, carry out engineering analysis, develop procedures, and support various operations tasks. Currently, the Holodeck testbed allows to step into a simulated ISS (International Space Station) and interact with objects; as well as, perform Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) on the surface of the Moon or Mars. The Holodeck Testbed is using the products being developed in the Hybrid Reality Lab (HRL). The HRL is combining technologies related to merging physical models with photo-realistic visuals to create a realistic and highly immersive environment. The lab also investigates technologies and concepts that are needed to allow it to be integrated with other testbeds; such as, the gravity offload capability provided by the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS). My main two duties were to develop and animate models for use in the HRL environments and work on a new way to interface with computers using Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology. On my first task, I was able to create precise computer virtual tool models (accurate down to the thousandths or hundredths of an inch). To make these tools even more realistic, I produced animations for these tools so they would have the same mechanical features as the tools in real life. The computer models were also used to create 3D printed replicas that will be outfitted with tracking sensors. The sensor will allow the 3D printed models to align precisely with the computer models in the physical world and provide people with haptic/tactile feedback while wearing a VR (Virtual Reality) headset and interacting with the tools. Getting close to the end of my internship the lab bought a professional grade 3D Scanner. With this, I was able to replicate more intricate tools at a much more time-effective rate. The second task was to investigate the use of BCI to control objects inside the hybrid reality ISS environment. This task looked at using an Electroencephalogram (EEG) headset to collect brain state data that could be mapped to commands that a computer could execute. On this Task, I had a setback with the hardware, which stopped working and was returned to the vendor for repair. However, I was still able to collect some data, was able to process it, and started to create correlation algorithms between the electrical patterns in the brain and the commands we wanted the computer to carry out. I also carried out a test to investigate the comfort of the headset if it is worn for a long time. The knowledge gained will benefit me in my future career. I learned how to use various modeling and programming tools that included Blender, Maya, Substance Painter, Artec Studio, Github, and Unreal Engine 4. I learned how to use a professional grade 3D scanner and 3D printer. On the BCI Project I learned about data mining and how to create correlation algorithms. I also supported various demos including a live demo of the hybrid reality lab capabilities at ComicPalooza. This internship has given me a good look into engineering at NASA. I developed a more thorough understanding of engineering and my overall confidence has grown. I have also realized that any problem can be fixed, if you try hard enough, and as an engineer it is your job to not only fix problems but to embrace coming up with solutions to those problems.
Space Station technology testbed: 2010 deep space transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, Alan C.

1993-01-01

A space station in a crew-tended or permanently crewed configuration will provide major R&D opportunities for innovative, technology and materials development and advanced space systems testing. A space station should be designed with the basic infrastructure elements required to grow into a major systems technology testbed. This space-based technology testbed can and should be used to support the development of technologies required to expand our utilization of near-Earth space, the Moon and the Earth-to-Jupiter region of the Solar System. Space station support of advanced technology and materials development will result in new techniques for high priority scientific research and the knowledge and R&D base needed for the development of major, new commercial product thrusts. To illustrate the technology testbed potential of a space station and to point the way to a bold, innovative approach to advanced space systems' development, a hypothetical deep space transport development and test plan is described. Key deep space transport R&D activities are described would lead to the readiness certification of an advanced, reusable interplanetary transport capable of supporting eight crewmembers or more. With the support of a focused and highly motivated, multi-agency ground R&D program, a deep space transport of this type could be assembled and tested by 2010. Key R&D activities on a space station would include: (1) experimental research investigating the microgravity assisted, restructuring of micro-engineered, materials (to develop and verify the in-space and in-situ 'tuning' of materials for use in debris and radiation shielding and other protective systems), (2) exposure of microengineered materials to the space environment for passive and operational performance tests (to develop in-situ maintenance and repair techniques and to support the development, enhancement, and implementation of protective systems, data and bio-processing systems, and virtual reality and telepresence/kinetic processes), (3) subsystem tests of advanced nuclear power, nuclear propulsion and communication systems (using boom extensions, remote station-keeping platforms and mobile EVA crew and robots), and (4) logistics support (crew and equipment) and command and control of deep space transport assembly, maintenance, and refueling (using a station-keeping platform).
NBodyLab: A Testbed for Undergraduates Utilizing a Web Interface to NEMO and MD-GRAPE2 Hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, V. L.; Teuben, P. J.; Penprase, B. E.

An N-body simulation testbed called NBodyLab was developed at Pomona College as a teaching tool for undergraduates. The testbed runs under Linux and provides a web interface to selected back-end NEMO modeling and analysis tools, and several integration methods which can optionally use an MD-GRAPE2 supercomputer card in the server to accelerate calculation of particle-particle forces. The testbed provides a framework for using and experimenting with the main components of N-body simulations: data models and transformations, numerical integration of the equations of motion, analysis and visualization products, and acceleration techniques (in this case, special purpose hardware). The testbed can be used by students with no knowledge of programming or Unix, freeing such students and their instructor to spend more time on scientific experimentation. The advanced student can extend the testbed software and/or more quickly transition to the use of more advanced Unix-based toolsets such as NEMO, Starlab and model builders such as GalactICS. Cosmology students at Pomona College used the testbed to study collisions of galaxies with different speeds, masses, densities, collision angles, angular momentum, etc., attempting to simulate, for example, the Tadpole Galaxy and the Antenna Galaxies. The testbed framework is available as open-source to assist other researchers and educators. Recommendations are made for testbed enhancements.
Space Adaptation of Active Mirror Segment Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Gregory H.

1999-01-01

This report summarizes the results of a three year effort by Blue Line Engineering Co. to advance the state of segmented mirror systems in several separate but related areas. The initial set of tasks were designed to address the issues of system level architecture, digital processing system, cluster level support structures, and advanced mirror fabrication concepts. Later in the project new tasks were added to provide support to the existing segmented mirror testbed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the form of upgrades to the 36 subaperture wavefront sensor. Still later, tasks were added to build and install a new system processor based on the results of the new system architecture. The project was successful in achieving a number of important results. These include the following most notable accomplishments: 1) The creation of a new modular digital processing system that is extremely capable and may be applied to a wide range of segmented mirror systems as well as many classes of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) control systems such as active structures or industrial automation. 2) A new graphical user interface was created for operation of segmented mirror systems. 3) The development of a high bit rate serial data loop that permits bi-directional flow of data to and from as many as 39 segments daisy-chained to form a single cluster of segments. 4) Upgrade of the 36 subaperture Hartmann type Wave Front Sensor (WFS) of the Phased Array Mirror, Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) testbed at MSFC resulting in a 40 to 5OX improvement in SNR which in turn enabled NASA personnel to achieve many significant strides in improved closed-loop system operation in 1998. 5) A new system level processor was built and delivered to MSFC for use with the PAMELA testbed. This new system featured a new graphical user interface to replace the obsolete and non-supported menu system originally delivered with the PAMELA system. The hardware featured Blue Line's new stackable processing system which included fiber optic data links, a WFS digital interface, and a very compact and reliable electronics package. The project also resulted in substantial advances in the evolution of concepts for integrated structures to be used to support clusters of segments while also serving as the means to distribute power, timing, and data communications resources. A prototype cluster base was built and delivered that would support a small array of 7 cm mirror segments. Another conceptual design effort led to substantial progress in the area of laminated silicon mirror segments. While finished mirrors were never successfully produced in this exploratory effort, the basic feasibility of the concept was established through a significant amount of experimental development in microelectronics processing laboratories at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Ultimately lightweighted aluminum mirrors with replicated front surfaces were produced and delivered as part of a separate contract to develop integrated segmented mirror assemblies. Overall the project was very successful in advancing segmented mirror system architectures on several fronts. In fact, the results of this work have already served as the basic foundation for the system architectures of several projects proposed by Blue Line for different missions and customers. These include the NMSD and AMSD procurements for NASA's Next Generation Space Telescope, the HET figure maintenance system, and the 1 meter FAST telescope project.
The OGC Innovation Program Testbeds - Advancing Architectures for Earth and Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermudez, L. E.; Percivall, G.; Simonis, I.; Serich, S.

2017-12-01

The OGC Innovation Program provides a collaborative agile process for solving challenging science problems and advancing new technologies. Since 1999, 100 initiatives have taken place, from multi-million dollar testbeds to small interoperability experiments. During these initiatives, sponsors and technology implementers (including academia and private sector) come together to solve problems, produce prototypes, develop demonstrations, provide best practices, and advance the future of standards. This presentation will provide the latest system architectures that can be used for Earth and space systems as a result of the OGC Testbed 13, including the following components: Elastic cloud autoscaler for Earth Observations (EO) using a WPS in an ESGF hybrid climate data research platform. Accessibility of climate data for the scientist and non-scientist users via on demand models wrapped in WPS. Standards descriptions for containerize applications to discover processes on the cloud, including using linked data, a WPS extension for hybrid clouds and linking to hybrid big data stores. OpenID and OAuth to secure OGC Services with built-in Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) infrastructures leveraging GeoDRM patterns. Publishing and access of vector tiles, including use of compression and attribute options reusing patterns from WMS, WMTS and WFS. Servers providing 3D Tiles and streaming of data, including Indexed 3d Scene Layer (I3S), CityGML and Common DataBase (CDB). Asynchronous Services with advanced pushed notifications strategies, with a filter language instead of simple topic subscriptions, that can be use across OGC services. Testbed 14 will continue advancing topics like Big Data, security, and streaming, as well as making easier to use OGC services (e.g. RESTful APIs). The Call for Participation will be issued in December and responses are due on mid January 2018.
The OGC Innovation Program Testbeds - Advancing Architectures for Earth and Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermudez, L. E.; Percivall, G.; Simonis, I.; Serich, S.

2016-12-01

The OGC Innovation Program provides a collaborative agile process for solving challenging science problems and advancing new technologies. Since 1999, 100 initiatives have taken place, from multi-million dollar testbeds to small interoperability experiments. During these initiatives, sponsors and technology implementers (including academia and private sector) come together to solve problems, produce prototypes, develop demonstrations, provide best practices, and advance the future of standards. This presentation will provide the latest system architectures that can be used for Earth and space systems as a result of the OGC Testbed 13, including the following components: Elastic cloud autoscaler for Earth Observations (EO) using a WPS in an ESGF hybrid climate data research platform. Accessibility of climate data for the scientist and non-scientist users via on demand models wrapped in WPS. Standards descriptions for containerize applications to discover processes on the cloud, including using linked data, a WPS extension for hybrid clouds and linking to hybrid big data stores. OpenID and OAuth to secure OGC Services with built-in Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) infrastructures leveraging GeoDRM patterns. Publishing and access of vector tiles, including use of compression and attribute options reusing patterns from WMS, WMTS and WFS. Servers providing 3D Tiles and streaming of data, including Indexed 3d Scene Layer (I3S), CityGML and Common DataBase (CDB). Asynchronous Services with advanced pushed notifications strategies, with a filter language instead of simple topic subscriptions, that can be use across OGC services. Testbed 14 will continue advancing topics like Big Data, security, and streaming, as well as making easier to use OGC services (e.g. RESTful APIs). The Call for Participation will be issued in December and responses are due on mid January 2018.
Electrolysis Propulsion for Spacecraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deGroot, Wim A.; Arrington, Lynn A.; McElroy, James F.; Mitlitsky, Fred; Weisberg, Andrew H.; Carter, Preston H., II; Myers, Blake; Reed, Brian D.

1997-01-01

Electrolysis propulsion has been recognized over the last several decades as a viable option to meet many satellite and spacecraft propulsion requirements. This technology, however, was never used for in-space missions. In the same time frame, water based fuel cells have flown in a number of missions. These systems have many components similar to electrolysis propulsion systems. Recent advances in component technology include: lightweight tankage, water vapor feed electrolysis, fuel cell technology, and thrust chamber materials for propulsion. Taken together, these developments make propulsion and/or power using electrolysis/fuel cell technology very attractive as separate or integrated systems. A water electrolysis propulsion testbed was constructed and tested in a joint NASA/Hamilton Standard/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories program to demonstrate these technology developments for propulsion. The results from these testbed experiments using a I-N thruster are presented. A concept to integrate a propulsion system and a fuel cell system into a unitized spacecraft propulsion and power system is outlined.
Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs - calibration Report for Phoenix Testbed : Final Report. [supporting datasets - Phoenix Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-26

The datasets in this zip file are in support of FHWA-JPO-16-379, Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program...
Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs - San Mateo Testbed Analysis Plan [supporting datasets - San Mateo Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-26

This zip file contains files of data to support FHWA-JPO-16-370, Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program...
Software Testbed for Developing and Evaluating Integrated Autonomous Subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ong, James; Remolina, Emilio; Prompt, Axel; Robinson, Peter; Sweet, Adam; Nishikawa, David

2015-01-01

To implement fault tolerant autonomy in future space systems, it will be necessary to integrate planning, adaptive control, and state estimation subsystems. However, integrating these subsystems is difficult, time-consuming, and error-prone. This paper describes Intelliface/ADAPT, a software testbed that helps researchers develop and test alternative strategies for integrating planning, execution, and diagnosis subsystems more quickly and easily. The testbed's architecture, graphical data displays, and implementations of the integrated subsystems support easy plug and play of alternate components to support research and development in fault-tolerant control of autonomous vehicles and operations support systems. Intelliface/ADAPT controls NASA's Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT), which comprises batteries, electrical loads (fans, pumps, and lights), relays, circuit breakers, invertors, and sensors. During plan execution, an experimentor can inject faults into the ADAPT testbed by tripping circuit breakers, changing fan speed settings, and closing valves to restrict fluid flow. The diagnostic subsystem, based on NASA's Hybrid Diagnosis Engine (HyDE), detects and isolates these faults to determine the new state of the plant, ADAPT. Intelliface/ADAPT then updates its model of the ADAPT system's resources and determines whether the current plan can be executed using the reduced resources. If not, the planning subsystem generates a new plan that reschedules tasks, reconfigures ADAPT, and reassigns the use of ADAPT resources as needed to work around the fault. The resource model, planning domain model, and planning goals are expressed using NASA's Action Notation Modeling Language (ANML). Parts of the ANML model are generated automatically, and other parts are constructed by hand using the Planning Model Integrated Development Environment, a visual Eclipse-based IDE that accelerates ANML model development. Because native ANML planners are currently under development and not yet sufficiently capable, the ANML model is translated into the New Domain Definition Language (NDDL) and sent to NASA's EUROPA planning system for plan generation. The adaptive controller executes the new plan, using augmented, hierarchical finite state machines to select and sequence actions based on the state of the ADAPT system. Real-time sensor data, commands, and plans are displayed in information-dense arrays of timelines and graphs that zoom and scroll in unison. A dynamic schematic display uses color to show the real-time fault state and utilization of the system components and resources. An execution manager coordinates the activities of the other subsystems. The subsystems are integrated using the Internet Communications Engine (ICE). an object-oriented toolkit for building distributed applications.
Advanced Distribution Management Systems | Grid Modernization | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Advanced Distribution Management Systems Advanced Distribution Management Systems Electric utilities are investing in updated grid technologies such as advanced distribution management systems to management testbed for cyber security in power systems. The "advanced" elements of advanced
An advanced wide area chemical sensor testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeley, Juliette A.; Kelly, Michael; Wack, Edward; Ryan-Howard, Danette; Weidler, Darryl; O'Brien, Peter; Colonero, Curtis; Lakness, John; Patel, Paras

2005-11-01

In order to meet current and emerging needs for remote passive standoff detection of chemical agent threats, MIT Lincoln Laboratory has developed a Wide Area Chemical Sensor (WACS) testbed. A design study helped define the initial concept, guided by current standoff sensor mission requirements. Several variants of this initial design have since been proposed to target other applications within the defense community. The design relies on several enabling technologies required for successful implementation. The primary spectral component is a Wedged Interferometric Spectrometer (WIS) capable of imaging in the LWIR with spectral resolutions as narrow as 4 cm-1. A novel scanning optic will enhance the ability of this sensor to scan over large areas of concern with a compact, rugged design. In this paper, we shall discuss our design, development, and calibration process for this system as well as recent testbed measurements that validate the sensor concept.
Telescience testbed experiments for biomedical studies: fertilization potential recording of amphibian eggs using tele-manipulation under stereoscopic vision.

PubMed

Watanabe, S; Tanaka, M; Wada, Y; Suzuki, H; Takagi, S; Mori, S; Fukai, K; Kanazawa, Y; Takagi, M; Hirakawa, K; Ogasawara, K; Tsumura, K; Ogawa, K; Matsumoto, K; Nagaoka, S; Suzuki, T; Shimura, D; Yamashita, M; Nishio, S

1994-07-01

The telescience testbed experiments were carried out to test and investigate the tele-manipulation techniques in the intracellular potential recording of amphibian eggs. Implementation of telescience testbed was set up in the two separated laboratories of the Tsukuba Space center of NASDA, which were connected by tele-communication links. Manipulators respective for a microelectrode and a sample stage of microscope were moved by computers, of which command signals were transmitted from a computer in a remote control room. The computer in the control room was operated by an investigator (PI) who controlled the movement of each manipulator remotely. A stereoscopic vision of the microscope image were prepared by using a head mounted display (HMD) and were indispensable to the intracellular single cell recording. The fertilization potential of amphibian eggs was successfully obtained through the remote operating system.
ATP3 Unified Field Study Data

DOE Data Explorer

Wolfrum, Ed (ORCID:0000000273618931); Knoshug, Eric (ORCID:000000025709914X); Laurens, Lieve (ORCID:0000000349303267); Harmon, Valerie; Dempster, Thomas (ORCID:000000029550488X); McGowan, John (ORCID:0000000266920518); Rosov, Theresa; Cardello, David; Arrowsmith, Sarah; Kempkes, Sarah; Bautista, Maria; Lundquist, Tryg; Crowe, Brandon; Murawsky, Garrett; Nicolai, Eric; Rowe, Egan; Knurek, Emily; Javar, Reyna; Saracco Alvarez, Marcela; Schlosser, Steve; Riddle, Mary; Withstandley, Chris; Chen, Yongsheng; Van Ginkel, Steven; Igou, Thomas; Xu, Chunyan; Hu, Zixuan

2017-10-20

ATP3 Unified Field Study Data The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP3) was established with the goal of investigating open pond algae cultivation across different geographic, climatic, seasonal, and operational conditions while setting the benchmark for quality data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Identical algae cultivation systems and data analysis methodologies were established at testbed sites across the continental United States and Hawaii. Within this framework, the Unified Field Studies (UFS) were designed to characterize the cultivation of different algal strains during all 4 seasons across this testbed network. The dataset presented here is the complete, curated, climatic, cultivation, harvest, and biomass composition data for each season at each site. These data enable others to do in-depth cultivation, harvest, techno-economic, life cycle, resource, and predictive growth modeling analysis, as well as develop crop protection strategies for the nascent algae industry. NREL Sub award Number: DE-AC36-08-GO28308
Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Chad R.; Sorgenfrei, Matthew C.; Nehrenz, Matt

2015-01-01

The Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed (G-NAT) lab at NASA Ames Research Center provides a flexible, easily accessible platform for developing hardware and software for advanced small spacecraft. A collaboration between the Mission Design Division and the Intelligent Systems Division, the objective of the lab is to provide testing data and general test protocols for advanced sensors, actuators, and processors for CubeSat-class spacecraft. By developing test schemes for advanced components outside of the standard mission lifecycle, the lab is able to help reduce the risk carried by advanced nanosatellite or CubeSat missions. Such missions are often allocated very little time for testing, and too often the test facilities must be custom-built for the needs of the mission at hand. The G-NAT lab helps to eliminate these problems by providing an existing suite of testbeds that combines easily accessible, commercial-offthe- shelf (COTS) processors with a collection of existing sensors and actuators.
An Environment for Incremental Development of Distributed Extensible Asynchronous Real-time Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Charles K.; Burleigh, Scott; Briggs, Hugh C.; Auernheimer, Brent

1996-01-01

Incremental parallel development of distributed real-time systems is difficult. Architectural techniques and software tools developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL's) Flight System Testbed make feasible the integration of complex systems in various stages of development.

Intersection collision avoidance using ITS countermeasures. Task 9, Intersection collision avoidance system performance guidelines

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-01

Phase III of the Intersection Collision Avoidance Using ITS Countermeasures program developed testbed systems, implemented the systems on a vehicle, and performed testing to determine the potential effectiveness of this system in preventing intersect...
The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed: Enabling Techniques for High Angular Resolution Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, S. A.; Armstrong, T.; Frey, Bradley J.; Jung, J.; Kirk, J.; Leisawitz, David T.; Leviton, Douglas B.; Lyon, R.; Maher, Stephen; Martino, Anthony J.;

2007-01-01

The Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) was designed to develop techniques for wide-field of view imaging interferometry, using "double-Fourier" methods. These techniques will be important for a wide range of future spacebased interferometry missions. We have provided simple demonstrations of the methodology already, and continuing development of the testbed will lead to higher data rates, improved data quality, and refined algorithms for image reconstruction. At present, the testbed effort includes five lines of development; automation of the testbed, operation in an improved environment, acquisition of large high-quality datasets, development of image reconstruction algorithms, and analytical modeling of the testbed. We discuss the progress made towards the first four of these goals; the analytical modeling is discussed in a separate paper within this conference.

A land-surface Testbed for EOSDIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emery, William; Kelley, Tim

1994-01-01

The main objective of the Testbed project was to deliver satellite images via the Internet to scientific and educational users free of charge. The main method of operations was to store satellite images on a low cost tape library system, visually browse the raw satellite data, access the raw data filed, navigate the imagery through 'C' programming and X-Windows interface software, and deliver the finished image to the end user over the Internet by means of file transfer protocol methods. The conclusion is that the distribution of satellite imagery by means of the Internet is feasible, and the archiving of large data sets can be accomplished with low cost storage systems allowing multiple users.
X-ray Pulsar Navigation Algorithms and Testbed for SEXTANT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winternitz, Luke M. B.; Hasouneh, Monther A.; Mitchell, Jason W.; Valdez, Jennifer E.; Price, Samuel R.; Semper, Sean R.; Yu, Wayne H.; Ray, Paul S.; Wood, Kent S.; Arzoumanian, Zaven;

2015-01-01

The Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) is a NASA funded technologydemonstration. SEXTANT will, for the first time, demonstrate real-time, on-board X-ray Pulsar-based Navigation (XNAV), a significant milestone in the quest to establish a GPS-like navigation capability available throughout our Solar System and beyond. This paper describes the basic design of the SEXTANT system with a focus on core models and algorithms, and the design and continued development of the GSFC X-ray Navigation Laboratory Testbed (GXLT) with its dynamic pulsar emulation capability. We also present early results from GXLT modeling of the combined NICER X-ray timing instrument hardware and SEXTANT flight software algorithms.

Data transfer nodes and demonstration of 100-400 Gbps wide area throughput using the Caltech SDN testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mughal, A.; Newman, H.

2017-10-01

We review and demonstrate the design of efficient data transfer nodes (DTNs), from the perspective of the highest throughput over both local and wide area networks, as well as the highest performance per unit cost. A careful system-level design is required for the hardware, firmware, OS and software components. Furthermore, additional tuning of these components, and the identification and elimination of any remaining bottlenecks is needed once the system is assembled and commissioned, in order to obtain optimal performance. For high throughput data transfers, specialized software is used to overcome the traditional limits in performance caused by the OS, file system, file structures used, etc. Concretely, we will discuss and present the latest results using Fast Data Transfer (FDT), developed by Caltech. We present and discuss the design choices for three generations of Caltech DTNs. Their transfer capabilities range from 40 Gbps to 400 Gbps. Disk throughput is still the biggest challenge in the current generation of available hardware. However, new NVME drives combined with RDMA and a new NVME network fabric are expected to improve the overall data-transfer throughput and simultaneously reduce the CPU load on the end nodes.
Flight Demonstration of a Milli-Arcsecond Optical Pointing System for Direct Exoplanet Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendillo, Christopher; Chakrabarti, S.; Cook, T.; Hicks, B.

2012-01-01

The PICTURE (Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment) sounding rocket attempted to use a white-light nulling interferometer to image the exozodiacal dust disk of Epsilon Eridani (K2V, 3.22 pc) in reflected visible light down to an inner radius of 3 AU. PICTURE launched from White Sands Missile Range on October 8th, 2011. Unfortunately, the main science telemetry channel was lost seconds into flight and no science data was recovered. However, on-board diagnostic data does show that PICTURE successfully demonstrated a fast (200 Hz) optical tracking system that provided 2 milli-arcsecond in-flight pointing stability, a thousand-fold improvement over the raw pointing of the rocket's attitude control system (ACS). The PICTURE flight provides heritage for a technology that will be a key component for many future direct exoplanet imaging missions. We present a spectral analysis of the 200 Hz tracking data in comparison to the 50 Hz ACS gyro data and we provide a precise measurement of the true ACS performance at frequencies higher than 5 Hz where the ACS gyros become noise limited. This work is funded by NASA grant: NNG05WC17G.
Wavefront Control Testbed (WCT) Experiment Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Laura A.; Basinger, Scott A.; Campion, Scott D.; Faust, Jessica A.; Feinberg, Lee D.; Hayden, William L.; Lowman, Andrew E.; Ohara, Catherine M.; Petrone, Peter P., III

2004-01-01

The Wavefront Control Testbed (WCT) was created to develop and test wavefront sensing and control algorithms and software for the segmented James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Last year, we changed the system configuration from three sparse aperture segments to a filled aperture with three pie shaped segments. With this upgrade we have performed experiments on fine phasing with line-of-sight and segment-to-segment jitter, dispersed fringe visibility and grism angle;. high dynamic range tilt sensing; coarse phasing with large aberrations, and sampled sub-aperture testing. This paper reviews the results of these experiments.
PNT Activities at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sands, Obed

2017-01-01

This presentation provides a review of Position Navigation and Timing activities at the Glenn Research Center. Topics include 1) contributions to simulation studies for the Space Service Volume of the Global Navigation Satellite System, 2) development and integration efforts for a Software Defined Radio (SDR) waveform for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) testbed, currently onboard the International Space Station and 3) a GPS L5 testbed intended to explore terrain mapping capabilities with communications signals. Future directions are included and a brief discussion of NASA, GRC and the SCAN office.
End-to-end communication test on variable length packet structures utilizing AOS testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Warner H.; Sank, V.; Fong, Wai; Miko, J.; Powers, M.; Folk, John; Conaway, B.; Michael, K.; Yeh, Pen-Shu

1994-01-01

This paper describes a communication test, which successfully demonstrated the transfer of losslessly compressed images in an end-to-end system. These compressed images were first formatted into variable length Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) packets in the Advanced Orbiting System Testbed (AOST). The CCSDS data Structures were transferred from the AOST to the Radio Frequency Simulations Operations Center (RFSOC), via a fiber optic link, where data was then transmitted through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The received data acquired at the White Sands Complex (WSC) was transferred back to the AOST where the data was captured and decompressed back to the original images. This paper describes the compression algorithm, the AOST configuration, key flight components, data formats, and the communication link characteristics and test results.
Software design for automated assembly of truss structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herstrom, Catherine L.; Grantham, Carolyn; Allen, Cheryl L.; Doggett, William R.; Will, Ralph W.

1992-01-01

Concern over the limited intravehicular activity time has increased the interest in performing in-space assembly and construction operations with automated robotic systems. A technique being considered at LaRC is a supervised-autonomy approach, which can be monitored by an Earth-based supervisor that intervenes only when the automated system encounters a problem. A test-bed to support evaluation of the hardware and software requirements for supervised-autonomy assembly methods was developed. This report describes the design of the software system necessary to support the assembly process. The software is hierarchical and supports both automated assembly operations and supervisor error-recovery procedures, including the capability to pause and reverse any operation. The software design serves as a model for the development of software for more sophisticated automated systems and as a test-bed for evaluation of new concepts and hardware components.
The Mesoscale Ionospheric Simulation Testbed (MIST) Regional Data Assimilation Model (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comberiate, J.; Kelly, M. A.; Miller, E.; Paxton, L.

2013-12-01

The Mesoscale Ionospheric Simulation Testbed (MIST) provides a regional nowcast and forecast of electron density values and has sufficient resolution to include equatorial plasma bubbles. The SSUSI instrument on the DMSP F18 satellite has high-resolution nightly observations of plasma bubbles at 8 PM local time throughout the current solar maximum. MIST can assimilate SSUSI UV observations, GPS TEC measurements, and SCINDA S4 readings simultaneously into a single scintillation map over a region of interest. MIST also models ionospheric physics to provide a short-term UHF scintillation forecast based on assimilated data. We will present examples of electron density and scintillation maps from MIST. We will also discuss the potential to predict scintillation occurrence up to 6 hours in advance using observations of the equatorial arcs from SSUSI observations at 5:30 PM local time on the DMSP F17 satellite.
Status of the DKIST system for solar adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Luke C.; Cummings, Keith; Drobilek, Mark; Johansson, Erik; Marino, Jose; Richards, Kit; Rimmele, Thomas; Sekulic, Predrag; Wöger, Friedrich

2016-07-01

When the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) achieves first light in 2019, it will deliver the highest spatial resolution images of the solar atmosphere ever recorded. Additionally, the DKIST will observe the Sun with unprecedented polarimetric sensitivity and spectral resolution, spurring a leap forward in our understanding of the physical processes occurring on the Sun. The DKIST wavefront correction system will provide active alignment control and jitter compensation for all six of the DKIST science instruments. Five of the instruments will also be fed by a conventional adaptive optics (AO) system, which corrects for high frequency jitter and atmospheric wavefront disturbances. The AO system is built around an extended-source correlating Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, a Physik Instrumente fast tip-tilt mirror (FTTM) and a Xinetics 1600-actuator deformable mirror (DM), which are controlled by an FPGA-based real-time system running at 1975 Hz. It is designed to achieve on-axis Strehl of 0.3 at 500 nm in median seeing (r0 = 7 cm) and Strehl of 0.6 at 630 nm in excellent seeing (r0 = 20 cm). The DKIST wavefront correction team has completed the design phase and is well into the fabrication phase. The FTTM and DM have both been delivered to the DKIST laboratory in Boulder, CO. The real-time controller has been completed and is able to read out the camera and deliver commands to the DM with a total latency of approximately 750 μs. All optics and optomechanics, including many high-precision custom optics, mounts, and stages, are completed or nearing the end of the fabrication process and will soon undergo rigorous acceptance testing. Before installing the wavefront correction system at the telescope, it will be assembled as a testbed in the laboratory. In the lab, performance tests beginning with component-level testing and continuing to full system testing will ensure that the wavefront correction system meets all performance requirements. Further work in the lab will focus on fine-tuning our alignment and calibration procedures so that installation and alignment on the summit will proceed as efficiently as possible.
Implementation of fast handover for proxy mobile IPv6: Resolving out-of-order packets

PubMed Central

Anh, Khuong Quoc; Choo, Hyunseung

2017-01-01

Mobile IP allows for location-independent routing of IP datagrams on the Internet. Mobile IP specifies how a mobile node (MN) registers with its home agent and how the home agent routes datagrams to the MN through the tunnel. Current Mobile IP protocols have difficulties meeting the stringent handover delay requirements of future wireless networks. Fast handover for Proxy Mobile IPv6 (FPMIPv6) is used to resolve handover latency and packet loss problems that occur in the Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) protocol. However, while implementing the FPMIPv6 scheme in a testbed, we encounter the out-of-order packet (OoOP) problem. The cause of this problem is the existence of two paths for data transmitted from a correspondent node (CN) to an MN. Since the problem affects the quality of service (QoS) of the network and the performance of the MN, we propose a new scheme using the last packet marker and packet buffering to solve this problem in FPMIPv6. The new Mobile Access Gateway (MAG) can control and deliver the data transmitted via the old path or the new path to an MN in order, using the last packet marker to notify the end of the data delivery in the old path and the packet buffering for holding the data delivered in the new path. We implement both the proposed scheme and FPMIPv6 in a testbed as a real network environment to demonstrate the correctness, cost effectiveness, and performance of the proposed scheme. A performance evaluation reveals that the proposed scheme can handle the OoOP problem efficiently. PMID:28968450
Implementation of fast handover for proxy mobile IPv6: Resolving out-of-order packets.

PubMed

Kang, Byungseok; Anh, Khuong Quoc; Choo, Hyunseung

2017-01-01

Mobile IP allows for location-independent routing of IP datagrams on the Internet. Mobile IP specifies how a mobile node (MN) registers with its home agent and how the home agent routes datagrams to the MN through the tunnel. Current Mobile IP protocols have difficulties meeting the stringent handover delay requirements of future wireless networks. Fast handover for Proxy Mobile IPv6 (FPMIPv6) is used to resolve handover latency and packet loss problems that occur in the Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) protocol. However, while implementing the FPMIPv6 scheme in a testbed, we encounter the out-of-order packet (OoOP) problem. The cause of this problem is the existence of two paths for data transmitted from a correspondent node (CN) to an MN. Since the problem affects the quality of service (QoS) of the network and the performance of the MN, we propose a new scheme using the last packet marker and packet buffering to solve this problem in FPMIPv6. The new Mobile Access Gateway (MAG) can control and deliver the data transmitted via the old path or the new path to an MN in order, using the last packet marker to notify the end of the data delivery in the old path and the packet buffering for holding the data delivered in the new path. We implement both the proposed scheme and FPMIPv6 in a testbed as a real network environment to demonstrate the correctness, cost effectiveness, and performance of the proposed scheme. A performance evaluation reveals that the proposed scheme can handle the OoOP problem efficiently.
Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle Dynamics Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-03-01

ANTI-ROLL BAR, EMULATION, FOUR-WHEEL-STEERING, LATERAL RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS, SIMULATION, VARIABLE DYNAMIC TESTBED VEHICLE, INTELLIGENT VEHICLE INITIATIVE OR IVI : THE VARIABLE DYNAMIC TESTBED VEHICLE (VDTV) CONCEPT HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A TOOL...
Performance of the NIRS fast scanning system for heavy-ion radiotherapy.

PubMed

Furukawa, Takuji; Inaniwa, Taku; Sato, Shinji; Shirai, Toshiyuki; Takei, Yuka; Takeshita, Eri; Mizushima, Kota; Iwata, Yoshiyuki; Himukai, Takeshi; Mori, Shinichiro; Fukuda, Shigekazu; Minohara, Shinichi; Takada, Eiichi; Murakami, Takeshi; Noda, Koji

2010-11-01

A project to construct a new treatment facility, as an extension of the existing HIMAC facility, has been initiated for the further development of carbon-ion therapy at NIRS. This new treatment facility is equipped with a 3D irradiation system with pencil-beam scanning. The challenge of this project is to realize treatment of a moving target by scanning irradiation. To achieve fast rescanning within an acceptable irradiation time, the authors developed a fast scanning system. In order to verify the validity of the design and to demonstrate the performance of the fast scanning prior to use in the new treatment facility, a new scanning-irradiation system was developed and installed into the existing HIMAC physics-experiment course. The authors made strong efforts to develop (1) the fast scanning magnet and its power supply, (2) the high-speed control system, and (3) the beam monitoring. The performance of the system including 3D dose conformation was tested by using the carbon beam from the HIMAC accelerator. The performance of the fast scanning system was verified by beam tests. Precision of the scanned beam position was less than +/-0.5 mm. By cooperating with the planning software, the authors verified the homogeneity of the delivered field within +/-3% for the 3D delivery. This system took only 20 s to deliver the physical dose of 1 Gy to a spherical target having a diameter of 60 mm with eight rescans. In this test, the average of the spot-staying time was considerably reduced to 154 micros, while the minimum staying time was 30 micros. As a result of this study, the authors verified that the new scanning delivery system can produce an accurate 3D dose distribution for the target volume in combination with the planning software.
Human Engineering Operations and Habitability Assessment: A Process for Advanced Life Support Ground Facility Testbeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Janis H.; Arch, M.; Elfezouaty, Eileen Schultz; Novak, Jennifer Blume; Bond, Robert L. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Design and Human Engineering (HE) processes strive to ensure that the human-machine interface is designed for optimal performance throughout the system life cycle. Each component can be tested and assessed independently to assure optimal performance, but it is not until full integration that the system and the inherent interactions between the system components can be assessed as a whole. HE processes (which are defining/app lying requirements for human interaction with missions/systems) are included in space flight activities, but also need to be included in ground activities and specifically, ground facility testbeds such as Bio-Plex. A unique aspect of the Bio-Plex Facility is the integral issue of Habitability which includes qualities of the environment that allow humans to work and live. HE is a process by which Habitability and system performance can be assessed.
Introduction to the computational structural mechanics testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lotts, C. G.; Greene, W. H.; Mccleary, S. L.; Knight, N. F., Jr.; Paulson, S. S.; Gillian, R. E.

1987-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) testbed software system based on the SPAR finite element code and the NICE system is described. This software is denoted NICE/SPAR. NICE was developed at Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory and contains data management utilities, a command language interpreter, and a command language definition for integrating engineering computational modules. SPAR is a system of programs used for finite element structural analysis developed for NASA by Lockheed and Engineering Information Systems, Inc. It includes many complementary structural analysis, thermal analysis, utility functions which communicate through a common database. The work on NICE/SPAR was motivated by requirements for a highly modular and flexible structural analysis system to use as a tool in carrying out research in computational methods and exploring computer hardware. Analysis examples are presented which demonstrate the benefits gained from a combination of the NICE command language with a SPAR computational modules.
Medlay: A Reconfigurable Micro-Power Management to Investigate Self-Powered Systems.

PubMed

Kokert, Jan; Beckedahl, Tobias; Reindl, Leonhard M

2018-01-17

In self-powered microsystems, a power management is essential to extract, transfer and regulate power from energy harvesting sources to loads such as sensors. The challenge is to consider all of the different structures and components available and build the optimal power management on a microscale. The purpose of this paper is to streamline the design process by creating a novel reconfigurable testbed called Medlay. First, we propose a uniform interface for management functions e.g., power conversion, energy storing and power routing. This interface results in a clear layout because power and status pins are strictly separated, and inputs and outputs have fixed positions. Medlay is the ready-to-use and open-hardware platform based on the interface. It consists of a base board and small modules incorporating e.g., dc-dc converters, power switches and supercapacitors. Measurements confirm that Medlay represents a system on one circuit board, as parasitic effects of the interconnections are negligible. The versatility regarding different setups on the testbed is determined to over 250,000 combinations by layout graph grammar. Lastly, we underline the applicability by recreating three state-of-the-art systems with the testbed. In conclusion, Medlay facilitates building and testing power management in a very compact, clear and extensible fashion.
Medlay: A Reconfigurable Micro-Power Management to Investigate Self-Powered Systems

PubMed Central

Beckedahl, Tobias

2018-01-01

In self-powered microsystems, a power management is essential to extract, transfer and regulate power from energy harvesting sources to loads such as sensors. The challenge is to consider all of the different structures and components available and build the optimal power management on a microscale. The purpose of this paper is to streamline the design process by creating a novel reconfigurable testbed called Medlay. First, we propose a uniform interface for management functions e.g., power conversion, energy storing and power routing. This interface results in a clear layout because power and status pins are strictly separated, and inputs and outputs have fixed positions. Medlay is the ready-to-use and open-hardware platform based on the interface. It consists of a base board and small modules incorporating e.g., dc-dc converters, power switches and supercapacitors. Measurements confirm that Medlay represents a system on one circuit board, as parasitic effects of the interconnections are negligible. The versatility regarding different setups on the testbed is determined to over 250,000 combinations by layout graph grammar. Lastly, we underline the applicability by recreating three state-of-the-art systems with the testbed. In conclusion, Medlay facilitates building and testing power management in a very compact, clear and extensible fashion. PMID:29342110

Big Data in HEP: A comprehensive use case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutsche, Oliver; Cremonesi, Matteo; Elmer, Peter; Jayatilaka, Bo; Kowalkowski, Jim; Pivarski, Jim; Sehrish, Saba; Mantilla Surez, Cristina; Svyatkovskiy, Alexey; Tran, Nhan

2017-10-01

Experimental Particle Physics has been at the forefront of analyzing the worlds largest datasets for decades. The HEP community was the first to develop suitable software and computing tools for this task. In recent times, new toolkits and systems collectively called Big Data technologies have emerged to support the analysis of Petabyte and Exabyte datasets in industry. While the principles of data analysis in HEP have not changed (filtering and transforming experiment-specific data formats), these new technologies use different approaches and promise a fresh look at analysis of very large datasets and could potentially reduce the time-to-physics with increased interactivity. In this talk, we present an active LHC Run 2 analysis, searching for dark matter with the CMS detector, as a testbed for Big Data technologies. We directly compare the traditional NTuple-based analysis with an equivalent analysis using Apache Spark on the Hadoop ecosystem and beyond. In both cases, we start the analysis with the official experiment data formats and produce publication physics plots. We will discuss advantages and disadvantages of each approach and give an outlook on further studies needed.
A low-cost test-bed for real-time landmark tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csaszar, Ambrus; Hanan, Jay C.; Moreels, Pierre; Assad, Christopher

2007-04-01

A low-cost vehicle test-bed system was developed to iteratively test, refine and demonstrate navigation algorithms before attempting to transfer the algorithms to more advanced rover prototypes. The platform used here was a modified radio controlled (RC) car. A microcontroller board and onboard laptop computer allow for either autonomous or remote operation via a computer workstation. The sensors onboard the vehicle represent the types currently used on NASA-JPL rover prototypes. For dead-reckoning navigation, optical wheel encoders, a single axis gyroscope, and 2-axis accelerometer were used. An ultrasound ranger is available to calculate distance as a substitute for the stereo vision systems presently used on rovers. The prototype also carries a small laptop computer with a USB camera and wireless transmitter to send real time video to an off-board computer. A real-time user interface was implemented that combines an automatic image feature selector, tracking parameter controls, streaming video viewer, and user generated or autonomous driving commands. Using the test-bed, real-time landmark tracking was demonstrated by autonomously driving the vehicle through the JPL Mars yard. The algorithms tracked rocks as waypoints. This generated coordinates calculating relative motion and visually servoing to science targets. A limitation for the current system is serial computing-each additional landmark is tracked in order-but since each landmark is tracked independently, if transferred to appropriate parallel hardware, adding targets would not significantly diminish system speed.
Lunar Contour Crafting: A Novel Technique for ISRU-Based Habitat Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khoshnevis, Behrokh; Bodiford, Melanie P.; Burks, Kevin H.; Ethridge, Ed; Tucker, Dennis; Kim, Won; Toutanji, Houssam; Fiske, Michael R.

2004-01-01

As the nation prepares to return to the Moon, it is apparent that the viability of long duration visits with appropriate radiation shielding/crew protection, hinges on the development of Lunar structures, preferably in advance of a manned landing, and preferably utilizing in-situ resources. Contour Crafting is a USC-patented technique for automated development of terrestrial concrete-based structures. The process is relatively fast, completely automated, and supports the incorporation of various infrastructure elements such as plumbing and electrical wiring. This paper will present a conceptual design of a Lunar Contour Crafting system designed to autonomously fabricate integrated structures on the Lunar surface using high-strength concrete based on Lunar regolith, including glass reinforcement rods or fibers fabricated from melted regolith. Design concepts will be presented, as well as results of initial tests aimed at concrete and glass production using Lunar regolith simulant. Key issues and concerns will be presented, along with design concepts for an LCC testbed to be developed at MSFC's Prototype Development Laboratory (PDL).
Current polarity-dependent manipulation of antiferromagnetic domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadley, Peter; Reimers, Sonka; Grzybowski, Michal J.; Andrews, Carl; Wang, Mu; Chauhan, Jasbinder S.; Gallagher, Bryan L.; Campion, Richard P.; Edmonds, Kevin W.; Dhesi, Sarnjeet S.; Maccherozzi, Francesco; Novak, Vit; Wunderlich, Joerg; Jungwirth, Tomas

2018-05-01

Antiferromagnets have several favourable properties as active elements in spintronic devices, including ultra-fast dynamics, zero stray fields and insensitivity to external magnetic fields1. Tetragonal CuMnAs is a testbed system in which the antiferromagnetic order parameter can be switched reversibly at ambient conditions using electrical currents2. In previous experiments, orthogonal in-plane current pulses were used to induce 90° rotations of antiferromagnetic domains and demonstrate the operation of all-electrical memory bits in a multi-terminal geometry3. Here, we demonstrate that antiferromagnetic domain walls can be manipulated to realize stable and reproducible domain changes using only two electrical contacts. This is achieved by using the polarity of the current to switch the sign of the current-induced effective field acting on the antiferromagnetic sublattices. The resulting reversible domain and domain wall reconfigurations are imaged using X-ray magnetic linear dichroism microscopy, and can also be detected electrically. Switching by domain-wall motion can occur at much lower current densities than those needed for coherent domain switching.
Adaptive optics correction into single mode fiber for a low Earth orbiting space to ground optical communication link using the OPALS downlink.

PubMed

Wright, Malcolm W; Morris, Jeffery F; Kovalik, Joseph M; Andrews, Kenneth S; Abrahamson, Matthew J; Biswas, Abhijit

2015-12-28

An adaptive optics (AO) testbed was integrated to the Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) ground station telescope at the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) as part of the free space laser communications experiment with the flight system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Atmospheric turbulence induced aberrations on the optical downlink were adaptively corrected during an overflight of the ISS so that the transmitted laser signal could be efficiently coupled into a single mode fiber continuously. A stable output Strehl ratio of around 0.6 was demonstrated along with the recovery of a 50 Mbps encoded high definition (HD) video transmission from the ISS at the output of the single mode fiber. This proof of concept demonstration validates multi-Gbps optical downlinks from fast slewing low-Earth orbiting (LEO) spacecraft to ground assets in a manner that potentially allows seamless space to ground connectivity for future high data-rates network.
Retrievals with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schlussel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Calbet, Xavier; Mango, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the MetOp satellite was launched on October 19, 2006. The Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx) was conducted during April 2007 mainly for validation of the IASI on the MetOp satellite. IASI possesses an ultra-spectral resolution of 0.25/cm and a spectral coverage from 645 to 2760/cm. Ultraspectral resolution infrared spectral radiance obtained from near nadir observations provide atmospheric, surface, and cloud property information. An advanced retrieval algorithm with a fast radiative transfer model, including cloud effects, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. Preliminary retrievals of atmospheric soundings, surface properties, and cloud optical/microphysical properties with the IASI observations during the JAIVEx are obtained and presented. These retrievals are further inter-compared with those obtained from airborne FTS system, such as the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I), dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar. The capabilities of satellite ultra-spectral sounder such as the IASI are investigated.
Design and Testing of a Small Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Adam K.; Dominguez, Alexandra; Eskridge, Richard H.; Polzin, Kurt A.; Riley, Daniel P.; Perdue, Kevin A.

2015-01-01

The design and testing of a small inductive pulsed plasma thruster (IPPT) is described. The device was built as a test-bed for the pulsed gas-valves and solid-state switches required for a thruster of this kind, and was designed to be modular to facilitate modification. The thruster in its present configuration consists of a multi-turn, spiral-wound acceleration coil (270 millimeters outer diameter, 100 millimeters inner diameter) driven by a 10 microfarad capacitor and switched with a high-voltage thyristor, a propellant delivery system including a fast pulsed gas-valve, and a glow-discharge pre-ionizer circuit. The acceleration coil circuit may be operated at voltages up to 4 kilovolts (the thyristor limit is 4.5 kilovolts) and the thruster operated at cyclic-rates up to 30 Herz. Initial testing of the thruster, both bench-top and in-vacuum, has been performed. Cyclic operation of the complete device was demonstrated (at 2 Herz), and a number of valuable insights pertaining to the design of these devices have been gained.
An integrated dexterous robotic testbed for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Larry C.; Nguyen, Hai; Sauer, Edward

1992-01-01

An integrated dexterous robotic system was developed as a testbed to evaluate various robotics technologies for advanced space applications. The system configuration consisted of a Utah/MIT Dexterous Hand, a PUMA 562 arm, a stereo vision system, and a multiprocessing computer control system. In addition to these major subsystems, a proximity sensing system was integrated with the Utah/MIT Hand to provide capability for non-contact sensing of a nearby object. A high-speed fiber-optic link was used to transmit digitized proximity sensor signals back to the multiprocessing control system. The hardware system was designed to satisfy the requirements for both teleoperated and autonomous operations. The software system was designed to exploit parallel processing capability, pursue functional modularity, incorporate artificial intelligence for robot control, allow high-level symbolic robot commands, maximize reusable code, minimize compilation requirements, and provide an interactive application development and debugging environment for the end users. An overview is presented of the system hardware and software configurations, and implementation is discussed of subsystem functions.
Using dynamic interferometric synthetic aperature radar (InSAR) to image fast-moving surface waves

DOEpatents

Vincent, Paul

2005-06-28

A new differential technique and system for imaging dynamic (fast moving) surface waves using Dynamic Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is introduced. This differential technique and system can sample the fast-moving surface displacement waves from a plurality of moving platform positions in either a repeat-pass single-antenna or a single-pass mode having a single-antenna dual-phase receiver or having dual physically separate antennas, and reconstruct a plurality of phase differentials from a plurality of platform positions to produce a series of desired interferometric images of the fast moving waves.
Overview on In-Space Internet Node Testbed (ISINT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richard, Alan M.; Kachmar, Brian A.; Fabian, Theodore; Kerczewski, Robert J.

2000-01-01

The Satellite Networks and Architecture Branch has developed the In-Space Internet Node Technology testbed (ISINT) for investigating the use of commercial Internet products for NASA missions. The testbed connects two closed subnets over a tabletop Ka-band transponder by using commercial routers and modems. Since many NASA assets are in low Earth orbits (LEO's), the testbed simulates the varying signal strength, changing propagation delay, and varying connection times that are normally experienced when communicating to the Earth via a geosynchronous orbiting (GEO) communications satellite. Research results from using this testbed will be used to determine which Internet technologies are appropriate for NASA's future communication needs.
Optical design and Initial Results from The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AMMT/TEMPS Facility

PubMed Central

Grantham, Steven; Lane, Brandon; Neira, Jorge; Mekhontsev, Sergey; Vlasea, Mihaela; Hanssen, Leonard

2017-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Physical Measurement and Engineering Laboratories are jointly developing the Additive Manufacturing Measurement Testbed (AMMT)/ Temperature and Emittance of Melts, Powders and Solids (TEMPS) facilities. These facilities will be co-located on an open architecture laser-based powder bed fusion system allowing users full access to the system’s operation parameters. This will provide users with access to machine-independent monitoring and control of the powder bed fusion process. In this paper there will be emphasis on the AMMT, which incorporates in-line visible light collection optics for monitoring and feedback control of the powder bed fusion process. We shall present an overview of the AMMT/TEMPS program and its goals. The optical and mechanical design of the open architecture powder-bed fusion system and the AMMT will also be described. In addition, preliminary measurement results from the system along with the current status of the system will be described. PMID:28579666
Advanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Testbed (ADAPT) Testability Analysis Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ossenfort, John

2008-01-01

As system designs become more complex, determining the best locations to add sensors and test points for the purpose of testing and monitoring these designs becomes more difficult. Not only must the designer take into consideration all real and potential faults of the system, he or she must also find efficient ways of detecting and isolating those faults. Because sensors and cabling take up valuable space and weight on a system, and given constraints on bandwidth and power, it is even more difficult to add sensors into these complex designs after the design has been completed. As a result, a number of software tools have been developed to assist the system designer in proper placement of these sensors during the system design phase of a project. One of the key functions provided by many of these software programs is a testability analysis of the system essentially an evaluation of how observable the system behavior is using available tests. During the design phase, testability metrics can help guide the designer in improving the inherent testability of the design. This may include adding, removing, or modifying tests; breaking up feedback loops, or changing the system to reduce fault propagation. Given a set of test requirements, the analysis can also help to verify that the system will meet those requirements. Of course, a testability analysis requires that a software model of the physical system is available. For the analysis to be most effective in guiding system design, this model should ideally be constructed in parallel with these efforts. The purpose of this paper is to present the final testability results of the Advanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Testbed (ADAPT) after the system model was completed. The tool chosen to build the model and to perform the testability analysis with is the Testability Engineering and Maintenance System Designer (TEAMS-Designer). The TEAMS toolset is intended to be a solution to span all phases of the system, from design and development through health management and maintenance. TEAMS-Designer is the model-building and testability analysis software in that suite.
The computational structural mechanics testbed generic structural-element processor manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, Gary M.; Nour-Omid, Shahram

1990-01-01

The usage and development of structural finite element processors based on the CSM Testbed's Generic Element Processor (GEP) template is documented. By convention, such processors have names of the form ESi, where i is an integer. This manual is therefore intended for both Testbed users who wish to invoke ES processors during the course of a structural analysis, and Testbed developers who wish to construct new element processors (or modify existing ones).
Physically-Retrieving Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters from Ultraspectral IR Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Mango, Stephen A.; Huang, Hung-Lung

2007-01-01

A physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals from the Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign are compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). This work was motivated by the need to obtain solutions for atmospheric soundings from infrared radiances observed for every individual field of view, regardless of cloud cover, from future ultraspectral geostationary satellite sounding instruments, such as the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES). However, this retrieval approach can also be applied to the ultraspectral sounding instruments to fly on Polar satellites, such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites.
SPHERES as Formation Flight Algorithm Development and Validation Testbed: Current Progress and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, Edmund M.; Saenz-Otero, Alvar; Nolet, Simon; Berkovitz, Dustin S.; Miller, David W.; Sell, Steve W.

2004-01-01

The MIT-SSL SPHERES testbed provides a facility for the development of algorithms necessary for the success of Distributed Satellite Systems (DSS). The initial development contemplated formation flight and docking control algorithms; SPHERES now supports the study of metrology, control, autonomy, artificial intelligence, and communications algorithms and their effects on DSS projects. To support this wide range of topics, the SPHERES design contemplated the need to support multiple researchers, as echoed from both the hardware and software designs. The SPHERES operational plan further facilitates the development of algorithms by multiple researchers, while the operational locations incrementally increase the ability of the tests to operate in a representative environment. In this paper, an overview of the SPHERES testbed is first presented. The SPHERES testbed serves as a model of the design philosophies that allow for the various researches being carried out on such a facility. The implementation of these philosophies are further highlighted in the three different programs that are currently scheduled for testing onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and three that are proposed for a re-flight mission: Mass Property Identification, Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking, TPF Multiple Spacecraft Formation Flight in the first flight and Precision Optical Pointing, Tethered Formation Flight and Mars Orbit Sample Retrieval for the re-flight mission.
Planar air-bearing microgravity simulators: Review of applications, existing solutions and design parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybus, Tomasz; Seweryn, Karol

2016-03-01

All devices designed to be used in space must be thoroughly tested in relevant conditions. For several classes of devices the reduced gravity conditions are the key factor. In early stages of development and later due to financial reasons, the tests need to be done on Earth. However, in Earth conditions it is impossible to obtain a different gravity field independent on all linear and rotational spatial coordinates. Therefore, various test-bed systems are used, with their design driven by the device's specific needs. One of such test-beds are planar air-bearing microgravity simulators. In such an approach, the tested objects (e.g., manipulators intended for on-orbit operations or vehicles simulating satellites in a close formation flight) are mounted on planar air-bearings that allow almost frictionless motion on a flat surface, thus simulating microgravity conditions in two dimensions. In this paper we present a comprehensive review of research activities related to planar air-bearing microgravity simulators, demonstrating achievements of the most active research groups and describing newest trends and ideas, such as tests of landing gears for low-g bodies. Major design parameters of air-bearing test-beds are also reviewed and a list of notable existing test-beds is presented.
The Northrop Grumman External Occulter Testbed: Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, Amy; Glassman, T.; Lillie, C.

2007-05-01

We have built a subscale testbed to demonstrate and validate the performance of the New Worlds Observer (NWO), a terrestrial planet finder external-occulter mission concept. The external occulter concept allows observations of nearby exo-Earths using two spacecraft: one carrying an occulter that is tens of meters in diameter and the other carrying a generic space telescope. The occulter is completely opaque, resembling a flower, with petals having a hypergaussian profile that enable 10-10 intensity suppression of stars that potentially harbor terrestrial planets. The baseline flight NWO system has a 30 meter occulter flying 30,000 km in front of a 4 meter class telescope. Testing the flight configuration on the ground is not feasible, so we have matched the Fresnel number of the flight configuration ( 10) using a subscale occulter. Our testbed consists of an 80 meter length evacuated tube, with a high precision occulter in the center of the tube. The occulter is 4 cm in diameter, manufactured with ¼ micron metrological accuracy and less than 2 micron tip truncation. This mimics a 30 meter occulter with millimeter figure accuracy and less than centimeter tip truncation. Our testbed is an evolving experiment, and we report here the first, preliminary, results using a single wavelength laser (532 nm) as the source.
Gas Source Localization via Behaviour Based Mobile Robot and Weighted Arithmetic Mean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeon, Ahmad Shakaff Ali; Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Visvanathan, Retnam; Mamduh Syed Zakaria, Syed Muhammad; Zakaria, Ammar; Munirah Kamarudin, Latifah

2018-03-01

This work is concerned with the localization of gas source in dynamic indoor environment using a single mobile robot system. Algorithms such as Braitenberg, Zig-Zag and the combination of the two were implemented on the mobile robot as gas plume searching and tracing behaviours. To calculate the gas source location, a weighted arithmetic mean strategy was used. All experiments were done on an experimental testbed consisting of a large gas sensor array (LGSA) to monitor real-time gas concentration within the testbed. Ethanol gas was released within the testbed and the source location was marked using a pattern that can be tracked by a pattern tracking system. A pattern template was also mounted on the mobile robot to track the trajectory of the mobile robot. Measurements taken by the mobile robot and the LGSA were then compared to verify the experiments. A combined total of 36.5 hours of real time experimental runs were done and the typical results from such experiments were presented in this paper. From the results, we obtained gas source localization errors between 0.4m to 1.2m from the real source location.
A programmable laboratory testbed in support of evaluation of functional brain activation and connectivity.

PubMed

Barbour, Randall L; Graber, Harry L; Xu, Yong; Pei, Yaling; Schmitz, Christoph H; Pfeil, Douglas S; Tyagi, Anandita; Andronica, Randy; Lee, Daniel C; Barbour, San-Lian S; Nichols, J David; Pflieger, Mark E

2012-03-01

An important determinant of the value of quantitative neuroimaging studies is the reliability of the derived information, which is a function of the data collection conditions. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencelphalography are independent sensing domains that are well suited to explore principal elements of the brain's response to neuroactivation, and whose integration supports development of compact, even wearable, systems suitable for use in open environments. In an effort to maximize the translatability and utility of such resources, we have established an experimental laboratory testbed that supports measures and analysis of simulated macroscopic bioelectric and hemodynamic responses of the brain. Principal elements of the testbed include 1) a programmable anthropomorphic head phantom containing a multisignal source array embedded within a matrix that approximates the background optical and bioelectric properties of the brain, 2) integrated translatable headgear that support multimodal studies, and 3) an integrated data analysis environment that supports anatomically based mapping of experiment-derived measures that are directly and not directly observable. Here, we present a description of system components and fabrication, an overview of the analysis environment, and findings from a representative study that document the ability to experimentally validate effective connectivity models based on NIRS tomography.
Gemini Planet Imager coronagraph testbed results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivaramakrishnan, Anand; Soummer, Rémi; Oppenheimer, Ben R.; Carr, G. Lawrence; Mey, Jacob L.; Brenner, Doug; Mandeville, Charles W.; Zimmerman, Neil; Macintosh, Bruce A.; Graham, James R.; Saddlemyer, Les; Bauman, Brian; Carlotti, Alexis; Pueyo, Laurent; Tuthill, Peter G.; Dorrer, Christophe; Roberts, Robin; Greenbaum, Alexandra

2010-07-01

The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is an extreme AO coronagraphic integral field unit YJHK spectrograph destined for first light on the 8m Gemini South telescope in 2011. GPI fields a 1500 channel AO system feeding an apodized pupil Lyot coronagraph, and a nIR non-common-path slow wavefront sensor. It targets detection and characterizion of relatively young (<2GYr), self luminous planets up to 10 million times as faint as their primary star. We present the coronagraph subsystem's in-lab performance, and describe the studies required to specify and fabricate the coronagraph. Coronagraphic pupil apodization is implemented with metallic half-tone screens on glass, and the focal plane occulters are deep reactive ion etched holes in optically polished silicon mirrors. Our JH testbed achieves H-band contrast below a million at separations above 5 resolution elements, without using an AO system. We present an overview of the coronagraphic masks and our testbed coronagraphic data. We also demonstrate the performance of an astrometric and photometric grid that enables coronagraphic astrometry relative to the primary star in every exposure, a proven technique that has yielded on-sky precision of the order of a milliarsecond.

Experimental Evaluation of the Thermal Performance of a Water Shield for a Surface Power Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. Boise; Stewart, Eric T.; Reid, Robert S.

2007-01-01

A water based shielding system is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. The use of water may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. Natural convection in a representative lunar surface reactor shield design is evaluated at various power levels in the Water Shield Testbed (WST) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The experimental data from the WST is used to anchor a CFD model. Performance of a water shield on the lunar surface is then predicted by CFD models anchored to test data. The accompanying viewgraph presentation includes the following topics: 1) Testbed Configuration; 2) Core Heater Placement and Instrumentation; 3) Thermocouple Placement; 4) Core Thermocouple Placement; 5) Outer Tank Thermocouple Placement; 6) Integrated Testbed; 7) Methodology; 8) Experimental Results: Core Temperatures; 9) Experimental Results; Outer Tank Temperatures; 10) CFD Modeling; 11) CFD Model: Anchored to Experimental Results (1-g); 12) CFD MOdel: Prediction for 1/6-g; and 13) CFD Model: Comparison of 1-g to 1/6-g.
Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation | Grid Modernization |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation This project involves building a prototype distribution management system testbed that links a GE Grid Solutions distribution management system to power hardware-in-the-loop testing. This setup is
Large-Scale Cryogen Systems and Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. G.; Sass, J. P.; Hatfield, W. H.

2007-01-01

NASA has completed initial construction and verification testing of the Integrated Systems Test Facility (ISTF) Cryogenic Testbed. The ISTF is located at Complex 20 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The remote and secure location is ideally suited for the following functions: (1) development testing of advanced cryogenic component technologies, (2) development testing of concepts and processes for entire ground support systems designed for servicing large launch vehicles, and (3) commercial sector testing of cryogenic- and energy-related products and systems. The ISTF Cryogenic Testbed consists of modular fluid distribution piping and storage tanks for liquid oxygen/nitrogen (56,000 gal) and liquid hydrogen (66,000 gal). Storage tanks for liquid methane (41,000 gal) and Rocket Propellant 1 (37,000 gal) are also specified for the facility. A state-of-the-art blast proof test command and control center provides capability for remote operation, video surveillance, and data recording for all test areas.
Experimental validation of docking and capture using space robotics testbeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spofford, John; Schmitz, Eric; Hoff, William

1991-01-01

This presentation describes the application of robotic and computer vision systems to validate docking and capture operations for space cargo transfer vehicles. Three applications are discussed: (1) air bearing systems in two dimensions that yield high quality free-flying, flexible, and contact dynamics; (2) validation of docking mechanisms with misalignment and target dynamics; and (3) computer vision technology for target location and real-time tracking. All the testbeds are supported by a network of engineering workstations for dynamic and controls analyses. Dynamic simulation of multibody rigid and elastic systems are performed with the TREETOPS code. MATRIXx/System-Build and PRO-MATLAB/Simulab are the tools for control design and analysis using classical and modern techniques such as H-infinity and LQG/LTR. SANDY is a general design tool to optimize numerically a multivariable robust compensator with a user-defined structure. Mathematica and Macsyma are used to derive symbolically dynamic and kinematic equations.
The Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT) I: Overview and Air-side System Description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Brian A.; Lyon, Richard G.; Petrone, Peter, III; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Bolognese, Jeff; Clampin, Mark; Dogoda, Peter; Dworzanski, Daniel; Helmbrecht, Michael A.; Koca, Corina;

2016-01-01

This work presents an overview of the This work presents an overview of the Segmented Aperture Interferometric Nulling Testbed (SAINT), a project that will pair an actively-controlled macro-scale segmented mirror with the Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC). SAINT will incorporate the VNCs demonstrated wavefront sensing and control system to refine and quantify the end-to-end system performance for high-contrast starlight suppression. This pathfinder system will be used as a tool to study and refine approaches to mitigating instabilities and complex diffraction expected from future large segmented aperture telescopes., a project that will pair an actively-controlled macro-scale segmented mirror with the Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC). SAINT will incorporate the VNCs demonstrated wavefront sensing and control system to refine and quantify the end-to-end system performance for high-contrast starlight suppression. This pathfinder system will be used as a tool to study and refine approaches to mitigating instabilities and complex diffraction expected from future large segmented aperture telescopes.

Hardening surveillance illumination using aircraft antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donohoe, J. P.; Taylor, C. D.

1990-06-01

Aircraft maintenance depots and main operating bases need to be able to perform quick checks of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) hardness of their systems without removing them from service for any length of time. Preliminary tests have shown that the onboard HF antennas of the EMP Test-Bed Aircraft (EMPTAC) may be capable of providing the HF excitation required to effectively monitor the EMP hardness of aircraft systems. The surface current and charge distributions on the EMPTAC which result from swept frequency excitation of the HF radio antennas are computed over a range of 0.5 to 100 MHz using various antenna drive configurations. The computational analysis is performed by using two separate frequency-dependent techniques: the method-of-moments technique and the physical optics approximation. These calculations are then compared with the excitation provided from an overhead plane wave and with measured data from EMPTAC tests.
Magnetic field advection in two interpenetrating plasma streams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryutov, D. D.; Kugland, N. L.; Levy, M. C.

2013-03-15

Laser-generated colliding plasma streams can serve as a test-bed for the study of various astrophysical phenomena and the general physics of self-organization. For streams of a sufficiently high kinetic energy, collisions between the ions of one stream with the ions of the other stream are negligible, and the streams can penetrate through each other. On the other hand, the intra-stream collisions for high-Mach-number flows can still be very frequent, so that each stream can be described hydrodynamically. This paper presents an analytical study of the effects that these interpenetrating streams have on large-scale magnetic fields either introduced by external coilsmore » or generated in the plasma near the laser targets. Specifically, a problem of the frozen-in constraint is assessed and paradoxical features of the field advection in this system are revealed. A possibility of using this system for studies of magnetic reconnection is mentioned.« less
Intelligent Data Reduction (IDARE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, D. Michael; Ford, Donnie R.

1990-01-01

A description of the Intelligent Data Reduction (IDARE) expert system and an IDARE user's manual are given. IDARE is a data reduction system with the addition of a user profile infrastructure. The system was tested on a nickel-cadmium battery testbed. Information is given on installing, loading, maintaining the IDARE system.
Description of real-time Ada software implementation of a power system monitor for the Space Station Freedom PMAD DC testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludwig, Kimberly; Mackin, Michael; Wright, Theodore

1991-01-01

The Ada language software development to perform the electrical system monitoring functions for the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC testbed is described. The results of the effort to implement this monitor are presented. The PMAD DC testbed is a reduced-scale prototype of the electrical power system to be used in the Space Station Freedom. The power is controlled by smart switches known as power control components (or switchgear). The power control components are currently coordinated by five Compaq 382/20e computers connected through an 802.4 local area network. One of these computers is designated as the control node with the other four acting as subsidiary controllers. The subsidiary controllers are connected to the power control components with a Mil-Std-1553 network. An operator interface is supplied by adding a sixth computer. The power system monitor algorithm is comprised of several functions including: periodic data acquisition, data smoothing, system performance analysis, and status reporting. Data is collected from the switchgear sensors every 100 milliseconds, then passed through a 2 Hz digital filter. System performance analysis includes power interruption and overcurrent detection. The reporting mechanism notifies an operator of any abnormalities in the system. Once per second, the system monitor provides data to the control node for further processing, such as state estimation. The system monitor required a hardware time interrupt to activate the data acquisition function. The execution time of the code was optimized using an assembly language routine. The routine allows direct vectoring of the processor to Ada language procedures that perform periodic control activities. A summary of the advantages and side effects of this technique are discussed.
Capability Description for NASA's F/A-18 TN 853 as a Testbed for the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Curt

2009-01-01

The NASA F/A-18 tail number (TN) 853 full-scale Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) testbed has been designed with a full array of capabilities in support of the Aviation Safety Program. Highlights of the system's capabilities include: 1) a quad-redundant research flight control system for safely interfacing controls experiments to the aircraft's control surfaces; 2) a dual-redundant airborne research test system for hosting multi-disciplinary state-of-the-art adaptive control experiments; 3) a robust reversionary configuration for recovery from unusual attitudes and configurations; 4) significant research instrumentation, particularly in the area of static loads; 5) extensive facilities for experiment simulation, data logging, real-time monitoring and post-flight analysis capabilities; and 6) significant growth capability in terms of interfaces and processing power.
Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-12-31

This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit & The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression & Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ & Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II & SIMOBJECT -- anmore » Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies.« less
Optical performance of prototype horn-coupled TES bolometer arrays for SAFARI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audley, Michael D.; de Lange, Gert; Gao, Jian-Rong; Khosropanah, Pourya; Hijmering, Richard; Ridder, Marcel L.

2016-07-01

The SAFARI Detector Test Facility is an ultra-low background optical testbed for characterizing ultra-sensitive prototype horn-coupled TES bolmeters for SAFARI, the grating spectrometer on board the proposed SPICA satellite. The testbed contains internal cold and hot black-body illuminators and a light-pipe for illumination with an external source. We have added reimaging optics to facilitate array optical measurements. The system is now being used for optical testing of prototype detector arrays read out with frequency-domain multiplexing. We present our latest optical measurements of prototype arrays and discuss these in terms of the instrument performance.
Performance Sensitivity Studies on the PIAA Implementation of the High-Contrast Imaging Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidick, Erkin; Lou, John; Shaklan, Stuart; Levine, Marie

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the sensitivity studies on the Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA), or pupil mapping using the High-Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT). PIAA is a promising technique in high-dynamic range stellar coronagraph. This presentation reports on the investigation of the effects of the phase and rigid-body errors of various optics on the narrowband contrast performance of the PIAA/HCIT hybrid system. The results have shown that the 2-step wavefront control method utilizing 2-DMs is quite effective in compensating the effects of realistic phase and rigid-body errors of various optics
Development and Validation of the Air Force Cyber Intruder Alert Testbed (CIAT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-27

Validation of the Air Force Cyber Intruder Alert Testbed (CIAT) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8650-16-C-6722 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...network analysts. Therefore, a new cyber STE focused on network analysts called the Air Force Cyber Intruder Alert Testbed (CIAT) was developed. This...Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18 Development and Validation of the Air Force Cyber Intruder Alert Testbed (CIAT) Gregory Funke, Gregory Dye, Brett Borghetti
Closing the contrast gap between testbed and model prediction with WFIRST-CGI shaped pupil coronagraph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hanying; Nemati, Bijan; Krist, John; Cady, Eric; Prada, Camilo M.; Kern, Brian; Poberezhskiy, Ilya

2016-07-01

JPL has recently passed an important milestone in its technology development for a proposed NASA WFIRST mission coronagraph: demonstration of better than 1x10-8 contrast over broad bandwidth (10%) on both shaped pupil coronagraph (SPC) and hybrid Lyot coronagraph (HLC) testbeds with the WFIRST obscuration pattern. Challenges remain, however, in the technology readiness for the proposed mission. One is the discrepancies between the achieved contrasts on the testbeds and their corresponding model predictions. A series of testbed diagnoses and modeling activities were planned and carried out on the SPC testbed in order to close the gap. A very useful tool we developed was a derived "measured" testbed wavefront control Jacobian matrix that could be compared with the model-predicted "control" version that was used to generate the high contrast dark hole region in the image plane. The difference between these two is an estimate of the error in the control Jacobian. When the control matrix, which includes both amplitude and phase, was modified to reproduce the error, the simulated performance closely matched the SPC testbed behavior in both contrast floor and contrast convergence speed. This is a step closer toward model validation for high contrast coronagraphs. Further Jacobian analysis and modeling provided clues to the possible sources for the mismatch: DM misregistration and testbed optical wavefront error (WFE) and the deformable mirror (DM) setting for correcting this WFE. These analyses suggested that a high contrast coronagraph has a tight tolerance in the accuracy of its control Jacobian. Modifications to both testbed control model as well as prediction model are being implemented, and future works are discussed.
A Test-Bed Configuration: Toward an Autonomous System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocaña, F.; Castillo, M.; Uranga, E.; Ponz, J. D.; TBT Consortium

2015-09-01

In the context of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) program of ESA, it is foreseen to deploy several large robotic telescopes in remote locations to provide surveillance and tracking services for man-made as well as natural near-Earth objects (NEOs). The present project, termed Telescope Test Bed (TBT) is being developed under ESA's General Studies and Technology Programme, and shall implement a test-bed for the validation of an autonomous optical observing system in a realistic scenario, consisting of two telescopes located in Spain and Australia, to collect representative test data for precursor NEO services. In order to fulfill all the security requirements for the TBT project, the use of a autonomous emergency system (AES) is foreseen to monitor the control system. The AES will monitor remotely the health of the observing system and the internal and external environment. It will incorporate both autonomous and interactive actuators to force the protection of the system (i.e., emergency dome close out).
Energy Systems Integration: Demonstrating Distribution Feeder Voltage Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2017-01-01

Overview fact sheet about the Smarter Grid Solutions Integrated Network Testbed for Energy Grid Research and Technology Experimentation (INTEGRATE) project at the Energy Systems Integration Facility. INTEGRATE is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Modernization Initiative.
Energy Systems Integration: Demonstrating Distributed Grid-Edge Control Hierarchy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2017-01-01

Overview fact sheet about the OMNETRIC Group Integrated Network Testbed for Energy Grid Research and Technology Experimentation (INTEGRATE) project at the Energy Systems Integration Facility. INTEGRATE is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Modernization Initiative.
Matching vehicle responses using the model-following control method

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-24

The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) is presently being developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It is being designed to have a steer-by-wire" front steering system and an independent rear steering system. Th...
The Orlando TDWR testbed and airborne wind shear date comparison results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Steven; Berke, Anthony; Matthews, Michael

1992-01-01

The focus of this talk is on comparing terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) and airborne wind shear data in computing a microburst hazard index called the F factor. The TDWR is a ground-based system for detecting wind shear hazards to aviation in the terminal area. The Federal Aviation Administration will begin deploying TDWR units near 45 airports in late 1992. As part of this development effort, M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory operates under F.A.A. support a TDWR testbed radar in Orlando, FL. During the past two years, a series of flight tests has been conducted with instrumented aircraft penetrating microburst events while under testbed radar surveillance. These tests were carried out with a Cessna Citation 2 aircraft operated by the University of North Dakota (UND) Center for Aerospace Sciences in 1990, and a Boeing 737 operated by NASA Langley Research Center in 1991. A large data base of approximately 60 instrumented microburst penetrations has been obtained from these flights.

Aviation Communications Emulation Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheehe, Charles; Mulkerin, Tom

2004-01-01

Aviation related applications that rely upon datalink for information exchange are increasingly being developed and deployed. The increase in the quantity of applications and associated data communications will expose problems and issues to resolve. NASA s Glenn Research Center has prepared to study the communications issues that will arise as datalink applications are employed within the National Airspace System (NAS) by developing an aviation communications emulation testbed. The Testbed is evolving and currently provides the hardware and software needed to study the communications impact of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and surveillance applications in a densely populated environment. The communications load associated with up to 160 aircraft transmitting and receiving ATC and surveillance data can be generated in realtime in a sequence similar to what would occur in the NAS. The ATC applications that can be studied are the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network s (ATN) Context Management (CM) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). The Surveillance applications are Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) and Traffic Information Services - Broadcast (TIS-B).
The Langley Research Center CSI phase-0 evolutionary model testbed-design and experimental results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. K.; Horta, Lucas G.; Elliott, K. B.

1991-01-01

A testbed for the development of Controls Structures Interaction (CSI) technology is described. The design philosophy, capabilities, and early experimental results are presented to introduce some of the ongoing CSI research at NASA-Langley. The testbed, referred to as the Phase 0 version of the CSI Evolutionary model (CEM), is the first stage of model complexity designed to show the benefits of CSI technology and to identify weaknesses in current capabilities. Early closed loop test results have shown non-model based controllers can provide an order of magnitude increase in damping in the first few flexible vibration modes. Model based controllers for higher performance will need to be robust to model uncertainty as verified by System ID tests. Data are presented that show finite element model predictions of frequency differ from those obtained from tests. Plans are also presented for evolution of the CEM to study integrated controller and structure design as well as multiple payload dynamics.
High-contrast Imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HICAT): II. Design overview and first light results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

N'Diaye, Mamadou; Choquet, Elodie; Egron, Sylvain; Pueyo, Laurent; Leboulleux, Lucie; Levecq, Olivier; Perrin, Marshall D.; Elliot, Erin; Wallace, J. Kent; Hugot, Emmanuel; Marcos, Michel; Ferrari, Marc; Long, Chris A.; Anderson, Rachel; DiFelice, Audrey; Soummer, Rémi

2014-08-01

We present a new high-contrast imaging testbed designed to provide complete solutions in wavefront sensing, control and starlight suppression with complex aperture telescopes. The testbed was designed to enable a wide range of studies of the effects of such telescope geometries, with primary mirror segmentation, central obstruction, and spiders. The associated diffraction features in the point spread function make high-contrast imaging more challenging. In particular the testbed will be compatible with both AFTA-like and ATLAST-like aperture shapes, respectively on-axis monolithic, and on-axis segmented telescopes. The testbed optical design was developed using a novel approach to define the layout and surface error requirements to minimize amplitude induced errors at the target contrast level performance. In this communication we compare the as-built surface errors for each optic to their specifications based on end-to-end Fresnel modelling of the testbed. We also report on the testbed optical and optomechanical alignment performance, coronagraph design and manufacturing, and preliminary first light results.
Physics of Stellar Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnett, W. David

2009-05-01

We review recent progress using numerical simulations as a testbed for development of a theory of stellar convection, much as envisaged by John von Newmann. Necessary features of the theory, non-locality and fluctuations, are illustrated by computer movies. It is found that the common approximation of convection as a diffusive process presents the wrong physical picture, and improvements are suggested. New observational results discussed at the conference are gratifying in their validation of some of our theoretical ideas, especially the idea that SNIb and SNIc events are related to the explosion of massive star cores which have been stripped by mass loss and binary interactions [1
Detection of Social Interaction in Smart Spaces.

PubMed

Cook, Diane J; Crandall, Aaron; Singla, Geetika; Thomas, Brian

2010-02-01

The pervasive sensing technologies found in smart environments offer unprecedented opportunities for monitoring and assisting the individuals who live and work in these spaces. An aspect of daily life that is important for one's emotional and physical health is social interaction. In this paper we investigate the use of smart environment technologies to detect and analyze interactions in smart spaces. We introduce techniques for collect and analyzing sensor information in smart environments to help in interpreting resident behavior patterns and determining when multiple residents are interacting. The effectiveness of our techniques is evaluated using two physical smart environment testbeds.
Detection of Social Interaction in Smart Spaces

PubMed Central

Cook, Diane J.; Crandall, Aaron; Singla, Geetika; Thomas, Brian

2010-01-01

The pervasive sensing technologies found in smart environments offer unprecedented opportunities for monitoring and assisting the individuals who live and work in these spaces. An aspect of daily life that is important for one's emotional and physical health is social interaction. In this paper we investigate the use of smart environment technologies to detect and analyze interactions in smart spaces. We introduce techniques for collect and analyzing sensor information in smart environments to help in interpreting resident behavior patterns and determining when multiple residents are interacting. The effectiveness of our techniques is evaluated using two physical smart environment testbeds. PMID:20953347
Hybrid Lyot coronagraph for WFIRST: high-contrast broadband testbed demonstration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Byoung-Joon; Cady, Eric; Gordon, Brian; Kern, Brian; Lam, Raymond; Marx, David; Moody, Dwight; Muller, Richard; Patterson, Keith; Poberezhskiy, Ilya; Mejia Prada, Camilo; Sidick, Erkin; Shi, Fang; Trauger, John; Wilson, Daniel

2017-09-01

Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC) is one of the two operating modes of the Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) coronagraph instrument. Since being selected by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in December 2013, the coronagraph technology is being matured to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 by 2018. To demonstrate starlight suppression in presence of expecting on-orbit input wavefront disturbances, we have built a dynamic testbed in Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 2016. This testbed, named as Occulting Mask Coronagraph (OMC) testbed, is designed analogous to the WFIRST flight instrument architecture: It has both HLC and Shape Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) architectures, and also has the Low Order Wavefront Sensing and Control (LOWFS/C) subsystem to sense and correct the dynamic wavefront disturbances. We present upto-date progress of HLC mode demonstration in the OMC testbed. SPC results will be reported separately. We inject the flight-like Line of Sight (LoS) and Wavefront Error (WFE) perturbation to the OMC testbed and demonstrate wavefront control using two deformable mirrors while the LOWFS/C is correcting those perturbation in our vacuum testbed. As a result, we obtain repeatable convergence below 5 × 10-9 mean contrast with 10% broadband light centered at 550 nm in the 360 degrees dark hole with working angle between 3 λ/D and 9 λ/D. We present the key hardware and software used in the testbed, the performance results and their comparison to model expectations.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ozgur, Utku; Tonyali, Samet; Akkaya, Kemal

Although smart meters are deployed in a lot of countries as a result of aiming to make the power grid more resilient and efficient, the data collection process from smart meters in Smart Grid (SG) has still challenges that relate to consumer privacy. Referred to as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), the data collected and transmitted through this AMI can leak sensitive information about the consumers if it is sent as plaintext. While a number of solutions have been proposed in the past, the deployment of these solutions in real-life was not possible since the actual AMIs were not accessible tomore » researchers. Therefore, a lot of solutions relied on simulations which may not be able to capture the performance of these solutions. In this paper, we pick a widely used homomorphic-based aggregation and implement it in a realistic testbed so that it can be compared with a simulation-based solution. Specifically, we develop a system that provides privacy with the Paillier cryptosystem and twofactor authentication with ECDSA and OpenSSL certificates. In order to test the system, an IEEE 802.11s-based SG AMI network testbed is constructed with Beaglebone Black boards that imitate the behavior of smart meters. The same network is also simulated in widely used ns-3. The results showed that ns-3 simulation and testbed results are parallel in most cases and the proposed system can perform effectively. However, there are still many differences that need to be taken into account in deploying real systems.« less
ATM technology and beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheung, Nim K.

1993-01-01

Networks based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) are expected to provide cost-effective and ubiquitous infrastructure to support broadband and multimedia services. In this paper, we give an overview of the ATM standards and its associated physical layer transport technologies. We use the experimental HIPPI-ATM-SONET (HAS) interface in the Nectar Gigabit Testbed to illustrate how one can use the SONET/ATM public network to provide transport for bursty gigabit applications.
DARPA Quantum Network Testbed

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

End-to-End Security with Photonic Switching...............................28 8.4 Year 3 – Adding a Link that implements Entanglement -Based QKD... entangled photon pairs at 1550nm. • Built a highspeed (~10 MHz) physical random number generator, and integrated it into Bob. This design provides an...each kind of photonic setup in the Quantum Network, i.e., over time it will grow to include descriptions of the weak-coherent link, the entangled
Diagnostic Algorithm Benchmarking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poll, Scott

2011-01-01

A poster for the NASA Aviation Safety Program Annual Technical Meeting. It describes empirical benchmarking on diagnostic algorithms using data from the ADAPT Electrical Power System testbed and a diagnostic software framework.
Fast-steering solutions for cubesat-scale optical communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kingsbury, R. W.; Nguyen, T.; Riesing, K.; Cahoy, K.

2017-11-01

We describe the design of a compact free-space optical communications module for use on a nanosatellite and present results from a detailed trade study to select an optical fine steering mechanism compatible with our stringent size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints. This mechanism is an integral component of the compact free-space optical communications system that is under development at the MIT Space Systems Laboratory [1]. The overall goal of this project is to develop a laser communications (lasercom) payload that fits within the SWaP constraints of a typical ``3U'' CubeSat. The SWaP constraints for the entire lasercom payload are 5 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm, 600 g and 10W. Although other efforts are underway to qualify MEMS deformable mirrors for use in CubeSats [2], there has been very little work towards qualifying tip-tilt MEMS mirrors [3]. Sec. II provides additional information on how the fast steering mechanism is used in our lasercom system. Performance requirements and desirable traits of the mechanism are given. In Sec. III we describe the various types of compact tip-tilt mirrors that are commercially available as well as the justification for selecting a MEMS-based device for our application. Sec. IV presents an analysis of the device's transfer function characteristics and ways of predicting this behavior that are suitable for use in the control processor. This analysis is based upon manufacturer-provided test data which was collected at standard room conditions. In the final section, we describe on-going work to build a testbed that will be used to measure device performance in a thermal chamber.
Development of a flexible test-bed for robotics, telemanipulation and servicing research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Barry F.

1989-01-01

The development of a flexible operation test-bed, based around a commercially available ASEA industrial robot is described. The test-bed was designed to investigate fundamental human factors issues concerned with the unique problems of robotic manipulation in the hostile environment of Space.
Adaptive Control Strategies for Flexible Robotic Arm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bialasiewicz, Jan T.

1996-01-01

The control problem of a flexible robotic arm has been investigated. The control strategies that have been developed have a wide application in approaching the general control problem of flexible space structures. The following control strategies have been developed and evaluated: neural self-tuning control algorithm, neural-network-based fuzzy logic control algorithm, and adaptive pole assignment algorithm. All of the above algorithms have been tested through computer simulation. In addition, the hardware implementation of a computer control system that controls the tip position of a flexible arm clamped on a rigid hub mounted directly on the vertical shaft of a dc motor, has been developed. An adaptive pole assignment algorithm has been applied to suppress vibrations of the described physical model of flexible robotic arm and has been successfully tested using this testbed.
A multi-conjugate adaptive optics testbed using two MEMS deformable mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Jonathan R.; Martinez, Ty; Teare, Scott W.; Restaino, Sergio R.; Wilcox, Christopher C.; Santiago, Freddie; Payne, Don M.

2011-03-01

Adaptive optics (AO) systems are well demonstrated in the literature with both laboratory and real-world systems being developed. Some of these systems have employed MEMS deformable mirrors as their active corrective element. More recent work in AO for astronomical applications has focused on providing correction in more than one conjugate plane. Additionally, horizontal path AO systems are exploring correction in multiple conjugate planes. This provides challenges for a laboratory system as the aberrations need to be generated and corrected in more than one plane in the optical system. Our work with compact AO systems employing MEMS technology in addition to liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) driven aberration generators has been scaled up to a two conjugate plane testbed. Using two SLM based aberration generators and two separate wavefront sensors, the system can apply correction with two MEMS deformable mirrors. The challenges in such a system are to properly match non-identical components and weight the correction algorithm for correcting in two planes. This paper demonstrates preliminary results and analysis with this system with wavefront data and residual error measurements.
Design Reference Missions (DRM): Integrated ODM 'Air-Taxi' Mission Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kloesel, Kurt; Starr, Ginn; Saltzman, John A.

2017-01-01

Design Reference Missions (DRM): Integrated ODM Air-Taxi Mission Features, Hybrid Electric Integrated System Testbed (HEIST) flight control. Structural Health, Energy Storage, Electric Components, Loss of Control, Degraded Systems, System Health, Real-Time IO Operator Geo-Fencing, Regional Noise Abatement and Trusted Autonomy Inter-operability.
Computer graphics testbed to simulate and test vision systems for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheatham, John B.

1991-01-01

Research activity has shifted from computer graphics and vision systems to the broader scope of applying concepts of artificial intelligence to robotics. Specifically, the research is directed toward developing Artificial Neural Networks, Expert Systems, and Laser Imaging Techniques for Autonomous Space Robots.
Development of the CODER System: A Testbed for Artificial Intelligence Methods in Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Edward A.

1987-01-01

Discusses the CODER system, which was developed to investigate the application of artificial intelligence methods to increase the effectiveness of information retrieval systems, particularly those involving heterogeneous documents. Highlights include the use of PROLOG programing, blackboard-based designs, knowledge engineering, lexicological…
An agent-oriented approach to automated mission operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truszkowski, Walt; Odubiyi, Jide

1994-01-01

As we plan for the next generation of Mission Operations Control Center (MOCC) systems, there are many opportunities for the increased utilization of innovative knowledge-based technologies. The innovative technology discussed is an advanced use of agent-oriented approaches to the automation of mission operations. The paper presents an overview of this technology and discusses applied operational scenarios currently being investigated and prototyped. A major focus of the current work is the development of a simple user mechanism that would empower operations staff members to create, in real time, software agents to assist them in common, labor intensive operations tasks. These operational tasks would include: handling routine data and information management functions; amplifying the capabilities of a spacecraft analyst/operator to rapidly identify, analyze, and correct spacecraft anomalies by correlating complex data/information sets and filtering error messages; improving routine monitoring and trend analysis by detecting common failure signatures; and serving as a sentinel for spacecraft changes during critical maneuvers enhancing the system's capabilities to support nonroutine operational conditions with minimum additional staff. An agent-based testbed is under development. This testbed will allow us to: (1) more clearly understand the intricacies of applying agent-based technology in support of the advanced automation of mission operations and (2) access the full set of benefits that can be realized by the proper application of agent-oriented technology in a mission operations environment. The testbed under development addresses some of the data management and report generation functions for the Explorer Platform (EP)/Extreme UltraViolet Explorer (EUVE) Flight Operations Team (FOT). We present an overview of agent-oriented technology and a detailed report on the operation's concept for the testbed.
A HEL Testbed for High Accuracy Beam Pointing and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

Control by Dojong Kim, Duane Frist, Jae Jun Kim, Brij Agrawal 01 July 2009 Approved for......distant targets immediately. The issues of the technology on the HEL system include various types of high energy laser devices, beam control systems

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