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At least 217 records · Page 12

Improving a data-acquisition software system with abstract data type components

Abstract data types and object-oriented design are active research areas in computer science and software engineering. Much of the interest is aimed at new software development. Abstract data type packages developed for a discontinued software project were used to improve a real-time data-acquisition system under maintenance. The result saved effort and contributed to a significant improvement in the performance, maintainability, and reliability of the Goldstone Solar System Radar Data Acquisition System.

Howard, S. D.↗

The evolution of the FIGARO data reduction system

The Figaro data reduction system originated at Caltech around 1983. It was based on concepts being developed in the U.K. by the Starlink organization, particularly the use of hierarchical self-defining data structures and the abstraction of most user-interaction into a set of 'parameter system' routines. Since 1984 it has continued to be developed at AAO, in collaboration with Starlink and Caltech. It was adopted as Starlink's main spectroscopic data reduction package, although it is by no means limited to spectra; it has operations for images and data cubes and even a few (very specialized) for four-dimensional data hypercubes. It continued to be used at Caltech and will be used at the Keck. It is also in use at a variety of other organizations around the world. Figaro was originally a system for VMS Vaxes. Recently it was ported (at Caltech) to run on SUN's, and work is underway at the University of New South Wales on a DecStation version. It is hoped to coordinate all this work into a unified release, but coordination of the development of a system by organizations covering three continents poses a number of interesting administrative problems. The hierarchical data structures used by Figaro allow it to handle a variety of types of data, and to add new items to data structures. Error and data quality information was added to the basic file format used, error information being particularly useful for infrared data. Cooperating sets of programs can add specific sub-structures to data files to carry information that they understand (polarimetry data containing multiple data arrays, for example), without this affecting the way other programs handle the files. Complex instrument-specific ancillary information can be added to data files written at a telescope and can be used by programs that understand the instrumental details in order to produce properly calibrated data files. Once this preliminary data processing was done the resulting files contain 'ordinary' spectra or images that can be processed by programs that are not instrument-specific. The structures holding the instrumental information can then be discarded from the files. Much effort has gone into trying to make it easy to write Figaro programs; data access subroutines are now available to handle access to all the conventional items found in Figaro files (main data arrays, error information, quality information etc), and programs that only need to access such items can be very simple indeed. A large number of Figaro users do indeed write their own Figaro applications using these routines. The fact that Figaro programs are written as callable subroutines getting information from the user through a small set of parameter routines means that they can be invoked in numerous ways; they are normally linked and run as individual programs (called by a small main routine that is generated automatically), but are also available linked to run under the ADAM data acquisition system and there is an interface that lets them be called as part of a user-written Fortran program. The long-term future of Figaro probably depends to a large extent on how successfully it manages the transition from being a VMS-only system to being a multi-platform system.

Shortridge, K.↗

Investigations of medium wavelength magnetic anomalies in the eastern Pacific using MAGSAT data

The computer program package for dealing with MAGSAT data was refined and a program listing and deck of cards was forwarded for use by interested investigators. Instead of doing equivalent source calculations, it is proposed to use spherical harmonics to model the observed data since spherical harmonic functions are orthogonal and addition of higher degree and order harmonics can be done without recalculation of the harmonics of lower degree and order already calculated. These functions are much more easy to manipulate in that the height of the term of the observation can be taken care of with great facility. Downward calculation (after suitable filtering) can also be performed very simply.

Harrison, C. G. A.↗

BOREAS RSS-14 Level-1a GOES-8 Visible, IR and Water Vapor Images

The BOREAS RSS-14 team collected and processed several GOES-7 and GOES-8 image data sets that covered the BOREAS study region. The level-1a GOES-8 images were created by BORIS personnel from the level-1 images delivered by FSU personnel. The data cover 14-Jul-1995 to 21-Sep-1995 and 12-Feb-1996 to 03-Oct-1996. The data start out as three bands with 8-bit pixel values and end up as five bands with 10-bit pixel values. No major problems with the data have been identified. The differences between the level-1 and level-1a GOES-8 data are the formatting and packaging of the data. The images missing from the temporal series of level-1 GOES-8 images were zero-filled by BORIS staff to create files consistent in size and format. In addition, BORIS staff packaged all the images of a given type from a given day into a single file, removed the header information from the individual level-1 files, and placed it into a single descriptive ASCII header file. The data are contained in binary image format files. Due to the large size of the images, the level-1a GOES-8 data are not contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory listing file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of what data were collected. The level-1a GOES-8 image data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). See sections 15 and 16 for more information. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Hall, Forrest G.↗

Neural Network Prototyping Package Within IRAF

The purpose of this contract was to develop a neural network package within the IRAF environment to allow users to easily understand and use different neural network algorithms the analysis of astronomical data. The package was developed for use within IRAF to allow portability to different computing environments and to provide a familiar and easy to use interface with the routines. In addition to developing the software and supporting documentation, we planned to use the system for the analysis of several sample problems to prove its viability and usefulness.

Bazell, David↗

A flexible CAMAC based data system for Space Shuttle scientific instruments

An effort has been made within NASA to produce a low-cost modular system for implementation of Shuttle payloads based on the CAMAC standards for packaging and data transfer. A key element of such a modular system is a means for controlling the data system, collecting and processing the data for transmission to the ground, and issuing commands to the instrument either from the ground or based on the data collected. A description is presented of such a means based on a network of digital processors and CAMAC crate controllers, which allows for the implementation of instruments ranging from those requiring only a single CAMAC crate of functional modules and no data processing to ones requiring multiple crates and multiple data processors.

Ehrmann, C. H.↗

NASA information systems commonality and convergence

Efforts to identify high payback functions performed by the Office of Space Science Applications (OSSA) data systems package existing operationally proven implementations as system building blocks and foster their use in the OSSA environment. An overview is given of the current state of OSSA data systems and the major challenges facing system developers over the next five years. Current trends in system commonality are discussed, and development is examined in the context of system design. Central system engineering approaches to solving the commonality and interoperability challenges are described. Efforts to package three diverse building blocks and to foster their reuse are documented.

Handley, Thomas H., Jr.↗

AXAF user interfaces for heterogeneous analysis environments

The AXAF Science Center (ASC) will develop software to support all facets of data center activities and user research for the AXAF X-ray Observatory, scheduled for launch in 1999. The goal is to provide astronomers with the ability to utilize heterogeneous data analysis packages, that is, to allow astronomers to pick the best packages for doing their scientific analysis. For example, ASC software will be based on IRAF, but non-IRAF programs will be incorporated into the data system where appropriate. Additionally, it is desired to allow AXAF users to mix ASC software with their own local software. The need to support heterogeneous analysis environments is not special to the AXAF project, and therefore finding mechanisms for coordinating heterogeneous programs is an important problem for astronomical software today. The approach to solving this problem has been to develop two interfaces that allow the scientific user to run heterogeneous programs together. The first is an IRAF-compatible parameter interface that provides non-IRAF programs with IRAF's parameter handling capabilities. Included in the interface is an application programming interface to manipulate parameters from within programs, and also a set of host programs to manipulate parameters at the command line or from within scripts. The parameter interface has been implemented to support parameter storage formats other than IRAF parameter files, allowing one, for example, to access parameters that are stored in data bases. An X Windows graphical user interface called 'agcl' has been developed, layered on top of the IRAF-compatible parameter interface, that provides a standard graphical mechanism for interacting with IRAF and non-IRAF programs. Users can edit parameters and run programs for both non-IRAF programs and IRAF tasks. The agcl interface allows one to communicate with any command line environment in a transparent manner and without any changes to the original environment. For example, the authors routinely layer the GUI on top of IRAF, ksh, SMongo, and IDL. The agcl, based on the facilities of a system called Answer Garden, also has sophisticated support for examining documentation and help files, asking questions of experts, and developing a knowledge base of frequently required information. Thus, the GUI becomes a total environment for running programs, accessing information, examining documents, and finding human assistance. Because the agcl can communicate with any command-line environment, most projects can make use of it easily. New applications are continually being found for these interfaces. It is the authors' intention to evolve the GUI and its underlying parameter interface in response to these needs - from users as well as developers - throughout the astronomy community. This presentation describes the capabilities and technology of the above user interface mechanisms and tools. It also discusses the design philosophies guiding the work, as well as hopes for the future.

Mandel, Eric↗

Facilitating information transfer in the EOS era

A simple interactive demonstration program has been written in C to allow a user to input data field descriptions as label format. This program generates a full RECFMT (record format) description and the complete transfer syntax description notation (TSDN) file. It is intended that this program be upgraded to operational quality and be made available to users to simplify the description and TSDN file construction task. The total set of capabilities, from the standard formatted data unit packaging of related files and consistent segment structures, through the type definition techniques and the call server, will constitute a unique tool for the systematic transfer of data. This software on each end may be independent, one end from the other. With it available, local software that will be needed to convert user files to and from the canonical interface will be appreciably simplified.

Billingsley, Frederic C.↗

User's Guide for Flight Simulation Data Visualization Workstation

Today's modern flight simulation research produces vast amounts of time sensitive data. The meaning of this data can be difficult to assess while in its raw format. Therefore, a method of breaking the data down and presenting it to the user in a graphical format is necessary. Simulation Graphics (SimGraph) is intended as a data visualization software package that will incorporate simulation data into a variety of animated graphical displays for easy interpretation by the simulation researcher. This document is intended as an end user's guide.

Kaplan, Joseph A.↗

Development of a Flight Simulation Data Visualization Workstation

Today's moderm flight simulation research produces vast amounts of time sensitive data. The meaning of this data can be difficult to assess while in its raw format . Therefore, a method of breaking the data down and presenting it to the user in a graphical format is necessary. Simulation Graphics (SimGraph) is intended as a data visualization software package that will incorporate simulation data into a variety of animated graphical displays for easy interpretation by the simulation researcher. Although it was created for the flight simulation facilities at NASA Langley Research Center, SimGraph can be reconfigured to almost any data visualization environment. This paper traces the design, development and implementation of the SimGraph program, and is intended to be a programmer's reference guide.

Kaplan, Joseph A.↗

Mars Observer data production, transfer, and archival: The data production assembly line

This paper describes the data production, transfer, and archival process designed for the Mars Observer Flight Project. It addresses the developmental and operational aspects of the archive collection production process. The developmental aspects cover the design and packaging of data products for archival and distribution to the planetary community. Also discussed is the design and development of a data transfer and volume production process capable of handling the large throughput and complexity of the Mars Observer data products. The operational aspects cover the main functions of the process: creating data and engineering products, collecting the data products and ancillary products in a central repository, producing archive volumes, validating volumes, archiving, and distributing the data to the planetary community.

Childs, David B.↗

Investigating Extreme Events in the NASA GEOS Multiscale Modeling System

Advances in computing capabilities and scientific development have come together to evolve general circulation models into multi-scale Earth system modeling tools. The Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model is one such example of this evolution. The GEOS model is driven by the finite-volume cubed-sphere (FV3) non-hydrostatic dynamical core. Surrounding FV3 is a scale-aware physics package and data assimilation capability permitting multi-scale application of GEOS for sub-seasonal to seasonal climate prediction, medium range weather prediction, and global mesoscale modeling at convection allowing resolutions. GEOS also includes a comprehensive chemistry package representing a range of capabilities from basic chemistry and interactve aerosols and gaseous species, to carbon emissions and uptake, and complex ozone photochemistry. In this study, we apply the GEOS model to study the fidelity of these processes with increasing horizontal resolution and scale-aware processes in GEOS on extreme events. The GEOS model is run for 40-days beginning in August 2016 at three uniform global resolutions of 13-km (c768), 6-km (c1536) and 3-km (c3072) with 72 vertical levels up to 0.01mb. The model physics use the Grell-Freitas scale-aware convection scheme to dynamically reduce the role of parameterized deep convection as resolved scale processes in the model take over at higher resolutions. We will include high-resolution global emissions and fluxes of aerosols and carbon downscaled from recent satellite observations. We will compare these simulations with reanalyses and observations, focusing on rainfall, clouds and radiative forcing at hourly to monthly timescales. We will closely examine the probability distribution of precipitation intensities and radiative properties of clouds on a daily time scale. In addition, we will focus on extreme events, in particular the diurnal cycle of convection over the US and the frequency and physical nature of organized convection and heavy rain events across the globe.

Putman, William↗

Chandra Interactive Analysis of Observations (CIAO)

The Chandra (formerly AXAF) telescope, launched on July 23, 1999, provides X-rays data with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution. As part of the Chandra scientific support, the Chandra X-ray Observatory Center provides a new data analysis system, CIAO ("Chandra Interactive Analysis of Observations"). We will present the main components of the system: "First Look" analysis; SHERPA: a multi-dimensional, multi-mission modeling and fitting application; Chandra Imaging and Plotting System; Detect package-source detection algorithms; and DM package generic data manipulation tools, We will set up a demonstration of the portable version of the system and show examples of Chandra Data Analysis.

Dobrzycki, Adam↗

Calibration of the aerodynamic coefficient identification package measurements from the shuttle entry flights using inertial measurement unit data

The Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP) is an instrument consisting of body mounted linear accelerometers, rate gyros, and angular accelerometers for measuring the Space Shuttle vehicular dynamics. The high rate recorded data are utilized for postflight aerodynamic coefficient extraction studies. Although consistent with pre-mission accuracies specified by the manufacturer, the ACIP data were found to contain detectable levels of systematic error, primarily bias, as well as scale factor, static misalignment, and temperature dependent errors. This paper summarizes the technique whereby the systematic ACIP error sources were detected, identified, and calibrated with the use of recorded dynamic data from the low rate, highly accurate Inertial Measurement Units.

Heck, M. L.↗

Mesoscale and severe storms (Mass) data management and analysis system

Progress on the Mesoscale and Severe Storms (MASS) data management and analysis system is described. An interactive atmospheric data base management software package to convert four types of data (Sounding, Single Level, Grid, Image) into standard random access formats is implemented and integrated with the MASS AVE80 Series general purpose plotting and graphics display data analysis software package. An interactive analysis and display graphics software package (AVE80) to analyze large volumes of conventional and satellite derived meteorological data is enhanced to provide imaging/color graphics display utilizing color video hardware integrated into the MASS computer system. Local and remote smart-terminal capability is provided by installing APPLE III computer systems within individual scientist offices and integrated with the MASS system, thus providing color video display, graphics, and characters display of the four data types.

Hickey, J. S.↗

Climate Data Assimilation on a Massively Parallel Supercomputer

We have designed and implemented a set of highly efficient and highly scalable algorithms for an unstructured computational package, the PSAS data assimilation package, as demonstrated by detailed performance analysis of systematic runs on up to 512-nodes of an Intel Paragon. The preconditioned Conjugate Gradient solver achieves a sustained 18 Gflops performance. Consequently, we achieve an unprecedented 100-fold reduction in time to solution on the Intel Paragon over a single head of a Cray C90. This not only exceeds the daily performance requirement of the Data Assimilation Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, but also makes it possible to explore much larger and challenging data assimilation problems which are unthinkable on a traditional computer platform such as the Cray C90.

supercomputer↗

Earth Science Data Archive and Access at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC)

The Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), as an integral part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), is the official source of data for several important earth remote sensing missions. These include the Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) launched in August 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) launched in November 1997, and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) scheduled for launch in mid 1999 as part of the EOS AM-1 instrumentation package. The data generated from these missions supports a host of users in the hydrological, land biosphere and oceanographic research and applications communities. The volume and nature of the data present unique challenges to an Earth science data archive and distribution system such as the DAAC. The DAAC system receives, archives and distributes a large number of standard data products on a daily basis, including data files that have been reprocessed with updated calibration data or improved analytical algorithms. A World Wide Web interface is provided allowing interactive data selection and automatic data subscriptions as distribution options. The DAAC also creates customized and value-added data products, which allow additional user flexibility and reduced data volume. Another significant part of our overall mission is to provide ancillary data support services and archive support for worldwide field campaigns designed to validate the results from the various satellite-derived measurements. In addition to direct data services, accompanying documentation, WWW links to related resources, support for EOSDIS data formats, and informed response to inquiries are routinely provided to users. The current GDAAC WWW search and order system is being restructured to provide users with a simplified, hierarchical access to data. Data Browsers have been developed for several data sets to aid users in ordering data. These Browsers allow users to specify spatial, temporal, and other parameter criteria in searching for and previewing data.

Leptoukh, Gregory↗