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At least 217 records · Page 12

Selective broadcast interconnection - A novel scheme for fiber-optic local-area networks

A passive, unswitched scheme is introduced for directly interconnecting N stations, each of which has C transmitters and receivers. Implementations using fiber optics with spatial multiplexing and optionally wavelength multiplexing are discussed. This scheme utilizes the same resources as standard topologies with C parallel buses but outperforms them in two respects: (1) the aggregate throughput is proportional to C squared rather than to C; and (2) the power of each transmitter need reach only N/C, instead of N, receivers.

Marhic, M. E.↗

Global interconnectivity in the next two decades - A scenario

The present paper provides a description of a part of NASA's current long range plans, taking into account the development of hierarchal space switching centers and laser intersatellite links which can interconnect the globe. It is pointed out that a special objective involves the development of technology and satellite architecture for reducing the cost of an end-to-end voice message per minute from the present average value of around $.40 now realized by terrestrial telephone systems to less than $.10. The next decade of NASA communications activity (1985-1995) is discussed, giving attention to the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite ACTS (July 1984) which will test the technology of space switchboard and signal processing in space. The environment of the decade 1985-1995 is considered along with the roles of communications satellites, the hierarchies of terrestrial public switched networks, cost comparisons of terrestrial and space point-to-point links, and concomitant technology developments related to supercomputers.

Lovell, R.↗

NASA's communications programs for interconnectivity

The U.S. 'bent pipe' satellites will be joined in 1989 by the NASA ACTS satellite. The present paper provides a status report on the ACTS satellite program. The ACTS satellite and the mobile satellite systems will conduct flight tests with respect to onboard switching for both wide band and narrow band communications. The ACTS program, with the laser link, and the mobile satellite programs with the large antennas will contribute to the test of four new technologies. Attention is given to the ACTS communication systems, the ACTS spacecraft characteristics, the ACTS modes of operation, RF technologies, interconnectivity technologies, and large antenna technologies.

Lovell, R. R.↗

Holographic optical interconnects for VLSI

This paper introduces new applications and design trade-offs anticipated for free-space optical interconnections of VLSI chips. New implementation s of VLSI functions are described that use the capability of making optical inputs at any point on a chip and take advantage of greater flexibility in on-chip signal routing. These include n-port addressable memories, CPU clock phase distribution, hardware multipliers, and dynamic memory refresh, as well as enhanced testability. Fault tolerance and production yields may be improved by reprogramming the optical imaging system to circumvent defective elements. These attributes, as well as those related to performance alone, will affect the design methodology of future VLSI ICs. This paper focuses on identifying the design issues, their possible solutions, and their impact on VLSI design techniques and, finally, presents some preliminary measurements on various system components.

Bergman, L. A.↗

A survey and comparison of fault-tolerant multistage interconnection networks

Intrinsically fault-tolerant multistage interconnection networks (MINs) are surveyed, categorizing the MINs by the amount of hardware modifications they use to provide redundancy. The diversity of such MINs and the scope of fault-tolerance techniques are examined. A hypothetical MIN with ideal engineering characteristics is defined, and the surveyed MINs are compared to this standard.

Adams, George B., III↗

On the interconnection of dynamic processes in the lower thermosphere with meteorological phenomena in the tropostratosphere

Nowadays the atmosphere is considered a single dynamic system governed by inner and other factors, the separate layers (troposphere, strato-mesosphere, thermosphere) of which are in a state of interaction though they differ physically from one another in thermal stratification and energetic processes. Observational data of thermodynamic parameter connections in these layers height range are presented. The interconnection between the temperature field disturbances in the tropo-stratosphere and the dynamic regime in the lower thermosphere in winter and summer is defined as revealed by observational data.

Fakhrutdinova, A. N.↗

CMOS detector cells for holographic optical interconnects in microcircuits

This paper reports on the characterization of CMOS detectors for holographic optical interconnects in micro circuits. A VLSI temporal response system has been built, which has high-magnification viewing capabilities to facilitate the identification of the sample area under investigation. An isolated photodiode and load circuit has been characterized to determine responsivity, response time, and light spot positioning effects. The threshold of optical gate cells incorporating the above detectors and a transistor inverter stage to couple to other circuitry has been determined. The rise time and fall time of the optical gate cells have also been determined experimentally. The results were compared with the results of SPICE simulation, and show satisfactory agreement. The time delay of optical gate cell output was thus determined to be 70 ns at 10 microW light input. Threshold power was 0.5 microW light input.

Wu, W. H.↗

Healing Voids In Interconnections In Integrated Circuits

Unusual heat treatment heals voids in aluminum interconnections on integrated circuits (IC's). Treatment consists of heating IC to temperature between 200 degrees C and 400 degrees C, holding it at that temperature, and then plunging IC immediately into liquid nitrogen. Typical holding time at evaluated temperature is 30 minutes.

Cuddihy, Edward F.↗

Optical Backplane Interconnect Technology (OBIT)

We describe and analyze a novel approach to implementing an Optical Backplane Interconnect Technology (OBIT) that is capable of optically connecting any row of a 32x32 backplane array to any row of a second 32x32 array. Each backplane array is formed monolithically on a wafer. The technology is based on the use of Grating Surface Emitting (GSE) waveguides formed on a wafer containing quantum-well and separate confinement waveguide layers. These layers are used for transverse guiding, gain, modulation, detection, and for the formation of wavelength tunable distributed-Bragg reflector lasers. The required surface structures are formed photolithographically. The GSE waveguides act as efficient antennae that radiate light at angles selected by tuning the wavelength of the lasers. The same waveguides may be used as the receiving antennae when the array is used in the receiving mode. Thus, wavelength tuning is used to direct each row of the transmitting array to the desired row of the receiving array. In summary: The optical backplane array will have the following characteristics: Any row of a 32x32 GSE array may be optically connected to any row of a second 32x32 array. Only one switch decision is required to switch 32 parallel connections to any one of 32 positions. Each monolithic array can be used as both transmitter and receiver by switching the bias on the quantum-well switch-detectors. Separate transmitting and receiving structures could be provided for duplex operation. For a bit error rate of 10 sup 9 at 100-MHz data rate, a required laser power of 12 mW is calculated based on an estimated total optical loss of 40 dB.

Hammer, J. M.↗

Model reduction in the simulation of interconnected flexible bodies

Given the control system specifications for a system of interconnected rigid and flexible bodies, methods now exist for determining the system modes that do not interact 'strongly' with the controller. Once these important system modes are known, there still remains the problem of determining the modes of individual bodies that should be retained, since, in the final analysis, it is the modal information at the component level that must be fed into any multibody simulation code. Systematic identification of these component modes is achieved through a two-phase matrix diagonalization process starting with judiciously chosen submatrices of the system modal matrix.

Eke, Fidelis O.↗

Optical interconnection techniques for Hypercube

Direct free-space optical interconnection techniques are described for the Hypercube concurrent processor machine using a holographic optical element. Computational requirements and optical constraints on implementation are briefly summarized with regard to topology, power consumption, and available technologies. A hybrid lens/HOE approach is described that can support an eight-dimensional cube of 256 nodes.

Johnston, A. R.↗

Viewing Integrated-Circuit Interconnections By SEM

Back-scattering of energetic electrons reveals hidden metal layers. Experiment shows that with suitable operating adjustments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) used to look for defects in aluminum interconnections in integrated circuits. Enables monitoring, in situ, of changes in defects caused by changes in temperature. Gives truer picture of defects, as etching can change stress field of metal-and-passivation pattern, causing changes in defects.

Lawton, Russel A.↗

Materials for high-density electronic packaging and interconnection

Electronic packaging and interconnections are the elements that today limit the ultimate performance of advanced electronic systems. Materials in use today and those becoming available are critically examined to ascertain what actions are needed for U.S. industry to compete favorably in the world market for advanced electronics. Materials and processes are discussed in terms of the final properties achievable and systems design compatibility. Weak points in the domestic industrial capability, including technical, industrial philosophy, and political, are identified. Recommendations are presented for actions that could help U.S. industry regain its former leadership position in advanced semiconductor systems production.

Source record↗

Control of a GaAs monolithic Ka-band phase shifter using a high-speed optical interconnect

The use of a high-speed optical interconnect in the control of a Ka-band GaAs monolithic phase shifter is described. A 16-b serial control signal was used to modulate the output of a laser transmitter, and the transmitted optical signal was detected and demultiplexed into 16 parallel electrical outputs using a high-speed hybrid GaAs optoelectronic integrated circuit. Four of the parallel output lines were interfaced to the 4-b phase shifter, and high-speed, optically controlled switching of the phase shifter was observed at clock frequencies to 30 MHz using an interferometric technique.

Bhasin, K. B.↗

Centralized database for interconnection system design

A database application called DFACS (Database, Forms and Applications for Cabling and Systems) is described. The objective of DFACS is to improve the speed and accuracy of interconnection system information flow during the design and fabrication stages of a project, while simultaneously supporting both the horizontal (end-to-end wiring) and the vertical (wiring by connector) design stratagems used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) project engineering community. The DFACS architecture is centered around a centralized database and program methodology which emulates the manual design process hitherto used at JPL. DFACS has been tested and successfully applied to existing JPL hardware tasks with a resulting reduction in schedule time and costs.

Billitti, Joseph W.↗

Modes of interconnected lattice trusses using continuum models, part 1

This represents a continuing systematic attempt to explore the use of continuum models--in contrast to the Finite Element Models currently universally in use--to develop feedback control laws for stability enhancement of structures, particularly large structures, for deployment in space. We shall show that for the control objective, continuum models do offer unique advantages. It must be admitted of course that developing continuum models for arbitrary structures is no easy task. In this paper we take advantage of the special nature of current Large Space Structures--typified by the NASA-LaRC Evolutionary Model which will be our main concern--which consists of interconnected orthogonal lattice trusses each with identical bays. Using an equivalent one-dimensional Timoshenko beam model, we develop an almost complete continuum model for the evolutionary structure. We do this in stages, beginning only with the main bus as flexible and then going on to make all the appendages also flexible-except for the antenna structure. Based on these models we proceed to develop formulas for mode frequencies and shapes. These are shown to be the roots of the determinant of a matrix of small dimension compared with mode calculations using Finite Element Models, even though the matrix involves transcendental functions. The formulas allow us to study asymptotic properties of the modes and how they evolve as we increase the number of bodies which are treated as flexible. The asymptotics, in fact, become simpler.

Balakrishnan, A. V.↗

Stability of a class of interconnected evolution systems

Stability conditions for a class of interconnected systems modeled by linear abstract evolution equations and a memoryless nonlinearity are derived. These conditions are stated in terms of the passivity of each of the subsystems and can be considered as a partial generalization of the hyperstability theorem. A Liapunov function approach is used in the proof without requiring the positive definiteness of the Liapunov function. Application to the robustness analysis of the infinite-dimensional linear quadratic regulator is also discussed.

Wen, John T.↗

The interconnected data directory system and Catalog Interoperability

The Catalog Interoperability (CI) project, designed to enable rapid and efficient identification, location, and access to data of interest to the science community, is considered. The CI goal is to create a worldwide data information network composed of interconnected directory, guide (catalog), and inventory systems. Directories were created to aid in finding data. The directories contain brief information about the data sets, sufficient for determining whether further investigation is warranted. They also provide automated links to other information systems which give more detail on data of interest. A common format for describing data sets has been developed, called the Directory Interchange Format (DIF), which is used as the basis of information to be shared among the directories. These DIF files can be passed among the directories to keep their information up to date.

Thieman, James R.↗