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NASA NTRS2017

An Overview of Communications Technology and Development Efforts for 2015 SBIR Phase I

This report highlights innovative SBIR 2015 Phase I projects specifically addressing areas in Communications Technology and Development which is one of six core competencies at NASA Glenn Research Center. There are fifteen technologies featured with emphasis on a wide spectrum of applications such as novel solid state lasers for space-based water vapor dial; wide temperature, high voltage and energy density capacitors for aerospace exploration; instrument for airborne measurement of carbonyl sulfide; high-power tunable seed laser for methane Lidar transmitter; ROC-rib deployable ka-band antenna for nanosatellites; a SIC-based microcontroller for high-temperature in-situ instruments and systems; improved yield, performance and reliability of high-actuator-count deformable mirrors; embedded multifunctional optical sensor system; switching electronics for space-based telescopes with advanced AO systems; integrated miniature DBR laser module for Lidar instruments; and much more. Each article in this booklet describes an innovation, technical objective, and highlights NASA commercial and industrial applications. space-based water vapor dial; wide temperature, high voltage and energy density capacitors foraerospace exploration; instrument for airborne measurement of carbonyl sulfide; high-power tunable seed laser formethane Lidar transmitter; ROC-rib deployable ka-band antenna for nanosatellites.

space-based water vapor dial; wide temperature↗

NASA NTRS2009

Digital Beamforming Scatterometer

This paper discusses scatterometer measurements collected with multi-mode Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar (DBSAR) during the SMAP-VEX 2008 campaign. The 2008 SMAP Validation Experiment was conducted to address a number of specific questions related to the soil moisture retrieval algorithms. SMAP-VEX 2008 consisted on a series of aircraft-based.flights conducted on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware in the fall of 2008. Several other instruments participated in the campaign including the Passive Active L-Band System (PALS), the Marshall Airborne Polarimetric Imaging Radiometer (MAPIR), and the Global Positioning System Reflectometer (GPSR). This campaign was the first SMAP Validation Experiment. DBSAR is a multimode radar system developed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center that combines state-of-the-art radar technologies, on-board processing, and advances in signal processing techniques in order to enable new remote sensing capabilities applicable to Earth science and planetary applications [l]. The instrument can be configured to operate in scatterometer, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or altimeter mode. The system builds upon the L-band Imaging Scatterometer (LIS) developed as part of the RadSTAR program. The radar is a phased array system designed to fly on the NASA P3 aircraft. The instrument consists of a programmable waveform generator, eight transmit/receive (T/R) channels, a microstrip antenna, and a reconfigurable data acquisition and processor system. Each transmit channel incorporates a digital attenuator, and digital phase shifter that enables amplitude and phase modulation on transmit. The attenuators, phase shifters, and calibration switches are digitally controlled by the radar control card (RCC) on a pulse by pulse basis. The antenna is a corporate fed microstrip patch-array centered at 1.26 GHz with a 20 MHz bandwidth. Although only one feed is used with the present configuration, a provision was made for separate corporate feeds for vertical and horizontal polarization. System upgrades to dual polarization are currently under way. The DBSAR processor is a reconfigurable data acquisition and processor system capable of real-time, high-speed data processing. DBSAR uses an FPGA-based architecture to implement digitally down-conversion, in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) demodulation, and subsequent radar specific algorithms. The core of the processor board consists of an analog-to-digital (AID) section, three Altera Stratix field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), an ARM microcontroller, several memory devices, and an Ethernet interface. The processor also interfaces with a navigation board consisting of a GPS and a MEMS gyro. The processor has been configured to operate in scatterometer, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and altimeter modes. All the modes are based on digital beamforming which is a digital process that generates the far-field beam patterns at various scan angles from voltages sampled in the antenna array. This technique allows steering the received beam and controlling its beam-width and side-lobe. Several beamforming techniques can be implemented each characterized by unique strengths and weaknesses, and each applicable to different measurement scenarios. In Scatterometer mode, the radar is capable to.generate a wide beam or scan a narrow beam on transmit, and to steer the received beam on processing while controlling its beamwidth and side-lobe level. Table I lists some important radar characteristics

Rincon, Rafael F.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Enabling Experimental Evolution: Multi-Parameter Sensor System Integration into a Culture/Stressor Biofluidics System

Experimental evolution (EE) exposes microbial communities to ecological stressors, simulating dynamics up to near-extinction events. Combined with comparative sequencing and other molecular tools, such data can inform the genetic and other biological mechanisms underlying extremophile adaptation, and other observed effects. Automating this type of experiment using biofluidics can mitigate many traditional obstacles, including delays in assay results and environment adjustment and the need for many replicates. A first-generation device for automating EE procedures, the Automated Adaptive Directed Evolution Chamber (AADEC), was developed at NASA Ames. UV-C radiation was the stressor, an LED-photodiode array measured optical density, magnetic agitation and peristaltic pump systems ensured nutrient availability, and Arduino microcontrollers provided control. Escherichia coli in LB kanamycin media was used for testing and performance verification. A manual laboratory procedure with timed exposure to UV-C was performed to typify tolerance acquisition. Approximately a 106 factor increase in survival ratio was recorded over multiple iterations. Currently, a second-generation device is being developed integrating more real-time sensors: redox potential (ORP), indicating available/consumed metabolic energy; dissolved oxygen (DO), indicating aerobic/anaerobic growth; pH, indicating metabolic products; and electrical conductivity (EC), another indicator of metabolic products. The EC sensor system was constructed and calibrated in-house and matched commercial sensors in the required range. A Raspberry Pi computer automated the electrical system, allowing real-time data acquisition. The fluidics card was made of CNC-milled polycarbonate for biocompatibility. Each sensor parameter can also be used as a selection pressure alone or in combination with others to create extreme microbial environments. As a proof of concept, this work demonstrated sensor operation in one pair of growth-sensor chambers. It can be expanded to a multi-chamber system to enable inter-culture comparisons and multi-population studies. The prior Arduino system will be ported to the RPi system. Future stressors to be added include thermal, reactive oxygen species, and varying nutrient availability.

Govinda Raj, Chinmayee↗

NASA NTRS2019

OuroboroSat: A Modular, CubeSat-Scale Instrumentation Platform

OuroboroSat (also known as MRMSS: the Modular Rapidly Manufactured Spacecraft System) is a modular instrumentation platform consisting of multiple 3 inch (7.5 centimeter) square printed circuit boards that are mechanically and electrically connected to one another in order to produce a fully- functioning payload facility system. Each OuroboroSat module consists of a microcontroller, a battery, conditioning and monitoring circuitry for the battery, optional space for solar panels, and an expansion area where an experimental payload or specialized functionality (such as wireless communication submodules) can be attached.

Modular instrumentation platform↗

NASA NTRS2019

Vorago RH-OBC-1 Single Event Effect Characterization Test Report

The Vorago Technologies RH-OBC-1 is a CubeSat Kit Bus compatible single board computer with a Vorago VA10820 ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller at its core. The board also includes a set of common peripheral integrated circuits, like voltage regulators, non-volatile memories (NVM), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a watchdog/supervisor, and a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus transceiver. High-energy proton (200 MeV) testing was conducted at both board and component levels to investigate single-event effects.

CubeSat compatible board↗

NASA NTRS2012

Design and Operation of the Planetary In-Situ Capillary Electrophoresis System (PISCES)

The PISCES instrument is a portable, miniature, modular instrument designed to analyze organic molecular signatures of life. PISCES uses microcapillary electrophoresis (μCE) with laser-induced fluorescence detection (LIFD) to analyze fluorescently-labeled analytes prepared on a multi-layer microfluidic chip. As a modular instrument composed of five independently functioning units, each module can be easily detached from the system and used for subsystem testing in different environments, e.g. low temperature. The pneumatic module contains mechanical and electrical components necessary to control pneumatically-actuated valves for on-chip sample processing. A prototype LabVIEW program and two custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) operate the pneumatics module using an Arduino microcontroller, and a tentative design for the module’s housing has been developed. The high-voltage module contains circuitry required to apply varying electrical potentials to the electrophoretic channel of the microdevice. Work is currently being done to design the circuit and PCB for this module in collaboration with our SBIR partners at Los Gatos Research. The optical electronics module contains the spectrometer, laser, and laser power supply. The mounting components for the electronics and housing for the module have been designed, assembled, and tested. The optical module contains optical components to focus the laser to a 20μm spot in the center of the electrophoretic channel.The housing for this module has been designed and assembled with the aligned optical components inside.

Willis, Peter A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Correlated Electromagnetic Levitation Actuator: A Reaction Sphere Based Attitude Control System

To address problems experienced by current reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopebased attitude control systems (ACS), researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center have begun developing a reaction sphere actuator based on correlated electromagnetic levitation that will be immune to destructive bearing friction, momentum saturation, and gimbal lock. The Correlated Electromagnetic Levitation Actuator (CELA) advances the state of the art of reaction sphere ACSs by employing the concept of correlated magnetics. It is a frictionless, direct-drive reaction sphere that harnesses a unique technology with an array of applications across multiple disciplines. Correlated electromagnets function in a manner that is analogous to a matched filter; the convolution of two signals is peaked at the index representing the greatest match. For CELA, the signals are the patterns of magnetic flux density as a function of position. The magnitude of the convolution equates to an attractive or repulsive force, and these forces can be azimuthal or radial. The development of CELA is based in four distinct disciplines: Advanced Manufacturing, Prototype Development, Electromagnetic Modeling, and Controls. We are developing novel manufacturing techniques required to build arrays of permanent and electromagnet dipoles on curved surfaces. To print the permanent magnetic array, we have developed a probe with pyramidal magnets that will reside on a robotic arm to induce localized magnetic fields on a surface. The probe also includes the ability to erase dipole patterns from a permanent magnet by heating the surface to its Curie temperature. A number of test articles and prototypes have been developed using additive manufacturing methods. These prototypes have included hemispherical motors to test the drive algorithm, and a levitation test bed that demonstrates a magnetic bearing method based on attractive magnetic forces and ratiometric Hall effect sensors. We developed an array of electromagnetic dipoles on a printed circuit board (PCB) with individual H-bridges controlling each coil. This device created various flux density patterns and we measured their magnetic fields using a custom Hall effect 3-D probe and a LabVIEW virtual instrument. These data will serve as a benchmark for characterizing the accuracy of future models. Current work is focused on modeling the magnetic fields of our prototype arrays using COMSOL Finite Element Analysis and verifying the model against our test data. Accurate modeling will allow us to quickly test new patterns of electromagnets and their macro behavior. Eventually, the magnetic field models will be implemented in our controls simulations to facilitate precise control of the reaction sphere. Initial model results agree with field measurements to within 1 G (5% of measured flux density). Currently, we are testing different material properties of the electromagnets and their magnetic fields and thermal effects. These results will be used to refine the design of the electromagnetic dipoles. Our control efforts have centered on developing commutation, levitation, and field pattern shaping hardware in the form of breadboards and PCBs with software running on a local microcontroller. In addition, our partners developed MATLAB Simulink models to demonstrate a PID controller thatmitigates disturbance forces resulting from the interaction of drive and levitation magnetics. Finally, we have designed a three-axis test stand that will be used in future work to demonstrate CELA’s orientation control capability.

controls↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Correlated Electromagnetic Levitation Actuator: A Reaction Sphere-Based Attitude Control System

To address problems experienced by current reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopebased attitude control systems (ACS), researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have begun developing a reaction sphere actuator based on correlated electromagnetic levitation that will be immune to destructive bearing friction, momentum saturation, and gimbal lock. The Correlated Electromagnetic Levitation Actuator (CELA) advances the state of the art of reaction sphere ACSs by employing the concept of correlated magnetics. It is a frictionless, direct-drive reaction sphere that harnesses a unique technology with an array of applications across multiple disciplines. Correlated electromagnets function in a manner that is analogous to a matched filter; the convolution of two signals is peaked at the index representing the greatest match. For CELA, the signals are the patterns of magnetic flux density as a function of position. The magnitude of the convolution equates to an attractive or repulsive force, and these forces can be azimuthal or radial. The development of CELA is based in four distinct disciplines: Advanced Manufacturing, Prototype Development, Electromagnetic Modeling, and Controls. We are developing novel manufacturing techniques required to build arrays of permanent and electromagnet dipoles on curved surfaces. To print the permanent magnetic array, we have developed a probe with pyramidal magnets that will reside on a robotic arm to induce localized magnetic fields on a surface. We have also used high temperature ovens to erase dipole patterns from a permanent magnet by heating the surface to its Curie temperature. A number of test articles and prototypes have been developed using additive manufacturing methods. These prototypes have included hemispherical motors to test the drive algorithm, and a levitation test bed that demonstrates a magnetic bearing method based on attractive magnetic forces and ratiometric Hall effect sensors. We developed an array of electromagnetic dipoles on a printed circuit board (PCB) with individual H-bridges controlling each coil. This device created various flux density patterns and we measured their magnetic fields using a custom Hall effect 3-D probe and a LabVIEW virtual instrument. These data will serve as a benchmark for characterizing the accuracy of future models. Current work is focused on modeling the magnetic fields of our prototype arrays using COMSOL finite element analysis (FEA) and verifying the model against our test data. Accurate modeling will allow us to quickly test new patterns of electromagnets and their macro behavior. Eventually, the magnetic field models will be implemented in our controls simulations to facilitate precise control of the reaction sphere. Initial model results agree with field measurements to within 1 G (5% of measured flux density). Currently, we are testing different material properties of the electromagnets and their magnetic fields and thermal effects. These results will be used to refine the design of the electromagnetic dipoles. Our control efforts have centered on developing commutation, levitation, and field pattern shaping hardware in the form of breadboards and PCBs with software running on a local microcontroller. In addition, our partners developed MATLAB Simulink models to demonstrate a PID controller that mitigates disturbance forces resulting from the interaction of drive and levitation magnetics. Finally, we have designed a three-axis test stand that will be used in future work to demonstrate CELA’s orientation control capability.

reaction sphere↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

EXCAP-LR: Exploration Capabilities Logistics Reduction

All human space missions require substantial logistical mass and volume. As our exploration missions increase in distance and duration, reduction of these logistics requirements becomes more important. The movement and tracking of logistics between vehicle elements are increasingly recognized as critical to crew efficiency and on-orbit mission assurance. This project targets the best opportunities to demonstrate logistics reduction, repurposing, and efficient tracking and management of logistics. These technologies and innovations will make future exploration missions more affordable. - REALM-3 (RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Enabled Autonomous Logistics Management) – Hydra (HYper-Distributed RFID Antenna) Smart Stow: receives RFID signal from readers, use very small % of signal to self-power on-board microcontroller and RF switch, multiplex RFID signal to other nodes in a chain or to a multitude of antennas. ISS HYDRA Smart Stow is over-instrumented to allow evaluation of a branched network HYDRA chain. - UWMS (Universal Waste Management System) – provides a compact, lower mass/volume toilet for exploration missions - ACS (Advanced Clothing Systems) – investigates ways to reduce clothing mass and volume directly or through efficiently cleaning them for reuse.

Patrick Fink↗

NASA NTRS2023

An Examination of Heavy Ion-Induced Persistent Visual Error Signatures in an Electronic Display Driver Integrated Circuit

Given the ubiquity of electronic displays integration in human-based systems, the impending mission critical, space-based applications of electronic displays will necessitate SEE assessment of components unique to electronic displays. A commercially available DDIC designed to drive a small form factor organic light emitting diode (OLED) was visually monitored during heavy ion irradiation to catalogue radiation induced persistent visual error signatures that require manual intervention (i.e., power cycling) to return to nominal function. These error signatures were able to be reproduced via modification of configuration register values utilizing the instruction set intended for interfacing a microcontroller with the DDIC. This approach to emulation of heavy-ion induced errors on a table-top assists with human perception-based criticality analysis as well as development of mitigation techniques.

Electronic Displays↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Passive Cooling for Mercury Surface Lander Electronics

A significant barrier to operation of a mission on the surface of Mercury is the temperature. At Mercury’s perihelion distance of 0.313 AU, the solar intensity is 10.6 times the solar flux at Earth orbit, and at the subsolar point, the maximum surface temperature reaches 427°C. For a mission landing on the surface of Mercury at latitude of 40°S, we analyzed using passive thermal control to reduce the temperature of the critical electronics to within the operation temperature limits of silicon devices. The thermal control requires reducing the thermal conductance and infrared flux from the high temperature surface and surrounding spacecraft, and moderating the solar heat input using a surface coating with high solar reflectivity, and maximizing thermal cooling with high infrared emissivity. Using this approach, we find that we can passively cool an electronics box to a temperature of 393K (120°C) using a radiator-white surface with solar absorptivity 0.11 and infrared emissivity 0.91. This temperature is well under 175C target we use for the limits of high-temperature silicon integrated circuits, including RAM and microcontrollers. We could further reduce this operating temperature to as low as 321K (48°C) with an advanced thermal coating, a temperature well within the operational limits of conventional electronics.

Mercury↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Passive Cooling for Mercury Surface Lander Electronics

Mercury↗

DOE OSTI2016

Low-cost scalable quartz crystal microbalance array for environmental sensing

Proliferation of environmental sensors for internet of things (IoT) applications has increased the need for low-cost platforms capable of accommodating multiple sensors. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) crystals coated with nanometer-thin sensor films are suitable for use in high-resolution (~1 ng) selective gas sensor applications. We demonstrate a scalable array for measuring frequency response of six QCM sensors controlled by low-cost Arduino microcontrollers and a USB multiplexer. Gas pulses and data acquisition were controlled by a LabVIEW user interface. We test the sensor array by measuring the frequency shift of crystals coated with different compositions of polymer composites based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) while films are exposed to water vapor and oxygen inside a controlled environmental chamber. Our sensor array exhibits comparable performance to that of a commercial QCM system, while enabling high-throughput 6 QCM testing for under $1,000. We use deep neural network structures to process sensor response and demonstrate that the QCM array is suitable for gas sensing, environmental monitoring, and electronic-nose applications.

Anazagasty, Cristain↗

DOE OSTI2016

Sensor Fish: an autonomous sensor package for characterizing complex flow fields and fish passage

Fish passing through dams or other hydraulic structures may be injured or killed despite advances in turbine design, project operations, and other fish bypass systems. The Sensor Fish (SF) device is an autonomous sensor package that characterizes the physical conditions and stressors to which fish are exposed during passage through hydro facilities. It was designed to move passively as a neutrally buoyant object through severe hydraulic environments, while collecting high-resolution sensor data. Since its first generation1, the SF device has been successfully deployed in many fish passage studies and has evolved to be a major tool for characterizing fish passage conditions during fish passage in the Columbia River Basin. To better accelerate hydropower development, the U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Program provided funding to develop a new generation (Gen 2 SF) to incorporate more capabilities and accommodate a wider range of users over a broader range of turbine designs and operating environments. The Gen 2 SF (Figure 1) is approximately the size and density of a yearling salmon smolt and is nearly neutrally buoyant. It contains three-dimensional (3D) rotation sensors, 3D linear acceleration sensors, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a 3D orientation sensor, a radiofrequency (RF) transmitter, and a recovery module2. A low-power microcontroller collects data from the sensors and stores up to 5 min of data on internal flash memory at a sampling frequency of 2048 Hz. The recovery module makes the SF positively buoyant after a pre-programmed period of time, causing it to float to the surface for recovery.

Sensor Fish↗

DOE OSTI2018

Advancing the Authenticatable Container Tracking System (ACTS)

The Authenticatable Container Tracking System (ACTS) is an extensible secure container tag that can be used to optimize chain-of-custody monitoring for packaged nuclear materials as they are being stored, processed, and transported. Based on the ultra–low power TI MSP430 mixed-signal microcontroller, ACTS is an active device that uses an almost-universal core platform that can be appropriately configured with expansion modules to provide the application-specific data acquisition, data logging, container sealing, and communications functions needed for 21st century material accountancy, monitoring, and tracking applications. This core architecture enables appropriately designed modules to be easily interfaced to the basic system, providing an integration path for current and new technologies. ACTS contains a built-in set of sensors and supports an expansion bus for up to six additional communications, tracking, authentication, encryption, sealing, location, or sensing modules that may enhance the monitoring and tracking of designated containers for specific applications. To date, testing has used an IEEE 802.15.4-2011 ultra-wideband–compliant wireless transceiver module that has additional capabilities for indoor positioning and proximity location. Proximity-based location (i.e., where an ACTS tag knows where it is relative to other ACTS tags) will be explored as a continuity-of-knowledge mechanism to determine unauthorized movement of containers in storage arrays of many items. Partners for this system are Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and commercialization partner the Aquila Group.

Younkin, Jim↗

DOE OSTI2018

Autonomous sensor fish to support advanced hydropower development

An improved sensor fish with robust design and enhanced measurement capabilities. This sensor fish contains sensors for acceleration, rotation, magnetic field intensity, pressure, and temperature. A low-power microcontroller collects data from the sensors and stores up to 5 minutes of data on a non-volatile flash memory. A rechargeable battery supplies power to the sensor fish. A recovery system helps locating sensor fish. The package, when ready for use is nearly neutrally buoyant and thus mimics the behavior of an actual fish.

Deng, Daniel Z.↗

DOE OSTI2018

System and method of detecting and analyzing a threat in a confined environment

A system and method of detecting and analyzing a threat in a confined environment is disclosed. An audio board detects and analyzes audio signals. A RF board transmits the signals for emergency response. A battery provides power to the audio board and the RF board. The audio board includes a microcontroller with at least one band-pass filter for distinguishing between a threat and a non-threat event and for measuring or counting pulses if the event is a threat.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2019

Management of gas pressure and electrode state of charge in alkaline batteries

An inventive, new system that measures gas composition and pressure in the headspace of an aqueous electrolyte battery is described. The system includes a microcontroller that can use the composition and pressure information to connect a third electrode to either the anode(s) or the cathode(s) in order to balance the state of charge between the two. Results have shown that such a system can control the gas pressure inside a sealed flooded aqueous electrolyte battery to remain below 20 kPa (3 psi) and greatly extend the useable life of the battery.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗