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At least 55 records · Page 3

Current Radiation Issues for Programmable Elements and Devices

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the COTS performance, clock upset / single event transient, device configuration upset, antifuse hardening, heavy ion SEU, total dose, proton sensitivities, latchup, and additional information and data.

Katz, Richard↗

Programmable Logic Application Notes

This column will be provided each quarter as a source for reliability, radiation results, NASA capabilities, and other information on programmable logic devices and related applications. This quarter's column will include some announcements and some recent radiation test results and evaluations of interest. Specifically, the following topics will be covered: the Military and Aerospace Applications of Programmable Devices and Technologies Conference to be held at GSFC in September, 1998, proton test results, heavy ion test results, and some total dose results.

Katz, Richard↗

Programmable Logic Application Notes

This column will be provided each quarter as a source for reliability, radiation results, NASA capabilities, and other information on programmable logic devices and related applications. This quarter's column will include some announcements and some recent radiation test results and evaluations of interest. Specifically, the following topics will be covered: the Military and Aerospace Applications of Programmable Devices and Technologies Conference to be held at GSFC in September, 1998, proton test results, and some total dose results.

Katz, Richard↗

Probing fractional statistics in quantum simulators of spin liquid Hamiltonians

Recent advances in programmable quantum devices brought to the fore the intriguing possibility of using them to realise and investigate topological quantum spin liquid phases. This new and exciting direction brings about important research questions on how to probe and determine the presence of such exotic, highly entangled phases in a noisy quantum environment. One of the most promising tools is investigating the behaviour of the topological excitations, and in particular their fractional statistics. In this work we put forward a generic route to achieve this, and we illustrate it in the specific case of \mathbb{Z}_2 ℤ 2 topological spin liquids implemented with the aid of combinatorial gauge symmetry. We design a convenient architecture to study signatures of fractional statistics via quasiparticle interferometry, and we assess its robustness to diagonal and off-diagonal disorder, as well as to dephasing - effects that are generally pervasive in current quantum programmable devices. Interestingly, when turned on its head, our scheme provides a remarkably clear test of the “quantumness” of these devices, with robust signatures that crucially hinge on quantum coherence and quantum interference effects, and cannot be mimicked by classical stochastic processes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Digital Architecture for a Trace Gas Sensor Platform

A digital architecture has been implemented for a trace gas sensor platform, as a companion to standard analog control electronics, which accommodates optical absorption whose fractional absorbance equivalent would result in excess error if assumed to be linear. In cases where the absorption (1-transmission) is not equivalent to the fractional absorbance within a few percent error, it is necessary to accommodate the actual measured absorption while reporting the measured concentration of a target analyte with reasonable accuracy. This requires incorporation of programmable intelligence into the sensor platform so that flexible interpretation of the acquired data may be accomplished. Several different digital component architectures were tested and implemented. Commercial off-the-shelf digital electronics including data acquisition cards (DAQs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and microcontrollers have been used to achieve the desired outcome. The most completely integrated architecture achieved during the project used the CPLD along with a microcontroller. The CPLD provides the initial digital demodulation of the raw sensor signal, and then communicates over a parallel communications interface with a microcontroller. The microcontroller analyzes the digital signal from the CPLD, and applies a non-linear correction obtained through extensive data analysis at the various relevant EVA operating pressures. The microcontroller then presents the quantitatively accurate carbon dioxide partial pressure regardless of optical density. This technique could extend the linear dynamic range of typical absorption spectrometers, particularly those whose low end noise equivalent absorbance is below one-part-in-100,000. In the EVA application, it allows introduction of a path-length-enhancing architecture whose optical interference effects are well understood and quantified without sacrificing the dynamic range that allows quantitative detection at the higher carbon dioxide partial pressures. The digital components are compact and allow reasonably complete integration with separately developed analog control electronics without sacrificing size, mass, or power draw.

Gonzales, Paula↗

Designing Crane Controls with Applied Mechanical and Electrical Safety Features

The use of overhead traveling bridge cranes in many varied applications is common practice. In particular, the use of cranes in the nuclear, military, commercial, aerospace, and other industries can involve safety critical situations. Considerations for Human Injury or Casualty, Loss of Assets, Endangering the Environment, or Economic Reduction must be addressed. Traditionally, in order to achieve additional safety in these applications, mechanical systems have been augmented with a variety of devices. These devices assure that a mechanical component failure shall reduce the risk of a catastrophic loss of the correct and/or safe load carrying capability. ASME NOG-1-1998, (Rules for Construction of Overhead and Gantry Cranes, Top Running Bridge, and Multiple Girder), provides design standards for cranes in safety critical areas. Over and above the minimum safety requirements of todays design standards, users struggle with obtaining a higher degree of reliability through more precise functional specifications while attempting to provide "smart" safety systems. Electrical control systems also may be equipped with protective devices similar to the mechanical design features. Demands for improvement of the cranes "control system" is often recognized, but difficult to quantify for this traditionally "mechanically" oriented market. Finite details for each operation must be examined and understood. As an example, load drift (or small motions) at close tolerances can be unacceptable (and considered critical). To meet these high functional demands encoders and other devices are independently added to control systems to provide motion and velocity feedback to the control drive. This paper will examine the implementation of Programmable Electronic Systems (PES). PES is a term this paper will use to describe any control system utilizing any programmable electronic device such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), or an Adjustable Frequency Drive (AID) 'smart' programmable motion controller. Therefore the use of the term Programmable Electronic Systems (PES) is an encompassing description for a large spectrum of programmable electronic control devices.

Lytle, Bradford P.↗

Overview of the MAST Upgrade physics programme: testing novel concepts at low aspect ratio to inform future devices

The research programme performed on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Upgrade experiment has made significant advances in developing the physics understanding of low aspect ratio tokamaks in support of the operation of ITER and design of fusion powerplants. High performance plasma scenarios have been developed to facilitate a broad programme of experiments, in which confinement is constrained by the presence of m/n = 2/1 modes that cause substantial losses of fast ions. The onset of these modes coincides with the q = 2 surface residing in a local minimum in the toroidal current density profile. The maximum electron temperature at the pedestal top, T e,ped is limited with gas fuelling to ∼350 eV to maintain regular ELMs; higher T e,ped results in a transition to a non-stationary ELM-free regime. The operational space of spherical tokamaks has been expanded into small and ELM-free regimes. Strong shaping of the last closed flux surface can induce a transition from large to small ELMs, and ELM suppression with resonant magnetic perturbations has been observed for the first time in a low aspect ratio tokamak. Negative triangularity shaping has induced a transition from ELMy H-mode to a high-performance L-mode regime for the first time in a low aspect ratio tokamak. In studies of fast ion confinement, losses of fast particles due to Global Alfvén Eigenmodes have been identified. Interactions between fast ions generated by off-axis neutral beam injection and thermal neutrals can result in significant losses of fast ions. Experiments with on- and off-axis neutral beam injection exhibit a flux pumping mechanism, where the central safety factor is held to ∼1 in the absence of sawteeth. In studies of pedestal physics, it has been found that elevated main chamber neutral pressures result in an increase in the electron density and reduction in the temperature at the pedestal top. Advances in understanding plasma exhaust include the integration of a high-performance plasma core with detached outer divertors in the X-point target configuration. A newly commissioned lower divertor cryopump reduces the lower divertor neutral pressure by up to 50%, with minimal effect on the main chamber or upper divertor. New measurements and SOLPS-ITER simulations emphasise the importance of plasma–neutral interactions on divertor detachment in the conditions accessible in experiments. Real-time control of the ionisation front location in both divertor chambers independently has been demonstrated in double null experiments, enabled by the tightly baffled divertor chambers.

MAST Upgrade↗

Single Event Analysis and Fault Injection Techniques Targeting Complex Designs Implemented in Xilinx-Virtex Family Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Devices

An informative session regarding SRAM FPGA basics. Presenting a framework for fault injection techniques applied to Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Introduce an overlooked time component that illustrates fault injection is impractical for most real designs as a stand-alone characterization tool. Demonstrate procedures that benefit from fault injection error analysis.

Single Event Upset Testing↗

Scalable fabrication of Chip-integrated 3D-nanostructured electronic devices via DNA-programmable assembly

DNA-based self-assembly methods have demonstrated powerful and unique capabilities to encode nanomaterial structures through the prescribed placement of inorganic and biological nanocomponents. However, the challenge of selectively growing DNA superlattices on specific locations of surfaces and their integration with conventional nanofabrication has hindered the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) DNA-assembled functional devices. Here, we present a scalable nanofabrication technique that combines bottom-up and top-down approaches for selective growth of 3D DNA superlattices on gold microarrays. This approach allows for the fabrication of self-assembled 3D-nanostructured electronic devices. DNA strands are bound onto the gold arrays, which anchor DNA origami frames and promote ordered framework growth on the specific areas of the surface, enabling control of the lateral placement and orientation of superlattices. DNA frameworks selectively grown on the pads are subsequently templated to nanoscale silica and tin oxide (SnO x ) that follow the architecture, as confirmed by structural and chemical characterizations. The fabricated SnO x superlattices are integrated into devices that demonstrate photocurrent response.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using Classical Reliability Models and Single Event Upset (SEU) Data to Determine Optimum Implementation Schemes for Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) in SRAM-Based Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Devices

Space applications are complex systems that require intricate trade analyses for optimum implementations. We focus on a subset of the trade process, using classical reliability theory and SEU data, to illustrate appropriate TMR scheme selection.

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)↗

Solid-state non-volatile electronically programmable reversible variable resistance device

A solid-state variable resistance device (10) whose resistance can be repeatedly altered by a control signal over a wide range, and which will remain stable after the signal is removed, is formed on an insulated layer (14), supported on a substrate (12) and comprises a set of electrodes (16a, 16b) connected by a layer (18) of material, which changes from an insulator to a conductor upon the injection of ions, covered by a layer (22) of material with insulating properties which permit the passage of ions, overlaid by an ion donor material (20). The ion donor material is overlaid by an insulating layer (24) upon which is deposited a control gate (26) located above the contacts. In a preferred embodiment, the variable resistance material comprises WO.sub.3, the ion donor layer comprises Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, and the layers sandwiching the ion donor layer comprise silicon monoxide. When a voltage is applied to the gate, the resistance between the electrode contacts changes, decreasing with positive voltage and increasing with negative voltage.

Ramesham, Rajeshuni↗

Distributed solid state programmable thermostat/power controller

A self-contained power controller having a power driver switch, programmable controller, communication port, and environmental parameter measuring device coupled to a controllable device. The self-contained power controller needs only a single voltage source to power discrete devices, analog devices, and the controlled device. The programmable controller has a run mode which, when selected, upon the occurrence of a trigger event changes the state of a power driver switch and wherein the power driver switch is maintained by the programmable controller at the same state until the occurrence of a second event.

Alexander, Jane C.↗

Single Event Effects (SEE) Testing of Embedded DSP Cores within Microsemi RTAX4000D Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Devices

Motivation for this work is: (1) Accurately characterize digital signal processor (DSP) core single-event effect (SEE) behavior (2) Test DSP cores across a large frequency range and across various input conditions (3) Isolate SEE analysis to DSP cores alone (4) Interpret SEE analysis in terms of single-event upsets (SEUs) and single-event transients (SETs) (5) Provide flight missions with accurate estimate of DSP core error rates and error signatures.

Perez, Christopher E.↗

Programmable Logic Application Notes

This column will be provided each quarter as a source for reliability, radiation results, NASA capabilities, and other information on programmable logic devices and related applications. This quarter will continue a series of notes concentrating on analysis techniques with this issue's section discussing: Digital Timing Analysis Tools and Techniques. Articles in this issue include: SX and SX-A Series Devices Power Sequencing; JTAG and SXISX-AISX-S Series Devices; Analysis Techniques (i.e., notes on digital timing analysis tools and techniques); Status of the Radiation Hard reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array Program, Input Transition Times; Apollo Guidance Computer Logic Study; RT54SX32S Prototype Data Sets; A54SX32A - 0.22 micron/UMC Test Results; Ramtron FM1608 FRAM; and Analysis of VHDL Code and Synthesizer Output.

Katz, Richard↗

A Platform Technology for High-throughput Atomically Precise Manufacturing: Mechatronics at the Atomic Scale

The main objective of this project is to invent the necessary enabling technologies for high throughput atomically precise manufacturing (APM). APM is an emerging technology that refers to any manufacturing capability that enables fabrication of atomically precise structures, components, and devices under programmable control. APM will require positional assembly at the atomic and/or molecular scale, as well as at the nano and microscales using hierarchical assembly to create products ranging from nanoscale and quantum devices to macroscale systems and materials. This project builds on the expectation that commercial viability of APM will depend on a high level of parallelism to achieve the required throughput, a capability that currently does not exist. This project is the first attempt to address this key technological bottleneck.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗