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At least 685 records · Page 38

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.↗

In Site Analysis of a High Temperature Cure Reaction in Real Time Using Modulated Fiber-Optic FT-Raman Spectroscopy

The vibrational spectrum of a high temperature (330 C) polymerization reaction was successfully monitored in real time using a modulated fiber-optic FT-Raman spectrometer. A phenylethynyl terminated monomer was cured, and spectral evidence for two different reaction products was acquired. The products are a conjugated polyene chain and a cyclized trimer. This is the first report describing the use of FT-Raman spectroscopy to monitor a high temperature (greater than 250 C) reaction in real time.

Cooper, John↗

Fiber Optic Sensor Components and Systems for Smart Materials and Structures

The general objective of the funded research effort has been the development of discrete and distributed fiber sensors and fiber optic centered opto-electronic networks for the intelligent monitoring of phenomena in various aerospace structures related to NASA Marshall specific applications. In particular, we have proposed and have been developing technologies that we believe to be readily transferrable and which involve new fabrication techniques. The associated sensors developed can be incorporated into the matrix or on the surfaces of structures for the purpose of sensing stress, strain, temperature-both low and high, pressure field variations, phase changes, and the presence of various chemical constituents.

Lyons, R.↗

Implementation of a High-Speed FPGA and DSP Based FFT Processor for Improving Strain Demodulation Performance in a Fiber-Optic-Based Sensing System

NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program is pursuing research in on-board Structural Health Management (SHM) technologies for purposes of reducing or eliminating aircraft accidents due to system and component failures. Under this program, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is developing a strain-based structural health-monitoring concept that incorporates a fiber optic-based measuring system for acquiring strain values. This fiber optic-based measuring system provides for the distribution of thousands of strain sensors embedded in a network of fiber optic cables. The resolution of strain value at each discrete sensor point requires a computationally demanding data reduction software process that, when hosted on a conventional processor, is not suitable for near real-time measurement. This report describes the development and integration of an alternative computing environment using dedicated computing hardware for performing the data reduction. Performance comparison between the existing and the hardware-based system is presented.

Farley, Douglas L.↗

Optical-Fiber-to-Channel-Waveguide Coupler

Holding device made by etching V-shaped grooves in silicon in coupler close tolerances are achieved for high-efficiency coupling between optical fibers with core diameter of 5 um and 110 um in cross section. Fibers are held in V-shaped grooves on silicon chips.

Ramer, G. O.↗

Miniature Incandescent Lamps as Fiber-Optic Light Sources

Miniature incandescent lamps of a special type have been invented to satisfy a need for compact, rapid-response, rugged, broadband, power-efficient, fiber-optic-coupled light sources for diverse purposes that could include calibrating spectrometers, interrogating optical sensors, spot illumination, and spot heating.

Tuma, Margaret↗

Fiber optics wavelength division multiplexing(components)

The long term objectives are to develop optical multiplexers/demultiplexers, different wavelength and modulation stable semiconductor lasers and high data rate transceivers, as well as to test and evaluate fiber optic networks applicable to the Space Station. Progress in each of the above areas is briefly discussed.

Hendricks, Herbert D.↗

In Situ Analysis of a High-Temperature Cure Reaction in Real Time Using Modulated Fiber-Optic FT-Raman Spectroscopy

The vibrational spectrum of a high-temperature (330 C) polymerization reaction was successfully monitored in real time with the use of a modulated fiber-optic Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectrometer. A phenylethynyl-terminated monomer was cured, and spectral evidence for two different reaction products was acquired. The products are a conjugated polyene chain and a cyclized trimer. This is the first report describing the use of FT-Raman spectroscopy to monitor a high temperature (greater than 250 C) reaction in real time.

Aust, Jeffrey F.↗

Using Distributed Fiber-optic Strain Sensing to Estimate Generalized Modal Coordinates from Flight-test Data

A method for estimating the generalized modal coordinates of an aircraft during flight has been developed. The Fiber-optic Sensing System (FOSS) offers an efficient and cost-effective method of measuring the strain at thousands of points along the wings. The estimation of modal coordinates was implemented as a two-step process. First, a maximum likelihood method is used to estimate the statistical properties of the sensors and generalized modal coordinates. Second, the strain mode shapes from the finite element model are used along with the statistical properties from the first step to estimate the generalized modal coordinates over time. Using simulated data from the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (MUTT), different methods of modal coordinate estimation were compared to demonstrate the benefits and weaknesses of each. These were compared against the exact solution and an ordinary least squares (a more traditional method) estimate. Modal coordinate estimation methods were then applied to flight-test data from the X-56A aircraft to show that the method continues to work well with actual test data. The new estimation method provides insights unavailable from more classical approaches.

Jeffrey Ouellette↗

Signal to noise ratio calculation for fiber optics links

The signal to noise ratio (SNR) effect upon the maximum transmission length of a fiberoptic system is discussed. The relationships of different system parameters are discussed. A general formula to obtain the SNR of a single mode fiberoptic system is derived. The SNR attainable with single mode and multimode fiber optics links was calculated from fundamental noise considerations. It was found that for single mode fibers, laser noise dominates the noise contributions for links less than 30 km long, while thermal noise dominates for longer links. Multimode fibers degrade SNR for long links because of intermode dispersion. For frequency standard transmission, as long as the baseband modulation signals are within the bandwidth of the fibers, respectable SNR can be attained with low loss fibers (approximately 1 dB/km) for links as long as 70 km. For wideband transmission SNR is decreased by a factor equal to the ratio of the bandwidth.

Lau, K. Y.↗

Some Protocols For Optical-Fiber Digital Communications

One works best in heavy traffic, another, in light traffic. Three protocols proposed for digital communications among stations connected by passive taps to pair of uni-directional optical-fiber buses. Mediate round-robin, bounded-delay access to buses by all stations and particularly suited to fast transmission. Partly because transmission medium passive (no relay stations) and partly because protocols distribute control of network among all stations with provision for addition and deletion of stations (no control stations), communication network able to resist and recover from failures. Implicit token propagates in one direction on one bus and in opposite direction on other bus, minimizing interval of silence between end of one round and beginning of next.

Yeh, Cavour↗

Structural Anomaly Detection Using Fiber Optic Sensors and Inverse Finite Element Method

NASA Langley Research Center is investigating a variety of techniques for mitigating aircraft accidents due to structural component failure. One technique under consideration combines distributed fiber optic strain sensing with an inverse finite element method for detecting and characterizing structural anomalies anomalies that may provide early indication of airframe structure degradation. The technique identifies structural anomalies that result in observable changes in localized strain but do not impact the overall surface shape. Surface shape information is provided by an Inverse Finite Element Method that computes full-field displacements and internal loads using strain data from in-situ fiberoptic sensors. This paper describes a prototype of such a system and reports results from a series of laboratory tests conducted on a test coupon subjected to increasing levels of damage.

Quach, Cuong C.↗

Evaluation of Wing Load Calibration and Sensing Methods Using Conventional Strain Gages and a Fiber Optic Sensing System Installed on a Straight Tapered Wing

This presentation presents the results from a wing load test in the FLL (Flight Loads Lab). Load calibration techniques for strain gages and fiber optics were compared and contrasted. This presentation has the potential to lead to more research testing at NASA Armstrong in the areas of load calibration technology.

load calibrations↗

Source polarization effects in an optical fiber fluorosensor

The exact field solution of a step-index profile fiber was used to determine the injection efficiency of a thin-film distribution of polarized sources located in the cladding of an optical fiber. Previous results for random source orientation were confirmed. The behavior of the power efficiency, P(eff), of a polarized distribution of sources was found to be similar to the behavior of a fiber with sources with random orientation. However, for sources polarized in either the x or y direction, P(eff) was found to be more efficient.

Egalon, Claudio O.↗

Design of an optical fiber cable link for lightning instrumentation

A lightning instrumentation system was designed to record current magnitudes of lightning strikes that hit a launch pad service structure at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The instrumentation system consists of a lightning ground rod with a current sensor coil, an optical transmitter, an optical fiber cable link, a detector receiver, and a recording system. The transmitter is a wideband pulse transformer driving an IR LED emitter. The transmitter operates linearly as a transducer. A low loss fiber bundle provides isolation of the recorder system from the electromagnetic field of the lightning strike. The output of an optical detector receiver module is sampled and recorded in digital format. The significant factors considered in the design were dynamic range, linearity, mechanical configuration, electromagnetic isolation, and temperature compensation.

Grove, C. H.↗

Preliminary Flight Results of the Microelectronics and Photonics Test Bed: NASA DR1773 Fiber Optic Data Bus Experiment

NASA Goddard Spare Flight Center's (GSFC) Dual Rate 1773 (DR1773) Experiment on the Microelectronic and Photonic Test Bed (MPTB) has provided valuable information on the performance of the AS 1773 fiber optic data bus in the space radiation environment. Correlation of preliminary experiment data to ground based radiation test results show the AS 1773 bus is employable in future spacecraft applications requiring radiation tolerant communication links.

Jackson, George L.↗

Spread spectrum fiber-optic local area network using optical processing

Spread spectrum code division multiple access (CDMA) allows asynchronous multiple access to a local area network (LAN) with no waiting. The additional bandwidth required by spread spectrum can be accommodated by using a fiber-optic channel and incoherent optical signal processing. New CDMA sequences are designed specifically for optical processing. It is shown that increasing the number of chips per bit, by using optical processing, allows an increase in capacity of a CDMA LAN. An experiment is performed demonstrating the performance of an optical CDMA LAN, operating at 100 Mbd with three users.

Prucnal, P. R.↗

Time domain referencing in intensity modulation fiber optic sensing systems

Intensity modulation sensors are classified depending on the way in which the reference and signal channels are separated: in space, wavelength (frequency), or time domains. To implement the time domain referencing different types of fiber optic (FO) loops have been used. A pulse of short duration sent into the loop results in a series of pulses of different amplitudes. The information about the measured parameter is retrieved from the relative amplitudes of pulses in the same train.

Adamovsky, G.↗