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At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Computer interface for mechanical arm

Man/machine interface commands computer-controlled mechanical arm. Remotely-controlled arm has six degrees of freedom and is controlled through "supervisory-control" mode, in which all motions of arm follow set of preprogramed sequences. For simplicity, few prescribed commands are required to accomplish entire operation. Applications include operating computer-controlled arm to handle radioactive of explosive materials or commanding arm to perform functions in hostile environments. Modified version using displays may be applied in medicine.

Derocher, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Analytical study of ride smoothing benefits of control system configurations optimized for pilot handling qualities

An analytical study was conducted to evaluate the relative improvements in aircraft ride qualities that resulted from utilizing several control law configurations that were optimized for pilot handling qualities only. The airplane configuration used was an executive jet transport in the approach configuration. The control law configurations included the basic system, a rate feedback system, three command augmentation systems (rate command, attitude command, and rate command/attitude hold), and a control wheel steering system. Both the longitudinal and lateral directional axes were evaluated. A representative example of each control law configuration was optimized for pilot handling qualities on a fixed base simulator. The root mean square airplane responses to turbulence were calculated, and predictions of ride quality ratings were computed by using three models available in the literature.

Powers, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

V/STOL hover stability impact on hover control task

Longitudinal static stability requirements for V/STOL aircraft are discussed in terms of vertical landing on a small ship at night, response of the aircraft to air turbulence, and hovering flight. The increased pilot workload encountered under these flight conditions is considered. Results of a flight simulation study performed to evaluate a specific hover control task, two control systems - attitude rate command and translational velocity command, and the pilots' performance with and without turbulence are reported. It is concluded that the translational velocity command system provides the control requirements for good spot hovering capability and reduced pilot workload.

Whitaker, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1978

GSFC Systems Test and Operation Language (STOL) functional requirements and language description

The Systems Tests and Operation Language (STOL) provides the means for user communication with payloads, applications programs, and other ground system elements. It is a systems operation language that enables an operator or user to communicate a command to a computer system. The system interprets each high level language directive from the user and performs the indicated action, such as executing a program, printing out a snapshot, or sending a payload command. This document presents the following: (1) required language features and implementation considerations; (2) basic capabilities; (3) telemetry, command, and input/output directives; (4) procedure definition and control; (5) listing, extension, and STOL nucleus capabilities.

Desjardins, R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Steering laws for double-gimbal control-moment gyros

Derivation of CMG steering laws was considered. The type of CMG considered was a double gimbal one which has a constant magnitude momentum vector. The equations for the generation of torque of an inertially fixed CMG are presented. To realize a particular commanded torque, the gimbal rates of the CMG must be specified. These gimbal rates are shown to be functions of gimbal angle orientation and the commanded torque. The conventional cross-product steering law was derived by minimizing a function which was the square of the magnitude of the error between the commanded torque and the realizable torque of the gyro. This steering law was severely dependent upon the inner gimbal angle. When the inner gimbal reaches 90 degrees, the cross product law requires infinite outer gimbal rates to realize finite torque values.

Winder, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Remote lightning monitor system

An apparatus for monitoring, analyzing and accurately determining the value of peak current, the peak rate of change in current with respect to time and the rise time of the electrical currents generated in an electrical conductive mast that is located in the vicinity where lightning is to be monitored is described. The apparatus includes an electrical coil for sensing the change in current flowing through the mast and generating a voltage responsive. An on-site recorder and a recorder control system records the voltages produced responsive to lightning strikes and converts the voltage to digital signals for being transmitted back to the remote command station responsive to command signals. The recorder and the recorder control system are carried within an RFI proof environmental housing into which the command signals are fed by means of a fiber optic cable so as to minimize electrical interference.

Lennon, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

VTOL controls for shipboard landing

The problem of landing a VTOL aircraft on a small ship in rough seas using an automatic controller is examined. The controller design uses the linear quadratic Gaussian results of modern control theory. Linear time invariant dynamic models are developed for the aircraft, ship, and wave motions. A hover controller commands the aircraft to track position and orientation of the ship deck using only low levels of control power. Commands for this task are generated by the solution of the steady state linear quadratic gaussian regulator problem. Analytical performance and control requirement tradeoffs are obtained. A landing controller commands the aircraft from stationary hover along a smooth, low control effort trajectory, to a touchdown on a predicted crest of ship motion. The design problem is formulated and solved as an approximate finite-time linear quadratic stochastic regulator. Performance and control results are found by Monte Carlo simulations.

Mcmuldroch, C. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Digital adaptive controllers for VTOL vehicles. Volume 1: Concept evaluation

A digital self-adaptive flight control system was developed for flight test in the VTOL approach and landing technology (VALT) research aircraft (a modified CH-47 helicopter). The control laws accept commands from an automatic on-board guidance system. The primary objective of the control laws is to provide good command-following with a minimum cross-axis response. Three attitudes and vertical velocity are separately commanded. Adaptation of the control laws is based on information from rate and attitude gyros and a vertical velocity measurement. The final design resulted from a comparison of two different adaptive concepts--one based on explicit parameter estimates from a real-time maximum-likelihood estimation algorithm, the other based on an implicit model reference adaptive system. The two designs were compared on the basis of performance and complexity.

Hartmann, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Equilibrium response of flight control systems

The steady-state behavior of an aircraft in response to control and disturbance inputs has a major impact on its performance and flying qualities, and it is, to a large extent, not readily predicted by the aircraft's stability and transient behavior. Singular as well as nonsingular response can result as a consequence of the command vector's definition, i.e., equilibrium in the command vector can imply disequilibrium in the state. The flight control structure can be modified to account for this characteristic, and it is shown that systems with identical eigenvalues and eigenvectors but dissimilar command vectors have markedly different responses.

Stengel, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Experimental results with a six-degree-of-freedom force-reflecting hand controller

Control experiments performed using an isotonic joystick connected to a six degree-of-freedom manipulator equipped with a six dimensional force-torque sensor at the base of the manipulator end effector are described. The preliminary control experiments were aimed at the investigation of the human operators' ability to command and control forces in different directions by varying the information conditions and the values of the feedforward and feedback command gains in the bilateral control loop. The main conclusions are: (1) a quantified graphic display of force-torque information can considerably enhance the operator's ability to perform a quantitatively sharp force-torque control, and (2) there seems to be a task dependent optimal combination of the feedforward and feedback command gain values which provide a dynamically smooth and stable bilateral control performance.

Bejczy, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A program to evaluate a control system based on feedback of aerodynamic pressure differentials

The use of aerodynamic pressure differentials to position a control surface is evaluated. The system is a differential pressure command loop, analogous to a position command loop, where the surface is commanded to move until a desired differential pressure across the surface is achieved. This type of control is more direct and accurate because it is the differential pressure which causes the control forces and moments. A frequency response test was performed in a low speed wind tunnel to measure the performance of the system. Both pressure and position feedback were tested. The pressure feedback performed as well as position feedback implying that the actuator, with a break frequency on the order of 10 Rad/sec, was the limiting component. Theoretical considerations indicate that aerodynamic lags will not appear below frequencies of 50 Rad/sec, or higher.

Levy, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Analysis of space telescope data collection system

An analysis of the expected performance for the Multiple Access (MA) system is provided. The analysis covers the expected bit error rate performance, the effects of synchronization loss, the problem of self-interference, and the problem of phase ambiguity. The problem of false acceptance of a command word due to data inversion is discussed. A mathematical determination of the probability of accepting an erroneous command word due to a data inversion is presented. The problem is examined for three cases: (1) a data inversion only, (2) a data inversion and a random error within the same command word, and a block (up to 256 48-bit words) containing both a data inversion and a random error.

Ingels, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Semantic definitions of space flight control center languages using the hierarchical graph technique

In this paper a method is described by which the semantic definitions of the Goddard Space Flight Control Center Command Languages can be specified. The semantic modeling facility used is an extension of the hierarchical graph technique, which has a major benefit of supporting a variety of data structures and a variety of control structures. It is particularly suited for the semantic descriptions of such types of languages where the detailed separation between the underlying operating system and the command language system is system dependent. These definitions were used in the definition of the Systems Test and Operation Language (STOL) of the Goddard Space Flight Center which is a command language that provides means for the user to communicate with payloads, application programs, and other ground system elements.

Zaghloul, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Space tracking and data systems; Proceedings of the Symposium, Arlington, VA, June 16-18, 1981

The AIAA/NASA Symposium on Space Tracking and Data Systems, held in Pentagon City, Virginia, on June 16-18, 1981, had the purpose of reviewing international activities in space tracking and data systems for civil use in the 1980-2000 time frame. Participants included 225 representatives from industrial and government organizations in eight nations. The nations represented include the United States, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. The major functions of the systems described at the Symposium are related to the initial downlink of telemetry and spacecraft status data, attendant tracking activities, and uplink of spacecraft commands; communication between the associated acquisition sites and central processing and control stations; formulation and implementation of commands that control the spacecraft and its payload; and processing of spacecraft data needed to make command decisions. Attention is given to an overview of current activities and plans, and supporting developments, taking into account the time from 1980 to 1990. New developments are also considered.

Grey, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Design and flight testing of a digital optimal control general aviation autopilot

This paper presents the designs of Proportional-Integral-Filter (PIF) autopilots for a General Aviation (NAVION) aircraft. The PIF autopilots use modern control theory to determine heading select and altitude select and hold autopilot modes. The PIF control law uses typical General Aviation sensors for state feedback; command error integration for command tracking; digital complimentary filtering and analog prefiltering for sensor noise suppression; a control filter for computation delay accommodation; and the incremental form to eliminate trim values in implementation. Theoretical developments for the control law are described which combine the sampled-data regulator with command generator tracking for use as a digital flight control system. The digital PIF autopilots are evaluated using closed-loop eigenvalues and simulations. Successful flight test results for the PIF autopilots are presented for different turbulence conditions and quadratic weights.

Broussard, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Simulator study of a flight director display

A six degree of freedom, fixed base simulation study of the use of a flight director by general aviation pilots in an instrument landing system approach was conducted. An autopilot command law was used to drive the flight director needles. Time histories of the pilot aircraft display system responses and standard deviations and means of the glide slope and localizer errors were obtained. The pilot aircraft display system responses with the flight director were very similar to the autopilot aircraft responses. Without the flight director, the pilot aircraft display system exhibited less damping than with the flight director. The sensitivity of the flight director command laws was judged to be about as high as it could be by the test subjects. Thus, further improvement in the pilot aircraft display system performance by increasing the gains in the command laws was precluded.

Adams, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An update on the use of the VLA for telemetry reception

An analysis is modified to incorporate the actual structure of the command signal system of the very large array (VLA). In particular, in addition to the 1-ms command signal there is a data invalid signal that is generated. The command signals are transmitted to the antennas during the period in which the data invalid signal is on. This means that the gaps in the received data are really 1.6 ms long rather than 1 ms long. Simulation results with this taken into account show that the VLA will not support (7, 1/2) convolutionally encoded telemetry at acceptable error rates at any of the Voyager telemetry data rates. VLA will support Voyager encounters provided that either concatenated coding is implemented, VLA is arrayed with another receiving site (such as Goldstone), or VLA is reconfigured so that the gaps are rotated.

Deutsch, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

NASA/RAE collaboration on nonlinear control using the F-8C digital fly-by-wire aircraft

A cooperative advanced digital research experiment (CADRE) was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), in which nonlinear control algorithms developed by the RAE were tested on the F-8C digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) aircraft based at the Dryden Flight Research Facility. In the initial phase of the collaboration, some variable-gain algorithms, referred to collectively as variable integral control to optimize response (VICTOR) algorithms, were fight tested. With VICTOR, various measures available within the control system are used to vary gains and time-constants within the closed loop and thereby enhance the control capability of the system, while reducing the adverse effects of sensor noise on the control surfaces. A review of design procedures for VICTOR and results of preliminary flight tests are presented. the F-8C aircraft is operated in the remotely augmented vehicle (RAV) mode, with the control laws implemented as FORTRAN programs on a ground-based computer. Pilot commands and sensor information are telemetered to the ground, where the data are processed to form surface commands which are then telemetered to the ground, where the data are processed to form surface commands which are then telemetered back to the aircraft. The RAV mode represents a single-string (simplex) system and is therefore vulnerable to a hardover since comparison monitoring is not possible. Hence, extensive error checking is conducted on both the ground and airborne computers to prevent the development of potentially hazardous situations. Experience with the RAV monitoring and validation procedures is described.

Butler, G. F.↗