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At least 1,135 records · Page 63

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NASA NTRS2017

Software Defined Radios - Architectures, Systems and Functions

Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology has been proven in the commercial sector since the early 90's. Today's rapid advancement in mobile telephone reliability and power management capabilities exemplifies the effectiveness of the SDR technology for the modern communications market. SDR technology offers potential to revolutionize satellite transponder technology by increasing science data through-put capability by at least an order of magnitude. While the SDR is adaptive in nature and is "One-size-fits-all" by design, conventional transponders are built to a specific platform and must be redesigned for every new bus. The SDR uses a minimum amount of analog/Radio Frequency (RF) components to up/down-convert the RF signal to/from a digital format. Once analog data is digitized, all processing is performed using hardware logic. Typical SDR processes include; filtering, modulation, up/down converting and demodulation. These innovations have reduced the cost of transceivers, a decrease in power requirements and a commensurate reduction in volume. An additional pay-off is the increased flexibility of the SDR: allowing the same hardware to implement multiple transponder types by altering hardware logic -no change of analog hardware is required -all of which can be ultimately accomplished in orbit.

Sims, Herb↗

NASA NTRS2017

Software Defined Radios - Architectures, Systems and Functions

Software Defined Radio is an industry term describing a method of utilizing a minimum amount of Radio Frequency (RF)/analog electronics before digitization takes place. Upon digitization all other functions are performed in software/firmware. There are as many different types of SDRs as there are data systems. Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology has been proven in the commercial sector since the early 90's. Today's rapid advancement in mobile telephone reliability and power management capabilities exemplifies the effectiveness of the SDR technology for the modern communications market. In contrast the foundations of transponder technology presently qualified for satellite applications were developed during the early space program of the 1960's. SDR technology offers potential to revolutionize satellite transponder technology by increasing science data through-put capability by at least an order of magnitude. While the SDR is adaptive in nature and is "One-size-fits-all" by design, conventional transponders are built to a specific platform and must be redesigned for every new bus. The SDR uses a minimum amount of analog/Radio Frequency components to up/down-convert the RF signal to/from a digital format. Once analog data is digitized, all processing is performed using hardware logic. Typical SDR processes include; filtering, modulation, up/down converting and demodulation. This presentation will show how the emerging SDR market has leveraged the existing commercial sector to provide a path to a radiation tolerant SDR transponder. These innovations will reduce the cost of transceivers, a decrease in power requirements and a commensurate reduction in volume. A second pay-off is the increased flexibility of the SDR by allowing the same hardware to implement multiple transponder types by altering hardware logic - no change of analog hardware is required - all of which can be ultimately accomplished in orbit. This in turn would provide high capability and low cost transponder to programs of all sizes.

Sims, William H.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Software Defined Radios - Architectures, Systems and Functions

Sims, Herb↗

DOE OSTI2019

Empirical Validation of Building Energy Modeling using Flexible Research Platform

Recently, efforts have been made to provide reliable empirical data for ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140, Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs, to enable improved accuracy of building energy model (BEM) engines and improved characterization of their accuracy. The motivation for this effort is that the use of reliable empirical validation data sets in the evaluation of building energy modeling tools will lead to more consistent and validated simulation engines across all software vendors. This would expedite the use of building energy modeling in designing new buildings and retrofitting existing buildings, which delivers more energy efficient buildings.As part of a three-year multi-lab empirical validation project sponsored by U.S. DOE, this research project generated cooling season test plans by reviewing ASHRAE Standard 140, and the tests were performed based on the test plan. Finally, the experimental data sets were compared with the EnergyPlus model to demonstrate the validation procedure.

Im, Piljae↗

DOE OSTI2017

Computerized procedure systems: procedure edition and maintenance challenges - 232

Very few nuclear power plants are using computerized procedures to guide the control room operation. A CPS implementation consists of two processes: digitalization and computerization. The former deals with the transformation of paper-based procedure into a digital data; the latter is referred to as the addition to that data of extra information that is meaningful for decision-making. This information may include real-time data (plant parameter values and binary process values to indicate equipment states), provide access to trends and historical data, etc. In order to be efficient and to optimize the digitalization and computerization processes, these set of aids should be implemented at the same time as operating procedures are digitalized There are references of plants having successfully implemented Computerized Procedures Systems (CPS) for emergency procedures, but when questioned about normal or abnormal operating procedures, operators and plant management seem reluctant to take that step. Given that a CPS is meant, by design concept, to increase operation crew efficiency by facilitating the procedures execution and reducing human error, why are we reluctant to enjoy CPS benefits in the most common plant status (i.e. normal operation)? Although there are many answers to this question, one is shared by most of the users: CPSs are not designed for editing and maintaining procedures easily and reliably. Normal operating procedures, in opposition to the emergency procedures, are often reviewed. Nowadays, these edition activities are performed easily with a word processor software and using paper, but what is required when dealing with a CPS? (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS2000

Internet Technology on Spacecraft

The Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) project has shown that Internet technology works in space missions through a demonstration using the UoSAT-12 spacecraft. An Internet Protocol (IP) stack was installed on the orbiting UoSAT-12 spacecraft and tests were run to demonstrate Internet connectivity and measure performance. This also forms the basis for demonstrating subsequent scenarios. This approach provides capabilities heretofore either too expensive or simply not feasible such as reconfiguration on orbit. The OMNI project recognized the need to reduce the risk perceived by mission managers and did this with a multi-phase strategy. In the initial phase, the concepts were implemented in a prototype system that includes space similar components communicating over the TDRS (space network) and the terrestrial Internet. The demonstration system includes a simulated spacecraft with sample instruments. Over 25 demonstrations have been given to mission and project managers, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), contractor technologists and other decisions makers, This initial phase reached a high point with an OMNI demonstration given from a booth at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Inspection Day 99 exhibition. The proof to mission managers is provided during this second phase with year 2000 accomplishments: testing the use of Internet technologies onboard an actual spacecraft. This was done with a series of tests performed using the UoSAT-12 spacecraft. This spacecraft was reconfigured on orbit at very low cost. The total period between concept and the first tests was only 6 months! On board software was modified to add an IP stack to support basic IP communications. Also added was support for ping, traceroute and network timing protocol (NTP) tests. These tests show that basic Internet functionality can be used onboard spacecraft. The performance of data was measured to show no degradation from current approaches. The cost to implement is much less than current approaches due to the availability of highly reliable and standard Internet tools. Use of standard Internet applications onboard reduces the risk of obsolescence inherent in custom protocols due to extremely wide use across all domains. These basic building blocks provide the framework for building onboard software to support direct user communication with payloads including payload control. Other benefits are payload to payload communication from dissimilar spacecraft, constellations of spacecraft, and reconfigurability on orbit. This work is funded through contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

Rash, James↗

NASA NTRS2004

Software Implements a Space-Mission File-Transfer Protocol

CFDP is a computer program that implements the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) File Delivery Protocol, which is an international standard for automatic, reliable transfers of files of data between locations on Earth and in outer space. CFDP administers concurrent file transfers in both directions, delivery of data out of transmission order, reliable and unreliable transmission modes, and automatic retransmission of lost or corrupted data by use of one or more of several lost-segment-detection modes. The program also implements several data-integrity measures, including file checksums and optional cyclic redundancy checks for each protocol data unit. The metadata accompanying each file can include messages to users application programs and commands for operating on remote file systems.

Rundstrom, Kathleen↗

NASA NTRS1985

FINDS: A fault inferring nonlinear detection system programmers manual, version 3.0

Detailed software documentation of the digital computer program FINDS (Fault Inferring Nonlinear Detection System) Version 3.0 is provided. FINDS is a highly modular and extensible computer program designed to monitor and detect sensor failures, while at the same time providing reliable state estimates. In this version of the program the FINDS methodology is used to detect, isolate, and compensate for failures in simulated avionics sensors used by the Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) Transport System Research Vehicle (TSRV) in a Microwave Landing System (MLS) environment. It is intended that this report serve as a programmers guide to aid in the maintenance, modification, and revision of the FINDS software.

Lancraft, R. E.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Practice Summary: Improved Reliability via Optimization in Residential Microgrids

Southern Company is an electric utility that is embracing residential microgrids as a platform for distributed energy. The first residential microgrid in the southeastern United States was constructed in Hoover, Alabama, as a testbed for development. To operate the microgrid, we developed an optimization model for unit commitment and economic dispatch. We report the optimization model was implemented in a microgrid central controller and tested under various operational scenarios. Challenges also include developing a pricing algorithm to deliver price forecasts to the residential homes in the microgrid and open-source software restrictions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Gridtrust: Electricity Grid Root-of-Trust Decentralized Supply Chain Cyber-Security (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

GridTrust represents a departure from reliance on a single organization or a single person to multiple organizations and therefore multiple people across organizational structures. The motivating idea behind involving multiple organizations is the increase in security due to human factors. More specifically, the requirement that distinct people in different organizations sign off on a change or an update makes a cyberattack much less likely due to the inherent requirement that both organizations be penetrated and fooled. GridTrust focuses on the software update process as the primary exemplar for the research and development work. A novel hardware-based technology referred to as a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) provides a microchip Root-of-Trust (RoT), i.e., a starting point for verifying that the hardware being communicated with is the hardware the control center believes the hardware to be. As a result, staff at power grid control centers can ensure the accurate and reliable identification of hardware devices from the outset. The GridTrust protocol introduces two key innovations, as detailed in this report. Firstly, the utilization of a PUF as a root-of-trust in the initial phase of a software or firmware update. Secondly, the application of multiple cryptographic signatures from two or more organizations to the update binary. These signatures are verified before implementing the update on a power grid device in the field. In terms of GridTrust hardware design, this report outlines two main components. The first is the GridTrust Native Device, integrating PUF technology intrinsically into the hardware device itself. The second is the GridTrust Interfacing Device, which incorporates PUF technology and multiple cryptographic signatures. These signatures are cross-checked within a separate hardware positioned between the power grid control center and the legacy power grid device, functioning as an intermediary. While the GridTrust Interfacing Device offers the advantage of being applicable to existing power grid equipment, it may have reduced security if the intermediary component is targeted. On the other hand, the GridTrust Native Device boasts increased security due to protocol integration within a unified form factor. The effectiveness of GridTrust technology has been extensively demonstrated, with multiple external red-team attackers unable to breach GridTrust's security measures. This was observed both in controlled laboratory settings during Phase 1 of the project and in real-world conditions within a City of Marietta substation during Phase 2 of the project.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2016

Uncertainty Quantification in Climate Modeling and Projection

The projection of future climate is one of the most complex problems undertaken by the scientific community. Although scientists have been striving to better understand the physical basis of the climate system and to improve climate models, the overall uncertainty in projections of future climate has not been significantly reduced (e.g., from the IPCC AR4 to AR5). With the rapid increase of complexity in Earth system models, reducing uncertainties in climate projections becomes extremely challenging. Since uncertainties always exist in climate models, interpreting the strengths and limitations of future climate projections is key to evaluating risks, and climate change information for use in Vulnerability, Impact, and Adaptation (VIA) studies should be provided with both well-characterized and well-quantified uncertainty. The workshop reported herein aimed at providing participants, many of them from developing countries, information on strategies to quantify the uncertainty in climate model projections and assess the reliability of climate change information for decision-making. The program included a mixture of lectures on fundamental concepts in Bayesian inference and sampling, applications, and hands-on computer laboratory exercises employing software packages for Bayesian inference, Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, and global sensitivity analyses. The lectures covered a range of scientific issues underlying the evaluation of uncertainties in climate projections, such as the effects of uncertain initial and boundary conditions, uncertain physics, and limitations of observational records. Progress in quantitatively estimating uncertainties in hydrologic, land surface, and atmospheric models at both regional and global scales was also reviewed. The application of Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) concepts to coupled climate system models is still in its infancy. The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) multi-model ensemble currently represents the primary data for assessing reliability and uncertainties of climate change information. An alternative approach is to generate similar ensembles by perturbing parameters within a single-model framework. One of workshop’s objectives was to give participants a deeper understanding of these approaches within a Bayesian statistical framework. However, there remain significant challenges still to be resolved before UQ can be applied in a convincing way to climate models and their projections.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

MDSplus yesterday, today and tomorrow

MDSplus is a data acquisition and analysis system used worldwide predominantly in the fusion research community. Development began 31 years ago by a collaboration of software developers who were charged with providing a data acquisition system for three new fusion experiments under construction: CMOD at MIT, ZTH at LANL and RFX at Padova, Italy. The design of MDSplus combined the functionality of MDS (MIT/Model Data System developed at MIT for the Alcator and Tara fusion experiments) with new features suggested by the developers from the other laboratories. The development of MDSplus used a RAD (rapid application development) approach before RAD became a mainstream methodology. MDSplus was implemented and ready for the initial operation of CMOD in 1991. Since that time, many other fusion facilities started using MDSplus for data acquisition and/or for exporting their data to other sites. Today MDSplus is still used around the world for fusion energy research, space exploration and other fields of science and technology. Work on MDSplus continues to enhance its capabilities, support more platforms, and improve its reliability. It is anticipated that MDSplus will continue to provide valuable tools for the fusion energy research community. In conclusion, this paper describes some of the history of the MDSplus software, the work that is currently underway, and the plans to enable MDSplus to continue to be available and supported long into the future.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

CMS Computing Resources: Meeting the demands of the high-luminosity LHC physics program

The high-luminosity program has seen numerous extrapolations of its needed computing resources that each indicate the need for substantial changes if the desired HL-LHC physics program is to be supported within the current level of computing resource budgets. Drivers include large increases in event complexity (leading to increased processing time and analysis data size) and trigger rates needed (5-10 fold increases) for the HL-LHC program. The CMS experiment has recently undertaken an effort to merge the ideas behind short-term and long-term resource models in order to make easier and more reliable extrapolations to future needs. Near term computing resource estimation requirements depend on numerous parameters: LHC uptime and beam intensities; detector and online trigger performance; software performance; analysis data requirements; data access, management, and retention policies; site characteristics; and network performance. Longer term modeling is affected by the same characteristics, but with much larger uncertainties that must be considered to understand the most interesting handles for increasing the "physics per computing dollar" of the HL-LHC. In this presentation, we discuss the current status of long term modeling of the CMS computing resource needs for HL-LHC with emphasis on techniques for extrapolations, uncertainty quantification, and model results. We illustrate potential ways that high-luminosity CMS could accomplish its desired physics program within today's computing budgets.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2015

ZFS on RBODs - Leveraging RAID Controllers for Metrics and Enclosure Management

Traditionally, the Lustre file system has relied on the ldiskfs file system with reliable RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) storage underneath. As of Lustre 2.4, ZFS was added as a backend file system, with built-in software RAID, thereby removing the need of expensive RAID controllers. ZFS was designed to work with JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) storage enclosures under the Solaris Operating System, which provided a rich device management system. Long time users of the Lustre file system have relied on the RAID controllers to provide metrics and enclosure monitoring and management services, with rich APIs and command line interfaces. This paper will study a hybrid approach using an advanced full featured RAID enclosure which is presented to the host as a JBOD, This RBOD (RAIDed Bunch Of Disks) allows ZFS to do the RAID protection and error correction, while the RAID controller handles management of the disks and monitors the enclosure. It was hoped that the value of the RAID controller features would offset the additional cost, and that performance would not suffer in this mode. The test results revealed that the hybrid RBOD approach did suffer reduced performance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2015

Underground Test Area Activity Quality Assurance Plan Nevada National Security Site, Nevada. Revision 2

This Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) provides the overall quality assurance (QA) requirements and general quality practices to be applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) activities. The requirements in this QAP are consistent with DOE Order 414.1D, Change 1, Quality Assurance (DOE, 2013a); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (EPA, 2002); and EPA Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Environmental Models (EPA, 2009). If a participant’s requirement document differs from this QAP, the stricter requirement will take precedence. NNSA/NFO, or designee, must review this QAP every two years. Changes that do not affect the overall scope or requirements will not require an immediate QAP revision but will be incorporated into the next revision cycle after identification. Section 1.0 describes UGTA objectives, participant responsibilities, and administrative and management quality requirements (i.e., training, records, procurement). Section 1.0 also details data management and computer software requirements. Section 2.0 establishes the requirements to ensure newly collected data are valid, existing data uses are appropriate, and environmental-modeling methods are reliable. Section 3.0 provides feedback loops through assessments and reports to management. Section 4.0 provides the framework for corrective actions. Section 5.0 provides references for this document.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Evolution of Programmatic Asset Lifecycle Planning at MESA

Early on in 2018 Sandia recognized the Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications (MESA) Programmatic Asset Lifecycle Planning capability to be unpredictable, inconsistent, reactive, and unable to provide strong linkage to the sponsor's needs. The impetus for this report is to share learnings from MESA's journey towards maturing this capability. This report describes re-building the foundational elements of MESA's Programmatic Asset Lifecycle Planning capability using a risk-based, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach. To begin, MESA's decades-old Piano Chart + Ad Hoc Hybrid Methodology is described with a narrative of its strengths and weaknesses. Then its replacement, the MCDA /Analytical Hierarchy Process, is introduced with a discussion of its strengths and weaknesses. To generate a realistic Programmatic Asset Lifecycle Planning budget outlook, MESA used its rolling 20-year Extended Life Program Plan (MELPP) as a baseline. The new MCDA risk-based prioritization methodology implements DOE/NNSA guidelines for prioritization of DOE activities and provides a reliable, structured framework for combining expert judgement and stakeholder preferences according to an established scientific technique. An in-house Hybrid Decision Support System (HDSS) software application was developed to facilitate production of several key deliverables. The application enables analysis of the prioritization decisions with charts to display and provide linkage of MESA's funding requests to the stakeholders' priorities, strategic objectives, nuclear deterrence programs, MESA priorities, and much more.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

NASA NTRS1971

General test plan redundant sensor strapdown IMU evaluation program

The general test plan for a redundant sensor strapdown inertial measuring unit evaluation program is presented. The inertial unit contains six gyros and three orthogonal accelerometers. The software incorporates failure detection and correction logic and a land vehicle navigation program. The principal objective of the test is a demonstration of the practicability, reliability, and performance of the inertial measuring unit with failure detection and correction in operational environments.

Hartwell, T.↗

NASA NTRS1989

ATAM - Automated Trade Assessment Modeling

Automated Trade Assessment Modeling program, ATAM, one of software tools designed to assess candidate architectures for data-management system of Space Station. Designed to discriminate among candidates having equally acceptable performance and reliability characteristics. Utilizes data base, defined by user, containing information on candidate architecture. Assesses such trade factors of system as weight, power consumption, and life-cycle cost. Produces detailed parameter assessments as well as single figure of merit for candidate architecture. Written in Microsoft FORTRAN.

Vallone, Antonio↗