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At least 1,207 records · Page 67

Integrated Circuit Chip Improves Network Efficiency

Prior to 1999 and the development of SpaceWire, a standard for high-speed links for computer networks managed by the European Space Agency (ESA), there was no high-speed communications protocol for flight electronics. Onboard computers, processing units, and other electronics had to be designed for individual projects and then redesigned for subsequent projects, which increased development periods, costs, and risks. After adopting the SpaceWire protocol in 2000, NASA implemented the standard on the Swift mission, a gamma ray burst-alert telescope launched in November 2004. Scientists and developers on the James Webb Space Telescope further developed the network version of SpaceWire. In essence, SpaceWire enables more science missions at a lower cost, because it provides a standard interface between flight electronics components; new systems need not be custom built to accommodate individual missions, so electronics can be reused. New protocols are helping to standardize higher layers of computer communication. Goddard Space Flight Center improved on the ESA-developed SpaceWire by enabling standard protocols, which included defining quality of service and supporting plug-and-play capabilities. Goddard upgraded SpaceWire to make the routers more efficient and reliable, with features including redundant cables, simultaneous discrete broadcast pulses, prevention of network blockage, and improved verification. Redundant cables simplify management because the user does not need to worry about which connection is available, and simultaneous broadcast signals allow multiple users to broadcast low-latency side-band signal pulses across the network using the same resources for data communication. Additional features have been added to the SpaceWire switch to prevent network blockage so that more robust networks can be designed. Goddard s verification environment for the link-and-switch implementation continuously randomizes and tests different parts, constantly anticipating situations, which helps improve communications reliability. It has been tested in many different implementations for compatibility.

Source record↗

Generative diffusion model surrogates for mechanistic agent-based biological models

Mechanistic, multicellular, agent-based models are commonly used to investigate tissue, organ, and organism-scale biology at single-cell resolution. The Cellular-Potts Model (CPM) is a powerful and popular framework for developing and interrogating these models. CPMs become computationally expensive at large space- and time- scales making application and investigation of developed models difficult. Surrogate models may allow for the accelerated evaluation of CPMs of complex biological systems. However, the stochastic nature of these models means each set of parameters may give rise to different model configurations, complicating surrogate model development. In this work, we leverage denoising diffusion probabilistic models (DDPMs) to train a generative AI surrogate of a CPM used to investigate in vitro vasculogenesis. We describe the use of an image classifier to learn the characteristics that define unique areas of a 2-dimensional parameter space. We then apply this classifier to aid in surrogate model selection and verification. Our CPM model surrogate generates model configurations 20,000 timesteps ahead of a reference configuration and demonstrates approximately a 22x reduction in computational time as compared to native code execution. Our work represents a step towards the implementation of DDPMs to develop digital twins of stochastic biological systems.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DMTN-118: Review of Timeseries Features

Rubin Observatory will compute timeseries variability features on lightcurves to aid users in identifying objects of interest, both during realtime Alert Production as well as in the annual Data Releases. The Data Products Definition Document (DPDD; LSE-163) allocates space for pre-computed timeseries features, and a sample set is baselined in LDM-151. However, in the subsequent decade the scientfic community has made a great deal of further progress in this area. This technote reviews the relevant literature, grouping related features where possible; discusses potential concerns and open questions; and proposes a new baseline feature set.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Operations programming

Computer programming technology and Surveyor software system, for deep space network

SURVEYOR PROJECT↗

The dynamics and control of large flexible space structures. Part B: Development of continuum model and computer simulation

The equations of motion of an arbitrary flexible body in orbit were derived. The model includes the effects of gravity with all its higher harmonics. As a specific example, the motion of a long, slender, uniform beam in circular orbit was modelled. The example considers both the inplane and three dimensional motion of the beam in orbit. In the case of planar motion with only flexible vibrations, the pitch motion is not influenced by the elastic motion of the beam. For large values of the square of the ratio of the structural modal frequency to the orbital angular rate the elastic motion was decoupled from the pitch motion. However, for small values of the ratio and small amplitude pitch motion, the elastic motion was governed by a Hill's 3 term equation. Numerical simulation of the equation indicates the possibilities of instability for very low values of the square of the ratio of the modal frequency to the orbit angular rate. Also numerical simulations of the first order nonlinear equations of motion for a long flexible beam in orbit were performed. The effect of varying the initial conditions and the number of modes was demonstrated.

Bainum, P. M.↗

An application of computer aided requirements analysis to a real time deep space system

The entire procedure of incorporating the requirements and goals of a space flight project into integrated, time ordered sequences of spacecraft commands, is called the uplink process. The Uplink Process Control Task (UPCT) was created to examine the uplink process and determine ways to improve it. The Problem Statement Language/Problem Statement Analyzer (PSL/PSA) designed to assist the designer/analyst/engineer in the preparation of specifications of an information system is used as a supporting tool to aid in the analysis. Attention is given to a definition of the uplink process, the definition of PSL/PSA, the construction of a PSA database, the value of analysis to the study of the uplink process, and the PSL/PSA lessons learned.

Farny, A. M.↗

Computations on the massively parallel processor at the Goddard Space Flight Center

Described are four significant algorithms implemented on the massively parallel processor (MPP) at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Two are in the area of image analysis. Of the other two, one is a mathematical simulation experiment and the other deals with the efficient transfer of data between distantly separated processors in the MPP array. The first algorithm presented is the automatic determination of elevations from stereo pairs. The second algorithm solves mathematical logistic equations capable of producing both ordered and chaotic (or random) solutions. This work can potentially lead to the simulation of artificial life processes. The third algorithm is the automatic segmentation of images into reasonable regions based on some similarity criterion, while the fourth is an implementation of a bitonic sort of data which significantly overcomes the nearest neighbor interconnection constraints on the MPP for transferring data between distant processors.

Strong, James P.↗

Deep Space Network (DSN), Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) computer-human interfaces

The Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) of the DSN is responsible for scheduling the resources of DSN, and monitoring all multi-mission spacecraft tracking activities in real-time. Operations performs this job with computer systems at JPL connected to over 100 computers at Goldstone, Australia and Spain. The old computer system became obsolete, and the first version of the new system was installed in 1991. Significant improvements for the computer-human interfaces became the dominant theme for the replacement project. Major issues required innovating problem solving. Among these issues were: How to present several thousand data elements on displays without overloading the operator? What is the best graphical representation of DSN end-to-end data flow? How to operate the system without memorizing mnemonics of hundreds of operator directives? Which computing environment will meet the competing performance requirements? This paper presents the technical challenges, engineering solutions, and results of the NOCC computer-human interface design.

Ellman, Alvin↗

Deep Space Network (DSN), Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) computer-human interfaces

The technical challenges, engineering solutions, and results of the NOCC computer-human interface design are presented. The use-centered design process was as follows: determine the design criteria for user concerns; assess the impact of design decisions on the users; and determine the technical aspects of the implementation (tools, platforms, etc.). The NOCC hardware architecture is illustrated. A graphical model of the DSN that represented the hierarchical structure of the data was constructed. The DSN spacecraft summary display is shown. Navigation from top to bottom is accomplished by clicking the appropriate button for the element about which the user desires more detail. The telemetry summary display and the antenna color decision table are also shown.

Ellman, Alvin↗

Massively Parallel Algorithms for Solution of Schrodinger Equation

In this paper massively parallel algorithms for solution of Schrodinger equation are developed. Our results clearly indicate that the Crank-Nicolson method, in addition to its excellent numerical properties, is also highly suitable for massively parallel computation.

parallel algorithms MIMD parallel architectures ti↗

Minimal Coordinate Formulation of Contact Dynamics in Operational Space

In recent years, complementarity techniques have been developed for modeling non-smooth contact and collision dynamics problems for multi-link robotic systems. Normally, in this approach, a linear complementarity problem (LCP) is set up using 6n non-minimal coordinates for a system with n links together with all the unilateral constraints and inter-link bilateral constraints on the system. In this paper, we use operational space dynamics to develop a complementarity formulation for contact and collision dynamics that uses minimal coordinates. The use of such non-redundant coordinates results in much smaller size LCP problems and the automatic enforcement of the inter-link bilateral constraints. Furthermore, we exploit operational space low-order computational algorithms to overcome some of the bottlenecks in using minimal coordinates.

contact dynamics↗

Form factors and spectral densities from Lightcone Conformal Truncation

We use the method of Lightcone Conformal Truncation (LCT) to obtain form factors and spectral densities of local operators $\mathcal{O}$ in $\phi^4$ theory in two dimensions. We show how to use the Hamiltonian eigenstates from LCT to obtain form factors that are matrix elements of a local operator $\mathcal{O}$ between single-particle bra and ket states, and we develop methods that significantly reduce errors resulting from the finite truncation of the Hilbert space. We extrapolate these form factors as a function of momentum to the regime where, by crossing symmetry, they are form factors of $\mathcal{O}$ between the vacuum and a two-particle asymptotic scattering state. We also compute the momentum-space time-ordered two-point functions of local operators in LCT. These converge quickly at momenta away from branch cuts, allowing us to indirectly obtain the time-ordered correlator and the spectral density at the branch cuts. We focus on the case where the local operator $\mathcal{O}$ is the trace Θ of the stress tensor.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗