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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Trellises and Trellis-Based Decoding Algorithms for Linear Block Codes: An Iterative Decoding Algorithm for Linear Block Codes Based on a Low-Weight Trellis Search - Part 3

For long linear block codes, maximum likelihood decoding based on full code trellises would be very hard to implement if not impossible. In this case, we may wish to trade error performance for the reduction in decoding complexity. Sub-optimum soft-decision decoding of a linear block code based on a low-weight sub-trellis can be devised to provide an effective trade-off between error performance and decoding complexity. This chapter presents such a suboptimal decoding algorithm for linear block codes. This decoding algorithm is iterative in nature and based on an optimality test. It has the following important features: (1) a simple method to generate a sequence of candidate code-words, one at a time, for test; (2) a sufficient condition for testing a candidate code-word for optimality; and (3) a low-weight sub-trellis search for finding the most likely (ML) code-word.

Lin, Shu↗
NASA NTRS1991

Comparison of lightning location data and polarisation radar observations of clouds

Simultaneous observations of both the precipitation and the lightning associated with thunderstorms show that the lightning is within 3 km of the maximum precipitation echo. The intensity and type of the precipitation is observed with 500 m spatial accuracy using an S-band polarization radar and the position of the lightning is inferred from a low frequency magnetic direction finding location system. Empirical adjustment to the angles using the redundancy of the lightning data reduce this error. Radar echoes above 45dBZ may be caused by soft hail or hailstones, but similarly intense echoes may result from melting snow. The data show that a new polarization radar parameter, the linear depolarization ratio, can distinguish between soft hail and melting snow, and that the intense radar echoes associated with melting snow pose no threat of lightning. A lightning risk only exists when the radar indicates that the clouds contain soft hail or hailstones.

Illingworth, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Identifications of Four Integral Sources in the Galactic Plane via CHANDRA Localizations

Hard X-ray imaging of the Galactic plane by the INTEGRAL satellite is uncovering large numbers of 20-100 keV "IGR" sources. We present results from Chandra, INTEGRAL, optical, and IR observations of four IGR sources: three sources in the Norma region of the Galaxy(1GR J16195-4945,IGR J16207-5129, and IGR J16167-4957) and one that is closer to the Galactic center (IGR 5171 95-4100). In all four cases, one relatively bright Chandra source is seen in the INTEGRAL error circle, and these are likely to be the soft X-ray counterparts of the IGR sources. They have hard 0.3-10 keV spectra with power-law photon indices of Gamma = 0.5-1.1. While many previously studied IGR sources show high column densities (NH approx. 10(exp 23)-10(exp 24)/sq cm), only IGR J16195-4945 has a column density that could be as high as 10(exp 23)/sq cm. Using optical and IR sky survey catalogs and our own photometry, we have obtained identifications for all four sources. The J-band magnitudes are in the range 14.9-10.4, and we have used the optical/IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to constrain the nature of the sources. Blackbody components with temperature lower limits of >9400 K for IGR J16195-4945 and >18,000 K for IGR J16207-5129 indicate that these are very likely high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). However, for IGR 516167-4957 and IGR J17195-4100, low extinction and the SEDs indicate later spectral types for the putative companions, suggesting that these are not HMXBs.

Tomsick, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Addressing the Hard Factors for Command File Errors by Probabilistic Reasoning

Command File Errors (CFE) are managed using standard risk management approaches at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Over the last few years, more emphasis has been made on the collection, organization, and analysis of these errors for the purpose of reducing the CFE rates. More recently, probabilistic modeling techniques have been used for more in depth analysis of the perceived error rates of the DAWN mission and for managing the soft factors in the upcoming phases of the mission. We broadly classify the factors that can lead to CFE's as soft factors, which relate to the cognition of the operators and hard factors which relate to the Mission System which is composed of the hardware, software and procedures used for the generation, verification & validation and execution of commands. The focus of this paper is to use probabilistic models that represent multiple missions at JPL to determine the root cause and sensitivities of the various components of the mission system and develop recommendations and techniques for addressing them. The customization of these multi-mission models to a sample interplanetary spacecraft is done for this purpose.

Meshkat, Leila↗
NASA NTRS1976

An ultrasoft X-ray source in Coma Berenices

An intense soft X-ray source with an extraordinary spectrum has been observed in Coma Berenices, 4 deg northeast of and not associated with the Coma cluster of galaxies. Two spectra, obtained at different times in a sounding-rocket flight, indicate that the source temperature in thermal models is less than 1 million K; a power-law model requires photon power-law indices steeper than n = -3. The intensity in the 44-165 A band is of the order of 5 by 10 to the -10th power erg/sq cm/sec, but no flux is present at energies 0.3-2.1 keV to a limit of 1 by 10 to the -10th power erg/sq cm/sec. The lack of bright stars or a supernova remnant in the error box implies that this may be a new class of soft X-ray sources.

Margon, B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes

Various types of multistage decoding for multilevel block modulation codes, in which the decoding of a component code at each stage can be either soft decision or hard decision, maximum likelihood or bounded distance are discussed. Error performance for codes is analyzed for a memoryless additive channel based on various types of multi-stage decoding, and upper bounds on the probability of an incorrect decoding are derived. It was found that, if component codes of a multi-level modulation code and types of decoding at various stages are chosen properly, high spectral efficiency and large coding gain can be achieved with reduced decoding complexity. It was found that the difference in performance between the suboptimum multi-stage soft decision maximum likelihood decoding of a modulation code and the single stage optimum decoding of the overall code is very small, only a fraction of dB loss in SNR at the probability of an incorrect decoding for a block of 10(exp -6). Multi-stage decoding of multi-level modulation codes really offers a way to achieve the best of three worlds, bandwidth efficiency, coding gain, and decoding complexity.

Lin, Shu↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes

In this paper, we investigate various types of multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes, in which the decoding of a component code at each stage can be either soft-decision or hard-decision, maximum likelihood or bounded-distance. Error performance of codes is analyzed for a memoryless additive channel based on various types of multi-stage decoding, and upper bounds on the probability of an incorrect decoding are derived. Based on our study and computation results, we find that, if component codes of a multi-level modulation code and types of decoding at various stages are chosen properly, high spectral efficiency and large coding gain can be achieved with reduced decoding complexity. In particular, we find that the difference in performance between the suboptimum multi-stage soft-decision maximum likelihood decoding of a modulation code and the single-stage optimum decoding of the overall code is very small: only a fraction of dB loss in SNR at the probability of an incorrect decoding for a block of 10(exp -6). Multi-stage decoding of multi-level modulation codes really offers a way to achieve the best of three worlds, bandwidth efficiency, coding gain, and decoding complexity.

Lin, Shu↗
NASA NTRS2019

A comprehensive line spread function error for the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment

The Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE) is a soft X-ray grating spectrometer to be flown on a suborbital rocket. The payload is designed to obtain the highest-resolution soft X-ray spectrum of Capella to date with a resolution goal of R(lambda/delta lambda) > 2000 at select wavelengths in its 10 - 55 A bandpass of interest. The optical design of the spectrometer realizes a maximum resolution of R 5000 with all components performing optimally, in perfect alignment, and not considering in-flight pointing errors; however, performance errors, misalignments, and in-flight pointing errors work to degrade this performance. A comprehensive line spread function (LSF) error budget has been constructed for the spectrometer to identify errors contributing to the LSF, to determine how each affects the LSF, and to inform performance requirements and alignment tolerances for the spectrometer. In this document, the comprehensive LSF error budget for the OGRE spectrometer is presented and its implications are discussed.

Benjamin D Donovan↗
NASA NTRS1984

Fault-tolerant system considerations for a redundant strapdown inertial measurement unit

The development and evaluation of a fault-tolerant system for the Redundant Strapdown Inertial Measurement Unit (RSDIMU) being developed and evaluated by the NASA Langley Research Center was continued. The RSDIMU consists of four two-degree-of-freedom gyros and accelerometers mounted on the faces of a semi-octahedron which can be separated into two halves for damage protection. Compensated and uncompensated fault-tolerant system failure decision algorithms were compared. An algorithm to compensate for sensor noise effects in the fault-tolerant system thresholds was evaluated via simulation. The effects of sensor location and magnitude of the vehicle structural modes on system performance were assessed. A threshold generation algorithm, which incorporates noise compensation and filtered parity equation residuals for structural mode compensation, was evaluated. The effects of the fault-tolerant system on navigational accuracy were also considered. A sensor error parametric study was performed in an attempt to improve the soft failure detection capability without obtaining false alarms. Also examined was an FDI system strategy based on the pairwise comparison of sensor measurements. This strategy has the specific advantage of, in many instances, successfully detecting and isolating up to two simultaneously occurring failures.

Motyka, P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

High rate concatenated coding systems using bandwidth efficient trellis inner codes

High-rate concatenated coding systems with bandwidth-efficient trellis inner codes and Reed-Solomon (RS) outer codes are investigated for application in high-speed satellite communication systems. Two concatenated coding schemes are proposed. In one the inner code is decoded with soft-decision Viterbi decoding, and the outer RS code performs error-correction-only decoding (decoding without side information). In the other, the inner code is decoded with a modified Viterbi algorithm, which produces reliability information along with the decoded output. In this algorithm, path metrics are used to estimate the entire information sequence, whereas branch metrics are used to provide reliability information on the decoded sequence. This information is used to erase unreliable bits in the decoded output. An errors-and-erasures RS decoder is then used for the outer code. The two schemes have been proposed for high-speed data communication on NASA satellite channels. The rates considered are at least double those used in current NASA systems, and the results indicate that high system reliability can still be achieved.

Deng, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Gamma-Ray Burst Class Properties

Guided by the Supervised pattern recognition algorithm C4.5, we examine the three gamma-ray burst classes identified by Mukherjee et al. C4.5 provides strong statistical support for this classification. However, with C4.5 and our knowledge of the BATSE instrument, we demonstrate that Class 3 (intermediate fluence, intermediate duration, soft) does not have to be a distinct source population: statistical/systematic errors in measuring burst attributes combined with the well-known hardness/intensity correlation can cause low peak flux Class I (high fluence, long, intermediate hardness) bursts to take on Class 3 characteristics naturally. Based on our hypothesis that the third class is not a distinct one, we provide rules so that future events can be placed in either Class I or Class 2 (low fluence, short, hard). Using classified bursts from the BATSE 4B Catalog, we plot log(N>P) vs. log(P) curves and study spectral features of each class. We find that the two classes are relatively distinct on the basis of spectral parameters, alpha, Beta, and E(sub peak) alone. Although this does not indicate a better basis for classification, it does suggest that different physical conditions exist for Class I and Class 2 bursts. In the process of studying burst class characteristics, we identify a new bias that affects measurement of burst fluences and durations. Using a simple model of how burst duration can be underestimated, we generally characterize how this fluence duration bias affects BATSE measurements, and demonstrate the type of effect it can have on the BATSE fluence vs. peak flux diagram.

Hakkila, Jon↗
NASA NTRS2000

Gamma-Ray Burst Class Properties

Guided by the supervised pattern recognition algorithm C4.5 developed by Quinlan in 1986, we examine the three gamma-ray burst classes identified by Mukherjee et al. in 1998. C4.5 provides strong statistical support for this classification. However, with C4.5 and our knowledge of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) instrument, we demonstrate that class 3 (intermediate fluence, intermediate duration, soft) does not have to be a distinct source population: statistical/systematic errors in measuring burst attributes combined with the well-known hardness/intensity correlation can cause low peak flux class 1 (high fluence, long, intermediate hardness) bursts to take on class 3 characteristics naturally. Based on our hypothesis that the third class is not a distinct one, we provide rules so that future events can be placed in either class 1 or class 2 (low fluence, short, hard). We find that the two classes are relatively distinct on the basis of Band's work in 1993 on spectral parameters alpha, beta, and E (sub peak) alone. Although this does not indicate a better basis for classification, it does suggest that different physical conditions exist for class 1 and class 2 bursts. In the process of studying burst class characteristics, we identify a new bias affecting burst fluence and duration measurements. Using a simple model of how burst duration can be underestimated, we show how this fluence duration bias can affect BATSE measurements and demonstrate the type of effect it can have on the BATSE fluence versus peak flux diagram.

Hakkila, Jon↗
NASA NTRS1982

Study of and proposals for the correction of errors in a radar ranging device designed to facilitate docking of a teleoperator maneuvering system

A frequency modulated continuous wave radar system was developed. The system operates in the 35 gigahertz frequency range and provides millimeter accuracy range and range rate measurements. This level of range resolution allows soft docking for the proposed teleoperator maneuvering system (TMS) or other autonomous or robotic space vehicles. Sources of error in the operation of the system which tend to limit its range resolution capabilities are identified. Alternative signal processing techniques are explored with emphasis on determination of the effects of inserting various signal filtering circuits in the system. The identification and elimination of an extraneous low frequency signal component created as a result of zero range immediate reflection of radar energy from the surface of the antenna dish back into the mixer of the system is described.

Mcdonald, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Results from the First Two Flights of the Static Computer Memory Integrity Testing Experiment

This paper details the scientific objectives, experiment design, data collection method, and post flight analysis following the first two flights of the Static Computer Memory Integrity Testing (SCMIT) experiment. SCMIT is designed to detect soft-event upsets in passive magnetic memory. A soft-event upset is a change in the logic state of active or passive forms of magnetic memory, commonly referred to as a "Bitflip". In its mildest form a soft-event upset can cause software exceptions, unexpected events, start spacecraft safeing (ending data collection) or corrupted fault protection and error recovery capabilities. In it's most severe form loss of mission or spacecraft can occur. Analysis after the first flight (in 1991 during STS-40) identified possible soft-event upsets to 25% of the experiment detectors. Post flight analysis after the second flight (in 1997 on STS-87) failed to find any evidence of soft-event upsets. The SCMIT experiment is currently scheduled for a third flight in December 1999 on STS-101.

Hancock, Thomas M., III↗
NASA NTRS1990

High-order neural models for error correcting code

The decoding and error-correction of data transmitted over a noisy channel is in principle equivalent to the operation of a neural network performing as a content-addressable memory. For a successful application, however, the neural network has to be capable of storing arbitrary words, and it has to be guaranteed that the stored words represent the only stable attractors of the memory. This paper presents a novel high-order neural network architecture that has these characteristics. The analog nature of the network can be used to perform soft-decision decoding with any block code. The performance in terms of postdecoding bit error rate versus SNR is demonstrated for two exemplary block codes. The comparison with a conventional decoding algorithm for a (15,5) cyclic redundancy code shows, for example, that the bit error rate at 7dB SNR can be decreased by two orders of magnitude.

Jeffries, Clark↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Fast-Response High-Accuracy Overvoltage Protection Circuit for Soft-Switching Current-Source Converters

Although voltage-source converters (VSCs) have been a focus of research for decades and are widely applied in numerous applications, they face great challenges in short-circuit failures, high dv/dt and electromagnetic interference (EMI), especially using wide bandgap devices. Instead, current-source converters (CSCs) are attracting increasing attention in recent years owing to their friendliness to short-circuit faults, improved EMI, etc. For CSCs, overvoltage is the most catastrophic failure since the semiconductor devices can hardly withstand an overvoltage for a short pulse. In this paper, a fast-response high-accuracy overvoltage protection (OVP) circuit is proposed to protect CSCs from overvoltage damage. It also features a small form factor, good noise-immunity, friendly retrofit capability, and no need for active switches. In this paper, the operating principle and design guideline of the proposed OVP circuit is introduced. Its effectiveness is validated in soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T) at 500 V. In experiments, the voltage detection error of less than 5% and a propagation delay of fewer than 400 ns have been achieved.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
NASA NTRS1999

Modeling of polychromatic attenuation using computed tomography reconstructed images

This paper presents a procedure for estimating an accurate model of the CT imaging process including spectral effects. As raw projection data are typically unavailable to the end-user, we adopt a post-processing approach that utilizes the reconstructed images themselves. This approach includes errors from x-ray scatter and the nonidealities of the built-in soft tissue correction into the beam characteristics, which is crucial to beam hardening correction algorithms that are designed to be applied directly to CT reconstructed images. We formulate this approach as a quadratic programming problem and propose two different methods, dimension reduction and regularization, to overcome ill conditioning in the model. For the regularization method we use a statistical procedure, Cross Validation, to select the regularization parameter. We have constructed step-wedge phantoms to estimate the effective beam spectrum of a GE CT-I scanner. Using the derived spectrum, we computed the attenuation ratios for the wedge phantoms and found that the worst case modeling error is less than 3% of the corresponding attenuation ratio. We have also built two test (hybrid) phantoms to evaluate the effective spectrum. Based on these test phantoms, we have shown that the effective beam spectrum provides an accurate model for the CT imaging process. Last, we used a simple beam hardening correction experiment to demonstrate the effectiveness of the estimated beam profile for removing beam hardening artifacts. We hope that this estimation procedure will encourage more independent research on beam hardening corrections and will lead to the development of application-specific beam hardening correction algorithms.

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗