Spacecraft data systems
Applying nonadaptive transversal filters to playback of digital tape recorder signals and complementary-symmetry MOSFET memory for outer planet spacecraft
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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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Predeployment validation of fault-tolerant systems through software-implemented fault insertion
Fault injection-based automated testing (FIAT) environment, which can be used to experimentally characterize and evaluate distributed realtime systems under fault-free and faulted conditions is described. A survey is presented of validation methodologies. The need for fault insertion based on validation methodologies is demonstrated. The origins and models of faults, and motivation for the FIAT concept are reviewed. FIAT employs a validation methodology which builds confidence in the system through first providing a baseline of fault-free performance data and then characterizing the behavior of the system with faults present. Fault insertion is accomplished through software and allows faults or the manifestation of faults to be inserted by either seeding faults into memory or triggering error detection mechanisms. FIAT is capable of emulating a variety of fault-tolerant strategies and architectures, can monitor system activity, and can automatically orchestrate experiments involving insertion of faults. There is a common system interface which allows ease of use to decrease experiment development and run time. Fault models chosen for experiments on FIAT have generated system responses which parallel those observed in real systems under faulty conditions. These capabilities are shown by two example experiments each using a different fault-tolerance strategy.
Czeck, Edward W.↗
Gesture-controlled interfaces for self-service machines and other applications
A gesture recognition interface for use in controlling self-service machines and other devices is disclosed. A gesture is defined as motions and kinematic poses generated by humans, animals, or machines. Specific body features are tracked, and static and motion gestures are interpreted. Motion gestures are defined as a family of parametrically delimited oscillatory motions, modeled as a linear-in-parameters dynamic system with added geometric constraints to allow for real-time recognition using a small amount of memory and processing time. A linear least squares method is preferably used to determine the parameters which represent each gesture. Feature position measure is used in conjunction with a bank of predictor bins seeded with the gesture parameters, and the system determines which bin best fits the observed motion. Recognizing static pose gestures is preferably performed by localizing the body/object from the rest of the image, describing that object, and identifying that description. The disclosure details methods for gesture recognition, as well as the overall architecture for using gesture recognition to control of devices, including self-service machines.
Cohen, Charles J.↗
Thermal Radiator Pointing for International Space Station
In order to provide thermal radiation environments that result in adequate beat rejection, the single-phase, liquid ammonia (NH3) heat rejection system on the International Space Station (ISS) requires that its two thermal radiator wings be dynamically rotated as the ISS travels through its orbit. This paper discusses the closed-loop, thermal radiator pointing system that is used on ISS to ensure adequate heat rejection by the radiators, while preventing freezing of the ammonia under low heat loads and cold-environmental conditions. Although initial designs used an open-loop approach for radiator pointing, concerns about performance robustness, algorithm complexity, memory requirements, and sustaining support drove the development of a more robust, simpler, closed-loop system. Hence, the challenge of the closed-loop system was to utilize existing sensors, actuators and computers to fit into the existing hardware and software architecture of the ISS. Using a proportional-integral (PI) control architecture with limited output and an anti-windup integrator, the temperature of the ammonia coming out of the radiator is measured and controlled by adjusting the radiator wing orientation. The radiator wing orientation for the local minimum environment is fed forward to the control system, and the closed-loop controller is used to generate a bias off of that local minimum environment in order to heat up the ammonia when necessary to avoid freezing. In the earth's shadow, the controller is suspended and the radiator wing is oriented to face the earth, the local maximum thermal environment which further prevents freezing of the ammonia. This control architecture is shown to provide adequate heat rejection and avoid freezing of the ammonia, even though the physical system consists of large transport delays and time-varying dynamics which change dramatically due to orbit motion and variable heat loads.
Green, Scott↗
Dynamic Symmetry Breaking in Chiral Magnetic Systems
The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) in magnetic systems stabilizes spin textures with preferred chirality, applicable to next-generation memory and computing architectures. In perpendicularly magnetized heavy-metal/ferromagnet films, the interfacial DMI originating from structural inversion asymmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling favors chiral Néel-type domain walls (DWs) whose energetics and mobility remain at issue. Thus, a new effect is characterized in which domains expand unidirectionally in response to a combination of out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic fields, with the growth direction controlled by the in-plane field strength. These growth directionalities and symmetries with applied fields cannot be understood from static treatments alone. The authors theoretically demonstrate that perpendicular field torques stabilize steady-state magnetization profiles highly asymmetric in elastic energy, resulting in a dynamic symmetry breaking consistent with the experimental findings. This phenomenon sheds light on the mechanisms governing the dynamics of Néel-type DWs and expands the utility of field-driven DW motion to probe and control chiral DWs.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for Readout Signals Using Adaptive Filters on Reconfigurable Controls Hardware
This study investigates the optimization of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in superconducting quantum computing readout signals through adaptive filtering. Quantum computing technology has the potential to revolutionize various fields by delivering exponential speedup in solving certain computational problems. However, the technology's practical implementation is hindered by the difficulty of extracting clean, reliable signals during the readout phase, with various sources of noise presenting a significant barrier to clean signals. This noise, often present in readout profiles due to imperfect isolation, degrades the system's overall SNR, thus impeding the ability to extract the quantum state accurately. The research leverages the power of adaptive filtering to improve the SNR of quantum computing readout signals. Specifically, an adaptive filter is implemented in a PYNQ overlay on an FPGA, and eventually will be connected to a quantum computing system. The system models the noise with a Least Mean Squares (LMS) adaptive filter, and then subtracts the estimated noise from the received signal to improve the SNR. A Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel is used to handle the signal processing, delivering efficient, high-speed data transfer between the PYNQ system and the hardware. The study explores the benefits of this adaptive filtering technique, potentially providing a significant contribution to practical and fast quantum computing.
Johnson, Hans↗
Distributed-Memory Parallel Symmetric Nonnegative Matrix Factorization
We develop the first distributed-memory parallel implementation of Symmetric Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (SymNMF), a key data analytics kernel for clustering and dimensionality reduction. Our implementation includes two different algorithms for SymNMF, which give comparable results in terms of time and accuracy. The first algorithm is a parallelization of an existing sequential approach that uses solvers for non symmetric NMF. The second algorithm is a novel approach based on the Gauss-Newton method. It exploits second-order information without incurring large computational and memory costs. We evaluate the scalability of our algorithms on the Summit system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scaling up to 128 nodes (4,096 cores) with 70% efficiency. Additionally, we demonstrate our software on an image segmentation task.
Eswar, Srinivas↗
Crystallographic variant mapping using precession electron diffraction data
In this work, we developed three methods to map crystallographic variants of samples at the nanoscale by analyzing precession electron diffraction data using a high-temperature shape memory alloy and a VO2 thin film on sapphire as the model systems. The three methods are (I) a user-selecting-reference pattern approach, (II) an algorithm-selecting-reference-pattern approach, and (III) a k-means approach. In the first two approaches, Euclidean distance, Cosine, and Structural Similarity (SSIM) algorithms were assessed for the diffraction pattern similarity quantification. We demonstrated that the Euclidean distance and SSIM methods outperform the Cosine algorithm. We further revealed that the random noise in the diffraction data can dramatically affect similarity quantification. Denoising processes could improve the crystallographic mapping quality. With the three methods mentioned above, we were able to map the crystallographic variants in different materials systems, thus enabling fast variant number quantification and clear variant distribution visualization. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are also discussed. We expect these methods to benefit researchers who work on martensitic materials, in which the variant information is critical to understand their properties and functionalities.
Crystallographic variant mapping↗
Forgetting of a simple motor task.
Perceptual motor-skills forgetting in simple printing task, attributing decrements to retroactive interferences
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Computational requirements for a discrete Kalman filter.
Computational requirements - i.e., computing time per cycle (iteration) and required storage - which determine minimum sampling rates and computer memory size, were obtained as functions of the dimensions of the important system matrices for a discrete Kalman filter. Two types of measurement processing are discussed: simultaneous and sequential. It is shown that it is often better to process statistically independent measurements in more than one batch and then use sequential processing than to process them together via simultaneous processing.
Mendel, J. M.↗
The question of the possibility of using Associative Computer Devices (ACD) for parallel adaptive discretization of multichannel telemetry information
The method of parallel adaptive discretization of data is considered the most promising and allows the effective compression algorithms to be used for high information-capacity radio telemetry systems. An associative computer device (ACD), i.e., parallel computers based on associative memory units (AMU), are recommended for realization of this method. A detailed discussion of the problems of application of AMU is followed by description of a particular ACD and its recommended use.
Kantor, A. V.↗
The 1973 GSFC battery workshop, second day
Technological progress in the development, testing, and manufacturing of nickel-cadmium battery cells as well as hydrogen cells is presented. The following major topics were discussed: (1) carbonate analysis; (2) nickel-cadmium memory effect; (3) use of batteries in an automatic acquisition and control system; (4) accelerated testing; (5) formulation of a mathematical odel for a nickel-cadmium cell; (6) development of a light weight nickel-cadmium battery capable of delivering 20 watt hours per pound; (7) magnetic testing of nickel-cadmium cells; (8) design and performance characteristics of nickel-hydrogen and silver-hydrogen cells; and (9) development of a semiprismatic cell design. For Vol. 1, see N75-15152.
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Mask and display program
Program is used to create complex lines, shapes, circles and alpha-numeric characters rapidly and easily, and format them for use on some pattern generation. System is applicable as aid to designers of microelectronics, integrated optics, bubble memories and other devices requiring precise artwork.
Routh, D.↗
Common data buffer
Time-shared interface speeds data processing in distributed computer network. Two-level high-speed scanning approach routes information to buffer, portion of which is reserved for series of "first-in, first-out" memory stacks. Buffer address structure and memory are protected from noise or failed components by error correcting code. System is applicable to any computer or processing language.
Byrne, F.↗
Laboratory measurements of D/H ratios in interplanetary dust
Measurements of noble gas elemental and isotopic abundance patterns have provided evidence that a subset of the particles collected in the upper atmosphere by NASA aircraft are micrometeorites. It is found that the deuterium in two such particles is enriched relative to hydrogen by 500-1100 per thousand when compared with the terrestrial SMOW standard. This result confirms the extraterrestrial origin of the dust particles and demonstrates that the material preserves a potentially unique isotopic record which may reflect a memory of processes occurring during or before the formation of the solar system. In addition, the deuterium enrichment seen in the particles is analogous to that observed in bulk samples of one carbonaceous meteorite and two unequilibrated ordinary chondrites as well as in chemical separates of a number of other meteorites.
Zinner, E.↗
NAS - Supercomputing master tool for aeronautics
Features, performance objectives and applications planned for the NASA National Aerodynamics Simulator (NAS) are outlined. NAS was conceived in the 1970s as a means to performing numerical aerodynamic simulations beyond the scope of wind tunnel testing for high-speed flight. Present supercomputers cannot deal with problems exhibiting strongly coupled viscous effects, which are being increasingly more accurately represented by approximations to the full Navier-Stokes equations. Located at the NASA-Ames Center, the NAS will by 1990 comprise a distributed computer network capable of a 4 Gflop computing rate and have a memory capacity of 1 billion 64-bit words. Remote access to the system through UNIX-based microcomputers will be available through land lines and satellite links. New supercomputers will be tested on the system without disturbing ongoing work. The core machine will be a Cray-2 with a 2 Gflop rate.
Bailey, F. R.↗
Combined trellis coding with asymmetric modulations
The use of asymmetric signal constellations combined with optimized trellis coding to improve the performance of coded systems without increasing the average or peak power, or changing the bandwidth constraints of a system is discussed. The trellis code, asymmetric signal set, and Viterbi decoder of the system model are examined. The procedures for assigning signals to state transitions of the trellis code are described; the performance of the trellis coding system is evaluated. Examples of AM, QAM, and MPSK modulations with short memory trellis codes are presented.
Divsalar, D.↗
Rectification of terrain induced distortions in radar imagery
This paper describes a technique to generate geocoded synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery corrected for terrain induced geometric distortions. This algorithm transforms the raw slant range image, generated by the signal processor, into a map registered product, resampled to either Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) or Polar Stereographic projections, and corrected for foreshortening. The technique utilizes the space platform trajectory information in conjunction with a digital elevation map (DEM) of the target area to generate an ortho-radar map with near-autonomous operation. The current procedure requires only two to three tie-points to compensate for the platform position uncertainty that results in translational error between the image and the DEM. This approach is unique in that it does not require generation of a simulated radar image from the DEM or a grid of tie-points to characterize the image-to-map distortions. Rather, it models the inherent distortions based on knowledge of the radar data collection characteristics, the signal Doppler parameters, and the local terrain height to automatically predict the registration transformation. This algorithm has been implemented on a minicomputer system equipped with an array processor and a large random-access memory to optimize the throughput.
Kwok, Ronald↗