SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “CoSTA)”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1990

Central and South America GPS geodesy - CASA Uno

In January 1988, scientists from over 25 organizations in 13 countries and territories cooperated in the largest GPS campaign in the world to date. A total of 43 GPS receivers collected approximately 590 station-days of data in American Samoa, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Sweden, United States, West Germany, and Venezuela. The experiment was entitled CASA Uno. Scientific goals of the project include measurements of strain in the northern Andes, subduction rates for the Cocos and Nazca plates beneath Central and South America, and relative motion between the Caribbean plate and South America. A second set of measurements are planned in 1991 and should provide preliminary estimates of crustal deformation and plate motion rates in the region.

Kellogg, James N.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Some tests of wet tropospheric calibration for the CASA Uno Global Positioning System experiment

Wet tropospheric path delay can be a major error source for Global Positioning System (GPS) geodetic experiments. Strategies for minimizing this error are investigted using data from CASA Uno, the first major GPS experiment in Central and South America, where wet path delays may be both high and variable. Wet path delay calibration using water vapor radiometers (WVRs) and residual delay estimation is compared with strategies where the entire wet path delay is estimated stochastically without prior calibration, using data from a 270-km test baseline in Costa Rica. Both approaches yield centimeter-level baseline repeatability and similar tropospheric estimates, suggesting that WVR calibration is not critical for obtaining high precision results with GPS in the CASA region.

Dixon, T. H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Geocoding and stereo display of tropical forest multisensor datasets

Concern about the future of tropical forests has led to a demand for geocoded multisensor databases that can be used to assess forest structure, deforestation, thermal response, evapotranspiration, and other parameters linked to climate change. In response to studies being conducted at the Braulino Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica, digital satellite and aircraft images recorded by Landsat TM, SPOT HRV, Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner, and Calibrated Airborne Multispectral Scanner sensors were placed in register using the Landsat TM image as the reference map. Despite problems caused by relief, multitemporal datasets, and geometric distortions in the aircraft images, registration was accomplished to within + or - 20 m (+ or - 1 data pixel). A digital elevation model constructed from a multisensor Landsat TM/SPOT stereopair proved useful for generating perspective views of the rugged, forested terrain.

Welch, R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Estimation of tropical forest canopy temperatures, thermal response numbers, and evapotranspiration using an aircraft-based thermal sensor

Thermal infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data were collected at a resolution of 5 to 10 m from a tropical rain forest over an elevation gradient from 35 to 2700 m in the Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica. Flight lines were repeated with a 15 to 30 minute time difference for measurement of forest canopy thermal response over time. Concurrent radiosonde measurements of atmospheric profiles of air temperature and moisture provided inputs to LOWTRAN6 for atmospheric radiance corrections of the TIMS data. Techniques for using calibrated aircraft-based thermal scanner data to examine tropical forest canopy thermal properties are described. Forest canopy temperature changes over time assessed between repeated, duplicated flight lines were combined with estimates of surface radiative energy measurements from towers above the forest canopy to determine temperature spatial variability, calculate Thermal Response Numbers (TRN), and estimate evapotranspiration along the elevation gradient from selected one hectare forest inventory plots.

Luvall, Jeffrey C.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The use of interleaving for reducing noisy reference loss in trellis-coded modulation systems

The use of interleaving/deinterleaving in trellis-coded modulation systems to reduce the SNR loss due to imperfect carrier demodulation references is demonstrated. Both the discrete carrier (phase-locked loop) and the suppressed carrier (Costas loop) cases are considered, and the differences between the two are clearly demonstrated by numerical results. The special case of convolutional codes is also treated and illustrated with an example of practical interest.

Divsalar, Dariush↗

NASA NTRS1991

Resolving Phase Ambiguities In OQPSK

Improved design for modulator and demodulator in offset-quaternary-phase-key-shifting (OQPSK) communication system enables receiver to resolve ambiguity in estimated phase of received signal. Features include unique-code-word modulation and detection and digital implementation of Costas loop in carrier-recovery subsystem. Enchances performance of carrier-recovery subsystem, reduces complexity of receiver by removing redundant circuits from previous design, and eliminates dependence of timing in receiver upon parallel-to-serial-conversion clock.

Nguyen, Tien M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Open-loop frequency acquisition for suppressed-carrier biphase signals using one-pole arm filters

Open loop frequency acquisition performance is discussed for suppressed carrier binary phase shift keyed signals in terms of the probability of detecting the carrier frequency offset when the arms of the Costas loop detector have one pole filters. The approach, which does not require symbol timing, uses fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) to detect the carrier frequency offset. The detection probability, which depends on both the 3 dB arm filter bandwidth and the received symbol signal to noise ratio, is derived and is shown to be independent of symbol timing. It is shown that the performance of this technique is slightly better that other open loop acquisition techniques which use integrators in the arms and whose detection performance varies with symbol timing.

Shah, B.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Phase ambiguity resolution for offset QPSK modulation systems

A demodulator for Offset Quaternary Phase Shift Keyed (OQPSK) signals modulated with two words resolves eight possible combinations of phase ambiguity which may produce data error by first processing received I(sub R) and Q(sub R) data in an integrated carrier loop/symbol synchronizer using a digital Costas loop with matched filters for correcting four of eight possible phase lock errors, and then the remaining four using a phase ambiguity resolver which detects the words to not only reverse the received I(sub R) and Q(sub R) data channels, but to also invert (complement) the I(sub R) and/or Q(sub R) data, or to at least complement the I(sub R) and Q(sub R) data for systems using nontransparent codes that do not have rotation direction ambiguity.

Nguyen, Tien M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Ecosystem approach to a global nitrous oxide budget

An approach using relationships among soil fertility, nitrogen cycling, and nitrous oxide production is presented in order to estimate nitrous oxide flux from humid tropical forests. The effects of human disturbance are also investigated. It is noted that recent estimates suggest that 6-10 million ha. of tropical forest are cleared permanently each year. The results of measurements of nitrous oxide flux from cleared and burned sites in Costa Rica and Brazil, in conjunction with satellite-based classifications of ecosystem types, are used to calculate average hourly fluxes for a given region. In the NASA intensive site near Manaus, Brazil, it was found that although pasture areas cover only 11 percent of the region they account for 40 percent of the nitrous oxide flux. This analysis of the fluxes of trace gases through consideration of the gradients of factors that control both fluxes and ecosystem properties and processes will prove useful for extrapolating fluxes and for calculating budgets of nitrous oxide, methane, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide.

Matson, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Acquisition of the QPSK demodulator in the presence of interference

The acquisition behavior of the tracking and data relay satellite system (TDRSS) receiver (a quadrative phase-shift keying (QPSK) demodulator using a dither lock detector) in the presence of interference from another user has been analyzed using a simulation model. The demodulator is composed of an automatic gain control, a QPSK Costas loop, a frequency sweep unit, lock test units, and a control unit. The simulation model has been tested for the following variables: signal and interference Doppler frequencies and phase offsets (with respect to initial voltage control oscillator setup), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), and signal I/Q power ratio. The simulation results are discussed.

Ghazvinian, Farzad↗

NASA NTRS1992

Open-Loop Acquisition Of Suppressed Carrier Signals

Three digital techniques for open-loop acquisition of suppressed carrier signals in presence of binary-phase-shift-keyed (BPSK) modulation representing non-return-to-zero (NRZ) data symbols. Based on assumption that offset, tau, between timing of symbols and clock in receiver unknown, but fixed fraction of symbol period, T. In all three, fast Fourier transforms (FFT's) performed on outputs of integrate-and-dump filters that are parts of Costas-type loops used to demodulate BPSK signals. Timing of integrate-and-dump filters constant. Outputs mixed to obtain an error signal.

Shah, Biren N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Suppressed carrier full-spectrum combining

A technique to accomplish full spectrum arraying where all the telemetry power is put into the subcarrier sidebands (suppressed carrier) is described. The matched filter needed in each antenna prior to cross correlation for deriving the coherence delay and phase offsets is an open loop version of the telemetry phase lock loop provided in the Advanced Digital Receiver. In analogy with a Costas loop telemetry receiver, a squaring loss is derived, and a signal to noise ratio for the cross correlation loop phase is presented.

Rogstad, D. H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

CCD photometry of the globular cluster NGC 5897 - Morphology of the color-magnitude diagram

The paper presents CCD photometry in the B and V bands of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 5897. The color-magnitude diagram (CMD) obtained for this cluster is used to examine the properties of the cluster and to compare the NGC 5897 to the well-known globular cluster M3. It was found that the metallicity of the NGC 5897 is in the range of the metallicity of M3 and that the age of NGC 5897 is about 2 Gyr greater than that of M3. The CMD for NGC 5897 also reveals a significant population of blue straggler stars (BSS) more massive than the cluster subgiant branch stars. A pseudomain sequence is constructed for NGC 5897 and the previously studied (Sarajedini and Da Costa, 1991) global cluster 6101, which includes the BSS and extends to the faintest regions of the unevolved main sequence.

Sarajedini, Ata↗

NASA NTRS1993

Comparison Of Four FFT-Based Frequency-Acquisition Techniques

Report presents comparative theoretical analysis of four conceptual techniques for initial estimation of carrier frequency of suppressed-carrier, binary-phase-shift-keyed radio signal. Each technique effected by open-loop analog/digital signal-processing subsystem part of Costas-loop phase-error detector functioning in closed-loop manner overall.

Shah, Biren N.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Free-space laser communication technologies IV; Proceedings of the 4th Conference, Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 23, 24, 1992

Papers included in this volume are grouped under topics of receivers; laser transmitters; components; system analysis, performance, and applications; and beam control (pointing, acquisition, and tracking). Papers are presented on an experimental determination of power penalty contributions in an optical Costas-type phase-locked loop receiver, a resonant laser receiver for free-space laser communications, a simple low-loss technique for frequency-locking lasers, direct phase modulation of laser diodes, and a silex beacon. Particular attention is given to experimental results on an optical array antenna for nonmechanical beam steering, a potassium Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter, a 100-Mbps resonant cavity phase modulator for coherent optical communications, a numerical simulation of a 325-Mbit/s QPPM optical communication system, design options for an optical multiple-access data relay terminal, CCD-based optical tracking loop design trades, and an analysis of a spatial-tracking subsystem for optical communications.

Begley, David L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A 100Mbps coherent optical link demonstration using frequency stabilized solid state lasers

The design, implementation, and performance evaluation of a 100Mbps binary phase shift keying (BPSK) coherent optical link using frequency stabilized solid state lasers is described. In this demonstration, the transmitted data is binary phase modulated at 100Mbps using an external resonant cavity phase modulator. At the receiving end, the signal is detected using a balanced heterodyne detector. An auxiliary frequency tracking loop (FTL) is used to help the initial frequency acquisition before handing over to the carrier phase tracking loop. The FTL is implemented using a delay line discriminator, and the detected frequency error is fed back to the local oscillator laser to close the tracking loop. Phase coherent reception is achieved by synchronizing the carrier phase using a Costas tracking loop. The demonstration showed that a high data rate phase coherent optical link can be implemented using frequency stabilized solid state lasers.

Chen, CHIEN-C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Pathways of nitrogen loss following land clearing in a humid tropical forest

Tropical deforestation generally leads to large losses of carbon and nitrogen. The Premontane Wet Forest Life Zone is subject to the highest rate of deforestation in Central America, and carbon and nutrient losses in from these fertile soils is very rapid and extreme. Losses of 2000 to 3000 kgN/ha have been reported. Losses of this magnitude could be extremely significant on a regional or global scale if even a small proportion of this nitrogen is lost as nitrous oxide to the atmosphere or through leaching of nitrate to rivers. This study seeks to measure the rates and regulation of nitrogen transformations, and the pathways of nitrogen losses following land clearing and burning at a site in the Premontane Wet Forest Life Zone near Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Matson, Pamela↗

NASA NTRS1993

Digital receiver for on-board FM/FSK-FM/BPSK demodulation

An all-digital demodulator FM/FSK-FM/BPSK is presented. The proposed architecture allows the 1-bit IF down-sampling technique with the hardware simplification of receiver analog section. The receiver exhibits great flexibility both in terms of signal demodulation (FSK or BPSK, subcarrier/ tone frequency, data rate) and interface capability. The demodulator is going to be realized in a VLSI chip (20 Kgate complexity). This paper describes the demodulator structure and its demodulation performances obtained with a breadboard based on programmable logic devices. The choice of a simple and effective scheme for frequency detection (FM and FSK demodulators) is suggested by system design considerations as well. Signal processing algorithms include also a Costas carrier phase recovery scheme in the case of BPSK signal and data transition tracking loop for the bit clock recovery. Test results address this solution as one of the most suitable for TT&C space application.

Boscagli, G.↗