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Results for “analog-to-digital conversion”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1968

Small, low power analog-to-digital converter

A small, low-power, high-speed, 8-bit analog-to-digital converter using silicon chip integrated circuits is suitable for use in airborne test data systems. The successive approximation method of analog-to-digital conversion is used to generate the digital output.

Dunn, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The use of minimum order state observers in digital flight-control systems.

This paper deals with the problem of selecting the 'arbitrary' design parameters of digital state observers when they are being used as a part of a digital flight-control system. A cost index is developed which indicates the output noise caused by input quantization due to analog-to-digital conversion. The cost index assumes that the input quantization error is uniformly distributed over the least-significant-bit of the conversion. Formulas relating the cost index to the observer design parameters are presented. The cost index is minimized with respect to the design parameters using a conjugate gradient algorithm. An example of the theory is presented in which a digital observer is designed so that a satisfactory digital flight-control system is obtained starting from an unacceptable one.

Montgomery, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A simple second-order digital phase-locked loop.

A simple second-order digital phase-locked loop has been designed for the Viking Orbiter 1975 command system. Excluding analog-to-digital conversion, implementation of the loop requires only an adder/subtractor, two registers, and a correctable counter with control logic. The loop considers only the polarity of phase error and corrects system clocks according to a filtered sequence of this polarity. The loop is insensitive to input gain variation, and therefore offers the advantage of stable performance over long life. Predictable performance is guaranteed by extreme reliability of acquisition, yet in the steady state the loop produces only a slight degradation with respect to analog loop performance.

Tegnelia, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1961

A Digital Solar Aspect Sensor

The solar aspect sensor described herein performs the analog-to-digital conversion of data optically. To accomplish this, it uses a binary "Gray code" light mask to produce a digital indication, in vehicle-fixed coordinates, of the elevation and azimuth angles of incident light from the sun. This digital solar aspect sensor system, in Explorer X, provided measurements of both elevation and azimuth angles to +/- 2 degrees at a distance of over 140,000 statute miles.

Albus, James S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Analog-to-digital converter based on voltage-controlled superconducting devices

The increasing demand for cryogenic electronics in superconducting and quantum computing systems calls for ultra-energy-efficient data conversion architectures that remain functional at deep cryogenic temperatures. Here, in this work, we present the first design of a voltage-controlled superconducting flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) based on a voltage-controlled quantum-enhanced Josephson junction field-effect transistor (JJFET). Exploiting its strong gate tunability and transistor-like behavior, the JJFET offers a scalable alternative to conventional current-controlled superconducting devices while aligning naturally with CMOS-style design methodologies. Building on our previously developed Verilog-A compact model calibrated to experimental data, we design and simulate a three-bit JJFET-based flash ADC targeted for integration within cryogenic control and readout circuitry in quantum computing. The core comparator block is realized through careful bias current selection and augmented with a three-terminal nanocryotron to precisely define reference voltages. Cascaded JJFET comparators ensure robust voltage gain, cascadability, and logic-level restoration across stages. Simulation results demonstrate accurate quantization behavior with ultra-low power dissipation, underscoring the feasibility of voltage-driven superconducting mixed-signal circuits. This work establishes a critical step toward unifying superconducting logic and data conversion, paving the way for scalable cryogenic architectures in quantum–classical co-processors, low-power artificial intelligence accelerators, and next-generation energy-constrained computing platforms.

Analog-to-digital converter↗