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At least 19 records

Specifying and Verifying Ultra-reliability and Fault-tolerance Properties

A methodology to rigorously verify ultrareliability and fault tolerance system properties is described. The methodology utilizes a hierarchy of formal mathematical specifications of system design and incremental design proof to prove the system has the desired properties. A small example of the approach is given, and the application of the methodology to the large scale proof of SIFT, a fault tolerant flight control operating system, is discussed.

Schwartz, R. L.↗

Self-organization via active exploration in robotic applications. Phase 2: Hybrid hardware prototype

In many environments human-like intelligent behavior is required from robots to assist and/or replace human operators. The purpose of these robots is to reduce human time and effort in various tasks. Thus the robot should be robust and as autonomous as possible in order to eliminate or to keep to a strict minimum its maintenance and external control. Such requirements lead to the following properties: fault tolerance, self organization, and intelligence. A good insight into implementing these properties in a robot can be gained by considering human behavior. In the first phase of this project, a neural network architecture was developed that captures some fundamental aspects of human categorization, habit, novelty, and reinforcement behavior. The model, called FRONTAL, is a 'cognitive unit' regulating the exploratory behavior of the robot. In the second phase of the project, FRONTAL was interfaced with an off-the-shelf robotic arm and a real-time vision system. The components of this robotic system, a review of FRONTAL, and simulation studies are presented in this report.

Oegmen, Haluk↗

Low-cost coding techniques for digital fault diagnosis

Published report discusses fault location properties of arithmetic codes. Criterion for effectiveness of given code is detection probability of local fault by application of checking algorithm to results of entire set of algorithms of processor. Report also presents analysis of arithmetic codes with low-cost check algorithm which possesses partial fault-location properties.

Avizienis, A. A.↗

Multimode fiber optic wavelength division multiplexing

Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, with signals transmitted on different wavelengths through a single optical fiber, can have increased bandwidth and fault isolation properties over single wavelength optical systems. Two WDM system designs that might be used with multimode fibers are considered and a general description of the components which could be used to implement the system are given. The components described are sources, multiplexers, demultiplexers, and detectors. Emphasis is given to the demultiplexer technique which is the major developmental component in the WDM system.

Spencer, J. L.↗

Tutorial on multimode fiber optic wavelength division multiplexing

Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, with signals transmitted on different wavelengths through a single optical fiber, can have increased bandwidth and fault isolation properties over single wavelength optical systems. This paper considers two WDM system designs that might be used with multimode fibers and gives a general description of the components which could be used to implement the system. The components described are sources, multiplexers, demultiplexers, and detectors. Emphasis is given to the demultiplexer technique which is the major developmental component in the WDM system.

Spencer, J. L.↗

Fiber optics for the future - Wavelength division multiplexing

Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, with signals transmitted on different wavelengths through a single fiber, can have increased information capacity and fault isolation properties over single wavelength optical systems. This paper describes a typical WDM system. The applicability of future standards to such a system are discussed. Also, a state-of-the-art survey of optical multimode components which could be used to implement the system are made. The components to be surveyed are sources, multiplexers, and detectors. Emphasis is given to the demultiplexer techniques which are the major developmental components in the WDM system.

Spencer, J. L.↗

State-of-the-art survey of multimode fiber optic wavelength division multiplexing

Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, with signals transmitted on different wavelengths through a single fiber, can have increased information capacity and fault isolation properties over single wavelength optical systems. This paper describes a typical WDM system. Also, a state-of-the-art survey of optical multimode components which could be used to implement the system is made. The components to be surveyed are sources, multiplexers, and detectors. Emphasis is given to the demultiplexer techniques which are the major development components in the WDM system.

Spencer, J. L.↗

Fiber optics for the future - wavelength division multiplexing

Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, with signals transmitted on different wavelengths through a single fiber, can have increased information capacity and fault isolation properties over single wavelength optical systems. This paper describes a typical WDM system. The applicability of future standards to such a system are discussed. Also, a state-of-the-art survey of optical multimode components which could be used to implement the system are made. The components to be surveyed are sources, multiplexers, and detectors. Emphasis is given to the demultiplexer techniques which are the major developmental components in the WDM system.

Spencer, J. L.↗

Properties of earthquakes generated by fault dynamics

A model for fault dynamics consisting of a uniform chain of blocks and springs pulled slowly across a rough surface is presented. The only nonlinear element of the model is a slip-stick friction force between the blocks and the surface. It is found that this model gives rise to events of all sizes. The numerical evaluation of the distribution of earthquake magnitudes results in a power-law spectrum similar to what is observed in nature. Like certain other dissipative dynamical systems, the observed large fluctuations in earthquake magnitude persist because the system is in a state of marginal stability.

Carlson, J. M.↗

Fault-tolerant wait-free shared objects

A concurrent system consists of processes and shared objects. Previous research focused on the problem of tolerating process failure. We study the complementary problem of tolerating failures. We divide object failures into two broad classes: responsive and non-responsive. With responsive failures, a faulty object responds to every invocation, but responses may be incorrect. With non-responsive failures, a faulty object may also 'hang' without responding. For each class, we consider crash, and arbitrary types of failures. For each type of failure, we are seeking a universal implementation for fault-tolerant wait-free shared objects. We present (deterministic) implementations for all types of responsive failures, including arbitrary failures. In contrast, we show that even the most benign type of non-responsive failures requires the use of randomization. Of special interest is the problem of implementing fault-tolerant objects using only objects of the same type. We present such fault-tolerant self-implementations for many common object types. Graceful degradation is a desirable property of fault-tolerant implementations: the implemented object never fails more severely than the base objects it is derived from, even if all the base objects fail. For several failure models, we show whether this property can be achieved, and, if so, how. In addition to the above possibility/impossibility results, we also consider the resources complexity of fault-tolerant implementations. In many cases, we present lower bounds and give matching algorithms.

Jayanti, Prasad↗

Reliability of Fault Tolerant Control Systems

This paper reports Part II of a two part effort that is intended to delineate the relationship between reliability and fault tolerant control in a quantitative manner. Reliability properties peculiar to fault-tolerant control systems are emphasized, such as the presence of analytic redundancy in high proportion, the dependence of failures on control performance, and high risks associated with decisions in redundancy management due to multiple sources of uncertainties and sometimes large processing requirements. As a consequence, coverage of failures through redundancy management can be severely limited. The paper proposes to formulate the fault tolerant control problem as an optimization problem that maximizes coverage of failures through redundancy management. Coverage modeling is attempted in a way that captures its dependence on the control performance and on the diagnostic resolution. Under the proposed redundancy management policy, it is shown that an enhanced overall system reliability can be achieved with a control law of a superior robustness, with an estimator of a higher resolution, and with a control performance requirement of a lesser stringency.

Wu, N. Eva↗

Sawtooth segmentation and deformation processes on the southern San Andreas fault, California

Five contiguous 12-13 km fault segments form a sawtooth geometry on the southernmost San Andreas fault. The kinematic and morphologic properties of each segment depend on fault strike, despite differences of strike between segments of as little as 3 degrees. Oblique slip (transpression) of fault segments within the Indio Hills, Mecca Hills and Durmid Hill results from an inferred 8:1 ratio of dextral slip to convergence across the fault zone. Triggered slip and creep are confined almost entirely to transpressive segments of the fault. Durmid Hill has been formed in the last 28 + or - 6 ka by uplift at an average rate of 3 + or - 1 mm/a.

Bilham, R.↗

Reliability of Fault Tolerant Control Systems

This paper reports Part I of a two part effort, that is intended to delineate the relationship between reliability and fault tolerant control in a quantitative manner. Reliability analysis of fault-tolerant control systems is performed using Markov models. Reliability properties, peculiar to fault-tolerant control systems are emphasized. As a consequence, coverage of failures through redundancy management can be severely limited. It is shown that in the early life of a syi1ein composed of highly reliable subsystems, the reliability of the overall system is affine with respect to coverage, and inadequate coverage induces dominant single point failures. The utility of some existing software tools for assessing the reliability of fault tolerant control systems is also discussed. Coverage modeling is attempted in Part II in a way that captures its dependence on the control performance and on the diagnostic resolution.

Wu, N. Eva↗

Locatability of faults in combinational networks.

A formal model for the study of reliable combinational networks is introduced and used to determine network properties conducive to the location of faults. The usual concept of fault location is generalized to be an interval on the partially ordered set of subsets of network nodes that classifies nodes into three disjoint sets: a faulty set, a fault-free set, and an indeterminate set. After developing basic properties of locatable faults, necessary and sufficient conditions for a fault to be locatable in an arbitrary network are stated and proven.

Gray, F. G.↗

Crack Growth Behavior in the Threshold Region for High Cycle Fatigue Loading

The research results described in this paper presents a new understanding of the behavior of fatigue crack growth in the threshold region. It is believed by some crack growth experts that the ASTM load shedding test method does not produce true or valid threshold properties. The concern involves the observed fanning of threshold region da/dN data plots for some materials in which the low R-ratio data fans out or away from the high R-ratio data. This data fanning or elevation of threshold values is obviously caused by an increase in crack closure in the low R-ratio tested specimens. This increase in crack closure is assumed by some investigators to be caused by a plastic wake on the crack surfaces that was created during the load shedding test phase. This study shows that the increase in crack closure is the result of an extensive occurrence of crack bifurcation behavior in some materials, particularly in aluminum alloys, when the crack tip cyclic yield zone size becomes less than the grain size of the alloy. This behavior is related to the high stacking fault energy (SFE) property of aluminum alloys which results in easier slip characteristics. Therefore, the particular fanning behavior in aluminum alloys is a function of intrinsic dislocation property of the materials and that the fanned data represents valid material properties. However, for corrosion sensitive steel alloys used in this study the fanning was caused by a build-up of iron oxide at the crack tip from fretting corrosion.

Forman, Royce G.↗

Crack Growth Behavior in the Threshold Region for High Cycle Fatigue Loading

This paper describes the results of a research program conducted to improve the understanding of fatigue crack growth rate behavior in the threshold growth rate region and to answer a question on the validity of threshold region test data. The validity question relates to the view held by some experimentalists that using the ASTM load shedding test method does not produce valid threshold test results and material properties. The question involves the fanning behavior observed in threshold region of da/dN plots for some materials in which the low R-ratio data fans out from the high R-ratio data. This fanning behavior or elevation of threshold values in the low R-ratio tests is generally assumed to be caused by an increase in crack closure in the low R-ratio tests. Also, the increase in crack closure is assumed by some experimentalists to result from using the ASTM load shedding test procedure. The belief is that this procedure induces load history effects which cause remote closure from plasticity and/or roughness changes in the surface morphology. However, experimental studies performed by the authors have shown that the increase in crack closure is a result of extensive crack tip bifurcations that can occur in some materials, particularly in aluminum alloys, when the crack tip cyclic yield zone size becomes less than the grain size of the alloy. This behavior is related to the high stacking fault energy (SFE) property of aluminum alloys which results in easier slip characteristics. Therefore, the fanning behavior which occurs in aluminum alloys is a function of intrinsic dislocation property of the alloy, and therefore, the fanned data does represent the true threshold properties of the material. However, for the corrosion sensitive steel alloys tested in laboratory air, the occurrence of fanning results from fretting corrosion at the crack tips, and these results should not be considered to be representative of valid threshold properties because the fanning is eliminated when testing is performed in dry air.

Forman, R. G.↗

The geology of Mars

The book constitutes a topographic/geologic atlas of Mars compiled on the basis of data from the various Mariner missions. A large number of maps has been included which systematically describe the character and distribution of the principal landforms: craters, channels, volcanoes, and faults; also related properties such as albedo, elevation, and wind streaks. Pictures of all the important topographic features have been included. The discussion of the material is carried out with a minimum of technical detail, and Mars is examined within a context of interplanetary comparisons.

Mutch, T. A.↗