Performance Measures for Compressed and Coded Space Telemetry Systems

The considerations involved in the combination of data compression and error-control coding in space telemetry are analyzed through the use of two performance measures, D and R, which are similar to those used by Shannon for his rate distortion function. The average distortion D is a function of the source probability distribution, the overall system transitional probability matrix, and a cost matrix that signifies the relative importance of different types of data errors. The rate ratio R is the reciprocal of the overall system compression ratio and includes the data expansion effect of additional timing and identification data as well as coding redundancy. The effects of the following system parameters and properties on the overall distortion and rate ratio are analyzed: the error-control usefulness of natural data redundancy; the effect of errors in time information; the use of the strict monotonicity of the time information for error control; the probability distribution of the source; the biterror probability of a binary-symmetric channel; and the word-compression ratio. A rationale for comparing and choosing among three systems? uncompressed-uncoded, compressed-uncoded, and compressed-coded ?is given in terms of the performance measures D and R.     

Tracking Accuracies with Position and Rate Measurements

Tracking accuracies for the radial component of motion are computed for a track-while-scan radar system which obtains position and rate data during the dwell time on a target These results will be of interest to persons developing trackers for pulse Doppler surveillance radars. The normalized accuracies, computed for a two state Kalman tracking filter with white noise maneuver capability, are shown to depend upon two parameters, r = 4?0/?aT2 and s = ?dT/?0. The symbols ?0 and ?d are the position and rate measurement accuracies, respectively, ?a is the standard deviation of the white noise maneuver process and T is the antenna scan time. The scalar tracking filter equations are derived and numerical results are presented. Lower steady state tracking errors plus the earlier attainment of steady state accuracies are the direct consequence of incorporating the rate measurements into the tracking filter.     

Global energy issues affecting aeronautics: a reasoned conjecture

This paper is a reasoned conjecture of the future up to 2050 AD including estimates of energy supply and consumption, transport system developments and corresponding pollution effects. Results of the logistic substitution methods (Volterra–Lotka) are used in forecasting trends in innovation, transport and energy. Later work on normative forecasts is also included. The future of aeronautics cannot be isolated from events in other transport modes which together create the major problem of crude oil replacement during the next century. Natural gas will be the dominant energy source for the next 80 years and a major question is how best to use it for aviation.The work on which this paper is based was started in 1992 to answer the following questions:

• 1. Is the future oil shortfall sufficient to restrict aviation traffic and growth in the next 50 years?
• 2. If so, what is its substitute?
• 3. Can a substitute be obtained cheaply enough to free aviation from future kerosine shortages?
• 4. Is it paramount to change to liquid hydrogen fuel to avoid future fuel shortage in aeronautics, incidentally conferring possible environmental advantages?

There was no adequate evidence available to answer these questions, hence a method was devised to bring together several sets of partial data that contributed to the solution. The essence is to use the mean annual growth rate of traffic or energy over a future period as a pseudo-independent variable. This allows the inclusion of alternative high and low estimates of all the important quantities involved.     

Cockpits for 2010 and Beyond

Truly optimal weapon system performance is highly dependent on the level of man-machine cockpit integration resulting from the intelligent application of crew station technologies. Future cockpits will incorporate a wide range of enhancements. Heavy application of artificial intelligence techniques can be expected to encompass the entire spectrum of crew station technologies; from data fusion, to optimized display resource management, to real-time onboard maintenance and fault reporting, and even to the optimization of pilot physiological needs. Emphasis on exploiting applications of the ultimate human resource, the mind, can be expected through the use of biocybernetics; initially to control previously manual and/or automated cockpit functions, and eventually to allow bidirectional communications. Future enhancements can also be expected to improve aircrew performance by allowing the pilot to take full advantage of aircraft maneuvering capability, and to operate effectively in hostile chemical, biological and radiological environments. New high resolution, full color, three dimensional crew station display devices will complement enlarged sensor suites and enhance aircrew situational awareness. Does the pilot really need to see the outside world to fly and fight effectively? Or, can panoramic display techniques, in an encapsulated environment, coupled with 4? steradian sensor coverage, increase performance? This paper strives to illustrate some ``no holds barred' approaches to making future fighter cockpits an ``in-tune' extension of the operator, based on current and projected tactical needs.     

Remote Sensing: The Next 50 Years

Remote sensing is viewed as a complete system for observing and managing man's environment on Earth. The sensing portion of the system consists of space, air, and ground observing platforms, sensors, communications, computational capabilities and interpretation, and recognition algorithms. The data are put to use using environmental models, geographic information systems, and management models. Progress and potentials in each of these system elements are reviewed and projected. Existing and potential uses are sketched and certain institutional, diplomatic, and national security issues are identified. Some underlying reasons for belief in continued progress are mentioned and the need for certain crucial choices in the future stated which will determine which of a number of possible futures will be realized.     

Firewire: standard computer industry interconnect for test & measurement

Do you know what Firewire is? If not, you soon will, IEEE 1394, or Firewire, is an up-and-coming electronics industry standard that will soon be in wide use for interconnecting a massive variety of electronic equipment. It will be used for connecting CD-ROMs and scanners to computers, and it will be used for connecting VCRs, DVDs and satellite dishes to digital televisions. How does this affect Test & Measurement? This paper discusses Firewire, along with it's lower-end companion, USE, and how they can and will be utilized in T&M applications to replace T&M specific technologies, such as IEEE 488, and MXI. The advantages-and disadvantages-of these new technologies are discussed along with what the Test & Measurement industry should do to support these new technologies.     

Orbit Determination Accuracies Using Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking

The results are reported of the ATS-6/GEOS-3 and the ATS-6 NIMBUS-6 satellite-to-satellite orbit determination experiments. NASA intends to use the tracking data relay satellite system for operational orbit determination of NASA satellites. Hence, in the near future, satellite-to-satellite tracking data will be routinely processed to obtain orbits. The satellite-to-satellite tracking system used in the ATS-6/NIMBUS-6 and ATS-6/GEOS-3 experiments performed with a resolution of 1 to 2 m in range and less than 1 mm/s in range rate for a 10-s averaging. A Bayesian least squares estimation technique utilizing independent ranging to the synchronous relay satellite was determined to be the most effective procedure for estimating orbits from satellite-to-satellite tracking data. The use of this technique yields estimates of user satellite orbits which are comparable in accuracy to what is usually obtained from ground based systems.     

Ultra-reliable real-time control systems-future trends

Today's aircraft use ultra-reliable real-time controls for demanding functions such as Fly-By-Wire (FBW) flight control. Future aircraft, spacecraft and other vehicles will require greater use of these types of controls for functions that currently are allowed to fail, fail to degraded operation, or require human intervention in response to failure. Fully automated and autonomous functions will require ultra-reliable control. But ultra-reliable systems are very expensive to design and require large amounts of on-board equipment. This paper will discuss how the use of low-cost sensors with digital outputs, digitally commanded fault-tolerant actuation devices and interconnecting networks of low-cost data buses offer the promise of more affordable ultra-reliable systems. Specific technologies and concepts to be discussed include low-cost automotive and industrial data buses, “smart” actuation devices with integral fault masking capabilities, management of redundant sensors, and the fault detection and diagnosis of the data network. The advantages of integrating the control and distribution of electrical power with the control system will be illustrated. The design, installation, and upgrade flexibility benefits provided by an all-digital and shared network approach will be presented. The economic benefits of systems that can operate following failure and without immediate repair will be reviewed. The inherent ability of these redundant systems to provide effective built-in test and self-diagnostics capabilities will be described. The challenges associated with developing ultra-reliable software for these systems and the difficulties associated with exhaustive verification testing will be presented as will additional development hurdles that must be overcome     

Perspectives for Strategic Analysis in Advancing Ocean Technology

There is a growing need for the scientist, engineer, and administrator to better understand the kinds of overall, across-the-board planning problems involved in the development of off-shore coastal areas. A recommended approach is to use systems analysis techniques. Principles will be set forth on maintaining and improving the quality of the ocean environment, with considerations of cost in so doing. Each proponent of an aspect of ocean technology usually believes that his field must be greatly enlarged in the near future. Along with these advances there is the likelihood of unnecessary social costs emanating from undesirable modifications of the environment. In making the analysis, an early step is to identify specific needs and appropriate roles. A next step is to lay out alternatives for achieving objectives both within a given organization and external to it. The alternatives may be appraised through their costs and benefits. But how do you make choices between goals when resources are limited? How can we gather the data, accomplish the evaluation, and do the planning that will make rational choices possible? This paper elucidates the problems involved in these kinds of questions and suggests methodology that might lead toward solutions.     

Altitude Estimation Using Asynchronous ? - ? Tracking Filters

In the analysis of the ?-? tracking filter it is usually assumed that the tracking filter and data source operate in synchronism at a constant data rate. However, in a multisensor environment in which the tracking algorithm operates at fixed intervals, the tracking filter cannot be synchronized with the sensors. An analytical solution is obtained for the case in which the tracking filter and data source operate asynchronously with a ?time-correction? process used to approximate the synchronous operation of the tracking filter. An example is given in which the effects of data quantization on the performance of an altitude tracking filter for air traffic control are examined. It is shown that the asynchronous operation of the tracking filter in the example without the time-correction process will result in significant errors in the predicted altitude.     

Application of Ground/Air Data Link to General Aviation Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently upgrading secondary surveillance radars with systems which will have an integral data link capability, the Mode Select (Mode S) beacon system. These new systems will allow two-way data communications between ground systems (e.g., weather databases and Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems) and aircraft that are equipped with data link compatible Mode S transponders and suitable display and input devices. Initial data link services include both weather information and ATC advisories. The MITRE Corporation* is developing an in-house capability to perform end-to-end operational evaluation of data link services. Initially, a low-cost, portable pilot position man-machine interface is being developed for use in general aviation operations. The objective is to explore operational issues in laboratory and limited flight test environments, and to demonstrate these services on a data link I/O device, a laptop portable personal computer (PC) with touch panel. A group of pilots will bench test the interface design, and the results will be incorporated into the design used in flight testing. This paper describes the project's objectives and results to date, including implementation details and pilot test results.     

An Automatic Timing Receiver System Based on the Loran-C Navigational Network

This paper describes some new concepts in dealing with the circuitry for Loran-C automatic timing systems. The conventional analog techniques associated with phase-adjusting networks have been replaced by an incremental digital phase-shifting device. The Loran-C period generator includes facilities for delay compensation by means of an epoch monitor producing a 1-Hz output coincident with the master station TOC (time of coincidence). The required initial time information has to be accurate within ± 20 ms. The automatic format identification and decoding equipment together form a system which takes into account the information of every Loran-C pulse. Owing to the use of digital signal treatment, the synchronization accuracy is limited only by the resolution of the incremental phase shift. The automatic cycle selection device is based on sampling techniques where the derivative of the envelope is calculated. The time of coincidence has to be precalculated and fed into the thumbwheel memory of the epoch monitor, which is automatically initiated when the synchronizing operations are concluded. For VLBI purposes and transcontinental use, the accuracy of this system will be better than 1 ?s when post corrections, supplied by the U.S. Naval Observatory, are taken into account.     

High-Reliability Strapdown Platforms Using Two-Degree-of-Freedom Gyros

This paper presents a new concept of high-reliability strapdown attitude sensing systems for space vehicles. Each system utilizes a set of redundant two-degree-of-freedom gyros. An optimum system configuration is obtained for maximum system reliability and the best measurement accuracy. Improved accuracy of the final data is obtained by using the least-square data reduction technique. Each system possesses a ?sensor performance management? feature which is capable of failure detection, faulty gyro identification, system reconfiguration, and, possibly, sensor recalibration. Improvement in reliability, as compared to other types of strapdown systems, is demonstrated. Details of the development are described in terms of a system containing four gyros.     

基于ASP和Web数据库技术的光盘网络检索系统

怎样对越来越多的随书所附光盘进行科学的管理和有效的利用,是每个图书馆在新形势下直接面对的问题。作者参与了建立随书光盘服务体系项目,对上述问题给予解决。该项目体系的建立将南航馆电子资源建设工程推向一个新的台阶,尤其是光盘数据网络检索与下载的功能最受读者欢迎,取得显著的实践成效。作者使用动态服务页面技术和Web数据库技术相结合的方法进行光盘数据服务器的构筑,并独到地采用了主从分类表关联检索的数据库建模、函数库生成调用的应用程序设计等技术,从而简单和优化了二级动态页面的程序设计,达到了较好的设计效果。     

Federal Radionavigation Plan-pie in the sky for civil aviation?

The Federal Radionavigation Plan states that all present navigation and landing guidance facilities will be retired starting in 2005, and full dependence for these functions will be placed on augmented GPS. Once this is implemented, civil aviation will be totally vulnerable to terrorist jamming of the GPS signals over wide earth areas with widespread disruption of air traffic and potential disasters. It has become apparent that the use of GPS/GNSS is complex and expensive for the required civil aviation functions. It is clear that a different system form is needed for civil aviation, a redundant satellite/ground based system that will prevent it from being a jamming target while providing ATC surveillance, area navigation, collision warning/avoidance, high-speed data link and Category I landing guidance globally, plus precision Category III guidance in the terminal areas as needed. Such a system will be described     

大数据高性能排序算法的设计与实现

针对大数据排序算法的需求,提出了基于任务驱动的并行排序算法。该算法采用任务驱动、AIO(Asynchronous Input/Output,异步输入/输出)和双缓冲区机制等技术充分利用系统资源;通过构造等价排序键,优化快速排序算法;并在算法实现上,采用多线程处理任务,通过控制线程个数控制并行度。综合利用这些技术,该算法使得大数据的排序性能接近理论极限值,在CPU(Central Processing Unit,中央处理器)资源充裕的情况下,利用异步压缩技术,还可以突破这一极限,最终实现的系统2 000s就可以对超过500Gbyte的磁盘数据做一次完整的排序。在数据库设计中充分利用此思想,将会实现连接和线程的分离,数据库将可以支持更大的连接数,从而提高数据库支持的并发度。     

The ACE Science Center

The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) mission is supported by the ACE Science Center for the purposes of processing and distributing ACE data, and facilitating collaborative work on the data by instrument investigators and by the space physics community at large. The Science Center will strive to ensure that the data are properly archived and easily available. In particular, it is intended that use of a centralized science facility will guarantee appropriate use of data formatting standards, thus easing access to the data, will improve communications within and to the ACE science working team, and will reduce redundant effort in data processing. Secondary functions performed by the Science Center include acting as an interface between the scientists and the mission operations team. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Goddard Experiment Package?An Automated Space Telescope

The Goddard Experiment Package will measure the ultraviolet spectral emittance of stars and nebulae. It has a spectral resolution of 2 ? in the 1050-? to 4000-? band. The telescope has a 38-inch clear aperture and automatically reduces the spectral data to digital form. Guidance accuracy is 1 of second arc.     

一种用于高频疲劳试验机的程控系统

本文介绍了一种用于高频疲劳试验机的程控系统,阐述了系统的性能特点、工作原理、硬件结构和软件设计方法,同时对载荷的模糊控制进行了讨论。