Search NASASearch

Engineering topics

Sue, Miles

Publications and source records attributed to Sue, Miles.

Spectral Analysis Tool 6.2 for Windows

Spectral Analysis Tool 6.2 is the latest version of a computer program that assists in analysis of interference between radio signals of the types most commonly used in Earth/spacecraft radio communications. [An earlier version was reported in Software for Analyzing Earth/Spacecraft Radio Interference (NPO-20422), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 4 (April 2001), page 52.] SAT 6.2 calculates signal spectra, bandwidths, and interference effects for several families of modulation schemes. Several types of filters can be modeled, and the program calculates and displays signal spectra after filtering by any of the modeled filters. The program accommodates two simultaneous signals: a desired signal and an interferer. The interference-to-signal power ratio can be calculated for the filtered desired and interfering signals. Bandwidth-occupancy and link-budget calculators are included for the user s convenience. SAT 6.2 has a new software structure and provides a new user interface that is both intuitive and convenient. SAT 6.2 incorporates multi-tasking, multi-threaded execution, virtual memory management, and a dynamic link library. SAT 6.2 is designed for use on 32- bit computers employing Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Morgan, Feiming

Flight Validation of On-Demand Operations: The Deep Space One Beacon Monitor Operations Experiment

After a brief overview of the operational concept, this paper will provide a detailed description of the _as-flown_ flight software components, the DS1 experiment plan, and experiment results to date. Special emphasis will be given to experiment results and lessons learned since the basic system design has been previously reported. Mission scenarios where beacon operations is highly applicable will be described. Detailed cost savings estimates for a sample science mission will be provided as will cumulative savings that are possible over the next fifteen years of NASA missions.

Wyatt, Jay

A Monte Carlo Simulation Study of Interference Effect from Multiple HDFS Transmitters above 30 GHz

Commercial operators are now proposing to install thousands of High Density Fixed Services (HDFS) microwave transmitters in large urban centers, such as Los Angeles. These transmitters will share the same frequencies in the Ka band (32 GHz and 37 - 38 GHz) as some Space Research Service (SRS) receiving Earth stations. To face this challenge, Resolution 126 (WRC-97) has requested the International Telecommunications Union-Radiocommunications (ITU-R) to conduct, as a matter of urgency and in time for WRC-99, appropriate studies to determine sharing criteria between stations in the fixed service and stations in other services. The three DSN tracking stations worldwide utilize this frequency band and may become vulnerable to interference from the planned deployments of HDFS transmitters. These HDFS transmitters operate at a relatively strong signal power (up to -60 dBW/Hz). Thus, they will seriously interfere with the sensitive DSN receivers. It has become imperative to accurately predict the impact of HDFS transmitters on NASA's DSN receivers in the Ka band.

Ho, Christian

Lessons Learned During Implementation and Early Operations of the DS1 Beacon Monitor Experiment

A new approach to mission operations will be flight validated on NASA's New Millennium Program Deep Space One (DS1) mission which launched in October 1998. The Beacon Monitor Operations Technology is aimed at decreasing the total volume of downlinked engineering telemetry by reducing the frequency of downlink and the volume of data received per pass. Cost savings are achieved by reducing the amount of routine telemetry processing and analysis performed by ground staff. The technology is required for upcoming NASA missions to Pluto, Europa, and possibly some other missions. With beacon monitoring, the spacecraft will assess its own health and will transmit one of four beacon messages each representing a unique frequency tone to inform the ground how urgent it is to track the spacecraft for telemetry. If all conditions are nominal, the tone provides periodic assurance to ground personnel that the mission is proceeding as planned without having to receive and analyze downlinked telemetry. If there is a problem, the tone will indicate that tracking is required and the resulting telemetry will contain a concise summary of what has occurred since the last telemetry pass. The primary components of the technology are a tone monitoring technology, AI-based software for onboard engineering data summarization, and a ground response system. In addition, there is a ground visualization system for telemetry summaries. This paper includes a description of the Beacon monitor concept, the trade-offs with adapting that concept as a technology experiment, the current state of the resulting implementation on DS1, and our lessons learned during the initial checkout phase of the mission. Applicability to future missions is also included.

Sherwood, Rob

NASA's mobile satellite development program

A Mobile Satellite System (MSS) will provide data and voice communications over a vast geographical area to a large population of mobile users. A technical overview is given of the extensive research and development studies and development performed under NASA's mobile satellite program (MSAT-X) in support of the introduction of a U.S. MSS. The critical technologies necessary to enable such a system are emphasized: vehicle antennas, modulation and coding, speech coders, networking and propagation characterization. Also proposed is a first, and future generation MSS architecture based upon realized ground segment equipment and advanced space segment studies.

Rafferty, William

MSAT-X: A technical introduction and status report

A technical introduction and status report for the Mobile Satellite Experiment (MSAT-X) program is presented. The concepts of a Mobile Satellite System (MSS) and its unique challenges are introduced. MSAT-X's role and objectives are delineated with focus on its achievements. An outline of MSS design philosophy is followed by a presentation and analysis of the MSAT-X results, which are cast in a broader context of an MSS. The current phase of MSAT-X has focused notably on the ground segment of MSS. The accomplishments in the four critical technology areas of vehicle antennas, modem and mobile terminal design, speech coding, and networking are presented. A concise evolutionary trace is incorporated in each area to elucidate the rationale leading to the current design choices. The findings in the area of propagation channel modeling are also summarized and their impact on system design discussed. To facilitate the assessment of the MSAT-X results, technology and subsystem recommendations are also included and integrated with a quantitative first-generation MSS design.

Dessouky, Khaled