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At least 235 records · Page 13

Digital flight control research

The results of studies which were undertaken to contribute to the design of digital flight control systems, particularly for transport aircraft are presented. In addition to the overall design considerations for a digital flight control system, the following topics are discussed in detail: (1) aircraft attitude reference system design, (2) the digital computer configuration, (3) the design of a typical digital autopilot for transport aircraft, and (4) a hybrid flight simulator.

Potter, J. E.↗

A class of all digital phase locked loops - Modeling and analysis

An all digital phase locked loop which tracks the phase of the incoming signal once per carrier cycle is proposed. The different elements and their functions, and the phase lock operation are explained in detail. The general digital loop operation is governed by a nonlinear difference equation from which a suitable model is developed. The lock range for the general model is derived. The performance of the digital loop for phase step and frequency step inputs for different levels of quantization without loop filter are studied. The analytical results are checked by simulating the actual system on the digital computer.

Reddy, C. P.↗

A high-accuracy digital star tracker for advanced planetary missions

The digital star tracker represents a novel departure from previous analog designs in terms of circuit implementation and operational capabilities. As an element of an all-digital spacecraft control system, it combines proven low-level analog signal processing with digital error control and command functions. Additional capabilities that are obtainable with the digital circuitry include programmable intensity threshold gates, commanded electronic pointing control, and an acquisition/control algorithm which minimizes the effects of straylight disturbances. The capabilities inherent in the implementation have been successfully demonstrated in a laboratory model of the instrument.

Salomon, P. M.↗

A digital fly-by-wire technology development program using an F-8C test aircraft

A digital fly-by-wire flight control system has been installed in an F-8C test airplane and has undergone extensive ground and flight testing as part of an overall program to develop digital fly-by-wire technology. This is the first airplane to fly with a digital fly-by-wire system as its primary means of control and with no mechanical reversion capability. Forty-two test flights were made for a total flight time of 57 hours. Six pilots participated in the evaluation. This paper presents an overview of the digital fly-by-wire program and discusses some of the flight-test results.

Jarvis, C. R.↗

Implementation of digital filters for minimum quantization errors

In this paper a technique is developed for choosing programing forms and bit configurations for digital filters that minimize the quantization errors. The technique applies to digital filters operating in fixed-point arithmetic in either open-loop or closed-loop systems, and is implemented by a digital computer program that is based on a digital simulation of the system. As an output the program gives the programing form required for minimum quantization errors, the total bit configuration required in the filter, and the location of the binary decimal point at each quantizer within the filter.

Phillips, C. L.↗

A demonstration of ERTS-1 analog and digital techniques applied to strip mining in Maryland and West Virginia

The largest contour strip mining operations in western Maryland and West Virginia are located within the Georges Creek and the Upper Potomac Basins. These two coal basins lie within the Georges Creek (Wellersburg) syncline. The disturbed strip mine areas were delineated with the surrounding geological and vegetation features using ERTS-1 data in both analog (imagery) and digital form. The two digital systems used were: (1) the ERTS-Analysis system, a point-by-point digital analysis of spectral signatures based on known spectral values, and (2) the LARS Automatic Data Processing System. The digital techniques being developed will later be incorporated into a data base for land use planning. These two systems aided in efforts to determine the extent and state of strip mining in this region. Aircraft data, ground verification information, and geological field studies also aided in the application of ERTS-1 imagery to perform an integrated analysis that assessed the adverse effects of strip mining. The results indicated that ERTS can both monitor and map the extent of strip mining to determine immediately the acreage affected and indicate where future reclamation and revegetation may be necessary.

Anderson, A. T.↗

Description and Flight Test Results of the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire Control System

A NASA program to develop digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) technology for aircraft applications is discussed. Phase I of the program demonstrated the feasibility of using a digital fly-by-wire system for aircraft control through developing and flight testing a single channel system, which used Apollo hardware, in an F-8C airplane. The objective of Phase II of the program is to establish a technology base for designing practical DFBW systems. It will involve developing and flight testing a triplex digital fly-by-wire system using state-of-the-art airborne computers, system hardware, software, and redundancy concepts. The papers included in this report describe the Phase I system and its development and present results from the flight program. Man-rated flight software and the effects of lightning on digital flight control systems are also discussed.

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An overview of NASA's digital fly-by-wire technology development program

The feasibility of using digital fly-by-wire systems to control aircraft was demonstrated by developing and flight testing a single channel system, which used Apollo hardware, in an F-8C test airplane. This is the first airplane to fly with a digital fly-by-wire system as its primary means of control and with no mechanical reversion capability. The development and flight test of a triplex digital fly-by-wire system, which will serve as an experimental prototype for future operational digital fly-by-wire systems, is underway.

Jarvis, C. R.↗

Aircraft digital control design methods

Investigations were conducted in two main areas: the first area is control system design, and the goals were to define the limits of 'digitized S-Plane design techniques' vs. sample rate, to show the results of a 'direct digital design technique', and to compare the two methods; the second area was to evaluate the roughness of autopilot designs parametrically versus sample rate. Goals of the first area were addressed by (1) an analysis of a 2nd order example using both design methods, (2) a linear analysis of the complete 737 aircraft with an autoland obtained using the digitized S-plane technique, (3) linear analysis of a high frequency 737 approximation with the autoland from a direct digital design technique, and (4) development of a simulation for evaluation of the autopilots with disturbances and nonlinearities included. Roughness evaluation was studied by defining an experiment to be carried out on the Langley motion simulator and coordinated with analysis at Stanford.

Tashker, M. G.↗

A hybrid computer time code reader used to digitize sounding rocket data

A technique is described for utilizing a hybrid computer as a time code reader and digitizer. The NASA 36-bit time code is an absolute time reference for digitizing analog signals to 1 mV resolution at a 1 kHz sampling rate. The analog computer circuit and the operation of the merged analog and digital computer systems is described. A result of this digitization process applied to analog signals recorded on magnetic tape during an auroral sounding rocket flight is given as an example. This is a general technique that could be applied to other areas such as geology, meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.

Dukich, T.↗

An interactive method for digitizing zone maps

A method is presented for digitizing maps that consist of zones, such as contour or climatic zone maps. A color-coded map is prepared by any convenient process. The map is then read into memory of an Image 100 computer by means of its table scanner, using colored filters. Zones are separated and stored in themes, using standard classification procedures. Thematic data are written on magnetic tape and these data, appropriately coded, are combined to make a digitized image on tape. Step-by-step procedures are given for digitization of crop moisture index maps with this procedure. In addition, a complete example of the digitization of a climatic zone map is given.

Giddings, L. E.↗

RAPID: A random access picture digitizer, display, and memory system

RAPID is a system capable of providing convenient digital analysis of video data in real-time. It has two modes of operation. The first allows for continuous digitization of an EIA RS-170 video signal. Each frame in the video signal is digitized and written in 1/30 of a second into RAPID's internal memory. The second mode leaves the content of the internal memory independent of the current input video. In both modes of operation the image contained in the memory is used to generate an EIA RS-170 composite video output signal representing the digitized image in the memory so that it can be displayed on a monitor.

Yakimovsky, Y.↗

An overview of NASA's digital fly-by-wire technology development program

The feasibility of using digital fly by wire systems to control aircraft was demonstrated by developing and flight testing a single channel system, which used Apollo hardware, in an F-8C test airplane. This is the first airplane to fly with a digital fly by wire system as its primary means of control and with no mechanical reversion capability. The development and flight test of a triplex digital fly by wire system, which will serve as an experimental prototype for future operational digital fly by wire systems, are underway.

Jarvis, C. R.↗

Digital plus analog output encoder

The disclosed encoder is adapted to produce both digital and analog output signals corresponding to the angular position of a rotary shaft, or the position of any other movable member. The digital signals comprise a series of binary signals constituting a multidigit code word which defines the angular position of the shaft with a degree of resolution which depends upon the number of digits in the code word. The basic binary signals are produced by photocells actuated by a series of binary tracks on a code disc or member. The analog signals are in the form of a series of ramp signals which are related in length to the least significant bit of the digital code word. The analog signals are derived from sine and cosine tracks on the code disc.

Hafle, R. S.↗

Performance of quasi-optimum digital FM demodulators for fading channels

This paper deals with the problem of digital demodulation of FM signals transmitted over Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. The Rayleigh and Rician fading channels are represented by two quadrature multiplicative nonzero mean white Gaussian processes in addition to an additive zero-mean white Gaussian noise. Quasi-optimum digital baseband demodulation algorithms using various nonlinear estimation techniques are derived. The digital demodulator structures are then simulated on a digital computer for an FM system with first order message spectrum for various values of the parameters for Rayleigh and Rician channels.

Dharamsi, M. T.↗

Digital controller design: Continuous and discrete describing function analysis of the IPS system

The digital IPS with wire cable and flex pivot nonlinearity is simulated on the digital computer to determine the effects of varying the sampling period T on the system stability, and to determine a range of optimal values of the parameters of the digital controller. The listing of the computer program is shown as well as the Dahl model for the flex pivot nonlinearity. For the wire cable nonlinearity, two ranges of values were used and the nominal values of the digital controller parameters are included.

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Effect of digitally computed drives on performance of continuous linear systems

The dependence of the Bode response upon digital sample rate for first and second order linear continuous systems driven by a digital computer is derived. Open loop lead compensation introduced within the digital computer in order to increase the system bandwidth is also examined in terms of derived Bode responses. This introduction of lead terms within the digital computer is shown to be effective at operating frequencies below the Nyquist frequency. In most practical applications, empirical determination of these lead coefficients appears to be a sufficient compensation method.

Parrish, R. V.↗

A digitally implemented communications experiment utilizing the Hermes (CTS) satellite

The Hermes (CTS) experiment program made possible a significant effort directed toward new developments which will reduce the costs associated with the distribution of satellite services. Advanced satellite transponder technology and small inexpensive earth terminals were demonstrated as part of the Hermes program. Another system element that holds promise for reduced transmission cost is associated with the communication link implementation. An experiment is described which uses CTS to demonstrate digital link implementation and its advantages over conventional analog systems. A Digitally Implemented Communications experiment which demonstrates the flexibility and efficiency of digital transmission of television video and audio, telephone voice and high-bit-rate data is also described. Presentation of the experiment concept which concentrates on the evaluation of full-duplex digital television in the teleconferencing environment is followed by a description of unique equipment that was developed.

Jackson, H. D.↗