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At least 307 records · Page 17

Common Graphics Library (CGL). Volume 1: LEZ user's guide

Users are introduced to and instructed in the use of the Langley Easy (LEZ) routines of the Common Graphics Library (CGL). The LEZ routines form an application independent graphics package which enables the user community to view data quickly and easily, while providing a means of generating scientific charts conforming to the publication and/or viewgraph process. A distinct advantage for using the LEZ routines is that the underlying graphics package may be replaced or modified without requiring the users to change their application programs. The library is written in ANSI FORTRAN 77, and currently uses a CORE-based underlying graphics package, and is therefore machine independent, providing support for centralized and/or distributed computer systems.

Taylor, Nancy L.↗

The design of PC/MISI, a PC-based common user interface to remote information storage and retrieval systems. Presentation visuals

This Working Paper Series entry represents a collection of presentation visuals associated with the companion report entitled, The Design of PC/MISI, a PC-Based Common User Interface to Remote Information Storage and Retrieval Systems, USL/DBMS NASA/RECON Working Paper Series report number DBMS.NASA/RECON-15. The paper discusses the following: problem definition; the PC solution; the goals of system design; the design description; future considerations, the research environment; conclusions.

Dominick, Wayne D.↗

The impact of common APSE interface set specifications on space station information systems

Certain types of software facilities are needed in a Space Station Information Systems Environment; the Common APSE (Ada Program Support Environment) Interface Set (CAIS) was proposed as a means of satisfying them. The reasonableness of this is discussed by examining the current CAIS, considering the changes due to the latest Requirements and Criteria (RAC) document, and postulating the effects on the CAIS 2.0. Finally, a few additional comments are made on the problems inherent in the Ada language itself, especially on its deficiencies when used for implementing large distributed processing and data base applications.

Diaz-Herrera, Jorge L.↗

Common Graphics Library (CGL). Volume 2: Low-level user's guide

The intent is to instruct the users of the Low-Level routines of the Common Graphics Library (CGL). The Low-Level routines form an application-independent graphics package enabling the user community to construct and design scientific charts conforming to the publication and/or viewgraph process. The Low-Level routines allow the user to design unique or unusual report-quality charts from a set of graphics utilities. The features of these routines can be used stand-alone or in conjunction with other packages to enhance or augment their capabilities. This library is written in ANSI FORTRAN 77, and currently uses a CORE-based underlying graphics package, and is therefore machine-independent, providing support for centralized and/or distributed computer systems.

Taylor, Nancy L.↗

A widespread common age resurfacing event in the highland-lowland transition zone in eastern Mars

The paper presents evidence for a widespread common-age resurfacing that affected the entire boundary transition zone between the cratered highlands and northern lowland plains in eastern Mars. This resurfacing may have been contemporaneous with other major events elsewhere on Mars. It is noted that the oldest resurfacing event at N(1) of about 86,000 was much more efficient at removing larger craters in what is today the transition zone than it was in the cratered terrain; this implies that some difference in the nature of the crust had been established prior to this resurfacing event.

Frey, Herbert↗

Recursive forward dynamics for multiple robot arms moving a common task object

Recursive forward dynamics algorithms are developed and presented for an arbitrary number of robot arms moving a commonly held object. The multiarm forward dynamics problem is to find the angular accelerations at the joints and the contact forces that the arms impart to the task object. The problem also involves finding the acceleration of this object. The multiarm forward dynamics solutions provide a thorough physical and mathematical understanding of the way several arms behave in response to a set of applied joint moments. Such an understanding simplifies and guides the subsequent control design and experimentation process. The forward dynamics algorithms also provide the necessary analytical foundation for conducting analysis and simulation studies. The multiarm algorithms are based on the filtering and smoothing approach recently advanced for single-arm dynamics, and they can be built up modularly from the single-arm algorithms. The algorithms compute recursively the joint angle accelerations, the contact forces, and the task-object accelerations. Algorithms are also developed to evaluate in closed form the linear transformations from the active joint moments to the joint angle accelerations, to the task object accelerations, and to the task-object contact forces. A possible computing architecture is presented as a precursor to a more complete investigation of the computational performance of the dynamics algorithms.

Rodriguez, Guillermo↗

A common distributed language approach to software integration

An important objective in software integration is the development of techniques to allow programs written in different languages to function together. Several approaches are discussed toward achieving this objective and the Common Distributed Language Approach is presented as the approach of choice.

Antonelli, Charles J.↗

Three very cool degenerate stars in Luyten common proper motion binaries - Implications for the age of the galactic disk

During the course of a spectroscopic study of Luyten common proper motion (CPM) stars, spectrophotometric observations have been obtained of three binaries containing degenerate stars with estimated absolute magnitudes M(V) of about 16. Each of the three pairs consists of a yellow degenerate star primary and a DC 13 + secondary 1.4-2.3 mag fainter. One of the primary stars is spectral class DC 7, another is a sharp-lined DA 8, and the third shows peculiar broad absorption features which we interpret as pressure-shifted C2 Swan bands. The LP 701 - 69/70 system has survived for over 8 billion years without disruption by passing stars, despite its 1500 a.u. orbital major axis. The three cool degenerate companions nearly double the available sample of stars at the low-luminosity terminus of the white dwarf cooling sequence. These findings appear consistent with the conclusion that degenerate stars in the old disk population have not had time to evolve to a luminosity fainter than M(V) about 16.2.

Hintzen, Paul↗

Anatomical study of the final common pathway for vocalization in the cat

Results are presented of an anatomical study of the neuronal pathways in the cat, via which the periaqueductal gray (PAG) produces excitation of motoneurons involved in vocalization. It is shown that a specific cell group in the lateral part of the caudal PAG and in the tegmentum just lateral to it projects bilaterally to the nucleus retroambiguus (NRA) in the caudal medulla oblongata. Neurons in the NRA in turn project, via a contralateral pathway through the ventral funiculus of the spinal cord, to the motoneuronal cell groups innervating intercostal and abdominal muscles. In the brainstem, the NRA neurons project to the motoneuronal cell groups innervating mouth-opening and perioral muscles as well as to motoneurons innervating the pharynx, soft palate, and tongue. These results indicate that the projections from PAG via NRA to vocalization motoneurons form the final common pathway in vocalization.

Holstege, Gert↗

On the separations of common proper motion binaries containing white dwarfs

It is expected, on the basis of proper motion and estimated colors, that over 500 known common proper motion binaries (CPMBs) contain at least one white dwarf (WD) component, usually paired with a late type main sequence (MS) star. This paper examines 210 probable MS + MS and 26 probable WD + MS pairs from the LDS catalog to determine whether significant orbital expansion occurred as a consequence of the post-MS mass loss expected to accompany the formation of WDs in the CPMBs. It was found that, in the WD + MS pairs, the physical separation is nearly twice that in the MS + MS pairs.

Oswalt, T. D.↗

The mGA1.0: A common LISP implementation of a messy genetic algorithm

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are finding increased application in difficult search, optimization, and machine learning problems in science and engineering. Increasing demands are being placed on algorithm performance, and the remaining challenges of genetic algorithm theory and practice are becoming increasingly unavoidable. Perhaps the most difficult of these challenges is the so-called linkage problem. Messy GAs were created to overcome the linkage problem of simple genetic algorithms by combining variable-length strings, gene expression, messy operators, and a nonhomogeneous phasing of evolutionary processing. Results on a number of difficult deceptive test functions are encouraging with the mGA always finding global optima in a polynomial number of function evaluations. Theoretical and empirical studies are continuing, and a first version of a messy GA is ready for testing by others. A Common LISP implementation called mGA1.0 is documented and related to the basic principles and operators developed by Goldberg et. al. (1989, 1990). Although the code was prepared with care, it is not a general-purpose code, only a research version. Important data structures and global variations are described. Thereafter brief function descriptions are given, and sample input data are presented together with sample program output. A source listing with comments is also included.

Goldberg, David E.↗

Space station common module network topology and hardware development

Conceptual space station common module power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) network layouts and detailed network evaluations were developed. Individual pieces of hardware to be developed for the SSM/PMAD test bed were identified. A technology assessment was developed to identify pieces of equipment requiring development effort. Equipment lists were developed from the previously selected network schematics. Additionally, functional requirements for the network equipment as well as other requirements which affected the suitability of specific items for use on the Space Station Program were identified. Assembly requirements were derived based on the SSM/PMAD developed requirements and on the selected SSM/PMAD network concepts. Basic requirements and simplified design block diagrams are included. DC remote power controllers were successfully integrated into the DC Marshall Space Flight Center breadboard. Two DC remote power controller (RPC) boards experienced mechanical failure of UES 706 stud-mounted diodes during mechanical installation of the boards into the system. These broken diodes caused input to output shorting of the RPC's. The UES 706 diodes were replaced on these RPC's which eliminated the problem. The DC RPC's as existing in the present breadboard configuration do not provide ground fault protection because the RPC was designed to only switch the hot side current. If ground fault protection were to be implemented, it would be necessary to design the system so the RPC switched both the hot and the return sides of power.

Anderson, P.↗

Multiple cell common pressure vessel nickel hydrogen battery

Johnson Controls Battery Group, Inc. has developed a multiple cell common pressure vessel (CPV) Nickel Hydrogen battery that offers significant weight, volume, cost and interfacing advantages over the conventional individual pressure vessel (IPV) Nickel Hydrogen configuration that is currently used for aerospace applications. The baseline CPV design was successfully demonstrated through the testing of a 26-cell prototype, which completed over 7,000 44% depth-of-discharge LEO cycles at COMSAT Laboratories. Two-cell boilerplate batteries have now exceeded 12,500 LEO cycles in ongoing laboratory tests. CPV batteries using both nominal 5" and 10" diameter vessels are currently available. The flexibility of the design allows these diameters to provide a broad capability for a variety of space applications.

Jeffrey P Zagrodnik↗

CCSDS - An approach to the definition of common standards for understanding space-related data

International cooperation for space data projects requires common data processing goals and unique data exchange mechanisms. The absence of standards has led to project unique interface definitions and special software on diverse systems. To address this problem, CCSDS Panel 2 is creating a set of standards to support self description of data using standard structures. The proposed standard data interchange mechanism - the Standard Formatted Data Unit (SFDU) - reduces information loss in data transfers, increases automated information exchange, and extends the lifetime of data. Data interchange structures, languages, and services are being developed with necessary control functions to provide these benefits. A set of recommendations for agency review has been issued this year to be the basis for future data exchange and to enhance access to older mission data sets. Space agencies and other space data handling facilities are being encouraged to implement the SFDU concept for ongoing and planned projects.

Drexler, Manfred↗

The physical properties of double degenerate common proper motion binaries

Spectral types and spectrophotometry are presented for 21 double degenerate (DD) common proper motion binaries, along with estimates of their colors, absolute visual and bolometric magnitudes, and cooling ages. The oldest pairs in the sample are 9 x 10 to the 9th yr; the differential cooling ages range from 0.01 to 0.84. The median and mean separations of the DD pairs are 426 and 407 Au, respectively, both apparently smaller than the WD+MS values. The average UVW motions and velocity dispersions are significantly larger than the average velocities and dispersions associated with selected samples of single white dwarfs and MS+WD binaries when the latter are restricted to the same color/Mv range as the DD systems. This may be a result of the dynamical inflation of the velocity dispersion of DD systems due to their extremely ancient total stellar ages.

Sion, Edward M.↗

Space Station Freedom power supply commonality via modular design

At mature operations, Space Station Freedom will need more than 2000 power supplies to feed housekeeping and user loads. Advanced technology power supplies from 20 to 250 W have been hybridized for terrestrial, aerospace, and industry applications in compact, efficient, reliable, lightweight packages compatible with electromagnetic interference requirements. The use of these hybridized packages as modules, either singly or in parallel, to satisfy the wide range of user power supply needs for all elements of the station is proposed. Proposed characteristics for the power supplies include common mechanical packaging, digital control, self-protection, high efficiency at full and partial loads, synchronization capability to reduce electromagnetic interference, redundancy, and soft-start capability. The inherent reliability is improved compared with conventional discrete component power supplies because the hybrid circuits use high-reliability components such as ceramic capacitors. Reliability is further improved over conventional supplies because the hybrid packages, which may be treated as a single part, reduce the parts count in the power supply.

Krauthamer, S.↗

Global/local methods research using a common structural analysis framework

Methodologies for global/local stress analysis are described including both two- and three-dimensional analysis methods. These methods are being developed within a common structural analysis framework. Representative structural analysis problems are presented to demonstrate the global/local methodologies being developed.

Knight, Norman F., Jr.↗

NTR vehicle commonality assessment for piloted lunar and Mars missions

A study is presented that assesses the feasibility of (1) using common nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) vehicle components to perform a wide range of lunar and Mars missions, and (2) potential performance gains achieved via 'dual-mode' NTR operation, where the nuclear reactor is utilized not only for propulsion but also for electrical power generation. Four vehicle configurations are considered, modular designs with multiple single engine modules and single engine designs with multiple propellant tanks. The standard tank sizes arrived at in the Mars mission mass performance calculations are then applied to cargo and piloted lunar craft to evaluate lunar NTR mass performance against that for chemical propulsion.

Collins, John T.↗