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Results for “PHASE LOCK”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

Collective Interaction of a Compressible Periodic Parallel Jet Flow

A linear instability model for multiple spatially periodic supersonic rectangular jets is solved using Floquet-Bloch theory. The disturbance environment is investigated using a two dimensional perturbation of a mean flow. For all cases large temporal growth rates are found. This work is motivated by an increase in mixing found in experimental measurements of spatially periodic supersonic rectangular jets with phase-locked screech. The results obtained in this paper suggests that phase-locked screech or edge tones may produce correlated spatially periodic jet flow downstream of the nozzles which creates a large span wise multi-nozzle region where a disturbance can propagate. The large temporal growth rates for eddies obtained by model calculation herein are related to the increased mixing since eddies are the primary mechanism that transfer energy from the mean flow to the large turbulent structures. Calculations of growth rates are presented for a range of Mach numbers and nozzle spacings corresponding to experimental test conditions where screech synchronized phase locking was observed. The model may be of significant scientific and engineering value in the quest to understand and construct supersonic mixer-ejector nozzles which provide increased mixing and reduced noise.

Miles, Jeffrey Hilton↗
NASA NTRS2008

Digital Phase Meter for a Laser Heterodyne Interferometer

The Digital Phase Meter is based on a modified phase-locked loop. When phase alignment between the reference input and the phase-shifted metrological input is achieved, the loop locks and the phase shift of the digital phase shifter equals the phase difference that one seeks to measure. This digital phase meter is being developed for incorporation into a laser heterodyne interferometer in a metrological apparatus, but could also be adapted to other uses. Relative to prior phase meters of similar capability, including digital ones, this digital phase meter is smaller, less complex, and less expensive. The phase meter has been constructed and tested in the form of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

Loya, Frank↗
DOE OSTI2025

Linewidth narrowing and wideband frequency modulation of a DBR laser

We present a scheme to phase-lock a 240 mW, 852 nm distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser to a fixed-frequency narrow-linewidth laser with a rapidly tunable frequency offset near 9 GHz. The phase-lock is accomplished by electronic feedback on the beatnote between the two lasers. The frequency offset can be swept 200 MHz in 300 us, limited by the feedback loop bandwidth, allowing for its use in complex cooling and state preparation schemes needed in atomic physics experiments. Here, we find that the phase-lock reduces the linewidth of the DBR laser below its natural linewidth of ~400 kHz to ~100 kHz

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1973

Data-aided carrier tracking loops

The characteristics of a data-aided carrier tracking loop are discussed. The loop signal to noise ratio is improved in a phase-locked loop used for tracking a carrier an angle modulated communications system by a quadrature channel added to the phase locked loop. A d.c. signal derived from the quadrature channel is added to the signal fed back to the voltage controlled oscillator in the otherwise conventional phase-locked loop.

Lindsey, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analysis Of Lock Detection In Costas Loops

Report presents analysis of detection of phase lock in Costas loops, used in coherent binary-phase-shift-keying communication systems to track both subcarrier and suppressed carrier signals. Detection of phase lock important part of operation and monitoring of operation of Costas or other tracking loop, provides insight into behavior of loop in real time. Focuses on effects of phase jitter and correlation between samples of phase error in all-digital Costas loop, in which lock detection implemented via algorithm. Applicable to both sinusoidal and square-law carrier signals, incorporates new mathematical models of square-law and absolute-value detectors.

Mileant, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2006

Multichannel X-Band Dielectric-Resonator Oscillator

A multichannel dielectric-resonator oscillator (DRO), built as a prototype of a local oscillator for an X-band transmitter or receiver, is capable of being electrically tuned among and within 26 adjacent frequency channels, each 1.16 MHz wide, in a band ranging from 7,040 to 7,070 GHz. The tunability of this oscillator is what sets it apart from other DROs, making it possible to use mass-produced oscillator units of identical design in diverse X-band applications in which there are requirements to use different fixed frequencies or to switch among frequency channels. The oscillator (see figure) includes a custom-designed voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), a dielectric resonator disk (puck), and two varactor-coupling circuits, all laid out on a 25-mil (0.635-mm)-thick alumina substrate having a length and width of 17.8 mm. The resonator disk has a diameter of 8.89 mm and a thickness of 4.01 mm. The oscillator is mounted in an 8.9-mm-deep cavity in a metal housing. The VCO MMIC incorporates a negative- resistance oscillator amplifier along with a buffer amplifier. The resonator disk is coupled to a microstrip transmission line connected to the negative-resistance port of the VCO MMIC. The two varactor-coupling circuits include microstrip lines, laid out orthogonally to each other, for coupling with the resonator disk. Each varactor microstrip line is DC-coupled to an external port via a microwave choke. One varactor is used for coarse tuning to select a channel; the other varactor is used (1) for fine tuning across the 1.16-MHz width of each channel and (2) as a feedback port for a phase-lock loop. The resonator disk is positioned to obtain (1) the most desirable bandwidth, (2) relatively tight coupling with the microstrip connected to the coarse-tuning varactor, and (3) relatively loose coupling with the microstrip connected to the fine-tuning varactor. Measurements of performance showed that the oscillator can be switched among any of the 26 channels and can be phase-locked to a nominal frequency in any channel. The degree of nonlinearity of tuning was found not to exceed 2.5 percent. The tuning sensitivity was found to be 6.15 MHz/V at a bias offset of -2 V on the phase-lock-loop varactor. The phase noise of the oscillator in free-running operation was found to be -107 dBc/Hz (where dBc signifies decibels relative to the carrier signal) at 100 kHz away from the carrier frequency.

Mysoor, Narayan↗
NASA NTRS1986

Preliminary results toward injection locking of an incoherent laser array

The preliminary results of phase locking an incoherent laser array to a master source in an attempt to achieve coherent operation are presented. The techniques necessary to demonstrate phase locking are described along with some topics for future consideration. As expected, the results obtained suggest that injection locking of an array, where the spacing between adjacent longitudinal modes of its elements is significantly larger than the locking bandwidth, may not be feasible.

Daher, J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Bit-synchronizer lock detector

Circuit measures phase error that exists in phase-locked loop between clock signal recorded in data on magnetic tape and reconstructed clock signal. Circuit presents error as digital word that can be compared with predetermined threshold to indicate lock status. With simple alterations, circuit can also be used as phase detector.

Huey, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Forced free-shear layer measurements

Detailed three-dimensional three-component phase averaged measurements of the spanwise and streamwise vorticity formation and evolution in acoustically forced plane free-shear flows have been obtained. For the first time, phase-averaged measurements of all three velocity components have been obtained in both a mixing layer and a wake on three-dimensional grids, yielding the spanwise and streamwise vorticity distributions without invoking Taylor's hypothesis. Initially, two-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the roll-up and first pairing of the spanwise vortical structures in a plane mixing layer. The objective of this study was to measure the near-field vortical structure morphology in a mixing layer with 'natural' laminar initial boundary layers. For the second experiment the second and third subharmonics of the fundamental roll-up frequency were added to the previous two-frequency forcing in order to phase-lock the roll-up and first three pairings of the spanwise rollers in the mixing layer. The objective of this study was to determine the details of spanwise scale changes observed in previous time-averaged measurements and flow visualization of unforced mixing layers. For the final experiment, single-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the Karman vortex street in a plane wake developing from nominally two-dimensional laminar initial boundary layers. The objective of this study was to compare measurements of the three-dimensional structure in a wake developing from 'natural' initial boundary layers to existing models of wake vortical structure.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Sample-Clock Phase-Control Feedback

To demodulate a communication signal, a receiver must recover and synchronize to the symbol timing of a received waveform. In a system that utilizes digital sampling, the fidelity of synchronization is limited by the time between the symbol boundary and closest sample time location. To reduce this error, one typically uses a sample clock in excess of the symbol rate in order to provide multiple samples per symbol, thereby lowering the error limit to a fraction of a symbol time. For systems with a large modulation bandwidth, the required sample clock rate is prohibitive due to current technological barriers and processing complexity. With precise control of the phase of the sample clock, one can sample the received signal at times arbitrarily close to the symbol boundary, thus obviating the need, from a synchronization perspective, for multiple samples per symbol. Sample-clock phase-control feedback was developed for use in the demodulation of an optical communication signal, where multi-GHz modulation bandwidths would require prohibitively large sample clock frequencies for rates in excess of the symbol rate. A custom mixedsignal (RF/digital) offset phase-locked loop circuit was developed to control the phase of the 6.4-GHz clock that samples the photon-counting detector output. The offset phase-locked loop is driven by a feedback mechanism that continuously corrects for variation in the symbol time due to motion between the transmitter and receiver as well as oscillator instability. This innovation will allow significant improvements in receiver throughput; for example, the throughput of a pulse-position modulation (PPM) with 16 slots can increase from 188 Mb/s to 1.5 Gb/s.

Quirk, Kevin J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Apparatus and Method to Enable Precision and Fast Laser Frequency Tuning

An apparatus and method is provided to enable precision and fast laser frequency tuning. For instance, a fast tunable slave laser may be dynamically offset-locked to a reference laser line using an optical phase-locked loop. The slave laser is heterodyned against a reference laser line to generate a beatnote that is subsequently frequency divided. The phase difference between the divided beatnote and a reference signal may be detected to generate an error signal proportional to the phase difference. The error signal is converted into appropriate feedback signals to phase lock the divided beatnote to the reference signal. The slave laser frequency target may be rapidly changed based on a combination of a dynamically changing frequency of the reference signal, the frequency dividing factor, and an effective polarity of the error signal. Feed-forward signals may be generated to accelerate the slave laser frequency switching through laser tuning ports.

Chen, Jeffrey R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

A novel photonic oscillator

We report a novel oscillator for photonic RF systems. This oscillator is capable of generating high-frequency signals up to 70 GHz in both electrical and optical domains and is a special voltage-controlled oscillator with an optical output port. It can be used to make a phase-locked loop (PLL) and perform all functions that a PLL is capable of for photonic systems. It can be synchronized to a reference source by means of optical injection locking, electrical injection locking, and PLL. It can also be self-phase locked and self-injection locked to generate a high-stability photonic RF reference. Its applications include high-frequency reference regeneration and distribution, high-gain frequency multiplication, comb-frequecy and square-wave generation, carrier recovery, and clock recovery. We anticipate that such photonic voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) will be as important to photonic RF systems as electrical VCOs are to electrical RF systems.

Yao, X. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A low noise synthesizer for autotuning and performance testing of hydrogen masers

A low noise synthesizer has been developed for use in hydrogen maser autotuning and performance evaluation. This synthesizer replaces the frequency offset maser normally used for this purpose and allows the user to maintain all masers in the ensemble at the same frequency. The synthesizer design utilizes a quartz oscillator with a BVA resonator. The oscillator has a frequency offset of 5 X 10 to the minus 8 power. The BVA oscillator is phase-locked to a hydrogen maser by means of a high gain, high stability phase-locked loop, employing low noise multipliers as phase error amplifiers. A functional block diagram of the synthesizer and performance data will be presented.

Cloeren, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Geodetic distance measuring apparatus

A geodetic distance measuring apparatus which compensates for the refractive index of the atmosphere is discussed. A mode locked laser system with a laser device and its peripheral components is utilized to derive two mutually phase locked optical wavelength signals and one phase locked microwave CW signal which respectively traverse the same distance measurement path. The optical signals are comprised of pulse type signals. Phase comparison of the two optical wavelength pulse signals is used to provide the dry air density while phase comparison of one of the optical wavelength pulse signals and the microwave CW signal issued to provide wet or water vapor density of the air. The distance to be measured corrected for the atmospheric dry air and water vapor densities in the measurement path is computed from these measurements. A time interval unit is included for measuring transit time of individual optical pulses for resolving the phase ambiguity needed with the phase measurements to give the true target distance.

Abshire, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Geodetic distance measuring apparatus

A mode locked laser system including a laser device and its peripheral components is utilized for deriving two mutually phase locked optical wavelength signals and one phase locked microwave CW signal which respectively traverse the same distance measurement path. Preferably the optical signals are comprised of pulse type signals. Phase comparison of the two optical wavelength pulse signals is used to provide a measure of the dry air density while phase comparison of one of the optical wavelength pulse signals and the microwave CW signal is used to provide a measure of the wet or water vapor density of the air. From these measurements is computed in means of the distance to be measured corrected for the atmospheric dry and water vapor densities in the measurement path.

Abshire, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

On the preferred mode of jet instability

The preferred mode of instability was investigated in an axisymmetric air jet of moderate Reynolds number. Natural instabilities are shown to scale with local shear-layer thickness and the preferred mode is shown to be a shear-layer instability. The spatial evolution of the preferred mode was examined by exciting the flow acoustically and then mapping the phase-locked velocity fluctuations. Throughout the potential core region the phase-locked profiles are shown to agree with the eigensolutions of the Orr-Sommerfeld stability equations provided the calculations are based on measured, mean velocity profiles. The excitation intensity was varied from low levels, where the flow was merely tagged, to high levels where the mean flow was substantially distorted, and over that range of excitation there was no apparent deterioration in the agreement with stability predictions.

Petersen, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

RFI in hybrid loops - Simulation and experimental results.

A digital simulation of an imperfect second-order hybrid phase-locked loop (HPLL) operating in radio frequency interference (RFI) is described. Its performance is characterized in terms of phase error variance and phase error probability density function (PDF). Monte-Carlo simulation is used to show that the HPLL can be superior to the conventional phase-locked loops in RFI backgrounds when minimum phase error variance is the goodness criterion. Similar experimentally obtained data are given in support of the simulation data.

Ziemer, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

An adaptive narrow band frequency modulation voice communication system

A narrow band frequency modulation communication system is described which provides for the reception of good quality voice at low carrier-to-noise ratios. The high level of performance is obtained by designing a limiter and phase lock loop combination as a demodulator, so that the bandwidth of the phase lock loop decreases as the carrier level decreases. The system was built for the position location and aircraft communication equipment experiment of the ATS 6 program.

Wishna, S.↗