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At least 55 records · Page 3

Test and control computer user's guide for a digital beam former test system

A Digital Beam Former Test System was developed to determine the effects of noise, interferers and distortions, and digital implementations of beam forming as applied to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 2 (TDRS 2) architectures. The investigation of digital beam forming with application to TDRS 2 architectures, as described in TDRS 2 advanced concept design studies, was conducted by the NASA/Lewis Research Center for NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. A Test and Control Computer (TCC) was used as the main controlling element of the digital Beam Former Test System. The Test and Control Computer User's Guide for a Digital Beam Former Test System provides an organized description of the Digital Beam Former Test System commands. It is written for users who wish to conduct tests of the Digital Beam forming Test processor using the TCC. The document describes the function, use, and syntax of the TCC commands available to the user while summarizing and demonstrating the use of the commands wtihin DOS batch files.

Alexovich, Robert E.

A simple second-order digital phase-locked loop.

A simple second-order digital phase-locked loop has been designed for the Viking Orbiter 1975 command system. Excluding analog-to-digital conversion, implementation of the loop requires only an adder/subtractor, two registers, and a correctable counter with control logic. The loop considers only the polarity of phase error and corrects system clocks according to a filtered sequence of this polarity. The loop is insensitive to input gain variation, and therefore offers the advantage of stable performance over long life. Predictable performance is guaranteed by extreme reliability of acquisition, yet in the steady state the loop produces only a slight degradation with respect to analog loop performance.

Tegnelia, C. R.

Oral annunciator with programmable vocabulary

Voice (analog) signal is converted to its digital equivalent and stored in solid state memory. Upon command, memory becomes part of annunciator system which includes other digital logic, digital-to-analog converter, and audio amplifier.

Paslay, D.

Analysis Of Delays In Simulation Of Flight

Report presents analysis of delays in transport of signals through various subsystems and components of flight-simulation system. Addresses all parts of simulation process and system, from analog-to-digital conversion and sampling of pilot's command input, through multiple sampling rate digital processing via transfer-function mathematical models of responses of simulated aircraft and of simulation system itself, to system output sampled at same rate as pilot's command input.

Mcfarland, R. E.

The SIR-C/X-SAR synthetic aperture radar system

SIR-C/X-SAR, a three-frequency radar to be flown on the Space Shuttle in September 1993, is described. The SIR-C system is a two-frequency radar operating at 1250 MHz (L-band) and 5300 MHz (C-band), and is designed to get four-polarization radar imagery at multiple surface angles. The X-SAR system is an X-band imaging radar operating at 9600 MHz. The discussion covers the mission concept; system design; hardware; RF electronics; digital electronics; command, timing, and telemetry; and testing.

Jordan, Rolando L.

Apollo guidance, navigation and control: Guidance system operations plan for manned CM earth orbital and lunar missions using Program COLOSSUS 3. Section 3: Digital autopilots (revision 14)

Digital autopilots for the manned command module earth orbital and lunar missions using program COLOSSUS 3 are discussed. Subjects presented are: (1) reaction control system digital autopilot, (2) thrust vector control autopilot, (3) entry autopilot and mission control programs, (4) takeover of Saturn steering, and (5) coasting flight attitude maneuver routine.

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Flight control system development and flight test experience with the F-111 mission adaptive wing aircraft

The wing on the NASA F-111 transonic aircraft technology airplane was modified to provide flexible leading and trailing edge flaps. This wing is known as the mission adaptive wing (MAW) because aerodynamic efficiency can be maintained at all speeds. Unlike a conventional wing, the MAW has no spoilers, external flap hinges, or fairings to break the smooth contour. The leading edge flaps and three-segment trailing edge flaps are controlled by a redundant fly-by-wire control system that features a dual digital primary system architecture providing roll and symmetric commands to the MAW control surfaces. A segregated analog backup system is provided in the event of a primary system failure. This paper discusses the design, development, testing, qualification, and flight test experience of the MAW primary and backup flight control systems.

Larson, R. R.

Flight control system development and flight test experience with the F-111 mission adaptive wing aircraft

The wing on the NASA F-111 transonic aircraft technology airplane was modified to provide flexible leading and trailing edge flaps. This wing is known as the mission adaptive wing (MAW) because aerodynamic efficiency can be maintained at all speeds. Unlike a conventional wing, the MAW has no spoilers, external flap hinges, or fairings to break the smooth contour. The leading edge flaps and three-segment trailing edge flaps are controlled by a redundant fly-by-wire control system that features a dual digital primary system architecture providing roll and symmetric commands to the MAW control surfaces. A segregated analog backup system is provided in the event of a primary system failure. This paper discusses the design, development, testing, qualification, and flight test experience of the MAW primary and backup flight control systems.

Larson, R. R.

DC-magnetic field vector measurement

A magnetometer experiment was designed to determine the local magnetic field by measuring the total of the Earth's magnetic field and that of an unknown spacecraft. The measured field vector components are available to all onboard experiments via the Spacelab command and data management system. The experiment consists of two parts, an electronic box and the magnetic field sensor. The sensor includes three independent measuring flux-gate magnetometers, each measuring one component. The physical background is the nonlinearity of the B-H curve of a ferrite material. Two coils wound around a ferrite rod are necessary. One of them, a tank coil, pumps the ferrite rod at approximately 20 kilohertz. As a consequence of the nonlinearity, many harmonics can be produced. The second coil (i.e., the detection coil) resonates to the first harmonic. If an unknown dc or low-frequency magnetic field exists, the amplitude of the first harmonic is a measure for the unknown magnetic field. The voltages detected by the sensors are to be digitized and transferred to the command and data management system.

Schmidt, R.

Performance of a random access packet network with time-capture capability

The Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) is applied to a digital network supporting the command, control and communication requirements of 105 highly mobile users. User data traffic is bursty and the slotted ALOHA channel access scheme is therefore employed. This paper focuses on the determination of JTIDS system performance in this particular application. Emphasis is directed at the specific time-capture capability of JTIDS. Significant system performance parameters are quantified with analysis and simulation.

Lin, Y. H.

Design development of the Apollo command and service module thrust vector attitude control systems

Development of the Apollo thrust vector control digital autopilot (TVC DAP) was summarized. This is the control system that provided pitch and yaw attitude control during velocity change maneuvers using the main rocket engine on the Apollo service module. A list of ten primary functional requirements for this control system are presented, each being subordinate to a more general requirement appearing earlier on the list. Development process functions were then identified and the essential information flow paths were explored. This provided some visibility into the particular NASA/contractor interface, as well as relationships between the many individual activities.

William H. Peters

Design and flight testing of a digital optimal control general aviation autopilot

This paper presents the designs of Proportional-Integral-Filter (PIF) autopilots for a General Aviation (NAVION) aircraft. The PIF autopilots use modern control theory to determine heading select and altitude select and hold autopilot modes. The PIF control law uses typical General Aviation sensors for state feedback; command error integration for command tracking; digital complimentary filtering and analog prefiltering for sensor noise suppression; a control filter for computation delay accommodation; and the incremental form to eliminate trim values in implementation. Theoretical developments for the control law are described which combine the sampled-data regulator with command generator tracking for use as a digital flight control system. The digital PIF autopilots are evaluated using closed-loop eigenvalues and simulations. Successful flight test results for the PIF autopilots are presented for different turbulence conditions and quadratic weights.

Broussard, J. R.

Design, implementation and flight testing of PIF autopilots for general aviation aircraft

The designs of Proportional-Integrated-Filter (PIF) auto-pilots for a General Aviation (NAVION) aircraft are presented. The PIF autopilot uses the sampled-data regulator and command generator tracking to determine roll select, pitch select, heading select, altitude select and localizer/glideslope capture and hold autopilot modes. The PIF control law uses typical General Aviation sensors for state feedback, command error integration for command tracking, digital complementary filtering and analog prefiltering for sensor noise suppression, a control filter for computation delay accommodation and the incremental form to eliminate trim values in implementation. Theoretical developments described in detail, were needed to combine the sampled-data regulator with command generator tracking for use as a digital flight control system. The digital PIF autopilots are evaluated using closed-loop eigenvalues and linear simulations. The implementation of the PIF autopilots in a digital flight computer using a high order language (FORTRAN) is briefly described. The successful flight test results for each PIF autopilot mode is presented.

Broussard, J. R.

LANDSAT instruments characterization

Twelve subscenes were selected from LANDSAT 5, scene 50129-17075 over White Sands, NM. Data set WHITE covers the entire White Sands desert area. Black and white films and hard copy prints of each band in this area were produced. A new command file was written for the interactive digital image manipulation system (IDIMS) to generate pseudocolor pixel prints of LANDSAT Thematic Mapper bands for data from B and A tapes. The program PCMAIN.FOR of principal component analysis and a supplemental program HEDIT.FOR for generating sampled data sets were developed. The procedures for performing component analysis on a subscene by using these programs are described. Modifications to various subroutines are listed. Bright target saturation internal calibration lamp state dependence was examined using calibration data of night scene 50052-02182, WRS 111/112 over Harrisburg, PA.

Lee, Y.

A steering law for three double-gimbal control moment gyro systems

A steering law for three double-gimbal control moment gyro (CMG) systems is proposed. This steering law is applicable to systems with almost any configuration of CMGs and the CMG-out operation needs no special modification. Examples of three double gimbal CMG systems in an orthogonal configuration and in a parallel configuration are shown along with the results of digital simulations. Simulation results show that any command torque can always be met except when the system is in a singular state and that, whenever the system is in, or close to, a singularity, the steering law drives the system state out of the vicinity of the singularity.

Yoshikawa, T.