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NASA NTRS2009

Graphical User Interface for Simulink Integrated Performance Analysis Model

The J-2X Engine (built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne,) in the Upper Stage of the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, will only start within a certain range of temperature and pressure for Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen propellants. The purpose of the Simulink Integrated Performance Analysis Model is to verify that in all reasonable conditions the temperature and pressure of the propellants are within the required J-2X engine start boxes. In order to run the simulation, test variables must be entered at all reasonable values of parameters such as heat leak and mass flow rate. To make this testing process as efficient as possible in order to save the maximum amount of time and money, and to show that the J-2X engine will start when it is required to do so, a graphical user interface (GUI) was created to allow the input of values to be used as parameters in the Simulink Model, without opening or altering the contents of the model. The GUI must allow for test data to come from Microsoft Excel files, allow those values to be edited before testing, place those values into the Simulink Model, and get the output from the Simulink Model. The GUI was built using MATLAB, and will run the Simulink simulation when the Simulate option is activated. After running the simulation, the GUI will construct a new Microsoft Excel file, as well as a MATLAB matrix file, using the output values for each test of the simulation so that they may graphed and compared to other values.

Durham, R. Caitlyn↗

NASA NTRS2006

X-Windows Socket Widget Class

The X-Windows Socket Widget Class ("Class" is used here in the object-oriented-programming sense of the word) was devised to simplify the task of implementing network connections for graphical-user-interface (GUI) computer programs. UNIX Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) socket programming libraries require many method calls to configure, operate, and destroy sockets. Most X Windows GUI programs use widget sets or toolkits to facilitate management of complex objects. The widget standards facilitate construction of toolkits and application programs. The X-Windows Socket Widget Class encapsulates UNIX TCP/IP socket-management tasks within the framework of an X Windows widget. Using the widget framework, X Windows GUI programs can treat one or more network socket instances in the same manner as that of other graphical widgets, making it easier to program sockets. Wrapping ISP socket programming libraries inside a widget framework enables a programmer to treat a network interface as though it were a GUI.

Barry, Matthew R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Method and apparatus for automatic control of a humanoid robot

A robotic system includes a humanoid robot having a plurality of joints adapted for force control with respect to an object acted upon by the robot, a graphical user interface (GUI) for receiving an input signal from a user, and a controller. The GUI provides the user with intuitive programming access to the controller. The controller controls the joints using an impedance-based control framework, which provides object level, end-effector level, and/or joint space-level control of the robot in response to the input signal. A method for controlling the robotic system includes receiving the input signal via the GUI, e.g., a desired force, and then processing the input signal using a host machine to control the joints via an impedance-based control framework. The framework provides object level, end-effector level, and/or joint space-level control of the robot, and allows for functional-based GUI to simplify implementation of a myriad of operating modes.

Abdallah, Muhammad E↗

NASA NTRS2013

ISTP CDF Skeleton Editor

Basic Common Data Format (CDF) tools (e.g., cdfedit) provide no specific support for creating International Solar-Terrestrial Physics/Space Physics Data Facility (ISTP/SPDF) standard files. While it is possible for someone who is familiar with the ISTP/SPDF metadata guidelines to create compliant files using just the basic tools, the process is error-prone and unreasonable for someone without ISTP/SPDF expertise. The key problem is the lack of a tool with specific support for creating files that comply with the ISTP/SPDF guidelines. There are basic CDF tools such as cdfedit and skeletoncdf for creating CDF files, but these have no specific support for creating ISTP/ SPDF compliant files. The SPDF ISTP CDF skeleton editor is a cross-platform, Java-based GUI editor program that allows someone with only a basic understanding of the ISTP/SPDF guidelines to easily create compliant files. The editor is a simple graphical user interface (GUI) application for creating and editing ISTP/SPDF guideline-compliant skeleton CDF files. The SPDF ISTP CDF skeleton editor consists of the following components: A swing-based Java GUI program, JavaHelp-based manual/ tutorial, Image/Icon files, and HTML Web page for distribution. The editor is available as a traditional Java desktop application as well as a Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP) application. Once started, it functions like a typical Java GUI file editor application for creating/editing application-unique files.

Chimiak, Reine↗

NASA NTRS2017

Battery Data MI Importer Template Quick Start Guide

In order to ensure the persistent availability and reliability of test data generated over the course of the project, the M-SHELLS Project has decided to store acquired test data, as well as associated pedigree information, in the Granta Materials Intelligence (MI) database. To facilitate that effort, an importer template and associated graphical user interface (GUI) software have been developed, with this guide providing the operating instructions for their use. The template and automation software GUI are contained in the BatteryDataImporter.xlsm Excel workbook, and are to be used to import M-SHELLS summary, or pedigree, data and the associated raw test data results into an importer template-based file, formatted in such a way as to be ready for immediate upload to the Test Data: Battery Performance table of the Granta MI database. The provided GUI enables the user to select the appropriate summary data file(s), with each file containing the required information to identify any associated raw test data file(s) to be processed. In addition to describing the setup and operation of the importer template and GUI software, this guide also provides instructions for uploading processed data to the database and for viewing the data following upload.

Levinson, Laurie H.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Launch Control System Software Development System Automation Testing

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) launch control system for the Orion capsule and Space Launch System, the next generation manned rocket currently in development. This system requires high quality testing that will measure and test the capabilities of the system. For the past two years, the Exploration and Operations Division at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has assigned a group including interns and full-time engineers to develop automated tests to save the project time and money. The team worked on automating the testing process for the SCCS GUI that would use streamed simulated data from the testing servers to produce data, plots, statuses, etc. to the GUI. The software used to develop automated tests included an automated testing framework and an automation library. The automated testing framework has a tabular-style syntax, which means the functionality of a line of code must have the appropriate number of tabs for the line to function as intended. The header section contains either paths to custom resources or the names of libraries being used. The automation library contains functionality to automate anything that appears on a desired screen with the use of image recognition software to detect and control GUI components. The data section contains any data values strictly created for the current testing file. The body section holds the tests that are being run. The function section can include any number of functions that may be used by the current testing file or any other file that resources it. The resources and body section are required for all test files; the data and function sections can be left empty if the data values and functions being used are from a resourced library or another file. To help equip the automation team with better tools, the Project Lead of the Automated Testing Team, Jason Kapusta, assigned the task to install and train an optical character recognition (OCR) tool to Brandon Echols, a fellow intern, and I. The purpose of the OCR tool is to analyze an image and find the coordinates of any group of text. Some issues that arose while installing the OCR tool included the absence of certain libraries needed to train the tool and an outdated software version. We eventually resolved the issues and successfully installed the OCR tool. Training the tool required many images and different fonts and sizes, but in the end the tool learned to accurately decipher the text in the images and their coordinates. The OCR tool produced a file that contained significant metadata for each section of text, but only the text and coordinates of the text was required for our purpose. The team made a script to parse the information we wanted from the OCR file to a different file that would be used by automation functions within the automated framework. Since a majority of development and testing for the automated test cases for the GUI in question has been done using live simulated data on the workstations at the Launch Control Center (LCC), a large amount of progress has been made. As of this writing, about 60% of all of automated testing has been implemented. Additionally, the OCR tool will help make our automated tests more robust due to the tool's text recognition being highly scalable to different text fonts and text sizes. Soon we will have the whole test system automated, allowing for more full-time engineers working on development projects.

Automation↗

NASA NTRS2018

Robots and Robots and More

Over the course of this year I worked on several projects across different departments, from physical robots at Swamp Works, to automated robots running functional tests on launch critical Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). My overarching project this year was designing a new automated testing framework. It began with becoming familiar with the existing automated testing framework, which used image matching to perform programmatic GUI testing. After writing a few dozen tests with the existing framework, I was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the system and begin the search for another tool to replace it. I ended up selecting an open source library, which I modified to fit both National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requirements and those of the specific Computer Software Configuration Item (CSCI) I worked on. After the new framework was feature-rich enough to meet the team requirements, I helped roll out the changes, managed the transition to the new framework, and directed continuing automation work in regards to the library. The result was a comprehensive new way of efficiently testing the GUI that was robust enough to handle small changes to the GUI itself. Additionally, for approximately six weeks I worked on rebuilding, repairing, and updating the software of four "Swarmie" robots for a NASA event. By the close of the six weeks, the four robots were operational and had improved obstacle detection software that solved a faulty stop signal issue that the robots were experiencing.

Siegel, Alex↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Integrated Design Tool for Tow-Steered Laminates of Composites in Abaqus and MSC.Patran/Nastran

Tow-steered composites can be tailored for optimal mechanical performance of lightweight structures. However, there are no commercial-grade design tools for tow-steered composite structures, which hinders the design innovation of tow-steered composites in realistic structures. The novelty of this paper is to develop an integrated design framework along with the development of graphical user interface (GUI) plug-ins in commercial finite element (FE) software Abaqus and MSC.Patran/Nastran. The GUI plug-ins take all the design setups and communicate with external codes for the material modeling and optimization, and hence provide a unified design environment within the FE codes. The mechanics of structure genome (MSG) plate model computes shell element properties based on user-defined fiber paths and layup, which are defined via the GUI plug-ins. The optimization is performed by an open-source code, Dakota, from Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), which also coordinates the structural analysis, material modeling, and optimization in design iterations. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the user-friendliness and versatility of the developed GUI plug-ins. The developed tools will ease the design process and facilitate the application of tow-steered composites in realistic aerospace structures.

Xin Liu↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Integrated Design Tool for Tow-Steered Laminates of Composites in Abaqus and MSC.Patran/Nastran

Xin Liu↗

NASA NTRS1991

A general graphical user interface for automatic reliability modeling

Reported here is a general Graphical User Interface (GUI) for automatic reliability modeling of Processor Memory Switch (PMS) structures using a Markov model. This GUI is based on a hierarchy of windows. One window has graphical editing capabilities for specifying the system's communication structure, hierarchy, reconfiguration capabilities, and requirements. Other windows have field texts, popup menus, and buttons for specifying parameters and selecting actions. An example application of the GUI is given.

Liceaga, Carlos A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) Plus: A NASA tool for building and managing graphical user interfaces

The Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) Plus, developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is an advanced portable user interface development which simplifies the process of creating and managing complex application graphical user interfaces (GUI's). TAE Plus supports the rapid prototyping of GUI's and allows applications to be ported easily between different platforms. This paper will discuss the capabilities of the TAE Plus tool, and how it makes the job of designing and developing GUI's easier for application developers. TAE Plus is being applied to many types of applications, and this paper discusses how it has been used both within and outside NASA.

Szczur, Martha R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

AXAF user interfaces for heterogeneous analysis environments

The AXAF Science Center (ASC) will develop software to support all facets of data center activities and user research for the AXAF X-ray Observatory, scheduled for launch in 1999. The goal is to provide astronomers with the ability to utilize heterogeneous data analysis packages, that is, to allow astronomers to pick the best packages for doing their scientific analysis. For example, ASC software will be based on IRAF, but non-IRAF programs will be incorporated into the data system where appropriate. Additionally, it is desired to allow AXAF users to mix ASC software with their own local software. The need to support heterogeneous analysis environments is not special to the AXAF project, and therefore finding mechanisms for coordinating heterogeneous programs is an important problem for astronomical software today. The approach to solving this problem has been to develop two interfaces that allow the scientific user to run heterogeneous programs together. The first is an IRAF-compatible parameter interface that provides non-IRAF programs with IRAF's parameter handling capabilities. Included in the interface is an application programming interface to manipulate parameters from within programs, and also a set of host programs to manipulate parameters at the command line or from within scripts. The parameter interface has been implemented to support parameter storage formats other than IRAF parameter files, allowing one, for example, to access parameters that are stored in data bases. An X Windows graphical user interface called 'agcl' has been developed, layered on top of the IRAF-compatible parameter interface, that provides a standard graphical mechanism for interacting with IRAF and non-IRAF programs. Users can edit parameters and run programs for both non-IRAF programs and IRAF tasks. The agcl interface allows one to communicate with any command line environment in a transparent manner and without any changes to the original environment. For example, the authors routinely layer the GUI on top of IRAF, ksh, SMongo, and IDL. The agcl, based on the facilities of a system called Answer Garden, also has sophisticated support for examining documentation and help files, asking questions of experts, and developing a knowledge base of frequently required information. Thus, the GUI becomes a total environment for running programs, accessing information, examining documents, and finding human assistance. Because the agcl can communicate with any command-line environment, most projects can make use of it easily. New applications are continually being found for these interfaces. It is the authors' intention to evolve the GUI and its underlying parameter interface in response to these needs - from users as well as developers - throughout the astronomy community. This presentation describes the capabilities and technology of the above user interface mechanisms and tools. It also discusses the design philosophies guiding the work, as well as hopes for the future.

Mandel, Eric↗

NASA NTRS1993

Automating a human factors evaluation of graphical user interfaces for NASA applications: An update on CHIMES

Capturing human factors knowledge about the design of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) and applying this knowledge on-line are the primary objectives of the Computer-Human Interaction Models (CHIMES) project. The current CHIMES prototype is designed to check a GUI's compliance with industry-standard guidelines, general human factors guidelines, and human factors recommendations on color usage. Following the evaluation, CHIMES presents human factors feedback and advice to the GUI designer. The paper describes the approach to modeling human factors guidelines, the system architecture, a new method developed to convert quantitative RGB primaries into qualitative color representations, and the potential for integrating CHIMES with user interface management systems (UIMS). Both the conceptual approach and its implementation are discussed. This paper updates the presentation on CHIMES at the first International Symposium on Ground Data Systems for Spacecraft Control.

Jiang, Jian-Ping↗

NASA NTRS1994

Knowledge-based critiquing of graphical user interfaces with CHIMES

CHIMES is a critiquing tool that automates the process of checking graphical user interface (GUI) designs for compliance with human factors design guidelines and toolkit style guides. The current prototype identifies instances of non-compliance and presents problem statements, advice, and tips to the GUI designer. Changes requested by the designer are made automatically, and the revised GUI is re-evaluated. A case study conducted at NASA-Goddard showed that CHIMES has the potential for dramatically reducing the time formerly spent in hands-on consistency checking. Capabilities recently added to CHIMES include exception handling and rule building. CHIMES is intended for use prior to usability testing as a means, for example, of catching and correcting syntactic inconsistencies in a larger user interface.

Jiang, Jianping↗

NASA NTRS1993

Microcomputer spacecraft thermal analysis routines (MSTAR) Phase I: The user interface

The Microcomputer Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Routines (MSTAR) software package is being developed for NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center by Swales and Associates, Inc. (S&AI). In December 1992, S&AI was awarded a phase I Small Business Inovative Research contract fronm NASA to develop a microcomputer based thermal analysis program to replace the current SSPTA and TRASYS programs. Phase I consists of a six month effort which will focus on developing geometric model generation and visualization capabilities using a graphical user interface (GUI). The information contained in this paper encompasses the work performed during the Phase I development cycle; with emphasis on the development of the graphical user interface (GUI). This includes both the theory behind and specific examples of how the MSTAR GUI was implemented. Furthermore, this report discusses new applications and enhancements which will improve the capabilities and commercialization of the MSTAR program.

Teti, Nicholas M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Network and user interface for PAT DOME virtual motion environment system

The Device for Orientation and Motion Environments Preflight Adaptation Trainer (DOME PAT) provides astronauts a virtual microgravity sensory environment designed to help alleviate tye symptoms of space motion sickness (SMS). The system consists of four microcomputers networked to provide real time control, and an image generator (IG) driving a wide angle video display inside a dome structure. The spherical display demands distortion correction. The system is currently being modified with a new graphical user interface (GUI) and a new Silicon Graphics IG. This paper will concentrate on the new GUI and the networking scheme. The new GUI eliminates proprietary graphics hardware and software, and instead makes use of standard and low cost PC video (CGA) and off the shelf software (Microsoft's Quick C). Mouse selection for user input is supported. The new Silicon Graphics IG requires an Ethernet interface. The microcomputer known as the Real Time Controller (RTC), which has overall control of the system and is written in Ada, was modified to use the free public domain NCSA Telnet software for Ethernet communications with the Silicon Graphics IG. The RTC also maintains the original ARCNET communications through Novell Netware IPX with the rest of the system. The Telnet TCP/IP protocol was first used for real-time communication, but because of buffering problems the Telnet datagram (UDP) protocol needed to be implemented. Since the Telnet modules are written in C, the Adap pragma 'Interface' was used to interface with the network calls.

Worthington, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1996

LTCP 2D Graphical User Interface. Application Description and User's Guide

A graphical user interface (GUI) written for NASA's LTCP (Liquid Thrust Chamber Performance) 2 dimensional computational fluid dynamic code is described. The GUI is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. Through the use of common and familiar dialog boxes, features, and tools, the user can easily and quickly create and modify input files for the LTCP code. In addition, old input files used with the LTCP code can be opened and modified using the GUI. The application is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. The program and its capabilities are presented, followed by a detailed description of each menu selection and the method of creating an input file for LTCP. A cross reference is included to help experienced users quickly find the variables which commonly need changes. Finally, the system requirements and installation instructions are provided.

Ball, Robert↗

NASA NTRS2004

Surface Modeling and Grid Generation for Iced Airfoils (SmaggIce)

Many of the troubles associated with problem solving are alleviated when there is a model that can be used to represent the problem. Through the Advanced Graphics and Visualization (G-VIS) Laboratory and other facilities located within the Research Analysis Center, the Computer Services Division (CSD) is able to develop and maintain programs and software that allow for the modeling of various situations. For example, the Icing Research Branch is devoted to investigating the effect of ice that forms on the wings and other airfoils of airplanes while in flight. While running tests that physically generate ice and wind on airfoils within the laboratories and wind tunnels on site are done, it would be beneficial if most of the preliminary work could be done outside of the lab. Therefore, individuals from within CSD have collaborated with Icing Research in order to create SmaggIce. This software allows users to create ice patterns on clean airfoils or open files containing a variety of icing situations, manipulate and measure these forms, generate, divide, and merge grids around these elements for more explicit analysis, and specify and rediscretize subcurves. With the projected completion date of Summer 2005, the majority of the focus of the Smagglce team is user-functionality and error handling. My primary responsibility is to test the Graphical User Interface (GUI) in SmaggIce in order to ensure the usability and verify the expected results of the events (buttons, menus, etc.) within the program. However, there is no standardized, systematic way in which to test all the possible combinations or permutations of events, not to mention unsolicited events such as errors. Moreover, scripting tests, if not done properly and with a view towards inevitable revision, can result in more apparent errors within the software and in effect become useless whenever the developers of the program make a slight change in the way a specific process is executed. My task therefore requires a brief yet intense study into GUI coverage criteria and creating algorithms for GUI implementation. Nevertheless, there are still heavily graphical features of SmaggIceSmaggIce that must be either corrected or redesigned before its release. A particular feature of SmaggIce is the ability to smooth out curves created by control points that form an arbitrary shape into something more acquiescent to gridding (while maintaining the integrity of the data). This is done by a mathematical model known as Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) curves. Existing NURBS code is written in FORTRAN-77 with static arrays for holding information. My new assignment is to allow for dynamic memory allocation within the code and to make it possible for the developers to call out functions from the NURBS code using C.

Hammond, Brandy M.↗