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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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65 records · Page 4

Multichannel Error Correction Code Decoder

NASA Lewis Research Center's Digital Systems Technology Branch has an ongoing program in modulation, coding, onboard processing, and switching. Recently, NASA completed a project to incorporate a time-shared decoder into the very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) onboard-processing mesh architecture. The primary goal was to demonstrate a time-shared decoder for a regenerative satellite that uses asynchronous, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) uplink channels, thereby identifying hardware and power requirements and fault-tolerant issues that would have to be addressed in a operational system. A secondary goal was to integrate and test, in a system environment, two NASA-sponsored, proof-of-concept hardware deliverables: the Harris Corp. high-speed Bose Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) codec and the TRW multichannel demultiplexer/demodulator (MCDD). A beneficial byproduct of this project was the development of flexible, multichannel-uplink signal-generation equipment.

Source record↗

Digital Channel Simulator Developed and Tested

The Digital Channel Simulator (DCS) is a real-time test set developed in-house by the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field that simulates the characteristics of the modulator, demodulator, and transmission medium in a typical communications system to enable controlled laboratory testing of codec pairs. The DCS can support data rates up to 100 megasymbols per second (Msymbols/sec) with symbol sizes up to 10 bits and is compatible with both TTL (transistor transistor logic) and ECL (emitter coupled logic) interfaces. Because of its use of digital integrated circuits (IC's), the DCS offers the user accurate and repeatable testing while maintaining a simple reconfiguration of the modulation scheme and noise characteristics. The PC-based graphical user interface (GUI) assures user friendly operation for configuring, controlling, and monitoring the DCS and system during tests. In a typical communications system, the modulator places a symbol in constellation space and puts it on a carrier to be sent to the demodulator. Because of noise on the channel, the I and Q position in constellation space cannot be recovered exactly, and the received coordinates shift. To mimic this process in the laboratory, the DCS uses a mapper to place the symbol in constellation space. It simulates the shift in coordinates by digitally adding "noise" to the I and Q values. The mapper and noise source are implemented in lookup tables. Modulation schemes and noise characteristics are set by the values loaded in these tables. The mapper also has a pass-through mode to facilitate modulator testing, allowing noise to be added to 8-bit I and Q values of modulated data without a second mapping. To achieve high symbol rates, eight processing circuits are placed in parallel between an ECL demultiplexer and multiplexer. A graphical user interface was developed to calculate, load, and verify the values for the lookup tables. This interface can also be used to debug and verify proper operation of the channel simulator or to control an experiment. Operation of the DCS has been verified through three tests: a low-speed comprehensive system test, a high-speed (20 Msymbols/sec) test of the TTL interface, and a high-speed (100 Msymbols/sec) test of the ECL interface. The DCS is now ready for use by NASA and external customers.

Bizon, Thomas P.↗

VOIP over Space Networks

This viewgraph presentation reviews Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) over a space networking environment. The topics include: 1) Drivers for VOIP in Space; 2) Challenges in the Space Networking Environment: Long Latencies, Path errors, Simplex paths, Asymmetric paths, QoS requirements, Team-based operations, and Overhead concerns; 3) Possible VOIPOSN approaches; 4) Study of BER, code type and voice frame length on PESQ-MOS; 5) Codec Latency Trade Space; and 6) Testbed.

Internet Protocol (IP)↗

Caution and Warning Alarm Design and Evaluation for NASA CEV Auditory Displays: SHFE Information Presentation Directed Research Project (DRPP) report 12.07

The design of caution-warning signals for NASA s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and other future spacecraft will be based on both best practices based on current research and evaluation of current alarms. A design approach is presented based upon cross-disciplinary examination of psychoacoustic research, human factors experience, aerospace practices, and acoustical engineering requirements. A listening test with thirteen participants was performed involving ranking and grading of current and newly developed caution-warning stimuli under three conditions: (1) alarm levels adjusted for compliance with ISO 7731, "Danger signals for work places - Auditory Danger Signals", (2) alarm levels adjusted to an overall 15 dBA s/n ratio and (3) simulated codec low-pass filtering. Questionnaire data yielded useful insights regarding cognitive associations with the sounds.

Durand R Begault↗

NASA Activities: SpaceWire Working Group Meeting

This brief presentation highlights the efforts of the SpaceWire working group. The European Space Agency (ESA) contracted with the University of Dundee (UoD) to develop a prototype SpaceFibre Codec, which UoD has been demonstrated in hardware. UoD released a SpaceFibre Outline Specification which NASA plans to evaluate using a SpaceFibre sub-orbital demonstration (in development). Comments, questions and recommendations for ESA and UoD are provided here to generate discussion and expand participation. General findings are that the system level behavior of SpaceFibre is missing from the SpaceFibre Outline Specification, there is a need to understand how SpaceWire maps to SpaceFibre (and vice versa), and there is a need to clarify user interface to resolve inconsistencies. Architecture, virtual channel and programmatic recommendations are presented.

Rakow, Glenn↗

Intelligibility and Space-based Voice with Relaxed Delay Constraints

The inherent aspects and flaws surrounding space based communication is technically described and the math surrounding encoding and decoding LT Codes is examined. Utilizing LT codes as a means of reducing packet erasures due to corrupted packets on an RF link can result in higher voice quality. PESQ-MOS measure was used to analyze voice degradation over space links tested for LT codec size and number of 10ms per packet.Extensions utilizing LT codes to improve the packet erasure performance and combining the use of ASR could provide for a solid means of identifying the benefit in terms of intelligibility of voice communications in space-based networks

space communications↗

Demonstration of Multi-Gbps Data Rates at Ka-Band Using Software-Defined Modem and Broadband High Power Amplifier for Space Communications

The paper presents the first ever research and experimental results regarding the combination of a software-defined multi-Gbps modem and a broadband high power space amplifier when tested with an extended form of the industry standard DVB-S2 and LDPC rate 9/10 FEC codec. The modem supports waveforms including QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-APSK, 32-APSK, 64-APSK, and 128-QAM. The broadband high power amplifier is a space qualified traveling-wave tube (TWT), which has a passband greater than 3 GHz at 33 GHz, output power of 200 W and efficiency greater than 60 percent. The modem and the TWTA together enabled an unprecedented data rate at 20 Gbps with low BER of 10(exp -9). The presented results include a plot of the received waveform constellation, BER vs. E(sub b)/N(sub 0) and implementation loss for each of the modulation types tested. The above results when included in an RF link budget analysis show that NASA s payload data rate can be increased by at least an order of magnitude (greater than 10X) over current state-of-practice, limited only by the spacecraft EIRP, ground receiver G/T, range, and available spectrum or bandwidth.

Simons, Rainee N.↗

Ka-Band, Multi-Gigabit-Per-Second Transceiver

A document discusses a multi-Gigabit-per-second, Ka-band transceiver with a software-defined modem (SDM) capable of digitally encoding/decoding data and compensating for linear and nonlinear distortions in the end-to-end system, including the traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA). This innovation can increase data rates of space-to-ground communication links, and has potential application to NASA s future spacebased Earth observation system. The SDM incorporates an extended version of the industry-standard DVB-S2, and LDPC rate 9/10 FEC codec. The SDM supports a suite of waveforms, including QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-APSK, 32- APSK, 64-APSK, and 128-QAM. The Ka-band and TWTA deliver an output power on the order of 200 W with efficiency greater than 60%, and a passband of at least 3 GHz. The modem and the TWTA together enable a data rate of 20 Gbps with a low bit error rate (BER). The payload data rates for spacecraft in NASA s integrated space communications network can be increased by an order of magnitude (>10 ) over current state-of-practice. This innovation enhances the data rate by using bandwidth-efficient modulation techniques, which transmit a higher number of bits per Hertz of bandwidth than the currently used quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) waveforms.

Simons, Rainee N.↗

Applications and Innovations for Use of High Definition and High Resolution Digital Motion Imagery in Space Operations

The first live High Definition Television (HDTV) from a spacecraft was in November, 2006, nearly ten years before the 2016 SpaceOps Conference. Much has changed since then. Now, live HDTV from the International Space Station (ISS) is routine. HDTV cameras stream live video views of the Earth from the exterior of the ISS every day on UStream, and HDTV has even flown around the Moon on a Japanese Space Agency spacecraft. A great deal has been learned about the operations applicability of HDTV and high resolution imagery since that first live broadcast. This paper will discuss the current state of real-time and file based HDTV and higher resolution video for space operations. A potential roadmap will be provided for further development and innovations of high-resolution digital motion imagery, including gaps in technology enablers, especially for deep space and unmanned missions. Specific topics to be covered in the paper will include: An update on radiation tolerance and performance of various camera types and sensors and ramifications on the future applicability of these types of cameras for space operations; Practical experience with downlinking very large imagery files with breaks in link coverage; Ramifications of larger camera resolutions like Ultra-High Definition, 6,000 [pixels] and 8,000 [pixels] in space applications; Enabling technologies such as the High Efficiency Video Codec, Bundle Streaming Delay Tolerant Networking, Optical Communications and Bayer Pattern Sensors and other similar innovations; Likely future operations scenarios for deep space missions with extreme latency and intermittent communications links.

Grubbs, Rodney↗

Application of Variable Data Rate (VDR) Towards Channel Optimization

Recognizing the vagaries of channel impediments, one way to optimize aggregate channel information throughput is to maintain a constant symbol rate but vary the modulation scheme and/or the codec rate. The CCSDS VCM and ACM standards promulgation relies upon this kind of an approach. We offer a considerably simpler alternative for spacecraft that are not parked in geo-stationary orbit, one that can rely upon conventional spacecraft housekeeping schedules to change spacecraft and ground operations and will minimize the possibility of requiring any spacecraft hardware accommodations to incorporate. We suggest the use of varying the physical symbol rate within the channel to both initiate acquisition earlier in a pass and retain the link longer as the pass tends toward loss of signal. There is nothing new in what we propose, just a recognition of what has been successful in the past and employed in multiple missions. Integrating over the periodicity of orbit repetition, we shall show that any link that is dependent primarily on a varying range from spacecraft to ground only requires a maximum of five symbol rate transitions in order to optimize total information throughput. By applying these symbol rate transitions using almost rigid rules, we anticipate doubling the information throughput for conventional LEO sun-synchronous orbits. We provide other examples as well.

variable data rate↗

Application of Variable Data Rate (VDR) Towards Channel Optimization

Recognizing the vagaries of channel impediments, one way to optimize aggregate channel information throughput is to maintain a constant symbol rate but vary the modulation scheme and/or the codec rate. The CCSDS VCM and ACM standards promulgation relies upon this kind of an approach. We offer a considerably simpler alternative for spacecraft that are not parked in geo-stationary orbit, one that can rely upon conventional spacecraft housekeeping schedules to change spacecraft and ground operations and will minimize the possibility of requiring any spacecraft hardware accommodations to incorporate. We suggest the use of varying the physical symbol rate within the channel to both initiate acquisition earlier in a pass and retain the link longer as the pass tends toward loss of signal. There is nothing new in what we propose, just a recognition of what has been successful in the past and employed in multiple missions. Integrating over the periodicity of orbit repetition, we shall show that any link that is dependent primarily on a varying range from spacecraft to ground only requires a maximum of five symbol rate transitions in order to optimize total information throughput. By applying these symbol rate transitions using almost rigid rules, we anticipate doubling the information throughput for conventional LEO sun-synchronous orbits. We provide other examples as well.

Variable Data Rate↗