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At least 127 records · Page 7

Signal Processing and Fault Detection with Application to CH-46 Helicopter Data

Central to Qualtech Systems' mission is its testability and maintenance software (TEAMS) and derivatives. Many systems comprise components equipped with self-testing capability; but, if the system is complex (and involves feedback and if the self-testing itself may occasionally be faulty) tracing faults to a single or multiple causes is difficult. However, even for systems involving many thousands of components the PC-based TEAMS provides essentially real-time system-state diagnosis. Until recently TEAMS operation was passive: its diagnoses were based on whatever data sensors could provide. Now, however, a signal-processing (SP) "frontend" matched to inference needs is available. Many standard signal processing primitives, such as filtering, spectrum analysis and multi-resolution decomposition are available; the SP toolbox is also equipped with a (supervised) classification capability based on a number of decision-making paradigms. This paper is about the SP toolbox. We show its capabilities, and demonstrate its performance on the CH-46 "Westland" data set.

Wen, Fang↗

Energy shadowing correction of ultrasonic pulse-echo records by digital signal processing

Attention is given to a numerical algorithm that, via signal processing, enables the dynamic correction of the shadowing effect of reflections on ultrasonic displays. The algorithm was applied to experimental data from graphite-epoxy composite material immersed in a water bath. It is concluded that images of material defects with the shadowing corrections allow for a more quantitative interpretation of the material state. It is noted that the proposed algorithm is fast and simple enough to be adopted for real time applications in industry.

Kishoni, D.↗

Optimal Signal Processing of Frequency-Stepped CW Radar Data

An optimal signal processing algorithm is derived for estimating the time delay and amplitude of each scatterer reflection using a frequency-stepped CW system. The channel is assumed to be composed of abrupt changes in the reflection coefficient profile. The optimization technique is intended to maximize the target range resolution achievable from any set of frequency-stepped CW radar measurements made in such an environment. The algorithm is composed of an iterative two-step procedure. First, the amplitudes of the echoes are optimized by solving an overdetermined least squares set of equations. Then, a nonlinear objective function is scanned in an organized fashion to find its global minimum. The result is a set of echo strengths and time delay estimates. Although this paper addresses the specific problem of resolving the time delay between the two echoes, the derivation is general in the number of echoes. Performance of the optimization approach is illustrated using measured data obtained from an HP-851O network analyzer. It is demonstrated that the optimization approach offers a significant resolution enhancement over the standard processing approach that employs an IFFT. Degradation in the performance of the algorithm due to suboptimal model order selection and the effects of additive white Gaussion noise are addressed.

Ybarra, Gary A.↗

Optimal Signal Processing of Frequency-Stepped CW Radar Data

An optimal signal processing algorithm is derived for estimating the time delay and amplitude of each scatterer reflection using a frequency-stepped CW system. The channel is assumed to be composed of abrupt changes in the reflection coefficient profile. The optimization technique is intended to maximize the target range resolution achievable from any set of frequency-stepped CW radar measurements made in such an environment. The algorithm is composed of an iterative two-step procedure. First, the amplitudes of the echoes are optimized by solving an overdetermined least squares set of equations. Then, a nonlinear objective function is scanned in an organized fashion to find its global minimum. The result is a set of echo strengths and time delay estimates. Although this paper addresses the specific problem of resolving the time delay between the first two echoes, the derivation is general in the number of echoes. Performance of the optimization approach is illustrated using measured data obtained from an HP-X510 network analyzer. It is demonstrated that the optimization approach offers a significant resolution enhancement over the standard processing approach that employs an IFFT. Degradation in the performance of the algorithm due to suboptimal model order selection and the effects of additive white Gaussion noise are addressed.

Ybarra, Gary A.↗

Decentralized Signal Processing and Distributed Control of Collaborative Autonomous Networks (17-ERD-101 LDRD Final Report)

Intelligent autonomous sensor networks, often comprised of large numbers of sensors, must be capable of jointly exploiting data collected at each agent in the network, and using that data to optimize their future actions towards multiple mission objectives. Centralized signal processing and optimization solutions process all data and determine all future actions at a single agent, and the resulting information and commands are disseminated back to the network. The communications bandwidth this requires and the single point of failure the central agent represents often make these solutions untenable for national security applications. In this project, several fundamental algorithms for solving both the decentralized signal processing and network optimization were developed, as well as simulation software to validate the results of these algorithms at scale. Specifically, novel algorithms for Bayesian decentralized estimation and decentralized detection and optimization based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) were developed for autonomous sensor networks and published in the literature. The first large scale simulation of autonomous sensor networks (1000 agents) was conducted on this project, validating the performance of the developed algorithms. These algorithms and simulation tools are critical components of any decentralized autonomous network and have current and future national security applications, including distributed sensor networks for detection, estimation, and tracking problems, and large decentralized cyber-physical infrastructure such as the power grid.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Testbed for development of a DSP-based signal processing subsystem for an Earth-orbiting radar scatterometer

A testbed for evaluation of general-purpose digital signal processors in earth-orbiting radar scatterometers is discussed. Because general purpose DSP represents a departure from previous radar signal processing techniques used on scatterometers, there was a need to demonstrate key elements of the system to verify feasibility for potential future scatterometer instruments. Construction of the testbed also facilitated identification of an appropriate software development environment and the skills mix necessary to perform the work.

digitial signal processing↗

Attitude Estimation Signal Processing: A First Report on Possible Algorithms and Their Utility

In this brief effort, time has been of the essence. The data had to be acquired from APL/Lincoln Labs, stored, and sorted out to obtain the pertinent streams. This has been a significant part of this effort and hardware and software problems have been addressed with the appropriate solutions to accomplish this part of the task. Passed this, some basic and important algorithms are utilized to improve the performance of the attitude estimation systems. These algorithms are an essential part of the signal processing for the attitude estimation problem as they are utilized to reduce the amount of the additive/multiplicative noise that in general may or may not change its structure and probability density function, pdf, in time. These algorithms are not currently utilized in the processing of the data, at least, we are not aware of their use in this attitude estimation problem. Some of these algorithms, like the variable thresholding, are new conjectures, but one would expect that someone somewhere must have utilized this kind of scheme before. The variable thresholding idea is a straightforward scheme to use in case of a slowly varying pdf, or statistical moments of the unwanted random process. The algorithms here are kept simple but yet effective for processing the data and removing the unwanted noise. For the most part, these algorithms can be arranged so that their consecutive and orderly execution would complement the preceding algorithm and improve the overall performance of the signal processing chain.

Riasati, Vahid R.↗

Relationships between digital signal processing and control and estimation theory

Research areas associated with digital signal processing and control and estimation theory are identified. Particular attention is given to image processing, system identification problems (parameter identification, linear prediction, least squares, Kalman filtering), stability analyses (the use of the Liapunov theory, frequency domain criteria, passivity), and multiparameter systems, distributed processes, and random fields.

Willsky, A. S.↗

VLSI mixed signal processing system

An economical and efficient VLSI implementation of a mixed signal processing system (MSP) is presented in this paper. The MSP concept is investigated and the functional blocks of the proposed MSP are described. The requirements of each of the blocks are discussed in detail. A sample application using active acoustic cancellation technique is described to demonstrate the power of the MSP approach.

Alvarez, A.↗

Acoustic Emission Signal Processing Technique to Characterize Reactor In-Pile Phenomena

Existing and developing advanced sensor technologies and instrumentation will allow non-intrusive in-pile measurement of temperature, extension, and fission gases when coupled with advanced signal processing algorithms. The transmitted measured sensor signals from inside to the outside of containment structure are corrupted by noise and are attenuated, thereby reducing the signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio. Identification and extraction of actual signal (representative of an in-pile phenomenon) is a challenging and complicated process. In this paper, empirical mode decomposition technique is proposed to reconstruct actual sensor signal by partially combining intrinsic mode functions. Reconstructed signal corresponds to phenomena and/or failure modes occurring inside the reactor. In addition, it allows accurate non-intrusive monitoring and trending of in-pile phenomena.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Ionization electron signal processing in single phase LArTPCs. Part I. Algorithm Description and quantitative evaluation with MicroBooNE simulation

Here, we describe the concept and procedure of drifted-charge extraction developed in the MicroBooNE experiment, a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). This technique converts the raw digitized TPC waveform to the number of ionization electrons passing through a wire plane at a given time. A robust recovery of the number of ionization electrons from both induction and collection anode wire planes will augment the 3D reconstruction, and is particularly important for tomographic reconstruction algorithms. A number of building blocks of the overall procedure are described. The performance of the signal processing is quantitatively evaluated by comparing extracted charge with the true charge through a detailed TPC detector simulation taking into account position-dependent induced current inside a single wire region and across multiple wires. Some areas for further improvement of the performance of the charge extraction procedure are also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Robust Iterative Method for Symmetric Quantum Signal Processing in All Parameter Regimes

Here, this paper addresses the problem of solving nonlinear systems in the context of symmetric quantum signal processing (QSP), a powerful technique for implementing matrix functions on quantum computers. Symmetric QSP focuses on representing target polynomials as products of matrices in SU(2) that possess symmetry properties. We present a novel Newton’s method tailored for efficiently solving the nonlinear system involved in determining the phase factors within the symmetric QSP framework. Our method demonstrates rapid and robust convergence in all parameter regimes, including the challenging scenario with ill-conditioned Jacobian matrices, using standard double precision arithmetic operations. For instance, solving symmetric QSP for a highly oscillatory target function α cos(1000x) (polynomial degree ≈ 1433) takes 6 iterations to converge to machine precision when α = 0.9, and the number of iterations only increases to 18 iterations when α = 1 – 10 -9 with a highly ill-conditioned Jacobian matrix. Leveraging the matrix product state structure of symmetric QSP, the computation of the Jacobian matrix incurs a computational cost comparable to a single function evaluation. Moreover, we introduce a reformulation of symmetric QSP using real-number arithmetics, further enhancing the method’s efficiency. Extensive numerical tests validate the effectiveness and robustness of our approach, which has been implemented in the QSPPACK software package.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The effects of quantization on signal processing

Typically an analog signal from a space system is sampled, quantized by Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion, merged into a bit stream, communicated to a ground station, received by the ground station, and processed by the ground station to extract useful information for dissemination to the users. The cost of each of these steps is reduced as the number of quantization steps is reduced in the A/D converter. The number of quantization steps should be as small as possible without losing the required information content. This report deals specifically with the accuracy of averages as a function of the number of quantized samples used to compute the averages with the noise on the analog signal as a parameter. For example, the success of the Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) Demonstration depends upon temporally averaging multiple samples in an effort to reduce noise to a sufficiently low level such that temperature profile sounding is made possible. A tutorial description of this process is presented.

Montgomery, H. E.↗

Physics-based signal processing algorithms for micromachined cantilever arrays

A method of using physics-based signal processing algorithms for micromachined cantilever arrays. The methods utilize deflection of a micromachined cantilever that represents the chemical, biological, or physical element being detected. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of modeling the deflection of the micromachined cantilever producing a deflection model, sensing the deflection of the micromachined cantilever and producing a signal representing the deflection, and comparing the signal representing the deflection with the deflection model.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗