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At least 145 records · Page 8

Airborne Demonstration of FPGA Implementation of Fast Lossless Hyperspectral Data Compression System

Efficient on-board lossless hyperspectral data compression reduces data volume in order to meet NASA and DoD limited downlink capabilities. The technique also improves signature extraction, object recognition and feature classification capabilities by providing exact reconstructed data on constrained downlink resources. At JPL a novel, adaptive and predictive technique for lossless compression of hyperspectral data was recently developed. This technique uses an adaptive filtering method and achieves a combination of low complexity and compression effectiveness that far exceeds state-of-the-art techniques currently in use. The JPL-developed 'Fast Lossless' algorithm requires no training data or other specific information about the nature of the spectral bands for a fixed instrument dynamic range. It is of low computational complexity and thus well-suited for implementation in hardware.

data compression↗

Implementation of a Parameterized Interacting Multiple Model Filter on an FPGA for Satellite Communications

In a communications channel, the space environment between a spacecraft and an Earth ground station can potentially cause the loss of a data link or at least degrade its performance due to atmospheric effects, shadowing, multipath, or other impairments. In adaptive and coded modulation, the signal power level at the receiver can be used in order to choose a modulation-coding technique that maximizes throughput while meeting bit error rate (BER) and other performance requirements. It is the goal of this research to implement a generalized interacting multiple model (IMM) filter based on Kalman filters for improved received power estimation on software-dened radio (SDR) technology for satellite communications applications. The IMM filter has been implemented in Verilog consisting of a customizable bank of Kalman filters for choosing between performance and resource utilization. Each Kalman filter can be implemented using either solely a Schur complement module (for high area efficiency) or with Schur complement, matrix multiplication, and matrix addition modules (for high performance). These modules were simulated and synthesized for the Virtex II platform on the JPL Radio Experimenter Development System (EDS) at NASA Glenn Research Center. The results for simulation, synthesis, and hardware testing are presented.

cognitive radio↗

FPGA-based hardware/software co-design instrument command-and-control solutions

Traditional design methodology dictates that an instrument electronics platform should consist of a printed circuit board (PCB)—often multiple boards—populated with many components and support electronics. More specifically, each subsystem is composed of numerous integrated circuits (ICs) spread across the board(s), connected with innumerable traces and wires. Additionally, it is often the case that the hardware and software design teams are quite separated—the hardware team designs a board and hands it to a software team, who must then deal with any hardware quirkiness and may need to rewrite software due to inadequately defined interfaces...

Allen, Mark A.↗

SRAM-based FPGA: high dose test methods using evaluation boards

We present low-cost and effective methods and results for high levels of Total Ionizing Dose testing performed on the Xilinx Kintex UltraScale (20nm) Field-Programmable Gate Array evaluation board using 60Co and 2 MeV electron sources.

Thorbourn, Dennis↗

Board Saver for Use with Developmental FPGAs

A device denoted a board saver has been developed as a means of reducing wear and tear of a printed-circuit board onto which an antifuse field programmable gate array (FPGA) is to be eventually soldered permanently after a number of design iterations. The need for the board saver or a similar device arises because (1) antifuse-FPGA design iterations are common and (2) repeated soldering and unsoldering of FPGAs on the printed-circuit board to accommodate design iterations can wear out the printed-circuit board. The board saver is basically a solderable/unsolderable FPGA receptacle that is installed temporarily on the printed-circuit board. The board saver is, more specifically, a smaller, square-ring-shaped, printed-circuit board (see figure) that contains half via holes one for each contact pad along its periphery. As initially fabricated, the board saver is a wider ring containing full via holes, but then it is milled along its outer edges, cutting the via holes in half and laterally exposing their interiors. The board saver is positioned in registration with the designated FPGA footprint and each via hole is soldered to the outer portion of the corresponding FPGA contact pad on the first-mentioned printed-circuit board. The via-hole/contact joints can be inspected visually and can be easily unsoldered later. The square hole in the middle of the board saver is sized to accommodate the FPGA, and the thickness of the board saver is the same as that of the FPGA. Hence, when a non-final FPGA is placed in the square hole, the combination of the non-final FPGA and the board saver occupy no more area and thickness than would a final FPGA soldered directly into its designated position on the first-mentioned circuit board. The contact leads of a non-final FPGA are not bent and are soldered, at the top of the board saver, to the corresponding via holes. A non-final FPGA can readily be unsoldered from the board saver and replaced by another one. Once the final FPGA design has been determined, the board saver can be unsoldered from the contact pads on the first-mentioned printed-circuit board and replaced by the final FPGA.

Berkun, Andrew↗

Field-Programmable Gate Array Computer in Structural Analysis: An Initial Exploration

This paper reports on an initial assessment of using a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) computational device as a new tool for solving structural mechanics problems. A FPGA is an assemblage of binary gates arranged in logical blocks that are interconnected via software in a manner dependent on the algorithm being implemented and can be reprogrammed thousands of times per second. In effect, this creates a computer specialized for the problem that automatically exploits all the potential for parallel computing intrinsic in an algorithm. This inherent parallelism is the most important feature of the FPGA computational environment. It is therefore important that if a problem offers a choice of different solution algorithms, an algorithm of a higher degree of inherent parallelism should be selected. It is found that in structural analysis, an 'analog computer' style of programming, which solves problems by direct simulation of the terms in the governing differential equations, yields a more favorable solution algorithm than current solution methods. This style of programming is facilitated by a 'drag-and-drop' graphic programming language that is supplied with the particular type of FPGA computer reported in this paper. Simple examples in structural dynamics and statics illustrate the solution approach used. The FPGA system also allows linear scalability in computing capability. As the problem grows, the number of FPGA chips can be increased with no loss of computing efficiency due to data flow or algorithmic latency that occurs when a single problem is distributed among many conventional processors that operate in parallel. This initial assessment finds the FPGA hardware and software to be in their infancy in regard to the user conveniences; however, they have enormous potential for shrinking the elapsed time of structural analysis solutions if programmed with algorithms that exhibit inherent parallelism and linear scalability. This potential warrants further development of FPGA-tailored algorithms for structural analysis.

Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.↗

Implementation of Adaptive Digital Controllers on Programmable Logic Devices

Much has been made of the capabilities of FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) in the hardware implementation of fast digital signal processing (DSP) functions. Such capability also makes and FPGA a suitable platform for the digital implementation of closed loop controllers. There are myriad advantages to utilizing an FPGA for discrete-time control functions which include the capability for reconfiguration when SRAM- based FPGA's are employed, fast parallel implementation of multiple control loops and implementations that can meet space level radiation tolerance in a compact form-factor. Other researchers have presented the notion that a second order digital filter with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control functionality can be implemented in an FPGA. At Marshall Space Flight Center, the Control Electronics Group has been studying adaptive discrete-time control of motor driven actuator systems using digital signal processor (DSF) devices. Our goal is to create a fully digital, flight ready controller design that utilizes an FPGA for implementation of signal conditioning for control feedback signals, generation of commands to the controlled system, and hardware insertion of adaptive control algorithm approaches. While small form factor, commercial DSP devices are now available with event capture, data conversion, pulse width modulated outputs and communication peripherals, these devices are not currently available in designs and packages which meet space level radiation requirements. Meeting our goals requires alternative compact implementation of such functionality to withstand the harsh environment encountered on spacecraft. Radiation tolerant FPGA's are a feasible option for reaching these goals.

Gwaltney, David A.↗