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At least 145 records · Page 8

Modified Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation of Data

An algorithm and a computer program that implements the algorithm that performs recursive hierarchical segmentation (RHSEG) of data have been developed. While the current implementation is for two-dimensional data having spatial characteristics (e.g., image, spectral, or spectral-image data), the generalized algorithm also applies to three-dimensional or higher dimensional data and also to data with no spatial characteristics. The algorithm and software are modified versions of a prior RHSEG algorithm and software, the outputs of which often contain processing-window artifacts including, for example, spurious segmentation-image regions along the boundaries of processing-window edges.

Tilton, James C.↗

Autonomous Performance Monitoring System: Monitoring and Self-Tuning (MAST)

Maintaining the long-term performance of software onboard a spacecraft can be a major factor in the cost of operations. In particular, the task of controlling and maintaining a future mission of distributed spacecraft will undoubtedly pose a great challenge, since the complexity of multiple spacecraft flying in formation grows rapidly as the number of spacecraft in the formation increases. Eventually, new approaches will be required in developing viable control systems that can handle the complexity of the data and that are flexible, reliable and efficient. In this paper we propose a methodology that aims to maintain the accuracy of flight software, while reducing the computational complexity of software tuning tasks. The proposed Monitoring and Self-Tuning (MAST) method consists of two parts: a flight software monitoring algorithm and a tuning algorithm. The dependency on the software being monitored is mostly contained in the monitoring process, while the tuning process is a generic algorithm independent of the detailed knowledge on the software. This architecture will enable MAST to be applicable to different onboard software controlling various dynamics of the spacecraft, such as attitude self-calibration, and formation control. An advantage of MAST over conventional techniques such as filter or batch least square is that the tuning algorithm uses machine learning approach to handle uncertainty in the problem domain, resulting in reducing over all computational complexity. The underlying concept of this technique is a reinforcement learning scheme based on cumulative probability generated by the historical performance of the system. The success of MAST will depend heavily on the reinforcement scheme used in the tuning algorithm, which guarantees the tuning solutions exist.

Peterson, Chariya↗

Modular, Autonomous Command and Data Handling Software with Built-In Simulation and Test

The spacecraft system that plays the greatest role throughout the program lifecycle is the Command and Data Handling System (C&DH), along with the associated algorithms and software. The C&DH takes on this role as cost driver because it is the brains of the spacecraft and is the element of the system that is primarily responsible for the integration and interoperability of all spacecraft subsystems. During design and development, many activities associated with mission design, system engineering, and subsystem development result in products that are directly supported by the C&DH, such as interfaces, algorithms, flight software (FSW), and parameter sets. A modular system architecture has been developed that provides a means for rapid spacecraft assembly, test, and integration. This modular C&DH software architecture, which can be targeted and adapted to a wide variety of spacecraft architectures, payloads, and mission requirements, eliminates the current practice of rewriting the spacecraft software and test environment for every mission. This software allows missionspecific software and algorithms to be rapidly integrated and tested, significantly decreasing time involved in the software development cycle. Additionally, the FSW includes an Onboard Dynamic Simulation System (ODySSy) that allows the C&DH software to support rapid integration and test. With this solution, the C&DH software capabilities will encompass all phases of the spacecraft lifecycle. ODySSy is an on-board simulation capability built directly into the FSW that provides dynamic built-in test capabilities as soon as the FSW image is loaded onto the processor. It includes a six-degrees- of-freedom, high-fidelity simulation that allows complete closed-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing of a spacecraft in a ground processing environment without any additional external stimuli. ODySSy can intercept and modify sensor inputs using mathematical sensor models, and can intercept and respond to actuator commands. ODySSy integration is unique in that it allows testing of actual mission sequences on the flight vehicle while the spacecraft is in various stages of assembly, test, and launch operations all without any external support equipment or simulators. The ODySSy component of the FSW significantly decreases the time required for integration and test by providing an automated, standardized, and modular approach to integrated avionics and component interface and functional verification. ODySSy further provides the capability for on-orbit support in the form of autonomous mission planning and fault protection.

Cuseo, John↗

An Agent Inspired Reconfigurable Computing Implementation of a Genetic Algorithm

Many software systems have been successfully implemented using an agent paradigm which employs a number of independent entities that communicate with one another to achieve a common goal. The distributed nature of such a paradigm makes it an excellent candidate for use in high speed reconfigurable computing hardware environments such as those present in modem FPGA's. In this paper, a distributed genetic algorithm that can be applied to the agent based reconfigurable hardware model is introduced. The effectiveness of this new algorithm is evaluated by comparing the quality of the solutions found by the new algorithm with those found by traditional genetic algorithms. The performance of a reconfigurable hardware implementation of the new algorithm on an FPGA is compared to traditional single processor implementations.

Weir, John M.↗

Fault-tolerant clock synchronization in distributed systems

Existing fault-tolerant clock synchronization algorithms are compared and contrasted. These include the following: software synchronization algorithms, such as convergence-averaging, convergence-nonaveraging, and consistency algorithms, as well as probabilistic synchronization; hardware synchronization algorithms; and hybrid synchronization. The worst-case clock skews guaranteed by representative algorithms are compared, along with other important aspects such as time, message, and cost overhead imposed by the algorithms. More recent developments such as hardware-assisted software synchronization and algorithms for synchronizing large, partially connected distributed systems are especially emphasized.

Ramanathan, Parameswaran↗

Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departures (WTMD) Prototype System - Software Design Document

This document describes the software design of a prototype Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departures (WTMD) system that was evaluated in shadow mode operation at the Saint Louis (KSTL) and Houston (KIAH) airports. This document describes the software that provides the system framework, communications, user displays, and hosts the Wind Forecasting Algorithm (WFA) software developed by the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL). The WFA algorithms and software are described in a separate document produced by MIT-LL.

Sturdy, James L.↗

NASA Workshop on Computational Structural Mechanics 1987, part 3

Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) topics are explored. Algorithms and software for nonlinear structural dynamics, concurrent algorithms for transient finite element analysis, computational methods and software systems for dynamics and control of large space structures, and the use of multi-grid for structural analysis are discussed.

Sykes, Nancy P.↗

Automating software design system DESTA

'DESTA' is the acronym for the Dialogue Evolutionary Synthesizer of Turnkey Algorithms by means of a natural language (Russian or English) functional specification of algorithms or software being developed. DESTA represents the computer-aided and/or automatic artificial intelligence 'forgiving' system which provides users with software tools support for algorithm and/or structured program development. The DESTA system is intended to provide support for the higher levels and earlier stages of engineering design of software in contrast to conventional Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems which provide low level tools for use at a stage when the major planning and structuring decisions have already been taken. DESTA is a knowledge-intensive system. The main features of the knowledge are procedures, functions, modules, operating system commands, batch files, their natural language specifications, and their interlinks. The specific domain for the DESTA system is a high level programming language like Turbo Pascal 6.0. The DESTA system is operational and runs on an IBM PC computer.

Lovitsky, Vladimir A.↗

Program Aids Simulation Of Neural Networks

Computer program NETS - Tool for Development and Evaluation of Neural Networks - provides simulation of neural-network algorithms plus software environment for development of such algorithms. Enables user to customize patterns of connections between layers of network, and provides features for saving weight values of network, providing for more precise control over learning process. Consists of translating problem into format using input/output pairs, designing network configuration for problem, and finally training network with input/output pairs until acceptable error reached. Written in C.

Baffes, Paul T.↗

Improving AIRS NRT Imagery for the Enhancement of Visualization Services in LANCE

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has been the home of processing, archiving, and distribution services for data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) mission since its launch in 2002. AIRS provides data enabling global observations of the atmospheric state. The GES DISC provides service to both AIRS standard products and Near Real-time (NRT) products. The AIRS NRT product is one important element in the Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). The LANCE processing of the AIRS NRT product and the generation of the imagery are performed at the GES DISC. The AIRS NRT imagery are generated by mosaicking and mapping the available AIRS 6-minute retrieval granules to a global cylindrical projection. The images are constantly refreshed when new granules are produced. The AIRS NRT Viewer and LANCE Worldview provide visualization services to online users for AIRS NRT imagery. The imagery include atmospheric temperature, humidity, precipitation, Dust Score, CO, and SO2. The AIRS Applications Development Team at NASA JPL developed a new orbit-based algorithm and software to improve the AIRS NRT imagery. The GES DISC is collaborating with the AIRS Applications Development Team for the implementation of the new algorithm and software. The improvements include image quality, new color palettes, and variable changes. In this presentation, we will detail the improvements and demonstrate visualization of the new imagery.

Ding, Feng↗

Preliminary software development for optical mirror figure control

The maintenance of accurate primary mirror figure in the face of environmental disturbances is the key to the achievement of diffraction-limited performance in a large space telescope. In order to develop the concepts of optical mirror figure control, an experimental program was initiated. A major component in this experiment will be an XDS Sigma 5.7 digital computer which will realize the control algorithm. A software package is described which realizes linear optimal, simplified linear, and iterative optimal control algorithms. The software, in addition, provides for interactive communication between the operator and the computer, and interaction between the computer and the experimental hardware elements. A brief description of a small hybrid computer system is also presented.

Mackinnon, D.↗

Ndarts

Ndarts software provides algorithms for computing quantities associated with the dynamics of articulated, rigid-link, multibody systems. It is designed as a general-purpose dynamics library that can be used for the modeling of robotic platforms, space vehicles, molecular dynamics, and other such applications. The architecture and algorithms in Ndarts are based on the Spatial Operator Algebra (SOA) theory for computational multibody and robot dynamics developed at JPL. It uses minimal, internal coordinate models. The algorithms are low-order, recursive scatter/ gather algorithms. In comparison with the earlier Darts++ software, this version has a more general and cleaner design needed to support a larger class of computational dynamics needs. It includes a frames infrastructure, allows algorithms to operate on subgraphs of the system, and implements lazy and deferred computation for better efficiency. Dynamics modeling modules such as Ndarts are core building blocks of control and simulation software for space, robotic, mechanism, bio-molecular, and material systems modeling.

Jain, Abhinandan↗

Trajectory Specification Applied to Terminal Airspace

Despite major efforts to automate air traffic control (ATC), it is still performed by humans today. The complexity and safety-criticality of ATC makes it very difficult to safely automate, but it must be automated to increase airspace capacity (the density of traffic that can be safely managed) and airport throughput (the number of arrivals and departures that an airport can safely handle in a given period of time) beyond what is possible with human controllers. This paper presents the Trajectory Specification (TS) concept, which can help to safely automate ATC. TS is a method of specifying aircraft trajectories such that the position at any given time in flight is restricted to a precisely defined bounding space, removing all ambiguity as to where the flight is allowed to be. The bounding space or volume is determined by tolerances relative to a reference trajectory (position as a function of time). The tolerances are dynamic and are based on the aircraft navigation capabilities and the traffic situation. The tolerances can be a piecewise linear function of time or distance along the route, allowing the tolerances to vary as needed, typically increasing with time for departures and decreasing for arrivals. A Trajectory Specification Language (TSL) is proposed for communicating trajectories from aircraft to ATC as requests and from ATC to aircraft as assignments. The TS concept requires a new generation of airborne Flight Management Systems (FMS) that understand the TSL and can fly the assigned trajectories, but this paper focuses on the ATC functions and the prototype ATC algorithms and software that were developed to test the TS concept. Assuming conformance, TS can guarantee safe separation for an arbitrary length of time even in the event of an ATC system or communication outage. It can help to achieve the high level of safety and reliability needed for ATC automation, and it can also reduce the reliance on ATC backup systems for tactical conflict detection and resolution during normal operation. TS can be applied to any controlled airspace, including enroute, terminal, and urban airspace, but this paper presents algorithms and software for arrival spacing and conflict detection and resolution in the terminal airspace serving a major airport. In a fast-time simulation of a full day of traffic in a major terminal airspace, all conflicts were resolved in near real time, demonstrating the computational feasibility and the preliminary operational feasibility of the TS concept. This paper is a compilation of previous papers, and it adds significant information that was omitted from those papers due to length limitations. It also updates some of the results of those earlier papers due to algorithm refinements and corrections of minor software errors.

air traffic control, trajectory↗

Analysis of TRMM Microphysical Measurements: Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)

SPEC Incorporated participated in three of the four TRMM field campaigns (TEFLUN-A, TEFLUN-B and KWAJEX), installing and operating a cloud particle imager (CPI) and a high volume precipitation spectrometer (HVPS) on the SPEC Learjet in TEFLUN-A, the University of North Dakota Citation in TEFLUN-B and KWAJEX, and a CPI on the NASA DC-8 in KWAJEX. This report presents and discusses new software tools and algorithms that were developed to analyze microphysical data collected during these field campaigns, as well as scientific interpretations of the data themselves. Software algorithms were developed to improve the analysis of microphysical measurements collected by the TRMM aircraft during the field campaigns. Particular attention was paid to developing and/or improving algorithms used to compute particle size distributions and ice water content. Software was also developed in support of production of the TRMM Common Microphysical Product (CMP) data files. CMP data files for TEFLUN-A field campaign were produced and submitted to the DAAC. Typical microphysical properties of convective and stratiform regions from TEFLUN-A and KWAJEX clouds were produced. In general, it was found that in the upper cloud region near -20 to -25 C, stratiform clouds contain very high (greater than 1 per cubic centimeter) concentrations of small ice particles, which are suspected to be a residual from homogeneous freezing and sedimentation of small drops in a convective updraft. In the upper cloud region near -20 to -25 C, convective clouds contain aggregates, which are not found lower in the cloud. Stratiform clouds contain aggregates at all levels, with the majority in the lowest levels. Convective cloud regions contain much higher LWC and drop concentrations than stratiform regions at all levels, and higher LWC in the middle and upper regions. Stratiform clouds contain higher IWC than convective clouds only at the lowest level. Irregular shaped ice particles are found in very high concentrations throughout both convective and stratiform cloud regions. A striking difference in particle shape in cirrus formed in situ, cirrus formed from maritime anvils and cirrus formed from continental anvils. Over 50% of the mass of in situ cirrus ice particles is composed of bullet rosettes, while bullet rosettes are virtually non-existent in maritime and tropical anvils. Tropical anvils are composed of mostly singular, plates, capped columns, and blocky irregular shapes, while continental anvils have a much higher percentage of aggregates, some of which are chains of small spheroidal particles that appear to result from homogeneous freezing of drops. A correlation between high electric fields in continental anvils and the formation of aggregates is hypothesized.

Source record↗

Fast, efficient lossless data compression

This paper presents lossless data compression and decompression algorithms which can be easily implemented in software. The algorithms can be partitioned into their fundamental parts which can be implemented at various stages within a data acquisition system. This allows for efficient integration of these functions into systems at the stage where they are most applicable. The algorithms were coded in Forth to run on a Silicon Composers Single Board Computer (SBC) using the Harris RTX2000 Forth processor. The algorithms require very few system resources and operate very fast. The performance of the algorithms with the RTX enables real time data compression and decompression to be implemented for a wide range of applications.

Ross, Douglas↗

Efficient eigenvalue assignment by state and output feedback with applications for large space structures

The erection and deployment of large flexible structures having thousands of degrees of freedom requires controllers based on new techniques of eigenvalue assignment that are computationally stable and more efficient. Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a novel and efficient algorithm for the eigenvalue assignment of large, time-invariant systems using full-state and output feedback. The objectives of this research were to improve upon the output feedback version of this algorithm, to produce a toolbox of MATLAB functions based on the efficient eigenvalue assignment algorithm, and to experimentally verify the algorithm and software by implementing controllers designed using the MATLAB toolbox on the phase 2 configuration of NASA Langley's controls-structures interaction evolutionary model, a laboratory model used to study space structures. Results from laboratory tests and computer simulations show that effective controllers can be designed using software based on the efficient eigenvalue assignment algorithm.

Vannell, Eric C.↗

Ground-Based Correction of Remote-Sensing Spectral Imagery

Software has been developed for an improved method of correcting for the atmospheric optical effects (primarily, effects of aerosols and water vapor) in spectral images of the surface of the Earth acquired by airborne and spaceborne remote-sensing instruments. In this method, the variables needed for the corrections are extracted from the readings of a radiometer located on the ground in the vicinity of the scene of interest. The software includes algorithms that analyze measurement data acquired from a shadow-band radiometer. These algorithms are based on a prior radiation transport software model, called MODTRAN, that has been developed through several versions up to what are now known as MODTRAN4 and MODTRAN5 . These components have been integrated with a user-friendly Interactive Data Language (IDL) front end and an advanced version of MODTRAN4. Software tools for handling general data formats, performing a Langley-type calibration, and generating an output file of retrieved atmospheric parameters for use in another atmospheric-correction computer program known as FLAASH have also been incorporated into the present soft-ware. Concomitantly with the soft-ware described thus far, there has been developed a version of FLAASH that utilizes the retrieved atmospheric parameters to process spectral image data.

Alder-Golden, Steven M.↗

A real-time implementation of an advanced sensor failure detection, isolation, and accommodation algorithm

A sensor failure detection, isolation, and accommodation algorithm was developed which incorporates analytic sensor redundancy through software. This algorithm was implemented in a high level language on a microprocessor based controls computer. Parallel processing and state-of-the-art 16-bit microprocessors are used along with efficient programming practices to achieve real-time operation.

Delaat, J. C.↗