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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS2002

Compact Video Microscope Imaging System Implemented in Colloid Studies

Long description Photographs showing fiber-optic light source, microscope and charge-coupled discharge (CCD) camera head connected to camera body, CCD camera body feeding data to image acquisition board in PC, and Cartesian robot controlled via PC board. The Compact Microscope Imaging System (CMIS) is a diagnostic tool with intelligent controls for use in space, industrial, medical, and security applications. CMIS can be used in situ with a minimum amount of user intervention. This system can scan, find areas of interest in, focus on, and acquire images automatically. Many multiple-cell experiments require microscopy for in situ observations; this is feasible only with compact microscope systems. CMIS is a miniature machine vision system that combines intelligent image processing with remote control. The software also has a user-friendly interface, which can be used independently of the hardware for further post-experiment analysis. CMIS has been successfully developed in the SML Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center and adapted for use for colloid studies and is available for telescience experiments. The main innovations this year are an improved interface, optimized algorithms, and the ability to control conventional full-sized microscopes in addition to compact microscopes. The CMIS software-hardware interface is being integrated into our SML Analysis package, which will be a robust general-purpose image-processing package that can handle over 100 space and industrial applications.

McDowell, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1987

Sizing and shape design sensitivity analysis using a hybrid finite element code

The practical (software) implementation of the theoretical FEM-based design sensitivity analysis method of Haug et al. (1986) is described and demonstrated. The fundamental principles of the method are reviewed; the problems involved in applying it to the Engineering Analysis Language (EAL) hybrid FEM code (Whetstone, 1983) are discussed; the formulations for beams, plate bending, and built-up structures are given in detail; programming aspects are considered; and numerical results for sample problems are presented in extensive tables. It is shown that the use of a data-base management system with an FEM such as EAL makes it possible to obtain accurate sizing and shape design sensitivity information using only one program with one data base.

Dopker, Bernhard↗

NASA NTRS1981

Earth Resources Laboratory Applications Software (ELAS)

Implementation of the Earth Resources Laboratory applications software (ELAS) system is described. A Data General Eclipse model S/230 minicomputer is employed for image processing of LANDSAT data. A 16 bit word is used, and the smaller addressability necessitates reducing some of the array sizes. All INTEGER*4 variables were changed to REAL. Interfacing the ELAS software to Data General's FORTRAN callable runtime routines required rewriting the input/output routines and the subroutines that bring in the various overlays. Overlay relinking is required when a change is made in resident routines. The ELAS system and its user documentation is evaluated.

Balcerek, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Assessing the proficiency of software developers

The trend lines presented can be useful in a number of ways. They provide a baseline of comparision from which software developers can compare their performance against a large database of similar projects. This will often identify a organizational style. It was possible to quantify the organizational style using the Manpower Buildup Gradient. That the developer was a better than average producer on RAM based systems was shown. The Ck associated with the ROM system suggests that it is a different class of work. When this system is compared against the Firmware database it is very creditable. It is important to recognize that there are non linearities present in the software process. The non linearities are tied to system size. For comparative purposes one must always make judgements based on similar sizes. In the past the tendency has been to calculate a few ratios on several projects and then compare them without any regard to amount of functionality that was created. This practice can be very misleading and dangerous. The method described, used in a thoughtful analytic manner, can be very helpful.

Putnam, L. H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Proximity operations considerations affecting spacecraft design

Proximity operations can be defined as the maneuvering of two or more spacecraft within 1 nautical mile range, with relative velocity less than 10 feet per second. The passive vehicle is nontranslating and should provide for maintenance of the desired approach attitude. It must accommodate the active (translating) vehicle induced structural loads and performance characteristics (mating hardware tolerances), and support sensor compatibility (transponder, visual targets, etc.). The active vehicle must provide adequate sensor systems (relative state information, field-of-view, redundancy), flight control hardware (thruster sizing, minimal cross-coupling, performance margins, redundancy) and software (reconfigurable, attitude/rate modes, translation and rotation fine control authority) characteristic, and adequate non-propulsive consumables such as power. Operational concerns must be considered. These include the following: (1) the desired approach trajectory and relative orientation; (2) the active vehicle thruster plume effects (forces, torques, contamination) on the passive vehicle; and (3) procedures for contingencies such as loss of communications, sensor or propulsion failures, and target vehicle loss of control.

Staas, Steven K.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Software Coherence in Multiprocessor Memory Systems

Processors are becoming faster and multiprocessor memory interconnection systems are not keeping up. Therefore, it is necessary to have threads and the memory they access as near one another as possible. Typically, this involves putting memory or caches with the processors, which gives rise to the problem of coherence: if one processor writes an address, any other processor reading that address must see the new value. This coherence can be maintained by the hardware or with software intervention. Systems of both types have been built in the past; the hardware-based systems tended to outperform the software ones. However, the ratio of processor to interconnect speed is now so high that the extra overhead of the software systems may no longer be significant. This issue is explored both by implementing a software maintained system and by introducing and using the technique of offline optimal analysis of memory reference traces. It finds that in properly built systems, software maintained coherence can perform comparably to or even better than hardware maintained coherence. The architectural features necessary for efficient software coherence to be profitable include a small page size, a fast trap mechanism, and the ability to execute instructions while remote memory references are outstanding.

Bolosky, William Joseph↗

NASA NTRS2005

Seeing the Soils of Meridiani Planum Through the Eyes of Pancam and Microscopic Imager

We are using data from the Pancam and Microscopic Imager (MI) on the Opportunity rover to characterize the soil grains at Meridiani Planum. We have traced individual grains in all MI images of the soils using the software application ImageJ distributed by NIH, and subsequently derived size and shape properties about the grains. The resolution of the MI is 31 microns per pixel [1] so we limit our measurements to those grains larger than about 0.3 mm in size. In cases where the grain is partially or substantially buried by other grains or finer soil particles, we do not make a measurement. False-color composites from Pancam images that cover the same location imaged by MI are made from the Left 2,5,6 (753, 535, 482 nm) filters or Right 2,7,1 (753, 1009, 430 nm) filters [2] in the Red, Green, and Blue channels, respectively. These color images are then merged with the MI images to illustrate color properties of particular grains. Pancam spectra are also extracted from grains when there is sufficient spatial coverage. in diameter. Figure 2 illustrates the dominance of these small grains at this particular location, which happens to be on the southern wall of Eagle crater. The Pancam color merge with this MI image suggests that the small spherules are more consistent with the basalt grains than the blueberries (spherulitic concretions derived from outcrop rocks [7]). The resolution of Pancam images of this location is on the order of 0.5 mm so the grains are only barely resolved. A Mossbauer measurement taken on an adjacent soil (Sol 53 Vanilla) that is composed solely of these smaller spherules (Fig 1) is consistent with a basaltic composition for the grains. Their concentration at this particular location in a brighter, elongate patch along the southeastern wall compared to elsewhere inside Eagle crater suggests wind activity favored their transport and subsequent deposition here. Their spherical shape is also possibly the result of wind action rounding them during transport, though water action cannot be ruled out.

Weitz, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS2005

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2005

Topics covered include: Video Mosaicking for Inspection of Gas Pipelines; Shuttle-Data-Tape XML Translator; Highly Reliable, High-Speed, Unidirectional Serial Data Links; Data-Analysis System for Entry, Descent, and Landing; Hybrid UV Imager Containing Face-Up AlGaN/GaN Photodiodes; Multiple Embedded Processors for Fault-Tolerant Computing; Hybrid Power Management; Magnetometer Based on Optoelectronic Microwave Oscillator; Program Predicts Time Courses of Human/ Computer Interactions; Chimera Grid Tools; Astronomer's Proposal Tool; Conservative Patch Algorithm and Mesh Sequencing for PAB3D; Fitting Nonlinear Curves by Use of Optimization Techniques; Tool for Viewing Faults Under Terrain; Automated Synthesis of Long Communication Delays for Testing; Solving Nonlinear Euler Equations With Arbitrary Accuracy; Self-Organizing-Map Program for Analyzing Multivariate Data; Tool for Sizing Analysis of the Advanced Life Support System; Control Software for a High-Performance Telerobot; Java Radar Analysis Tool; Architecture for Verifiable Software; Tool for Ranking Research Options; Enhanced, Partially Redundant Emergency Notification System; Close-Call Action Log Form; Task Description Language; Improved Small-Particle Powders for Plasma Spraying; Bonding-Compatible Corrosion Inhibitor for Rinsing Metals; Wipes, Coatings, and Patches for Detecting Hydrazines; Rotating Vessels for Growing Protein Crystals; Oscillating-Linear-Drive Vacuum Compressor for CO2; Mechanically Biased, Hinged Pairs of Piezoelectric Benders; Apparatus for Precise Indium-Bump Bonding of Microchips; Radiation Dosimetry via Automated Fluorescence Microscopy; Multistage Magnetic Separator of Cells and Proteins; Elastic-Tether Suits for Artificial Gravity and Exercise; Multichannel Brain-Signal-Amplifying and Digitizing System; Ester-Based Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Li-Ion Cells; Hygrometer for Detecting Water in Partially Enclosed Volumes; Radio-Frequency Plasma Cleaning of a Penning Malmberg Trap; Reduction of Flap Side Edge Noise - the Blowing Flap; and Preventing Accidental Ignition of Upper-Stage Rocket Motors.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2012

Motion-Capture-Enabled Software for Gestural Control of 3D Models

Current state-of-the-art systems use general-purpose input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, or joystick that map to tasks in unintuitive ways. This software enables a person to control intuitively the position, size, and orientation of synthetic objects in a 3D virtual environment. It makes possible the simultaneous control of the 3D position, scale, and orientation of 3D objects using natural gestures. Enabling the control of 3D objects using a commercial motion-capture system allows for natural mapping of the many degrees of freedom of the human body to the manipulation of the 3D objects. It reduces training time for this kind of task, and eliminates the need to create an expensive, special-purpose controller.

Norris, Jeffrey S.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Comparison of Design Tools for Stress Analysis of Adhesively Bonded Joints

Analytical or semi-analytical models for stress analysis have long been a part of initial adhesive bond design and sizing. Even with the rise of general finite element software and methods, these design models have still remained a preferred method for fast and simple joint analysis. While these methods can yield fairly representative results, the models are constructed on the foundation of geometrical and material simplifications or assumptions that allow closed form or semi-closed form solutions. This study outlines the major differences in basic assumptions for three common design software packages under use at NASA, and shows the ramifications these assumptions in a few exemplar bonded joints.

Composites↗

NASA NTRS2022

Rapid Model Import Tool (RMIT) User Guide

The NASA Rapid Model Import Tool (RMIT) is designed to import 3D models built in commercially available Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Digital Content Creation (DCC) development software such as; Catia, Creo, 3DS Max, Maya, etc. Upon import, RMIT processes the models to reduce file size and exports the results in a format compatible with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) development software applications. RMIT intends to make CAD models directly accessible to engineers from local AR/VR compatible laptops and desktops.

Joseluis Chavez↗

NASA NTRS1992

Maximum likelihood techniques applied to quasi-elastic light scattering

There is a necessity of having an automatic procedure for reliable estimation of the quality of the measurement of particle size from QELS (Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering). Getting the measurement itself, before any error estimates can be made, is a problem because it is obtained by a very indirect measurement of a signal derived from the motion of particles in the system and requires the solution of an inverse problem. The eigenvalue structure of the transform that generates the signal is such that an arbitrarily small amount of noise can obliterate parts of any practical inversion spectrum. This project uses the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) as a framework to generate a theory and a functioning set of software to oversee the measurement process and extract the particle size information, while at the same time providing error estimates for those measurements. The theory involved verifying a correct form of the covariance matrix for the noise on the measurement and then estimating particle size parameters using a modified histogram approach.

Edwards, Robert V.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Software Process Assessment (SPA)

NASA's environment mirrors the changes taking place in the nation at large, i.e. workers are being asked to do more work with fewer resources. For software developers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the effects of this change are that we must continue to produce quality code that is maintainable and reusable, but we must learn to produce it more efficiently and less expensively. To accomplish this goal, the Data Systems Technology Division (DSTD) at GSFC is trying a variety of both proven and state-of-the-art techniques for software development (e.g., object-oriented design, prototyping, designing for reuse, etc.). In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques, the Software Process Assessment (SPA) program was initiated. SPA was begun under the assumption that the effects of different software development processes, techniques, and tools, on the resulting product must be evaluated in an objective manner in order to assess any benefits that may have accrued. SPA involves the collection and analysis of software product and process data. These data include metrics such as effort, code changes, size, complexity, and code readability. This paper describes the SPA data collection and analysis methodology and presents examples of benefits realized thus far by DSTD's software developers and managers.

Rosenberg, Linda H.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Autonomy Software: V&V Challenges and Characteristics

The successful operation of unmanned air vehicles requires software with a high degree of autonomy. Only if high level functions can be carried out without human control and intervention, complex missions in a changing and potentially unknown environment can be carried out successfully. Autonomy software is highly mission and safety critical: failures, caused by flaws in the software cannot only jeopardize the mission, but could also endanger human life (e.g., a crash of an UAV in a densely populated area). Due to its large size, high complexity, and use of specialized algorithms (planner, constraint-solver, etc.), autonomy software poses specific challenges for its verification, validation, and certification. -- - we have carried out a survey among researchers aid scientists at NASA to study these issues. In this paper, we will present major results of this study, discussing the broad spectrum. of notions and characteristics of autonomy software and its challenges for design and development. A main focus of this survey was to evaluate verification and validation (V&V) issues and challenges, compared to the development of "traditional" safety-critical software. We will discuss important issues in V&V of autonomous software and advanced V&V tools which can help to mitigate software risks. Results of this survey will help to identify and understand safety concerns in autonomy software and will lead to improved strategies for mitigation of these risks.

Schumann, Johann↗

NASA NTRS2017

Reliably Detectable Flaw Size for NDE Methods that Use Calibration

Probability of detection (POD) analysis is used in assessing reliably detectable flaw size in nondestructive evaluation (NDE). MIL-HDBK-1823 and associated mh1823 POD software gives most common methods of POD analysis. In this paper, POD analysis is applied to an NDE method, such as eddy current testing, where calibration is used. NDE calibration standards have known size artificial flaws such as electro-discharge machined (EDM) notches and flat bottom hole (FBH) reflectors which are used to set instrument sensitivity for detection of real flaws. Real flaws such as cracks and crack-like flaws are desired to be detected using these NDE methods. A reliably detectable crack size is required for safe life analysis of fracture critical parts. Therefore, it is important to correlate signal responses from real flaws with signal responses form artificial flaws used in calibration process to determine reliably detectable flaw size.

Koshti, Ajay M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

IRAF in the nineties

The Interactive Data Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) data reduction and analysis system has been around since 1981. Today it is a mature system with hundreds of applications, and is supported on all the major platforms. Many institutions, projects, and individuals around the US and around the world have developed software for IRAF. Some of these packages are comparable in size to the IRAF core system itself. IRAF is both a data analysis system, and a programming environment. As a data analysis system it can be easily installed by a user at a remote site and immediately used to view and process data. As a programming environment IRAF contains a wealth of high and low level facilities for developing new applications for interactive and automated processing of astronomical or other data. As important as the applications programs and user interfaces are to the scientist using IRAF, the heart of the IRAF system is the programming environment. The programming environment determines to a large extent the types of applications which can be built within IRAF, what they will look like, and how they will interact with one another and with the user. While applications can be easily added to or removed from a software system, the programming environment must remain fairly stable, with carefully planned evolution and growth, over the lifetime of a system. The IRAF programming environment is the framework on which the rest of the IRAF system is built. The IRAF programming environment as it exists in 1992, and the work currently underway to enhance the environment are discussed. The structure of the programming environment as a class hierarchy is discussed, with emphasis on the work being done on the image data structures, graphics and image display interfaces, and user interfaces. The new technologies which we feel IRAF must deal with successfully over the coming years are discussed. Finally, a preview of what IRAF might look like to the user by the end of the decade is presented.

Tody, D.↗

NASA NTRS1972

The systematic evolution of a NASA software technology, Appendix C

A long range program is described whose ultimate purpose is to make possible the production of software in NASA within predictable schedule and budget constraints and with major characteristics such as size, run-time, and correctness predictable within reasonable tolerances. As part of the program a pilot NASA computer center will be chosen to apply software development and management techniques systematically and determine a set which is effective. The techniques will be developed by a Technology Group, which will guide the pilot project and be responsible for its success. The application of the technology will involve a sequence of NASA programming tasks graduated from simpler ones at first to complex systems in late phases of the project. The evaluation of the technology will be made by monitoring the operation of the software at the users' installations. In this way a coherent discipline for software design, production maintenance, and management will be evolved.

Deregt, M. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Rain rate instrument for deployment at sea, phase 2

This report describes, in detail, the SBIR Phase 2 contracting effort provided for by NASA Contract Number NAS8-38481 in which a prototype Rain Rate Sensor was developed. FWG Model RP101A is a fully functional rain rate and droplet size analyzing instrument. The RP101A is a fully functional rain rate and droplet size analyzing instrument. The RP101A consists of a fiber optic probe containing a 32-fiber array connected to an electronic signal processor. When interfaced to an IBM compatible personal computer and configured with appropriate software, the RP101A is capable of measuring rain rates and particles ranging in size from around 300 microns up to 6 to 7 millimeters. FWG Associates, Inc. intends to develop a production model from the prototype and continue the effort under NASA's SBIR Phase 3 program.

Steele, Jimmy W.↗