Software product description

An overview of the MultiNet system is presented. Services, supported configurations, remote printer services, netstat, netcontrol, DECnet interoperability services, and programming libraries are briefly described

Optimal use of computing equipment in an automated industrial inspection context

This thesis deals with automatic defect detection. The objective was to develop the techniques required by a small manufacturing business to make cost-efficient use of inspection technology. In our work on inspection techniques we discuss image acquisition and the choice between custom and general-purpose processing hardware. We examine the classes of general-purpose computer available and study popular operating systems in detail. We highlight the advantages of a hybrid system interconnected via a local area network and develop a sophisticated suite of image-processing software based on it. We quantitatively study the performance of elements of the TCP/IP networking protocol suite and comment on appropriate protocol selection for parallel distributed applications. We implement our own distributed application based on these findings. In our work on inspection algorithms we investigate the potential uses of iterated function series and Fourier transform operators when preprocessing images of defects in aluminium plate acquired using a linescan camera. We employ a multi-layer perceptron neural network trained by backpropagation as a classifier. We examine the effect on the training process of the number of nodes in the hidden layer and the ability of the network to identify faults in images of aluminium plate. We investigate techniques for introducing positional independence into the network's behaviour. We analyse the pattern of weights induced in the network after training in order to gain insight into the logic of its internal representation. We conclude that the backpropagation training process is sufficiently computationally intensive so as to present a real barrier to further development in practical neural network techniques and seek ways to achieve a speed-up. Weconsider the training process as a search problem and arrive at a process involving multiple, parallel search "vectors" and aspects of genetic algorithms. We implement the system as the mentioned distributed application and comment on its performance

CD-ROM networking in libraries : an investigation

There is a growing awareness of the advantages of the applications of CD-ROM networking in libraries. The databases can be effectively shared among multi-users simultaneously or within the library or the organisation or several libraries. The CD-ROM technology is discussed to provide basic understanding of the technology. This will further improve the understanding of CD-ROM networking. The CD-ROM networking technology is thoroughly discussed to provide an in-depth information of the technology. The cabling system; network topologies; CD-ROM network software; network operating system; case studies of its application in various libraries etc. are investigated

Acquisition plan for Digital Document Storage (DDS) prototype system

NASA Headquarters maintains a continuing interest in and commitment to exploring the use of new technology to support productivity improvements in meeting service requirements tasked to the NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Facility, and to support cost effective approaches to the development and delivery of enhanced levels of service provided by the STI Facility. The DDS project has been pursued with this interest and commitment in mind. It is believed that DDS will provide improved archival blowback quality and service for ad hoc requests for paper copies of documents archived and serviced centrally at the STI Facility. It will also develop an operating capability to scan, digitize, store, and reproduce paper copies of 5000 NASA technical reports archived annually at the STI Facility and serviced to the user community. Additionally, it will provide NASA Headquarters and field installations with on-demand, remote, electronic retrieval of digitized, bilevel, bit mapped report images along with branched, nonsequential retrieval of report subparts

Telescience Testbed Pilot Program

The Telescience Testbed Pilot Program is developing initial recommendations for requirements and design approaches for the information systems of the Space Station era. During this quarter, drafting of the final reports of the various participants was initiated. Several drafts are included in this report as the University technical reports

Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast: Final Report

Report presents the results of the Institute for Simulation and Training\u27s implementation and integration of new protocols into the Testbed for Research in Distributed Interactive Simulation (TRDIS) testbed, especially the Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast (IPmc) and Internet Group Management Protocol network protocols, into a simulation application

State of the art survey of network operating systems development

The results of the State-of-the-Art Survey of Network Operating Systems (NOS) performed for Goddard Space Flight Center are presented. NOS functional characteristics are presented in terms of user communication data migration, job migration, network control, and common functional categories. Products (current or future) as well as research and prototyping efforts are summarized. The NOS products which are revelant to the space station and its activities are evaluated

The Generic Checkout System Approach to Ground Checkout Systems

With the advent of the Space Station, Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle and other projects, NASA has been prompted to critique major ground checkout systems around KSC. This critique is being used as a basis for the development of a central set of functions which are common to all checkout operations throughout the program. A prototyping effort was started over a year ago to implement those central functions, this effort was called the Generic Checkout System(GCS) which, over the past year, has grown into a working model 1 for ground checkout systems. At the Twenty-Third Space Congress a paper was presented which outlined the rudimentary operations of the GCS. Since that time GCS has evolved into a state of the art checkout system which demonstrates flexibility and ease of use. The GCS system has been chosen as the architecture which will support the Partial Paylod Checkout Unit(PPCU), a new system to be installed in early 1990. The development of the GCS system was meant to also address several problems inherent in current checkout systems: lack of flexibility, poor user interfaces and the abscence of an upgrade path from obsolete hardware. The GCS seeks to solve these problems in ways which utilize high technology advances in computer hardware and software. These advances include the use of commercial UNIX operating system based computers which offer vendor independence and portability of software, the use of state of the art user interfaces offering high resolution graphics, mouse interfaces and the ability to create displays interactively without the need to generate code to drive them. The use of other high tech products is also apparent in the GCS such as the support for Artificial intelligence, relational data base technologies, ADA programming language, parallel processing, RISC technology architectures, optical storage media, Local Area Network Connectivity, commercial graphics packages, INMOS transputers and the latest microprocessor technologies. This paper will attempt to explore some of the facets of the GCS prototyping and development effort and mention the future plans for the architecture which has been developed