Flight experience with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems

Engineers at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility (NASA-Dryden) have conducted two flight research programs with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems built around commercial data loggers. One program quantified the performance of a radio-controlled model airplane. The other program was a laminar boundary-layer transition experiment on a manned sailplane. NASA-Dryden personnel's flight experience with the miniaturized instrumentation systems used on these two programs is reported. The data loggers, the sensors, and the hardware and software developed to complete the systems are described. How the systems were used is described and the challenges encountered to make them work are covered. Examples of raw data and derived results are shown as well. Finally, future plans for these systems are discussed. For some flight research applications where miniaturized instrumentation is a requirement, the authors conclude that commercially available data loggers and sensors are viable alternatives. In fact, the data loggers and sensors make it possible to gather research-quality data in a timely and cost-effective manner

Reactive system verification case study: Fault-tolerant transputer communication

A reactive program is one which engages in an ongoing interaction with its environment. A system which is controlled by an embedded reactive program is called a reactive system. Examples of reactive systems are aircraft flight management systems, bank automatic teller machine (ATM) networks, airline reservation systems, and computer operating systems. Reactive systems are often naturally modeled (for logical design purposes) as a composition of autonomous processes which progress concurrently and which communicate to share information and/or to coordinate activities. Formal (i.e., mathematical) frameworks for system verification are tools used to increase the users' confidence that a system design satisfies its specification. A framework for reactive system verification includes formal languages for system modeling and for behavior specification and decision procedures and/or proof-systems for verifying that the system model satisfies the system specifications. Using the Ostroff framework for reactive system verification, an approach to achieving fault-tolerant communication between transputers was shown to be effective. The key components of the design, the decoupler processes, may be viewed as discrete-event-controllers introduced to constrain system behavior such that system specifications are satisfied. The Ostroff framework was also effective. The expressiveness of the modeling language permitted construction of a faithful model of the transputer network. The relevant specifications were readily expressed in the specification language. The set of decision procedures provided was adequate to verify the specifications of interest. The need for improved support for system behavior visualization is emphasized

DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF AN AIRBORNE MULTICHANNEL SWEPT-TUNED SPECTRUM ANALYZER

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NevadaThis paper describes the design and calibration of a four-channel, airborne, swept-tuned spectrum analyzer used in two hypersonic flight experiments for characterizing dynamic data up to 25 kHz. Built mainly from commercially available analog function modules, the analyzer proved useful for an application with limited telemetry bandwidth, physical weight and volume, and electrical power. The authors discuss considerations that affect the frequency and amplitude calibrations, limitations of the design, and example flight data.International Foundation for TelemeteringProceedings from the International Telemetering Conference are made available by the International Foundation for Telemetering and the University of Arizona Libraries. Visit http://www.telemetry.org/index.php/contact-us if you have questions about items in this collection

Design and Calibration of an Airborne Multichannel Swept-Tuned Spectrum Analyzer

This paper describes the design and calibration of a four-channel, airborne, swept-tuned spectrum analyzer used in two hypersonic flight experiments for characterizing dynamic data up to 25 kHz. Built mainly from commercially available analog function modules, the analyzer proved useful for an application with limited telemetry bandwidth, physical weight and volume, and electrical power. The authors discuss considerations that affect the frequency and amplitude calibrations, limitations of the design, and example flight data