• SYSTEM MODEL FOR A LOW DATA RATE FULL DUPLEX OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN EARTH AND LEO

      Hazzard, D. A.; MacCannell, J. A.; Lee, G.; Selves, E. R.; Moore, D.; Payne, J. A.; Garrett, C. D.; Dahlstrom, N.; Shay, T. M.; New Mexico State University (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      We present a novel communications link concept. This system offers the potential of low data rate full-duplex communications between earth and LEO. We will present a detailed link model for this system.
    • HSTSS BATTERY DEVELOPMENT FOR MISSILE & BALLISTIC TELEMETRY APPLICATIONS

      Burke, Lawrence W., Jr.; Bukowski, Edward; Newnham, Colin; Scholey, Neil; Hoge, William; Ye, Zhiyaun; U.S. Army Research Laboratory; Ultralife Batteries (UK) Ltd.; Ultralife Batteries, Inc. (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The rapid growth in portable and wireless communication products has brought valuable advancements in battery technology. No longer is a battery restricted to a metal container in cylindrical or prismatic format. Today’s batteries (both primary and secondary) can be constructed in thin sheets and sealed in foil/plastic laminate packages. Along with improvements in energy density, temperature performance, and environmentally friendly materials, these batteries offer greater packaging options at a significantly lower development cost. Under the Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor System (HSTSS) program these battery technologies have been further developed for high-g telemetry applications. Both rechargeable solid state lithium-ion polymer and primary lithium manganese dioxide batteries are being developed in conjunction with Ultralife Batteries Inc. Prototypes of both chemistries have been successfully tested in a ballistic environment while providing high constant rates of discharge, which is essential to these types of applications. Electrical performance and environmental data are reported.
    • ADVANCED RANGE TELEMETRY DYNAMIC MEASUREMENT LISTS

      Luten, Robert H.; Diekmann, Vernon; Luten Data Systems; Tybrin Corp. (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      A typical telemetry system for aircraft flight-testing transmits one or several data streams to the ground for real-time display and analysis, and also records the same stream onboard for later playback. During test operations, only a fraction of the available data is used at any given time for real-time display or analysis. More efficient use of the RF channel could be realized if only the data needed for the current test point is transmitted, rather than the entirety of the data. Intelligent selection of a subset of the data stream can provide large reductions in the required telemetry downlink bandwidth. As one of the Advanced Range Telemetry (ARTM) On-Board Data Management (OBDM) initiatives, a prototype on-board data selection subsystem is being developed and demonstrated. The demonstration utilizes COTS telemetry workstations to the maximum extent possible and includes “plug-in” data requestor, selection, and server components to implement the added DML functionality. A significant objective of the OBDM/DML project will be to validate RF channel models to help minimize the amount of flight-testing necessary to validate the DML concept. This paper will discuss the OBDM/DML architecture, integration of several custom components with the COTS portions of the ARTM “test bench”, and the current status of the OBDM/DML development and test program.
    • COMBINING SENSORS WITH AIRBORNE TELEMETRY INSTRUMENTATION TO MAKE RANGE MEASUREMENTS AND OBTAIN AERODYNAMICS

      Davis, Bradford S.; Brown, T. Gordon; U.S. Army Research Laboratory (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Obtaining a projectile’s free-flight motion profile and its aerodynamic coefficients is typically accomplished at indoor test ranges using photographic techniques synchronized to timing stations. Since these ranges are relatively short, many discrete tests are necessary to compile a complete understanding of the projectile’s behavior. When Time Space Position Information (TSPI) is requested over long-range flights, it has been gathered with expensive video, laser, and radar trackers. These can be inaccurate at times and are limited to locations where the range equipment is able to track the projectile’s entire flight. With the ever-increasing sophistication of ordnance, such as smart and competent munitions that have multi-stage thrusting and maneuvering capability, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make the necessary measurements using current measurement techniques. Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors and other electro-optical and magnetic sensors referenced to the sun and earth allow the projectile’s angular rates (spin, pitch, and yaw) and accelerations (axial and radial) to be measured throughout the flight. These sensors have been packaged into miniaturized telemetry instrumentation systems and placed within empty voids of the munition or in place of the fuze or warhead section. By combining this sensor data with a 6-DOF trajectory code, many of the projectiles aerodynamic coefficients including drag, static moment, and damping moment over a large Mach Number range and over multiple flight paths have been obtained. These techniques decrease the number of test shots required, reduce the complexity of the test setup, and reduce the test costs. Test data from instrumented tank, artillery, and rocket flight tests are presented in this report to show the current capability of making inflight measurements using telemetry-based techniques.
    • CUSTOMIZABLE MULTICHIP MODULES FOR HIGH-G TELEMETRY APPLICATIONS

      Muller, Peter; Burke, Larry; Sommerfeldt, Scott; Lunceford, Brent; Francomacaro, Shaun; Lehtonen, S. John; Army Research Laboratory; Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation; Johns Hopkins University (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) has developed a rapid turn around process for fabricating multichip modules (MCM’s) called the Flexible Manufacturing of MCM’s (FMM). The Army Research Lab (ARL) in co-operation with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), has investigated the survivability of this technology in high-g applications. Comparisons were made to other packaging technologies by constructing a 3-channel digital recorder in this and two other competing technologies.
    • A GPS RECEIVER/TRANSMITTER UNIT FOR TRACKING LAUNCH VEHICLES

      Meier, Robert C.; Cincinnati Electronics Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Launch Vehicle tracking is indispensable due to the fact that wayward vehicles must be destroyed lest they cause loss of life and/or damage to property. Launch Vehicle tracking data is also useful in assessing vehicle performance and mission success. Cincinnati Electronics (CE) has developed a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Receiver/Transmitter Unit (RTU), specifically for use with launch vehicles. The CE GPS RTU was flown as an experiment on the Missile Technology Demonstration (MTD) flight at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). This paper provides an overview of CE’s GPS RTU and provides the results of CE’s GPS RTU MTD-3 flight performance.
    • MODULAR AFFORDABLE GPS/INS (MAGI)

      Singh, Mahendra; McNamee, Stuart; Khosrowabadi, Allen; WADDAN SYSTEMS; 412TW/TSD; Tybrin Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The GPS/INS equipment is used at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) to collect time space position information (TSPI) during testing. The GPS-based test instrumentation is lagging behind available commercial technologies. Advancing technologies for test use requires investigation of affordable commercial equipment. To enable technology insertion for state of the art testing, there is a need for more robust, flexible, reliable, modular, affordable low cost TSPI systems capable of operating in all flight environments. Modular (plug-and-play) hardware and software, quick and easy to re-configure, are required for supporting various test platforms from fighter aircraft to cargo size aircraft. Flight testing dynamics are such that, GPS-only systems tend to lose data during critical maneuvers. To minimize this data loss, inertial measurement systems coupled with GPS sensors are used in most sophisticated range instrumentation packages. However, these packages have required fairly expensive inertial units, are usually very large and not very flexible in terms of quick and easy reconfiguration to meet the unique needs of AFFTC’s test customers. WADDAN SYSTEMS has begun to address this problem with a modular design concept, which incorporates their high-performance navigation quality inertial measurement unit, but with costs comparative to that of lower-end performance inertial units. This paper describes WADDAN’s concept and the components that make up MAGI; and addresses some of the preliminary testing and near-term proposed activities. In general, the system will provide GPS, inertial and discrete MIL-STD 1553, RS-232/422 and video data from the participant. The MAGI will be structured around the Compact personal computer interface (PCI) backplane bus with on-board recording and processing and will include real-time command and control through a UHF data link.
    • A LAUNCH VEHICLE VIDEO TELEMETRY SYSTEM

      Meier, Robert C.; Cincinnati Electronics Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Collecting and analyzing vehicle performance data is an essential part of the launch process. Performance data is used to determine mission success. Performance data also provides essential feedback to the launch vehicle design engineers. This feedback can be used to improve the overall vehicle design and thereby improve the probability of a successful launch. Various Telemetry products are used to gather and process critical information on board launch vehicles. Data is transmitted by RF links to fixed or mobile receiving stations. These Telemetry products are ruggedized for the extreme launch environments. This paper discusses the use of video telemetry as a means of providing launch vehicle performance data.
    • REMOTE MONITORING OF INSTRUMENTATION IN SEALED COMPARTMENTS

      Landrón, Clinton; Moser, John C.; Sandia National Laboratories (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The Instrumentation and Telemetry Departments at Sandia National Laboratories have been exploring the instrumentation of sealed canisters where the flight application will not tolerate either the presence of a chemical power source or penetration by power supply wires. This paper will describe the application of a low power micro-controller based instrumentation system that uses magnetic coupling for both power and data to support a flight application.
    • SOFTWARE QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY: ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?

      Long, Rick; Crump, Peter; TYBRIN Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Many view quality and productivity as competing concepts. After all, doesn’t high software quality come at a high cost? Doesn’t it mean that a large amount of "extra stuff" needs to be done during the software development cycle? And, doesn’t that mean that software productivity takes a back seat to (and a major hit from) quality efforts? This paper will explore these issues. This paper provides some preliminary data that supports how a disciplined software engineering process can (and has) resulted in high quality software while actually increasing productivity. Data has been gathered on organizations that have a disciplined, quality-oriented software engineering process in place. That data shows that quality and productivity can (and do) coexist. The data will be discussed along with an explanation of how these results can be achieved.
    • MOBILE TRACKING SYSTEM “MOTION ON THE OCEAN” TEST

      Pedroza, Moises; White Sands Missile Range (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The Transportable Range Augmentation and Control System (TRACS), Mobile Telemetry System (MTS), is a versatile system capable of supporting anywhere when called upon. The MTS is designed to operate anywhere on land. It is unknown how the system will perform on a floating platform without a stabilizing gimbal. The operation of a tracking system at sea generally require the use of a three-axis pedestal. The MTS is a two-axis pedestal. This paper is a report on how the MTS responds to simulated ocean-motion. Testing the system on a body of water is very expensive, especially out in the desert. The MTS was tested in the desert area of Las Cruces, New Mexico in the parking lot of EMI Technologies, prime contractor, using two forklifts to simulate ship motion in the pitch and yaw planes. The location is perfect for crossover dynamics tests. The tests conducted were for the purpose of determining if the MTS could auto-track a moving signal in space while it also moves due to “simulated ocean swells” that increase the generated tracking error signal levels in an opposite or in addition to the ones generated from the space vehicle. There is no gyroscopic correction. Successful results of the tests could preclude the use of a gyroscopically stabilized gimbaled platform necessary to keep the tracking system steady for auto-tracking a target during “6 degrees of freedom” disturbances. Several thousand dollars can be saved if the concept can be proven.
    • MIGRATING FROM A VAX/VMS TO AN INTEL/WINDOWS-NT BASED GROUND STATION

      Penna, Sergio D.; Rios, Domingos B.; EMBRAER Flight Test Division; LE Consultoria (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Upgrading or replacing production systems is always a very resource-consuming task, in particular if the systems being replaced are quite specialized, such as those serving any Flight Test Ground Station. In the recent past a large number of Ground Station systems were based in Digital’s VAX/VMS architecture. The computer industry then expanded very fast and by 1990 realtime PCM data processing systems totally dependent on hardware and software designed for IBM-PC compatible micro-computers were becoming available. A complete system replacement in a typical Ground Station can take from one to several years to become a reality. It depends on how complex the original system is, how complex the resulting system needs to be, how much resources are available to support the operation, how soon the organization needs it, etc. This paper intends to review the main concerns encountered during the replacement of a typical VAX/VMS-based by an Intel-Windows NT-based Ground Station. It covers the transition from original requirements to totally new requirements, from mini-computers to micro-computers, from DMA to high-speed LAN data transfers, while conserving some key architectural features. This 8-month development effort will expand EMBRAER’s capability in acquiring, processing and archiving PCM data in the next few years at a lower cost, while preserving compatibility with old legacy flight test data.
    • HSTSS-DAC CUSTOM ICS IMPACT ON 2.75" MISSILE TELEMETRY

      Gibson, David A.; Penrose, Newton B.; Wade, Ralph B., Jr.; Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC); Eglin Air Force Base (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      We analyze several telemetry data acquisition systems to gage the system impact of denser custom ICs being developed under the HSTSS-DAC project. Our baseline is a telemetry system recently developed at Eglin AFB to support 16 analog input channels, signal conditioning and encoding for Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) using Commercial Off-the- Shelf (COTS) ICs. The data acquisition portion of the system occupies three double-sided, round circuit cards, each 2.3" in diameter. A comparable system using HSTSS-DAC custom Ics will occupy only one side of one card - a factor of six-volume reduction compared to the COTS approach.
    • Digital FDM for the HSTSS DAC Program

      Doerr, Michael B.; Hallidy, William H., Jr.,; McMillian, Gary B.; Burke, Lawrence W., Jr.; Faust, Jonah N.; Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation; U. S. Army Research Laboratory (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      This paper presents the design of an innovative approach to Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) for the STRICOM Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor System (HSTSS) Data Acquisition Chipset (DAC) program. An ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) is being developed by Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) that implements this new digital FDM approach for telemetry applications. The FDM ASIC provides six channels that are IRIG-106 compatible, and may be used in conjunction with a Delay/Repeater ASIC. Together these ASICs make a complete instrumentation system for those applications requiring very small size, simplicity of use, and low cost, e.g. munitions/armament testing.
    • THE USE OF TELEMETRY IN AN ELECTROMAGNETIC TEST ENVIRONMENT

      Papich, William J.; US Army Redstone Technical Test Center (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      The U.S. Army Redstone Technical Test Center (RTTC) uses telemetry as a vital part of its data acquisition and analysis for electromagnetic environmental effects developmental testing of U.S. Army weapon systems. Testing in an electromagnetic environment poses several unique challenges. These challenges have resulted in the development of highly customized telemetry and data acquisition systems. This paper discusses the design and integration of past and current telemetry needs to incorporate real-time or near real-time simulations or scene generations into the testing process.
    • PACKETIZED TELEMETRY INCREASES FEEDBACK SYSTEM RESPONSE TIME IN A HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS APPLICATION

      Woolridge, Daniel “Shane”; Apogee Labs Inc. (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      A digital feedback system used to monitor and control a high energy electron beam’s orbit and stability in a VUV and X-ray storage ring will realize a 10 fold increase in the feedback system response time using packetized (IRIG 107-98) telemetry. The improvement in feedback time will provide a significant improvement in the level of orbit stability. This paper discusses the advantages of using a packetizing standard and high speed data acquisition as a cost effective way to support the scientific community in their real time processing needs.
    • LINK AVAILABILITY AND BIT ERROR CLUSTERS IN AERONAUTICAL TELEMETRY

      Jefferis, Robert P.; TYBRIN Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Radio frequency power margins in well planned line-of-sight (LOS) air-to-ground digital data transmission systems usually produce signal to noise ratios (SNR) that can deliver error free service. Sometimes field performance falls short of design and customer expectations. Recent flight tests conducted by the tri-service Advanced Range Telemetry (ARTM) project confirm that the dominant source of bit errors and short term link failures are “clusters” of severe error burst activity produced by flat fading, dispersive fading and poor antenna patterns on airborne vehicles. This paper introduces the techniques used by ARTM to measure bit error performance of aeronautical telemetry links.
    • A DESIGN FOR A 10.4 GIGABIT/SECOND SOLID-STATE DATA RECORDER

      Wise, Richard J. Jr; Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      A need has been identified in the Test and Evaluation (T&E) and tactical aircraft communities for a ruggedized high-speed instrumentation data recorder to complement the ever-increasing number of high frame-rate digital cameras and sensors. High-speed digital camera manufacturers are entering this market in order to provide adequate recording capability for their own cameras. This paper discusses a Solid-State Data Recorder (SSDR) for use in Imaging and High-Speed Sensor Data Aquisition applications. The SSDR is capable of a 10.4 Gb/sec sustained, 16Gb/sec burst, input data rate via a proprietary 32-channel-by-10-bit generic high-speed parallel interface, a massively-parallel 256-bit bus architecture, and unique memory packaging design. A 32-bit PCIbus control/archive and dedicated DCRsi™ interface are also employed, allowing data archiving to standard high-speed interfaces (SCSI, Fiber-Channel, USB, etc.) and DCRsi™-compatible tape recorders.
    • VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC TRAFFIC IN BEIJING

      Dongkai, Yang; Xin, Bai; Qishan, Zhang; Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      With the rapid development of urban economy, there are bus increasing, route extending, and shuttle frequency increasing etc. At the same time, road construction is subject to land surface, so traffic jam often occurs. It is a big trouble for life of citizens and problem for economy development. So it needs to be improved as fast as possible. Vehicle monitoring system for public traffic in Beijing can expediently monitor the state of each controlled bus, thereby making perfect management. With the integration of GPS, analog trunked communication and digital map, the old, blinding manage system of public traffic would be changed into advanced, visualized management mode, and several routes are dispatched in one dispatch center at the same time. The system frame and its components are introduced in this paper.
    • CREATING FLOATING POINT VALUES IN MIL-STD-1750A 32 AND 48 BIT FORMATS: ISSUES AND ALGORITHMS

      Mitchell, Jeffrey B.; L3 Communications (International Foundation for Telemetering, 1999-10)
      Experimentation with various routines that create floating point values in MIL-STD-1750A 32 and 48 bit formats has uncovered several flaws that result in loss of precision in approximation and/or incorrect results. This paper will discuss approximation and key computational conditions in the creation of values in these formats, and will describe algorithms that create values correctly and to the closest possible approximation. Test cases for determining behavior of routines of this type will also be supplied.