International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Real-time data processing of telemetry data has evolved from a highly centralized single large scale computer system to multiple mini-computers or super mini-computers tied together in a loosely coupled distributed network. Each mini-computer or super mini-computer essentially performing a single function in the real-time processing sequence of events. The reasons in the past for this evolution are many and varied. This paper will review some of the more significant factors in that evolution and will present some alternatives to a fully distributed mini-computer network that appear to offer significant real-time data processing advantages.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / On the disscussion of custom real-time counting-measuring method, this paper presents a new method suitable for the working condition of non-man duty, which possesses the feature of 100ns counting-measuring accuracy and high fidelity. In addition, the concept of “Signal-time/digit converter” is proposed for the first time and the principle and working procedure of this method are introduced in brief.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / In this paper we describe the design of the REAL/STAR 2000 system, a highperformance real-time computer for telemetry applications. The REAL/STAR 2000 is a symmetric, tightly-coupled multiprocessor, optimized for real-time processing. The system provides a high level of scalability and flexibility by supporting three configurations: single, dual, and quad processor configurations, based on Motorola 88100 RISC processors. The system runs the multiprocessor REAL/IX operating system, a real-time implementation of the AT&T UNIX System V. It compiles with BCS and OCS standards, meets the POSIX 1003.1 standard, and has the current functionality of the emerging POSIX 1003.4 real-time standard. The REAL/STAR 2000 promotes an open system approach to real-time computing by supporting major industry standards. Benchmark results are also presented in the paper.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 29-November 02, 1990 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Increased data throughput demands in military and avionics systems has led to the development of an advanced, All-Bus MIL-STD-1553 Instrumentation Monitor. This paper discusses an airborne unit which acquires the information from up to 8 dual-redundant buses, and formats the data for telemetry, recording or real-time analysis according to the requirements of IRIG-106-86, Chapter 8. The ALBUS-1553 acquires all or selected 1553 messages which are formatted into IRIG-compatible serial data stream outputs. Data is time tagged to microsecond resolution. The unit selectively transmits entire or partial 1553 messages under program control. This results in reduced transmission bandwidth if prior knowledge of 1553 traffic is known. The ALBUS also encodes analog voice inputs, discrete userword inputs and multiplexed analog (overhead) inputs. The unit is provided in a ruggedized airborne housing utilizing standard ATR packaging,

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 29-November 02, 1990 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Rapid technology growth in the aerospace industry continues to manifest in increasingly complex weapons systems and system driven weapons systems platforms which must be supported in the flight test environment. This growth in complexity often surpasses the capabilities of many ground based real-time and post-flight processing and display systems, leaving these systems perpetually behind the power curve when compared to data/information processing, presentation and distribution requirements set forth by today’s flight test engineering community. Many flight test programs are accepting less than optimal results from these systems, therefore, the amount of information presently obtained (per flight hour) limits the results acquired during a test program, creating a more costly test and evaluation budget. As an integral participant in the development and testing of high technology aircraft and weapons systems, the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center’s (AFFTC) Advanced Data Acquisition and Processing Systems (ADAPS) development is bridging the gap between requirements and capability by distributing current system architectures to provide incremental performance upgrades in specific areas of need in lieu of entire system replacements. This paper will discuss the current real-time processing, distribution and display capability that exists at the AFFTC and the planned phased upgrade of this tightly coupled system to a more flexible and extensible distributed architecture that will be increasingly responsive to the dynamic nature of test and evaluation of modern weapons systems and weapons systems platforms.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Gulf Range Drone Control Upgrade System (GRDCUS) Mobile Control System (GMCS) is an integral part of the test ranges located on the Gulf of Mexico. This paper begins with a brief overview of the current Gulf Range systems. These systems consist of five major components: ground stations, ground computer systems, data link/transponders, consoles, and software. The GMCS van contains many of these components to provide a stand-alone range capability for remote operations. This paper describes the development and assembly of the GMCS van and focuses on the on-board computer systems, consoles, and data link technology. An overall system engineering approach was used during GMCS development and is highlighted through the use of rapid prototyping. This methodology and the lessons learned are presented in the paper. Suggestions for future applications are considered.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 22-25, 1984 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Software for real-time (time critical) control applications has been shown in military and industry studies to be a very expensive type of software effort. This type of software is not typically addressed in discussions of software architecture design methods and techniques, therefore the software engineer is usually left with a sparse design “tool kit” when confronted with overall system design involving time critical and/or control problems. This paper outlines the successful application of data flow and transaction analysis design methods to achieve a structured yet flexible software architecture for a fairly complex antenna controller used in automatic tracking antenna systems. Interesting adaptations of, and variations on, techniques described in the literature are discussed; as are issues of modularity, coupling, morphology, global data handling, and evolution (maintenance). Both positive and negative aspects of this choice of design method are outlined, and the importance of a capable real-time executive and conditional compilation and assembly is stressed.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Over the last 3 years the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, MD, has been in the process of developing a link between its secure Manned Flight Simulator (MFS) and Real Time Processing System (RTPS) facilities. The MFS hosts a wide variety of high fidelity fixed and rotary wing aircraft simulation models. The RTPS is used as a telemetry ground station for conduct of Navy flight testing at Patuxent River MD. The ability to integrate simulation with flight testing in a real time environment provides new potential for increased flight safety, enhanced engineering training, optimized flight test planning, real time simulation fidelity assessments, improved engineering analysis and other applications for enhanced flight testing, data analysis and data processing. A prototype system has been successfully designed and operated at NAWCAD in support of an F/A-18C flight test project which required simultaneous merging and display of real time and simulation data to reduce the risk of departure from controlled flight. As currently designed the link (encryption and decryption gear in the loop) can be operated in three modes: (1) Simulation sending data to RTPS (e.g. pilot-engineer pre-first flight preparation/training scenario, (2) simulation is driven by real aircraft control surface inputs and response is compared with that of the real aircraft for simulation fidelity assessments and (3) simulation "rides along" with the real aircraft and data are extracted from the simulation which are otherwise unavailable from the aircraft (e.g. flight control law interconnect signals, control law feedback signals, aerodynamic data, propulsion model data, avionics model data, other model data etc.). This paper discusses, design and implementation aspects of the RTPS-Simulator link, and includes a description of how the link was used to support a real time flight test program by providing critical safety of flight data. Other potential uses for the link will also be highlighted.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 23-26, 2000 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / This paper describes a PC-based Advanced Telemetry Processing and Display System (ATPDS)- a highend, real-time telemetry processing and display system implemented on a COTS PC platform. for A network-centric architecture was chosen from candidate architectures as the most viable for the ATPDS. The network-centric architecture is Windows NT-based, client/server based, supporting clients and servers on both local or remote PC workstations. The architecture supports distributing processing loads across multiple workstations, optimizing mission processing requirements. The advantage of this system is its flexibility and expandability with low acquisition and life-cycle support costs. The ATPDS allows the user to configure one or more small systems into a larger high-end system based on varying mission requirements.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 23-26, 2000 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / There are two basic approaches to developing data acquisition systems. The first is to buy or develop acquisition hardware and to then write software to input, identify, and distribute the data for processing, display, storage, and output to a network. The second is to design a system that handles some or all of these tasks in hardware instead of software. This paper describes the differences between software-driven and hardware-driven system architectures as applied to real-time data acquisition systems. In explaining the characteristics of a hardware-driven system, a high-performance real-time bus system architecture developed by L-3 will be used as an example. This architecture removes the bottlenecks and unpredictability that can plague software-driven systems when applied to complex real-time data acquisition applications. It does this by handling the input, identification, routing, and distribution of acquired data without software intervention.