International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Advanced Airborne Test Instrumentation System (AATIS) was developed by the Air Force to satisfy its flight-test mission needs through the 1990s. The Common Airborne Instrumentation System (CAIS) is a tri-service development aimed at providing a common airborne data acquisition system for all DoD flight-test programs into the next century. Both AATIS and CAIS include ground support equipment which performs the primary functions of documenting the instrumentation system, generating and loading the telemetry data formats, and performing instrumentation system diagnostics. The AATIS and CAIS ground systems will each support both the AATIS and the CAIS airborne systems. The AATIS ground system also supports the older ATIS airborne systems. The approach taken by the two ground support systems is similar but the scope of functionality is larger in the AATIS ground system because it needed to respond to the more extensive ground support requirements of the Air Force users. This paper provides a brief description of both ground systems and discusses the issues of commonality and interoperability.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The purpose of this paper is to present a broad view of the impact of network architectures on future data acquisition systems. The major advantages and challenges associated with the use of network architectures are rooted in the packetized structure of the data. Many of the issues raised are subtle and complex. It is not the intent of this paper to give these issues the thorough academic and technical analysis they deserve. It is the hope of the authors this paper will generate awareness and discussion on these issues.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / A PC-based space channel error simulator that includes differing forward and return data links, independent statistical characterization of the data links, and link propagation delay has been developed. The LabVIEW programming language has been used to configure this containing all of the error generation and processing in software. The simulator is used for testing networking protocols in a simulated space channel environment and can be used for other types of channels as well. This paper describes the design goals, hardware configuration, software, and testing of the simulator. This technique allows for rapid development and validation of the simulator.

No description available.

This thesis reviews the applications of Kalman filtering estimation to the problem of target tracking. Both linear and nonlinear forms of Kalman filter are reviewed and models of target manoeuvre discussed. Manoeuvre adaptation schemes are examined to detect the onset and completion of manoeuvres. Target manoeuvre coordinates are also examined and a new target model proposed which significantly improves tracking performance. The new model includes turn rate estimation. The real-time implementation of tracking Kalman filters is also studied both for a simple processor and a multiple processor architecture. Tracking algorithms are coded in Parallel C and evaluated for speed and efficiency

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1989 / Town & Country Hotel & Convention Center, San Diego, California / This paper describes the changes in signal conditioning techniques used on flight test programs in recent years. Improved sensors require improved signal conditioning. Advanced distributed data acquisition systems, used on major flight test programs, move the signal conditioning closer to the sensor for improved performance and reduced wiring throughout the vehicle. These distributed systems use digital communication between the master controller and the remote conditioning units for improved accuracy and noise immunity. This requires sample- and-hold amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, and serial encoder/decoders to be located at the signal conditioning location. The changes in signal conditioning designs are driven by the sensors, the architecture of the data acquisition systems, and by vehicle designs (smaller aircraft, smaller missiles, composite structures, and hypervelocity vehicles). A look at the signal conditioning technology employed in many of these systems as well as what is anticipated in the future is described in this paper.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Video compression is typically required to solve the bandwidth problems related to the transmission of instrumentation video. The use of color systems typically results in bandwidth requirements beyond the capabilities of current receiving and recording equipment. The HORACE specification, IRIG-210, was introduced as an attempt to provide standardization between government test ranges. The specification provides for video compression in order to alleviate the bandwidth problems associated with instrumentation video and is intended to assure compatibility, data quality, and performance of instrumentation video systems. This paper provides an overview of compression methods available for instrumentation video and summarizes the benefits of each method and the problems associated with different compression methods when utilized for instrumentation video. The affects of increased data link bit error rates are also discussed for each compression method. This paper also includes a synopsis of the current HORACE specification, a proposed Vector HORACE specification for color images and hardware being developed to meet both specifications.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Instrumentation antennas installed on missiles and airborne targets are required to be tested and certified prior to flight. The antenna coupler is a means of certifying that the antenna is in proper working condition prior to deployment, as damage to the antennas may have occurred during transportation or installation. This coupler also provides a low cost means to evaluate and monitor the antenna throughout the various stages of design and assembly. These antennas can contain arrays for telemetry, beacon tracking, global positioning systems and flight termination. A failure by any one of these arrays could result in the loss of data or improper operation of the flight vehicle. Description of the design and function of antenna couplers will be discussed.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Instrumentation and Telemetry Departments at Sandia National Laboratories have been instrumenting earth penetrators for over thirty years. Recorded acceleration data is used to quantify penetrator performance. Penetrator testing has become more difficult as desired impact velocities have increased. This results in the need for small-scale test vehicles and miniature instrumentation. A miniature recorder will allow penetrator diameters to significantly decrease, opening the window of testable parameters. Full-scale test vehicles will also benefit from miniature recorders by using a less intrusive system to instrument internal arming, fusing, and firing components. This single channel concept is the latest design in an ongoing effort to miniaturize the size and reduce the power requirement of acceleration instrumentation. A micro-controller/memory based system provides the data acquisition, signal conditioning, power regulation, and data storage. This architecture allows the recorder, including both sensor and electronics, to occupy a volume of less than 1.5 cubic inches, draw less than 200mW of power, and record 15kHz data up to 40,000 gs. This paper will describe the development and operation of this miniature acceleration recorder. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC04- 94Al85000."

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The times that we live in offers the most advanced pace of technology development ever known to the world, and it is getting faster. A large part of commercial computer technology development is based on increased size and decreased cost of memory devices, from which the instrumentation community can derive great benefit through the development of solid state systems. The procurement cost of new solid state systems utilizing increased memory capability makes the temptation to move to this technology unavoidable. There are, however, some issues that need to be discussed which go beyond procurement costs and involve operational and life cycle considerations.