International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The Telemetry Data Center (TDC) at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is now beginning to modernize its existing telemetry data processing system. Modern networking and interactive graphical displays are now being introduced. This infusion of modern technology will allow the TDC to provide our customers with enhanced data processing and display capability. The intent of this project is to outline this undertaking.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Over the last several years, the Data Systems Technology Division (DSTD) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has developed software tools to generate simulated spacecraft data to support the development, test, and verification of prototype and production of its Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) telemetry data systems. Recently, these data simulation tools have demonstrated their versatility and flexibility in the testing and deployment of several very high performance Level Zero Processing (LZP) systems. Because LZP involves the wide scale reordering of transmitted telemetry data, the data simulation tools were required to create a number of very large and complex simulated data sets to effectively test these high rate systems. These data sets simulated spacecraft with numerous instrument data sources downlinking out-of-sequence and errored data streams. Simulated data streams were encapsulated in Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) packet and NASCOM data formats. The knowledge and expertise gained in the development of the current simulation tools has been used to develop a new generation data simulation tool, known as the Simulated Telemetry Generation (STGEN) package. STGEN is a menu driven software package running on UNIX platforms that can implement dynamic test scenarios with very fast turn around times from the data set design to the data set generation. The error options and locations in the telemetry data stream are fed via simple programs which are in turn script-driven. Scripts are used to manipulate packets, frames, and permit error insertion more easily and quickly. This paper first describes the STGEN software package and its test data design strategies. It then provides an example of STGEN 's first usage in the testing of systems to support EOS-AM spacecraft. Finally, a description of future planned improvements and uses of STGEN are provided.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Half inch Super VHS (S-VHS) tape is an exceptional media for recording telemetry instrumentation data. Due to high volume mass production for the commercial and industrial video markets, high quality S-VHS media is available at a low cost. Advances in head technology as well as data path electronics contribute to increased data densities recorded on this media. Present system capabilities of 50,000 bits per inch will soon be replaced with newer technology systems that will record at linear densities up to 100,000 bits per inch.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Telemetry Data Distribution System (TDDS) solves the need to record, archive, and distribute sounding rocket and satellite data on a compact, user-friendly medium, such as CD-Recordable discs. The TDDS also archives telemetry data on floppy disks, nine-track tapes, and magneto-optical disc cartridges. The PC-based, semi-automated, TDDS digitizes, time stamps, formats, and archives frequency modulated (FM) or pulse code modulated (PCM) telemetry data. An analog tape or a real-time signal may provide the telemetry data source. The TDDS accepts IRIG A, B, G, H, and NASA 36 analog code sources for time stamp data. The output time tag includes time, frame, and subframe status information. Telemetry data may be time stamped based upon a user-specified number of frames, subframes, or words. Once recorded, the TDDS performs data quality testing, formatting, and validation and logs the results automatically. Telemetry data is quality checked to ensure a good analog source track was selected. Raw telemetry data is formatted by dividing the data into records and appending header information. The formatted telemetry data is validated by checking consecutive time tags and subframe identification counter values (if applicable) to identify data drop-outs. After validation, the TDDS archives the formatted data to any of the following media types: CD-Recordable (CD-R) Disc (650 megabytes capacity); nine track tape (180 megabytes capacity); and erasable optical disc (499 megabytes capacity). Additionally, previously archived science data may be re-formatted and archived to a different output media.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1994 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / As modern weapons grow more sophisticated and capable of operating autonomously, the challenge of testing these weapons has also grown more complex. Seekers may be multispectral and must be able to overcome threat countermeasures. To effectively analyze the performance of these weapons, time-correlated test data must be efficiently, simultaneously acquired from both the weapons' internal busses and from the threat countermeasures' internal communication busses, often in a "live fire" environment. The test data must be transmitted to a central processing station where test personnel may immediately analyze the performance of the weapon with the assistance of scientific visualization techniques. In addition, the data must be captured on permanent media for future playback and more detailed analysis. One solution is to link the test article, threat countermeasures and other test support resources through an Integrated Telemetry System (ITS). Instrumentation to acquire high-speed test data is installed in data collection vans that are remotely located in the vicinity of the article under test or in the vicinity of the threat countermeasures systems or test support resources. The remote vans will be interconnected and linked to a control van which provides a centralized test control and monitoring point. Remote Data Formatter (RDF) instrumentation units, located in the remote vans, can acquire data from and control seekers, sensors, emission sources or other equipment located in or near the remote vans. The RDF units can also format the data for transmission to the control van via either fiber optic or microwave radio links. The data transmitted from multiple remote vans is received by Real-time Data Processing System (RTPS) units located in the control van for merging, processing and recording. Some of the processed data can be transferred to a Host Processing System (HPS) where it can be displayed on color graphic workstations. The control van's HPS workstations provide user-friendly displays and menus for test setup and control. Both the remote and control vans are equipped with secure digital communication systems capable of supporting compressed digital video, audio, high-speed instrumentation data and an Ethernet computer network.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / With the advent of high-speed parallel-to-serial conversion interface standards reaching the 1.6 gigabit per second region, it is now possible to remote entire telemetry tracking systems over long distances without the need to maintain receivers, combiners, computers and antenna control units at the pedestal. In addition, it will soon be possible to digitize the RF signal(s) with high-speed flash-video analog-to-digital converters and transfer the data over these same links. This coupled with the improvements in fiber-optic L.E.D. and laser transmitters/ receivers and the constantly decreasing cost of fiber-optic cable, will allow for the eventual elimination of copper cabling for these interfaces. This will net a cost savings for the end user, provide for easier installations and increase the reliability of the overall system. This paper gives a brief history of the development of high-speed fiber-optic interface links, then expands into current interface standards and their utilization (such as MIL-STD-1553B, fiber data distributed interface (FDDI), HIPPI, etc.). Finally, a glimpse into the future of telemetry systems and the possibilities to soon be realized as major manufacturers of fiber-optic interfaces push well into the gigabit region. Topics include: • Replacement of existing copper cables between controller and pedestal using fiber-optic cable with interfaces that are not software-based intensive (black boxes); • Multiplexing pedestal control and status lines, RF feed commands, scan reference signals, and boresite video camera control; • Connecting and controlling multiple controllers and/or pedestals through one common interface cable; • Operating multiple tracking stations through one remote antenna controller; • Digitized RF telemetry signals sent along with pedestal, feed, video commands and status.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The X-33 program requires the use of multiple telemetry ground stations to provide continuous coverage of the launch, ascent, re-entry and approach phases for flights from Edwards AFB, California, to landings at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, and Malmstrom AFB, Montana. This paper will discuss the X-33 telemetry requirements and design, including information on the fixed and mobile telemetry systems, automated best source selection system, processing/display support for range safety officers (RSO) and range engineers, and comparison of real-time data with simulated data using the Dynamic Ground Station Analysis model. Due to the use of multiple ground stations and short duration flights, the goal throughout the X-33 missions is to automatically provide the best telemetry source for critical vehicle performance monitoring. The X-33 program was initiated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Cooperative Agreement No. NCC8-115 with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (LMSW).

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1988 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / By making use of NC212-200 commuter aircraft as an airborne container, the ADReS, a short for airborne data relay system, had been configured and tested in an experimental status during the year of 1987. A kind of test on EMC, EMI, RFI and telemetry data link were applied to the system. Prior to the IPTN's flight test program in the year of 1988 - 1992, the ADReS is designed not only to receive and to relay the data, but also planed to be able to process the data for quick data analysis purposes on board. This paper describes the ADReS system concept and its experimental status system - the Phase One system configuration.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Telemetry Definition and Processing (TDAP II) application is a PC-based software tool that meets the varied needs - both now and into the 21st century - of instrumentation engineers, data analysts, test engineers, and project personnel in the Test and Evaluation (T&E) community. TDAP II uses state-of-the-art commercial software technology that includes a Microsoft Access 97Ô database and a Microsoft Visual BasicÔ Graphical User Interface (GUI) for users to view and navigate the database. Developed by the Test and Analysis Division of the 96th Communications Group for the tenants of the Air Armament Center (AAC), Eglin AFB Florida, TDAP II provides a centralized repository for both aircraft and weapons instrumentation descriptions and telemetry EU conversion calibrations. Operating in a client/server environment, TDAP II can be effectively used on a small or large network as well as on both a classified or unclassified Intranet or Internet. This paper describes the components and design of this application, along with its operational flexibility and varied uses resulting from the chosen commercial software technology.