ITC/USA 2006 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Second Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 23-26, 2006 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / In most current PCM based telemetry systems, an instrumentation engineer manually creates the sampling format. This time consuming and tedious process typically involves manually placing each measurement into the format at the proper sampling rate. The telemetry industry is now moving towards Ethernet-based systems comprised of multiple autonomous data acquisition units, which share a single global time source. The architecture of these network systems greatly simplifies the task of implementing an automatic format generator. Automatic format generation eliminates much of the effort required to create a sampling format because the instrumentation engineer only has to specify the desired sampling rate for each measurement. The system handles the task of organizing the format to comply with the specified sampling rates. This paper examines the issues involved in designing an automatic format generator for a network data acquisition system.

ITC/USA 2005 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2005 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The adoption of commercial off the shelf networks, such as Ethernet, FireWire and FibreChannel, within the avionics community has dramatically changed the architecture of avionics busses and instrumentation networks. Higher bandwidth links and unified interconnects simplify existing infrastructure and wiring. But due to their point-to-point nature, networking topologies are fundamentally different from systems built on legacy bus technologies such as CAIS and MIL-STD-1553. Switched networks and ring topologies pose various challenges for the implementation of network monitoring hardware, and affect the design of bus monitors and distributed data acquisition systems. This paper discusses some of these issues. In particular we address deployment issues, architectural choices such as pass-through versus tap approach, as well as handling of bandwidth requirements and complex communication protocols. We illustrate on the basis of a FireWire monitoring system how these obstacles have been overcome for one given application.

Afrikaans text / In hierdie studie is die ontwikkeling van 'n meetmiddel vir die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid ondersoek. Relevante literatuur is bestudeer om duidelikheid te verkry oor die begrip mondelinge taalvaardigheid en die belangrikheid daarvan as sleutel tot kommunikasie, oor die probleme random mondelinge taalvaardigheid, die onderrig daarvan, die evaluering daarvan en die probleme wat met die evaluering daarvan verband hou. Die vereistes waaraan meting in die algemeen en die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid in die besonder moet voldoen, asook die faktore wat dit kan bel'..nvloed, is ondersoek. Van die bestaande toetse en metodes vir die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid is ontleed. 'n Alternatiewe model vir die ontwikkeling van 'n toets of metode wat die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid so geldig en betroubaar moontlik behoort te maak, is ontleed. Die probleme wat met so 'n evalueringsmetode gepaard sou gaan, is ontleed en moontlike oplossings daarvoor is gevind. Riglyne vir die ontwikkeling en die standaardisering van toetse in die algemeen en van mondelinge taalvaardigheid in die besonder is verkry. Onderwerpe waaruit 'n toets vir die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid in Afrikaans saamgestel kon word, is geskryf, gekeur en volgens spesifieke voorskrifte eksperimenteel uitgetoets. Die mondelinge taaluitinge is op klankkasset opgeneem en volgens vaste riglyne geevalueer. Statistiese verwerkings is uitgevoer en op grand van die verkree resultate is agt toetsvorms saamgestel. Een van die toetsvorms is saam met 'n ongestandaardiseerde mondelinge taalvaardigheidstoets en 'n objektiewe taaltoets, wat as kriteria vir die geldigheidsbepaling daarvan moes dien, in die praktyk toegepas. Dieselfde vorm is daarna saam met 'n tweede vorm van die toets toegepas om ook die geldigheid daarvan te bepaal. Na aanleiding van die empiriese gegewens is gevolgtrekkings oor die geldigheid en ander statlstiese eienskappe van die toets gemaak. Op grand daarvan is spesifieke aanbevelings oor die gebruik van die toets as model vir die evaluering van mondelinge taalvaardigheid gemaak. / In this study the development of a measuring instrument for the evaluation of oral language proficiency was investigated. Relevant literature was studied to reach a better understanding of the term oral language proficiency and in particular, its relevance to effective communication, the problems underlying oral language proficiency, the teaching thereof and the problems inherent in its evaluation. The requirements for a measuring instrument in general, and for the evaluation of oral language proficiency in particular, and the factors which influence such measurement were also investigated. A number of existing tests and methods for the evaluation of oral language proficiency were analysed. An alternative model for the development of a method to improve reliability and validity in the evaluation of oral language proficiency was examined. The problems connected to such a method were analysed and possible solutions were suggested. Guide-lines for the development and standardization of tests in general, and of oral language proficiency tests in particular, were recommended. Suitable topics for inclusion in a test for the evaluation of oral language proficiency in Afrikaans were compiled, selected and applied on an experimental basis according to specified directions. The oral responses of the testees were recorded on sound cassettes and evaluated according to specified directions. Statistical calculations were executed and on the basis of the results, eight test forms were finalized. One of the test forms, together with a non-standardized oral language proficiency test and a standardized objective language proficiency test which served as criteria for the determination of the validity of the test, was applied officially. The same test form, together with a second form of the test, was subsequently applied to a different group of testees in order to determine the validity of the second test form as well. On the basis of the empirical data, conclusions about the validity and other statistical characteristics of the test could be made. This in turn led to specific recommendations concerning the use of the test to serve as a model for the evaluation of oral language proficiency. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Empiriese Opvoedkunde)

ITC/USA 2010 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Sixth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 25-28, 2010 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / Network switches are an integral part of most network-based data acquisition systems. Switches fall into the category of network infrastructure. They support the interconnection of nodes and the movement of data in the overall network. Unlike endpoints such as data acquisition units, recorders, and display modules, switches do not collect, store or process data. They are a necessary expense required to build the network. The goal of this paper is to show how a small integrated network switch can be used to maximize the value proposition of a given switch port in the network. This can be accomplished by maximizing the bandwidth utilization of individual network segments and minimizing the necessary wiring needed to connect all the network components.

ITC/USA 2009 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fifth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2009 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Configuring a modern, high-performance data acquisition system is typically a very timeconsuming and complex process. Any enhancement to the data acquisition setup software that can reduce the amount of time needed to configure the system is extremely useful. Automatic format generation is one of the most useful enhancements to a data acquisition setup application. By using Automatic Format Generation, an instrumentation engineer can significantly reduce the amount of time that is spent configuring the system while simultaneously gaining much greater flexibility in creating sampling formats. This paper discusses several techniques that can be used to generate sampling formats automatically while making highly efficient use of the system's bandwidth. This allows the user to obtain most of the benefits of a hand-tuned, manually created format without spending excessive time creating it. One of the primary techniques that this paper discusses is an enhancement to the commonly used power-of-two rule, for selecting sampling rates. This allows the system to create formats that use a wider variety of rates. The system is also able to handle groups of related measurements that must follow each other sequentially in the sampling format. This paper will also cover a packet based formatting scheme that organizes measurements based on common sampling rates. Each packet contains a set of measurements that are sampled at a particular rate. A key benefit of using an automatic format generation system with this format is the optimization of sampling rates that are used to achieve the best possible match for each measurement's desired sampling rate.

ITC/USA 2009 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fifth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2009 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / In principle, the requirements for a flight test data acquisition system for space testing (launch vehicles, orbiters, satellites and International Space Station (ISS) installations) are very similar to those for more earth-bound applications. In practice, there are important environmental and operational differences that present challenges for both users and vendors of flight test equipment. Environmental issues include the severe vibration and shock experienced on take-off, followed by a very sharp thermal shock, culminating (for orbital vehicles) in a low temperature, low pressure, high radiation operating environment. Operational issues can include the need to dynamically adapt to changing configurations (for example when an instrumented stage is released) and the difficulty in Telemetering data during the initial launch stage from a vehicle that may not be recoverable, and therefore does not offer the option of an on-board recorder. Addressing these challenges requires simple, rugged and flexible solutions. Traditionally these solutions have been bespoke, specifically designed equipment. In an increasingly cost-conscious environment engineers are now looking to commercial off-the-shelf solutions. This paper discusses these solutions and highlights the issues that instrumentation engineers need to consider when designing or selecting flight test equipment.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / The majority of currently operating flight test programs around the world utilize PCM-based airborne instrumentation systems. Most instrumentation engineers are very comfortable with PCM-based data acquisition systems, and feel uncomfortable when talking about network implementations and the adoption of iNET. In order for these engineers to embrace this new technology, migrating from a PCM to network topology must be done in an evolutionary manner that provides for the preservation of capital investment while introducing new system concepts that enhance current instrumentation systems. This paper describes hardware components that enable instrumentation engineers to migrate their existing PCM-based instrumentation system to a network-based system. Several of these components are discussed to illustrate how they provide a controlled migration path to a network-based system. These components include time distribution, gateways, network data selectors, network switches, transmitters, transceivers, and recorders.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / The integrated Network Enhanced Telemetry (iNET) project established a test article standards working group to define open standards for network components and interfaces for test articles in the aeronautical test environment. Its aim is to utilize the growth of Internet technologies for telemetry networks and ensure interoperability among network devices. This paper describes the technology background and the current technology trades of an IP-based network paradigm used in producing standards for test article networks. Specifically, the paper will include descriptions of selected network technologies as applied to test data and time distribution within test articles.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / Unlike communications protocols that are bus-based or multi-drop (e.g., CAIS Bus, Fibre Channel, RS-485), Ethernet relies on a point-to-point connection topology. One reason for this approach is to allow network nodes to negotiate their individual mode of communication with the network, i.e., link speed and duplexity. The goals of this paper are twofold. The first goal is to describe the process of link negotiation between nodes. This will include some of the details of how two physical layer devices establish communication. The second goal is to show how networked data acquisition nodes are physically connected within the overall system.

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Industrial wireless sensor networks can be designed to meet the strict requirements of specific distributed applications. Emerging standards have enabled the development of low-cost, lowpower sensor nodes that are quickly becoming a commodity, enabling the realization of efficient and reliable data acquisition and telemetry in many systems. Moreover, new and exciting possibilities arise from the distributed computing power of the sensor nodes, the ability to monitor and aggregate data across large arrays of sensors, and the ability to model dynamic and rugged environments that were previously beyond the reach of traditional data acquisition and telemetry systems.