Data Transfer Control Research Articles

An All Digital Automated Wind Measurement System

In addition to supplying basic meteorological information, vectored wind velocity measurements are essential to the analysis of small caliber ballistic trajectories, optical wave propagation in the lower atmosphere, and wind shears and vorticies. Conventional electromechanical methods, using velocity-to-direct current converters, are often unsatisfactory when integrated into a multisensor array over long path lengths. An all digital system capable of operating as an array over long path lengths has been developed. The system is totally automated. Using complementary metal oxidized semiconductors (CMOS) signal processing remote data acquisition stations, operated under microprocessor control, reliable and accurate asynchronous data transfer has been obtained.

Standardized Modular Instrumentation System for Space Scientific Instruments

A standardized instrument modular system is being developed for scientific space instrument application. The system is similar in concept to NIM/CAMAC. Programmable analog and digital functional blocks are contained within hybrid nodes. Up to twelve of these nodes of any desired mix are mounted on standard modules which, in turn, are housed in a modified CAMAC crate. A station control on each module allows access of CAMAC control functions and/or data transfers from the dataway into each node. CAMAC protocol is used in the crate controller and branch driver. A micro-computer controls data handling and spacecraft command and telemetry interfaces.

A Digital Control Laboratory

A laboratory facility is described that provides for the experimental study of digital control systems. The activities of the laboratory are designed to permit experiments in data conversion, data acquisition, hybrid system simulation, computer control of typical physical processes, and binary and decimal data transfer between a digital computer and peripheral equipment. The main facility of the laboratory is a PDP-8 computer, a small general-purpose computer. The laboratory program is part of an educational program in the study of discrete systems and computer control system. This program is also briefly described.