Signal Arrival Time Research Articles

An Approach to Calculate Source Locations for Thicker Plates when Acoustic Emission Signals are Dominated by Trailing Waves

In many acoustic emission (AE) applications, signal arrival times from an array of sensors are coupled with an appropriate velocity to calculate the source location of AE events. To date, the AE signals present in these applications are Lamb and/or Rayleigh waves. In a previous publication [1], finite element modeled (FEM) AE signals in thicker plates were dominated by trailing wave (TW) packets, when no Rayleigh wave was present. The typical character of the TW dominated signals was described as a spaced-in-time train of short-in-time wave packets. Further, it was pointed out, that when TW dominate the signals, it is not clear how arrival times for source location calculations might be obtained along with an appropriate propagation velocity. The goal of this work is to develop a source location approach for cases of dominant TWs in the AE signals in thicker plates. The FEM-signal database from the previous publication was used for this study. The database consisted of in-plane dipole sources at five different depths and four different steel plate thicknesses (50, 75, 100 and 125 mm). Bottom-surface out-of-plane displacement signals versus time for propagation distances from 250 to 1500 mm were examined. The FEM signals were frequency filtered to examine a broadband case of 80 to 500 kHz and a narrowband case of 100 to 300 kHz. To study the potential source location accuracy, a total of seven four-sensor arrays were employed. The study results describe a process to select appropriate arrival times and obtain a propagation “velocity.” This information was used to calculate source locations for the sensor arrays. The location errors were shown to be less than the plate thickness.

Quasi-likelihood estimation of the arrival time of an ultra-wideband quasi-radio signal with unknown amplitude and initial phase

The problem of estimating the time of arrival of a signal is relevant in the fields of radio and hydrolocation, radio astronomy, remote observation and sensing, etc. The useful signal is often described by a quasi-deterministic function of time, which can be regular or discontinuous. In recent years, problems of processing ultra-wideband signals have been of significant interest. Among the many UWB signals, it is customary to distinguish a separate class of ultra-wideband quasi-radio signals, the structure of which is similar to the structure of narrowband radio signals, but the condition of relative narrowband for which may not be met. Algorithms for estimating the arrival time of regular ultra-wideband quasi-radio signals have been studied in the existing literature. In this case, the synthesis and analysis of an algorithm for quasi-plausible estimation of the arrival time of a discontinuous signal of finite duration and arbitrary shape is of practical interest. The purpose of the work is to synthesize and analyze a quasi-likelihood algorithm for estimating the time of arrival of a discontinuous ultra-wideband quasi-radio signal with an unknown amplitude and initial phase against a background of white Gaussian noise. In this work, closed asymptotically exact expressions for the bias and scattering of the estimate are obtained, which make it possible to study the effectiveness of the synthesized algorithm, as well as compare its effectiveness with special cases of signal models - narrowband and wideband radio and video signals. The results of the study make it possible to determine losses in the accuracy of estimation the signal arrival time due to a priori ignorance of the initial phase and shape of the modulating function of the signal. Depending on the required accuracy of estimate the time of arrival of an ultra-wideband quasi-radio signal, it is possible to optimize the parameters of the transmitted signals and determine the limits of applicability of the designed radio system.

THz-TDS transflection measurements as a process analyser for tablet mass

Tablet content and content uniformity are essential for the market release of the drug product. For tablets, content and uniformity are determined by the weight ratio of active pharmaceutical ingredient in the tablet and the tablets’ total mass. Novel process analytical technology tools for the control of the ratio of the active pharmaceutical ingredient have been proposed and implemented, but more robust, sensitive, and fast sensors for the control of tablet mass are desirable. In the presented study terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is proposed as a potential process analyser for tablet mass. THz-TDS is based on pulsed terahertz signals, which are mapped in the time-domain. Thus, the signal amplitude and arrival time are recorded. THz-TDS measurements of a tablet with a reflection setup result in two signals – a frontside reflection and a backside transflection. The presented study demonstrates that an increase in the tablet mass results in an increase in the time delay of the backside transflection. This is a result of the high refractive index of the solid fraction compared to air. It is suggested that the transflection can be used as an indirect measure of tablet mass for which root mean squared errors of around 1 mg were found. The potential to measure tablets at high acquisition rates (50 Hz) is explored and considered feasible. Additionally, it has been demonstrated in previous work that the time delay of the frontside reflection allows a simultaneous assessment of the tablet height. The presented methodology opens the possibility of in-line monitoring of tablet mass as part of a content and content uniformity strategy at high sampling rates in the production environment. Further, as tablet height and mass can be assessed simultaneously, monitoring and control of the compaction process based on a comprehensive assessment of physical tablet attributes can also be envisioned.

Optimization method for low-velocity impact identification in nanocomposite using genetic algorithm

Abstract Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) is prone to invisible damage caused by low-velocity impact (LVI) during service. The structural health monitoring system is of great significance for damage monitoring and maintenance of composite materials. In this study, four fiber Bragg grating sensors were employed to collect the time domain strain signals of composite materials subjected to LVIs. Furthermore, a numerical simulation model was established to rapidly obtain impact signal dataset. The signal arrival time, peak time, and peak amplitude were selected as signal features, and the backpropagation neural network was successfully applied to determine the location and energy of LVIs. To address the issue of peak feature extraction in the strain signal processing, a genetic algorithm-based sliding window peak detection optimization method was proposed, which significantly improved the final prediction accuracy. The experimental results indicated that within a position range of 300 mm × 300 mm, the average positioning error can reach 5.1 mm; and in an energy range of 0.5–1 J, the average energy prediction error can reach 0.030 J. The proposed method achieved accurate identification of the LVI location and energy for FRP.

The upgraded laser calibration system of the ICARUS experiment at FNAL

The calibration of the ICARUS photo-detection system employs a low power laser diode at 405 nm. The laser pulses are delivered in front of the 360 large area PMTs with a custom optical system, that has been recently upgraded to calibrate all of them in a single run, by replacing an optical switch with a custom optical splitter. The distribution of the PMTs’ signal arrival time has a distribution with a resolution better than 1 ns, thus allowing a good determination of the absolute event timing.

Acoustic emission source localization for complex structure with multi-holes based on heuristic adaptive pathfinding and gradient descent method

Space debris poses a safety hazard to the operation of spacecraft, and the study of impact localization for spacecraft structures is of significance for the timely discovery of the impact location and the safeguarding of spacecraft and personnel safety. However, existing studies have mainly focused on continuous structures, and discontinuous structures of spacecraft with portholes and orifice-containing valves have been understudied. Therefore, in this article, the shortest propagation path algorithm of the signal and the acoustic emission source localization method applicable to multi-holes discontinuities structures are proposed. After calculating the signal arrival time difference, the localization method calculates the shortest propagation path of Lamb wave in complex multi-holes structure by the heuristic adaptive path-finding algorithm, which calculates distance differences traveled by the signal propagation to each sensor. The heuristic adaptive path-finding algorithm first constructs a map set based on the geometrical features of the structure, after which it searches for each partial path in the final path by heuristic computation to identify the shortest signal propagation trajectory. The objective function is established based on the target structural characteristics and sensor position parameters, of which the parameters of the equations are optimized based on the new travel difference-of-distance values generated from the results of the heuristic adaptive pathfinding calculation. Finally, the acoustic emission source coordinates are updated with a gradient descent strategy, which has an average localization error of 0.956 cm in 252 experiments and can effectively realize the impact localization calculation of multi-holes complex structures.

Improving the Detection Effect of Long-Baseline Lightning Location Networks Using PCA and Waveform Cross-Correlation Methods

Ultra-long-distance and high-precision lightning location technology is an important means to realize low-cost and wide-area lightning detection. This paper carried out research on the high-precision location technology of very-low-frequency (VLF) lightning electromagnetic pulse based on the Asia-Pacific Lightning Location Network (APLLN) deployed in 2018. Two key technologies are proposed in this paper: one is the calculation method of signal arrival time using very-low-frequency lightning electromagnetic pulse waveform, and the other is the compression transmission technology of lightning electromagnetic pulse waveform based on a signal principal component analysis. The results of a comparison and evaluation of the improved APLLN with the ADTD system show that the APLLN has a relative location efficiency of 69.1% and an average location error within the network of 4.5 km.

Constant Fraction Discriminator for NA62 experiment at CERN

A new Constant Fraction Discriminator with additionalTime over Threshold measurement capabilities will be presented.It operates in a wide dynamic range of 1:150, with an excellent timeresolution of better than 70 psover one order of magnitude of the input signals.It is highly customizable for different signal shapes and thresholds,using remotely-programmableparameters for Detector Control System commands.Two outputs, each in the Nuclear Instrumentation Module and Low VoltageDifferentialSignaling standards,provide a precise signal arrival time and Time over Thresholdinformation with programmable thresholds.The technical specification and performance measured with cosmic rays and in thehigh-intensity NA62 experiment will be reported.

СИНТЕЗ АЛГОРИТМА ОЦЕНКИ ПАРАМЕТРОВ МНОГОПОЗИЦИОННОЙ СИСТЕМЫ НАБЛЮДЕНИЯ И ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ЭФФЕКТА РАСХОДИМОСТИ ПРОЦЕССА ФИЛЬТРАЦИИ

The accuracy of aircraft position measurements directly affects flight safety and is one of the most important tactical characteristics. The introduction of new advanced surveillance tools, such as multi-position surveillance systems (MLAT), can significantly increase the level of flight safety, as well as improve the efficiency of airspace use. The authors consider the task of improving the quality of MLAT functioning and increasing the accuracy of estimating the aircraft coordinates. The accuracy of position-fixing is determined by the error in measuring the time of signal arrival under the influence of noise and interference. Random disturbances must be taken into account to ensure high-quality MLAT operation. This is achieved by applying the methods of Kalman filtration theory. Therefore, to solve the problem of estimating the MLAT state variables, it is proposed to use a Kalman filter (KF). The effectiveness of using the Kalman filter depends on the adequacy of mathematical models and real processes. Model inaccuracies associated with the functioning of navigation systems lead to KF divergence. The paper presents the results of theoretical studies and simulating the MLAT functioning processes based on the implementation of the KF algorithm.

Design and performance of the Fermilab Constant Fraction Discriminator ASIC

We present the design and performance characterization results of the novel Fermilab Constant Fraction Discriminator ASIC (FCFD) developed to readout low gain avalanche detector (LGAD) signals by directly using a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) to measure signal arrival time. Silicon detectors with time resolutions less than 30ps will play a critical role in future collider experiments, and LGADs have been demonstrated to provide the required time resolution and radiation tolerance for many such applications. The FCFD has a specially designed discriminator that is robust against amplitude variations of the signal from the LGAD that normally requires an additional correction step when using a traditional leading edge discriminator. The application of the CFD directly in the ASIC promises to be more reliable and reduces the complication of evolving time-walk corrections throughout the operational lifetime of the detector system. We will present a summary of the measured performance of the FCFD for input signals generated by internal charge injection, LGAD signals from an infrared laser, and LGAD signals from minimum-ionizing particles. The mean time response for LGAD signals with charge ranging between 5 and 26 fC has been measured to vary no more than 10ps, orders of magnitude more stable than an uncorrected leading edge discriminator based measurement, and effectively removes the need for any additional time-walk correction. The measured contribution to the time resolution from the FCFD ASIC is found to be 10ps for signals with charge above 20fC.

A high-density, 129-channel time-to-digital converter in FPGA for trigger-less data acquisition systems

This paper presents a high-density,129-channel, dual-‘hit’ FPGA-based time-to-digital converter (TDC) developed to implement the trigger-less data acquisition (DAQ) system for the Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector of the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) experiment. In this trigger-less DAQ scheme, the arrival time of signals from all the detector channels, about 3.6 million channels in the case of the INO-ICAL experiment, is required to be measured. This work, therefore, aimed at the development of a low-power, high-density TDC with uniform performance across the channels in the low-cost Spartan-6 FPGA. This TDC is based on tapped delay line (TDL) interpolation technique built using CARRY4 elements of the FPGA in the Spartan-6 FPGA-based DAQ system. In this TDC, a method for measuring the time-of-arrival of both the rising edge and subsequent falling edge (dual-hit) using a single channel is developed, thus allowing pulse width measurements. Here, a resource and power-aware design methodology is developed to arrive at the optimum values of the total number of delay elements in the TDL and clock frequency, facilitating the implementation of a large number of identical TDC channels. Further, in order to meet the area and timing constraints of the high-density TDC, semi-automatic placement scripts are developed with careful partitioning of the TDC channels. These aspects resulted in an implementation of the TDC with a least significant bit (LSB) resolution of 84.4 ps ± 2.5 ps, a dynamic range of 40 μs, time precisions (σ) across the channels in the range of 42 ps (0.49 LSB) to 58 ps (0.68 LSB), differential nonlinearity (DNL) of ±0.5 LSB and integral nonlinearity (INL) of [-0.49,0.84] LSB with a low power consumption of 7 mW per channel.

Development of HOIS guidance for ultrasonic NDT for non-intrusive inspection at elevated temperatures

The non-intrusive inspection (NII) of pressure vessels using external in-service ultrasonic NDT has multiple advantages compared to internal visual inspection, including the significant reduction of down-time related costs and safety benefits from avoiding manentry into vessels. The HOIS joint industry project, with support from the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), has recently been focussing on NII of components with operating temperatures of up to 250°C (typical of upstream applications). These inspections are challenging because they require probes to be in contact with the hot surface much longer than for spot thickness measurements. The aim of the work has been to develop recommendations for in-service inspection of components at relatively high operating temperatures, thereby extending the benefits of the NII process, including avoiding or deferring internal visual inspection, to a wider range of vessels. Experimental trials have been performed on test components at up to ~250°C, with an emphasis on scanning ultrasonic systems used for corrosion mapping and weld inspection using TOFD and angled-beam phased-array (PA). The most successful trials gave corrosion mapping and TOFD weld examination results that had similar differences from benchmark values to those achieved in earlier ambient temperature trials. For angled-beam PA, it was found that some trials appeared to have issues with accurate correction of the data for the effects of the elevated component temperature on both the refracted beam angle and signal arrival times. Other trials were more successful in this respect. The lessons learned from trials on both ex-service and manufactured samples are leading to the development of specific guidance for NII at elevated temperatures. The paper highlights the technical challenges associated with ultrasonic scanning systems at elevated temperatures, share the lessons learned from the experimental trials and summarise the guidance developed.

Implementation of dynamic selective location in new radio communication services of the 5th generation based on the «vehicle connected to everything» technology

Problem statement. The principle of operation of dynamic selective positioning in fifth generation (5G) networks is especially relevant in the “vehicle connected to everything” (V2X) technology used in the automotive communication system, which includes types of communication that occur between one “vehicle” object and objects such as "infrastructure", "network", "pedestrian" or "device". To achieve high accuracy in V2X services, it is necessary to provide stable and uninterrupted connection, coverage with a minimum number of available communication points and wide bandwidth. Lack of line of sight is one of the major challenges in achieving accurate positioning in many locations, such as urban environments, tunnels, and underground parking lots. Today, the development of potential solutions to provide new users of the V2X service with high positioning accuracy is an urgent task for promising versions of the 5th generation mobile communication technology, which is being formed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) consortium. Target. Introduce a new selective positioning method based on the dispersion of adjacent signal arrival times for dynamic switching between RAT-dependent methods and GNSS positioning methods. Results. Promising solutions have been explored to provide NR V2X users with long-term and highly accurate positioning. A selective positioning method is shown to dynamically switch between GNSS and DL-TDOA measurements based on the location of V2X users and improve the accuracy of the collected measurements using a MAP-based criterion to evaluate performance gains by combining measurements from different technologies in services. NR V2X. The proposed hybrid methods were evaluated using system-level simulations, the results of which demonstrated that the proposed algorithms can achieve position errors ≤ 3 m with an availability of approximately 76% compared to the 51 and 58% availability obtained using only GNSS measurements. or DL-TDOA, respectively. It is shown that in order to improve the tail of the distribution of user positioning errors by more than 56%, it is necessary to apply the deployment of roadside communication units. Practical significance. The implementation of the selective positioning method based on the dispersion of adjacent times of signal arrivals makes it possible to improve the accuracy of determining the location of a moving object in networks built on the basis of V2X technology. Thus, the developed solution helps to ensure stable data transmission with minimal interference due to dynamic switching between different detection methods.

Signal processing to reduce dark noise impact in precision timing

We introduce a technique to mitigate the effects of low frequency noise on precision timing.The example of Dark Count Noise Rate (DCR) in Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) is emphasized.This technique exploits the correlation between time shifts onthe leading edge of a signal and the residual slope of the baseline (due to noise) which remainsafter baseline subtraction. In fast timing applications (such as for Time-of-flight particle ID) the signal arrival time is typically captured on the signal leading edge. The signal risetime is often fixed by the physics of the sensor and input circuit. Then accurate pulse timing can be achieved by correcting a leading edge threshold time (depending on a slope proportional to both the Amplitude and the risetime) to a “constant fraction” time. This compensation for time walk due to amplitude fluctuations breaks down once we introduce interference from low frequency noise on the leading edge. In this paper we demonstrate that an additional measurement of the slope at threshold can be used to correct for this noise jitter.

Robust TDOA-Based Indoor Localization Using Improved Clock-Sync-Scheme and Multilevel Constrained ARPF

The need for indoor positioning research is driven by the contradiction between the lack of satisfactory location information available indoors and the emergence of an increasing number of indoor location-based services. The ability of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to effectively estimate the signal arrival time and thereby obtain highly accurate ranging information makes it a research hotspot for indoor positioning systems. However, the scalability, user capacity, and ranging performance degradation under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions are challenges that hinder its wide application. To address these issues, this paper proposes an improved highly available indoor positioning system that uses time difference of arrival (TDOA)-based UWB. Within this system, a novel UWB wireless clock synchronization scheme was designed to reduce synchronization errors, improve ranging accuracy, reduce synchronization frequency, and allocate more channel time for positioning. To identify observations with NLOS errors and mitigate their effects on localization, this paper implements an adaptive robust particle filtering algorithm (ARPF) based on multiple robustness factors. The multi-level constrained ARPF considers information such as signal quality, historical observations, and floor map. In a real-world environment, the proposed method is tested using multiple forms of tag devices. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the general particle filter, cutting the relative error by about the half, especially in the worst badge tests.

Data-based localisation methods using simulated data with application to small-scale structures

Several methods to localise sources of vibrations have been established in the literature. A great amount of those methods are based on databases with features of known impact positions. Great effort needs to be put into highly expensive experiments that deliver those databases. In this paper, we propose several simulation techniques that may replace the expensive experiments for source localisation. The paper compares the localisation accuracy of simulated and experimental data for two different localisation approaches, the reference database method and neural networks. Both methods process signal arrival time differences from several positions on the structure. The methods are exemplarily applied to a complex small-scale structure from the automotive industry: The small dimensions of the brake disk hat and the inclusion of holes is a challenging task for the accuracy of the applied localisation techniques. Results show that simulated data can replace experimentally gained data well in case of the reference database method, whereas the neuronal networks approach should stick to experimentally gained data. The evaluations show that, despite the small dimension, the relative localisation accuracy is within accepted ranges of literature.

Monte Carlo modelling for elastic and Raman signals in oceanic LiDAR.

We investigate Raman returns in oceanic light detection and ranging (LiDAR), and explore the similarities and differences to conventional elastic returns. We show that Raman returns have much more complex behavior than elastic returns, which likely cannot be well matched by simple models, making Monte Carlo simulations essential. We investigate the correlation between the time of signal arrival and the depth of the Raman event, and find that a linear correlation only exists for judicious choice of system parameters.

Performance Comparison of ToA and TDOA Based Tracking In Underwater Multipath Environments Using Bernoulli Filter

Abstract Underwater localization and tracking is a challenging problem and Time-of-Arrival and Time-Difference-of-Arrival approaches are commonly used. However, the performance difference between these approaches is not well understood or analysed adequately. There are some analytical studies for terrestrial applications with the assumption that the signal arrival times are not correlated. However, this assumption is not valid for underwater propagation. To present the distinct nature of the problem under the water, a high-fidelity simulation is required. In this study, Time-of-Arrival and Time-Difference-of-Arrival approaches are compared using a ray tracing based propagation model. Moreover, basic methods to mitigate the multipath propagation problem are also implemented for Bernoulli filters. Since the Bernoulli filter is a joint detection and tracking filter, the detection performance is also analysed. Comparisons are done for all combinations of filter and measurement approaches. The results can help to design underwater localization systems better suited to the needs.

Locating Partial Discharges in Power Transformers with Convolutional Iterative Filtering.

The most common source of transformer failure is in the insulation, and the most prevalent warning signal for insulation weakness is partial discharge (PD). Locating the positions of these partial discharges would help repair the transformer to prevent failures. This work investigates algorithms that could be deployed to locate the position of a PD event using data from ultra-high frequency (UHF) sensors inside the transformer. These algorithms typically proceed in two steps: first determining the signal arrival time, and then locating the position based on time differences. This paper reviews available methods for each task and then propose new algorithms: a convolutional iterative filter with thresholding (CIFT) to determine the signal arrival time and a reference table of travel times to resolve the source location. The effectiveness of these algorithms are tested with a set of laboratory-triggered PD events and two sets of simulated PD events inside transformers in production use. Tests show the new approach provides more accurate locations than the best-known data analysis algorithms, and the difference is particularly large, 3.7X, when the signal sources are far from sensors.

Performance of a resistive micro-well detector with capacitive-sharing strip anode readout

The present study is carried out to demonstrate a new type of high-performance readout structure with low readout channel count developed for large-area micro pattern gaseous detectors. The structure exploits capacitive coupling between a vertical stack of 5 μ m thick copper pad layers sandwiched between 50 μ m thick polyimide foils to simultaneously transfer and spread the avalanche charges from the gaseous detector’s amplification structure to several strips or pads in the anode readout plane. The unique feature of the lateral spread of the avalanche charge size on several readout strips or pads is possible owing to well-defined configuration and sizes of the pads in layers of the vertical stack. This is known as a “capacitive-sharing” readout structure and this opens the door for high spatial resolution performance with low readout channel counts for large-area Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors. Capacitive-sharing readout structures are fabricated using standard printed circuits boards manufacturing process. The concept is highly versatile as it can easily be implemented in any type of Micro Pattern Gaseous Detector’s amplification structure (Gas Electron Multipliers, micro-mesh gaseous structures, resistive micro-well detectors) and with a wide range of readout patterns (pads, strips, zigzags etc.). The technology also has a high degree of flexibility in terms of readout segmentation (pads or strip) pitch, with minimum impact on spatial resolution performances. The present study provides a detailed description of the capacitive-sharing readout concept and discusses a small resistive micro-well detectors prototype assembled with a two-dimensional capacitive-sharing strip readout structure as a proof of concept and with strip pitch of 800 μ m in both X and Y direction. The prototype was characterized in electron beam in the Hall D Beam Test setup at Jefferson Lab and a spatial resolution of (60 ± 1) μ m was achieved for both X and Y strips with an efficiency of (98.0 ± 0.9) % at the plateau and a signal arrival time jitter between neighboring strips less (6.00 ± 0.04) ns. Finally, we explore new ideas to expand the concept of capacitive-sharing readout structures to large particle detectors for future large scale particle physics experiments.