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Efficient and Robust Data Collection Using Compact Micro Hardware, Distributed Bus Architectures and Optimizing SoftwareFuture In-Space propulsion systems for exploration programs will invariably require data collection from a large number of sensors. Consider the sensors needed for monitoring several vehicle systems states of health, including the collection of structural health data, over a large area. This would include the fuel tanks, habitat structure, and science containment of systems required for Lunar, Mars, or deep space exploration. Such a system would consist of several hundred or even thousands of sensors. Conventional avionics system design will require these sensors to be connected to a few Remote Health Units (RHU), which are connected to robust, micro flight computers through a serial bus. This results in a large mass of cabling and unacceptable weight. This paper first gives a survey of several techniques that may reduce the cabling mass for sensors. These techniques can be categorized into four classes: power line communication, serial sensor buses, compound serial buses, and wireless network. The power line communication approach uses the power line to carry both power and data, so that the conventional data lines can be eliminated. The serial sensor bus approach reduces most of the cabling by connecting all the sensors with a single (or redundant) serial bus. Many standard buses for industrial control and sensor buses can support several hundreds of nodes, however, have not been space qualified. Conventional avionics serial buses such as the Mil-Std-1553B bus and IEEE 1394a are space qualified but can support only a limited number of nodes. The third approach is to combine avionics buses to increase their addressability. The reliability, EMI/EMC, and flight qualification issues of wireless networks have to be addressed. Several wireless networks such as the IEEE 802.11 and Ultra Wide Band are surveyed in this paper. The placement of sensors can also affect cable mass. Excessive sensors increase the number of cables unnecessarily. Insufficient number of sensors may not provide adequate coverage of the system. This paper also discusses an optimal technique to place and validate sensors.
Document ID
20070023745
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Chau, Savio
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Vatan, Farrokh
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Randolph, Vincent
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Baroth, Edmund C.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
July 9, 2006
Subject Category
Avionics And Aircraft Instrumentation
Meeting Information
Meeting: 42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit
Location: Sacramento, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: July 9, 2006
End Date: July 12, 2006
Sponsors: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society for Electrical Engineers, American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
micro hardware
disributed bus hardware
sensor validation

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