WorldWideScience

Sample records for low-cost microprocessor controlled

  1. A low cost, microprocessor-based battery charge controller

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pulfrey, D L; Hacker, J [Pulfrey Solar Inc., Vancouver, BC (Canada)

    1990-01-01

    This report describes the design, construction, testing, and evaluation of a microprocessor-based battery charge controller that uses charge integration as the method of battery state-of-charge estimation. The controller is intended for use in medium-size (100-1000W) photovoltaic systems that employ 12V lead-acid batteries for charge storage. The controller regulates the charge flow to the battery and operates in three, automatically-determined modes, namely: charge, equalize, and float. The prototype controller is modular in nature and can handle charge/discharge currents of magnitude up to 80A, depending on the number of circuit boards employed. Evaluation tests and field trials have shown the controller to be very accurate and reliable. Based on the cost of the prototype, it appears that an original equipment manufacturer's selling price of $400 for a 40A (500W) unit may be realistic. 18 figs., 2 tabs.

  2. Low cost design of microprocessor EDAC circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao Li; Yu Lixin; Peng Heping; Zhuang Wei

    2015-01-01

    An optimization method of error detection and correction (EDAC) circuit design is proposed. The method involves selecting or constructing EDAC codes of low cost hardware, associated with operation scheduling implementation based on 2-input XOR gates structure, and two actions for reducing hardware cells, which can reduce the delay penalties and area costs of the EDAC circuit effectively. The 32-bit EDAC circuit hardware implementation is selected to make a prototype, based on the 180 nm process. The delay penalties and area costs of the EDAC circuit are evaluated. Results show that the time penalty and area cost of the EDAC circuitries are affected with different parity-check matrices and different hardware implementation for the EDAC codes with the same capability of correction and detection code. This method can be used as a guide for low-cost radiation-hardened microprocessor EDAC circuit design and for more advanced technologies. (paper)

  3. Microprocessor Control Design for a Low-Head Crossflow Turbine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-03-01

    Controllers For a Typical 10 KW Hydroturbine ............ 1-5 I-1 Ely’s Crossflow Turbine . ........ 11-2 11-2 Basic Turbine * * 0 * 0 11-5 11-3 Turbine...the systems. For example, a 25 kilowatt hydroturbine built and installed by Bell Hydroelectric would cost approximately $20,000 in 1978 (6:49). The...O Manual Controller S2 E- Microprocessor Controller 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 YEARS Fig. 1-2 Comparative Costs of Controllers For a Typical 10 KW Hydroturbine

  4. Monitoring with new microprocessor cuts cost of control system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maehling, K L

    1985-08-01

    Programmable logic controllers (PLC) were originally developed as an alternative to relays, counters and timers for sequential and interlock control systems. They are now also used as part of distributive control systems which include diagnostic monitoring functions. The paper describes how a wiring scheme can be simplified and installation costs reduced by incorporating a newly-developed microprocessor-based monitoring device as an interface between remote devices and a PLC. An industrial application, the 400 tph coal handling facility at Bowater Southern Paper Co's mill in Calhoun, Tennessee, is considered. The control system design is outlined, the micro-monitor is described and the benefits of simplicity are stated in the paper.

  5. Microprocessor control of a wind turbine generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gnecco, A. J.; Whitehead, G. T.

    1978-01-01

    This paper describes a microprocessor based system used to control the unattended operation of a wind turbine generator. The turbine and its microcomputer system are fully described with special emphasis on the wide variety of tasks performed by the microprocessor for the safe and efficient operation of the turbine. The flexibility, cost and reliability of the microprocessor were major factors in its selection.

  6. A low-cost high-performance embedded platform for accelerator controls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleva, Stefano; Bogani, Alessio Igor; Pivetta, Lorenzo

    2012-01-01

    Over the last years the mobile and hand-held device market has seen a dramatic performance improvement of the microprocessors employed for these systems. As an interesting side effect, this brings the opportunity of adopting these microprocessors to build small low-cost embedded boards, featuring lots of processing power and input/output capabilities. Moreover, being capable of running a full featured operating system such as Gnu/Linux, and even a control system toolkit such as Tango, these boards can also be used in control systems as front-end or embedded computers. In order to evaluate the feasibility of this idea, an activity has started at Elettra to select, evaluate and validate a commercial embedded device able to guarantee production grade reliability, competitive costs and an open source platform. The preliminary results of this work are presented. (author)

  7. Microprocessor-controlled scanning densitometer system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shurtliff, R.W.

    1980-04-01

    An Automated Scanning Densitometer System has been developed by uniting a microprocessor with a low energy x-ray densitometer system. The microprocessor controls the detector movement, provides self-calibration, compensates raw readings to provide time-linear output, controls both data storage and the host computer interface, and provides measurement output in engineering units for immediate reading. The densitometer, when used in a scanning mode, is a precision reference instrument that provides chordal average density measurements over the cross section of a pipe under steady-state flow conditions. Results have shown an improvement over the original densitometer in reliability and repeatability of the system, an a factor-of-five improvement in accuracy

  8. A Low Cost Matching Motion Estimation Sensor Based on the NIOS II Microprocessor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego González

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available This work presents the implementation of a matching-based motion estimation sensor on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA and NIOS II microprocessor applying a C to Hardware (C2H acceleration paradigm. The design, which involves several matching algorithms, is mapped using Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI technology. These algorithms, as well as the hardware implementation, are presented here together with an extensive analysis of the resources needed and the throughput obtained. The developed low-cost system is practical for real-time throughput and reduced power consumption and is useful in robotic applications, such as tracking, navigation using an unmanned vehicle, or as part of a more complex system.

  9. Microprocessor-controlled CAMAC data link module

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, J.M.

    1978-05-01

    Communication between the central control computer and remote, satellite data-acquisition/control stations at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) is presently accomplished through the use of CAMAC-based Data Link modules. With the advent of the microprocessor, a new philosophy for digital data communications has evolved. Data Link modules containing microprocessor controllers provide link management and communication network protocol through algorithms executed in the Data Link microprocessor. 13 figures

  10. Microprocessor controller for phasing the accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howry, S.K.; Wilmunder, A.R.

    1977-03-01

    A microprocessor controller is being developed to perform automatic phasing of the SLAC accelerator. It will replace the existing relay/analog boxes which are ten years old. The new system is all solid state except for the stepping motors that drive the phase shifters. A description is given of the components of the system, the control algorithm, microprocessor hardware and software design and development, and interaction with SLAC's computer control system

  11. Automated mixed traffic transit vehicle microprocessor controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, R. A.; Cassell, P.; Johnston, A. R.

    1981-01-01

    An improved Automated Mixed Traffic Vehicle (AMTV) speed control system employing a microprocessor and transistor chopper motor current controller is described and its performance is presented in terms of velocity versus time curves. The on board computer hardware and software systems are described as is the software development system. All of the programming used in this controller was implemented using FORTRAN. This microprocessor controller made possible a number of safety features and improved the comfort associated with starting and shopping. In addition, most of the vehicle's performance characteristics can be altered by simple program parameter changes. A failure analysis of the microprocessor controller was generated and the results are included. Flow diagrams for the speed control algorithms and complete FORTRAN code listings are also included.

  12. Microprocessors

    CERN Document Server

    Cornillie, O A R

    1985-01-01

    Microprocessors presents an overview of the state of the art in the field of microprocessors and illustrates, with the aid of patents, its utilization and application. Organized into six parts, the book begins with an introduction to the microprocessor, microcomputer, and software. Parts I-III focus on program control, digital control, and electrical motor control. Subsequent parts show the medical applications, measuring instruments, and treatment of data in microprocessors.

  13. Applications of microprocessors in upgrading of accelerator controls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallory, K.B.

    1977-03-01

    Experience at SLAC demonstrates that the criteria for selection and use of microprocessors in modifying an existing control system may differ from the criteria that apply during installation of the control system of a new accelerator. Considerations such as cost of individual projects, progressive installation without disruption of operations and training of on-board personnel can outweigh ''obvious'' goals such as standardization of hardware, uniformity of software, or even a rigid specification of link protocols with the main computer system

  14. General-purpose microprocessor-based control chassis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.; Swenson, D.A.

    1979-12-01

    The objective of the Pion Generation for Medical Irradiations (PIGMI) program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is to develop the technology to build smaller, less expensive, and more reliable proton linear accelerators for medical applications. For this program, a powerful, simple, inexpensive, and reliable control and data acquisition system was developed. The system has a NOVA 3D computer with a real time disk-operating system (RDOS) that communicates with distributed microprocessor-based controllers which directly control data input/output chassis. At the heart of the controller is a microprocessor crate which was conceived at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. This idea was applied to the design of the hardware and software of the controller

  15. Process control by microprocessors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arndt, W [ed.

    1978-12-01

    Papers from the workshop Process Control by Microprocessors being organized by the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center, Project PDV, together with the VDI/VDE-Gesellschaft fuer Mess- und Regelungstechnik are presented. The workshop was held on December 13 and 14, 1978 at the facilities of the Nuclear Research Center. The papers are arranged according to the topics of the workshop; one chapter deals with today's state of the art of microprocessor hardware and software technology; 5 chapters are dedicated to applications. The report also contains papers which will not be presented at the workshop. Both the workshop and the report are expected to improve and distribute the know-how about this modern technology.

  16. Microprocessor controller for stepping motors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strait, B.G.; Thuot, M.E.

    1977-01-01

    A new concept for digital computer control of multiple stepping motors which operate in a severe electromagnetic pulse environment is presented. The motors position mirrors in the beam-alignment system of a 100-kJ CO 2 laser. An asynchronous communications channel of a computer is used to send coded messages, containing the motor address and stepping-command information, to the stepping-motor controller in a bit serial format over a fiber-optics communications link. The addressed controller responds by transmitting to the computer its address and other motor information, thus confirming the received message. Each controller is capable of controlling three stepping motors. The controller contains the fiber-optics interface, a microprocessor, and the stepping-motor driven circuits. The microprocessor program, which resides in an EPROM, decodes the received messages, transmits responses, performs the stepping-motor sequence logic, maintains motor-position information, and monitors the motor's reference switch. For multiple stepping-motor application, the controllers are connected in a daisy chain providing control of many motors from one asynchronous communications channel of the computer

  17. Microprocessor Controlled Maximum Power Point Tracker for Photovoltaic Application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiya, J. D.; Tahirou, G.

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents a microprocessor controlled maximum power point tracker for photovoltaic module. Input current and voltage are measured and multiplied within the microprocessor, which contains an algorithm to seek the maximum power point. The duly cycle of the DC-DC converter, at which the maximum power occurs is obtained, noted and adjusted. The microprocessor constantly seeks for improvement of obtained power by varying the duty cycle

  18. A microprocessor based area monitor system for neutron and gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilhelm, R.; Heusser, G.

    1980-01-01

    The conventional electronics of the area monitors at the MPI-Heidelberg accelerators have been replaced by a microprocessor system consisting of individual detector-microprocessors and a central microcomputer. The detector microprocessors convert the count rates of BF3 and GM counter tubes into dose rates and control three different radiation thresholds (failure, low and high level). Different warning signals are operated directly by the detector processors, whereas the dose rates are transferred to the central microcomputer. Here the data are processed for recording on tape and displaying on TV monitors. The detector as well as the central processors have been developed on the basis of a 16-bit microprocessor. In the control rooms the dose rates of the individual monitors are displayed and on an indicator board showing the different locations, the high radiation level and the state of the doors (open, locked, and closed, locked but open) are sianaled by different LED. If a high radiation threshold is surpassed, the doors adjacent to that area can be locked either by switches on the indicator board or automatically. Within the experimental area, the low and high radiation level is indicated by acoustic and light signals. The whole concept permits keeping the absorbed doses of the personnel as low as possible without affecting the flexibility of the experimental operations. The independence of the microprocessor driven area monitors guarantees a high reliability. Compared to conventional electronics the advantages of the system are its reliability and cost. (Author)

  19. Auxiliary/Master microprocessor CAMAC Crate Controller applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barsotti, E.

    1975-01-01

    The need for further sophistication of an already complex serial CAMAC control system at Fermilab led to the development of an Auxilary/Master CAMAC Crate Controller. The controller contains a Motorola 6800 microprocessor, 2K bytes of RAM, and 8K bytes of PROM memory. Bussed dataway lines are time shared with CAMAC signals to provide memory expansion and direct addressing of peripheral devices without the need of external cabling. The Auxiliary/Master Crate Controller (A/MCC) can function as either a Master, i.e., stand alone, crate controller or as an Auxiliary controller to Fermilab's Serial Crate Controller (SCC). Two modules, one single- and one double-width, make up an A/MCC. The microprocessor has one nonmaskable and one maskable vectored interrupt. Time sharing the dataway between SCC programmed and block transfer generated dataway cycles and A/MCC operations still allows a 99 percent microprocessor CPU busy time. Since the conception of the A/MCC, there has been an increasing number of control system-related projects proposed which would not have been possible or would have been very difficult to implement without such a device. The first such application now in use at Fermilab is a stand-alone control system for a mass spectrometer experiment in the Main Ring Internal Target Area. This application in addition to other proposed A/MCC applications, both stand-alone and auxiliary, is discussed

  20. Small Microprocessor for ASIC or FPGA Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleyner, Igor; Katz, Richard; Blair-Smith, Hugh

    2011-01-01

    A small microprocessor, suitable for use in applications in which high reliability is required, was designed to be implemented in either an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The design is based on commercial microprocessor architecture, making it possible to use available software development tools and thereby to implement the microprocessor at relatively low cost. The design features enhancements, including trapping during execution of illegal instructions. The internal structure of the design yields relatively high performance, with a significant decrease, relative to other microprocessors that perform the same functions, in the number of microcycles needed to execute macroinstructions. The problem meant to be solved in designing this microprocessor was to provide a modest level of computational capability in a general-purpose processor while adding as little as possible to the power demand, size, and weight of a system into which the microprocessor would be incorporated. As designed, this microprocessor consumes very little power and occupies only a small portion of a typical modern ASIC or FPGA. The microprocessor operates at a rate of about 4 million instructions per second with clock frequency of 20 MHz.

  1. Microprocessor-controlled surface testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Droscha, H

    1982-09-01

    For the quality inspection on continuous flow material webs with transverse scanning laser beam, the microprocessor control, realized now for the first time in combination with appropriate units, shows a considerable progress. Thanks to the here used electronics, surface errors can be localized within the web according to their x-y-position, quantitative analysis can be carried out and automatic sorting and registration functions can be used.

  2. Concept report: Microprocessor control of electrical power system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, E.

    1977-01-01

    An electrical power system which uses a microprocessor for systems control and monitoring is described. The microprocessor controlled system permits real time modification of system parameters for optimizing a system configuration, especially in the event of an anomaly. By reducing the components count, the assembling and testing of the unit is simplified, and reliability is increased. A resuable modular power conversion system capable of satisfying a large percentage of space applications requirements is examined along with the programmable power processor. The PC global controller which handles systems control and external communication is analyzed, and a software description is given. A systems application summary is also included.

  3. Microprocessors control of fermentation process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fawzy, A S; Hinton, O R

    1980-01-01

    This paper presents three schemes for the solution of the optimal control of fermentation process. It also shows the advantages of using microprocessors in controlling and monitoring this process. A linear model of the system is considered. An optimal feedback controller is determined which maintains the states (substrate and organisms concentration) at desired values when the system is subjected to disturbances in the influent substrate and organisms concentration. Simulation results are presented for the three cases.

  4. Microprocessor hardware reliability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wright, R I

    1982-01-01

    Microprocessor-based technology has had an impact in nearly every area of industrial electronics and many applications have important safety implications. Microprocessors are being used for the monitoring and control of hazardous processes in the chemical, oil and power generation industries, for the control and instrumentation of aircraft and other transport systems and for the control of industrial machinery. Even in the field of nuclear reactor protection, where designers are particularly conservative, microprocessors are used to implement certain safety functions and may play increasingly important roles in protection systems in the future. Where microprocessors are simply replacing conventional hard-wired control and instrumentation systems no new hazards are created by their use. In the field of robotics, however, the microprocessor has opened up a totally new technology and with it has created possible new and as yet unknown hazards. The paper discusses some of the design and manufacturing techniques which may be used to enhance the reliability of microprocessor based systems and examines the available reliability data on lsi/vlsi microcircuits. 12 references.

  5. Fermilab advanced computer program multi-microprocessor project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nash, T.; Areti, H.; Biel, J.

    1985-06-01

    Fermilab's Advanced Computer Program is constructing a powerful 128 node multi-microprocessor system for data analysis in high-energy physics. The system will use commercial 32-bit microprocessors programmed in Fortran-77. Extensive software supports easy migration of user applications from a uniprocessor environment to the multiprocessor and provides sophisticated program development, debugging, and error handling and recovery tools. This system is designed to be readily copied, providing computing cost effectiveness of below $2200 per VAX 11/780 equivalent. The low cost, commercial availability, compatibility with off-line analysis programs, and high data bandwidths (up to 160 MByte/sec) make the system an ideal choice for applications to on-line triggers as well as an offline data processor

  6. CAMAC multipurpose microprocessor controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belyakova, M.P.; Nemesh, T.; Buj Zoan Chong.

    1978-01-01

    The use of CAMAC controllers in an autonomous system of data acquisition and measurement is considered. The system consists of a control intelligence controller, memory modules, and user modules in the CAMAC standard. The controller and all the modules have an output into the highway and this permits to exchange data among them without using special external cables. To increase the servicing rate, an auxiliary controller which has direct access to memory and controls the user modules, is additionally connected to the data acquisition and measurement system. In this case, the intelligence controller is passive. The system of data acquisition can be realized in the form of a multiple system with branch usage. The controller module width is three units, and the controller incorporates the Intel-8080-type microprocessor and the following interfaces: of CAMAC highways, of interruption, of memory bootstrap, and of data sequence channel

  7. Offset Printing Plate Quality Sensor on a Low-Cost Processor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Tirado

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to develop a microprocessor-based sensor that measures the quality of the offset printing plate through the introduction of different image analysis applications. The main features of the presented system are the low cost, the low amount of power consumption, its modularity and easy integration with other industrial modules for printing plates, and its robustness against noise environments. For the sake of clarity, a viability analysis of previous software is presented through different strategies, based on dynamic histogram and Hough transform. This paper provides performance and scalability data compared with existing costly commercial devices. Furthermore, a general overview of quality control possibilities for printing plates is presented and could be useful to a system where such controls are regularly conducted.

  8. Development of a microprocessor controller for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millner, A. R.; Kaufman, D. L.

    1984-01-01

    A controller for stand-alone photovoltaic systems has been developed using a low power CMOS microprocessor. It performs battery state of charge estimation, array control, load management, instrumentation, automatic testing, and communications functions. Array control options are sequential subarray switching and maximum power control. A calculator keypad and LCD display provides manual control, fault diagnosis and digital multimeter functions. An RS-232 port provides data logging or remote control capability. A prototype 5 kW unit has been built and tested successfully. The controller is expected to be useful in village photovoltaic power systems, large solar water pumping installations, and other battery management applications.

  9. Microprocessor Controlled Capacitor Bank Switching System for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this work, analysis and development of a microprocessor controlled capacitor bank switching system for deployment in a smart distribution network was carried out. This system was implemented by the use of discreet components such as resistors, capacitors, transistor, diode, automatic voltage regulator, with the ...

  10. Design analysis and microprocessor based control of a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabbakh, N.J.

    1988-01-01

    The object of this thesis is to design and test a microprocessor based controller, to a simulated nuclear reactor system. The mathematical model that describes the dynamics of a typical nuclear reactor of one group of delayed neutrons approximations with temperature feedback was chosen. A digital computer program has been developed for the design and analysis of a simulated model based on the concept of state-variable feedback in order to meet a desired system response with maximum overshoot of 3.4% and setting time of 4 sec. The state variable feedback coefficients are designed for the continuous system, then an approximation is used to obtain in the state variable feedback vector for the discrete system. System control was implemented utilizing Direct Digital Control (DDC) of a nuclear reactor simulated model through a control algorithm that was performed by means of a microprocessor based system. The controller performance was satisfactorily tested by exciting the reactor system with a transient reactivity disturbance and by a step change in power demand. Direct digital control, when implemented on a microprocessor adds versatility, flexibility in system design with the added advantage of possible use of optimal control algorithms. 6 tabs.; 30 figs.; 46 refs.; 6 apps

  11. Design and implementation of a microprocessor based room ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper describes the development of a microprocessor based room illumination control system that offers advantage of improved efficiency in the use of electrical energy and reduced cost of electricity over manually controlled lighting systems. This system is developed to regulate the intensity of light from direct current ...

  12. Microprocessors principles and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Debenham, Michael J

    1979-01-01

    Microprocessors: Principles and Applications deals with the principles and applications of microprocessors and covers topics ranging from computer architecture and programmed machines to microprocessor programming, support systems and software, and system design. A number of microprocessor applications are considered, including data processing, process control, and telephone switching. This book is comprised of 10 chapters and begins with a historical overview of computers and computing, followed by a discussion on computer architecture and programmed machines, paying particular attention to t

  13. Microprocessor-controlled portable neutron spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, G.F.; Kaifer, R.C.; Slaughter, D.R.; Strout, R.E. II; Rueppel, D.W.

    1979-01-01

    A neutron spectrometer that acquires and unfolds data in the field has been developed for use in the energy range from 1 to 20 MeV. The system includes an NE213 organic scintillation detector, automatic gain stabilization, automatically stabilized pulseshape discrimination, an LSl-11 microprocessor for control and data reduction, and a multichannel analyzer for data acquisition. The system, with the exception of the multichannel analyzer, is mounted in a suitcase 47 by 66 by 23.5 cm. The mass is 23.5 kg

  14. A new design approach for control circuits of pipelined single-flux-quantum microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanashi, Y; Akimoto, A; Yoshikawa, N; Tanaka, M; Kawamoto, T; Kamiya, Y; Fujimaki, A; Terai, H; Yorozu, S

    2006-01-01

    A novel method of design for controllers of pipelined microprocessors using single-flux-quantum (SFQ) logic has been proposed. The proposed design approach is based on one hot encoding and is very suitable for designing a finite state machine using SFQ logic circuits, where each internal state of the microprocessor is represented by a flip-flop. In this approach, decoding of the internal state can be performed instantaneously, in contrast to the case in the conventional method using a binary state register. Moreover, pipelining is effectively implemented without increasing the circuit size because no pipeline registers are required in the one hot encoding. By using this method, we have designed a controller for our new SFQ microprocessors, which employs pipelining. The number of Josephson junctions of the newly designed controller is 1067, while the previous version without pipelining contains 1721 Josephson junctions. These results indicate that the proposed design approach is very effective for pipelined SFQ microprocessors. We have implemented a new controller using the NEC 2.5 kA cm -2 Nb standard process and confirmed its correct operation experimentally

  15. Microprocessor controlled pulse charge and testing of batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerezov, A.; Gishin, S.; Ivanov, Ratcho; Savov, S.

    2002-01-01

    The principle of the developed new method for pulse charge of batteries with microprocessor control of the electrochemical processes is the use of current pulses with microprocessor control of the period and the amplitude according to the dynamically changing state of the electrochemical system. In order to realize the method described above a programmable current source was developed. It is connected with a Personal Computer via RS232 standard serial interface in order to control the electrochemical processes. The parameters to be set, the graphical presentation of the pulse current and tension, the used quantity of electricity and electrical energy for every pulse and for the process as a hole are shown on the PC display. In order to test dry-charged and wet-charged batteries a specialized current generator was developed. It is connected also with a Personal Computer via R5232 standard serial interface in order to con-trol the testing of the starting capability of the batteries according to the requirements of the Bulgarian State Standard Ell 60095-1. (Author)

  16. Microprocessors in detectors and analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siskind, E.J.

    1982-01-01

    The increasing need in high energy physics experiments for computation power for both online and offline applications, coupled with the current microprocessor revolution, has led to the examination of the use of microprocessors in various aspects of HEP computing. A brief (and admittedly somewhat biased) review is given of current hardware products, the costs of developing and producing hardware systems, and the costs of providing appropriate software support tools which allow one to make effective use of physicists' time, and the applicability of certain systems to the various needs of HEP computing

  17. Microprocessors in detectors and analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siskind, E.J.

    1982-01-01

    The increasing need in high energy physics experiments for computation power for both online and offline applications, coupled with the current microprocessor revolution, has led us to examine the use of microprocessors in various aspects of HEP computing. The following article is a brief (and admittedly somewhat biased) review of current hardware products, the costs of developing and producing hardware systems, and the costs of providing appropriate software support tools which allow one to make effective use of physicists' time, and the applicability of certain systems to the various needs of HEP computing

  18. Design of a microprocessor-based Control, Interface and Monitoring (CIM unit for turbine engine controls research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delaat, J. C.; Soeder, J. F.

    1983-01-01

    High speed minicomputers were used in the past to implement advanced digital control algorithms for turbine engines. These minicomputers are typically large and expensive. It is desirable for a number of reasons to use microprocessor-based systems for future controls research. They are relatively compact, inexpensive, and are representative of the hardware that would be used for actual engine-mounted controls. The Control, Interface, and Monitoring Unit (CIM) contains a microprocessor-based controls computer, necessary interface hardware and a system to monitor while it is running an engine. It is presently being used to evaluate an advanced turbofan engine control algorithm.

  19. Fermilab ACP multi-microprocessor project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaines, I.; Areti, H.; Biel, J.; Bracker, S.; Case, G.; Fischler, M.; Husby, D.; Nash, T.

    1984-08-01

    We report on the status of the Fermilab Advanced Computer Program's project to provide more cost-effective computing engines for the high energy physics community. The project will exploit the cheap, but powerful, commercial microprocessors now available by constructing modular multi-microprocessor systems. A working test bed system as well as plans for the next stages of the project are described

  20. The HXR80M-balloon experiment: a microprocessor-controlled transatlantic payload

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ubertini, P.; Bazzano, A.; Boccaccini, L.

    1980-01-01

    Following the results obtained from the succesful transatlantic flight launched during the summer 1976 from the CNR Milo Base, Sicily, the Laboratorio di Astrofisica Spaziale has started a new program in the hard X-ray astronomy field. It basically consists in the development of high resolution large area Multiwire Proportional Chambers to be employed in long duration balloon flights to study and monitor galactic and extragalactic sources. This note will describe the flight configuration and performances of the HXR80M payload. The experiment is expected to fly during July 1980 from the Milo Base in the framework of the CNR experimental balloon campaign. The note will analyze the main characteristics of the detectors employed, of the data handling electronics and in particular of the hardware and the software of the on-board microprocessor controlled multichannel analyzer. In fact the limitation due to the low bit rate HF link (1.2kbit/s) and the long flight duration (about one week) make imperative the use of an on-board microprocessor system to handle and select in real time the scientific data and to control the housekeeping and the telecommand systems

  1. Low-Cost Servomotor Driver for PFM Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aragon-Jurado, David; Morgado-Estevez, Arturo; Perez-Peña, Fernando

    2017-12-31

    Servomotors have already been around for some decades and they are extremely popular among roboticists due to their simple control technique, reliability and low-cost. They are usually controlled by using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and this paper aims to keep the idea of simplicity and low-cost, while introducing a new control technique: Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM). The objective of this paper is to focus on our development of a low-cost servomotor controller which will allow the research community to use them with PFM. A low-cost commercial servomotor is used as the base system for the development: a small PCB that fits inside the case and allocates all the electronic components to control the motor has been designed to replace the original. The potentiometer is retained as the feedback sensor and a microcontroller is responsible for controlling the position of the motor. The paper compares the performance of a PWM and a PFM controlled servomotor. The comparison shows that the servomotor with our controller achieves a faster mechanism for switching targets and a lower latency. This controller can be used with neuromorphic systems to remove the conversion from events to PWM.

  2. Proceedings of the meeting on applications of microprocessors in accelerator controls and physics experiments, Tsukuba, March 15, 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibata, Shinkichi; Katoh, Tadahiko

    1978-05-01

    The microprocessor was first made public in 1971. In the ensuing few years, its performance has risen, cost lowered and interface more in IC, so it is now easily incorporated in instrumentation and control. Since it is used as electronic component unlike the case of a minicomputer, it has so much larger influence. It differs from the conventional electronic components in that software is required. In the National Laboratory for High Energy Physics, microprocessors are used for performance improvements of the measuring and control instruments and for labor saving. For new component not to induce new other problems, support system and standardization are proceeding for utilization development etc. The present meeting was intended for discussions by people in the field of usage, planning, and means of joint uses for software and hardware. (Mori, K.)

  3. Cardiac output measurement instruments controlled by microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spector, M.; Barritault, L.; Boeri, C.; Fauchet, M.; Gambini, D.; Vernejoul, P. de

    The nuclear medicine and biophysics laboratory of the Necker-Enfants malades University Hospital Centre has built a microprocessor controlled Cardiac flowmetre. The principle of the cardiac output measurement from a radiocardiogram is well established. After injection of a radioactive indicator upstream from the heart cavities the dilution curve is obtained by the use of a gamma-ray precordial detector. This curve normally displays two peaks due to passage of the indicator into the right and left sides of the heart respectively. The output is then obtained from the stewart Hamilton principle once recirculation is eliminated. The graphic method used for the calculation however is long and tedious. The decreasing fraction of the dilution curve is projected in logarithmic space in order to eliminate recirculation by determining the mean straight line from which the decreasing exponential is obtained. The principle of the use of microprocessors is explained (electronics, logics) [fr

  4. Low cost Czochralski crystal growing technology. Near implementation of the flat plate photovoltaic cost reduction of the low cost solar array project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, E. G.

    1980-01-01

    Equipment developed for the manufacture of over 100 kg of silicon ingot from one crucible by rechanging from another crucible is described. Attempts were made to eliminate the cost of raising the furnace temperature to 250 C above the melting point of silicon by using an RF coil to melt polycrystalline silicon rod as a means of rechanging the crucible. Microprocessor control of the straight growth process was developed and domonstrated for both 4 inch and 6 inch diameter. Both meltdown and melt stabilization processes were achieved using operator prompting through the microprocessor. The use of the RF work coil in poly rod melting as a heat sink in the accelerated growth process was unsuccessful. The total design concept for fabrication and interfacing of the total cold crucible system was completed.

  5. Designs and performance of three new microprocessor-controlled knee joints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiele, Julius; Schöllig, Christina; Bellmann, Malte; Kraft, Marc

    2018-02-09

    A crossover design study with a small group of subjects was used to evaluate the performance of three microprocessor-controlled exoprosthetic knee joints (MPKs): C-Leg 4, Plié 3 and Rheo Knee 3. Given that the mechanical designs and control algorithms of the joints determine the user outcome, the influence of these inherent differences on the functional characteristics was investigated in this study. The knee joints were evaluated during level-ground walking at different velocities in a motion analysis laboratory. Additionally, technical analyses using patents, technical documentations and X-ray computed tomography (CT) for each knee joint were performed. The technical analyses showed that only C-Leg 4 and Rheo Knee 3 allow microprocessor-controlled adaptation of the joint resistances for different gait velocities. Furthermore, Plié 3 is not able to provide stance extension damping. The biomechanical results showed that only if a knee joint adapts flexion and extension resistances by the microprocessor all known advantages of MPKs can become apparent. But not all users may benefit from the examined functions: e.g. a good accommodation to fast walking speeds or comfortable stance phase flexion. Hence, a detailed comparison of user demands and performance of the designated knee joint is mandatory to ensure a maximum in user outcome.

  6. Application of a 16-bit microprocessor to the digital control of machine tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Issaly, Alain

    1979-01-01

    After an overview of machine tools (various types, definition standardization, associated technologies for motors and position sensors), this research thesis describes the principles of computer-based digital control: classification of machine tool command systems, machining programming, programming languages, dialog function, interpolation function, servo-control function, tool compensation function. The author reports the application of a 16-bit microprocessor to the computer-based digital control of a machine tool: feasibility, selection of microprocessor, hardware presentation, software development and description, machining mode, translation-loading mode

  7. Energy conservation applications of microprocessors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shih, James Y.

    1979-07-01

    A survey of the application of microprocessors for industrial and commercial energy conservation has been made. Microprocessor applications for HVAC, chiller control, and automotive equipment are discussed. A case study of successful replacement of a conventional cooling plant control is recounted. The rapid advancement of microelectronic technology will affect efficient energy control, more sophisticated control methodology, and more investment in controls.

  8. A microprocessor controlled read out system for drift chambers

    CERN Document Server

    Centro, Sandro; Cittolin, Sergio; Dreesen, P; Petrolo, E; Rubbia, Carlo; Schinzel, D

    1981-01-01

    Summary form only given, as follows. A General Purpose Microprocessor Controller GPMC has been developed for applications where CAMAC modules with complex control functions are needed. Each application requires an appropriate Interface Module (IM) to be connected to the GPMC. The GPMC consists of a 6800 Microprocessor, 16K EPROM, 2K RAM, CAMAC I/O ports and interface, a RS 232C serial interface, an Advanced Data Link controller and a port for controlling the IM, GPMC and IM are housed in a 2-U wide CAMAC module. A special IM has been designed, which has 1K bute of RAM with its own control and which allows autonomous setting and reading analog voltages through a DAC and ADC. The GPMC can take control of the IM memory and set new voltages. This system is used to control pedestals and gains of a driftchamber readout system, which is housed in a 5-U wide CAMAC module, holding 24 data cards corresponding to 24 sense wires. The data card receives pulses from the left and right end of a sense wire, amplifies and int...

  9. Microprocessor-controlled, programmable ramp voltage generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopwood, J.

    1978-11-01

    A special-purpose voltage generator has been developed for driving the quadrupole mass filter of a residual gas analyzer. The generator is microprocessor-controlled with desired ramping parameters programmed by setting front-panel digital thumb switches. The start voltage, stop voltage, and time of each excursion are selectable. A maximum of five start-stop levels may be pre-selected for each program. The ramp voltage is 0 to 10 volts with sweep times from 0.1 to 999.99 seconds

  10. Low-cost universal stereoscopic virtual reality interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starks, Michael R.

    1993-09-01

    Low cost stereoscopic virtual reality hardware interfacing with nearly any computer and stereoscopic software running on any PC is described. Both are user configurable for serial or parallel ports. Stereo modeling, rendering, and interaction via gloves or 6D mice are provided. Low cost LCD Visors and external interfaces represent a breakthrough in convenience and price/performance. A complete system with software, Visor, interface and Power Glove is under $DOL500. StereoDrivers will interface with any system giving video sync (e.g., G of RGB). PC3D will access any standard serial port, while PCVR works with serial or parallel ports and glove devices. Model RF Visors detect magnetic fields and require no connection to the system. PGSI is a microprocessor control for the Power Glove and Visors. All interfaces will operate to 120 Hz with Model G Visors. The SpaceStations are demultiplexing, field doubling devices which convert field sequential video or graphics for stereo display with dual video projection or dual LCD SpaceHelmets.

  11. Microprocessor system to recover data from a self-scanning photodiode array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koppel, L.N.; Gadd, T.J.

    1975-01-01

    A microprocessor system developed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has expedited the recovery of data describing the low energy x-ray spectra radiated by laser-fusion targets. An Intel microprocessor controls the digitization and scanning of the data stream of an x-ray-sensitive self-scanning photodiode array incorporated in a crystal diffraction spectrometer

  12. Memory, microprocessor, and ASIC

    CERN Document Server

    Chen, Wai-Kai

    2003-01-01

    System Timing. ROM/PROM/EPROM. SRAM. Embedded Memory. Flash Memories. Dynamic Random Access Memory. Low-Power Memory Circuits. Timing and Signal Integrity Analysis. Microprocessor Design Verification. Microprocessor Layout Method. Architecture. ASIC Design. Logic Synthesis for Field Programmable Gate Array (EPGA) Technology. Testability Concepts and DFT. ATPG and BIST. CAD Tools for BIST/DFT and Delay Faults.

  13. Microprocessor controlled digital period meter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keefe, D.J.; McDowell, W.P.; Rusch, G.K.

    1980-01-01

    A microprocessor controlled digital period meter has been developed and tested operationally on a reactor at Argonne National Laboratory. The principle of operation is the mathematical relationship between asymptotic periods and pulse counting circuitry. This relationship is used to calculate and display the reactor periods over a range of /plus or minus/1 second to /plus or minus/999 seconds. The time interval required to update each measurement automatically varies from 8 seconds at the lowest counting rates to 2 seconds at higher counting rates. The paper will describe hardware and software design details and show the advantages of this type of Period Meter over the conventional circuits. 1 ref

  14. Application of microprocessor based controller in the Breeder Reactor Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Messick, N.C.; Lukas, M.P.

    1985-01-01

    This paper treats Argonne National Laboratory's experience using microprocessor based controllers presently in use on several control loops within the EBR-II reactor facility as well as tests being performed by these controllers. Also included is a discussion of the expandability, modularity, range of capabilities and higher level functions possible using such equipment

  15. Mold heating and cooling microprocessor conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, D. P.

    1995-07-01

    Conversion of the microprocessors and software for the Mold Heating and Cooling (MHAC) pump package control systems was initiated to allow required system enhancements and provide data communications capabilities with the Plastics Information and Control System (PICS). The existing microprocessor-based control systems for the pump packages use an Intel 8088-based microprocessor board with a maximum of 64 Kbytes of program memory. The requirements for the system conversion were developed, and hardware has been selected to allow maximum reuse of existing hardware and software while providing the required additional capabilities and capacity. The new hardware will incorporate an Intel 80286-based microprocessor board with an 80287 math coprocessor, the system includes additional memory, I/O, and RS232 communication ports.

  16. Microprocessors applications in the nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ethridge, C.D.

    1980-01-01

    Microprocessors in the nuclear industry, particularly at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, have been and are being utilized in a wide variety of applications ranging from data acquisition and control for basic physics research to monitoring special nuclear material in long-term storage. Microprocessor systems have been developed to support weapons diagnostics measurements during underground weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site. Multiple single-component microcomputers are now controlling the measurement and recording of nuclear reactor operating power levels. The CMOS microprocessor data-acquisition instrumentation has operated on balloon flights to monitor power plant emissions. Target chamber mirror-positioning equipment for laser fusion facilities employs microprocessors

  17. Digital Fractional Order Controllers Realized by PIC Microprocessor: Experimental Results

    OpenAIRE

    Petras, I.; Grega, S.; Dorcak, L.

    2003-01-01

    This paper deals with the fractional-order controllers and their possible hardware realization based on PIC microprocessor and numerical algorithm coded in PIC Basic. The mathematical description of the digital fractional -order controllers and approximation in the discrete domain are presented. An example of realization of the particular case of digital fractional-order PID controller is shown and described.

  18. FPGAs Emulate Microprocessors-A Successful Case for HFC NPP Digital I and C Upgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Allen; Crow, Ivan; Reese, Carl; Kim, Jong; Yang, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as programmable logic devices (PLDs) have gained a great deal of interests for implementing safety I and C applications in nuclear power plants (NPPs) largely owing to the FPGAs'potential advantage over the currently more common microprocessor-based digital I and C applications. First of all, FPGAs have adequate capabilities for most digital I and C applications in NPPs. Secondly, FPGAs provide products with longer lifetime, improve testability, and reduce the drift which occurs in analog-based systems, from hardware perspective. Thirdly, FPGAs, from software perspective, can be made simpler, less reliant on complex software such as operating systems, which should make FPGAs easier to qualify for nuclear safety applications. Fourthly, FPGAs are less vulnerable to cyber attacks when FPGAs implement the I and C systems that do not contain high-level, general purpose software that may be easily subjected to malicious modifications. Finally, FPGAs can bring cost reduction in an I and C digital upgrade because FPGAs can provide simpler licensing process than microprocessor-based digital I and C, and FPGAs can be implemented more efficiently. This paper will present one successful case for YGN Unit I and C upgrade using FPGA-based components to replace the obsolete Intel 8085 Microprocessor-based controllers. In this case, FPGAs emulated the process of the existing microprocessors and interpreted the execution of CPU processing. More than 160 of the FPGA-based SBC-01 controllers replacing the Intel 8085 Microprocessor-based Printed Circuit Boards have been installed and running successfully for safety I and C applications over the last five years. In this upgrade, the new FPGA-based controller board SBC-01 emulated the functions of Intel 8085 microprocessor correctly. It is a successful and cost-effective upgrade.vIn this paper, lifecycle design and implementation process and rigorous V and V activities that were used in the

  19. FPGAs Emulate Microprocessors-A Successful Case for HFC NPP Digital I and C Upgrade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, Allen; Crow, Ivan; Reese, Carl; Kim, Jong; Yang, Steve [Doosan HF Controls Corp, Carrollton (United States)

    2014-08-15

    Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as programmable logic devices (PLDs) have gained a great deal of interests for implementing safety I and C applications in nuclear power plants (NPPs) largely owing to the FPGAs'potential advantage over the currently more common microprocessor-based digital I and C applications. First of all, FPGAs have adequate capabilities for most digital I and C applications in NPPs. Secondly, FPGAs provide products with longer lifetime, improve testability, and reduce the drift which occurs in analog-based systems, from hardware perspective. Thirdly, FPGAs, from software perspective, can be made simpler, less reliant on complex software such as operating systems, which should make FPGAs easier to qualify for nuclear safety applications. Fourthly, FPGAs are less vulnerable to cyber attacks when FPGAs implement the I and C systems that do not contain high-level, general purpose software that may be easily subjected to malicious modifications. Finally, FPGAs can bring cost reduction in an I and C digital upgrade because FPGAs can provide simpler licensing process than microprocessor-based digital I and C, and FPGAs can be implemented more efficiently. This paper will present one successful case for YGN Unit I and C upgrade using FPGA-based components to replace the obsolete Intel 8085 Microprocessor-based controllers. In this case, FPGAs emulated the process of the existing microprocessors and interpreted the execution of CPU processing. More than 160 of the FPGA-based SBC-01 controllers replacing the Intel 8085 Microprocessor-based Printed Circuit Boards have been installed and running successfully for safety I and C applications over the last five years. In this upgrade, the new FPGA-based controller board SBC-01 emulated the functions of Intel 8085 microprocessor correctly. It is a successful and cost-effective upgrade.vIn this paper, lifecycle design and implementation process and rigorous V and V activities that were used in the

  20. The use of distributed microprocessors for control devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lejon, J.C.

    1978-01-01

    The use of distributed individual microprocessors provided the basis for the development of the μZ system, which is a modular numerical control device which in its main part contains no elements whatever with multiple functions. With this system, total availability of control is achieved and the failure of any individual element causes loss of automatic control only over one actuator or over a small group of interdependent actuators. The human operator, who cannot be omitted even with an inherently safe control system, can operate the single faulty channel manually. The microprocessors have a free-format with which all possible algorithms within the limits of the memory size of the various cards can be performed. This program can be loaded either in random access memory (RAM) or in read-only memory (ROM). The configuration is made either by assembling software modules in a hard-copy dialogue without any knowledge of data processing being necessary, or from a program written in Fortran. If the user does not have a configurator he can use read-only memories supplied by the manufacter either in the standard form or in a requested design. The parameters are loaded by means of a portable microconsole whose keyboard and displays can be used for a hard-copy dialogue with the regulating cards. Manual control and indications can be carried out from three completely independent configurations which can be used separately or in parallel: individual station, multiple-function station or cathode colour console. (author)

  1. A microarchitecture for resource-limited superscalar microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basso, Todd David

    1999-11-01

    microprocessor. The proposed microarchitecture is process independent and can be applied to low-cost, or transistor-limited applications. The proposed microarchitecture is implemented in the design of a 0.35 mum CMOS microprocessor, and the design of a 0.5 mum CGaAsTM micro-processor. The two technologies and designs are compared to ascertain the state of CGaAsTM for digital VLSI applications.

  2. The use of microprocessors at TRIUMF in the control of radiation safety interlock systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, L.

    1988-01-01

    At TRIUMF the cyclotron vault, all primary beam lines, and each experimental area has a dedicated control unit to manage the safety interlock control of the area lockup sequence, beam blocker drive and area access. Typically each area has 24 devices which are monitored to control 16 outputs. These control units (Area Safety Units) were first implemented through the use of relay logic. The relay logic was reliable but difficult to modify to incorporate changes to the areas. In 1979 it was decided to use microprocessors in the form of single board computers to control the Area Safety Units. The details of the hardware and software is discussed as well as the advantages of microprocessor control

  3. The micro-processor controlled process radiation monitoring system for reactor safety systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizuno, K.; Noguchi, A.; Kumagami, S.; Gotoh, Y.; Kumahara, T.; Arita, S.

    1986-01-01

    Digital computers are soon expected to be applied to various real-time safety and safety-related systems in nuclear power plants. Hitachi is now engaged in the development of a micro-processor controlled process radiation monitoring system, which operates on digital processing methods employed with a log ratemeter. A newly defined methodology of design and test procedures is being applied as a means of software program verification for these safety systems. Recently implemented micro-processor technology will help to achieve an advanced man-machine interface and highly reliable performance. (author)

  4. Design description of a microprocessor based Engine Monitoring and Control unit (EMAC) for small turboshaft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baez, A. N.

    1985-01-01

    Research programs have demonstrated that digital electronic controls are more suitable for advanced aircraft/rotorcraft turbine engine systems than hydromechanical controls. Commercially available microprocessors are believed to have the speed and computational capability required for implementing advanced digital control algorithms. Thus, it is desirable to demonstrate that off-the-shelf microprocessors are indeed capable of performing real time control of advanced gas turbine engines. The engine monitoring and control (EMAC) unit was designed and fabricated specifically to meet the requirements of an advanced gas turbine engine control system. The EMAC unit is fully operational in the Army/NASA small turboshaft engine digital research program.

  5. Microprocessor interfacing

    CERN Document Server

    Vears, R E

    2014-01-01

    Microprocessor Interfacing provides the coverage of the Business and Technician Education Council level NIII unit in Microprocessor Interfacing (syllabus U86/335). Composed of seven chapters, the book explains the foundation in microprocessor interfacing techniques in hardware and software that can be used for problem identification and solving. The book focuses on the 6502, Z80, and 6800/02 microprocessor families. The technique starts with signal conditioning, filtering, and cleaning before the signal can be processed. The signal conversion, from analog to digital or vice versa, is expl

  6. CAMAC based computer--computer communications via microprocessor data links

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, J.M.; Machen, D.R.; Naivar, F.J.; Elkins, E.P.; Simmonds, D.D.

    1976-01-01

    Communications between the central control computer and remote, satellite data acquisition/control stations at The Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) is presently accomplished through the use of CAMAC based Data Link Modules. With the advent of the microprocessor, a new philosophy for digital data communications has evolved. Data Link modules containing microprocessor controllers provide link management and communication network protocol through algorithms executed in the Data Link microprocessor

  7. Microprocessorized message multiplexer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ejzman, S.; Guglielmi, L.; Jaeger, J.J.

    1980-07-01

    The 'Microprocessorized Message Multiplexer' is an elementary development tool used to create and debug the software of a target microprocessor (User Module: UM). It connects together four devices: a terminal, a cassette recorder, the target microprocessor and a host computer where macro and editor for the M 6800 microprocessor are resident [fr

  8. An Asynchronous Circuit Design Technique for a Flexible 8-Bit Microprocessor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaki, Nobuo; Nanmoto, Takashi; Inoue, Satoshi

    This paper presents an asynchronous design technique, an enabler for the emerging technology of flexible microelectronics that feature low-temperature processed polysilicon (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFT) and surface-free technology by laser annealing/ablation (SUFTLA®). The first design instance chosen is an 8-bit microprocessor. LTPS TFTs are good for realizing displays having integrated VLSI circuit at lower costs. However, LTPS TFTs have drawbacks, including substantial deviations in characteristics and the self-heating phenomenon. To solve these problems, the authors adopted the asynchronous circuit design technique and developed an asynchronous design language called Verilog+, which is based on a subset of Verilog HDL® and includes minimal primitives used for describing the communications between modules, and the dedicated tools including a translator called xlator and a synthesizer called ctrlsyn. The flexible 8-bit microprocessor stably operates at 500kHz, drawing 180μA from a 5V power source. The microprocessor's electromagnetic emissions are 21dB less than those of the synchronous counterpart.

  9. The microprocessor boom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1979-01-01

    The applications of microprocessors in high energy physics experiments are discussed. Many benefits are predicted for data acquisition and handling systems and for control and monitoring functions. (W.D.L.).

  10. Supply system with microprocessor control for electron gun

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duplin, N.I.; Sergeev, N.N.

    1988-01-01

    Precision supply system for electron gun used in Auger-spectrometer is described. The supply system consists of control and high-voltage parts, made as separate units. Supply high-voltage unit includes system supply module, filament module to supply electron gun cathode and 6 high-volt modules to supply accelerating, modulating and three focusing electrodes of the gun. High-voltage modules have the following characteristics: U-(100-1000)V output voltage, 5x10 -5 U stability, 10 -5 xU pulsation amplitude, J-(0-5)A filament current change range at 10 -4 xJ stability. Control unit including microprocessor, timer and storage devices forms control voltage for all modules and regulates voltage and current of filament at electrodes

  11. Microprocessor based systems for the higher technician

    CERN Document Server

    Vears, RE

    2013-01-01

    Microprocessor Based Systems for the Higher Technician provides coverage of the BTEC level 4 unit in Microprocessor Based Systems (syllabus U80/674). This book is composed of 10 chapters and concentrates on the development of 8-bit microcontrollers specifically constructed around the Z80 microprocessor. The design cycle for the development of such a microprocessor based system and the use of a disk-based development system (MDS) as an aid to design are both described in detail. The book deals with the Control Program Monitor (CP/M) operating system and gives background information on file hand

  12. Microprocessor controlled dual parameter ADC system with a CAMAC interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perry, D G; Nickell, Jr, J D [Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)

    1978-09-01

    Presented here is the design of a dual parameter ADC system which is controlled by a microprocessor and also interfaced to CAMAC. The system was designed to be mobile in that it may work wherever there is a CAMAC crate. In such cases where the CAMAC system is inoperative, the system may operate in a stand-alone mode.

  13. AFRRI's conversion to a microprocessor-based reactor instrumentation and control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, Mark L.; Hodgdon, Kenneth M.

    1986-01-01

    The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is procuring a state-of- the-art microprocessor-based instrumentation and control system to operate AFRRI's 1 MW (steady-state), 3000 MW (pulse) TRIGA Mark-F reactor. This system will replace the current control console while improving or maintaining the existing operational capabilities and safety characteristics. The new unit will have a 15-year design life using state-of-the-art components

  14. Microprocessor-controlled inhalation system for repeated exposure of animals to aerosols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpenter, R.L.; Barr, F.P.; Leydig, R.L.; Rajala, R.E.

    1979-01-01

    A microprocessor-controlled inhalation exposure system (MCIES) has been built to automate aerosol generation and sampling while controlling exposure time for animal toxicity studies. The system has a time resolution of 0.1 s and automatically sequences the exposure events from initiation to temination of the exposure. The operator is required to preset all airflows, read in a paper tape containing the time sequence of events, and initiate the automatic sequence by closing a switch

  15. Designing low cost LED display for the billboard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Yi-Jian; Uang, Chii-Maw; Wang, Ping-Chieh; Ho, Zu-Sheng

    2011-10-01

    With quickly advance of the computer, microelectronics and photonics technologies, LED display panel becomes a new electronic advertising media. It can be used to show any information whatever characters or graphics. Most LED display panels are built of many Light-Emitting Diodes arranged in a matrix form. The display has many advantages such as low power, low cost, long life and high definition. Because the display panel is asked to show rich color, the LED display panel's driving system becomes very complex. The design methodology of LED display panel's driver becomes more and more important to meet the market requirements. Cost is always the most important issue in public market domain. In this paper, we report a design methodology of LED display panel's driver based on the microprocessor control unit (MCU) system and LED display controller IC, HT1632C, to control three colors, RGB, color LED display panel and the modular panel size is 24*16 in matrix form. The HT1632C is a memory mapping LED display controller, it can be used on many applications, such as digital clock, thermometer, counter, voltmeter or other instrumentation readouts. Three pieces of HT1632C are used to drive a 24*16 RGB LED display panel, in our design case. Each HT163C chip is used to control one of the R, G and B color. As the drive mode is driven in DC mode, the RGB display panel can create and totally of seven colors under the control of MCU. The MCU generates the control signal to drive HT1632C. In this study, the software design methodology is adopted with dynamic display principle. When the scan frequency is 60Hz, LED display panel will get the clear picture and be able to display seven colors.

  16. Microprocessor engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Holdsworth, B

    2013-01-01

    Microprocessor Engineering provides an insight in the structures and operating techniques of a small computer. The book is comprised of 10 chapters that deal with the various aspects of computing. The first two chapters tackle the basic arithmetic and logic processes. The third chapter covers the various memory devices, both ROM and RWM. Next, the book deals with the general architecture of microprocessor. The succeeding three chapters discuss the software aspects of machine operation, while the last remaining three chapters talk about the relationship of the microprocessor with the outside wo

  17. State estimation and control for low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles

    CERN Document Server

    Hajiyev, Chingiz; Yenal Vural, Sıtkı

    2015-01-01

    This book discusses state estimation and control procedures for a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The authors consider the use of robust adaptive Kalman filter algorithms and demonstrate their advantages over the optimal Kalman filter in the context of the difficult and varied environments in which UAVs may be employed. Fault detection and isolation (FDI) and data fusion for UAV air-data systems are also investigated, and control algorithms, including the classical, optimal, and fuzzy controllers, are given for the UAV. The performance of different control methods is investigated and the results compared. State Estimation and Control of Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles covers all the important issues for designing a guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system of a low-cost UAV. It proposes significant new approaches that can be exploited by GNC system designers in the future and also reviews the current literature. The state estimation, control and FDI methods are illustrated by examples and MATLAB...

  18. Sensorless control of low-cost single-phase hybrid switched reluctance motor drive

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Uffe; Lu, Kaiyuan; Rasmussen, Peter Omand

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a sensorless-controlled, low-cost, low-power, variable-speed drive system suitable for fan and pump applications. The main advantages of this drive system are the low system cost, simple converter structure, and simple but robust sensorless control technique. The drive motor...... is a special Hybrid Switched Reluctance Motor (HSRM). The proposed sensorless control method utilizes beneficially the stator side permanent magnet field and its performance is motor parameter independent. The unique low-cost drive system solution, simple and robust sensorless control features of this drive...

  19. Sensorless Control of Low-cost Single-phase Hybrid Switched Reluctance Motor Drive

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Uffe; Lu, Kaiyuan; Rasmussen, Peter Omand

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a sensorless-controlled, low-cost, low-power, and variable-speed drive system suitable for fan and pump applications. The main advantages of this drive system are the low system cost, simple converter structure, and simple but robust sensorless control technique. The drive motor...... is a special hybrid switched reluctance motor. The proposed sensorless control method beneficially utilizes the stator side PM field and its performance is motor parameter independent. The unique low-cost drive system solution, simple and robust sensorless control features of this drive system, is demonstrated...

  20. Microprocessor control and data acquisition at the LLNL 100-MeV accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendonca, M.L.

    1981-01-01

    A distributed microprocessor control and data acquisition network has been designed for implementation on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 100 MeV electron/positron accelerator (LINAC). The system has been designed to be as transparent to the user as possible by stressing responsiveness, reliability, and relevance of data presented to the user. Implementation of the network will take place in modular fashion in three stages, so as to minimize disruption of normal operations. The first elements to be installed will be the beam transport system controls, beam set-up time. Beam diagnostic equipment is now being position monitors, and accelerator operating status monitors. These units will reduce beam set-up time. Beam diagnostic equipment is now being designed that will be used in a second stage implementation. This stage will concentrate on determining beam parameters and allowing the user to optimize the beam for a given parameter. The final stage will be to install experimenter data acquisition equipment. The equipment will augment the presently existing data acquisition system. The completed network will allow a more efficient operation of the LINAC, resulting in reduced experiment costs, and more controllable beam parameters, both of which are major concerns of experimenters

  1. Design of microprocessor-based hardware for number theoretic transform implementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anwar Ahmed Shamim

    1985-01-01

    The Winograd (1976) Fourier Transform algorithm (WFTA) was implemented on a TMS9900 microprocessor to compute NTTs. Since multiplication conducted modulo m is very time consuming a special purpose external hardware modular multiplier was designed, constructed and interfaced with the TMS9900 microprocessor. This external hardware modular multiplier allowed an improvement in the transform execution time. Computation time may further be reduced by employing several microprocessors. Taking advantage of the inherent parallelism of the WFTA, a dedicated parallel microprocessor system was designed and constructed to implement a 15-point WFTA in parallel. Benchmark programs were written to choose a suitable microprocessor for the parallel microprocessor system. A master or a host microprocessor is used to control the parallel microprocessor system and provides an interface to the outside world. An analogue to digital (a/d) and a digital to analogue (d/a) converter allows real time digital signal processing.

  2. Adapting to change: influence of a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee on gait adaptations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prinsen, Erik Christiaan

    2016-01-01

    Advancement in prosthetic knee design have led to the introduction of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs). MPKs incorporate sensors that are able to measure prosthetic loading, the knee angle, and knee angular velocity. Based on the sensor information, MPKs determine the optimal level

  3. Microprocessor-based control for independently-phased RF linac cavities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson, J.W.

    1979-01-01

    A microprocessor based system has been built to control the RF amplifiers associated with independently phased linac cavities. The system has an 8080A at each amplifier station, together with associated ROM, RAM, I/O, etc. At a central NOVA 3 computer an additional 8080A system is incorporated in the interface to the NOVA I/O bus. The NOVA interface is connected by a bus of eighteen twisted pairs to each amplifier station, providing bilateral transmission between each station and the NOVA. The system architecture, bus protocol, and operating characteristics are described

  4. SNOOP module CAMAC interface to the 168/E microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernstein, D.; Carroll, J.T.; Mitnick, V.H.; Paffrath, L.; Parker, D.B.

    1979-10-01

    A pair of 168/E microprocessors will be used to meet the realtime computing requirements of the SLAC Hybrid Facility. A SNOOP module and 168/E Interface provide the link between the host computer and the microprocessors. By eavesdropping on normal CAMAC read operations, the SNOOP provides a direct data transfer from CAMAC to microprocessor memory. The host computer controls the processors using standard CAMAC programmed I/O to the SNOOP

  5. Microprocessor multi-task monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludemann, C.A.

    1983-01-01

    This paper describes a multi-task monitor program for microprocessors. Although written for the Intel 8085, it incorporates features that would be beneficial for implementation in other microprocessors used in controlling and monitoring experiments and accelerators. The monitor places permanent programs (tasks) arbitrarily located throughout ROM in a priority ordered queue. The programmer is provided with the flexibility to add new tasks or modified versions of existing tasks, without having to comply with previously defined task boundaries or having to reprogram all of ROM. Scheduling of tasks is triggered by timers, outside stimuli (interrupts), or inter-task communications. Context switching time is of the order of tenths of a milllisecond

  6. Microprocessorized NMR measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rijllart, A.

    1984-01-01

    An MC68000 CAMAC microprocessor system for fast and accurate NMR signal measurement will be presented. A stand-alone CAMAC microprocessor system (MC68000 STAC) with a special purpose interface sweeps a digital frequency synthesizer and digitizes the NMR signal with a 16-bit ADC of 17 μs conversion time. It averages the NMR signal data over many sweeps and then transfers it through CAMAC to a computer for calculation of the signal parameters. The computer has full software control over the timing and sweep settings of this signal averager, and thus allows optimization of noise suppression. Several of these processor systems can be installed in the same crate for parallel processing, and the flexibility of the STAC also allows easy adaptation to other applications such as transient recording or phase-sensitive detection. (orig.)

  7. Newnes microprocessor pocket book

    CERN Document Server

    Money, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Newnes Microprocessor Pocket Book explains the basic hardware operation of a microprocessor and describes the actions of the various types of instruction that can be executed. A summary of the characteristics of many of the popular microprocessors is presented. Apart from the popular 8- and 16-bit microprocessors, some details are also given of the popular single chip microcomputers and of the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) type processors such as the Transputer, Novix FORTH processor, and Acorn ARM processor.Comprised of 15 chapters, this book discusses the principles involved in bot

  8. Microprocessor-controlled data-acquisition instrument for neutron-activation measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, B.A.

    1981-01-01

    This paper describes a microprocessor controlled data acquisition instrument designed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to provide experimenters with a diagnostic tool for measuring the performance of laser imploded fusion targets via neutron activation techniques. This instrument features the ability to count four independent inputs simultaneously while providing a front panel readout of these inputs, plus a time of day clock. A hardcopy printout of the data is also provided by a built-in thermal printer. All running modes and parameters are user selectable via a front panel keypad, and a complete set of internal self-testing diagnostics are available for debug

  9. Microprocessor control unit of thyristor regulator of microhydroelectric power station ballast load

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nomokonova, Yu; Bogdanov, E

    2014-01-01

    The operational principle of microhydroelectric power station ballast load is presented. The comparative overview of the mathematical modeling methods is performed. The ranges of thyristors optimal work are shown as a result of the regulator regimes analysis. Shows the necessity of regulation the ballast load in microhydroelectric power station with help of developed algorithm of the program for microprocessor control

  10. Instrument for bone mineral measurement using a microprocessor as the control and arithmetic element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alberi, J.L.; Hardy, W.H. II.

    1975-11-01

    A self-contained instrument for the determination of bone mineral content by photon absorptometry is described. A high-resolution detection system allows measurements to be made at up to 16 photon energies. Control and arithmetic functions are performed by a microprocessor. Analysis capability and limitations are discussed

  11. A microprocessor-controlled assay for the estimation of human placental lactogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adam, T.; Roulston, J.E.; Bagshawe, K.D.

    1979-01-01

    A radioimmunoassay for human placental lactogen (HPL) is described using the KEMTEK 3000, which is a modular radioimmunoassay apparatus controlled by a microprocessor. Operation of the KEMTEK 3000 is largely automatic and it requires minimal intervention from the operator. It is capable of 300 reactions per hour so that a large number of estimations can readily be performed. HPL was assayed by a double antibody method on serum samples from pregnant women and patients with trophoblastic tumours. (Auth.)

  12. Autonomous controller (JCAM 10) for CAMAC crate with 8080 (INTEL) microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallice, P.; Mathis, M.

    1975-01-01

    The CAMAC crate autonomous controller JCAM-10 is designed around an INTEL 8080 microprocessor in association with a 5K RAM and 4K REPROM memory. The concept of the module is described, in which data transfers between CAMAC modules and the memory are optimised from software point of view as well as from execution time. In fact, the JCAM-10 is a microcomputer with a set of 1000 peripheral units represented by the CAMAC modules commercially available

  13. ITRA 084 - a microprocessor controlled rapid analyzer in mining and metallurgy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kliem, V.; Kreher, M.; Boy, N.

    1986-01-01

    A new rapid analyzer of the ITRA series has been developed at the Freiberg Research Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals for single and multi-element analysis in mining and non-ferrous metallurgy. INTRA-08 represents an efficient microprocessor-controlled on-line X-ray fluorescence analyzer based on the main principles utilized with success hitherto in device engineering (isotope excitation, four-channel modification, balance filter method). A U880 single-chip microcomputer provides the central control of the device including the execution of an extensive program for the matrix correction. The efficiency of the analyzer is demonstrated taking measured values as a basis

  14. Microprocessor Activity Controls Differential miRNA Biogenesis In Vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Conrad

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In miRNA biogenesis, pri-miRNA transcripts are converted into pre-miRNA hairpins. The in vivo properties of this process remain enigmatic. Here, we determine in vivo transcriptome-wide pri-miRNA processing using next-generation sequencing of chromatin-associated pri-miRNAs. We identify a distinctive Microprocessor signature in the transcriptome profile from which efficiency of the endogenous processing event can be accurately quantified. This analysis reveals differential susceptibility to Microprocessor cleavage as a key regulatory step in miRNA biogenesis. Processing is highly variable among pri-miRNAs and a better predictor of miRNA abundance than primary transcription itself. Processing is also largely stable across three cell lines, suggesting a major contribution of sequence determinants. On the basis of differential processing efficiencies, we define functionality for short sequence features adjacent to the pre-miRNA hairpin. In conclusion, we identify Microprocessor as the main hub for diversified miRNA output and suggest a role for uncoupling miRNA biogenesis from host gene expression.

  15. The Microprocessor controls the activity of mammalian retrotransposons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heras, Sara R.; Macias, Sara; Plass, Mireya

    2013-01-01

    RNA biogenesis, also recognizes and binds RNAs derived from human long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1), Alu and SVA retrotransposons. Expression analyses demonstrate that cells lacking a functional Microprocessor accumulate LINE-1 mRNA and encoded proteins. Furthermore, we show that structured regions...

  16. G-cueing microcontroller (a microprocessor application in simulators)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horattas, C. G.

    1980-01-01

    A g cueing microcontroller is described which consists of a tandem pair of microprocessors, dedicated to the task of simulating pilot sensed cues caused by gravity effects. This task includes execution of a g cueing model which drives actuators that alter the configuration of the pilot's seat. The g cueing microcontroller receives acceleration commands from the aerodynamics model in the main computer and creates the stimuli that produce physical acceleration effects of the aircraft seat on the pilots anatomy. One of the two microprocessors is a fixed instruction processor that performs all control and interface functions. The other, a specially designed bipolar bit slice microprocessor, is a microprogrammable processor dedicated to all arithmetic operations. The two processors communicate with each other by a shared memory. The g cueing microcontroller contains its own dedicated I/O conversion modules for interface with the seat actuators and controls, and a DMA controller for interfacing with the simulation computer. Any application which can be microcoded within the available memory, the available real time and the available I/O channels, could be implemented in the same controller.

  17. LSI microprocessor circuit families based on integrated injection logic. Mikroprotsessornyye komplekty bis na osnove integral'noy inzhektsionnoy logiki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borisov, V.S.; Vlasov, F.S.; Kaloshkin, E.P.; Serzhanovich, D.S.; Sukhoparov, A.I.

    1984-01-01

    Progress in developing microprocessor computer hardware is based on progress and improvement in systems engineering, circuit engineering and manufacturing process methods of design and development of large-scale integrated circuits (BIS). Development of these methods with widespread use of computer-aided design (CAD) systems has allowed developing 4- and 8-bit microprocessor families (MPK) of LSI circuits based on integrated injection logic (I/sup 2/L), characterized by relatively high speed and low dissipated power. The emergence of LSI and VLSI microprocessor circuits required computer system developers to make changes to theory and practice of computer system design. Progress in technology upset the established relation between hardware and software component development costs in systems being designed. A characteristic feature of using LSI circuits is also the necessity of building devices from standard modules with large functional complexity. The existing directions of forming compositions of LSI microprocessor families allow the system developer to choose a particular methodology of design, proceeding from the efficiency function and field of application of the system being designed. The efficiency of using microprocessor families is largely governed by the user's understanding in depth of the structure of LSI microprocessor family circuits and the features of using them to implement a broad class of computer devices and modules being developed. This book is devoted to solving this problem.

  18. Emulation of MS DOS Operational System on the Autonomous Crate-Controller with I8086 microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hons, Z.; Cizek, P.; Streit, V.

    1988-01-01

    KM-DOS operating system for CAMAC autonomous crate-controller based on Intel 8086/8087 microprocessor connected with Pravec-16 IBM PC is described. The KM-DOS system fully emulates the MS DOS environment on the CAMAC controller. Thus ASSEMBLER, FORTRAN, C and PASCAL programs compiled and linked on IBM PC and compatible can be run on the CAMAC controller and parall work of both computers is enabled

  19. CFD-simulation of radiator for air cooling of microprocessors in a limitided space

    OpenAIRE

    Trofimov V. E.; Pavlov A. L.; Mokrousova E. A.

    2016-01-01

    One of the final stages of microprocessors development is heat test. This procedure is performed on a special stand, the main element of which is the switching PCB with one or more mounted microprocessor sockets, chipsets, interfaces, jumpers and other components which provide various modes of microprocessor operation. The temperature of microprocessor housing is typically changed using thermoelectric module. The cold surface of the module with controlled temperature is in direct thermal c...

  20. Biomass Combustion Control and Stabilization Using Low-Cost Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ján Piteľ

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes methods for biomass combustion process control and burning stabilization based on low-cost sensing of carbon monoxide emissions and oxygen concentration in the flue gas. The designed control system was tested on medium-scale biomass-fired boilers and some results are evaluated and presented in the paper.

  1. Control and operation cost optimization of the HISS cryogenic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porter, J.; Anderson, D.; Bieser, F.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter describes a control strategy for the Heavy Ion Spectrometer System (HISS), which relies upon superconducting coils of cryostable design to provide a particle bending field of 3 tesla. The control strategy has allowed full time unattended operation and significant operating cost reductions. Microprocessor control of flash boiling style LIN circuits has been successful. It is determined that the overall operating cost of most cryogenic systems using closed loop helium systems can be minimized by properly balancing the total heat load between the helium and nitrogen circuits to take advantage of the non-linearity which exists in the power input to 4K refrigeration characteristic. Variable throughput compressors have the advantage of turndown capability at steady state. It is concluded that a hybrid system using digital and analog input for control, data display and alarms enables full time unattended operation

  2. Tools for developing software for different types of microprocessors, to be used, in particular, for the acquisition and processing of nuclear data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maloeuvre, Michel.

    1982-04-01

    It is difficult to imagine the realization of a system with a microprocessor without the use of an adapted development system. As these systems are prohibitively expensive, it is difficult for a laboratory to acquire them. A computer, such as the Multi 20 is provided with programme generating tools and supervisors to put the computer's ressources at the microprocessor's disposal. An electronic crate assures interface functions with the computer, the emulation of the microprocessor and the loading of EROM and the live memory lank in order to execute the different units integrated into the crate, enables the crate to be used as a portable repair and maintenance outfit for the materials installed. In the first part of the text, we present the principles of the development tools showing how they are used to realize microprocessor equipment. In the second part, the software is optimized together with the choice of materials in order to define a low cost development system [fr

  3. Small private key MQPKS on an embedded microprocessor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Hwajeong; Kim, Jihyun; Choi, Jongseok; Park, Taehwan; Liu, Zhe; Kim, Howon

    2014-03-19

    Multivariate quadratic (MQ) cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to MQ cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011), a small public key MQ scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key MQ scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing MQ on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key MQ scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012.

  4. Small Private Key PKS on an Embedded Microprocessor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Hwajeong; Kim, Jihyun; Choi, Jongseok; Park, Taehwan; Liu, Zhe; Kim, Howon

    2014-01-01

    Multivariate quadratic ( ) cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011), a small public key scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012. PMID:24651722

  5. Architectural and compiler techniques for energy reduction in high-performance microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellas, Nikolaos

    1999-11-01

    The microprocessor industry has started viewing power, along with area and performance, as a decisive design factor in today's microprocessors. The increasing cost of packaging and cooling systems poses stringent requirements on the maximum allowable power dissipation. Most of the research in recent years has focused on the circuit, gate, and register-transfer (RT) levels of the design. In this research, we focus on the software running on a microprocessor and we view the program as a power consumer. Our work concentrates on the role of the compiler in the construction of "power-efficient" code, and especially its interaction with the hardware so that unnecessary processor activity is saved. We propose techniques that use extra hardware features and compiler-driven code transformations that specifically target activity reduction in certain parts of the CPU which are known to be large power and energy consumers. Design for low power/energy at this level of abstraction entails larger energy gains than in the lower stages of the design hierarchy in which the design team has already made the most important design commitments. The role of the compiler in generating code which exploits the processor organization is also fundamental in energy minimization. Hence, we propose a hardware/software co-design paradigm, and we show what code transformations are necessary by the compiler so that "wasted" power in a modern microprocessor can be trimmed. More specifically, we propose a technique that uses an additional mini cache located between the instruction cache (I-Cache) and the CPU core; the mini cache buffers instructions that are nested within loops and are continuously fetched from the I-Cache. This mechanism can create very substantial energy savings, since the I-Cache unit is one of the main power consumers in most of today's high-performance microprocessors. Results are reported for the SPEC95 benchmarks in the R-4400 processor which implements the MIPS2 instruction

  6. A fast, flexible and low cost real time data acquisition system for nuclear physics experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rassool, R.P.; O'Keefe, G.J.; Thompson, M.N.

    1991-01-01

    A system has been developed to permit fast, efficient data collection from a relatively complex nuclear experiment. Incorporated into this system is the communication framework for on-line analysis of the incoming data. The system makes extensive use of readily available low cost Intel based microprocessors. Results from recent measurements of the 16 O(γ,n) cross section made using tagged photons, performed at previously unachievable collection rates are presented. 6 refs., 6 figs

  7. Microprocessor-controlled wide-range streak camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Amy E.; Hollabaugh, Craig

    2006-08-01

    Bechtel Nevada/NSTec recently announced deployment of their fifth generation streak camera. This camera incorporates many advanced features beyond those currently available for streak cameras. The arc-resistant driver includes a trigger lockout mechanism, actively monitors input trigger levels, and incorporates a high-voltage fault interrupter for user safety and tube protection. The camera is completely modular and may deflect over a variable full-sweep time of 15 nanoseconds to 500 microseconds. The camera design is compatible with both large- and small-format commercial tubes from several vendors. The embedded microprocessor offers Ethernet connectivity, and XML [extensible markup language]-based configuration management with non-volatile parameter storage using flash-based storage media. The camera's user interface is platform-independent (Microsoft Windows, Unix, Linux, Macintosh OSX) and is accessible using an AJAX [asynchronous Javascript and XML]-equipped modem browser, such as Internet Explorer 6, Firefox, or Safari. User interface operation requires no installation of client software or browser plug-in technology. Automation software can also access the camera configuration and control using HTTP [hypertext transfer protocol]. The software architecture supports multiple-simultaneous clients, multiple cameras, and multiple module access with a standard browser. The entire user interface can be customized.

  8. Microprocessor-controlled, wide-range streak camera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amy E. Lewis; Craig Hollabaugh

    2006-01-01

    Bechtel Nevada/NSTec recently announced deployment of their fifth generation streak camera. This camera incorporates many advanced features beyond those currently available for streak cameras. The arc-resistant driver includes a trigger lockout mechanism, actively monitors input trigger levels, and incorporates a high-voltage fault interrupter for user safety and tube protection. The camera is completely modular and may deflect over a variable full-sweep time of 15 nanoseconds to 500 microseconds. The camera design is compatible with both large- and small-format commercial tubes from several vendors. The embedded microprocessor offers Ethernet connectivity, and XML [extensible markup language]-based configuration management with non-volatile parameter storage using flash-based storage media. The camera's user interface is platform-independent (Microsoft Windows, Unix, Linux, Macintosh OSX) and is accessible using an AJAX [asynchronous Javascript and XML]-equipped modem browser, such as Internet Explorer 6, Firefox, or Safari. User interface operation requires no installation of client software or browser plug-in technology. Automation software can also access the camera configuration and control using HTTP [hypertext transfer protocol]. The software architecture supports multiple-simultaneous clients, multiple cameras, and multiple module access with a standard browser. The entire user interface can be customized

  9. Integration in a nuclear physics experiment of a visualization unit managed by a microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefebvre, M.

    1976-01-01

    A microprocessor (Intel 8080) is introduced in the equipment controlling the (e,e'p) experiment that will take place at the linear accelerator operating in the premises of CEA (Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, France). The purpose of the microprocessor is to handle the visualization tasks that are necessary to have a continuous control of the experiment. By doing so more time and more memory will be left for data processing by the calculator unit. In a forward version of the system, the controlling of the level of helium in the target might also be in charge of the microprocessor. This work is divided into 7 main parts: 1) a presentation of the linear accelerator and its experimental facilities, 2) the Intel 8080 micro-processor and its programming, 3) the implementation of the micro-processor in the electronic system, 4) the management of the memory, 5) data acquisition, 6) the keyboard, and 7) the visualization unit [fr

  10. Data acquisition and command system for use with a microprocessor-based control chassis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.; Martinez, V.A. Jr.

    1980-01-01

    The Pion Generation for Medical Irradiations (PIGMI) program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is developing the technology to build smaller, less expensive, and more reliable proton linear accelerators for medical applications, and has designed a powerful, simple, inexpensive, and reliable control and data acquisition system that is central to the program development. The system is a NOVA-3D minicomputer interfaced to several outlying microprocessor-based controllers, which accomplish control and data acquisition through data I/O chasis. The equipment interface chassis, which can issue binary commands, read binary data, issue analog commands, and read timed and untimed analog data is described

  11. Distributed control system for the National Synchrotron Light Source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batchelor, K.; Culwick, B.B.; Goldstick, J.; Sheehan, J.; Smith, J.

    1979-01-01

    Until recently, accelerator and similar control systems have used modular interface hardware such as CAMAC or DATACON which translated digital computer commands transmitted over some data link into hardware device status and monitoring variables. Such modules possessed little more than local buffering capability in the processing of commands and data. The advent of the micro-processor has made available low cost small computers of significant computational capability. This paper describes how micro-computers including such micro-processors and associated memory, input/output devices and interrupt facilities have been incorporated into a distributed system for the control of the NSLS

  12. A microprocessor based picture analysis system for automatic track measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinrich, W.; Trakowski, W.; Beer, J.; Schucht, R.

    1982-01-01

    In the last few years picture analysis became a powerful technique for measurements of nuclear tracks in plastic detectors. For this purpose rather expensive commercial systems are available. Two inexpensive microprocessor based systems with different resolution were developed. The video pictures of particles seen through a microscope are digitized in real time and the picture analysis is done by software. The microscopes are equipped with stages driven by stepping motors, which are controlled by separate microprocessors. A PDP 11/03 supervises the operation of all microprocessors and stores the measured data on its mass storage devices. (author)

  13. Small Private Key MQPKS on an Embedded Microprocessor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hwajeong Seo

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Multivariate quadratic (MQ cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to MQ cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011, a small public key MQ scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key MQ scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing MQ on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key MQ scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012.

  14. Microprocessor-controlled system for automatic acquisition of potentiometric data and their non-linear least-squares fit in equilibrium studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gampp, H; Maeder, M; Zuberbühler, A D; Kaden, T A

    1980-06-01

    A microprocessor-controlled potentiometric titration apparatus for equilibrium studies is described. The microprocessor controls the stepwise addition of reagent, monitors the pH until it becomes constant and stores the constant value. The data are recorded on magnetic tape by a cassette recorder with an RS232 input-output interface. A non-linear least-squares program based on Marquardt's modification of the Newton-Gauss method is discussed and its performance in the calculation of equilibrium constants is exemplified. An HP 9821 desk-top computer accepts the data from the magnetic tape recorder. In addition to a fully automatic fitting procedure, the program allows manual adjustment of the parameters. Three examples are discussed with regard to performance and reproducibility.

  15. A Low Cost Sensor Controller for Health Monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birbas, M.; Petrellis, N.; Gioulekas, F.

    2015-09-01

    Aging population can benefit from health care systems that allow their health and daily life to be monitored by expert medical staff. Blood pressure, temperature measurements or more advanced tests like Electrocardiograms (ECG) can be ordered through such a healthcare system while urgent situations can be detected and alleviated on time. The results of these tests can be stored with security in a remote cloud or database. Such systems are often used to monitor non-life threatening patient health problems and their advantage in lowering the cost of the healthcare services is obvious. A low cost commercial medical sensor kit has been used in the present work, trying to improve the accuracy and stability of the sensor measurements, the power consumption, etc. This Sensor Controller communicates with a Gateway installed in the patient's residence and a tablet or smart phone used for giving instructions to the patient through a comprehensive user interface. A flexible communication protocol has been defined supporting any short or long term sensor sampling scenario. The experimental results show that it is possible to achieve low power consumption by applying apropriate sleep intervals to the Sensor Controller and by deactivating periodically some of its functionality.

  16. Microprocessor-controlled, wide-range streak camera

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amy E. Lewis, Craig Hollabaugh

    2006-09-01

    Bechtel Nevada/NSTec recently announced deployment of their fifth generation streak camera. This camera incorporates many advanced features beyond those currently available for streak cameras. The arc-resistant driver includes a trigger lockout mechanism, actively monitors input trigger levels, and incorporates a high-voltage fault interrupter for user safety and tube protection. The camera is completely modular and may deflect over a variable full-sweep time of 15 nanoseconds to 500 microseconds. The camera design is compatible with both large- and small-format commercial tubes from several vendors. The embedded microprocessor offers Ethernet connectivity, and XML [extensible markup language]-based configuration management with non-volatile parameter storage using flash-based storage media. The camera’s user interface is platform-independent (Microsoft Windows, Unix, Linux, Macintosh OSX) and is accessible using an AJAX [asynchronous Javascript and XML]-equipped modem browser, such as Internet Explorer 6, Firefox, or Safari. User interface operation requires no installation of client software or browser plug-in technology. Automation software can also access the camera configuration and control using HTTP [hypertext transfer protocol]. The software architecture supports multiple-simultaneous clients, multiple cameras, and multiple module access with a standard browser. The entire user interface can be customized.

  17. A CAMAC-resident microprocessor used for field control of a dipole magnet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharp, F.J.; Greiner, B.F.

    1990-01-01

    An inexpensive, self-contained microprocessor supporting an on-chip BASIC interpreter has been incorporated into a CAMAC auxiliary-crate controller, with an EEPROM and a terminal port. Used with an ASCII computer terminal, the intelligent auxiliary controller is a self-contained program-development system. One application for the intelligent auxiliary controller is closed-loop control of the analyzing dipoles at the negative-ion injector of the TASCC (tandem accelerator superconducting cyclotron) heavy-ion accelerators. A BASIC program stored in the EEPROM runs on power-up of the controller. The program reads control numbers from a CAMAC mailbox, converts the ASCII character string from a precision Hall-probe teslameter to a digital field reading, and writes a control number to the dipole controller. The program iterates until the dipole reaches the demand field, while updating another CAMAC mailbox with a field readback for the main control system. (orig.)

  18. An easy and low cost option for economic statistical process control ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An easy and low cost option for economic statistical process control using Excel. ... in both economic and economic statistical designs of the X-control chart. ... in this paper and the numerical examples illustrated are executed on this program.

  19. Multiple microprocessor based nuclear reactor power monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, P.S.; Ethridge, C.D.

    1979-01-01

    The reactor power monitor is a portable multiple-microprocessor controlled data acquisition device being built for the International Atomic Energy Association. Its function is to measure and record the hourly integrated operating thermal power level of a nuclear reactor for the purpose of detecting unannounced plutonium production. The monitor consists of a 3 He proportional neutron detector, a write-only cassette tape drive and control electronics based on two INTEL 8748 microprocessors. The reactor power monitor operates from house power supplied by the plant operator, but has eight hours of battery backup to cover power interruptions. Both the hourly power levels and any line power interruptions are recorded on tape and in memory. Intermediate dumps from the memory to a data terminal or strip chart recorder can be performed without interrupting data collection

  20. Microprocessor-based data acquisition systems for Hera experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haynes, W.J.

    1989-09-01

    Sophisticated multi-microprocessor configurations are envisaged to cope with the technical challenges of the HERA electron-proton collider and the high data rates from the two large experiments H1 and ZEUS. These lecture notes concentrate on many of the techniques employed, with much emphasis being placed on the use of the IEEE standard VMEbus as a unifying element. The role of modern 32-bit CISC and RISC microprocessors, in the handling of data and the filtering of physics information, is highlighted together with the integration of personal computer stations for monitoring and control. (author)

  1. Particle swarm optimization algorithm based low cost magnetometer calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, A. S.; Siddharth, S., Syed, Z., El-Sheimy, N.

    2011-12-01

    Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) consist of accelerometers, gyroscopes and a microprocessor provide inertial digital data from which position and orientation is obtained by integrating the specific forces and rotation rates. In addition to the accelerometers and gyroscopes, magnetometers can be used to derive the absolute user heading based on Earth's magnetic field. Unfortunately, the measurements of the magnetic field obtained with low cost sensors are corrupted by several errors including manufacturing defects and external electro-magnetic fields. Consequently, proper calibration of the magnetometer is required to achieve high accuracy heading measurements. In this paper, a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based calibration algorithm is presented to estimate the values of the bias and scale factor of low cost magnetometer. The main advantage of this technique is the use of the artificial intelligence which does not need any error modeling or awareness of the nonlinearity. The estimated bias and scale factor errors from the proposed algorithm improve the heading accuracy and the results are also statistically significant. Also, it can help in the development of the Pedestrian Navigation Devices (PNDs) when combined with the INS and GPS/Wi-Fi especially in the indoor environments

  2. Microprocessor-controlled tester for evaluation of the Self-Energized Credential System (SECS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corlis, N.E.

    1980-03-01

    The Self-Energized Credential System (SECS) was developed for use in the Plutonium Protection System (PPS) installed at Hanford, Washington. Evaluation and development of the SECS system was enhanced by the use of a microprocessor-controlled portal tester. This tester used infrared (ir) beam sensors to provide information on the direction of travel of the credential wearer and to detect inoperative credentials. A printed record of the portal number, actual code read, time, and direction of the credential passage provided information essential to an assessment of the operability of the SECS

  3. Low cost highly available digital control computer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silvers, M.W.

    1986-01-01

    When designing digital controllers for critical plant control it is important to provide several features. Among these are reliability, availability, maintainability, environmental protection, and low cost. An examination of several applications has lead to a design that can be produced for approximately $20,000 (1000 control points). This design is compatible with modern concepts in distributed and hierarchical control. The canonical controller element is a dual-redundant self-checking computer that communicates with a cross-strapped, electrically isolated input/output system. The input/output subsystem comprises multiple intelligent input/output cards. These cards accept commands from the primary processor which are validated, executed, and acknowledged. Each card may be hot replaced to facilitate sparing. The implementation of the dual-redundant computer architecture is discussed. Called the FS-86, this computer can be used for a variety of applications. It has most recently found application in the upgrade of San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train control currently in progress and has been proposed for feedwater control in a boiling water reactor

  4. Front end embedded microprocessors in the JET computer-based control system, past, present and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steed, C.A.; VanderBeken, H.; Browne, M.L.; Fullard, K.; Reed, K.; Tilley, M.; Schmidt, V.

    1987-01-01

    A brief history of the use of Front End Microprocessors in the JET Control and Data Acquisition System (CODAS) is presented. The present expansion in their use from 2 or 3 in 1983 to 27 now, is covered along with the reasoning behind their present usage. Finally, their future planned use in the area of remote handling is discussed and the authors present views on the use of front end processing in future large distributed control systems are presented

  5. OS Friendly Microprocessor Architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-04-01

    NOTES Patrick La Fratta is now affiliated with Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, Idaho. 14. ABSTRACT We present an introduction to the patented ...Operating System Friendly Microprocessor Architecture (OSFA). The software framework to support the hardware-level security features is currently patent ...Army is assignee. OS Friendly Microprocessor Architecture. United States Patent 9122610. 2015 Sep. 2. Jungwirth P, inventor; US Army is assignee

  6. Voltage control in Z-source inverter using low cost microcontroller for undergraduate approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zulkifli, Shamsul Aizam; Sewang, Mohd Rizal; Salimin, Suriana; Shah, Noor Mazliza Badrul

    2017-09-01

    This paper is focussing on controlling the output voltage of Z-Source Inverter (ZSI) using a low cost microcontroller with MATLAB-Simulink that has been used for interfacing the voltage control at the output of ZSI. The key advantage of this system is the ability of a low cost microcontroller to process the voltage control blocks based on the mathematical equations created in MATLAB-Simulink. The Proportional Integral (PI) control equations are been applied and then, been downloaded to the microcontroller for observing the changes on the voltage output regarding to the changes on the reference on the PI. The system has been simulated in MATLAB and been verified with the hardware setup. As the results, the Raspberry Pi and Arduino that have been used in this work are able to respond well when there is a change of ZSI output. It proofed that, by applying/introducing this method to student in undergraduate level, it will help the student to understand more on the process of the power converter combine with a control feedback function that can be applied at low cost microcontroller.

  7. Technique to increase performance of C-program for control systems. Compiler technique for low-cost CPU; Seigyoyo C gengo program no kosokuka gijutsu. Tei cost CPU no tame no gengo compiler gijutsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamada, Y [Mazda Motor Corp., Hiroshima (Japan)

    1997-10-01

    The software of automotive control systems has become increasingly large and complex. High level languages (primarily C) and the compilers become more important to reduce coding time. Most compilers represent real number in the floating point format specified by IEEE standard 754. Most microprocessors in the automotive industry have no hardware for the operation using the IEEE standard due to the cost requirements, resulting in the slow execution speed and large code size. Alternative formats to increase execution speed and reduce code size are proposed. Experimental results for the alternative formats show the improvement in execution speed and code size. 4 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  8. Microprocessor-based stepping motor driver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

    1979-09-01

    The Pion Generation for Medical Irradiations (PIGMI) program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory requires a versatile stepping motor driver to do beam diagnostic measurements. A driver controlled by a microprocessor that can move eight stepping motors simultaneously was designed. The driver can monitor and respond to clockwise- and counterclockwise-limit switches, and it can monitor a 0- to 10-V dc position signal. The software controls start and stop ramping and maximum stepping rates. 2 figures, 1 table

  9. Hardware math for the 6502 microprocessor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kissel, R.; Currie, J.

    1985-01-01

    A floating-point arithmetic unit is described which is being used in the Ground Facility of Large Space Structures Control Verification (GF/LSSCV). The experiment uses two complete inertial measurement units and a set of three gimbal torquers in a closed loop to control the structural vibrations in a flexible test article (beam). A 6502 (8-bit) microprocessor controls four AMD 9511A floating-point arithmetic units to do all the computation in 20 milliseconds.

  10. Microprocessor protection relays: new prospects or new problems?

    OpenAIRE

    Gurevich, Vladimir

    2006-01-01

    The internal architecture and principles of operation of microprocessor-based devices including so-called "microprocessor protective relays" have little in common with devices called "electric relays". But microprocessor-based relay protection devices are gradually driving out the traditional electromechanical and even electronic relay protection of virtually from all fields of power and electrical engineering. Advantages of microprocessor-based protection means over traditional ones are far ...

  11. An INTEL 8080 microprocessor development system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horne, P.J.

    1977-01-01

    The INTEL 8080 has become one of the two most widely used microprocessors at CERN, the other being the MOTOROLA 6800. Even thouth this is the case, there have been, to date, only rudimentary facilities available for aiding the development of application programs for this microprocessor. An ideal development system is one which has a sophisticated editing and filing system, an assembler/compiler, and access to the microprocessor application. In many instances access to a PROM programmer is also required, as the application may utilize only PROMs for program storage. With these thoughts in mind, an INTEL 8080 microprocessor development system was implemented in the Proton Synchrotron (PS) Division. This system utilizes a PDP 11/45 as the editing and file-handling machine, and an MSC 8/MOD 80 microcomputer for assembling, PROM programming and debugging user programs at run time. The two machines are linked by an existing CAMAC crate system which will also provide the means of access to microprocessor applications in CAMAC and the interface of the development system to any other application. (Auth.)

  12. Direct medical costs of accidental falls for adults with transfemoral amputations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundell, Benjamin; Maradit Kremers, Hilal; Visscher, Sue; Hoppe, Kurtis; Kaufman, Kenton

    2017-12-01

    Active individuals with transfemoral amputations are provided a microprocessor-controlled knee with the belief that the prosthesis reduces their risk of falling. However, these prostheses are expensive and the cost-effectiveness is unknown with regard to falls in the transfemoral amputation population. The direct medical costs of falls in adults with transfemoral amputations need to be determined in order to assess the incremental costs and benefits of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees. We describe the direct medical costs of falls in adults with a transfemoral amputation. This is a retrospective, population-based, cohort study of adults who underwent transfemoral amputations between 2000 and 2014. A Bayesian structural time series approach was used to estimate cost differences between fallers and non-fallers. The mean 6-month direct medical costs of falls for six hospitalized adults with transfemoral amputations was US$25,652 (US$10,468, US$38,872). The mean costs for the 10 adults admitted to the emergency department was US$18,091 (US$-7,820, US$57,368). Falls are expensive in adults with transfemoral amputations. The 6-month costs of falls resulting in hospitalization are similar to those reported in the elderly population who are also at an increased risk of falling. Clinical relevance Estimates of fall costs in adults with transfemoral amputations can provide policy makers with additional insight when determining whether or not to cover a prescription for microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees.

  13. AIRQino, a low-cost air quality mobile platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaldei, Alessandro; Vagnoli, Carolina; Di Lonardo, Sara; Gioli, Beniamino; Gualtieri, Giovanni; Toscano, Piero; Martelli, Francesca; Matese, Alessandro

    2015-04-01

    Recent air quality regulations (Directive 2008/50/EC) enforce the transition from point-based monitoring networks to new tools that must be capable of mapping and forecasting air quality on the totality of land area, and therefore the totality of citizens. This implies new technologies such as models and additional indicative measurements, are needed in addition to accurate fixed air quality monitoring stations, that until now have been taken as reference by local administrators for the enforcement of various mitigation strategies. However, due to their sporadic spatial distribution, they cannot describe the highly resolved spatial pollutant variations within cities. Integrating additional indicative measurements may provide adequate information on the spatial distribution of the ambient air quality, also allowing for a reduction of the required minimum number of fixed sampling points, whose high cost and complex maintenance still remain a crucial concern for local administrators. New low-cost and small size sensors are becoming available, that could be employed in air quality monitoring including mobile applications. However, accurate assessment of their accuracy and performance both in controlled and real monitoring conditions is crucially needed. Quantifying sensor response is a significant challenge due to the sensitivity to ambient temperature and humidity and the cross-sensitivity to others pollutant species. This study reports the development of an Arduino compatible electronic board (AIRQino) which integrates a series of low-cost metal oxide and NDIR sensors for air quality monitoring, with sensors to measure air temperature, relative humidity, noise, solar radiation and vertical acceleration. A comparative assessment was made for CO2, CO, NO2, CH4, O3, VOCs concentrations, temperature and relative humidity. A controlled climatic chamber study (-80°C / +80°C) was performed to verify temperature and humidity interference using reference gas cylinders and

  14. Low-Cost Undergraduate Control Systems Experiments Using Microcontroller-Based Control of a DC Motor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunasekaran, M.; Potluri, R.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents low-cost experiments for a control systems laboratory module that is worth one and a third credits. The experiments are organized around the microcontroller-based control of a permanent magnet dc motor. The experimental setups were built in-house. Except for the operating system, the software used is primarily freeware or free…

  15. Real-time fetal ECG system design using embedded microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer-Baese, Uwe; Muddu, Harikrishna; Schinhaerl, Sebastian; Kumm, Martin; Zipf, Peter

    2016-05-01

    The emphasis of this project lies in the development and evaluation of new robust and high fidelity fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) systems to determine the fetal heart rate (FHR). Recently several powerful algorithms have been suggested to improve the FECG fidelity. Until now it is unknown if these algorithms allow a real-time processing, can be used in mobile systems (low power), and which algorithm produces the best error rate for a given system configuration. In this work we have developed high performance, low power microprocessor-based biomedical systems that allow a fair comparison of proposed, state-of-the-art FECG algorithms. We will evaluate different soft-core microprocessors and compare these solutions to other commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardcore solutions in terms of price, size, power, and speed.

  16. High-speed multiple-channel analog to digital data-acquisition module for microprocessor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ethridge, C.D.

    1977-01-01

    Intelligent data acquisition and instrumentation systems established by the incorporation of microprocessor technology require high-speed analog to digital conversion of multiple-channel input signals. Sophisticated data systems or subsystems are enabled by the microprocessor software flexibility to establish adaptive input data procedures. These adaptive procedures are enhanced by versatile interface circuitry which is software controlled

  17. A light-powered sub-threshold microprocessor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Ming; Chen Hong; Zhang Chun; Li Changmeng; Wang Zhihua, E-mail: lium02@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2010-11-15

    This paper presents an 8-bit sub-threshold microprocessor which can be powered by an integrated photosensitive diode. With a custom designed sub-threshold standard cell library and 1 kbit sub-threshold SRAM design, the leakage power of 58 nW, dynamic power of 385 nW - 165 kHz, EDP 13 pJ/inst and the operating voltage of 350 mV are achieved. Under a light of about 150 kLux, the microprocessor can run at a rate of up to 500 kHz. The microprocessor can be used for wireless-sensor-network nodes.

  18. Application of a microprocessor system to stream monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oakes, T.W.; Shank, K.E.

    1978-01-01

    Low-level liquid wastes originating from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are discharged, after treatment, into White Oak Creek, which is a small tributary of the Clinch River located in East Tennessee. Samples of White Oak Creek discharges are collected at White Oak Dam by a continuous digital proportional water sampler and analyzed weekly for radioactivity. The sampler contains a control system with a microprocessor that has been programmed to solve nonlinear weir equations. This system was designed and installed at ORNL by the Instrumentation and Controls Division and was tested by the Environmental Surveillance and Evaluation Section of the Industrial Safety and Applied Health Physics Division. The control system was designed to measure water flow rates from 0 to 334 ft 3 /sec to within 0.1%. Results of our test program and possible applications to other liquid sampling needs are discussed

  19. A realtime feedback microprocessor for the TEVATRON

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrup, D.A.; Chapman, L.; Franck, A.; Groves, T.; Lublinsky, B.

    1993-01-01

    A feedback microprocessor has been built for the TEVATRON. Its inputs are realtime accelerator measurements, data describing the state of the TEVATRON, and ramp tables. The microprocessor includes a finite state machine. Each state corresponds to a specific TEVATRON operation. Transitions between states are initiated by the global TEVATRON clock. Each state includes a cyclic routine which is called periodically and where all calculations are performed. The output corrections are inserted onto a fast TEVATRON-wide link from which the power supplies will read the realtime correction. The authors also store all of the input data and output corrections in a set of buffers which can easily be retrieved for diagnostic analysis. This talk will describe use of this device to control the TEVATRON tunes and discuss other uses

  20. High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

    CERN Document Server

    Cittolin, S; Zurfluh, E

    1981-01-01

    The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment test/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system, it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors, like Data Acquisition Crate Controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI Computer Language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. ...

  1. High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

    CERN Document Server

    Cittolin, Sergio; Zurfluh, E

    1981-01-01

    The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment test/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system, it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors, like data acquisition crate controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI computer language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. ...

  2. Experience in the installation of a microprocessor system for controlling converter units of the Vyborg substation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gusakovskii, K. B.; Zmaznov, E. Yu.; Katantsev, S. V.; Mazurenko, A. K.; Mestergazi, V. A.; Prochan, G. G.; Funtikova, S. F.

    2006-01-01

    The experience in the installation of modern digital systems for controlling converter units at the Vyborg converter substation on the basis of advanced microprocessor devices is considered. It is shown that debugging of a control and protection system on mathematical and physical models does not guarantee optimum control of actual converter devices. Examples of advancing the control and protection system are described, the necessity for which has become obvious in tests of actual equipment. Comparison of oscillograms of processes before optimization of the control system and after its optimization and adjustment shows that the digital control system makes it possible to improve substantially the algorithms of control and protection in the short term and without changing the hardware component

  3. Development of advanced Czochralski Growth Process to produce low cost 150 KG silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-01-01

    The goals in this program for advanced czochralski growth process to produce low cost 150 kg silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness are outlined. To provide a modified CG2000 crystal power capable of pulling a minimum of five crystals, each of approximately 30 kg in weight, 150 mm diameter from a single crucible with periodic melt replenishment. Crystals to have: resistivity of 1 to 3 ohm cm, p-type; dislocation density below 1- to the 6th power per cm; orientation (100); after growth yield of greater than 90%. Growth throughput of greater than 2.5 kg per hour of machine operation using a radiation shield. Prototype equipment suitable for use as a production facility. The overall cost goal is $.70 per peak watt by 1986. To accomplish these goals, the modified CG2000 grower and development program includes: (1) increased automation with a microprocessor based control system; (2) sensors development which will increase the capability of the automatic controls system, and provide technology transfer of the developed systems.

  4. CFD-simulation of radiator for air cooling of microprocessors in a limitided space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trofimov V. E.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the final stages of microprocessors development is heat test. This procedure is performed on a special stand, the main element of which is the switching PCB with one or more mounted microprocessor sockets, chipsets, interfaces, jumpers and other components which provide various modes of microprocessor operation. The temperature of microprocessor housing is typically changed using thermoelectric module. The cold surface of the module with controlled temperature is in direct thermal contact with the microprocessor housing designed for cooler installation. On the hot surface of the module a radiator is mounted. The radiator dissipates the cumulative heat flow from both the microprocessor and the module. High density PCB layout, the requirement of free access to the jumpers and interfaces, and the presence of numerous sensors limit the space for radiator mounting and require the use of an extremely compact radiator, especially in air cooling conditions. One of the possible solutions for this problem may reduce the area of the radiator heat-transfer surfaces due to a sharp growth of the heat transfer coefficient without increasing the air flow rate. To ensure a sharp growth of heat transfer coefficient on the heat-transfer surface one should make in the surface one or more dead-end cavities into which the impact air jets would flow. CFD simulation of this type of radiator has been conducted. The heat-aerodynamic characteristics and design recommendations for removing heat from microprocessors in a limited space have been determined.

  5. Model based design introduction: modeling game controllers to microprocessor architectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jungwirth, Patrick; Badawy, Abdel-Hameed

    2017-04-01

    We present an introduction to model based design. Model based design is a visual representation, generally a block diagram, to model and incrementally develop a complex system. Model based design is a commonly used design methodology for digital signal processing, control systems, and embedded systems. Model based design's philosophy is: to solve a problem - a step at a time. The approach can be compared to a series of steps to converge to a solution. A block diagram simulation tool allows a design to be simulated with real world measurement data. For example, if an analog control system is being upgraded to a digital control system, the analog sensor input signals can be recorded. The digital control algorithm can be simulated with the real world sensor data. The output from the simulated digital control system can then be compared to the old analog based control system. Model based design can compared to Agile software develop. The Agile software development goal is to develop working software in incremental steps. Progress is measured in completed and tested code units. Progress is measured in model based design by completed and tested blocks. We present a concept for a video game controller and then use model based design to iterate the design towards a working system. We will also describe a model based design effort to develop an OS Friendly Microprocessor Architecture based on the RISC-V.

  6. A feedback microprocessor for hadron colliders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrup, D.A.; Chapman, L.; Franck, A.; Groves, T.; Lublinsky, B.

    1992-12-01

    A feedback microprocessor has been built for the TEVATRON. It has been constructed to be applicable to hadron colliders in general. Its inputs are realtime accelerator measurements, data describing the state of the TEVATRON, and ramp tables. The microprocessor software includes a finite state machine. Each state corresponds to a specific TEVATRON operation and has a state-specific TEVATRON model. Transitions between states are initiated by the global TEVATRON clock. Each state includes a cyclic routine which is called periodically and where all calculations are performed. The output corrections are inserted onto a fast TEVATRON-wide link from which the power supplies will read the realtime corrections. We also store all of the input data and output corrections in a set of buffers which can easily be retrieved for diagnostic analysis. In this paper we will describe this device and its use to control the TEVATRON tunes as well as other possible applications

  7. Proposal for the award of a blanket order contract for the supply of microprocessor-based protection and control devices for the CERN HV distribution network

    CERN Document Server

    2004-01-01

    This document concerns the award of a blanket contract for the supply of microprocessor-based protection and control devices for the CERN HV distribution network. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a blanket order contract with SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (PT), the lowest technically acceptable bidder after realignment, for the supply of microprocessor-based protection and control devices for the CERN HV distribution network for a total amount of 1 900 000 euros (2 924 128 Swiss francs), subject to revision for inflation after 1 January 2007. The rate of exchange used is that stipulated in the tender

  8. Replacement of the control and instrumentation system with the microprocessor based systems in Japanese PWR plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, N.

    1998-01-01

    In Ohi Units 3 and 4, Ikata Unit 3, and Genkai Units 3 and 4, the latest of PWR plants now under operation in Japan, the reactor control system and turbine control system employ the microprocessor base digital control systems with a view to improving reliability, operability and maintainability. In the next stage plants, another application of such digital system is also planned for the instrumentation rack for the reactor protection system for further improvement. On the other hand, in Mihama Unit 1, the first of domestic PWR plants, and later plants except for the latest 5 plants, analog control systems are employed for the instrumentation racks. For the analog control systems of these plants, FOXBORO H-Line instruments, equivalent domestic box type instruments or WH7300 Series card type instruments were initially employed, and later replaced with domestic card type control systems after 10-15 year operation. However, 8-12 years have passed since these replacements, so the 15th year generally quoted as an interval for replacing C and I systems is near at hand. This is the time to consider next replacement. This replacement will be based on the latest digital technology. However, it is not practical way for the existing plants to apply the same integrated digital C and I system configuration for the next stage plants, because it requires the drastic change of the C and I system configuration and significant cost-up. Therefore, we must investigate the optimum digital C and I system configuration for the existing system. (author)

  9. A microprocessor-based power control data acquisition system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenberg, S.

    1982-10-01

    The project reported deals with one of the aspects of power plant control and management. In order to perform optimal distribution of power and load switching, one has to solve a specific optimization problem. In order to solve this problem one needs to collect current and power expenditure data from a large number of channels and have them processed. This particular procedure is defined as data acquisition and it constitutes the main topic of this project. A microprocessor-based data acquisition system for power management is investigated and developed. The current and power data of about 100 analog channels are sampled and collected in real-time. These data are subsequently processed to calculate the power factor (cos phi) for each channel and the maximum demand. The data is processed by an AMD 9511 Arithmetic Processing Unit and the whole system is controlled by an Intel 8080A CPU. All this information is then transfered to a universal computer through a synchronized communication channel. The optimization computations would be performed by the high level computer. Different ways of performing the search of data over a large number of channels have been investigated. A particular solution to overcome the gain and offset drift of the A/D converter, using software, has been proposed. The 8080A supervises the collection and routing of data in real time, while the 9511 performs calculation, using these data. (Author)

  10. EOSCOR: a light weight, microprocessor controlled solar neutron detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koga, R.; Albats, P.; Frye, G.M. Jr.; Schindler, S.M.; Denehy, B.V.; Hopper, V.D.; Mace, O.B.

    1979-01-01

    A light weight high energy neutron detector with vertical detection efficiency of 0.005 at 40 MeV and 1.4 m 2 sensitive area has been developed for long duration super-pressure balloon flight observations of solar neutrons and gamma rays. It consists of two sets of four plastic scintillator hodoscopes separated by a 1 m time-of-flight path to observe n-p, C(n,p), and C(n,d) interactions. The neutron interactions are separated from gamma ray events through TOF measurements. For a large flare, the signal from solar neutrons is expected to be an order of magnitude greater than that of the atmospheric background. The microprocessor controls the data acquisition, accumulation of histograms, and the encoding of data for the telemetry systems. A test flight of the detector was made with a zero-pressure balloon. The expected many-week duration of a super-pressure balloon flight would significantly increase the probability of observing 20-150 MeV neutrons from a medium or large flare. (Auth.)

  11. An Open Source Low-Cost Wireless Control System for a Forced Circulation Solar Plant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

    2015-11-05

    The article describes the design phase, development and practical application of a low-cost control system for a forced circulation solar plant in an outdoor test cell located near Milan. Such a system provides for the use of an electric pump for the circulation of heat transfer fluid connecting the solar thermal panel to the storage tank. The running plant temperatures are the fundamental parameter to evaluate the system performance such as proper operation, and the control and management system has to consider these parameters. A solar energy-powered wireless-based smart object was developed, able to monitor the running temperatures of a solar thermal system and aimed at moving beyond standard monitoring approaches to achieve a low-cost and customizable device, even in terms of installation in different environmental conditions. To this end, two types of communications were used: the first is a low-cost communication based on the ZigBee protocol used for control purposes, so that it can be customized according to specific needs, while the second is based on a Bluetooth protocol used for data display.

  12. An Open Source Low-Cost Wireless Control System for a Forced Circulation Solar Plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Salamone

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the design phase, development and practical application of a low-cost control system for a forced circulation solar plant in an outdoor test cell located near Milan. Such a system provides for the use of an electric pump for the circulation of heat transfer fluid connecting the solar thermal panel to the storage tank. The running plant temperatures are the fundamental parameter to evaluate the system performance such as proper operation, and the control and management system has to consider these parameters. A solar energy-powered wireless-based smart object was developed, able to monitor the running temperatures of a solar thermal system and aimed at moving beyond standard monitoring approaches to achieve a low-cost and customizable device, even in terms of installation in different environmental conditions. To this end, two types of communications were used: the first is a low-cost communication based on the ZigBee protocol used for control purposes, so that it can be customized according to specific needs, while the second is based on a Bluetooth protocol used for data display.

  13. Microprocessor aided data acquisition at VEDAS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziem, P.; Drescher, B.; Kapper, K.; Kowallik, R.

    1985-01-01

    Three microprocessor systems have been developed to support data acquisition in nuclear physics multiparameter experiments. A bit-slice processor accumulates up to 256 1-dim spectra and 16 2-dim spectra. A microprocessor, based on the AM 29116 ALU, performs a fast consistency check on the coincidence data. A VME-Bus double-processor displays a colored scatterplot

  14. Leak detection system with distributed microprocessor in the primary containment vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inahara, K.; Yoshioka, K.; Tomizawa, T.

    1980-01-01

    Responding to the demand for greater improvements of the safety monitoring system, less public radiation exposure, and increase of plant availability, measuring and control systems in nuclear power plants have undergone many improvements. Leak detection systems are also required to give earlier warning, additional accuracy, and continuous monitoring function. This paper describes the drywell sump leakage detection system utilizing a distributed microprocessor, which is a successful application owing to its versatile function and ease of installation. The microprocessor performs various functions such as a rate of level change computation, conversion to leakage flow rate, initiation of alarm, and sump pump control. This system has already been applied to three operating BWR plants that demonstrate its efficiency. (auth)

  15. High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cittolin, S.; Loefstedt, B.; Zurfluh, E.

    1981-01-01

    The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment rest/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors Like Data Acquisition Crate Controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI Computer Language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. The Chip MC-6854 from Motorola, Inc. enables an implementation with few components. (orig.)

  16. System and method for leveraging human physiological traits to control microprocessor frequency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shye, Alex; Pan, Yan; Scholbrock, Benjamin; Miller, J. Scott; Memik, Gokhan; Dinda, Peter A; Dick, Robert P

    2014-03-25

    A system and method for leveraging physiological traits to control microprocessor frequency are disclosed. In some embodiments, the system and method may optimize, for example, a particular processor-based architecture based on, for example, end user satisfaction. In some embodiments, the system and method may determine, for example, whether their users are satisfied to provide higher efficiency, improved reliability, reduced power consumption, increased security, and a better user experience. The system and method may use, for example, biometric input devices to provide information about a user's physiological traits to a computer system. Biometric input devices may include, for example, one or more of the following: an eye tracker, a galvanic skin response sensor, and/or a force sensor.

  17. Microprocessor, Setx, Xrn2, and Rrp6 Co-operate to Induce Premature Termination of Transcription by RNAPII

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wagschal, Alexandre; Rousset, Emilie; Basavarajaiah, Poornima; Contreras, Xavier; Harwig, Alex; Laurent-Chabalier, Sabine; Nakamura, Mirai; Chen, Xin; Zhang, Ke; Meziane, Oussama; Boyer, Frédéric; Parrinello, Hugues; Berkhout, Ben; Terzian, Christophe; Benkirane, Monsef; Kiernan, Rosemary

    2012-01-01

    Transcription elongation is increasingly recognized as an important mechanism of gene regulation. Here, we show that microprocessor controls gene expression in an RNAi-independent manner. Microprocessor orchestrates the recruitment of termination factors Setx and Xrn2, and the 30-50 exoribonuclease,

  18. Multi-core Microprocessors

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Based on empirical data, Gordon Moore .... there are numerous models of the same Intel microprocessor such as Pentium. 3). ... returns. The limit on instruction and thread-level processing coupled with ..... This style of parallel programming is.

  19. The specifications a multichannel analyser using microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pontes, E.W.

    The idea of a small nuclear data acquisition system (stand - alone CAMAC system) used for spectroscopy, is presented. The system is composed by an autonomous controller with microprocessor with one fast programable unit (1-2 μsec/CAMAC instructions) and with modulus of general functions as: CAMAC memory, interface for video, interface for analogy to digital converter and temporizing. (E.G.) [pt

  20. System architecture for microprocessor based protection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallagher, J.M. Jr.; Lilly, G.M.

    1976-01-01

    This paper discusses the architectural design features to be employed by Westinghouse in the application of distributed digital processing techniques to the protection system. While the title of the paper makes specific reference to microprocessors, this is only one (and the newest) of the building blocks which constitutes a distributed digital processing system. The actual system structure (as realized through utilization of the various building blocks) is established through considerations of reliability, licensability, and cost. It is the intent of the paper to address these considerations licenstions as they relate to the architectural design features. (orig.) [de

  1. Microprocessor Protection of Power Reducing Transformers

    OpenAIRE

    F. A. Romanuk; S. P. Korolev; M. S. Loman

    2011-01-01

    The paper contains analysis of advantages and disadvantages of existing differential protection terminals of power reducing transformers. The paper shows that there are good reasons to develop microprocessor protection of power reducing transformer which contains required functions and settings and which is based on Belarusian principles of relay protection system construction. The paper presents functional structure of microprocessor terminal of power reducing transformer which is developed. 

  2. ''NICRO'' microprogramming language for sectional microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenov, Yu.A.; Chudakov, V.N.

    1982-01-01

    ''MICRO'' microprogramming input language developed for sectional microprocessors is described. The structure of micromanual, purpose of particular fields, the corresponding mne-- mocodes and requirements they have to meet are considered. Program for integer division with a sign written in the ''MICRO'' language is given as an example. The possibilities of modif ying the translator for its adaptation to different types of processor and microprocessor sets are analyzed

  3. The effects of environmental factors and experimental method on the results of low dose rate microprocessor irradiation tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laviron, A; Gerard, G [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, IPSN, Centre d' Etudes de Valduc, Is-sur-Tille (France); Gauthier, G; Henry, J Y; Le Meur, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, IPSN, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

    1992-02-01

    As part of the safety studies of nuclear facilities, a series of experiments have been in progress over a number of years to determine the principal parameters for which allowance needs to be made in the testing of microprocessors in low dose rate nuclear irradiation environments. This paper contains a brief description of the results already published, followed by a review of the latest results obtained, specifically as concerns the effects of temperature, the origin of the batch, the angle of incidence of the radiation and the test routine used. (author)

  4. Microprocessor-controlled time domain reflectometer for dynamic shock position measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Virchow, C.F.; Conrad, G.E.; Holt, D.M.; Hodson, E.K.

    1980-01-01

    Time-domain reflectometry is used in a novel way to measure dynamically shock propagation in various media. The primary component in this measurement system is a digital time domain reflectometer, which uses local intelligence, a Motorola 6800 microprocessor, to make the unit adaptable and versatile. The recorder, its operating theory and its method of implementation are described and typical data are reviewed. Applications include nuclear explosion yield estimates and explosive energy flow measurements

  5. Microprocessor based data acquisition system for Moessbauer spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patwardhan, P.K.; Indurkar, V.S.

    1981-01-01

    A data acquisition system, for Moessbauer spectrometer and other probability distribution spectrum is described. This utilizes the advantages of incorporating a microcomputer for providing a flexible analytical capability and speed of hard wired MCS unit updating channel contents in DMA. Holbourn, Player and Woodhams have recently described a microprocessor controlled Moessbauer spectrometer where microprocessor performs the task of updating channel contents, requiring about 60 micro seconds in interrupt mode. This imposes restrictions on increasing the channel number and on increasing the velocity scan frequency in order to cover higher velocity ranges. The system described in this article performs data acquisition in faster direct memory access. It is a two module system, (1) MCS module (2) Microcomputer module, arranged around a common address, data and control buses. The microcomputer module has an access to the system data during flyback periods and can be programmed for the task of monitor on progess of experiment and as a manipulator of various control operations needed during experiment. The system firmware includes: (1) MONITOR (2) BLOCK-TRANSFER (3) DATA-SMOOTHING (4) DECIMAL-CONVERTER (5) MATH. The scope of this firmware is briefly described. (author)

  6. Microprocessor Protection of Power Reducing Transformers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. A. Romanuk

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper contains analysis of advantages and disadvantages of existing differential protection terminals of power reducing transformers. The paper shows that there are good reasons to develop microprocessor protection of power reducing transformer which contains required functions and settings and which is based on Belarusian principles of relay protection system construction. The paper presents functional structure of microprocessor terminal of power reducing transformer which is developed. 

  7. Introduction to 6800/6802 microprocessor systems hardware, software and experimentation

    CERN Document Server

    Simpson, Robert J

    1987-01-01

    Introduction to 6800/6802 Microprocessor Systems: Hardware, Software and Experimentation introduces the reader to the features, characteristics, operation, and applications of the 6800/6802 microprocessor and associated family of devices. Many worked examples are included to illustrate the theoretical and practical aspects of the 6800/6802 microprocessor.Comprised of six chapters, this book begins by presenting several aspects of digital systems before introducing the concepts of fetching and execution of a microprocessor instruction. Details and descriptions of hardware elements (MPU, RAM, RO

  8. Cost of intensive routine control and incremental cost of insecticide-treated curtain deployment in a setting with low Aedes aegypti infestation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Baly

    Full Text Available Abstract: INTRODUCTION Information regarding the cost of implementing insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs is scarce. Therefore, we evaluated the ITC implementation cost, in addition to the costs of intensive conventional routine activities of the Aedes control program in the city of Guantanamo, Cuba. METHODS A cost-analysis study was conducted from the perspective of the Aedes control program, nested in an ITC effectiveness trial, during 2009-2010. Data for this study were obtained from bookkeeping records and activity registers of the Provincial Aedes Control Programme Unit and the account records of the ITC trial. RESULTS The annual cost of the routine Aedes control program activities was US$16.80 per household (p.h. Among 3,015 households, 6,714 ITCs were distributed. The total average cost per ITC distributed was US$3.42, and 74.3% of this cost was attributed to the cost of purchasing the ITCs. The annualized costs p.h. of ITC implementation was US$3.80. The additional annualized cost for deploying ITCs represented 19% and 48.4% of the total cost of the routine Aedes control and adult-stage Aedes control programs, respectively. The trial did not lead to further reductions in the already relatively low Aedes infestation levels. CONCLUSIONS At current curtain prices, ITC deployment can hardly be considered an efficient option in Guantanamo and other comparable environments.

  9. Cost of intensive routine control and incremental cost of insecticide-treated curtain deployment in a setting with low Aedes aegypti infestation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baly, Alberto; Toledo, Maria Eugenia; Lambert, Isora; Benítez, Elizabeth; Rodriguez, Karina; Rodriguez, Esther; Vanlerberghe, Veerle; Stuyft, Patrick Van der

    2016-01-01

    Information regarding the cost of implementing insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs) is scarce. Therefore, we evaluated the ITC implementation cost, in addition to the costs of intensive conventional routine activities of the Aedes control program in the city of Guantanamo, Cuba. A cost-analysis study was conducted from the perspective of the Aedes control program, nested in an ITC effectiveness trial, during 2009-2010. Data for this study were obtained from bookkeeping records and activity registers of the Provincial Aedes Control Programme Unit and the account records of the ITC trial. The annual cost of the routine Aedes control program activities was US$16.80 per household (p.h). Among 3,015 households, 6,714 ITCs were distributed. The total average cost per ITC distributed was US$3.42, and 74.3% of this cost was attributed to the cost of purchasing the ITCs. The annualized costs p.h. of ITC implementation was US$3.80. The additional annualized cost for deploying ITCs represented 19% and 48.4% of the total cost of the routine Aedes control and adult-stage Aedes control programs, respectively. The trial did not lead to further reductions in the already relatively low Aedes infestation levels. At current curtain prices, ITC deployment can hardly be considered an efficient option in Guantanamo and other comparable environments.

  10. Nonconformance in electromechanical output relays of microprocessor-based protection devices under actual operating conditions

    OpenAIRE

    Gurevich, Vladimir

    2006-01-01

    Microprocessor-based protection relays are gradually driving out traditional electromechanical and even electronic protection devices from virtually all fields of power and electrical engineering. In this paper, one of many problems of microprocessor-based relays is discussed: nonconformance of miniature electromechanical output relays under actual operation conditions: switching inductive loads (with tripping CB coils or lockout relay coils) at 220 VDC, and "dry" switching of some control ci...

  11. Radiation hardened COTS-based 32-bit microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haddad, N.; Brown, R.; Cronauer, T.; Phan, H.

    1999-01-01

    A high performance radiation hardened 32-bit RISC microprocessor based upon a commercial single chip CPU has been developed. This paper presents the features of radiation hardened microprocessor, the methods used to radiation harden this device, the results of radiation testing, and shows that the RAD6000 is well-suited for the vast majority of space applications. (authors)

  12. Low-cost safety enhancements for stop-controlled and signalized intersections

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-01

    The purpose of this document is to present information on suggested effective, low-cost intersection countermeasures developed using intersection safety research results and input from an intersection safety expert panel. These low-cost countermeasur...

  13. Different microprocessor controlled devices for ITU TRIGA Mark II reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Can, B.; Omuz, S.; Uzun, S.; Apan, H.

    1990-01-01

    In this paper the design of a period meter and multichannel thermometer, which are controlled by a microprocessor, in order to be used at ITU TRIGA Mark-II Reactor is presented. The system works as a simple microcomputer, which includes a CPU, a EPROM, a RAM, a CTC, a PIO, a PIA a keyboard and displays, using the assembly language. The period meter can work either with pulse signal or with analog signal depending on demand of the user. The period is calculated by software and its range is -99,9 sec, to +2.1 sec. When the period drops +3 sec, the system gives alarm illuminating a LED. The multichannel thermometer has eight temperature channels. Temperature channels can manually or automatically be selected. The channel selection time can be adjusted. The thermometer gives alarm illuminating a LED, when the temperature rises to 600 C. Temperature data is stored in the RAM and is shown on a display. This system provides us to use four spare thermocouples in the reactor. (orig.)

  14. The Cost-Effectiveness of Low-Cost Essential Antihypertensive Medicines for Hypertension Control in China: A Modelling Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongfeng Gu

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is China's leading cardiovascular disease risk factor. Improved hypertension control in China would result in result in enormous health gains in the world's largest population. A computer simulation model projected the cost-effectiveness of hypertension treatment in Chinese adults, assuming a range of essential medicines list drug costs.The Cardiovascular Disease Policy Model-China, a Markov-style computer simulation model, simulated hypertension screening, essential medicines program implementation, hypertension control program administration, drug treatment and monitoring costs, disease-related costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs gained by preventing cardiovascular disease or lost because of drug side effects in untreated hypertensive adults aged 35-84 y over 2015-2025. Cost-effectiveness was assessed in cardiovascular disease patients (secondary prevention and for two blood pressure ranges in primary prevention (stage one, 140-159/90-99 mm Hg; stage two, ≥160/≥100 mm Hg. Treatment of isolated systolic hypertension and combined systolic and diastolic hypertension were modeled as a reduction in systolic blood pressure; treatment of isolated diastolic hypertension was modeled as a reduction in diastolic blood pressure. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses explored ranges of antihypertensive drug effectiveness and costs, monitoring frequency, medication adherence, side effect severity, background hypertension prevalence, antihypertensive medication treatment, case fatality, incidence and prevalence, and cardiovascular disease treatment costs. Median antihypertensive costs from Shanghai and Yunnan province were entered into the model in order to estimate the effects of very low and high drug prices. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios less than the per capita gross domestic product of China (11,900 international dollars [Int$] in 2015 were considered cost-effective. Treating hypertensive adults with prior

  15. Steering Control in a Low-Cost Driving Simulator: A Case for the Role of Virtual Vehicle Cab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mecheri, Sami; Lobjois, Régis

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate steering control in a low-cost driving simulator with and without a virtual vehicle cab. In low-cost simulators, the lack of a vehicle cab denies driver access to vehicle width, which could affect steering control, insofar as locomotor adjustments are known to be based on action-scaled visual judgments of the environment. Two experiments were conducted in which steering control with and without a virtual vehicle cab was investigated in a within-subject design, using cornering and straight-lane-keeping tasks. Driving around curves without vehicle cab information made drivers deviate more from the lane center toward the inner edge in right (virtual cab = 4 ± 19 cm; no cab = 42 ± 28 cm; at the apex of the curve, p vehicle width. This produces considerable differences in the steering trajectory. Providing a virtual vehicle cab must be encouraged for more effectively capturing drivers' steering control in low-cost simulators.

  16. Microprocessor system design a practical introduction

    CERN Document Server

    Spinks, Michael J

    2013-01-01

    Microprocessor System Design: A Practical Introduction describes the concepts and techniques incorporated into the design of electronic circuits, particularly microprocessor boards and their peripherals. The book reviews the basic building blocks of the electronic systems composed of digital (logic levels, gate output circuitry) and analog components (resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors). The text also describes operational amplifiers (op-amp) that use a negative feedback technique to improve the parameters of the op-amp. The design engineer can use programmable array logic (PAL) to rep

  17. Microprocessor system for data acquisition and processing for the Flora device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klimov, V.M.

    1986-01-01

    ''VEhFORMIKA'' microprocessor system for data collection and processing when conducting experiments at the ''Flora'' device is described, its application is grounded. The complex allows one to conduct investigations using multichannel methods and exercise the device electrophysical control

  18. Wide-bandwidth low-voltage PLL for powerPC(sup TM) microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Jose; Sanchez, Hector; Gerosa, Gianfranco; Countryman, Roger

    1995-04-01

    A 3.3 V Phase-Locked-Loop (PLL) clock synthesizer implemented in 0.5 micron CMOS technology is described. The PLL supports internal to external clock frequency ratios of 1, 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 as well as numerous static power down modes for PowerPC(sup TM) microprocessors. The CPU clock lock range spans from 6 to 175 MHz. Lock times below 15 mu s, PLL power dissipation below 10mW as well as phase error and jitter below +/- 100 ps have been measured. The total area of the PLL is 0.52 mm(exp 2).

  19. Complete Low-Cost Implementation of a Teleoperated Control System for a Humanoid Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Barea

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Humanoid robotics is a field of a great research interest nowadays. This work implements a low-cost teleoperated system to control a humanoid robot, as a first step for further development and study of human motion and walking. A human suit is built, consisting of 8 sensors, 6 resistive linear potentiometers on the lower extremities and 2 digital accelerometers for the arms. The goal is to replicate the suit movements in a small humanoid robot. The data from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted via two ZigBee RF configurable modules installed on each device: the robot and the suit. Replicating the suit movements requires a robot stability control module to prevent falling down while executing different actions involving knees flexion. This is carried out via a feedback control system with an accelerometer placed on the robot’s back. The measurement from this sensor is filtered using Kalman. In addition, a two input fuzzy algorithm controlling five servo motors regulates the robot balance. The humanoid robot is controlled by a medium capacity processor and a low computational cost is achieved for executing the different algorithms. Both hardware and software of the system are based on open platforms. The successful experiments carried out validate the implementation of the proposed teleoperated system.

  20. The engineering of microprocessor systems guidelines on system development

    CERN Document Server

    1979-01-01

    The Engineering of Microprocessor Systems: Guidelines on System Development provides economical and technical guidance for use when incorporating microprocessors in products or production processes and assesses the alternatives that are available. This volume is part of Project 0251 undertaken by The Electrical Research Association, which aims to give managers and development engineers advice and comment on the development process and the hardware and software needed to support the engineering of microprocessor systems. The results of Phase 1 of the five-phase project are contained in this fir

  1. Personal Computer Based Controller For Switched Reluctance Motor Drives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mang, X.; Krishnan, R.; Adkar, S.; Chandramouli, G.

    1987-10-01

    Th9, switched reluctance motor (SRM) has recently gained considerable attention in the variable speed drive market. Two important factors that have contributed to this are, the simplicity of construction and the possibility of developing low cost con-trollers with minimum number of switching devices in the drive circuits. This is mainly due to the state-of-art of the present digital circuits technology and the low cost of switching devices. The control of this motor drive is under research. Optimized performance of the SRM motor drive is very dependent on the integration of the controller, converter and the motor. This research on system integration involves considerable changes in the control algorithms and their implementation. A Personal computer (PC) based controller is very appropriate for this purpose. Accordingly, the present paper is concerned with the design of a PC based controller for a SRM. The PC allows for real-time microprocessor control with the possibility of on-line system parameter modifications. Software reconfiguration of this controller is easier than a hardware based controller. User friendliness is a natural consequence of such a system. Considering the low cost of PCs, this controller will offer an excellent cost-effective means of studying the control strategies for the SRM drive intop greater detail than in the past.

  2. A low cost surface plasmon resonance biosensor using a laser line generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ruipeng; Wang, Manping; Wang, Shun; Liang, Hao; Hu, Xinran; Sun, Xiaohui; Zhu, Juanhua; Ma, Liuzheng; Jiang, Min; Hu, Jiandong; Li, Jianwei

    2015-08-01

    Due to the instrument designed by using a common surface plasmon resonance biosensor is extremely expensive, we established a portable and cost-effective surface plasmon resonance biosensing system. It is mainly composed of laser line generator, P-polarizer, customized prism, microfluidic cell, and line Charge Coupled Device (CCD) array. Microprocessor PIC24FJ128GA006 with embedded A/D converter, communication interface circuit and photoelectric signal amplifier circuit are used to obtain the weak signals from the biosensing system. Moreover, the line CCD module is checked and optimized on the number of pixels, pixels dimension, output amplifier and the timing diagram. The micro-flow cell is made of stainless steel with a high thermal conductivity, and the microprocessor based Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) temperature-controlled algorithm was designed to keep the constant temperature (25 °C) of the sample solutions. Correspondingly, the data algorithms designed especially to this biosensing system including amplitude-limiting filtering algorithm, data normalization and curve plotting were programmed efficiently. To validate the performance of the biosensor, ethanol solution samples at the concentrations of 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5% and 15% in volumetric fractions were used, respectively. The fitting equation ΔRU = - 752987.265 + 570237.348 × RI with the R-Square of 0.97344 was established by delta response units (ΔRUs) to refractive indexes (RI). The maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.8% was obtained.

  3. A fail-safe microprocessor-based protection system utilising low-level multiplexed sensor signals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orme, S.; Evans, N.J.; Wey, B.O.

    1985-01-01

    The paper describes a fail-safe reactor protection system, called the individual sub-assembly temperature monitoring system (ISAT). It is being developed for the commercial demonstration fast reactor. The system incorporates recent advances in solid-state electronics and in particular microprocessors to implement time-shared data acquisition techniques to obtain and process data from around 1400 fast response thermocouples whilst meeting the required levels for reliability and availability. (author)

  4. Operator interface for the PEP-II low level RF control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allison, S.; Claus, R.

    1997-05-01

    This paper focuses on the operational aspects of the low level RF control system being built for the PEP-II storage rings at SLAC. Subsystems requiring major operational considerations include displays for monitor and control from UNIX workstations, slow feedback loops and control sequences residing on microprocessors, and various client applications in the existing SLAC Linear Collider (SLC) control system. Since commissioning of PEP-II RF is currently in-progress, only those parts of the control system used during this phase are discussed in detail. Based on past experience with the SLC control system, it is expected that effort expended during commissioning on a solid user interface will result in smoother transition to full reliable 24-hour-a-day operation

  5. Low-Cost Digital Implementation of Proportional-Resonant Current Controllers for PV Inverter Applications Using Delta Operator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sera, Dezso; Kerekes, Tamas; Lungeanu, Marian

    2005-01-01

    the possibility of selective harmonic compensation. However, in case of digital implementation on a low-cost fixedpoint DSP, the limited computational power and the limited numerical representation precision can restrict the utilization of it. The present paper proposes a different way of digital implementation...... of the P+Resonant controller with selective harmonic compensation on a low-cost fixed-point DSP. The resonant part of the P+R has been implemented as a second order filter based on Delta operator. The current controller, together with harmonic compensation for the 3rd, 5th, and 7th harmonics has been...

  6. Sub-50 nm gate length SOI transistor development for high performance microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horstmann, M.; Greenlaw, D.; Feudel, Th.; Wei, A.; Frohberg, K.; Burbach, G.; Gerhardt, M.; Lenski, M.; Stephan, R.; Wieczorek, K.; Schaller, M.; Hohage, J.; Ruelke, H.; Klais, J.; Huebler, P.; Luning, S.; Bentum, R. van; Grasshoff, G.; Schwan, C.; Cheek, J.; Buller, J.; Krishnan, S.; Raab, M.; Kepler, N.

    2004-01-01

    Partial depleted (PD) SOI technologies have reached maturity for production of high speed, low power microprocessors. The paper will highlight several challenges found during the course of development for bringing 40 nm gate length (L GATE ) PD SOI transistors into volume manufacturing for high-speed microprocessors. The key innovations developed for this transistor in order to overcome classical gate oxide and L GATE scaling is an unique differential triple spacer structure, stressed overlayer films inducing strain in the Silicon channel and optimized junctions. This transistor structure yields an outstanding ring oscillator speed with an unloaded inverter delay of 5.5 ps. The found improvements are highly manufacturable and scaleable for future device technologies like FD SOI

  7. Environmental qualification and functional issues for microprocessor-based reactor protection systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korsah, K.; Kisner, R.; Wood, R.T.; Antonescu, C.

    1992-01-01

    Issues of obsolescence and lack of intrastructural support in (analog) spare parts, coupled with the potential benefits of digital systems, are driving the nuclear industry to retrofit analog instrumentation and control (I ampersand C) systems with digital and microprocessor-based systems. This movement away from analog can be expected to increase in advanced light-water reactors (ALWRs), which will make extensive use of fiber optic transmission, multiplexing techniques, and microprocessor-based technology. Although these technologies have several advantages and, in fact, have been in widespread use in the non-nuclear industry for several years, their application to safety-related systems in nuclear power plants raises key issues relating to the systems' environmental and functional reliability. For example, does the new hardware introduce additional system aging degradation mechanisms that could adversely impact the safety of the plant? Do the systems introduce the possibility of new and different malfunction scenarios or increase the probability of common-mode failures that could reduce the reliability of the safety system?. Are current environmental qualification standards adequate for microprocessor-based I ampersand C systems? Accordingly in 1991 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated the qualification of advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems program at ORNL to investigate issues that may arise with the use of advanced digital I ampersand C in ALWRs. The results of our studies to date are summarized in this paper

  8. Use of a mobile phone for potentiostatic control with low cost paper-based microfluidic sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delaney, Jacqui L.; Doeven, Egan H.; Harsant, Anthony J.; Hogan, Conor F., E-mail: c.hogan@latrobe.edu.au

    2013-08-06

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The ability to generate ECL emission using the audio output of a mobile phone is demonstrated. •Electrochemical control can be achieved by controlling the amplitude and waveform of the sound. •A mobile phone “app” synchronises the electrochemical stimulation with detection via the camera. •In combination with paper-based microfluidic sensors, extremely low cost analysis is possible. •Detection of proline at levels suitable for diagnosis of hyperprolinemia is demonstrated. -- Abstract: By exploiting its ability to play sounds, a mobile phone with suitable software installed can serve the basic functions of a potentiostat in controlling an applied potential to oxidise ECL-active molecules, while the resultant photonic signal is monitored using the camera in video mode. In combination with paper microfluidic sensors this opens significant new possibilities for low-cost, instrument-free sensing.

  9. Use of a mobile phone for potentiostatic control with low cost paper-based microfluidic sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delaney, Jacqui L.; Doeven, Egan H.; Harsant, Anthony J.; Hogan, Conor F.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The ability to generate ECL emission using the audio output of a mobile phone is demonstrated. •Electrochemical control can be achieved by controlling the amplitude and waveform of the sound. •A mobile phone “app” synchronises the electrochemical stimulation with detection via the camera. •In combination with paper-based microfluidic sensors, extremely low cost analysis is possible. •Detection of proline at levels suitable for diagnosis of hyperprolinemia is demonstrated. -- Abstract: By exploiting its ability to play sounds, a mobile phone with suitable software installed can serve the basic functions of a potentiostat in controlling an applied potential to oxidise ECL-active molecules, while the resultant photonic signal is monitored using the camera in video mode. In combination with paper microfluidic sensors this opens significant new possibilities for low-cost, instrument-free sensing

  10. Development of Low-Cost Microcontroller-Based Interface for Data Acquisition and Control of Microbioreactor Operation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husain, Abdul Rashid; Hadad, Yaser; Zainal Alam, Muhd Nazrul Hisham

    2016-10-01

    This article presents the development of a low-cost microcontroller-based interface for a microbioreactor operation. An Arduino MEGA 2560 board with 54 digital input/outputs, including 15 pulse-width-modulation outputs, has been chosen to perform the acquisition and control of the microbioreactor. The microbioreactor (volume = 800 µL) was made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(methylmethacrylate) polymers. The reactor was built to be equipped with sensors and actuators for the control of reactor temperature and the mixing speed. The article discusses the circuit of the microcontroller-based platform, describes the signal conditioning steps, and evaluates the capacity of the proposed low-cost microcontroller-based interface in terms of control accuracy and system responses. It is demonstrated that the proposed microcontroller-based platform is able to operate parallel microbioreactor operation with satisfactory performances. Control accuracy at a deviation less than 5% of the set-point values and responses in the range of few seconds have been recorded. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

  11. Microprocessor system for data acquisition processing and display for Auger electrons spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pawlowski, Z.; Cudny, W.; Hildebrandt, S.; Marzec, J.; Walentek, J.; Zaremba, K.

    1984-01-01

    Data acquisition system for Auger electron spectrometry is developed. The system is used for chemical and structural analysis of materials and consists of a cylindrical mirror analyzer being a measuring spectrometer device, CAMAC unit and control unit. The control unit comprises a microcomputer based on INTEL 8080 microprocessor and display

  12. Technology transfer of military space microprocessor developments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorden, C.; King, D.; Byington, L.; Lanza, D.

    1999-01-01

    Over the past 13 years the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has led the development of microprocessors and computers for USAF space and strategic missile applications. As a result of these Air Force development programs, advanced computer technology is available for use by civil and commercial space customers as well. The Generic VHSIC Spaceborne Computer (GVSC) program began in 1985 at AFRL to fulfill a deficiency in the availability of space-qualified data and control processors. GVSC developed a radiation hardened multi-chip version of the 16-bit, Mil-Std 1750A microprocessor. The follow-on to GVSC, the Advanced Spaceborne Computer Module (ASCM) program, was initiated by AFRL to establish two industrial sources for complete, radiation-hardened 16-bit and 32-bit computers and microelectronic components. Development of the Control Processor Module (CPM), the first of two ASCM contract phases, concluded in 1994 with the availability of two sources for space-qualified, 16-bit Mil-Std-1750A computers, cards, multi-chip modules, and integrated circuits. The second phase of the program, the Advanced Technology Insertion Module (ATIM), was completed in December 1997. ATIM developed two single board computers based on 32-bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors. GVSC, CPM, and ATIM technologies are flying or baselined into the majority of today's DoD, NASA, and commercial satellite systems.

  13. Microprocessor monitored Auger spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sapin, Michel; Ghaleb, Dominique; Pernot, Bernard.

    1982-05-01

    The operation of an Auger spectrometer, used for studying surface impurity diffusion, has been fully automatized with the help of a microprocessor. The characteristics, performance and practical use of the system are described together with the main advantage for the experimentator [fr

  14. A low cost computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system for education and research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cottis, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    With the advent of low cost computers of significant processing power, it has become economically attractive, as well as offering practical advantages, to replace conventional electrochemical instrumentation with computer-based equipment. For example, the equipment to be described can perform all of the functions required for the measurement of a potentiodynamic polarization curve, replacing the conventional arrangement of sweep generator, potentiostat and chart recorder at a cost (based on the purchase cost of parts) which is less than that of most chart recorders alone. Additionally the use of computer control at a relatively low level provides a versatility (assuming the development of suitable software) which cannot easily be matched by conventional instruments. As a result of these considerations a simple computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system has been developed, with a primary aim being its use in teaching an MSc class in corrosion science and engineering, with additional applications in MSc and PhD research. For education reasons the design of the user interface has tried to make the internal operation of the unit as obvious as possible, and thereby minimize the tendency for students to treat the unit as a 'black box' with incomprehensible inner workings. This has resulted in a unit in which the three main components of function generator, potentiostat and recorder are presented as independent areas on the front panel, and can be configured by the user in exactly the same way as conventional instruments. (author) 11 figs

  15. A low cost computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system for education and research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cottis, R A [Manchester Univ. (UK). Inst. of Science and Technology

    1989-01-01

    With the advent of low cost computers of significant processing power, it has become economically attractive, as well as offering practical advantages, to replace conventional electrochemical instrumentation with computer-based equipment. For example, the equipment to be described can perform all of the functions required for the measurement of a potentiodynamic polarization curve, replacing the conventional arrangement of sweep generator, potentiostat and chart recorder at a cost (based on the purchase cost of parts) which is less than that of most chart recorders alone. Additionally the use of computer control at a relatively low level provides a versatility (assuming the development of suitable software) which cannot easily be matched by conventional instruments. As a result of these considerations a simple computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system has been developed, with a primary aim being its use in teaching an MSc class in corrosion science and engineering, with additional applications in MSc and PhD research. For education reasons the design of the user interface has tried to make the internal operation of the unit as obvious as possible, and thereby minimize the tendency for students to treat the unit as a 'black box' with incomprehensible inner workings. This has resulted in a unit in which the three main components of function generator, potentiostat and recorder are presented as independent areas on the front panel, and can be configured by the user in exactly the same way as conventional instruments. (author) 11 figs.

  16. Keep on Blockin' in the Free World: Personal Access Control for Low-Cost RFID Tags

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rieback, M.R.; Crispo, B.; Tanenbaum, A.S.

    2005-01-01

    This paper introduces an off-tag RFID access control mechanism called "Selective RFID Jamming". Selective RFID Jamming protects low-cost RFID tags by enforcing access control on their behalf, in a similar manner to the RFID Blocker Tag. However, Selective RFID Jamming is novel because it uses an

  17. Keep on Blockin’ in the Free World: Personal Access Control for Low-Cost RFID Tags

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rieback, Melanie; Crispo, Bruno; Tanenbaum, Andrew

    2007-01-01

    This paper introduces an off-tag RFID access control mechanism called “Selective RFID Jamming”. Selective RFID Jamming protects low-cost RFID tags by enforcing access control on their behalf, in a similar manner to the RFID Blocker Tag. However, Selective RFID Jamming is novel because it uses an

  18. Concept for a power system controller for large space electrical power systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lollar, L. F.; Lanier, J. R., Jr.; Graves, J. R.

    1981-01-01

    The development of technology for a fail-operatonal power system controller (PSC) utilizing microprocessor technology for managing the distribution and power processor subsystems of a large multi-kW space electrical power system is discussed. The specific functions which must be performed by the PSC, the best microprocessor available to do the job, and the feasibility, cost savings, and applications of a PSC were determined. A limited function breadboard version of a PSC was developed to demonstrate the concept and potential cost savings.

  19. The Development of Control System Design for 5 DOF Nuclear Malaysia Robot Arm v2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Zaid Hassan; Anwar Abdul Rahman; Rosli Darmawan; Mohd Arif Hamzah

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a general design and implementation approach used for programming and controlling robotic systems such as remotely operated robotic manipulator systems. A hierarchical approach to control system design is adopted. The hierarchical design is translated into a component-based software design. A low-cost robotic arm and controller system is presented. The controller is a modular model of the robotic arm with the same degrees of freedom whose joints are equipped with sensors. The system takes advantage of the low cost and wide availability of control components and uses a low-cost, easy-to-program microprocessor. Furthermore, it presents the design and the construction of electronic systems for the control of an articulated robot developed for research and development related with instrumentation and control. The system is simple but it is designed the motor to move the robot arm to proper angular position according to the input controller. Limitations of the micro controller are discussed, and suggestions for further development of the robot arm and control are made. (author)

  20. Design of control system based on SCM music fountain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Biqing; Li, Zhao; Jiang, Suping

    2018-06-01

    The design of the design of a microprocessor controlled by simple circuit, introduced this design applied to the components, and draw the main flow chart presentation. System is the use of an external music source, the intensity of the input audio signal lights will affect the light off, the fountain spray of water level will be based on changes in the lantern light off. This design uses a single-chip system is simple, powerful, good reliability and low cost.

  1. Use of a microprocessor in the CAMAC standard. The dedicated microcomputer: JCAM-10

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallice, Pierre.

    1978-01-01

    The general purpose minicomputers and dedicated crate controllers currently used in small CAMAC systems are now being superseded by autonomous crate controllers with built-in microprocessor such as the JCAM-10, which is in fact a CAMAC dedicated microcomputer. This controller has been designed around the INTEL-8080 microprocessor and employs a semiconductor memory. The very much reduced price and smaller packaging of this module, and the relatively large potential market of CAMAC systems justify the tremendous efforts required for the study of its complete system as well in hardware than in software. After a short description of the CAMAC standard this paper will describe the principle of the microcomputer JCAM-10, and its complementary system: hardware (peripheral modules) and software (TTY command processor, Input Output, Control system, interrupt system, text editor, local macro-assembler, LP and BASICAM local compilers). As application examples, an autonomous counting system and a distributed intelligence system will be described [fr

  2. COST EFFECTIVE VOC EMISSION CONTROL STARTEGIES FOR MILITARY, AEROSPACE,AND INDUSTRIAL PAINT SPRAY BOOTH OPERATIONS: COMBINING IMPROVED VENTILATION SYSTEMS WITH INNOVATIVE, LOW COST EMISSION CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES

    Science.gov (United States)

    The paper describes a full-scale demonstration program in which several paint booths were modified for recirculation ventilation; the booth exhaust streams are vented to an innovative volatile organic compound (VOC) emission control system having extremely low operating costs. ...

  3. Recent applications of microprocessor-based instruments in nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cash, N.R.; Dennis, U.E.

    1988-01-01

    The incorporation of microprocessors in the design of nuclear power plant instrumentation has led to levels of measurement and control not available previously. In addition to the expected expansion of functional (system) capability, numerous desirable features now are possible. The added ability to both self-calibrate and perform compensation algorithms has led to dramatic improvements in accuracies, response times, and noise rejection. Automated performance checking and self-testing simplify troubleshooting and required periodic surveillance. Alphanumeric displays allow both menu-driven operation and user-prompting, which, in turn, contribute to mistake avoidance. New features of these microprocessor-based instruments are of specific benefit in nuclear power reactors, were safety is of prime concern. Greater reliability and accuracy can be provided. Shortened calibration, surveillance, and repair times reduce the exposure to unnecessary challenges of the plant's protection systems that can arise from spurious noise signals

  4. Immediate effects of a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint: a comparative biomechanical evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellmann, Malte; Schmalz, Thomas; Ludwigs, Eva; Blumentritt, Siegmar

    2012-03-01

    To investigate the immediate biomechanical effects after transition to a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint. Intervention cross-over study with repeated measures. Only prosthetic knee joints were changed. Motion analysis laboratory. Men (N=11; mean age ± SD, 36.7±10.2y; Medicare functional classification level, 3-4) with unilateral transfemoral amputation. Two microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joints: C-Leg and a new prosthetic knee joint, Genium. Static prosthetic alignment, time-distance parameters, kinematic and kinetic parameters, and center of pressure. After a half-day training and an additional half-day accommodation, improved biomechanical outcomes were demonstrated by the Genium: lower ground reaction forces at weight acceptance during level walking at various velocities, increased swing phase flexion angles during walking on a ramp, and level walking with small steps. Maximum knee flexion angle during swing phase at various velocities was nearly equal for Genium. Step-over-step stair ascent with the Genium knee was more physiologic as demonstrated by a more equal load distribution between the prosthetic and contralateral sides and a more natural gait pattern. When descending stairs and ramps, knee flexion moments with the Genium tended to increase. During quiet stance on a decline, subjects using Genium accepted higher loading of the prosthetic side knee joint, thus reducing same side hip joint loading as well as postural sway. In comparision to the C-Leg, the Genium demonstrated immediate biomechanical advantages during various daily ambulatory activities, which may lead to an increase in range and diversity of activity of people with above-knee amputations. Results showed that use of the Genium facilitated more natural gait biomechanics and load distribution throughout the affected and sound musculoskeletal structure. This was observed during quiet stance on a decline, walking on level ground, and walking up and down ramps and

  5. Regulation of Plant Microprocessor Function in Shaping microRNA Landscape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakub Dolata

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs are small molecules (∼21 nucleotides long that are key regulators of gene expression. They originate from long stem–loop RNAs as a product of cleavage by a protein complex called Microprocessor. The core components of the plant Microprocessor are the RNase type III enzyme Dicer-Like 1 (DCL1, the zinc finger protein Serrate (SE, and the double-stranded RNA binding protein Hyponastic Leaves 1 (HYL1. Microprocessor assembly and its processing of microRNA precursors have been reported to occur in discrete nuclear bodies called Dicing bodies. The accessibility of and modifications to Microprocessor components affect microRNA levels and may have dramatic consequences in plant development. Currently, numerous lines of evidence indicate that plant Microprocessor activity is tightly regulated. The cellular localization of HYL1 is dependent on a specific KETCH1 importin, and the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1 indirectly protects HYL1 from degradation in a light-dependent manner. Furthermore, proper localization of HYL1 in Dicing bodies is regulated by MOS2. On the other hand, the Dicing body localization of DCL1 is regulated by NOT2b, which also interacts with SE in the nucleus. Post-translational modifications are substantial factors that contribute to protein functional diversity and provide a fine-tuning system for the regulation of protein activity. The phosphorylation status of HYL1 is crucial for its activity/stability and is a result of the interplay between kinases (MPK3 and SnRK2 and phosphatases (CPL1 and PP4. Additionally, MPK3 and SnRK2 are known to phosphorylate SE. Several other proteins (e.g., TGH, CDF2, SIC, and RCF3 that interact with Microprocessor have been found to influence its RNA-binding and processing activities. In this minireview, recent findings on the various modes of Microprocessor activity regulation are discussed.

  6. A measurement of cosmic-ray LET-spectra using a microprocessor supported microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beer, J.; Heinrich, W.

    1982-01-01

    A microprocessor supported semi-automatic system for measurements of nuclear tracks in plastic detectors is presented. It consists of a microscope and a stepping motor driven stage. A Motorola microprocessor MC 6800 controls the measurement. It accepts the co-ordinates of the stage as well as the position of the focus and computes cone length and dip angle from the three-dimensional co-ordinates. LET-spectra were measured from two cellulose nitrate foils of the Biostack III experiment flown with the Apollo-Soyus-Test-Project in 1975. One of these foils was shielded by 3 g/cm 2 and the other one by 15 g/cm 2 . The two spectra show no statistically significant decrease of intensity. (author)

  7. Application of microprocessors to radiation protection measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zappe, D.; Meldes, C.

    1982-01-01

    In radiation protection measurements signals from radiation detectors or dosemeters have to be transformed into quantities relevant to radiation protection. In most cases this can only be done by taking into account various parameters (e.g. the quality factor). Moreover, the characteristics of the statistical laws of nuclear radiation emission have to be considered. These problems can properly be solved by microprocessors. After reviewing the main properties of microprocessors, some typical examples of applying them to problems of radiation protection measurement are given. (author)

  8. Public lighting tele-diagnosis and control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Auditor,

    1990-12-01

    Greater efficiency and reliability can be input into public lighting systems through the use of innovative electronic on-line control and monitoring systems. These employ microprocessors to manage a central control center for the automatic, partial or total, switching on and off of the lights, as well as, for regulating their intensity; for indicating power shortages at inlets and outlets; automatically controlling relays; detecting and indicating, through analog or digital displays, voltage, current, lighting intensity, etc. The microprocessors are also incorporated in auto-test circuits at each individual lighting unit to monitor and relay the information on the unit's operational condition back to the control center. This results in overall cost and energy savings for the public utility.

  9. Front-end data processing using the bit-sliced microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machen, D.R.

    1979-01-01

    A state-of-the-art computing device, based upon the high-speed bit-sliced microprocessor, was developed into hardware for front-end data processing in both control and experiment applications at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. The CAMAC Instrumentation Standard provides the framework for the high-speed hardware, allowing data acquisition and processing to take place at the data source in a CAMAC crate. 5 figures

  10. Overview of real-time operating systems on microprocessor platforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luong, T.T.

    1994-01-01

    This paper attempts to overview the real-time operating systems on microprocessor platforms in the field of experimental physics facility controls. The key issues regarding operating systems as well as standards and development environment are discussed. As an illustration, some current industrial products are indicated. Also, real-time systems operating in some institutes of the EPS/EPCS inter divisional group are reviewed. (author). 3 refs., 4 figs

  11. Stair ascent with an innovative microprocessor-controlled exoprosthetic knee joint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellmann, Malte; Schmalz, Thomas; Ludwigs, Eva; Blumentritt, Siegmar

    2012-12-01

    Climbing stairs can pose a major challenge for above-knee amputees as a result of compromised motor performance and limitations to prosthetic design. A new, innovative microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint, the Genium, incorporates a function that allows an above-knee amputee to climb stairs step over step. To execute this function, a number of different sensors and complex switching algorithms were integrated into the prosthetic knee joint. The function is intuitive for the user. A biomechanical study was conducted to assess objective gait measurements and calculate joint kinematics and kinetics as subjects ascended stairs. Results demonstrated that climbing stairs step over step is more biomechanically efficient for an amputee using the Genium prosthetic knee than the previously possible conventional method where the extended prosthesis is trailed as the amputee executes one or two steps at a time. There is a natural amount of stress on the residual musculoskeletal system, and it has been shown that the healthy contralateral side supports the movements of the amputated side. The mechanical power that the healthy contralateral knee joint needs to generate during the extension phase is also reduced. Similarly, there is near normal loading of the hip joint on the amputated side.

  12. Microprocessors in automatic chemical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goujon de Beauvivier, M.; Perez, J.-J.

    1979-01-01

    Application of microprocessors to programming and computing of solutions chemical analysis by a sequential technique is examined. Safety, performances reliability are compared to other methods. An example is given on uranium titration by spectrophotometry [fr

  13. Evaluation of the performance of microprocessor-based colorimeter

    OpenAIRE

    Randhawa, S. S.; Gupta, R. C.; Bhandari, A. K.; Malhotra, P. S.

    1992-01-01

    Colorimetric estimations have an important role in quantitative studies. An inexpensive and portable microprocessor-based colorimeter developed by the authors is described in this paper. The colorimeter uses a light emitting diode as the light source; a pinphotodiode as the detector and an 8085A microprocessor. Blood urea, glucose, total protein, albumin and bilirubin from patient blood samples were analysed with the instrument and results obtained were compared with assays of the same blood ...

  14. Design of Water Temperature Control System Based on Single Chip Microcomputer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Hanhong; Yan, Qiyan

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, we mainly introduce a multi-function water temperature controller designed with 51 single-chip microcomputer. This controller has automatic and manual water, set the water temperature, real-time display of water and temperature and alarm function, and has a simple structure, high reliability, low cost. The current water temperature controller on the market basically use bimetal temperature control, temperature control accuracy is low, poor reliability, a single function. With the development of microelectronics technology, monolithic microprocessor function is increasing, the price is low, in all aspects of widely used. In the water temperature controller in the application of single-chip, with a simple design, high reliability, easy to expand the advantages of the function. Is based on the appeal background, so this paper focuses on the temperature controller in the intelligent control of the discussion.

  15. Microprocessors in physics experiments at SLAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochester, L.S.

    1981-01-01

    The increasing size and complexity of high energy physics experiments is changing the way data are collected. To implement a trigger or event filter requires complex logic which may have to be modified as the experiment proceeds. Simply to monitor a detector, large amounts of data must be processed online. The use of microprocessors or other programmable devices can help to achieve these ends flexibly and economically. At SLAC, a number of microprocessor-based systems have been built and are in use in experimental setups, and others are now being developed. This talk is a review of existing systems and their use in experiments, and of developments in progress and future plans. (orig.)

  16. Microprocessors in physics experiments at SLAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochester, L.S.

    1981-04-01

    The increasing size and complexity of high energy physics experiments is changing the way data are collected. To implement a trigger or event filter requires complex logic which may have to be modified as the experiment proceeds. Simply to monitor a detector, large amounts of data must be processed on line. The use of microprocessors or other programmable devices can help to achieve these ends flexibly and economically. At SLAC, a number of microprocessor-based systems have been built and are in use in experimental setups, and others are now being developed. This talk is a review of existing systems and their use in experiments, and of developments in progress and future plans

  17. Low-cost teleoperator-controlled vehicle for damage assessment and radiation dose measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyree, W.H.

    1991-01-01

    A low-cost, disposable, radio-controlled, remote-reading, ionizing radiation and surveillance teleoperator re-entry vehicle has been built. The vehicle carries equipment, measures radiation levels, and evaluates building conditions. The basic vehicle, radio control with amplifiers, telemetry, elevator, and video camera with monitor cost less than $2500. Velcro-mounted alpha, beta-gamma, and neutron sensing equipment is used in the present system. Many types of health physics radiation measuring equipment may be substituted on the vehicle. The system includes a black-and-white video camera to observe the environment surrounding the vehicle. The camera is mounted on a vertical elevator extendible to 11 feet above the floor. The present vehicle uses a video camera with an umbilical cord between the vehicle and the operators. Preferred operation would eliminate the umbilical. Video monitoring equipment is part of the operator control system. Power for the vehicle equipment is carried on board and supplied by sealed lead-acid batteries. Radios are powered by 9-V alkaline batteries. The radio control receiver, servo drivers, high-power amplifier and 49-MHz FM transceivers were irradiated at moderate rates with neutron and gamma doses to 3000 Rem and 300 Rem, respectively, to ensure system operation

  18. Dynamic instruction set extension of microprocessors with embedded FPGAs

    OpenAIRE

    Bauer, Heiner

    2017-01-01

    Increasingly complex applications and recent shifts in technology scaling have created a large demand for microprocessors which can perform tasks more quickly and more energy efficient. Conventional microarchitectures exploit multiple levels of parallelism to increase instruction throughput and use application specific instruction sets or hardware accelerators to increase energy efficiency. Reconfigurable microprocessors adopt the same principle of providing application specific hardware, how...

  19. Microprocessor based techniques at CESR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giannini, G.; Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY

    1981-01-01

    Microprocessor based systems succesfully used in connection with the High Energy Physics experimental program at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring are described. The multiprocessor calibration system for the CUSB calorimeter is analyzed in view of present and future applications. (orig.)

  20. COST-EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF NOx WITH INTEGRATED ULTRA LOW-NOx BURNERS AND SNCR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamid Farzan

    2001-01-01

    Coal-fired electric utilities are facing a serious challenge with regards to curbing their NO(sub x) emissions. At issue are the NO(sub x) contributions to the acid rain, ground level ozone, and particulate matter formation. Substantial NO(sub x) control requirements could be imposed under the proposed Ozone Transport Rule, National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and New Source Performance Standards. McDermott Technology, Inc. (MTI), Babcock and Wilcox (B and W), and Fuel Tech are teaming to provide an integrated solution for NO(sub x) control. The system will be comprised of an ultra low-NO(sub x) pulverized coal (PC) burner technology plus a urea-based, selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system. This system will be capable of meeting a target emission limit of 0.15 lb NO(sub x)/10(sup 6) Btu and target ammonia (NH3) slip level targeted below 5 ppmV for commercial units. Our approach combines the best available combustion and post-combustion NO(sub x) control technologies. More specifically, B and W's DRB-4Z TM ultra low-NO(sub x) PC burner technology will be combined with Fuel Tech's NO(sub x)OUT (SNCR) and NO(sub x)OUT Cascade (SNCR/SCR hybrid) systems and jointly evaluated and optimized in a state-of-the-art test facility at MTI. Although the NO(sub x)OUT Cascade (SNCR/SCR hybrid) system will not be tested directly in this program, its potential application for situations that require greater NO(sub x) reductions will be inferred from other measurements (i.e., SNCR NO(sub x) removal efficiency plus projected NO(sub x) reduction by the catalyst based on controlled ammonia slip). Our analysis shows that the integrated ultra low-NO(sub x) burner and SNCR system has the lowest cost when the burner emissions are 0.25 lb NO(sub x)/10(sup 6) Btu or less. At burner NO(sub x) emission level of 0.20 lb NO(sub x)/10(sup 6) Btu, the levelized cost per ton of NO(sub x) removed is 52% lower than the SCR cost

  1. Effect of various features on the life cycle cost of the timing/synchronization subsystem of the DCS digital communications network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimsey, D. B.

    1978-01-01

    The effect on the life cycle cost of the timing subsystem was examined, when these optional features were included in various combinations. The features included mutual control, directed control, double-ended reference links, independence of clock error measurement and correction, phase reference combining, self-organization, smoothing for link and nodal dropouts, unequal reference weightings, and a master in a mutual control network. An overall design of a microprocessor-based timing subsystem was formulated. The microprocessor (8080) implements the digital filter portion of a digital phase locked loop, as well as other control functions such as organization of the network through communication with processors at neighboring nodes.

  2. Keep on Blockin’ in the Free World: Personal Access Control for Low-Cost RFID Tags

    OpenAIRE

    Rieback, Melanie; Crispo, Bruno; Tanenbaum, Andrew

    2007-01-01

    This paper introduces an off-tag RFID access control mechanism called “Selective RFID Jamming”. Selective RFID Jamming protects low-cost RFID tags by enforcing access control on their behalf, in a similar manner to the RFID Blocker Tag. However, Selective RFID Jamming is novel because it uses an active mobile device to enforce centralized ACL-based access control policies. Selective RFID Jamming also solves a Differential Signal Analysis attack to which the RFID Blocker Tag is susceptible.

  3. Derivation and Analysis of a Low-Cost, High-performance Analogue BPCM Control Scheme for Class-D Audio Power Amplifiers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høyerby, Mikkel Christian Wendelboe; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents a low-cost analogue control scheme for class-D audio power amplifiers. The scheme is based around bandpass current-mode (BPCM) control, and provides ample stability margins and low distortion over a wide range of operating conditions. Implementation is very simple and does...

  4. Low-Cost, Rapidly Responsive, Controllable, and Reversible Photochromic Hydrogel for Display and Storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yongqi; Guan, Lin; Gao, Guanghui

    2018-04-25

    Traditional optoelectronic devices without stretchable performance could be limited for substrates with irregular shape. Therefore, it is urgent to explore a new generation of flexible, stretchable, and low-cost intelligent vehicles as visual display and storage devices, such as hydrogels. In the investigation, a novel photochromic hydrogel was developed by introducing the negatively charged ammonium molybdate as a photochromic unit into polyacrylamide via ionic and covalent cross-linking. The hydrogel exhibited excellent properties of low cost, easy preparation, stretchable deformation, fatigue resistance, high transparency, and second-order response to external signals. Moreover, the photochromic and fading process of hydrogels could be precisely controlled and repeated under the irradiation of UV light and exposure of oxygen at different time and temperature. The photochromic hydrogel could be considered applied for artificial intelligence system, wearable healthcare device, and flexible memory device. Therefore, the strategy for designing a soft photochromic material would open a new direction to manufacture flexible and stretchable devices.

  5. Reprint of: Use of a mobile phone for potentiostatic control with low cost paper-based microfluidic sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delaney, Jacqui L.; Doeven, Egan H.; Harsant, Anthony J.; Hogan, Conor F., E-mail: c.hogan@latrobe.edu.au

    2013-11-25

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The ability to generate ECL emission using the audio output of a mobile phone is demonstrated. •Electrochemical control can be achieved by controlling the amplitude and waveform of the sound. •A mobile phone “app” synchronises the electrochemical stimulation with detection via the camera. •In combination with paper-based microfluidic sensors, extremely low cost analysis is possible. •Detection of proline at levels suitable for diagnosis of hyperprolinemia is demonstrated. -- Abstract: By exploiting its ability to play sounds, a mobile phone with suitable software installed can serve the basic functions of a potentiostat in controlling an applied potential to oxidise ECL-active molecules, while the resultant photonic signal is monitored using the camera in video mode. In combination with paper microfluidic sensors this opens significant new possibilities for low-cost, instrument-free sensing.

  6. Reprint of: Use of a mobile phone for potentiostatic control with low cost paper-based microfluidic sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delaney, Jacqui L.; Doeven, Egan H.; Harsant, Anthony J.; Hogan, Conor F.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The ability to generate ECL emission using the audio output of a mobile phone is demonstrated. •Electrochemical control can be achieved by controlling the amplitude and waveform of the sound. •A mobile phone “app” synchronises the electrochemical stimulation with detection via the camera. •In combination with paper-based microfluidic sensors, extremely low cost analysis is possible. •Detection of proline at levels suitable for diagnosis of hyperprolinemia is demonstrated. -- Abstract: By exploiting its ability to play sounds, a mobile phone with suitable software installed can serve the basic functions of a potentiostat in controlling an applied potential to oxidise ECL-active molecules, while the resultant photonic signal is monitored using the camera in video mode. In combination with paper microfluidic sensors this opens significant new possibilities for low-cost, instrument-free sensing

  7. The bit slice micro-processor 'GESPRO' as a project in the UA2 experiment

    CERN Document Server

    Becam, C; Delanghe, J; Fest, H M; Lecoq, J; Martin, H; Mencik, M; MerkeI, B; Meyer, J M; Perrin, M; Plothow, H; Rampazzo, J P; Schittly, A

    1981-01-01

    The bit slice micro-processor GESPRO is a CAMAC module plugged into a standard Elliot system crate via which it communicates as a slave with its host computer. It has full control of CAMAC as a master unit. GESPRO is a 24 bit machine with multi-mode memory addressing capacity of 64K words. The micro-processor structure uses 5 buses including pipe-line registers to mask access time and 16 interrupt levels. The micro-program memory capacity is 2K (RAM) words of 48 bits each. A special hardwired module allows floating point, as well as integer, multiplication of 24*24 bits, result in 48 bits, in about 200 ns. This micro-processor could be used in the UA2 data acquisition chain and trigger system for the following tasks: (a) online data reduction, i.e. to read DURANDAL, process the information resulting in accepting or rejecting the event; (b) readout and analysis of the accepted data; (c) preprocess the data. The UA2 version of GESPRO is under construction, programs and micro-programs are under development. Hard...

  8. Microprocessor-based integrated LMFBR core surveillance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gmeiner, L.

    1984-06-01

    This report results from a joint study of KfK and INTERATOM. The aim of this study is to explore the advantages of microprocessors and microelectronics for a more sophisticated core surveillance, which is based on the integration of separate surveillance techniques. Due to new developments in microelectronics and related software an approach to LMFBR core surveillance can be conceived that combines a number of measurements into a more intelligent decision-making data processing system. The following techniques are considered to contribute essentially to an integrated core surveillance system: - subassembly state and thermal hydraulics performance monitoring, - temperature noise analysis, - acoustic core surveillance, - failure characterization and failure prediction based on DND- and cover gas signals, and - flux tilting techniques. Starting from a description of these techniques it is shown that by combination and correlation of these individual techniques a higher degree of cost-effectiveness, reliability and accuracy can be achieved. (orig./GL) [de

  9. Zilog UPC, a higher performance slave peripheral controller

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walters, S.M.

    1982-01-01

    The universal peripheral controllers Z8090 and Z8590 (UPC) is an intelligent peripheral controller. It may be mask-programmed to execute dedicated I/O tasks that would otherwise need to be done by the host microprocessor. The UPC is actually a single-chip microcomputer with a complete host bus interface on-chip. It offers the hardware features of a programmable parallel I/O port, a programmable counter/timer, an I/O buffer RAM, and an intelligent interrupt controller. In addition, it provides a stored program processing element that is capable of pre-processing information before it is transferred to the host. Perhaps as important as its features is the fact that when used in volume, the UPC will be comparable in cost to non-programmable LSI parallel I/O and counter/timer functions. The UPC, simply stated, offers a cost effective multi-processor approach for offloading the host microprocessor of routine peripheral control tasks in high volume applications.

  10. Evaluation of the performance of microprocessor-based colorimeter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randhawa, S S; Gupta, R C; Bhandari, A K; Malhotra, P S

    1992-01-01

    Colorimetric estimations have an important role in quantitative studies. An inexpensive and portable microprocessor-based colorimeter developed by the authors is described in this paper. The colorimeter uses a light emitting diode as the light source; a pinphotodiode as the detector and an 8085A microprocessor. Blood urea, glucose, total protein, albumin and bilirubin from patient blood samples were analysed with the instrument and results obtained were compared with assays of the same blood using a Spectronic 21. A good correlation was found between the results from the two instruments.

  11. Computer controlled vacuum control system for synchrotron radiation beam lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, S.M.; Wang, C.; Yang, J.

    1983-01-01

    The increasing number and complexity of vacuum control systems at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory has resulted in the need to computerize its operations in order to lower costs and increase efficiency of operation. Status signals are transmitted through digital and analog serial data links which use microprocessors to monitor vacuum status continuously. Each microprocessor has a unique address and up to 256 can be connected to the host computer over a single RS232 data line. A FORTRAN program on the host computer will request status messages and send control messages via only one RS232 line per beam line, signal the operator when a fault condition occurs, take automatic corrective actions, warn of impending valve failure, and keep a running log of all changes in vacuum status for later recall. Wiring costs are thus greatly reduced and more status conditions can be monitored without adding excessively to the complexity of the system. Operators can then obtain status reports at various locations in the lab quickly without having to read a large number of meter and LED's

  12. Emulation-Based Virtual Laboratories: A Low-Cost Alternative to Physical Experiments in Control Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, G. C.; Medioli, A. M.; Sher, W.; Vlacic, L. B.; Welsh, J. S.

    2011-01-01

    This paper argues the case for emulation-based virtual laboratories in control engineering education. It demonstrates that such emulation experiments can give students an industrially relevant educational experience at relatively low cost. The paper also describes a particular emulation-based system that has been developed with the aim of giving…

  13. Water Level Loggers as a Low-Cost Tool for Monitoring of Stormwater Control Measures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Toran

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Stormwater control measures (SCMs are a key component of watershed health in urbanized areas. SCMs are used to increase infiltration and reduce discharge to streams or storm sewer systems during rain events. Monitoring is important for the evaluation of design and causes of failure in SCMs. However, the expense of monitoring means it is not always included in stormwater control planning. This study shows how low-cost water level loggers can be used to answer certain questions about SCM performance. Five case studies are presented that use water level loggers to evaluate the overflow of basins, compare a traditional stormpipe trench with an infiltration trench, monitor timing of blue roof storage, show the effects of retrofitting a basin, and provide long term performance data. Water level loggers can be used to answer questions about the timing and location of stormwater overflows, which helps to evaluate the effectiveness of SCMs. More expensive monitoring and modeling can be used as a follow up if needed to more thoroughly assess a site. Nonetheless, low-cost monitoring can be a first step in identifying sites that need improvement or additional monitoring.

  14. Increased control and data acquisition capabilities via microprocessor-based timed reading and time plot CAMAC modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barsotti, E.J.; Purvis, D.M.; Loveless, R.L.; Hance, R.D.

    1977-01-01

    By implementing a microprocessor-based CAMAC module capable of being programmed to function as a time plot or a timed reading controller, the capabilities of the experimental area serial CAMAC control and data acquisition system at Fermilab have been extensively increased. These modules provide real-time data gathering and pre-processing functions synchronized to the main accelerator cycle clock while adding only a minimal amount to the host computer's CPU time and memory requirements. Critical data requiring a fast system response can be read by the host computer immediately following the request for this data. The vast majority of data, being non-critical, can be read via a block transfer during a non-busy time in the main accelerator cycle. Each of Fermilab's experimental areas, Meson, Neutrino and Proton, are controlled primarily by a Lockheed MAC-16 computer. Each of these three minicomputers is linked to a larger Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11/50 computer. The PDP-11 computers are used primarily for data analysis and reduction. Presently two PDP-11's are linked to the three MAC-16 computers

  15. Derivation and Analysis of a Low-Cost, High-performance Analogue BPCM Control Scheme for Class-D Audio Power Amplifiers

    OpenAIRE

    Høyerby, Mikkel Christian Wendelboe; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents a low-cost analogue control scheme for class-D audio power amplifiers. The scheme is based around bandpass current-mode (BPCM) control, and provides ample stability margins and low distortion over a wide range of operating conditions. Implementation is very simple and does not require the use of operational amplifiers. Small-signal behavior of the controller is accurately predicted, and design is carried out using standard transfer function based linear control methodology...

  16. Design Example of Useful Memory Latency for Developing a Hazard Preventive Pipeline High-Performance Embedded-Microprocessor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ching-Hwa Cheng

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The existence of structural, control, and data hazards presents a major challenge in designing an advanced pipeline/superscalar microprocessor. An efficient memory hierarchy cache-RAM-Disk design greatly enhances the microprocessor's performance. However, there are complex relationships among the memory hierarchy and the functional units in the microprocessor. Most past architectural design simulations focus on the instruction hazard detection/prevention scheme from the viewpoint of function units. This paper emphasizes that additional inboard memory can be well utilized to handle the hazardous conditions. When the instruction meets hazardous issues, the memory latency can be utilized to prevent performance degradation due to the hazard prevention mechanism. By using the proposed technique, a better architectural design can be rapidly validated by an FPGA at the start of the design stage. In this paper, the simulation results prove that our proposed methodology has a better performance and less power consumption compared to the conventional hazard prevention technique.

  17. Prosthetic design directives: Low-cost hands within reach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, G K; Rosendo, A; Stopforth, R

    2017-07-01

    Although three million people around the world suffer from the lack of one or both upper limbs 80% of this number is located within developing countries. While prosthetic prices soar with technology 3D printing and low cost electronics present a sensible solution for those that cannot afford expensive prosthetics. The electronic and control design of a low-cost prosthetic hand, the Touch Hand II, is discussed. This paper shows that sensorless techniques can be used to reduce design complexities, costs, and provide easier access to the electronics. A closing and opening finite state machine (COFSM) was developed to handle the actuated digit joint control state and a supervisory switching control scheme, used for speed and grip strength control. Three torque and speed settings were created to be preset for specific grasps. The hand was able to replicate ten frequently used grasps and grip some common objects. Future work is necessary to enable a user to control it with myoelectric signals (MESs) and to solve operational problems related to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

  18. Cross software for microprocessor program development at CERN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eicken, H. von; Montuelle, J.; Willers, I.; Blake, J.

    1981-01-01

    Programs for a variety of microprocessors (including Intel 8080; Motorola 6800 and 6809 and 68000; and Texas Instruments 9900) can be prepared on different host computers (such as IBM 370, CDC 6000, and Nord 10) using portable programs developed at CERN. The range of cross software consists of: an assembler for each target microprocessor, a single linkage editor, a single object module librarian, and a variety of pre-loaders which convert object modules from CERN's format (CUFOM) into manufacturers' formats. The programs are written in BCPL and PASCAL, programming languages which are available on a wide range of computers. (orig.)

  19. Microprocessor Recruitment to Elongating RNA Polymerase II Is Required for Differential Expression of MicroRNAs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria A. Church

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The cellular abundance of mature microRNAs (miRNAs is dictated by the efficiency of nuclear processing of primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs into pre-miRNA intermediates. The Microprocessor complex of Drosha and DGCR8 carries this out, but it has been unclear what controls Microprocessor’s differential processing of various pri-miRNAs. Here, we show that Drosophila DGCR8 (Pasha directly associates with the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase II elongation complex when it is phosphorylated by the Cdk9 kinase (pTEFb. When association is blocked by loss of Cdk9 activity, a global change in pri-miRNA processing is detected. Processing of pri-miRNAs with a UGU sequence motif in their apical junction domain increases, while processing of pri-miRNAs lacking this motif decreases. Therefore, phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II recruits Microprocessor for co-transcriptional processing of non-UGU pri-miRNAs that would otherwise be poorly processed. In contrast, UGU-positive pri-miRNAs are robustly processed by Microprocessor independent of RNA polymerase association.

  20. Single event effect testing of the Intel 80386 family and the 80486 microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moran, A.; LaBel, K.; Gates, M.; Seidleck, C.; McGraw, R.; Broida, M.; Firer, J.; Sprehn, S.

    1996-01-01

    The authors present single event effect test results for the Intel 80386 microprocessor, the 80387 coprocessor, the 82380 peripheral device, and on the 80486 microprocessor. Both single event upset and latchup conditions were monitored

  1. The European Logarithmic Microprocessor

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Coleman, J. N.; Softley, C. I.; Kadlec, Jiří; Matoušek, R.; Tichý, Milan; Pohl, Zdeněk; Heřmánek, Antonín; Benschop, N. F.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 4 (2008), s. 532-546 ISSN 0018-9340 Grant - others:Evropská komise(BE) ESPRIT 33544 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Source of funding: R - rámcový projekt EK Keywords : Processor architecture * arithmetic unit * logarithmic arithmetic Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software Impact factor: 2.611, year: 2008 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2008/ZS/kadlec-the%20european%20logarithmic%20microprocessor.pdf

  2. Design and Testing of a Low Cost PID Controller Combined with Inverse Derivative Control Action and Its Application in Voltage Control Systems of DC Generator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subrata CHATTOPADHYAY

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available A single PID controller in a process control loop may suffer from high frequency oscillations without offset or low frequency oscillation with offset. An inverse derivative control action can eliminate both of these errors. In the present paper, a low cost operational amplifier based PID controller with inverse derivative control action has been described. Its transfer function has been derived and is found to be identical with the form already derived by other workers. It has been tested with a process plant analogue and implemented in the voltage control system of a DC generator. Its transfer function along with its characteristics in a process plant analogue and the load characteristics of DC generator with and without this controller have been determined experimentally and reported in this paper.

  3. Microprocessor-based system for continuous monitoring of radiation levels around the CERN PS and PSB accelerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agoritsas, V.; Beck, F.; Benincasa, G.P.; Bovigny, J.P.

    1986-06-01

    This paper describes a new beam loss monitor system which has been installed in the PS and PSB machines, replacing an earlier system. The new system is controlled by a microprocessor which can operate independently of the accelerator control system, though setting up and central display are usually done remotely, using the standard control system facilities.

  4. Air Muscle Actuated Low Cost Humanoid Hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Scarfe

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available The control of humanoid robot hands has historically been expensive due to the cost of precision actuators. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low-cost air muscle actuated humanoid hand developed at Curtin University of Technology. This hand offers 10 individually controllable degrees of freedom ranging from the elbow to the fingers, with overall control handled through a computer GUI. The hand is actuated through 20 McKibben-style air muscles, each supplied by a pneumatic pressure-balancing valve that allows for proportional control to be achieved with simple and inexpensive components. The hand was successfully able to perform a number of human-equivalent tasks, such as grasping and relocating objects.

  5. Air Muscle Actuated Low Cost Humanoid Hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Scarfe

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available The control of humanoid robot hands has historically been expensive due to the cost of precision actuators. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low-cost air muscle actuated humanoid hand developed at Curtin University of Technology. This hand offers 10 individually controllable degrees of freedom ranging from the elbow to the fingers, with overall control handled through a computer GUI. The hand is actuated through 20 McKibben-style air muscles, each supplied by a pneumatic pressure-balancing valve that allows for proportional control to be achieved with simple and inexpensive components. The hand was successfully able to perform a number of human-equivalent tasks, such as grasping and relocating objects.

  6. Control of non-linear actuator of artificial muscles for the use in low-cost robotics prosthetics limbs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anis Atikah, Nurul; Yeng Weng, Leong; Anuar, Adzly; Chien Fat, Chau; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Zainal Abidin, Izham

    2017-10-01

    Currently, the methods of actuating robotic-based prosthetic limbs are moving away from bulky actuators to more fluid materials such as artificial muscles. The main disadvantages of these artificial muscles are their high cost of manufacturing, low-force generation, cumbersome and complex controls. A recent discovery into using super coiled polymer (SCP) proved to have low manufacturing costs, high force generation, compact and simple controls. Nevertheless, the non-linear controls still exists due to the nature of heat-based actuation, which is hysteresis. This makes position control difficult. Using electrically conductive devices allows for very quick heating, but not quick cooling. This research tries to solve the problem by using peltier devices, which can effectively heat and cool the SCP, hence giving way to a more precise control. The peltier device does not actively introduce more energy to a volume of space, which the coiled heating does; instead, it acts as a heat pump. Experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of using peltier as an actuating method on different diameters of nylon fishing strings. Based on these experiments, the performance characteristics of the strings were plotted, which could be used to control the actuation of the string efficiently in the future.

  7. Software tools for microprocessor based systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halatsis, C.

    1981-01-01

    After a short review of the hardware and/or software tools for the development of single-chip, fixed instruction set microprocessor-based sytems we focus on the software tools for designing systems based on microprogrammed bit-sliced microprocessors. Emphasis is placed on meta-microassemblers and simulation facilties at the register-transfer-level and architecture level. We review available meta-microassemblers giving their most important features, advantages and disadvantages. We also make extentions to higher-level microprogramming languages and associated systems specifically developed for bit-slices. In the area of simulation facilities we first discuss the simulation objectives and the criteria for chosing the right simulation language. We consertrate to simulation facilities already used in bit-slices projects and discuss the gained experience. We conclude by describing the way the Signetics meta-microassembler and the ISPS simulation tool have been employed in the design of a fast microprogrammed machine, called MICE, made out of ECL bit-slices. (orig.)

  8. An SEU rate prediction method for microprocessors of space applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Jie; Li Qiang

    2012-01-01

    In this article,the relationship between static SEU (Single Event Upset) rate and dynamic SEU rate in microprocessors for satellites is studied by using process duty cycle concept and fault injection technique. The results are compared to in-orbit flight monitoring data. The results show that dynamic SEU rate by using process duty cycle can estimate in-orbit SEU rate of microprocessor reasonable; and the fault injection technique is a workable method to estimate SEU rate. (authors)

  9. The hybrid UNIX controller for real-time data acquisition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huesman, R.H.; Klein, G.J.; Fleming, T.K.

    1996-01-01

    The authors describe a hybrid data acquisition architecture integrating a conventional UNIX workstation with CAMAC-based real-time hardware. The system combines the high-level programming simplicity and user interface of a UNIX workstation with the low-level timing control available from conventional real-time hardware. They detail this architecture as it has been implemented for control of the Donner 600-Crystal Positron Tomograph (PET600). Low-level data acquisition is carried out in this system using eight LeCroy 3588 histogrammers, which together after derandomization, acquire events at rates up to 4 MHz, and two dedicated Motorola 6809 microprocessors, which arbitrate fine timing control during acquisition. A SUN Microsystems UNIX workstation is used for high-level control, allowing an easily extensible user interface in an X-Windows environment, as well as real-time communications to the low-level acquisition units. Communication between the high- and low-level units is carried out via a Jorway 73A SCSI-CAMAC crate controller and a serial interface. For this application, the hybrid configuration segments low from high-level control for ease of maintenance and provided a low-cost upgrade from dated high-level control hardware

  10. Use of a microprocessor in a remote working level monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keefe, D.J.; McDowell, W.P.; Groer, P.G.

    1976-01-01

    The instrument described measures the short-lived 222 Rn-daughter concentrations and the Working Level (WL) in sealed ''hot chambers'' located in uranium mines. Radiation-induced pulses from two separate sensors are transmitted through 500 ft. cables to a microprocessor, which processes the pulses and controls the operation of the system. A read-only memory stores a fixed program which is used to calculate the desired concentrations. The results are printed as pCi/l (Rn-daughter concentrations) and WL

  11. An intelligent control strategy based on ANFIS techniques in order to improve the performance of a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle vision system

    OpenAIRE

    Marichal, G. N.; Hernández, A.; Olivares Méndez, Miguel Ángel; Acosta, L.; Campoy Cervera, Pascual

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, an intelligent control approach based on Neuro-Fuzzy systems is presented. A model of a low-cost vision platform for an unmanned aerial system is taken in the study. A simulation platform including this low-cost vision system and the influence of the helicopter vibrations over this system is shown. The intelligent control approach has been inserted in this simulation platform. Several trials taking these Neuro-Fuzzy systems as a fundamental part of the control strategy have bee...

  12. Radiation-hardened bulk Si-gate CMOS microprocessor family

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stricker, R.E.; Dingwall, A.G.F.; Cohen, S.; Adams, J.R.; Slemmer, W.C.

    1979-01-01

    RCA and Sandia Laboratories jointly developed a radiation-hardened bulk Si-gate CMOS technology which is used to fabricate the CDP-1800 series microprocessor family. Total dose hardness of 1 x 10 6 rads (Si) and transient upset hardness of 5 x 10 8 rads (Si)/sec with no latch up at any transient level was achieved. Radiation-hardened parts manufactured to date include the CDP-1802 microprocessor, the CDP-1834 ROM, the CDP-1852 8-bit I/O port, the CDP-1856 N-bit 1 of 8 decoder, and the TCC-244 256 x 4 Static RAM. The paper is divided into three parts. In the first section, the basic fundamentals of the non-hardened C 2 L technology used for the CDP-1800 series microprocessor parts is discussed along with the primary reasons for hardening this technology. The second section discusses the major changes in the fabrication sequence that are required to produce radiation-hardened devices. The final section details the electrical performance characteristics of the hardened devices as well as the effects of radiation on device performance. Also included in this section is a discussion of the TCC-244 256 x 4 Static RAM designed jointly by RCA and Sandia Laboratories for this application

  13. 'Intelligent' approach to radioimmunoassay sample counting employing a microprocessor controlled sample counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ekins, R.P.; Sufi, S.; Malan, P.G.

    1977-01-01

    The enormous impact on medical science in the last two decades of microanalytical techniques employing radioisotopic labels has, in turn, generated a large demand for automatic radioisotopic sample counters. Such instruments frequently comprise the most important item of capital equipment required in the use of radioimmunoassay and related techniques and often form a principle bottleneck in the flow of samples through a busy laboratory. It is therefore particularly imperitive that such instruments should be used 'intelligently' and in an optimal fashion to avoid both the very large capital expenditure involved in the unnecessary proliferation of instruments and the time delays arising from their sub-optimal use. The majority of the current generation of radioactive sample counters nevertheless rely on primitive control mechanisms based on a simplistic statistical theory of radioactive sample counting which preclude their efficient and rational use. The fundamental principle upon which this approach is based is that it is useless to continue counting a radioactive sample for a time longer than that required to yield a significant increase in precision of the measurement. Thus, since substantial experimental errors occur during sample preparation, these errors should be assessed and must be releted to the counting errors for that sample. It is the objective of this presentation to demonstrate that the combination of a realistic statistical assessment of radioactive sample measurement, together with the more sophisticated control mechanisms that modern microprocessor technology make possible, may often enable savings in counter usage of the order of 5-10 fold to be made. (orig.) [de

  14. A microprocessor-based system for continuous monitoring of radiation levels around the CERN PS and PSB accelerators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agoritsas, V.; Beck, F.; Benincasa, G. P.; Bovigny, J. P.

    1986-06-01

    This paper describes a new beam loss monitor system which has been installed in the PS and PSB machines, replacing an earlier system. The new system is controlled by a microprocessor which can operate independently of the accelerator control system, though setting up and central display are usually done remotely, using the standard control system facilities.

  15. Application of multiwall carbon nanotubes for thermal dissipation in a micro-processor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bui Hung Thang; Phan Ngoc Hong; Phan Hong Khoi; Phan Ngoc Minh [Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi (Viet Nam)], E-mail: minhpn@ims.vast.ac.vn

    2009-09-01

    One of the most valuable properties of the carbon nanotubes materials is its high thermal conductivity with 2000 W/m.K (compared to thermal conductivity of Ag 419 W/m.K). It suggested an approach in applying the CNTs in thermal dissipation media to improve the performance of computer processors and other high power electronic devices. In this research, the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) made by thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at our laboratory was employed as the heat dissipation media in a microprocessor a Personal Computer with configuration: Intel Pentium IV 3.066 GHz, 512Mb of RAM and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Operating System. We directly measured the temperature of the microprocessor during the operation of the computer in two modes: 100% usage CPU mode and over-clocking mode. The measured results showed that when using our thermal dissipation media (a mixture of the mentioned commercial thermal compound and 2 wt.%. MWCNTs), the temperature of the microprocessor decreased 5 deg. C, and the time for increasing the temperature of the microprocessor was three times longer than that when using commercial thermal compound. In over-clocking mode, the processor speed reached 3.8 GHz with 165 MHz of system bus clock speed; it was 1.24 times higher than that in non over-clocking mode. The results confirmed a promising way of using MWCNTs as the thermal dissipation media for microprocessor and high power electronic devices.

  16. Application of multiwall carbon nanotubes for thermal dissipation in a micro-processor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thang, Bui Hung; Hong, Phan Ngoc; Khoi, Phan Hong; Minh, Phan Ngoc

    2009-09-01

    One of the most valuable properties of the carbon nanotubes materials is its high thermal conductivity with 2000 W/m.K (compared to thermal conductivity of Ag 419 W/m.K). It suggested an approach in applying the CNTs in thermal dissipation media to improve the performance of computer processors and other high power electronic devices. In this research, the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) made by thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at our laboratory was employed as the heat dissipation media in a microprocessor a Personal Computer with configuration: Intel Pentium IV 3.066 GHz, 512Mb of RAM and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Operating System. We directly measured the temperature of the microprocessor during the operation of the computer in two modes: 100% usage CPU mode and over-clocking mode. The measured results showed that when using our thermal dissipation media (a mixture of the mentioned commercial thermal compound and 2 wt.%. MWCNTs), the temperature of the microprocessor decreased 5°C, and the time for increasing the temperature of the microprocessor was three times longer than that when using commercial thermal compound. In over-clocking mode, the processor speed reached 3.8 GHz with 165 MHz of system bus clock speed; it was 1.24 times higher than that in non over-clocking mode. The results confirmed a promising way of using MWCNTs as the thermal dissipation media for microprocessor and high power electronic devices.

  17. Application of multiwall carbon nanotubes for thermal dissipation in a micro-processor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bui Hung Thang; Phan Ngoc Hong; Phan Hong Khoi; Phan Ngoc Minh

    2009-01-01

    One of the most valuable properties of the carbon nanotubes materials is its high thermal conductivity with 2000 W/m.K (compared to thermal conductivity of Ag 419 W/m.K). It suggested an approach in applying the CNTs in thermal dissipation media to improve the performance of computer processors and other high power electronic devices. In this research, the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) made by thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at our laboratory was employed as the heat dissipation media in a microprocessor a Personal Computer with configuration: Intel Pentium IV 3.066 GHz, 512Mb of RAM and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Operating System. We directly measured the temperature of the microprocessor during the operation of the computer in two modes: 100% usage CPU mode and over-clocking mode. The measured results showed that when using our thermal dissipation media (a mixture of the mentioned commercial thermal compound and 2 wt.%. MWCNTs), the temperature of the microprocessor decreased 5 deg. C, and the time for increasing the temperature of the microprocessor was three times longer than that when using commercial thermal compound. In over-clocking mode, the processor speed reached 3.8 GHz with 165 MHz of system bus clock speed; it was 1.24 times higher than that in non over-clocking mode. The results confirmed a promising way of using MWCNTs as the thermal dissipation media for microprocessor and high power electronic devices.

  18. Microprocessor based beam loss monitor system for the AGS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witkover, R.L.

    1979-01-01

    An array of 120 long radiation monitors (LRM) have been installed around the AGS. Each monitor is an extended coaxial ion chamber, 5 meters long, made from hollow core coaxial transmission cable pressured with argon. The LRM's are each connected to a low current preamplifier and voltage-to-frequency converter (VFC). The digital output of each channel is fed to a 16 bit counter chip which bridges the bus of an 8085 microprocessor. This circuit is connected to the AGS PD-10 for data taking or may function as a stand-alone unit. Various operating modes can be selected for data readout. System design and operating performance are described

  19. Microprocessor-controlled vs. "dump-freezing" platelet and lymphocyte cryopreservation: A quantitative and qualitative comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balint Bela

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Thermodynamical and cryobiological parameters responsible for cell damages during cryopreservation (cryoinjuries have not yet been completely explained. Thus, freezing procedures should be revised, exactly optimized to obtain an enhanced structural and functional recovery of frozen- thawed cells. The aim of this study was to compare microprocessor- controlled (controlled-rate with the compensation of the released fusion heat and “dump-freezing” (uncontrolled- rate of the platelet and lymphocyte cryopreservation efficacy. Methods. Platelet quantitative recovery (post-thaw vs. unfrozen cell count, viability (using hypotonic shock response - HSR, morphological score (PMS, ultrastructural (electron microscopy properties and expression of different surface antigens were investigated. In lymphocyte setting, cell recovery and viability (using trypan blue exclusion test as well as functionality (by plant mitogens were determined. Controlled- rate freezing and uncontrolled-rate cryopreservation were combined with 6% (platelets and 10% (lymphocytes dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO. Results. Platelet recovery and functionality were superior in the controlled-rate system. The majority of surface antigen expression was reduced in both freezing groups vs. unfrozen cells, but GP140/CD62p was significantly higher in controlled-rate vs. uncontrolled-rate setting. Controlled- rate freezing resulted with better lymphocyte recovery and viability (trypan blue-negative cell percentage. In mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferative response no significant intergroup difference (controlled-rate vs. uncontrolled-rate were found. Conclusion. The data obtained in this study showned the dependence of cell response on the cryopreservation type. Controlled-rate freezing provided a superior platelet quantitative and functional recovery. Lymphocyte recovery and viability were better in the controlled-rate group, although only a minor intergroup difference for cell

  20. A Fault-tolerant RISC Microprocessor for Spacecraft Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timoc, Constantin; Benz, Harry

    1990-01-01

    Viewgraphs on a fault-tolerant RISC microprocessor for spacecraft applications are presented. Topics covered include: reduced instruction set computer; fault tolerant registers; fault tolerant ALU; and double rail CMOS logic.

  1. Low-cost inertial measurement unit.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deyle, Travis Jay

    2005-03-01

    Sandia National Laboratories performs many expensive tests using inertial measurement units (IMUs)--systems that use accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other sensors to measure flight dynamics in three dimensions. For the purpose of this report, the metrics used to evaluate an IMU are cost, size, performance, resolution, upgradeability and testing. The cost of a precision IMU is very high and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thus the goals and results of this project are as follows: (1) Examine the data flow in an IMU and determine a generic IMU design. (2) Discuss a high cost IMU implementation and its theoretically achievable results. (3) Discuss design modifications that would save money for suited applications. (4) Design and implement a low cost IMU and discuss its theoretically achievable results. (5) Test the low cost IMU and compare theoretical results with empirical results. (6) Construct a more streamlined printed circuit board design reducing noise, increasing capabilities, and constructing a self-contained unit. Using these results, we can compare a high cost IMU versus a low cost IMU using the metrics from above. Further, we can examine and suggest situations where a low cost IMU could be used instead of a high cost IMU for saving cost, size, or both.

  2. Microprocessor-controlled Nd:YAG laser for hyperthermia induction in the RIF-1 tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldow, S M; Russell, G E; Wallner, P E

    1992-01-01

    Near-infrared radiation from a Nd:YAG laser at 1,064 nm was used interstitially or superficially to induce hyperthermia in RIF-1 tumors in C3H male mice. A single 600-microns quartz fiber with a 0.5-cm cylindrical diffusor or a weakly diverging microlens at its distal end was used to deliver laser energy to tumors in the hind leg (mean volume = 100 mm3). Two thermocouples were inserted into each tumor. One thermocouple controlled a microprocessor-driven hyperthermia program (maximum output of 3.5 Watts) to maintain the desired temperature. Tumors were exposed to various temperature-time combinations (42-45 degrees C/30 min). Our initial results indicated that excellent temperature control to within 0.2 degrees C of the desired temperature at the feedback thermocouple was achievable during both superficial and interstitial heat treatments. Temperatures at the second thermocouple, however, were found to be lower by as much as 2.3 degrees C (using the cylindrical diffusor) or higher by up to 4.6 degrees C (using the microlens) when compared to the feedback thermocouple temperature. Several correlations were seen between total dose, tumor growth delay, percent skin necrosis, and temperature at the second thermocouple after several superficial and interstitial treatments. Statistically significant improvements in tumor growth delay (at 42 and 45 degrees C) and increased percent skin necrosis at all temperatures were observed after superficial versus interstitial treatment.

  3. Multichannel analyzer based on microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, M.

    1983-06-01

    A multichannel analyser for nuclear spectrometry, that would attend the needs of research laboratories and could be industrialized in Brazil, was developed. The design was based on INTEL 8080/85 microprocessors; other processors were also used to implement specific functions, such as shared busbar using direct memory access. A prototype was developed and tested through simulation, using a nuclear spectrometry chain. The results were fully satisfactory. (Author) [pt

  4. Real time computer system with distributed microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heger, D.; Steusloff, H.; Syrbe, M.

    1979-01-01

    The usual centralized structure of computer systems, especially of process computer systems, cannot sufficiently use the progress of very large-scale integrated semiconductor technology with respect to increasing the reliability and performance and to decreasing the expenses especially of the external periphery. This and the increasing demands on process control systems has led the authors to generally examine the structure of such systems and to adapt it to the new surroundings. Computer systems with distributed, optical fibre-coupled microprocessors allow a very favourable problem-solving with decentralized controlled buslines and functional redundancy with automatic fault diagnosis and reconfiguration. A fit programming system supports these hardware properties: PEARL for multicomputer systems, dynamic loader, processor and network operating system. The necessary design principles for this are proved mainly theoretically and by value analysis. An optimal overall system of this new generation of process control systems was established, supported by results of 2 PDV projects (modular operating systems, input/output colour screen system as control panel), for the purpose of testing by apllying the system for the control of 28 pit furnaces of a steel work. (orig.) [de

  5. Application of Microprocessor-Based Equipment in Nuclear Power Plants - Technical Basis for a Qualification Methodology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korsah, K.

    2001-01-01

    This document (1) summarizes the most significant findings of the ''Qualification of Advanced Instrumentation and Control (I and C) Systems'' program initiated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); (2) documents a comparative analysis of U.S. and European qualification standards; and (3) provides recommendations for enhancing regulatory guidance for environmental qualification of microprocessor-based safety-related systems. Safety-related I and C system upgrades of present-day nuclear power plants, as well as I and C systems of Advanced Light-Water Reactors (ALWRs), are expected to make increasing use of microprocessor-based technology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recognized that the use of such technology may pose environmental qualification challenges different from current, analog-based I and C systems. Hence, it initiated the ''Qualification of Advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems'' program. The objectives of this confirmatory research project are to (1) identify any unique environmental-stress-related failure modes posed by digital technologies and their potential impact on the safety systems and (2) develop the technical basis for regulatory guidance using these findings. Previous findings from this study have been documented in several technical reports. This final report in the series documents a comparative analysis of two environmental qualification standards--Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Std 323-1983 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60780 (1998)--and provides recommendations for environmental qualification of microprocessor-based systems based on this analysis as well as on the findings documented in the previous reports. The two standards were chosen for this analysis because IEEE 323 is the standard used in the U.S. for the qualification of safety-related equipment in nuclear power plants, and IEC 60780 is its European counterpart. In addition, the IEC document was published in

  6. A Low-Cost Computer-Controlled Arduino-Based Educational Laboratory System for Teaching the Fundamentals of Photovoltaic Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zachariadou, K.; Yiasemides, K.; Trougkakos, N.

    2012-01-01

    We present a low-cost, fully computer-controlled, Arduino-based, educational laboratory (SolarInsight) to be used in undergraduate university courses concerned with electrical engineering and physics. The major goal of the system is to provide students with the necessary instrumentation, software tools and methodology in order to learn fundamental…

  7. Technology for low cost solid rocket boosters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciepluch, C.

    1971-01-01

    A review of low cost large solid rocket motors developed at the Lewis Research Center is given. An estimate is made of the total cost reduction obtainable by incorporating this new technology package into the rocket motor design. The propellant, case material, insulation, nozzle ablatives, and thrust vector control are discussed. The effect of the new technology on motor cost is calculated for a typical expandable 260-in. booster application. Included in the cost analysis is the influence of motor performance variations due to specific impulse and weight changes. It is found for this application that motor costs may be reduced by up to 30% and that the economic attractiveness of future large solid rocket motors will be improved when the new technology is implemented.

  8. Contrast in low-cost operational concepts for orbiting satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walyus, Keith D.; Reis, James; Bradley, Arthur J.

    2002-12-01

    Older spacecraft missions, especially those in low Earth orbit with telemetry intensive requirements, required round-the-clock control center staffing. The state of technology relied on control center personnel to continually examine data, make decisions, resolve anomalies, and file reports. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a prime example of this description. Technological advancements in hardware and software over the last decade have yielded increases in productivity and operational efficiency, which result in lower cost. The re-engineering effort of HST, which has recently concluded, utilized emerging technology to reduce cost and increase productivity. New missions, of which NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer Satellite (TRACE) is an example, have benefited from recent technological advancements and are more cost-effective than when HST was first launched. During its launch (1998) and early orbit phase, the TRACE Flight Operations Team (FOT) employed continually staffed operations. Yet once the mission entered its nominal phase, the FOT reduced their staffing to standard weekday business hours. Operations were still conducted at night and during the weekends, but these operations occurred autonomously without compromising their high standards for data collections. For the HST, which launched in 1990, reduced cost operations will employ a different operational concept, when the spacecraft enters its low-cost phase after its final servicing mission in 2004. Primarily due to the spacecraft"s design, the HST Project has determined that single-shift operations will introduce unacceptable risks for the amount of dollars saved. More importantly, significant cost-savings can still be achieved by changing the operational concept for the FOT, while still maintaining round-the-clock staffing. It"s important to note that the low-cost solutions obtained for one satellite may not be applicable for other satellites. This paper will contrast the differences between

  9. Low-Cost Control System Built Upon Consumer-Based Electronics For Supervisory Control Of A Gas-Operated Heat Pump

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetherington Jr, G Randall [ORNL; Vineyard, Edward Allan [ORNL; Mahderekal, Isaac [ORNL; Abu-Heiba, Ahmad [ORNL

    2017-06-01

    A preliminary evaluation of the performance of a consumer-based control system was conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Southwest Gas as part of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) authorized by the Department of Energy (DOE) (Mahderekal et al. (2013). The goal of the research was to evaluate the low-cost approach as a solution for implementing a supervisory control system for a residential gas-operated heat pump. The design incorporated two consumer-based micro-controllers; the Arduino Mega-2650 and the BeagleBone (white). Ten five-ton heat pump systems were designed, fabricated, and operationally tested in the Las Vega NV region. A robust data set was produced that allowed detailed assessment of the reliability and the operational perfromance of the newly developed control system. Experiences gained from the test provided important points of improvement for subsequent evolution of the heat pump technology.

  10. TRIESTE: College on Microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    The International Centre for Theoretical Physics, set up at Trieste in 1964, has as its major task the provision of a stimulating intellectual environment for physicists from developing countries. This goal is furthered by a varied programme of courses for visiting scientists. Not all the courses remain in the rarefied atmosphere of theory and in September a very successful 'College on Microprocessors: Technology and Applications in Physics' was held. It was a prime example of the efforts being made to spread important modern technology into the developing countries

  11. Fast control of a M.A. 23 manipulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mouhamed, Mayez al.

    1981-07-01

    The present paper deals with the problem of the control of manipulating robots. Several methodologies used to define the basic elements of a command language are described. Our main interest lies in the movement coordination level. For this purpose we shall study in more detail the functions built around a module representing a geometrical model. Then the problem of effort analysis by computer is investigated. Two heuristic methods enabling the computation of the forces applied to the effector are proposed. The functions described above are implemented in a 16 bits microprocessor unit (INTEL 8086) associated with a floating point coprocessor (INTEL 8087). Finally, the performance of the control system, particularly the 8 ms command cycle and the low cost of system are discussed [fr

  12. A Wireless Low Power Valve Controller for Drip Irrigation Control Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haijiang Tai

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Drip irrigation control systems in fields generally include a large number of sensors and valves; controlling these devices efficiently can be achieved by using distributed irrigation control (DIC, which has the advantages of reduced wiring and piping costs and easier installation and maintenance. In this study, a wireless low power valve controller for drip irrigation control systems was developed and tested. The specific tasks included the controller design (hardware and software, energy consumption tests, and field tests. The controller uses the highly integrated JN5139 module, which is based on IEEE802.15.4, for hardware design; low power consumption sleep algorithms for software design; and two alkaline batteries for supply of power to the valve controller. Results of laboratory and field tests show continuous working days of the valve controller powered by two alkaline batteries are at least 3 months under different sleep periods and frequencies of valve control. The controller described here is characterized as reliable, low cost, easy to install, and having low power consumption.

  13. Microprocessors: From basic chips to complete systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobinson, R.W.

    1985-01-01

    These lectures aim to present and explain in general terms some of the characteristics of microprocessor chips and associated components. They show how systems are synthesized from the basic integrated circuit building blocks which are currently available; processor, memory, input-output (I/0) devices, etc. (orig./HSI)

  14. Low-cost computer mouse for the elderly or disabled in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, C-C; Chen, W-L; Chen, B-N; Shih, Y-Y; Lai, J-S; Chen, Y-L

    2014-01-01

    A mouse is an important communication interface between a human and a computer, but it is still difficult to use for the elderly or disabled. To develop a low-cost computer mouse auxiliary tool. The principal structure of the low-cost mouse auxiliary tool is the IR (infrared ray) array module and the Wii icon sensor module, which combine with reflective tape and the SQL Server database. This has several benefits including cheap hardware cost, fluent control, prompt response, adaptive adjustment and portability. Also, it carries the game module with the function of training and evaluation; to the trainee, it is really helpful to upgrade the sensitivity of consciousness/sense and the centralization of attention. The intervention phase/maintenance phase, with regard to clicking accuracy and use of time, p value (p< 0.05) reach the level of significance. The development of the low cost adaptive computer mouse auxiliary tool was completed during the study and was also verified as having the characteristics of low cost, easy operation and the adaptability. To patients with physical disabilities, if they have independent control action parts of their limbs, the mouse auxiliary tool is suitable for them to use, i.e. the user only needs to paste the reflective tape by the independent control action parts of the body to operate the mouse auxiliary tool.

  15. Design and implementation of an automatic pressure-control system for a mobile sprayer for greenhouse applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzalez, R.; Pawlowski, A.; Rodriguez, C.; Guzman, J. L.; Sanchez-Hermosilla, J.

    2012-07-01

    This article presents the design and development of an embedded automatic pressure-control system for a mobile sprayer working in greenhouses. The pressure system is mounted on a commercial vehicle, it is composed of two on/off electro valves and one proportional electro valve. The hardware developed is based on an embedded microprocessor and provides a low-cost and robust solution. The resulting embedded system has been tested on a spraying system mounted on a manned vehicle. Furthermore, an easy-tuning non-linear PI (Proportional Integral) controller to achieve the desired pressure profile is designed and implemented in the embedded system. Many physical experiments show the best performance of such controller compared with a typical PI controller. Experiments covering the pressure range from 2 to 14 bar obtained a mean error less than 0.3 bar. Summing up, a low-cost automatic pressure-control system is developed, it ensures a uniform decomposition of the liquid sprayed on plants, and it works properly over a wide variable-pressure range. (Author) 17 refs.

  16. Design and Implementation of O/C relay using Microprocessor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr.Abdul-Sattar H. Jasim

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This work presents the design and implementation of a versatile digital overcurrent (O/C relay using a single microprocessor. The relay is implemented by a combination of a look-up table and a counter. The software development and hardware testing are done using a microcomputer module based on a 8-bit microprocessor. The digital processing of measured currents enables a separate setting of operating values selection of all types of inverse or constant time characteristics overcurrent protection. This protection provides reasonably fast tripping, even at terminal close to the power source were the most serve faults can occur excluding the transient condition. So this method has an excellent compromise between accuracy hardware and speed

  17. Low cost submarine robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ponlachart Chotikarn

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available A submarine robot is a semi-autonomous submarine robot used mainly for marine environmental research. We aim todevelop a low cost, semi-autonomous submarine robot which is able to travel underwater. The robot’s structure was designedand patented using a novel idea of the diving system employing a volume adjustment mechanism to vary the robot’s density.A light weight, flexibility and small structure provided by PVC can be used to construct the torpedo-liked shape robot.Hydraulic seal and O-ring rubbers are used to prevent water leaking. This robot is controlled by a wired communicationsystem.

  18. A low-cost, FPGA-based servo controller with lock-in amplifier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, G; Barry, J F; Shuman, E S; Steinecker, M H; DeMille, D

    2012-01-01

    We describe the design and implementation of a low-cost, FPGA-based servo controller with an integrated waveform synthesizer and lock-in amplifier. This system has been designed with the specific application of laser frequency locking in mind but should be adaptable to a variety of other purposes as well. The system incorporates an onboard waveform synthesizer, a lock-in amplifier, two channels of proportional-integral (PI) servo control, and a ramp generator on a single FPGA chip. The system is based on an inexpensive, off-the-shelf FPGA evaluation board with a wide variety of available accessories, allowing the system to interface with standard laser controllers and detectors while minimizing the use of custom hardware and electronics. Gains, filter constants, and other relevant parameters are adjustable via onboard knobs and switches. These parameters and other information are displayed to the user via an integrated LCD, allowing full operation of the device without an accompanying computer. We demonstrate the performance of the system in a test setup, in which the frequency of a tunable external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) is locked to a resonant optical transmission peak of a Fabry-Perot cavity. In this setup, we achieve a total servo-loop bandwidth of ∼ 7 kHz and achieve locking of the ECDL to the cavity with a full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) linewidth of ∼ 200 kHz.

  19. Hidden costs of low-cost screening mammography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cyrlak, D.

    1987-01-01

    Twenty-two hundred women in Orange County, California, took part in a low-cost mammography screening project sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the KCBS-TV. Patients were followed up by telephone and questioned about actual costs incurred as a result of screening mammography, including costs of repeated and follow-up mammograms, US examinations and surgical consultations. The total number of biopsies, cancers found, and the costs involved were investigated. The authors' results suggest that particularly in centers with a high positive call rate, the cost of screening mammograms accounts for only a small proportion of the medical costs

  20. Microprocessor tester for the treat upgrade reactor trip system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lenkszus, F.R.; Bucher, R.G.

    1984-01-01

    The upgrading of the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility at ANL-Idaho has been designed to provide additional experimental capabilities for the study of core disruptive accident (CDA) phenomena. In addition, a programmable Automated Reactor Control System (ARCS) will permit high-power transients up to 11,000 MW having a controlled reactor period of from 15 to 0.1 sec. These modifications to the core neutronics will improve simulation of LMFBR accident conditions. Finally, a sophisticated, multiply-redundant safety system, the Reactor Trip System (RTS), will provide safe operation for both steady state and transient production operating modes. To insure that this complex safety system is functioning properly, a Dedicated Microprocessor Tester (DMT) has been implemented to perform a thorough checkout of the RTS prior to all TREAT operations

  1. An 'intelligent' approach to radioimmunoassay sample counting employing a microprocessor-controlled sample counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ekins, R.P.; Sufi, S.; Malan, P.G.

    1978-01-01

    The enormous impact on medical science in the last two decades of microanalytical techniques employing radioisotopic labels has, in turn, generated a large demand for automatic radioisotopic sample counters. Such instruments frequently comprise the most important item of capital equipment required in the use of radioimmunoassay and related techniques and often form a principle bottleneck in the flow of samples through a busy laboratory. It is therefore imperative that such instruments should be used 'intelligently' and in an optimal fashion to avoid both the very large capital expenditure involved in the unnecessary proliferation of instruments and the time delays arising from their sub-optimal use. Most of the current generation of radioactive sample counters nevertheless rely on primitive control mechanisms based on a simplistic statistical theory of radioactive sample counting which preclude their efficient and rational use. The fundamental principle upon which this approach is based is that it is useless to continue counting a radioactive sample for a time longer than that required to yield a significant increase in precision of the measurement. Thus, since substantial experimental errors occur during sample preparation, these errors should be assessed and must be related to the counting errors for that sample. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate that the combination of a realistic statistical assessment of radioactive sample measurement, together with the more sophisticated control mechanisms that modern microprocessor technology make possible, may often enable savings in counter usage of the order of 5- to 10-fold to be made. (author)

  2. Optimization of Reciprocals and Square Roots on the i860 Microprocessor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sinclair, Robert

    1996-01-01

    The i860 microprocessor lacks both a divide and a square root instruction. The consequences of this for code involving many reciprocal square roots, such as many-body simulations involving Coulomb-like potentials, are discussed with a particular emphasis on high performance.......The i860 microprocessor lacks both a divide and a square root instruction. The consequences of this for code involving many reciprocal square roots, such as many-body simulations involving Coulomb-like potentials, are discussed with a particular emphasis on high performance....

  3. INVESTIGATION OF MICROPROCESSOR CURRENT PROTECTION LINES WITH IMPROVED INDICES OF TECHNICAL PERFECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Buloichyk

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Technical perfection improvement of microprocessor current protection of distribution networks lines is provided by introduction of asymmetrical fault mode determination and fault location functions in the algorithm of its functioning. As a result of computing experiment the basic indices of the technical perfection of current protection have been obtained in the paper. The paper proves high efficiency of the proposed methods that ensure selective and proper operation in the different modes of the controlled line.

  4. Tracking instrument and control for solar concentrators. Final technical report, October 1979-January 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, J; Kuhlman, J

    1981-01-31

    The tracker uses a single photo sensor, and a rotating aperature to obtain tracking accuracies better than 1.5 mrads (0.1 degs). Peak signal detection is used to eliminate tracking of false sources, i.e., clouds, etc. A prism is employed to obtain an extended field of view (150 degs axially - 360 degs radially). The tracker digitally measures the Suns displacement angle relative to the concentrator axis, and repositions it incrementally. This arrangement permits the use of low cost non-servo motors. The local controller contains microprocessor based electronics, incorporating digital signal processing. A single controller may be time shared by a maximum of sixteen trackers, providing a high performance, cost effective solar tracking system, suitable for both line and point focus concentrators. An installation may have the local controller programmed as a standalone unit or slaved to a central controller. When used with a central controller, dynamic data monitoring and logging is available, together with the ability to change system modes and parameters, as desired.

  5. Microprocessor-based integration of microfluidic control for the implementation of automated sensor monitoring and multithreaded optimization algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezra, Elishai; Maor, Idan; Bavli, Danny; Shalom, Itai; Levy, Gahl; Prill, Sebastian; Jaeger, Magnus S; Nahmias, Yaakov

    2015-08-01

    Microfluidic applications range from combinatorial synthesis to high throughput screening, with platforms integrating analog perfusion components, digitally controlled micro-valves and a range of sensors that demand a variety of communication protocols. Currently, discrete control units are used to regulate and monitor each component, resulting in scattered control interfaces that limit data integration and synchronization. Here, we present a microprocessor-based control unit, utilizing the MS Gadgeteer open framework that integrates all aspects of microfluidics through a high-current electronic circuit that supports and synchronizes digital and analog signals for perfusion components, pressure elements, and arbitrary sensor communication protocols using a plug-and-play interface. The control unit supports an integrated touch screen and TCP/IP interface that provides local and remote control of flow and data acquisition. To establish the ability of our control unit to integrate and synchronize complex microfluidic circuits we developed an equi-pressure combinatorial mixer. We demonstrate the generation of complex perfusion sequences, allowing the automated sampling, washing, and calibrating of an electrochemical lactate sensor continuously monitoring hepatocyte viability following exposure to the pesticide rotenone. Importantly, integration of an optical sensor allowed us to implement automated optimization protocols that require different computational challenges including: prioritized data structures in a genetic algorithm, distributed computational efforts in multiple-hill climbing searches and real-time realization of probabilistic models in simulated annealing. Our system offers a comprehensive solution for establishing optimization protocols and perfusion sequences in complex microfluidic circuits.

  6. E-learning: controlling costs and increasing value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kieran

    2015-04-01

    E-learning now accounts for a substantial proportion of medical education provision. This progress has required significant investment and this investment has in turn come under increasing scrutiny so that the costs of e-learning may be controlled and its returns maximised. There are multiple methods by which the costs of e-learning can be controlled and its returns maximised. This short paper reviews some of those methods that are likely to be most effective and that are likely to save costs without compromising quality. Methods might include accessing free or low-cost resources from elsewhere; create short learning resources that will work on multiple devices; using open source platforms to host content; using in-house faculty to create content; sharing resources between institutions; and promoting resources to ensure high usage. Whatever methods are used to control costs or increase value, it is most important to evaluate the impact of these methods.

  7. Microprocessor protection devices: The present and the future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurevich Vladimir

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Paper presents the analysis of the basic constructive disadvantages of the present day microprocessor-based protective devices (MBR and offers the basic principles for creating a new MBR that can be used in newly constructed devices.

  8. Microprocessor isotope gauges for measurement of coating thickness and of air dust pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machaj, B.; Zrudelny, F.; Sikora, A.; Jaszczuk, J.

    1986-01-01

    The article describes a coating thickness gauge based on measurement of backscattered beta particles, and an air dust pollution gauge based on measurement of dust deposited from known volume of ambient air passed through a filter, by attenuation of beta radiation. In both cases to control the gauges and to process head signals microcomputer system based on Intel 8080 microprocessor is employed. Algorithms for processing and control of the gauges and corresponding flow charts are presented. Block diagram of microcomputer system used is presented, as well as the manner of operation of the gauges. (author)

  9. Efficient Phase Locking of Fiber Amplifiers Using a Low-Cost and High-Damage-Threshold Phase Control System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pu, Zhou; Yan-Xing, Ma; Xiao-Lin, Wang; Hao-Tong, Ma; Xiao-Jun, Xu; Ze-Jin, Liu

    2010-01-01

    We propose a low-cost and high-damage-threshold phase control system that employs a piezoelectric ceramic transducer modulator controlled by a stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm. Efficient phase locking of two fiber amplifiers is demonstrated. Experimental results show that energy encircled in the target pinhole is increased by a factor of 1.76 and the visibility of the fringe pattern is as high as 90% when the system is in close-loop. The phase control system has potential in phase locking of large-number and high-power fiber laser endeavors. (fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications))

  10. Low-cost high purity production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapur, V. K.

    1978-01-01

    Economical process produces high-purity silicon crystals suitable for use in solar cells. Reaction is strongly exothermic and can be initiated at relatively low temperature, making it potentially suitable for development into low-cost commercial process. Important advantages include exothermic character and comparatively low process temperatures. These could lead to significant savings in equipment and energy costs.

  11. LCX: Proposal for a low-cost commercial transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartman, Troy; Hayatdavoudi, Maziar; Hettinga, Joel; Hooper, Matt; Nguyen, Phong

    1994-01-01

    The LCX has been developed in response to a request for proposal for an aircraft with 153 passenger capacity and a range of 3000 nautical miles. The goals of the LCX are to provide an aircraft which will achieve the stated mission requirements at the lowest cost possible, both for the manufacturer and the operator. Low cost in this request is defined as short and long term profitability. To achieve this objective, modern technologies attributing to low-cost operation without greatly increasing the cost of manufacturing were employed. These technologies include hybrid laminar flow control and the use of developing new manufacturing processes and philosophies. The LCX will provide a competitive alternative to the use of the Airbus A319/320/321 and the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. The LCX has a maximum weight of 150,000 lb. carried by a wing of 1140 ft(exp 2) and an aspect ratio of 10. The selling price of the LCX is 31 million in 1994 US dollars.

  12. Low cost valves motorization using micro controller; Motorizacion de valvulas de bajo coste mediante microcontrolador

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menendez, A.; Leal, M. A.; Dominguez Ademe, G.; Yaglian, E.

    2004-07-01

    This article describes a new solution for valves motorization with the objective to obtain a minimum cost and a minimum size. With it, it is proposed to facilitate the complex applications of automation in the hydraulic sector, with multiple volume and pressure controls, like the one made on Integrated Digital Control of Desalting Water Plants. The design presented here consists basically of an original mechanical connection that allows to use standard market valves and moto-gearboxes and a simplified electronic controller based on a micro controller with an elaborated software that allows to control the mother either in ON/Off (open/close) applications or in incremental applications of Regulation. (Author)

  13. The bit slice micro-processor 'GESPRO' as a project in the UA2 experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becam, C.; Bernaudin, P.; Delanghe, J.; Mencik, M.; Merkel, B.; Plothow, H.; Fest, H.M.; Lecoq, J.; Martin, H.; Meyer, J.M.

    1981-01-01

    The bit slice micro-processor GESPRO, as it is proposed for use in the UA 2 data acquisition chain and trigger system, is a CAMAC module plugged into a standard Elliott System crate via which it communicates as a slave with its host computer (ND, DEC). It has full control of CAMAC as a master unit. GESPRO is a 24 bit machine (150 ns effective cycle time) with multi-mode memory addressing capacity of 64 K words. The micro-processor structure uses 5 busses including pipe-line registers to mask access time and 16 interrupt levels. The micro-program memory capacity is 2 K (RAM) words of 48 bits each. A special hardwired module allows floating point (as well as integer) multiplication of 24 x 24 bits, result in 48 bits, in about 200 ns. This micro-processor could be used in the UA2 data acquisition chain and trigger system for the following tasks: a) online data reduction, i.e. to read DURANDAL (fast ADC's = the hardware trigger in the experiment), process the information (effective mass calculation, etc.) resulting in accepting or rejecting the event. b) read out and analysis of the accepted data (collect statistical information). c) preprocess the data (calculation of pointers, address decoding, etc.). The UA2 version of GESPRO is under construction, programs and micro-programs are under development. Hardware and software will be tested with simulated data. First results are expected in about one year from now. (orig.)

  14. Practical Implementation for the interval type-2 fuzzy PID controller using a low cost microcontroller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad M. El-Nagar

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we propose an embedded real-time interval type-2 fuzzy proportional – integral – derivative (IT2F-PID controller which is a parallel combination of the interval type-2 fuzzy proportional – integral (IT2F-PI controller and the interval type-2 fuzzy proportional – derivative (IT2F-PD controller. The proposed IT2F-PID controller is able to handle the effect of the system uncertainties due to the structure of the interval type-2 fuzzy logic controller. The proposed IT2F-PID controller is implemented practically using a low cost PIC microcontroller for controlling the uncertain nonlinear inverted pendulum to minimize the effect of the system uncertainties due to the uncertainty in the mass of the pendulum, the measurement error in the rotation angle of the pendulum and the structural uncertainty. The test is carried out using the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL simulation. The experimental results show that the performance of the IT2F-PID controller improves significantly the performance over a wide range of system uncertainties.

  15. Dual photon absorptiometer utilizing a HpGe detector and microprocessor controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, K.J.; Vartsky, D.; Pearlstein, T.B.; Alberi, J.L.; Cohn, S.H.

    1978-01-01

    The analysis of bone mineral content (BMC) using a single energy-photon beam assumes that there are only two materials present, bone mineral and a uniform soft tissue component. Uncertainty in the value of BMC increases with different adipose tissue components in the transmitted beam. These errors, however, are reduced by the dual energy technique. Also, extension to additional energies further identifies the separate constituents of the soft tissue component. A multi-energy bone scanning apparatus with data acquisition and analysis capability sufficient to perform multi-energy analysis of bone mineral content was designed and developed. The present work reports on the development of device operated in the dual energy mode. The high purity germanium (HpGe) detector is an integral component of the scanner. Errors in BMC due to multiple small angle scatters are reduced due to the excellent energy resolution of the detector (530 eV at 60 keV). Also, the need to filter the source or additional collimation on the detector is eliminated. A new dual source holder was designed using 200 mCi 125 I and 100 mCi 241 Am. The active areas of the two source capsules are aligned on a common axis. The congruence of the dual source was verified by measuring the collimator response function. This new holder design insures that the same tissue mass simultaneously attenuates both sources. The controller portion of the microprocessor allows for variation in total scan length, step size, and counting time per step. These options allow for multiple measurements without changes in the detector, source, or collimator. The system has been successfully used to determine the BMC content of different bones

  16. Single-Event Upset and Scaling Trends in New Generation of the Commercial SOI PowerPC Microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irom, Farokh; Farmanesh, Farhad; Kouba, Coy K.

    2006-01-01

    Single-event upset effects from heavy ions are measured for Motorola silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microprocessor with 90 nm feature sizes. The results are compared with previous results for SOI microprocessors with feature sizes of 130 and 180 nm. The cross section of the 90 nm SOI processors is smaller than results for 130 and 180 nm counterparts, but the threshold is about the same. The scaling of the cross section with reduction of feature size and core voltage for SOI microprocessors is discussed.

  17. Impact and cost-effectiveness of snail control to achieve disease control targets for schistosomiasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Nathan C; Gurarie, David; Yoon, Nara; Coulibaly, Jean T; Bendavid, Eran; Andrews, Jason R; King, Charles H

    2018-01-23

    Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 240 million people globally. To improve population-level disease control, there is growing interest in adding chemical-based snail control interventions to interrupt the lifecycle of Schistosoma in its snail host to reduce parasite transmission. However, this approach is not widely implemented, and given environmental concerns, the optimal conditions for when snail control is appropriate are unclear. We assessed the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of various snail control strategies. We extended previously published dynamic, age-structured transmission and cost-effectiveness models to simulate mass drug administration (MDA) and focal snail control interventions against Schistosoma haematobium across a range of low-prevalence (5-20%) and high-prevalence (25-50%) rural Kenyan communities. We simulated strategies over a 10-year period of MDA targeting school children or entire communities, snail control, and combined strategies. We measured incremental cost-effectiveness in 2016 US dollars per disability-adjusted life year and defined a strategy as optimally cost-effective when maximizing health gains (averted disability-adjusted life years) with an incremental cost-effectiveness below a Kenya-specific economic threshold. In both low- and high-prevalence settings, community-wide MDA with additional snail control reduced total disability by an additional 40% compared with school-based MDA alone. The optimally cost-effective scenario included the addition of snail control to MDA in over 95% of simulations. These results support inclusion of snail control in global guidelines and national schistosomiasis control strategies for optimal disease control, especially in settings with high prevalence, "hot spots" of transmission, and noncompliance to MDA. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  18. Xpider: Design and Development of a Low Cost VTOL UAV Platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Higuera Rincon

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The main aim of the Xpider project is to analyse, design and develop a low-cost VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle platform in order to provide a common architectural model for both embedded software and GCS (Ground Control Station software and communications system. This architectural model should be adaptable to any other hardware platforms or sensors. Some of the key points of the project were, on the one hand, the stabilization process using low-cost sensors and all the associated issues with low quality instruments, on the other hand the interface between the stabilization controller and the navigation controller, not forgetting the secure communication protocols. Additionally, as a side effect of the stabilization process analysis, a new metaheuristic optimization search algorithm has been developed to be used in PID (Proportional Integral Derivative controllercalibration tuning and has been successfully applied in the stabilization controller.

  19. A low-cost, modular, microwave-linked, color TV inspection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panda, N.C.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports that many custom-built radiation-shielded CCTV inspection systems for nuclear facilities are available in the market. This author, however, could find no reference to units using low-cost nodular technology for wireless transmission and control of color CCTV signals in radiation environments. The system that was developed is a process control observation tool geared toward identifying locations ad volumes of accumulated in-cell solids. It also performs remote integrity assessments of tanks and pipe routings that are required by regulatory agencies. System highlights are: microwave transmission of video and control signals, low cost, low maintenance, and modular design. Use of standard components enables easy exchange of modules. Microwave transmission resolved the complications of a wired system while increasing reliability and safety. The video image is created by the remote in-cell color TV camera and transmitted by microwave out of the cell to TV monitors at consoles in non-radiation zones

  20. A robust two-way switching control system for remote piloting and stabilization of low-cost quadrotor UAVs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ripamonti, Francesco; Resta, Ferruccio; Vivani, Andrea

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this paper is to present two control logics and an attitude estimator for UAV stabilization and remote piloting, that are as robust as possible to physical parameters variation and to other external disturbances. Moreover, they need to be implemented on low-cost micro-controllers, in order to be attractive for commercial drones. As an example, possible applications of the two switching control logics could be area surveillance and facial recognition by means of a camera mounted on the drone: the high computational speed logic is used to reach the target, when the high-stability one is activated, in order to complete the recognition tasks.

  1. Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

    2017-12-01

    A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

  2. Automated microprocessor-controlled atomic absorption analysis of natural water for arsenic and selenium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrow, R.W.; Futrell, T.L.; Adams, T.T.

    1978-08-01

    An automated, dual-channel atomic absorption spectrophotometer for the simultaneous determination of arsenic and selenium in natural water is now in operation. The instrument was constructed from commercially available optical components, spectral sources, and a sample changer. Automation was achieved by using an in-house-fabricated and programmed microprocessor. The instrument will analyze samples at a rate of 37 per hour, and a quantitative determination of arsenic and selenium to 0.2 μg/l (ppB) can be achieved. Arsenic can be determined with a precision of 19% at 1 μg/l and 6% at 10 μg/l, while selenium can be determined with a precision of 17% at 1 μg/l and 4% at 10 μg/l

  3. Neutron beam irradiation study of workload dependence of SER in a microprocessor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michalak, Sarah E [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Graves, Todd L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hong, Ted [STANFORD; Ackaret, Jerry [IBM; Sonny, Rao [IBM; Subhasish, Mitra [STANFORD; Pia, Sanda [IBM

    2009-01-01

    It is known that workloads are an important factor in soft error rates (SER), but it is proving difficult to find differentiating workloads for microprocessors. We have performed neutron beam irradiation studies of a commercial microprocessor under a wide variety of workload conditions from idle, performing no operations, to very busy workloads resembling real HPC, graphics, and business applications. There is evidence that the mean times to first indication of failure, MTFIF defined in Section II, may be different for some of the applications.

  4. A microprocessor based on a two-dimensional semiconductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wachter, Stefan; Polyushkin, Dmitry K.; Bethge, Ole; Mueller, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    The advent of microcomputers in the 1970s has dramatically changed our society. Since then, microprocessors have been made almost exclusively from silicon, but the ever-increasing demand for higher integration density and speed, lower power consumption and better integrability with everyday goods has prompted the search for alternatives. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors are being considered promising candidates for future high-performance processor generations and chips based on thin-film plastic technology or carbon nanotubes could allow for embedding electronic intelligence into arbitrary objects for the Internet-of-Things. Here, we present a 1-bit implementation of a microprocessor using a two-dimensional semiconductor--molybdenum disulfide. The device can execute user-defined programs stored in an external memory, perform logical operations and communicate with its periphery. Our 1-bit design is readily scalable to multi-bit data. The device consists of 115 transistors and constitutes the most complex circuitry so far made from a two-dimensional material.

  5. Use of Low-Cost Methods of Soil Erosion Control In Kisii District, South Western kenya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nzabi, A.W; Makini, F; Onyango, M; Mureithi, J.G

    1999-01-01

    Kisii District has a topography of undulating hills and is prone to severe soil erosion. The average rainfall is 1900 mm and occurs in biomodal pattern. During a participatory appraisal survey in 1995, farmers indicated that soil erosion in the area had contributed to decline in soil fertility resulting in low crop yields. To address this problem, an on-farm trial was conducted in 1996 at Nyamonyo village to test the effectiveness of four low cost methods of controlling soil erosion. These included maize stover trash line, sweet potatoes,Penicum maximum var. Makarikari grass strip and vetiveria zizanioides (Vertiver) grass strip. A treatment without soil erosion control measure was included. The trial was planted in three farms which acted as replicates. The treatments were planted in runoff plots measuring 4 x 2 m in which had a maize crop were laid down in a randomized complete block design. Surface runoff and eroded soils were collected in 50-l buckets. The experimental site had a slope ranging from 16 to 35%. Preliminary results indicated that maize stover trash line and sweet potato strips were more effective in controlling soil erosion than the grass strips. As the season progressed the grass strips became increasingly more effective in erosion control. The trail is still continuing but results indicate that for short term soil erosion control, maize stover trash lines and sweet potatoes are more effective while Makarikari and Vertiver grass strips are promising as long term soil erosion control measure

  6. General distributed control system for fusion experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klingner, P.L.; Levings, S.J.; Wilkins, R.W.

    1986-01-01

    A general control system using distributed LSI-11 microprocessors is being developed. Common software residues in each LSI-11 and is tailored to an application by control specifications downloaded from a host computer. The microprocessors, their control interfaces, and the micro-to-host communications are CAMAC based. The host computer also supports an operator interface, coordination of multiple microprocessors, and utilities to create and maintain the control specifications. Typical applications include monitoring safety interlocks as well as controlling vacuum systems, high voltage charging systems, and diagnostics

  7. Microprocessor-based data acquisition system for extensive air shower studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazumdar, G.K.D.; Kalita, P.M.; Bordoloi, T.C.; Pathak, K.M.

    1989-01-01

    Studies on electromagnetic radiation from large extensive air showers (Esub(p) ≥> 10 16 eV) have been of recent importance in the investigation of properties of EAS in problems involving mass composition, arrival time, radio emission. Cerenkov radiation etc. Such studies need fast electronic circuitry preferably for digitisation. A microprocessor based data acquisition system having scintillation counters, PA, MA, Pd, S/H and control unit has been developed and is being used in the EAS studies at Gauhati University Cosmic Ray Research Laboratory. Description of the different units along with their functioning and method of standardisation is presented in this paper. (author). 3 figs

  8. Control of Greenhouse Environmental Conditions with IOT Based Monitoring and Analysis System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Çaylı

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks applications and inter-machine communication (M2M, called the Internet of Things, help decision-makers to control complex systems thanks to the low data-rate and cost-effective data collection and analysis. These technologies offer new possibilities to monitor environmental management and agricultural policies, and to improve agricultural production, especially in low-income rural areas. In this study, IoT is proposed with a low cost, flexible and scalable data collection and analysis system. For this purpose, open source hardware microprocessor cards and sensors are stored in the greenhouse computer database using the IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee wireless communication protocol. The data can be analyzed by greenhouse computer analysis software, which is developed with the PHP programming language. It is possible to monitor the real time data from the greenhouse computer. Also alert rules definitions can be made and the system was tested in greenhouse conditions. It has been observed that it performs operations steadily such as data transfer, sensor measurements and data processing. The proposed system may be useful for monitoring indoor climate and controlling ventilation, irrigation and heating systems, especially for small enterprises due to the modular structure.

  9. A lightweight security scheme for wireless body area networks: design, energy evaluation and proposed microprocessor design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selimis, Georgios; Huang, Li; Massé, Fabien; Tsekoura, Ioanna; Ashouei, Maryam; Catthoor, Francky; Huisken, Jos; Stuyt, Jan; Dolmans, Guido; Penders, Julien; De Groot, Harmke

    2011-10-01

    In order for wireless body area networks to meet widespread adoption, a number of security implications must be explored to promote and maintain fundamental medical ethical principles and social expectations. As a result, integration of security functionality to sensor nodes is required. Integrating security functionality to a wireless sensor node increases the size of the stored software program in program memory, the required time that the sensor's microprocessor needs to process the data and the wireless network traffic which is exchanged among sensors. This security overhead has dominant impact on the energy dissipation which is strongly related to the lifetime of the sensor, a critical aspect in wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. Strict definition of the security functionality, complete hardware model (microprocessor and radio), WBAN topology and the structure of the medium access control (MAC) frame are required for an accurate estimation of the energy that security introduces into the WBAN. In this work, we define a lightweight security scheme for WBAN, we estimate the additional energy consumption that the security scheme introduces to WBAN based on commercial available off-the-shelf hardware components (microprocessor and radio), the network topology and the MAC frame. Furthermore, we propose a new microcontroller design in order to reduce the energy consumption of the system. Experimental results and comparisons with other works are given.

  10. Low cost solar air heater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gill, R.S.; Singh, Sukhmeet; Singh, Parm Pal

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Single glazed low cost solar air heater is more efficient during summer while double glazed is better in winter. ► For the same initial investment, low cost solar air heaters collect more energy than packed bed solar air heater. ► During off season low cost solar air heater can be stored inside as it is light in weight. - Abstract: Two low cost solar air heaters viz. single glazed and double glazed were designed, fabricated and tested. Thermocole, ultraviolet stabilised plastic sheet, etc. were used for fabrication to reduce the fabrication cost. These were tested simultaneously at no load and with load both in summer and winter seasons along with packed bed solar air heater using iron chips for absorption of radiation. The initial costs of single glazed and double glazed are 22.8% and 26.8% of the initial cost of packed bed solar air heater of the same aperture area. It was found that on a given day at no load, the maximum stagnation temperatures of single glazed and double glazed solar air heater were 43.5 °C and 62.5 °C respectively. The efficiencies of single glazed, double glazed and packed bed solar air heaters corresponding to flow rate of 0.02 m 3 /s-m 2 were 30.29%, 45.05% and 71.68% respectively in winter season. The collector efficiency factor, heat removal factor based on air outlet temperature and air inlet temperature for three solar air heaters were also determined.

  11. A Low Cost Mobile Robot Based on Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Control System and Odometer for Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haq, R.; Prayitno, H.; Dzulkiflih; Sucahyo, I.; Rahmawati, E.

    2018-03-01

    In this article, the development of a low cost mobile robot based on PID controller and odometer for education is presented. PID controller and odometer is applied for controlling mobile robot position. Two-dimensional position vector in cartesian coordinate system have been inserted to robot controller as an initial and final position. Mobile robot has been made based on differential drive and sensor magnetic rotary encoder which measured robot position from a number of wheel rotation. Odometry methode use data from actuator movements for predicting change of position over time. The mobile robot is examined to get final position with three different heading angle 30°, 45° and 60° by applying various value of KP, KD and KI constant.

  12. Microprocessor event analysis in parallel with Camac data acquisition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cords, D.; Eichler, R.; Riege, H.

    1981-01-01

    The Plessey MIPROC-16 microprocessor (16 bits, 250 ns execution time) has been connected to a Camac System (GEC-ELLIOTT System Crate) and shares the Camac access with a Nord-1OS computer. Interfaces have been designed and tested for execution of Camac cycles, communication with the Nord-1OS computer and DMA-transfer from Camac to the MIPROC-16 memory. The system is used in the JADE data-acquisition-system at PETRA where it receives the data from the detector in parallel with the Nord-1OS computer via DMA through the indirect-data-channel mode. The microprocessor performs an on-line analysis of events and the result of various checks is appended to the event. In case of spurious triggers or clear beam gas events, the Nord-1OS buffer will be reset and the event omitted from further processing. (orig.)

  13. A low cost rapid prototype platform for a three phase PFC rectifier application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haase, Frerk; Kouchaki, Alireza; Nymand, Morten

    2015-01-01

    In this paper the design and development of a low cost rapid prototype platform for a Three Phase PFC rectifier application is presented. The active rectifier consists of a SiC-MOSFET based PWM converter and a low cost rapid prototype platform for simulating and implementing the digital control...

  14. Control system for Fermilab's low temperature upgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norris, B.L.

    1996-09-01

    Fermilab recently upgraded the Tevatron Cryogenic Systems to allow for lower temperature operation. This Lower Temperature Upgrade grew out of a desire to increase the Colliding Beam Physics energy from 900 GeV to 1000 GeV. A key element in achieving this goal is the new cryogenic control system designed at Fermilab and installed in 24 satellite refrigerators and 8 compressor buildings. The cryogenic improvements and addition hardware like cold compressors exceeded the capability of the original distributed controls package. The new distributed controls package uses a Multibus II platform and Intel's 80386 microprocessor. Token Ring is used as the link to the systems 6 primary crate locations with Arcnet used as the connection to the systems numerous I/O crates. I/0 capabilities are double the capabilities of the original system. Software has also been upgraded with the introduction of more flexible control loop strategies and Finite State Machines used for automatic sequential control, like quench recovery or cold compressor pump down

  15. Some software algorithms for microprocessor ratemeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savic, Z.

    1991-01-01

    After a review of the basic theoretical ratemeter problem and a general discussion of microprocessor ratemeters, a short insight into their hardware organization is given. Three software algorithms are described: the old ones the quasi-exponential and floating mean algorithm, and a new weighted moving average algorithm. The equations for statistical characterization of the new algorithm are given and an intercomparison is made. It is concluded that the new algorithm has statistical advantages over the old ones. (orig.)

  16. Some software algorithms for microprocessor ratemeters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savic, Z. (Military Technical Inst., Belgrade (Yugoslavia))

    1991-03-15

    After a review of the basic theoretical ratemeter problem and a general discussion of microprocessor ratemeters, a short insight into their hardware organization is given. Three software algorithms are described: the old ones the quasi-exponential and floating mean algorithm, and a new weighted moving average algorithm. The equations for statistical characterization of the new algorithm are given and an intercomparison is made. It is concluded that the new algorithm has statistical advantages over the old ones. (orig.).

  17. High Performance Low Cost Digitally Controlled Power Conversion Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Lars Tønnes

    2008-01-01

    in order to reduce the power consumption of servers and datacenters. The work presented in this thesis includes digital control methods for switch-mode converters implemented in microcontrollers, digital signal controllers and field programmable gate arrays. Microcontrollers are cheap devices that can...... be used for real-time control of switch-mode converters. Software design in the assembly language of the microcontroller is important because of the limited resources of the microcontroller. Microcontrollers are best suited for power electronics applications with low bandwidth requirements because...... the execution time of the software algorithm that realises the digital control law will constitute a considerable delay in the control loop. Digital signal controllers are powerful devices capable of performing arithmetic functions much faster than a microcontroller can. Digital signal controllers are well...

  18. Low cost nuclear spectrometer based on micro-controller device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrillo, M.A.; Aramayo, P.B.

    2009-01-01

    The present work describes the development of a gamma radiation Multichannel Analyzer device. That is to say, the development of a device able to display in the screen of a conventional computer a histogram of radioactive accounts (or accounts rate) received, in function of the different emission energies. It is a low cost implementation, oriented to mainly educational activities, but also applicable, within its limitations, to medium precision investigation works. In this first phase all the necessary one was implemented to detect the radioactive emissions, to measure them in energy, to store a complete spectrum and electronically to transfer it to a PC for its subsequent analysis. (author)

  19. Evaluation of the use of low-cost GPS receivers in the autonomous guidance of agricultural tractors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso-Garcia, S.; Gomez-Gil, J.; Arribas, J. I.

    2011-07-01

    This paper evaluates the use of low-cost global positioning system (GPS) receivers in the autonomous guidance of agricultural tractors. An autonomous guidance system was installed in a 6400 John Deere agricultural tractor. A low cost GPS receiver was used as positioning sensor. Three different control laws were implemented in order to evaluate the autonomous guidance of the tractor with the low-cost receiver. The guidance was experimentally tested with the tracking of straight trajectories and with the step response. The total guidance error was obtained from the receiver accuracy and from the guidance error. For the evaluation of the receivers accuracy, positioning data from several low cost receivers were recorded and analyzed. For the evaluation of the guidance error, tests were performed with each control law at three different speeds. The conclusions obtained were that relative accuracy of low-cost receivers decreases with the time; that for an interval lower than 15 min, the error usually remains below 1 m; that all the control laws have a similar behavior and it is conditioned by the control law adjustment; that automatic guidance with low cost receivers is possible with speeds that went up to 9 km h{sup -}1; and finally, that the total error in the guidance is mainly determined by the receivers accuracy. (Author) 46 refs.

  20. A Pedestrian Dead Reckoning System Integrating Low-Cost MEMS Inertial Sensors and GPS Receiver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-feng Li

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The body-mounted inertial systems for pedestrian navigation do not require any preinstalled facilities and can run autonomously. The advantages over other technologies make it especially attractive for the applications such as first responders, military and consumer markets. The hardware platform integrating the low-cost, low-power and small-size MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems inertial sensors and GPS (global positioning system receiver is proposed. When the satellite signals are available, the location of the pedestrian is directly obtained from the GPS receiver. The inertial sensors are the complement of the GPS receiver in places where the GPS signals are not available, such as indoors, urban canyons and places under dense foliages. The height tracking is achieved by the barometer. The proposed PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning algorithm is real-timely implemented in the platform. The simple but effective step detection and step length estimation method are realized to reduce the computation and memory requirements on the microprocessor. A complementary filter is proposed to fuse the data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and digital compass for decreasing the heading error, which is the main error source in positioning. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed system is verified by field pedestrian walking tests in outdoors and indoors. The positioning error is less than 4% of the total traveled distance. The results indicate that the pedestrian dead reckoning system is able to provide satisfactory tracking performance.

  1. System identification of a small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle using flight data from low-cost sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffer, Nathan Von

    Remote sensing has traditionally been done with satellites and manned aircraft. While. these methods can yield useful scientificc data, satellites and manned aircraft have limitations in data frequency, process time, and real time re-tasking. Small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide greater possibilities for personal scientic research than traditional remote sensing platforms. Precision aerial data requires an accurate vehicle dynamics model for controller development, robust flight characteristics, and fault tolerance. One method of developing a model is system identification (system ID). In this thesis system ID of a small low-cost fixed-wing T-tail UAV is conducted. The linerized longitudinal equations of motion are derived from first principles. Foundations of Recursive Least Squares (RLS) are presented along with RLS with an Error Filtering Online Learning scheme (EFOL). Sensors, data collection, data consistency checking, and data processing are described. Batch least squares (BLS) and BLS with EFOL are used to identify aerodynamic coecoefficients of the UAV. Results of these two methods with flight data are discussed.

  2. Efficacy of Low-Cost PC-Based Aviation Training Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Savern l Reweti

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore whether a full cost flight training device (FTD was significantly better for simulator training than a low cost PC-Based Aviation Training Device (PCATD. Background: A quasi-transfer study was undertaken to ascertain whether a Civil Aviation Authority certified Flight Training Device (FTD was more effective at improving pilot proficiency in the performance of a standard VFR traffic pattern (Overhead Rejoin Procedure than a customised low cost PCATD. Methodology: In this quasi-transfer study, a high fidelity FTD rather than an aircraft was used to test both training and transfer tasks. Ninety-three pilots were recruited to participate in the study. Contribution: The use of PCATDs is now well established for pilot training, especially for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR skills training. However, little substantive research has been undertaken to examine their efficacy for VFR training. Findings: There was no evidence of a pre-test/post-test difference in VFR task perfor-mance between participants trained on the PCATD and the FTD, when post tested on the FTD. The use of both PCATD and FTD demonstrated signifi-cant improvements in VFR task performance compared to a control group that received no PCATD or FTD training. Recommendations for Practitioners\t: We discuss the possibility that low cost PCATDs may be a viable alternative for flight schools wishing to use a flight simulator but not able to afford a FTD. Recommendation for Researchers: We discuss the introduction of improved low cost technologies that allow PCATDs to be used more effectively for training in VFR procedures. The development and testing of new technologies requires more research. Impact on Society: Flight training schools operate in a difficult economic environment with continued increases in the cost of aircraft maintenance, compliance costs, and aviation fuel. The increased utilisation of low cost PCATD’s especially for VFR

  3. Remote Monitoring of Soil Water Content, Temperature, and Heat Flow Using Low-Cost Cellular (3G) IoT Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ham, J. M.

    2016-12-01

    New microprocessor boards, open-source sensors, and cloud infrastructure developed for the Internet of Things (IoT) can be used to create low-cost monitoring systems for environmental research. This project describes two applications in soil science and hydrology: 1) remote monitoring of the soil temperature regime near oil and gas operations to detect the thermal signature associated with the natural source zone degradation of hydrocarbon contaminants in the vadose zone, and 2) remote monitoring of soil water content near the surface as part of a global citizen science network. In both cases, prototype data collection systems were built around the cellular (2G/3G) "Electron" microcontroller (www.particle.io). This device allows connectivity to the cloud using a low-cost global SIM and data plan. The systems have cellular connectivity in over 100 countries and data can be logged to the cloud for storage. Users can view data real time over any internet connection or via their smart phone. For both projects, data logging, storage, and visualization was done using IoT services like Thingspeak (thingspeak.com). The soil thermal monitoring system was tested on experimental plots in Colorado USA to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of different temperature sensors and 3D printed housings. The soil water experiment included comparison opens-source capacitance-based sensors to commercial versions. Results demonstrate the power of leveraging IoT technology for field research.

  4. A role for distributed processing in advanced nuclear materials control and accountability systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tisinger, R.M.; Whitty, W.J.; Ford, W.; Strittmatter, R.B.

    1986-01-01

    Networking and distributed processing hardware and software have the potential of greatly enhancing nuclear materials control and account-ability (MCandA) systems, both from safeguards and process operations perspectives while allowing timely integrated safeguards activities and enhanced computer security at reasonable cost. A hierarchical distributed system is proposed consisting of groups of terminals and instruments in plant production and support areas connected to microprocessors that are connected to either larger microprocessors or minicomputers. The structuring and development of a limited distributed MCandA prototype system, including human engineering concepts, are described. Implications of integrated safeguards and computer security concepts to the distributed system design are discussed

  5. Microcomputer control system for the SuperHILAC third injector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lancaster, H.D.; Magyary, S.B.; Glatz, J.; Selph, F.B.; Fahmie, M.P.; Ritchie, A.L.; Keith, S.R.; Stover, G.R.; Besse, L.J.

    1979-09-01

    A new control system using the latest technology in microcomputers will be used on the third injector at the SuperHILAC. It incorporates some new and progressive ideas in both hardware and software design. These ideas were inspired by the revolution in microprocessors. The third injector project consists of a high voltage pre-injector, a Wideroe type linear accelerator, and connecting beam lines, requiring control of 80 analog and 300 boolean devices. To solve this problem, emphasizing inexpensive, commercially available hardware, we designed a control system consisting of 20 microcomputer boards with a total of 700 kilobytes of memory. Each computer board using a 16-bit microprocessor has the computing power of a typical minicomputer. With these microcomputers operating in parallel, the programming can be greatly simplified, literally replacing software with hardware. This improves system response speed and cuts costs dramatically. An easy to use interpretive language, similar to BASIC, will allow operations personnel to write special purpose programs in addition to the compiled procedures

  6. Mission management, planning, and cost: PULSE Attitude And Control Systems (AACS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-01-01

    The Pluto unmanned long-range scientific explorer (PULSE) is a probe that will do a flyby of Pluto. It is a low weight, relatively low costing vehicle which utilizes mostly off-the-shelf hardware, but not materials or techniques that will be available after 1999. A design, fabrication, and cost analysis is presented. PULSE will be launched within the first decade of the twenty-first century. The topics include: (1) scientific instrumentation; (2) mission management, planning, and costing; (3) power and propulsion systems; (4) structural subsystem; (5) command, control, and communication; and (6) attitude and articulation control.

  7. Microprocessor event analysis in parallel with CAMAC data acquisition

    CERN Document Server

    Cords, D; Riege, H

    1981-01-01

    The Plessey MIPROC-16 microprocessor (16 bits, 250 ns execution time) has been connected to a CAMAC System (GEC-ELLIOTT System Crate) and shares the CAMAC access with a Nord-10S computer. Interfaces have been designed and tested for execution of CAMAC cycles, communication with the Nord-10S computer and DMA-transfer from CAMAC to the MIPROC-16 memory. The system is used in the JADE data-acquisition-system at PETRA where it receives the data from the detector in parallel with the Nord-10S computer via DMA through the indirect-data-channel mode. The microprocessor performs an on-line analysis of events and the results of various checks is appended to the event. In case of spurious triggers or clear beam gas events, the Nord-10S buffer will be reset and the event omitted from further processing. (5 refs).

  8. Microprocessor-based accelerating power level detector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nagpal, M.; Zarecki, W.; Albrecht, J.C.

    1994-01-01

    An accelerating power level detector was built using state-of-the-art microprocessor technology at Powertech Labs Inc. The detector will monitor the real power flowing in two 300 kV transmission lines out of Kemano Hydroelectric Generating Station and will detect any sudden loss of load due to a fault on either line under certain pre-selected power flow conditions. This paper discusses the criteria of operation for the detector and its implementation details, including digital processing, hardware, and software.

  9. Thermal treatment system of hazardous residuals in three heating zones based on a microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luna H, C.L.

    1997-01-01

    Thermal treatment system consists of a high power electric oven of three heating zones where each zone works up to 1200 Centigrades; it has the capacity of rising the central zone temperature up to 1000 Centigrades in 58 minutes approximately. This configuration of three zones could be programmed to different temperatures and they will be digitally controlled by a control microprocessor, which has been controlled by its own assembler language, in function of the PID control. There are also other important controls based on this microprocessor, as a signal amplification, starting and shutdown of high power step relays, activation and deactivation of both analogic/digital and digital/analogic convertors, port activation and basic data storage of the system. Two main characteristics were looked for this oven design; the first was the possibility of controlling the three zone temperature and the second was to reduce the rising and stabilization operation time and its digitized control. The principal function of the three zone oven is to accelerate the degradation of hazardous residuals by an oxidation instead combustion, through relatively high temperatures (minimum 800 Centigrades and maximum 1200 Centigrades); this process reduces the ash and volatile particulate production. The hazardous residuals will be pumped into the degradation system and after atomized through a packaged column; this step will avoid the direct contact of the residuals with the oven cores. These features make this system as closed process, which means that the residuals can not leak to the working area, reducing the exposure risk to the personnel. This three step oven system is the first stage of the complete hazardous residuals degradation system; after this, the flow will go into a cold plasma region where the process is completed, making a closed system. (Author)

  10. Multichannel analyzer with real-time correction of counting losses based on a fast 16/32 bit microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westphal, G.P.; Kasa, T.

    1984-01-01

    It is demonstrated that from a modern microprocessor with 32 bit architecture and from standard VLSI peripheral chips a multichannel analyzer with real-time correction of counting losses may be designed in a very flexible yet cost-effective manner. Throughput rates of 100,000 events/second are a good match even for high-rate spectroscopy systems and may be further enhanced by the use of already available CPU chips with higher clock frequency. Low power consumption and a very compact form factor make the design highly recommendable for portable applications. By means of a simple and easily reproducible rotating sample device the dynamic response of the VPG counting loss correction method have been tested and found to be more than sufficient for conceivable real-time applications. Enhanced statistical accuracy of correction factors may be traded against speed of response by the mere change of one preset value which lends itself to the simple implementation of self-adapting systems. Reliability as well as user convenience is improved by self-calibration of pulse evolution time in the VPG counting loss correction unit

  11. Genomic analysis suggests that mRNA destabilization by the microprocessor is specialized for the auto-regulation of Dgcr8.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Archana Shenoy

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The Microprocessor, containing the RNA binding protein Dgcr8 and RNase III enzyme Drosha, is responsible for processing primary microRNAs to precursor microRNAs. The Microprocessor regulates its own levels by cleaving hairpins in the 5'UTR and coding region of the Dgcr8 mRNA, thereby destabilizing the mature transcript.To determine whether the Microprocessor has a broader role in directly regulating other coding mRNA levels, we integrated results from expression profiling and ultra high-throughput deep sequencing of small RNAs. Expression analysis of mRNAs in wild-type, Dgcr8 knockout, and Dicer knockout mouse embryonic stem (ES cells uncovered mRNAs that were specifically upregulated in the Dgcr8 null background. A number of these transcripts had evolutionarily conserved predicted hairpin targets for the Microprocessor. However, analysis of deep sequencing data of 18 to 200nt small RNAs in mouse ES, HeLa, and HepG2 indicates that exonic sequence reads that map in a pattern consistent with Microprocessor activity are unique to Dgcr8.We conclude that the Microprocessor's role in directly destabilizing coding mRNAs is likely specifically targeted to Dgcr8 itself, suggesting a specialized cellular mechanism for gene auto-regulation.

  12. Microprocessor Control of Low Speed VSTOL Flight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-06-08

    7 WRITE (ZCOIJT, 12) 1FC’rMAT(" TMANTTOIi:R"S M) READ( ZC’l-IT- 14)TMAX C TI: 6. T=ft.TZ T=T* IELT +T(-) GO1 TO’ 4 W R ITE ( OUT, 10U) 1C) F’:’RrMrAI...N IF( IN EC7!. 0) PRRINT, "ENTER A BY ROWS, I ROW/LINE" PRINT DC :: I =I, N E: REAE( IN, 50-) (A( I, .J), .J=I, N) IF( I OUT . NE. 0) WRITE ( IOUT, 510... WRITE ( IOCl, 510C) Di :30 I=1, N IF( IOUT . NE. 0) WRITE ( IOUT, 520) (A( I, J), J=1, N) 3:)’ WRITE (IO, 520) (A(I, J), .1=1, N) CALL FADD(A, E:, AX

  13. Low energy, low cost, efficient CO{sub 2} capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michael C. Trachtenberg; Lihong Bao; David A. Smith; Remy Dumortier [Carbozyme, Inc., Monmouth Junction, NJ (United States)

    2006-07-01

    This paper discusses the development and some characteristics of a new, enzyme-based, contained liquid membrane contactor to capture CO{sub 2}. The enzyme carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the removal of CO{sub 2} while the membrane contactor increases the surface area to allow the reduction of the size of the system. The modular system design is easily scaled to any required size reducing the investment costs. The system captures CO{sub 2} at a low energy and low cost promising to be a cost effective technology for CO{sub 2} capture. 5 refs., 7 figs.

  14. Towards low cost, efficient and stable organic photovoltaic modules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andriessen, R. [Holst Centre - Solliance, PO Box 8550, 5605 KN Eindhoven (Netherlands); Kroon, J.M. [ECN - Solliance, Petten (Netherlands); Aernouts, T. [Imec, Solliance, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Janssen, R. [Eindhoven University of Technology, Solliance, Eindhoven (Netherlands)

    2012-09-15

    This article describes how the Solliance Organic PhotoVoltaics (OPV) shared research Program addresses efficiency, lifetime and production costs for (near) future OPV applications. The balance of these three parameters depends of the envisaged application, but at the end, OPV should be able to compete somehow with Si PV in the future. Efficiency improvements are realized by developing new materials, by exploring and optimizing new device structures and novel interconnection technologies. Lifetime improvements are realized by using stabilized device stacks and materials and by applying high end flexible barriers. Production cost control is done by using a home made Cost of Ownership tool which guides towards the use of low-cost materials and processes.

  15. Low-cost wireless voltage & current grid monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hines, Jacqueline [SenSanna Inc., Arnold, MD (United States)

    2016-12-31

    This report describes the development and demonstration of a novel low-cost wireless power distribution line monitoring system. This system measures voltage, current, and relative phase on power lines of up to 35 kV-class. The line units operate without any batteries, and without harvesting energy from the power line. Thus, data on grid condition is provided even in outage conditions, when line current is zero. This enhances worker safety by detecting the presence of voltage and current that may appear from stray sources on nominally isolated lines. Availability of low-cost power line monitoring systems will enable widespread monitoring of the distribution grid. Real-time data on local grid operating conditions will enable grid operators to optimize grid operation, implement grid automation, and understand the impact of solar and other distributed sources on grid stability. The latter will enable utilities to implement eneygy storage and control systems to enable greater penetration of solar into the grid.

  16. On the correlation between motion data captured from low-cost gaming controllers and high precision encoders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purkayastha, Sagar N; Byrne, Michael D; O'Malley, Marcia K

    2012-01-01

    Gaming controllers are attractive devices for research due to their onboard sensing capabilities and low-cost. However, a proper quantitative analysis regarding their suitability for use in motion capture, rehabilitation and as input devices for teleoperation and gesture recognition has yet to be conducted. In this paper, a detailed analysis of the sensors of two of these controllers, the Nintendo Wiimote and the Sony Playstation 3 Sixaxis, is presented. The acceleration and angular velocity data from the sensors of these controllers were compared and correlated with computed acceleration and angular velocity data derived from a high resolution encoder. The results show high correlation between the sensor data from the controllers and the computed data derived from the position data of the encoder. From these results, it can be inferred that the Wiimote is more consistent and better suited for motion capture applications and as an input device than the Sixaxis. The applications of the findings are discussed with respect to potential research ventures.

  17. Future microprocessor farms: Offline and online

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Areti, H.

    1990-01-01

    Microprocessor farms have been successfully employed in high energy physics for both offline analysis and online triggers. As the experiments continue to grow in size, so do the demands for processing power. The preliminary indications are that the large collider experiments will require at least a million VAX-11/780 equivalents of processing power for online trigger decisions and offline event reconstruction. This paper examines the current technology trends and projects the processing power that may be expected with the current farm architectures. 3 refs., 6 figs

  18. Low-cost autonomous orbit control about Mars: Initial simulation results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, S. D.; Early, L. W.; Potterveld, C. W.; Königsmann, H. J.

    1999-11-01

    Interest in studying the possibility of extraterrestrial life has led to the re-emergence of the Red Planet as a major target of planetary exploration. Currently proposed missions in the post-2000 period are routinely calling for rendezvous with ascent craft, long-term orbiting of, and sample-return from Mars. Such missions would benefit greatly from autonomous orbit control as a means to reduce operations costs and enable contact with Mars ground stations out of view of the Earth. This paper present results from initial simulations of autonomously controlled orbits around Mars, and points out possible uses of the technology and areas of routine Mars operations where such cost-conscious and robust autonomy could prove most effective. These simulations have validated the approach and control philosophies used in the development of this autonomous orbit controller. Future work will refine the controller, accounting for systematic and random errors in the navigation of the spacecraft from the sensor suite, and will produce prototype flight code for inclusion on future missions. A modified version of Microcosm's commercially available High Precision Orbit Propagator (HPOP) was used in the preparation of these results due to its high accuracy and speed of operation. Control laws were developed to allow an autonomously controlled spacecraft to continuously control to a pre-defined orbit about Mars with near-optimal propellant usage. The control laws were implemented as an adjunct to HPOP. The GSFC-produced 50 × 50 field model of the Martian gravitational potential was used in all simulations. The Martian atmospheric drag was modeled using an exponentially decaying atmosphere based on data from the Mars-GRAM NASA Ames model. It is hoped that the simple atmosphere model that was implemented can be significantly improved in the future so as to approach the fidelity of the Mars-GRAM model in its predictions of atmospheric density at orbital altitudes. Such additional work

  19. The Use of a Microprocessor-Controlled, Video Output Atomic Absorption Spectrometer as an Educational Tool in a Two-Year Technical Curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerfoot, Henry B.

    Based on instructional experiences at Charles County Community College, Maryland, this report examines the pedagogical advantage of teaching atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy with an AA spectrophotometer that is equipped with a microprocessor and video output mechanism. The report first discusses the growing importance of AA spectroscopy in…

  20. API testing program - calibration of microprocessor based flowmeters for integrated metering systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elliot, Kenneth D. [Omni Flow Computers, Inc., Stafford, TX (United States)

    2005-07-01

    Microprocessor based flowmeter technologies for liquids, such as Coriolis mass meters, and Ultrasonic flowmeters hold great promise. These technologies offer many advantages, such as no rotating parts, self-diagnostic checks, which can help anticipate and warn of impending failures before they have a major impact on the measurement. These meters are substantially different though than other primary devices due to their heavy reliance on the accompanying secondary electronics. One method to prove that they are accurate would be proving the flowmeter, using a pipe prover or small volume prover (SVP), but these proving methods are designed to count 'real time' pulses from a turbine or PD meter between a known volume, they are not designed to count 'time delayed' 'manufactured pulses' from a microprocessor. There are limitations of the manufactured pulse train and it affects the ability of the flowmeter to be proved using current proving technology. The author of this paper, a chairman of an American Petroleum Institute working group, investigated how the 'microprocessor generated pulses' produced by these types of flowmeters, interacted with the existing measurement technologies in use today. Several microprocessor based flowmeter technologies have been tested, including; Ultrasonic, Coriolis, and Helical Turbine with pulse multiplying preamplifier. Wherever possible, flowmeters of various sizes, and from several vendors have been tested. A significant amount of data has been collected which sheds light into why these types of flowmeters are sometimes difficult to prove. This paper describes the API testing program, and the methodology behind it. It presents results and findings, and offers specific recommendations that may eventually be incorporated into API documents and/or standards in the future. (author)

  1. Low-cost carriers fare competition effect

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carmona Benitez, R.B.; Lodewijks, G.

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the effects that low-cost carriers (LCC’s) produce when entering new routes operated only by full-service carriers (FSC’s) and routes operated by low-cost carriers in competition with full-service carriers. A mathematical model has been developed to determine what routes should

  2. Low-Cost Spectral Sensor Development Description.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Armijo, Kenneth Miguel; Yellowhair, Julius

    2014-11-01

    Solar spectral data for all parts of the US is limited due in part to the high cost of commercial spectrometers. Solar spectral information is necessary for accurate photovoltaic (PV) performance forecasting, especially for large utility-scale PV installations. A low-cost solar spectral sensor would address the obstacles and needs. In this report, a novel low-cost, discrete- band sensor device, comprised of five narrow-band sensors, is described. The hardware is comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf components to keep the cost low. Data processing algorithms were developed and are being refined for robustness. PV module short-circuit current ( I sc ) prediction methods were developed based on interaction-terms regression methodology and spectrum reconstruction methodology for computing I sc . The results suggest the computed spectrum using the reconstruction method agreed well with the measured spectrum from the wide-band spectrometer (RMS error of 38.2 W/m 2 -nm). Further analysis of computed I sc found a close correspondence of 0.05 A RMS error. The goal is for ubiquitous adoption of the low-cost spectral sensor in solar PV and other applications such as weather forecasting.

  3. Cost-effective treatment of low-risk carcinoma not invading bladder muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, David A; Rink, Michael; Cha, Eugene K; Xylinas, Evanguelos; Chughtai, Bilal; Scherr, Douglas S; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Lee, Richard K

    2013-03-01

    competitive with fulguration when the total cost of TURBT declines cost-effective strategy for treating low-risk NMIBC. The effectiveness of PIC and the cost of TURBT can materially impact the cost-effectiveness of the different management strategies. These results should be considered in treatment decisions in the context of preserving oncological control. © 2012 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

  4. Fuzzy Concurrent Object Oriented Expert System for Fault Diagnosis in 8085 Microprocessor Based System Board

    OpenAIRE

    Mr.D. V. Kodavade; Dr. Mrs.S.D.Apte

    2014-01-01

    With the acceptance of artificial intelligence paradigm, a number of successful artificial intelligence systems were created. Fault diagnosis in microprocessor based boards needs lot of empirical knowledge and expertise and is a true artificial intelligence problem. Research on fault diagnosis in microprocessor based system boards using new fuzzy-object oriented approach is presented in this paper. There are many uncertain situations observed during fault diagnosis. These uncertain situations...

  5. Low cost balancing unit design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golembiovsky, Matej; Dedek, Jan; Slanina, Zdenek

    2017-06-01

    This article deals with the design of a low-cost balancing system which consist of battery balancing units, accumulator pack units and coordinator unit with interface for higher level of battery management system. This solution allows decentralized mode of operation and the aim of this work is implementation of controlling and diagnostic mechanism into an electric scooter project realized at Technical university of Ostrava. In todays world which now fully enjoys the prime of electromobility, off-grid battery systems and other, it is important to seek the optimal balance between functionality and the economy side of BMS that being electronics which deals with secondary cells of batery packs. There were numerous sophisticated, but not too practical BMS models in the past, such as centralized system or standalone balance modules of individual cells. This article aims at development of standalone balance modules which are able to communicate with the coordinator, adjust their parameters and ensure their cells safety in case of a communication failure. With the current worldwide cutting cost trend in mind, the emphasis was put on the lowest price possible for individual component. The article is divided into two major categories, the first one being desing of power electronics with emphasis on quality, safety (cooling) and also cost. The second part describes development of a communication interface with reliability and cost in mind. The article contains numerous graphs from practical measurements. The outcome of the work and its possible future is defined in the conclusion.

  6. Failure analysis on false call probe pins of microprocessor test equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, L. W.; Ong, N. R.; Mohamad, I. S. B.; Alcain, J. B.; Retnasamy, V.

    2017-09-01

    A study has been conducted to investigate failure analysis on probe pins of test modules for microprocessor. The `health condition' of the probe pin is determined by the resistance value. A test module of 5V power supplied from Arduino UNO with "Four-wire Ohm measurement" method is implemented in this study to measure the resistance of the probe pins of a microprocessor. The probe pins from a scrapped computer motherboard is used as the test sample in this study. The functionality of the test module was validated with the pre-measurement experiment via VEE Pro software. Lastly, the experimental work have demonstrated that the implemented test module have the capability to identify the probe pin's `health condition' based on the measured resistance value.

  7. Control system for Fermilab`s low temperature upgrade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Norris, B.L.

    1996-09-01

    Fermilab recently upgraded the Tevatron Cryogenic Systems to allow for lower temperature operation. This Lower Temperature Upgrade grew out of a desire to increase the Colliding Beam Physics energy from 900 GeV to 1000 GeV. A key element in achieving this goal is the new cryogenic control system designed at Fermilab and installed in 24 satellite refrigerators and 8 compressor buildings. The cryogenic improvements and addition hardware like cold compressors exceeded the capability of the original distributed controls package. The new distributed controls package uses a Multibus II platform and Intel`s 80386 microprocessor. Token Ring is used as the link to the systems 6 primary crate locations with Arcnet used as the connection to the systems numerous I/O crates. I/0 capabilities are double the capabilities of the original system. Software has also been upgraded with the introduction of more flexible control loop strategies and Finite State Machines used for automatic sequential control, like quench recovery or cold compressor pump down.

  8. Compact, Low-Overhead, MIL-STD-1553B Controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Richard; Barto, Rod

    2009-01-01

    A compact and flexible controller has been developed to provide MIL-STD- 1553B Remote Terminal (RT) communications and supporting and related functions with minimal demand on the resources of the system in which the controller is to be installed. (MIL-STD-1553B is a military standard that encompasses a method of communication and electrical-interface requirements for digital electronic subsystems connected to a data bus. MIL-STD-1553B is commonly used in defense and space applications.) Many other MIL-STD-1553B RT controllers are complicated, and to enable them to function, it is necessary to provide software and to use such ancillary separate hardware devices as microprocessors and dual-port memories. The present controller functions without need for software and any ancillary hardware. In addition, it contains a flexible system interface and extensive support hardware while including on-chip error-checking and diagnostic support circuitry. This controller is implemented within part of a modern field-programmable gate array.

  9. Using Low Cost Environmental Sensors in Geoscience Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leeman, J.; Ammon, C. J.; Anandakrishnan, S.

    2014-12-01

    Advances in process technology have drastically reduced the cost of manufacturing almost every type of sensor and micro-controller, putting low-to-mid grade sensor technology in the reach of educators and hobbyists. We demonstrate how a low cost magnetometer and an Arduino micro-controller can be used in education. Students can easily connect the sensor to the Arduino and collect three-component magnetic field data. Experiments can easily be turned into long-term monitoring projects by connecting sensors to the internet and providing an Internet-of-Things interface to store and to display the data in near-real time. Low-cost sensors are generally much noisier than their research grade counterparts, but can still provide an opportunity for students to learn about fundamental concepts such as signal quality, sampling, averaging, and filtering and to gain hands-on, concrete experience with observations. Sensors can be placed at different locations and compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, with an inexpensive magnetometer, students can examine diurnal magnetic field variations and look for magnetic storms. Magnetic field orientation can be calculated and compared to the predicted geomagnetic field orientation at a given location. Data can be stored in simple text files to facilitate analysis with any convenient package. We illustrate the idea using Python notebooks, allowing students to explore the data interactively and to learn the basic principles of programming and reproducible research. Using an Arduino encourages students to interact with open-source data collection hardware and to experiment with ways to quickly, cheaply, and effectively measure the environment. Analysis of these data can lead to a deeper understanding of both geoscience and data processing.

  10. Use of a microprocessor in a remote working level monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keffe, D.J.; McDowell, W.P.; Groer, P.G.

    1975-01-01

    A remote working level monitor was designed to measure short-lived radon-daughter concentrations in sealed chambers having potentially high radiation levels (up to 2000 WL). The system is comprised of surface barrier detectors, multiplexer and buffers, microprocessor and teletype

  11. Implementation of a guideline for low back pain management in primary care: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Annette; Held, Heiko; Redaelli, Marcus; Chenot, Jean F; Leonhardt, Corinna; Keller, Stefan; Baum, Erika; Pfingsten, Michael; Hildebrandt, Jan; Basler, Heinz-Dieter; Kochen, Michael M; Donner-Banzhoff, Norbert; Strauch, Konstantin

    2012-04-15

    Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a cluster randomized controlled trial. To study the cost-effectiveness of 2 low back pain guideline implementation (GI) strategies. Several evidence-based guidelines on management of low back pain have been published. However, there is still no consensus on the effective implementation strategy. Especially studies on the economic impact of different implementation strategies are lacking. This analysis was performed alongside a cluster randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of 2 GI strategies (physician education alone [GI] or physician education in combination with motivational counseling [MC] by practice nurses)--both compared with the postal dissemination of the guideline (control group, C). Sociodemographic data, pain characteristics, and cost data were collected by interview at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. low back pain-related health care costs were valued for 2004 from the societal perspective. For the cost analysis, 1322 patients from 126 general practices were included. Both interventions showed lower direct and indirect costs as well as better patient outcomes during follow-up compared with controls. In addition, both intervention arms showed superiority of cost-effectiveness to C. The effects attenuated when adjusting for differences of health care utilization prior to patient recruitment and for clustering of data. Trends in cost-effectiveness are visible but need to be confirmed in future studies. Researchers performing cost-evaluation studies should test for baseline imbalances of health care utilization data instead of judging on the randomization success by reviewing non-cost parameters like clinical data alone.

  12. Commercial Motion Sensor Based Low-Cost and Convenient Interactive Treadmill

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonghyun Kim

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Interactive treadmills were developed to improve the simulation of overground walking when compared to conventional treadmills. However, currently available interactive treadmills are expensive and inconvenient, which limits their use. We propose a low-cost and convenient version of the interactive treadmill that does not require expensive equipment and a complicated setup. As a substitute for high-cost sensors, such as motion capture systems, a low-cost motion sensor was used to recognize the subject’s intention for speed changing. Moreover, the sensor enables the subject to make a convenient and safe stop using gesture recognition. For further cost reduction, the novel interactive treadmill was based on an inexpensive treadmill platform and a novel high-level speed control scheme was applied to maximize performance for simulating overground walking. Pilot tests with ten healthy subjects were conducted and results demonstrated that the proposed treadmill achieves similar performance to a typical, costly, interactive treadmill that contains a motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill, while providing a convenient and safe method for stopping.

  13. Strategies to fight low-cost rivals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Nirmalya

    2006-12-01

    Companies find it challenging and yet strangely reassuring to take on opponents whose strategies, strengths, and weaknesses resemble their own. Their obsession with familiar rivals, however, has blinded them to threats from disruptive, low-cost competitors. Successful price warriors, such as the German retailer Aldi, are changing the nature of competition by employing several tactics: focusing on just one or a few consumer segments, delivering the basic product or providing one benefit better than rivals do, and backing low prices with superefficient operations. Ignoring cutprice rivals is a mistake because they eventually force companies to vacate entire market segments. Price wars are not the answer, either: Slashing prices usually lowers profits for incumbents without driving the low-cost entrants out of business. Companies take various approaches to competing against cut-price players. Some differentiate their products--a strategy that works only in certain circumstances. Others launch low-cost businesses of their own, as many airlines did in the 1990s--a so-called dual strategy that succeeds only if companies can generate synergies between the existing businesses and the new ventures, as the financial service providers HSBC and ING did. Without synergies, corporations are better off trying to transform themselves into low-cost players, a difficult feat that Ryanair accomplished in the 1990s, or into solution providers. There will always be room for both low-cost and value-added players. How much room each will have depends not only on the industry and customers' preferences, but also on the strategies traditional businesses deploy.

  14. low-cost apparatus from locally available materials for teaching

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    unesco

    twofold: i) to design and produce appropriate low cost apparatus from locally .... How are the low-cost and manufactured apparatus compared in terms of cost and efficiency? ... BASIC TOOLS FOR THE LOW COST APPARATUS PRODUCTION.

  15. Algolcam: Low Cost Sky Scanning with Modern Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connors, Martin; Bolton, Dempsey; Doktor, Ian

    2016-01-01

    Low cost DSLR cameras running under computer control offer good sensitivity, high resolution, small size, and the convenience of digital image handling. Recent developments in small single board computers have pushed the performance to cost and size ratio to unprecedented values, with the further advantage of very low power consumption. Yet a third technological development is motor control electronics which is easily integrated with the computer to make an automated mount, which in our case is custom built, but with similar mounts available commercially. Testing of such a system under a clear plastic dome at our auroral observatory was so successful that we have developed a weatherproof housing allowing use during the long, cold, and clear winter nights at northerly latitudes in Canada. The main advantage of this housing should be improved image quality as compared to operation through clear plastic. We have improved the driving software to include the ability to self-calibrate pointing through the web API of astrometry.net, and data can be reduced automatically through command line use of the Muniwin program. The mount offers slew in declination and RA, and tracking at sidereal or other rates in RA. Our previous tests with a Nikon D5100 with standard lenses in the focal length range 50-200 mm, operating at f/4 to f/5, allowed detection of 12th magnitude stars with 30 second exposure under very dark skies. At 85 mm focal length, a field of 15° by 10° is imaged with 4928 by 3264 color pixels, and we have adopted an 85 mm fixed focal length f/1.4 lens (as used by Project Panoptes), which we expect will give a limited magnitude approaching 15. With a large field of view, deep limiting magnitude, low cost, and ease of construction and use, we feel that the Algolcam offers great possibilities in monitoring and finding changes in the sky. We have already applied it to variable star light curves, and with a suitable pipeline for detection of moving or varying objects

  16. Cost-effectiveness of lumbar supports for home care workers with recurrent low back pain: an economic evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelofs, P.D.D.M.; Bierma-Zeinstra, S.M.A.; van Poppel, M.N.M.; van Mechelen, W.; Koes, B.W.; van Tulder, M.W.

    2010-01-01

    Study Design.: Economic evaluation from a societal perspective alongside a 12-months randomized-controlled trial. Objective.: To determine the cost-effectiveness of wearing a lumbar support for home care workers with recurrent low back pain (LBP) (secondary prevention). Summary of Background Data.:

  17. High efficiency and low cost preparation of size controlled starch nanoparticles through ultrasonic treatment and precipitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yanjiao; Yan, Xiaoxia; Wang, Qian; Ren, Lili; Tong, Jin; Zhou, Jiang

    2017-07-15

    The purpose of this work was to develop an approach to produce size controlled starch nanoparticles (SNPs), via precipitation with high efficiency and low cost. High concentration starch aqueous pastes (up to 5wt.%) were treated by ultrasound. Viscosity measurements and size exclusion chromatography characterization revealed that, after 30min ultrasonic treatment, viscosity of the starch pastes decreased two orders of magnitude and the weight average molecular weight of the starch decreased from 8.4×10 7 to 2.7×10 6 g/mol. Dynamic light scattering measurements and scanning electron microscopy observations showed that the SNPs prepared from the starch pastes with ultrasonic treatments were smaller (∼75nm) and more uniform. Moreover, SNPs could be obtained using less non-solvents. X-ray diffraction results indicated that effect of the ultrasonic treatment on crystalline structure of the SNPs was negligible. Ultrasound can be utilized to prepare smaller SNPs through nanoprecipitation with higher efficiency and lower cost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. STTR Phase I: Low-Cost, High-Accuracy, Whole-Building Carbon Dioxide Monitoring for Demand Control Ventilation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hallstrom, Jason; Ni, Zheng Richard

    2018-05-15

    This STTR Phase I project assessed the feasibility of a new CO2 sensing system optimized for low-cost, high-accuracy, whole-building monitoring for use in demand control ventilation. The focus was on the development of a wireless networking platform and associated firmware to provide signal conditioning and conversion, fault- and disruptiontolerant networking, and multi-hop routing at building scales to avoid wiring costs. Early exploration of a bridge (or “gateway”) to direct digital control services was also explored. Results of the project contributed to an improved understanding of a new electrochemical sensor for monitoring indoor CO2 concentrations, as well as the electronics and networking infrastructure required to deploy those sensors at building scales. New knowledge was acquired concerning the sensor’s accuracy, environmental response, and failure modes, and the acquisition electronics required to achieve accuracy over a wide range of CO2 concentrations. The project demonstrated that the new sensor offers repeatable correspondence with commercial optical sensors, with supporting electronics that offer gain accuracy within 0.5%, and acquisition accuracy within 1.5% across three orders of magnitude variation in generated current. Considering production, installation, and maintenance costs, the technology presents a foundation for achieving whole-building CO2 sensing at a price point below $0.066 / sq-ft – meeting economic feasibility criteria established by the Department of Energy. The technology developed under this award addresses obstacles on the critical path to enabling whole-building CO2 sensing and demand control ventilation in commercial retrofits, small commercial buildings, residential complexes, and other highpotential structures that have been slow to adopt these technologies. It presents an opportunity to significantly reduce energy use throughout the United States a

  19. Distributed microprocessor automation network for synthesizing radiotracers used in positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, J.A.G.; Alexoff, D.L.; Wolf, A.P.

    1984-01-01

    This presentation describes an evolving distributed microprocessor network for automating the routine production synthesis of radiotracers used in Positron Emission Tomography. We first present a brief overview of the PET method for measuring biological function, and then outline the general procedure for producing a radiotracer. The paper identifies several reasons for our automating the syntheses of these compounds. There is a description of the distributed microprocessor network architecture chosen and the rationale for that choice. Finally, we speculate about how this network may be exploited to extend the power of the PET method from the large university or National Laboratory to the biomedical research and clinical community at large. 20 refs. (DT)

  20. Sources and Transportation of Bulk, Low-Cost Lunar Simulant Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickman, D. L.

    2013-01-01

    Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has built the Lunar Surface Testbed using 200 tons of volcanic cinder and ash from the same source used for the simulant series JSC-1. This Technical Memorandum examines the alternatives examined for transportation and source. The cost of low-cost lunar simulant is driven by the cost of transportation, which is controlled by distance and, to a lesser extent, quantity. Metabasalts in the eastern United States were evaluated due to their proximity to MSFC. Volcanic cinder deposits in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona were recognized as preferred sources. In addition to having fewer green, secondary minerals, they contain vesicular glass, both of which are desirable. Transportation costs were more than 90% of the total procurement costs for the simulant material.

  1. Low-cost scalable quartz crystal microbalance array for environmental sensing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anazagasty, Cristain [University of Puerto Rico; Hianik, Tibor [Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Ivanov, Ilia N [ORNL

    2016-01-01

    Proliferation of environmental sensors for internet of things (IoT) applications has increased the need for low-cost platforms capable of accommodating multiple sensors. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) crystals coated with nanometer-thin sensor films are suitable for use in high-resolution (~1 ng) selective gas sensor applications. We demonstrate a scalable array for measuring frequency response of six QCM sensors controlled by low-cost Arduino microcontrollers and a USB multiplexer. Gas pulses and data acquisition were controlled by a LabVIEW user interface. We test the sensor array by measuring the frequency shift of crystals coated with different compositions of polymer composites based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) while films are exposed to water vapor and oxygen inside a controlled environmental chamber. Our sensor array exhibits comparable performance to that of a commercial QCM system, while enabling high-throughput 6 QCM testing for under $1,000. We use deep neural network structures to process sensor response and demonstrate that the QCM array is suitable for gas sensing, environmental monitoring, and electronic-nose applications.

  2. ModGrasp: An open-source rapid-prototyping framework for designing low-cost sensorised modular hands

    OpenAIRE

    Sanfilippo, Filippo; Zhang, Houxiang; Pettersen, Kristin Ytterstad; Salvietti, G.; Prattichizzo, Domenico

    2014-01-01

    This paper introduces ModGrasp, an open-source virtual and physical rapid-prototyping framework that allows for the design, simulation and control of low-cost sensorised modular hands. By combining the rapid-prototyping approach with the modular concept, different manipulator configurations can be modelled. A real-time one-to-one correspondence between virtual and physical prototypes is established. Different control algorithms can be implemented for the models. By using a low-cost sensing ap...

  3. Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of Plasmodium vivax Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Michael T; Yeung, Shunmay; Patouillard, Edith; Cibulskis, Richard

    2016-12-28

    The continued success of efforts to reduce the global malaria burden will require sustained funding for interventions specifically targeting Plasmodium vivax The optimal use of limited financial resources necessitates cost and cost-effectiveness analyses of strategies for diagnosing and treating P. vivax and vector control tools. Herein, we review the existing published evidence on the costs and cost-effectiveness of interventions for controlling P. vivax, identifying nine studies focused on diagnosis and treatment and seven studies focused on vector control. Although many of the results from the much more extensive P. falciparum literature can be applied to P. vivax, it is not always possible to extrapolate results from P. falciparum-specific cost-effectiveness analyses. Notably, there is a need for additional studies to evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of radical cure with primaquine for the prevention of P. vivax relapses with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase testing. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  4. 15 CFR 744.17 - Restrictions on certain exports and reexports of general purpose microprocessors for “military...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... reexports of general purpose microprocessors for âmilitary end-usesâ and to âmilitary end-users.â 744.17...: END-USER AND END-USE BASED § 744.17 Restrictions on certain exports and reexports of general purpose microprocessors for “military end-uses” and to “military end-users.” (a) General prohibition. In addition to the...

  5. Low Cost Benefit Suggestions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doyel, Hoyt W.; McMillan, John D.

    1980-01-01

    Outlines eight low-cost employee benefits and summarizes their relative advantages. The eight include a stock ownership program, a sick leave pool, flexible working hours, production incentives, and group purchase plans. (IRT)

  6. Portable regional cerebral blood flow system based on IBM PC/AT and microprocessor electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mun, S.K.; Mun, I.K.; Petite, J.; Cohan, S.L.; Fahey, F.H.

    1986-01-01

    A portable 16-channel reginal cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measuring system has been developed using an IBM PC/AT and new microelectronics to improve processing speed and portability. The detector electronics were developed by Scan Detectronics A/S of Denmark. The counter module contains 18 16-bit counters, each programmable in four different modes. The rate meter has three independent microprocessor controllers for rate meter functions, window controller, and channel controller. The detector electronics and detection parameters can be fully controlled by the host PC/AT. The menu-driven system (Better Basic) assists the operator at each step. The collected data from 16 channels can be processed automatically or postprocessed using more flexible and sophisticated techniques within 20 minutes. The headgear holding 16 sodium iodide detectors is fabricated by modifying a motorcycle helmet

  7. Low Cost, Low Power, High Sensitivity Magnetometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-12-01

    which are used to measure the small magnetic signals from brain. Other types of vector magnetometers are fluxgate , coil based, and magnetoresistance...concentrator with the magnetometer currently used in Army multimodal sensor systems, the Brown fluxgate . One sees the MEMS fluxgate magnetometer is...Guedes, A.; et al., 2008: Hybrid - LOW COST, LOW POWER, HIGH SENSITIVITY MAGNETOMETER A.S. Edelstein*, James E. Burnette, Greg A. Fischer, M.G

  8. A data-acquisition and processing system for Moessbauer spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fever, H.Th. le

    1979-01-01

    A state of the art data-aquisition system for four simultaneous and independent Moessbauer experiments has been implemented utilizing a general purpose minicomputer and low cost microprocessors. In this system, the microprocessors are dedicated to real-time data collection from the experiments while the minicomputer is being utilized for controlling the microprocessors and processing the data. Extensive consideration was given in the design of the system to achieve the most advantageous balance between hardware and software, i.e. to maintain the ease of handling and full capability of hardwired systems without employing sophisticated hardware. The concept of the design is independent of the type of processor, and may be applied to other experiments requiring real-time data collection and off-line data processing facilities. (Auth.)

  9. Volumetric calculation using low cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, A. A. Ab; Maulud, K. N. Abdul; Mohd, F. A.; Jaafar, O.; Tahar, K. N.

    2017-12-01

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology has evolved dramatically in the 21st century. It is used by both military and general public for recreational purposes and mapping work. Operating cost for UAV is much cheaper compared to that of normal aircraft and it does not require a large work space. The UAV systems have similar functions with the LIDAR and satellite images technologies. These systems require a huge cost, labour and time consumption to produce elevation and dimension data. Measurement of difficult objects such as water tank can also be done by using UAV. The purpose of this paper is to show the capability of UAV to compute the volume of water tank based on a different number of images and control points. The results were compared with the actual volume of the tank to validate the measurement. In this study, the image acquisition was done using Phantom 3 Professional, which is a low cost UAV. The analysis in this study is based on different volume computations using two and four control points with variety set of UAV images. The results show that more images will provide a better quality measurement. With 95 images and four GCP, the error percentage to the actual volume is about 5%. Four controls are enough to get good results but more images are needed, estimated about 115 until 220 images. All in all, it can be concluded that the low cost UAV has a potential to be used for volume of water and dimension measurement.

  10. Microprocessor architectures RISC, CISC and DSP

    CERN Document Server

    Heath, Steve

    1995-01-01

    'Why are there all these different processor architectures and what do they all mean? Which processor will I use? How should I choose it?' Given the task of selecting an architecture or design approach, both engineers and managers require a knowledge of the whole system and an explanation of the design tradeoffs and their effects. This is information that rarely appears in data sheets or user manuals. This book fills that knowledge gap.Section 1 provides a primer and history of the three basic microprocessor architectures. Section 2 describes the ways in which the architectures react with the

  11. Comprehensive low-cost reliability centered maintenance. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rotton, S.J.; Dozier, I.J.; Thow, R.

    1995-09-01

    Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a maintenance optimization approach that all electric utilities can apply to power plant systems. The Electric Power Research Institute and PECO Energy Company jointly sponsored this Comprehensive Low-Cost Reliability Centered Maintenance project to demonstrate that the standard RCM methodology could be streamlined to reduce the cost of analysis while maintaining a high quality product. EPRI's previous investigation of streamlined RCM methods being pioneered in the nuclear industry indicated that PECO Energy could expect to optimize its maintenance program at reduced cost by carefully controlling the scope without sacrificing documentation or technical quality. Using the insights obtained from these previous studies, three methods were defined in this project and were demonstrated in a large scale application to 60 systems at both the Limerick Generating Station and the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

  12. Distributed Microprocessor Automation Network for Synthesizing Radiotracers Used in Positron Emission Tomography [PET

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, J. A. G.; Alexoff, D. L.; Wolf, A. P.

    1984-09-01

    This presentation describes an evolving distributed microprocessor network for automating the routine production synthesis of radiotracers used in Positron Emission Tomography. We first present a brief overview of the PET method for measuring biological function, and then outline the general procedure for producing a radiotracer. The paper identifies several reasons for our automating the syntheses of these compounds. There is a description of the distributed microprocessor network architecture chosen and the rationale for that choice. Finally, we speculate about how this network may be exploited to extend the power of the PET method from the large university or National Laboratory to the biomedical research and clinical community at large. (DT)

  13. Tests of microprocessor-based relay protection devices: Problems and solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurevich Vladimir

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Usually, the operational condition of relay protection devices is checked with specific settings used for the relay operation in a certain network point. In the author's opinion in order to verify the proper operation of complex multifunctional microprocessor-based protection devices (MPD at their inspection, start-up after repairs or during periodic tests there is no need to use the actual settings at which the relay is to be operated in a certain network's point. It should be tested for proper operation at several of its most critical preset characteristic points as well as in several preset characteristics constituting its most complicated (combined operation modes, including the dynamic operation modes with preset transition processes specific for standard power networks (not necessarily for a specific point. The proposed set of actions for the unification of software platforms of the modern, microprocessor-based relay protection test systems will enable examination of modern MPD in an absolutely new way. .

  14. Radioimmunoassay evaluation and quality control by use of a simple computer program for a low cost desk top calculator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, S.

    1980-01-01

    A simple computer program for the data processing and quality control of radioimmunoassays is presented. It is written for low cost programmable desk top calculator (Hewlett Packard 97), which can be afforded by smaller laboratories. The untreated counts from the scintillation spectrometer are entered manually; the printout gives the following results: initial data, logit-log transformed calibration points, parameters of goodness of fit and of the position of the standard curve, control and unknown samples dose estimates (mean value from single dose interpolations and scatter of replicates) together with the automatic calculation of within assay variance and, by use of magnetic cards holding the control parameters of all previous assays, between assay variance. (orig.) [de

  15. Open-Source 3-D Platform for Low-Cost Scientific Instrument Ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C; Wijnen, B; Pearce, J M

    2016-08-01

    The combination of open-source software and hardware provides technically feasible methods to create low-cost, highly customized scientific research equipment. Open-source 3-D printers have proven useful for fabricating scientific tools. Here the capabilities of an open-source 3-D printer are expanded to become a highly flexible scientific platform. An automated low-cost 3-D motion control platform is presented that has the capacity to perform scientific applications, including (1) 3-D printing of scientific hardware; (2) laboratory auto-stirring, measuring, and probing; (3) automated fluid handling; and (4) shaking and mixing. The open-source 3-D platform not only facilities routine research while radically reducing the cost, but also inspires the creation of a diverse array of custom instruments that can be shared and replicated digitally throughout the world to drive down the cost of research and education further. © 2016 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

  16. MicroShell Minimalist Shell for Xilinx Microprocessors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werne, Thomas A.

    2011-01-01

    MicroShell is a lightweight shell environment for engineers and software developers working with embedded microprocessors in Xilinx FPGAs. (MicroShell has also been successfully ported to run on ARM Cortex-M1 microprocessors in Actel ProASIC3 FPGAs, but without project-integration support.) Micro Shell decreases the time spent performing initial tests of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, simplifies running customizable one-time-only experiments, and provides a familiar-feeling command-line interface. The program comes with a collection of useful functions and enables the designer to add an unlimited number of custom commands, which are callable from the command-line. The commands are parameterizable (using the C-based command-line parameter idiom), so the designer can use one function to exercise hardware with different values. Also, since many hardware peripherals instantiated in FPGAs have reasonably simple register-mapped I/O interfaces, the engineer can edit and view hardware parameter settings at any time without stopping the processor. MicroShell comes with a set of support scripts that interface seamlessly with Xilinx's EDK tool. Adding an instance of MicroShell to a project is as simple as marking a check box in a library configuration dialog box and specifying a software project directory. The support scripts then examine the hardware design, build design-specific functions, conditionally include processor-specific functions, and complete the compilation process. For code-size constrained designs, most of the stock functionality can be excluded from the compiled library. When all of the configurable options are removed from the binary, MicroShell has an unoptimized memory footprint of about 4.8 kB and a size-optimized footprint of about 2.3 kB. Since MicroShell allows unfettered access to all processor-accessible memory locations, it is possible to perform live patching on a running system. This can be useful, for instance, if a bug is

  17. Advances in Sensors-Centric Microprocessors and System-on-Chip

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan A. Gómez-Pulido

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Sensors-based systems are nowadays an extended technology for many markets due to their great potential in the collection of data from the environment and the processing of such data for different purposes. A typical example is the wireless sensor devices, where the outer temperature, humidity, luminosity and many other parameters can be acquired, measured and processed in order to build useful and fascinating applications that contribute to human welfare. In this scenario, the processing architectures of the sensors-based systems play a very important role. The requirements that are necessary for many such applications (real-time processing, low-power consumption, reduced size, reliability, security and many others means that research on advanced architectures of Microprocessors and System-on-Chips (SoC is needed to design and implement a successful product. In this sense, there are many challenges and open questions in this area that need to be addressed. [...

  18. Low-cost satellite mechanical design and construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boisjolie-Gair, Nathaniel; Straub, Jeremy

    2017-05-01

    This paper presents a discussion of techniques for low-cost design and construction of a CubeSat mechanical structure that can serve as a basis for academic programs and a starting point for government, military and commercial large-scale sensing networks, where the cost of each node must be minimized to facilitate system affordability and lower the cost and associated risk of losing any node. Spacecraft Design plays a large role in manufacturability. An intentionally simplified mechanical design is presented which reduces machining costs, as compared to more intricate designs that were considered. Several fabrication approaches are evaluated relative to the low-cost goal.

  19. Digital control application for the advanced boiling water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fennern, L.E.; Pearson, T.; Wills, H.D.; Swire Rhodes, L.; Pearson, R.L.

    1986-01-01

    The Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) is a 1300 MWe class Nuclear Power Plant whose design studies and demonstration tests are being performed by the three manufacturers, General Electric, Toshiba and Hitachi, under requirement specifications from the Tokyo Electric Power Company. The goals are to apply new technology to the BWR in order to achieve enhanced operational efficiencies, improved safety measures and cost reductions. In the plant instrumentation and control areas, traditional analog control equipment and wire cables will be replaced by distributed digital microprocessor based control units communicating with each other and the control room over fiber optic multiplexed data buses

  20. Multi-faceted data gathering and analyzing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gustavson, D.B.; Rich, K.

    1977-10-01

    A low-cost general purpose data gathering and analyzing system based on a microprocessor, an interface to CAMAC, and a phone link to a time-sharing system was implemented. The parts cost for the microprocessor system was about $6000. The microprocessor buffers the data such that the variable response of the time-sharing system is acceptable for performing real-time data acquisition. The full power and flexibility of the time-sharing system excels at the task of on-line data analysis once this buffering problem is solved. 4 figures

  1. Cost-effectiveness of a smokeless tobacco control mass media campaign in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murukutla, Nandita; Yan, Hongjin; Wang, Shuo; Negi, Nalin Singh; Kotov, Alexey; Mullin, Sandra; Goodchild, Mark

    2017-08-10

    Tobacco control mass media campaigns are cost-effective in reducing tobacco consumption in high-income countries, but similar evidence from low-income countries is limited. An evaluation of a 2009 smokeless tobacco control mass media campaign in India provided an opportunity to test its cost-effectiveness. Campaign evaluation data from a nationally representative household survey of 2898 smokeless tobacco users were compared with campaign costs in a standard cost-effectiveness methodology. Costs and effects of the Surgeon campaign were compared with the status quo to calculate the cost per campaign-attributable benefit, including quit attempts, permanent quits and tobacco-related deaths averted. Sensitivity analyses at varied CIs and tobacco-related mortality risk were conducted. The Surgeon campaign was found to be highly cost-effective. It successfully generated 17 259 148 additional quit attempts, 431 479 permanent quits and 120 814 deaths averted. The cost per benefit was US$0.06 per quit attempt, US$2.6 per permanent quit and US$9.2 per death averted. The campaign continued to be cost-effective in sensitivity analyses. This study suggests that tobacco control mass media campaigns can be cost-effective and economically justified in low-income and middle-income countries. It holds significant policy implications, calling for sustained investment in evidence-based mass media campaigns as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  2. Stability of nano-fluids and their use for thermal management of a microprocessor: an experimental and numerical study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoukat, Ahmad Adnan; Shaban, Muhammad; Israr, Asif; Shah, Owaisur Rahman; Khan, Muhammad Zubair; Anwar, Muhammad

    2018-03-01

    We investigate the heat transfer effect of different types of Nano-fluids on the pin fin heat sinks used in computer's microprocessor. Nano-particles of Aluminum oxide have been used with volumetric concentrations of 0.002% and Silver oxide with volumetric concentrations of 0.001% in the base fluid of deionized water. We have also used Aluminum oxide with ethylene glycol at volumetric concentrations of 0.002%. We report the cooling rates of Nano-fluids for pin-fin heat to cool the microprocessor and compare these with the cooling rate of pure water. We use a microprocessor heat generator in this investigation. The base temperature is obtained using surface heater of power 130 W. The main purpose of this work is to minimize the base temperature, and increase the heat transfer rate of the water block and radiator. The temperature of the heat sink is maintained at 110 °C which is nearly equal to the observed computer microprocessor temperature. We also provide the base temperature at different Reynolds's number using the above mention Nano-fluids with different volumetric concentrations.

  3. Rugged, remotely maintainable pipetter using microprocessor control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dykes, F.W.; Shurtliff, R.M.; Henscheid, J.P.; Baldwin, J.M.

    1979-01-01

    At the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP), the chemical analysis of future nuclear fuel reprocessing solutions will require improved analytical apparatus. Remote pipetters are crucial components in the analysis procedures. Major improvements required for a new pipetter were: greater accuracy for better accounting of fissile material, greater corrosion resistance to handle new fuel reprocessing schemes, and drastic reduction in contact maintenance to reduce personnel radiation exposure to as low as reasonably achievable. The 20-year old Model B pipetter was used as the basis for an improved design. The existing pipetters are positive displacement, servo-controlled units developed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) designs created at the time the ICPP was built. The new pipetter is identified as the Model C

  4. Small Private Key PKS on an Embedded Microprocessor

    OpenAIRE

    Seo, Hwajeong; Kim, Jihyun; Choi, Jongseok; Park, Taehwan; Liu, Zhe; Kim, Howon

    2014-01-01

    Multivariate quadratic (MQ) cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to MQ cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011), a small public key MQ scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor...

  5. Synthesis and characterization of low cost magnetorheological (MR) fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sukhwani, V. K.; Hirani, H.

    2007-04-01

    Magnetorheological fluids have great potential for engineering applications due to their variable rheological behavior. These fluids find applications in dampers, brakes, shock absorbers, and engine mounts. However their relatively high cost (approximately US600 per liter) limits their wide usage. Most commonly used magnetic material "Carbonyl iron" cost more than 90% of the MR fluid cost. Therefore for commercial viability of these fluids there is need of alternative economical magnetic material. In the present work synthesis of MR fluid has been attempted with objective to produce low cost MR fluid with high sedimentation stability and greater yield stress. In order to reduce the cost, economical electrolytic Iron powder (US 10 per Kg) has been used. Iron powder of relatively larger size (300 Mesh) has been ball milled to reduce their size to few microns (1 to 10 microns). Three different compositions have been prepared and compared for MR effect produced and stability. All have same base fluid (Synthetic oil) and same magnetic phase i.e. Iron particles but they have different additives. First preparation involves organic additives Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Stearic acid. Other two preparations involve use of two environmental friendly low-priced green additives guar gum (US 2 per Kg) and xanthan gum (US 12 per Kg) respectively. Magnetic properties of Iron particles have been measured by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). Morphology of Iron particles and additives guar gum and xanthan gum has been examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Particles Size Distribution (PSD) has been determined using Particle size analyzer. Microscopic images of particles, MH plots and stability of synthesized MR fluids have been reported. The prepared low cost MR fluids showed promising performance and can be effectively used for engineering applications demanding controllability in operations.

  6. A microprocessor based monitoring system for a small nuclear reactor facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, G.E.; DeKeyser, C.F.

    1980-01-01

    An inexpensive microprocessor based system has been designed and constructed for our 250 kilowatt TRIGA reactor facility. The system, which is beginning operational testing, can monitor on a continuous basis the status of up to 54 devices and maintain a record of events. These devices include fixed radiation monitors, pool water level trips, security alarms and an access control unit. In the latter case, the unit permits selection of different levels of access permission based on the time of day. The system can alert security and other personnel in the event of abnormalities. Because of the inclusion of this in the security system, special reliability and failure mode operation. The unit must also be simple to install, program and operate. (author)

  7. Low Cost Integrated Navigation System for Unmanned Vessel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Changsong

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Large errors of low-cost MEMS inertial measurement unit (MIMU lead to huge navigation errors, even wrong navigation information. An integrated navigation system for unmanned vessel is proposed. It consists of a low-cost MIMU and Doppler velocity sonar (DVS. This paper presents an integrated navigation method, to improve the performance of navigation system. The integrated navigation system is tested using simulation and semi-physical simulation experiments, whose results show that attitude, velocity and position accuracy has improved awfully, giving exactly accurate navigation results. By means of the combination of low-cost MIMU and DVS, the proposed system is able to overcome fast drift problems of the low cost IMU.

  8. Resilient guaranteed cost control of a power system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soliman, Hisham M; Soliman, Mostafa H; Hassan, Mohammad F

    2014-05-01

    With the development of power system interconnection, the low-frequency oscillation is becoming more and more prominent which may cause system separation and loss of energy to consumers. This paper presents an innovative robust control for power systems in which the operating conditions are changing continuously due to load changes. However, practical implementation of robust control can be fragile due to controller inaccuracies (tolerance of resistors used with operational amplifiers). A new design of resilient (non-fragile) robust control is given that takes into consideration both model and controller uncertainties by an iterative solution of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Both uncertainties are cast into a norm-bounded structure. A sufficient condition is derived to achieve the desired settling time for damping power system oscillations in face of plant and controller uncertainties. Furthermore, an improved controller design, resilient guaranteed cost controller, is derived to achieve oscillations damping in a guaranteed cost manner. The effectiveness of the algorithm is shown for a single machine infinite bus system, and then, it is extended to multi-area power system.

  9. Sectional microprocessor based microcomputer and its application to express analysis using interactive language

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, I.; Leveleki, L.; Salai, M.; Turani, D.

    1984-01-01

    Sectional microprocessor TPA-L/128H based mini-computer being a part of the TPA-8 computer family is developed. A substantial increase of the computer operation rate is attained at the expense of microprogram monitoring. The central processor is constructed on the base of the AM2900 sectional microprocessor elements. The TPA-L/128H computer is program compatible with TPA-8 computer, perfectly equipped with software: high level languages as well as OS/L, COS/H, RTS/H, PAL/128, WPS, TEASYS-8 and IL 128 ensuring statistical data processing, physical experiments automation and interactive experimental data processing. The real time basis problems and CAMAC devices monitoring are efficiently solved

  10. Design of microprocessor data acquisition system for pedestrian portal SNM monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Wenliang

    2003-01-01

    The paper introduces the hardware structure and composition of data acquisition system for pedestrian portal special nuclear material (SNM) monitor. The hardware and software of single chip microprocessor AT89C52, LCM, keyboard and serial communication interface software are also discussed. (authors)

  11. DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW COST CAMERA FOR AGING ACCELERATED POLYMERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Henrique Duarte Felisbino

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to describe the design, construction and testing of a low cost chamber for accelerated aging of polymers that meets a low and high ultraviolet radiation cycle on the test specimens in accordance with ASTM G154. The methodology was based on the survey of the standards related to the tests of accelerated aging of polymers and of the existing equipment, providing the subsidies for the development of the project, which was validated by the construction and evaluation of its performance. The camera control is performed by an Arduino-based electronic system and uses commercially available components that meet project specifications. The equipment met the requirements for both the specifications and the low cost and will integrate the laboratories of the University of Mogi das Cruzes (UMC, Villa-Lobos campus, to carry out tests on polymer materials.

  12. Use of a Microprocessor to Implement an ADCCP Protocol (Federal Std-1003) Operating in the Unbalanced Normal Mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-05-01

    andcoptrpormigfrteublne nra ls fpoeue nacrac with Federal Standard 1003 fTelecommunications: Synchronous Bit Oriented Data Link Control Procedures...and the higher level user. The solution to the producer/consumer problem involves the use of PASS and SICHAL primitives and event variables or... semaphores . The event variables have been defined for the LS-microprocessor interface as part of I-1 the internal registers that are included in the F6856

  13. Control and Effort Costs Influence the Motivational Consequences of Choice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holly Sullivan-Toole

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The act of making a choice, apart from any outcomes the choice may yield, has, paradoxically, been linked to both the enhancement and the detriment of intrinsic motivation. Research has implicated two factors in potentially mediating these contradictory effects: the personal control conferred by a choice and the costs associated with a choice. Across four experiments, utilizing a physical effort task disguised as a simple video game, we systematically varied costs across two levels of physical effort requirements (Low-Requirement, High-Requirement and control over effort costs across three levels of choice (Free-Choice, Restricted-Choice, and No-Choice to disambiguate how these factors affect the motivational consequences of choosing within an effortful task. Together, our results indicated that, in the face of effort requirements, illusory control alone may not sufficiently enhance perceptions of personal control to boost intrinsic motivation; rather, the experience of actual control may be necessary to overcome effort costs and elevate performance. Additionally, we demonstrated that conditions of illusory control, while otherwise unmotivating, can through association with the experience of free-choice, be transformed to have a positive effect on motivation.

  14. Gossip as an effective and low-cost form of punishment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinberg, Matthew; Cheng, Joey T; Willer, Robb

    2012-02-01

    The spreading of reputational information about group members through gossip represents a widespread, efficient, and low-cost form of punishment. Research shows that negative arousal states motivate individuals to gossip about the transgressions of group members. By sharing information in this way groups are better able to promote cooperation and maintain social control and order.

  15. A microprocessor based multiscaling data acquisition system for moessbauer spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohm, C.; Ekdahl, T.

    1985-01-01

    A microprocessor based data acquisition system is described, which was developed for use in Moessbauer spectroscopy. It is designed to record two spectra simultaneously, one of which could be a calibration spectrum. It is autonomous, but uses a host computer for initialization and permanent storage of data. The host communication software is also described. (Author)

  16. GPS/MEMS IMU/Microprocessor Board for Navigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gender, Thomas K.; Chow, James; Ott, William E.

    2009-01-01

    A miniaturized instrumentation package comprising a (1) Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, (2) an inertial measurement unit (IMU) consisting largely of surface-micromachined sensors of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) type, and (3) a microprocessor, all residing on a single circuit board, is part of the navigation system of a compact robotic spacecraft intended to be released from a larger spacecraft [e.g., the International Space Station (ISS)] for exterior visual inspection of the larger spacecraft. Variants of the package may also be useful in terrestrial collision-detection and -avoidance applications. The navigation solution obtained by integrating the IMU outputs is fed back to a correlator in the GPS receiver to aid in tracking GPS signals. The raw GPS and IMU data are blended in a Kalman filter to obtain an optimal navigation solution, which can be supplemented by range and velocity data obtained by use of (l) a stereoscopic pair of electronic cameras aboard the robotic spacecraft and/or (2) a laser dynamic range imager aboard the ISS. The novelty of the package lies mostly in those aspects of the design of the MEMS IMU that pertain to controlling mechanical resonances and stabilizing scale factors and biases.

  17. End-user perspective of low-cost sensors for outdoor air pollution monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rai, Aakash C; Kumar, Prashant; Pilla, Francesco; Skouloudis, Andreas N; Di Sabatino, Silvana; Ratti, Carlo; Yasar, Ansar; Rickerby, David

    2017-12-31

    Low-cost sensor technology can potentially revolutionise the area of air pollution monitoring by providing high-density spatiotemporal pollution data. Such data can be utilised for supplementing traditional pollution monitoring, improving exposure estimates, and raising community awareness about air pollution. However, data quality remains a major concern that hinders the widespread adoption of low-cost sensor technology. Unreliable data may mislead unsuspecting users and potentially lead to alarming consequences such as reporting acceptable air pollutant levels when they are above the limits deemed safe for human health. This article provides scientific guidance to the end-users for effectively deploying low-cost sensors for monitoring air pollution and people's exposure, while ensuring reasonable data quality. We review the performance characteristics of several low-cost particle and gas monitoring sensors and provide recommendations to end-users for making proper sensor selection by summarizing the capabilities and limitations of such sensors. The challenges, best practices, and future outlook for effectively deploying low-cost sensors, and maintaining data quality are also discussed. For data quality assurance, a two-stage sensor calibration process is recommended, which includes laboratory calibration under controlled conditions by the manufacturer supplemented with routine calibration checks performed by the end-user under final deployment conditions. For large sensor networks where routine calibration checks are impractical, statistical techniques for data quality assurance should be utilised. Further advancements and adoption of sophisticated mathematical and statistical techniques for sensor calibration, fault detection, and data quality assurance can indeed help to realise the promised benefits of a low-cost air pollution sensor network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Rate-cost tradeoffs in control

    KAUST Repository

    Kostina, Victoria

    2017-02-13

    Consider a distributed control problem with a communication channel connecting the observer of a linear stochastic system to the controller. The goal of the controller is minimize a quadratic cost function. The most basic special case of that cost function is the mean-square deviation of the system state from the desired state. We study the fundamental tradeoff between the communication rate r bits/sec and the limsup of the expected cost b, and show a lower bound on the rate necessary to attain b. The bound applies as long as the system noise has a probability density function. If target cost b is not too large, that bound can be closely approached by a simple lattice quantization scheme that only quantizes the innovation, that is, the difference between the controller\\'s belief about the current state and the true state.

  19. Dynamic control of quadruped robot with hierarchical control structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yu-Zhang; Furusho, Junji; Okajima, Yosuke.

    1988-01-01

    For moving on irregular terrain, such as the inside of a nuclear power plant and outer space, it is generally recognized that the multilegged walking robot is suitable. This paper proposes a hierarchical control structure for the dynamic control of quadruped walking robots. For this purpose, we present a reduced order model which can approximate the original higher order model very well. Since this reduced order model does not require much computational time, it can be used in the real-time control of a quadruped walking robot. A hierarchical control experiment is shown in which the optimal control algorithm using a reduced order model is calculated by one microprocessor, and the other control algorithm is calculated by another microprocessor. (author)

  20. PEP-II injection timing and controls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bharadwaj, V.; Browne, M.; Crane, M.; Gromme, T.; Himel, T.; Ross, M.; Stanek, M.; Ronan, M.

    1997-07-01

    Hardware has been built and software written and incorporated in the existing SLC accelerator control system to control injection of beam pulses from the accelerator into the PEP-II storage rings currently under construction. Hardware includes a CAMAC module to delay the machine timing fiducial in order that a beam pulse extracted from a damping ring will be injected into a selected group of four 476 MHz buckets in a PEP-II ring. Further timing control is accomplished by shifting the phase of the bunches stored in the damping rings before extraction while leaving the phase of the PEP-II stored beam unchanged. The software which drives timing devices on a pulse-to-pulse basis relies on a dedicated communication link on which one scheduling microprocessor broadcasts a 128-bit message to all distributed control microprocessors at 360 Hz. PEP-II injection will be driven by the scheduling microprocessor according to lists specifying bucket numbers in arbitrary order, and according to scheduling constraints maximizing the useful beam delivered to the SLC collider currently in operation. These lists will be generated by a microprocessor monitoring the current stored per bucket in each of the PEP-II rings

  1. Mobile 3d Mapping with a Low-Cost Uav System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neitzel, F.; Klonowski, J.

    2011-09-01

    In this contribution it is shown how an UAV system can be built at low costs. The components of the system, the equipment as well as the control software are presented. Furthermore an implemented programme for photogrammetric flight planning and its execution are described. The main focus of this contribution is on the generation of 3D point clouds from digital imagery. For this web services and free software solutions are presented which automatically generate 3D point clouds from arbitrary image configurations. Possibilities of georeferencing are described whereas the achieved accuracy has been determined. The presented workflow is finally used for the acquisition of 3D geodata. On the example of a landfill survey it is shown that marketable products can be derived using a low-cost UAV.

  2. Intelligent multi-unit disk controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poirot, Lucien

    1982-01-01

    This controller has been designed as a link between a 16 bits minicomputer and two types of disks units interface: the SMD interface and an equivalent to the DRI unit interface. Four units of each type can be handled by the controller. A bit slice microprocessor controls the interface with the disks units. The maximum exchange rate is 8 megabits per second. A CRC feature has been provided for error detection. A 16 bits microprocessor implements the interface to the computer, assuring head positioning, the management of bad tracks, as well as the supervision of each transfer. A internal buffer memory allows an asynchronous dialogue with the computer. The implementation of the controller makes easy the adaptation to disks units of various types, and though it has been initially intended for a minicomputer of the MITRA type, its microprocessor based design makes it fitted to any minicomputer. (author) [fr

  3. A low-cost colorimeter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, N B; Riley, C; Sheya, M S; Hosseinmardi, M M

    1984-01-01

    A need for a colorimeter with low capital and maintenance costs has been suggested for countries with foreign exchange problems and no local medical instrumentation industry. This paper puts forward a design for such a device based on a domestic light-bulb, photographic filters and photovoltaic cells. The principle of the design is the use of a balancing technique involving twin light paths for test solution and reference solution and an electronic bridge circuit. It is shown that proper selection of the components will allow the cost objectives to be met and also provide acceptable linearity, precision, accuracy and repeatability.

  4. A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Remote Sensing through Low-Cost UAVs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvario, Gabriela; Sierra, Basilio; Alarcón, Teresa E; Hernandez, Carmen; Dalmau, Oscar

    2017-06-16

    The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) based on remote sensing has generated low cost monitoring, since the data can be acquired quickly and easily. This paper reports the experience related to agave crop analysis with a low cost UAV. The data were processed by traditional photogrammetric flow and data extraction techniques were applied to extract new layers and separate the agave plants from weeds and other elements of the environment. Our proposal combines elements of photogrammetry, computer vision, data mining, geomatics and computer science. This fusion leads to very interesting results in agave control. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of UAV monitoring in agave crops and the importance of information processing with reliable data flow.

  5. Control Strategy Tool (CoST)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The EPA Control Strategy Tool (CoST) is a software tool for projecting potential future control scenarios, their effects on emissions and estimated costs. This tool...

  6. Low-input, low-cost IPM program helps manage potato psyllid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sean M. Prager

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Potato psyllid is a pest of solanaceous plants throughout much of the western United States, including California, where it has increased and is now overwintering. The psyllid affects its plant hosts from direct feeding and by transmitting a plant pathogenic bacterium, Lso. Millions of dollars of damages have occurred in the U.S. potato industry, and a large acreage of crops is susceptible in California. Control is complicated because different crops have different pest complexes and susceptibilities to Lso; currently most growers use multiple pesticide applications, including broad-spectrum insecticides. Results of our field trials at South Coast Research and Extension Center indicate that the use of broad-spectrum insecticides actually increases psyllid numbers in both peppers and potatoes. We have developed a low-input IPM program, which in field trials produced encouraging results in peppers, potatoes and tomatoes compared to broad-spectrum insecticides. Economic analysis showed the low-input IPM approach was more cost effective than a standard insecticide program in tomatoes.

  7. Low-Cost Open-Source Voltage and Current Monitor for Gas Metal Arc Weld 3D Printing

    OpenAIRE

    Pinar, A.; Wijnen, B.; Anzalone, G. C.; Havens, T. C.; Sanders, P. G.; Pearce, J. M.

    2015-01-01

    Arduino open-source microcontrollers are well known in sensor applications for scientific equipment and for controlling RepRap 3D printers. Recently low-cost open-source gas metal arc weld (GMAW) RepRap 3D printers have been developed. The entry-level welders used have minimal controls and therefore lack any real-time measurement of welder voltage or current. The preliminary work on process optimization of GMAW 3D printers requires a low-cost sensor and data logger system to measure welder cu...

  8. Low Cost/Low Noise Variable Pitch Ducted Fan, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ACI proposes a design for a Propulsor (Low Cost/Low Noise Variable Pitch Ducted Fan) that has wide application in all sectors of Aviation. Propulsor hardware of this...

  9. Architecture of 32 bit CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jove, T.M.; Ayguade, E.; Valero, M.

    1988-01-01

    In this paper we describe the main topics about the architecture of the best known 32-bit CISC microprocessors; i80386, MC68000 family, NS32000 series and Z80000. We focus on the high level languages support, operating system design facilities, memory management, techniques to speed up the overall performance and program debugging facilities. (Author)

  10. Development of low-cost high-performance multispectral camera system at Banpil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oduor, Patrick; Mizuno, Genki; Olah, Robert; Dutta, Achyut K.

    2014-05-01

    Banpil Photonics (Banpil) has developed a low-cost high-performance multispectral camera system for Visible to Short- Wave Infrared (VIS-SWIR) imaging for the most demanding high-sensitivity and high-speed military, commercial and industrial applications. The 640x512 pixel InGaAs uncooled camera system is designed to provide a compact, smallform factor to within a cubic inch, high sensitivity needing less than 100 electrons, high dynamic range exceeding 190 dB, high-frame rates greater than 1000 frames per second (FPS) at full resolution, and low power consumption below 1W. This is practically all the feature benefits highly desirable in military imaging applications to expand deployment to every warfighter, while also maintaining a low-cost structure demanded for scaling into commercial markets. This paper describes Banpil's development of the camera system including the features of the image sensor with an innovation integrating advanced digital electronics functionality, which has made the confluence of high-performance capabilities on the same imaging platform practical at low cost. It discusses the strategies employed including innovations of the key components (e.g. focal plane array (FPA) and Read-Out Integrated Circuitry (ROIC)) within our control while maintaining a fabless model, and strategic collaboration with partners to attain additional cost reductions on optics, electronics, and packaging. We highlight the challenges and potential opportunities for further cost reductions to achieve a goal of a sub-$1000 uncooled high-performance camera system. Finally, a brief overview of emerging military, commercial and industrial applications that will benefit from this high performance imaging system and their forecast cost structure is presented.

  11. Cost Estimation and Control for Flight Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammond, Walter E.; Vanhook, Michael E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Good program management practices, cost analysis, cost estimation, and cost control for aerospace flight systems are interrelated and depend upon each other. The best cost control process cannot overcome poor design or poor systems trades that lead to the wrong approach. The project needs robust Technical, Schedule, Cost, Risk, and Cost Risk practices before it can incorporate adequate Cost Control. Cost analysis both precedes and follows cost estimation -- the two are closely coupled with each other and with Risk analysis. Parametric cost estimating relationships and computerized models are most often used. NASA has learned some valuable lessons in controlling cost problems, and recommends use of a summary Project Manager's checklist as shown here.

  12. Cost-effective instrumentation and control upgrades for commercial nuclear power plants surety principles developed at Sandia National Laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochau, G.E.; Dalton, L.J.

    1998-01-01

    Many nuclear power plants use instrument and control systems based on analog electronics. The state of the art in process control and instrumentation has advanced to use digital electronics and incorporate advanced technology. This technology includes: distributed microprocessors, fiber optics, intelligent systems (neutral networks), and advanced displays. The technology is used to optimize processes and enhance the man-machine interface while maintaining control and safety of the processes. Nuclear power plant operators have been hesitant to install this technology because of the cost and uncertainty in the regulatory process. This technology can be directly applied in an operating nuclear power plant provided a surety principle-based 'administrator' hardware system is included in parallel with the upgrade. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a rigorous approach to High Consequence System Surety (HCSS). This approach addresses the key issues of safety, security, and control while satisfying requirements for reliability and quality. We believe that HCSS principles can be applied to nuclear power plants in a manner that allows the off-the-shelf use of process control instrumentation while maintaining a high level of safety and enhancing the plant performance. We propose that an HCSS Administrator be constructed as a standardized approach to address regulatory issues. Such an administrator would allow a plant control system to be constructed with commercially available, state-to-the-art equipment and be customized to the needs of the individual plant operator. (author)

  13. A low cost PSD-based monocular motion capture system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Young Kee; Oh, Choonsuk

    2007-10-01

    This paper describes a monocular PSD-based motion capture sensor to employ with commercial video game systems such as Microsoft's XBOX and Sony's Playstation II. The system is compact, low-cost, and only requires a one-time calibration at the factory. The system includes a PSD(Position Sensitive Detector) and active infrared (IR) LED markers that are placed on the object to be tracked. The PSD sensor is placed in the focal plane of a wide-angle lens. The micro-controller calculates the 3D position of the markers using only the measured intensity and the 2D position on the PSD. A series of experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of our prototype system. From the experimental results we see that the proposed system has the advantages of the compact size, the low cost, the easy installation, and the high frame rates to be suitable for high speed motion tracking in games.

  14. Low-Cost High-Performance MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarracanie, Mathieu; Lapierre, Cristen D.; Salameh, Najat; Waddington, David E. J.; Witzel, Thomas; Rosen, Matthew S.

    2015-10-01

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is unparalleled in its ability to visualize anatomical structure and function non-invasively with high spatial and temporal resolution. Yet to overcome the low sensitivity inherent in inductive detection of weakly polarized nuclear spins, the vast majority of clinical MRI scanners employ superconducting magnets producing very high magnetic fields. Commonly found at 1.5-3 tesla (T), these powerful magnets are massive and have very strict infrastructure demands that preclude operation in many environments. MRI scanners are costly to purchase, site, and maintain, with the purchase price approaching $1 M per tesla (T) of magnetic field. We present here a remarkably simple, non-cryogenic approach to high-performance human MRI at ultra-low magnetic field, whereby modern under-sampling strategies are combined with fully-refocused dynamic spin control using steady-state free precession techniques. At 6.5 mT (more than 450 times lower than clinical MRI scanners) we demonstrate (2.5 × 3.5 × 8.5) mm3 imaging resolution in the living human brain using a simple, open-geometry electromagnet, with 3D image acquisition over the entire brain in 6 minutes. We contend that these practical ultra-low magnetic field implementations of MRI (standards for affordable (<$50,000) and robust portable devices.

  15. Low profile, low cost, new geometry integrated inductors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ouyang, Ziwei; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2011-01-01

    windings with well-defined thickness. Many advantages and disadvantages are described in depth. In this work, inverse coupling and direct coupling in the new geometry integrated inductors have been analyzed. Coupling characteristic caused by a special saturation behavior has been emphasis. And also...... variable inductors caused by the special saturation behavior may be utilized in some applications. The new integrated inductors make it possible to build low-profile, low-cost, flexibility DC/DC converters, and it can be extensively designed for the low-voltage and high-current required by the modern...

  16. The high cost of low-acuity ICU outliers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, Deborah; Wojtal, Greg G; Breslow, Michael J; Holl, Randy; Huguez, Debra; Stone, David; Korpi, Gloria

    2012-01-01

    Direct variable costs were determined on each hospital day for all patients with an intensive care unit (ICU) stay in four Phoenix-area hospital ICUs. Average daily direct variable cost in the four ICUs ranged from $1,436 to $1,759 and represented 69.4 percent and 45.7 percent of total hospital stay cost for medical and surgical patients, respectively. Daily ICU cost and length of stay (LOS) were higher in patients with higher ICU admission acuity of illness as measured by the APACHE risk prediction methodology; 16.2 percent of patients had an ICU stay in excess of six days, and these LOS outliers accounted for 56.7 percent of total ICU cost. While higher-acuity patients were more likely to be ICU LOS outliers, 11.1 percent of low-risk patients were outliers. The low-risk group included 69.4 percent of the ICU population and accounted for 47 percent of all LOS outliers. Low-risk LOS outliers accounted for 25.3 percent of ICU cost and incurred fivefold higher hospital stay costs and mortality rates. These data suggest that severity of illness is an important determinant of daily resource consumption and LOS, regardless of whether the patient arrives in the ICU with high acuity or develops complications that increase acuity. The finding that a substantial number of long-stay patients come into the ICU with low acuity and deteriorate after ICU admission is not widely recognized and represents an important opportunity to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. ICUs should consider adding low-risk LOS data to their quality and financial performance reports.

  17. Low-cost in vitro fertilization: current insights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teoh PJ

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Pek Joo Teoh, Abha MaheshwariAberdeen Fertility Centre, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKAbstract: Despite the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF more than 30 years ago, the cost of treatment remains high. Furthermore, over the years, more sophisticated technologies and expensive medications have been introduced, making IVF increasingly inaccessible despite the increasing need. Globally, the option to undergo IVF is only available to a privileged few. In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring strategies to reduce the cost of IVF treatment, which would allow the service to be provided in low-resource settings. In this review, we explore the various ways in which the cost of this treatment can be reduced.Keywords: IVF, low-cost, accessible, developing world

  18. Key issues for low-cost FGD installations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DePriest, W.; Mazurek, J.M. [Sargent & Lundy LLC, Chicago, IL (United States)

    1995-12-01

    This paper will discuss various methods for installing low-cost FGD systems. The paper will include a discussion of various types of FGD systems available, both wet and dry, and will compare the relative cost of each type. Important design issues, such as use of spare equipment, materials of construction, etc. will be presented. An overview of various low-cost construction techniques (i.e., modularization) will be included. This paper will draw heavily from Sargent & Lundy`s database of past and current FGD projects together with information we gathered for several Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) studies on the subject.

  19. A Low Cost and High Speed Electrical Capacitance Tomography System Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruzairi ABDUL RAHIM

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Electrical capacitance tomography system is a system which can be used for imaging industrial multi-component processes involving non-conducting fluids in pipelines. In order to make an ECT system applicable in all kinds of industries, the cost factor of building an ECT system is essential. In this research, we focus on reducing the cost of the system while not affecting the quality of the results. In the past, most of the researches in tomography system have concentrated more on the design of the sensor, and use DAS card as the interface to the PC. This will increase the cost of the system. In this case, the cost of the data acquisition system will be needed to be taken into consideration. To develop a low cost and fast data acquisition system, a Universal Serial Bus (USB is found to be the most ideal technology. In order to further reduce the cost of the ECT system, a very low cost material, aluminium plates are used as the electrodes of the system. The information obtained in the PC will be reconstructed using iterative algorithm in order to obtain a precise image of the flow in the pipeline. The information obtained from the system will be useful for the purpose of controlling the flow in the pipeline.

  20. Satisfying STEM Education Using the Arduino Microprocessor in C Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffer, Brandyn M.

    There exists a need to promote better Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education at the high school level. To satisfy this need a series of hands-on laboratory assignments were created to be accompanied by 2 educational trainers that contain various electronic components. This project provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to teaching C programming that meets several standards defined by the Tennessee Board of Education. Together the trainers and lab assignments also introduce key concepts in math and science while allowing students hands-on experience with various electronic components. This will allow students to mimic real world applications of using the C programming language while exposing them to technology not currently introduced in many high school classrooms. The developed project is targeted at high school students performing at or above the junior level and uses the Arduino Mega open-source Microprocessor and software as the primary control unit.

  1. Untrimmed Low-Power Thermal Sensor for SoC in 22 nm Digital Fabrication Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ro'ee Eitan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Thermal sensors (TS are essential for achieving optimized performance and reliability in the era of nanoscale microprocessor and system on chip (SoC. Compiling with the low-power and small die area of the mobile computing, the presented TS supports a wide range of sampling frequencies with an optimized power envelope. The TS supports up to 45 K samples/s, low average power consumption, as low as 20 μW, and small core Si area of 0.013 mm2. Advanced circuit techniques are used in order to overcome process variability, ensuring inaccuracy lower than ±2 °C without any calibration. All this makes the presented thermal sensor a cost-effective, low-power solution for 22 nm nanoscale digital process technology.

  2. Reliability of microprocessor-based relay protection devices: Myths and reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurevich Vladimir

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The article examines four basic theses about the ostensibly extremely high reliability of microprocessor-based relay protection (MP touted by supporters of MP. Through detailed analysis based on many references it is shown that the basis of these theses are widespread myths, and actually MP reliability is lower than the reliability of electromechanical and electronic protective relays on discrete components.

  3. Unified microprocessor CAMAC module for preliminary data processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaushitsin, V.L.; Kulik, O.V.; Repin, V.M.

    1984-01-01

    The UP-80 unified active module is described. It is made in the CAMAC standard on the base of the K580IK80 microprocessor allowing to increase the rate of large-volume experimental spectroscopic data processing by an order. Loading of 5 different programs for data processing is possible. Data from the operative storage with 1K capacity (8 bits) are recorded and read out trhough the CAMAC line (the regime of unit exchange is possible) or through the joint of the external line

  4. Cost-Effective Control of Infectious Disease Outbreaks Accounting for Societal Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fast, Shannon M; González, Marta C; Markuzon, Natasha

    2015-01-01

    Studies of cost-effective disease prevention have typically focused on the tradeoff between the cost of disease transmission and the cost of applying control measures. We present a novel approach that also accounts for the cost of social disruptions resulting from the spread of disease. These disruptions, which we call social response, can include heightened anxiety, strain on healthcare infrastructure, economic losses, or violence. The spread of disease and social response are simulated under several different intervention strategies. The modeled social response depends upon the perceived risk of the disease, the extent of disease spread, and the media involvement. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we estimate the total number of infections and total social response for each strategy. We then identify the strategy that minimizes the expected total cost of the disease, which includes the cost of the disease itself, the cost of control measures, and the cost of social response. The model-based simulations suggest that the least-cost disease control strategy depends upon the perceived risk of the disease, as well as media intervention. The most cost-effective solution for diseases with low perceived risk was to implement moderate control measures. For diseases with higher perceived severity, such as SARS or Ebola, the most cost-effective strategy shifted toward intervening earlier in the outbreak, with greater resources. When intervention elicited increased media involvement, it remained important to control high severity diseases quickly. For moderate severity diseases, however, it became most cost-effective to implement no intervention and allow the disease to run its course. Our simulation results imply that, when diseases are perceived as severe, the costs of social response have a significant influence on selecting the most cost-effective strategy.

  5. Cost-Effective Control of Infectious Disease Outbreaks Accounting for Societal Reaction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shannon M Fast

    Full Text Available Studies of cost-effective disease prevention have typically focused on the tradeoff between the cost of disease transmission and the cost of applying control measures. We present a novel approach that also accounts for the cost of social disruptions resulting from the spread of disease. These disruptions, which we call social response, can include heightened anxiety, strain on healthcare infrastructure, economic losses, or violence.The spread of disease and social response are simulated under several different intervention strategies. The modeled social response depends upon the perceived risk of the disease, the extent of disease spread, and the media involvement. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we estimate the total number of infections and total social response for each strategy. We then identify the strategy that minimizes the expected total cost of the disease, which includes the cost of the disease itself, the cost of control measures, and the cost of social response.The model-based simulations suggest that the least-cost disease control strategy depends upon the perceived risk of the disease, as well as media intervention. The most cost-effective solution for diseases with low perceived risk was to implement moderate control measures. For diseases with higher perceived severity, such as SARS or Ebola, the most cost-effective strategy shifted toward intervening earlier in the outbreak, with greater resources. When intervention elicited increased media involvement, it remained important to control high severity diseases quickly. For moderate severity diseases, however, it became most cost-effective to implement no intervention and allow the disease to run its course. Our simulation results imply that, when diseases are perceived as severe, the costs of social response have a significant influence on selecting the most cost-effective strategy.

  6. Fast Paced, Low Cost Projects at MSFC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson-Morgan, Lisa; Clinton, Raymond

    2012-01-01

    one year. FastSat HSV01 also deployed a Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (PPOD) for a separate nano ]satellite class spacecraft (Cubesat: Nano Sail Demonstration) in partnership with Ames Research Center. The Robotic lunar lander is a MSFC JHU APL partnership that led to the development of a flexible architecture for landers to support robotic missions to a wide range of lunar and asteroid destinations. The team started with the goal of meeting NASA agency directives that led to the creation of a test bed focusing on GN&C and software to demonstrate the descent and landing on any airless body for the final 30 to 60 meters. The team created a complex technology demonstration as well as Guidance Control and Navigation (GN&C) algorithms providing autonomous control of the lander. The team uses a green propellant of 90% hydrogen peroxide and has completed 18 successful test flights. The International Space Station (ISS) SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) is a technology demonstration payload to assist the SERVIR project with environmental monitoring for disaster relief and humanitarian efforts. The ISERV project was a partnership with TBE. The ISERV payload consists of a commercial off the shelf camera, telescope, and MSFC developed power distribution box and interfaces on ISS with the Window Observational Research Facility in the US Lab. MSFC has identified three key areas that enabled the low cost mission success to include culture, partnering, and cost/schedule control. This paper will briefly discuss these three Class D efforts, FastSat HSV-01, the Robotic Lunar Lander and the ISERV camera system, the lessons learned, their successes and challenges.

  7. Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Different Weekly Frequencies of Pilates for Chronic Low Back Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyamoto, Gisela Cristiane; Moura, Katherinne Ferro; Franco, Yuri Rafael dos Santos; Oliveira, Naiane Teixeira Bastos de; Amaral, Diego Diulgeroglo Vicco; Branco, Amanda Nery Castelo; Silva, Maria Liliane da; Lin, Christine; Cabral, Cristina Maria Nunes

    2016-03-01

    The Pilates method has been recommended to patients with low back pain, but the evidence on effectiveness is inconclusive. In addition, there is still no evidence for the cost-effectiveness of this method or for the ideal number of sessions to achieve the highest effectiveness. The aim of this study will be to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Pilates method with different weekly frequencies in the treatment of patients with nonspecific low back pain. This is a randomized controlled trial with blinded assessor. This study will be conducted at a physical therapy clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. Two hundred ninety-six patients with nonspecific low back pain between the ages of 18 and 80 years will be assessed and randomly allocated to 4 groups (n=74 patients per group). All groups will receive an educational booklet. The booklet group will not receive additional exercises. Pilates group 1 will follow a Pilates-based program once a week, Pilates group 2 will follow the same program twice a week, and Pilates group 3 will follow the same program 3 times a week. The intervention will last 6 weeks. A blinded assessor will evaluate pain, quality-adjusted life-years, general and specific disability, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, and global perceived effect 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after randomization. Therapists and patients will not be blinded. This will be the first study to investigate different weekly frequencies of treatment sessions for nonspecific low back pain. The results of this study will contribute to a better definition of treatment programs for this population. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

  8. A Rapid and Low-Cost PCR Thermal Cycler for Low Resource Settings.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grace Wong

    Full Text Available Many modern molecular diagnostic assays targeting nucleic acids are typically confined to developed countries or to the national reference laboratories of developing-world countries. The ability to make technologies for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases broadly available in a portable, low-cost format would mark a revolutionary step forward in global health. Many molecular assays are also developed based on polymerase chain reactions (PCR, which require thermal cyclers that are relatively heavy (>20 pounds and need continuous electrical power. The temperature ramping speed of most economical thermal cyclers are relatively slow (2 to 3 °C/s so a polymerase chain reaction can take 1 to 2 hours. Most of all, these thermal cyclers are still too expensive ($2k to $4k for low-resource setting uses.In this article, we demonstrate the development of a low-cost and rapid water bath based thermal cycler that does not require active temperature control or continuous power supply during PCR. This unit costs $130 to build using commercial off-the-shelf items. The use of two or three vacuum-insulated stainless-steel Thermos food jars containing heated water (for denaturation and annealing/extension steps and a layer of oil on top of the water allow for significantly stabilized temperatures for PCR to take place. Using an Arduino-based microcontroller, we automate the "archaic" method of hand-transferring PCR tubes between water baths.We demonstrate that this innovative unit can deliver high speed PCR (17 s per PCR cycle with the potential to go beyond the 1,522 bp long amplicons tested in this study and can amplify from templates down to at least 20 copies per reaction. The unit also accepts regular PCR tubes and glass capillary tubes. The PCR efficiency of our thermal cycler is not different from other commercial thermal cyclers. When combined with a rapid nucleic acid detection approach, the thermos thermal cycler (TTC can enable on-site molecular

  9. Cultural Heritage Recording Utilising Low-Cost Closerange Photogrammetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie Kirchhöfer

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Cultural heritage is under a constant threat of damage or even destruction and comprehensive and accurate recording is necessary to attenuate the risk of losing heritage or serve as basis for reconstruction. Cost effective and easy to use methods are required to record cultural heritage, particularly during a world recession, and close-range photogrammetry has proven potential in this area. Off-the-shelf digital cameras can be used to rapidly acquire data at low cost, allowing non-experts to become involved. Exterior orientation of the camera during exposure ideally needs to be established for every image, traditionally requiring known coordinated target points. Establishing these points is time consuming and costly and using targets can be often undesirable on sensitive sites. MEMS-based sensors can assist in overcoming this problem by providing small-size and low-cost means to directly determine exterior orientation for close-range photogrammetry. This paper describes development of an image-based recording system, comprising an off-the-shelf digital SLR camera, a MEMS-based 3D orientation sensor and a GPS antenna. All system components were assembled in a compact and rigid frame that allows calibration of rotational and positional offsets between the components. The project involves collaboration between English Heritage and Loughborough University and the intention is to assess the system’s achievable accuracy and practicability in a heritage recording environment. Tests were conducted at Loughborough University and a case study at St. Catherine’s Oratory on the Isle of Wight, UK. These demonstrate that the data recorded by the system can indeed meet the accuracy requirements for heritage recording at medium accuracy (1-4cm, with either a single or even no control points. As the recording system has been configured with a focus on low-cost and easy-to-use components, it is believed to be suitable for heritage recording by non

  10. Operating experience with a new accelerator control system based upon microprocessors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magyary, S.; Lancaster, H.; Selph, F.; Fahmie, M.; Timossi, C.; Glatz, J.; Ritchie, A.; Hinkson, J.; Benjegerdes, R.; Brodzik, D.

    1981-03-01

    This paper describes the design and operating experience with a high performance control system tailored to the requirements of the SuperHILAC accelerator. A large number (20) of the latest 16-bit microcomputer boards are used in a parallel-distributed manner to get a high system bandwidth. Because of the high bandwidth, software costs and complexity are significantly reduced. The system by its very nature and design is easily upgraded and repaired. Dynamically assigned and labeled knobs, together with touch-panels, allow a flexible and efficient operator interface. An X-Y vector graphics system provides for display and labeling of real-time signals as well as general plotting functions. This control system allows attachment of a powerful auxiliary computer for scientific processing with access to accelerator parameters.

  11. Aiding operator performance at low power feedwater control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woods, D.D.

    1986-01-01

    Control of the feedwater system during low power operations (approximately 2% to 30% power) is a difficult task where poor performance (excessive trips) has a high cost to utilities. This paper describes several efforts in the human factors aspects of this task that are underway to improve feedwater control. A variety of knowledge acquisition techniques have been used to understand the details of what makes feedwater control at low power difficult and what knowledge and skill distinguishes expert operators at this task from less experienced ones. The results indicate that there are multiple factors that contribute to task difficulty

  12. Quadcopter flight control using a low-cost hybrid interface with EEG-based classification and eye tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byung Hyung; Kim, Minho; Jo, Sungho

    2014-08-01

    We propose a wearable hybrid interface where eye movements and mental concentration directly influence the control of a quadcopter in three-dimensional space. This noninvasive and low-cost interface addresses limitations of previous work by supporting users to complete their complicated tasks in a constrained environment in which only visual feedback is provided. The combination of the two inputs augments the number of control commands to enable the flying robot to travel in eight different directions within the physical environment. Five human subjects participated in the experiments to test the feasibility of the hybrid interface. A front view camera on the hull of the quadcopter provided the only visual feedback to each remote subject on a laptop display. Based on the visual feedback, the subjects used the interface to navigate along pre-set target locations in the air. The flight performance was evaluated by comparing with a keyboard-based interface. We demonstrate the applicability of the hybrid interface to explore and interact with a three-dimensional physical space through a flying robot. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. MFTF supervisory control and diagnostics system hardware

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butner, D.N.

    1979-01-01

    The Supervisory Control and Diagnostics System (SCDS) for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) is a multiprocessor minicomputer system designed so that for most single-point failures, the hardware may be quickly reconfigured to provide continued operation of the experiment. The system is made up of nine Perkin-Elmer computers - a mixture of 8/32's and 7/32's. Each computer has ports on a shared memory system consisting of two independent shared memory modules. Each processor can signal other processors through hardware external to the shared memory. The system communicates with the Local Control and Instrumentation System, which consists of approximately 65 microprocessors. Each of the six system processors has facilities for communicating with a group of microprocessors; the groups consist of from four to 24 microprocessors. There are hardware switches so that if an SCDS processor communicating with a group of microprocessors fails, another SCDS processor takes over the communication

  14. Microprocessors & their operating systems a comprehensive guide to 8, 16 & 32 bit hardware, assembly language & computer architecture

    CERN Document Server

    Holland, R C

    1989-01-01

    Provides a comprehensive guide to all of the major microprocessor families (8, 16 and 32 bit). The hardware aspects and software implications are described, giving the reader an overall understanding of microcomputer architectures. The internal processor operation of each microprocessor device is presented, followed by descriptions of the instruction set and applications for the device. Software considerations are expanded with descriptions and examples of the main high level programming languages (BASIC, Pascal and C). The book also includes detailed descriptions of the three main operatin

  15. A low cost general purpose portable programmable master/slave manipulative appliance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cameron, W.

    1984-01-01

    The TRIUMF 100 μA 500 MeV cyclotron, located at the University of British Columbia, required a low cost, portable master/slave manipulative capability for experimental beam line servicing. A programmable capability was also required for the hot cell manipulators. A general purpose unit was developed that might also have applications in light manufacturing and medical rehabilitation. The project now in prototype testing represents a modular portable robot costing less than $5000 that is lead-through-teach programmable by either a master controller or hands-on lead-through. Task programs are stored and retrieved on any 32 k personal computer. An on-board proportional integral derivative controller (Motorola 6809 based) gives discrete positioning of the six degrees of freedom 2 kg capacity end effector

  16. Cost-effective instrumentation and control upgrades for commercial nuclear power plants using surety principles developed at Sandia National Laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochau, G.E.; Dalton, L.J.

    1997-01-01

    Many nuclear power plants use instrument and control systems based on analog electronics. The state of the art in process control and instrumentation has advanced to use digital electronics and incorporate advanced technology. This technology includes distributed microprocessors, fiber optics, intelligent systems (neural networks), and advanced displays. The technology is used to optimize processes and enhance the man-machine interface while maintaining control and safety of the processes. Nuclear power plant operators have been hesitant to install this technology because of the cost and uncertainty in the regulatory process. This technology can be directly applied in an operating nuclear power plant provided a surety principle-based open-quotes administratorclose quotes hardware system is included in parallel with the upgrade Sandia National Laboratories has developed a rigorous approach to High Consequence System Surety (HCSS). This approach addresses the key issues of safety, security, and control while satisfying requirements for reliability and quality. HCSS principles can be applied to nuclear power plants in a manner that allows the off-the-shelf use of process control instrumentation while maintaining a high level of safety and enhancing the plant performance. We propose that an HCSS administrator be constructed as a standardized approach to address regulatory issues. Such an administrator would allow a plant control system to be constructed with commercially available, state-of-the-art equipment and be customized to the needs of the individual plant operator

  17. A fastbus master based on a risc microprocessor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerrito, L.; Chorowicz, V.; Lebbolo, H.; Vallereau, A.

    1990-01-01

    SISIFUS is a general purpose Fastbus Master and Slave able to perform any operation on both Fastbus segments. Master operations are directed either by the processor or by two fast sequencers. A Block Mover function is implemented allowing direct data block transfers between two Slaves. SISIFUS uses the AM 29000 RISC microprocessor which can execute every assembler instruction in 40ns. The on-board monitor/debugger allows programs to be written in assembler from a terminal connected to the module or written in C and cross compiled on a host computer (PC)

  18. Operating cost guidelines for benchmarking DOE thermal treatment systems for low-level mixed waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salmon, R.; Loghry, S.L.; Hermes, W.H.

    1994-11-01

    This report presents guidelines for estimating operating costs for use in benchmarking US Department of Energy (DOE) low-level mixed waste thermal treatment systems. The guidelines are based on operating cost experience at the DOE Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) mixed waste incinerator at the K-25 Site at Oak Ridge. In presenting these guidelines, it should be made clear at the outset that it is not the intention of this report to present operating cost estimates for new technologies, but only guidelines for estimating such costs

  19. A Low-Cost Data Acquisition System for Automobile Dynamics Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Alejandro; Olazagoitia, José Luis; Vinolas, Jordi

    2018-01-27

    This project addresses the need for the implementation of low-cost acquisition technology in the field of vehicle engineering: the design, development, manufacture, and verification of a low-cost Arduino-based data acquisition platform to be used in <80 Hz data acquisition in vehicle dynamics, using low-cost accelerometers. In addition to this, a comparative study is carried out of professional vibration acquisition technologies and low-cost systems, obtaining optimum results for low- and medium-frequency operations with an error of 2.19% on road tests. It is therefore concluded that these technologies are applicable to the automobile industry, thereby allowing the project costs to be reduced and thus facilitating access to this kind of research that requires limited resources.

  20. Low-level processing for real-time image analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskenazi, R.; Wilf, J. M.

    1979-01-01

    A system that detects object outlines in television images in real time is described. A high-speed pipeline processor transforms the raw image into an edge map and a microprocessor, which is integrated into the system, clusters the edges, and represents them as chain codes. Image statistics, useful for higher level tasks such as pattern recognition, are computed by the microprocessor. Peak intensity and peak gradient values are extracted within a programmable window and are used for iris and focus control. The algorithms implemented in hardware and the pipeline processor architecture are described. The strategy for partitioning functions in the pipeline was chosen to make the implementation modular. The microprocessor interface allows flexible and adaptive control of the feature extraction process. The software algorithms for clustering edge segments, creating chain codes, and computing image statistics are also discussed. A strategy for real time image analysis that uses this system is given.

  1. The Effect of a Microprocessor Prosthetic Foot on Function and Quality of Life in Transtibial Amputees Who Are Limited Community Ambulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    motion and active power , will translate into improved functional performance, ambulatory safety (risk of falls) and quality of life in trans-tibial...clinical trial designed to determine if a microprocessor controlled prosthetic foot (MPF), with greater range of motion and active power , will...contact over a 6 month period of time and receive physical therapy training to minimize deviations resulting from habit or lack of training, education

  2. Use of microcomputers in the IUCF control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, J.C.; Manwaring, W.

    1982-01-01

    To lighten the load on the control computer, to realize the advantages inherent in modularized systems and simultaneously to improve systems not previously under computer control requires that intelligence be distributed throughout the IUCF control system. Four microprocessor systems are now up and running. The 162 cm scattering chamber has a microprocessor based vacuum control system which supports fully-automatic pumpdown, but which appears to the operator to be identical to the older hard-wired system. The same chamber has a microprocessor controller for two detector arms and the target table with manual or external computer settable ''seek'' functions; software interlock features prevent damage to detectors. A status annunciator system alerts the operator to failures signaled by contact closures or sensor values falling outside of predefined ranges. Finally, closed loop beam positioning using steering magnets and slits may be turned on or off by the controls computer. All these applications were designed to fit the existing control system hardware and built entirely at IUCF using commercial chips

  3. High-Efficient Low-Cost Photovoltaics Recent Developments

    CERN Document Server

    Petrova-Koch, Vesselinka; Goetzberger, Adolf

    2009-01-01

    A bird's-eye view of the development and problems of recent photovoltaic cells and systems and prospects for Si feedstock is presented. High-efficient low-cost PV modules, making use of novel efficient solar cells (based on c-Si or III-V materials), and low cost solar concentrators are in the focus of this book. Recent developments of organic photovoltaics, which is expected to overcome its difficulties and to enter the market soon, are also included.

  4. Near net shape, low cost ceramic valves for advanced engine applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pidria, M.; Merlone, E.; Parussa, F. [Fiat Research Centre, Orbassano (Italy); Handelsman, J.; Gorodnev, A. [Ceracom Materials Ltd., Yavneh (Israel)

    2003-07-01

    Future gasoline and diesel engines with electro-hydraulic or electro-mechanical valve control systems require the development of lighter valves to achieve the best results in terms of increased performances, lower fuel consumption and overall efficiency. Ceramic materials can adequately satisfy the required mechanical and thermal properties, nevertheless they still lack as far as manufacturing costs are concerned. Objective of the work was the development of a low-cost forming and sintering process, to produce near-net shape ceramic valves thus requiring very low finishing operations and significantly minimizing material waste. Between available technical ceramic materials, silicon nitride has been chosen to replace conventional steels and Ni-based alloys for the exhaust valves application. The work was then devoted to (i) the selection of the best starting materials composition, taking into account the requirements of a cost effective and high volume production, (ii) the development of an innovative pressure-injection molding process to produce near-net shape parts via a thermosetting feedstock and (iii) the optimization of a proper pressure-less sintering route to obtain cost-competitive, real scale components with adequate final density and mechanical properties. (orig.)

  5. Inertial measurement unit–based iterative pose compensation algorithm for low-cost modular manipulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunhan Lin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available It is a necessary mean to realize the accurate motion control of the manipulator which uses end-effector pose correction method and compensation method. In this article, first, we established the kinematic model and error model of the modular manipulator (WUST-ARM, and then we discussed the measurement methods and precision of the inertial measurement unit sensor. The inertial measurement unit sensor is mounted on the end-effector of modular manipulator, to get the real-time pose of the end-effector. At last, a new inertial measurement unit–based iterative pose compensation algorithm is proposed. By applying this algorithm in the pose compensation experiment of modular manipulator which is composed of low-cost rotation joints, the results show that the inertial measurement unit can obtain a higher precision when in static state; it will accurately feedback to the control system with an accurate error compensation angle after a brief delay when the end-effector moves to the target point, and after compensation, the precision errors of roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle are reached at 0.05°, 0.01°, and 0.27° respectively. It proves that this low-cost method provides a new solution to improve the end-effector pose of low-cost modular manipulator.

  6. Microprocessing in European High Energy Physics Experiments - ECFA Working Group on Data Processing Standards - Report of the Microprocessor Subgroup May 1982

    CERN Document Server

    European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA)

    1982-01-01

    This document contains two reports on the use of microprocessors in European High-Energy Physics experiments. The first is a presentation of data collected by a sub-group of the ECFA working group on data procesing standards. The working group is organised by E. Lillestol, University of Bergen and E.M. Rimmer, CERN, DD Division; the Microprocessor sub-group organiser is L.O. Hertzberger, NIKHEF, Amsterdam. Data are given from projects numbered 81 - 194, and some CERN projects are included. Even though there is some duplication of information, a second report has been appended which covers a wider range of CERN projects. This was the result of a microprocessor survey made at CERN by P. Scharff-Hansen, DD Division, at the request of E. Gabthuler. The ECFA working group intends to have reports for all the sub-groups (10 in number) available in machine-readable form at the CERN computer centre. However, it was felt that the information herein is most valuable to designers and users of microprocessors, and that it...

  7. Experimental Determination of Demand Response Control Models and Cost of Control for Ensembles of Window-Mount Air Conditioners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geller, Drew Adam [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Backhaus, Scott N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-09-29

    Control of consumer electrical devices for providing electrical grid services is expanding in both the scope and the diversity of loads that are engaged in control, but there are few experimentally-based models of these devices suitable for control designs and for assessing the cost of control. A laboratory-scale test system is developed to experimentally evaluate the use of a simple window-mount air conditioner for electrical grid regulation services. The experimental test bed is a single, isolated air conditioner embedded in a test system that both emulates the thermodynamics of an air conditioned room and also isolates the air conditioner from the real-world external environmental and human variables that perturb the careful measurements required to capture a model that fully characterizes both the control response functions and the cost of control. The control response functions and cost of control are measured using harmonic perturbation of the temperature set point and a test protocol that further isolates the air conditioner from low frequency environmental variability.

  8. Drosophila subobscura flies adapted to low lead concentration carry no fitness cost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalajdzic, Predrag; Kenig, Bojan; Andjelkovic, Marko

    2015-01-01

    As a response to the long-term presence of heavy metals in the environment, populations can evolve resistance. Its maintenance may have detrimental effect on population's fitness, causing a fitness cost. Lead is one of the widely distributed elements in the environment exhibiting high toxicity on organisms. By analyzing developmental stages viability and developmental time, we evaluated fitness cost in Drosophila subobscura flies adapted to low lead concentration and control flies derived from the same wild population, as well as their hybrids. Significant changes in specific developmental stages viability were detected in both lines, as well as their hybrids, suggesting complex response to low lead concentration. The results show that a long-term exposure to low lead concentration may have a significant impact on a population's survival, especially in a changing environment conditions. - Highlights: • We analyzed fitness cost in Drosophila subobscura flies reared on lead (Pb) for 37 generations. • Two fitness components, developmental stages viability and developmental time, were analyzed. • A long-term exposure to low lead concentration exhibits a complex adaptation response in D. subobscura flies. • A long-term exposure to low lead concentration decreases viability of population in a changing environment condition. - This study suggests that wild species under a long-term exposure to low concentrations of heavy metals could be in increased risk of population reduction under changing environments

  9. Optical incremental rotary encoder in low-cost-design; Optischer inkrementaler Drehgeber in Low-Cost-Bauweise

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hopp, David; Pruss, Christof; Osten, Wolfgang [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Technische Optik; Seybold, Jonathan; Mayer, Volker [Hans-Schickard-Gesellschaft, Stuttgart (DE). Inst. fuer Mikroaufbautechnik (IMAT); Kueck, Heinz [Hans-Schickard-Gesellschaft, Stuttgart (DE). Inst. fuer Mikroaufbautechnik (IMAT); Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Zeitmesstechnik, Fein- und Mikrotechnik

    2010-07-01

    We have developed a new concept for low-cost optical encoders to come up to meet the increasing demand for inexpensive rotary sensors. The principal idea is to use a micro patterned plastic disc with metal coating, as it is used for Compact Discs or DVDs. Such encoder discs can be manufactured by an efficient injection compression moulding process. With this well established technique it is possible to achieve highly precise micro patterns while running a cost effective process for high volume production. (orig.)

  10. Life cycle costs for disposal and assured isolation of low-level radioactive waste in Connecticut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chau, B.; Sutherland, A.A.; Baird, R.D.

    1998-03-01

    This document presents life cycle costs for a low-level radioactive disposal facility and a comparable assured isolation facility. Cost projections were based on general plans and assumptions, including volume projections and operating life, provided by the Connecticut Hazardous Waste Management Service, for a facility designed to meet the State's needs. Life cycle costs include the costs of pre-construction activities, construction, operations, closure, and post-closure institutional control. In order to provide a better basis for understanding the relative magnitude of near-term costs and future costs, the results of present value analysis of ut-year costs are provided

  11. Development of low-cost digital subtraction angiography system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ando, Yutaka; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Imai, Yutaka; Yagishita, Akira; Kunieda, Etsuo.

    1983-01-01

    We developed a simple and low-cost DSA system. This system consists of a conventional fluoroscopic equipment for the GI tract and a mini-computer (GAMMA-11) which are connected each other with a video-disc recorder. The uniqueness of our system are 1. low-cost, 2. low-radiation dose, 3. off-line processing, 4. flexibility of software. The analysis of the time-density curve and image processing will bring us a more usefull information than DSA alone. (author)

  12. hPIN/hTAN: Low-Cost e-Banking Secure against Untrusted Computers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shujun; Sadeghi, Ahmad-Reza; Schmitz, Roland

    We propose hPIN/hTAN, a low-cost token-based e-banking protection scheme when the adversary has full control over the user's computer. Compared with existing hardware-based solutions, hPIN/hTAN depends on neither second trusted channel, nor secure keypad, nor computationally expensive encryption module.

  13. Cost-benefit analysis for management of low-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, D.G.

    1979-01-01

    There are several types of cost-benefit analyses that can be used in evaluating a technical activity such as waste management. A direct comparison can be made of the benefits to be gained versus the costs to be accrued. If the balance is favorable the activity is considered to be acceptable. In many cases, however, a number of alternatives may be available requiring a comparative cost-benefit analysis so that the most favorable option is chosen. After the basic option is chosen, a further analysis is required in which additional control technologies can be considered to further reduce specific types of impact; this represents a differential cost-benefit analysis or, perhaps more properly, a study of cost-effectiveness. Also, because of the wide variety of parameters that go into a cost-benefit analysis and the range of value judgements that may be applied by different interest groups, it is likely that each additional increment of technology will have a slightly different balance point. Factors and impacts that need to be considered in management of low-level wastes will be discussed and a simplified example will be used to demonstrate the difficulties that may be encountered

  14. Cost-benefit analysis for management of low-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, D.G.

    1977-01-01

    There are several types of cost-benefit analyses that can be used in evaluating a technical activity such as waste management. A direct comparison can be made of the benefits to be gained versus the costs to be accrued. If the balance is favorable, the activity is considered to be acceptable. In many cases, however, a number of alternatives may be available requiring a comparative cost-benefit analysis so that the most favorable option is chosen. After the basic option is chosen, a further analysis is required in which additional control technologies can be considered to further reduce specific types of impact; this represents a differential cost-benefit analysis or, perhaps more properly, a study of cost-effectiveness. Also, because of the wide variety of parameters that go into a cost-benefit analysis and the range of value judgements that may be applied by different interest groups, it is likely that each additional increment of technology will have a slightly different balance point. Factors and impacts that need to be considered in management of low-level wastes will be discussed and a simplified example will be used to demonstrate the difficulties that may be encountered

  15. Implementing Low-Cost, Community-Based Exercise Programs for Middle-Aged and Older Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: What Are the Benefits for Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes, Romeu; Sousa, Nelson; Reis, Victor Machado; Themudo-Barata, Jose Luis

    2017-09-13

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a long-term, community-based, combined exercise program developed with low-cost exercise strategies on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged and older patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants ( n = 124; 63.25 ± 7.20 years old) engaged in either a 9-month supervised exercise program ( n = 39; consisting of combined aerobic, resistance, agility/balance, and flexibility exercise; three sessions per week; 70 min per session) or a control group ( n = 85) who maintained their usual care. Glycemic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, anthropometric profile, and the 10-year risk of coronary artery disease were assessed before and after the 9-month intervention. A significant time * group interaction effect ( p exercise program developed with low-cost exercise strategies was effective in inducing significant benefits on glycemic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, anthropometric profile, and the 10-year risk of coronary artery disease in middle-aged and older patients with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Trial Identification Number: ISRCTN09240628.

  16. Organizing for low cost space operations - Status and plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, C.

    1976-01-01

    Design features of the Space Transportation System (vehicle reuse, low cost expendable components, simple payload interfaces, standard support systems) must be matched by economical operational methods to achieve low operating and payload costs. Users will be responsible for their own payloads and will be charged according to the services they require. Efficient use of manpower, simple documentation, simplified test, checkout, and flight planning are firm goals, together with flexibility for quick response to varying user needs. Status of the Shuttle hardware, plans for establishing low cost procedures, and the policy for user charges are discussed.

  17. The design of an asynchronous Tiny RISC TM/TR4101 microprocessor core

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Kåre Tais; Jensen, P.; Korger, P.

    1998-01-01

    This paper presents the design of an asynchronous version of the TR4101 embedded microprocessor core developed by LSI Logic Inc. The asynchronous processor, called ARISC, was designed using the same CAD tools and the same standard cell library that was used to implement the TR4101. The paper repo...

  18. Laboratory cost control and financial management software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, M

    1998-02-09

    Economical constraints within the health care system advocate the introduction of tighter control of costs in clinical laboratories. Detailed cost information forms the basis for cost control and financial management. Based on the cost information, proper decisions regarding priorities, procedure choices, personnel policies and investments can be made. This presentation outlines some principles of cost analysis, describes common limitations of cost analysis, and exemplifies use of software to achieve optimized cost control. One commercially available cost analysis software, LabCost, is described in some detail. In addition to provision of cost information, LabCost also serves as a general management tool for resource handling, accounting, inventory management and billing. The application of LabCost in the selection process of a new high throughput analyzer for a large clinical chemistry service is taken as an example for decisions that can be assisted by cost evaluation. It is concluded that laboratory management that wisely utilizes cost analysis to support the decision-making process will undoubtedly have a clear advantage over those laboratories that fail to employ cost considerations to guide their actions.

  19. Microprocessor based image processing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirza, M.I.; Siddiqui, M.N.; Rangoonwala, A.

    1987-01-01

    Rapid developments in the production of integrated circuits and introduction of sophisticated 8,16 and now 32 bit microprocessor based computers, have set new trends in computer applications. Nowadays the users by investing much less money can make optimal use of smaller systems by getting them custom-tailored according to their requirements. During the past decade there have been great advancements in the field of computer Graphics and consequently, 'Image Processing' has emerged as a separate independent field. Image Processing is being used in a number of disciplines. In the Medical Sciences, it is used to construct pseudo color images from computer aided tomography (CAT) or positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. Art, advertising and publishing people use pseudo colours in pursuit of more effective graphics. Structural engineers use Image Processing to examine weld X-rays to search for imperfections. Photographers use Image Processing for various enhancements which are difficult to achieve in a conventional dark room. (author)

  20. Low Cost Environmental Sensors for Spaceflight: NMP Space Environmental Monitor (SEM) Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, Henry B.; Buehler, Martin G.; Brinza, D.; Patel, J. U.

    2005-01-01

    An outstanding problem in spaceflight is the lack of adequate sensors for monitoring the space environment and its effects on engineering systems. By adequate, we mean low cost in terms of mission impact (e.g., low price, low mass/size, low power, low data rate, and low design impact). The New Millennium Program (NMP) is investigating the development of such a low-cost Space Environmental Monitor (SEM) package for inclusion on its technology validation flights. This effort follows from the need by NMP to characterize the space environment during testing so that potential users can extrapolate the test results to end-use conditions. The immediate objective of this effort is to develop a small diagnostic sensor package that could be obtained from commercial sources. Environments being considered are: contamination, atomic oxygen, ionizing radiation, cosmic radiation, EMI, and temperature. This talk describes the requirements and rational for selecting these environments and reviews a preliminary design that includes a micro-controller data logger with data storage and interfaces to the sensors and spacecraft. If successful, such a sensor package could be the basis of a unique, long term program for monitoring the effects of the space environment on spacecraft systems.

  1. Low-cost, low-weight CNG cylinder development. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richards, Mark E.; Melford, K.; Wong, J.; Gambone, L.

    1999-09-01

    This program was established to develop and commercialize new high-strength steel-lined, composite hoop-wrapped compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders for vehicular applications. As much as 70% of the cost of natural gas vehicles can be related to on-board natural gas storage costs. The cost and weight targets for this program represent significant savings in each characteristic when compared to comparable containers available at the initiation of the program. The program objectives were to optimize specific weight and cost goals, yielding CNG cylinders with dimensions that should, allowing for minor modifications, satisfy several vehicle market segments. The optimization process encompassed material, design, and process improvement. In optimizing the CNG cylinder design, due consideration was given to safety aspects relative to national, international, and vehicle manufacturer cylinder standards and requirements. The report details the design and development effort, encompassing plant modifications, material selection, design issues, tooling development, prototype development, and prototype testing. Extenuating circumstances prevented the immediate commercialization of the cylinder designs, though significant progress was made towards improving the cost and performance of CNG cylinders. A new low-cost fiber was successfully employed while the weight target was met and the cost target was missed by less than seven percent.

  2. Low-cost thermo-electric infrared FPAs and their automotive applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirota, Masaki; Ohta, Yoshimi; Fukuyama, Yasuhiro

    2008-04-01

    This paper describes three low-cost infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) having a 1,536, 2,304, and 10,800 elements and experimental vehicle systems. They have a low-cost potential because each element consists of p-n polysilicon thermocouples, which allows the use of low-cost ultra-fine microfabrication technology commonly employed in the conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes. To increase the responsivity of FPA, we have developed a precisely patterned Au-black absorber that has high infrared absorptivity of more than 90%. The FPA having a 2,304 elements achieved high resposivity of 4,300 V/W. In order to reduce package cost, we developed a vacuum-sealed package integrated with a molded ZnS lens. The camera aiming the temperature measurement of a passenger cabin is compact and light weight devices that measures 45 x 45 x 30 mm and weighs 190 g. The camera achieves a noise equivalent temperature deviation (NETD) of less than 0.7°C from 0 to 40°C. In this paper, we also present a several experimental systems that use infrared cameras. One experimental system is a blind spot pedestrian warning system that employs four infrared cameras. It can detect the infrared radiation emitted from a human body and alerts the driver when a pedestrian is in a blind spot. The system can also prevent the vehicle from moving in the direction of the pedestrian. Another system uses a visible-light camera and infrared sensors to detect the presence of a pedestrian in a rear blind spot and alerts the driver. The third system is a new type of human-machine interface system that enables the driver to control the car's audio system without letting go of the steering wheel. Uncooled infrared cameras are still costly, which limits their automotive use to high-end luxury cars at present. To promote widespread use of IR imaging sensors on vehicles, we need to reduce their cost further.

  3. A Low Cost Mechatronics Device for STEM Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Himes, Larry Eugene, Jr.

    All of the low-cost STEM education devices currently available are limited in function which limits learning. The motivation was to design and develop a device that will intrigue post-secondary students to learn STEM education concepts in a hands-on manner. The device needed to be open source so as to lower the cost to make it available to more students. And, making it feature rich was important for use with multiple projects the students may encounter or build themselves as they grow. The device has provided visual and physical feedback to students making the device more intriguing to use. Using the open-source C compiler reduced cost for students to use the device and taught them how to use an industry standard programming language. Students enjoyed the WAV file rendering for sound effects and LED lighting effects from the device. Most interviewees were intrigued by the device for use in their training facilities and classrooms. There are a couple of multi-axis controllers available but none with position feedback. Ethernet or Bluetooth interfacing was mentioned as a future feature and it was encouraged by nearly all who were interviewed.

  4. Low Cost Polymer heat Exchangers for Condensing Boilers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butcher, Thomas [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Trojanowski, Rebecca [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Wei, George [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Worek, Michael [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

    2015-09-30

    Work in this project sought to develop a suitable design for a low cost, corrosion resistant heat exchanger as part of a high efficiency condensing boiler. Based upon the design parameters and cost analysis several geometries and material options were explored. The project also quantified and demonstrated the durability of the selected polymer/filler composite under expected operating conditions. The core material idea included a polymer matrix with fillers for thermal conductivity improvement. While the work focused on conventional heating oil, this concept could also be applicable to natural gas, low sulfur heating oil, and biodiesel- although these are considered to be less challenging environments. An extruded polymer composite heat exchanger was designed, built, and tested during this project, demonstrating technical feasibility of this corrosion-resistant material approach. In such flue gas-to-air heat exchangers, the controlling resistance to heat transfer is in the gas-side convective layer and not in the tube material. For this reason, the lower thermal conductivity polymer composite heat exchanger can achieve overall heat transfer performance comparable to a metal heat exchanger. However, with the polymer composite, the surface temperature on the gas side will be higher, leading to a lower water vapor condensation rate.

  5. Low-cost uncooled VOx infrared camera development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chuan; Han, C. J.; Skidmore, George D.; Cook, Grady; Kubala, Kenny; Bates, Robert; Temple, Dorota; Lannon, John; Hilton, Allan; Glukh, Konstantin; Hardy, Busbee

    2013-06-01

    The DRS Tamarisk® 320 camera, introduced in 2011, is a low cost commercial camera based on the 17 µm pixel pitch 320×240 VOx microbolometer technology. A higher resolution 17 µm pixel pitch 640×480 Tamarisk®640 has also been developed and is now in production serving the commercial markets. Recently, under the DARPA sponsored Low Cost Thermal Imager-Manufacturing (LCTI-M) program and internal project, DRS is leading a team of industrial experts from FiveFocal, RTI International and MEMSCAP to develop a small form factor uncooled infrared camera for the military and commercial markets. The objective of the DARPA LCTI-M program is to develop a low SWaP camera (costs less than US $500 based on a 10,000 units per month production rate. To meet this challenge, DRS is developing several innovative technologies including a small pixel pitch 640×512 VOx uncooled detector, an advanced digital ROIC and low power miniature camera electronics. In addition, DRS and its partners are developing innovative manufacturing processes to reduce production cycle time and costs including wafer scale optic and vacuum packaging manufacturing and a 3-dimensional integrated camera assembly. This paper provides an overview of the DRS Tamarisk® project and LCTI-M related uncooled technology development activities. Highlights of recent progress and challenges will also be discussed. It should be noted that BAE Systems and Raytheon Vision Systems are also participants of the DARPA LCTI-M program.

  6. Microprocessor system for temperature regulation and stabilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Nhi Dien; Rodionov, K.G.

    1989-01-01

    Microprocessor based system for temperature regulation and stabilization of an operation external object is described. The system has the direct current amplifier working according to modulator-demodulator principle. The overal gain is 100, 1000, 2000. The maximum output signal is ±10 V. The power amplifier is a thyristor one and its line voltage is 220 V, 50 Hz. The output power is 0-2 kVA. The microcontroller has a remote display terminal. Data input is 8 and data output is one. Input and output voltage is ±(0-10) V. The preselection time for stabilization is within 1 s - 18 h. The program algorithm is given. 5 figs.; 1 tab

  7. Switching Fuzzy Guaranteed Cost Control for Nonlinear Networked Control Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linqin Cai

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the problem of guaranteed cost control for a class of nonlinear networked control systems (NCSs with time-varying delay. A guaranteed cost controller design method is proposed to achieve the desired control performance based on the switched T-S fuzzy model. The switching mechanism is introduced to handle the uncertainties of NCSs. Based on Lyapunov functional approach, some sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback robust guaranteed cost controller are presented. Simulation results show that the proposed method is effective to guarantee system’s global asymptotic stability and quality of service (QoS.

  8. A functional comparison of conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses and a microprocessor-controlled leg orthosis system based on biomechanical parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmalz, Thomas; Pröbsting, Eva; Auberger, Roland; Siewert, Gordon

    2016-04-01

    The microprocessor-controlled leg orthosis C-Brace enables patients with paretic or paralysed lower limb muscles to use dampened knee flexion under weight-bearing and speed-adapted control of the swing phase. The objective of the present study was to investigate the new technical functions of the C-Brace orthosis, based on biomechanical parameters. The study enrolled six patients. The C-Brace orthosis is compared with conventional leg orthoses (four stance control orthoses, two locked knee-ankle-foot orthoses) using biomechanical parameters of level walking, descending ramps and descending stairs. Ground reaction forces, joint moments and kinematic parameters were measured for level walking as well as ascending and descending ramps and stairs. With the C-Brace, a nearly natural stance phase knee flexion was measured during level walking (mean value 11° ± 5.6°). The maximum swing phase knee flexion angle of the C-Brace approached the normal value of 65° more closely than the stance control orthoses (66° ± 8.5° vs 74° ± 6.4°). No significant differences in the joint moments were found between the C-Brace and stance control orthosis conditions. In contrast to the conventional orthoses, all patients were able to ambulate ramps and stairs using a step-over-step technique with C-Brace (flexion angle 64.6° ± 8.2° and 70.5° ± 12.4°). The results show that the functions of the C-Brace for situation-dependent knee flexion under weight bearing have been used by patients with a high level of confidence. The functional benefits of the C-Brace in comparison with the conventional orthotic mechanisms could be demonstrated most clearly for descending ramps and stairs. The C-Brace orthosis is able to combine improved orthotic function with sustained orthotic safety. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

  9. A Tactical Database for the Low Cost Combat Direction System

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-12-01

    A Tactical Database for the Low Cost Combat Direction System by Everton G. de Paula Captain, Brazilian Air Force B.S., Instituto Tecnologico de...objects as a unit. The AVANCE object management system [Ref. 29] uses the timestamp 156 model (pessimistic approach) for concurrency control. The Vbase...are no longer used). In AVANCE [Ref. 291, garbage collection is performed on user request. In GemStone [Ref. 25], garbage collection is executed in

  10. Design of low-cost general purpose microcontroller based neuromuscular stimulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koçer, S; Rahmi Canal, M; Güler, I

    2000-04-01

    In this study, a general purpose, low-cost, programmable, portable and high performance stimulator is designed and implemented. For this purpose, a microcontroller is used in the design of the stimulator. The duty cycle and amplitude of the designed system can be controlled using a keyboard. The performance test of the system has shown that the results are reliable. The overall system can be used as the neuromuscular stimulator under safe conditions.

  11. Low-cost modular array-field designs for flat-panel and concentrator photovoltaic systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Post, H. N.; Carmichael, D. C.; Alexander, G.; Castle, J. A.

    1982-09-01

    Described are the design and development of low-cost, modular array fields for flat-panel and concentrator photovoltaic (PV) systems. The objective of the work was to reduce substantially the cost of the array-field Balance-of-System (BOS) subsystems and site-specific design costs as compared to previous PV installations. These subsystems include site preparation, foundations, support structures, electrical writing, grounding, lightning protection, electromagnetic interference considerations, and controls. To reduce these BOS and design costs, standardized modular (building-block) designs for flat-panel and concentrator array fields have been developed that are fully integrated and optimized for lowest life-cycle costs. Using drawings and specifications now available, these building-block designs can be used in multiples to install various size array fields. The developed designs are immediately applicable (1982) and reduce the array-field BOS costs to a fraction of previous costs.

  12. Arduino: a low-cost multipurpose lab equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Ausilio, Alessandro

    2012-06-01

    Typical experiments in psychological and neurophysiological settings often require the accurate control of multiple input and output signals. These signals are often generated or recorded via computer software and/or external dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware is usually very expensive and requires additional software to control its behavior. In the present article, I present some accuracy tests on a low-cost and open-source I/O board (Arduino family) that may be useful in many lab environments. One of the strengths of Arduinos is the possibility they afford to load the experimental script on the board's memory and let it run without interfacing with computers or external software, thus granting complete independence, portability, and accuracy. Furthermore, a large community has arisen around the Arduino idea and offers many hardware add-ons and hundreds of free scripts for different projects. Accuracy tests show that Arduino boards may be an inexpensive tool for many psychological and neurophysiological labs.

  13. Developing methods of controlling quality costs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gorbunova A. V.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The article examines issues of managing quality costs, problems of applying economic methods of quality control, implementation of progressive methods of quality costs management in enterprises with the view of improving the efficiency of their evaluation and analysis. With the aim of increasing the effectiveness of the cost management mechanism, authors introduce controlling as a tool of deviation analysis from the standpoint of the process approach. A list of processes and corresponding evaluation criteria in the quality management system of enterprises is introduced. Authors also introduce the method of controlling quality costs and propose it for the practical application, which allows them to determine useful and unnecessary costs at the existing operating plant. Implementing the proposed recommendations in the system of cost management at an enterprise will allow to improve productivity of processes operating and reduce wasted expense on the quality of the process on the basis of determining values of useful and useless costs of quality according to criteria of processes functioning in the system of quality management.

  14. Control of the Tevatron Satellite Refrigeration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theilacker, J.; Chapman, L.; Gannon, J.; Hentges, M.; Martin, M.; Rode, C.H.; Zagel, J.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter describes a computerized control system for 24 satellite refrigerators which cool a six kilometer ring of superconducting magnets. The control system consists of 31 independent microprocessors operating over 400 servo loops, and a central computer system which provides monitoring, alarms, logging and changing of parameters. Topics considered include pressure measurement, flow measurement, temperature measurement, gas analysis, control valves, expansion engine controllers, and control loops. Each refrigerator has 12 active microprocessor based control loops which tune the refrigerator to one of its four operating modes: satellite, liquefier, refrigerator, and stand-by. It is suggested that optimizing the refrigerator control loops and quench recovery scheme will minimize the accelerator down time

  15. Power Converters Maximize Outputs Of Solar Cell Strings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederick, Martin E.; Jermakian, Joel B.

    1993-01-01

    Microprocessor-controlled dc-to-dc power converters devised to maximize power transferred from solar photovoltaic strings to storage batteries and other electrical loads. Converters help in utilizing large solar photovoltaic arrays most effectively with respect to cost, size, and weight. Main points of invention are: single controller used to control and optimize any number of "dumb" tracker units and strings independently; power maximized out of converters; and controller in system is microprocessor.

  16. Reliability Assessment for Low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Paul Michael

    Existing low-cost unmanned aerospace systems are unreliable, and engineers must blend reliability analysis with fault-tolerant control in novel ways. This dissertation introduces the University of Minnesota unmanned aerial vehicle flight research platform, a comprehensive simulation and flight test facility for reliability and fault-tolerance research. An industry-standard reliability assessment technique, the failure modes and effects analysis, is performed for an unmanned aircraft. Particular attention is afforded to the control surface and servo-actuation subsystem. Maintaining effector health is essential for safe flight; failures may lead to loss of control incidents. Failure likelihood, severity, and risk are qualitatively assessed for several effector failure modes. Design changes are recommended to improve aircraft reliability based on this analysis. Most notably, the control surfaces are split, providing independent actuation and dual-redundancy. The simulation models for control surface aerodynamic effects are updated to reflect the split surfaces using a first-principles geometric analysis. The failure modes and effects analysis is extended by using a high-fidelity nonlinear aircraft simulation. A trim state discovery is performed to identify the achievable steady, wings-level flight envelope of the healthy and damaged vehicle. Tolerance of elevator actuator failures is studied using familiar tools from linear systems analysis. This analysis reveals significant inherent performance limitations for candidate adaptive/reconfigurable control algorithms used for the vehicle. Moreover, it demonstrates how these tools can be applied in a design feedback loop to make safety-critical unmanned systems more reliable. Control surface impairments that do occur must be quickly and accurately detected. This dissertation also considers fault detection and identification for an unmanned aerial vehicle using model-based and model-free approaches and applies those

  17. Costs of mixed low-level waste stabilization options

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwinkendorf, W.E.; Cooley, C.R.

    1998-01-01

    Selection of final waste forms to be used for disposal of DOE's mixed low-level waste (MLLW) depends on the waste form characteristics and total life cycle cost. In this paper the various cost factors associated with production and disposal of the final waste form are discussed and combined to develop life-cycle costs associated with several waste stabilization options. Cost factors used in this paper are based on a series of treatment system studies in which cost and mass balance analyses were performed for several mixed low-level waste treatment systems and various waste stabilization methods including vitrification, grout, phosphate bonded ceramic and polymer. Major cost elements include waste form production, final waste form volume, unit disposal cost, and system availability. Production of grout costs less than the production of a vitrified waste form if each treatment process has equal operating time (availability) each year; however, because of the lower volume of a high temperature slag, certification and handling costs and disposal costs of the final waste form are less. Both the total treatment cost and life cycle costs are higher for a system producing grout than for a system producing high temperature slag, assuming equal system availability. The treatment costs decrease with increasing availability regardless of the waste form produced. If the availability of a system producing grout is sufficiently greater than a system producing slag, then the cost of treatment for the grout system will be less than the cost for the slag system, and the life cycle cost (including disposal) may be less depending on the unit disposal cost. Treatment and disposal costs will determine the return on investment in improved system availability

  18. Modeling of Control Costs, Emissions, and Control Retrofits for Cost Effectiveness and Feasibility Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn about EPA’s use of the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) to develop estimates of SO2 and NOx emission control costs, projections of futureemissions, and projections of capacity of future control retrofits, assuming controls on EGUs.

  19. Production low cost plastic scintillator by using commercial polystyrene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    Plastic Scintillators can be described as solid materials which contain organic fluorescent compounds dissolved within a polymer matrix. Transparent plastics commonly used for light scintillation are Polystyrene (or PS, poly-vinyl-benzene) and polyvinyl-toluene (or PVT, poly-methyl-styron). By changing the composition of plastic Scintillators some features such as light yield, radiation hardening, decay time etc. can be controlled. Plastic scintillation detectors have been used in nuclear and high energy physics for many decades. Among their benefits are fast response, ease of manufacture and versatility. Their main drawbacks are radiation resistance and cost. Many research projects have concentrated on improving the fundamental properties of plastic scintillators, but little attention has focussed on their cost and easier manufacturing techniques. First plastic Scintillators were produced in 1950's. Activities for production of low cost Scintillators accelerated in second half of 1970's. In 1975 acrylic based Plexipop Scintillator was developed. Despite its low cost, since its structure was not aromatic the light yield of Plexipop was about one quarter of classical Scintillators. Problems arising from slow response time and weak mechanical properties in scintillators developed, has not been solved until 1980. Within the last decade extrusion method became very popular in preparation of low cost and high quality plastic scintillators. In this activity, preliminary studies for low cost plastic scintillator production by using commercial polystyrene pellets and extrusion plus compression method were aimed. For this purpose, PS blocks consist of commercial fluorescent dopant were prepared in June 2008 by use of the extruder and pres in SANAEM. Molds suitable for accoupling to extruder were designed and manufactured and optimum production parameters such as extrusion temperature profile, extrusion rate and moulding pressure were obtained hence, PS Scintillator Blocks

  20. Maximum power point tracking: a cost saving necessity in solar energy systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enslin, J H.R. [Stellenbosch Univ. (South Africa). Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

    1992-12-01

    A well engineered renewable remote energy system, utilizing the principal of Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) can improve cost effectiveness, has a higher reliability and can improve the quality of life in remote areas. A high-efficient power electronic converter, for converting the output voltage of a solar panel, or wind generator, to the required DC battery bus voltage has been realized. The converter is controlled to track the maximum power point of the input source under varying input and output parameters. Maximum power point tracking for relative small systems is achieved by maximization of the output current in a battery charging regulator, using an optimized hill-climbing, inexpensive microprocessor based algorithm. Through practical field measurements it is shown that a minimum input source saving of between 15 and 25% on 3-5 kWh/day systems can easily be achieved. A total cost saving of at least 10-15% on the capital cost of these systems are achievable for relative small rating Remote Area Power Supply (RAPS) systems. The advantages at large temperature variations and high power rated systems are much higher. Other advantages include optimal sizing and system monitor and control. (author).

  1. Hacking for astronomy: can 3D printers and open-hardware enable low-cost sub-/millimeter instrumentation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferkinhoff, Carl

    2014-07-01

    There have been several exciting developments in the technologies commonly used n in the hardware hacking community. Advances in low cost additive-manufacturing processes (i.e. 3D-printers) and the development of openhardware projects, which have produced inexpensive and easily programmable micro-controllers and micro-computers (i.e. Arduino and Raspberry Pi) have opened a new door for individuals seeking to make their own devices. Here we describe the potential for these technologies to reduce costs in construction and development of submillimeter/millimeter astronomical instrumentation. Specifically we have begun a program to measure the optical properties of the custom plastics used in 3D-printers as well as the printer accuracy and resolution to assess the feasibility of directly printing sub- /millimeter transmissive optics. We will also discuss low cost designs for cryogenic temperature measurement and control utilizing Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

  2. ChemDuino: Adapting Arduino for Low-Cost Chemical Measurements in Lecture and Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubínova´, S?te?pa´nka; S?le´gr, Jan

    2015-01-01

    In everyday praxis, we often need demonstration measuring devices (thermometers, pH meters, etc.), with large enough displays to be easily readable from every point in the classroom. Here, we present some of the capabilities of the Arduino platform for the school environment. This microprocessor board can be used for inexpensive construction of…

  3. Nuclear criticality evacuation with telemonitoring and microprocessors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fergus, R.W.; Moe, H.J. Sr.

    1979-01-01

    At Argonne National Laboratory, criticality alarms are required at widely separated locations to evacuate personnel in case of accident while emergency teams or maintenance personnel respond from a central location. The system functions have been divided in a similar manner. The alarm site hardware can independently detect a criticality and sound the evacuation signal while general monitoring and routine tests are handled by a communication link to a central monitoring station. The radiation detectors and evacuation sounders at each site are interconnected by a common two conductor cable in a unique telemonitoring format. This format allows both control and data information to be received or transmitted at any point on the cable which can be up to 3000 meters total length. The site microprocessor maintains a current data table, detects several faults, drives a printer, and communicates with the central telemonitoring station. The radiation detectors are made with plastic scintillators and photomultiplier tubes operated in a constant current mode with a 4 decade measurement range. The detectors also respond within microseconds to the criticality radiation burst. These characteristics can be tested with an internal light emitting diode either completely with a manual procedure or routinely with a system test initiated by the central monitoring station. Although the system was developed for a criticality alarm which requires reliable and redundant features, the basic techniques are useable for other monitoring and instrumentation applications

  4. The Ganil computer control system renewal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    David, L.; Lecorche, E.; Luong, T.T.; Ulrich, M.

    1990-01-01

    Since 1982 the GANIL heavy ion accelerator has been under the control of 16-bit minicomputers MITRA, programmable logic controllers and microprocessorized Camac controllers, structured into a partially centralized system. This control system has to be renewed to meet the increasing demands of the accelerator operation which aims to provide higher quality ion beams under more reliable conditions. This paper gives a brief description of the existing control system and then discusses the main issues of the design and the implementation of the future control system: distributed powerful processors federated through Ethernet and flexible network-wide database access, VME standard and front-end microprocessors, enhanced color graphic tools and workstation based operator interface

  5. Implementation of a Low-Cost Automated LED Photometer for Enzymatic Reaction Detection to Teach Basic Bioelectronics Technologies in Vocational High Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huai-Yi; Nieh, Hwa-Ming; Yang, Ming-Feng; Chou, Yu-Kung; Chung, Jui-Hsu; Liou, Je-Wen

    2016-01-01

    This study proposes a home-assembled, low-cost blue light-emitting diode (LED) photometer that uses simple and low-cost hardware and software, costing about US $150. This 425-nm wavelength photometer is controlled by an 89C51 microcontroller chip. Glucose concentration detection experiments involving enzyme coupling reactions were carried out to…

  6. A CAMAC-resident microprocessor for the monitoring of polarimeter spin states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reid, D.; DuPlantis, D.; Yoder, N.; Dale, D.

    1992-01-01

    A CAMAC module for the reporting of polarimeter spin states is being developed using a resident microcontroller. The module will allow experimenters at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility to monitor spin states and correlate spin information with other experimental data. The use of a microprocessor allows for adaptation of the module as new requirements ensue without change to the printed circuit board layout. (author)

  7. Low-Cost Propellant Launch to LEO from a Tethered Balloon - Economic and Thermal Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Brian H.; Schneider, Evan G.; Vaughan, David A.; Hall, Jeffrey L.

    2010-01-01

    This paper provides new analysis of the economics of low-cost propellant launch coupled with dry hardware re-use, and of the thermal control of the liquid hydrogen once on-orbit. One conclusion is that this approach enables an overall reduction in the cost-permission by as much as a factor of five as compared to current approaches for human exploration of the moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.

  8. Prescriptive concepts for advanced nuclear materials control and accountability systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitty, W.J.; Strittmatter, R.B.; Ford, W.; Tisinger, R.M.; Meyer, T.H.

    1987-06-01

    Networking- and distributed-processing hardware and software have the potential of greatly enhancing nuclear materials control and accountability (MC and A) systems, from both safeguards and process operations perspectives, while allowing timely integrated safeguards activities and enhanced computer security at reasonable cost. A hierarchical distributed system is proposed consisting of groups of terminal and instruments in plant production and support areas connected to microprocessors that are connected to either larger microprocessors or minicomputers. These micros and/or minis are connected to a main machine, which might be either a mainframe or a super minicomputer. Data acquisition, preliminary input data validation, and transaction processing occur at the lowest level. Transaction buffering, resource sharing, and selected data processing occur at the intermediate level. The host computer maintains overall control of the data base and provides routine safeguards and security reporting and special safeguards analyses. The research described outlines the distribution of MC and A system requirements in the hierarchical system and distributed processing applied to MC and A. Implications of integrated safeguards and computer security concepts for the distributed system design are discussed. 10 refs., 4 figs

  9. Low-power grating detection system chip for high-speed low-cost length and angle precision measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Ligang; Luo, Rengui; Wu, Wuchen

    2006-11-01

    This paper forwards a low power grating detection chip (EYAS) on length and angle precision measurement. Traditional grating detection method, such as resister chain divide or phase locked divide circuit are difficult to design and tune. The need of an additional CPU for control and display makes these methods' implementation more complex and costly. Traditional methods also suffer low sampling speed for the complex divide circuit scheme and CPU software compensation. EYAS is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). It integrates micro controller unit (MCU), power management unit (PMU), LCD controller, Keyboard interface, grating detection unit and other peripherals. Working at 10MHz, EYAS can afford 5MHz internal sampling rate and can handle 1.25MHz orthogonal signal from grating sensor. With a simple control interface by keyboard, sensor parameter, data processing and system working mode can be configured. Two LCD controllers can adapt to dot array LCD or segment bit LCD, which comprised output interface. PMU alters system between working and standby mode by clock gating technique to save power. EYAS in test mode (system action are more frequently than real world use) consumes 0.9mw, while 0.2mw in real world use. EYAS achieved the whole grating detection system function, high-speed orthogonal signal handling in a single chip with very low power consumption.

  10. Practical design of digital circuits basic logic to microprocessors

    CERN Document Server

    Kampel, Ian

    1983-01-01

    Practical Design of Digital Circuits: Basic Logic to Microprocessors demonstrates the practical aspects of digital circuit design. The intention is to give the reader sufficient confidence to embark upon his own design projects utilizing digital integrated circuits as soon as possible. The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 teaches the basic principles of practical design, and introduces the designer to his """"tools"""" - or rather, the range of devices that can be called upon. Part 2 shows the designer how to put these together into viable designs. It includes two detailed descriptio

  11. A low-cost computer-controlled Arduino-based educational laboratory system for teaching the fundamentals of photovoltaic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zachariadou, K; Yiasemides, K; Trougkakos, N

    2012-01-01

    We present a low-cost, fully computer-controlled, Arduino-based, educational laboratory (SolarInsight) to be used in undergraduate university courses concerned with electrical engineering and physics. The major goal of the system is to provide students with the necessary instrumentation, software tools and methodology in order to learn fundamental concepts of semiconductor physics by exploring the process of an experimental physics inquiry. The system runs under the Windows operating system and is composed of a data acquisition/control board, a power supply and processing boards, sensing elements, a graphical user interface and data analysis software. The data acquisition/control board is based on the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform. The graphical user interface and communication with the Arduino are developed in C number sign and C++ programming languages respectively, by using IDE Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional, which is freely available to students. Finally, the data analysis is performed by using the open source, object-oriented framework ROOT. Currently the system supports five teaching activities, each one corresponding to an independent tab in the user interface. SolarInsight has been partially developed in the context of a diploma thesis conducted within the Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus under the co-supervision of the Physics and Electronic Computer Systems departments’ academic staff. (paper)

  12. A low-cost computer-controlled Arduino-based educational laboratory system for teaching the fundamentals of photovoltaic cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zachariadou, K; Yiasemides, K; Trougkakos, N [Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus, P Ralli and Thivon 250, 12244 Egaleo (Greece)

    2012-11-15

    We present a low-cost, fully computer-controlled, Arduino-based, educational laboratory (SolarInsight) to be used in undergraduate university courses concerned with electrical engineering and physics. The major goal of the system is to provide students with the necessary instrumentation, software tools and methodology in order to learn fundamental concepts of semiconductor physics by exploring the process of an experimental physics inquiry. The system runs under the Windows operating system and is composed of a data acquisition/control board, a power supply and processing boards, sensing elements, a graphical user interface and data analysis software. The data acquisition/control board is based on the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform. The graphical user interface and communication with the Arduino are developed in C number sign and C++ programming languages respectively, by using IDE Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional, which is freely available to students. Finally, the data analysis is performed by using the open source, object-oriented framework ROOT. Currently the system supports five teaching activities, each one corresponding to an independent tab in the user interface. SolarInsight has been partially developed in the context of a diploma thesis conducted within the Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus under the co-supervision of the Physics and Electronic Computer Systems departments' academic staff. (paper)

  13. Costs and cost-effectiveness of malaria control interventions - a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    White Michael T

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The control and elimination of malaria requires expanded coverage of and access to effective malaria control interventions such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs, indoor residual spraying (IRS, intermittent preventive treatment (IPT, diagnostic testing and appropriate treatment. Decisions on how to scale up the coverage of these interventions need to be based on evidence of programme effectiveness, equity and cost-effectiveness. Methods A systematic review of the published literature on the costs and cost-effectiveness of malaria interventions was undertaken. All costs and cost-effectiveness ratios were inflated to 2009 USD to allow comparison of the costs and benefits of several different interventions through various delivery channels, across different geographical regions and from varying costing perspectives. Results Fifty-five studies of the costs and forty three studies of the cost-effectiveness of malaria interventions were identified, 78% of which were undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa, 18% in Asia and 4% in South America. The median financial cost of protecting one person for one year was $2.20 (range $0.88-$9.54 for ITNs, $6.70 (range $2.22-$12.85 for IRS, $0.60 (range $0.48-$1.08 for IPT in infants, $4.03 (range $1.25-$11.80 for IPT in children, and $2.06 (range $0.47-$3.36 for IPT in pregnant women. The median financial cost of diagnosing a case of malaria was $4.32 (range $0.34-$9.34. The median financial cost of treating an episode of uncomplicated malaria was $5.84 (range $2.36-$23.65 and the median financial cost of treating an episode of severe malaria was $30.26 (range $15.64-$137.87. Economies of scale were observed in the implementation of ITNs, IRS and IPT, with lower unit costs reported in studies with larger numbers of beneficiaries. From a provider perspective, the median incremental cost effectiveness ratio per disability adjusted life year averted was $27 (range $8.15-$110 for ITNs, $143 (range $135

  14. Mobile Robot Positioning by using Low-Cost Visual Tracking System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruangpayoongsak Niramon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an application of visual tracking system on mobile robot positioning. The proposed method is verified on a constructed low-cost tracking system consisting of 2 DOF pan-tilt unit, web camera and distance sensor. The motion of pan-tilt joints is realized and controlled by using LQR controller running on microcontroller. Without needs of camera calibration, robot trajectory is tracked by Kalman filter integrating distance information and joint positions. The experimental results demonstrate validity of the proposed positioning technique and the obtained mobile robot trajectory is benchmarked against laser rangefinder positioning. The implemented system can successfully track a mobile robot driving at 14 cm/s.

  15. Developing methods of controlling quality costs

    OpenAIRE

    Gorbunova A. V.; Maximova O. N.; Ekova V. A.

    2017-01-01

    The article examines issues of managing quality costs, problems of applying economic methods of quality control, implementation of progressive methods of quality costs management in enterprises with the view of improving the efficiency of their evaluation and analysis. With the aim of increasing the effectiveness of the cost management mechanism, authors introduce controlling as a tool of deviation analysis from the standpoint of the process approach. A list of processes and corresponding eva...

  16. Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft, (LCRRS): A Research Project in Low Cost Spacecraft Design and Fabrication in a Rapid Prototyping Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spremo, Stevan; Bregman, Jesse; Dallara, Christopher D.; Ghassemieh, Shakib M.; Hanratty, James; Jackson, Evan; Kitts, Christopher; Klupar, Pete; Lindsay, Michael; Ignacio, Mas; hide

    2009-01-01

    The Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft (LCRRS) is an ongoing research development project at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, California. The prototype spacecraft, called Cost Optimized Test for Spacecraft Avionics and Technologies (COTSAT) is the first of what could potentially be a series of rapidly produced low-cost satellites. COTSAT has a target launch date of March 2009 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The LCRRS research system design incorporates use of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf), MOTS (Modified Off The Shelf), and GOTS (Government Off The Shelf) hardware for a remote sensing satellite. The design concept was baselined to support a 0.5 meter Ritchey-Chretien telescope payload. This telescope and camera system is expected to achieve 1.5 meter/pixel resolution. The COTSAT team is investigating the possibility of building a fully functional spacecraft for $500,000 parts and $2,000,000 labor. Cost is dramatically reduced by using a sealed container, housing the bus and payload subsystems. Some electrical and RF designs were improved/upgraded from GeneSat-1 heritage systems. The project began in January 2007 and has yielded two functional test platforms. It is expected that a flight-qualified unit will be finished in December 2008. Flight quality controls are in place on the parts and materials used in this development with the aim of using them to finish a proto-flight satellite. For LEO missions the team is targeting a mission class requiring a minimum of six months lifetime or more. The system architecture incorporates several design features required by high reliability missions. This allows for a true skunk works environment to rapidly progress toward a flight design. Engineering and fabrication is primarily done in-house at NASA Ames with flight certifications on materials. The team currently employs seven Full Time Equivalent employees. The success of COTSATs small team in this effort can be attributed to highly cross trained

  17. Simplified extension of the LSI-11 Q-Bus for a high energy laser control application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burczyk, L.

    1981-01-01

    Antares, a large, experimental laser fusion facility under construction at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, is controlled by a network of PDP-11 minicomputers and microprocessors. The remote nodes of the Antares control network are based on an LSI-11/2 microcomputer interfaced to an STD Bus. This machine interface or MI forms the intelligent process controller located directly adjacent to the many diverse laser subsystem devices. The STD Bus, linked to the LSI-11/2 microcomputer, offers a standardized, cost effective means for the development of the specialized interface functions required for the high energy laser environment

  18. Design of Boiler Welding for Improvement of Lifetime and Cost Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thong-On, Atcharawadi; Boonruang, Chatdanai

    2016-11-03

    Fe-2.25Cr-1Mo a widely used material for headers and steam tubes of boilers. Welding of steam tube to header is required for production of boiler. Heat affected zone of the weld can have poor mechanical properties and poor corrosion behavior leading to weld failure. The cost of material used for steam tube and header of boiler should be controlled. This study propose a new materials design for boiler welding to improve the lifetime and cost control, using tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of Fe-2.25Cr-1Mo tube to carbon steel pipe with chromium-containing filler. The cost of production could be reduced by the use of low cost material such as carbon steel pipe for boiler header. The effect of chromium content on corrosion behavior of the weld was greater than that of the microstructure. The lifetime of the welded boiler can be increased by improvement of mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of the heat affected zone.

  19. Design of Boiler Welding for Improvement of Lifetime and Cost Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atcharawadi Thong-On

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Fe-2.25Cr-1Mo a widely used material for headers and steam tubes of boilers. Welding of steam tube to header is required for production of boiler. Heat affected zone of the weld can have poor mechanical properties and poor corrosion behavior leading to weld failure. The cost of material used for steam tube and header of boiler should be controlled. This study propose a new materials design for boiler welding to improve the lifetime and cost control, using tungsten inert gas (TIG welding of Fe-2.25Cr-1Mo tube to carbon steel pipe with chromium-containing filler. The cost of production could be reduced by the use of low cost material such as carbon steel pipe for boiler header. The effect of chromium content on corrosion behavior of the weld was greater than that of the microstructure. The lifetime of the welded boiler can be increased by improvement of mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of the heat affected zone.

  20. Low-cost, highly transparent flexible low-e coating film to enable electrochromic windows with increased energy savings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berland, Brian [ITN Energy Systems, Inc., Littleton, CO (United States); Hollingsworth, Russell [ITN Energy Systems, Inc., Littleton, CO (United States)

    2015-03-31

    Five Quads of energy are lost through windows annually in the U.S. Low-e coatings are increasingly employed to reduce the wasted energy. Most commonly, the low-e coating is an oxide material applied directly to the glass at high temperature. With over 100,000,000 existing homes, a retrofit product is crucial to achieve widespread energy savings. Low-e films, i.e. coatings on polymeric substrates, are now also available to meet this need. However, the traditional oxide materials and process is incompatible with low temperature plastics. Alternate high performing low-e films typically incorporate materials that limit visible transmission to 35% or less. Further, the cost is high. The objective of this award was to develop a retrofit, integrated low-e/electrochromic window film to dramatically reduce energy lost through windows. While field testing of state-of-the-art electrochromic (EC) windows show the energy savings are maximized if a low-e coating is used in conjunction with the EC, available low-e films have a low visible transmission (~70% or less) that limits the achievable clear state and therefore, appearance and energy savings potential. Comprehensive energy savings models were completed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL). A parametric approach was used to project energy usage for windows with a large range of low-e properties across all U.S. climate zones, without limiting the study to materials that had already been produced commercially or made in a lab. The model enables projection of energy savings for low-e films as well as integrated low-e/EC products. This project developed a novel low-e film, optimized for compatibility with EC windows, using low temperature, high deposition rate processes for the growth of low-e coatings on plastic films by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Silica films with good density and optical properties were demonstrated at deposition rates as high as 130Å/sec. A simple bi-layer low-e stack of