API proposes to develop a flexible, high-performance, real-time instrumentation/analysis/acquisition system for use in propulsion system testing and health monitoring. API proposes to meet these goals and allow for future system capability expansion by applying a parallel processing architecture using arbitrary numbers of distributed memory DSP microprocessors. While the hardware to construct such systems is available commercially at low cost (Texas Instruments TMS320C4x/Analog Devices SHARC), the software and system integration costs can be prohibitive. API personnel have a demonstrated ability to tackle these problems in constructing fully functional, large scale real-time instrumentation applications.The proposed API approach to developing and integrating large instrumentation systems uses a distributed real-time microkernel supporting a real-time dataflow programming paradigm with real-time communications support. The proposed API hardware allows flexible sampling of inputs to high bandwidths. Processor topologies will be constructed to match the system requirements. Software will be constructed from libraries of reusable software modules. High speed interactive user interfaces will allow the system to be reconfigured on-line to meet changing testing requirements. On-line health monitoring algorithms will be developed. These approaches combine to yield a highly scaleable, efficient, and maintainable system that meets all requirements for on-line data acquisition, analysis, logging, and visualization.
Potential Commercial Applications:On-line acquisition/logging/analysis/visualization systems have far ranging applications. We have direct experience with successful application at USAF/AEDC's aerospace testing facilities for turbine engine stress analysis. These systems can also find application for machinery monitoring in turbine monitoring for power generation plants. Miniaturization of the technology will allow use for integrated health monitoring in-flight for SSME and commercial aviation.
