Curtiss-Wright Introduction

• History of Curtiss-Wright
• ACRA Control
• Curtiss-Wright Space

Curtiss-Wright

• Diverse multi-national corporation
• Formed in 1929
• Many markets

ACRA Control

• ACRA formed in 1992 by 4 DCU graduates
• Produced modular data-acquisition system
• Mid-2000s: qualifying components for Space
• Acquired by Curtiss-Wright in 2011
  • Formed the ACRA business unit
• Forms the only space research department

Curtiss-Wright Space

• Commercial Off-The-Shelf components
  • Cheaper missions (SpaceX)
• Acra product line has been used extensively in Space:
  • Every SpaceX flight to date
  • ESAs Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV)
  • Reliable!

"SpX CRS-2 launch - further - cropped" by Tony Gray and Robert Murray - http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=64615. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SpX_CRS-2_launch_-_further_-_cropped.jpg#mediaviewer/File:SpX_CRS-2_launch_-_further_-_cropped.jpg

"Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle". Via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Intermediate_eXperimental_Vehicle.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Intermediate_eXperimental_Vehicle.jpg

Overview of Work-Packages

Initially 2 work-packages

This grew to 5 during the placement

Overview of Work-Packages

• Acranet
  • Internal web-based management system
• DAS Studio - Installer
  • DAS Studio: Data Acquisition System configuration
  • Installer for clients and release management
• EEPROM generation
  • EEPROM: Electronically erasable Read-Only-Memory
  • Generate the code for module EEPROM
• Radiation testing
  • Can ACRA components survive space radiation conditions
• Fountain code research
  • How can we optimize data storage/transmission
  • How can we minimize radiation effects

Work-Packages

How will they be presented
In under 2 minutes* each!

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

Overview

* On average, relative to an observer traveling toward the presentation at .9165c

WP#1 Acranet

WP#1 Acranet

1. Improve/bugfix several aspects of Acranet
2. Feature implementation

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

• All objectives completed
• Speed improvements
  • Maintenance and work
• Time Savings
  • 3 hours per week
  • Several issues prevented

• Product life-cycle
• Documentation used
  • Some for quality control
  • Follows aero standards
• Overview of products developed

Overview

1. Internal web system 
2. Used to manage all development processes (Important!)

WP#2 DAS Studio - Installer

DAS Studio

Patching System

WP#2 DAS Studio - Installer

1. Allow major upgrades
2. Implement patching system

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

• Used "WIX"
• Upgrades & Patching added
• Release management
• Saved ~100 hours/month
• Many installer improvements

• Furthered understanding of product XML files
• Data acquisition system better understood

Overview

1. DAS Studio: Data acquisition system configuration
2. Installer: Need to get it to clients

WP#2 DAS Studio - Installer

Explain HdefML XdefML

• HdefML: Hardware definition
• XdefML: Software definition

WP#2 DAS Studio - Installer

An aside..

Testing setup

Module configuration

DAS Studio

EEPROM generators

System hardware

Module XML files

WP#3 EEPROM Generator

Data acquistion module

for EEPROM generator

(KAM/TCG/103)

Data acquisition chassis

WP#3 EEPROM Generator

1. Code an EEPROM generator
2. Better understand how XML files, DAS Studio, and EEPROM generators work together

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

• Generator programmed
• Generator validated
  • Manually reversed the processes used to generate the EEPROM

• Experience gained in dealing with EEPROM code
• Completed a gap in physics/computing knowledge crossover
• Data acquisition system better understood

Overview

1. Data acquisition modules need programming (EEPROM)
2. XML files + EEPROM Generators are used by DAS Studio

WP#4 Radiation testing

1. Research radiation testing standards & client requirements
2. Review testing procedures and evaluate testing performed

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

• Reviewed many documents
  • 3 papers in particular
• Client requirements were met
• Further testing is recommended

• Better understood effects of the radiation environment on electronics
• Was shown alternative methods of managing the space environment
  • Smart Backplane

Overview

1. ACRA product line can be used in Space
2. Must be qualified by testing (including radiation testing)

WP#4 Radiation testing

1. Research fountain codes
2. Explain fountain codes to colleagues

Objective

Learning Outcomes

Work Outcomes

• Researched fountain codes
  • ​Including a hierarchical 
    explanation of the codes
• Evaluated current error correction techniques against fountain codes
• Communicated their use
  • Potential for SpaceX

• Better understood fountain codes
• Learned their potential for 
  maximising bandwidth use in communications
• Also found use in making data storage error-tolerant

Overview

1. A method of error correcting
2. Can be used for communications and storage

WP#5 Fountain codes

Summary

1. Fixed and improved internal management systems
2. Improved the installer for DAS Studio
3. Wrote an EEPROM generator for DAS Studio
4. Evaluated radiation testing of hardware
5. Researched algorithms to improve its resiliency and efficiency

Many work outcomes..

Too many!

So here is a diagram

Summary

continued..

I also got a job out of it.