Intelligent Sensor Grid and Informatics Lab

Testbed of Smart Sensors

Supported by NASA SSC and the College of Technology

Introduction

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) will be the key enabling technology for every NASA mission. Among the listed ten challenge areas for the ISHM program in the DUAL-USE CAN, the following five need formalized evaluation, validation and verification mechanism beyond traditional simulation-based or model-based performance analysis: ISHM User Interface, One-Chip Intelligent Sensors, Networking Technologies for Distributed Intelligent Elements, Intelligent Wired/Wireless Sensors, and Smart Sensor Components. However, there is not a single testing environment for upcoming sensor networking standards and challenges with real data and traffic control using well-established networking protocols. We propose to develop a testing environment for the emerging plug-and-play capable sensors in a communication network. This environment will be a testbed for NASA and other industry-related sensor testing, validation, and research.

The project is a collaborative effort between ISGRIN, WON, and TOSS research labs led by Drs. Yuan, Benhaddou, and Gurkan respectively.

Objectives and Deliverables

1. Literature Review on commercially available IEEE 1451 sensors focusing on capabilities: usage of commercially available IEEE 1451 sensors at NASA are researched and reviewed. List of sensors and their performance comparison (including NASA prototypes) are delivered, including the recommendations for different traffic and delivery requirements.
2. Definition of test programs: Procedures that outline the testing and validation of sensors and sensor networks are developed and delivered for verification of compliance with the IEEE 1451 standards. Final report includes network configurations/protocols/traffic test results and recommendations.
   1. Smart sensor evaluation tests: metrics of performance at the interfaces with network and the data acquisition sections of the smart sensors as well as sensor reliability monitoring will be delivered for relevant sensors.
   2. Network traffic evaluation tests: a metric to measure the stochastic nature of delay in a network will be developed. A report on various networking technologies and their scales in the stochastic behavior will be delivered.
3. Implementation of testbed: A testbed with a state-of-the-art networking backbone and various sensor networks that run on various virtual private networks has been developed. The testbed can integrate NCAP on the Labview platform and Java platform together. The NCAP components and test procedures developed are modular enough to plug in IEEE1451 compatible sensors and sensor networks to test and validate. Inclusion of selected sensors in SSC smart sensor network.
4. Execute evaluation/test programs.

Graduate Students Worked in the Project

Haoying Liu (ISGRIN), Richard Franzl (TOSS, graduated), Huiyuan Ma (TOSS, graduated), Anshul Singla (WON & TOSS), and Shivangi Bhatt (TOSS)