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Report developed under SBIR contract for topic AO1-58. PHOCI is an optical imaging system that is suitable for both image capture and reception of optical communications data. The envisioned system, called PHOCI includes a novel image/data capture chip that imbeds a high-speed optical data communications receiver technology into the image capture array of a digital video camera system. In addition to the development of a new image/data capture chip, the system includes the design of a hardware interface that allows the PHOCI system to pass both image and optical communication data through a USB (or similar communications link) to a COTS host computer. In addition to providing the device drivers necessary to communicate with the PHOCI hardware, the system software provides the data structures and graphical user interface (GUI) that allow a system operator to see the camera image along with the location and recent movement vector for communication sources in the image. The phase 1 Option activity developed a new PHOCI chip design that is planned for fabrication at the start of the phase 2 activity.

PHOCI is an optical imaging system that is suitable for both image capture and reception of optical communications data. The system includes a novel image/data capture chip that imbeds a high-speed optical data communications receiver technology into the image capture array of a digital video camera system. In addition to the development of a new image/data capture chip, the system includes the design of a hardware interface that allows the PHOCI system to pass both image and optical communication data through a USB (or similar communications link) to a COTS host computer. In addition to providing the device drivers necessary to communicate with the PHOCI hardware, the system software provides the data structures and graphical user interface (GUI) that allow a system operator to see the camera image along with the location and recent movement vector for communication sources in the image. This phase 1 activity illustrated the technical feasibility of the device and discovered that the technology is commercially feasible, especially for harsh environments that are not normally well suited to electromagnetic communications, such as that found on a factory floor. (12 figures), Topic no. A01-58.

The Elastic program is a SBIR Phase 1 effort to develop and deploy a toolkit for constructing self adaptive software systems. The purpose in building this toolkit is to enable the automatic optimization of parallel software systems. Insertion of self adapting technology into such systems will allow them to react to changes in the execution environment in order to sustain and increase performance. The Elastic Toolkit will allow the developer to control their software in a variety of ways. First, parameters known to affect system performance can be monitored through the insertion of software sensors; as these parameters are monitored, control actions can take place to affect performance. An example of this type of control would be the automatic adjustment of communication parameters in a message passing program. Another example of the type of control that Elastic will allow is the automatic selection of algorithms and data structures, based on parameters specified by the user. The Elastic approach differs from traditional off line postprocessing techniques in that it occurs automatically at runtime. This has the advantage that an application will realize performance benefits immediately upon being moved to a new hardware/software platform; traditional platform specific tweaking becomes less important. Initial data collected as part of the Elastic Phase 1 effort showed that a synthetic application sensitive to locking can derive as much as a 13X speedup simply by choosing a different locking algorithm. While results on a real application probably will not be as dramatic as those of the synthetic application, it shows that there is potential for performance gains from simple algorithmic optimizations.

The problem this Phase 2 SBIR effort addressed was the absence of an established, standard intermediate form (IF) for the exchange of VHDL encoded electronic data among CAD systems. This absence has severely constrained basic research environments, and has precipitated the current sub-optimal nature of CAD in VHDL tool development. Our Baseline Program developed this standard intermediate form (IF), as well as a VHDL design environment utilizing it, which is provided to the research community at no cost, and to commercial developers or users under a licensing fee. The SAVANT environment consists of an Analyzer (implementing the IF), a Code Generator, and a System Support Environment (SSE) containing debugger and visualization/analysis tools (called the VHDLyzer Toolkit or VTK). An option task implemented Object Oriented Extensions to VHDL in the SAVANT environment, and assessed their utility and effectiveness. The Phase 2 baseline objectives focused upon developing and validating the SAVANT system (analyzer, code, generator, debugger, visualization tools), and commercializing the resultant technology. The option task objectives addressed implementation of O-O VHDL constructs in SAVANT, and subsequent model selection, implementation and assessment of O-O VHDL performance in the SAVANT environment. All baseline and option task objectives were achieved, except for commercialization. which was partially achieved.

A procedure was developed using instrumented Izod (cantilever beam) Impact Tester. This procedure can be used for testing various types of material such as: plastics, light metals, ceramics, and materials used in the non-metallic cartridge cases. There are two hammers available at present. A two foot pound, and 10 foot pound. The height of release of the pendulum is two feet, giving a striking velocity of approximately eleven foot pound seconds. An oscilloscope with storage display is used to record the results. (Author)