Radiometric validation of NASA's Ames Research Center's Sensor Calibration Laboratory

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Ames Research Center's Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) is responsible for the calibration of several airborne Earth-viewing sensor systems in support of NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) investigations. The primary artifact used to calibrate these sensors in the reflective solar region from 400 to 2500 nm is a lamp-illuminated integrating sphere source. In September 1999, a measurement comparison was made at the Ames ASF Sensor Calibration Facility to validate the radiometric scale, establish the uncertainties assigned to the radiance of this source, and examine its day-to-day repeatability. The comparison was one of a series of validation activities overseen by the EOS Calibration Program to ensure the radiometric calibration accuracy of sensors used in long-term, global, remote-sensing studies. Results of the comparison, including an evaluation of the Ames Sensor Calibration Laboratory (SCL) measurement procedures and assigned radiometric uncertainties, provide a validation of their radiometric scale at the time of the comparison. Additionally, the maintenance of the radiance scale was evaluated by use of independent, long-term, multiyear radiance validation measurements of the Ames sphere source. This series of measurements provided an independent assessment of the radiance values assigned to integrating sphere sources by the Ames SCF. Together, the measurements validate the SCF radiometric scale and assigned uncertainties over the time period from September 1999 through July 2003.     

Spectrally Tunable Sources for Advanced Radiometric Applications

A common radiometric platform for the development of application-specific metrics to quantify the performance of sensors and systems is described. Using this platform, sensor and system performance may be quantified in terms of the accuracy of measurements of standardized sets of source distributions. The prototype platform consists of spectrally programmable light sources that can generate complex spectral distributions in the ultraviolet, visible and short-wave infrared regions for radiometric, photometric and colorimetric applications. In essence, the programmable spectral source is a radiometric platform for advanced instrument characterization and calibration that can also serve as a basis for algorithm testing and instrument comparison.     

Textile-Based Capacitive Sensors for Respiration Monitoring

Respiration monitoring in everyday life enables the early detection of the diseases and disorders that can suddenly manifest in a life threatening episode. Long-term monitoring can extend the capabilities of healthcare providers if reliability can be achieved economically. In this paper, the potential for using capacitive sensing to serve as an inexpensive method for long-term respiration sensing is explored. This paper proposes new designs of capacitive sensors for respiration sensing and describes the design and fabrication of a prototype textile-based capacitive-sensor respiration belt. Two capacitive sensors were designed and fabricated for detecting chest or abdominal circumference changes of up to 60 mm. These sensors gave good linearity, and the respiration measurements obtained with these new sensors show that they are capable of measuring respiration rate, and possibly lung function parameters.      

Decoupling features and virtual sensors for diagnosis of faults in vapor compression air conditioners

This paper describes the development and evaluation of features and virtual sensors that form the basis of a methodology for detecting and diagnosing multiple-simultaneous faults in vapor compression air conditioning equipment. The features were developed based upon a physical understanding of the system, cost considerations, and heuristics derived from experimental data and modeling results. Virtual sensors were developed in order to reduce the cost of implementation. The validity of the features and virtual sensors was evaluated using measurements from a variety of different air conditioners tested in a laboratory environment. More detailed evaluation results are presented in separate papers.     

Radiometric Evaluation of Antenna-Feed Component Losses

Low-noise antenna systems are frequently used in conjunction with measurements of atmospheric and cosmic background noise at microwave frequencies. The input transmission line losses of these receiving systems must be precisely calibrated to insure proper identification of the portion of operating noise temperature attributable to the external environment. Although most components in an antenna line can be calibrated by conventional insertion-loss measurements, many feed component losses must be evaluated by means of nonstandard techniques. This paper describes a radiometric method for calibrating the loss of multimode antenna-feed components in which the field is linearly or circularly polarized. The method consists of measuring operating noise temperature, first with the components under evaluation installed and again after substitution by a waveguide section of known loss. Calibration and error analysis equations are derived and discussed. Application of the radiometric method, for the calibration of a mode-generator and quarter-wave plate polarizing section, resulted in a loss measurement of (0.0069 ±0.0016 pe)/dB.     

Precision pointing of imaging spacecraft using gyro-based attitude reference with horizon sensor updates

Remote sensing satellites are required to meet stringent pointing and drift rate requirements for imaging operations. For achieving these pointing and stability requirements, continuous and accurate three-axis attitude information is required. Inertial sensors like gyros provide continuous attitude information with better short-term stability and less random errors. However, gyro measurements are affected by drifts. Hence over time, attitudes based on the gyro reference slowly diverge from the true attitudes. On the other hand, line-of-sight (LOS) sensors like horizon sensors provide attitude information with long-term stability. Their measurements however are affected by the presence of random instrumental errors and other systematic errors. The limitations of inertial and line-of-sight sensors are mutually exclusive. Hence, by optimal fusion of attitude information from both these sensors, it is possible to retain the advantages and overcome the limitations of both, thereby providing the precise attitude information required for control. This paper describes an improved earth-pointing scheme by fusion of the three-axis attitude information from gyros and horizon sensor roll and pitch measurements along with yaw updates from the digital sun sensor. A Kalman Filter is used to estimate the three-axis attitude by online estimation and corrections of various errors from the sensor measurements. Variations in orbit rate components are also accounted for using spacecraft position and velocity measurements from the satellite positioning system. Thus precise earth-pointing is achieved     

Measuring absolute infrared spectral radiance with correlated visible photons: technique verification and measurement uncertainty

An experimental system in which correlated photons for radiometric measurements were used has been set up at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We use visible-IR pairs of correlated photons produced by means of optical parametric downconversion to measure the radiance of a high-temperature IR source at 3.415 and 4.772 mum in an intrinsically absolute manner (i.e., without requiring any externally calibrated radiometric standard). To our knowledge, this is the only radiometric method with which one measures radiance directly, instead of using radiant power and aperture geometry measurements to deduce radiance indirectly. This technique has an additional unusual characteristic: It allows absolute radiometric measurements of IR radiation to be made with high-quality visible detectors. We compare measurements made with this technique with radiance measurements made with conventional means tied to existing radiometric standards. These comparisons show an average agreement to within ~3% between the two methods. The results demonstrate an accuracy consistent with the estimated uncertainty of the currentmeasurements. This is the first time to our knowledge that this method has been used to provide absolute radiance measurements of a source that has been calibrated conventionally, revealing unexpected systematic effects and allowing estimates of the ultimate accuracy of this method. In addition, these measurements are further into the IR than any previous measurements of this process and have produced the highest thermally stimulated downconversion signal yet seen.     

The Double-Wavelength Technique—An Alternative Technique to Determine Thermodynamic Temperature

Filter radiometry provides thermodynamic temperatures traceable to a cryogenic radiometer. An alternative technique is possible which provides absolute thermodynamic temperature through a different traceability chain, with the radiometric measurements purely relative. If this technique could be experimentally realized with similar uncertainties to those associated with filter radiometry, then this would provide a metrologically valuable ‘second opinion’ that would test for systematic effects common to all filter radiometry measurements. This paper describes the theoretical analysis prior to an experimental investigation of this technique. This theoretical analysis implies that with Re-C and Cu as the two blackbodies, the Re-C temperature can be determined with an uncertainty of approximately twice that expected with filter radiometry. For higher-temperature metal-carbide/carbon eutectics, the uncertainty difference would be smaller.     

A versatile, PC-based gamma ray monitor

This paper describes a new computer-based gamma ray monitor for laboratory and field measurements. The monitor consists of a universal peripheral device, and GM counter gamma ray probe, connected via USB to the PC. The peripheral device is generic; in addition to the GM probe, it accepts sensors for spectrometric measurements as well as sensors for the measurement of other environmental parameters. Owing to its low-power consumption, it is used with laptop or palmtop computer, as a portable field measurement instrument. The proposed solution has advantages over conventional instrument: (1) open architecture; (2) user-defined functions and (3) easy network connection.     

Multiplexed Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation System Using a Microelectromechanical Fabry–Perot Tunable Filter

This paper describes a fiber Bragg grating strain sensor interrogation system based on a microelectromechanical systems tunable Fabry–Perot filter. The shift in the Bragg wavelength due to strain applied to a sensor fiber is detected by means of a correlation algorithm which was implemented on an embedded digital signal processor. The instrument has a 70 nm tuning range, allowing multiple strain sensors to be multiplexed on the same fiber. The performance of the interrogator was characterized using an optical fiber containing six grating strain sensors embedded in a fiberglass test specimen. The measured root mean square (RMS) strain error was 1.5 microstrain, corresponding to a 1.2 pm RMS error in the estimated wavelength shift. Strain measurements are produced with an update rate of 39 samples/s.      

Health monitoring of marine composite structural joints using fibre optic sensors

This paper describes a methodology for the health monitoring of composite marine joint structures based on strain measurements under operational loading using embedded fibre Bragg grating sensors. Finite element modelling indicated that the presence of a disbond significantly altered the bond-line longitudinal strain distribution. This was verified qualitatively through an experimental test program. The experimental results are examined in relation to the FE predictions and the implications for a practical strain-based SHM system are discussed. A technique is developed, based on novel signal processing and statistical outlier detection. This enables the sensor measurements to be used for damage detection without reference to a high-fidelity numerical model of the structure which is often difficult and resource-intensive to generate. The technique is shown to provide successful damage diagnoses with an acceptable level of accuracy. Further improvement in diagnostic accuracy may be achieved by increasing the sensor density.     

Workshop on Bridging Satellite Climate Data Gaps

Detecting the small signals of climate change for the most essential climate variables requires that satellite sensors make highly accurate and consistent measurements. Data gaps in the time series (such as gaps resulting from launch delay or failure) and inconsistencies in radiometric scales between satellites undermine the credibility of fundamental climate data records, and can lead to erroneous analysis in climate change detection. To address these issues, leading experts in Earth observations from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA), United States Geological Survey (USGS), and academia assembled at the National Institute of Standards and Technology on December 10, 2009 for a workshop to prioritize strategies for bridging and mitigating data gaps in the climate record. This paper summarizes the priorities for ensuring data continuity of variables relevant to climate change in the areas of atmosphere, land, and ocean measurements and the recommendations made at the workshop for overcoming planned and unplanned gaps in the climate record.     

Fault-tolerant sensor systems using evolvable hardware

This paper describes a system that is robust with respect to a sensor failure. The system utilizes multiple sensor inputs (three in this case) connected to a programmable device that averages the outputs from the sensors. The programmable device is programmed using evolvable hardware techniques. If one or more of the input sensors fail, then the controller detects the failure and initiates a reprogramming of the circuit. The system then continues to operate with a reduced number of sensors. The failure detection is accomplished by comparing the actual system output with a Kalman-filter estimate of the output. If the actual output and the filter estimate differ by an amount greater than the system uncertainty, then a failure is noted. The system is robust to several different failure modes: sensor fails as open circuit, sensor fails as short circuit, partial failures, multiple sensors fail, field programmable analog array input amplifier failure. This paper describes the experimental setup as well as results using actual temperature sensors. For all failure types, the system was able to recover to within 2% of the target value.     

Integrated electrochemical sensor array for on-line monitoring of yeast fermentations

This paper describes the design, modeling, and experimental characterization of an electrochemical sensor array for on-line monitoring of fermentor conditions in both miniaturized cell assays and in industrial scale fermentations. The viable biomass concentration is determined from impedance spectroscopy. As a miniaturized electrode configuration with high cell constant is applied, the spectral conductivity variation is monitored instead of the permittivity variation. The dissolved oxygen concentration is monitored amperometrically using an ultramicroelectrode array, which is shown to have negligible flow dependence. pH is monitored using an ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET), and a platinum thermistor is included for temperature measurements. All sensors were shown to be sufficiently accurate within the range relevant to yeast fermentations. The sensor array is shown to be very stable and durable and withstands steam-sterilization.     

Temperature correction of radiometric and geometric models for an uncooled CCD camera in the near infrared

This paper presents radiometric and geometric models for both temperature and displacement noncontact measurements using an uncooled charge-coupled device (CCD) video camera. Such techniques ("one sensor-two measures") represent an interest in many industrial low cost applications and scientific domains. To benefit from both measurements, we have to use the camera's spectral response in the near infrared spectral band from 0.75 to 1.1 /spl mu/m. In this spectral band, the temperature variations of an uncooled CCD camera are taken into account in the radiometric and geometric models. By using physical models for CCD camera, we quantify detector's quantum efficiency, sensor noise and spatial resolution as a function of the wavelength and of the detector temperature. These models are confirmed by experimental results of calibration with a low cost uncooled camera based on a Sony detector and operating over the detector temperature range of -30 to -50/spl deg/.     

Calibration of SeaWiFS. I. Direct techniques

We present an overview of the calibration of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of View Sensor (SeaWiFS) from its performance verification at the manufacturer's facility to the completion of its third year of on-orbit measurements. These calibration procedures have three principal parts: a prelaunch radiometric calibration that is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the Transfer-to-Orbit Experiment, a set of measurements that determine changes in the instrument's calibration from its manufacture to the start of on-orbit operations; and measurements of the sun and the moon to determine radiometric changes on orbit. To our knowledge, SeaWiFS is the only instrument that uses routine lunar measurements to determine changes in its radiometric sensitivity. On the basis of these methods, the overall uncertainty in the SeaWiFS top-of-the-atmosphere radiances is estimated to be 4-5%. We also show the results of comparison campaigns with aircraft- and ground-based measurements, plus the results of an experiment, called the Southern Ocean Band 8 Gain Study. These results are used to check the calibration of the SeaWiFS bands. To date, they have not been used to change the instrument's prelaunch calibration coefficients. In addition to these procedures, SeaWiFS is a vicariously calibrated instrument for ocean-color measurements. In the vicarious calibration of the SeaWiFS visible bands, the calibration coefficients are modified to force agreement with surface truth measurements from the Marine Optical Buoy, which is moored off the Hawaiian Island of Lanai. This vicarious calibration is described in a companion paper.     

Dose rate calculations for a reconnaissance vehicle

A Chemical Nuclear Reconnaissance System (CNRS) has been developed by the British Ministry of Defence to make chemical and radiation measurements on contaminated terrain using appropriate sensors and recording equipment installed in a land rover. A research programme is under way to develop and validate a predictive capability to calculate the build-up of contamination on the vehicle, radiation detector performance and dose rates to the occupants of the vehicle. This paper describes the geometric model of the vehicle and the methodology used for calculations of detector response. Calculated dose rates obtained using the MCBEND Monte Carlo radiation transport computer code in adjoint mode are presented. These address the transient response of the detectors as the vehicle passes through a contaminated area. Calculated dose rates were found to agree with the measured data to be within the experimental uncertainties, thus giving confidence in the shielding model of the vehicle and its application to other scenarios.     

Configurable electrodes for capacitive-type sensors and chemical sensors

This paper describes a novel design for capacitive sensors or chemical sensors, which features configurable interdigitated electrodes: The electrode spacing can be varied by means of switches on the CMOS chip. This new design allows for performing two capacitive measurements with one single-sensor capacitor so that the number of sensors required to acquire a certain amount of information can be significantly reduced. The use of the same sensor and the same polymer layer for two measurements at a different electrode periodicity provides a better signal quality for the difference signal since detrimental influences, such as humidity and sensor drift, are similar for both electrode configurations and are strongly correlated. Such high signal quality is required for, e.g., the successful recognition of n-octane in the presence of tenfold larger background signals of humidity or, in general, for the determination of low analyte concentrations in humid air. The baseline drift in the concentration predictions based on the differential signal from the two electrode configurations was an order of magnitude lower than that for uncorrelated signals produced by two separate interdigitated capacitors on the same chip. Since the number of required sensors is reduced and, owing to the differential readout of two electrode configurations, reference capacitors are no longer necessary, the overall chip size and/or the number of sensor chips and, consequently, costs can be considerably reduced.     

Fourier Analysis of Time-Stamped Signals Using a Small Number of Samples

This paper concerns the Fourier analysis of measurements taken at times that are not at all uniformly spaced yet are accurately known. Such can be the case when measurements are obtained by networked sensors with accurate or synchronized clocks using common Internet Protocol networks or other networks that do not guarantee timely data delivery. Such can also be the case when the object being measured is only sporadically available for measurement. A method for computing a complex spectrum from a minimal number of samples taken at nonuniform time intervals is described. The novelty of this paper lies in the method's ability to minimize the number of samples required to ensure a desired accuracy. A practical application of the method lies in doing spectral analysis of signals obtained from networked sensors where acquiring each sample is expensive in time, power, or money, and so, the number of samples taken is to be minimized. The method has been tested on two rather different sets of actual measurements: one taken via smart sensors connected to the Internet and the other taken by a number of observational astronomers using a variety of apparatus over decades.     

Traceable radiometric calibration of semiconductor detectors and their application for thermodynamic temperature measurement

The non-contact measurement of temperature by using the emitted thermal radiation has been an innovative field of measurement science and fundamental physics for more than a hundred years. It saw the first highlight in Gustav Kirchhoff’s principle of a blackbody with ideal emission characteristics and culminated in Max Planck’s formulation of the law of thermal radiation, the so-called Planck’s law, forming the foundation of quantum physics. A boost in accuracy was the development of semiconductor detectors and the cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer in the late 1970s. Semiconductor detectors, namely photodiodes, deliver an electrical current proportional to the absorbed optical radiation. Due to the measurements of thermal radiation over a wide range of temperature and wavelength, thermodynamic temperature measurements with radiometric methods have set benchmarks to all, the electrical, dimensional and optical metrology. The paper describes the measurement of the spectral responsivity of semiconductor detectors traceable to the SI units and their application for thermodynamic temperature measurement by the absolute measurement of thermal radiation using filter radiometers with calibrated spectral irradiance responsivity.