Next-Generation Post-Flight Processing and Analysis with Data Mining Toolset

Next-Generation Post-Flight Processing and Analysis with Data Mining Toolset

Aircraft flight test projects generate large amounts of data. One complex vehicle flight typically generates several hundred megabytes of data. A single project could involve several hundred flights, and a dozen active projects could be in progress at a major research center, requiring the management of terabytes of data. Armstrong researchers are testing the OMEGA Data Environment (ODE) software tool from Smartronix^’ to achieve rapid access to specific types of data. This commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) data mining tool is allowing researchers to find needles in haystacks, or bits within terabytes.

Work to date: Armstrong researchers have applied the ODE tool to identify anomalies on C-17 air data computers. The ODE software

enabled the team to search a 25-dimensional space within minutes, an exercise that otherwise would have taken a prohibitive amount of time to accomplish.

Looking ahead: Researchers are continuing to test and evaluate the ODE data mining tool for possible use at all NASA Centers. They will also be examining near-real-time publishing, in conjunction with the OMGEA NExT software. The NExT tool creates graphic displays in real time, based on input telemetry data. The displays are configured with open source *.xaml files; streaming data are recorded in industry standard *.CH10 files and 'published' (i.e., converted into customary engineering and desktop formats suitable for documentation

Benefits

 Fast: Allows practical searching through terabytes of post-flight data

 Easy to use: Permits rapid data searches by inspection via its visualization feature

Applications

 Post-flight data analysis  Records management

Smartronix is a registered trademark of Smartronix, Inc.

Avionics and Instrumentation Technologies

Armstrong innovators design and integrate data acquisition systems for research, support, and one-of-a-kind platforms. In many cases, these systems leverage commercial off-the-shelf parts to keep costs low and ease integration with legacy systems. At the same time, these cutting-edge data systems are finding innovative ways not only to collect data efficiently but also to flexibly configure collection parameters.

Designed for aerospace applications, many of these innovations can benefit numerous industries in a variety of situations where data optimization is critical, such as manufacturing operations, business processes, and energy management, to name a few.