Cross-Correlation Signal Digitizer for Satellite Data Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Geosynchronous satellite observations face challenges in accurately transmitting and storing weather and climate data due to single event upsets caused by charged particles, leading to increased complexity and costs without effective data compression and cross-correlation schemes.
Innovation Solution
A signal digitizer and cross-correlator system that digitizes analog signals, cross-correlates them using a summing and cross-correlation matrix, and serializes the results for reliable transmission, maintaining accuracy and reducing data volume while minimizing power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If greater amounts of storage memory are deployed within a satellite, then the ability to obtain and store weather and climate information is improved, but the complexity in handling single event upsets increases and overall costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs cross-correlation processing on incoming data streams before storing them in memory. By pre-processing the data to identify and correlate patterns, the system reduces the volume of data that needs to be stored and managed, thereby decreasing the complexity of handling single event upsets while maintaining adequate storage capacity for weather and climate information
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the most significant correlated data patterns from the incoming data streams using cross-correlation algorithms. Instead of storing all raw data, the system identifies and extracts key correlated events, reducing memory requirements and simplifying the management of stored data against single event upsets
2Quantity of substance
If greater amounts of storage memory are deployed within a satellite, then the ability to obtain and store weather and climate information is improved, but the overall costs associated with the satellite increase
Solution Approach 1:
By performing cross-correlation processing before storage, the system reduces the total amount of memory required in the satellite. This preliminary data reduction lowers hardware costs, launch weight, and overall satellite manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to store sufficient weather and climate information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cross-correlation to identify redundant or correlated data patterns that can be represented more efficiently. Instead of storing multiple copies of similar data, the system captures the essential correlated information in a compressed form, reducing memory requirements and associated costs
3Measurement precision
If cross-correlation processing is performed on incoming data streams, then data accuracy is improved by reducing false positives and negatives, but processing time and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the incoming data stream into discrete time segments or windows and performs cross-correlation on these segmented portions. This segmentation allows the processing to be done in manageable chunks, reducing the overall processing time while maintaining data accuracy by applying the cross-correlation algorithm systematically across all segments
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs cross-correlation processing periodically at defined intervals rather than continuously on every incoming data point. This periodic processing approach reduces computational requirements and processing time while still maintaining data accuracy by ensuring that correlated patterns are detected at regular intervals
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a cross-correlator comprises a plurality of analog front ends (AFEs), a cross-correlation circuit and a data serializer. Each of the AFEs comprises a variable gain amplifier (VGA) and a corresponding analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in which the VGA receives and modifies a unique analog signal associates with a measured analog radio frequency (RF) signal and the ADC produces digital data associated with the modified analog signal. Communicatively coupled to the AFEs, the cross-correlation circuit performs a cross-correlation operation on the digital data produced from different measured analog RF signals. The data serializer is communicatively coupled to the summing and cross-correlating matrix and continuously outputs a prescribed amount of the correlated digital data.