COTS Networked Ground Sensors for Artillery Localization
Abstract
A commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) design of a ground sensor network is implemented using Windows 2000, wireless 2.4 GHz Ethernet, GPS time synchronization, and solar power. While using low power commercial components, the power budget (including radio and all peripherals) is still a hefty 20 watts, which is low by Pentium-class PC standards, but quite high compared to what is possible using embedded processors. Using Windows 2000 (W2k) and a 533 MHz Celeron processor as a ground sensor platform, offers many advantages. The biggest advantage is that we don t have to develop all the networking and power-saving features built into W2k. Using secure Intranets (private networks on the test range) and secure Extranets (secure landlines connecting the range to the user thousands of miles away), the user can log into the W2k domain and the network neighborhood is the ground sensor network. This greatly facilitates engineering development of algorithms, data collection, and proof-of-concept validation by leveraging technology developed for the commercial Internet. Each ground sensor has an 8-channel 24-bit data acquisition system with 4 microphones and a 3-component geophone. The remaining channel digitizes a timing pulse waveform from the GPS which allows each ground sensor to be synchronized within one sample period of the analog conversions. Each node automatically detects an artillery blast, calculates a line of bearing and precise time of arrival, captures and logs environmental data and a short recording of the blast, and sends a message to a server. The server automatically backs up recordings and manages the 20 Gigabytes of disk space on each of the ground sensor nodes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA557594
Entities
People
- David C. Swanson
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University