Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Darren Woodman

Kevin G Hawes

Timothy A Roberts

Anders P Walker

Gregory John Quinn

Robert P Wichowski

Patrick J Sears

Don Pedersen

Nicholas Van Derzee

Phong Dinh

An environmental control system includes a broadcast-type controller area network (CAN) bus and a plurality of configurable modular controllers coupled to the CAN bus. Each of the plurality of configurable modular controllers includes a modular controller card with a microprocessor and a modular driver board configured to connect and disconnect to and from the controller card. The environmental control system further includes one or more sensors and a primary controller. The sensors are configured to sense one or more parameter values and to provide the one or more parameter values on the CAN bus. The primary controller is configured to communicate with each of the configurable modular controllers via the CAN bus.

Configurable controller for next generation control system

A control system in an atmospheric suit includes a broadcast-type controller area network (CAN) bus and a plurality of motor controllers coupled to the CAN bus. Each of the plurality of motor controllers has a same software design and performs a different control operation based on an assigned hardware address. The control system also includes one or more sensors to sense one or more parameter values in the atmospheric suit and to provide the one or more parameter values on the CAN bus. A primary controller communicates with the plurality of motor controllers via the CAN bus and provides communication to a wearer of the atmospheric suit or communication outside the atmospheric suit outside the CAN bus.

Control system architecture for atmospheric suit

A method includes obtaining a base housing for electronic components. The base housing attenuates radiation entering the base housing by a base amount. An inner volume of the base housing defined by an inner surface of the base housing experiences attenuated radiation. The method also includes affixing one or more inserts to the inner surface of the base housing to further attenuate the attenuated radiation in corresponding one or more areas of the inner volume.

Adaptive design and fabrication of radiation shielding inserts for electronic components

Diagnosing whether controllers of internal vehicle systems are the source of failures detected by a system control managing a vehicle such as a spacecraft. Highspeed data is received via at a field programmable gate array (FPGA) embedded in an assembly of the vehicle. The FPGA includes a controller and a digital diagnostic interface. In one embodiment, the diagnostic interface utilizes Very Highspeed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL) for performance modeling of a controller configured to control at least one internal system within the vehicle. The VHDL performance models the controller. Upon receiving an indication of a failure, the performance modeling of the controller is used to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure. Disassembly of the assembly housing the internal system is not required in order to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure.

Highspeed data interface for distributed system motor controllers

A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) device is provided for use in an environmental control and life support system (ECLSS). The PCI device includes a control card, mounting slots each of which is receptive of the control card and coupled with a piece of ECLSS equipment and a backplane configured to respectively provide, via communication and power signals, communications and power to the control card in any one of the mounting slots. With the control card received in one of the mounting slots, the control card accommodates multiple power levels, executes commutation logic and executes one or more of active current control and active current modulation in accordance with the one of the mounting slots and the piece of the ECLSS equipment coupled therewith.

Growing community of inventors

North Granby, CT, United States of America

Darren Woodman