New System Assists X-Planes with Super-Fast Data Transmission

May 1, 2017

A NASA King Air successfully tested the Advanced Data Acquisition and Telemetry System during three research flights. (NASA Photo: Lori Losey)

A network and communication architecture that can more efficiently move data from research aircraft, while using half the bandwidth of traditional methods, could eventually also enable data collection of precise measurements needed for testing the next generation of X-planes. Researchers at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center integrated the new systems into a NASA King Air for three flights following extensive ground testing.

As many as 3.3 million sensor measurements per second can be acquired, or a focused data set can be targeted to free up bandwidth for other tasks. The system will advance flight test data acquisition and telemetry systems using an Ethernet via telemetry subsystem that wirelessly transmits test data, and an advanced data acquisition system that allows remote researchers to command experiments and receive data collection during flight.

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