AFRL Develops Network-Centric Monitor for Multiple Heterogeneous Datastreams

  • Published
  • By Plans and Programs Directorate
  • AFRL/XP
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Engineers from AFRL and ITCN, Inc. (Dayton, Ohio), are developing a real-time data monitoring and correlation (RTDMC) system to acquire data from multiple heterogeneous data streams simultaneously, and time-correlate events contained in the data content. This data acquisition is controllable and distributable over local or global networks.

The team is expanding ITCN's SystemTrace™ product line to include Ethernet capability. This expands the SystemTrace capabilities to include real-time nonintrusive monitoring of concurrent VersaModule Eurocard (VME), MIL-STD-1553B, and Ethernet data buses.

The RTDMC system allows monitoring of data streams on individual buses and/or simultaneous monitoring of data on multiple heterogeneous data buses. The new Ethernet probe is capable of monitoring and recording application-level data variables on 10/100/1000 Mb Ethernet networks. This allows data stream analysis between all devices on the network during data transfers.

The system supports up to 256 unique filters to be monitored per probe per session. Monitored symbols may be defined from a single bit size to double-precision floating-point values. For time stamping, the architecture uses an Interrange Instrumentation Group-based time stamp, allowing monitored data streams to be miles apart. This networked instrumentation architecture addresses the need for system-level instrumentation that can trace "data flow" by monitoring key points throughout the target system with absolute time correlation of the captured data for analysis, performance monitoring, diagnostics, or prognostics.

The RTDMC system allows developers, integrators, users, and maintainers to nonintrusively monitor real-time VME, MIL-STD-1553B, and Ethernet data streams distributed throughout embedded and/or physically dispersed networked systems. The system will significantly aid software test and evaluation, system integration, maintenance, performance monitoring, mission monitoring, and diagnostic/prognostic performance arenas, reducing system development and maintenance costs throughout.