IP engine sends sensor signals back from space

The iPort PT1000-CL IP engine helped NASA assess the structural integrity of the Discovery space shuttle during its recent mission to the International Space Station.

Pleora Technologies, the vision industry's leading supplier of GigE connectivity products, is pleased to announce that its iPort PT1000-CL IP engine helped NASA assess the structural integrity of the Discovery space shuttle during its recent mission to the International Space Station.

Pleora's iPort IP engine and high-resolution cameras from Adimec were mounted at the end of the space shuttle's 15m robotic arm.

The flight crew used the equipment to visually inspect the shuttle's heat tiles for signs of damage before returning to earth earlier this week.

The iPort engine grabbed tile images from the camera and streamed them to a laptop inside the shuttle over a standard Ethernet link.

The crew was able to control the camera via the engine as they carefully inspected the shuttle's thermal protection system.

The Discovery flight was the most photographed shuttle mission ever, with more than 100 high-definition, digital, video, and film cameras documenting the launch and climb to orbit.

Data from these images helped assess whether the orbiter sustained any damage and whether that damage posed any risk to Discovery's return to Earth.

"The iPort engine worked as expected during the mission".

"Even though the Ethernet connection experienced mismatched impedance, ghosting, and crosstalk, the engine was able to overcome these problems and our flight software worked flawlessly", said Joel Busa, Software Lead for the shuttle's integrated sensor inspection system.

"The Discovery mission speaks volumes about the robustness of Pleora's iPort IP engines", said George Chamberlain, President of Pleora Technologies.

"This was an unequivocal demonstration of their reliability in harsh environments".

Pleora's iPort products allow almost any type of imaging data, digital or analogue, to stream in real time from cameras to PCs over standard Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) links or LANs.

With iPort, demanding industrial vision applications run over low-cost commercial GigE gear, benefiting from Ethernet's well-known networking flexibility, scalability, long-distance reach, and ease-of-use.

"NASA's use of our Adimec-2000 cameras in this mission underscores the ability of our products to deliver beautiful images when operating under extreme conditions, including shock, vibration, and wide temperature fluctuations", said Jay Rice, VP, Sales and Marketing, Adimec Electronic Imaging.

The Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew landed on 17th July 2006 after a 13-day, 8 million-kilometre journey in space.

The mission succeeded in testing shuttle safety improvements, repairing a rail car on the International Space Station and producing never-before-seen, high-resolution images of the shuttle during and after its 4th July launch.

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