From: MERC::"uunet!ARISIA.dnet.ge.com!AITGW::marketing@cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu" 6-JUL-1992 12:57:47.97 To: everhart CC: Subj: COSMIC Info, July 1992 Received: by AITGW.DECnet (utk-mail11 v1.5) ; Mon, 6 Jul 92 12:13:14 EDT Received: from cossack.cosmic.uga.edu by aitgw.ge.com (5.65/GE Gateway 1.5) id AA29465; Mon, 6 Jul 92 12:12:58 -0400 Received: from cossack.cosmic.uga.edu by cossack.cossack.cosmic.uga.edu id aa21030; 6 Jul 92 11:41 EDT Received: from cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu by cossack.cossack.cosmic.uga.edu id aa21025; 6 Jul 92 11:05 EDT Received: by cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu (MX V3.1) id 5289; Mon, 06 Jul 1992 11:06:51 EDT Sender: marketing@cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu Mmdf-Warning: Parse error in original version of preceding line at cossack.cossack.cosmic.uga.edu Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1992 11:06:48 EDT From: marketing@cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu To: dcosmic-list@cossack.cosmic.uga.edu Message-Id: <0095D2A4.A34A1AE0.5289@cosmic.cosmic.uga.edu> Subject: COSMIC Info, July 1992 Questions? Send them to service@cossack.cosmic.uga.edu ***COSMIC E-MAIL UPDATE*** The following notes briefly describe new and updated programs that have been added to the COSMIC inventory in July, 1992. You may request full abstracts of the programs (we recommend you do this before you order) or additional information about any of our other services by contacting the COSMIC Customer Support staff. These programs are made available for re-use by domestic industries, government agencies, and universities under NASA's Technology Utilization Program. Source code is included unless otherwise noted. Educational discounts may apply. You may download the DOS version of the 1992 COSMIC catalog via anonymous ftp or via internet mailings. Online access via modem or telnet is also available. For more information, contact COSMIC customer support. TELEPHONE AREA CODE CHANGES Please note that COSMIC's telephone area code has changed from 404 to 706. UNIX UTILITY UPDATE PSTOOLS, ARC-12839, is a package of four programs from NASA Ames Research Center that operate on files written in the page description language, PostScript. The programs include a PostScript previewer for the IRIS workstation, a PostScript driver for the Matrix QCRZ film recorder, a PostScript driver for the Tektronix 4693D printer, and a PostScript code beautifier that formats PostScript files to be more legible. PSTOOLS is written in C-language for implementation on SGI IRIS 4D series workstations running IRIX 3.2 or later. Program $500; documentation $11. NEURAL NETS One of the more successful neural network methods used in invariant object recognition is the higher-order neural network (HONN) method. With a HONN, known relationships are exploited and the desired invariances are built directly into the architecture of the network, eliminating the need for the network to learn invariance to transformations. This results in a significant reduction in the training time required, since the network needs to be trained on only one view of each object, not on numerous transformed views. Moreover, one hundred percent accuracy is guaranteed for images characterized by the built-in distortions, providing noise is not introduced through pixelation. The program HONTIOR, from NASA Ames Research Center, implements a third-order neural network having invariance to translation, scale, and in-plane rotation built directly into the architecture, Thus, for 2-D transformation invariance, the network needs only to be trained on just one view of each object. HONTIOR can also be used for 3-D transformation invariant object recognition by training the network only on a set of out-of-plane rotated views. The HONTIOR distribution consists of three main programs. The first program contains the training and testing routines for a third-order neural network. The second program contains the same training and testing procedures as the first, but it also contains a number of functions to display and edit training and test images. Finally, the third program is an auxiliary program which calculates the included angles for a given input field size. HONTIOR, ARC-13187, is written in C language, and was originally developed for Sun3 and Sun4 series computers. Both graphic and command line versions of the program are provided. The command line version has been successfully compiled and executed both on computers running the UNIX operating system and on DEC VAX series computer running VMS. The graphic version requires the SunTools windowing environment, and therefore runs only on Sun series computers. The executable for the graphics version of HONTIOR requires 1Mb of RAM. The standard distribution medium for HONTIOR is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. It is also available on a 3.5 inch diskette in UNIX tar format. The package includes sample input and output data. Program $600; documentation $16. SIGNAL PROCESSING Scale-space filtering is used to screen information obtained from signals that produce a complex curve (such as that in geographic and thermal analysis) to gain a truer representation of the area under analysis. PSF, from NASA Ames Research Center, extends this technique to extract non-periodic hills and valleys from a signal. Because the signal's information is sometimes too complex to determine with certainty if some features are real or artificial, PSF calculates probabilities, with the extracted features corresponding to real events, in order to aid in determining the signal's accuracy. Since the probabilities associated with the features are derived from domain-specific statistics, it is (most likely) necessary to modify the program code to correspond to the user's particular domain. PSF also provides a standard scale-space filtering algorithm for use when the desired features can be identified with certainty or when it is not practical to get the domain-specific statistics. The PSF algorithm is based on Witkin's scale-space filtering theory. PSF, ARC-13198, is written in C language (49%) and Common LISP (51%) for use on a Sun SPARC workstation running the UNIX operating system. PSF requires 4Mb of RAM. The standard distribution medium for this program is a .25 streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. It is also available on a 3.5 inch diskette in UNIX tar format. Program $350; documentation $12. HUMAN FACTORS The NASA TileWorld (NTW) domain was formulated for NASA Ames Research Center to further research on planning, scheduling, and control problems. Although written specifically for NASA use, NTW is able to be easily modified to act as a base for other simulated environments. NTW is a simulator consisting of a two- dimensional grid of cells populated with movable tiles and a single mobile agent. The agent is able to grasp tiles that are in directly adjacent cells, release a grasped tile, or move to an adjacent cell. The agent is also able to sense its location, determine whether it is grasping a tile, sense the contents of any cell (regardless of distance or line-of-sight obstructions), and request the current world time. In NTW, the exogenous events (i.e. events that the agent cannot control) are implemented as gusts of wind which blow from the borders of the grid towards the interior. The detailed behavior of these wind gusts is difficult for the agent to predict. Another source of prediction difficulty is action outcome uncertainty, realized within NTW by specifying a probabilistic model of alternative action outcomes when a particular NTW problem instance is constructed. The result of this is that the agent controller must sense the world to determine if an action has achieved the intended effects. NTW, ARC-13212, is written in Allegro Common Lisp for Sun-3 and Sun-4 series computers running SunOS. This program requires version 3.1.13 or version 4.0 of Allegro Common Lisp as well as the Common Lisp loop macro. The standard distribution medium for NTW is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. An electronic copy of the documentation is included on the program media. Program $300; documentation $19. VAX PLOTTER VEGAS, from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, is a program which allows application programmers to create X-Y plots in various modes through high-level subroutine calls. The modes consist of passive, autoupdate, and interactive modes. The passive mode takes input data, produces a plot, and returns the control to an application program. Autoupdate mode forms plots and automatically updates them as more information is received. The interactive mode displays the plot and provides pop-up menus for the user to alter the display's appearance or to modify the data. Among the many functions available in interactive mode are the abilities to zoom in on particular points; to position the plot; to scale the axes; to remove specific points; and to flag, modify and curve fit points and curves. This package is built on top of and is consistent with the TEMPLATE graphics subroutine package. VEGAS, GSC-13470, is written in FORTRAN 77 for DEC VAX series computers running VMS. It requires TEMPLATE 6.0, a graphics library from the Liant Software Corporation. VEGAS requires 350K of RAM. The program is available in DEC VAX BACKUP format on a 9-track 1600 BPI magnetic tape (standard distribution medium) or on a TK50 tape cartridge. Program $3,500; documentation $81. VIEW FACTORS The calculation of the radiation exchange between two gray, diffuse surfaces by the usual engineering method presents difficulties since it requires a full and precise description of both surfaces. Often the major difficulty in calculating the heat transfer rests with the accurate determination of the surface conditions. For multi-surface enclosure problems, or for radiation between surfaces whose mutual views are obstructed, the evaluation of the view factor is a major effort. For many situations, as in spacecraft or space structures, solar receivers, or industrial furnaces, estimates using graphical and numerical techniques are not adequate. Furthermore, in structures for which the changing position of the sun leads to different surfaces becoming radiantly important at different times, accurate determination of the viewfactor for all surfaces is particularly important. The family of computer codes, VIEW, written for NASA Langley Research Center, has been created to accomplish this task. VIEW is an interactive program that determines the viewfactors, graphically displays surfaces, and evaluates the solar irradiation of an assemblage of surfaces. The VIEW programs, inventory number LAR-14217, are written in FORTRAN 77 ,C-language and Assembly language for the IBM PC and compatibles. The graphic routines assume the use of an EGA or VGA card. The memory requirement for the program is 412K. The standard distribution medium for VIEW VERSION 5.6.9 is a set of eleven 360K MS-DOS format diskettes. Program $3,000; documentation $56. TRAVEL FORECASTER Business travel planning within an organization is often a time- consuming task. Travel Forecaster from NASA Langley Research Center is a menu-driven, easy-to-use program which plans, forecasts cost, and tracks actual vs. planned cost for business- related travel of a division or branch of an organization and compiles this information into a database to aid the travel planner. The program's ability to handle multiple trip entries makes it a valuable time-saving device. Travel Forecaster 1.1, inventory number LAR-14826, is a database program for use with Fourth Dimension Runtime 2.1.1. It requires a Macintosh Plus running System 6.0.3 or later, 2Mb of RAM and a hard disk. The standard distribution medium for this package is one 3.5 inch 800K Macintosh format diskette. Program $200; documentation $13. PROJECT MANAGMENT RSM, Resupply Scheduling Modeler from NASA Lewis Research Center, is a fully menu-driven program that uses integer programming techniques to determine an optimum schedule for replacing components on or before the end of a fixed replacement period. Although written to analyze the electrical power system on the Space Station Freedom, RSM is quite general and can be used to model the resupply of almost any system subject to user-defined resource constraints. RSM is based on a specific form of the general linear programming problem in which all variables in the objective function and all variables in the constraints are integers. While more computationally intensive, integer programming was required for accuracy when modeling systems with small quantities of components. RSM includes user-defined constraints such as transportation mass and volume limits, as well as component life, available repair crew time and assembly sequences. A weighting factor allows the program to minimize factors such as cost. The program then performs an iterative analysis, which is displayed during the processing. RSM, LEW-15309, is written in APL2 for IBM PC series computers and compatibles. A stand-alone executable version of RSM is provided; however, this is a "packed" version of RSM which can only utilize the memory within the 640K DOS limit. This executable requires at least 640K of memory and DOS 3.1 or higher. Source code for an APL2/PC workspace version is also provided. This version of RSM can make full use of any installed extended memory but must be run with the APL2 interpreter; and it requires an 80486 based microcomputer or an 80386 based microcomputer with an 80387 math coprocessor, at least 2Mb of extended memory, and DOS 3.3 or higher. The standard distribution medium for this package is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Program $200; documentation $16. ROCKET PROPULSION ELM, from NASA Lewis Research Center, is a simple computational tool for modeling the steady-state thermal-hydraulics of propellant flow through fuel element coolant channels in nuclear thermal rockets. Written for the nuclear propulsion project of the Space Exploration Initiative, ELM evaluates the various heat transfer coefficient and friction factor correlations available for turbulent pipe flow with heat addition. ELM, LEW-15423, is a machine independent program written in FORTRAN 77. It has been successfully compiled on an IBM PC compatible running MS-DOS using Lahey FORTRAN 77, a DEC VAX series computer running VMS, and a Sun4 series computer running SunOS UNIX. ELM requires 565K of RAM under SunOS 4.1, 360K of RAM under VMS 5.4, and 406K of RAM under MS-DOS. No executable is provided on the distribution media. The standard distribution medium for ELM is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Program $480; documentation $16. WELDING ROCKFILL, written for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, is a software package that calculates key robot weld information. Its easy to use menu system allows the robot operator to better estimate the number of passes, amount of wire, estimated arc time and the estimated amount of heat that will be put into the particular weld. The software is designed to operate on the robot's work cell PC and requires no documentation or training. ROCKFILL is intended for use as a shop aid in the Rocketdyne robotic welding effort, and is not a tool for design. The program assumes that the welding process is the Gas Tungsten (pulsed/non-pulsed) Arc Welding (GTAW), commonly referred to as Tig welding. ROCKFILL, MFS-29716, is written in C Language for IBM PC and compatible computers running MS-DOS. The source code will only compile properly with the Aztec C v3.2 compiler; however, an executable is provided on the distribution disk. The standard distribution medium for this program is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Some documentation is available, showing the basic menu screens, but ROCKFILL is intended as a stand alone program. Program $150; documentation $12. NETS 3.0 UPDATE NETS, A Tool for the Development and Evaluation of Neural Networks from NASA Johnson Space Center, provides a simulation of Neural Network algorithms plus an environment for developing such algorithms. NETS uses the back propagation learning method for all of the networks which it creates. NETS 3.0 also provides features for saving the weight values of a network during the learning process, which allows for more precise control over the learning process. NETS 3.0, MSC-21588, is written in ANSI standard C language to be machine independent. It has been successfully implemented on an IBM PC series compatible running MS-DOS, a DEC VAX running VMS, a SunIPC running SunOS, and a CRAY Y-MP running UNICOS. Two executables for the IBM PC are included on the distribution media, one compiled for floating point operations and one for integer arithmetic. The program is available on a set of three 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskettes (standard distribution medium) or on a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. Program $150; documentation $20. Note: An additional version of NETS 3.0 with a Macintosh interface has been developed. Legal clearance for distribution is pending. FEAT 3.3e UPDATE FEAT, the Failure Environment Analysis Tool, was written for NASA Johnson Space Center to enable people to see and better understand the effects of failures in a system. Failures can be user-selected from either engineering schematic or digraph model graphics, and the effects or potential causes of the failures will be color highlighted on the same schematic or model graphic. FEAT uses digraph models to answer two questions: 1) What will happen to a system if a set of failure events occurs, and 2) What are the possible causes of a set of selected failures? In FEAT 3.3e, inventory number MSC-21873, creation of digraphs is facilitated by the Digraph Editor. The Digraph Editor has an icon toolbox which makes it easy for the user to create the circles (failure nodes), arrows, logic gates, and text blocks required in the digraph model. It also has a menu of functions for manipulating these objects. If a digraph is created using the Digraph Editor's format mode, the user can interactively select text for each failure node from tables, and the resulting formatted digraph can be processed by FEAT's Digraph Engine. The required tables can be created using any word processor or spreadsheet package that can save data to text-only or pure ASCII format. Digraphs containing unformatted text blocks can be created using either the Digraph Editor's comment mode or MacDraw II version 1.1v2. Although such uncommented digraphs cannot be analyzed by FEAT, they can be converted into formatted digraphs once the required tables are created. For very large integrated systems, FEAT 3.3e can be a real cost saver in terms of design evaluation, training, and knowledge capture. New features allow multiple digraphs and schematics to be loaded into FEAT 3.3e. These enhancements make it easier to identify single and double point failures that may have to cross several system boundaries and multiple engineering disciplines before creating a hazardous condition. Even people who are unfamiliar with digraphs can use FEAT to better understand failures of a modeled system. Schematics may be produced using MacDraw II version 1.1 or MacDraw Pro. The Failure Environment Analysis Tool is written using Macintosh Programmers Workshop C v3.2. The program requires 32 Bit QuickDraw, and at least a Macintosh II series computer running 6.0.6 or later. Under System 7, 32 Bit QuickDraw is not required. A minimum of 3-5Mb of memory is highly recommended. A color monitor is necessary (or 256 gray scales). If a math coprocessor is not present, a coprocessor emulator will be necessary. The standard distribution medium for FEAT is a set of four 3.5 inch Macintosh format diskettes. An electronic copy of the documentation is included on the program media along with example digraph files. Program $700; documentation $33. THERMAL ANALYSIS WORKSHOP NASA Lewis Research Center will host the Fourth Annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop, August 17-21 1992. Among other things, the conference features hands-on training in SINDA '85/FLUINT and TRASYS. For more information contact: Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop Mail Stop 86-14 NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH 44135 REUSE EDUCATION WORKSHOP The Reuse Education Workshop will be held September 23-24 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Workshop is sponsored by AdaNET, ASSET, CARDS, and WVU. Subjects to be covered are: Software reuse in computer science courses Domain analysis System analysis and design for reuse Libraries/environments for software engineering Management level training For more information: Chuck Lillie ASSET (SAIC) 2611 Cranberry Square Morgantown, WV 26505 (304) 594-1762 NEURAL NETWORK CONFERENCE - NETS USER'S GROUP NASA Johnson Space Center, in conjunction with SimTec92, will host a neural network conference November 4-6, 1992. The meeting site is the South Shore Harbor conference facilty near the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Proposals for papers should be sent to Mary Lou Padgett, Auburn University, 1165 Owens Rd., Auburn, AL 36830. Phone (205) 821-2474 (mpadgett@eng.auburn.edu). The conference will also feature a user's group meeting for NETS, a neural network simulation package distributed by COSMIC. For details on the NETS activity contact Dr. Robert Shelton, phone (713) 483-5901 (shelton@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov). NASTRAN TRAINING A NASTRAN Workshop, featuring hands-on training in the powerful finite element analysis tool, will be held December 1-4, 1992 at the University of Georgia. For more information contact: Shirley Sanders COSMIC (706) 542-3265 PARALLEL COMPUTATION NASA Langley Research Center will host the 2nd Symposium on Parallel Computational Methods for Large Scale Structural Analysis and Design, February 24-25, 1993 in Norfolk, VA. For more information contact: Olaf Storaasli NASA Langley Research Center Mail Stop 240 Hampton, VA 23665-5225 olaf_storaasli@sdmail.larc.nasa.gov Ordering COSMIC Software: The COSMIC Order Department accepts checks, official pre-printed purchase order forms, MasterCard, and VISA. To speed delivery, COSMIC will process purchase orders that are FAXed to (706) 542- 4807 and followed up with a mailed copy. Credit card orders may be called in to the Order Department at (706) 542-3265. Thank you for your continued interest: COSMIC The University of Georgia 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602 Phone: (706) 542-3265 FAX: (706) 542-4807 Internet: service@cossack.cosmic.uga.edu