The Holloman High Speed Test Track conducts crucial subsonic and hypersonic sled testing over its extensive ten-mile course. Established in the 1980s, the track's original timing and control infrastructure, reliant on extensive 200-pair copper telephone wire networks, is now due for a comprehensive update to meet contemporary testing demands. The diversity of sensors along the track, from basic wire break detectors to sophisticated Doppler radar and real-time video systems, necessitates a unified time base for accurate data analysis. Moreover, the system's command-and-control capabilities are essential for initiating, halting, and managing tests, including critical emergency stop functions. An updated system must also facilitate efficient data retrieval, storage, and exportation in standard formats to ensure seamless interaction with measurement devices and secure transmission of test data back to the control center.
Within the KRONOS design, GPS provides a clock and UTC synchronization while an onboard Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) continues accurate timing even without a GPS signal. Timing nodes provide the 1ns accurate timestamp, the interface methods to various sensor and equipment, and the communications back to command over existing copper lines. An optional wireless or highspeed modem link provides faster data transmission and real time camera streaming, and the command-and-control center can be located on site or remote.
In this Phase I contract for the US Air Force, our objective is to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive system that revolutionizes the functionality and efficiency of the Holloman High Speed Test Track. This system will not only meet the stringent requirement of 1ns accurate distributed timing but also leverage the existing copper network infrastructure for command, control, and data transfer capabilities.
