AQUINAS Digital Field Station Hardware Components
Until now, AQUINAS Digital Field Stations were either low-power consumption, low cost, and low intelligence, or high-power consumption, high cost, and high intelligence. With the ADFS hardware and software, you can have it all: low cost, high intelligence, and low power consumption components for building a data acquisition environment tailored to your requirements. The ADFS consists of the AIM24S digitizer, the AIM Authenticator (AIMA-PC), the CIM 3, and the Station Processor.
Click on the thumbnail pictures to download a PDF version of the complete datasheet.
Digitizer (AIM24S)
Science Horizons' Analog Interface Module (AIM24S) produces up to 24 bits of digital data from one to three channels of analog data per device.
Important features of the AIM24S include a Motorola 68302 CPU, a crystal semiconductor 5321/5322 24-bit analog-to-digital converter, an 18-bit calibration channel, a temperature-compensated VCXO phase-locked to GPS time, an EIA-232 configuration port, 256 FLASH EPROM, 512 KB SRAM (up to 8 MB SRAM in the AIM24S-3 model), and a user-configurable sample rate from 4 samples per second to 2560 samples per second. Digital I/O options include a high-speed EIA-232 or EIA-422 interface supporting synchronous or asynchronous ADCCP communications. The AIM24S also provides a modular design involving separate PC boards for the A/D, digital and I/O processing. The AIM24S-3 has been specifically designed for very low noise performance at low frequencies for application with broad-band seismometers and to provide up to three input channels.
The AIM24S digitizers are enclosed in rugged containers for placement in 4-inch diameter boreholes. These containers support the optional nitrogen backfill for use in 100% humidity condensing environments.
Data from the AIM24S digitizers is sent to the CIM 3 via the high-speed serial port. Note that the ADCCP protocol is available on both the high-speed serial interfaces of the AIM24S and the CIM 3. This permits polling support and error-free data transfer between the AIM24S and the CIM 3. Physical connectivity between the AIM24S and the CIM 3 is achieved by dedicated links, RF modems, or short-haul modems. The AIM24S allows downloading of new firmware versions from the RPC.
Authenticator (AIMA-PC)
Science Horizons' AIM Authenticator (AIMA-PC) is a Fortezza-compliant device that utilizes a FIPS 140 level 3 certified PCMCIA card for generating signatures. These signatures guarantee to the receiver of the data that the it is authentic. The AIMA-PC is capable of signing data from an AIM24S or a Station Processor.
When connected to an AIM24S the AIMA-PC converts received data to CD1.x format and produces signatures from a private key. These signatures are returned to the AIM24S for inclusion in the data stream.
A Station Processor may also utilize an AIMA-PC for signing outbound commands and CD1.1 data frames.
Using the corresponding public key, the user can verify that the data is authentic.
Communications Interface Module (CIM 3)
The CIM 3 is the communications interface between the field station and the local command and control. Building on the success of the CIM 3, the next generation CIM 3 is more capable and flexible, with greatly improved size, power demands, and reliability. The CIM 3 provides multipoint and multidrop array control over standard radio modems, a more flexible TCP/IP connection that can be routed over longer distances, and a flexible network appliance using high-integration components with the power of the Linux Operating System. Important features of the CIM 3 include verification of remote commands, one diagnostic RS-232 port, and an Intel PXA (StrongArm) processor. The compact, multipurpose CIM 3 is the only COTS product that both satisfies current treaty monitoring requirements and provides a standard software development platform that will be able to easily satisfy future requirements.
Station Processor
Science Horizons' Station Processor (SP) is a single, self-contained data forwarding and processing workstation designed for both remote and local operation of an array. The Station Processor provides a reliable way to forward data from a remote array to a National Data Center, International Data Center, or other host as specified. The SP interfaces directly with Science Horizons' Communications Interface Module (CIM), collecting data and buffering it on a local disk. The data is then converted to one or more stream formats. The SP supports the Center for Monitoring Research (CMR) CD-1.0 and CD-1.1 formats, allowing the SP to send data to any NDC or IDC supporting Science Horizons' DCC or CMR's Discloop Manager software. It is also capable of forwarding raw discloop data to another SP.
Communications Multiplexer (COMUX)
The Communications Multiplexer (COMUX) is a bi-directional RS-232 transparent repeater. It connects a master and up to 12 slave ports in a logical multidrop bus. Each port is electronically separate, and the connected equipment needs no explicit multidrop support.
Weather Station (SH/WX)
The SH/WX includes a 14-bit data acquisition system (DAS) that collects data from various environmental sensors and transmits the data to an AIM24S digitizer or CIM 3, which forwards the data to an RPC or XAVE workstation for display, archiving, and/or forwarding to other sites.
Remote Processing Computer (RPC)
The RPC is a dedicated computer running the multitasking Solaris operating system. Its function is to convert AIM24S frames into CD1.0 and/or CD1.1 format and transmit this data over either serial or ethernet links. Additional dedicated processing functionality can be incorporated into the RPC as required.