NASA Future Flight Central Matrix Switching and Interfacing at NASA Future Flight Central

Near Mountain View, California, NASA Ames Research Center and the FAA collaborated on a full-scale air traffic control tower simulator named FutureFlight Central. FutureFlight Central tests out new ways of managing air traffic by simulating a real airport environment. A Silicon Graphics computer generates everything from weather patterns to mock take-offs and landings to help researchers plan the airports of the future. And a whole range of AV devices work to pull the facility together.

Beginning with the simulated air traffic control tower, large display screens from Stewart Filmscreen provide a 360° view of the computer-generated tarmac. These screens are actually placed behind 1/4 inch tempered-glass windows to make the facility seem more real. CRT projectors from Electrohome (now part of Christie Digital) are used to display the simulated environment created by the SGI Onyx Reality Monster.

Controlled by a Crestron system, the video system is comprised of two sub-systems. The first sub-system is made of 36 RGsB and two component video sources and 41 RGsB and three component video destinations. The second sub-system contains 37 composite video sources and 34 composite video destinations.

Composite Video System

The video sources are CATV (cable television), VCRs, a DVD player, a laserdisc player, and observation cameras. Most of the video is in composite NTSC color format. The source materials include videotapes of the tower simulations, videotapes for presentations and public relations, and video of computer images for distribution on vid-net, the NASA internal base CATV system. The composite video sources are routed through Extron's Matrix 6400 to various destinations, such as recording VCRs, monitors located around the facility, and the projector in the Briefing Room.

RGBs and Component Video System

To generate the computer-simulated tarmac, the SGI system takes data from satellite images, digitized photos, and architectural plans. This information enables FutureFlight Central to operate as a usability lab and conduct research on possible ways to improve airport operations. There are six PCs to simulate images from airport "DBRITE" radar systems, which are displayed on six hanging monitors in the tower cabin. There are also many wall and floor plates to plug any computer into the system to generate images. All the computer-video and RGB signals are in RGsB format. Component video is used for a limited number of runs between the Betacam deck, preview monitor, scan converter, and line doubler.

Matrix Switching

Three 48 x 48 Matrix 6400 Basic Module Enclosures (BMEs) are used for the red, green (with sync), and blue signals, as well as component video (Y, R-Y, B-Y). The fourth Matrix 6400 BME routes composite video. The three RGsB/component video BMEs share one control panel and operate together. The composite video BME has its own control panel. Most switching is done directly via the Crestron control system. Virtual "rooms" were set up for the twelve tower outputs and the two sets of six monitors. Rooming is a feature that allows specific outputs (such as those in one room) to be grouped together so that they may select inputs independently of the rest of the matrix switcher. "This enabled us to set up presets, for example, to make simultaneous switches of all outputs to the tower projectors for common configurations," commented Eric Neuman, Intellisys Group's (now part of MCSi) Director of Technical Services - Mountain View. Intellisys designed and installed the AV system at FutureFlight Central.

Neuman explained that the Matrix 6400 was chosen because it offered the size needed with the field-expandability required by the contract—in a single chassis—in addition to the high video bandwidth that was required. Two other important features were reliability and accessibility; Neuman recounted, "All the boards are accessible from the front panel without disconnecting the signal cables." Interfacing and Sync Processing Extron's RGB 109 Plus computer-to-video interfaces (now replaced by the RGB 109xi ) were chosen because they were dedicated interfaces (perfect for the dedicated computers—the DBRITES) and they output RGsB signals. Neuman added, "Their LCD readouts are also useful for verifying valid input signals." Extron's RGB 202xi universal interface (now replaced by the RGB 202 Rxi ) was chosen for its flexibility in adapting to any computer input source, including PCs, Macs, SGI, and Sun SPARC workstations. Additional strong points were the LCD readout, RGsB output, and available image position adjustments.

Interfacing and Sync Processing

Extron's RGB 109 Plus computer-to-video interfaces (now replaced by the RGB 109xi) were chosen because they were dedicated interfaces (perfect for the dedicated computers—the DBRITES) and they output RGsB signals. Neuman added, "Their LCD readouts are also useful for verifying valid input signals." Extron's RGB 202xi universal interface (now replaced by the RGB 202 Rxi) was chosen for its flexibility in adapting to any computer input source, including PCs, Macs, SGI, and Sun SPARC workstations. Additional strong points were the LCD readout, RGsB output, and available image position adjustments.

Extron's SC 110 sync processors and stabilizers (now replaced by the SC 210 ) convert the RGsB format signal to RGBHV format for the line doublers that do not accept RGsB. Extron's VTG 200 video test generator (now replaced by the VTG 400D ) was installed to provide a test signal for the RGsB/component video system and the composite video system. These test signals verified operation of the system and also were used for projector setup and matching.

FutureFlight Central was well-received at its opening. As for its A / V system—"They love it [the Matrix 6400]. It accommodates all their current requirements, allows for future expansion, and we haven't had any trouble calls since we completed our contract," noted Neuman.

For more information about FutureFlight Central, please visit http://ffc.arc.nasa.gov