SBIR Phase I: Software Tools for Self-Diagnosable Intelligent Sensor Networks for Process Control

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将利用传感器技术的进步和最近批准的IEEE 1451系列标准来设计和开发工具，以创建具有即插即用功能的高度自治的容错分布式传感器网络。这一多阶段的工作将实现故障传感器的诊断和网络的实时重新配置，以确保在出现传感器故障的情况下，制造过程的控制可以继续使用准确的信息。目前，在设计和开发系统时没有考虑传感器可靠性问题，尽管收集和解释的信息的可靠性在很大程度上取决于所使用的传感器和所使用的传感器网络。传感器、计算、通信和标准领域的适当技术的存在表明，现在是开发此类网络的好时机。拟议工作的创新特征将是基于IEEE 1451的体系结构，用于实现即插即用功能的分布式容错传感器网络的算法，以及开发IEEE 1451标准中的新成员，以解决传感器网络的可靠性问题。拟议的努力旨在为高度可靠的传感器网络启用软件工具，以确保制造过程不会在不正确的工艺设置下继续进行，这将使美国能够保持其在制造业的领导地位。在薄膜沉积系统中，传感器的可靠性是一个关键问题，因为它们通常暴露在恶劣的化学和热环境中，但在这些系统的容错传感器网络领域还没有做过实质性的工作。尽管还没有进行正式的研究来量化薄膜行业的产量损失，但预计这一数字将高达数百万。建议的基于IEEE 1451的容错网络工具将在广泛的学科中非常有用。然而，最初的目标市场将是屏障和TCO涂层，如柔性显示器，其次是薄膜和半导体行业。这些系统的成功演示将在其他市场创造机会。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will exploit advances in sensor technologies and recently approved IEEE 1451 family of standards to design and develop tools to create highly autonomous fault-tolerant distributed sensor networks with plug-and play capabilities. This multi-phase effort will enable diagnosis of faulty sensors and reconfiguration of the network in real time to ensure that the control of the manufacturing process can continue with accurate information in the presence of sensor faults. Currently sensor reliability issues are not considered when the systems are designed and developed although the reliability of the information collected and interpreted is highly dependent on the sensors used and sensor networks employed. Existence of appropriate technologies in the areas of sensors, computing, communication, and standards suggest that it is an opportune time to develop such networks. The innovative feature of the proposed effort will be the IEEE 1451-based architecture, algorithms for the distributed fault-tolerant sensor networks that will enable plug-and-play capability, and the development of a new member in the IEEE 1451 standards that will address reliability issues of the sensor networksThe proposed effort on enabling software tools for highly reliable sensor networks to ensure that the manufacturing processes do not continue with incorrect process settings would enable U.S. to maintain its leadership in the manufacturing sector. The reliability of sensors is a critical issue in thin-film deposition systems where they are typically exposed to harsh chemical and thermal environments, but no substantial work has been done in the area of fault-tolerant sensor networks for these systems. Although no formal study has been conducted to quantify production losses in thin-film industry the number is expected to be in the high millions. The proposed IEEE 1451-based tools for fault-tolerant networks will be highly useful in a wide range of disciplines. However, the initial target market will be the barrier and TCO coatings, such as flexible displays, followed by thin-film in general and semiconductor industry. Successful demonstration on these systems will create opportunities in other markets.