GOALI: Collaborative Research: An Experimentally Validated Simulation Framework for Next-Generation Plastic Optical Fiber-based Systems on Airplanes

目标：合作研究：飞机上下一代塑料光纤系统的实验验证仿真框架本研究项目旨在开发一个实验验证的仿真框架，以帮助研究和设计飞机上基于塑料光纤（POF）的通信系统和网络。主要参与者是史泰登岛学院（CSI/CUNY），蒙大拿州立大学-波兹曼（MSU）和纽约城市学院（CCNY/CUNY）。它还将涉及与西班牙萨拉戈萨大学（UZ）的国际合作，以及与世界领先的航空电子公司波音公司的GOALI组件。前者（商用）是该项目的重点，由于旅行公众的新兴应用，以及正在部署的超现代飞机的更高运营需求，对高速通信的需求日益增加。此外，老化的飞机布线对飞机构成重大威胁，因为电线已被证明是导致飞机故障的主要因素之一。因此，航空电子数据总线正在从铜网络向基于光纤的网络迁移，因为后者具有高传输容量和高电磁抗扰性。研究人员建议POF作为商用飞机上下一代航空电子通信系统的合适传输介质，因为它易于处理，重量轻，耐振动性高，以及其他优点。虽然实验结果已经证明了在不同类型的POF上进行高速数据传输的可行性，但基于POF的系统的建模和仿真却相对滞后。因此，研究人员将开发一套全面的组件和仿真技术，使工程师能够系统地探索不同的设计，然后再为他们的特定系统确定最终的定制解决方案。他们还将特别努力让妇女和代表性不足的群体参与这项工作，因为她们传统上不接触航空电子系统工程。 该项目的目标是研究POF在飞机环境中的使用，重点是系统性能和高比特率传输。当玻璃纤维用作短距离网络（例如航空电子网络）中的传输介质时，玻璃纤维具有许多问题。它的机械性能较弱，通常缺乏弯曲能力。此外，单模玻璃光纤的纤芯直径很小（约10 mm），需要非常精确的处理技术。塑料光纤（POF）即使具有高损耗（~100-300 dB/km）和扩散性，也可以解决这些问题，因为它更容易处理，弯曲半径约为5 mm，这在航空电子网络中是一个很大的优势。其更大的芯径（50 mm至1 mm）可以使用廉价的连接器轻松连接。增加的芯直径允许对振动和灰尘颗粒的更高耐受性，这些灰尘颗粒可以完全阻碍玻璃纤维中的光传播。研究人员将涵盖三种不同类型的塑料光纤：大芯（最大1 mm）阶跃折射率塑料光纤（SI-POF），多芯阶跃折射率塑料光纤（MC SI-POF）和渐变折射率塑料光纤（GI-POF）。现有的仿真模型可以捕获具有详细空间场的多模光纤中的所有导模;然而，它们不足以用于大芯光纤，其中有数百万个传播模式。该项目旨在开发计算效率高的模型，以避免过长的模拟时间和过多的计算机内存。模型验证是该项目的一个关键组成部分，将通过萨拉戈萨大学最先进的设备表征实验室和斯塔滕岛学院的测试平台相结合来完成。蒙大拿州立大学将主要致力于先进的调制格式和数字信号处理算法。波音公司将提供原型设备和现实的系统设计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

GOALI: Collaborative Research: An Experimentally-Validated Simulation Framework for Next-Generation Plastic Optical Fiber-based Systems on AirplanesThis research project seeks to develop an experimentally-validated simulation framework that will help investigate and design Plastic Optical Fiber (POF)-based communication systems and networks for airplanes. The main participants are The College of Staten Island (CSI/CUNY), Montana State University-Bozeman (MSU), and The City College of New York (CCNY/CUNY). It will also involve an international collaboration with the University of Zaragoza (UZ), Spain, and a GOALI component with the world-leader in avionics, The Boeing Co. Avionic communication systems are currently undergoing a radical transformation in both the commercial and military sectors. The former (commercial), the focus of this project, exhibits an increasing need for high-speed communication due to emerging applications for the traveling public, as well as higher operational needs for the ultra-modern aircraft that are being deployed. In addition, aging aircraft wiring poses a significant threat to aircrafts, as electrical wires have proven to be one of the major factors leading to airplane failures. Therefore, there is an ongoing migration of avionic data buses from copper to fiber-based networks, since the latter exhibit high transmission capacity and high electromagnetic immunity. The investigators have suggested POF as a suitable transmission medium for next-generation avionic communication systems on commercial aircrafts due to its ease of handling, light weight and high tolerance to vibration, among other benefits. While experimental results have demonstrated the feasibility of high-speed data transmission over different types of POFs, the modeling and simulation of POF-based systems is lagging behind. Therefore, the investigators will develop a comprehensive set of components and simulation techniques that empower engineers to systematically explore different designs before settling on a final custom solution for their particular system. They will also make a special effort to involve women and underrepresented groups in the effort since they traditionally are not exposed to avionic systems engineering. The goal of the project is to study the use of POF in an airplane environment with an emphasis on system performance and high bit rate transmissions. Glass fiber has a number of problems when used as a transmission medium in short-reach networks such as avionic networks. It is mechanically weak and generally lacks bending ability. Also, the core diameter of single-mode glass optical fiber is small (~10mm) and it requires very precise handling techniques. Plastic optical fiber (POF), even with its high loss (~100-300 dB/km) and diffusion, can solve these problems since it is easier to handle and has a bending radius of about 5 mm, which can be a big benefit in avionics networks. Its larger core diameter (50 mm to 1 mm) enables easy connections using inexpensive connectors. The increased core diameter allows higher tolerance to vibrations and to dust particles that can totally obstruct light propagation in glass fibers. The investigators will cover three different types of POF: large-core (up to 1 mm) step-index plastic optical fiber (SI-POF), multicore step-index plastic optical fiber (MC SI-POF), and graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF). There are existing simulation models that capture all the guided modes in multimode fibers with detailed spatial fields; however, they are not adequate for large-core fibers, where there are millions of propagation modes. The project intends to develop computationally-efficient models that circumvent the need for prohibitively long simulation times and excessive computer memory. The model validation, a critical component of the project, will be done via a combination of the state-of-the-art device characterization laboratory at the University of Zaragoza and a testbed at the College of Staten Island. Montana State University will primarily work on advanced modulation formats and digital signal processing algorithms. Boeing Co. will provide prototype devices and realistic system designs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.