Digital Commons Network^™

Utility Analysis: Estimating The Sdy Parameter For Accounting Supervisors, Terry P. Brownson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Personnel decisions have the potential to influence an entire organization. The effects of these decisions are more credible and relevant when quantified. Historically, benefits were defined in correlational statistics, i.e., validity coefficients. But the increasing demand is for a bottom-line or dollar-value definition. The utility concept presents a methodology for providing the dollar value impact on performance of a personnel intervention program. One parameter of a utility analysis model is the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (SDy). This research develops a SDy value for the yearly production contribution of a first level line accounting supervisor to be used …

Effect Of Non-Ideal Sampling On The Discrete Fourier Transforms Of An Object Function, Karen Marie Macdougall

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Fourier Series and Fourier Transforms can be used to determine the frequency content of a continuous signal. This paper investigates the situation where a two dimensional object function is sampled by a detector array of a finite size. Continuous Fourier analysis is not applicable to sampled data, so the Discrete Fourier Transform is used. The similarities and differences between the discrete and continuous cases are discussed and consideration is made as to how the spectrum is altered when the normal assumptions of ideal sampling and recovery are not made.

The Implementation Of Quality Control Circle Concepts Into American Industry, John R. Hunt

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In light of the growing worldwide competition among industrial manufacturers as developing nations become more technologically viable, it becomes imperative that we, as a nation, become more conscious than ever of quality and productivity.

Our most serious competitors, the Japanese, have developed a nationwide sense of quality consciousness and have evolved a management and manufacturing system to achieve their goals of superior quality that is currently unrivaled.

One important element of their productive system is the concept of Quality Control (QC) circles; generally described as a problem solving group of working people, who as members of a team, identify, solve, …

The Creation Of An Expert System For Teaching Piano Lessons, Carol Chew

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Combining the arts with science and technology has had many beneficial results. Computers and music have been connected for many years. Computers have been used in music composition, electronic keyboards, music publishing and digital sound processing. Artificial intelligence has been used in creating expert systems for training people in various fields. An attempt will be made to tie together expert systems for training with current computerized music technology.

This research report proposes that an expert system be developed to teach piano lessons. The fields of music and artificial intelligence will be drawn upon in developing this expert system structure. While …

Use Of A Liquid Crystal Television For Spatial Frequency Analysis Of Incoherent Scenes, Michael A. Deschenes

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) was used as a programmable reticle in an optical system. The function of the SLM system was to perform a spatial frequency analysis on an incoherent input scene, by means of successive correlations over a set of spatial basis functions. Because of physical modulator characteristics, the basis function set available from the reticle was a set of DC-biased square waves, rather than the sinusoids used in a usual Fourier analysis. This led to the “even pulse train transform” being performed on the input images. Experimental examples of this frequency analysis are given for …

Edge Direction Confidence Estimation For Improvement Of Hough Accumulation, Eric J. Grajales

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The Hough transform silhouette identification method requires a consistency of edge direction in the identification of similar silhouettes. Many gradient operators used in Hough preprocessing require a thresholding and a non-maxima suppression routine to aid the localization process. These routines may delete edges or cause edge fragmentation. These anomalies degrade the Hough performance due to the lack of accurate silhouette extraction, and reduce the correct localization in the Hough accumulator. Noise or sampling errors can be removed by several enhancement routines presented. They are mean, median, symmetric nearest neighbor, hi pass, and low pass filters.

An edge detection process is …

Implementation Of A 35 Ghz Microstrip Antenna System, Rachel S. Albritton

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Millimeter waves, corresponding to the frequency range 30 to 300 GHz, have characteristics which make them ideal for many applications. Antennas at these frequencies have the advantage of reduced size and weight and can be fabricated as an integral part of the system they are used in. Millimeter wave microstrip antennas have been extensively researched over the past decade. The purposed of this report was to build and test 35 GHz microstrip antennas as well as put into operation a high voltage klystron power supply, Micro-Now Model 756. The antennas were fabricated and tested in the lab and the results …

Intelligent Robots, Abol H. Moulavi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing need for integrating sensory feedback into the robot system. This will provide better flexibility and will improve the capacity of the robot to reason and make decisions in real time.

This report discusses the current issues related to the development and application of intelligent robots. The report surveys the essential features of an intelligent robot. These features are sensing, off-line programming, task level programming, adaptive control and knowledge representation.

Such a robot should be knowledge driven. It should "know" about objects and work plans, this knowledge should provide the capability for the robot to handle uncertainty …

A Reconfigurable Orthogonal Systolic Array Implementation Of A Kalman Filter, Mark V. Bapst

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

An important part of optimal estimation technology, the Kalman filter is a computationally intensive application that has been limited either to non-real time realizations or to realizations that can afford vast amounts of mainframe hardware. The potential use of the Kalman filter theory could be greatly enhanced by a low cost, high performance machine capable of computing the recursive matrix equations in real time.

The use of pipelined parallel architectures allows the Kalman filter equations to be realized with much greater efficiency than previous implementations. A reconfigurable, few instruction, multiple data, orthogonal, pipelined, systolic array processor will be used to …

Electrical Testing Of Piezoelectric Transducers Applied To Accelerometer Design, Patrick L. Heron

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Piezoelectric transducers are, by nature, electromechanical devices. Methods historically used to characterize these transducers involve both electrical and mechanical measurements. The purpose of this paper is to propose a technique to characterize piezoids which will require electrical measurements only. Thus, characterization can be accomplished through the use of readily available calibrated electrical test equipment. This technique is based upon the assumption that some insight into the dynamic behavior of a piezoid can be implied by inspection of the transducer's static material properties. A necessary condition for the validity of the proposed technique is established. This test procedure is utilized in …

Spectral Shaping For The Hearing Impaired, Brian D. Mclean

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Presented is a method for shaping the audio spectrum in order to improve speech intelligibility for the hearing impaired. Audiological data is used to design a finite impulse response (FIR) digital filter using the frequency sampling method. Cubic spline interpolation is used to generate any number of frequency samples from the limited number available from audiological data. The computer aided design procedure presented allows the filter designer to specify hearing threshold levels and threshold of discomfort levels at audiogram frequencies. The algorithm uses cubic spline interpolation to generate a smooth curve of gain versus frequency. Next, root-mean-square (RMS) error is …

Interactive Video Based Training Systems, Roy H. Hightower

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The training community has focused considerable attention on interactive video technology which in recent years has become a popular method of delivery for training applications utilizing microcomputers. This paper identifies the classifications of interactive video and addresses the hardware, software and processes required to utilize the technology for training applications. The capabilities and limitations of the technology are discussed with respect to the various video devices which are utilized. The major advantages of interactive video identified include the capability to combine computer graphics with video; the ability to deliver realistic video simulation; and the ability to store, sort, and retrieve …

The Use Of A Portable Microcomputer As A Data Collection Tool To Support Integrated Simulation Support Environments: A Concept, James E. Wilkinson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Advances in simulation methodology, and the computer support systems to implement these methodologies, have led to the development of integrated simulation support environments. These environments, or collection of software tools, seek to aid the analyst in developing models, data management and analysis, and data presentation.

While an integrated simulation environment provides a more organized structure for managing and performing simulation projects, and provides a database management structure for storing, manipulating, and analyzing data, they do not address the actual process of going out and obtaining the data. As a result, many of the common problems associated with poor problem and …

Study Of A Terrain Avoidance Algorithm To Be Used In Conjunction With The Lantirn Terrain Following System, Glenda C. Frazier

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes the development of a basic terrain avoidance algorithm which is proposed for use with the terrain following algorithm in the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night (LANTIRN). The algorithms were modeled in a digital simulation in which an aircraft is flown over a single-obstacle three-dimensional terrain. Vertical acceleration and roll angle commands are generated in the simulation by the algorithms using terrain data collected from the modeled terrain following radar antenna scan. The response of the aircraft to these commands is determined, and the resulting trajectories over the terrain are displayed.

The development of …

Human Factors Compatibility Concerns In The Selection Of Display Technologies For Computer And Data Terminals, Francis C. Westerfield

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Human factors considerations are often overlooked in the selection of electronic computer displays. When cost is used as the only determining factor, the resulting product may not be commercially successful because of an inadequate display.

To help avoid this situation, designers and users should be aware of the various factors involved in proper display selection. These factors were developed by a synthesis of existing scientific and industrial literature on the subject and are explained in this paper.

The first factor is a basic knowledge of the structure, characteristics, and function of the human visual system. The theory of sight, anatomy …

An Experimental And Theoretical Analysis Of A Laser Beam Propagating Through Multiple Phase Screens, Arthur R. Weeks

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

An experimental and a theoretical analysis for a laser beam propagating through multiple phase screens was performed. The theoretical analysis showed that the statistics for the intensity fluctuations, which can be predicted by the HK and the I-K distributions, could be derived from a multiplicative process using statistical distributions derived from Gaussian statistics. For the single phase screen experiment, the experimental normalized moments were compared with the normalized moments of both the HK and I-K distributions . In addition, the intensity data was lowpass filtered to yield moments that are predicted by the gamma distribution. The single phase screen data …

A Study Of Self-Perceived Current And Desired Career Stages Of Federal Government Engineers And Public School Educators In The Central Florida Area, Dennis Stephan Duke

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the perceptions of public school educators and Federal Government engineers in the Central Florida area to determine their self-perceived current and desired career stages (Dalton, Thompson and Price, 1977). The influences of age, education and tenure variables on these perceptions and on the employee's preference for a technical or managerial career track were also examined. The rationale for the study is based upon findings in the literature which indicate that both occupations are experiencing motivation and retention problems caused by the requirement to leave classrooms or technical engineering positions and enter management ranks in order to gain …

The Design Of A Processing Element For The Systolic Array Implementation Of A Kalman Filter, John P. Condorodis

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The Kalman filter is an important component of optimal estimation theory. It has applications in a wide range of high performance control systems including navigational, fire control, and targeting systems. The Kalman filter, however, has not been utilized to its full potential due to the limitations of its inherent computational intensiveness which requires "off-line" processing or allows only low bandwidth real-time applications.

The recent advances in VLSI circuit technology have created the opportunity to design algorithms and data structures for direct implementation in integrated circuits. A systolic architecture is a concept which allows the construction of massively parallel systems in …

Feasibility Of Pulsed Air Operation In A Fixed Film Biological Reactor, Harry C. Pepper Iii

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

An investigation was made into pulsed air sparging in a downflow, fixed film biological reactor receiving domestic wastewater feed (primary effluent). The pulsed mode of aeration was compared to continuous flow or non-pulsed aeration based on BOD₅ and TSS removals. The reactor utilized 0.19 to 0.20 in. (ES) gravel media with a 5.5 ft. depth. Automatic backwashing was initiated by a high loss of head condition through a programmable controller. Average backwash water-volume as a percent of product water was, under stable operation, 16 to 18%.

The pilot plan was operated for a period of three and one-half months. …

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Communication Simulation System, Mark D. Patz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to develop a fast, dynamic, and menu driven direct sequence spread spectrum communication simulation system for the Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX VMS line of computers. This software breaks the system down into two sections, the transmitter and the receiver. Each of the blocks that comprise the system is user definable in order to program the desired conditions. The input data and spreading data located within the transmitter are generated by a maximal length sequence generator, up to the tenth order. Encoding of the data is achieved by using an (n,k) cyclic code. A level …

A Pc-Based Simulation For Convolutional Codes Using Viterbi Decoding, Mark W. Rossman

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The objective of a digital communication system is to provide accurate transmission of information from one location to another. During transmission, the signal is subjected to noise and other distortions that compromise the integrity of the information. Channel encoding techniques can be employed to reduce this loss of integrity. One technique that has become popular in space and satellite communication systems is convolutional coding.

Channel encoding is only practical if it provides substantial improvement over the uncoded signal with a moderate hardware investment. The optimal approach to decoding convolutional codes is the Maximum-Likelihood method. This method compares the received data …

Amplification Of Video Signal Conditioner Circuit Design, Phuoc K. Nguyen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Charge Injection Device (CID) has recently become a popular imaging device due to its versatility and high performance. The UCF's Electro-Optics Laboratory currently uses the TN 2505A, a General Electric solid state CID surveillance camera as an imager in an image processing system. The model offers two useful amplification techniques for video signal under low light condition: electronic gain boost and extended integration. This report describes the design and implementation of an external interface circuit that enables utilization of these two amplification techniques on the TN 2505A.

Single Element Controlled Oscillator, Miguel A. Muniz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Oscillator circuits play an important role in the electronics world. The Single Resistance Controlled Oscillator (SRCO) consists of an active stage, a bridge tee feedback network and the control element. The oscillation frequency will change as the control element is adjusted because the point of maximum gain at zero phase shift has been changed. Furthermore, the amplitude should remain constant. In practice, however, it does not. An analysis of the SRCO indicates that the amplitude increase is due to the effect of the pole introduced by the operational amplifier. This paper introduces a compensation that extends the useful range of …

Dairy Calcium Advertising Awareness, Attitudes, And Behavior: A Survey Of 13-17 Year Old Females, Michele Cooper

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Computerized Flow Process Charting System And Applications, George H. Griffin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A computerized flow process charting application program of dBase III+ has been developed to aid in resource requirements planning and operations analysis. Traditional flow process charting has used as the following data elements: assembly number, assembly sequence number, distance travelled, time required for the activity and an activity symbol. The computerized system adds several variables to these in order to customize the application at Martin Marietta Electronic Systems. These additional variables include work center identification, machine number identification, lot sizes, set up and run times and manufacturing specifications. Additionally, the circle or operations symbol has been expanded to differentiate between …

Comparison Of Performance Of Adolescent Hearing And Hearing-Impaired Children On Metalinguistic Tasks, Julia W. Reynolds

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Various researchers have viewed metalinguistics as the ability to consciously reflect upon language (Van Kleeck 1984a; Franklin 1979; Cazden 1975; Dale 1976). Prior to schooling, children use language as a means of functional communication through developing an interaction with the environment. They are aware of the content of their messages but not the language they are using to communicate their ideas. The emergence of language is developed primarily through concrete operations according to Van Kleeck (1984a). However, Allan (1982) states that when children enter school and begin to read, metalinguistics is emphasized and the language evolves from an unconscious, experimental …

Communication Training As Perceived By Training Personnel In Orlando, 1986, Kimberly C. Fleming

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Operations Research In The High Tech Military Environment: A Survey, C. Steven Griffin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The use of operations research as a technology to solve many of the problems of government and industry has become a major field of study within the very short span of the last fifty years. In the paper entitled, "Operations Research in the High Tech Military Environment: A Survey," the reader is provided with a better understanding of the tenets of operations research through an examination of a representative sample of the latest operations research applications developed for the high tech environment.

Initially, this involves providing the reader with some fundamental insights into what operations research is, what its practitioners …

Capacity Planning In A Discrete Item Manufacturing Environment, Ali M. Alsebaiee

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Capacity planning is a medium-to-long- term production planning tool that enables management to better understand how the demand of its customers have and will affect the available capacity planning. For a successful production and planning control system, management needs to consider the availability of not only the materials and component, but also the required manufacturing capacity. Several capacity planning techniques that deal with capacity planning in a discrete item manufacturing (job shop environment) are discussed in this report. These are Resource Requirement Planning, Rough Cut Capacity Planning, Capacity Requirement Planning, Operation Sequence, Input Output, and Simulation. A computerized capacity planning …

The Relationship Between The Individual's Educational And Professional Backgrounds And The 1985 Florida Merit Program, James Roger Dearing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to investigate whether there are any significant relationships between the individual's educational and professional backgrounds and the 1985 Florida Master Teacher Program. This study included information collected on 2,245 (72%) respondents out of 3,390 teachers who were selected as meritorious in Florida's 1985 program.

Two instruments were used in data collection. One was the set of Frame Factor Data which was obtained from the Merit Teachers' Summative Observation forms. The Frame Factor Data included: method of classroom presentation, number of students in the observed classes, number of students in upper and lower academic quartiles, number of …