Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electric aircraft and a method for preventing a propulsor from contacting a ground surface of the electric aircraft. Electric aircraft includes a tail skid. The tail skid may include two portions. The tail skid may be configured to accommodate angles of approach for various takeoff and landing methods. Tail skid may be configured to prevent a propulsor from contacting the ground surface.

Abstract: A method of determining component health including measuring an electrical characteristic of a component during operation using a sensor coupled to the component having internal circuitry to be monitored and to a configurable external sensing device to as specified by configuration settings stored in the external sensing device and comparing the measured electrical characteristic to a baseline using a computational device within the configurable external sensing device in order to determine component health.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing structural heath data includes a structural body, structural health sensors, and first and second computer systems. The structural health sensors are configured to sense data regarding structures of the structural body. The first computer system is configured to collect the sensed data as the structural health data. The second computer system that includes a user interface and display, and is configured to receive the structural health data and provide interactive transformational analysis of the structural health data. The interactive transformational analysis provides, on the display of the second computer system, a visual representation of the structural health data over time.

Abstract: A method of determining component health including measuring an electrical characteristic of a component during operation using a sensor coupled to the component having internal circuitry to be monitored and to a configurable external sensing device to as specified by configuration settings stored in the external sensing device and comparing the measured electrical characteristic to a baseline using a computational device within the configurable external sensing device in order to determine component health.

Abstract: A distributed network system can include a master controller having a master clock configured to output a master time, and a master transmission delay time module configured to modify the master time to add a known master transmission delay to the master time to output an adjusted master time. The system can include a first device operatively connected to the master controller and configured to receive the adjusted master time from the master controller.

Abstract: A sensor node for a distributed sensing system, can include a physical memory configured to store configuration settings data, one or more sensor channels configured to interface with one or more physical sensors to receive signals from the one or more physical sensors, and one or more configurable logic modules connected to the physical memory and operative to receive the configuration settings data and to be configured by the configuration settings data into a logic state to control whether and/or how the one or more one or more configurable logic modules receive and/or processes data from the one or more sensor channels. The one or more configurable logic modules can include one or more FPGAs and/or PLDs, for example.

Abstract: A system including at least a first node or subnet device configured to be commanded by a controller, a first controller configured to control operation of the first node and interface with a host outside of the system, and a second controller identical to the first controller configured to be a child to the first controller during normal operation and be a parent to a second node or subnet device.

Abstract: A distributed network system can include a master controller having a master clock configured to output a master time, and a master transmission delay time module configured to modify the master time to add a known master transmission delay to the master time to output an adjusted master time. The system can include a first device operatively connected to the master controller and configured to receive the adjusted master time from the master controller.

Abstract: A system including at least a first node or subnet device configured to be commanded by a controller, a first controller configured to control operation of the first node and interface with a host outside of the system, and a second controller identical to the first controller configured to be a child to the first controller during normal operation and be a parent to a second node or subnet device.

Abstract: A sensor system can include a sensor configured to output raw sensor data, a plurality of processing modules configured to process the raw sensor data from the sensor to output processed sensor data, a state module for each processing module operative to cause a respective processing module to receive and/or process the sensor data, and a control module configured to receive a coded bitstring and activate or deactivate a predefined set of state modules based on the coded bitstring to control which processing modules process the sensor data and/or an order of processing. The coded bitstring can include a plurality of discrete bits less than the amount of processing modules and/or state modules. A plurality of the state modules and/or processing modules can be associated with at least one discrete bit of the plurality of discrete bits such that each coded bitstring corresponds to a predetermined group of state modules and/or processing modules.

Abstract: A T-junction circuit comprises a first connector, a second connector, a third connector, at least one data bus, a power bus, and power conditioning circuitry. The at least one data bus is communicatively coupled to the first, second, and third connector. The power bus electrically coupled to the first, second, and third connector, the power bus configured to provide power from the first connector. The power conditioning circuitry is electrically coupled between a node of the power bus and the third connector, the node of the power bus located between the first, second, and third connectors, the power conditioning circuitry configured to condition the power provided by the power bus from the first connector before providing it to the third connector.

Abstract: A control module for a distributed sensor system can include a non-application specific configurable module configured to operate as a function of controller configuration settings data, at least a first memory configured to store the controller configuration settings data, at least one external interface module configured to connect with a master host module of the sensor system to receive updated controller configuration settings data, the control module configured to receive and store the updated controller configuration settings in the first memory thereof via the at least one external interface module, and a subnet interface module configured to connect to one or more configurable sensor nodes on a subnetwork, wherein the control module is configured to control and/or configure the one or more sensor nodes as a function of the controller configuration setting data and receive sensor data from the one or more sensor nodes.

Abstract: A sensor system can include a sensor configured to output raw sensor data, a plurality of processing modules configured to process the raw sensor data from the sensor to output processed sensor data, a state module for each processing module operative to cause a respective processing module to receive and/or process the sensor data, and a control module configured to receive a bitmask and to operate each state module based on the bitmask to control which processing modules process the sensor data and/or an order of processing. The bitmask can include a plurality of discrete bits. Each state module and/or processing module can be associated with at least one discrete bit.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing base and a circuit board. The housing base contains a cavity, a boss containing a mounting bore, and a support pad connected to the boss. The circuit board is positioned in the cavity so that an accelerometer carried by the circuit board is disposed directly above the support pad.

Abstract: A sensor node for a distributed sensing system, can include a physical memory configured to store configuration settings data, one or more sensor channels configured to interface with one or more physical sensors to receive signals from the one or more physical sensors, and one or more configurable logic modules connected to the physical memory and operative to receive the configuration settings data and to be configured by the configuration settings data into a logic state to control whether and/or how the one or more one or more configurable logic modules receive and/or processes data from the one or more sensor channels. The one or more configurable logic modules can include one or more FPGAs and/or PLDs, for example.

Abstract: A control module for a distributed sensor system can include a non-application specific configurable module configured to operate as a function of controller configuration settings data, at least a first memory configured to store the controller configuration settings data, at least one external interface module configured to connect with a master host module of the sensor system to receive updated controller configuration settings data, the control module configured to receive and store the updated controller configuration settings in the first memory thereof via the at least one external interface module, and a subnet interface module configured to connect to one or more configurable sensor nodes on a subnetwork, wherein the control module is configured to control and/or configure the one or more sensor nodes as a function of the controller configuration setting data and receive sensor data from the one or more sensor nodes.

Abstract: A sensor system can include a sensor configured to output raw sensor data, a plurality of processing modules configured to process the raw sensor data from the sensor to output processed sensor data, a state module for each processing module operative to cause a respective processing module to receive and/or process the sensor data, and a control module configured to receive a bitmask and to operate each state module based on the bitmask to control which processing modules process the sensor data and/or an order of processing. The bitmask can include a plurality of discrete bits. Each state module and/or processing module can be associated with at least one discrete bit.

Abstract: A sensor node of a sensing network acquires first sensing data from an internal sensing node and/or second sensing data via an interface from an external sensing node. The sensor node is configured with a selected configuration file. The first and second events are detected as a function of the first and/or second sensing data based on the configuration file. The method further includes performing a first action set of the plurality of action sets as a function of detecting the first event and performing a second action set of the plurality of action sets as a function of detecting the second event, wherein the first and second action sets are defined by the configuration file. Once configured with the configuration file, detecting the first and second events and performance of any of the first and second action sets is performed autonomously of a controller or host of a system being monitored by the sensing network.

Abstract: A method performed by a plurality of digital sensing nodes included in a sensing network having a controller and/or host is provided. The method includes a first sensing node of the plurality of digital sensing nodes being configured with a configuration file selected from a plurality of configuration files, the configuration file defining a plurality of action sets to perform in association with detection of respective first and second events. The plurality of digital sensing nodes are configured for acquiring sensed data for monitoring a system. The first sensing node is configured based on the configuration file for, autonomously of the sensing network controller and host, detecting at least one of the first and second events as a function of sensed data output by a sensing element of the first sensing node, performing a first action set if the first event is detected, and performing a second action set if the second event is detected.

Abstract: A network and method for addressing the network includes a host controller, a communication bus connected to the host controller, and a plurality of nodes connected to the communication bus. Each of the plurality of nodes includes a node controller, a communication input, and a communication output. The node controller is configured to receive an address from the host controller, provide an acknowledgement of receipt of the address to the host controller, and connect the communication input to the communication output upon receipt of the address.