Abstract: A method for target acquisition and tracking of a moving station or target (e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle) for carrying out free space optical communications uses an “elapsed time”-based approach to determine the position of the moving station at any future time, based on the time difference since the moving station's last known position. For example, the vehicle may be for purposes of reconnaissance, where the optical link provides a secure and high-bandwidth communications pathway between the moving station and a ground station. A mathematical model of the moving station's expected periodic flight path is combined with position and time elements to accurately predict the future position of the moving station for target re-acquisition. The model is a cubic spline interpolation of known flight path waypoints. The system may also employ multiple waypoints in initial acquisition, by alternating acquisition attempts over several waypoints instead of “staring” at a single waypoint.

Abstract: The source code for a computer program contains a plurality of debug output statements that provide a debug output string when the computer program is running. Each debug output statement comprises a fixed-content text string field which is provided in the debug output string. The fixed-content text string field of each debug output statement is replaced with a unique text string number to provide stripped source code. A number-to-string mapping table for translating each unique text string number into a corresponding fixed-content text string is constructed. The stripped source code is compiled to provide stripped object code. The stripped object code for the computer program is run on a target computer. A debug computer receives debug output strings from corresponding debug output statements of the computer program, each debug output string having a unique text string number.