MMS 1 Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Double Probe (ADP, SDP), Electric Field Power Spectral Density, Level 2 (L2), Slow Mode, 16 s Data

The MMS electric field power spectral density (EPSD) is computed onboard by the Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The fast Fourier transform (FFT) calculation is performed on a digitized version of analog signals from the Axial Double Probe (ADP) and Spin-Plane Double Probe (SDP). This data product is computed in space from individual components that are not synchronized to the 1 second pulse. Therefore, the timing between channels can be inaccurate by a fraction of a second. The samples times are interval start times taken from the x component. The spectra are calculated via a 1024-point FFT algorithm on piecewise continuous sets of waveform data. Nine signals can be processed simultaneously. Six of the twelve DC-coupled E, DC-coupled V, or SCM signals (16384 samples/s) are selected for spectral processing at 100% duty cycle. In addition, the three AC-coupled signals (262,144 kS/s) each can be processed at 6.25% duty cycle. Each of the nine signals has 16, 1024-point FFT operations every second; the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) performs 144 FFTs per second. The FFT is performed by an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which is controlled by a state machine. Both are hard-coded into the FPGA. The operation starts by applying a 1024-point Hanning window onto a waveform. Next, an FFT is implemented. The FFT is broken into a series of "butterfly" operations performed by the ALU. The result has real and imaginary data. Power spectra are calculated by taking the sum of squares of real and imaginary values (the ALU includes a multiplier), which produces a power spectrum with 512 frequency bins. The frequency bins are then combined to give pseudo-logarithmic frequency spacing (del f)/f. The spectra are reduced to 56 frequency bins with (del f)/f between 6% and 12% when possible. Narrow-band emissions can be fit to an accuracy of (del f)/f ~3%, allowing for an accurate determination of plasma density. The spectra can be averaged in time. The fastest reporting rate of any signal is 16 spectra per second. Reporting rates can be as slow a one spectra every 16 s (averaging 256 spectra). The averaging process has 48-bit accuracy to maximize the dynamic range. The amplitudes undergo a pseudo-logarithmic compression to an 8-bit number representing over 120 dB of dynamic range at ~5% precision.

Data and Resources

Field Value
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
catalog_@context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
catalog_describedBy https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
identifier https://doi.org/10.48322/k8g5-s923
landingPage https://doi.org/10.48322/k8g5-s923
modified 2025-09-10
programCode {026:000}
publisher MMS Science Data Center;NASA Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) Coordinated Data Analysis Web (CDAWeb) Data Services
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash d794508d1ff49f8cefa3cf00ffb29fcd853ff30d7091d490dd9fcf7eed1094aa
source_schema_version 1.1
temporal 2015-07-15/2015-07-15
theme {Heliophysics}
Groups
  • AmeriGEOSS
  • National Provider
  • North America
Tags
  • AmeriGEO
  • AmeriGEOSS
  • CKAN
  • GEO
  • GEOSS
  • National
  • North America
  • United States
  • electricfield
  • waves-passive
isopen False
license_id notspecified
license_title License not specified
maintainer Robert E. Ergun
maintainer_email bob.ergun@lasp.colorado.edu
metadata_created 2025-09-23T18:19:08.987644
metadata_modified 2025-09-23T18:19:08.987651
notes The MMS electric field power spectral density (EPSD) is computed onboard by the Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The fast Fourier transform (FFT) calculation is performed on a digitized version of analog signals from the Axial Double Probe (ADP) and Spin-Plane Double Probe (SDP). This data product is computed in space from individual components that are not synchronized to the 1 second pulse. Therefore, the timing between channels can be inaccurate by a fraction of a second. The samples times are interval start times taken from the x component. The spectra are calculated via a 1024-point FFT algorithm on piecewise continuous sets of waveform data. Nine signals can be processed simultaneously. Six of the twelve DC-coupled E, DC-coupled V, or SCM signals (16384 samples/s) are selected for spectral processing at 100% duty cycle. In addition, the three AC-coupled signals (262,144 kS/s) each can be processed at 6.25% duty cycle. Each of the nine signals has 16, 1024-point FFT operations every second; the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) performs 144 FFTs per second. The FFT is performed by an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which is controlled by a state machine. Both are hard-coded into the FPGA. The operation starts by applying a 1024-point Hanning window onto a waveform. Next, an FFT is implemented. The FFT is broken into a series of "butterfly" operations performed by the ALU. The result has real and imaginary data. Power spectra are calculated by taking the sum of squares of real and imaginary values (the ALU includes a multiplier), which produces a power spectrum with 512 frequency bins. The frequency bins are then combined to give pseudo-logarithmic frequency spacing (del f)/f. The spectra are reduced to 56 frequency bins with (del f)/f between 6% and 12% when possible. Narrow-band emissions can be fit to an accuracy of (del f)/f ~3%, allowing for an accurate determination of plasma density. The spectra can be averaged in time. The fastest reporting rate of any signal is 16 spectra per second. Reporting rates can be as slow a one spectra every 16 s (averaging 256 spectra). The averaging process has 48-bit accuracy to maximize the dynamic range. The amplitudes undergo a pseudo-logarithmic compression to an 8-bit number representing over 120 dB of dynamic range at ~5% precision.
num_resources 1
num_tags 10
title MMS 1 Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Double Probe (ADP, SDP), Electric Field Power Spectral Density, Level 2 (L2), Slow Mode, 16 s Data