ALPS™ Functional
Overview
Lightning
Detection &
Discrimination
When lightning occurs, the PLS™
sensors (lightning receivers) analyze
the radio wave produced by each lightning stroke in real time.
The receivers record the precise time of the reception, as well as
certain characteristics such as rise time, fall time, and if required
digitization of the wave form.
Analysis &
Location Processing
This raw lightning data is passed
over communication lines to the
Advanced Stroke Processor (ASP™). The ASP™ is preprogrammed with
contain information related to the particular sensor sites and many
other mathematical and physical coefficients used to analyze the
lightning stroke data. The Central GUI Software performs this
preprogramming.
With this information, the ASP™
performs many QC functions and will
ultimately compute a position for that lighting strike or reject the
information as noise. The solution information can be accessed
from ASP in binary or ASCII text format in real time.
Data Base
Functions
ASP™ then places the solution data
into the SQL Database. This
database contains the archive data for the system, and provides access
for monitoring the system via a network-monitoring tool (NetMon).
Performance
Monitoring and
Maintenance
The LLIS is delivered with a
comprehensive set of system performance
monitoring and maintenance tools. These applications will run on
a separate PC and are described below:
>
ALPS™ network monitor (NetMon)
NetMon displays real time
information on the status of all the lighting
sensors. This information contains data such as the number of
times each sensor reports activity, the number of times the sensor
takes part in the solution, and other house keeping data. NetMon
can also access the database server for limited historical analysis.
> The Remote Sensor Diagnostics (RSD) program
This program is a very valuable
analysis tool that should only be
used with great care. RSD allows access to the
complete system via a communications line to the ASP. This
communication line could be an Internet connection from the other side
of the world. An authorized user can access ASP through RSD and
communicate with any of the active sensors. It can download new
software, new firmware, monitor oscillator frequency, power supply
levels, read the temperature in the sensor unit, as well as scores of
delicate receiver capabilities. This is a tool that should only
be used only with factory approval and training.
PC-based Lightning Display System
TOA provides a display solution,
MIDSNet™. This application
receives the location data from the ASP™ and generates displays of the
lightning location solutions in graphical form on maps of the
area.
MIDSNet™ is an advanced web-based
lightning and weather radar display
system for use with TOA’s lightning location systems for the display
and manipulation of lightning data from the TOA ALPS™ lightning
network.. The MIDSNet web-based display system software runs on
standard PC’s and can be customized to provide any number of map
features, including terrain, roads, electric power lines, geopolitical
boundaries, etc. Weather Decision Technologies, Inc a company
specialized in advanced nowcasting technologies developed this display
for TOA. TOA and WDT have a collaboration agreement covering the use of
MIDSNet™ in lightning location applications.