Telemetry Course

Abstract

This paper presents a new multimedia CD ROM course on Telemetry that has is just being developed for DoD by the Defense Test and Evaluation Professional Institute (DTEPI). The paper will discuss the Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) software packages that were used to develop the course. It will discuss the methodology used to develop the course and lessons learned in its development. During the presentation of this paper a computer and VGA projector will be used to show some of the material in the course. This is the second CD ROM course developed by DTEPI, the first one was on Time, Space-Position Information (TSPI). The TSPI course has been completed, passed Beta testing at most of the National Ranges, and has been released. About 800 CD ROM disks have been distributed to the Ranges and other qualified users. The Telemetry course will be similarly completed and distributed. The course is intended to be an introduction to the subject of telemetry for use by engineering professionals just entering the workforce, by professionals cross training into T&E, and by others with a need or desire to understand telemetry. The value of developing an interactive course using audio narration, animations, as well as still pictures and video of actual instrumentation and equipment cannot be overemphasized. This multimedia environment makes the explanation of concepts like an optical encoder easily understandable as the student can "see" a simulation of the encoder in operation. The course is designed to be self paced with students controlling their own progress and choosing the topics they want to cover. The student also has the option to print a hard copy of the page narration or read them on screen. The course facilitates the rapid learning of the jargon of telemetry, all the essential acronyms, the way telemetry systems work, what they look like, and many of the limitations of telemetering systems. The course covers the History of Telemetering, Telemetry Subsystems, Range Applications, Telemetry Schemes, Theory of Operation, Telemetry Processing Systems, Testing Telemetry Systems, and other Miscellaneous Topics. It will afford the student a lot of insight into telemetry without the mathematics and detail required of a telemetry design engineer.