Advanced Navigation and Control Systems Laboratory, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Author: sens-admin

  • CEGANS Sensor

    Research is being performed with David A. Quinn and F. Landis Markley at NASA-Goddard Space Flight to develop a new sensor approach for attitude determination using Global Positioning System signals. The concept involves the use of multiple GPS antenna elements arrayed on a single sensor head to provide maximum GPS space vehicle availability. A number of sensor element configurations are being considered. In addition to the navigation function, the array is used to find which GPS space vehicles are within the field-of-view of each antenna element. Attitude determination is performed by considering the sightline vectors of the found GPS space vehicles together with the fixed boresight vectors of the individual antenna elements. The advantages of new GPS attitude sensor include:

    • Differential carrier-phase measurements are not required
    • Attitude errors from multipath can be reduced or even eliminated
    • Integer ambiguities do not need to be resolved
    • Line biases do not need to be determined


    Results from research can be obtained from:


    [1] Crassidis, J.L., Quinn, D.A., Markley, F.L., and McCullough, J.D., “A Novel Sensor for Attitude Determination Using Global Positioning System Signals,” Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Boston, MA, Aug. 1998, AIAA Paper #98-4228, pp. 708-717.

  • Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems 1st Edition

    John L. Crassidis and John L. Junkins

    Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems (1st Edition) provides a significant contribution toward minimizing the painful process most newcomers must go through in digesting and applying estimation theory. Unlike most books written on the subject, this new book presents a solid bridge between theoretical derivations and practical applications to dynamic systems. This work is the outgrowth of the authors’ multiple encounters with the subject while motivated by practical problems with spacecraft attitude determination and control, aircraft navigation and tracking, orbit determination, powered rocket trajectories, photogrammetry applications, and identification of vibratory systems. Several examples and problems related to these applications are given throughout the book, which provide diverse applications across many fields.

    All of the examples shown in the text have been programmed and simulated using MATLAB. It has been our experience that to thoroughly understand the intricacies of a subject as diverse as estimation theory, one must learn from basic fundamentals first. Although computer routines can provide some insights to the subject, we feel that they may hinder rigorous theoretical studies that are required to properly comprehend the material. Therefore, we strongly encourage students to program their own computer routines, using the codes provided from this website for verification purposes only.

    If you have any comments or corrections, please feel free to email the authors. The MATLAB codes are sorted by chapter and by example number. Each example file provides a list of other files that must be downloaded as well.

    Corrections to the book can be found here

    Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The computer programs are provided as a service to readers. While the authors have used their best efforts in preparing these programs, they make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the programs. The book publisher (CRC Press), the authors, the authors’ employers (University at Buffalo and Texas A&M University), or MathWorks, Inc. shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial or noncommercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

  • Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems 2nd Edition

    John L. Crassidis and John L. Junkins

    Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems (2nd Edition) provides a significant contribution toward minimizing the painful process most newcomers must go through in digesting and applying estimation theory. Unlike most books written on the subject, this new book presents a solid bridge between theoretical derivations and practical applications to dynamic systems. This work is the outgrowth of the authors’ multiple encounters with the subject while motivated by practical problems with spacecraft attitude determination and control, aircraft navigation and tracking, orbit determination, powered rocket trajectories, photogrammetry applications, and identification of vibratory systems. Several examples and problems related to these applications are given throughout the book, which provide diverse applications across many fields.

    All of the examples shown in the text have been programmed and simulated using MATLAB. It has been our experience that to thoroughly understand the intricacies of a subject as diverse as estimation theory, one must learn from basic fundamentals first. Although computer routines can provide some insights to the subject, we feel that they may hinder rigorous theoretical studies that are required to properly comprehend the material. Therefore, we strongly encourage students to program their own computer routines, using the codes provided from this website for verification purposes only.

    If you have any comments or corrections, please feel free to email the authors. The MATLAB codes are sorted by chapter and by example number. Each example file provides a list of other files that must be downloaded as well.

    Corrections to the book can be found here

    Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The computer programs are provided as a service to readers. While the authors have used their best efforts in preparing these programs, they make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the programs. The book publisher (CRC Press), the authors, the authors’ employers (University at Buffalo and Texas A&M University), or MathWorks, Inc. shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial or noncommercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

  • Fundamentals of Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control

    F. Landis Markley and John L. Crassidis

    Fundamentals of Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control provides the fundamental concepts and mathematical basis for spacecraft attitude determination and control. It is intended to serve as both a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and as a reference guide for practicing professionals. A primary motivation of this text is to develop the theory of attitude determination from first principles to practical algorithms, because very few of the existing texts on spacecraft control treat spacecraft attitude determination in depth. We emphasize specific applications so the reader can understand how the derived theory is applied to actual orbiting spacecraft. We also highlight some simplified analytical expressions that can serve as first cut analyses for more detailed studies and are especially important in the initial design phase of a spacecraft attitude determination and control system.

    All of the examples shown in the text have been programmed and simulated using MATLAB. It has been our experience that to thoroughly understand the intricacies of a subject as diverse as spacecraft attitude determination and control theory, one must learn from basic fundamentals first. Although computer routines can provide some insights to the subject, we feel that they may hinder rigorous theoretical studies that are required to properly comprehend the material. Therefore, we strongly encourage students to program their own computer routines, using the codes provided from this website for verification purposes only.

    If you have any comments or corrections, please feel free to email the authors. The MATLAB codes are sorted by chapter and by example number. Each example file provides a list of other files that must be downloaded as well.

    Corrections to the book can be found here

    Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The computer programs are provided as a service to readers. While the authors have used their best efforts in preparing these programs, they make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the programs. The book publisher (Springer), the authors, the authors’ employers, or MathWorks, Inc. shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial or noncommercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

  • Spacecraft Dynamics

    This course serves as an introduction to orbital mechanics, and spacecraft dynamics and control.

    TEXT: “Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control,” ed. James R. Wertz.

    SUPPLEMENT: “Fundamentals of Astrodynamics,” by R.R. Bate, D.D. Mueller, and J.E. White, Dover Publications, New York, NY, 1971.

    • Overview
      • Spacecraft Systems
      • Orbit Determination
      • Attitude Determination
      • Spacecraft Control
    • Orbit Determination
      • Kepler’s Equation
      • Newton’s Equation
      • Orbit Propagation
    • Attitude Determination
      • Attitude Parameterizations
      • Kinematic Equations
      • Attitude Sensors
      • Deterministic Attitude Determination
      • Kalman Filtering
    • Attitude Dynamics
      • Euler’s Equation
      • Kinematic Equations
      • Torque-free Response
      • Nutation
      • Disturbance Torques
    • Spacecraft Control
      • Linear Control
      • Nonlinear Control
      • Momentum-Bias Control
      • Nutation and Libration Damping
      • Gravity-Gradient Control
    • Other (Time Permitting)
      • Magnetic-Field Modeling
      • Orbit Perturbations

    Years Taught: Fall ’96

  • Optimum Design of Mech System

    This course introduces and formulates the optimum design process using unconstrained and constrained optimization methods.

    TEXT: “Engineering Optimization-Theory and Practice,” Third Edition, by S.S. Rao, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 1996.

    • Overview
      • Definitions
      • Optimization Problem
      • Objective Function
      • Examples
      • Classification of Optimization Problems
    • One-dimensional Searching
      • Range Finding
      • Quadratic and Cubic Interpolation Methods
      • Newton Methods
      • Fibonacci and Golden Section Searches
    • Multi-dimensional Optima
      • Definition
      • Lagrange Multipliers
      • Examples
    • Multi-dimensional Searching
      • Gradient Search Method
      • Conjugate Directions
      • Newton Methods
      • Indirect Search Strategies
      • Penalty Functions
      • Feasible Directions
    • Dynamic System Optimization

    Years Taught: Fall ’97

  • Mechanical System and Control

    This course serves as an introduction to basic feedback control systems.

    TEXT: “Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems,” Third Edition, by G.F. Franklin, J.B. Powell, and A. Emami-Naeini, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA, 1994.

    • Overview
      • Definitions
      • Dynamic Systems
      • Block Diagrams
    • Systems
      • Electrical
      • Mechanical
      • Rotational
      • Incompressible Fluids
      • Thermal
    • Dynamic Response
      • Transfer Functions
      • Poles and Zeros
    • Simple Control Methods
      • Feedback
      • Frequency Response from Bode Plots
      • Root Locus Methods
      • Routh-Hurwitz Tables
      • Nichols Chart

    Years Taught: Fall ’97, Fall ’96

  • Modern Control Systems

    This course serves as an introduction to modern control techniques for feedback systems.

    TEXT: “Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems,” Third Edition, by G.F. Franklin, J.B. Powell, and A. Emami-Naeini, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA, 1994.

    • Overview
      • Block Diagrams
      • Transfer Functions
      • Simple Control Techniques
      • P-I-D Control
    • Frequency Response Methods
      • Lead Controller
      • Lag Controller
      • P-I-D Control
    • State-Space Methods
      • Controllability and Observability
      • Full State Feedback
      • Quadratic Methods
      • Estimator Design
      • Reference Input
      • Robust Tracking
    • Design Studies
      • Spacecraft Attitude Control
      • Aircraft Control
    • Advanced Techniques (Time Permitting)
      • Lyapunov Stability
      • Nonlinear Control

    Years Taught: Spring ’98, Spring ’97, Spring ’96

  • System Dynamics

    This course serves as an introduction to basic modeling and analysis of dynamic systems.

    TEXT: “Modeling, Analysis and Control of Dynamic Systems,” by W.J. Palm, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, NY, 1983.

    • Overview
      • Definitions
      • Dynamic Systems
    • Differential Equations
      • Free and Forced Responses
      • Numerical Solutions
      • Laplace Transforms
    • Systems
      • Electrical
      • Mechanical
      • Rotational
      • Incompressible Fluids
      • Thermal
    • Diagrams
      • Block Diagrams
      • Bond Graphs
    • Dynamic Responses
      • Transfer Functions
      • Poles and Zeros
      • Frequency Response

    Years Taught: Spring ’98, Spring ’97

  • Aerospace Systems

    This course serves as an introduction to the fundamental aspects of analytical mechanics with emphasis on aerospace systems. It stresses modeling of physical problems into mathematical terms.

    TEXT: “Analytical Mechanics of Aerospace Systems,” by J.L. Junkins and H. Schaub, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, VA, 2003.

    • Particle Kinematics
      • Vector Description of Particle Motion
      • Angular Velocity of Rotation of Coordinate Systems
      • Differentiating Vectors Seen From Other Frames
    • Particle Dynamics
      • Newton’s Law
      • Conservative Forces and Potential Energy
      • Forced and Unforced Systems
      • Work/Energy Principles
      • Angular Momentum
    • System of N Particles
      • Super Particle Theorem
      • Angular Momentum
      • Kinetic Energy
    • Rigid Body Attitude Coordinates
      • Direction Cosine Matrix
      • Principle Rotation Vector
      • Euler Angles
    • Continuous System
    • Rigid Body Dynamics
      • Angular Momentum
      • Direction Cosine Matrix
      • Inertia Transformations
      • Kinetic Energy
      • Euler’s Rotational Equations of Motion
    • Introduction to Lagrange’s Equation of Motion

    Years Taught: Fall ’00, Spring ’00, Fall ’99, Spring ’99, Fall ’98