My Publications

The contents herein are mine and do not necessarily reflect the positions of my employeer.
Last Updated: Sometime June 2022 
     ALPS, video ...
     Clock Synchronization, Self-Stabilization, Model Checking ...
     Distributed Systems ...
     Logos, Cartoons, Etc. ...

Agile Local Positioning System (ALPS) ...

ALPS [External Site Icon] is an autonomous distributed fault-tolerant local positioning system

Avionics ...

  1. Chester Dolph, Thomas Lombaerts, Evan Kawamura, Corey A. Ippolito, Vahram Stepanyan, Khan Iftekharuddin, George Szatkowski, Robert McSwain, Chris Morris, Mahyar R. Malekpour and Cyrus Minwalla: Ground to air testing of a fused optical-radar aircraft detection and tracking system, AIAA SciTech 2022, Virtual, pp. 21, January 2022.

  2. Chester Dolph, George Szatkowski, Henry Holbrook, Chris Morris, Larry Ticatch, Mahyar R. Malekpour and Robert McSwain: Aircraft Classification Using RADAR from small Unmanned Aerial Systems for Scalable Traffic Management Emergency Response Operations, AIAA AVIATION 2021, Virtual, pp. 14, August 2021.

  3. Mahyar R. Malekpour: Achieving Equilibrium for Dense, Integrated Vehicle Navigation, AIAA SciTech 2021, Virtual, pp. 8, January 2021. 


     4-node system ...                         10-node system ...                         16-node system ...
  4. Brendan Duffy, Swee Balachandran, María Consiglio, Louis Glaab, César Muñoz, Kyle Smalling, Nicholas Rymer, David Bradley, David Hare, Richard Grube, Matthew Coldsnow, Scott Sims, Jeffrey Hill, and Mahyar Malekpour: Sense and Avoid Characterization of the ICAROUS Architecture, Technical Memorandum, NASA/TM-2020-220591, May 2020.

Clock Synchronization, Self-Stabilization, Model Checking ...

  1. Mahyar R. Malekpour: A Fault-Tolerant Clock Synchronization and Geometry Determination Protocol, AIAA SciTech 2018, Kissimmee, Florida, pp. 10, January 2018.
    This paper is based on NASA/TM-2017-219638,
    My presentation slides at AIAA SciTech 2018.
  2. Mahyar R. Malekpour: Achieving Agreement In Three Rounds With Bounded-Byzantine Faults, AIAA SciTech 2017, Dallas, Texas, pp. 10, January 2017.
    This paper is based on NASA/TM-2015-218789,
    My presentation slides at AIAA SciTech 2017.
    SMV Node-Fault Model
    SMV Link-Fault Model
    3. Correction: "The OM algorithm has been proven to reach agreement ... and does not require initial synchrony among the good nodes."
    Should read: "... and does require initial synchrony among the good nodes."
  3. Mahyar R. Malekpour: A Self-Stabilizing Hybrid-Fault Tolerant Synchronization Protocol, 2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Ski, Montana, pp. 11, March 2015.
    This paper is based on NASA/TM-2014-218285.
    SMV Symmetric-fault Model
    My presentation slides
  4. Mahyar R. Malekpour: Brief Announcement: Self-Stabilizing Synchronization Of Arbitrary Digraphs In Presence Of Faults, 14th International Symposium on Stabilization, Safety, and Security of Distributed Systems (SSS 2012), Toronto, Canada, pp. 3, October 2012.
    My presentation slides at SSS 2012.
  5. Mahyar R. Malekpour: Model Checking A Self-Stabilizing Synchronization Protocol For Arbitrary Digraphs, The 31st Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC 2012), Williamsburg, Virginia, pp. 11, October 2012.
    This paper is based on NASA/TM-2011-217152.
    My presentation slides at DASC 2012.
  6. Mahyar R. Malekpour: A Self-Stabilizing Synchronization Protocol For Arbitrary Digraphs, The 17th IEEE Pacific Rim International Symposium on Dependable Computing (PRDC 2011), Pasadena, California, pp. 10, December 2011.
    My presentation slides at PRDC 2011.
  7. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Correctness Proof Of A Self-Stabilizing Distributed Clock Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs", NASA/TM-2011-217184, October 2011, pp. 31.

    8. Sometimes you miss the forest for the trees. In my recent reports on the digraph protocol I emphasize that one of the assumptions is the absence of faults. It turns out that’s not quite accurate and the protocol handles more than just the no-fault scenarios. I had made a point of it in the previous two reports on the protocol. After going through the analysis and writing a report on a deductive proof of the correctness of the protocol (currently under internal review), I verified that the protocol in fact handles link and node failures in a static and/or dynamic digraph. Recently, I gave a talk on the topic where a colleague pointed out that this protocol is in fact fault-tolerant. I’d like to be clear about this; it is not Byzantine fault-tolerant, but still fault-tolerant. It handles cases 1, 2, and 4 of the OTH fault classification.

    I have had simulated link and node failures in dynamic digraphs back in 2010 but have not had the chance to model checking them. In retrospect, the words fault-tolerant should have been in the title of these reports.
  8. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Model Checking A Self-Stabilizing Distributed Clock Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs", NASA/TM-2011-217152, May 2011, pp. 31.
  9. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "A Self-Stabilizing Distributed Clock Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs", NASA/TM-2011-217054, February 2011, pp. 42.
  10. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "A Self-Stabilizing Byzantine-Fault-Tolerant Clock Synchronization Protocol", NASA/TM-2009-215758, June 2009, pp. 43.
  11. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Verification of a Byzantine-Fault-Tolerant Self-Stabilizing Protocol for Clock Synchronization", proceedings of the 2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference, March 2008, pp. 13.
  12. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Model Checking a Byzantine-Fault-Tolerant Self-Stabilizing Protocol for Distributed Clock Synchronization Systems", NASA/TM-2007-215083, November 2007, pp. 36.
  13. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "A Byzantine-Fault Tolerant Self-Stabilizing Protocol for Distributed Clock Synchronization Systems" November 2006, pp. 17.

    14. This paper is based on a NASA-TM with the same title and was prsented at the Eighth International Symposium on Stabilization, Safety, and Security of Distributed Systems (SSS06), November 17 thru 20, 2006. This PDF file is the Dog and Pony show version of the paper and 17 pages.
    My presentation slides at SSS06.
  14. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "A Byzantine-Fault Tolerant Self-Stabilizing Protocol for Distributed Clock Synchronization Systems", NASA/TM-2006-214322, August 2006, pp. 37.

    15. There are a number of typos in this report that I plan to list them here. Most of the typos are corrected for the SSS 2006 conference paper listed above. Visit again for updates.
  15. Mahyar R. Malekpour, Radu Siminiceanu: "Comments on the Byzantine Self-Stabilizing Pulse Synchronization Protocol: Counterexamples", NASA/TM-2006-213951, February 2006, pp. 12.

Distributed Systems ...

This section is about the SPIDER distributed system.

  • Pictures of ROBUS-1 and ROBUS-2 from the SPIDER lab.
  • Pictures of the first ROBUS prototype.
  • Pictures of the SPIDER Hardware prototype.

    1. Amy M. Yates, Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, and Mahyar R. Malekpour, Oscar R. González, and W. Steven Gray: "High-Intensity Radiated Field Fault-Injection Experiment For a Fault-Tolerant Distributed Communication System", DASC 2010 , pp. 15.
    2. Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, Amy M. Yates, and Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Fault Injection and Monitoring Capability for a Fault-Tolerant Distributed Computation System", NASA/TM-2010-216834, August 2010, pp. 202.
    3. Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, Mahyar R. Malekpour, Paul S. Miner, and Sandra V. Koppen: "Design of Test Articles and Monitoring System for the Characterization of HIRF Effects on a Fault-Tolerant Computer Communication System", NASA/TM-2008-215322, July 2008, pp. 59.
    4. Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, Mahyar R. Malekpour, Paul S. Miner, and Sandra V. Koppen: "Plan for the Characterization of HIRF Effects on a Fault-Tolerant Computer Communication System", NASA/TM-2008-215306, May 2008, pp. 43.
    5. Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, Mahyar R. Malekpour, and Paul S. Miner: "Design of the Protocol Processor for the ROBUS-2 Communication System", NASA/TM-2005-213934, Nov 2005, pp. 252.
    6. Wilfredo Torres-Pomales, Mahyar R. Malekpour, and Paul S. Miner: "ROBUS-2: A fault-tolerant broadcast communication system", NASA/TM-2005-213540, March 2005, pp. 201.
    7. Paul S. Miner, Mahyar R. Malekpour, Wilfredo Torres: "A Conceptual Design For a Reliable Optical Bus (ROBUS)", Presented at the 21st Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), Irvine, California, October 27-31, 2002.
    8. Paul S. Miner, Victor A. Carreño, Mahyar Malekpour, and Wilfredo Torres: "A Case-Study Application of RTCA DO-254: Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware"[External Site Icon], 19th Digital Avionics Systems Conference, October 2000.
      9. This section is about Henywell's Recoverable Computer System (RCS).

    9. Richard Hess, Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Rapid Soft Fault Recovery"[External Site Icon], Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2001 Transaction, volume 110, Journal of Aerospace, Document Number: 2001-01-2937, Section 1, pp 474-480, published in 2002.
    10. Richard Hess, Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Rapid Soft Fault Recovery"[External Site Icon], 2001 International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity, September 2001.
    11. Mahyar R. Malekpour, Wilfredo Torres-Pomales: "Characterization of a Flight Control Computer with Rollback Recovery"[External Site Icon], 19th Digital Avionics Systems Conference, October 2000.
    12. Mahyar R. Malekpour, Wilfredo Torres-Pomales: "Characterization of a Recoverable Flight Control Computer System"[External Site Icon], Conference on Control Applications, August 1999.
    13. Mahyar R. Malekpour: "Evaluation of Honeywell Recoverable Computer System (RCS) in Presence of Electromagnetic Effects"[External Site Icon], 17th Digital Avionics Systems Conference, October 1998.

    Logos, Cartoons, etc. ...

    These are some of my extracurricular activities, a.k.a., artistic creativities.
    All material contained and referenced within this setion are copyright Mahyar R. Malekpour.

    Note: Links with a [External Site Icon] next to them go to sites that are NOT maintained by NASA.
    1. ICAROUS ...
      2. Inspired by the historical references to its name sake, Daedalus’ son Icarus, like its predecessor project DIADALUS. This logo’s color reflects the burning, red, hot, desert sun.
    2. Kodiak ...
      3. Inspired by its name sake, the bear Kodiak, which roams the lush greens and wooded mountains of Alaska.
    3. Detect and AvoID Alerting Logic for Unmanned Systems (DAIDALUS) ...
      4. Inspired by the historical references to its name sake, Daedalus.
    4. Airborne Coordinated Conflict Resolution and Detection (ACCoRD) ...
      5. Since KB3D has evolved, the logo was updated to more accurately reflect the intended objective of the project.
    5. The SPIDER Logo/Poster ...
      6. We at NASA-LaRC are good at many things, among them is coming up with acronyms that are easy to read, relate to, and pronounce. The name “spider” and its 8 legs were the inspirations for the distributed system under the study which consisted of a 4x4 bi-partite graph.
    6. Danger! Spider X-ing ...
      7. Having fun with Spider.
    7. Dog and Pony show, i.e., LaTeX default page format ...
    8. KB3D ...
      9. Never turned down a creative design challenge. For their work on KB3D, Cesar Munoz asked for a logo and here is what we came up with.
    9. DATC ...[External Site Icon]
      10. What better way to capture flight! In 1999, the Digital Avionics Technical Committee (DATC) needed a logo for their newsletter and announced for a design competition. My design was selected and helped with their goals. In 2022 a redesigned logo has been adopted.
    10. Open Mind, Open Heart, Open Arms: NASA-LaRC Karate Club ...[External Site Icon]