Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Noncontacting Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy for Nondestructive Evaluation

An important nondestructive evaluation (NDE) measurement technique is to record the vibration-mode spectrum of a material part or structure, excited by a random or...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Latching Devices for Electrical and Mechanical Connections

Latching devices have been developed to provide electrical connections, secure mechanical and thermal connections, and optical alignment for mounting electronically controlled...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Replaceable Windows With Alignment and Sealing Features

Window assemblies (see figure) have been developed to satisfy special requirements pertaining to ease of replacement, alignment, sealing, and resistance to vibration in a spaceborne...

Briefs: Information Technology

Localization by Maximum-Likelihood Matching of Range Maps

A procedure for determining the location of an instrumentation platform on natural terrain is based on a concept of maximum-likelihood matching of two range maps: (1) a local range...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Versatile Transparent-Melt Crystal-Growth Systems for Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials Using Bridgman-Stockbarger Technique

Single crystals of benzil, benzil aniline, and salicylidene-aniline have been successfully grown using a modified...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Active-Pixel Sensors With "Winner-Take-All" Mode

Circuits to generate the intensity reading and the coordinates of the brightest pixel in each image would be added to imaging photodetector arrays of the active-pixel-sensor (APS) type,...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Monolithic GaAs FET Power Amplifiers for Kₐ Band

A program to demonstrate the feasibility of GaAs-based Kₐ-band power amplifiers has generated a number of technological advances. The goals of the program included (1) capability of...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Active-Pixel-Sensor Digital Camera on a Single Chip

The figure shows a complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit that contains all of the electronic circuitry of a programmable active-pixel-sensor digital camera....

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Augmented Active-Pixel Sensors Would Compute Centers of Mass

Circuits to generate analog or digital representations of the coordinates of the centers of mass of images would be added to imaging photodetector arrays of the active-pixel-sensor...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Computers for Research on Flight Control in F/A-18 Airplanes

The Production Support Flight Control Computers (PSFCCs) are flight-control computers that are being developed by NASA in conjunction with the United States Navy. These computers...

Briefs: Physical Sciences

Microfabricated Ice Sensors

Microfabricated, silicon-based capacitive actuator/sensor devices have been developed as prototypes of compact, low-power transducers that would be used to detect the presence (and perhaps eventually measure the...

Briefs: Materials

Improved Process for Scrubbing and Treating NOₓ Liquor

A new process and equipment have been developed for reducing the emissions of hazardous nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and eliminating a hazardous waste stream. In this process, a...

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Fabricating Refractory-Metal Solar-Engine Components by VPS

Vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) has been demonstrated to be an effective technique for the fabrication of refractory-metal components of solar-thermal engines. Heretofore, such...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

GPS-Based System Tracks Relative Position of Two Airplanes

A developmental electronic system that includes Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers is designed to track the relative position and velocity to two airplanes in real time. In...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Optimized Two-Wavelength Focal-Plane Arrays of QWIPs

A concept for optimizing the designs of two-wavelength GaAs-based quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) could make it practical to use focal-plane arrays of QWIPs as image sensors...

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Vacuum Three-Ball Tribometer for Testing Liquid Lubricants

A three-ball tribometer has been developed for use in evaluating the performances of oils and greases as lubricants in a vacuum at room temperature. This apparatus differs from the...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

System-Level Integrated Circuits for Phased-Array Antennas

Modules of electronic circuitry that perform the amplitude- and phase-control and the status-monitoring functions for eight-element (2 ×4) subarrays of K-band phased-array antennas...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Penetrator Projectile Tolerates Some Misalignment

A two-body design has enabled an instrumented penetrator projectile to function with increased tolerance to initial misalignment among (a) the longitudinal axis of the penetrator, (b) the...

Briefs: Materials

Rapid Densification of Ceramic Monoliths and Composites

A rapid densification technology uses nanostructured powders to produce ceramic devices and components. This technology provides ceramic monoliths and composites that can be used in the...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Delta-Doped Hybrid Advanced Detector

The delta-doped hybrid advanced detector is a developmental integrated electronic imaging and detecting circuit designed to be sensitive to (1) charged particles with kinetic energies ranging from...

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Improved Packaging of Silica Optical Fibers in Sensor Heads

A process for the fabrication of improved high-temperature fiber-optic sensor heads has been proposed. Fiber-optic sensor heads that can withstand hot, dirty, noisy environments are...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Vapor Drying for Preparing InGaAsP for Epitaxial Regrowth

A vapor drying treatment removes traces of water and other contaminant residues that remain on the surface of a patterned semiconductor substrate after chemical cleaning in...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Information-Reduced Carrier Synchronization for Coded PSK Operation at Low-SNR

An information-reduced carrier-synchronization (IRCS) system has been proposed for use in a coded binary-phase-shift-keying (BPSK) radio-communication receiver...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Micromachined Magnetostatic Switches

Magnetostatic switches — switches that open or close in response to magnetic fields — are being developed and fabricated using micromachining (MEMS) technology. These switches operate similarly to...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Robot Hands With Electroactive-Polymer Fingers

Multifinger electroactive-polymer grippers (MEPGs) are simple, compact, lightweight robotic end effectors with fingers that bend and function similarly to human fingers. The fingers are made...