Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Mars Exploration Rovers Use Amplifier System to Transmit Information
StratEdge Corp.
San Diego, CA
858-569-5000
www.stratedge.com
Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Interferometer Enables Precision Metrology on James Webb Space Telescope
Interferometer (ESPI)
4D Technology
Tucson, AZ
520-294-5600
www.4dtechnology.com
Products
13-bit magnetic sensor
Renishaw, Hoffman Estates, IL, has introduced a 13-bit magnetic sensor for rotary and angular positioning control. Providing 8,192 counts per revolution, the sensors are available in chip, chip-on-board, and ready-to-mount packaged versions. The solid-state, non-contact design features an integrated circuit chip that...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Simulator for Testing Spacecraft Separation Devices
A report describes the main features of a system for testing pyrotechnic and mechanical devices used to separate spacecraft and modules of spacecraft during flight. The system includes a spacecraft simulator [also denoted a large mobility base (LMB)] equipped with air thrusters, sensors, and...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Apparatus for Hot Impact Testing of Material Specimens
An apparatus for positioning and holding material specimens is a major subsystem of a system for impact testing of the specimens at temperatures up to 1,500 °C. This apparatus and...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Instrument for Aircraft-Icing and Cloud-Physics Measurements
The figure shows a compact, rugged, simple sensor head that is part of an instrumentation system for making measurements to characterize the severity of aircraft-icing conditions...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Improved Apparatus for Testing Monoball Bearings
A desk-sized apparatus for testing monoball bearings and their lubricants offers advantages, relative to prior such apparatuses, of (1) a greater degree of automation and (2) capability of...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Advances in Measurement of Skin Friction in Airflow
The surface interferometric skin-friction (SISF) measurement system is an instrument for determining the distribution of surface shear stress (skin friction) on a wind-tunnel model. The SISF system utilizes the established oil-film interference method, along with advanced image-data-processing...
Who's Who: Software
Bill Jackson, Deputy Director, NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility, Fairmont, WV
Searching for defects amid several thousand lines of code in mission critical software, NASA’s Independent Verification and Validating...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Infrared Instrument for Detecting Hydrogen Fires
The figure shows an instrument incorporating an infrared camera for detecting small hydrogen fires. The instrument has been developed as an improved replacement for prior infrared and...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Modified Coaxial Probe Feeds for Layered Antennas
In a modified configuration of a coaxial probe feed for a layered printed-circuit antenna (e.g., a microstrip antenna), the outer conductor of the coaxial cable extends through the thickness...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Detecting Negative Obstacles by Use of Radar
Because such wavelengths are comparable to the characteristic dimensions of terrain features associated with negative hazards, a significant amount of diffraction would occur at such features. In...
Articles: Communications
30 Years of Communications Technology
In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of NASA Tech Briefs, our features in 2006 highlight a different technology category each month, tracing the past 30 years of the technology, and continuing with a...
Briefs: Medical
Thermal Spore Exposure Vessels
Thermal spore exposure vessels (TSEVs) are laboratory containers designed for use in measuring rates of death or survival of microbial spores at elevated temperatures. A major consideration in the design of a...
Briefs: Medical
Enumerating Spore-Forming Bacteria Airborne With Particles
A laboratory method has been conceived to enable the enumeration of:
Cultivable bacteria and bacterial spores that are, variously, airborne by themselves or carried by, parts of, or otherwise associated with, other airborne particles; and Spore-forming bacteria among all of the...Briefs: Information Technology
Sequence Detection for PPM Optical Communication With ISI
A method of sequence detection has been proposed to mitigate the effects of inter-slot interference and inter-symbol interference (both denoted "ISI") in the reception of M-ary...
Briefs: Information Technology
Algorithm for Rapid Searching Among Star-Catalog Entries
An algorithm searches a star catalog to identify guide stars within the field of view of a telescope or camera. The algorithm is fast: the number of computations needed to perform the...
Briefs: Information Technology
Expectation-Based Control of Noise and Chaos
A proposed approach to control of noise and chaos in dynamic systems would supplement conventional methods. The approach is based on fictitious forces composed of expectations governed by Fokker-Planck or Liouville equations that describe the evolution of the probability densities of the controlled...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Radio Heating of Lunar Soil To Release Gases
A report proposes the development of a system to collect volatile elements and compounds from Lunar soil for use in supporting habitation and processing into rocket fuel. Prior exploratory missions revealed that H2, He, and N2 are present in Lunar soil and there are some...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Using Electrostriction To Manipulate Ullage in Microgravity
A report proposes to use electrostriction to manipulate the ullage in a tank containing a dielectric liquid in a microgravitational environment. In the original intended application, the liquid would be a spacecraft propellant and the goal would be to force the ullage (comprising...
Briefs: Information Technology
Equations for Scoring Rules When Data Are Missing
A document presents equations for scoring rules in a diagnostic and/or prognostic artificial-intelligence software system of the rule-based inference- engine type. The equations define a set of metrics that characterize the evaluation of a rule when data required for the antecedence clause(s) of...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Pseudorandom Switching for Adding Radar to the AFF Sensor
A document describes the proposed addition of a radar function to the Autonomous Formation Flying Sensor, making possible coarse relative-position control to prevent collisions in the event of failure of one of the spacecraft. According to the proposal, in addition to tracking GPS-like...
Techs for License
Technology Compensates for Audio
Microsoft
SST (Speaker-Specific Technology) improves the performance of equalized audio systems, particularly “cone cry” found in lower-end equipment. The SST correction algorithm is based on the...
Techs for License
Turbo-Cycle Rotor Engine
An engine with a very low part count, high power density, and flexibility to operate with a constant pressure burn for high efficiency is in the concept stage. It is optimizable for power, efficiency, and high power...
Articles: Electronics & Computers
Embedded Databases: Data Management for Real-Time and Embedded Systems
The term embedded database was coined in the 1980s to mean a database management system (DBMS) that is embedded into an application, in contrast to large central...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Instrument for Aircraft-Icing and Cloud- Physics Measurements
The figure shows a compact, rugged, simple sensor head that is part of an instrumentation system for making measurements to characterize the severity of aircraft-icing conditions and/or to perform research on cloud physics. The quantities that are calculated from measurement data...
Articles: Electronics & Computers
MILS: An Architecture for Security, Safety, and Real Time
The unrelenting growth and integration of embedded controls, information processing, and communications has created a need for systems that provide robust protection for resources and...
Articles: Electronics & Computers
Liquid Cooling Takes Aim at Gamer PC Applications
Recent technical advances in graphics processing units have accelerated the proliferation of high-power graphics processing units (GPUs) and multiple GPUs in high-end gamer PC applications....
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Mixed-Salt/Ester Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Li⁺ Cells
Electrolytes comprising, variously, LiPF6 or LiPF6 plus LiBF4 dissolved at various concentrations in mixtures of alkyl carbonates and alkyl esters have been found to afford improved low-temperature performance in rechargeable lithium-ion...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Embedded Motherboard for Industrial I/O Uses ETX and PC/104 Modules
ACCES I/O Products (San Diego, CA) has released the NANO I/O Server, an embedded motherboard system designed to support the company’s line of USB and PC/104 I/O modules,...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Bipolar Electrostatic Bipolar Electrostatic
The figure presents a concept of a bipolar miniature electrostatic ion thruster for maneuvering a small spacecraft. The ionization device in the proposed thruster would be a...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Removable PMC Storage In a Two-Part Mezzanine
ACT/Technico (Warminster, PA) offers the PMC Shuttle- Stor, a removable PMC storage solution that enables the removal of vital data for safe-keeping without requiring removal of the host board....
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Electrostatic Ion Thruster With Magnet
A miniature electrostatic ion thruster is proposed that, with one exception, would be based on the same principles as those of the device described in the previous article, “Miniature Bipolar Electrostatic Ion Thruster” (NPO-21057). The exceptional feature of this thruster would be that, in...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Single-Chip Embedded Chipset Integrates Video, Audio, and Display
VIA Technologies (Taipei, Taiwan) has introduced the VIA CX700 digital media IGP chipset for VIA C7® and Eden® processor platforms.
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Free-Space Electrostatic Ion Thrusters
A miniature electrostatic ion thruster is proposed for maneuvering small spacecraft. In a thruster based on this concept, one or more propellant gases would be introduced into an ionizer based on the same principles as those of the device described in the earlier article, “Miniature Bipolar...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Track-and-Hold Amplifiers For Advanced Test Equipment
The GigaTrack™ family of 2-GS/s track-and-hold amplifiers (THA) from Inphi® Corp. (Westlake Village, CA) delivers ultra-wide 18-GHz analog bandwidth.
The bandwidth, sample rate, and linearity make direct conversion and software-defined receivers possible, and help advance...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Oxidizer Ionizer for a Fuel Cell
A proposed miniature device for ionizing the oxygen (or other oxidizing gas) in a fuel cell would consist mostly of a membrane ionizer using the same principles as those of the device described in the earlier article, “Miniature Bipolar Electrostatic Ion Thruster” (NPO-21057). The oxidizing gas...
Products: Electronics & Computers
SMT and Thru-Hole Receptacles for Board-to-Board Applications
Tyco Electronics (Harrisburg, PA) has introduced a new line of AMPMODU horizontal and vertical receptacles for board-to-board applications in industrial and commercial...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Ion-Mobility Spectrometer
The figure depicts a proposed miniature ion-mobility spectrometer that would be fabricated by micromachining. Unlike prior ion-mobility spectrometers, the proposed instrument would not be based on a...
Products: Electronics & Computers
On-Chip Debug Solutions Use USB 2.0
Macraigor Systems (Brookline Village, MA) has introduced the On-Chip Debug Technology (OCDemon) to the Linux platform using the usb2Demon and debug interface.
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Miniature Ion-Array Spectrometer
The figure depicts a proposed miniature ion-mobility spectrometer that would share many features of design and operation of the instrument described in the immediately preceding article. The main differences...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Real-time, Flash-based Microcontrollers
Atmel® Corp. (San Jose, CA) has introduced the SAM9 family of ARM9-based Flash microcontrollers (MCUs) for real-time embedded applications.
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Rapid Development of Process Control Systems Using a Model-Based Approach
Developing a control system rapidly and cost effectively requires a disciplined approach that exposes design limitations early so they can be corrected before the...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Baseboard Supports ETX-Compliant Solutions
Kontron (San Diego, CA) has introduced the Kontron ETX® miniBaseboard, a compact EXT baseboard that serves as a universal development platform for ETX 3.0-compliant modules.
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Promoted-Combustion Chamber With Induction Heating Coil
An improved promoted-combustion system has been developed for studying the effects of elevated temperatures on the flammability of metals in pure oxygen. In prior promoted-combustion chambers, initial temperatures of metal specimens in experiments have been limited to the temperatures of...
Products: Electronics & Computers
System Host Board Features Intel® Processor Options
The TML graphics-class system host board (SHB) from Trenton Technology (Gainesville, GA) uses the Intel® Core™ Duo, Intel Core™ Solo, and Intel Celeron® M processor...
Briefs: Software
PixelLearn
PixelLearn is an integrated user-interface computer program for classifying pixels in scientific images. Heretofore, training a machine-learning algorithm to classify pixels in images has been tedious and difficult. PixelLearn provides a graphical user interface that makes it faster and more intuitive, leading to more interactive...
Briefs: Software
New Software for Predicting Charging of Spacecraft
The NASA/Air Force Spacecraft Charging System Analyzer Program (Nascap-2K) is a comprehensive update, revision, and extension of several NASA and Air Force codes for predicting electrical charging of spacecraft. Nascap-2K integrates the capabilities and models included in four independent...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Redundant Fieldbus System Switches Automatically to Backup
The TS Series TRUNKSAFE system from MooreHawke, a division of Moore Industries (North Hills, CA), maintains continuous communication between a control system and instruments on a...
Briefs: Software
Conversion Between Osculating and Mean Orbital Elements
Osculating/Mean Orbital Element Conversion (C version) (OSMEANC) is a C-language computer program that performs precise conversions between osculating and mean classical orbital elements. OSMEANC can be used for precise design of spacecraft missions and maneuvers and precise calculation of...
Briefs: Software
Generating a 2D Representation of a Complex Data Structure
A computer program, designed to assist in the development and debugging of other software, generates a two-dimensional (2D) representation of a possibly complex ndimensional (where n is an integer >2) data structure or abstract rank-n object in that other software. The nature of the...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
Cryogenic Pound Circuits for Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillators
Two modern cryogenic variants of the Pound circuit have been devised to increase the frequency stability of microwave oscillators that include cryogenic sapphire-filled cavity...
Briefs: Materials
Making Activated Carbon by Wet Pressurized Pyrolysis
A wet pressurized pyrolysis (wet carbonization) process has been invented as a means of producing activated carbon from a wide variety of inedible biomass consisting principally of plant wastes. The principal intended use of this activated carbon is room-temperature adsorption of pollutant...
Briefs: Materials
Composite Solid Electrolyte Containing Li+- Conducting Fibers
Improved composite solid polymer electrolytes (CSPEs) are being developed for use in lithium-ion power cells. The matrix components of these composites, like those of some prior CSPEs, are highmolecular- weight dielectric polymers [generally based on polyethylene oxide (PEO)]. The...
Briefs: Materials
Electrically Conductive Anodized Aluminum Surfaces
Anodized aluminum components can be treated to make them sufficiently electrically conductive to suppress discharges of static electricity. The treatment was conceived as a means of preventing static electric discharges on exterior satin-anodized aluminum (SAA) surfaces of spacecraft without...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Rapid-Chill Cryogenic Coaxial Direct- Acting Solenoid Valve
A commercially available cryogenic direct-acting solenoid valve has been modified to incorporate a rapid-chill feature. In the original application for which this feature was devised, there is a requirement to ensure that at all times, the valve outlet flow consists entirely or mostly...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Variable-Tension-Cord Suspension/Vibration-Isolation System
A system for mechanical suspension and vibration isolation of a machine or instrument is based on the use of Kevlar (or equivalent aromatic polyamide) cord held in variable tension...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Techniques for Connecting Superconducting Thin Films
Several improved techniques for connecting superconducting thin films on substrates have been developed. The techniques afford some versatility for tailoring the electronic and mechanical characteristics of junctions between superconductors in experimental electronic devices. The techniques...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Versatile Friction Stir Welding/Friction Plug Welding System
A proposed system of tooling, machinery, and control equipment would be capable of performing any of several friction stir welding (FSW) and friction plug welding (FPW) operations. These operations would include the following:
Features: Photonics/Optics
10G and “Killer Apps” Excite Telecom Market in ‘07
In the optical communications industry, it’s important to look back before you look forward. History has a way of putting the future into perspective.
Features: Photonics/Optics
Laser Diode Market Stays Hot in 2007
The high-power laser diode market has grown rapidly in the last twelve months, a trend that is set to continue throughout 2006 and beyond. The global market for laser systems is forecast to grow by 8% in...
Features: Photonics/Optics
Optical Software in ‘07: Isn’t that Easy?
Optical software programs provide optical designers with the means to predict and analyze performance characteristics of optical systems without experimental prototyping. Looking ahead into 2007,...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Holographic Plossl Retroreflectors
Holographic retroreflectors that function equivalently to Plossl eyepieces have been developed and used in free-space optical communication systems that utilize laser beams. Plossl eyepieces are well known...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
High-Speed Laser Scanner Maps a Surface in Three Dimensions
A scanning optoelectronic instrument generates the digital equivalent of a three-dimensional (X,Y,Z) map of a surface that spans an area with resolution on the order of 0.005 in....
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
MALDI and Biotech Push Nitrogen Laser Development
The Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization (MALDI) technique in 1987 led to a renewed interest for the nitrogen laser. MALDI allows large and fragile biomolecules to be desorbed and...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Electro-Optical Imaging Fourier-Transform Spectrometer
An electro-optical (E-O) imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (IFTS), now under development, is a prototype of improved imaging spectrometers to be used for hyperspectral imaging,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Product of the Month: Infrared Camera
Mikron Infrared (Oakland, NJ) offers the Model M7500 infrared camera configurable for midwave or long-wave imaging and four different temperature bands. The camera is an uncooled microbolometer camera...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Fiber-Coupled Laser Diode Module
The IQμ4X(760-5) from Power Technology (Little Rock, AR) is a fiber-coupled DFB IQ (Instrument Quality) laser diode module that features a current source and a PID temperature controller. It is available...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Photon Counting Detector
Electron Tubes (Rockaway, NJ) has released the DM0060C miniature photon counting detector with RS-232 interface for plate readers used in chemiluminescence and bioluminescence applications. Comprised of a...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Analog-to-Digital I/O Card Provides Reconfigurable FPGA
BittWare (Concord, NH) has released the Tetra-PMC+ analog- to-digital (A/D) I/O card that features four wideband A/Ds running at up to 105 MHz, and an Altera Cyclone™ II FPGA...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Multispectral Imaging System
The SATIR system from Cedip Infrared Systems (Croissy, France) is designed for infrared analysis of targets on air, sea, or land. Designed to provide outdoor IR radiometric measurements, the system enables...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Rugged Computers Feature Embedded 3G Wireless
Panasonic Computer Solutions (Secaucus, NJ) has introduced two rugged Toughbook® computers: the CF-19 convertible tablet PC, and the CF- 30 clamshell notebook.
Products: Imaging
Digital Video Imaging System
The FASTCAM MH-4 digital video imaging system from Photron (San Diego, CA) allows the use of one to four detachable camera heads that measure 35 × 35 × 35 mm, and weighs less than 100 grams. The system features...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Ultra-Low-Power Single-Board Computer for Rugged Applications
WinSystems (Arlington, TX) has introduced the EBC-855-G, an EBX-compatible, Intel Celeron® 1-GHz, ultralow- power single-board computer (SBC) that operates over an industrial...
Products: Photonics/Optics
High-Temperature Optical System
Resolve Optics (Chesham, UK) has introduced a high-temperature optical system that can be adapted to a variety of high-temperature applications. The system does not require air cooling for use in most...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Microcontrollers With Integrated Ethernet Peripheral
Microchip Technology (Chandler, AZ) has announced the PIC18F97J60 family of 8-bit microcontrollers with an integrated IEEE 802.3-compliant Ethernet communications peripheral.
Products: Photonics/Optics
Laser Optics
Alpine Research Optics (Boulder, CO) has released a Spectral Shaping Filter providing a route to shorter pulses from titanium:sapphire amplifiers. This intra-cavity optic is a dielectric coated filter with a spectral...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Single-Board Computer With Four-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing
The Momentum Series CX6-200 single-board computers from Mercury Computer Systems (Chelmsford, MA) uses two dual-core Intel® Xeon® processors ULV on a 6U single-slot...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Scanning Probe Microscope
The Caliber™ scanning probe microscope (SPM) from Veeco Instruments (Woodbury, NY) can perform various SPM research and industrial applications on samples of differing sizes. The SPM’s open-platform, closed-loop...
Products: Electronics & Computers
Wireless Device Server Networks Existing Equipment
Lantronix (Irvine, CA) offers the WiBox® wireless Device Server™ that enables users to remotely manage and control machines over a network or the Internet.
Products: Photonics/Optics
Supercontinuum Source
Precision Photonics Corp. (Boulder, CO) offers ultra-wideband supercontinuum sources featuring optical spectrum from 1200 to 2000 nm (over 800 nm), optical power density of more than -17 dBm/nm, spectral uniformity of...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Luminaire Measurement System
The PM-GONI system from Radiant Imaging (Duvall, WA) enables luminous intensity distribution and color measurements for various illumination products, including wide-beam-angle luminaires such as automotive...
Products: Electronics & Computers
PCI Single-Board Computer Features Dual-Core Processors
Diversified Technology (Ridgeland, MS) has released the LBC9426 single-board computer based on the Intel® E7520 chipset.
Products: Photonics/Optics
Cold Mirrors
Deposition Sciences (Santa Rosa, CA) has released its Heat- Buster® cold mirror product line that features coating technology to withstand light levels above 200W per square centimeter and temperatures above 400°C. These cold...
Products: Electronics & Computers
PCI Cards Feature 4 GigaSamples of Memory
Two 8-bit resolution arbitrary waveform generator cards with up to 4 gigasamples of onboard memory are available from Strategic Test Corp. (Woburn, MA).
Products: Photonics/Optics
Halogen Light Sources
Moritex (San Jose, CA) offers a range of CE-compliant light sources comprised of 100W and 150W units that are CE-marked according to the Low-Voltage and EMC Directives. The halogen light sources employ an operating...
Blog
PHANTOM PAIN TREATMENT
Researchers at the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK) have devised an experimental method of virtual reality for the treatment of phantom limb pain (PLP) experienced by some amputees. Using headsets, data gloves, and other sensors, amputees used their remaining physical limbs to control the movements of a...
Blog
WIRELESS POWER EMITTER
At Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a team led by assistant professor Marin Soljacic is developing a method to broadcast power to devices to charge them, rather than depending on cords and cables. Instead of irradiating the environment with electromagnetic waves, a power transmitter would fill the space around...
Blog
HUMAN AREA NETWORK
Engineers at Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT, Tokyo, Japan) have developed three separate prototype devices that use a new electric field/photonics method allowing the surface of the body to be used as a safe, high-speed network transmission path. Called "RedTacton," a transmission path is formed at the moment a part of...
Blog
SENSOR NETWORKS
Computer science engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed wireless sensor networks with software agents that have been able to navigate a robot safely through a simulated fire, and spot a fire by seeking out heat. The sensor networks also can be used to protect containers in a manufacturing environment.
Blog
ROCK-AND-ROLL FANTASY
You're a master of the air guitar, playing along with your favorite rock band. But what if your air guitar actually made real music? A team of engineers at the Australian government's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has created the wearable instrument shirt (WIS), a T-shirt that lets...
Blog
IMAGING DETECTORS
Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester recently won $847,000 from NASA's Astronomy Physics Research and Analysis program to build and test a detector that will capture sharper images and consume less power than technology currently in use. This new detector could transform imaging applications on NASA...
Blog
CURRENT ATTRACTIONS
The Embedded Technology supplement to the Air Force Research Laboratory's Technology Horizons magazine features board-level electronics and COTS solutions for design engineers, as well as a variety of product offerings.
Blog
TECH NEEDS OF THE WEEK
An organization is seeking to purchase or to exclusively license US patents that improve the performance of LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) panels. They are especially interested in patents leading to higher resolution (such as light-blocking), and high-speed control (the gap control of the LCD layer).
Blog
LAST CHANCE! DESIGN & WIN TODAY
There is only one day left to submit your original design idea to the fifth annual Emhart Teknologies "Create the Future" Design Contest. Enter your unique idea in one of four categories -- Everyday Products, Safety, Transportation, and Medical -- and you could win a 2007 hybrid car, $20,000 in cash, a 42" plasma...
Blog
EVENT ALERT
Free Webinar: Validate Avionics Performance with Realistic Simulation If you design, analyze, or test Avionics equipment, attend this webinar. In 60 minutes, learn how to accelerate the evaluation and validation of reliable performance of your Avionics designs and manufacturing processes. Click here.
Blog
TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEEDS
A global electronic components manufacturer is seeking proposals for highly heat-resistant, high dielectric constant materials for capacitors used in power devices.
Click here for more.
Blog
WHITE PAPER
Automated 3D Surface Contact for Nastran FEA NEiNastran V9 adds a powerful new feature that allows automatic surface contact generation (ASCG) between discontinuous bodies. This paper discusses different applications of ASCG as well as some of the more advanced features. Click here for more.
Blog
TECHNOLOGIES OF THE WEEK
This technology is based on an ice model for structural integrity with regard to load and impact. Understanding how structures perform against ice-loads is vital to ensure that structures continue to operate safely. View this technology here.
Blog
AERATED SHOWER
Scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO, Clayton, Australia) have designed a showerhead that saves 30% more water than conventional heads by adding air into the water stream. The resulting shower feels just as "wet" as one with a conventional head.
Blog
TECHNOLOGIES OF THE WEEK
This filtration device removes gas phase contaminants from an air stream in a non-mechanical, non-cyclic, continuous manner. Odor removal is accomplished by directing an air stream through a filter element consisting of partially hollow wicking fibers. View this technology here.
Blog
GRIP-LEARNING ROBOT
Engineers at Stanford University (Stanford, CA) have devised an algorithm that allows a robot to recognize unfamiliar objects and determine the best way to pick them up. The robot was first trained in a computer-generated environment to pick up five items: a cup, pencil, brick, book, and martini glass. The algorithm locates...
Blog
MOTION CONTROL NEWS
AST Bearings (Montville, NJ) introduced the High Carbon Chromium Steel Tapered Roller Bearings line, comprised of the inner and outer rings, tapered rollers, and a cage (roller retainer). The rings and rollers carry the load; the cage spaces and retains the rollers on the inner ring.
For more information click...
Blog
"CREATE THE FUTURE" TODAY
A hybrid automobile or $20,000 in cash is the Grand Prize in Emhart Teknologies' and NASA Tech Briefs' fifth annual "Create the Future" Design Contest. Engineers, students, and the general public are encouraged to submit their ideas. View the official entry form and contest rules here. Categories are Everyday Products,...
Blog
EVENT ALERT
ATK Launch Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of solid rocket motor systems for space launch vehicles. We are looking for experienced engineers and project managers to work with us on Ares I, the successor to the space shuttle. Open house for qualified candidates will be held November 13 and 14 at the Crowne Plaza Los...
Blog
WHITE PAPERS
Torque Measurement Methods
This white paper from HBM outlines torque measurement in the following areas: calculation from electrical power, measuring reaction torque, measuring in-line torque, and strain gages in torque measurement. It showcases torque measurement products in action and details how measurement experts...
Blog
MAKING BLIND CELLS SEE
The newly created UC Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Nanomedicine Development Center is developing a method to put light-sensitive switches in the body's cells that can be flipped on and off. Optical switches like these could trigger a chemical reaction, activate a drug, initiate a muscle contraction, or...
Blog
TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS NEEDS
Smart Materials with Precisely Controlled Constriction Properties A multi-billion-dollar electronics company seeks proposals describing responsive materials having controllable planar constriction.
http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20061113A3
Blog
CURRENT ATTRACTIONS
Looking ahead to 2007, optical design software will continue to enhance the capabilities of designers who must predict and analyze the performance of optical systems without experimental prototyping. An article in the November issue of Photonics Tech Briefs (PTB) titled "Optical Software in 2007: Isn't That Easy?" provides an...
Blog
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
The Model M7500 infrared camera from Mikron Infrared (Oakland, NJ) was named PTB Product of the Month for November. The camera is an uncooled microbolometer camera that is configurable for mid-wave or long-wave imaging in four different temperature bands, and provides resolution of 320 x 240.
It uses spectral tuning...
Blog
DESIGN AND WIN TODAY!
If you haven't already submitted your design idea, you only have until this Friday, Nov. 17, to enter the fifth annual "Create the Future" design contest. You could win the Grand Prize of a hybrid car or $20,000 in cash. Visit http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20061113A9 for entry details.
The contest is sponsored by Emhart...
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Custom Gimbal for JHU-APL Shows Promise for Others
Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition
