Single-Chip T/R Module for 1.2 GHz

A single-chip CMOS-based (complementary-metal-oxide-semi-conductor-based) transmit/receive (T/R) module is being developed for L-band radar systems. Previous T/R module implementations required multiple...

DPSS Micromachining Puts Shine on Industrial Molds

Lasers are now used to micromachine virtually every type of material, including metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics. Micromachining is a highly diverse market that uses flash-pumped,...

Silicon Modulator Brings Optical Computing A Step Closer

University of Texas at Austin and Omega Optics, Austin, Texas

For decades, silicon has not been considered a favorable material for manipulating light. Electrical Engineering...

Simulation Keeps Optical Transceiver Signals in Place

Flomerics, Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts

Problems emerge when electromagnetically “hot” optical transceivers are placed into systems that are bound by emissions limits....

Tunable Filter Made From Three Coupled WGM Resonators

A tunable third-order band-pass optical filter has been constructed as an assembly of three coupled, tunable, whispering-gallery-mode resonators similar to the one described in...

Dynamic Pupil Masking for Phasing Telescope Mirror Segments

A method that would notably include dynamic pupil masking has been proposed as an enhanced version of a prior method of phasing the segments of a primary telescope mirror. The...

Product of the Month: Transient Absorption Spectrometer

Designed for the study of ultrafast phenomena such as electronic deactivation, intersystem crossing, vibrational relaxation, internal conversion, and intra-molecular electron transfer,...

Fiber Laser

Aculight (Bothell, WA) built the polarized Picasso Model PF1550PM-30 fiber laser for military and commercial applications. The fiber laser produces 4- to 6-ns pulses at repetition rates from 50 kHz to 200 kHz with 1-W average...

Mini Spectrometer

Hamamatsu Corp.’s (Bridgewater, NJ) C10082MD is a compact spectrometer unit that is designed for spectral evaluation of light sources, industrial color measurement, and other applications. Its CMOS linear image sensor...

Short-Pulse Excimer Laser

Photon Machines (San Diego, CA) has introduced the ATLEX Series of excimer lasers, featuring a pre-ionization technique that delivers short pulse widths, high peak-power densities, and flat beams for laser...

Multi-Channel Framing Camera

The SIM Multi-Channel Framing Camera from Specialised Imaging Ltd. (Tring, Herts, UK) provides the choice of 4, 6, 8, or 16 separate optical channels. Effects such as parallax and shading are eliminated and the...

LEDs

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ (San Jose, CA) Golden DRAGON LEDs offer bright daytime running light and low energy consumption. While thin-film technology ensures that almost all the light produced in the semiconductor chip is at the...

Violet Laser Diode

Photonic Products (Hertsfordshire, UK) offers a lead-free, blue-violet wavelength (405 nm) laser diode from Sanyo, the DL-5146-152 405 nm. The device is a 35-mW CW, (50-mW pulsed) laser diode that incorporates an internal...

High-Speed CMOS Camera

The Cooke Corp.’s (Romulus, MI) pco.1200hs camera is a high-speed, 10-bit CMOS camera with integrated 1 GB, 2 GB, or 4 GB of RAM memory that enables image recording at rates up 1 GB/s. Designed for high-speed camera...

Vacuum-Assisted, Constant-Force Exercise Device

The vacuum-assisted, constant-force exercise device (VACFED) has been proposed to fill a need for a safe, reliable exercise machine that would provide constant loads that could range from 20 to...

Galvanometer Scan Head

Nutfield Technology (Windham, NH) has introduced the XLR8-15 2-axis packaged scan head, the fastest 15-mm head in its class, according to the manufacturer. The scan head is designed to ease integration and...

Tunable Laser

Designed for optics testing, dBm Optics’ (Boulder, CO) Model 4200 Tunable Laser Source offers 2,000 nm/s tuning across 150 nm. A low-noise version is available for measurements requiring high dynamic range, such as the...

Laser Diode Drivers

Analog Modules (Longwood, FL) Model 772 pulsed laser diode driver is a highly efficient (>70 percent), compact (4.3 × 2.7 × 1.5"), lightweight (

Modification of a Limbed Robot to Favor Climbing

The figure shows the LEMUR IIb, which is a modified version of the LEMUR II — the second generation of the Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot (LEMUR). Except as described below,...

RFC series of non-contact rotary sensors

Novotechnik U.S., Southborough, MA

, has introduced the RFC series of non-contact rotary sensors based on magnetic field technology that have no moving or mechanical parts attached to wear...

Custom-Built Machining Centers Create Telescope Mirrors

Custom horizontal machining centers
Mitsui Seiki USA
Franklin Lakes, NJ
201-337-1300
www.mitsuiseiki.com

PLM Software Enables NASA to Manage Collaborative Environment

ProductCenter™ product lifecycle management (PLM)
software
SofTech
Tewksbury, MA
978-640-6222
www.softech.com

Designing Cure Cycles for Matrix/Fiber Composite Parts

A methodology has been devised for designing cure cycles to be used in the fabrication of matrix/fiber composite parts (including laminated parts). As used here, “cure cycles”...

The Air Bearing Advantage in High-Precision Positioning

All moving objects possess six degrees of freedom — three linear and three rotary. The task of a linear motion guideway is to eliminate, as closely as possible, five of these degrees...

Motion Control Research Center Develops Speed Control System for SRM Drives

The Center for Rapid Transit Systems at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) is an internationally recognized drive systems and motion control research group with...

“Pinball Wizards” Bank on Motion/Stress Analysis Software to Redesign Game

Stern Pinball of Melrose Park, IL, is the only manufacturer of coin-operated pinball machines in the world. Today, Stern’s pinball games are designed using...

DC/DC Converter

Texas Instruments (Dallas, TX) has announced the DCP010507DB, a 1-W isolated, unregulated DC/DC converter, supporting an operating temperature range of -40 °C to 100 °C. The module provides thermal shutdown and...

Non-Contact Transducer

Balluff (Florence, KY) offers the Micropulse™ BIW transducer that uses a patented, pulsed-inductive technology. It features a wear-free, non-contact design that can be used where linear pots are used, such as plastic...

Brushless DC Drive

Performance Motion Devices (Lincoln, MA) has announced the ION™ brushless DC drive, a network-connected motion control drive. The fully enclosed compact module provides network connectivity, power amplification, and...

Accelerometers

The LCM 100 accelerometer from Jewel Instruments (Manchester, NH) is designed for industrial, commercial, and aerospace applications. It is engineered with micro-machined components. The 0.5G to 4.0G device meets the needs of...

Piezo Motor

New Scale Technologies (Victor, NY) offers the SQL Series SQUIGGLE piezo motor that measures 2.4 × 2.4mm and features a metal/ceramic composite construction. The motor holds position when power is turned off, conserving battery...

Linear Actuators

Festo Corp. (Hauppauge, NY) has introduced the DMES electromechanical linear actuators that provide a feed force of up to 3000 N. The lead screw of the actuators is non-backdriveable, eliminating the need for an additional...

Rotary Torque Sensor

The Torkdisc® rotary torque sensor system from the Force/Torque Division of PCB Piezotronics (Depew, NY) is a compact, in-line rotary torque sensor for spindle qualification testing of machining center and other torque...

DC Gearmotors

PennEngineering® Motion Technologies (Harleysville, PA) offers PITTMAN® brush-commutated DC gearmotors with output torque to 175 oz-in with standard sintered steel spur gearing, and output torque to 500 oz-in by incorporating...

Peristaltic Pump

The Vector Series 3005 peristaltic pump from Wanner Engineering (Minneapolis, MN) features a lubricant-filled cavity for constant lubrication, and is capable of continuous duty pumping of harsh liquids at up to 200 PSI. A...

Rotary Encoder

Gurley Precision Instruments (Troy, NY) offers the R158 rotary incremental encoder that generates quadrature square waves at up to 1 million counts per revolution. It has an optional temperature range from -40 to 100 °C, and...

Slide Latch

The A3 push-to-close slide latch from Southco (Concordville, PA) features a molded thermoplastic body and flexible locking options for secure latching of sheet metal and thin thermoplastic panels. It features an integrated...

Gearbox

The PV Series gearbox from Parker Bayside, Electromechanical Automation (Port Washington, NY), offers a variety of output face options and high radial load and output torque. The gearbox uses precision-needle bearings to achieve high...

Micro Brushless Motors

Sanyo DC Motor Division (Bensenville, IL) offers the PM Series brushless micro motor that incorporates a ceramic air bearing design, using air as a lubricant to solve problems encountered with typical motors lubricated...

Hypoid Gearheads

Alpha Gear Drives (Bartlett, IL) has introduced a range of hollow-shaft right-angle hypoid gearheads for worm, bevel, or hypoid applications. The HG+ device is a low-backlash hypoid gearhead in a right-angel design that...

Roller Bearings

SKF USA (Kulpsville, PA) offers cylindrical roller bearings with logarithmically crowned rollers that provide improved contact geometry between the roller and raceway, reducing stresses under high loads. The bearings feature...

Nanopositioning Controller

PI, L.P. (Auburn, MA) has introduced the E-621.CR modular controller for piezo-driven nanopositioning systems that features high-bandwidth analog and networkable digital interfaces. The controller integrates a...

Brushless Motor

Maxon Precision Motors (Burlingame, CA) has introduced the EC-16 sterilizable brushless motor that has been assembled so that the coils are outside the rotor, providing good heat dissipation. Steam sterilization is specified...

Rotary Transducer

SpaceAge Control (Palmdale, CA) has released the Series R rotary transducer that provides rotational measurements from 1 to 150 turns. The rugged device uses ThreadSensor™ technology for accurate and repeatable...

Unitary Shaft-Angle and Shaft-Speed Sensor Assemblies

The figure depicts a unit that contains a rotary-position or a rotary-speed sensor, plus electronic circuitry necessary for its operation, all enclosed in a single housing with a shaft...

Arrays of Nano Tunnel Junctions as Infrared Image Sensors

Infrared image sensors based on high density rectangular planar arrays of nano tunnel junctions have been proposed. These sensors would differ fundamentally from prior infrared...

Algorithm for Aligning an Array of Receiving Radio Antennas

A digital-signal- processing algorithm (somewhat arbitrarily) called “SUMPLE” has been devised as a means of aligning the outputs of multiple receiving radio antennas in a large...

Submarine Design Certified on FEA and Sensor Testing

Submarine design typically follows American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) code, which establishes properties such as hull thickness, frame stiffness, and porthole and hatch design. During...

Semiautonomous Avionics-and-Sensors System for a UAV

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) — autonomous or remotely controlled pilotless aircraft — have been recently thrust into the spotlight for military applications, for homeland security,...