INSIDER: Electronics & Computers
A door has been opened to low-power off/on switches in micro-electro- mechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectronic devices, as well as ultrasensitive bio-sensors, with the...
Briefs: Energy
Negative Dielectric Constant Material Based on Ion-Conducting Materials
Metamaterials, or artificial negative index materials (NIMs), have generated great attention due to their unique and exotic electromagnetic properties. A negative dielectric constant material, which is an essential key for creating the NIMs, was developed by doping ions into...
Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Peregrine Semiconductor Corp.
San Diego, CA
858-731-9400
www.psemi.com
Selected for NASA Goddard Space Flight...
Articles: Materials
The technologies NASA develops don’t just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety,...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Quantification of Trace Chemicals Using the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor
A software program analyzes data measured by the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor (VCAM) and quantifies the concentrations of trace chemicals detected by VCAM. The software contains a unique way to quantify the signal measured by VCAM, to establish the concentration...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Measurement of Cryogenic Fluid Level with Laser Propagation and Surface Floor Reflection
The risks associated with introducing new hardware and methods into an operational environment have in part prohibited cryogen level measurement technology from advancing. In prior art, measurements have been made with invasive probes immersed in the...
Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers
TTTech North America
Andover, MA
978-933-7979
www.tttech.com
Radiation-tolerant Ethernet backbone ASICs, developed by Honeywell Aerospace and based on...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Silicon Carbide Power Processing Unit for Hall Effect Thrusters
A high-efficiency, rad-hard, 3.5-kW SiC power supply was developed for the power processing unit (PPU) of Hall effect thrusters. This work specifically targets the design of a PPU power supply for the HiVHAC (High Voltage Hall Accelerator) thruster. The PPU power supply under...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Integrated Rate Isolation Sensor
Some vehicles use an internal measurement unit (IMU) system to determine the speed, acceleration, orientation, position, and/or direction of movement of the vehicle. Vehicles used for high-availability or life-critical systems may employ a fault-tolerant IMU design. Typically, such vehicles use three or more IMUs...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Semiconductor switch modules composed of Super Gate Turn-Off Thyristors (SGTOs) have been evaluated. The switches are intended to handle kiloamplevel currents and may dissipate peak...
Application Briefs: Imaging
Located in Texarkana, Texas, Liberty-Eylau Independent School District (LEISD) has been serving communities since 1886. Today, the district has more than 2,700 K-12 students across...
Articles: Lighting
Best quality LED A-lamp light bulbs provide a superior, energy-efficient alternative to incandescent bulbs, which have essentially been banned as of January 1, 2014. LED bulbs offer the same amount of light...
Research News: Lighting
Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF have found a way to make LED lamps even more compact while supplying more light than...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A vehicle electronic control unit consists of various high-side power stages for driving different loads. Common faults that these power stages experience are Short Circuit to...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Acoustic Mechanical Feedthroughs for Producing Work Across a Structure
Electromagnetic motors can have problems when operating in extreme environments. In addition, if one needs to do mechanical work outside a structure, electrical feedthroughs are required to transport the electric power to drive the motor. Piezoelectric motors can be designed...
Application Briefs: Lighting
Global Lighting Technologies, a manufacturer of LED-based, edge-lit light guide solutions for general illumination applications, recently retrofitted its North American sales &...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Current-Controlled Output Driver for Directly Coupled Loads
Driving loads such as electric motors, relay coils, and solenoids requires a relatively large initial pull-in or start-up current from a driver in order to initiate operation of the load. To maintain continuous operation, the hold or running operating current required for a load may be...
Briefs: Information Technology
Organizing Compression of Hyperspectral Imagery to Allow Efficient Parallel Decompression
A family of schemes has been devised for organizing the output of an algorithm for predictive data compression of hyperspectral imagery so as to allow efficient parallelization in both the compressor and decompressor. In these schemes, the compressor...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
Four application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that provide sensing, actuation, and power conversion capabilities for distributed control in a high-temperature (over 200...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Thermo-Mechanical Methodology for Stabilizing Shape Memory Alloy Response
This innovation is capable of significantly reducing the amount of time required to stabilize the strain-temperature response of a shape memory alloy (SMA). Unlike traditional stabilization processes that take days to weeks to achieve stabilized response, this innovation...
Articles: Software
Networking originated from the need to share information. Many of us accomplish such a thing on a daily basis through conversation. For example, think about the typical office framework: you work side-by-side...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Integrating a Microwave Radiometer into Radar Hardware for Simultaneous Data Collection Between the Instruments
The conventional method for integrating a radiometer into radar hardware is to share the RF front end between the instruments, and to have separate IF receivers that take data at separate times. Alternatively, the radar and radiometer...
Application Briefs: Lighting
Aboard a state-of-the-art aircraft might be the last place you would think of yourself enjoying a warm “candlelit” dinner, followed by a good night’s sleep under a starry night sky. The...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
In popular perception, the vastness of space is an empty vacuum dotted with stars, planets, black holes, and other celestial formations. In reality, astrophysicists have shown...
Articles: Lighting
The key circuit elements in an LED lamp are the LEDs, the optics, the casing (including heat-sinking) and the driver. The driver now represents anywhere from 10% to 40% of total bulb cost, so selecting the...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Quasi-Linear Circuit
This work involved developing space qualifiable switch mode DC/DC power supplies that improve performance with fewer components, and result in elimination of digital components and reduction in magnetics. This design is for missions where systems may be operating under extreme conditions, especially at elevated temperature...
Application Briefs: Lighting
Plessey is working closely with Plymouth City Council in the U.K. to help achieve the Council's ambitious carbon reduction strategy for all their managed buildings and...
Articles: Semiconductors & ICs
Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the August 2013 issue of NASA Tech Briefs, dealt with ON-state characterization of high power semiconductors (link to...
Articles: Motion Control
The proliferation of electronic control and electronic power conversion into a variety of industries (e.g., energy generation, industrial motor drives and control,...
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