Features

From Aircraft Wings to Wind Turbine Blades: NASA Software Comes Back to Earth with Green Energy Applications

You might think a wind turbine would have more in common with a plane’s propeller than an aircraft wing, but wind blades actually...

30V Power MOSFETs

The NexFET™ power MOSFET from Texas Instruments (Dallas, TX) has been designed to minimize losses in power conversion applications. The MOSFET features ultralow Qg and Qgd, low thermal resistance, and Pb-free terminal...

High-Power Transformers

Payton Planar Magnetics (Deerfield Beach, FL) offers high-power transformers with 99%+ efficiencies. These types of transformers are used in battery charging stations for HV and can be connected in series to achieve...

Advanced Diodes

Power Integrations (San Jose, CA) announced the availability of the Qspeed family of advanced diodes. Qspeed diodes use a unique silicon-based process to combine an extremely low reverse recovery charge (QRR) with a very soft...

Capacitive Sensor Signal Conditioner

ZMDI (Dresden, Germany) has expanded its family of capacitive sensor signal conditioners (SSCs) with the addition of the wide-dynamic-range ZSSC3122 cLite device. With new design technology, the chip...

Imagery in Motion: Advances in Ultra-High-Speed Cameras

Ultra-high-speed framing cameras have long been the workhorse for acquiring elusive data in scientific fields where very fast phenomena are studied, such as high-voltage discharge, crack...

3D Displays Emerge and Immerse

The first 3D immersive environments, consisting of rudimentary software, projection, and display technologies, appeared two or more decades ago, but the past five years have seen a dramatic increase in the power...

Vision System Finds and Aligns Electronic Components

Nordson Asymtek, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, provides automated fluid dispensing systems, which are used in the assembly and packaging of semiconductors, printed circuit boards, flat panel...

Digital High-Speed Camera

Vision Research, Wayne, NJ, has released the 4000 ISO-rated Phantom® v341 high-speed camera. The v341 incorporates a 4-megapixel, 35mm format sensor and almost 3 gigapixels/second throughput, offering rates of 800...

Camera Link Devices

Vivid Engineering, Shrewsbury, MA, offers supporting products for Camera Link applications. The CLR-101C, a repeater and adapter, enables the use of PoCL cameras with standard frame grabbers. A simulator, the CLS-212,...

Video-Zoom Objective with CMOS Camera

Titan Tool Supply, Buffalo, NY, announces its Micro-Video-Zoom Objective featuring a CMOS camera. The unit is supplied with a 6' USB cable and TWAIN-compliant software. It has an adjustable back focal...

EST Projector

VDC Display Systems, a division of Video Display Corporation, Atlanta, GA, has announced its Marquee® SSL 7000HD projector. Key features include a 16.4" Extreme Short Throw Lens, LED light source, 1920 × 1080 HD resolution,...

Global Car Platforms: Automotive Design With the World in Mind

Hours before most commuters start their engines and head to work, James Hughes is already calling the other side of the world from his office in Dearborn, MI. Because of a six-hour...

Create the Future Design Contest Winners: Where Are They Now?

The Create the Future Design Contest was launched in 2002 by the publishers of NASA Tech Briefs to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. The competition has attracted...

Software Development and Integration Services Support NASA Simulation and Flight Research

Software and hardware design, development, and testingUnisysBlue Bell, PA215-986-4011www.unisys.com NASA has chosen Unisys to provide application...

General Dynamics to Supply Next-Generation Deep Space Network Antennas

Beam waveguide antennasGeneral Dynamics SATCOMTechnologiesNewton, NC828-464-4141www.gdsatcom.com General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies has been chosen by NASA s Jet...

Semiconductor Laser Technology Chosen for Space LIDAR

Single-frequency semiconductor laserRedfern Integrated Optics (RIO)Santa Clara, CA408-970-3500www.rio-inc.com NASA has chosen Redfern Integrated Optics to further develop a single-frequency,...

Mesa Geo 3G Rugged Notepad

Juniper Systems, Logan, UT, has introduced the Mesa Geo 3G Rugged Notepad™ that offers Bluetooth® wireless technology, Wi-Fi®, 2-5 meter accuracy GPS, 3.2MP digital camera, and a 3G GSM cellular data modem that...

Carbon Nanotubes for Stray Light Suppression

Bright light from sources such as the Earth or bright stars is scattered on surfaces of scientific instruments and creates noise in scientific observations. All scientific instruments have baffles,...

Dr. Jacqueline Quinn, Environmental Engineer, NASA’s Surface Systems Office, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Dr. Jacqueline Quinn is an environmental engineer with NASA’s Surface Systems Office at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In 2005,...

Optimized MOSFETs for Switch Mode Applications

Fairchild Semiconductor (San Jose, CA) has developed an optimized power MOSFET, the UniFET™ II MOSFET, which features an improved body diode, reduced switching losses, and the capability of...

Digital LED Driver ICs With Flicker-Free Dimming

iWatt, Inc. (Los Gatos, CA) released two primary-side-regulated, leading- and trailing-edge-dimmable, AC/DC Digital PWM Controllers targeting 100V/230VAC offline LED lighting applications.

High-Power Solid-State Power Controller

Data Device Corporation (Bohemia, NY) introduces a compact (6.3 in X 4.6 in), multi-channel Solid-State Power Controller card with the capability to distribute and control power to four independent 75 Amp...

Packet-Optical Integration

The operator’s paradox for the past several years has been that while there is an explosion in data traffic volumes to the tune of 45-65% yearly, the corresponding revenue growth is in the single digits at best. To...

Drive and Controller

MICROMO (Clearwater, FL) offers the series 2232/2250 BX4 CSD/CCD compact drive and integrated motion controller from Faulhaber. The series incorporates the BX4 four-pole brushless technology with a single-axis motion...

Flexible Ceramic Thin Film Nanogenerator

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia Keon Jae Lee, a professor in KAIST's Department of Materials Science and...

Electic Motors

NovaTorque (Sunnyvale, CA) offers Premium Plus+ electric motors in 2 and 3 HP @ 1800 RPM as a motor system paired with a variable frequency drive, or as standalone motors. The 2-HP version has a full-load rated efficiency of...

Lighting that Lasts: Building Solid-State Lighting Systems that Meet Industry Requirements

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is rapidly emerging as a major segment of the lighting fixture industry. What was once a simple electrical device has now been...

Brushless Motor/Drives

Dunkermotoren USA (Elgin, IL) has introduced the BG75 series modular brushless permanent magnet motors driven by an integrated servo motor drive. The series is composed of 2.95" squared high-power-density motors in three...