Tech Briefs

Electronics & Software

Access our comprehensive library of technical briefs on electronics and software, from engineering experts at NASA and major government, university, and commercial laboratories.

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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
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...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An information-reduced carrier-synchronization (IRCS) system has been proposed for use in a coded binary-phase-shift-keying (BPSK) radio-communication receiver...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
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...
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Briefs: Software
Simulation by Logical Modeling of Costs
The Simulation by Logical Modeling of Costs (SIBYL/COST) software subsystem is used by logistical and financial analysts to develop cost projections of labor and hardware requirements for preparation of space shuttle main engine (SSME) spares proposals, SSME program operating plans (POPs), and special...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The figure illustrates aspects of a proposed switching protocol for optical packet data communication that would serve as an alternative to the older store-and-forward and header-first...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Credit-card-sized electronic transponders have been proposed for use in tracking cargo anywhere on Earth. A transponder would be carried on a cargo container, where it would act as a "smart tag." The...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The figure schematically illustrates an optoelectronic apparatus that generates both an optical output and an electronic output (typically at frequencies in the range from hundreds of...
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Briefs: Information Technology
In aeroservoelastic (ASE)-stability analysis, one considers the coupling of the aerodynamic, inertial, structural, actuation, and control-system elements of the dynamics of an aircraft. The closed-loop...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A process being developed for ultrathin packaging of multiple integrated-circuit chips and associated microelectromechanical components makes it possible to fabricate a minimally invasive...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Focal-plane-array (FPA) hybrids of quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) thinned to the membrane level are undergoing development. The developmental QWIPs in question are of the...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An electronic engine-health-monitoring system is based on (1) computation of frequency-phase-normalized (FPN) spectra from the digitized outputs of vibration sensors and (2) the use of...
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Briefs: Information Technology
An algorithm effects rapid initialization of a convolutional decoder. This algorithm can be applied "on the fly"; that is while the decoder is receiving a stream of convolutionally encoded...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Embedded CMOS A/D Converters for High-Speed Operation
Sarnoff Corporation has announced the development of four new analog-to-digital (A/D) converter macro cells for embedding in CMOS designs in which high-precision, high-speed operation at low power is important. The 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, and dual 6-bit designs are available for licensing by...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A proposed improved code-division multiple-access (CDMA) detector would achieve high resistance to jamming of weak ("far") received signals by strong ("near") ones. The problem of such...
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Briefs: Information Technology
An improved method of parallel computation of the electromagnetic-scattering characteristics of complexly shaped objects has been devised. This method belongs to a class of methods...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Multiple-quantum-well AlxGa1 - xAs photodetectors that exploit transitions of electrons from quantum-well bound states to quasi-bound states are undergoing development for use at...
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Briefs: Materials
By combining patented digital Silver-in-Glass® and analog conductive plastic technologies in a single environmentally sealed unibody package, Spectrol Electronics' DigiSense™...
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Briefs: Aerospace
The recent summit meeting held in Kyoto, Japan, has brought world-wide attention to the issue of global climate change. For the past 5 years, the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A "smart" video camera, called the "GI-Eye," generates digital image data that are automatically tagged with georegistration meta-data to indicate the precise position and attitude of the camera...
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Briefs: Information Technology
Converting Particle-Fallout Data to Obscuration Levels
A worksheet has been constructed within the Microsoft Excel software system for converting raw particle-fallout data into percentages of obscuration; that is, percentages of areas obscured by particles on surfaces. These obscuration levels are needed for assessing contamination levels in...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Signal Preprocessor for Determining Time of Arrival
A proposed analog/digital circuit would improve the accuracy of determining the time of occurrence of a peak in an analog waveform. In the past, the time of occurrence of the peak was determined by comparing the magnitude of digital data samples. The time or clock pulse associated with the peak...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The Viewing Imager/Gimballed Instrumentation Laboratory and Analog Neural Three-Dimensional Processing Experiment (VIGILANTE) is a "smart" optoelectronic sensor system that features...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) system has been developed for use on practical gas-turbine engines. The system has been used to measure inlet and exhaust velocities on an F-100 EMD...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Self-Checking Circuitry for Detecting Single-Event Latchups
High-performance electronic circuits would incorporate self-checking features for detection of radiation-induced single-event latchups (SELs), according to a proposal. The basic SEL-detection scheme calls for redundant circuitry and a current-voting scheme similar to voting schemes that...
Briefs: Energy
Experiments have shown that improved hydride-forming negative electrodes for rechargeable nickel/metal hydride (Ni/MH) electrochemical cells can be made by substituting Ge for some...
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Briefs: Materials
Experiments have shown that improved hydride-forming negative electrodes for rechargeable nickel/metal hydride (Ni/MH) electrochemical cells can be made by substituting Sn for some...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A single-block fixture enables the rapid and accurate electrical characterization of planar microwave electronic components, by use of the through-reflect-line (TRL) technique, in air...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Experiments have revealed that stable breakdown-voltage characteristics can be achieved in silicon carbide rectifiers. Stable breakdown-voltage characteristics are essential to the...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A simple technique for extending the dynamic range of a charge-coupled-device (CCD) video camera involves the use of photochromic material — the same material used in...
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