Stories
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The sight-to-touch translator (ST3) is a conceptual electronic apparatus that would generate a tactile representation of visible objects in its vicinity. The ST3 would be worn by a blind person; the tactile display...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The figure illustrates a lightweight composite-material dual-beam reflector antenna for the SeaWinds spaceborne scatterometer instrument, which operates in the Ku band and is designed to measure wind...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Process for Fabrication of Micro Fluidic Structures
Through an innovative microfabrication process, enclosed microstructures are created for "laboratory on a chip" applications, such as medical diagnostics. These microstructures include capillaries, tunnels, pipettes, reaction vessels, and cavities. Using only conventional lithographic techniques,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
During the development and testing of signal processing systems, it is useful to generate test signals in the laboratory in order to quantify system parameters such as dynamic range,...
Briefs: Test & Measurement
An instrumentation system automates the detection and location of faults in multiconductor electrical cables. It can accelerate diagnoses of aircraft, automotive, or industrial cables, while reducing...
Briefs: Energy
Rechargeable, thin-film, lithium-based microbatteries of the proposed type would be manufactured in the discharged condition, and lithium anodes would be formed in situ during...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A technique based on infrared-emission spectroscopy has been found to be useful for noncontact measurement of the temperature of a hot spot in the gate channel of a GaAs...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Recombination lifetime and minority-carrier lifetime are key performance parameters of semiconductor wafers used for microelectronics and solar cells. They are also...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Three coplanar-stripline circuits have been designed to perform coupling and filtering functions in microwave systems. These circuits could be incorporated into feed networks for microwave...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An algorithm estimates the Doppler frequency shift in a received radio signal with square-wave-pulse binary differential-phase-shift-keyed (DPSK) modulation. [With little modification,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Microbridges that constitute the superconducting-transition sensory elements of electron-diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometers can now be fabricated in increased yield and quality....
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) serves as a building block for a digital system that effects maximum-likelihood decoding of a Viterbi code (a binary...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
The figure schematically illustrates a prototype general-purpose, microprocessor-based sensor and control system in which power, data, and control signals are transmitted via optical...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Modulated (as opposed to steady) light can be used in the optical transmission of power to remotely located sensor circuitry in a system like that described in the preceding article,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Hybrid high-temperature-superconductor (HTS)/semiconductor planar oscillator circuits that operate at a frequency of 8.4 GHz have been developed. In the original intended application, one...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An operator interface is undergoing development along with other subsystems of a robot that would assist in caring for elderly and disabled patients. This development has been initiated in...
Briefs: Software
Software for Improving Operational Processes
The Schedule and Cost Risk Analysis Modeling System (SCRAM) computer program identifies important sources of schedule and cost risks in an operational process. The related Process Analysis and Improvement Support System (PASS) program assists in the overall analysis and improvement of an operational...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Signaling-and-Detection Scheme for Beacon Monitoring
A signaling-and-detection scheme has been proposed for use in conjunction with the remote-monitoring concept described in "Beacon Monitoring Would Reduce Interactions With Remote Systems" (NPO-19706), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 21, No. 5 (May 1997), page 54. To recapitulate: A remote system (a...
Briefs: Motion Control
An improved motor controller provides a circuit that will allow a motor to run at full speed while traveling from point A to point B, and still be able to obtain the desired damping...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Data signals can be transmitted via the same optical fibers that are used to transmit power from base stations to remote stations containing sensors and associated circuitry. [A prototype...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A diagnostic signal-analysis technique, called the Phase Synchronized Enhancement Method (PSEM), has been developed. This method allows NASA engineers to retrieve any unique defect...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Image-Matching System Highlights Changes in Skin Lesions
A video imaging and image-data-processing system for use in dermatological examinations acquires and processes images of patients' skins. The system processes a current image of a selected area of a patient's skin along with an image of the same area acquired previously, generating a...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Reducing Surface Leakage Currents in FPAs of QWIPs
Chemical surface treatments during fabrication have been proposed to reduce surface leakage currents in focal-plane arrays (FPAs) of quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs). For reasons explained below, if most or all of the surface leakage currents could be eliminated by such treatments,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A newly developed instrument, designed at Marshall Space Flight Center, uses the resistance to alternating current running through a device to measure the variances in...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Passivation by coating with OCG285 (or equivalent) polyimide at critical steps of fabrication has been found to enhance the quality of tapered edges in high-critical-temperature...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) systems have been used for a number of years in field and laboratory applications. The normal LDV system consists of a two-color, four-beam...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Cross-diffraction gratings have been proposed to provide optical coupling to quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) in focal-plane arrays (FPAs). The cross-grating coupling scheme is...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A proposed focal-plane array (FPA) of quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) would exhibit peak response at two wavelengths. Heretofore, single-focal-plane arrays of photodetectors optimized for...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Compact analog/digital electronic data processors of a novel type are based on the concept of the optimization cellular neural network (OCNN) and are implemented in very-large-scale...
Top Stories
Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Ultrasound Wristband Precisely Tracks Hand Movements in Real Time
Podcasts: Electronics & Computers
Arm’s Agentic AI CPU: Engineering the Next Generation of AI Data Centers
Quiz: Manned Systems
National Astronaut Day 2026: Astronauts and Space Missions Quiz
Articles: Design
Redefining the Automotive Industry with Versatile Innovation
Application Briefs: Connectivity
Blog: Aerospace
Lincoln Laboratory Laser Communications Terminal Launches on Historic...
Webcasts
Webinars: Connectivity
Virtual. Physical. Connected: How Smart Testing Is Changing Automotive...
Webinars: Electronics & Computers
Superior Environmental Protection with Ultra-Thin Parylene and Multilayer...
Summits: Energy
Battery Manufacturing & Simulation Summit 2026
Webinars: Power
Virtual Screening of Materials for Increased Battery Performance
Webinars: Software
Scaling SDV Development with Virtualization
Webinars: Electronics & Computers
Why Your Motor Behaves Badly: See BLDC Control Signals, Power, and EMI in One...
