NasaTechBriefs10 09

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Intro
Welcome to your Digital Edition of
NASA Tech Briefs, Photonics Tech Briefs,
and Motion Control Technology
Included in This October Edition:
NASA Tech Briefs Photonics Tech Briefs Motion Control Technology
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Find: Click on this icon to search the document.
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October 2009 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 33 No. 10
Getting Green and Staying Green:
Avoiding the High Hidden Costs of Noncompliance
Light-Driven Polymeric Bimorph Actuators
Photonics Tech Briefs
Motion Control Technology
www.ptbmagazine.com
Photonics Solutions for the Design Engineer
October 2009
Designing Electro-Optical Sensors Using Collaborative Systems
Engineering Technology..........................................................................................................IIa
Choosing Optics for Medical Lasers ......................................................................................6a
Instruments for Imaging From Far to Near ........................................................................10a
Reflectors Made From Membranes Stretched Between Beams ........................................11a
Product of the Month/New Products ..................................................................................14a
On the cover: Manufacturing optics for medical lasers requires the highest precision possible.
This Advanced Plasma Reactive Sputtering (APRS) platform, which applies filter coatings,
makes it possible to deposit over 200 highly accurate, shift-free layers per single
coating run. To learn more about choosing optics for medical lasers, see the
applications article on page 6a. (Image courtesy of Edmund Optics)
www.techbriefs.com/motion
October 2009
Classic Metal Finishing utilized a Fanuc
painting robot to improve finishing of its
metal assemblies. See story on page 64
Intro
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Click Here Click Here Click Here
Connect to your test equipment
directly from MATLAB
using standard
communication protocols and hundreds
of available instrument drivers.
Analyze and visualize your test results
using the full numerical and graphical
power of MATLAB.
For more information on supported hard-
ware, visit www.mathworks.com/connect
Agilent
Tektronix
LeCroy
Rohde & Schwarz
Anritsu
Keithley
Yokogawa
Tabor
Pickering
GPIB
TCP/IP
VISA
USB
UDP
RS-232
2009 The MathWorks, Inc.
MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. Other product or brand
names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
MATLAB
CONNECTS
TO YOUR TEST
HARDWARE
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-865

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Intro
October 2009 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 33 No. 10

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2008 National Instruments. All rights reserved. National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.
Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 2008-10447-821-101-D
Green Engineering
MEASURE IT FIX IT
Vehicle Projects created a complex control system
for a zero-emission, fuel-cell-powered locomotive.
>>
Download green engineering resources at ni.com/measureitfixit 888 293 3091
CEMS Engineering built a control system to reduce
energy use of industrial air chillers by 30 percent.
Nucor Steel optimized its steel melting process
to drastically reduce electricity consumption.
La Selva Biological Station developed a wireless
sensor system to monitor the rain forest ecosystem.
Engineers and scientists around the world are solving some of todays most pressing environmental issues using the
NI graphical system design platform to design, develop, and deploy more efficient and environmentally friendly products,
technologies, and processes. Using modular hardware and flexible software, they are not only testing and measuring
existing systems but also creating innovative ways to fix the problems they find.
Acquire Analyze Present
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Analyze and
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Present data
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FIX IT
Design Prototype Deploy
Design optimized
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and systems
Prototype designs
on ready-to-run
hardware
Deploy to the
hardware platform
you choose
MEASURE IT
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Intro
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Programmable DC Power Supplies to 20 kV
25 Watt Power Supplies ... $1350 (U.S. list)
PS310 1.25 kV
PS325 2.5 kV
PS350 5 kV
10 Watt Power Supplies ... $2250 (U.S. list)
PS355
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Phone: (408) 744-9040 Fax: (408) 744-9049 info@thinkSRS.com www.thinkSRS.com
SRS has added four new high voltage power supplies to
the PS300 series: 10 kV, +10 kV, 20 kV and +20 kV.
All PS300 series supplies offer a wide range of features
including programmable current and voltage limits,
selectable overload response, short circuit protection, and
a GPIB computer interface.
The combination of performance, features and price make
the PS300 series the right choice.
0.001 % regulation
0.05 % accuracy
1 volt resolution
0.0015 % output ripple
Programmable limits & trips
Voltage and current readouts
GPIB interface
www.thinkSRS.com/products/PS300.htm
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Digi-Key is an authorized distributor for all supplier partners. New products added daily. 2009 Digi-Key Corporation, 701 Brooks Ave. South, Thief River Falls, MN 56701, USA
The P series power entry module:
Offers a range of options in a compact
size. The vertical mounting style in
the P series helps reduce panel area
requirements. This product
line extension adds a
vertical mounting
option to the high
performance
flter types.
The ADXL345 ultra-low-power
digital accelerometer: Includes an
output data range of 0.1Hz to 3.2kHz.
Measures dynamic acceleration
resulting from motion or shock and
is well-suited for applications such as
hard-disk drive protection
in personal computers.
Vishays VO3120 and VO3150A
IGBT/MOSFET drivers: Ideal choice
for motor drives, power supplies,
and other high-voltage applications.
Operating voltage range of 15V to
32V and high ambient operating
temperature of 110C.
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Intro
2009 COMSOL, INC. 2009. COMSOL, COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS, COMSOL REACTION ENGINEERING LAB, AND FEMLAB ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF
COMSOL AB. OTHER PRODUCT OR BRAND NAMES ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE HOLDERS.

COMSOL Multiphysics
version 4 delivers the COMSOL Desktop, an all-new user inter-

face that sets up a workow for maximum productivity. Building a model naturally follows
along the lines of your thinking, from concept to realization. You just right-click to add more
features and perform common tasks like importing CAD, meshing, specifying material
properties, solving, and visualizing results. This progressive disclosure puts what you need
at your nger tips, just when you need it.
Access to multiple solutions
allows for instant comparison
of designs
Compare various designs by
recording and replaying
sequences of operations
Settings overview with one-
click convenience
Easy to set up and solve models
in the Model Builder
NOW RELEA
COMS
COMSOL Desktop
TM
lets you organize
your workow and provides a full
overview of your simulation
Streamlining the multiphysics simulation process
Select background color and
include your own logo in the
graphics area
i l i
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Intro
Capture the Concept
Hands-on demo at the
COMSOL Conference 2009.
ASING VERSION 4
SOL MULTIPHYSICS
HIGHLIGHTS
- COMSOL LiveLink for Pro/ENGINEER
- Geometry parameter sweeps with full associativity

- Cluster support
- Fast-frequency sweeps
FEATURING
- Truly usable all-new desktop for
simulation.
- Agile workow where you set
the pace.
- More than just aesthetics, its
functional form helps you
stay efcient and effective.
Original model courtesy of COMET AG, Flamatt, Switzerland.
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20 Technology Focus: Sensors
20 Light-Driven Polymeric Bimorph Actuators
22 Guaranteeing Failsafe Operation of Extended-Scene
Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Algorithm
22 T-Slide Linear Actuators
24 Cloud Water Content Sensor for Sounding Balloons
and Small UAVs
24 Pixelized Device Control Actuators for Large
Adaptive Optics
26 Semiconductors & ICs
26 Low-Noise MMIC Amplifiers for 120 to 180 GHz
28 Three MMIC Amplifiers for the 120-to-200 GHz
Frequency Band
29 Electronics/Computers
29 G
4
FET Implementations of Some Logic Circuits
32 Complementary Paired G
4
FETs as Voltage-Controlled
NDR Device
34 Electrically Variable or Programmable
Nonvolatile Capacitors
36 System for Automated Calibration of Vector Modulators
38 Materials
38 Using Ozone to Clean and Passivate
Oxygen-Handling Hardware
38 Two-Piece Screens for Decontaminating Granular Material
39 Metal Standards for Waveguide Characterization
of Materials
42 Manufacturing & Prototyping
42 Mercuric Iodide Anticoincidence Shield for
Gamma-Ray Spectrometer
42 Improved Method of Design for Folding Inflatable Shells
46 Mechanics/Machinery
46 Ultra-Large Solar Sail
46 Cooperative Three-Robot System for Traversing
Steep Slopes
48 Assemblies of Conformal Tanks
48 Microfluidic Pumps Containing Teflon AF Diaphragms
6 www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009
October 2009 Vol. 33 No. 10
10 UpFront
12 Whos Who at NASA
41 Technologies of the Month
77 Advertisers Index
78 NASAs Innovative Partnerships Program
18
72
F E A T U R E S
S O L U T I O N S
D E P A R T M E N T S
71 Product Focus: Multicore Computing
72 New Products/Software
N E W F O R D E S I G N E N G I N E E R S
S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T
14 Getting Green and Staying Green:
Avoiding the High Hidden Costs of
Noncompliance
18 Application Briefs
79 NASA TechNeeds
80 Eye on Innovation
(Solutions continued on page 8)
1a - 14a
Follows page 40 in
selected editions only.
www.ptbmagazine.com
October 2009
48
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Intro
Autodesk, Autodesk lnventor and lnventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, lnc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand
names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifcations at any time without notice, and is not responsible
for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. 2009 Autodesk, lnc. All rights reserved.
AUTODESK INVENTOR TAKES
YOU BEYOND 3D TO DIGITAL
PROTOTYPING.
Autodesk
Inventor
software creates a single

digital model that enables you to design, visualize,
and simulate your products. Inventor helps you to
reduce product costs and get innovative designs
to market faster. Learn how Inventor can take your
designs beyond
3
D at autodesk.com/inventor.
AUTODESK INVENTOR
Model was designed using Inventor
Image is courtesy of ADEPT Airmotive, Durban, South Africa
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Analyze & Model:
Forces and torques in motors, magnetic bearings
& magnetic couplings, among others
Forces and torques on current-carrying coils for
loudspeakers and voice coil actuators
Field values vs. position for Hall Effect sensors
Flux linkage and induced voltage for Variable
Reluctance sensors
Particle trajectory analysis with steering and
focusing magnets
Optimized shapes of coils and pole pieces for
electromagnets such as those used in MRI machines
and magnetizing fixtures
Transient analysis for fast acting devices
Fast. Accurate. Easy-to-use.
- \ery shorl leorning curve, no scripling required
- Design oplimizolion by poromelric solvers
- Full porollel processing
- 0oupling lo lhermol
- Highesl level of supporl in lhe induslry
Best Features:
- Line currenls for modelling lhousonds of currenl
sources
- Fosily drow o concepluol model, lhen onolyze field,
force, lorque, flux linkoge or induclonce on on
ilerolive bosis. The design con be eosily modified
li.e. slrelching, lronsforming ond rololing porls of
lhe geomelryI
- Fosy direcl imporl/exporl of geomelries from/lo
0lD lools ond hove o firsl resull wilhin minules
- 0opoble of solving problems
wilh nonlineor permeobilily
ond mognels wilh nonlineor
demognelizolion curves
- Fosy generolion of model
using BFM or FFM
- Heoling Tools for repoiring
0lD errors such os overlops,
inlerseclions ond smoll gops
in model geomelry
PUT OUR SOFTWARE TO THE TEST
CALL FOR A 30-DAY FREE EVALUATION AND START
IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY TODAY.
A live demo is also available.
Call +1 204.632.5636
email info@integratedsoft.com
or visit www.integratedsoft.com
MAGNET
ANALYSIS
SOFTWARE
25
opti mi zi ng
desi gns
8 NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009
50 Physical Sciences
50 Transparent Conveyor of Dielectric Liquids or Particles
51 Multi-Cone Model for Estimating GPS Ionospheric Delays
53 Progress Toward a Compact, Highly Stable Ion Clock
54 High-Sensitivity GaN Microchemical Sensors
55 On the Divergence of the Velocity Vector in Real-Gas Flow
56 Information Sciences
56 Integrated Risk and Knowledge Management
Program IRKM-P
57 Constructing LDPC Codes From Loop-Free
Encoding Modules
58 LDPC Codes With Minimum Distance Proportional
to Block Size
60 Books and Reports
60 MMICs With Radial Probe Transitions to Waveguides
60 Tests of Low-Noise MMIC Amplifier Module at 290 to
340 GHz
76 Extending Newtonian Dynamics to Include
Stochastic Processes
61 Motion Control Technology
62 Electric Actuators Deliver Energy Efficient,
Low Maintenance Solutions
64 Fanuc Painting Robot Boosts Production for
Metal Finisher
66 HEIDENHAIN Gauge Facilitates Precision
Stereology Research
68 Magnetic Rotary Encoders Aid Remote Control Vehicle
69 New Products
Contents continued
This simulation, created with COMSOL Multiphysics 4
software from COMSOL (Burlington, MA), shows the
electron temperature inside an argon ICP reactor. The
latest version of the software features COMSOL
Desktop, a new user interface that makes it easy for
users of all levels of physics modeling experience to
build and run simulations. Learn more about the soft-
ware in New on the Market on page 72.
(Image courtesy of COMSOL)
P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H
O N T H E C O V E R
National Instruments (Austin, TX) has
introduced LabVIEW 2009 graphical
system design software with new
virtualization technology for
multicore systems.
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. Neither Associated Business Publications Co., Ltd. nor the United States
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any
liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this document, or warrants that
such use will be free from privately owned rights. The U.S. Government does not endorse any
commercial product, process, or activity identified in this publication.
Permissions: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or
personal use of specific clients, is granted by Associated Business Publications, provided that
the flat fee of $3.00 per copy be paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (222 Rose
Wood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923). For those organizations that have been granted a photocopy
license by CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. The fee code for users of the
Transactional Reporting Service is: ISSN 0145-319X194 $3.00+ .00
10
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Intro
2009 COMSOL, INC. 2009. COMSOL, COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS, COMSOL REACTION ENGINEERING LAB, AND FEMLAB ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF COMSOL AB.
With COMSOL Multiphysics
you are empowered to build

the simulations that accurately replicate the important
characteristics of your designs. The key is the ability to
include all physical effects that exist in the real world. This
multiphysics approach delivers resultstangible results that
save precious development time and spark innovation.
View Multiphysics applications at:
comsol.com/multiphysics
80% of product ideas never make it
to market. Let multiphysics simulation
bring your designs to life.
Capture the Concept
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Intro
A
successful NASA flight test this summer showed that a
spacecraft returning to Earth can use an inflatable heat
shield to slow and protect itself as it enters the atmosphere at
hypersonic speeds. This was the first time anyone has success-
fully flown an inflatable reentry capsule, according to engi-
neers at NASAs Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
The Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE) was vacu-
um-packed into a 15"-diameter payload shroud and launched
on a small sounding rocket from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility
in Virginia. Nitrogen inflated the 10'-diameter heat shield, made
of several layers of silicone-coated Kevlar industrial fabric, to a
mushroom-shaped shield in less than 90 seconds.
The idea of inflatable decelerators has been around for 40
years, but there were technical issues, including concerns
about whether materials could withstand the heat of re-entry.
Since then, materials have advanced, and because of numerous
Mars missions including rovers, landers, and orbiters
theres more understanding of the Martian atmosphere.
Inflatable heat shields hold promise for future planetary mis-
sions. To land more mass on Mars at higher surface elevations,
for instance, mission planners need to maximize the drag area
of the entry system. The larger the diameter of the aeroshell,
the bigger the payload can be.
For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/
features/irve.html.
Next Month in NTB
The November issue of NTB will feature our annual
update on Analysis & Simulation Software, including
comments from executives at leading software compa-
nies. Find out how new technology, customer require-
ments, and an ever-changing economy are affecting soft-
ware vendors in the analysis and simulation area.
N
ational Instruments, Austin, TX, has intro-
duced LabVIEW 2009 graphical system
design software for control, test, and embed-
ded system development. New virtualization tech-
nology for multicore systems offers compiler
improvements that enhance field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) design. The software enables
deployment of code to wireless sensor networks for
building industrial measurement and monitoring
systems. It also features new solutions for testing
multiple wireless standards such as WLAN, GPS,
and WiMAX systems on a single hardware plat-
form. The Real-Time Hypervisor software combines the LabVIEW Real-Time module
with operating system capabilities to enable users to run Windows XP and LabVIEW
Real-Time side-by-side on the same controller. Built-in math libraries contain more than
1,000 functions ranging from point-by-point signal processing to configuration-based
implementations.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-120
NASA Launches New Technology
NASA engineers check out the Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment
(IRVE) in the lab. (NASA/Sean Smith)
As students
settle back into
the new school
year, teachers
may con sid er
adding a little space to their class.
NASA offers educational re -
sources for use with kindergarten
through college, as well as re -
sources for the informal educa-
tion community. Many of NASAs
educational products are quick
and easy to find on the NASA Web
site. Visit www.nasa.gov/of fices/
education/about/index.html.
Blast Back to School
With NASA
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Intro
Dash 8HF
8 channels of isolated inputs
2 MHz sample rate per channel
Removable hard drives
AstroDock
Connects to PC via USB
Accepts removable HF series hard drives
The HF Series recorders are powerful data acquisition recorders engineered for capturing high
frequency data to an internal, 250GB hard drive. The AstroDock is a docking station that
accepts the removable hard drives from any HF series recorder and connects directly to your
PC via USB 2.0. Remove the hard drive from the HF recorder, insert it into the AstroDock and
you will be reviewing data in seconds!
Finally, you can capture high frequency data capture and import it into your PC quickly.
Dash 32HF
32 channels of differential inputs
500 kHz sample rate per channel
Dash 20HF
16 channels of differential inputs
4 channels of isolated inputs
500 kHz sample rate per channel
1-877-867-9783 www.astromed.com/dhf
Measurement has never been this easy
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Intro
www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009
More Precision
Non-contact displacement
sensors for harsh industrial
environments (oil, dirt, dust,
moisture, interference fields etc.)
- Over 300 standard sensor designs
- Measuring ranges 0.4 to 80 mm
- Sensors IP 67, up to 235 C
- High pressure sensors
up to 2000 bar
- Nanometer resolution
- Smart controller calibration
- Custom OEM designs
Eddy Current Sensors
Worlds Smallest
MICRO-EPSILON
Raleigh, NC 27617 / USA
Phone +1/919 787 9707
info@micro-epsilon.us
www.micro-epsilon.us
Whos Who at NASA
G
ary Martin began
his career with
NASA in the Micro -
gravity Sciences and
Applications Division
in 1990 where he
served as Branch
Chief for Advanced
Pro grams and also as
Deputy Director. In 2002, he was named
NASAs first and only space architect.
NASA Tech Briefs: What were some of
the projects you managed at NASAs Mi-
crogravity Sciences and Applications Di-
vision?
Gary Martin: We were getting ready
for the International Space Station in
those days so we were flying a number of
space shuttle flights with various kinds of
microgravity experiments to see what
you could do in space.
My work was focused on understand-
ing the effects of the vehicle and the
space lab on the experiments. I had an
acceleration unit that we flew on almost
all of the microgravity missions. People
thought by going into space they could
do any kind of experiment. What they
didnt realize was that in the shuttle,
there are compressors and different
mechanisms moving all the time, and
they shake the shuttle in a way that a
normal laboratory on Earth doesnt
shake. So you have a lot of high-frequen-
cy vibrations, and we were trying to
make sure that the space station would
be designed so that we could do the sen-
sitive microgravity experiments that
wed been considering.
NTB: What is a space architect, and
what were your primary responsibilities?
Martin: I worked in the space science
area, studying astrophysics, black holes,
and other exciting topics. NASA had
many separate activities astrophysics,
Earth science, planetary sciences, the
human space flight program and
there were few overlaps, with the excep-
tion of the space labs. In 1999,
Administrator Goldin looked at a future
where the NASA science and human
space programs would work closer
together to open up exploration and
development of space.
When Administrator OKeefe came to
NASA, we made him aware of this uni-
fied vision of NASA and he liked the
idea so much that he wanted this overar-
ching strategy, so he created the space
architect office to do that. The office
sponsored studies to look at the kinds of
technology the agency needed to invest
in to enable this stepping-stone future.
NTB: What is the New Ventures &
Communications Directorate?
Martin: We pulled together a number
of areas and integrated them areas
like education, government relations,
and public affairs, as well as our new
business areas. We have the Innovative
Partnerships Program (IPP) activities
within this group, and we have Level 2
and 3 SBIR (Small Business Innovation
Research). Were looking at new ways to
partner with industry, and were trying
to create more competitive proposals for
Ames. One of the things were doing is
to bring the excitement of space explo-
ration back to the public. When I was a
space architect, we went out to find what
the American people felt about space
exploration, and we found there was a
lot of support, although it was age-differ-
entiated. The excitement was mostly in
the older generation the people who
had witnessed Apollo, and their chil-
dren. But when you got to people under
35, there was a big disconnect. The num-
bers of people who understood what
NASA was doing dropped a lot.
The issue that NASA has had, especial-
ly in the human space flight program, is
that programs take decades to mature
and to reach their long-term goals. With
all these new tools on the Internet, one
of our challenges and one of the solu-
tions is to involve the American pub-
lic in space exploration so that they feel
part of it and theyre not just spectators.
A full transcript and downloadable pod-
cast of this interview are available online at
www.techbriefs.com/podcast. For more infor-
mation, contact Gary Martin at gary.l.
martin@nasa.gov.
Gary Martin, Director, New Ventures &
Communications Directorate, Ames Research
Center, Moffett Field, CA
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Intro
How can I tell if a power supply is reliable?
Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2009.
Limited time offer. See Web site for full promotion details.
Discount offer applies to 144 power supplies.
Theres an indicator on the front.
It says Agilent. With a typical MTBF of 40,000 hours, over half-a-
century of experience, and with more than 250 models to choose
from, Agilents power supplies are the ones you can count on. In fact
the array of our power supplies is so extensive, it wouldnt t on this
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Intro
E
U RoHS, China RoHS, Korea RoHS,
California RoHS, ELV, REACH the
list of environmental regulations for
reducing hazardous substances in prod-
ucts keeps growing. What, exactly, are
the costs if your products fail to comply?
Missed customer requirements, blocked
shipments, costly redesigns, and
scrapped parts are just the tip of the ice-
berg. No doubt, the stakes are high, with
potentially millions of dollars in lost rev-
enue and related costs.
To avoid these costs, manufacturers
must identify, track, and control a con-
stantly evolving list of high-risk sub-
stances, both in their products and in
their supply chain. Spreadsheets, home-
grown databases, and manual processes
simply cant meet this enormous data
management challenge.
When a manufacturer is compelled to
preemptively remove a product from the
market, potential revenue is lost. In the
time it takes to introduce a new compli-
ant product, the company may also lose
market share. Even after a new replace-
ment product is introduced, ongoing
operating costs may increase, especially
if the company must manage two ver-
sions of the same product one that is
compliant and one that is not. In each of
these cases, no fines are levied, but the
cost of noncompliance is significant.
Manufacturers, particularly those
attempting to address compliance for
the first time, tend to underestimate the
true costs of noncompliance. As a result,
compliance programs may not receive
sufficient commitment from senior man-
agement. Compliance initiatives may be
neglected, delayed, or if undertaken,
result in inadequate solutions, which can
expose the company to a significant risk.
The first step in mitigating these risks
is to fully understand all the costs of fail-
ure in each of nine broad categories
costs that will be unique to your compa-
ny and products.
Modeling the Failure Scenario
The total cost associated with a compli-
ance failure can be modeled by looking
at the cash flows generated by a product
over its lifetime (see Figure 1). The
upper curve represents the typical prod-
uct cash flow. At first, cash flows are neg-
ative as the company invests in design
and development. Cash flows turn posi-
tive as the product goes into production.
Cash flows decline slightly as the product
matures, and decline sharply when it is
retired. The lower curve shows what hap-
pens when there is a compliance failure.
The area between the two curves repre-
sents the total cost to the company due
to this compliance failure.
The total cost of compliance failure
will depend on many factors including
where in the products lifecycle the fail-
Getting Green and Staying Green
Figure 1: Cash Flow Impact of a Compliance Failure
Figure 2: Relative Costs of Proactive and Reactive Approaches
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Intro
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Intro
ure occurs and what corrective action
the company takes. The company may
decide to simply retire the product. It
may decide to halt shipment and later
introduce a compliant version of the
product. In some cases, the company
may be forced to rework or replace units
that have already been shipped. One
high-tech company took this approach
in 2001 after Dutch authorities deter-
mined that its product contained cadmi-
um levels that exceeded the limits set by
Dutch regulations. This particular com-
pany took action on several fronts,
including reworking units in inventory
and replacing units that had already
shipped. At the time, the estimated total
cost of the failure, including rework, was
110 million Euros in sales and 52 million
Euros in profits.
Quantifying the Nine
Components of Cost
There are typically nine cost compo-
nents associated with an environmental
compliance failure. These costs fall into
three main categories: lost revenue,
short-term crisis mode costs, and long-
term capability building costs.
Lost Revenue
Cost #1: Lost Revenue - Short-Term. A
compliance failure will likely lead to a
period of time in which the product is
taken off the market perhaps several
months. This means immediate, short-
term lost revenue. In addition, if the
product is early in its lifecycle, the win-
dow of opportunity in which the product
may have 100% market share and
therefore greater pricing power and
higher margins is reduced.
Cost #2: Lost Revenue Long-Term. A
late or interrupted product launch due
to a compliance failure will have a long-
term revenue impact as well. The total
sales life of the product will be shorter. In
addition, a late introduction may mean a
missed opportunity to lock in buyers if
there is a transition cost associated with
the product. Long-term lost market
share is generally never regained. Finally,
a late introduction may have a lasting
effect on profit margins since the delay
opens the door for competitors to
reduce the manufacturing learning
curve ahead of the company.
Short-Term Crisis-Mode Costs
Cost #3: Fines and Fees. Fines and fees
are one-time costs. These are perhaps
the most obvious costs associated with
compliance failure, but actually may rep-
resent the smallest contributor to overall
costs. Additional costs may include regu-
latory fines, customer penalties and
other fees, including those arising from
lawsuits and public relations services.
Cost #4: Design, Requalification, and
Test. Fixing a noncompliant product is
seldom a trivial task and may involve a
significant redesign effort. For example,
transitioning from a noncompliant to a
compliant electrical component may
require a new printed circuit board lay-
out. All the costs associated with a new
design should be considered, such as
retooling, requalification, and reliability
testing of all new components and
assemblies.
Cost #5: Address Units in the Field.
Fixing or replacing units that are already
in the field presents numerous chal-
lenges and costs. The company must
decide whether to rework or scrap these
units. The company may decide to
replace units at the customer site with
reworked units. All shipping costs must
be included here. Finally, original equip-
ment manufacturers (OEMs) typically
cannot sell refurbished units as full-
priced units, which represents one more
cost to be considered.
Cost #6: Address Units in Inventory.
Another set of decisions and costs is
associated with the units in inventory.
The company may decide to scrap or
redirect noncompliant components or
sub-assemblies for use in other products
or markets. The company will also have
to transition existing suppliers, or identi-
fy and ramp up new ones. If both com-
pliant and noncompliant parts will be
held in inventory for a period of time,
there will be an increase in overall inven-
tory holding costs. On the product side,
the company may decide to temporarily
deliver two versions of the product to
market one that is compliant and one
that is not. This will increase inventory
and other operational costs.
Cost #7: Data Collection, Doc -
umentation, and Reporting. A key com-
ponent of regulations such as REACH
and RoHS is that the company must
track and ensure product compliance
internally, and ultimately provide evi-
dence that the product is compliant.
This verification involves collecting the
relevant material content data from all
suppliers and performing the required
analysis and documentation at the prod-
uct level. The cost of this effort will
increase if internal and external supply
chain members need to be educated
about what data needs to be collected
and how it is to be reported. If the prod-
uct involves many components and sup-
Simplify
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Getting Green and Staying Green
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Intro
pliers for example, some large OEMs must account for hun-
dreds of thousands or even millions of supplier parts and their
specifications the effort and cost here is considerable.
Cost #8: Process and Organization Short-Term. While deal-
ing with the crisis, the company will likely need to change its
way of doing business. The amount of change required will vary,
but some corrective action must be taken. For example, teams
and processes may need to be established to fill gaps in the cur-
rent supplier declaration, collection, validation, and documen-
tation process. These costs may be increased because the com-
pany will generally be operating in crisis mode, which generates
expediting costs, higher labor costs, redundancies, and errors,
as employees and the supply chain learn the new processes.
Long-Term Capability-Building Cost
Cost #9: Process and Organization Long-Term. Lastly, it
should be noted that Cost #8 concerns only building the mini-
mal capability required to fix the immediate crisis. These
processes will generally be manual and focused on a single
design team and one operational group. They may be focused
on just one regulation or just a single set of restricted sub-
stances. The company may eventually decide to incur addition-
al costs such as building long-term, enterprise-wide capabilities
to prevent additional compliance failures in the future. These
costs will include building new business processes and systems
around product design, manufacturing, supplier data collec-
tion, and supply chain assurance.
Avoiding These Costs
The scenario shown in Figure 1 depicts a single-failure event;
for example, a product blocked from shipment because it has
been found to contain a restricted substance. An event like this
is usually an indicator of bigger problems with an organiza-
tions processes and systems for managing compliance and
risk. These problems will likely lead to more failures over time,
although they may involve different products and different
restricted substances, regulations, or customer requirements.
In an effort to avoid the costs of failure, many companies
have made the mistake of taking an event-driven approach
focused on a single failure point; for example, one restricted
substance, one customer requirement, or one regulation such
as RoHS. This reactive approach is apparently low cost, but
actually leads to much greater costs down the road as new,
more restrictive regulations like REACH emerge.
Consider two companies: Company A builds capabilities to
address long-term risks arising from current and horizon regu-
lations and customer requirements. Company B, in contrast,
focuses exclusively on addressing the current failure event. The
relative costs of each approach proactive and reactive are
illustrated in Figure 2. As shown in the figure, Company A, by
taking a proactive approach, incurs an initial cost. Company B,
meanwhile, takes a reactive approach and incurs a series of
recurring costs, the sum of which is much greater than that
incurred by Company A. In this way, the low-cost approach
actually becomes the higher-cost approach.
Adopting a Long-Term Strategy
As companies establish priorities, weigh alternatives, and
plan an approach to addressing REACH, RoHS, and similar
environmental regulations, they must take into account all of
their potential costs, including those related to lost revenue.
Similarly, they must account for all potential sources of risk,
including those related to horizon regulations and customer
requirements.
Failure to understand all the costs and risks associated with
the challenge may lead to shortsighted and risky solutions. For
example, companies that have invested considerable time and
effort building processes, systems, and databases tailored to the
six RoHS-restricted substances may now be unprepared to
track and manage the new and growing list of REACH SVHC
(substances of very high concern).
The key to succeeding and avoiding costs in this new, con-
stantly evolving regulatory environment is a scalable and proac-
tive approach tailored to the unique needs and risks of your
business. Its vital to invest in building processes and systems that
support this long-term approach before an actual crisis occurs.
The long-term costs of being unprepared are simply too high.
This article was written by Andrew Wertkin, Vice President, InSight
Products and Technology, at PTC, Needham, MA. For more informa-
tion, visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-121.
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 17 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-713
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Introducing Green Design
& Manufacturing
Engineers across the globe are being challenged to design greener
products. Green Design & Manufacturing (GD&M), the latest offering
from Tech Briefs Media Group, gives the engineering community a gate-
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updated daily with breaking news, feature stories, tech briefs, videos,
new products, and industry events. From technologies in renewable
energy, to environmental monitoring, to energy efficiency, GD&M has it
covered. Visit the site at www.greendesignbriefs.com.
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Intro
T ool Coil Springs Aid in Hubble
Repairs
Canted-Coil springs
Bal Seal Engineering
Foothill Ranch, CA
949-460-2100
www.balseal.com
When astronauts embarked on the latest mission to repair the
Hubble Space Telescope, Bal Seal Engineerings Canted-Coil
springs went along for the ride in a set of special tools. The
springs were incorporated in several major repair operations.
One of the tools employing the springs for grounding func-
tions during repairs was the Fastener Capture Plate (FCP)
designed by engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center. This
transparent plate, which was fitted precisely over a panel cover-
ing a failed electronics card, enabled astronauts to remove and
retain 111 tiny screws as they are removed from the instruments
cover without losing them or allowing them to float into the tel-
escope where they could have caused serious and costly damage.
Springs in the plate connection points grounded the unit to the
Hubble. With openings large enough for the drill bit but smaller
than the fasteners being removed, this plate will prevent the fas-
teners from floating away, and it will also preclude the need for
astronauts to handle very small fasteners with bulky EVA gloves.
The FCPs are numbered to indicate the exact order in
which the fasteners are to be removed. In addition to the
quantity of fasteners that had to be removed for the Space
Telescope Imaging System (STIS) repair, three different size
fasteners were used on the cover plate, requiring different drill
bits for extraction. Engineers color-coded the FCP for the STIS
repair for this reason.
Another critical piece of hardware on the Hubble repair
mission was the Cardlok Manipulation Tool (CMT) designed
for Goddard by Alliant Techsystems. Inside the CMT a low-
speed hand tool resembling a long Allen wrench a beryllium-
copper spring was used to provide electrical grounding and
ensure smooth rotary motion.
Working on the orbiting Hubble in shifts lasting more than
six hours each, Atlantis astronauts used their collection of spe-
cialized tools to repair the telescopes existing Advance
Camera for Surveys (ACS) and STIS.
F ire Suppression System Protects
Giant Crawler Transporters
Stat-X fire suppression system
Fireaway LLC
Minnetonka, MN
952-935-9745
http://statx.com
When NASA Kennedy Space Centers
fire safety experts decided to replace the
fire suppression system in the giant twin
crawler transporters that bring the space
shuttle from the assembly building to the
launch pad, they selected the Stat-X fire-
fighting system for enclosed spaces, a
clean, compact system that suppresses fire
with condensed aerosol technology. The
system kills fires quickly without harming
the environment.
NASA has ordered Stat-X generators for
three areas in both its crawlers. Approximately 100 fire sup-
pression units will be installed in the control areas, machine
rooms, and communications rooms of the crawlers, which
carry space shuttles to the Kennedy launch pads for liftoff. The
crawler transporters are two of the worlds largest moving
machines. They are complex environments with a great deal of
equipment packed into tight spaces, which makes the piping
for gaseous fire suppression systems very cumbersome and
expensive.
The Stat-X installations in the NASA
crawlers will tie to two different types of
smoke detection systems: aspirating systems
and triple infrared (IR) sensing flame sys-
tems. Canisters containing Stat-X, the
aerosol agent in solid form, are installed in
the enclosed spaces. If fire breaks out, the
aerosol-forming compound is activated, cre-
ating a micron-sized aerosol that suppresses
the fire within seconds. The aerosol genera-
tors are self-contained extinguishing units
and act as their own storage, production,
and delivery devices, with a highly stable
solid charge of aerosol-forming material
contained inside stainless steel canisters.
Upon activation, a controlled burn begins
inside the canister, producing the ultra-fine
aerosol, which exits through discharge ports
in the canister. Chemical interaction with the flames free rad-
icals provides rapid fire suppression. This system is simple and
doesnt require pressure vessels, piping, or nozzles, minimiz-
ing space and maintenance requirements.
A p p l i c a t i o n B r i e f s
A p p l i c a t i o n B r i e f s
Astronaut Mike Massimino, wearing space gloves, practices the STIS repair
using the FCP tool.
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Intro
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What You Get in the DEWE-43
The i Pod
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Intro
Fiezc arc Fc=iticrir_
Image Stab|I|zat|on 8 Fast Beam Steer|ng

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rad PesoluIioh, sec Pespohse
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Sub-Millisecohd Pespohse
6-Axis Stages (Hexapods)
Servo & Piezo MoIors
Loads Irom 2 Io 1000 kg
SoIutions for Active Optics & Nanopositioning: Nonmagnetic & Vacuum Options
P (Physik hsIrumehIe) L.P.
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Technology Focus: Sensors
Light-driven polymeric bimorph actua-
tors are being developed as alternatives to
prior electrically and optically driven actu-
ators in advanced, highly miniaturized
devices and systems exemplified by micro-
electromechanical systems (MEMS),
micro-electro-optical-mechanical systems
(MEOMS), and sensor and actuator arrays
in smart structures. These light-driven
polymeric bimorph actuators are intended
to satisfy a need for actuators that (1) in
comparison with the prior actuators, are
simpler and less power-hungry; (2) can be
driven by low-power visible or mid-infrared
light delivered through conventional optic
fibers; and (3) are suitable for integration
with optical sensors and multiple actuators
of the same or different type.
The immediate predecessors of the
present light-driven polymeric bimorph
actuators are bimorph actuators that
exploit a photorestrictive effect in lead
lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT)
ceramics. The disadvantages of the
PLZT-based actuators are that (1) it is
difficult to shape the PLZT ceramics,
which are hard and brittle; (2) for actu-
ation, it is necessary to use ultraviolet
light (wavelengths < 380 nm), which
must be generated by use of high-power,
high-pressure arc lamps or lasers; (3) it
is difficult to deliver sufficient ultraviolet
light through conventional optical fibers
because of significant losses in the fibers;
(4) the response times of the PLZT actu-
ators are of the order of several seconds
unacceptably long for typical applica-
tions; and (5) the maximum mechanical
displacements of the PLZT-based actua-
tors are limited to those characterized by
low strains beyond which PLZT ceramics
disintegrate because of their brittleness.
The basic element of a light-driven
bimorph actuator of the present devel-
opmental type is a cantilever beam com-
prising two layers, at least one of which is
a polymer that exhibits a photomechan-
ical effect (see figure). The dominant
mechanism of the photomechanical
effect is a photothermal one: absorption
of light energy causes heating, which, in
turn, causes thermal expansion. The lay-
ers are made thin enough that the differ-
ence in temperature between the two
layers in the presence of illumination is
negligible. If the materials in the two lay-
ers are tailored to exhibit different
degrees of the photomechanical effect,
then the two layers undergo differential
expansion when illuminated. As in other
bimorph actuators, the differential
expansion causes bending of the can-
tilever, and this bending constitutes the
desired actuation. When the illumina-
tion is turned off, the illuminated spot
cools and the cantilever returns to its
previous shape. The typical response
time of the photothermal mechanism is
of the order of milliseconds, and the
magnitude of the effect is relatively large
(characterized by a strain of as much as
1 percent or greater).
One suitable photosensitive polymer is
poly(vinylidene fluoride) [PVDF],
which, heretofore, has been better
Simple, relatively-low-power actuators could be integrated into MEMS and MEOMS.
John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
The Cantilever Beam depicted here comprises
two layers that exhibit different degrees of a
photomechanical effect. Consequently, illumina-
tion causes differential expansion that, in turn,
causes bending of the beam.
Light Source
(Off)
Light Source
(On)
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Intro
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Intro
known as a piezoelectric material.
Processing conditions used in fabricating
the two layers from PVDF or other poly-
mer(s) can be chosen so that the coeffi-
cients of thermal expansion of the two
layers differ by a significant amount, as
needed to obtain the desired differential
expansion. This polymer is flexible and,
in comparison with PLZT ceramics, can
be made to produce greater maximum
strain using less light power. This poly-
mer can be shaped by use of a variety of
techniques, including molding, stamp-
ing, bending, cutting, and rolling. This
polymer is also suitable for such thin-film
techniques as spin casting, spraying, dip-
ping, vapor deposition, contact printing,
and photolithography that would be
used in fabricating MEMS and MEOMS
containing actuators of the present type.
The visible or infrared light needed to
drive actuators of this type can be deliv-
ered via conventional communication-
type optical fibers without incurring
large losses like those of ultraviolet light
needed to drive PLZT-based actuators.
Lenses and/or other optical compo-
nents can be used in conjunction with
the optical fibers to shape the light
beams and focus them at specific loca-
tions along actuator cantilevers as need
for specific applications. Optionally, by
use of a suitable number of optical fibers
and lenses, light can be delivered to an
actuator at one or more locations in
pulses, and the pulses can be shaped
and timed to cause the actuator to exe-
cute a desired trajectory.
This work was done by Gregory Adamovsky
of Glenn Research Center and Sergey S.
Sarkisov and Michael J. Curley of Alabama
A&M University. For more information,
download the Technical Support Package
(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp
under the Mechanics/Machinery category.
Inquiries concerning rights for the commer-
cial use of this invention should be addressed
to NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative
Partnerships Office, Attn: Steve Fedor, Mail
Stop 48, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland,
Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-17473-1.
T-slide linear actuators use gear bear-
ing differential epicyclical transmissions
(GBDETs) to directly drive a linear rack,
which, in turn, performs the actuation.
Conventional systems use a rotary power
source in conjunction with a nut and
screw to provide linear motion. Non-
back-drive properties of GBDETs make
the new actuator more direct and sim-
pler. Versions of this approach will serve
as a long-stroke, ultra-precision, position
actuator for NASA science instruments,
and as a rugged, linear actuator for
NASA deployment duties.
The T slide can operate effectively in
the presence of side forces and torques.
Versions of the actuator can perform
ultra-precision positioning. A basic T-slide
T-Slide Linear Actuators
These long-stroke linear slide actuators can hold their position with power off.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
A Shack-Hartmann sensor (SHS) is an
optical instrument consisting of a lenslet
array and a camera. It is widely used for
wavefront sensing in optical testing and
astronomical adaptive optics. The camera
is placed at the focal point of the lenslet
array and points at a star or any other point
source. The image captured is an array of
spot images. When the wavefront error at
the lenslet array changes, the position of
each spot measurably shifts from its origi-
nal position. Determining the shifts of the
spot images from their reference points
shows the extent of the wavefront error.
An adaptive cross-correlation (ACC)
algorithm has been developed to use
scenes as well as point sources for wave-
front error detection. Qualifying an
extended scene image is often not an easy
task due to changing conditions in scene
content, illumination level, background,
Poisson noise, read-out noise, dark cur-
rent, sampling format, and field of view.
The proposed new technique based on
ACC algorithm analyzes the effects of
these conditions on the performance of
the ACC algorithm and determines the
viability of an extended scene image. If it
is viable, then it can be used for error cor-
rection; if it is not, the image fails and will
not be further processed. By potentially
testing for a wide variety of conditions,
the algorithms accuracy can be virtually
guaranteed.
In a typical application, the ACC algo-
rithm finds image shifts of more than 500
Shack-Hartmann camera sub-images rela-
tive to a reference sub-image or cell when
performing one wavefront sensing itera-
tion. In the proposed new technique, a
pair of test and reference cells is selected
from the same frame, preferably from two
well-separated locations. The test cell is
shifted by an integer number of pixels,
say, for example, from m=5 to 5 along the
x-direction by choosing a different area
on the same sub-image, and the shifts are
estimated using the ACC algorithm. The
same is done in the y-direction. If the
resulting shift estimate errors are less than
a pre-determined threshold (e.g., 0.03
pixel), the image is accepted. Otherwise,
it is rejected.
This work was done by Erkin Sidick of
Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The software used in this innovation is
available for commercial licensing. Please
contact Karina Edmonds of the California
Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322.
Refer to NPO-46582.
Guaranteeing Failsafe Operation of Extended-Scene Shack-
Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Algorithm
Fast analysis rejects frames at the first sign of unacceptable quality instead of waiting until the
full analysis is complete.
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Sensors
Cov ToC
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Intro
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 23
Call 800.449.3878 or visit us online at
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Front, top, and back views of the T Slide and Idlers. The slide is driven by
gear action on its top surface and is guided by gear-bearing idlers on its
other two parallel surfaces.
FRONT VIEW Drive Rack
TOP VIEW
BACK VIEW
Drive Rack
Idler Rack
Idler Rack
Idler Rack
Roller Race
Roller Race
actuator is a long-stroke, rack-and-pinion linear actuator that, typ-
ically, consists of a T slide, several idlers, a transmission to drive
the slide (powered by an electric motor) and a housing that
holds the entire assembly. The actuator is driven by gear action
on its top surface, and is guided and constrained by gear-bearing
idlers on its other two parallel surfaces.
The geometry, implemented with gear-bearing technology, is
particularly effective. An electronic motor operating through a
GBDET can directly drive the T slide against large loads, as a
rack and pinion linear actuator, with no break and no danger
of back driving. The actuator drives the slide into position and
stops. The slide holes position with power off and no brake,
regardless of load. With the T-slide configuration, this GBDET
has an entire T-gear surface on which to operate. The GB idlers
coupling the other two T slide parallel surfaces to their hous-
ing counterpart surfaces provide constraints in five degrees-of-
freedom and rolling friction in the direction of actuation.
Multiple GB idlers provide roller bearing strength sufficient to
support efficient, rolling friction movement, even in the pres-
ence of large, resisting forces.
T-slide actuators can be controlled using the combination of
an off-the-shelf, electric servomotor, a motor angle resolution
sensor (typically an encoder or resolver), and microprocessor-
based intelligent software. In applications requiring precision
positioning, it may be necessary to add strain gauges to the T-
slide housing. Existing sensory-interactive motion control art
will work for T slides. For open-loop positioning, a stepping
motor emulation technique can be used.
This work was done by John Vranish of Goddard Space Flight Center. For
more information, download the Technical Support Package (free white
paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Mechanics/Machinery cate-
gory. GSC-15023-1
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Intro
A fully integrated, compact, adaptive
space optic mirror assembly has been
developed, incorporating new advances
in ultralight, high-performance compos-
ite mirrors. The composite mirrors use Q-
switch matrix architecture-based pixelized
control (PMN-PT) actuators, which
achieve high-performance, large adaptive
optic capability, while reducing the weight
of present adaptive optic systems.
The self-contained, fully assembled,
11114-in. (282810-cm) unit inte-
grates a very-high-performance 8-in.
(20-cm) optic, and has 8-kHz true
bandwidth. The assembled unit weighs
less than 15 pounds (6.8 kg), includ-
ing all mechanical assemblies, power
electronics, control electronics, drive
electronics, face sheet, wiring, and
cabling. It requires just three wires to
be attached (power, ground, and sig-
nal) for full-function systems integra-
tion, and uses a steel-frame and epox-
ied electronics. The three main innova-
tions are:
1. Ultralightweight composite optics: A
new replication method for fabrication
of very thin composite 20-cm-diameter
laminate face sheets with good as-fabri-
cated optical figure was developed.
The approach is a new mandrel resin
surface deposition onto previously fab-
ricated thin composite laminates.
2. Matrix (regenerative) power topolo-
gy: Waveform correction can be
achieved across an entire face sheet at
6 kHz, even for large actuator counts.
In practice, it was found to be better
to develop a quadrant drive, that is,
four quadrants of 169 actuators
behind the face sheet. Each quadrant
has a single, small, regenerative power
supply driving all 169 actuators at 8
kHz in effective parallel.
3. Q-switch drive architecture: The Q-
switch innovation is at the heart of the
matrix architecture, and allows for a very
fast current draw into a desired actuator
element in 120 counts of a MHz clock
without any actuator coupling.
This work was done by Gareth J. Knowles,
Ross W. Bird, and Brian Shea of QorTek and
Peter Chen of the Catholic University of
America for Goddard Space Flight Center. For
further information, contact the Goddard
Innovative Partnerships Office at (301) 286-
5810. GSC-15666-1
24 NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-718
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With more than a thousand different series, models,
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reason to choose Novotechnik: A level of precision thats unmatched in
the industry. Whether youre looking for non-contacting, or even touchless,
single-turn, or multi-turn rotary position sensors, Novotechnik has the sensor you
need. They are all detailed in our 96-page rotary position sensor catalog. For your
free copy, contact Novotechnik.
Setting A Higher Standard:
Operating lives to: unlimited movements
Independent linearity to 0.3
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Weve Covered All The Angles
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Cloud Water Content Sensor for Sounding Balloons and
Small UAVs
Pixelized Device Control Actuators for Large Adaptive Optics
This technology can be used in military surveillance and relay mirrors, imaging for retinal
disease, reconnaissance mapping, and missile detection and targeting.
A lightweight, battery-powered sensor
was developed for measuring cloud water
content, which is the amount of liquid or
solid water present in a cloud, generally
expressed as grams of water per cubic
meter. This sensor has near-zero power
consumption and can be flown on stan-
dard sounding balloons and small,
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The amount of solid or liquid water is
important to the study of atmospheric
processes and behavior. Previous sensing
techniques relied on strongly heating
the incoming air, which requires a major
energy input that cannot be achieved on
sounding balloons or small UAVs.
This work was done by John A. Bognar of
Anasphere, Inc. for Goddard Space Flight
Center. For further information, contact the
Goddard Innovative Partnerships Office at
(301) 286-5810. GSC-15638-1
Sensors
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Intro
I need the fastest DMM they make.
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3458A 8
1
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866-925-7633 www.conres.com/test-equipment
Cov ToC
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Intro
Semiconductors & ICs
Low-Noise MMIC Amplifiers for 120 to 180 GHz
Potential applications include radar, communications, radiometry, and millimeter-wave imaging.
Three-stage monolithic millimeter-
wave integrated-circuit (MMIC) ampli-
fiers capable of providing useful
amounts of gain over the frequency
range from 120 to 180 GHz have been
developed as prototype low-noise
amplifiers (LNAs) to be incorporated
into instruments for sensing cosmic
microwave background radiation.
There are also potential uses for such
LNAs in electronic test equipment,
passive millimeter-wave imaging sys-
tems, radar receivers, communication
receivers, and systems for detecting
hidden weapons. The main advantage
afforded by these MMIC LNAs, relative
to prior MMIC LNAs, is that their cov-
erage of the 120-to-180-GHz frequency
Figure 1. This MMIC contains three InP amplifier stages plus coplanar waveguide transmission lines for
input and output impedance matching and DC biasing.
Introducing CogniMemthe Pattern Recognition Memory chip
Life is pattern recognition, Intelligence is memory
Fully parallel neural network chip for :
- Miniature trainable sensors performing global sensing
- Massively parallel search engine data mining
- Any high performance pattern recognition problem
Cov ToC
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Intro
band makes them suitable for reuse in
a wider variety of applications without
need to redesign them. Each of these
MMIC amplifiers includes InP transis-
tors and coplanar waveguide circuitry
on a 50-m-thick chip (see Figure 1).
Coplanar waveguide transmission lines
are used for both applying DC bias and
matching of input and output imped-
ances of each transistor stage. Via
holes are incorporated between top
and bottom ground planes to suppress
propagation of electromagnet-
ic modes in the substrate.
On the basis of computation-
al simulations, each of these
amplifiers was expected to
operate with a small-signal gain
of 14 dB and a noise figure of
4.3 dB. At the time of writing
this article, measurements of
noise figures had not been
reported, but on-chip measure-
ments had shown gains
approaching their simulated
values (see Figure 2).
This work was done by David
Pukala, Lorene Samoska, and
Alejandro Peralta of Caltech and
Brian Bayuk, Ron Grundbacher,
Patricia Oliver, Abdullah Cavus, and
Po-Hsin Liu of Northrop Grumman
Corporation for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. For further information,
access the Technical Support
Package (TSP) free on-line at
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the
Semiconductors & ICs category.
NPO-42783
Figure 2. The Measured Gain of an amplifier like that shown in Figure 1 was found to exceed 10 dB over most
of the frequency range from 120 to 180 GHz. The discontinuity in the plot at 140 GHz is an artifact of switch-
ing, at that frequency, between two waveguide bands of the instrumentation used to measure the gain.
90
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
100 110 120 130 140 150
Frequency, GHz
G
a
i
n
,

d
B

160 170 180 190 200 210 220
The CM1K chip
A unique patented parallel architecture
With infinite expandability (multichip)
Of 1024 autonomous neuron cells
Associating 100 Millions patterns/second
Less than1 W consumption @ 27 MHz clock
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(Europe - France)
These intelligent sensors are CogniMem Enabled devices
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Development tools
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SDK
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CogniSight and Image Knowledge Builder are registered trademarks of General Vision Inc.
Cov ToC
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Intro
Three MMIC Amplifiers for the 120-to-200 GHz Frequency Band
These would complement previously reported MMIC amplifiers designed for overlapping
frequency bands.
Closely following the development
reported in the immediately preceding
article, three new monolithic microwave
integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers
that would operate in the 120-to-200-
GHz frequency band have been designed
and are under construction at this writ-
ing. The active devices in these ampli-
fiers are InP high-electron-mobility tran-
sistors (HEMTs). These amplifiers (see
figure) are denoted the LSLNA150, the
LSA200, and the LSA185, respectively.
Like the amplifiers reported in the
immediately preceding article, the
LSLNA150 (1) is intended to be a proto-
type of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) to
be incorporated into spaceborne instru-
ments for sensing cosmic microwave
background radiation and (2) has
potential for terrestrial use in electronic
test equipment, passive millimeter-wave
imaging systems, radar receivers, com-
munication receivers, and systems for
detecting hidden weapons. The HEMTs
in this amplifier were fabricated accord-
ing to 0.08-m design rules of a commer-
cial product line of InP HEMT MMICs at
HRL Laboratories, LLC, with a gate
geometry of 2 fingers, each 15 m wide.
On the basis of computational simula-
tions, this amplifier is designed to afford
at least 15 dB of gain, with a noise figure
of no more than about 6 dB, at frequen-
cies from 120 to 160 GHz. The measured
results of the amplifier are shown next
to the chip photo, with a gain of 16 dB at
150 GHz. Noise figure work is ongoing.
The LSA200 and the LSA185 are
intended to be prototypes of transmitting
power amplifiers for use at frequencies
between about 180 and about 200 GHz.
These amplifiers have also been fabricat-
ed according to rules of the aforesaid
commercial product line of InP HEMT
MMICs, except that the HEMTs in these
amplifiers are characterized by a gate
geometry of 4 fingers, each 37 m wide.
The measured peak performance of the
LSA200 is characterized by a gain of
about 1.4 dB at a frequency of 190 GHz;
the measured peak performance of the
LSA185 is characterized by a gain of
about 2.7 dB at a frequency of 181 GHz.
The measured gain results of each chip
are shown next to their respective photos.
This work was done by Lorene Samoska of
Caltech and Adele Schmitz of HRL
Laboratories, LLC, for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. For more information, down-
load the Technical Support Package (free
white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp
under the Semiconductors & ICs category.
NPO-42846
These Three MMIC Amplifiers have been designed to be suitable for a variety of applications at frequencies up to about 200 GHz.
80
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
10
10
0
10
20
30
15
20
100 120 140
Frequency, GHz
100 120 140 160 180 200 220
Frequency, GHz
100 120 140 160 180 200 220
Frequency, GHz
G
a
i
n
,

d
B
G
a
i
n
,

d
B
10
0
10
20
30
G
a
i
n
,

d
B
160 180 200
LSLNA150
LSA200
LSA185
Semiconductors & ICs
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Intro
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 www.techbriefs.com 29
Some logic circuits have been built
and demonstrated to work substantial-
ly as intended, all as part of a continu-
ing effort to exploit the high degrees
of design flexibility and func-
tionality of the electronic
devices known as G
4
FETs and
described below. These logic
circuits are intended to serve as
prototypes of more-complex
advanced programmable-logic-
device-type integrated circuits,
including field-programmable
gate arrays (FPGAs). In com-
parison with prior FPGAs, these
advanced FPGAs could be
much more efficient because
the functionality of G
4
FETs is
such that fewer discrete compo-
nents are needed to perform a
given logic function in G
4
FET
circuitry than are needed per-
form the same logic function in
conventional transistor-based
circuitry. The underlying con-
cept of using G
4
FETs as build-
ing blocks of programmable
logic circuitry was also
described, from a different per-
spective, in G
4
FETs as
Universal and Programmable
Logic Gates (NPO-41698),
NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 7
(July 2007), page 44.
A G
4
FET can be characterized
as an accumulation-mode sili-
con-on-insulator (SOI) metal
oxide/semiconductor field-
effect transistor (MOSFET) fea-
turing two junction field-effect
transistor (JFET) gates. The
structure of a G
4
FET (see Figure
1) is the same as that of a p-chan-
nel inversion-mode SOI MOS-
FET with two body contacts on
each side of the channel. The
top gate (G1), the substrate emu-
lating a back gate (G2), and the
junction gates (JG1 and JG2) can
be biased independently of each
other and, hence, each can be
used to independently control some
aspects of the conduction characteristics
of the transistor. The independence of
the actions of the four gates is what
affords the enhanced functionality and
design flexibility of G
4
FETs.
The present G
4
FET logic circuits
include an adjustable-threshold inverter,
G
4
FET Implementations of Some Logic Circuits
One circuit can be made to perform multiple logic functions.
Figure 2. These G
4
FET Logic Circuits can be building blocks of complex programmable logic devices.
ADJUSTABLE-THRESHOLD INVERTER OR
REAL-TIME-RECONFIGURABLE LOGIC GATE
DRAM CELL
V
out
V
DD
V
in
n-Channel
G
4
FET
Inversion-Mode
PMOSFET
V
JG1
V
JG2
RWL
WBL SN
RBL
WWL
n
+
n
+
n p
+
p
+
I
sense
I
sense
Silicon Substrate (G2)
Buried Oxide
n
+
-Doped
Source (S)
n
+
-Doped
Drain
p
+
-Doped
Junction-Based
Gate (JG1)
p
+
-Doped
Junction-Based
Gate (JG2)
n-Doped
Channel
Polycrystalline
Silicon
Top Gate (G1)
G1
JG1
JG2
G2
D
S
GEOMETRIC LAYOUT SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
Figure 1. In a G
4
FET, the four gates (G1, G2, JG1, and JG2) can be biased independently. JG1 and JG2 can be con-
sidered as extra gates that provide additional degrees of freedom for design and operation, beyond those of a
conventional MOSFET.
Electronics/Computers
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Intro
a real-time-reconfigurable logic gate, and
a dynamic random-access memory
(DRAM) cell (see Figure 2). The configu-
ration of the adjustable-threshold invert-
er is similar to that of an ordinary com-
plementary metal oxide semiconductor
(CMOS) inverter except that an NMOS-
FET (a MOSFET having an n-doped
channel and a p-doped Si substrate) is
replaced by an n-channel G
4
FET. The
side gates (JG1 and JG2) are used to lin-
early modulate the threshold voltage of
the G
4
FET, thereby modulating the
switching threshold voltage of the invert-
er. By judiciously selecting the design and
operational parameters that affect the
switching threshold voltage, the inverter
can be made to function as a quaternary
down literal converter. (The term down
literal converter denotes a circuit that
performs a function, known as the down
literal function, that is the fundamental
element in multi-valued logic.) Hence,
the adjustable-threshold inverter can be
made a basic building block of quater-
nary logic circuits.
The real-time-reconfigurable logic
gate can be realized, in a circuit partly
resembling the adjustable-threshold
inverter, by applying the logic input
signals to JG1 and JG2 and connecting
the input terminal of what would oth-
erwise be the inverter to a constant
reference voltage (that is, making V
in
a constant voltage). The number of
transistors in this circuit is smaller
than in a classical CMOS circuit that
performs an equivalent logic function.
The same hardware can be made to
form any of three different functions:
Depending on the value of V
in
, the
function is disabled output (V
out
= V
DD
or 0), the NOR of the logic levels rep-
resented by V
JG1
and V
JG2
, or the
NAND of the logic levels represented
by V
JG1
and V
JG2
.
In the DRAM cell, the lateral inver-
sion-mode PMOSFET (a MOSFET
having a p-doped channel and an n-
doped Si substrate) inherent in the n-
channel G
4
FET is used for writing
data in the horizontal direction,
while the p-channel JFET serves to
read the data in the vertical direc-
tion. When the WWL signal turns on
the PMOS switch, the potential of the
storage node (SN) is modulated by
WBL. When writing is disabled, SN is
isolated, and during the retention
time, its depletion region is more or
less extended toward the body,
depending on value of the datum
stored in it. As a result, the resistance
of the JFET channel in the vertical
direction is affected, causing the
sensing current (I
sense
) to be a func-
tion of the stored data. The sensing-
current characteristics can be opti-
mized via the layout of the G
4
FET
structure.
This work was done by Mohammad
Mojarradi of Caltech; Kerem Akarvardar,
Sorin Cristoleveanu, and Paul Gentil of
Grenoble University; and Benjamin Blalock
and Suhan Chen of University of Tennessee
for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517,
the contractor has elected to retain title to this
invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its
commercial use should be addressed to:
Innovative Technology Assets Management
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
(818) 354-2240
E-mail: iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov
Refer to NPO-44007, volume and number
of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the
page number.
Military & Commercial
Space Applications
Hybrid
Photodiodes
1240 Avenida Acaso Camarillo, CA 93012
Phone: 805.987.0146 Fax: 805.484.9935
Email: sales@advancedphotonix.com
www.advancedphotonix.com
JA
N
S

M
IL
-P
R
F
-1
9
5
0
0

IS
O
9
0
0
1
:2
0
0
0
C
e
rtifie
d
Encoder
Arrays
Multi-Element
Arrays
2D MUX
Arrays
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Intro
Va|uoroto" CBoxpross |u|| |oaturo
5unstono C|rcu|ts p|onoorod tho on||no ordor|ng ot pr|ntod c|rcu|t boards and |s tho |oad|ng CB so|ut|ons prov|dor w|th moro than
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Intro
Complementary Paired G
4
FETs as Voltage-Controlled NDR Device
G
4
FET-based NDR circuits are more versatile than their predecessors.
It is possible to synthesize a voltage-con-
trolled negative-differential-resistance
(NDR) device or circuit by use of a pair of
complementary G
4
FETs (four-gate field-
effect transistors). [For more information
about G
4
FETs, please see the immediately
preceding article.] As shown in Figure 1,
the present voltage-controlled NDR
device or circuit is an updated version of a
prior NDR device or circuit, known as a
lambda diode, that contains a pair of com-
plementary junction field-effect transis-
tors (JFETs). (The lambda diode is so
named because its current-versus-voltage
plot bears some resemblance to an upper-
case lambda.) The present version can be
derived from the prior version by substi-
tuting G
4
FETs for the JFETs and connect-
ing both JFET gates of each G
4
FET
together. The front gate terminals of the
G
4
FETs constitute additional terminals
(that is, terminals not available in the
older JFET version) to which one can
apply control voltages V
N
and V
P
.
Circuits in which NDR devices have
been used include (1) Schmitt triggers
and (2) oscillators containing induc-
tance/capacitance (LC) resonant cir-
cuits. Figure 2 depicts such circuits
containing G
4
FET NDR devices like
that of Figure 1. In the Schmitt trigger
shown here, the G
4
FET NDR is loaded
with an ordinary inversion-mode, p-
channel, metal oxide/semiconductor
field-effect transistor (inversion-mode
PMOSFET), the V
N
terminal of the
G
4
FET NDR device is used as an input
terminal, and the input terminals of
the PMOSFET and the G
4
FET NDR
device are connected. V
P
can be used
as an extra control voltage (that is, a
control voltage not available in a typi-
cal prior Schmitt trigger) for adjusting
the pinch-off voltage of the p-channel
G
4
FET and thereby adjusting the trig-
ger-voltage window.
In the oscillator, a G
4
FET NDR device
is loaded with a conventional LC tank
circuit. As in other LC NDR oscillators,
oscillation occurs because the NDR
counteracts the resistance in the tank
circuit. The advantage of this G
4
FET-
NDR LC oscillator over a conventional
LC NDR oscillator is that one can apply
a time-varying signal to one of the extra
control input terminals (V
N
or V
P
) to
modulate the conductance of the NDR
device and thereby amplitude-modulate
the output signal.
This work was done by Mohammad
Mojarradi of Caltech; Suheng Chen, Ben
Blalock, Chuck Britton, Ben Prothro, and
James Vandersand of the University of
Tennessee; Ron Schrimph of Vanderbilt
University; and Sorin Cristoloveanu, Kerem
Akarvardar, and P. Gentil of Grenoble
University for NASAs Jet Propulsion
under the Electronics/Computers category.
In accordance with Public Law 96-
517, the contractor has elected to retain
title to this invention. Inquiries concern-
ing rights for its commercial use should be
addressed to:
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
(818) 354-2240
Refer to NPO-43929, volume and
number of this NASA Tech Briefs issue,
and the page number.
Figure 1. A Lambda Diode is a negative-resistance circuit or device, previously made from JFETs, and now
made from G
4
FETs.
V
N
V
P
V
I
n-Channel
G
4
FET
p-Channel
G
4
FET
V
I
n-Channel
JFET
p-Channel
JFET
V
I
V
P
V
N
G
4
FET
NDR
PRIOR ART:
JFET LAMBDA DIODE
G
4
FET LAMBDA DIODE SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
FOR G
4
FET NDR
Figure 2. This LC Oscillator and Schmitt Trigger are examples of enhanced NDR circuits that can be made by use of G
4
FETs.
LC OSCILLATOR WITH AMPLITUDE
MODULATION
SCHMITT TRIGGER WITH ADJUSTABLE WINDOW
V
out
V
DD
V
N
G
4
FET
NDR
V
P
C L
3.3
2.2
1.1
0
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
V
P
= 0
V
P
= V
DD
V
in
, Volts
V
o
u
t
,

V
o
l
t
s
V
P
V
out
V
DD
V
in
G
4
FET
NDR
Inversion-Mode
PMOSFET
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Intro
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Cov ToC
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Intro
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Electrically Variable or Programmable Nonvolatile Capacitors
Capacitances are measured using small AC signals or changed using larger pulses.
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama
Electrically variable or program-
mable capacitors based on the
unique properties of thin per-
ovskite films are undergoing devel-
opment. These capacitors show
promise of overcoming two impor-
tant deficiencies of prior electri-
cally programmable capacitors:
Unlike in the case of varactors, it
is not necessary to supply power
continuously to make these
capacitors retain their capaci-
tance values. Hence, these capac-
itors may prove useful as compo-
nents of nonvolatile analog and
digital electronic memories.
Unlike in the case of ferroelectric
capacitors, it is possible to meas-
ure the capacitance values of
these capacitors without chang-
ing the values. In other words,
whereas readout of ferroelectric
capacitors is destructive, readout
of these capacitors can be nonde-
structive.
Figure 1. An Electrically Variable Capacitor of the type described in the text can be fabricated on a silicon or
other substrate as part of an integrated circuit.
Insulating
Material
Metallic
Terminal
Metallic
Terminal
Top
Electrode
Bottom
Electrode
Perovskite
Layer
Substrate
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Intro
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 www.techbriefs.com
VS
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Solid State
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Figure 2. The Capacitance of the Electrically Variable Capacitor is changed or measured, depending on
the position of the switch and the nature of the applied signal.
A capacitor of this type is a simple
two-terminal device. It includes a thin
film of a suitable perovskite as the
dielectric layer, sandwiched between
two metal or metal oxide electrodes
(for example, see Figure 1). The utility
of this device as a variable capacitor is
based on a phenomenon, known as
electrical-pulse-induced capacitance
(EPIC), that is observed in thin per-
ovskite films and especially in those
thin perovskite films that exhibit the
colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) effect.
In EPIC, the application of one or more
electrical pulses that exceed a thresh-
old magnitude (typically somewhat less
than 1 V) gives rise to a nonvolatile
change in capacitance. The change in
capacitance depends on the magnitude
duration, polarity, and number of puls-
es. It is not necessary to apply a magnet-
ic field or to cool the device below (or
heat it above) room temperature to
obtain EPIC. Examples of suitable CMR
perovskites include Pr
1x
Ca
x
MnO
3
,
La
1x
Ca
x
MnO
3
, La
1x
Sr
x
MnO
3
, and
Nb
1x
Ca
x
MnO
3
.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing
an EPIC capacitor connected to a cir-
cuit that can vary the capacitance,
measure the capacitance, and/or
measure the resistance of the capaci-
tor. A pulse generator applies voltage
pulses to change the capacitance. If
desired, after each pulse, the capaci-
tance and resistance can be measured
by use of an inductance-capacitance-
resistance multimeter or an imped-
ance/gain analyzer. Also if desired, the
DC resistance can be measured by
applying a current of 1 A and meas-
uring the resulting voltage drop
between the electrodes by use of a
high-internal-resistance voltmeter. The
magnitude of the AC test potential
applied by the multimeter or analyzer
and/or the magnitude of the DC test
potential is kept below 50 mV well
below the threshold magnitude so
as not to change the capacitance unin-
tentionally.
The threshold potential depends on
a number of factors, including the com-
position and thickness of the perovskite
film and the details of the process used
to fabricate the device. The change in
capacitance caused by a given pulse can
be wholly or partly reversed by revers-
ing the polarity of the pulse: that is, a
pulse with one polarity causes the
capacitance to decrease, and a pulse of
the opposite polarity causes the capaci-
tance to increase. The sign of the
change in capacitance in relation to
polarity of a pulse depends on the
aforementioned factors and on addi-
tional factors, including the capaci-
tance-change history of the device, the
amplitude and duration of the pulse.
After each change, the capacitance
value is stable: It remains the same after
repeated measurements using a signal
much smaller than a capacitance-
changing pulse.
This work was done by Shangqing Liu,
NaiJuan Wu, Alex Ignatiev, and Jianren Li
of the University of Houston for Marshall
Space Flight Center. For more information,
contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC Com -
mercialization Assistance Lead, at
sammy.a.nabors@nasa.gov. Refer to MFS-
31960-1
Inductance-Capacitance-Resistance
Multimeter or
Impedance/Gain Analyzer
DC Current Source and
Voltmeter
Pulse Generator
Electrically
Variable
Capacitor
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Intro
Vector modulators are used to impose
baseband modulation on RF signals, but
non-ideal behavior limits the overall per-
formance. The non-ideal behavior of the
vector modulator is compensated using
data collected with the use of an automat-
ed test system driven by a LabVIEW
pro-
gram that systematically applies thousands
of control-signal values to the device under
test and collects RF measurement data.
The technology innovation automates
several steps in the process. First, an auto-
mated test system, using computer-con-
trolled digital-to-analog converters (DACs)
and a computer-controlled vector network
analyzer (VNA) systematically can apply
different I and Q signals (which represent
the complex number by which the RF sig-
nal is multiplied) to the vector modulator
under test (VMUT), while measuring the
RF performance specifically, gain and
phase (see figure). The automated test sys-
tem uses the LabVIEW software to control
the test equipment, collect the data, and
write it to a file. The
input to the Lab -
VIEW program is
either user-input for
systematic variation,
or is provided in a file
containing specific
test values that
should be fed to the
VMUT. The output
file contains both the
control signals and
the measured data.
The second step is
to post-process the
file to determine the
correction functions
as needed. The result
of the entire process is a tabular represen-
tation, which allows translation of a desired
I/Q value to the required analog control
signals to produce a particular RF behavior.
In some applications, corrected perform-
ance is needed only for a limited range. If
the vector modulator is being used as a
phase shifter, there is only a need to correct
I and Q values that represent points on a
circle, not the entire plane.
This innovation has been used to cali-
brate 2-GHz MMIC (monolithic micro -
wave integrated circuit) vector modula-
tors in the High EIRP Cluster Array proj-
ect (EIRP is high effective isotropic radi-
ated power). These calibrations were
then used to create correction tables to
allow the commanding of the phase shift
in each of four channels used as a
phased array for beam steering of a Ka-
band (32-GHz) signal.
The system also was the basis of a
breadboard electronic beam steering
system. In this breadboard, the goal was
not to make systematic measurements of
the properties of a vector modulator, but
to drive the breadboard with a series of
test patterns varying in phase and ampli-
tude. This is essentially the same calibra-
tion process, but with the difference that
the data collection process is oriented
toward collecting breadboard perform-
ance, rather than the measurement of
output from a network analyzer.
This work was done by James Lux, Amy
Boas, and Samuel Li of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. For more information,
under the Electronics/Computers category.
The software used in this innovation is
available for commercial licensing. Please
contact Karina Edmonds of the California
Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322.
Refer to NPO-44518.
System for Automated Calibration of Vector Modulators
This test system helps create tabular or algorithmic functions to compensate for non-ideal
behavior in vector modulators.
PC Running
Data Collection
Program
Vector Network Analyzer
Digital to Analog
Converters
I
RF In RF Out
Q
IEEE-488 GPIB
Vector Modulator
Under Test
The Automated Test System uses computer-controlled digital-to-analog
converters and a VNA to systematically apply I and Q signals to the VMUT,
while measuring the RF performance.
Cov ToC
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A
Intro
DverheatIng atterIes...
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lt is well known that Liion batteries
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Ehective understanding of
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problen. This ability to correlate
changing readings of both with high
precision is what MLASUFpoInt" ohers.
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PREClSlON MEASUREMENT lNSTRUMENTS
UItra-Accurate Temperature
Measurement
CorreIatIon of Temperature
and VoItage Measurements
PrecIsIon VoItage
Measurement
Cov ToC
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A
Intro
www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-728
Materials
Two-piece screens have been designed
specifically for use in filtering a granular
material to remove contaminant parti-
cles that are significantly wider or longer
than are the desired granules. In the
original application for which the two-
piece screens were conceived, the granu-
lar material is ammonium perchlorate
and the contaminant particles tend to be
wires and other relatively long, rigid
strands. The basic design of the two-
piece screens can be adapted to other
granular materials and contaminants by
modifying critical dimensions to accom-
modate different grain and contaminant-
particle sizes.
A two-piece screen of this type con-
sists mainly of (1) a top flat plate perfo-
rated with circular holes arranged in a
hexagonal pattern and (2) a bottom
plate that is also perforated with circu-
lar holes (but not in a pure hexagonal
pattern) and is folded into an accordion
structure. Fabrication of the bottom
plate begins with drilling circular holes
into a flat plate in a hexagonal pattern
that is interrupted, at regular intervals,
by parallel gaps. The plate is then fold-
ed into the accordion structure along
the gaps. Because the folds are along
the gaps, there are no holes at the peaks
and valleys of the accordion screen. The
top flat plate and the bottom accordion
plate are secured within a metal frame.
The resulting two-piece screen is placed
at the bottom opening of a feed hopper
containing the granular material to be
filtered.
Tests have shown that such long, rigid
contaminant strands as wires readily can
pass through a filter consisting of the flat
screen alone and that the addition of
the accordion screen below the flat
screen greatly increases the effectiveness
of removal of wires and other contami-
nant strands. Part of the reason for
increased effectiveness is in the presen-
tation of the contaminant to the filter
surface. Testing has shown that wire type
contamination will readily align itself
parallel to the material direction flow.
Since this direction of flow is nearly
always perpendicular to the filter surface
holes, the contamination is automatical-
Two-Piece Screens for Decontaminating
Granular Material
These are more effective than are single-piece screens.
Using Ozone To Clean and Passivate
Oxygen-Handling Hardware
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
A proposed method of cleaning, passi-
vating, and verifying the cleanliness of
oxygen-handling hardware would extend
the established art of cleaning by use of
ozone. As used here, cleaning signifies
ridding all exposed surfaces of com-
bustible (in particular, carbon-based)
contaminants. The method calls for
exposing the surfaces of the hardware to
ozone while monitoring the ozone efflu-
ent for carbon dioxide. The ozone would
passivate the hardware while oxidizing
carbon-based residues, converting the
carbon in them to carbon dioxide. The
exposure to ozone would be continued
until no more carbon dioxide was detect-
ed, signifying that cleaning and passiva-
tion were complete.
This work was done by Paul Torrance of
Johnson Space Center and Paul Biesinger of
Science Applications International Corp. For
further information, contact the Johnson
Commercial Technology Office at (281) 483-
3809. MSC-23290-1
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Intro
Rectangular-waveguide inserts that
are made of non-ferromagnetic metals
and are sized and shaped to function as
notch filters have been conceived as ref-
erence standards for use in the rectan-
gular-waveguide method of characteriz-
ing materials with respect to such consti-
tutive electromagnetic properties as per-
mittivity and permeability. Such stan-
dards are needed for determining the
accuracy of measurements used in the
method, as described below.
In this method, a specimen of a materi-
al to be characterized is cut to a prescribed
size and shape and inserted in a rectangu-
lar-waveguide test fixture, wherein the
specimen is irradiated with a known
source signal and detectors are used to
measure the signals reflected by, and trans-
mitted through, the specimen. Scattering
parameters [also known as S parameters
(S
11
, S
12
, S
21
, and S
22
)] are computed from
ratios between the transmitted and reflect-
ed signals and the source signal. Then the
permeability and permittivity of the speci-
men material are derived from the scatter-
ing parameters. Theoretically, the tech-
nique for calculating the permeability and
permittivity from the scattering parame-
ters is exact, but the accuracy of the results
depends on the accuracy of the measure-
ments from which the scattering parame-
ters are obtained. To determine whether
the measurements are accurate, it is neces-
sary to perform comparable measure-
ments on reference standards, which are
Metal Standards for Waveguide Characterization of Materials
Metal waveguide inserts can be tailored to have known scattering parameters.
John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
ly aligned to pass through. The two-filter
configuration reduces the likelihood
that a given contaminant strand will be
aligned with the flow of material by elim-
inating the perpendicular presentation
angle. Thus, for wires of a certain diam-
eter, a two-piece screen is 20 percent
more effective than is the corresponding
flat perforated plate alone, even if the
holes in the flat plate are narrower.
An accordion screen alone is similarly
effective in catching contaminants, but
lumps of agglomerated granules of the
desired material often collect in the val-
leys and clog the screen. The addition of
a flat screen above the accordion screen
prevents clogging of the accordion
screen. Flat wire screens have often been
used to remove contaminants from gran-
ular materials, and are about as effective
as are the corresponding perforated flat
plates used alone.
This work was done by Douglas Backes,
Clay Poulter, Max Godfrey, Melinda Dutton,
and Dennis Tolman of Alliant Techsystems
Inc. for Marshall Space Flight Center. For
more information, contact Sammy Nabors,
MSFC Commercialization Assistance Lead, at
32496-1
Cov ToC
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Intro
essentially specimens that have known
scattering parameters.
To be most useful, reference stan-
dards should provide the full range of
scattering-parameter values that can be
obtained from material specimens.
Specifically, measurements of the back-
scattering parameter (S
11
) from no
reflection to total reflection and of the
forward-transmission parameter (S
21
)
from no transmission to total transmis-
sion are needed. A reference standard
that functions as a notch (band-stop) fil-
ter can satisfy this need because as the
signal frequency is varied across the fre-
quency range for which the filter is
designed, the scattering parameters vary
over the ranges of values between the
extremes of total reflection and total
transmission.
A notch-filter reference standard in
the form of a rectangular-waveguide
insert that has a size and shape similar
to that of a material specimen is advan-
tageous because the measurement con-
figuration used for the reference stan-
dard can be the same as that for a mate-
rial specimen. Typically a specimen is a
block of material that fills a waveguide
cross-section but occupies only a small
fraction of the length of the waveguide.
A reference standard of the present
type (see figure) is a metal block that
fills part of a waveguide cross section
and contains a slot, the long dimension
of which can be chosen to tailor the
notch frequency to a desired value. The
scattering parameters and notch fre-
quency can be estimated with high
accuracy by use of commercially avail-
able electromagnetic-field-simulating
software. The block can be fabricated
to the requisite precision by wire elec-
trical-discharge machining. In use, the
accuracy of measurements is deter-
mined by comparison of (1) the scatter-
ing parameters calculated from the
measurements with (2) the scattering
parameters calculated by the aforemen-
tioned software.
This work was done by Kevin M. Lambert
and Carol L. Kory of Analex Corp. for Glenn
Research Center. For more information, down-
under the Materials category.
Inquiries concerning rights for the commer-
cial use of this invention should be addressed to
NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative
Partnerships Office, Attn: Steve Fedor, Mail
Stop 48, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland,
Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18137-1.
CaIifornia - IIIinois - Connecticut - Canada
203.743.4447 Fax 203.791.8702
e-maiI: support@miIIer-stephenson.com
www.miIIer-stephenson.com
MiIIer-Stephenson Offers a Wide Range of ChemicaIs for the
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The Metal Rectangular-Waveguide Insert is sized and shaped to fit the waveguide cross-section and to act as a band-stop filter having a notch frequency of
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Insert
Waveguide Test Fixture
0.900 in.
0.400 in.
Insert
Materials
Cov ToC
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Intro
Technologies of the Month
For more information on these and other new, licensable inventions,
visit www.techbriefs.com/techsearch
Sponsored by
Technologies to Protect Crop Plants From
Pesticide Damage
A company seeks technologies or safeners that minimize
the negative impact of pesticides on crops, such as physiolog-
ical or cosmetic damage. The safener must have utility on a
broad combination of crops, result in no inhibition effect or
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peratures. Possible treatments include seed coating, pharma
or cosmetic ingredients, or co-formulation with an existing
product.
Respond to this TechNeed at:
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Email: nasatech@yet2.com
Phone: 781-972-0600
Small, Mechanical Valve for Use With
Propellant Gas
A valve technology is sought that can be used with a propel-
lant-gas-based device aimed at the consumer goods industry.
The valve will be used with a canister of propellant gas, in a
handheld consumer device, and needs to be small, light-
weight, and low-cost. The size should be in the millimeter to
centimeter range, weigh less than 5 grams, require no prim-
ing, be air-actuated, allow a flow rate between 25 mL/sec and
90 mL/sec, and be manufactured from materials that meet
European Union or FDA requirements.
Respond to this TechNeed at:
www.techbriefs.com/tn/200910d.html
Phone: 781-972-0600
TechNeeds Requests for Technologies
TechNeeds are anonymous requests for technologies that you and your organization may be able to fulfill.
Responding to a TechNeed is the first step to gaining an introduction with a prospective buyer
for your technology solution.
Accurate Laser Micro-Etching
AIST Innovations
A one-step laser etching process proves advantageous for
the microfabrication of optics, electromechanical systems,
and fluidics. Utilizing a laser-absorbing fluid against the back
side of virtually any solid, transparent material, any of a num-
ber of lasers can perform micro-etching of 1 millimicron to 10
millimicrons. Etching can employ two or more lasers on trans-
parent plates, cylinders, rods, films, vessels, or blocks. The
resulting etched design may resemble hatching, a grid array,
a bubble array, or any special design.
This process uses any of a variety of low-energy laser beams,
and any of a variety of organic solvent solutions to induce
highly controllable micro-etching at ambient room tempera-
ture and pressure. A myriad of trench widths and depths are
achievable in addition to the etching of patterns through the
use of templates, masks, or stencils. The process is resist-free;
provides clean, well-defined edges; and retains the integrity of
the base material. It requires no vacuum and offers flexibility
in choice of lasers and solvents.
Get the complete report on this technology at:
www.techbriefs.com/tow/200910a.html
Phone: 781-972-0600
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Intro
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Online at www.techbriefs.com/prototyping
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Improved Method of Design for Folding Inflatable Shells
Designs of gores reflect multiple considerations of assembly, stowage, and deployment.
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
An improved method of designing
complexly shaped inflatable shells to be
assembled from gores was conceived for
original application to the inflatable outer
shell of a developmental habitable space-
craft module having a cylindrical mid-
length section with toroidal end caps. The
method is also applicable to inflatable
shells of various shapes for terrestrial use.
The method addresses problems asso-
ciated with the assembly, folding, trans-
port, and deployment of inflatable shells
that may comprise multiple layers and
have complex shapes that can include
such doubly curved surfaces as toroids
and spheres. One particularly difficult
problem is that of mathematically defin-
ing fold lines on a gore pattern in a dou-
ble-curvature region. Moreover, because
the fold lines in a double-curvature
region tend to be curved, there is a prac-
tical problem of how to implement the
folds. Another problem is that of modify-
ing the basic gore shapes and sizes for
the various layers so that when they are
folded as part of the integral structure,
they do not mechanically interfere with
each other at the fold lines.
Heretofore, it has been a common
practice to design an inflatable shell to
be assembled in the deployed configura-
tion, without regard for the need to fold
it into compact form. Typically, the result
has been that folding has been a difficult,
time-consuming process resulting in a
poor stowed configuration. Hence, yet
another problem is to design the shell to
be assembled in the stowed configura-
tion, bypassing the folding process at the
vehicle level.
The problem of weight relief can be
summarized as one of securing the
stowed shell against shifting under its
own weight during transport, without
imposing excessive stress on any part of
the shell. The weight-relief problem may
not be significant in all applications, but
launch acceleration makes it so in the
original spacecraft application.
To solve these problems, in the
improved method, one does more than
A film-growth process was developed
for polycrystalline mercuric iodide that
creates cost-effective, large-area detec-
tors for high-energy charged-particle
detection. A material, called a barrier
film, is introduced onto the substrate
before the normal mercuric iodide film
growth process. The barrier film
improves the quality of the normal film
grown and enhances the adhesion
between the film and the substrate.
The films grown using this improved
technique were found to have adequate
signal-to-noise properties so that individ-
ual high-energy charged-particle interac-
tions could be distinguished from noise,
and thus, could be used to provide an
anticoincidence veto function as desired.
This work was done by Neal Hartsough
and Jan Iwanczyk of DxRay, Inc. for
Goddard Space Flight Center. For further
information, contact the Goddard Innovative
Partnerships Office at (301) 286-5810. GSC-
15635-1
Mercuric Iodide Anticoincidence Shield for Gamma-Ray
Spectrometer
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Intro
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Intro

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Manufacturing & Prototyping
merely choose the sizes and shapes of the
gores to obtain the specified deployed
shape of a shell. In addition, one choos-
es the sizes and shapes of the gores and
the fold lines, in conjunction with the
sequence of incorporation of the gores,
to enable assembly of the shell in the
stowed configuration, without interfer-
ence between layers. To make this possi-
ble, the fold lines and the shapes of the
gores are defined by equations that
reflect the aforementioned problems
and requirements. These equations
incorporate the required modifications
for the layers in each gore, accounting
for the thicknesses of the layers and pro-
viding corresponding margins to prevent
interference at fold lines.
The equations also provide for simpli-
fication of fold lines in double-curvature
regions. For example, in the original
application, the basic repeating unit for
forming a cylinder with toroidal end
caps consists of a gore designated B
between two gores designated A/2, as
shown in the figure. The B gore contains
two straight fold lines that run the entire
length, including the toroidal regions at
the ends. The seams between the A/2
and B gores constitute a second pair of
fold lines that are curved in the end
regions, the curvature being such as to
enable the flat folded pattern to deploy
to the desired toroidal shape at the ends.
When repeating units are joined togeth-
er at vehicle installation, adjacent A/2
gores become a full A gore.
The weight-relief problem is solved by
use of straps attached between (1) suit-
ably chosen locations near fold lines and
(2) adjacent supporting fixtures on a
rigid structure on which the folded shell
is to be stowed.
This work was done by Christopher J.
Johnson of Johnson Space Center. For more
information, download the Technical
Support Package (free white paper) at
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Manu -
facturing & Prototyping category.
This invention is owned by NASA, and a
patent application has been filed. Inquiries
concerning nonexclusive or exclusive license
for its commercial development should be
addressed to the Patent Counsel, Johnson
Space Center, (281) 483-1003. Refer to MSC-
24149-1.
The Basic Repeating Unit of a shell comprising a cylinder with toroidal end caps is a subassembly of
three gores.
A/2 Gores
A/2
B Gore Curved
Fold Lines and
Seams Between
A and B Gores
Straight
Fold Lines
C C
SECTION C-C
B
THREE GORES BEFORE JOINING GORES JOINED AND FOLDED
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Intro
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Intro
UltraSail is a next-generation ultra-
large (km
2
class) sail system. Analysis of
the launch, deployment, stabilization,
and control of these sails shows that
high-payload-mass fractions for inter-
planetary and deep-space missions are
possible. UltraSail combines propulsion
and control systems developed for for-
mation-flying microsatellites with a solar
sail architecture to achieve controllable
sail areas approaching 1 km
2
.
Electrically conductive CP-1 polyimide
film results in sail subsystem area densi-
ties as low as 5 g/m
2
. UltraSail produces
thrust levels many times those of ion
thrusters used for comparable deep-
space missions.
The primary innovation involves the
near-elimination of sail-supporting struc-
tures by attaching each blade tip to a for-
mation-flying microsatellite, which
deploys the sail and then articulates the
sail to provide attitude control, including
spin stabilization and precession of the
spin axis. These microsatellite tips are
controlled by microthrusters for sail-film
deployment and mission operations.
UltraSail also avoids the problems
inherent in folded sail film, namely stress-
ing, yielding, or perforating, by storing
the film in a roll for launch and deploy-
ment. A 5-km long by 2 micrometer thick
film roll on a mandrel with a 1 m circum-
ference (32 cm diameter) has a stored
thickness of 5 cm. A 5 m-long mandrel
can store a film area of 25,000 m
2
, and a
four-blade system has an area of 0.1 km
2
.
This work was done by Rodney Burton and
Victoria Coverstone of the University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign for Marshall
Space Flight Center. For more information,
contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC
Commercialization Assistance Lead, at
32524-1
Ultra-Large Solar Sail
Cooperative Three-Robot System for Traversing Steep Slopes
This system is modeled on safe human climbing of steep slopes.
Teamed Robots for Exploration and
Science in Steep Areas (TRESSA) is a
system of three autonomous mobile
robots that cooperate with each other to
enable scientific exploration of steep
terrain (slope angles up to 90).
Originally intended for use in exploring
steep slopes on Mars that are not acces-
sible to lone wheeled robots (Mars
Exploration Rovers), TRESSA and sys-
tems like TRESSA could also be used on
Earth for performing rescues on steep
slopes and for exploring steep slopes
that are too remote or too dangerous to
be explored by humans.
TRESSA is modeled on safe human
climbing of steep slopes, two key features
of which are teamwork and safety tethers.
Two of the autonomous robots,
denoted Anchorbots, remain at the
top of a slope; the third robot, denot-
ed the Cliffbot, traverses the slope.
The Cliffbot drives over the cliff edge
supported by tethers, which are payed
out from the Anchorbots (see figure).
The Anchorbots autonomously con-
trol the tension in the tethers to
counter the gravitational force on the
Cliffbot. The tethers are payed out
and reeled in as needed, keeping the
body of the Cliffbot oriented approxi-
mately parallel to the local terrain sur-
face and preventing wheel slip by con-
trolling the speed of descent or
ascent, thereby enabling the Cliffbot
to drive freely up, down, or across the
slope.
Due to the interactive nature of
the three-robot system, the robots
must be very tightly coupled. To pro-
Left: The Cliffbot Is Tethered to the Two Anchorbots so that it can move on the steep slope. Right: The
Cliffbot performs scientific studies of the cliff.
Cliffbot
Anchorbots
Mechanics/Machinery
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Intro
vide for this tight coupling, the TRESSA
software architecture is built on a com-
bination of (1) the multi-robot layered
behavior-coordination architecture
reported in An Archi tecture for
Controlling Multiple Ro bots (NPO-
30345), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 10
(October 2004), page 65, and (2) the
real-time control architecture reported
in Robot Elec tronics Architecture
(NPO-41784), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32,
No. 1 (January 2008), page 28. The
combination architecture makes it pos-
sible to keep the three robots synchro-
nized and coordinated, to use data from
all three robots for decision-making at
each step, and to control the physical
connections among the robots. In addi-
tion, TRESSA (as in prior systems that
have utilized this architecture), incor-
porates a capability for deterministic
response to unanticipated situations
from yet another architecture reported
in Control Architecture for Robotic
Agent Command and Sensing (NPO-
43635), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No. 10
(October 2008), page 40.
Tether tension control is a major con-
sideration in the design and operation
of TRESSA. Tension is measured by
force sensors connected to each tether
at the Cliffbot. The direction of the ten-
sion (both azimuth and elevation) is
also measured. The tension controller
combines a controller to counter gravi-
tational force and an optional velocity
controller that anticipates the motion
of the Cliffbot. The gravity controller
estimates the slope angle from the incli-
nation of the tethers. This angle and
the weight of the Cliffbot determine
the total tension needed to counteract
the weight of the Cliffbot. The total
needed tension is broken into compo-
nents for each Anchorbot. The differ-
ence between this needed tension and
the tension measured at the Cliffbot
constitutes an error signal that is pro-
vided to the gravity controller. The
velocity controller computes the tether
speed needed to produce the desired
motion of the Cliffbot.
Another major consideration in the
design and operation of TRESSA is
detection of faults. Each robot in the
TRESSA system monitors its own per-
formance and the performance of its
teammates in order to detect any sys-
tem faults and prevent unsafe condi-
tions. At startup, communication links
are tested and if any robot is not com-
municating, the system refuses to exe-
cute any motion commands. Prior to
motion, the Anchorbots attempt to set
tensions in the tethers at optimal levels
for counteracting the weight of the
Cliffbot; if either Anchorbot fails to
reach its optimal tension level within a
specified time, it sends a message to the
other robots and the commanded
motion is not executed. If any mechan-
ical error (e.g., stalling of a motor) is
detected, the affected robot sends a
message triggering stoppage of the cur-
rent motion. Lastly, messages are
passed among the robots at each time
step (10 Hz) to share sensor informa-
tion during operations. If messages
from any robot cease for more than an
allowable time interval, the other
robots detect the communication loss
and initiate stoppage.
This work was done by Ashley Stroupe,
Terrance Huntsberger, Hrand Aghazarian,
Paulo Younse, and Michael Garrett of
Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion
NPO-44699
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Intro
Assemblies of Conformal Tanks
Space is utilized efficiently and sloshing is reduced.
Assemblies of tanks having
shapes that conform to each
other and/or conform to other
proximate objects have been
investigated for use in storing
fuels and oxidizers in small avail-
able spaces in upper stages of
spacecraft. Such assemblies might
also prove useful in aircraft, auto-
mobiles, boats, and other terres-
trial vehicles in which space avail-
able for tanks is limited.
The basic concept of using con-
formal tanks to maximize the uti-
lization of limited space is not new
in itself: for example, conformal
tanks are used in some automo-
biles to store windshield-washer
liquid and coolant that overflows
from radiators. The novelty of the
present development lies in the
concept of an assembly of smaller
conformal tanks, as distinguished
from a single larger conformal
tank. In an assembly of smaller
tanks, it would be possible to store
different liquids in different tanks.
Even if the same liquid were
stored in all the tanks, the assem-
bly would offer an advantage by
reducing the mechanical distur-
bance caused by sloshing of fuel in a sin-
gle larger tank: indeed, the requirement
to reduce sloshing is critical in some
applications.
The figure shows a prototype assem-
bly of conformal tanks. Each tank was
fabricated by (1) copper plating a wax
tank mandrel to form a liner and (2)
wrapping and curing layers of
graphite/epoxy composite to form a
shell supporting the liner. In this case,
the conformal tank surfaces are flat
ones where they come in contact with
the adjacent tanks. A band of fibers
around the outside binds the tanks
together tightly in the assembly, which
has a quasi-toroidal shape. For proper
functioning, it would be necessary to
maintain equal pressure in all the tanks.
This work was done by Tom DeLay of
Marshall Space Flight Center.
This invention is owned by NASA, and a
patent application has been filed. For further
information, contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC
Commercialization Assistance Lead, at
32015-1.
This Prototype Assembly of Conformal Tanks was built to demonstrate the feasibility of building such an
assembly to fit an approximately toroidal available volume.
Microfluidic pumps and valves based
on pneumatically actuated diaphragms
made of Teflon
AF polymers are being

developed for incorporation into labora-
tory-on-a-chip devices that must perform
well over temperature ranges wider than
those of prior diaphragm-based
microfluidic pumps and valves. Other
potential applications include implant-
ed biomedical microfluidic devices,
wherein the biocompatibility of Teflon
AF polymers would be highly advanta-

geous. These pumps and valves have
been demonstrated to function stably
after cycling through temperatures from
125 to 120 C.
These pumps and valves are intended
to be successors to similar prior pumps
and valves containing diaphragms made
of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) [com-
monly known as silicone rubber]. The
PDMS-containing valves are designed to
function stably only within the tempera-
ture range from 5 to 80 C. Undesirably,
PDMS membranes are somewhat porous
and retain water. PDMS is especially
unsuitable for use at temperatures below
Microfluidic Pumps Containing Teflon
AF Diaphragms
Operational temperature ranges have been extended to lower and higher limits.
Mechanics/Machinery
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Intro
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0 C because the formation of ice crys-
tals increases porosity and introduces
microshear.
Teflon
AF is the trade name of

family of fluoropolymers that are amor-
phous (in the sense of lacking crys-
talline structure). These polymers are
less permeable and more thermally sta-
ble, relative to PDMS. These polymers
are similar to other fluoropolymers in
their mechanical and optical proper-
ties, in being highly resistant to attack
by many chemicals, and in retaining
their desirable properties over wide
temperature ranges. However, unlike
other fluoropolymers, these are soluble
in selected solvents; as such, they are
amenable to spin coating to form mem-
branes.
A typical microfluidic device of the
type to which the present development
applies includes one or more rigid glass
substrate layers containing fluid-han-
dling channels and chambers. Each
pump or valve includes a polymer mem-
brane diaphragm bonded to a glass
layer or sandwiched between two glass
layers, with one or more circular
cutout(s) in each such glass layer to
accommodate motion of the
diaphragm and flows of fluids. The
development effort thus far has includ-
ed experiments to determine optimum
combinations of ingredients and
process conditions to form Teflon
AF
membranes and incorporate them into
pumps as diaphragms. It was found that
structurally robust Teflon
AF 1600
membranes of acceptably high quality,
about 50 m thick, can be formed by
means of a spin-coating process repeat-
ed at least five times and that adequate
adhesion of the membranes to glass
substrates could be ensured by coating
the membrane-anchoring areas of the
substrates by vapor deposition of
chromium to a thickness of 50 .
Chromium was removed from valve
seats and other nearby substrate areas
to which moving portions of
diaphragms were required not to
adhere.
Pumps fabricated according to the
guidance provided by the experiments
have been operated for more than 240
hours without delamination of mem-
branes from substrates or any other fail-
ures. Diaphragms and valve seats of vari-
ous sizes and shapes have been tested;
the combination of circular diaphragms
of 2 mm diameter with hemispherical
valve seats was found to yield the best
overall performance. Various combina-
tions of opening and closing actuation
pressures were also tested; a combina-
tion of 6 psi (41 kPa) closing pressure
and 12 psi (83 kPa) opening pressure
was found to generate the highest rate of
flow while preventing formation of bub-
bles in the pumped liquid.
Temperature-cycling tests have also
been performed. The first test involved
warming the pumps to 50 C followed by
cooling the pumps to 25 C for 30 min-
utes. Next, the pumps were cooled to
80 C and held there for 48 hours.
Finally, the pumps were cycled from
125 to 120 C four times over 24 hours.
After each thermal cycle, pumping char-
acteristics were measured. Interestingly,
flow rates were found to be slightly
increased after temperature cycling. No
detrimental effects were noted after any
of the temperature tests.
This work was done by Peter Willis, Victor
White, Frank Grunthaner and Mike Ikeda of
Caltech and Richard A. Mathies of the
University of California, Berkley, for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. For more information,
NPO-44482
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Intro
Physical Sciences
Transparent Conveyor of Dielectric Liquids or Particles
A high-voltage electrodynamic screen would be implemented using transparent electrodes.
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The concept of a transparent conveyor
of small loose dielectric particles or small
amounts of dielectric liquids has emerged
as an outgrowth of an effort to develop
efficient, reliable means of automated
removal of dust from solar cells and from
windows of optical instruments. This con-
cept is based on the previously reported
concept of an electrodynamic screen,
according to which a grid-like electric field
is established on and near a surface and is
moved along the surface perpendicularly
to the grid lines. The resulting electrody-
namic forces on loose dielectric particles
or dielectric liquid drops in the vicinity
would move the particles or drops along
the surface. In the original dust-removal
application, dust particles would thus be
swept out of the affected window area (see
figure). Other potential applications may
occur in nanotechnology for example,
involving mixing of two or more fluids
and/or nanoscale particles under optical
illumination and/or optical observation.
Heretofore, to implement an electro-
dynamic screen, one would bury a grid of
parallel wires in the material below the
affected surface and apply suitably
phased voltages to adjacent grid wires to
generate the desired electric-field pat-
tern. Because wires are opaque, this
approach is not satisfactory for any appli-
cation in which transparency across a
defined window area is required. The
present concept of a transparent convey-
or is based on the same concept as that of
the buried-wire implementation of an
electrodynamic screen, but with a signifi-
cant difference: Instead of wires, one
would use electrodes made of thin layers
of indium tin oxide, which are both elec-
trically conductive and transparent.
The fabrication of such a grid of elec-
trodes would begin with the deposition
(by sputtering or thermal evaporation) of
a thin, continuous layer of indium tin
oxide onto a substrate along which it was
desired to transport particles or liquid
drops. Standard photolithographic tech-
niques would be used to remove portions
of the indium tin oxide such that the
remaining portions would constitute the
desired array of parallel electrodes. The
electrodes would be connected to a suit-
able single- or multi-phase voltage source.
The exposed substrate and electrode sur-
faces would be coated with a layer of sili-
con dioxide or other transparent, electri-
cally insulating material.
In operation in the single-phase mode,
the indium tin oxide electrodes would be
excited in the pattern (...AGAGA...),
where A represents an applied alternating
high voltage signal of amplitude V and G
represents electrical ground. In a three-
phase mode, the electrodes would be
excited in the pattern (...ABCABC...),
where A, B, and C represent the three
phases of an alternating voltage of ampli-
tude V. The frequency of alternation
would determine the speed at which mate-
rial would be transported. It would be nec-
essary set V to exceed a minimum value
required to initiate the transport process.
This work was done by Carlos I. Calle of
Kennedy Space Center and James G.
Mantovani of Florida Institute of Technology.
For more information, download the
Technical Support Package (free white
paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the
Physical Sciences category. KSC-12616
A Plate Containing Embedded Electrodes was used to demonstrate the concept of an electrodynamic screen for removing dust. Dust was initially deposited
in the middle of the plate, as shown at the left. After activation of the electrodynamic screen, the dust was found to have moved to the right and left sides.
Originally Deposited Dust Dust Moved To The Sides
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Intro
Get your nimble, easy solution
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Smart Measurement Solutions
The multi-cone model is a computa-
tional model for estimating ionospheric
delays of Global Positioning System
(GPS) signals. It is a direct descendant
of the conical-domain model, which was
described in Conical-Domain Model
for Estimating GPS Ionospheric Delays
(NPO-40930), Software Tech Briefs, special
supplement to NASA Tech Briefs,
September 2009, page 18. A primary
motivation for the development of this
model is the need to find alternatives for
modeling slant delays at low latitudes,
where ionospheric behavior poses an
acute challenge for GPS signal-delay esti-
mates based upon the thin-shell model
of the ionosphere.
Since ionospheric signal delay con-
tributes error to GPS position and time
measurements, it is necessary to esti-
mate the delay to correct and bound
this error. Several national and interna-
tional systems, denoted generally as
satellite-based augmentation systems
(SBASs), are under development world-
wide to enhance the integrity and accu-
racy of GPS measurements for airline
navigation.
A prominent example is the Wide
Area Augmentation System (WAAS) of
the United States, in which slant ionos-
pheric delay errors and confidence
bounds are derived from estimates of
vertical ionospheric delay modeled on a
grid at regularly spaced intervals of lati-
tude and longitude. The estimate of ver-
tical delay at each ionospheric grid point
(IGP) is calculated from a planar fit of
neighboring slant delay measurements,
projected to vertical using a standard
thin-shell model of the ionosphere.
Interpolation on the WAAS grid
enables estimation of the vertical delay
at the ionospheric pierce point (IPP) of
any arbitrary users measurement. (The
IPP of a given users measurement is the
point where the ray path of the meas-
ured GPS signal intersects a reference
ionospheric height.) The product of the
interpolated value and the users thin-
shell obliquity factor provides an esti-
mate of the users ionospheric slant
delay.
Two types of error restrict the accura-
cy of delay estimates based upon the
thin-shell model: (1) error arising from
the implicit assumption that, at the IPP,
the electron density is independent of
the azimuthal angle, and (2) error due
to an invalid obliquity factor (e.g., error
due to a suboptimal choice of shell
height). Under nominal conditions at
mid-latitudes, the magnitude of the
error incurred from these sources is
small. However, at low latitudes or at
mid-latitudes under disturbed condi-
tions, the error grows due to the pres-
ence of enhanced ionization, complex
ionospheric structure, and large elec-
tron-density gradients. In the conical-
domain model, these sources of error
are mitigated by eliminating the use of
Multi-Cone Model for Estimating GPS Ionospheric Delays
This model preserves the high accuracy of the conical domain model while providing
superior integrity.
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Intro
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Physical Sciences
Figure 1. A Conical Domain having a vertex at a given IGP is defined, and a set of pseudo-measure-
ments for ray paths that intersect at the IGP is fit to this conical domain.
Figure 2. The Slant Delay From a Satellite of Interest to a user airplane is estimated by interpolating
among slant delays for ray paths between (a) the user airplane and (b) each of the four adjacent IGPs
for which pseudo-measurements have been fit to conical domains as depicted in Figure 1.
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS
Satellites
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS Receiver
GPS Satellite of
Immediate
Interest
both the thin-shell model and the verti-
cal delay grid. Instead, a users slant
delay to a given satellite is calculated
directly by fitting measured slant delays
for nearby ray paths to the same satellite.
The conical domain model is so
named because the receiver and satel-
lite positions define a cone with the
satellite position at the vertex. In an
SBAS based upon the conical domain
model, fits of delay on a grid of IGPs are
replaced with fits inside cones, each hav-
ing a GPS satellite at its vertex. A user
(e.g., an airplane in flight) within a
given cone evaluates the delay to the
satellite directly, using (1) the IPP coor-
dinates of the line of sight to the satel-
lite and (2) broadcast fit parameters
associated with the cone.
In the context of SBAS, the conical-
domain model suffers from one major
limitation: each fit is comprised of rela-
tively few measurements. Since the relia-
bility of a fit depends upon the number
of its measurements, a small number of
fit measurements represent a threat to
the integrity of the delay estimates based
upon the fit. The multi-cone model, in
which measured signals from multiple
satellites are incorporated into each
delay estimate, has been conceived as a
means of obtaining the benefits of the
conical-domain model without suffering
a potentially serious loss of integrity.
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Intro
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The basic idea of the multi-cone model is to adapt the coni-
cal-domain model to obtain fits on an ionospheric grid. The
adaptation involves multiple stages. In the first stage, the coni-
cal-domain model is used to obtain an estimate of the slant
delay for each ray path that connects a visible satellite to a spec-
ified IGP. This requires a separate fit for each satellite. Each
delay estimate may be regarded as a pseudo-measurement of a
signal for the satellite in question. In the second stage, the con-
ical-domain model is turned upside down in the sense that
instead of creating a cone of measurements having a satellite at
its vertex and multiple receivers at its base, one forms a cone
having a single receiver at the vertex and performs a fit of a set
of pseudo-measurements within this cone (see Figure 1).
This process is repeated until fit parameters have been deter-
mined for cones at each IGP in a grid. It is then possible to
evaluate the slant delay for any ray path that passes through
both a users position and an IGP. To evaluate the slant delay
to a satellite of immediate interest from any arbitrary user posi-
tion, the user first locates the IPP of the signal from that satel-
lite and then identifies the four IGPs at the corners of the grid
cell that contains this IPP. The estimates of the slant delays for
the ray paths through each of these four IGPs can then be
interpolated to obtain the slant delay between the users posi-
tion and the satellite of immediate interest (see Figure 2).
This estimate formally converges to the correct value in the
limit as the densities of participating GPS receivers and GPS
satellites become very large and, simultaneously, grid cells
become more nearly infinitesimal. It should be noted that the
users slant delay estimate contains information from all the
signals that have been used to define the cones at the four
interpolation IGPs (in contrast to fitting only data from signals
emitted by the satellite of immediate interest as in the original
conical-domain approach). The use of additional information
in evaluating each fit serves to improve the integrity of the
delay estimate while preserving the accuracy of the conical
domain model.
This work was done by Lawrence Sparks, Attila Komjathy, and
Anthony Mannucci of Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517, the contractor has elected to
retain title to this invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its commer-
cial use should be addressed to:
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
(818) 354-2240
Refer to NPO-40931, volume and number of this NASA Tech
Briefs issue, and the page number.
Progress Toward a Compact,
Highly Stable Ion Clock
There was an update on the subject of two previous NASA Tech
Briefs articles: Compact, Highly Stable Ion Clock (NPO-43075),
Vol. 32, No. 5 (May 2008), page 63; and Neon as a Buffer Gas
for a Mercury-Ion Clock (NPO-42919), Vol. 32, No. 7 (July
2008), page 62. To recapitulate: A developmental miniature
Cov ToC
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Intro
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I-SAC Adaptive
Servo Controller
Systematic studies have been performed on the sensitivity of
GaN HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) sensors using
various gate electrode designs and operational parameters.
The results here show that a higher sensitivity can be achieved
with a larger W/L ratio (W = gate width, L = gate length) at a
given D (D = source-drain distance), and multi-finger gate
electrodes offer a higher sensitivity than a one-finger gate
electrode. In terms of operating conditions, sensor sensitivity
is strongly dependent on transconductance of the sensor. The
highest sensitivity can be achieved at the gate voltage where
the slope of the transconductance curve is the largest.
While GaN-based microchemical sensors have shown very
promising performance characteristics, there has not been
Physical Sciences
mercury-ion clock has stability comparable to that of a hydro-
gen-maser clock. The ion-handling components are housed in
a sealed vacuum tube, wherein a getter pump maintains the
partial vacuum, and the evacuated tube is backfilled with mer-
cury vapor in a neon buffer gas.
There was progress in the development of the clock, with
emphasis on the design, fabrication, pump-down, and bake-out
of the vacuum tube (based on established practice in the trav-
eling-wave-tube-amplifier industry) and the ability of the tube
to retain a vacuum after a year of operation. Other develop-
ments include some aspects of the operation of mercury-vapor
source (a small appendage oven containing HgO) so as to
maintain the optimum low concentration of mercury vapor,
and further efforts to miniaturize the vacuum and optical sub-
systems to fit within a volume of 2 L.
This work was done by John Prestage and Sang Chung of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more information, contact
iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-44139
High-Sensitivity GaN
Microchemical Sensors
This innovation enables remote detection of
chemical/biological toxins in the air.
I
ds
Source-Drain Current Response to SF
6
Exposures was measured using the
GaN HEMT sensors fabricated with W= 5, 10, 25, and 50 m at L = 2 m. The
sensors clearly demonstrate a higher sensitivity with an increasing gate width.
L2W50
L2W25
L2W10
30
0.115
0.095
0.075
0.055
0.035
0.015
0.005
90 150
Time, Seconds
I
d
s

(
m
A
)
210 270
L2W05
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Intro
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-740
much understanding on how sensor
sensitivity can be engineered or
improved. This work provides critical
information about how the gate elec-
trode of a GaN HEMT, which has been
identified as the most sensitive among
GaN microsensors, needs to be
designed, and what operation parame-
ters should be used for high sensitivity
detection.
The figure shows I
ds
(source-drain
current) response to SF
6
exposures
measured using the GaN HEMT sensors
fabricated with W = 5, 10, 25, and 50 m
at L = 2 m. The sensors clearly demon-
strate a higher sensitivity with an
increasing gate width. I
ds
response
measured using GaN HEMT sensors
fabricated with L = 2, 4, and 8 m at W
= 50 m and with L = 2 m at W =
25 m; (in these sensors the source-
drain distance is DS = L + 4 m) show
decreasing sensitivity with an increasing
gate length.
Comparison between L4W50, L8W50
and L2W25 sensors, which correspond
to DS8W50, DS12W50, and DS6W50
respectively, indicates that the sensor
sensitivity is not simply proportional to
I
ds
or W/L (or W/DS). The higher sensi-
tivity achieved with the L2W25 sensor
compared to the L4W50 sensor indi-
cates that the shorter gate length plays a
significant role. The results shown here
suggest that sensor sensitivity is not sim-
ply proportional to the size of the gate
electrode or the amount of I
ds
of the
sensor, and that a short gate length and
a source-drain distance are important
factors in determining the sensitivity of
the sensor.
The robust, high-sensitivity GaN
HEMT chemical sensors can be applied
to NASA missions including in-situ
detection of signatures of extraterrestri-
al life and in-situ planetary atmosphere
analysis during planetary exploration.
The sensors can be also used for health
and habitat environmental monitoring
for astronauts during manned missions.
Due to the high thermal and chemical
stability and excellent radiation hard-
ness, GaN HEMT sensors can operate in
all planetary conditions, which has not
been possible for the conventional Si-
based sensors. This innovation can offer
a key capability for future NASA mis-
sions in extreme environments includ-
ing Venus surface missions and Europa
and Titan flagship missions. These
micro GaN chemical sensors will be
beneficial for Mars astrobiology field
labs, comet nucleus sample returns,
Titan in-situ, Europa surface and sub-
surface, and giant planet deep probe
missions.
This work was done by Kyung-ah Son,
Baohua Yang, and Anna Liao of Caltech;
Jeongsun Moon of HRL Laboratories, LLC;
and Nicholas Prokopuk of the Naval Air
Warfare Center for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. For more information, contact
iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-45973
On the Divergence of the Velocity Vector
in Real-Gas Flow
A theoretical study was performed
addressing the degree of applicability
or inapplicability, to a real gas, of the
occasionally stated belief that for an
ideal gas, incompressibility is synony-
mous with a zero or very low Mach
number. The measure of compressibili-
ty used in this study is the magnitude of
the divergence of the flow velocity vec-
tor [u (where u is the flow velocity)].
The study involves a mathematical deri-
vation that begins with the governing
equations of flow and involves consider-
ation of equations of state, thermody-
namics, and fluxes of heat, mass, and
the affected molecular species. The
derivation leads to an equation for the
volume integral of (u )
2
that indi-
cates contributions of several thermo-
dynamic, hydrodynamic, and species-
flux effects to compressibility and
reveals differences between real and
ideal gases. An analysis of the equation
leads to the conclusion that for a real
gas, incompressibility is not synony-
mous with zero or very small Mach
number. Therefore, it is further con-
cluded, the contributions to compress-
ibility revealed by the derived equation
should be taken into account in simula-
tions of real-gas flows.
This work was done by Josette Bellan of Caltech
for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more
information, contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov.
NPO-46113
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Intro
www.asmsensors.com
Tel. 1-888-ASM-USA-1
WS31C / WS42C
Protection class IP50 (IP65)
Measurement ranges 0 ... 9.84 to 0 ... 39.37 in.
Linearity 0.35% full scale
Outputs: R1K; 0 - 10V; encoder A/B/Z
WS
Series / POSIWIRE
Cable Extension Position

Sensors
WS10
Protection class IP65 (IP69K)
Measurement ranges 0 ... 9.84 to 0 ... 49.21 in .
Linearity up to 0.05 % full scale
Outputs: R1K; 0 - 10V; 4 - 20mA; SSI and
encoder A/B/Z, CAN
WS17KT
Protection class IP64 (IP69K)
Measurement ranges 0 ... 59.05 to 0 ... 590.55 in.
Linearity up to 0.05 % full scale
Outputs: R1K; 0 - 10V; 4 - 20mA; SSI and
encoder A/B/Z, CAN
Information Sciences
Integrated Risk and Knowledge
Management Program IRKM-P
Program helps people do work more effectively.
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
The NASA Exploration Systems Mission
Directorate (ESMD) IRKM-P tightly cou-
ples risk management and knowledge
management processes and tools to pro-
duce an effective modern work environ-
ment. IRKM-P objectives include: (1) to
learn lessons from past and current pro-
grams (Apollo, Space Shuttle, and the
International Space Station); (2) to gen-
erate and share new engineering design,
operations, and management best prac-
tices through pre-existing Continuous
Risk Management (CRM) procedures
and knowledge-management practices;
and (3) to infuse those lessons and best
practices into current activities. The con-
ceptual framework of the IRKM-P is based
on the assumption that risks highlight
potential knowledge gaps that might be
mitigated through one or more knowl-
edge management practices or artifacts.
These same risks also serve as cues for col-
lection of knowledge particularly,
knowledge of technical or programmatic
challenges that might recur.
The main components of the IRKM-P
are the following:
Continuous Risk Management
The CRM process is a continuous, itera-
tive process that identifies, analyzes,
plans, tracks, controls, communicates,
and documents risk through all life-
cycle phases of an organizations prod-
uct developments. ESMD uses an enter-
prise risk management approach and a
common framework for identifying,
analyzing, communicating, and manag-
ing risks for ESMD and its performing
organizations. Risks are communicated
vertically through an escalation process
horizontal integration occurs
through a multi-tiered risk management
working group and board structure.
This network is also used to communi-
cate lessons learned and best practices.
Process 2.0
The IRKM-P also has an important work-
process-assist element called Process
2.0, or P20, which is modeled on the
U.S. Army after-action review (AAR)
process. P20s are process-focused, colle-
gial, structured reflection events. They
rapidly deliver sustainable results
through (1) focusing the team on doing
work better derived from Demings
plan-do-check-reflect, (2) careful, discus-
sion time management, (3) employment
of structured thinking /logic techniques,
and (4) enforcement of disciplined think-
ing to drive out actionable process
improvements for the team. P20s have
been used for a diverse set of team
processes ranging from loads analysis to
budget processes.
Knowledge-Based Risks
ESMD defines Knowledge-Based Risks
(KBRs) as: a risk record, with associated
knowledge artifacts, that provides a
story-telling narrative of how this risk
was mitigated and what worked or
didnt work. A KBR is also a means of
transferring knowledge in a risk con-
text. As key risks are mitigated, particu-
larly risks which are likely to recur across
other programs in ESMD, lessons are
captured what were the effects of mit-
igation activities; how were cost, sched-
ule, and technical performance impact-
ed, and so on. These lessons are append-
ed to the risk record and organized in
the risk tool by work breakdown struc-
ture for reuse by program and project
risk managers in helping to identify new
risks or develop better plans for pre-
existing risks. When new candidate risks
are identified, risk owners use related
KBRs and other risks as inputs to devel-
oping their risk mitigation, analysis, and
documentation approach. This provides
a tight coupling of CRM with lessons
learned. Instead of a collect, store, and
ignore approach, KBRs form an active
collection of lesson-learned, which are
continually reused and updated.
Wiki-Enabled Teams
Wiki-enabled teams perform a set of
essential collaboration and knowledge
sharing functions across the directorate.
Cov ToC
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Intro
GERM
AN
PAVILION
BOOTH 1433
Constructing LDPC Codes
From Loop-Free Encoding
Modules
High-speed iterative decoders can readily be
implemented in hardware.
A method of constructing certain low-density parity-check
(LDPC) codes by use of relatively simple loop-free coding mod-
ules has been developed. The subclasses of LDPC codes to
which the method applies includes accumulate-repeat-accumu-
late (ARA) codes, accumulate-repeat-check-accumulate codes,
and the codes described in Accumulate-Repeat-Accumulate-
Accumulate Codes (NPO-41305), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31,
No. 9 (September 2007), page 90. All of the affected codes can
be characterized as serial/parallel (hybrid) concatenations of
such relatively simple modules as accumulators, repetition
codes, differentiators, and punctured single-parity check
codes. These are error-correcting codes suitable for use in a
variety of wireless data-communication systems that include
An important part of exploiting this technology has been help-
ing teams critically examine their work processes and informa-
tion architecture, which is then mapped into the tool. The wiki
provides teams an easy to use, flexible interface to collaborate
on documents, conduct discussions, manage calendars, locate
information, and, most importantly, work more effectively.
Knowledge-Sharing Forums
Knowledge-sharing forums can range from simple lunch sem-
inars to larger conferences, such as APPELs Masters Forum.
A key goal in holding these forums is to provide speakers with
subject matter expertise pertinent to risk drivers across
ESMD. Many of these forums are recorded for later reuse.
Experience-Based Training
Experience-based training involves risk management case stud-
ies, which serve as the ultimate multi-media lessons learned
interface in our on-line environment. The first case developed
addresses the project success story of the Space Shuttle Super
Light Weight Tank development going back to the IRKM-P
framework of risks providing a cuing function, this subject was
chosen because we are currently challenged by several mass-
related risks and will continue to be challenged to control
mass for the heavy lift booster, lunar lander, and habitat mod-
ules. These RM cases are intended to highlight key trans-
ferrable aspects of risk management, including the identifica-
tion and analysis of risks, rigorous mitigation planning, and risk
trades. The proper application of risk management principles
examined in these cases can help manage lifecycle costs, devel-
opment schedules, and risk, resulting in safer and more reli-
able systems for Constellation and other future programs.
The IRKM-P continues to evolve and serves as an effective
extension of management leadership to facilitate integration,
collaboration, and effective work-process implementation
across the complex ESMD enterprise.
This work was done by David M. Lengyel of NASA Headquarters. For
more information, download the Technical Support Package (free
white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Information
Sciences category. HQN-11315-1
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Intro
Information Sciences
A Simple Rate-1/2 ARA Code is depicted here with its protograph representation as an example of codes to which the present method applies. An encoder
for this code includes a precoder in the form of a punctured accumulator.
Puncture
X0
Puncture
0X
Puncture
00x
Rep
3
Rep
3

0 0 1
2
1
2
4
3
Protograph
Threshold 0.516 dB
ARA Coding With Repeat 3, Rate 1/2
Accumulation
Accumulation
Repeat 3
Permutation (Interleaving)
Output
D
D
Systematic Bits to Channel
noisy channels. These codes can also be
characterized as hybrid turbolike codes
that have projected graph or protograph
representations (for example see fig-
ure); these characteristics make it possi-
ble to design high-speed iterative
decoders that utilize belief-propagation
algorithms.
The present method comprises two
related submethods for constructing
LDPC codes from simple loop-free mod-
ules with circulant permutations. The
first submethod is an iterative encoding
method based on the erasure-decoding
algorithm. The computations required
by this method are well organized
because they involve a parity-check
matrix having a block-circulant struc-
ture.
The second submethod involves the
use of block-circulant generator matri-
ces. The encoders of this method are
very similar to those of recursive convo-
lutional codes. Some encoders accord-
ing to this second submethod have been
implemented in a small field-program-
mable gate array that operates at a speed
of 100 megasymbols per second.
By use of density evolution (a compu-
tational-simulation technique for analyz-
ing performances of LDPC codes), it has
been shown through some examples
that as the block size goes to infinity, low
iterative decoding thresholds close to
channel capacity limits can be achieved
for the codes of the type in question hav-
ing low maximum variable node
degrees. The decoding thresholds in
these examples are lower than those of
the best-known unstructured irregular
LDPC codes constrained to have the
same maximum node degrees.
Furthermore, the present method
enables the construction of codes of any
desired rate with thresholds that stay
uniformly close to their respective chan-
nel capacity thresholds.
This work was done by Dariush Divsalar,
Samuel Dolinar, Christopher Jones, Jeremy
Thorpe, and Kenneth Andrews of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
(818) 354-2240
page number.
LDPC Codes With Minimum Distance Proportional to Block Size
These codes offer both low decoding thresholds and low error floors.
Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes
characterized by minimum Hamming dis-
tances proportional to block sizes have
been demonstrated. Like the codes men-
tioned in the immediately preceding arti-
cle, the present codes are error-correcting
codes suitable for use in a variety of wire-
less data-communication systems that
include noisy channels.
The previously mentioned codes have
low decoding thresholds and reasonably
low error floors. However, the minimum
Hamming distances of those codes do
not grow linearly with code-block sizes.
Codes that have this minimum-distance
property exhibit very low error floors.
Examples of such codes include regular
LDPC codes with variable degrees of at
least 3. Unfortunately, the decoding
thresholds of regular LDPC codes are
high. Hence, there is a need for LDPC
codes characterized by both low decod-
ing thresholds and, in order to obtain
acceptably low error floors, minimum
Hamming distances that are proportion-
al to code-block sizes.
The present codes were developed to
satisfy this need. The minimum
Hamming distances of the present codes
have been shown, through considera-
tion of ensemble-average weight enu-
merators, to be proportional to code
block sizes. As in the cases of irregular
ensembles, the properties of these codes
are sensitive to the proportion of
degree-2 variable nodes. A code having
too few such nodes tends to have an iter-
ative decoding threshold that is far from
the capacity threshold. A code having
too many such nodes tends not to exhib-
it a minimum distance that is propor-
tional to block size.
Results of computational simulations
have shown that the decoding thresholds
of codes of the present type are lower than
those of regular LDPC codes. Included in
the simulations were a few examples from
a family of codes characterized by rates
ranging from low to high and by thresh-
olds that adhere closely to their respective
channel capacity thresholds; the simula-
tion results from these examples showed
that the codes in question have low error
floors as well as low decoding thresholds.
Cov ToC
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Intro
As an example, the illustration shows the protograph (which
represents the blueprint for overall construction) of one pro-
posed code family for code rates greater than or equal to
1
2. Any
size LDPC code can be obtained by copying the protograph
structure N times, then permuting the edges. The illustration
also provides Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) hardware
performance simulations for this code family. In addition, the
illustration provides minimum signal-to-noise ratios (Eb/No) in
decibels (decoding thresholds) to achieve zero error rates as the
code block size goes to infinity for various code rates. In compar-
ison with the codes mentioned in the preceding article, these
codes have slightly higher decoding thresholds.
The present codes offer one main disadvantage with respect
to the codes described previously: These codes do not lend
themselves to computationally efficient structures that can be
implemented in high-speed encoder hardware. However, high-
speed encoder implementation can be expected to be a subject
of future research.
This work was done by Dariush Divsalar, Christopher Jones, Samuel
Dolinar, and Jeremy Thorpe of Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517, the contractor has elected to
retain title to this invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its commer-
cial use should be addressed to:
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
(818) 354-2240
Refer to NPO-42063, volume and number of this NASA Tech
Briefs issue, and the page number.
Accumulate-Repeat-Jagged-Accumulate (ARJA) LDPC Code Family is illustrated as follows: (a) protograph, (b) performance of FPGA hardware decoder, and
(c) decoding thresholds.
Code Rate =(n+1)/(n+2)
Check Node
Edge
Variable Node
Code
Rate
Protograph
decoding
Threshold

CNC for R&D
CNC becomes personal when the size, cost, and ease
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technology into their lab, engineering ofce, or home
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Product information and
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Intro
EPOXY PREFORMS DESIGNED FOR UNIFORMITY
Free samples and evaluations available. (860) 643-7188 multi-seals.com
Consistent seals are critical to most components, but the seals in your
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inconsistent seals. Uni-form epoxy preforms ensure the consistency
that liquid epoxy cannot match. Uni-forms are pre-shaped, one-part resins
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Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Win
emperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Tem
ture, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperatur
umidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Hum
y, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity,
recipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Prec
ation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitatio
olar Radiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Sola
adiation, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radi
on, Atmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation,
tmospheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atm
pheric Pressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmosphe
ressure, Wind, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Atmospheric Pres
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ture Humidity Precipitation Solar Radiation Atmospheric Pressure Wind Temperatur
Meteorological
Instruments
Books & Reports
MMICs With Radial Probe Transitions to
Waveguides
A document presents an update on the innovation report-
ed in Integrated Radial Probe Transition From MMIC to
Waveguide (NPO-43957), NASA Tech Briefs Vol. 31, No. 5
(May 2007), page 38. To recapitulate: To enable operation or
testing of a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC),
it is necessary to mount the MMIC in a waveguide package
that typically has cross-sectional waveguide dimensions of the
order of a few hundred microns. A radial probe transition
between an MMIC operating at 340 GHz and a waveguide had
been designed (but not yet built and tested) to be fabricated
as part of a monolithic unit that would include the MMIC.
The radial probe could readily be integrated with an
MMIC amplifier because the design provided for fabrication
of the transition on a substrate of the same material (InP)
and thickness (50 m) typical of substrates of MMICs that
can operate above 300 GHz. As illustrated in the updated
document by drawings, photographs, and plots of test data,
the concept has now been realized by designing, fabricating,
and testing several MMIC/radial-probe integrated-circuit
chips and designing and fabricating a waveguide package to
contain each chip.
This work was done by Lorene Samoska, Goutam Chattopadhyay,
David Pukala, Mary Soria, King Man Fung, and Todd Gaier of Caltech
for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Vesna Radisic, Stella
Makishi, William Deal, and Richard Lai of Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NGC). The work was sponsored under the DARPA SWIFT
program and the contributors would like to acknowledge the support of
Dr. Mark Rosker (DARPA) and Dr. H. Alfred Hung (Army Research
Laboratory). For more information, download the Technical Support
Package (free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the
Electronics/Computers category. NPO-45460
Tests of Low-Noise MMIC Amplifier Module
at 290 to 340 GHz
A document presents data from tests of a low-noise amplifi-
er module operating in the frequency range from 290 to 340
GHz said to be the highest-frequency low-noise, solid-state
amplifier ever developed. The module comprised a three-stage
monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier
integrated with radial probe MMIC/waveguide transitions and
contained in a compact waveguide package, all according to
the concepts described in the immediately preceding article
and in the referenced prior article, Integrated Radial Probe
Transition From MMIC to Waveguide (NPO-43957), NASA
Tech Briefs Vol. 31, No. 5 (May 2007), page 38.
The tests included measurements by the Y-factor method, in
which noise figures are measured repeatedly with an input
noise source alternating between an on (hot-load) condition
and an off (cold-load) condition. (The Y factor is defined as
the ratio between the on and off noise power levels.) The
test results showed that, among other things, the module
exhibited a minimum noise figure of about 8.7 dB at 325 GHz
(Continued on page 76)
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Intro
w
w
w
.t
e
c
h
b
r
ie
f
s
.c
o
m
/
m
o
t
io
n
October 2009
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Intro
M
achine designers and end users find themselves balanc-
ing sometimes opposing priorities such as improving
energy efficiency while minimizing adverse impact on the envi-
ronment, at the same time ensuring performance (e.g., preci-
sion, reliability) is not compromised. A key trend towards
meeting the challenges has been to shift from hydraulic actua-
tion towards electric actuation, especially in applications char-
acterized by high degree of responsiveness, space constraints,
high uptime/low maintenance, low energy consumption, and
minimal environmental impact.
In the past, the transition to electric actuation was limited
by the long payback periods driven to a large extent by the
cost of high power density motors, higher cost and lower reli-
ability of power electronics and roller/ball screws.
Additionally, the transition was hampered by the shortage of
mechatronic skill sets at customers, which are vital for specify-
ing the required performance of electric actuation and
installing and commissioning the same.
Thankfully, significant advances in permanent magnet tech-
nology, improvements in semiconductors, and improved relia-
bility of key components over the last two decades have dramat-
ically increased the power/capability-to-cost ratio in high per-
formance motors and servo drives by more than 40%, raising
the economic attractiveness of such electric options.
Innovations in design, materials engineering, and manufactur-
ing processes have enabled the development of ball screws that
can deliver equivalent or better life than competing technolo-
gies with improved accuracy, precision, and a compact foot-
print, all at a very attractive cost of ownership. The price pre-
mium (20-40% depending on the application) for an electric
actuation system over a hydraulic system can be recovered in 1-
3 years through lower power consumption, lower maintenance
and greater flexibility.
Additionally, some suppliers have reduced the risk of transi-
tion by providing a complete solution, including sizing software
to specify the actuator requirements, a matched servo drive-
actuator combination and easy-to-use commissioning software
that offsets customer reluctance to adopt new electric technolo-
gies. Some recent examples of applications that have successful-
ly transitioned to electric actuation include flight simulation
and sub-sea oil production.
In flight simulation, a SixDegrees of Freedom (6DOF)
robotic platform in a high payload, high fidelity and a highly
responsive closed-loop system switched from hydraulic to all-
electric technology. In sub-sea oil production, electric actua-
tion provides reliable control of valves in very challenging envi-
ronments. These are all sterling examples of electric actuation
enabling solutions that are energy-efficient, compact, highly
productive, and environmentally-friendly, yet with quick pay-
back periods.
While electric servo actuation may not be the solution for
every application, advances in technology and innovations by
suppliers have made electric actuation a viable alternative,
especially in todays environment favoring lower power con-
sumption, less environmental impact and lower cost of own-
ership. Pay-back periods, depending on the type of applica-
tion, can be as low as one year. Proactive suppliers of electric
actuation with expertise in designing mechatronic systems
have introduced tools that are accelerating the adoption of
electric actuation.
Advances in ball screw design to further improve power den-
sity (i.e., increase linear force without increasing actuator enve-
lope) will enable electric solutions to further penetrate high
force applications traditionally the domain of hydraulics.
This is being enabled by advances in FEA (Finite Element
Analysis) techniques that lead to deeper understanding of the
issues related to boundary layer lubrication. Additional contri-
butions come from advancements in material development,
improvements in surface engineering, precision machining,
and metrology techniques. Servo drive technology continues
to leverage the advances in semiconductor manufacturing,
leading to smaller device sizes and higher computing power.
All of these technology advances taken together will increase
the options for machine builders and end-users looking to find
better ways to meet the challenges of the future.
This article was written by Rob Nicholl, Engineering Manager, and Ray
Opie, Senior Project Engineer at Moog Industrial Group, East Aurora, NY.
For more information, contact James Marsh at Moog Industrial Group at
info.usa@moog.com, or go to http://info.hotims.com/22928-330.
62 Motion Control Technology, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-755
Electric Actuators Deliver Energy
Efficient, Low Maintenance Solutions
Electric Actuators Deliver Energy
Efficient, Low Maintenance Solutions
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Intro
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Intro
Fanuc Painting Robot Boosts Production for Metal Finisher
C
lassic Metal Finishing, based in
Jackson, Mich., supplies compo-
nents for the aerospace, motorcycle, rac-
ing, and medical industries. The plant
was purchased in February, 2008 by
Classic Metal Finishing and Classic
Turning. Classic Turning performs high-
end CNC machining of components and
Classic Metal Finishing performs anodiz-
ing and dry film lubricant applications.
Classic Metal Finishings anodizing line
can anodize with two different types for
corrosion inhibitor resistance, and can
die aluminum in eight different colors.
Dry film lubricant is applied to parts to
help with high friction tolerance fits and
moving assemblies.
Today, Classic Metal Finishings team
leaders have 25 years of experience in
manufacturing and engineering. Acc -
ording to Phil Morrison, plant manager
of Classic Metal Finishing, Classic Metal
Finishing and Classic Turning is a one-
stop job shop, we machine from the raw
material to the metal finish to deliver
complete components to the customer.
Classic Metal Finishings total
machine process solution, provided by
Thierica Equipment Corp., Grand
Rapids, Mich., includes two Fanuc
Robotics Paint Mate 200iA robots in a
table-top paint booth design. Its a great
compact system that uses minimal floor
space, said Morrison.
Thierica Equipment Corp. and Phil
Morrison had worked together for over
12 years to pioneer systems that sprayed
dry film lubricant to the outside diame-
ter (OD) and inside diameter (ID) of
many industry parts using a two-axis (x,z,
tilt) fixed-gun spray machine. In late
2008, Classsic Metal Finishing began dis-
cussing the purchase of automated
machines. Thierica Equipment Corp.
presented an alternate solution to incor-
porate Fanuc Robotics new Paint Mate
200iA mini-paint robot.
The Paint Mate 200iA is Fanuc
Robotics latest and smallest six-axis
coating robot designed to meet the
automation needs of a various indus-
tries, including aerospace, alternative
energy, automotive component, appli-
ance, agricultural equipment, consumer
goods, plastics and many others. The
Paint Mate 200iA has a payload capacity
of 5kg and a reach of 704mm; a longer
reach version, the Paint Mate 200iA/5L,
is available with a reach of 892mm. Ideal
for small part applications, the Paint
Mate 200iA is a cost-effective replace-
ment for fixed automation. In addition,
it is approved for FM and ATEX
Hazardous locations, Class I, II, III and
Div. 1 environments.
The Fanuc Robotics R-30iA Con troller
and iPendant offer a multi-window color
display, which allows easy input and
adjustment of system parameters and
provides quick access to built-in diagnos-
tic and help information. Custom user-
developed screens and messaging, and
the iPendants ability to access specific
work instructions and machine setups on
the plant network maximize overall sys-
tem uptime and productivity.
Thierica Equipment Corp.s spray sys-
tem design used an AB PLC with a touch
screen that is able to handle one thou-
sand jobs, which is well suited for com-
munication with Fanuc Robotics R-30iA
robot controller. The operators end of
the two-position index table has a pair of
safety light curtains for intrusion detec-
tion. Once the job is selected, the opera-
tor simply adjusts the gun spray to a pre-
determined setting, loads the part into
the machine, and selects the finger sen-
sor start button.
Thierica Equipment Corp. designed
an end-of-arm-tool capable of spraying
with two guns and a quick tool change
capability. The two-position index table
has twin spindles, rpm control for spin-
dle speed, and adjustable fan air dials on
each gun. The integrated two-position
HAROWE BRAND RESOLVERS ARE
Harowe resolvers are built for high temperature (up to 200C), high
pressure, and severe shock and vibration feedback applications.
Resolvers are used in adverse operating
conditions involving extreme environments.
Harowe resolvers provide a consistent and
reliable signal in conditions where encoders
tend to have failures.
Industries
Robotics
Machine Tool
Wood Working
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Plant Automation
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1-800-873-8731 www.dyhapar.com
MAXIMUM
DUTY FEEDBACK
INNOVATION - CUSTOMIZATION - DELIVERY - RELIABILITY
Applications
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Motion Control Technology, October 2009 65
m
Thanks to maxon,
science fiction is
relative.
When it really matters, humanoid robots are fitted with our drive
systems. You'll find them, for instance, in hand, arm, hip and leg
joints, where they enable service and maintenance robots to move
precisely in the real world, not only in the movies.
maxon motor is the world's leading supplier of high-precision drives and
systems of up to 500 watts. We develop and manufacture brushed and
brushless DC motors with the unique ironless maxon winding. Flat
motors with iron cores supplement our modular product program. In
addition, our unitized construction system produces: planetary and spur
gearheads and special drives, as well as feedback devices and control
electronics. High-tech ceramic and metallic injection molding compon-
ents are manufactured in a special competence center. maxon motor
stands for premium quality, innovation, competitive prices and a world-
wide sales network. However, what distinguishes us most is the quality
of the solution that we achieve with and for our customers. See what we
can do for you: www.maxonmotorusa.com
maxon motor
driven by precision
index table and Paint Mate 200iA robot system handles compo-
nents sized from
3
16" to 5" diameter, and is capable of spraying
two types of material and two different part configurations with
any combination. For example, it can apply a type of dry film
lubricant to the ID of the component, and a second type of dry
film lubricant to a section of the components OD.
The robot system is required to apply dry film lubricant to
a wide range of components with a consistent film thickness.
The dry film lubricant is sprayed with an air brush gun due to
the required minimal film thickness. This type of material has
a short two-second flash time, making it difficult to apply
without dry spots and runs which makes this a perfect appli-
cation for the Fanuc Robotics Paint Mate 200iA robot. The
dry film lubricant supply system consists of Graco pressure
pots, a fluid pressure regulator, and a back pressure regula-
tor. The air brush gun has a Y fitting attached so the dry
film lubricant continuously re-circulates and agitates to keep
the dry film lubricant flowing past the gun needle. This fluid
system design prevents plugged, dried out gun tips and also
keep the dry film lubricant system ready to spray at a
moments notice.
Robotic System Increases Production
Classic Metal Finishing is able to spray parts in the same man-
ner that an operator could spray by hand. System payback is in
the production speed, repeatability, and labor. Hand spray of a
dry film lubricant produced 65 parts per hour, a servo con-
trolled two-axis fixed gun spray machine produced 125 parts
per hour. The Paint Mate 200iA system with only one gun can
produce 250 parts per hour with a single spindle, but with a
duel spindle load it can produce 500 parts per hour. That is
a 770% production increase over hand spraying, and a 400%
production increase over a servo-controlled, two-axis fixed gun
spray machine.
Due to the accuracy of the Paint Mate 200iA, the system
requires less masking fixtures versus a manual spray operation or
servo controlled two-axis fixed gun spray machine. Classic Metal
Finishing expects a labor cost savings of 30-50% and a system
ROI (Return on Invest ment) of three years. Classic Metal
Finishing will be able to grow their business through the system
Fanuc Robotics PaintMate 200iA robot helped Classic Metal Finishing
increase spray painting productivity.
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Intro
The Skipchek
feature, available on the Deschner Kinechek
speed regulator,
is a better solution when drilling tube sections, clevis parts, or anywhere a
straight hole must be drilled in two or more walls.
Controlled feed through the first wall, fast forward (skip), controlled feed
through the second wall. No more drilling air!
Alignment of the holes is achieved by drilling continuously through both walls
from one side eliminating the need for two drill motors drilling on opposite
sides. Results: perfectly aligned holes with lower equipment costs, set up
time and maintenance.
Visit deschner.com for instant PDF specs to download. Put the Skipcheck
solution to work for you. Find out more about the complete line of Deschner
leak-proof shock absorbers and
speed regulators.
REDUCES MAINTENANCE
SAVES TIME
DESCHNER CORPORATION
3211 W. Harvard Street, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Tel. (714) 557-1261 Fax (714) 557-4762
Email: ntbinfo@deschner.com
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FASTER,
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TUBE DRILLING
OPERATIONS!
THE DESCHNER SKIPCHEK
S
K
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It| |tt|tt| |ttl
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Applications
S
tereology, a tool that became popular in the late 90s, is
used to quantify properties of 3D objects from 2D sections
through an object (such as microscope slides of brain tissue).
This method is accepted by neuroscientists as the preferred way
to estimate numbers of cell populations in brain structures. The
MBF Biosciences Stereo Investigator system from MBF
Bioscience, Williston, VT, is the markets leading product and
utilizes procedures that use small sample sizes that can be col-
lected rapidly and assure findings that will be accurate, unbi-
ased and statistically efficient.
HEIDENHAIN Gauge
Facilitates Precision
Stereology Research
flexibility, quality (consistent film thickness), and reduced labor
cost provided by the robotic system.
The small premium far exceeds the benefits of part run
flexibility and increased production with the Paint Mate 200iA
versus a servo controlled two-axis fixed gun spray machine,
said Classic Metal Finishings Morrison.
Classic Metal Finishing has learned that the Paint Mate
200iA would spray the dry film lubricant faster than a human
can load the part, so the robot process speed was slowed down
for the operator to keep up. To speed production, a Fanuc LR
Mate 200iC robot with vision is planned for the future to han-
dle loading and unloading dry film lubricant applied compo-
nents from the Paint Mate 200iA two-position turn table to a
chain-on-edge conveyor system for final curing.
I would suggest the Fanuc Robotics Paint Mate 200iA and
Thierica Equipment Corp. to any company that wants to
remain competitive in todays global market, added Morrison.
This article was written by Brent Lamarand, Engineer, Fanuc
Robotics America Inc., Toledo, OH. For more information, please con-
tact Barton Faylor at Fanuc Robotics America, at 419-867-6070, or go
to: http://info.hotims.com/22928-325.
HEIDENHAINs MT 1271 length gauge improves the accuracy of MBF
Biosciences Stereo Investigator stereology system.
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Intro
A fully integrated Stereo Investigator
system includes a microscope, motor-
ized stage with a closed-loop focus con-
trol, high resolution digital camera and
a PC workstation with relevant software.
Often, doctors and researchers in need
of a brain tissue analysis system already
have a microscope, but not the ability to
do this fine analysis. This is where MBF
Bioscience Stereo Investigator can
expand their capabilities.
The introduction of MBF Biosciences
Stereo Investigator included their
Optical Fractionator Workflow that man-
ages the brain research work step-by-
step, making it easier to train people in
performing stereology, an often tedious
and complicated task.
The Optical Fractionator Workflow
visualizes focal planes through thick slices
of tissue and analyzes them in a systemat-
ic way, said Paul Angstman, MBF
Bioscience vice president. To do this, we
require a precise positioning system so
that the motorized stage and focus we use
becomes a centrally critical component.
When youre doing stereology or neu-
ron tracing, you need to be extremely
precise, said Angstman. A key to all of
our systems is the positioning of a micro-
scope and the detection and implemen-
tation of focal changes. This is done by
the motorized stages that we combine
with an extremely high accurate linear
length gauge. This gauge, from HEI-
DENHAIN Corp. (Schaumburg, IL), is
accurate to 0.05 m and has proven to
be an extremely reliable component of
all of our systems. MBF Bioscience
offers multiple microscopic image analy-
sis systems and solutions.
MBF Biosciences choice of the HEI-
DENHAIN METRO gauge ensures that
the position of the systems microscope
is exactly where it needs to be during
brain tissue analysis. It is positioned on
the microscope itself and works with the
stage controller in order to facilitate pre-
cise movements while working in con-
junction with the Z motor. The gauge
enables MBF Biosciences Stereo
Investigator system to be a closed-loop
operation, feeding information back
and forth to the controller.
The HEIDENHAIN MT 1271 length
gauge has a measuring range of 12 mm
(0.47 in.) and recommended measuring
steps of 0.5 m to 0.05 m. With its high
system accuracy and small signal period
(of 2 m), the gauge is ideal for precision
measuring stations and testing equip-
ment. It has a ball-bush guided plunger,
therefore permitting high radial forces.
Angstman added that MBF rarely sells
one of their systems without this particu-
lar METRO gauge from HEIDENHAIN.
Its just what people need to obtain that
high Z accuracy. These gauges are solid
workhorses and give us the advantage
necessary to make our system function
better, he said. Id say they are
extremely reliable since weve put hun-
dreds out into the field and few, if any,
have been returned.
Stereo Investigators wide array of
features enables field applications
directly with light and confocal micro-
scopes, as well as with files from elec-
tron microscopes and scanning tomo-
graphic instruments.
Stereology provides an important con-
tribution to advancing biomedical
research by improving the consistency
and dependability of quantitative analyti-
cal results produced in the laboratory
and reported in scientific publications.
Heidehains Metro gauge plays a key role
in improving measurement accuracy.
This article was co-written by HEIDEN-
HAIN Corp., Schaumburg, IL, and MBF
Bioscience, Williston, VT. For more informa-
tion, please contact Kevin Kaufenberg at
HEIDENHAIN, at 847-490-1191, e-mail the
company at info@heidenhain.com, or go to
http://info.hotims.com/22928-326.
Motion Control Technology, October 2009 67
T
h
e

k
e
y

i
s

i
n
t
e
g
r
a
t
i
n
g

s
e
v
e
r
a
l

p
a
r
t
s

i
n
t
o

o
n
e

p
i
e
c
e
.
ENTER THE INCREDIBLE
WORLD OF MACHINED SPRINGS
Introducing:
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A broad range of spring rates
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Safety operation
Repeatabilitypredictability
Integration with entire assembly
Cost reduction
Accommodates spring modes:
compression-extension, torsion,
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Torsional springs produce pure
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Easier assembly
Free engineering
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Examples not
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PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC.
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Intro
Magnetic Rotary Encoders Aid Remote Control Vehicle
A
B Precision (ABP) prefers to call its
Guardian a vehicle (as in MROV -
Miniature Remotely Operated Vehicle)
rather than a robot. Names aside, the
UK-based engineering companys quad-
tracked, articulated creation is character-
ized by dexterity and maneuverability. Its
network of ten Renishaw non-contact
encoders provide absolute positional
feedback to a CPU.
On a remote control, at a safe dis-
tance from whatever hazard is being
dealt with, the operator is able to see
alive, rotating graphical representation.
When viewed alongside images from
four on-board video cameras, Guardian
can be operated out of sight and in con-
stricted spaces.
The vehicle has several moveable
parts, said ABPs Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) project manager Cindy
Barfoot, including the base, which is a
turntable. You can also raise, lower,
extend, and retract the main arm, pan
and tilt, plus tilt the camera and the
onboard weapon, both of which can
move independently. Guardian can
climb stairs; reach under or inside vehi-
cles or stand over 2.6 meters high on
tip-toe. It has bi-directional audio capa-
bility, traction control, and is sufficiently
narrow to move down aircraft and train
aisles. A remote control with four video
feeds enables Guardian to be used out of
sight in confined areas.
The on-board Renishaw rotary en -
coders detect the positions of all articu-
lated components of the arm and track
mechanisms, with the data being sent via
a continuous telemetry stream back to
the base station control. ABPs propri-
etary software prevents further move-
ment if two parts of the vehicle are about
to collide.
Renishaw non-contact encoders pro-
vide positional feedback. Guardians
spatial awareness is as advanced as an
electro mechanical device can be. The
arm carries a various tools, including
water jets and x-ray.
Spatial Awareness
Angular position sensing on the vehi-
cle is achieved using a Renishaw AM512
magnetic sensor, said Nigel Peter, proj-
ect engineer for Guardian who is
responsible for specifying Renishaw
components. We also use RMB20 high-
speed rotary magnetic encoders in mod-
ular format, which makes them very easy
to integrate.
All of the Renishaw encoders are phys-
ically small enough to use where space is
at a premium and, at the same time are
robust, simple, and reliable; important
considerations for a vehicle designed for
use in hostile and corrosive environ-
ments. They are also very easy to inter-
face to our data collection PICs, said
Peter, and because they are non-con-
tact, they provide seamless feedback
through 360 of movement.
The AM512 sensors are mounted
directly to our controller PCBs, so no
wiring is required, reducing cost and
increasing reliability. The result is a
remote, intelligent limb with full
vision, able to carry and use various
tools, depending upon the application.
In bomb disposal situations, its armed
with a disruptor- referred to as a weapon
- which can fire a jet of very high-pres-
sure water to neutralize a device.
Peter added, The water jet is used to
disable the circuitry controlling an explo-
sive device and renders it safe but without
destroying the forensic evidence. We can
mount up to four different disruptors or
other weapons on a single vehicle. In
nuclear, biological or chemical applica-
tions, these disruptors can be replaced
withhandling devices or sensors.
The new MROV embodies everything
the company has learned since it intro-
duced its first vehicle - the extremely suc-
cessful Cyclops. We decided to build a
new vehicle from scratch, said Peter. He
added that the vehicle was designed with
help of a former bomb disposal expert
who provided assistance with design and
features selection.
Apart from anything else, Guardian
looks completely different from Cyclops
and from other vehicles available.
However, its clean lines and high-quality
finishes are more than just show. They
also make for quick and easy decontam-
ination when deployed in toxic, contam-
inating, and radioactive environments.
This article was written by Howard Salt,
Business Manager Encoder Systems,
Renishaw Inc., Hoffman Estates, IL. For
more information, please contact Mr. Salt
at 847-286-9953, or at Howard.Salt@
renishaw.com, or go to http://info.hotims.com/
22928-328.
www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-757
Applications
Renishaws non-contact encoders provide posi-
tional feedback for articulated components in
remote operated vehicles.
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Intro
Motion Control Technology, October 2009 69 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-756
Products
NEW
Machine Controller
Yaskawa Electric, Waukegan, IL, has en -
hanced its IEC/MP2000iec machine controller
with new hardware and software. New is
MotionWorks IEC Pro, an integrated develop-
ment environment based on the IEC611212-3
international programming standard. The
development environment enables users to pro-
gram in Sequential Function Chart language, configure projects with
up to 16 tasks, and support all MP2000iec controller models.
The MP2310iec machine controller offer three models that allow up
to three local modules of digital or analog I/O to be controlled. It sup-
ports EtherNet/IP and Modbus/TCP for connectivity to most HMI
and PLCs. The controller can operate local Sigma-5 outputs and can
interface third-party remote I/O modules including Phoenix, Wago,
and Opto 22.
Level Switch
The Model 1100 in-line flow level switch from Thomas
Products, Southington, CT, monitors insufficient or
excessive liquid flow rates. It is factory preset for flow
rates of 0.4 to 100 gpm. Other models are available
with a vane to adjust the set point in the field.
Standard process connections range from to
3in. NPT. Standard materials include brass,
bronze, type 316 stainless steel, and Monel.
The switch withstands pressures of up to 1,200 psi at 100F and is
qualified to MIL-S-16032.
Rotary Position Sensor
The RS 1500-200 rotary position sensor from Macro Sensors,
Pennsauken, NJ, measures the angular displacement of rotating ele-
ments such as quarter-turn ball and butterfly valves, air flow dampers,
and diverter gates used in packaging and postal sorting machine. It is
available with a 24Vdc input and 0 to 10Vdc output (RSE 1500-120), or
with a two-wire, 4 to 20mA loop-powered transmitter I/0 (RSI 1500-120).
The sensor utilizes contactless inductive technology to measure
shaft angle position over a 120 nominal range, with linear error of less
than 0.10% of full range output. It operates at temperatures of 0 to
185F and meets IEC IP-66 standards. Other features include a servo-
mount groove and pilot in the sensor body, splash-proof shaft seals,
and mounting flanges.
Motion Control Card
The MC302-K Motion Coor dinator motion card from Trio Motion
Technology Ltd., Gloucestershire, UK, is designed to plug into the
Kollmorgen S300 and S700 drive platform to provide a cost-effective,
fully programmable single-axis control system. The digital interface
gives the controller access to all drive
parameters.
The card has 12 on-board inputs
and five drive inputs, eight on-board
outputs and two drive outputs, all
optoisolated, as well as 2 16bit drive analog
inputs. A CANbus port allows I/O expansion.
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Intro
70 www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, October 2009
Specialty Polymers & Services, Inc.
28064 Avenue Stanford, Suite F
Valencia, CA 91355
www.spolymers.com info@spolymers.com tel: 661-294-1790
Managers Guide to
Productivity Gains With
Multiphysics Simulation
Free e-Book from
COMSOL Inc. explains
how new modeling
tools are enabling busi-
nesses of all sizes to
cut costs and boost
productivity. In four
case studies (and an
accompanying podcast), leading companies
in the biomedical, electronics, oil, and print-
ing industries describe how COMSOL Mul-
tiphysics has helped drive their business
forward. Get your copy today at:
Managers Guide to
Productivity Gains
With Multiphysics
Simulation
Managers Guide to
Productivity Gains
With Multiphysics
Simulation
Published by:
Presented by:
2009 COMSOL, Inc.
www.techbriefs.com/ebook
MINIATURE MICROPOSITIONING
LINEAR AND ROTARY STAGES
National Aperture, Inc. is a
world leader in the produc-
tion of precision stages for
Motion Control. Products
include linear and rotary
stages (manual and motorized) and several different
Controllers depending upon your system require-
ments. Our larger rotary stage (MM-4M-R) shown
above, will carry a load of 4.5kg and has an accura-
cy of 2 arc-minutes and repeatability of 30 arc-
seconds. This unit has optical limits and is available
with several different Gear Heads options. Also
available is a smaller version (MM-3M-R) which is
capable of carrying a top load of 2kg. With a few
exceptions, most NAI Stages are available for use in
vacuum. New products are constantly being devel-
oped, please visit our web site.
National Aperture, Inc., 16 Northwestern Drive,
Salem, NH 03079, P: 800-360-4598, F: 603-893-
7857; Web Site: www.nationalaperture.com;
Contact. sales@nationalaperture.com
Products
NEW
Air Bearing Actuator
The Airpel-AB air bearing actuator from Airpot,
Norwalk, CT, has a specially shaped stainless steel
piston that is precisely fitted to a borosilicate glass
cylinder. Introducing pressurized air into the air bearings cylinder produces a true bearing air-
flow effect around the piston. The air cushion prevents the piston from contacting the outside
wall. The resultant cylinder delivers long piston life and requires no lubrication.
The bearing actuator is available in metric models with four bore diameters and ten standard
strokes to provide precisely repeatable driving or supporting forces from 2 grams to 58kg.
Operating temperatures range from -20 to +90C.
Linear Motor Stages
The ANT95-XY and ANT95-XY-H dual-axis linear motor
stages from Aerotech, Pittsburgh, PA, allow travel in X and
Y dimensions. They allow critical elements such as orthogo-
nality, straightness, and flatness to be optimized. The tech-
nology has no hysteresis or backlash, enabling 5nm resolu-
tion, 50nm repeatability, and 250m accuracy in both X and Y
dimensions. Both the 25 25mm or 50 50mm travel options come with a 60mm profile height.
The motor stages use anti-creep cross-roller bearings for high load capacity as well as high
precision. The direct-drive technology is non-cogging, non-contact, high speed, high resolution,
and high accuracy.
Cylinder Position Sensor
A magnetically actuated linear displacement sensor from
Turck, Minneapolis, MN, the Q25L, detects piston position
on pneumatic cylinders. Suited for applications requiring
precise signal transmission over long measuring distances, it
is available with measuring ranges of 100, 125, 160, and
200mm. By utilizing an external magnet as a position indi-
cator, the sensor can be used in additional applications such as moving platforms, point line
measurement, or other specially designed equipment where a cylinder is not present.
Based on a Hall element, the sensor works with a repeatable accuracy of less than 0.1% of the
measuring range and a linear deviation of less than 1% full scale. The sensors small blind zone
2.5 mm on each end makes it easy to use in space-restricted areas.
Axis Compensation Unit
Schunk Inc., Morrisville, NC, has introduced two-axis compensation
units. The AGE-F is self-centering using spring force and compensates
for deviations of up to 5mm in the X and Y axis. Three spring rates
are available for each of four sizes, which can be preloaded to specif-
ic sizes through an adjustment screw.
The AGE-E has elastomer pads that allow the unit to compensate
for deviations of up to 4mm in the X and Y axis, and angular com-
pensation of up to 3.5in. An optional pneumatic centering lock
enables the unit to be held rigidly on-center when needed. The unit is available for direct
mounting to PGN+, PZN+, JGP, and JGZ grippers from sizes 50 up to 200.
Fiber Optic Rotary Encoder
The MR319 fiber optic rotary encoder from Micronot, Newbury
Park, CA, has an industry-standard 58mm synchro housing and is
installed like a conventional encoder. It optically connects to an
MR310 module via a multimode fiberoptic link. The encoder oper-
ates from 15 to 32 Vdc and offers a range of standard interface
options, including A/B quadrature, programmable 4 to 20mA and
+/-10V analog, and RS-422/RS-485 serial interface.
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Intro
For 40 years, AAC has provided fast
response to requests for compact,
mission-critical current, voltage,
power, and frequency transducers.
Let us deliver the same timely, highly reliable
performance in designing and manufacturing
standard or custom transducers for you,
for a variety of applications:
Space, Aircraft, Land Vehicles, Shipboard
Rail Transit
Industrial Controls
Military and
Commercial C Grade
570 Smith Street Farmingdale, NY 11735
Tel: (631) 694-5100 Toll Free: (888) 873-8559
Fax: (631) 694-6739 / (631) 845-0766
Email: aac@rcn.com www.a-a-c.com
American Aerospace Controls
AS 9100
ISO 9001:2000
Multi-Core Single-Board Computer
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded
Computing, Leesburg, VA, has intro-
duced the VPX6-187 single-board com-
puter based on Freescales eight-core
QorIQ P4080 communications
processor. The 6U VPX computer sup-
ports eight 1.5-GHz Power Architecture processor cores, as well
as four Gigabit Ethernet ports and USB. For Free Info Visit
http://info.hotims.com/22928-100
Multicore Processor
XMOS, Sunnyvale, CA, has released
the XS-1 series event-driven multicore
processor built on a 65-nanometer
process. Each XS-1-L XCore contains a
32-bit processor and operates up to 400
MIPS. The XCore can switch automati-
cally between standby and active. The
processor is available in 10x10 LQFP64 packages. For Free Info
Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-101
Six-Core Workstation
The HP xw9400 workstation from Hewlett-
Packard, Palo Alto, CA, features the six-core AMD
Opteron 2400 Series processor for multi-thread-
ed applications and multitasking environments.
The workstations can accommodate up to two six-
core processors for a total of 12 cores. For Free Info
Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-102
Multi-Processor Board
Kontron, Poway, CA, offers the
VM6250 6U VME multi-
processor board with
Freescale MPC8640 1 or 1.25
GHz single-core or MPC8641
1.33 GHz dual-core processors. It
features power consumption down to 27W, a 64-
bit MPX bus running up to 667 MHz, and memory bandwidth up
to 4.3 Gbit/sec. Other features include soldered DDR2 SDRAM
and onboard USB Flash support. For Free Info Visit
Multicore Application Development Software
Mercury Computer Systems,
Chelmsford, MA, has intro-
duced the MultiCore Plus
Pro
Edition software with a modu-
lar architecture to support
multicore and multicomputer
systems. Developers can con-
figure, test, debug, and profile from one environment. For Free
Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-104
Product Focus: Multicore Computing
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Intro
FARRAND CONTROLS
Inductosyn

and Electrosyn
Transducers
Provide absolute or incremental position data accurate
to 0.5 arc second, or better. Resolution to 26 bits.
For Industrial, Automation,
Aerospace, and Military
applications.
Operate under extreme
conditions - vibration,
temperature from 10K to
160C, shock, high
pressure, vacuum, and
dust or oil films.
Linear units accurate to
40 inches, or better,
with sub-inch resolution.
DIVISION OF RUHLE COMPANIES, INC.
99 Wall Street, Valhalla, NY 10595 Tel: 914-761-2600 Fax: 914-761-0405
VI SI T OUR WEBSI TE AT WWW. RUHLE. COM
When you need
POSI TI ON
ACCURACY
to +0.5 arc second!
For brochure, call or fax today, or contact us at:
sales@ruhle.com
Multiphysics Simulation Software
COMSOL, Burlington, MA, has
released COMSOL Multiphysics 4
modeling and simulation software
that features COMSOL Desktop, a
new user interface that makes it easy
for users of all levels of physics model-
ing experience to build and run simu-
lations. Other features include COMSOL LiveLink for Pro/ENGI-
NEER that provides associativity between the two geometry representa-
tions, so a change in the CAD drawing automatically updates the
geometry. The software supports parallel processing on standard mul-
ticore powered desktops and cluster computing distributed memory
systems. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-110
Handheld Manometer
OMEGA Engineering, Stamford, CT, offers the
HHP350 series handheld digital manometers that
can display 11 different pressure scales and one
user-defined scale. MIN/MAX capture, display
damping, backlit display, display hold, auto off, and
leak test functions are all standard. A record feature
allows manual or automatic storage of up to 240
readings for future recall. For Free Info Visit
Data Loggers
Modbus/RTU Master capability has been
added to the IntelliLogger network-enabled
data logging, reporting, and alarming instru-
ments from Logic Beach, LaMesa, CA. Register
values can be read from connected Modbus
slave transducers, power meters, controls, and
flow meters. Scanned Modbus register values
can be processed, logged to memory, used to trigger alarms, and incor-
porated into email and Web pages served by the IntelliLogger.
Flow Switch
Thomas Products Ltd., Southington, CT,
offers the Model 1100 flow switch that includes
a magnet-equipped shuttle that is displaced at
the proper calibrated flow of liquid to actuate a
SPDT hermetically sealed reed switch within the
stem. It is available with fixed flow settings of 0.4
to 100 GPM in water. Standard process connec-
tions range from
3
4" to 3" NPT, and maximum pressure rating is 1200
psi at 100F. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-107
Parts Molding
Mold Craft, Willernie, MN, has
introduced the Quick Change mold
base for molding multiple parts. The
mold base is made of 420 stainless steel
with water cooling in each plate. The
two-stage ejector system is activated
through the standard ejector cycle to
strip and eject the parts and runners. A runner shut-off feature allows
one or two Quick Change inserts to run simultaneously. Parting line
guide pins and bushings reduce A-side to B-side mismatch within
.0002". For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-108
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High-Voltage Power Supply
The D Series DC-to-DC
high-voltage power supply
from UltraVolt, Ronkonkoma,
NY, features output voltages
from 0 to 6kV at up to 6W of
output power, with output cur-
rent from 166A to 6mA. The
series features output current
limit protection, low noise, and buffered voltage and current monitor-
ing for use in high-voltage testing, gas chromatography, spectrometers,
and image intensifiers. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/
22928-109
Foam Air Filters
Quadrafoam industrial air filters from Universal Air Filter, Sauget,
IL, help industrial applications meet UL 508A requirements for indus-
trial controls of 600V or less in preventing shock and arc flash hazards
within the prohibited approach boundary. The UL 94 HF-1 rated non-
conductive filters provide a protective barrier between the internal
controls and the panel exterior. For Free Info Visit http://info.
hotims.com/22928-111
Modular Insert Tooling
Tormach LLC, Waunakee, WI, has released a
line of modular insert tooling that offers 24 dif-
ferent cutting tool combinations using five cutting
head geometries in multiple sizes and tool
lengths. The system uses replaceable carbide
inserts with cutting geometries for face milling, end
milling, and ball end milling. Cutter mounts are avail-
able in three lengths. For Free Info Visit http://info.
hotims.com/22928-112
Digital Contact Sensor
Keyence Corp. of America,
Woodcliff Lake, NJ, offers the GT2
contact digital sensor with a scale-
shot system. All measurement is per-
formed in the unit amplifier, requir-
ing no PLC or external data pro-
cessing. A single unit can connect
up to 11 sensor heads. Detection
modes support applications such as
measuring degree of flatness, thick-
ness, warping, and twist. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.
com/22928-113
Data Storage and Analysis Software
nCode Automation version
5.1 software from HBM,
Southfield, MI, enables engi-
neering data storage, analysis,
and reporting. A Character -
istics Values capability allows
users to tag data with addition-
al information that can be used
for searching, trending, and
reporting. The Characteristic Values can be calculated using analysis
routines that can be added by end users. For Free Info Visit
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Intro
Free catalogs and literature for NASA Tech Briefs readers. To order, enter the corresponding number
on the Online Reader Service Page at www.techbriefs.com/rs, or visit the appropriate URL.
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-795 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-790 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-785
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-777 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-784
GUIDE TO CRITICAL
CLEANING
Free 16-page Guide to Critical
Cleaning provides valuable tips and
techniques for solving cleaning
problems for Biotechnology, Elec-
tronics, Environment, Nuclear, Me-
dical Device - Precision Manufacturing and Optics.
Selection guide identifies the right cleaner for each
hard surface and application. Cleaner samples and
offer for The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook also
available. Alconox, Inc.; Tel: 914-948-4040; Fax: 914-
948-4088; e-mail: cleaning@alconox.com; www.
alconoxguide.com/NASA
Alconox, Inc.
MULTIPHYSICS
INTRODUCTION CDS
The CDs contain well-chosen
examples from specific applica-
tion areas. Audio-visual instruc-
tions guide you through the
modeling, simulation, and analysis processes. A great
way to experience the COMSOL tools and get an intro-
duction to the topic at the same time!
Introduction to Multiphysics
Introduction to AC/DC Simulation
Introduction to Acoustics Simulation
Introduction to RF Simulation
Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Introduction to Structural Mechanics
Place your order at: www.comsol.com/ntb-introCD.
COMSOL, Inc.
PHOTO -
MULTIPLIER
POWER SUPPLIES
Miniature high voltage
power supplies for photo-
multiplier biasing. 12V and 24V DC nominal input
voltage with excellent line and load regulation. Low
output ripple, noise and tempco. Output voltage
control may be set by internal trim pot, external
potentiometer or external control voltage. Voltage
and current monitors provided. Custom designs
available for OEM applications. Power supply mod-
ules are available for printed circuit boards or can be
chassis mountable. Electron Tubes, Tel: 800-521-
8382, Email: sales@electrontubes.com, Web:
www.electrontubes.com
Electron Tubes
SDI FRAME
GRABBER
Imperx introduces
the HD-SDI Express,
a feature-rich SDI
frame grabber for
ExpressCard lap-
tops. The card supports HD SDI video in 720p, 1080i
or 1080p formats. With close to 2.5 Gbps of aggre-
gate bandwidth, the card can process HD video in
real time at full frame rate. Applications include
Medical, Military, Aerospace, Machine Vision and
more. An SDK, drivers and a full-featured intu-
itive application program are included. Imperx;
Tel: 561-989-0006; e-mail: sales@imperx.com;
www.imperx.com
Imperx
SAVE TIME,
MONEY & DATA
Use the $429 HotMux data log-
ger to digitize eight thermocou-
ple sensors, save data to file, and
display results on computer mon-
itor. RS-232 interfaced line pow-
ered HotMux provides a remote
sensing capability and eliminates the sensor-wire
ratnest at the computer. Visual Basic Windows
MS-
based software provides applications data transfer.
Multi com-port capability for additional channel
monitoring. Can also handle other linear sensors.
DCC Corp., Pennsauken, NJ 08110; Tel: 856-662-
7272; Fax: 856-662-7862; www.dccCorporation.com
DCC Corp.
BOBCAT
WITH
TURBO
MODE
The new Bobcat
series of Industrial cameras offer a remarkably full
feature set including a proprietary Turbo mode,
wherein, the frame rate is significantly increased
without loss of resolution or data integrity. Bobcat
cameras are designed for ease of use, flexibility and
quality of data/image, suitable for most imaging
applications. Imperx, Tel: 561-989-0006; e-mail:
sales@imperx.com; www.ImperX.com.
Imperx
WIDEBAND
POWER
AMPLIFIERS
Krohn-Hite Wideband
Power Amplifiers are
designed to meet
todays industrial needs where wideband, precision
performance is required. Applications include:
meter calibration, transducer driving, bridging
applications requiring high input and low output
impedance, low distortion ac power source, ion
beam deflection, vacuum tube driver, ink-jet testing
and design, and many more. Krohn-Hite; Tel:
508-580-1660; e-mail: joeinlgis@krohn-hite.com;
www.krohn-hite.com
Krohn-Hite Corp.
ULTRA SMOOTH
SLIP CLUTCH
The Polyclutch slippers
use a proprietary asbestos-
free friction system, which
results in static friction
being less than dynamic friction. As the clutches start
to slip, torque is gradually applied. No suddenly
applied load is transmitted through the mechanism.
This reduces shock and makes it ideal for many
design engineering applications. Unlike devices
meant for occasional slip, Polyclutch slippers are
designed for continuous slip. Polyclutch Division, A
& A Manufacturing Co., Inc.; Tel: 800-562-9522;
e-mail: polyclutch@gortite.com;www.polyclutch.com.
Polyclutch Division, A & A
Manufacturing Co., Inc.
COMPLETELY
SEALED
COMPUTER
FROM
SMALL
PC.COM
The SC240M is ideal
for embedded and industrial applications in wet and
dirty environments. A wide variety of configurations
and I/O options are available. Options include
Pentium M and Core 2 Duo CPUs, a Solid State
Flash drive and Wireless LAN. SmallPC.com. Rugged
Computers for Small Spaces; 877-505-5022.
Small PC
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Intro
HIGH-QUALITY
HARDWARE FOR
SUB-MICRON
MICROPOSITIONING
ASI manufactures quality
hardware for sub-micron
micropositioning and mi -
cros copy. Products include: well plate robots, closed-
loop XYZ stages for ultra-precise positioning, stages
with integrated piezos for high-speed ultra-precise Z
stacks, high-speed filter wheels, as well as turnkey sys-
tems built to user specifications. We utilize long life
components for demanding OEM applications.
www.ASIimaging.com
Applied Scientific Instrumentation
HIGH POWER
POLARIZING
BEAMSPLITTER
(PBS)
DayOptics manufac-
tures high power PBS
with high transmission (>98%), high extinction ratio
(>30dB), wide range of wavelength (300-2000nm),
high damage threshold: >15J/cm
2
@ 20ns, 20Hz,
1064nm, low cost for mass production; Glan Laser,
Glan Taylor, Glan Thompson made of calcite, a-BBO,
YVO4 material; polymer polarizer. Contact
DayOptics: sales@dayoptics.com; www.dayoptics.com
DayOptics
EMI SHIELDING
GASKETS
Molded and Die
CutNickel-Graphite filled
silicone and fluorosili-
cone rubber compounds provide corrosion and
weather resistant EMI shielding gaskets for electronic
enclosures. Nickel-Graphite filled silicone has shield-
ing effectiveness of 80 dB in frequencies of 20 MHz to
10 GHz. Gaskets are die cut or water jet cut from
.020" to .125" thick molded sheets. Gaskets with seal-
ing beads and complex profiles are custom molded
from 30, 45, 55 and 65 durometer compounds. Email
a dxf file for test samples. Stockwell Elastomerics,
Inc., Philadelphia, Pa. Tel: 215-335-3005; e-mail: serv-
ice@stockwell.com; www.stockwell.com
Stockwell Elastomerics
ELECTRIC HEATERS,
CONTROLS & SENSORS
Tempcos 864-page 35th Anni ver -
sary catalog offers Electric Heaters,
Temperature Sensors, Temperature
Controls, Turnkey Process Heating
Systems and related Accessory
Items. New products include Gemini
Twin Bore
Quartz Tube Heaters, VS Glow Infrared Heaters and
PPR-1800 Video Graphic Data Recorders. Select
from stock items or have Tempco custom design and
manufacture for your application. Many products are
recognized and/or certified by UL, CSA and CE.
Tempco Electric Heater Corporation, Wood Dale, IL;
Tel: 800-323-6859; Fax: 630-350-0232; e-mail:
info@tempco.com; www.tempco.com.
Tempco Electric Heater Corporation
FIBERGLASS
LAMINATED
EPOXY 155 C
Design Data pamphlet fea-
tures materials, properties,
and tolerances for glass
epoxy components. It
shows design ers how to
specify from open stock
tools, for potting forms,
bobbins, coil forms, struc-
turals, and circuit board manufacturing aids. Stevens
Products, Inc., 128 N. Park St., E. Orange, NJ 07019;
Tel: 973-672-2140; www.stevensproducts.net
Stevens Products, Inc.
OPTICAL LIQUIDS
CATALOG
New Catalog of specialty
optical liquids features
high-transmission, safe-
handling, laser liquids,
plus fused silica matching
liquids and specific refrac-
tive index liquids (1.300-
2.11 nD). Now includes
comparative diagrams of
glasses and optical liquids. Write or call for free cat-
alog. Cargille Laboratories, Inc., 55 Commerce
Road, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009; Ph: 973-239-6633;
Fax: 973-239-6096; e-mail: cargillelabs@aol.com;
www.cargille.com.
Cargille Laboratories, Inc.
PRECISION
ORIFICES & FILTERS
Bird Precision offers laser-
drilled, wire-lapped ruby and
sapphire orifices.
Huge variety of Orifices,
Inserts, Connectors and
Fittings Unique micron ori-
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2009 DATAFORTH
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conditioning, data acquisition, and data communica-
tion products. It also introduces new products
including the SLX300 data acquisition system,
ReDAQ software, and the 8BP01 DIN rail mount
carrier. Dataforth Corp.; Tel: 800-444-7644;
www.dataforth.com.
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USED
LABORATORY
EQUIPMENT
PhotoMachining, Inc. is a
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ware, electronics, microscopes, etc. Contact
sales@photomachining.com, or phone 603-882-
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PhotoMachining, Inc.
CATALOG OF
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A new catalog of precision dispensers
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laboratory, industrial, process, and OEM applica-
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Variable Speed Pump and the VMP Variable
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cy, a ceramic/fluorocarbon fluid path, and a range
from 500 Nanoliters per dispense up to 4,600
ml/min continuous metering. Fluid Metering, Inc.;
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Fluid Metering, Inc.
ZERO BACKLASH
UNIVERSAL
JOINTS
GTC Falcon MINI-
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transmission of information is essential. MINI-
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ment from stock. High Vacuum, special sizes readily
available. GTC Falcon, Inc.; Tel: 888-309-0646;
Fax: 508-746-6494; e-mail: gtcfalcon-ntb@att.com;
www.gtcfalcon.com
GTC Falcon
FORCE CALIBRATION
SERVICES
A range of force calibration servic-
es accredited by the American
Association for Laboratory Acc -
reditation to ISO 17025 are listed
in a new bulletin from Morehouse
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are offered for load cells, proving rings, force gauges,
Brinell calibrators and other force measuring instru-
ments. Services provide calibrating force ranging
from .1 to 1,000,000 lbf, or the equivalent kilograms
or Newtons, in accordance with ASTM E74, ISO 376
and other requirements. For more information,
Morehouse Instrument Co.; Tel: 717-843-0081;
www.mhforce.com.
Morehouse Instrument Company
Cov ToC
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Intro
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The rugged and user-friendly
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info@sspectra.com; www.sspectra.com
Software Spectra
TAYLOR DEVICES INC. OFFERS A
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Taylors products, including Fluidicshoks and UNI-
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large bore shock absorbers, isolators, dampers, crane
buffers, liquid springs and their exclusive self-adjusting
energy absorbers. Taylor Devices Inc., Tel: 716-694-0800;
Fax: 716-695-6015; Web site: www.taylordevices.com.
Taylor Devices Inc.
POWER SEMI-
CONDUCTOR
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Powerex is a lead suppli-
er of discrete, modular
and integrated high-
power semiconductor solutions. An already broad
product line including IGBTs; IPMs; DIPIPMs;
Discrete Thyristors; Discrete Rectifiers; and
Thyristor and Diode Modules is enhanced by
business units devoted to custom modules and cus-
tomer specific assemblies. For more information,
go to www.pwrx.com or to request a Powerex short
form catalog, contact Kelly Bandieramonte at
kbandieramonte@pwrx.com.
Powerex
MEGA DC/DC &
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www.megaelectronics.com.
MEGA Electronics Inc.
Books & Reports
(Continued from page 60)
and that the gain at that frequency
under the bias conditions that produced
the minimum noise figure was between
about 9 and 10 dB.
This work was done by Todd Gaier, Lorene
Samoska, and King Man Fung of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and
William Deal, Xiaobing Mei, and Richard
Lai of Northrop Grumman Corporation
(NGC). The work was sponsored under the
DARPA SWIFT program and the contributors
would like to acknowledge the support of Dr.
Mark Rosker (DARPA) and Dr. H. Alfred
Hung (Army Research Laboratory). For more
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Elec -
tronics/Computers category. NPO-45461
Extending Newtonian
Dynamics to Include
Stochastic Processes
A paper presents further results of con-
tinuing research reported in several previ-
ous NASA Tech Briefs articles, the two most
recent being Stochastic Representations
of Chaos Using Terminal Attractors
(NPO-41519), [Vol. 30, No. 5 (May 2006),
page 57] and Physical Principle for
Generation of Randomness (NPO-
43822) [Vol. 33, No. 5 (May 2009), page
56]. This research focuses upon a mathe-
matical formalism for describing postin-
stability motions of a dynamical system
characterized by exponential divergences
of trajectories leading to chaos (including
turbulence as a form of chaos).
The formalism involves fictitious con-
trol forces that couple the equations of
motion of the system with a Liouville
equation that describes the evolution of
the probability density of errors in initial
conditions. These stabilizing forces create
a powerful terminal attractor in probabil-
ity space that corresponds to occurrence
of a target trajectory with probability one.
The effect in configuration space (ordi-
nary three-dimensional space as common-
ly perceived) is to suppress exponential
divergences of neighboring trajectories
without affecting the target trajectory. As a
result, the postinstability motion is repre-
sented by a set of functions describing the
evolution of such statistical quantities as
expectations and higher moments, and
this representation is stable.
This work was done by Michail Zak of
Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For more information, download the
Technical Support Package (free white
Information Sciences category. NPO-45594
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Intro
Advertisers Index
For free product literature, enter advertisers reader service numbers at www.techbriefs.com/rs, or visit the
Web site listed beneath their ad in this issue.
Advertisers listed in bold-face type have banner ads on the NASA Tech Briefs web site www.techbriefs.com
Reader Service
Company Number Page
Reader Service
Company Number Page
Advanced Photonix ............................................721 ............................30
Agilent Technologies..........................................710, 719 ..............13, 25
Air Logic..............................................................756 ............................69
Alconox, Incorporated ......................................773 ............................74
AllMotion ............................................................728 ............................38
American Aerospace Controls ..........................759 ............................71
Applied Scientific Instrumentation ..................774 ............................75
ASM Sensors, Inc. ..............................................741 ............................56
Astro-Med Inc. ....................................................708 ............................11
Autodesk, Inc. ................................................705 ............................7
BEI Precision System & Space ..........................751 ............................69
Bird Precision ....................................................775 ............................75
Cargille Labs ......................................................776 ............................75
COMSOL, Inc. ................................................704, 707, 777 4-5, 9, 74
DALSA Digital Imaging....................................851 ..........................3a
Data Translation, Inc. ........................................727 ............................37
Dataforth Corporation ......................................778 ............................75
DayOptics, Inc.....................................................779 ............................74
DCC Corporation ..............................................780 ............................74
Denton Vacuum..................................................736 ............................52
Deposition Sciences, Inc. ..................................850 ............................1a
Deschner Corporation ......................................754 ............................66
Dewetron Inc...................................................714 ..........................19
Digi-Key Corporation ........................................703 ..............................3
Dimension..............................................................................................42
Dynapar ..............................................................752 ............................64
Edak ....................................................................729 ............................39
Edmund Optics ..............................................853 ..........................6a
Electron Co., Ltd. ..............................................854 ..........................14a
Electron Tubes ....................................................781 ............................74
Farrand Controls ................................................762 ............................72
Fluid Metering Inc. ............................................782 ............................75
Fotofab ................................................................733 ............................47
General Polygon Systems ..................................763 ............................73
General Vision, Inc. ............................................720 ............................26
Goodfellow..........................................................740 ............................55
G-S Plastic Optics ................................................859 ..........................13a
GTC Falcon Inc...................................................783 ............................75
HaydonKerk Motion Solutions ........................748 ..........................63
Heidenhain Corporation ..................................716 ............................21
Helical Products Co., Inc. ..................................749 ............................67
Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik ........................765 ............................45
Imperx Incorporated..........................................784, 785 ....................74
Integrated Engr. Software Inc. ........................706 ............................8
Interconnect Systems, Inc. ................................760 ............................71
International Rectifier ....................................725 ..........................35
Krohn-Hite Corporation ....................................786 ............................74
M.S. Kennedy Corporation................................755 ............................62
MacKichan Software ..........................................764 ............................73
Mad City Labs, Inc. ............................................757 ............................68
Master Bond Inc. ............................................738, 787 ............53, 76
Maxon Precision Motors ................................750 ..........................65
MEGA Electronics, Inc. ......................................772 ............................76
Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH....................709 ............................12
MicroStrain, Inc. ................................................717 ............................23
Miller-Stephenson Chemical Co. ......................730 ............................40
Mill-Max Mfg. Corp. ..........................................737 ............................53
Minalex Corporation..........................................713 ............................17
Morehouse Instrument ......................................734, 788 ..............49, 75
Multi-Seals Inc.....................................................747 ............................60
National Aperture ..............................................758 ............................70
National Instruments ......................................701, 712......COV II, 16
Novotechnik........................................................718 ............................24
Omega Engineering ..........................................................................1
Omicron USA ....................................................735 ............................51
Optical Research Associates ..............................861 ............................5a
Optimax Systems ................................................852 ............................4a
Parametric Technology Corp. ..........................711 ..........................15
PhotoMachining Inc...........................................789 ............................75
Photon Engineering ..........................................862 ............................7a
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP ............................715 ..........................20
Polyclutch (A&A Manufacturing) ....................790 ............................74
POLYRACK North America Corp. ..................724 ..........................34
Powerex, Inc. ......................................................791 ............................76
Prior Scientific, Inc.............................................860 ..........................13a
Proto Labs, Inc. ..................................................731 ............................43
R.M. Young..........................................................746 ............................60
Radicom Research..............................................743 ............................57
RedEye RPM ......................................................732 ............................44
SAE International ..............................................792 ............................76
Santest Co., Ltd...................................................744 ............................54
Seal Master Corporation ....................................739, 793 ..............54, 76
Semrock, Inc. ..................................................855 ........................11a
Silicon Designs Inc ............................................794 ............................76
Smalley Steel Ring Company ............................761 ............................72
SmallPC.com ......................................................795 ............................74
Software Spectra, Inc. ........................................796 ............................76
SolidWorks Corporation ....................................766....................COV IV
Sony Electronics..................................................723 ............................33
Specialty Polymers & Services ............................767 ............................70
Stanford Computer Optics, Inc. ........................856 ............................8a
Stanford Research Systems Inc. ........................702 ..............................2
Stealth Computer Corp. ....................................726 ............................36
Stevens Products Inc ..........................................797 ............................75
Stockwell Elastomerics ......................................798 ............................75
Sunstone Circuits ............................................722 ..........................31
Taylor Devices Inc. ..............................................799 ............................76
Tempco Electric Heater Corp. ..........................800 ............................75
Tormach, LLC ....................................................745 ............................59
Ultra Motion ......................................................753 ............................66
Universe Kogaku America, Inc. ........................857 ............................8a
Vision Components ............................................742 ............................57
VueMetrix............................................................858 ............................9a
yet2.com ................................................................................................41
Ride-along enclosed in versions &4
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3
Cov ToC
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Intro
NASAs Technology Sources
If you need further information about new technologies presented in NASA Tech Briefs,
request the Technical Support Package (TSP) indicated at the end of the brief. If a TSP is not
available, the Innovative Partnerships Office at the NASA field center that sponsored the
research can provide you with additional information and, if applicable, refer you to the
innovator(s). These centers are the source of all NASA-developed technology.
Ames Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Information
Technology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;
Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;
Thermal Protection Systems.
Lisa L. Lockyer
(650) 604-1754
lisa.l.lockyer@nasa.gov
Dryden Flight Research Center
Selected technological strengths:
Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;
Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; Thermal
Testing; Integrated Systems Test and
Validation.
Gregory Poteat
(661) 276-3872
gregory.a.poteat@nasa.gov
Glenn Research Center
Selected technological strengths:
Aeropropulsion; Communications; Energy
Technology; High-Temperature Materials
Research.
Kathleen Needham
(216) 433-2802
kathleen.k.needham@nasa.gov
Goddard Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Earth and
Planetary Science Missions; LIDAR; Cryogenic
Systems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote Sensing;
Command.
Nona Cheeks
(301) 286-5810
nona.k.cheeks@nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Selected technological strengths: Near/Deep-
Space Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;
Space Communications; Information Systems;
Remote Sensing; Robotics.
Andrew Gray
(818) 354-3821
gray@jpl.nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Artificial
Intelligence and Human Computer Interface;
Life Sciences; Human Space Flight
Operations; Avionics; Sensors;
Communications.
information
(281) 483-3809
jsc-techtran@mail.nasa.gov
Kennedy Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Fluids and
Fluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; Process
Engineering; Command, Control, and Monitor
Systems; Range Systems; Environmental
Engineering and Management.
David R. Makufka
(321) 867-6227
david.r.makufka@nasa.gov
Langley Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Aerodynamics;
Flight Systems; Materials; Structures; Sensors;
Measurements; Information Sciences.
Brian Beaton
(757) 864-2192
brian.f.beaton@nasa.gov
Marshall Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Materials;
Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;
Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls and
Dynamics; Structures; Microgravity Processing.
Jim Dowdy
(256) 544-7604
james.f.dowdy@nasa.gov
Stennis Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Propulsion
Systems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;
Nonintrusive Instrumentation.
Ramona Travis
(228) 688-3832
ramona.e.travis@nasa.gov
National Technology Transfer Center
Darwin Molnar
Wheeling, WV
(800) 678-6882
NASA HEADQUARTERS
Innovative Partnerships Program Office
Doug Comstock, Director
(202) 358-2560
doug.comstock@nasa.gov
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) &
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Programs
Carl Ray, Program Executive
(202) 358-4652
carl.g.ray@nasa.gov
Published by.........................................Tech Briefs Media Group
Publisher.....................................................Joseph T. Pramberger
Editorial Director ........................................................Linda L. Bell
Editor, PTB and Embedded Technology...............Bruce A. Bennett
Technical/Managing Editor.........................................Ted Selinsky
Technical Writers..........................................................Shirl Hayes
.........................................................................Nick Lukianoff
Senior Editor .............................................................Spencer Chin
Editor, Green Design & Manufacturing ....................Kendra Smith
Production Manager......................................................John Mass
Production Manager ................................................John Iwanciw
Art Director ...............................................................Lois Erlacher
Designer ...........................................................Bernadette Torres
Circulation Manager .............................................Marie Claussell
Circulation Assistant ............................................Damiana Garcia
Marketing Assistant ...........................................Danielle Korshak
NASA Tech Briefs are provided by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, Innovative Partnerships Program:
Administrator...............................................Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Director, Innovative Partnerships Program...........Doug Comstock
Publications Director ...............................................Janelle Turner
Technical Director .............................................................Carl Ray
TECH BRIEFS MEDIA GROUP
1466 Broadway, Suite 910, New York, NY 10036
(212) 490-3999 FAX (212) 986-7864
Chief Executive Officer ..............................Domenic A. Mucchetti
Executive Vice-President.......................................Luke Schnirring
Technology Director .............................................Oliver Rockwell
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Web Developer......................................................Karina Adames
Online Content Manager/Web Developer..............Peter Bonavita
Web Development ................................................Adam Santiago
Credit/Collection ......................................................Felecia Lahey
Accounting/Human Resources Manager.......................Sylvia Ruiz
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Receptionist............................................Elizabeth Brache-Torres
NASA TECH BRIEFS ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, Eastern Canada......................Ed Marecki
......................................................................Tatiana Marecki
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...........................................................................at (973) 545-2132
NY........................................................................Stan Greenfield
...........................................................................at (203) 938-2418
VA, MD, DC, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN,
MS, LA, AR, OK, TX, WV ...........................................Ray Tompkins
...........................................................................at (281) 313-1004
Western NY, OH, MI, IN..........................................Ryan Beckman
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MN, ND, SD, WI, IL, KY, MO, KS,
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.................................................................at (866) 879-9144, x131
w w w . t e c h b r i e f s . c o m
NASA Innovative
Partnerships Program
NASAs R&D efforts produce a robust supply of promising technologies with applications in many indus-
tries. A key mechanism in identifying commercial applications for this technology is NASAs national
network of laboratories and business support entities. The network includes ten NASA field centers, the
National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC), and a full tie-in with the Federal Laboratory Consortium
(FLC) for Technology Transfer. To explore technology transfer, development, and collaboration opportu-
nities with NASA, visit www.ipp.nasa.gov.
Cov ToC
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A
Intro
T
here is increasing interest in light-
weight and ultra-lightweight struc-
tural concepts and materials within
NASAs exploration mission and as part
of efforts to develop green aeronau-
tics options. Polymers and polymeric
composites are important elements in
design and construction of the nations
future aircraft and spacecraft. Langley
Research Center (LaRC) in particular
has very active programs in develop-
ment of advanced engineering poly-
mers for use as structural components,
as films or coatings, or for high-temper-
ature or acoustic insulation.
NASAs development efforts lead to
invention of improved or new high-per-
formance compositions each year, often
involving polyimide monomers and
other less common chemistries. The
research often requires laboratory quan-
tities of known, but not commonly avail-
able, monomers or derivatives of these
compounds in 100-gram to kilogram
quantities. A complete list of current
monomer needs is available.
NASA Needs
We are seeking partners/suppliers to
provide selected known monomers for
current applications and other similar,
but yet to be defined, di- or multi-func-
tional aromatic amines, anhydrides, etc.,
that will be needed in the future. As sug-
gested, some of these monomers are
required to make the polymers NASA
has already patented, and/or are the
basis for further composition develop-
ment. Other military and commercial
development groups and third-party
end-users will also have a need for many
of these compounds.
Some NASA-invented polymers have
been licensed for certain fields of use,
but many are not broadly available, even
within NASA when large testing or
demonstration efforts require kilogram
or larger quantities. The same situation
arises when potential industry or com-
mercial product end-users need material
for their own evaluation, since NASA is
not a material supplier, except in very
small quantities for scientific exchange
purposes. We are therefore considering
engaging one or more partners to pro-
vide relatively small quantities (100-g to
10-Kg) of our own polymer composi-
tions for testing purposes internally to
NASA, and for potential testing/use by
other third-party end-users.
It is to everyones benefit if these high-
performance materials find broader
applications because of the cost savings
associated with high-volume production.
Examples of a few polymers are provid-
ed in the table, along with their related
patents. A more complete list of poten-
tial polymers (and their properties)
being considered for this program is
available. By reviewing the patents, inter-
ested parties will have some idea of both
the required monomers and the poly-
merization process/equipment required
to produce them.
More Information
For further information, please contact
R.P. Turcotte at r.p.turcotte@nasa.gov or at
757-864-8881, or visit nasa@techbriefs.com.
NASA Engineering Polymer Development Needs
By R.P. Turcotte, Ph.D, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
NASA TechNeeds
www.techbriefs.com/nasatechneeds
NASA Tech Briefs (NTB) has been a very successful method by which NASA conveys technologies available for commercial use to
the NTB audience. NTB readers represent a broad spectrum of technology experts in many disciplines and industries across the coun-
try, and just as you may benefit from NASA technology, NASA may also benefit from your technology.
To help tap into the technologies you may be aware of that can address NASAs technology needs, NTB features NASA TechNeeds,
a series of articles that highlights the technology needs of the Agency. (A detailed overview of NASAs tech needs areas is available
at: www.techbriefs.com/nasatechneeds.) The objective is to provide awareness of NASAs future needs and requirements, which
could facilitate potential future partnerships.
Each article describes specific selected technologies of importance. In every case, a NASA point of contact will be provided so that
those interested have the means to explore the potential for partnerships with NASA.
NASA wants to make NTB a means by which we can achieve mutually beneficial two-way technology transfer, building on the
track record of success that NTB has achieved in transferring NASA technology for commercial development and public benefit.

Designation

LaRC-IA LaRC-SI LaRC-PETI LaRC-BP LaRC-RP
Glass
Transition
Temperature
(C)
230-250 250 250-280 200-325 230-393
Modulus High High Tailorable Tailorable High
Patents 5,478,916
5,502,127
5,741,883
6,048,959

5,664,022
6,133,401
6,288,209
5,965,687
6,191,252
6,777,525
5,171,822
LaRC Polymer Properties/Patents
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Intro
Return on Investment of Model-Based
Design: Increasing Innovation Capacity
G
iven the current economic condi-
tions, companies must continue to
deliver existing products as they develop
the products of tomorrow, without
increasing the engineering staff. To
accomplish this paradoxical challenge,
innovative companies have adopted
Model-Based Design over traditional
development methods.
Historically, new product develop-
ment has started with requirements
from many different sources, including
government regulations, engineering
standards, and corporate direction.
Engineers must then compile this set of
disjointed requirements into a unified
specification to drive the development
process. Assessing the feasible design
space from the large set of independent
requirements is challenging and time-
consuming, given the ambiguity of some
requirements and outright conflicts
between others.
Once the feasibility analysis has been
completed, the design requirements are
captured in a textual specification that
drives the design process. This specifica-
tion, however, often contains flaws that
are then captured in the design and
instantiated in the implementation.
These flaws in the requirements are
then discovered during testing of the
hardware implementation, which is per-
formed at the end of the traditional
development process.
The late detection of flaws triggers
additional testing to determine the root
cause of the errors as well as to redesign
and retest. As a result, engineers who could
be developing the next generation of
products are instead reworking designs
that were thought to be correct.
Implementing Model-Based
Design
Instead of carrying an inventory of
design errors throughout the develop-
ment process, many companies have
adopted Model-Based Design. This
approach starts with the same set of
requirements, but enables engineers to
develop executable specifications in
the form of models rather than textual
specifications.
Engineers use these models to clarify
requirements and specifications, quick-
ly evaluate design and configuration
choices, and facilitate simulations to
verify that a design satisfies the require-
ments. In one study, engineers uncov-
ered more than three times as many
issues with requirements by using
Model-Based Design than by using tradi-
tional design methods.
These same models let engineers cre-
ate acceptance criteria and verification
tests that can be reused throughout the
development process. They can apply
these same verification tests to the code,
which typically is automatically generat-
ed from the models.
By using Model-Based Design to devel-
op flight controls, aerospace companies
have reported reductions in develop-
ment time of 40 to 60 percent from their
ability to find and address requirements
and design errors early in the life of
a program.
Whats next for these companies?
They are investigating how to use their
additional engineering capacity to win
new contracts and develop the next gen-
eration of innovations. Their return on
investment goes beyond the achieved
improvement in quality and time to mar-
ket; it extends to the additional capacity
made available to meet their next design
challenge, without increasing the engi-
neering staff.
More Information
For more information on Model-Based Design,
visit http://info.hotims.com/22928-122.
Eye On Innovation
Eye On Innovation
This regular column features guest editorials by industry leaders in all areas of technology on the importance of
innovation. Our guest columnists provide their insight into how innovation plays a pivotal role in everything from basic
product design to the future of engineering education.
By Jon Friedman
Aerospace Industry
Marketing Manager
The MathWorks
Natick, MA
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Intro
Advances in Conformal Coatings:
Enhancing Reliability of Innovative Technologies
Live Presentation - Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 2pm EST
Conformal coatings have been used in the electronics, automotive, military, aerospace and medical device industries for many
years for a variety of surface modification functions.
As devices and components become smaller and increasingly complex, they present unique challenges for many conformal
coatings. Poly(para-xylylene), better known as Parylene, is an ultra-thin, inert, transparent coating that meets these challenges.
Parylene provides highly useful dielectric and barrier properties per unit thickness, as well as extreme chemical inertness and
freedom from pinholes. The coating is also biocompatible. Parylene protects components and devices, including circuit card
assemblies, MEMS, sensors, LEDs, cores, lab-on-a-chip devices, pacemakers, stents, and cochlear implants, to name only a few.
This webinar will focus on Parylenes unique properties, how the coating is applied, examples of applications that benefit from
Parylenes properties, and advances that have been made in adhesion technologies.
Upcoming...
Webinars
Speakers:
To register, please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar15
These one-hour webinars include:
Live Q&A session Interactive Polling Questions
Access to archived event on demand
Lonny Wolgemuth
Sr. Medical Market Specialist
for Specialty Coating Systems
Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Vice President
of Technology for Specialty
Coating Systems
NASA Expands High-end Computing System
for Climate Simulation
Live Presentation - Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 2pm EST
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center made available to scientists in August the first unit of an expanded high-end computing sys-
tem that will serve as the centerpiece of a new climate simulation capability. This presentation will highlight the scientific research
being done and the role that High Performance Computing systems play to enable larger and more sophisticated simulations.
To register, please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar16
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Intro
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SolidWorks
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Intro
w
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t
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.
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October 2009
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Intro
Designing Electro-Optical Sensors
Using Collaborative Systems
Engineering Technology
IIa www.ptbmagazine.com Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009
A
bout 25% of space-borne electro-opti-
cal (EO) sensor programs in both the
civil and National Security Space (NSS)
communities have experienced re duced
on-orbit reliability, as well as cost and
schedule overruns of 100% or more
1-3
.
Many of these EO sensor program over-
runs can be largely attributed to delays,
errors, and inadequate communication
that occur at the many handoff points
between team members and contractors
in the current design process. This leads
to the late discovery of technical prob-
lems, making them more expensive and
time-consuming to fix.
The design of EO sensors requires
careful attention to the thermal and
structural effects that adversely affect
optical performance in terms of instru-
ment pointing accuracy and image qual-
ity. Teams of domain experts, each focus-
ing on a separate aspect of the sensor,
work towards understanding and man-
aging its complex behavior. The current
engineering process is typically frag-
mented into silos of experts, tools and
data. Separate models are constructed,
one for each of the disciplines (mechan-
ical CAD, thermal, structures, and
optics). Analysis proceeds within each
discipline silo with relatively infrequent
interaction between groups. There is no
organized way for individual domains,
or the team as a whole, to manage their
design and analysis models over the
entire project.
Project design reviews are typically
conducted using time-consuming stat-
ic reports and PowerPoint summaries.
There is no unified view of the engineer-
ing models that represent the products
behavior, nor is there easy access to key
system performance data.
An engineering project team at The
Aerospace Corporation comprised of a
lead structural, thermal, optical, and
mechanical design engineer, directed by
Senior Project Engineer Dr. David
Thomas, has successfully implemented a
new collaborative systems engineering
approach on an actual flight hardware
program, reducing each design evalua-
tion cycle by over 50%, while providing
better insight into the multi-disciplinary
behavior of a space-borne sensor
4
. Using
expertise captured in bi-directionally
associative design/simulation process
templates, integrated structural, thermal,
optical analyses were performed in a mat-
ter of days vs. weeks/months in the tradi-
tional silo approach. The Aerospace
Corp. has also recently participated in the
contractors final thermal vacuum
(TVAC) testing of the flight hardware to
correlate and validate the STOP (struc-
tural-thermal-optical performance) pro -
cess models and results. A significant
reduction in the cycle time of the EO sen-
sor design evaluation and validation was
achieved while meeting overall sensor
design reliability and optical system per-
formance target levels.
The Aerospace
STOP Project
The Aerospace team used this new
approach on an independent STOP analy-
sis of a critical lens subassembly in support
of an instrument contractors final TVAC
testing. A high fidelity STOP model was
developed to calculate visible channel
focus shifts and image quality impacts due
to thermally-induced structural deforma-
tions and refractive index changes (Figure
1) to conduct an assessment of the con-
tractors focus control method.
The design concept for the optical
lens subassembly employed active heat -
ers which were applied to the outer sur-
face of the lens retainers (Figure 2).
Three different on-orbit thermal equi-
librium conditions were simulated in the
STOP analysis: Hot, Nominal, and Cold
Soak conditions.
The analysis details were captured in a
system-level design/simulation template
as well as in the individual discipline tem-
plates, allowing the team to easily run a
large number of STOP analysis design
studies while modifying both geometric
and non-geometric model parameters,
and the thermal environment conditions.
After each STOP analysis iteration, key
performance metrics were available for
immediate visualization in the Project
Dashboard and compared against the sys-
tem analysis performance requirements.
The team performed STOP analyses
using Comets Performance Engi neer -
Figure 1. The parts of the CAD model of structural interest are FEM meshed using rules that are iteratively developed by the structures engineer and cap-
tured in Comet.
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Intro
At Deposition Sciences youll
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3300 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Tel (707) 573-6700 / 866-433-7724 Fax (707) 573-6748 email: solutions@depsci.com
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www.depsci.com
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Intro
2a www.ptbmagazine.com Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009
ing Workspace, combined with their
current commercial CAD and CAE
tools Pro/ENGINEER
, Thermal
Desktop
, Nastran, Abaqus
, SigFit,
CODE V
, Excel
and Matlab
. The
workspace provided a single, consistent
view of all the data models, environ-
ments, processes and results allow-
ing the team to create, share and access
data easily. The workspace allowed
domain experts to work within their
own domain sandboxes to under-
stand their aspect of the sensor, but
also to work together with other
domain experts to gain overall system
performance in sights. By automatically
reusing the expertise captured by the
experts in simulation templates, manu-
al data handoff errors were eliminated
and the confidence in the accuracy of
each analysis iteration was significantly
increased.
Throughout this project, the team
worked independently in their offices, as
well as in concurrent sessions held in a
common location, always sharing and
managing design and simulation data
within a single project tree data model
located on a secure, shared disk. The
keys to success were easy and constant
access to system performance metrics,
regardless of the tool that generated the
data, and team collaboration throughout
the entire multi-physics design process.
By working within the integrated work-
space, each team member quickly and
easily saw how their changes affected
other aspects by running the template
and reviewing the results in the project
dashboard. This increased the systems
knowledge of the entire team, contribut-
ing to a better general understanding of
the sensors physical behavior.
STOP Process Template
Execution
Comets Performance Engineering
Workspace allowed the domain experts
to capture and automate various analysis
pro cesses across multiple physics
domains. The following outline is a sim-
plified overview of the various tasks auto-
mated in the STOP process:
The STOP process begins with import-
ing a tagged 3-D Pro/ENGINEER
model of the instrument geometry

into the workspace.
Independent thermal and structural
meshes are automatically generated,
based upon rules specified by the
respective analysis domain experts.
The coarse thermal mesh is then for-
matted and input into Thermal
Desktop
(C&R Technologies) to per-

form the thermal analysis and the tem-
perature fields are mapped to the
higher density structural mesh.
Thermally-induced structural deforma-
tions are then evaluated in Abaqus
(Dassault Systemes SIMULIA
), acc -
ounting for complex contact stresses
between the floating lenses and rings.
The resulting thermal and structural
results act as inputs to Sigmadynes
SigFit code which computes the per-
turbations to the optical system due to
refractive index changes (dn/dt) in
the lens components and the deforma-
tions of the optical surfaces.
The modified optical prescription is
then formatted for execution in CODE
V
(Optical Research Associates) for

evaluation of optical performance.
CODE V
calculated the optical behav-

ior of the critical lens assembly using
the perturbed model.
Key performance metrics were imme-
diately displayed in the Comet
Dashboard and directly compared
against system requirements as each
STOP analysis was completed.
Typical CAD or CAE software tem-
plates that capture analysis processes
are specified using a particular version
of the geometry. These can be reused
with only small changes to the geome-
try. The key technology of the Comet
workspace is the Abstract Engineering
Model (AEM), a single integrated data
model that captures all the CAD and
CAE data at all levels of model fidelity,
in a manner that is independent of the
underlying tools. The AEM allows the
STOP template to be reused across
widely varying geometry changes, with
little or no data re-entry, significantly
reducing the rework that is usually
required. As the geometry changes, the
new CAD models are re-imported and
the abstract model automatically reat-
taches all the engineering data to the
new version of the model.
As the AEM is component-centric
and not geometry-centric, analysts can
also create analysis processes that per-
form calculations on models at any
desired mixed level of fidelity. The
AEM spans the traditional chasm
between low fidelity modeling (without
CAD geometry) and high fidelity model-
ing; results from low fidelity calculations
can be fed to downstream high fidelity
calculations and vice versa. The AEM
also allows users to create and manage
multiple representations of each compo-
nent in the product structure; these rep-
resentations are required for various
types of downstream analyses, different
physics calculations at different levels of
fidelity. For example, the optics represen-
tation of a lens element and the 3-D CAD
representation of the same component
are managed simultaneously; the former
is used to perform optics calculations
while the latter is used for creating both
the thermal and structural meshes.
From the STOP analysis results, it was
discovered that, despite high axial ther-
mal gradients and smaller radial thermal
gradients across the lenses, the focus
shifts due to deformations at each end of
the assembly cancelled each other out for
the thermal soak cases that were ana-
lyzed. This was a highly non-intuitive and
unexpected finding that provided insight
into the behavior of the sensor. The find-
ing was that the unconventional, active
thermal controls in the EO sensor design,
using two heaters that had the same
power settings applied over significantly
different lens mounting surface areas,
were actually adequate to ensure good
optical performance in the field
4
.
For the TVAC test correlation activity,
the STOP process template automatically
extracted the thermal results from
Thermal Desktop
at test configuration
thermocouple locations and plotted
these against the actual TVAC test data.
The team directly used such test data,
stored within an Excel spreadsheet, to val-
idate the high fidelity simulation models.
It is important to note that the workspace
does not generate the underlying calcula-
tions within each physics domain or at
the overall system level. That is all still
performed by individual solver codes so
the accuracy of any simulation iteration is
still very much dependent on the under-
lying modeling and analysis assumptions
made by the individual domain experts,
just as it is done manually today.
Figure 2. The temperature of lens is controlled
by two heaters, one on the L13 side of the hous-
ing and one on the L16 side of the housing.
Although the surface area of the L13 heater is
larger than the L16 heater, equal amounts of
power must be supplied to each heater resulting
in a much higher power density near L16.
Designing Electro-Optical Sensors Designing Electro-Optical Sensors
Thermistors
L16 Heater
L13 Heater
(Continued on page 4a)
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Intro
BOA: All-in-One Vision System
for Industrial Machine Vision
44 mm cube form factor,
360 mount support, easily
integrated for tight-fit apps
Monochrome or color
sensor - 640 X 480 CCD
Rugged, IP67-rated housing
for harsh and wash-down
environments
Multiple processing engines
combines DSP, FPGA and
CPU technologies
Versatile communications
via Ethernet and/or RS-232
connectivity
Embedded point-and-click
software easy to use
& nothing to install
Capture the power of DALSA
Download your BOA product brochure here: www.dalsa.com/boa/n10
Visit DALSA at VISION 2009, Stuttgart, Germany, November 3-5, Hall 4, Stand D53
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Introducing BOA: Next Generation
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BOA is a powerful, inexpensive and ruggedized optical inspection solution
for the factory floor. Packaged with DALSAs easy-to-use iNspect software,
both first-time and experienced integrators can rapidly prototype and deploy
vision solutions into their manufacturing process.
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Intro
The STOP Project Results
Results of the STOP project were as
follows:
The Aerospace team implemented a
new collaborative systems engineer-
ing approach on an actual flight hard-
ware program, reducing overall
design evaluation cycle time by over
50%. After the STOP template was
fully developed and test validated,
each new STOP analysis iteration
could be fully performed and evaluat-
ed within a single day.
The team conducted real-time design
reviews with program management
and the customer directly within the
integrated workspace. All the key per-
formance data and full 3-D models and
results were available for these discus-
sions which centered around system-
level characteristics impacting the sen-
sor behavior and performance.
The integrated analysis approach pro-
vided superior physical insight into
how the thermal control approach
works and, hence, how to further
improve the small residual focus errors
that remain.
The team eliminated most of the man-
ual rework that usually accompanies
changes to the 3-D CAD geometry,
which saved significant time and elimi-
nated human errors.
The integrated environment and con-
current engineering approach enabled
each team member to develop a deeper
understanding of the multi-disciplinary
behavior of the overall system.
The project was a successful assess-
ment of concurrent engineering prac-
tices where engineers used existing
analysis tools, making the transition to
a new approach easier.
Engineers received instant feedback on
how accurately the STOP model was
predicting the system design perform-
ance and quickly adjusted individual
domain models to increase the accura-
cy of subsequent design iterations.
According to Dr. Thomas, Further
work is planned to support On-Orbit
Testing (OOT) of this payload and final
thermal vacuum testing of a second pay-
load. Our baseline optical design model
will be updated to include fabrication,
alignment, and gravity induced effects,
and more of the visible channel compo-
nents will be added to the model to
allow higher fidelity comparisons of pre-
dicted and measured visible channel
image quality. We also plan to add an
adapter to the Comet environment so
that the controls algorithm software may
be included in the integrated analysis.
This will allow the entire focus control
system to be modeled from ground com-
mand through final image quality.
This article was written by Malcolm
Panthaki, Founder and CTO, Comet
Solutions, Inc. (Cincinnati, OH). For more
information, contact Mr. Panthaki at
Malcolm.panthaki@cometsolutions.com, or
References
1. Pavlica, Steve and William Tosney,
Assessment of NRO Satellite
Development Practices, The Aerospace
Corporation, 2003.
2. Young, Thomas A., Chair, Report of the
Defense Science Board/Air Force
Scientific Advisory Board Joint Task Force
on Acquisition of National Security Space
Programs, Office of the Under Secretary
of Defense for Acquisition, Technology,
and Logistics, May 2003.
3. John Leon and Juan Rivera, chairs, NASA
Instrument Capability Study Final Report,
NASA Office of the Chief Engineer, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, DC, December,
2008.
4. Jason Geis, Jeff Lang, Leslie Peterson,
Francisco Roybal, David Thomas,
Collaborative design and analysis of
Electro-Optical sensors, Proceedings of
the SPIE Optics+Photonics, 4 August
2009.
4a Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-852
Designing Electro-Optical Sensors Designing Electro-Optical Sensors
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Intro
CODE Vs Beam Synthesis
Propagation
TM
(BSP), developed for
NASA to detect Earth-sized planets
outside our solar system, delivers
groundbreaking accuracy and ease of
use for beam propagation analysis.
Simplied setup. BSPs
unprecedented Pre-Analysis feature
determines recommended settings
for accurate results, making it
the easiest-to-use beam propagation
tool on the market, and saving
countless hours in setup.
Efcient, accurate answers.
BSPs advanced and highly efcient
algorithms can produce more
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any other commercially available
beam propagation tool.
Comprehensive design support.
BSP is fully integrated with
CODE V, providing the most fully
featured optical design and analysis
environment availablefor both
planet hunting and down-to-earth
applications.
Why compromise with another
beam propagation tool when you
can get the right answers more
easily with BSP?
Corporate Headquarters: 3280 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107-3103 (626) 795-9101
Fax (626) 795-0184 E-mail: info@opticalres.com Web: www.opticalres.com
Ofces: Tucson, AZ | Westborough, MA
2009 Optical Research Associates. CODE V is a registered trademark of Optical Research Associates.
Beam Synthesis Propagation is a trademark of Optical Research Associates.
Dont see it? We can.
With CODE V Beam Synthesis Propagation, you can too.
Go to www.opticalres.com/bsp to nd out how.
OPTI CAL DESI GN SOFTWARE
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Wheres the Hidden Planet?
BSP supports full-vector eld propagation.
This decibel-scale plot shows the Z-component
of the focal plane intensity of a Ritchey-Chrtien
telescope for linearly polarized light.
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Intro
www.ptbmagazine.com Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009
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Applications
D
esigners of medical equipment using
lasers must be careful in their selec-
tion of optical components in order to
ensure safe and reliable operation. The
high power density and narrow wave-
length range of lasers create problems
not found in other medical optics such as
microscopes and cameras. Proper selec-
tion of materials, manufacturing specifi-
cations, and coatings becomes essential
to avoid such problems.
The medical laser system designer
does well to design for optics with high
damage thresholds from the beginning
of the optical design process, starting
with material selection. One typical
high-power substrate for lenses and win-
dows is calcium-fluoride (CaF
2
), which
provides high transmission from the UV
through the IR. Because of the materi-
als low index of refraction, it can often
be used without the need for additional
coatings. Magnesium fluoride (MgF
2
)
has a similarly wide transmission region,
but is transparent deeper into the UV
and is also harder (and thus more
durable) than CaF
2
. Both are used in
mid-wave IR thermal imaging applica-
tions and in DUV lithography with
excimer lasers. Materials commonly
used for CO
2
laser applications (at
10.6m) include germanium and zinc
selenide. Both of these materials, howev-
er, have high indices of refraction and
thus typically require antireflection
(AR) coatings to maximize transmission
of the laser energy.
The next factor to consider is specifi-
cation of manufacturing parameters.
One key parameter is surface quality
because small imperfections scatter
light, which can lead to potentially dan-
gerous effects. The optics for eye sur-
gery, for instance, must precisely admin-
ister the appropriate amount of energy
without damaging the patients eye.
Choosing Optics for Medical Lasers
Figure 1. Coatings are an essential part of laser system elements such as filters and beamsplitters, and
must be designed to handle high power densities.
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Intro
Optical questions can often leave you feeling like youre in the dark. Whether you need
consulting, software or training, we can offer a solution customized to t your needs.
Call us today at 520.733.9557.
optical engineering | consulting | fred software | training | www.photonengr.com
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Intro
Ballistics Multiple images & views
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Applications
Scattered laser energy due to a lens poor surface quality both
decreases the equipments reliability in energy delivery and
could injure the patient by directing energy in unintended
directions.
Optical surfaces can never be perfect, however. Polishing an
optical surface inevitably creates small defects such as scratch-
es (marks or tears along the surface) and digs (pits or divots).
Thus, it is important for designers to determine a scratch-dig
specification that their system can tolerate.
The scratch-dig specification defines a standard surface
quality as an amount of acceptable variation on the optic sur-
face. The specification combines two numbers: a scratch num-
ber followed by a dig number, such as 20-10. Lower numbers
indicate higher surface quality. These numbers come from a
visual comparison to a set of standard surfaces in accordance
with MIL-PRF-13830B, a U.S. military specification for inspect-
ing optical components.
It is important to note that these numbers do not directly
correspond to the number of defects on the surface. The
scratch specification includes both the number and the total
length of allowable scratches, although as a common reference
the scratch number relates to the apparent width of an
acceptable scratch. Dig numbers, however, do relate to a spe-
cific value. For example, a dig number of 10 relates to a 0.10
mm, or 100-m, diameter pit.
The second key manufacturing factor for laser optics, espe-
cially the filters and windows that comprise most of a laser sys-
tems optical elements, is parallelism. This specification indi-
cates how parallel the first surface is to the second and is typ-
ically given as an angular measurement such as arcsec or
arcmin. In most cases with laser systems, however, the surfaces
of a flat optical element will not be parallel but will form a
deliberate wedge. This wedge shape helps prevent the forma-
tion of interference patterns due to partial reflections off of
each surface. The parallelism specification in these cases
measures how well-controlled the angle between the surfaces
is maintained.
Coatings
Optical components often need coatings to make them
reflecting, transmitting, polarizing, or beamsplitting. Specifying
the right coating can greatly improve the behavior of a system.
A well designed anti-reflection (AR) coating, for instance, can
increase the delivered power of a laser system by cutting reflec-
tions to less than 0.25% per surface at the lasers wavelength
(uncoated optics typically reflect up to 4% per surface).
Filter coatings are especially important as they are essential
to eliminating unwanted wavelengths in the optical path and
separating different wavelengths into different optical paths.
These are vital attributes in many different medical applica-
tions ranging from aesthetic laser treatments to microscopy. In
fluorescence microscopy, for example, the excitation channel
contains a filter to eliminate all wavelengths other than that of
the excitation source while the emission channel contains a fil-
ter that transmits only the emission range of the fluorescent
dye. A beamsplitter between the two channels selectively trans-
mits or reflects each channel (Figure 1) so that the viewer is
protected from the laser energy.
Filter coatings are specified by describing their wavelength-
dependent transmission properties and blocking properties.
These filter-coating-transmission curves should be combined
with material transmission curves to fully evaluate the optic.
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Intro
Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009 www.ptbmagazine.com
Advanced Laser Diode
Control Systems
www.vuemetrix.com
408-734-9974
Drivers available for discrete
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Current from 0.8A to 120A
Voltage up to 48V
CW and pulsed operation
Custom OEM packaging and firmware
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Advanced control and
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All inclusive diode safety features
Integrated diode and thermal
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Digital interface including
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Avoid Optics Damage
For all types of coatings, laser system
designers must consider the sources
power level and specify coating damage
thresholds. Ignoring this specification
greatly enhances the risk that the laser
will damage the optics and possibly the
entire system. Unless specified, however,
most vendors provide coated optics with-
out doing any damage testing.
The optical coating is generally the
source of failure in a high-power laser
system. Most fail because of the presence
of absorption sites within the coating, at
the coatings interface with the sub-
strate, or at the interface with the air.
Such sites absorb the laser energy, heat
up, and either melt or fracture the optic,
usually causing catastrophic system fail-
ure (Figure 2).
There are also noncatastrophic fail-
ures, such as plasma burn. These are typ-
ically the result of unoxidized 1- to 5m
metallic nodules - small defect areas
inherent to the coating material. Some
manufacturers intentionally subject
their coated elements to powers suffi-
cient to trigger plasma burns to remove
the defect nodules.
For high-power applications, coating
designers choose materials with intrinsi-
cally low absorption at the relevant wave-
lengths. But the customer needs to be
aware that the choice of coatings for
high power is limited. Further, coatings
for use with high-power ultraviolet (UV)
lasers are made of different materials
than those for use in the visible and near-
infrared (IR). Materials for use in mid-
and far-IR coatings are a third group.
The core structure of high-reflection
coatings is typically a repeating stack of
high- and low-index layers, each a quar-
ter-wavelength thick. Silicon dioxide
(SiO
2
) is the generally accepted and
ubiquitous choice for low-index layers.
Choosing a material for high-index lay-
ers is not as straightforward, although
dielectric metal oxides in general are
preferred materials for UV, visible, and
near-IR laser applications. Oxides of tita-
nium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium,
scandium, and niobium are all popular
high-index materials.
The design and fabrication of the
coating can significantly alter the dam-
age threshold. Simply adding a half-
wave of low-index material (normally
silicon dioxide) as the final layer, for
instance, can result in measurably
higher damage thresholds. The use of
sputtering to apply dense coating lay-
ers rather than using ion-assisted evap-
oration has an even greater impact
up to a ten-fold improvement by
eliminating the inherent porous micro -
structure present in evaporated filters..
Sputtering also makes the outer sur-
face less susceptible to damage from
handling and cleaning.
With proper selection, then, medical
laser system designers can obtain optical
elements that maximize performance,
safety, and reliability. The key is keeping
in mind the high power density of lasers
and their impact on the optical elements
as well as the possibilities of scattering
and interference that can affect delivery
of power to the target.
This article was written by Greg Fales.
Product Line Manager, and Kristin Vogt,
Product Line Engineer, Edmund Optics
(Barrington, NJ). For more information, con-
tact Mr. Fales at gfales@edmundoptics.com,
Ms. Vogt at kvogt@edmundoptics.com, or
Figure 2. Defects in coatings can absorb laser energy and melt or crack optics resulting in catastroph-
ic system failures.
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Intro
Instruments for Imaging From Far to Near
These instruments could also perform some spectral imaging functions at close range.
The acronym CHAMP (signifying
camera, hand lens, and microscope)
denotes any of several proposed optoelec-
tronic instruments that would be capable
of color imaging at working distances that
could be varied continuously through a
range from infinity down to several mil-
limeters. As in any optical instrument, the
magnification, depth of field, and spatial
resolution would vary with the working
distance. For example, in one CHAMP
version, at a working distance of 2.5 m,
the instrument would function as an elec-
tronic camera with a magnification of
1/100, whereas at a working distance of
7 mm, the instrument would function as
a microscope/electronic camera with
a magnification of 4.4. Moreover, as
described below, when operating at or
near the shortest-working-distance/
highest-magnification combination, a
CHAMP could be made to perform one
or more spectral imaging functions.
CHAMPs were originally intended to
be used in robotic geological exploration
of the Moon and Mars. The CHAMP con-
cept also has potential for diverse terres-
trial applications that could include
remotely controlled or robotic geologi-
cal exploration, prospecting, field micro-
biology, environmental surveying, and
assembly-line inspection.
A CHAMP (see figure) would include
two lens cells: (1) a distal cell correspon-
ding to the objective lens assembly of a
conventional telescope or microscope and
(2) a proximal cell that would contain the
focusing camera lens assembly and the
camera electronic image-detector chip,
which would be of the active-pixel-sensor
(APS) type. The distal lens cell would face
outward from a housing, while the proxi-
mal lens cell would lie in a clean environ-
ment inside the housing. The proximal
lens cell would contain a beam splitter that
would enable simultaneous use of the
imaging optics (that is, proximal and distal
lens assemblies) for imaging and illumina-
tion of the field of view. The APS chip
would be mounted on a focal plane on a
side face of the beam splitter, while light
for illuminating the field of view would
enter the imaging optics via the end face
of the beam splitter.
The proximal lens cell would be
mounted on a sled that could be trans-
lated along the optical axis for focus
adjustment. The position of the CHAMP
would initially be chosen at the desired
working distance of the distal lens from
(corresponding to an approximate
desired magnification of) an object to
be examined. During subsequent opera-
tion, the working distance would ordi-
narily remain fixed at the chosen value
and the position of the proximal lens
cell within the instrument would be
adjusted for focus as needed.
A CHAMP could be equipped with
one or more illumination subsystem(s),
one of which could be a laser probe that
could be used during microscope opera-
tion. Laser light would be delivered via
an optical fiber to the focal plane on the
end face of the beam splitter. The laser
light would pass through the beam split-
ter into the imaging optics, which would
focus the laser light to a small spot (typ-
ically no wider than about 10 m) on the
object under examination. The output
end of the optical fiber could be moved
in the beam-splitter-end-face focal plane
to scan the laser spot across the object in
order to interrogate microscopic fea-
tures anywhere in the field of view.
Depending on the specific application
and specific instrument design, the laser
light could be used as simple illumina-
tion for ordinary imaging or as excita-
tion for one or more of several spectro-
scopic techniques that could include
Raman spectroscopy, micro-laser-
induced breakdown spectroscopy, and
ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy.
This work was done by Greg Mungas, John
Boynton, and Cesar Sepulveda of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Physical
Sciences category.
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
page number.
The Optical Layout of a CHAMP is shown here greatly simplified and not to scale. It serves mainly to illustrate the focus adjustment and the use of the
optics for both illumination and imaging.
Laser Light
Source
Proximal Lens Cell
Adjustable Distance
Distal Lens Cell
Object Under
Observation
APS Chip
Optical Fiber
Working
Distance
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Intro
Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009 11a

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Reflectors Made From Membranes Stretched Between Beams
The beams could be bent to adjust reflector shapes.
Lightweight cylindrical reflectors of a
proposed type would be made from
reflective membranes stretched between
pairs of identically curved and identically
oriented end rails. In each such reflector,
the curvature of the two beams would
define the reflector shape required for
the intended application. For example,
the beams could be curved to define a
reflector of parabolic cross section, so that
light incident along the axis of symmetry
perpendicular to the cylindrical axis
would be focused to a line. In addition, by
applying suitable forces to the ends of the
beams, one could bend the beams to
adjust the reflector surface figure to with-
in a precision of the order of the wave-
length of the radiation to be reflected.
The figure depicts an example of
beams shaped so that in the absence of
applied forces, each would be flat on one
side and would have a radius of curvature
R on the opposite side. Alternatively, the
curvature of the reflector-membrane side
could be other than circular. In general,
the initial curvature would be chosen to
optimize the final reflector shape. Then
by applying forces F between the beam
ends in the positions and orientations
shown in the figure, one could bend
beams to adjust their shape to a closer
approximation of the desired precise cir-
cular or noncircular curvature.
This work was done by Jennifer Dooley and
Mark Dragovan of Caltech and Jason Tolomeo
of Lockheed-Martin for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. For more information, download
the Technical Support Package (free white
Physical Sciences category. NPO-30571
Two Identically Shaped and Oriented Beams would be bent to adjust their curvatures precisely. A
reflective membrane would be stretched between the precisely curved surfaces.
Cylindrical Surfaces of Radius of Curvature R
Axis Parallel to
Cylindrical Axis
Identical Beams
F
F
F
F
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Intro
Product of the Month
Short-Pulse Ultrafast Laser
Newport Corporations Spectra-Physics
Lasers Division (Mountain View, CA) introduces the

Mai Tai SP, the first fully-automated, hands-free <25fs one-box ultrafast oscillator with adjustable
pulse width. The Mai Tai SP bandwidth and wavelength are both computer adjustable the band-
width tunes from >60nm to <12nm, corresponding to near transform-limited pulse widths from
<25fs to 100fs. The new Mai Tai SP features both Stabilok
technology and proprietary Eter-

nAlign permanent optics mounting technology to ensure exceptional long-term environmental
stability. The Mai Tai SP is highly stable and suitable for seeding the Spitfire
Pro ultrafast amplifier

system, which can be used for pump-probe spectroscopy, THz generation, high harmonic genera-
tion and other time-resolved spectroscopy applications.
Gamma-Ray Spectrometer
ORTEC
(Oak Ridge, TN) offers the

trans-SPEC DX-100 hand-held gamma-ray
spectroscopic instruments that are suit-
able for a variety of in situ applications.
The trans-SPEC DX-100 features a high-
purity Germanium (HPGE) detector that
eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen
cooling, and has greater than 40% rela-
tive efficiency. The trans-SPEC DX-100 provides users with the ability to
operate the instrument through wireless communications, and store
data on a removable Secure Digital I/O card.
Machine Vision Software
DALSA Corporation (Ontario, Canada)
has advanced the color capability of its Sapera
Essential software for machine vision applica-
tions. The cost-effective machine vision soft-
ware toolkit bundles board-level acquisition
and control with advanced image processing
capability. Hardware independent, Sapera Es-
sential offers users a single API and a compre-
hensive feature set, including acquisition
control, image processing primitive, Blob
analysis, area- and shaped-based pattern matching, color, barcode (lin-
ear/1D and matrix/2D codes), OCR, and lens correction tools.
UV LEDs
OPTEK Technology (Carrollton,
TX) introduces OUE8A ultraviolet
LEDs in the UV-A spectrum. OUE8A
UV LEDs are offered in a variety of
wavelengths and are housed in her-
metic TO-46 metal can packages. The
UV LEDs are suitable for medical and
industrial applications including pho-
totherapy treatment; dental applications; fluorescence and ultraviolet-
visible spectroscopy; photo-catalyst curing of inks; coatings and adhe-
sives; and paper currency and document validation.
VGA Cameras
Basler Vision Technologies (Ahrensburg, Germanay)
has introduced four new scout scA640-
120gm VGA cameras based on
Sonys ICX618 sensor. The cam-
eras feature a compact 29 mm 44
mm 73.7 mm housing and are
equipped with a C- or CS-mount
lens adapter. They are available in monochrome and color, and with a
Gigabit Ethernet or IEEE 1394b interface. They offer an acquisition
rate of 120 frames per second at full VGA resolution. The cameras are
suitable for applications ranging from factory automation to semicon-
ductor and electronics manufacturing.
New Products New Products
Photodarkening-Resistant Fibers
nLIGHT (Vancouver, WA) has re-
leased highly doped, photodarken-
ing-resistant ytterbium fibers with
up to 60% higher absorption at
920nm and pump conversion effi-
ciencies routinely over 75%. The
LIEKKITM Yb2000 fibers are avail-
able in core/clad geometries ranging from 7/125 m to 30/250 m in
non-polarization and polarization maintaining versions. The large
mode area (LMA), low numerical aperture (NA) fibers exhibit a five-
fold decrease in loss under accelerated stress testing conditions.
Vision Software
Cognex (Natick, MA) has released VisionPro
5.2 hardware-independent vision software that
features SearchMax and Color Extractor
color tools. SearchMax uses color features to
search for objects, and Color Extractor locates
colored regions in complex scenes with very min-
imal training. Color Extractor is optimized for
high speed applications such as those required
in the food and packaging industries. Multicore
support for image filtering tools as well as for PatMax
and
Pat Inspect is included.
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Intro
www.prior.com
Prior Scientific, Inc.
80 Reservoir Park Dr.
Rockland, MA 02370
Tel: 800-877-2234
MICROSCOPE
Motorized
Microscope Stages
High Speed Filter
Wheels & Shutters
Laser
Autofocus Systems
Custom & OEM
Optical Systems
AUTOMATION
Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009 www.ptbmagazine.com 13a
Ambient Light Sensor ICs
ROHM Semiconductor (San Diego, CA)
releases analog and digital Ambient Light
Sensor (ALS) ICs for the control of LED
backlighting for LCD-equipped devices. Fea-
turing ROHMs proprietary trimming
process and use of multiple photodiodes
with different junction depths, the ALS ICs
provide an accurate output with little varia-
tion between various light sources. They offer uniform visibility for
LCDs over a range of ambient light levels and sources, from incandes-
cent or fluorescent light to full sunlight.
Digital Wavefront Analyzing System
DataRay (Boulder Creek, CA) intro-
duces PhasePro, a Digital Wavefront An-
alyzing system that measures intensity and
wavefront phase with high resolution in
real-time in one shot. PhasePro employs
patented data reduction techniques and
custom optics to process simultaneous
beam images from two planes in z. The
system incorporates a compact, port-powered USB 2.0,
2
3" CCD cam-
era. PhasePro operates under Windows XP or Vista (32) and offers Ac-
tive X & LabVIEW interfacing.
DUV Dynamic Interferometer
The FizCam DUV interferome-
ter from 4D Technology (Tucson,
AZ) provides accurate measure-
ment of optics and optical sys-
tems at 193 nm wavelength (deep
ultra-violet), even in the presence
of vibration and air turbulence.
The FizCam DUV incorporates a
single camera, high-speed optical
phase sensor that measures in less than 5 milliseconds. Motorized con-
trols include 2X discrete optical zoom, focus, polarization, input beam
alignment, transmission flat tip/tilt, and optional return flat tip/tilt.
FizCam DUV components are stainless/electroless nickel-plated.
Thin Film Measurement Instrument
The Craic Technologies QDI 2010 Film is
available from Elliot Scientific (Hertfordshire,
UK). The QDI 2010 Film is a specialized instru-
ment developed from the existing QDI 2010 UV-
VIS-NIR microspectrophotometer, combining UV
microscopy and microspectroscopy into one tool.
The QDI 2010 Film can measure the thickness of
thin films covering sub-micron or larger sampling
areas, by either transmission or reflectance in a
rapid and non-destructive fashion. The instrument
can analyze the film on both transparent and opaque substrates.
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Intro
www.ptbmagazine.com Photonics Tech Briefs, October 2009 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/22928-854
New Products
Marking Laser
The TruMark 3010 marking laser from TRUMPF (Farmington, CT) is
suitable for users who need to mark small batches or individual workpieces.
The marking laser features user-friendliness, compact size, and low mainte-
nance. Due to a convection-cooled laser head,
the TruMark 3010 is a silent companion with-
out creating unwanted air-flow close to the
workpiece. Its NAVIGATOR software deter-
mines the optimal laser settings for marking,
such as pulse frequency, pulse power, or scan-
ner speed. The diode-pumped, solid-state laser
has a wavelength of 1064 nm.
LED Color Correction Filters
Abrisa (Santa Paula, CA) has intro-
duced color correction filters for energy-
efficient LEDs. The durable LED filters
are ideal for interior and architectural
lighting design, and can be easily inter-
changed to achieve color variations, sub-
tle diffusion, or to create a specific light-
ing atmosphere. The color correction
filters are available in transparent or an-
tireflective (AR) coatings, to maximize LED light output. Available in
sizes ranging from micro-optics up to 27 inches in diameter, the filters
operate between -60C and +100C.
Organic Photovoltaic Technology
Cytec Industries (Woodland Park, NJ) and IMEC (Leuven, Belgium)
have collaborated to develop a commercially viable technology for or-
ganic photovoltaic devices with enhanced stability and extended life-
time. The operational lifetime of organic solar cells must be improved
to extend beyond 5 years. Intrinsic stabil-
ity issues of organic solar cells will be ad-
dressed by stabilizing the nanomorphol-
ogy of the active material blend. The
ingress of extrinsic degradation sources
of oxygen and water vapor will be sup-
pressed by the development of an appro-
priate barrier, encapsulation technology.
Specialty Fibers for Er:YAG Lasers
Infrared Fiber Systems (Silver Spring, MD) produces HP
Fiber, a Germanium Oxide glass fiber for use with Er:YAG and
Er:YSGG lasers. Transmission
range is from visible to 3.0 mi-
crons, with typical absorption of
0.5 dB/m at 2.94 microns and
0.25 dB/m at 2.79 microns. HP
Fiber is non-toxic, has good flexi-
bility, high mechanical strength,
and can handle up to 20 watts of
laser power.
Fiber Optic Switches
New fiber optic switches from Leoni (Nurnberg, Germany) offer repro-
ducibility in the range of 0.1%, they can act up to 50 Hz, and they have <20%
losses. The duty cycle is more than 108 switches. The standard switch has a 1:4
arrangement, but other setups, such as 2:2, can be created as well. Up to 16 out-
put channels can be provided by cascading switches. All types of quartz fibers, from
single-mode types up to 16 output channels, can be inserted.
Light Guide Foils
CoActive Technologies KDM (Newton, MA) has expanded its
family of light guide foils to include devices with a thickness of
less than 200m. The light guide foils are designed to evenly
distribute light from side-firing LEDs, providing bright, uni-
form illumination of keypads for handheld electronic devices.
Backlight coloring can be software-controlled through the use
of multiple sets of colored or RGB LEDs, while use of multiple
light guide foils provides a zoned illumination effect. Light guide foils are constructed with poly-
carbonate or TPU film materials. Typical luminance is >20Cd/m
2
from two LEDs at 5mA/LED.
High-Speed Nanopositioner
The new Nano-LPQ piezo nanopositioner from Mad City Labs
(Madison, WI) is the lowest profile high speed XYZ nanoposi-
tioner available and offers 75 75 50m travel with picometer
position noise under closed loop control. The Nano-LPQ features
equal millisecond response times in XYZ, an integrated sample
holder, analog and digital control with added scan synchroniza-
tion features, and compatibility with LabView and C++. It
comes with Mad City Labs Nano-Route 3D software.
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Intro

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Lasers Division (Mountain View, CA) introduces the

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