NTB1212.pdf

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Welcome to your Digital Edition of NASA Tech Briefs,Imaging Technology, Embedded Technology, and

Motion Control and Automation TechnologyIncluded in This December Edition:

Motion Control andNASA Tech Briefs Imaging Technology Embedded Technology Automation Technology

How to Navigate the Magazines:

At the bottom of each page, you will see a navigation bar with the following buttons:

Arrows: Click on the right or left facing arrow to turn the page forward or backward.

Introduction: Click on this icon to quickly turn to this page.

Cover: Click on this icon to quickly turn to the front cover.

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Find: Click on this icon to search the document.

You can also use the standard Acrobat Reader tools to navigate through each magazine.

NASA Software of the Year

Pattern Generator for Testing Digital Boards

Vote for Product of the Year

Special Supplements:

Imaging Technology

Motion Control and Automation Technology

Embedded Technology

December 2012 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 36 No. 12

48 www.techbriefs.com Imaging Technology, December 2012

With an airborne camera capableof making precise and detailedecological observations, biolo-

gists at Applied Ecological Services(Brodhead, WI) are bringing satellite im-agery closer to earth.

After years of using satellite imageryfor larger landscape-scale applications,AES has acquired a new high-resolutionmultispectral camera for imaging andmapping ecological projects. Instead ofusing a high-flying fast plane with alarge format camera, AES and its part-ner Ayres & Associates (Madison, WI)have opted for a plane that flies low andslow over the ground, even beneathcloud cover, to obtain ecologically rele-vant imagery.

For AES, the timing of imagery to cap-ture data on dynamic ecologicalprocesses is important. So is the flexibil-ity to capture imagery on an as-neededbasis — for example, when deciduoustrees have lost their leaves but invasive,exotic common buckthorn is still darkgreen. Flexibility is often difficult forother aerial photography vendors whoare more accustomed to imaging for en-gineering or infrastructure purposesthat are not as sensitive to timing issues.

The Leica RCD30 camera acquires im-agery as resolved as 2-inch, on-groundpixel size because of its fast shutter andAES’ slow-flying plane (see Figure 1).The digital mapping camera offers fourspectral bands (red, green, blue, and in-frared) that are capable of achieving en-gineer-standard mapping accuracy spec-ifications in association with bothvertical and horizontal measures.

Using the Infrared BandThe infrared band enables specific

applications associated with the study ofvegetation, and it offers a unique look atthe “greenness” or “productivity” of veg-etation. The infrared band is receptiveto capturing reflectance associated withthe amount and type of chlorophyll A orB pigments present in the tissue or cellsof plants. This sensitivity, associated withdetecting chlorophyll in vegetation,gives scientists at AES a unique under-standing of ecological interactions thatmight otherwise go undetected (see Fig-ure 2).

Plant productivity is a measure of thecondition, vigor, moisture, and healthof a plant. Identifying where and howthat productive plant tissue is distrib-

uted on the landscape can be used tomeasure ecosystem conditions, includ-ing crop productivity, biomass volumes,detection and measurement of pest ordisease impacts, and the mapping ofvegetation community types. In somecases, it is also used to identify and mapspecific plant species including variousgrasses, sedges, forbs, or trees, as well asdifferent aquatic patterns associatedwith algae growth.

After aerial images are collected, theyare typically brought into high-poweredsoftware programs designed to seamlessly

Using Multispectral Imagingfor Ecological Observations

Figure 1. Low and slow, and underneath the clouds, is how the Cessna Turbo 206 plane flies to capture four-band multispectral images for ecological in-terpretation. (Image Credit: Applied Ecological Services)

Figure 2. Color-infared image used for mappingand monitoring urban tree canopy. Black pointsare ash trees and are being used to “train” spec-tral characterization methods for species identifi-cation. (Image Credit: Applied Ecological Services)

58 www.embeddedtechmag.com Embedded Technology, December 2012

I ntel’s new Sandy Bridge microarchi-tecture is changing how softwareapplications run and perform on serv-

er platforms. In order for applications totap the full power of these new devices,developers will need to update not onlytheir application software, but also thehardware platforms on which thoseapplications run. Changes to Intel’sXeon® E3 and E5 series of microproces-sors include new instructions used toaccelerate common encryption tasksand floating point calculations, as well asincreased core counts and cache perCPU. Paramount to adoption is the crit-ical thinking that developers need toconsider to successfully transition to theSandy Bridge microarchitecture.

General-purpose microprocessorshave traditionally served within the con-trol plane of communications and net-working equipment, leaving ASICs(Application-Specific Integrated Cir -cuits), FPGAs (Field-ProgrammableGate Arrays) and various acceleratorcards to handle packet processing in thedata plane. But that is all beginning tochange as Intel’s faster and more effi-cient processors aim to replace many ofthe network processors commonly usedin today’s enterprise- and carrier-classservers. Intel’s processor enhancementsare also changing how pre-integratedserver application software interoper-ates with onboard memory, disk drives,RAID controllers, and the OperatingSystem (OS).

Enter Sandy BridgeSandy Bridge (Figure 1) is the code-

name for Intel’s next-generation Xeon-based microprocessor architecture, onwhich the E3 and E5 series of XeonCPUs are based. As the successor to theNehalem microarchitecture, SandyBridge CPUs are manufactured onIntel’s 32nm geometry process. SandyBridge is designed to enhance a range ofapplications that run on notebooks,

Transitioning ApplicationPlatforms to Sandy Bridge

Figure 1. Intel’s Tick-Tock Microarchitecture Roadmap

Figure 2. Sandy Bridge Platform Feature Comparison

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December 2012

Supplement to NASA Tech BriefsSupplement to NASA Tech Briefs

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NASA Software of the Year

Pattern Generator for Testing Digital Boards

Vote for Product of the Year

Special Supplements:

Imaging Technology

Motion Control and Automation Technology

Embedded Technology

December 2012 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 36 No. 12

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6 www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

1a – 10aMotion Control and Automation Technology

Follows page 32 in selected editions only.

December 2012 Vol. 36 No. 12

20 Technology Focus: Electronic Components20 Pattern Generator for Bench Test of Digital Boards

20 Feedback Augmented Sub-Ranging (FASR) Quantizer

21 670-GHz Down- and Up-Converting HEMT-Based Mixers

22 Real-Time Distributed Embedded Oscillator OperatingFrequency Monitoring

23 Lidar Electro-Optic Beam Switch with a Liquid CrystalVariable Retarder

24 Software24 Description and User Instructions for the

Quaternion_to_orbit_v3 Software

24 AdapChem

24 Extended Testability Analysis Tool

26 Interactive 3D Mars Visualization

27 Software Modules for the Proximity-1 Space LinkInterleaved Time Synchronization (PITS) Protocol

28 Rapid Diagnostics of Onboard Sequences

28 Mars Relay Lander and Orbiter Overflight ProfileEstimation

28 MER Telemetry Processor

29 pyam: Python implementation of YaM

30 Manufacturing & Prototyping30 Archway for Radiation and Micrometeorite Occurrence

Resistance

32 Process for Patterning Indium for Bump Bonding

34 Physical Sciences34 4D Light Field Imaging System Using Programmable

Aperture

34 Membrane Shell Reflector Segment Antenna

35 Radio Frequency Plasma Discharge Lamps for Use asStable Calibration Light Sources

36 Device and Container for Reheating and Sterilization

37 High-Speed Transport of Fluid Drops and Solid Particles viaSurface Acoustic Waves

38 Compact Autonomous Hemispheric Vision System

39 A Distributive, Non-Destructive, Real-Time Approach toSnowpack Monitoring

10 UpFront

12 Who’s Who at NASA

33 Technologies of the Month

70 NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Office

71 Advertisers Index

14 NASA Awards 2012 Software of the Year

18 Application Briefs

66 Vote for Product of the Year

72 NASA Spinoff: Lightweight Aircraft

14

67

S O L U T I O N S

D E P A R T M E N T S

67 Product Focus: Design & AnalysisSoftware

68 New Products

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


December 2012




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(Solutions continued on page 8)

72

F E A T U R E S

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Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein, may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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8 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-740

This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration. Neither Associated Business Publications Co., Ltd. nor the United StatesGovernment nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes anyliability resulting from the use of the information contained in this document, or warrants thatsuch use will be free from privately owned rights. The U.S. Government does not endorse anycommercial product, process, or activity identified in this publication.

Permissions: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal orpersonal use of specific clients, is granted by Associated Business Publications, provided thatthe flat fee of $3.00 per copy be paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (222 RoseWood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923). For those organizations that have been granted a photocopylicense by CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. The fee code for users of theTransactional Reporting Service is: ISSN 0145-319X194 $3.00+ .00

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University usedPointwise computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mesh-ing software from Pointwise (Fort Worth, TX) to cre-ate external 3D grids for automobiles to efficientlyresolve the expected gradients along the car sur-face. Students were able to estimate the potentialbenefit of adding a front spoiler to improve down-force for improved traction at high speed. Learnmore about the latest release of Pointwise in ourProduct Focus on Design & Analysis Software onpage 67.

(Image courtesy of Pointwise)

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

67

MathWorks (Natick, MA) introducedRelease 2012b of MATLAB and

Simulink for technical computing,simulation and design.

40 Information Technology40 Numerical Simulation of Rocket Exhaust Interaction With

Lunar Soil

41 Motion Imagery and Robotics Application (MIRA):Standards-Based Robotics

42 Particle Filtering for Model-Based Anomaly Detection inSensor Networks

46 Books and Reports46 Ka-band Digitally Beamformed Airborne Radar Using

SweepSAR Technique

46 Composite With In Situ Plenums

46 Multi-Beam Approach for Accelerating Alignment andCalibration of HyspIRI-Like Imaging Spectrometers

46 JWST Lifting System

65 Next-Generation Tumbleweed Rover

65 Pneumatic System for Concentration of Micrometer-SizeLunar Soil

48 Imaging Technology48 Using Multispectral Imaging for Ecological Observations

52 USB 3.0: Addressing New Challenges in Machine Vision

55 The Eyes of the Mars Curiosity Rover

58 Embedded Technology58 Transitioning Application Platforms to Sandy Bridge

61 Strong-ARMing The Market

Contents continued

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UPFRONT

NASA has tapped a team of aerospace, mili-tary, and academic researchers for a three-yearproject that could dramatically improve in-flightnavigation capabilities for space vehicles, mili-tary air and sea assets, and commercial vehicles.The project includes researchers from NASA’sMarshall Space Flight Center; the U.S. ArmyAviation and Missile Research, Develop ment,and Engineering Center (AMRDEC); andNorthwestern University.

Their work is intended to enhance the per-formance of a vehicle’s inertial guidance systemby refining the optical gyroscopes that drive it.These highly sensitive gyroscopes, paired withaccelerometers, measure a vehicle’s attitude or

orientation based on its angular or rotational momentum in flight, and track its velocityand acceleration to precisely determine its position, flight path, and attitude, or its orien-tation relative to the direction of travel. Researchers supporting the project say their newoptical gyroscopes could be at least 1,000 times more sensitive than current gyroscopes.

For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2012/12-111.html.


NASA’s PhoneSat project will demonstrate the ability tolaunch the lowest-cost and easiest-to-build satellites everflown in space — capabilities enabled by using off-the-shelf consumer smartphones to build spacecraft. Thesmartphones already offer a wealth of capabilities neededfor satellite systems, including fast processors, versatileoperating systems, multiple miniature sensors, high-resolu-tion cameras, GPS receivers, and several radios.

A small team of engineers working on PhoneSat at Ames Research Center aims to rapid-ly evolve satellite architecture. They kept the total cost of the components to build each ofthe three prototype satellites to $3,500 by using only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hard-ware, and keeping the design and mission objectives to a minimum for the first flight.

NASA’s prototype smartphone satellite, PhoneSat 1.0, is built around the Nexus Onesmartphone made by HTC Corp., running Google’s Android operating system. The NexusOne acts as the spacecraft onboard computer. Sensors determine the orientation of thespacecraft while the smartphone’s camera can be used for Earth observations. COTS partsinclude a watchdog circuit that monitors the systems and reboots the phone if it stopssending radio signals.

PhoneSat 2.0 adds a two-way S-band radio to allow engineers to command the satellitefrom Earth, solar panels to enable longer-duration missions, and a GPS receiver. It also addsmagnetorquer coils — electromagnets that interact with Earth’s magnetic field — and reac-tion wheels to actively control the satellite’s orientation in space.

For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/stp/small_satellite_subsystem_tech/phonesat.html.

Linda BellEditorial Director

Smartphone Nanosatellites

NetworKingNASA has released a new mobile

application that challenges gamersto take on the role of a space com-munications network manager, andputs them in charge of building acommunications network to supportscientific missions. NetworKing pro-vides an interactive, 3D experiencewith an insider’s perspective intohow mission controllers and scientistscommunicate with spacecraft andsatellites. NetworKing is availablefree on the NASA 3D Resources Website at http://go.nasa.gov/OFkcot.

Research Group to Develop Flight Navigation Technology

We start off 2013 with a focus onConsumer Electronics Design. Findout about the design challengesbehind the latest consumer electron-ic devices, and what engineers needto do to make devices even smallerand faster.

> Next Month in NTB

Instruments aboard the Curiosityrover have ingested and analyzedsamples of the Martian atmospherecollected near the “Rocknest” site inGale Crater where the rover isstopped for research. Findings fromthe Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)instruments suggest that loss of afraction of the atmosphere has beena significant factor in the evolutionof the planet.

Watch Tech Briefs TV for the lat-est videos of the mission at www.techbriefs.com/tv/mars. Keep upwith Curiosity at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.

> Curiosity Update

> App of the Month

(Left to right) Army contractor HongrokChang, U.S. Army researcher Krishna Myneni,and Dr. David Smith of NASA Marshall arepart of a team developing the new gyro-scopes. (MSFC/Emmett Given)

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www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

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Who’s Who at NASA

D r. Carlos Calle isdeveloping instru-

mentation that address-es the problem of elec-trostatic dust. The tech-nology will be used infuture exploration mis-sions on Mars and theMoon.

NASA Tech Briefs: How does the elec-trodynamic dust shield (EDS) work?

Dr. Carlos Calle: The shield has a verythin coating of electrodes that is embed-ded in a substrate. We activate the elec-trodes with a very low-power electric sig-nal. The signal is applied to the elec-trodes, and we generate an electric fieldwave that propagates through the sur-face. It’s pretty much like when youthrow a pebble on a pond, and you seethe ripples propagating away. In thiscase, it’s an invisible electric field that ispropagating across the surface, and thatpropagating electric field carries alongthe dust particles that are electrostatical-ly charged.

NTB: How will the dust shields beused in Mars missions?

Dr. Calle: In 2003, we joined forceswith the University of Arkansas at LittleRock and wrote a proposal together tothe NASA Science Mission Directorate.We won a NASA Research Announce -ment (NRA) award to maintain solarpanels on Mars and free them of dust.We developed that technology for aboutfour years and applied it to the glass cov-ers that are used to protect the photo-voltaic arrays.

We developed applications of thatshield not only for solar panels, but alsoto protect optical systems, camera lens-es, and spectrometers. To that effect, weapply the transparent electrodes to a fil-

ter-like, optical-quality glass that goesover the camera lens or the spectrome-ter, and it will keep the device free ofdust. The same transparent applicationwould work to maintain helmets andvisors for future manned missions, or tomaintain windows in a habitat free ofdust. You won’t have to use any contactdevice like a brush that would scratchthe surfaces with repeated usage.

Also, [the shields are used on] ther-mal radiators to maintain the surfaces ofinstruments that need to be kept at acertain temperature. Those are paintedwith a reflective paint. The technologycan also be used with second-surfacemirrors, which are the silver- or alu-minum-coated films that reflect heat onstructures. If you have a reflective sur-face or a metallic reflective surface thatis covered with dust, the efficiency ofthat radiator is compromised.

NTB: Will this technology be embed-ded in the fabric of future spacesuits?

Dr. Calle: Yes. It is very important, andwe’ve been able to use carbon nanotubesolutions and inks on fabric. We’re work-ing on applying it to actual spacesuit fab-ric to protect and maintain spacesuitsfree of dust.

That was a major problem on theMoon during the Apollo missions. Eventhough they were short-duration mis-sions, the astronauts ended up coveredwith dust from the EVA activities on theMoon. It was more of a nuisance at thattime. For long-duration missions, howev-er, it becomes a hazard. We’re workingon that, to be able to successfully keepthe dust off of spacesuits.

To learn more about the dust shield technol-ogy, see the EDS in action, or listen to a down-loadable podcast of the interview, visitwww.techbriefs.com/podcast. For more infor-mation, contact [email protected].

Dr. Carlos Calle, Lead Scientist, Electrostatics and Surface Physics Lab,Kennedy Space Center, FL

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Software engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center inMoffett Field, CA developed the NASA App for mobile plat-forms including the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Androidphones and tablets. The NASA App currently has more than9.6 million user installations and receives more than three mil-lion hits per day on average. The app’s creators are programmanager Jerry Colen, software engineer John Freitas, and newmedia specialist Charles Du.

The application uses a collection of backend scripts andservers to gather and aggregate all of the best and most heavi-ly requested NASA content from thousands of non-mobile Webpages, image databases, video collections, news and imagefeeds, Twitter accounts, etc. As the content is gathered andaggregated, it is also being optimized, formatted, and thendelivered to a very fast, engaging, well organized, and intuitiveapplication. The NASA App also makes extensive use of themobile devices’ built-in hardware, features, and usability tooffer very compelling yet concise information in a clear andeasy-to-use way that aids public access to science, technology,and engineering discoveries. With the integrated social mediafeatures (such as Facebook and Twitter), the app makes shar-ing the content fun and easy.

The NASA App supports all the agency’s programs, projects,and missions by bringing the wealth of NASA’s online infor-

mation to users’ fingertips.The prime contribution andfocus of the NASA App is onpublic outreach and educa-tion. It is a whole new way forNASA to share the missionmilestones, results, and re -search with a new generationusing smartphones and tab -lets. It also gives the publicaccess to all of NASA’s break-ing news/video, whenever andwherever they want. The NASAApp helps users gain a betterunderstanding and apprecia-tion of NASA science, technol-ogy, engineering, and mathe-matics (STEM) discoveries.

The NASA App was #1 in theeducation section of the Appleapp store for several monthsafter being released on eachplatform. On the iPad versionof the NASA App (and other tablets in the future), every majorsolar system object is covered with a detailed write-up includingdistance from the Sun, radius, mass, density, gravity, moons,rings, etc. In all versions of the NASA App, NASA missions areexplained, with links to news, images, videos, tweets, tracking,countdown, etc. Live streaming of launches (like the lastShuttle launch), major events (discovery of new life), and mis-sion progress (ISS) can be viewed wherever the student has aWi-Fi or cellular network connection.

Other features include on-demand NASA videos fromaround the agency, live streaming of NASA TV, Third RockInternet streaming radio, ISS and Earth orbiting satellite track-ers, and links to all NASA visitor centers.

The NASA App was the very first mobile app developed,approved, and released by NASA. The significant develop-ment, innovations, legal reviews, and methods created for thisto happen paved the way for a variety of new apps from otherNASA centers to be released.

For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/iphone.(Continued on page 16)

NASA Awards 2012Software of the Year

NASA’s first mobile application and software that models the behavior of earthquake faults to improve earthquake forecast-ing and our understanding of earthquake processes are co-winners of NASA’s 2012 Software of the Year Award. The awardrecognizes innovative software technologies that significantly improve the agency’s exploration of space and maximize sci-

entific discovery on Earth. A NASA software advisory panel reviews Software of the Year entries and recommends winners toNASA’s Inventions and Contributions Board for confirmation.

NASA App for iPad provides information on current missions.

After selecting a mission, a secondwindow opens a detailed view ofthe mission description, allowingusers to view images and videos,visit the mission Web site, view alaunch or arrival countdownclock, and view an orbit trackingscreen.

NASA App


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©2012 Stratasys, Inc.

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Runner-Up

QuakeSim, developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL) in Pasadena, CA, is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art soft-ware tool for simulating and understanding earthquake faultprocesses and improving earthquake forecasting. Initiated in2002, QuakeSim uses NASA remote sensing and other earth-quake-related data to simulate and model the behavior offaults in 3D, both individually and as part of complex, interact-ing systems. This provides long-term histories of fault behaviorthat can be used for statistical evaluation. QuakeSim also isused to identify regions of increased earthquake probabilitiescalled hotspots.

QuakeSim provides model and analysis tools, computationalinfrastructure, access to data, and an interface for understand-ing the complete cycle of earthquakes. The software assimilatesdata of crustal deformation that leads to and follows earth-quakes, together with seismicity data of earthquakes and geo-logic data. QuakeSim’s integrated, map-based interfaces andapplications make an unprecedented amount of complex geo-physical data from the ground, air, and space available andaccessible to a broad range of scientists and end users, includ-ing emergency responders, commercial disaster companies,the insurance industry, and civil engineers. The software allowsthem to explore and analyze observations, model earthquakeprocesses, and analyze patterns to focus attention and identifysignificant and/or subtle features in the data.

QuakeSim has had a number of notable accomplishments todate. It produced the first readily accessible set of digital faultmodels of California. It was used to identify regions in extremesouthern California at risk for earthquakes, guiding the collec-tion of data by NASA’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SyntheticAperture Radar (UAVSAR) prior to a magnitude 7.2 earth-quake in Baja, Mexico in 2010, which led to the first-ever air-borne radar images of deformation in Earth’s surface causedby a major earthquake. It helped define NASA’s planned syn-thetic aperture radar satellite mission, and was used to rule outtectonic deformation of Earth’s surface as a factor when waterpipe breaks afflicted Los Angeles in 2009. The software alsowas used in several recent government earthquake responseexercises, including the 2008 California ShakeOut, 2011National Level Exercise, and the 2012 Golden GuardianExercise. QuakeSim approaches are being adopted by numer-ous organizations, including the Southern CaliforniaEarthquake Center, United States Geological Survey, and theCalifornia Geological Survey.

Studies have shown QuakeSim to be the most accurate toolof its kind for intermediate earthquake forecasting, and detect-ing the subtle, transient deformation in Earth’s crust that pre-

cedes and follows earthquakes. Its varied applications includescientific studies, developing earthquake hazard maps that canbe used for targeted retrofitting of earthquake-vulnerablestructures, providing input for damage and loss estimates afterearthquakes, guiding disaster response efforts, and studyingfluid changes in reservoirs.

The multidisciplinary QuakeSim team includes principalinvestigator Andrea Donnellan, Jay Parker, Robert Granat,Charles Norton, and Greg Lyzenga of JPL; Geoffrey Fox andMarlon Pierce of Indiana University, Bloomington; JohnRundle of the University of California, Davis; Dennis McLeodof the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; and LisaGrant Ludwig of the University of California, Irvine.

For more information, visit www.quakesim.org.

QuakeSim

This QuakeSim image shows the total ground deformation caused by a sim-ulated magnitude 8.0 earthquake on California’s San Andreas fault. VirtualCalifornia simulations create a large catalog of possible earthquakesequences that can then be used to improve forecasting and better under-stand the types of events that the fault system in California is capable ofproducing. (Image: University of California, Davis)

Honorable Mentions

Software of the Year

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T hermoelectric Cooler HelpsMaintain Curiosity’s Temperature

Thermoelectric Assembly (TEA)Marlow Industries, a subsidiary of II-VI IncorporatedDallas, TX877-627-5691www.marlow.com

The first spectrometer data from the Mars Rover Curiosityhas made its way back to Earth, analyzing the plasma light cap-tured during laser excitation of rocks and soil on the planet’ssurface. Solid-state thermoelectric technology was used tocool the ChemCam (Chemistry Camera) CCD sensors.Maintaining temperature is critical for successful operation,and the Thermoelectric Assembly (TEA) provided a reliablecooling solution.

Marlow Industries designed and built a custom TEA for theRover’s ChemCam. Together with NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory, they developed an assembly that included threethermoelectric modules (TEMs), one for each CCD in theChemCam, and a mounting configuration that located theassembly inside the instrument’s body.

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I mage Sensors Enable Curiosity toCapture High-Definition ImagesFrom Mars

KAI-2020 Image SensorTruesense ImagingRochester, NY585-784-5500www.truesenseimaging.com

The Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, is designed toassess whether Mars ever had an environment able to supportlife by deploying the most advanced set of scientific instru-ments ever sent to the planet. As part of that instrument suite,all four science cameras on the rover are designed using imagesensors from Truesense Imaging to capture high-resolutioncolor images of the planet.

The four different cameras are:• The Mars Descent Imager (MARDI), active during the rover’s

descent, captured hundreds of natural color images of theplanet’s surface to provide an initial visual framework of thelanding site for early operations.

• The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) captures close-upcolor images of Martian rocks and surface material at a reso-lution of up to 14.4 μm per pixel — enough to detect anobject smaller than the width of a human hair.

• The Mast Camera (MastCam), the imaging “workhorse” ofthe rover, captures high-resolution color images of the ter-rain explored by the rover. This system is comprised of twoseparate cameras that use lenses of different focal lengths,allowing detailed images to be captured of objects both near

to and far from the rover. As an example, MastCam-100,which uses a 100-mm lens to capture images far from therover, can detect an object about the size of two golf ballsfrom a distance of 1 km.All four cameras are based on the KAI-2020 Image Sensor, a

2-megapixel (1600 x 1200 pixel) Interline Transfer CCD thatprovides high dynamic range, low dark current, and electronicshutter with precise exposure control. The cameras all captureimages in full color at over 4 full resolution images per second,while the MastCam cameras can provide full-color 720p high-definition video (1280 x 720 pixels) at 6 fps.

Curiosity is the second Mars rover to use image sensors fromTruesense Imaging. In 1997, KAI-0371 Image Sensors served asthe “eyes” of Mars Pathfinder’s Sojourner, the first rover toexplore the surface of Mars. Today, image sensors fromTruesense Imaging are used in three different orbiters aroundMars, as well as orbiters around both Venus and the Moon.

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NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 19Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-747

The TEMs are two-stage, semiconduc-tor-based devices that function as smallheat pumps. Their cooling-mode opera-tion is based on the Peltier effect. Drivenby DC power, they pre-cool the CCDbefore the lasers fire, and maintain aconstant temperature across the 1024 x1024 pixel CCD while the laser is firing.

Thermal sensors on or near the CCDsprovide continual feedback to the TEMs’electrical power input. A feedback loopkeeps the temperature at 0 °C. If the tem-perature outside warms up and the CCDtemperature starts to rise above this tar-get, the controls provide more power tothe coolers, driving them to cool. TheTEMs move heat from the detectors intothe ChemCam body via conduction. Theheat’s thermal path travels through theframe to the chassis of the rover.

TEMs offer a unique way to providecooling for this mission. They not onlyoffer the ability to meet the mission’sthermal requirements, but do so withinthe project’s limited power, electrical,and physical space constraints. Withoutrequiring special accommodations,TEMs offer rugged cooling capacity thatcan withstand the high-vacuum environ-ment during the cruise to Mars, and lastduring operation in the Martian atmos-phere. Since TEMs are solid-statedevices with no moving parts, they canwithstand the mechanical shock, vibra-tion, and acceleration requirementsduring the critical moments from amechanical loading standpoint launch-ing from Earth and deploying on Mars.They also provide reliable operation asCuriosity moves around on the planet,offering the ability to complete poten-tially thousands of tests over the two-year mission.

On Mars, the ChemCam will primarilygather samples during the day, and theTEA is designed for daytime operation.The worst-case operating condition forthe TEA’s cooling mode is a hot environ-ment during the Martian summer at itsequator. Even in these extreme condi-tions, temperatures will remain under27 °C, far below the space qualificationtemperatures for TEAs that range up to85 °C.

Thermoelectric solutions are design -ed to operate in Argon, Xenon, orNitrogen backfilled environments, inboth high- and no-vacuum atmospheres.While each gas and environmental con-dition results in different heat conduc-tion and convection effects, the expect-ed environments on Mars did not createa design impediment.

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Pattern Generator for Bench Test of Digital BoardsFresh data is streamed continuously for many tens of seconds with no gaps at 40 MHz.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Technology Focus: Electronic Components

This innovation is intended to reducethe size, power, and complexity ofpipeline analog-to-digital converters(ADCs) that require high resolution andspeed along with low power. Digitizers areimportant components in any applica-tion where analog signals (such as light,sound, temperature, etc.) need to be dig-itally processed. The innovation imple-ments amplification of a sampled resid-ual voltage in a switched capacitor ampli-fier stage that does not depend on chargeredistribution. The result is less sensitive

to capacitor mismatches that cause gainerrors, which are the main limitation ofsuch amplifiers in pipeline ADCs. Theresidual errors due to mismatch arereduced by at least a factor of 16, which isequivalent to at least 4 bits of improve-ment. The settling time is also fasterbecause of a higher feedback factor.

In traditional switched capacitorresidue amplifiers, closed-loop amplifi-cation of a sampled and held residuesignal is achieved by redistributing sam-pled charge onto a feedback capacitor

around a high-gain transconductanceamplifier. The residual charge that wassampled during the acquisition or sam-pling phase is stored on two or morecapacitors, often equal in value or inte-gral multiples of each other. During thehold or amplification phase, all of thecharge is redistributed onto one capac-itor in the feedback loop of the amplifi-er to produce an amplified voltage. Thekey error source is the non-ideal ratiosof feedback and input capacitorscaused by manufacturing tolerances,

Feedback Augmented Sub-Ranging (FASR) QuantizerThis device increases the accuracy of a switched capacitor amplifier, reduces the power and areaof an integrated circuit, and reduces manufacturing cost.Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

All efforts to develop electronic equip-ment reach a stage where they need aboard test station for each board. TheSMAP digital system consists of threeboard types that interact with each otherusing interfaces with critical timing. Eachboard needs to be tested individuallybefore combining into the integrated dig-ital electronics system. Each board needscritical timing signals from the others tobe able to operate. A bench test system wasdeveloped to support test of each board.The test system produces all the outputs ofthe control and timing unit, and is deliv-ered much earlier than the timing unit.

Timing signals are treated as data. Alarge file is generated containing the stateof every timing signal at any instant. Thisfile is streamed out to an IO card, which iswired directly to the device-under-test(DUT) input pins. This provides a flexibletest environment that can be adapted toany of the boards required to test in astandalone configuration. The problemof generating the critical timing signals isthen transferred from a hardware prob-lem to a software problem where it ismore easily dealt with.

The first board to be tested was theADC Digital Processor board (ADP).The ADP needed a complex Xilinx con-figuration data stream to operate, plustiming signals. The IO card is wireddirectly to the configuration and timinginputs of the board through VME con-nectors. A slower pattern maker pro-gram combines the Xilinx configurationand desired timing into a large data file.This data file is clocked out at 40 MHz(32 bits of data) into 28 inputs of theADP to make it run.

The formatter board needs datafrom an ADP, plus timing informationfrom the control and timing unit. Datacaptured from the ADP in its stand-alone test is combined with timinginformation into a large file. The largefile streams out the IO card and iswired to formatter inputs. Since theformatter has more inputs than the IOcard has bits, several signals were cross-strapped (duplicated), making itappear to the formatter that it wasreceiving two ADP boards when it wasin fact receiving two copies of the sameADP board. In combined ADP/format-

ter integration, the IO card emulates thetiming unit only.

Using IO cards to emulate missinghardware for bench test is an older tech-nology. The improvement here is theability to stream out fresh data continu-ously for many tens of seconds with nogaps at 40 MHz. This allows precise con-trol over timing with time tag informa-tion that varies over a wide range. Thisallows a much better bench test thanwould have been possible in short pulses.

By allowing more complete testing ofthe individual boards when they areready rather than deferring test to inte-gration, the delivery of the SMAP digitalsystem is accelerated.

This work was done by Andrew C. Berkunand Anhua J. Chu of Caltech for NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratory. For more information,download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Electronics/Computers category.

The software used in this innovation isavailable for commercial licensing. Please con-tact Daniel Broderick of the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology at [email protected] to NPO-48231.

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NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 www.techbriefs.com

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called “mismatches.” The mismatchescause non-ideal closed-loop gain, lead-ing to higher differential non-linearity.Traditional solutions to the mismatcherrors are to use larger capacitor values(than dictated by thermal noiserequirements) and/or complex calibra-tion schemes, both of which increasethe die size and power dissipation.

The key features of this innovation are(1) the elimination of the need forcharge redistribution to achieve an accu-rate closed-loop gain of two, (2) a high-er feedback factor in the amplifier stage

giving a higher closed-loop bandwidthcompared to the prior art, and (3)reduced requirement for calibration.The accuracy of the new amplifier ismainly limited by the sampling net-works’ parasitic capacitances, whichshould be minimized in relation to thesampling capacitors.

This work was done by Gerard Quilligan ofGoddard Space Flight Center. For more informa-tion, download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Electronics/Computers category.GSC-16187-1

A large category of scientific investi-gation takes advantage of the interac-tions of signals in the frequency rangefrom 300 to 1,000 GHz and higher. Thisincludes astronomy and atmosphericscience, where spectral observations inthis frequency range give informationabout molecular abundances, pressures,and temperatures of small-sized mole-cules such as water. Additionally, there isa minimum in the atmospheric absorp-tion at around 670 GHz that makes thisfrequency useful for terrestrial imaging,radar, and possibly communicationspurposes. This is because 670 GHz is agood compromise for imaging andradar applications between spatial reso-lution (for a given antenna size) thatfavors higher frequencies, and atmos-pheric losses that favor lower frequen-cies. A similar trade-off applies to com-munications link budgets: higher fre-quencies allow smaller antennas, butincur a higher loss.

All of these applications usuallyrequire converting the RF (radio fre-quency) signal at 670 GHz to a lower IF(intermediate frequency) for process-ing. Further, transmitting for commu-nication and radar generally requiresup-conversion from IF to the RF. Thecurrent state-of-the-art device for per-forming the frequency conversion isbased on Schottky diode mixers forboth up and down conversion in thisfrequency range for room-temperatureoperation. Devices that can operate atroom temperature are generallyrequired for terrestrial, military, and

planetary applications that cannot tol-erate the mass, bulk, and power con-sumption of cryogenic cooling.

The technology has recentlyadvanced to the point that amplifiers inthe region up to nearly 1,000 GHz arefeasible. Almost all of these have beenbased on indium phosphide pseudo-morphic high-electron mobility transis-tors (pHEMTs), in the form of mono-lithic microwave integrated circuits(MMICs). Since the processing ofHEMT amplifiers is quite different fromthat of Schottky diodes, use of Schottkymixers requires separate MMICs for themixers and amplifiers. Fabrication of allthe down-/up-conversion circuitry onsingle MMICs, using all-HEMT circuits,would constitute a major advance in cir-cuit simplicity.

Three pHEMT-based subharmonic670-GHz mixers were developed that areall subharmonically pumped at about300 GHz, which greatly simplifies thelocal oscillator (LO) source, comparedto a fundamentally pumped mixerrequiring a 600-GHz source. The mixersuse an active topology. Fundamentally,they are configured as a single-stage,grounded-source amplifier with a drainload controlled by the LO. The drainload is an additional transistor, or pair oftransistors, switched by the LO signal.This effectively samples the signal fromthe amplifier at the LO frequency, andpasses the beat note on to the output ter-minal of the mixer.

In the down-converting mixer, the670-GHz RF input is connected to the

670-GHz Down- and Up-ConvertingHEMT-Based MixersApplications include passive, active, or radar imaging.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

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22 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-749

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A document discusses the utilizationof embedded clocks inside of operatingnetwork data links as an auxiliary clocksource to satisfy local oscillator monitor-ing requirements. Modem network inter-faces, typically serial network links, often

contain embedded clocking informationof very tight precision to recover datafrom the link. This embedded clockingdata can be utilized by the receivingdevice to monitor the local oscillator fortolerance to required specifications,

often important in high-integrity fault-tolerant applications.

A device can utilize a received embed-ded clock to determine if the local or theremote device is out of tolerance byusing a single link. The local device can

Real-Time Distributed Embedded Oscillator OperatingFrequency MonitoringLyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

gate of the grounded source stage,whose drain is directly connected tothe source or sources of the LO FETs(field-effect transistors). One versionhas only a single transistor in thedrain load, and relies on the non-lin-earity of the FET plus the output tun-ing circuitry to block the RF and LOsignals and passes only the IF to theoutput terminal.

The second down-converting mixerreplaces the single LO FET with a pairhaving sources and drains connectedtogether. The LO signal is fed to the twogates through a network that gives a

180° phase shift to one FET. Hence, thetwo FETs are switched on for alternatinghalf-cycles of the 300-GHz LO, and thedrain FET pair acts like a sampler attwice the LO frequency. Simulationsindicate about 6 dB of improvement inthe conversion gain, from –6 dB for thetwo-FET design to around 0 dB for thethree-FET design.

For the up-converting mixer, the cir-cuit is similar to the three-FET down-converter, but with the IF input goingto the gate of the grounded sourcestage, and the RF output taken fromthe drains of the LO transistors. The RF

and IF matching networks are alsomodified to the correct frequencyranges. Simulations indicate a conver-sion gain of about 3 dB.

This work was done by Erich T. Schlecht,Goutam Chattopadhyay, Robert H. Lin,and Seth Sin of Caltech; and William Deal,Bryan Rodriguez, Brian Bayuk, KevinLeong, and Gerry Mei of NorthrupGrumman for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, down-load the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Electronics/Computers category.NPO-48204

Electronic Components

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NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 23

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A document discusses a liquid crystal variable retarder,an electro-optic element that changes the polarization ofan optical beam in response to a low-voltage electronic sig-nal. This device can be fabricated so that the element cre-ates, among other states, a half-wave of retardance that canbe reduced to a very small retardance. When aligned to apolarized source, this can act to rotate the polarization by90° in one state, but generate no rotation in the other state.If the beam is then incident on a polarization beam splitter,it will efficiently switch from one path to the other whenthe voltage is applied. The laser beam switching system hasno moving parts, improving reliability over mechanicalswitching. It is low cost, tolerant of high laser power densi-ty, and needs only simple drive electronics, minimizing therequired system resources.

This work was done by James Baer of Ball Aerospace &Technologies Corp. for Johnson Space Center. For more information,download the Technical Support Package (free white paper) atwww.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Electronics/Computers category.MSC-25113-1

Lidar Electro-Optic BeamSwitch with a Liquid CrystalVariable RetarderLyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

determine if it is failing, assuming a single fault model, with twoor more active links. Network fabric components, containingmany operational links, can potentially determine faulty remoteor local devices in the presence of multiple faults.

Two methods of implementation are described. In onemethod, a recovered clock can be directly used to monitorthe local clock as a direct replacement of an external localoscillator. This scheme is consistent with a general clockmonitoring function whereby clock sources are clockingtwo counters and compared over a fixed interval of time. Inanother method, overflow/underflow conditions can beused to detect clock relationships for monitoring. Thesenetwork interfaces often provide clock compensation cir-cuitry to allow data to be transferred from the received(network) clock domain to the internal clock domain. Thiscircuit could be modified to detect overflow/underflowconditions of the buffering required and report a fast orslow receive clock, respectively.

This work was done by Julie Pollock, Brett Oliver, and ChristopherBrickner of Honeywell, Inc. for Johnson Space Center. For further infor-mation, contact the JSC Innovation Partnerships Office at (281) 483-3809.

Title to this invention has been waived under the provisions of theNational Aeronautics and Space Act {42 U.S.C. 2457(f)}, to Honeywell,Inc. Inquiries concerning licenses for its commercial development shouldbe addressed to:

Aerospace – Defense & SpaceHoneywellP.O. Box 52199Phoenix, AZ 85072-2199Phone No.: (602) 822-3000Refer to MSC-24765-1, volume and number of this NASA Tech

Briefs issue, and the page number.

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Description and UserInstructions for theQuaternion_to_orbit_v3Software

For a given inertial frame of reference,the software combines the spacecraftorbits with the spacecraft attitude quater-nions, and rotates the body-fixed refer-ence frame of a particular spacecraft tothe inertial reference frame. The conver-sion assumes that the two spacecraft arealigned with respect to the mutual line ofsight, with a parameterized time tag. Thesoftware is implemented in Python and iscompletely open source. It is very versa-tile, and may be applied under variouscircumstances and for other related pur-poses. Based on the solid linear algebraanalysis, it has an extra option for com-pensating the linear pitch.

This software has been designed forsimulation of the calibration maneuversperformed by the two spacecraft com-

prising the GRAIL mission to the Moon,but has potential use for other applica-tions. In simulations of formationflights, one needs to coordinate thespacecraft orbits represented in anappropriate inertial reference frameand the spacecraft attitudes. The latterare usually given as the time series ofquaternions rotating the body-fixed ref-erence frame of a particular spacecraftto the inertial reference frame. It isoften desirable to simulate the samemaneuver for different segments of theorbit. It is also useful to study variousmaneuvers that could be performed atthe same orbit segment. These two linesof study are more time- and labor-effi-cient if the attitude and orbit data aregenerated independently, so that thepart of the data that has not beenchanged can be “recycled” in the courseof multiple simulations.

This work was done by Dmitry V.Strekalov, Gerhard L. Kruizinga, Meegyeong

Paik, Dah-Ning Yuan, and Sami W. Asmarof Caltech for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, down-load the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Software category.

This software is available for commerciallicensing. Please contact Daniel Broderick ofthe California Institute of Technology [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47701.

AdapChem AdapChem software enables high effi-

ciency, low computational cost, andenhanced accuracy on computationalfluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simula-tions used for combustion studies. Thesoftware dynamically allocates smaller,reduced chemical models instead of thelarger, full chemistry models to evolvethe calculation while ensuring the sameaccuracy to be obtained for steady-stateCFD reacting flow simulations.

The software enables detailed chemicalkinetic modeling in combustion CFD sim-ulations. AdapChem adapts the reactionmechanism used in the CFD to the localreaction conditions. Instead of a single,comprehensive reaction mechanismthroughout the computation, a dynamicdistribution of smaller, reduced models isused to capture accurately the chemicalkinetics at a fraction of the cost of the tra-ditional “single-mechanism” approach.

This work was done by Oluwayemisi O.Oluwole and Hsi-Wu Wong of AerodyneResearch Inc., and William Green of MIT forGlenn Research Center. For more information,download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Software category.

Inquiries concerning rights for the commer-cial use of this invention should be addressed toNASA Glenn Research Center, InnovativePartnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, MailStop 4–8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland,Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18786-1.

Extended TestabilityAnalysis Tool

The Extended Testability Analysis(ETA) Tool is a software application thatsupports fault management (FM) by per-forming testability analyses on the faultpropagation model of a given system.


Software

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Fault management includes the preven-tion of faults through robust design mar-gins and quality assurance methods, or themitigation of system failures. Fault man-agement requires an understanding of thesystem design and operation, potentialfailure mechanisms within the system, andthe propagation of those potential failuresthrough the system.

The purpose of the ETA Tool softwareis to process the testability analysis resultsfrom a commercial software programcalled TEAMS Designer in order to pro-

vide a detailed set of diagnostic assess-ment reports. The ETA Tool is a com-mand-line process with several user-selec-table report output options. The ETATool also extends the COTS testabilityanalysis and enables variation studies withsensor sensitivity impacts on system diag-nostics and component isolation using asingle testability output. The ETA Toolcan also provide extended analyses froma single set of testability output files.

The following analysis reports are avail-able to the user: (1) the Detectability

Report provides a breakdown of how eachtested failure mode was detected, (2) theTest Utilization Report identifies all thefailure modes that each test detects, (3)the Failure Mode Isolation Report demon-strates the system’s ability to discriminatebetween failure modes, (4) theComponent Isolation Report demon-strates the system’s ability to discriminatebetween failure modes relative to the com-ponents containing the failure modes, (5)the Sensor Sensitivity Analysis Reportshows the diagnostic impact due to loss ofsensor information, and (6) the EffectMapping Report identifies failure modesthat result in specified system-level effects.

The ETA Tool provides iterative assess-ment analyses for conducting sensor sensi-tivity studies, as well as a command-lineoption that allows the user to specify thecomponent isolation level. The toolaccesses system design information fromthe diagnostic model to generate detaileddiagnostic assessment reports, and com-mand-line processing enables potentialbatch mode processing of TEAMSDesigner models. The tool also featuresuser-specified report options that includeinternal source calls and access to systemenvironmental variables – features thatenable automation of the previously labor-intensive manipulation of input files. Thesoftware generates detailed, readable diag-nostic assessment reports that can beviewed in an Internet browser or importedinto either Microsoft Word or Excel pro-grams. Procedural C code provides fast,consistent, and efficient processing of thediagnostic model information.

This work was done by Kevin Melcher ofGlenn Research Center, and William A.Maul and Christopher Fulton of QinetiQNorth America. For more information, down-load the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Software category.

Inquiries concerning rights for the commer-cial use of this invention should be addressed toNASA Glenn Research Center, InnovativePartnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, MailStop 4–8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland,Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18795-1.

Interactive 3D MarsVisualization

The Interactive 3D Mars Visualizationsystem provides high-performance,immersive visualization of satellite andsurface vehicle imagery of Mars. Thesoftware can be used in mission opera-tions to provide the most accurate posi-tion information for the Mars rovers todate. When integrated into the mission

26 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

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data pipeline, this system allows missionplanners to view the location of therover on Mars to 0.01-meter accuracywith respect to satellite imagery, withdynamic updates to incorporate the lat-est position information. Given thisinformation so early in the planningprocess, rover drivers are able to planmore accurate drive activities for therover than ever before, increasing theexecution of science activities signifi-cantly. Scientifically, this 3D mappinginformation puts all of the science analy-ses to date into geologic context on adaily basis instead of weeks or months, aswas the norm prior to this contribution.This allows the science planners to judgethe efficacy of their previously executedscience observations much more effi-ciently, and achieve greater sciencereturn as a result.

The Interactive 3D Mars surface viewis a Mars terrain browsing software inter-face that encompasses the entire regionof exploration for a Mars surface explo-ration mission. The view is interactive,allowing the user to pan in any directionby clicking and dragging, or to zoom inor out by scrolling the mouse or touch-pad. This set currently includes tools forselecting a point of interest, and a rulertool for displaying the distance betweenand positions of two points of interest.

The mapping information can beharvested and shared through ubiqui-tous online mapping tools likeGoogle Mars, NASA WorldWind, andWorldwide Telescope.

This work was done by Mark W. Powell ofCaltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.For more information, download theTechnical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under theSoftware category.


Software Modules for theProximity-1 Space LinkInterleaved TimeSynchronization (PITS)Protocol

The Proximity-1 Space Link InterleavedTime Synchronization (PITS) protocolprovides time distribution and synchro-nization services for space systems. A soft-ware prototype implementation of thePITS algorithm has been developed thatalso provides the test harness to evaluatethe key functionalities of PITS with simu-lated data source and sink.

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Software

PITS integrates time synchronizationfunctionality into the link layer of theCCSDS Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol.The software prototype implements thenetwork packet format, data structures,and transmit- and receive-timestampfunction for a time server and a client.The software also simulates the transmit-and receive-time stamp exchanges viaUDP (User Datagram Protocol ) socketbetween a time server and a time client,and produces relative time offsets anddelay estimates.

This work was done by Simon S. Woo, JohnR. Veregge, Jay L. Gao, and Loren P. Clare ofCaltech; and David Mills of the University ofDelaware for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, [email protected].


Rapid Diagnostics ofOnboard Sequences

Keeping track of sequences onboarda spacecraft is challenging. Whenreviewing Event Verification Records(EVRs) of sequence executions on theMars Exploration Rover (MER), opera-tors often found themselves wonderingwhich version of a named sequence theEVR corresponded to. The lack of thisinformation drastically impacts theoperators’ diagnostic capabilities as wellas their situational awareness withrespect to the commands the spacecrafthas executed, since the EVRs do notprovide argument values or explanatorycomments. Having this informationimmediately available can be instrumen-tal in diagnosing critical events and cansignificantly enhance the overall safetyof the spacecraft.

This software provides auditing capa-bility that can eliminate that uncertaintywhile diagnosing critical conditions.Furthermore, the Restful interface pro-vides a simple way for sequencing tools toautomatically retrieve binary compiledsequence SCMFs (Space CommandMessage Files) on demand. It alsoenables developers to change the under-lying database, while maintaining thesame interface to the existing applica-tions. The logging capabilities are alsobeneficial to operators when they are try-ing to recall how they solved a similarproblem many days ago: this softwareenables automatic recovery of SCMF andRML (Robot Markup Language)sequence files directly from the com-

mand EVRs, eliminating the need forpeople to find and validate the corre-sponding sequences.

To address the lack of auditing capa-bility for sequences onboard a spacecraftduring earlier missions, extensive log-ging support was added on the MarsScience Laboratory (MSL) sequencingserver. This server is responsible for gen-erating all MSL binary SCMFs from RMLinput sequences. The sequencing serverlogs every SCMF it generates into aMySQL database, as well as the high-level RML file and dictionary nameinputs used to create the SCMF. TheSCMF is then indexed by a hash valuethat is automatically included in all com-mand EVRs by the onboard flight soft-ware. Second, both the binary SCMFresult and the RML input file can beretrieved simply by specifying the hashto a Restful web interface. This interfaceenables command line tools as well aslarge sophisticated programs to down-load the SCMF and RMLs on-demandfrom the database, enabling a vast arrayof tools to be built on top of it. One suchcommand line tool can retrieve and dis-play RML files, or annotate a list of EVRsby interleaving them with the originalsequence commands.

This software has been integrated withthe MSL sequencing pipeline where itwill serve sequences useful in diagnos-tics, debugging, and situational aware-ness throughout the mission.

This work was done by Thomas W.Starbird, John R. Morris, Khawaja S. Shams,and Mark W. Maimone of Caltech for NASA’sJet Propulsion Laboratory. For more informa-tion, contact [email protected].


Mars Relay Lander andOrbiter Overflight ProfileEstimation

This software allows science and mis-sion operations to view graphs of geo-metric overflights of satellites and lan-ders within the Mars (or other plane-tary) networks. It improves on theMaROS Web interface within any mod-ern Web browser, in that it adds newcapabilities to the MaROS suite.

The profile for an overflight is animportant element for selecting com-munication/overflight opportunitiesbetween the landers and orbiters with-in the Mars network. Unfortunately,determining these estimates is very

computationally expensive and diffi-cult to compute by hand. This softwareallows the user to select different over-flights (via the existing MaROS Webinterface) and specify the smoothnessof the estimation.

Estimates for the geometric relation-ship between a lander and an orbiter aredetermined based upon the orbital con-ditions of the orbiter at the moment theorbiter rises above the horizon from theperspective of the lander. It utilizes 2-body orbital equations to propagate thetrajectory through the duration of theview period, and returns profiles thatrepresent the range between the twovehicles, and the elevation and azimuthangles of the orbiter as measured fromthe lander’s position. The algorithmsassume a 2-body relationship with anideal, spherical planetary body, so there-fore can see errors less than 2% at polarlanding sites on Mars. These algorithmsare being implemented to providerough estimates rapidly for the geome-try of a geometric view period wheremore complete data is unavailable, suchas for planning purposes.

While other software for this task exists,each at the time of this reporting hasbeen contained within a much morecomplicated package. This tool allows sci-ence and mission operations to view theestimates with a few clicks of the mouse.

This work was done by Michael N. Wallick,Daniel A. Allard, Roy E. Gladden, and CoreyL. Peterson of Caltech for NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratory. For more information,download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Software category.


MER Telemetry ProcessorMERTELEMPROC processes teleme-

tered data in data product format andgenerates Experiment Data Records(EDRs) for many instruments (HAZ-CAM, NAVCAM, PANCAM, microscopicimager, Mössbauer spectrometer, APXS,RAT, and EDLCAM) on the MarsExploration Rover (MER). If the data iscompressed, then MERTELEMPROCdecompresses the data with an appro-priate decompression algorithm. Thereare two compression algorithms (ICERand LOCO) used in MER. This pro-gram fulfills a MER specific need to gen-erate Level 1 products within a 60-sec-ond time requirement.

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EDRs generated by this program areused by merinverter, marscahv, marsrad,and marsjplstereo to generate higher-level products for the mission opera-tions. MERTELEPROC was the first GDSprogram to process the data product.Metadata of the data product is in XMLformat. The software allows user-config-urable input parameters, per-productprocessing (not stream-based process-ing), and fail-over is allowed if the lead-ing image header is corrupted. It is usedwithin the MER automated pipeline.

MERTELEMPROC is part of theOPGS (Operational Product GenerationSubsystem) automated pipeline, whichanalyzes images returned by in situ space-craft and creates level 1 products to assistin operations, science, and outreach.

This work was done by Hyun H. Lee of Caltechfor NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For moreinformation, contact [email protected].


pyam: Python implementa-tion of YaM

pyam is a software development frame-work with tools for facilitating the rapiddevelopment of software in a concurrentsoftware development environment.pyam provides solutions for develop-ment challenges associated with softwarereuse, managing multiple software con-figurations, developing software productlines, and multiple platform develop-ment and build management. pyam usesrelease-early, release-often developmentcycles to allow developers to integratetheir changes incrementally into the sys-tem on a continual basis. It facilitates thecreation and merging of branches tosupport the isolated development ofimmature software to avoid impactingthe stability of the development effort. Ituses modules and packages to organizeand share software across multiple soft-ware products, and uses the concepts oflink and work modules to reduce sand-box setup times even when the code-base is large. One side-benefit is theenforcement of a strong module-levelencapsulation of a module’s functionali-ty and interface. This increases designtransparency, system stability, and soft-ware reuse.

pyam is written in Python and is organ-ized as a set of utilities on top of the opensource SVN software version controlpackage. All development software isorganized into a collection of “modules.”

pyam “packages” are defined as sub-col-lections of the available modules.Developers can set up private sandboxesfor module/package development. Allmodule/package development takesplace on private SVN branches. High-level pyam commands support the setup,update, and release of modules andpackages. Released and pre-built ver-sions of modules are available to develop-ers. Developers can tailor the source/linkmodule mix for their sandboxes so thatnew sandboxes (even large ones) can be

built up easily and quickly by pointing topre-existing module releases. All inter-module interfaces are publicly exportedvia links. A minimal, but uniform, con-vention is used for building modules.

This work was done by Steven Myint andAbhinandan Jain of Caltech for NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratory. For more information,contact [email protected].



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Manufacturing & Prototyping

Archway for Radiation and Micrometeorite Occurrence ResistanceThis technology can be used where there is a need to rapidly deploy large, rugged structuresincluding military, emergency services and disaster relief, and camping.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

The environmental conditions of theMoon require mitigation if a long-termhuman presence is to be achieved forextended periods of time. Radiation,micrometeoroid impacts, high-velocitydebris, and thermal cycling representthreats to crew, equipment, and facili-ties. For decades, local regolith has beensuggested as a candidate material to usein the construction of protective barri-ers. A thickness of roughly 3 m is suffi-cient protection from both direct andsecondary radiation from cosmic raysand solar protons; this thickness is suffi-cient to reduce radiation exposure evenduring solar flares. NASA has previouslyidentified a need for innovations thatwill support lunar habitats using light-weight structures because the reduction

of structural mass translates directly intoadditional up and down mass capabilitythat would facilitate additional logisticscapacity and increased science returnfor all mission phases. The developmentof non-pressurized primary structuresthat have synergy with the developmentof pressurized structures is also of inter-est. The use of indigenous or in situmaterials is also a well-known and activearea of research that could drasticallyimprove the practicality of humanexploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

The Archway for Radiation andMicrometeorite Occurrence Resistance(ARMOR) concept is a new, multifunc-tional structure that acts as radiationshielding and micrometeorite impactshielding for long-duration lunar surface

protection of humans and equipment.ARMOR uses a combination of nativeregolith and a deployed membrane “jack-et” to yield a multifunctional structure.ARMOR is a robust and modular systemthat can be autonomously assembled on-site prior to the first human surface arrival.

The system provides protection byholding a sufficiently thick (3 m) arch-shaped shell of local regolith around acentral cavity. The regolith is held inshape by an arch-shaped jacket made ofstrong but deployable material. Noregolith processing is required. Duringthe regolith filling process, an inflatablestructure under the arch supports themass of the regolith, but once regolith fill-ing is complete the catenary arch formedby the regolith and the jacket becomes

i iiiii

ivv

A

BC

D

Views of ARMOR Construction. The temporary inflatable (A) deploys (i). Then the jacket (B) is deployed (ii). Regolith (C) is then poured into the jacket and initial-ly supported by the inflatable (iii). When the jacket is filled, the regolith inside the arch of the jacket is self-supporting, and the inflatable is no longer necessary(iv). Habitat modules and equipment (D) can be moved into the ARMOR (v). The jacket is shown in cutaway in steps (ii), (iii), and (iv) to illustrate regolith filling.

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self-supporting and the inflatable can bedeflated and removed. When complete,habitat modules and equipment can bemoved into the protected cavity under thearch. ARMOR is a near-term system thatwould provide a reliable and robust light-weight structure technology to supportlarge lunar habitats, drastically lowerlaunch mass, and improve efficient vol-ume use, reducing launch costs.

ARMOR also protects from micromete-orites. The kinetic energy of micromete-orites and other debris will be absorbedfirst by an external, high-strength blanket

held over and slightly away from theARMOR jacket. The projectile penetratesthis outer blanket, but becomes frag-mented and loses energy in the process.The remnants of the projectile thenimpact the exterior of the jacket, and thejacket and regolith absorb the remainingkinetic energy. Facilities placed inside theARMOR will be protected from directsunlight, reducing the extreme tempera-ture variations. Infrared radiation fromthe facility will be reflected by the interi-or of the ARMOR back onto the facility,reducing heat loss.

This work was done by Dr. Louis R.Giersch of Caltech for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, down-load the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Manufacturing & Prototyping cat-egory. NPO-47686

32 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

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Manufacturing & Prototyping

Process forPatterning Indiumfor Bump BondingGoddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, Maryland

An innovation was created for theCosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyorfor integration of low-temperature detec-tor chips with a silicon backshort and a sil-icon photonic choke through flip-chipbonding. Indium bumps are typically pat-terned using liftoff processes, whichrequire thick resist. In some applications,it is necessary to locate the bumps close tohigh-aspect-ratio structures such as waferthrough-holes. In those cases, liftoffprocesses are challenging, and requirecomplicated and time-consuming spraycoating technology if the high-aspect-ratiostructures are delineated prior to the indi-um bump process. Alternatively, process-ing the indium bumps first is limited bycompatibility of the indium with subse-quent processing. The present inventionallows for locating bumps arbitrarily closeto multiple-level high-aspect-ratio struc-tures, and for indium bumps to beformed without liftoff resist.

The process uses the poor step cover-age of indium deposited on a silicon waferthat has been previously etched to delin-eate the location of the indium bumps.The silicon pattern can be processedthrough standard lithography prior toadding the high-aspect-ratio structures.Typically, high-aspect-ratio structuresrequire a thick resist layer so this layer caneasily cover the silicon topography. Formultiple levels of topography, the siliconcan be easily conformally coated throughstandard processes. A blanket layer ofindium is then deposited onto the fullwafer; bump bonding only occurs at thehigh points of the topography.

This work was done by Kevin Denis ofGoddard Space Flight Center. For more informa-tion, download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Manufacturing & Prototyping cate-gory. GSC-16386-1

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NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 www.techbriefs.com 33

Technologies of the MonthSponsored by

TechNeeds — Requests for TechnologiesTechNeeds are anonymous requests for technologies that you and your organization may be able to fulfill.

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Printing Technology for PVA FilmA company seeks technology options for printing on a mov-

ing Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) film web before or during theproduction of liquitabs and other unit dose products. Thetechnology must be able to print on PVA film either on-line(preferred), at line, or offline. The film production method,which will require a specific picture, should occur withoutdamaging the individual pouches. Three colors are needed:black, red, and white. Printing must be dry in 10 seconds orless, assuming 2-micron thickness. The finished productshould also maintain the current dilution profile in water.

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Technologies to Stabilize and Deliver RNA Strands

An organization is looking for technologies that can stabi-lize and deliver fragile RNA strands to plants and animals out-side of a laboratory-controlled environment. The RNAstrands may include dsRNA (double-stranded RNA) andshRNA (short hairpin RNA). A proposed solution must pro-vide a method to make stable dsRNA or shRNA, and/or deliv-er the RNA to plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, or viruses at theorganism level. The technology must maintain stability in aliquid, sprayable formulation, and have a shelf life of at leastone or two years.

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Conductive Polymers Integrate AntennasInto an Electronic Device Housing

DuPont

Micron-sized conductive fibers within a thermoplasticmatrix enable polymeric antennas that can be molded in var-ious shapes and sizes. The polymer antenna technology caneven become an integral part of a device housing, thus reduc-ing part count, concealing itself, and simplifying the manufac-turing process. With adhesion, the lead is attached to theantenna’s central receptor patch.

The polymer antenna technology inherently has a broaderbandwidth than those of wire or sheet antennas. The thermo-plastic structural material can be any of several polymers orcopolymers, and it can also be extruded and mixed with con-ductive fibers. The lightweight, corrosion-resistant polymerantenna technology is useful for all short- and medium-rangeradio frequency applications, such as wireless routers, mobilephones, Bluetooth, and radios.

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Long-Wave IR Sensors Enable RemoteTemperature Measurement

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A 2000-pixel long-wave infrared sensor detects and moni-tors hot spots, wear points, and friction on operating machin-ery and other equipment. Using software, the device also dis-plays the condition of heat-generating tools, including motorsand bearings; collects temperature readings from runningmachines, lab equipment, and experiments; monitors objectsbeing oven-cured or heat-sealed; and signals an alert whenspecific temperature conditions are met. The device also fea-tures an IP65/NEMA4 enclosure.

The device offers two temperature ranges from –20 °C to300 °C, or 100 °C to 800 °C, with a resolution of 0.5 °C inter-vals. The sensor may be networked via LAN in groups of up tofour, and may be connected to an alarm or to a computer forthermal imaging monitoring. When an alarm or trigger-pointis reached, the device captures and stores one image frame.

Get the complete report on this technology at:www.techbriefs.com/tow/201212b.html


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Physical Sciences

4D Light Field Imaging System Using Programmable ApertureThis system would be useful for inspections and surgeries, as well as in any stereo imagingsystem using two cameras.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Complete depth information can beextracted from analyzing all angles oflight rays emanated from a source.However, this angular information is lostin a typical 2D imaging system. In orderto record this information, a standardstereo imaging system uses two camerasto obtain information from two viewangles. Sometimes, more cameras areused to obtain information from moreangles. However, a 4D light field imagingtechnique can achieve this multiple-cam-era effect through a single-lens camera.

Two methods are available for this:one using a microlens array, and theother using a moving aperture. Themoving-aperture method can obtainmore complete stereo information. Theexisting literature suggests a modifiedliquid crystal panel [LC (liquid crystal)panel, similar to ones commonly used in

the display industry] to achieve a mov-ing aperture. However, LC panels can-not withstand harsh environments andare not qualified for spaceflight. In thisregard, different hardware is proposedfor the moving aperture.

A digital micromirror device (DMD)will replace the liquid crystal. This willbe qualified for harsh environments forthe 4D light field imaging. This willenable an imager to record near-com-plete stereo information.

The approach to building a proof-of-concept is using existing, or slightly modi-fied, off-the-shelf components. An SLR(single-lens reflex) lens system, which typ-ically has a large aperture for fast imaging,will be modified. The lens system will bearranged so that DMD can be integrated.The shape of aperture will be pro-grammed for single-viewpoint imaging,

multiple-viewpoint imaging, and codedaperture imaging.

The novelty lies in using a DMD insteadof a LC panel to move the apertures for4D light field imaging. The DMD usesreflecting mirrors, so any light transmis-sion lost (which would be expected fromthe LC panel) will be minimal. Also, theMEMS-based DMD can withstand highertemperature and pressure fluctuationthan a LC panel can. Robotics need nearcomplete stereo images for theirautonomous navigation, manipulation,and depth approximation. The imagingsystem can provide visual feedback.

This work was done by Youngsam Bae ofCaltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.For more information, download theTechnical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under thePhysical Sciences category. NPO-48604

(a) Two demultiplexed light field images generated by the 4D Light Field Imaging System. The full 4D resolution is 4×4×3039×2014. (b) The estimated depthmap of the top image of (a). (c, d) Post-exposure refocused images generated from the light field and the depth maps.

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Membrane Shell Reflector Segment AntennaA tetrahedral truss provides rigidity and integrity for the reflector antenna.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

The mesh reflector is the only type oflarge, in-space deployable antenna thathas successfully flown in space. However,state-of-the-art large deployable meshantenna systems are RF-frequency-limitedby both global shape accuracy and local

surface quality. The limitations of meshreflectors stem from two factors. First, athigher frequencies, the porosity and sur-face roughness of the mesh results in lossand scattering of the signal. Second, themesh material does not have any bending

stiffness and thus cannot be formed intotrue parabolic (or other desired) shapes.

To advance the deployable reflectortechnology at high RF frequencies fromthe current state-of-the-art, significantimprovements need to be made in three

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NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-759

major aspects: a high-stability and high-precision deployable truss; a continuouslycurved RF reflecting surface (the functionof the surface as well as its first derivativeare both continuous); and the RF reflect-ing surface should be made of a continu-ous material. To meet these three require-ments, the Membrane Shell ReflectorSegment (MSRS) antenna was developed.

A MSRS antenna is composed of adeployable tetrahedral truss that supportsa set of MSRSs to form a high-definition,smooth, and continuous surface. Thishigh radio-frequency (RF) deployablereflector is implemented by leveragingand integrating several recently devel-oped material technologies: shape memo-ry polymer (SMP) composite material;high-precision MSRS casting process;near-zero coefficient of thermal expan-sion (CTE) membrane material; and poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) electro-activemembrane. This reflector technology canpotentially offer almost one order of mag-nitude higher precision than currentstate-of-the-art reflectors, and can providevery complex reflector shapes.

The structural part of this MSRS anten-na is a tetrahedral truss that provides

rigidity and integrity for the reflector.Tetrahedral trusses offer much higherprecision than tensioning cable trussesthat are employed by all current state-of-the-art mesh reflectors. However, it isextremely difficult to package a tetrahe-dral truss by using traditional deploymentmechanisms. The unique characteristic ofthe SMP composite makes it possible topackage and deploy the whole reflector.The fundamental requirement on a highRF reflector, high precision, will naturallybe met by the intrinsic accuracy character-istic of the tetrahedral configuration. Thehigh-definition RF reflective surface iscomposed of a number of MSRSs made ofeither near-zero CTE Novastrat or PVDFmembrane. The thickness and curvatureof each MSRS provide sufficient shell stiff-ness for it to be supported by the tetrahe-dral truss at three points.

This work was done by Houfei Fang andEastwood Im of Caltech, John Lin of ILCDover LP, and Jim Moore of NeXolveCorporation for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, downloadthe Technical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under thePhysical Sciences category. NPO-48317

Radio Frequency Plasma Discharge Lampsfor Use as Stable Calibration Light SourcesElectrode-induced instabilities are eliminated and the lifetimeis not limited by electrode erosion.Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Stable high radiance in visible andnear-ultraviolet wavelengths is desirablefor radiometric calibration sources. Inthis work, newly available electrodelessradio-frequency (RF) driven plasmalight sources were combined withresearch-grade, low-noise power sup-plies and coupled to an integratingsphere to produce a uniform radiancesource. The stock light sources consist ofa 28 VDC power supply, RF driver, and aresonant RF cavity. The RF cavityincludes a small bulb with a fill gas thatis ionized by the electric field and emitslight. This assembly is known as the emit-ter. The RF driver supplies a source ofRF energy to the emitter.

In commercial form, embedded elec-tronics within the RF driver perform a con-tinual optimization routine to maximizeenergy transfer to the emitter. This opti-mization routine continually varies the lightoutput sinusoidally by approximately 2%

over a several-second period. Modifying toeliminate this optimization eliminates thesinusoidal variation but allows the output toslowly drift over time. This drift can be min-imized by allowing sufficient warm-up timeto achieve thermal equilibrium. It was alsofound that supplying the RF driver with alow-noise source of DC electrical powerimproves the stability of the lamp output.Finally, coupling the light into an integrat-ing sphere reduces the effect of spatial fluc-tuations, and decreases noise at the outputport of the sphere.

The RF-driven lamps have severaladvantages over traditional calibrationsources. Currently, accurate radiancemeasurements can be made at infraredand the red portion of the visible wave-lengths using tungsten filament-style FELlamps. However, the blackbody output ofthese lamps is limited to 3,000 K, andintensity falls exponentially at shorterwavelengths at the blue end of the spec-

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Physical Sciences

trum. For reproduction of the solar spec-trum, with an equivalent blackbody tem-perature of 6000 K, the blue and ultravio-let wavelengths have typically been pro-duced using high-pressure xenon arc dis-charge lamps. These lamps achieve thehigh temperature necessary in a narrow fil-ament of ionized gas between two elec-trodes. This ion channel suffers from insta-bilities produced by buoyancy-induced tur-bulence of the surrounding gas. There isalso longer-term drift associated with thesputtering of electrode material throughion impact, which changes both the elec-trode spacing and surface profile. Due tothe high electric field gradients, thesesmall changes in geometry result in non-negligible changes to the light output.

Additionally, much of the sputteredelectrode material is deposited as a thinlayer on the inner surface of the lamp.This decreases light transmission throughthe glass and ultimately limits the useful

life of the lamp to no more than 1,000hours, over the course of which the radi-ant flux may decrease by a factor of two.Additionally, the xenon lamps generateseveral undesirable sharp emission lineswith large intensity variation over a smallspectral range. The electrode-inducedinstabilities are eliminated in the RFlamp, and the lifetime is not limited byelectrode erosion. The higher operatingpressure of the RF-driven bulbs producesa smoother broadband spectrum. The RFlamps are also more efficient, and havemore conducive geometry for couplingtheir light into an integrating sphere.

This work was done by Brendan McAndrewand John Cooper of Goddard Space FlightCenter; and Angelo Arecchi, Greg McKee, andChristopher Durell of Labsphere, Inc. Formore information, download the TechnicalSupport Package (free white paper) atwww.techbriefs.com/tsp under the PhysicalSciences category. GSC-16399-1

Device and Container for Reheating andSterilizationThis device can be used for packaged products that requireheating prior to use.Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Long-duration space missions requirethe development of improved foods andnovel packages that do not represent asignificant disposal issue. In addition, itwould also be desirable if rapid heatingtechnologies could be used on Earth aswell, to improve food quality during asterilization process. For this purpose, apackage equipped with electrodes wasdeveloped that will enable rapid reheat-ing of contents via ohmic heating to serv-ing temperature during space vehicletransit. Further, the package is designedwith a resealing feature, which enablesthe package, once used, to contain andsterilize waste, including human waste forstorage prior to jettison during a long-duration mission.

Ohmic heating is a technology that hasbeen investigated on and off for over a cen-tury. Literature indicates that foodsprocessed by ohmic heating are of superi-or quality to their conventionally processedcounterparts. This is due to the speed anduniformity of ohmic heating, which mini-mizes exposure of sensitive materials tohigh temperatures. In principle, the mate-rial may be heated rapidly to sterilizationconditions, cooled rapidly, and stored.

The ohmic heating device herein isincorporated within a package. Whilethis by itself is not novel, a reusable fea-ture also was developed with the intentthat waste may be stored and re-sterilizedwithin the packages. These would thenserve a useful function after their use infood processing and storage.

The enclosure should be designed tominimize mass (and for NASA’s purpos-es, Equivalent System Mass, or ESM),while enabling the sterilization function.It should also be electrically insulating.For this reason, Ultem® high-strength,machinable electrical insulator was used.

Because the pouch would expandwhen exposed to heating to sterilizationtemperatures (greater than 121 °C), it isnecessary to prevent seal rupture byapplying air pressure into the enclosure.To enable cooling of the package in theenclosure, a water inlet and outlet areprovided. The electrode tabs could bemodified to form a larger pair of elec-trodes, which will also allow heating ofwater within the enclosure if necessary.

Under normal reheating conditions,temperatures will not need to go above 100°C, thus the air overpressure feature will be

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unnecessary. The plan is to provide a userinterface with a keypad that will enableusers to dial in the heating protocoldepending on the product that is within thechamber. This feature could be automated.

The incidence of electrolysis will beminimized using a solid-state IGBT powersupply at 10 kHz. This is critical in a spaceapplication, since bubble formation at theelectrodes can stop the heating unlesselectrolysis can be suppressed.

This work was done by Sudhir K. Sastry,Brian F. Heskitt, Soojin Jun, Joseph E. Marcy,and Ritesh Mahna of Ohio State University for

Johnson Space Center. For further information,contact the JSC Innovation Partnerships Officeat (281) 483-3809.

In accordance with Public Law 96-517, thecontractor has elected to retain title to this inven-tion. Inquiries concerning rights for its commer-cial use should be addressed to:

Office of Technology Licensing1960 Kenny Road 2nd floorColumbus, OH 43210-1063Phone No.: (614) 292-1315Refer to MSC-23999-1, volume and number

of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the pagenumber.

High-Speed Transport of Fluid Drops andSolid Particles via Surface Acoustic WavesThe innovation can act as a bladeless wiper for raindrops.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

A compact sampling tool mechanismthat can operate at various temperatures,and transport and sieve particle sizes ofpowdered cuttings and soil grains withno moving parts, has been created usingtraveling surface acoustic waves (SAWs)that are emitted by an inter-digital trans-ducer (IDT). The generated waves aredriven at about 10 MHz, and it causespowder to move towards the IDT at highspeed with different speeds for differentsizes of particles, which enables theseparticles to be sieved.

This design is based on the use ofSAWs and their propelling effect onpowder particles and fluids along thepath of the waves. Generally, SAWs areelastic waves propagating in a shallowlayer of about one wavelength beneaththe surface of a solid substrate. To gen-erate SAWs, a piezoelectric plate is usedthat is made of LiNbO3 crystal cut along

the x-axis with rotation of 127.8º alongthe y-axis. On this plate are printed pairsof fingerlike electrodes in the form of agrating that are activated by subjectingthe gap between the electrodes to elec-tric field. This configuration of a surfacewave transmitter is called IDT. The IDTthat was used consists of 20 pairs of fin-gers with 0.4-mm spacing, a total lengthof 12.5 mm. The surface wave is pro-duced by the nature of piezoelectricmaterial to contract or expand whensubjected to an electric field.

Driving the IDT to generate wave athigh amplitudes provides an actuationmechanism where the surface particlesmove elliptically, pulling powder parti-cles on the surface toward the wave-source and pushing liquids in the oppo-site direction. This behavior allows theinnovation to separate large particlesand fluids that are mixed. Fluids are

An automobile windshield with an Inter-Digital Transducer is shown as a replacement for movablewiper blades.

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www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-762

Physical Sciences

removed at speed (7.5 to 15 cm/s),enabling this innovation of acting as abladeless wiper for raindrops. For thewindshield design, the electrodes couldbe made transparent so that they do notdisturb the driver or pilot.

Multiple IDTs can be synchronized totransport water or powder over larger dis-tances. To demonstrate the transportingaction, a video camera was used to record

the movement. The speed of particles wasmeasured from the video images.

This work was done by Yoseph Bar-Cohen,Xiaoqi Bao, Stewart Sherrit, MirceaBadescu, and Shyh-shiuh Lih of Caltech forNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For moreinformation, download the TechnicalSupport Package (free white paper) atwww.techbriefs.com/tsp under the PhysicalSciences category. NPO-46252

Compact Autonomous HemisphericVision System System has no moving parts and features expanded capabilities. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

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Solar System Exploration cameraimplementations to date have involvedeither single cameras with wide field-of-view (FOV) and consequently coarserspatial resolution, cameras on a movablemast, or single cameras necessitatingrotation of the host vehicle to afford visi-bility outside a relatively narrow FOV.These cameras require detailed com-

manding from the ground or separateonboard computers to operate properly,and are incapable of making decisionsbased on image content that controlpointing and downlink strategy. Forcolor, a filter wheel having selectablepositions was often added, which addedmoving parts, size, mass, power, andreduced reliability.

View of the Baseline 7-Camera Concept (360° horizontal FOV, >90° vertical FOV )

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A system was developed based on a gen-eral-purpose miniature visible-light cam-era using advanced CMOS (complemen-tary metal oxide semiconductor) imagertechnology. The baseline camera has a92° FOV and six cameras are arranged inan angled-up carousel fashion, with FOVoverlaps such that the system has a 360°FOV (azimuth). A seventh camera, alsowith a FOV of 92°, is installed normal tothe plane of the other 6 cameras givingthe system a > 90° FOV in elevation andcompleting the hemispheric vision sys-tem. A central unit houses the commonelectronics box (CEB) controlling the sys-tem (power conversion, data processing,memory, and control software).

Stereo is achieved by adding a secondsystem on a baseline, and color is achievedby stacking two more systems (for a totalof three, each system equipped with itsown filter.) Two connectors on the bot-tom of the CEB provide a connection to acarrier (rover, spacecraft, balloon, etc.)for telemetry, commands, and power. Thissystem has no moving parts.

The system’s onboard software (SW)supports autonomous operations such aspattern recognition and tracking. Forexample, when the system is commandedto detect and track an object of interest,the SW continuously reads data from all

the cameras until the object appears inone (or more) camera’s FOV. The SWthen reads these camera(s) and onlyreturns to Earth the portion of the datathat includes the object of interest.

Each camera weighs 50 g, measures 2cm in diameter, 4 cm in length, and con-sumes less than 50 mW. The central elec-tronics is a cylinder 14 cm in diameterand 4 cm thick. Variations with differentand smaller form factors are possible.

By using the massively parallel archi-tecture inherent to field-programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), per-imager process-ing may be performed concurrently byseparate computational units within theFPGA. This architecture allows trackingalgorithms to scan the entire FOV for aset of features and then switch to a sec-ond operating mode that performs pro-cessing targeted to only the imagers cap-turing those features. This architecturewould provide considerable bonus to sci-ence by improving the efficiency of long-range survey with no additional massand very small power cost.

This work was done by Paula J. Pingree,Thomas J. Cunningham, Thomas A. Werne,Michael L. Eastwood, Marc J. Walch, andRobert L. Staehle of Caltech for NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratory. For more information,contact [email protected]. NPO-48172

A Distributive, Non-Destructive, Real-Time Approach to Snowpack MonitoringGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

This invention is designed to ascertainthe snow water equivalence (SWE) ofsnowpacks with better spatial and tem-poral resolutions than present tech-niques. The approach is ground-based,as opposed to some techniques that areair-based. In addition, the approach iscompact, non-destructive, and can becommunicated with remotely, and thuscan be deployed in areas not possiblewith current methods.

Presently there are two principalground-based techniques for obtainingSWE measurements. The first is manualsnow core measurements of the snow-pack. This approach is labor-intensive,destructive, and has poor temporal reso-lution. The second approach is todeploy a large (e.g., 3×3 m) snowpillow,which requires significant infrastruc-ture, is potentially hazardous [uses a≈200-gallon (≈760-L) antifreeze-filledbladder], and requires deployment in a

large, flat area. High deployment costsnecessitate few installations, thus yield-ing poor spatial resolution of data. Bothapproaches have limited usefulness incomplex and/or avalanche-prone ter-rains. This approach is compact, non-destructive to the snowpack, provideshigh temporal resolution data, and dueto potential low cost, can be deployedwith high spatial resolution.

The invention consists of three primarycomponents: a robust wireless networkand computing platform designed forharsh climates, new SWE sensing strate-gies, and algorithms for smart sampling,data logging, and SWE computation.

This work was done by Jeff Frolik andChristian Skalka of the University of Vermontfor Goddard Space Flight Center. For moreinformation, download the TechnicalSupport Package (free white paper) atwww.techbriefs.com/tsp under the PhysicalSciences category. GSC-16352-1

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This technology development originated from the need toassess the debris threat resulting from soil material erosioninduced by landing spacecraft rocket plume impingement onextraterrestrial planetary surfaces. The impact of soil debriswas observed to be highly detrimental during NASA’s Apollolunar missions and will pose a threat for any future landings onthe Moon, Mars, and other exploration targets.

The innovation developed under this program provides a sim-ulation tool that combines modeling of the diverse disciplines ofrocket plume impingement gas dynamics, granular soil materialliberation, and soil debris particle kinetics into one unified sim-ulation system. The Unified Flow Solver (UFS) developed byCFDRC enabled the efficient, seamless simulation of mixed con-tinuum and rarefied rocket plume flow utilizing a novel directnumerical simulation technique of the Boltzmann gas dynamicsequation. The characteristics of the soil granular materialresponse and modeling of the erosion and liberation processeswere enabled through novel first principle-based granularmechanics models developed by the University of Florida specif-ically for the highly irregularly shaped and cohesive lunarregolith material. These tools were integrated into a unique sim-ulation system that accounts for all relevant physics aspects: (1)Modeling of spacecraft rocket plume impingement flow underlunar vacuum environment resulting in a mixed continuum andrarefied flow; (2) Modeling of lunar soil characteristics to cap-ture soil-specific effects of particle size and shape composition,soil layer cohesion and granular flow physics; and (3) Accuratetracking of soil-borne debris particles beginning with aerody-namically driven motion inside the plume to purely ballisticmotion in lunar far field conditions.

In the earlier project phase of this innovation, the capabilitiesof the UFS for mixed continuum and rarefied flow situationswere validated and demonstrated for lunar lander rocket plume flow impingement under lunar vacuum conditions.Applications and improvements to the granular flow simulationtools contributed by the University of Florida were testedagainst Earth environment experimental results. Requirementsfor developing, validating, and demonstrating this solutionenvironment were clearly identified, and an effective secondphase execution plan was devised. In this phase, the physicsmodels were refined and fully integrated into a production-ori-ented simulation tool set. Three-dimensional simulations ofApollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) and Altair landers(including full-scale lander geometry) established the practicalapplicability of the UFS simulation approach and its advancedperformance level for large-scale realistic problems.

Numerical Simulation ofRocket Exhaust InteractionWith Lunar SoilThese simulations will help predict suitablelanding sites on the Moon.John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida

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Motion Imagery and Robotics Application(MIRA): Standards-Based RoboticsMIRA initial results have demonstrated robotic camera controlthat is applicable to near-Earth or distant applications.Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

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The current Mission Control Center(MCC) is dedicated to the execution ofhuman spaceflight missions. As the futureof NASA and human space evolves, it isclear that robotic artifacts will ultimatelybe integrated and immersed into thehuman mission. In order to make the evo-lution and integration as technically capa-ble at a constrained risk level and with rea-sonable cost, the robotic elements mustadhere to standards that allow not onlyreuse of previous work, but keep the inter-faces stable and reusable.

The MIRA project integrates severaltelerobotic functions into a powerfulConsultative Committee for Space DataSystems (CCSDS) international stan-dards-based telerobotic service capableof running in an International SpaceStation (ISS) payload computer. TheMIRA goal was to mature, integrate, anddemonstrate the MIRA concept (see fig-

ure), with Spacecraft Monitoring andControl (SM&C), Asynchronous Mes -saging Service (AMS), and the DelayTolerant Network (DTN) standards intoa single integrated protocol system.

The ultimate goal of the MIRA projectis to develop an application stack for allrobotics, even complex ones. It will becapable of status and control of three dif-ferent cameras on the Exposed Facility(the porch) of the ISS JEM Module fromMCC. Each successive phase will addincremental capabilities such as the capa-bility of handling Human Factors andPerformance (HFP), and automatic/semiautomatic change detection fromimagery of spaceflight vehicles and equip-ment. In later project phases, it willinclude ground control of robotic assetsover Earth-Moon-Mars time delays, andremote sensing of planetary surfaces andsurface navigation.

The features and benefits of the devel-oped simulation system enable thescreening of landing risk scenariosthrough: identification of dust anddebris transport footprint to protect sur-rounding assets; prediction of level oferosion and cratering as a function ofrocket size and of local soil properties;input into the design of landing padsolidification or paving techniques; mini-mization of debris environment throughoptimization of propulsion system layout

and landing approach flight path; anddesigning dust and debris impact mitiga-tion measures such as berms, deflectors,and fences.

This work was done by Peter Liever andAbhijit Tosh of CFD Research Corporation andJennifer Curtis of the University of Florida forKennedy Space Center. For more information,download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Information Technology category.KSC-13605

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This project seeks to develop a new standard for roboticssuch that interoperability with crewed as well as non-crewedelements is provided, assuring cost effective collaborationbetween NASA and the international space community. Theevolution of the proposed standard will be coordinatedthrough the CCSDS International Standards community.The confluence of the MIRA, SM&C/AMS/DTN standards,the robustness of DTN capability, and remote connectivity toISS and ground assets (interoperability) will assure theJSC/MCC will be the hub of human, human precursor, androbotic missions where the mission components can beseamlessly integrated with other locations without excessivereconfiguration and integration costs that would render theMCC non-competitive.

The MIRA initial results have demonstrated robotic cameracontrol that is applicable to near-Earth or distant applicationswhere the DTN provides the bridge across the time delayimpacts. The MIRA, SM&C/AMS/DTN standards-based statusand control system software and protocol could be hardened,and expanded into the next-generation MCC protocol sup-porting human, robotic, and human-robotic missions. As such,this simple robotic camera prototype is a significant first step inthe integration of robotic and human missions into true dis-tant independent building blocks for future missions.

This work was done by Lindolfo Martinez, Thomas Rich, StevenLucord, Thomas Diegelman, James Mireles, and Pete Gonzalez ofJohnson Space Center. For more information, download the TechnicalSupport Package (free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Information Technology category. MSC-25164-1

Particle Filtering for Model-Based Anomaly Detection inSensor Networks Experiments on test stand sensor data showsuccessful detection of a known anomaly inthe test data. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi

A novel technique has been developed for anomaly detectionof rocket engine test stand (RETS) data. The objective was todevelop a system that post-processes a csv file containing the sen-sor readings and activities (time-series) from a rocket engine test,and detects any anomalies that might have occurred during thetest. The output consists of the names of the sensors that showanomalous behavior, and the start and end time of each anomaly.

In order to reduce the involvement of domain experts signifi-cantly, several data-driven approaches have been proposed wheremodels are automatically acquired from the data, thus bypassingthe cost and effort of building system models. Many supervisedlearning methods can efficiently learn operational and faultmodels, given large amounts of both nominal and fault data.However, for domains such as RETS data, the amount of anom-alous data that is actually available is relatively small, making mostsupervised learning methods rather ineffective, and in generalmet with limited success in anomaly detection.

The fundamental problem with existing approaches is that theyassume that the data are iid, i.e., independent and identically dis-tributed, which is violated in typical RETS data. None of these

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techniques naturally exploit the temporalinformation inherent in time series datafrom the sensor networks. There are cor-relations among the sensor readings, notonly at the same time, but also across time.However, these approaches have notexplicitly identified and exploited suchcorrelations. Given these limitations ofmodel-free methods, there has beenrenewed interest in model-based methods,specifically graphical methods that explic-itly reason temporally. The GaussianMixture Model (GMM) in a LinearDynamic System approach assumes thatthe multi-dimensional test data is a mix-ture of multi-variate Gaussians, and fits agiven number of Gaussian clusters withthe help of the well-known ExpectationMaximization (EM) algorithm. Theparameters thus learned are used for cal-culating the joint distribution of the obser-vations. However, this GMM assumption isessentially an approximation and signalsthe potential viability of non-parametricdensity estimators. This is the key ideaunderlying the new approach.

Since this approach was model-based,it was possible to automatically learn amodel of nominal behavior from teststhat were marked nominal. Particle fil-tering and machine learning wereapplied to capture the model of nominaloperations, and voting techniques wereused in conjunction with particle filter-ing to detect anomalies in test runs.Experiments on test stand sensor datashow successful detection of a knownanomaly in the test data, while produc-ing almost no false positives.

A novel combination of particle filter-ing, machine learning, and voting tech-niques was developed to detect anomaliesin sensor network data. Although most ofthe subsystems are tightly integrated intothe system, the following two subsystemscan also be used as standalone for extra-neous tasks. A novel, efficient (butapproximate) correlation clusteringmethod that is currently used for sensorselection was developed, but it can also beused to visualize sensor correlations as anaid to manual analysis. Sensors are detect-ed that are overactive (large variance) orunderactive (low variance) between com-mands, which effectively give a high-levelmap of the effect of commands on sensorgroups. This may be used as an aid to visu-al/manual analysis.

This work was done by Wanda Solano ofStennis Space Center, and Bikramjit Banerjeeand Landon Kraemer of The University ofSouthern Mississippi. For more information,call the SSC Center Chief Technologist at 228-688-1929. Refer to SSC-00379.

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© 2012 COMSOL. COMSOL, COMSOL Multiphysics, COMSOL Desktop, and LiveLink are registered trademarks or trademarks of COMSOL AB. AutoCAD and Inventor are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. LiveLink for AutoCAD and LiveLink for Inventor are not affi liated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or supported by Autodesk, Inc. and/or any of its affi liates and/or subsidiaries. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes S.A. or its affi liates or subsidiaries. SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation or its parent, affi liates, or subsidiaries. Creo is a trademark and Pro/ENGINEER is a registered trademark of Parametric Technology Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S and/or in other countries. Solid Edge is a registered trademark of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Amazon EC2 and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud are trademarks of Amazon Web Services, LLC or its affi liates.

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Books & Reports

Ka-band DigitallyBeamformed AirborneRadar Using SweepSARTechnique

A paper describes a frequency-scaledSweepSAR demonstration that operatesat Ka-Band (35.6 GHz), and closelyapproximates the DESDynl missionantenna geometry, scaled by 28. The con-cept relies on the SweepSAR measure-ment technique. An array of digitalreceivers captures waveforms from a mul-tiplicity of elements. These are combinedusing digital beamforming in elevationand SAR processing to produce imagery.

Ka-band (35.6 GHz) airborne SweepSARusing array-fed reflector and digital beam-forming features eight simultaneousreceive beams generated by 40-cm offset-fed reflector and eight-element active arrayfeed, eight digital receiver channels with allraw data recorded and later used for beam-forming. Illumination of the swath isaccomplished using a slotted-waveguideantenna radiating 250 W peak power. Thisexperiment has been used to demonstratedigital beamforming SweepSAR systems.

This work was done by Gregory A. Sadowy,Chung-Lun Chuang, Hirad Ghaemi, BrandonA. Heavey, Lung-Sheng S. Lin, and MominQuddus of Caltech for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, downloadthe Technical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under thePhysical Sciences category. NPO-48376

Composite With In SituPlenums

A document describes a high-perform-ance thermal distribution panel (TDP)concept using high-conductivity (>800W/mK) macro composite skin with in situheat pipes. The processing technologiesproposed to build such a panel result in aone-piece, inseparable assembly with highconductance in both the X and Y planes.The TDP configuration can also be used toproduce panels with high structural stiff-ness. The one-piece construction of theTDP eliminates the thermal interfacebetween the cooling plenums and the heatspreader base, and obviates the need forbulky mounting flanges and thick heatspreaders used on baseline designs. Theconductivity of the TDP can be configured

to exceed 800 W/mK with a mass densitybelow 2.5 g/cm3. This material can provideefficient conductive heat transfer betweenthe in situ heat plenums, permitting theuse of thinner panel thicknesses. Theplenums may be used as heat pipes, loopheat pipes, or liquid cooling channels.

The panel technology used in the TDPis a macro-composite comprised of alu-minum-encapsulated annealed pyrolyticgraphite (APG). APG is highly alignedcrystalline graphite with an in-plane ther-mal conductivity of 1,700 W/mK. APGhas low shear strength and does not con-strain the encapsulating material.

The proposed concept has no thermalinterfaces between the heat pipes andthe spreader plate, further improvingthe overall conductance of the system.The in situ plenums can also be used forliquid cooling applications. The processcan be used to fabricate structural pan-els by adding a second thin sheet.

This work was done by Mark Montesano of k-Technology, a Division of Thermacore, forGoddard Space Flight Center. For more informa-tion, download the Technical Support Package(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Manufacturing & Prototyping cate-gory. GSC-16043-1

Multi-Beam Approach forAccelerating Alignment andCalibration of HyspIRI-LikeImaging Spectrometers

A paper describes an optical stimulusthat produces more consistent results, andcan be automated for unattended, routinegeneration of data analysis products need-ed by the integration and testing teamassembling a high-fidelity imaging spec-trometer system. One key attribute of thesystem is an arrangement of pick-off mir-rors that provides multiple input beams(five in this implementation) to simultane-ously provide stimulus light to several fieldangles along the field of view of the sensorunder test, allowing one data set to con-tain all the information that previouslyrequired five data sets to be separately col-lected. This stimulus can also be fed byquickly reconfigured sources that ulti-mately provide three data set types thatwould previously be collected separatelyusing three different setups: SpectralResponse Function (SRF), Cross-track

Response Function (CRF), and Along-trackResponse Function (ARF), respectively.

This method also lends itself to expan-sion of the number of field points if lessinterpolation across the field of view isdesirable. An absolute minimum ofthree is required at the beginning stagesof imaging spectrometer alignment.

This work was done by Michael L. Eastwood,Robert O. Green, Pantazis Mouroulis, Eric B.Hochberg, Randall C. Hein, Linley A. Kroll,Sven Geier, and James B. Coles of Caltech, andRiley Meehan of Tufts University for NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratory. For more information,download the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp underthe Physical Sciences category. NPO-47809

JWST Lifting SystemA document describes designing, build-

ing, testing, and certifying a customizedcrane (Lifting Device — LD) with a strongback (cradle) to facilitate the installationof long wall panels and short door panelsfor the GHe phase of the James WebbSpace Telescope (JWST).

The LD controls are variable-frequencydrive controls designed to be adjustable forvery slow and very-short-distance move-ments throughout the installation. The LDhas a lift beam with an electric actuatorattached at the end. The actuator attachesto a rectangular strong back (cradle) for lift-ing the long wall panels and short door pan-els from a lower angle into the vertical posi-tion inside the chamber, and then rotatingaround the chamber for installation ontothe existing ceiling and floor.

The LD rotates 360° (in very small incre-ments) in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Eight lifting pads areon the top ring with 2-in. (≈5-cm) eye holesspaced evenly around the ring to allow forthe device to be suspended by three cranehoists from the top of the chamber.

The LD is operated by remote controlsthat allow for a single, slow mode forbooming the load in and out, with slowand very slow modes for rotating the load.

This work was done by William Tolleson ofCSC Applied Technologies LLC for JohnsonSpace Center. For more information, downloadthe Technical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under theMechanics/Machinery category. MSC-25176-1

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Drawing Carbon-Nanotube Based Sensors on PaperCarbon nanotubes offer a powerful way to detect harmful gases in theenvironment. However, the methods typically used to build carbon nanotubesensors are hazardous and not suited for large-scale production. MIT chemistshave created a new method that could overcome this obstacle.

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With an airborne camera capableof making precise and detailedecological observations, biolo-

gists at Applied Ecological Services(Brodhead, WI) are bringing satellite im-agery closer to earth.

After years of using satellite imageryfor larger landscape-scale applications,AES has acquired a new high-resolutionmultispectral camera for imaging andmapping ecological projects. Instead ofusing a high-flying fast plane with alarge format camera, AES and its part-ner Ayres & Associates (Madison, WI)have opted for a plane that flies low andslow over the ground, even beneathcloud cover, to obtain ecologically rele-vant imagery.

For AES, the timing of imagery to cap-ture data on dynamic ecologicalprocesses is important. So is the flexibil-ity to capture imagery on an as-neededbasis — for example, when deciduoustrees have lost their leaves but invasive,exotic common buckthorn is still darkgreen. Flexibility is often difficult forother aerial photography vendors whoare more accustomed to imaging for en-gineering or infrastructure purposesthat are not as sensitive to timing issues.

The Leica RCD30 camera acquires im-agery as resolved as 2-inch, on-groundpixel size because of its fast shutter andAES’ slow-flying plane (see Figure 1).The digital mapping camera offers fourspectral bands (red, green, blue, and in-frared) that are capable of achieving en-gineer-standard mapping accuracy spec-ifications in association with bothvertical and horizontal measures.

Using the Infrared BandThe infrared band enables specific

applications associated with the study ofvegetation, and it offers a unique look atthe “greenness” or “productivity” of veg-etation. The infrared band is receptiveto capturing reflectance associated withthe amount and type of chlorophyll A orB pigments present in the tissue or cellsof plants. This sensitivity, associated withdetecting chlorophyll in vegetation,gives scientists at AES a unique under-standing of ecological interactions thatmight otherwise go undetected (see Fig-ure 2).

Plant productivity is a measure of thecondition, vigor, moisture, and healthof a plant. Identifying where and howthat productive plant tissue is distrib-

uted on the landscape can be used tomeasure ecosystem conditions, includ-ing crop productivity, biomass volumes,detection and measurement of pest ordisease impacts, and the mapping ofvegetation community types. In somecases, it is also used to identify and mapspecific plant species including variousgrasses, sedges, forbs, or trees, as well asdifferent aquatic patterns associatedwith algae growth.

After aerial images are collected, theyare typically brought into high-poweredsoftware programs designed to seamlessly

Using Multispectral Imagingfor Ecological Observations

Figure 1. Low and slow, and underneath the clouds, is how the Cessna Turbo 206 plane flies to capture four-band multispectral images for ecological in-terpretation. (Image Credit: Applied Ecological Services)

Figure 2. Color-infared image used for mappingand monitoring urban tree canopy. Black pointsare ash trees and are being used to “train” spec-tral characterization methods for species identifi-cation. (Image Credit: Applied Ecological Services)

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“mosaick” multiple images into a singleimage or set of image tiles that cover theentire area of interest. During thisprocess, imagery is ortho-rectified, whichis a method that adjusts the imagery to ac-count for the topographic relief of thelandscape. In addition, imagery is colorbalanced and histograms are normalized,which is critical for spectral analysis andremote sensing applications.

Once the imagery has been processed,it becomes an ecological tool for a teamof trained remote-sensing and ecologicalprofessionals. By combining the under-standing of advanced mathematics, statis-tics, and computer science with ecologi-cal expertise and in-depth knowledge invegetation seasonality, senesence, andphenology, AES discovers spatial patternsthat become the blueprints to under-standing landscape change. Features aremapped using variables such as texture,size, shape, and reflectance. Analysis ofimaged features offers spatial solutionsto complex ecological trends, and in-forms critical decisions associated withlandscape restoration.

Mapping an Invasive ShrubOne recent AES project involved the

mapping of a woody invasive shrub, bushhoneysuckle, which has colonized largeforested areas of southern Illinois. Themapping of this 100-square-mile area,which includes Shawnee National For-est, was initiated with the (strategicallytimed) aerial flight, followed by on-the-ground work by AES ecologists. Ecolo-gists took measurements of plant condi-tions, and then used survey-qualityGPS-location to find dozens of the indi-vidual honeysuckle shrubs.

The plants measured on the groundwere used to create a statistical “spectralsignature” to “train” the GIS software torecognize the plant on the imagery. Re-finement and further calibration pro-duced maps with very high reliability thatprecisely showed the distribution of hon-eysuckle plants, distinguished from otherdesirable shrubs found across the entireproject area, which was more than a mil-lion acres. AES was able to give privatelandowners and public land manage-ment agency staff precise maps, and thecoordinates of each of the tens of thou-sands of individual invasive plants, sothey could go to each plant and removeit as a part of an eradication program.

The imaging produced by AES is notimpaired by cloud cover and lower lightconditions as with higher flying planesand satellites, whose operations are shutdown as cloud cover develops. The tech-nology also obtains very precise infraredand color bands that are all geo-refer-enced, supporting a new type of analysisnot previously available to ecologists.

The Benefits of “Band-Splitting”Most multiple-band cameras have a

separate lens for each band, which doesnot support the creation of precise, reg-istered, and easily normalized imagery.With the Leica RCD30, all bands are ob-tained through one lens and register onaligned photo-receptors. This band-split-ting technology reduces the down-timeand maintenance required to calibrateand match multiple lenses in alignment,and also allows for shooting under lowerlight conditions.

The AES/Ayres camera is mounted tothe underside of a Cessna Turbo 206, a

single-engine workhorse capable offlight speeds of 130 knots, and as slow as50-60 knots. On a normal, sunny day, itcan shoot several million acres. Data isstored on portable hard drives, whichare removed from the plane upon land-ing and “over-nighted” or sent via filetransfer protocol (FTP) sites to imageprocessing offices.

More ApplicationsThe camera technology has many

land-based applications. By mappingwater quality impairments in lakes andrivers, it is possible to identify the needfor sediment management such asdredging, at least in higher clarity water-ways. Mapping nuisance algae and eveninvasive aquatic plants is easily accom-plished. Mapping agricultural crop fail-ures as well, such as those that occurredduring the summer drought of 2012, hasbeen effective. Also, the imagery is valu-able for early detection of tree diseases,such as Emerald ash borer, which helpsto determine the need for and cost ofurban street tree management.

In addition to ecological projects, thefirm has recently found a new use for thetechnology. This fall, AES flew over asmall Midwestern airport to produceprecise maps of the conditions of thesurface of the runway pavements. Bymapping the development of cracks inrunways, AES can help airport facilitymanagers prioritize their maintenanceprogram to design safe runway surfaces.The company is also currently exploringsimilar applications for highway orbridge maintenance.

This article was written by Steven I. Apfel-baum, principal ecologist and founder of Ap-plied Ecological Services. For more information,visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-140.

Mapped woody invasive species distribution (yellow/red) within utility corridor. The image shows in-vasive species distribution expanding from corridor into high-quality forested areas. (Image Credit:Applied Ecological Services)

Geo-referenced oblique photo shot from 500-ft.with a hand-held digital camera. Subcanopyvegetation with green foliage are woody inva-sive species, most visible along power line.(Image Credit: Applied Ecological Services)

Multispectral Imaging

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Users of machine vision systemsoften have one common goal inmind: increasing system efficiency.

Greater efficiency translates into highproductivity. On the factory floor, higherspeed in an automated optical inspec-tion system, for example, contributes di-rectly to profit.

Greater efficiency can directly be cor-related to the higher speeds of imagingsystems. While machine vision tasks cer-tainly require high-quality, high-resolu-tion images and more compact systems,the universal requirement in machine vi-sion is faster imaging speed.

Machine vision was born on the fac-tory floor, increasing product quality bydelegating tedious and repetitive inspec-tion tasks to computer-based systems.The benefits of machine vision have now

found numerous applications beyondthe factory. While the factory floor canbe a demanding environment in its ownway, machine vision in transportationalso poses its own unique integrationchallenges. These systems face uncon-trolled lighting conditions and havetight physical restraints, operating over awide range of conditions.

Even on the factory floor, smaller andeasier-to-use systems are in high de-mand. Factories must promptly adapt toa rapidly changing environment drivenby global competitive pressures. Pricepressures also favor simpler and easier-to-integrate systems with reductions inboth installation and operation costs.

As the demand for faster systems in-creases, however, a new generation of im-aging sensors delivers images of higher

resolution and frame rates, unattainablejust a few years ago. In particular, CMOSsensors with global shutter are provingvery attractive in machine vision. The im-aging sensors deliver frames rates closeto 400 frames per second at megapixelresolution, combined with 10- and 12-bitdepths. The advanced sensors, whichproduce a large amount of data, puteven more pressure on the bandwidth ca-pability of the data interface.

Benefits of USB 3.0 to Machine Vision

The USB 3.0 specification, which of-fers considerable performance improve-ments over USB 2.0, is a response to thedemand for a high-speed, high-band-width computer peripheral bus. Com-puter users who manipulate large files,such as movies or enormous collectionof high-resolution images, have been thefirst to benefit from USB 3.0’s ability toprovide the high bandwidth needed forfast data transfers.

Integrators looking to build a high-speed, high-resolution machine visionsystem can also benefit from this technol-ogy. Several industrial cameras manufac-turers acknowledged this trend and haveor will be releasing product lines of USB3.0-based cameras to meet this need.

As its name implies, USB 3.0 is a tech-nology step above USB 2.0, one of themost widely used data interfaces. One ofthe most compelling features of the USB3.0 interface for machine vision systemsis its high bandwidth. USB 3.0 providesan effective transfer speed of approxi-mately 5 Gbps, which is ten times fasterthan USB 2.0 and five times faster thanthe widely deployed Gigabit Ethernet(GigE) interface. USB 3.0’s data transferspeed is effectively approaching CameraLink and CoaXPress speeds. UnlikeCamera Link or CoaXPress, however,USB 3.0 does not require any special in-terface cards or frame grabber in thehost computer.

Another critical benefit of USB 3.0over USB 2.0 is the increase in comput-ing efficiency. Without compromisingon higher transmission speed, the USB3.0 protocol allows for more efficient, re-source-friendly data transmission. Bysupporting the use of Direct Memory Ac-cess (DMA), USB 3.0 host controllersare able to retrieve image data from USBcameras with minimal CPU involvement,reducing computer loading and freeingup resources for mission-critical algo-rithm processing.

USB 3.0 delivers 4.5 watts of power toa device, about twice the power of USB

While the factory floor can be a demanding environment, machine vision in transportation poses its ownunique integration challenges, including uncontrolled lighting conditions and tight physical restraints.

USB 3.0: Addressing NewChallenges in Machine Vision

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2.0. The increase is coupled with moreefficient power management tech-niques, for example, the elimination ofthe power-wasting polling mechanism.USB 3.0 has enough power to drive mostmachine vision cameras right off of theUSB port power.

Unlike many machine vision bus tech-nologies, USB 3.0 promises to be a trueplug-and-play experience, largely due tothe communication standard becomingnative on new computers. USB 3.0 is cur-rently supported by the majority of newcomputers, and also is finding its wayinto embedded machines. USB 3.0 sup-port is now native in the newest chipsetsfrom Intel and AMD. Within the nexttwo years, it is expected that all comput-ers will support the technology.

In terms of operating systems, Win-dows 8 will provide native support, whilecomputer manufacturers are currentlyproviding their own USB 3.0 drivers fortheir Windows 7 based computers. Thespecification can now even be found onsome Mac and Linux systems, offering awide choice of options to the system de-signer. The ubiquity of USB 3.0 ensuresthe standard has matured to a solid, reli-able computer peripheral bus with ac-cess to a vast section of devices.

The machine vision industry has beenquick to latch on to the benefits of USB3.0. The industry has responded by goingone step further and defining a machine-vision-specific standardized frameworkfor the transfers of high-speed images,video, and related camera controls.

The concept, USB3 Vision, is similar tothe popular GigE Vision standard usedover Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) cameras.USB3 Vision relies on the GenICam pro-gramming interface to model camerasand their controls. The USB3 Visionstandard permits interoperability of cam-eras, accessories, and software from dif-ferent manufacturers. USB3 Vision is

scheduled for release later this year, andcomponents that comply with the stan-dard will offer plug-and-play compatibil-ity. Developers will be able to inter-change components with little orminimal effect on an overall system.

Applications Beyond Machine Vision

Designing and building a machine vi-sion system is a careful exercise in bal-ancing competing requirements — tak-ing into consideration features andperformance of the image sensor, cam-

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USB 3.0 applications exist right on the factoryfloors, including automated optical inspection ofsemiconductors and electronics.

Building a machine vision system is a careful ex-ercise in balancing competing requirements andconsidering how the features of the image sen-sor, camera, data interface, and computer hostwill achieve a specific mission-critical task likewafer production.

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Machine Vision

era, data interface, and computer host,all to achieve a specific mission-criticaltask. Advancements in imaging technol-ogy in recent years, including fastersensors with higher resolution andmore complex vision processing algo-rithms, open new possibilities and ap-plications but also increase demandsput on the system.

USB 3.0 expands the envelope of whatis now achievable within a machine vi-sion system. The specification delivers ahigh-speed data interface with the easeof use of a consumer-oriented technol-ogy. The USB 3.0 setup eliminates spe-cialized frame grabbers, exotic cabling,or tedious software installation.

By providing higher speed, plug-and-play operations, and high device power,USB 3.0 effectively enables new applica-tions while making vision systems betterand cheaper. Many of these applicationsare on the factory floors, including au-tomated optical inspection of semicon-ductors and electronics, and more existoutside of the factory floor like trans-portation or medical instrumentation.

This article was written by Dany Longval,Director of Product Management, LumeneraCorporation. For more information, visithttp://info.hotims.com/40440-141.

Another critical benefit of USB 3.0 is the increase in computing efficiency, which is useful for pharma-ceutical inspection technologies that require faster systems on the factory floor.

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Imaging Technology, December 2012 www.techbriefs.com 55

On August 6, 2012, the Mars Curios-ity rover successfully landed on the

floor of Gale Crater on Mars. The Cu-riosity rover is about the size of a smallSUV — 10 feet (3 meters) long, not in-cluding the arm, 9 feet (2.7 meters)wide, and 7 feet (2.2 meters) tall.

During the 23 months after landing,Curiosity will analyze dozens of samplesdrilled from rocks or scooped from theground as it explores with greater rangethan any previous Mars rover.

The Mars Science Laboratory is man-aged for NASA by the Jet PropulsionLaboratory (JPL), a division of the Cali-fornia Institute of Technology inPasadena, California. JPL engineeredCuriosity to roll over obstacles up to 25inches (65 cm) high and to travel up toabout 660 feet (200 meters) per day onMartian terrain.

Imaging Components of the Rover

Unlike earlier rovers, Curiosity carriesequipment to gather samples of rocksand soil, process them, and distributethem to onboard test chambers inside,equipped with analytical instruments.Similar to the earlier Mars ExplorationRovers, Curiosity has six-wheel drive, arocker-bogie suspension system, a stereonavigation camera on its mast, and low-slung, stereo hazard-avoidance cameras.

To ensure that the rover can see its waysuccessfully across the perilous Martianlandscape, NASA engineers outfitted itwith sensors that provide successful guid-ance capabilities. The Curiosity rover’s“eyes” are the cameras and instrumentsthat give the rover information about itsenvironment. The rover has seventeen ofthese eyes: Four pairs are for hazardavoidance (“Hazcams”); two pairs are fornavigation (“Navcams”); four are for sci-entific photos and exploration; and oneis a descent imager.

The CCD (charged couple device)image sensors for the Curiosity’s Nav-cams and Hazcams were built in Tele-dyne DALSA’s Bromont, Quebec semi-conductor foundry, as were those on theprevious Spirit and Opportunity rovers.The hazard avoidance cameras are in-

stalled on each corner of the rover, andthe 3D stereoscopic navigation camerasare part of the rover’s camera mast. TheHazcams and Navcams work together toprovide a complementary and compre-hensive view of the terrain. Each camerahas an application-specific set of optics.

Hazcams: Four Pairs of Engineering Hazard Avoidance Cameras

Mounted on the lower portion of thefront and rear of the rover, the Hazcamblack-and-white cameras use visible lightto capture three-dimensional (3D) im-agery. The imagery safeguards againstthe rover getting lost or inadvertentlycrashing into unexpected obstacles, andworks in tandem with software that al-lows the rover to make its own safetychoices and to “think on its own.”

Curiosity’s front and rear Hazcamshave fisheye lenses to allow the rover tosee a wide swath of terrain. With a fieldof view of about 120 degrees, the roveruses pairs of Hazcam images to map outthe shape of the terrain as far as 10 feet(3 m) in front of it, in a “wedge” shape

that is over 13 feet (4 m) wide at the far-thest distance.

The cameras must have a wide viewingrange on either side because, unlikehuman eyes, the Hazcams cannot moveindependently since they are mounteddirectly to the rover body. The Hazcamsare also used by ground operators todrive the vehicle and to operate the ro-botic arm.

Navcams: Two Pairs of Engineering Navigation Cameras

Mounted on the mast of the rover, theblack-and-white Navcam cameras alsouse visible light and gather panoramic,3D imagery of the ground near thewheels. The navigation camera unit is astereo pair of cameras, each with a 45-de-gree field of view. Scientists and engi-neers will make surface navigation plansbased on what the images tell themabout nearby rocks or other obstacles.The Navcams also are used for onboardobstacle detection. The Navcams work incooperation with the Hazcams by provid-ing a complementary view of the terrain.

The Eyes of the Mars Curiosity Rover

The location of the 17 cameras on NASA’s Curiosity rover. Image sensors for the Curiosity’s Navcamsand Hazcams were built in Teledyne DALSA’s Bromont, Quebec semiconductor foundry. (Image Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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In addition to the engineering cam-eras, Curiosity operates science-pay-load cameras for finding potential sci-entific targets. These are the MastCamera, used to identify potential tar-gets for further analysis, the Mars HandLens Imager on the arm, and the Re-mote Microscopic Imager. The lattertwo imagers provide small-scale obser-vations of textures and features on thescience targets.

Custom CCD Image SensorsIn the late 1990s and early 2000s, high

performance CCD image sensors werenot very common. The Jet PropulsionLaboratory had design, packaging, andtest expertise, but was looking for a waferfoundry to build a custom CCD imagesensor that would fit the application.

In terms of process, Teledyne DALSAengineers went with a conservative andsimple approach, with just enough inno-vation to get a high-performance CCDwithout taking risk for reliability. For ex-ample, minimum feature size was notpushed to the limit, and material selec-tion for some layers was made to avoidpotential reliability problems. CCDswere chosen because they are a robusttechnology and are qualified for spacetravel. The CCD is well known for its su-perior image quality, which is often pre-ferred over speed.

Eventually custom design was match -ed to custom process, to build 1k by 1kframe-transfer CCDs. After approxi-mately three years of development, abatch of CCDs was made, and theypassed all tests for the Spirit and Oppor-tunity rovers.

Custom-manufactured CCD imagesensors from Teledyne DALSA provedtheir reliability in these previous MarsExploration Rover missions, and thecomponents were chosen once again tofunction as the imaging technology forthe Curiosity rover’s navigational eyes.

Teledyne DALSA engineers reviewedthe design with NASA engineers, pro-posed changes, made masks to buildthe devices, and fabricated and testedthe wafers. Then the wafers were sentto NASA, where the CCD was testedand assembled.

The Mission ContinuesThe Curiosity rover has captured the

minds of many, and even has its ownTwitter and Facebook accounts to shareinformation and photos via socialmedia. Signals from the Curiosity’s cam-eras take about 14 minutes traveling atthe speed of light to reach Earth, andthen they must be downloaded andprocessed. Amazingly, these images canbe shared very quickly with the public.

Soon after the landing, the Curiosityrover started looking around at its envi-ronment and sending images back toEarth. As this mission to Mars continuesto search for past or present conditionsfavorable for life, the imaging compo-nents on the rover support the explo-ration by helping the Curiosity to safelynavigate the Red Planet’s surface.

This article was written by Robert Groulx,CCD Product Engineer, and Raymond Frost,Senior Process Integration Scientist, at Tele-dyne DALSA Semiconductor (Waterloo, On-tario, Canada). For more information, visithttp://info.hotims.com/40440-142.

With the addition of four high-resolution Navcam images, Curiosity’s 360-degree landing sitepanorama includes the highest point on Mount Sharp visible from the rover. The Martian mountainrises 3.4 miles (5.5 km) above the floor of Gale Crater. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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Automakers are in overdrive to meet the U.S. federal mandate for a 54.5-mpg fl eet average in the 2025MY. That’s in addition to a bevy of other upcoming governmental fuel economy and CO2 emissions regulations around the globe they and commercial vehicle makers alike must comply. Meanwhile, ever-rising gas prices have made increasing the effectiveness of fuel burned an even greater priority in the aerospace industry.

According to the U.S. Energy Department, reducing an automobile’s weight by 10% can improve fuel economy by 7-8% — making mass-reduction technology or lightweighting through the use of advanced materials a promising path towards lowering fuel consumption and vehicle CO2 emissions.

From the fi rst engine oil viscosity standards and common material standards for increased aircraft product during WWI, SAE International has been at the forefront of endless vehicle technology advances for more than 100 years. Through its market-driven, voluntary consensus standards program and its library of mobility engineering information – the largest of its kind – SAE has worked hand-in-hand with the ground vehicle and aerospace communities to solve its greatest transportation challenges and advance the global mobility industry.

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I ntel’s new Sandy Bridge microarchi-tecture is changing how softwareapplications run and perform on serv-

er platforms. In order for applications totap the full power of these new devices,developers will need to update not onlytheir application software, but also thehardware platforms on which thoseapplications run. Changes to Intel’sXeon® E3 and E5 series of microproces-sors include new instructions used toaccelerate common encryption tasksand floating point calculations, as well asincreased core counts and cache perCPU. Paramount to adoption is the crit-ical thinking that developers need toconsider to successfully transition to theSandy Bridge microarchitecture.

General-purpose microprocessorshave traditionally served within the con-trol plane of communications and net-working equipment, leaving ASICs(Application-Specific Integrated Cir -cuits), FPGAs (Field-ProgrammableGate Arrays) and various acceleratorcards to handle packet processing in thedata plane. But that is all beginning tochange as Intel’s faster and more effi-cient processors aim to replace many ofthe network processors commonly usedin today’s enterprise- and carrier-classservers. Intel’s processor enhancementsare also changing how pre-integratedserver application software interoper-ates with onboard memory, disk drives,RAID controllers, and the OperatingSystem (OS).

Enter Sandy BridgeSandy Bridge (Figure 1) is the code-

name for Intel’s next-generation Xeon-based microprocessor architecture, onwhich the E3 and E5 series of XeonCPUs are based. As the successor to theNehalem microarchitecture, SandyBridge CPUs are manufactured onIntel’s 32nm geometry process. SandyBridge is designed to enhance a range ofapplications that run on notebooks,

Transitioning ApplicationPlatforms to Sandy Bridge

Figure 1. Intel’s Tick-Tock Microarchitecture Roadmap

Figure 2. Sandy Bridge Platform Feature Comparison

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http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?201212ETHOME

desktop computers, and enterprise-classservers. This new architecture has beentrial-demonstrated to provide up to 17%more CPU performance (clock-for-clock) compared to Lynnfield 45nmquad-core Xeon X34xx processors.

Sandy Bridge processors will increaseCPU processing, memory, and I/O per-formance while reducing bottlenecks forapplications that demand real-time datarates. These processors are far betterequipped to handle applications thatdemand greater throughput and com-pute power, including deep-packet inspec-tion security algorithms that support net-work port expansion. Video, multimedia,and telecom application developers canalso capitalize on its unmatched perform-ance and deploy more powerful and effi-cient appliance platforms with highly scal-able port densities.

Among the more obvious server-basedapplications that benefit are packet pro-cessing, image processing, security (e.g.,cryptography), and a host of high-speed(40 Gb/sec) networking platforms.Developers working on these and otherhigh-throughput applications need tomove quickly to take full advantage ofthe Sandy Bridge microarchitecture forimproved performance.

What’s Under the HoodSandy Bridge is optimized to deliver

up to 60% more performance and 30%greater energy efficiency compared toits predecessor. With more availablecores, each core running faster, built-inPCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 capability, morememory channels, and faster QPI(QuickPack Interconnects), SandyBridge has the potential to createentirely new application categories.Figure 2 depicts key attributes for threeprimary device types.

Embedded PCIeFor the first time, PCIe 3.0 I/O is

embedded into each multicore CPUdirectly. By integrating PCIe 3.0 into theSandy Bridge CPU architecture, platformsbased on Intel’s Xeon E5 series CPUs canoffer double the payload throughputcompared to PCIe 2.0 when utilizing thesame number of PCIe lanes per device.Additionally, dual-processor platforms uti-lizing Xeon E5 series CPUs provide 80total PCIe 3.0 lanes for device connectivi-ty as compared to the 36 PCIe 2.0 lanescommonly available with its predecessor.Combined, this allows for over a 440%increase in available I/O bandwidth withSandy Bridge-based servers.

This is an important milestone bothfor applications using RAID controllersand for those that must move from 10Gb/s Ethernet to 40 Gb/s. It alsoreduces latencies to accelerate commu-nications between fiber channel inter-connects and InfiniBand switched fab-rics. And as future I/O devices continueto increase in performance, SandyBridge offers the bandwidth needed fornext-generation technologies, includingemerging standards for technologiessuch as 12 Gb/s SAS controllers, directconnect PCIe Solid State Drives, 100GbEthernet, and high-performance GPUs.

Memory UpgradeSandy Bridge also offers more memory

bandwidth. Memory channels runningup to 1,333 MHz on Xeon 5600 series-based platforms can now achieve 1,600MHz on Xeon E5-based platforms. Andfor applications requiring peak memorythroughput, Xeon E5-2600 series proces-sors now include four memory channelsper CPU versus just three available onprevious-generation Xeon 5600 seriesproducts. This allows dual processorservers utilizing E5-2600 CPUs to offerup to eight independent memory chan-nels, each running at up to 1,600 MHz.

Embedded Technology, December 2012 59

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Because of this, DDR3 memory mod-ules should be balanced in groups ofeight for optimal performance. An idealconfiguration would comprise eithereight, 16 or 24 individual memory mod-ules. Left unbalanced, server functional-ity may degrade and applications will notbe able to take complete advantage ofthe full memory bandwidth available.

Turbo ModeTurbo Mode Version 2 is extremely

sophisticated and self-adjusts processor“gears” depending on the load.Processors with Turbo Mode 2 areallowed to factory overclock themselveswhen certain cores are underutilizedor when the system has significant ther-mal headroom. This means that ifdevelopers are using a 2.4 GHz, 8-coreCPU and all eight cores are not utilized– either because the application doesnot thread well or certain cores aredormant – the remaining CPU canautomatically run faster.

By taking power away from inactivecores and applying it to active cores, a2.4 GHz core can run at a higher multi-plier, increasing its speed beyond 2.4GHz and completing tasks and threadsfaster. The result is that when new pro-grams or tasks are called on, they launchand run faster.

The same is true when certain coresare in heavy demand. Sandy Bridge willunderclock or turn off unused cores,and quickly apply that power to thecores needed to complete other coretasks. Turbo Mode is controlled by the

operating system and system BIOS andrequires no special coding by an applica-tion programmer.

New InstructionsSandy Bridge’s Advanced Encryption

Standard - New Instructions (AES-NI)provide new extensions to the x86instruction set architecture for micro-processors and promise to boost thehandling of AES-based encryption anddecryption. AES-NI can be used toaccelerate the performance of AES by 3times to 10 times over software-onlyimplementations.

Intel AVX is a new 256-bit instructionset extension to SSE and designed forapplications that are floating point-intensive. Intel AVX improves perform-ance with wider vectors, new extensiblesyntax and enriched functionality, all ofwhich enable better management ofdata for general-purpose applicationslike image, audio/video processing, sci-entific simulations, financial analytics,and 3D modeling and analysis.

Model HierarchySeveral CPU models were scheduled

to become available in 2012 (Figure 3).They include the E3-1200, E5-2400 E5-2600 and E5-4600 (names in which thefirst number following E3/E5 indicatesthe number of CPUs that can beinstalled). Accordingly, the E3-1200CPU is designed for single-socket sys-tems, the E5-2400 CPU for dual-socketsystems, and the E5-4600 for quad-sock-et systems.

The sweet spot for most developerswill be the E5-2400 and E5-2600 series.The E5-2600 includes an extra memorychannel and two QuickPack Inter -connects, which allow the two CPUs tocommunicate twice as fast. And the E5-2600 also delivers up to 80 PCIe 3.0lanes (40 per CPU) – a tremendousimprovement over earlier CPUs. So ifthe application thread running on thefirst CPU needs to access a PCI cardplugged into the second CPU, it can usethat QPI to jump over to the other CPUand complete the request. For applica-tions requiring several PCIe cards, theE5-2600 is likely the best choice.

Code OptimizationTo get the best performance out of

the Sandy Bridge architecture, it isessential to use the best available compil-er, performance primitives, math kernellibraries, DSP libraries and profilertools. Tools like C++ Composer XE,Parallel Inspector, Trace Analyzer andCollector, and VTuneTM Amplifier XEare available for Windows® and Linux®

users. Integrated Performance Prim -itives (IPP), the Math Kernel Library(MKL) and Thread Building Blocks(TBB) help to extract the most out ofthe platform and are worth the time todownload and test.

Developers can take advantage ofmulti-threaded application develop-ment to improve performance, and theproper code will be critical to makingthis adjustment successfully. Utilizingthe multiple cores for greater processingpower requires significant attention tocode migration and optimization toensure maximum exploitation of SandyBridge’s processing power.

What It All Means What is clear to most developers is that

Sandy Bridge can truly be a game-chang-er, particularly for security, enterprisecommunications, telecommunicationsand storage applications. Any applica-tion involving transcoding or decryption,including most video-related applica-tions, VoLTE and secure endpoint com-munications, should consider transition-ing to the new platform sooner ratherthan later to take full advantage of pro-cessing power and ensure best perform-ance of new and evolving applications.

This article was written by Austin Hipes,Vice president of Technology, NEI (Canton,MA). For more information, contact Mr.Hipes at [email protected], or visithttp://info.hotims.com/40440-400.

Figure 3. CPU Models Available in 2012

Sandy Bridge

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Embedded Technology, December 2012 www.embeddedtechmag.com 61

Embedded market applications haveentered a new era thanks to exten-sive software support as well as the

shrinking of borders between differentprocessor technologies enabling thesoftware ecosystem to expand to addi-tional technology platforms. Con -sequently, the standard form factors atthe board and module level must also beenhanced to fully realize the multipleinterface options available with newprocessor platforms.

This has opened the gates for ARMprocessor architecture, which hasevolved to support a wider range of inter-faces and functionality, allowing a trueopen systems approach. For this reason,there are an increasing number of smartconnected solutions that are now ARM-based. Embedded systems designers arerealizing ARM is an ideal platform forlow profile, high density platforms suchas new tablet-based applications, as wellas HMI tools, due to this architecture’sperformance per watt, low power andinterface configuration advantages.

A host of embedded systems hardwaresuppliers understand that supporting astrong ecosystem can bring in newsources of revenue, and satisfy the mar-ket demand for efficient developmentand scalability from one generation tothe next. However, ARM-based solutionshave typically required more in-depthdevelopment because of their propri-etary nature with the software directlytied to the hardware and specific applica-tion. This has made it necessary to startvirtually from scratch on any new design.Seen as the foundation for growth, sup-pliers are coming together to develop avendor-independent standardized ultralow-power Computer-on-Module specifi-cation. That is why the new Stand -ardization Group for Embedded Tech -nologies (SGET) has been formed andincludes broad support from a variety ofcompanies worldwide.

Setting the StandardThe SGET has taken a dramatic step for-

ward in driving ARM solutions – creating a‘super group’ with 23 member companiesthat have the charter to speed develop-ment of standardized hardware and soft-ware solutions for embedded computing.SGET supports this group by providingthe appropriate infrastructure that willfacilitate the efficient implementation ofstandardization ideas. Other companiesfrom the embedded computing industryare invited to join the association to con-tribute ideas as well. In addition to embed-ded computer manufacturers at the boardand system level, the invitation alsoextends to chip and connector manufac-turers, research and educational institu-tions, embedded system integrators, OEMsolution providers, and industrial users.

Helmed by Kontron and otherembedded centric companies,, theSGET’s first target is the definition ofthe new ULP-COM (ultra low powerComputer-on-Module) standard to

ensure design security and longevity ofARM- and SoC (system on chip)-basedapplications. This new specificationrelease candidate for ultra low powerCOMs is characterized by the extremelyflat build of its form factor as well as anewly defined, optimized pinout for SoCprocessors. Overall, the new proposedARM standard and products shift thefocus to power consumption and per-formance per watt.

The ULP-COM release candidate usesa 314-pin connector that has a construc-tion height of just 4.3 millimeters (theMXM 3.0) with an optimized ARM/SoCpin-out definition. This connectionmethod allows robust and cost-effectivedesigns that have an extremely thin con-struction height. Kontron has elected touse the version of this connector that isshock- and vibration-resistant to servethe needs of applications that willrequire reliability under rough environ-mental conditions. Furthermore, thestandard integrates dedicated interfaces

Kontron introduced the FIRST scalable ULP-COM form factor ARM building block, 82mm x 50mm asdefined by the ULP-COM specification with a height profile under 6mm when coupled with the newULP evaluation carrier board. The new specification has been developed by SGET to meet marketneeds for low power, low profile computer-on-modules.

Strong-ARMing The Market

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for the latest ARM and SOC processors.This means that not only LVDS, 24-bitRGB and HDMI are supported butembedded DisplayPort for futuredesigns is supported as well.

As another first for the industry, dedi-cated camera interfaces are being incor-porated into the standard. Consequently,users no longer need to compromise orwork with inefficient specifications thatare stretched between the x86 feature setand lean ARM I/Os. Two different mod-ule sizes are specified, in order to offer ahigh level of flexibility regarding differ-

ent mechanical requirements: a shortmodule measuring 82mm x 50mm and afull-size module measuring 82mm x80mm. Additionally, ULP-COM willcover other known requirements analo-gous to other module standards, so thatthe release version 1.0 is already com-pletely mature for the market.

Standardizing the Benefits of ARMUp to now, all existing module specifi-

cations have been influenced by x86technology, with feature sets more close-ly associated with PC-like operation. As

an example, a classical x86 chipset offersa multitude of typical PC interfaces suchas PCI, USB and PCI Express graphicsports. But typical ARM SOCs featuremore classical embedded ports such asUART, I²C, I²S and several SDIOs, withfewer PC-like interfaces. An applicationthat utilizes PCIe x16 graphics and PCIare not supported as native. ARM-basedSOC designs also have differences invideo outputs and dedicated camerainterfaces. In ARM processors, these areoften implemented according to theMIPI® standard, such as Camera SerialInterface (CSI), and are currently notimplemented in a module standard.That is why software plays a key role inenabling board compatibility and inter-changeability and its impact on systemdecisions has been increasing for years.

Unfortunately, it is not really possibleto efficiently combine ARM and x86technologies. The differences betweenthem must stay intact in order to utilizetheir individual advantages.

Market and Application NeedsAlong with the technology, power, and

software needs of smart connected appli-cations, the expectations of today’sembedded tablet and HMI tool applica-tions require rugged, long-term availabili-ty for extended lifecycles. These applica-tions are evolving toward lighter and fully-sealed fanless portable systems that mustbe smaller and offer extended usage time.

Many markets and applications havebeen underserved by existing processor-based platforms. While OEMs havefound a way to make use of the currenttechnology that is available to addresstheir design needs, most of the existingstandards and processor architecturesare not the best-fit solutions in every casebecause they are not specifically tuned tosupport SOC-based sub-systems. More -over, the overall power consumption andTDP exceed the power budgets of manyportable/mobile applications.

There is a sharp contrast to open andclosed systems with ARM and other CPUarchitectures. That is why many design-ers have turned to ARM processors,which have proven they are powerfulenough to drive an easy-to-use graphicaluser interface (GUI) for new mobileapplications such as smartphones andtablets. At less than 1 Watt operatingpower, ARM processor-based platformsoffer extremely low power consumptionthat can accommodate extended tem-perature product offerings withdual/quad core CPU performance thatis comparable to, and many times

62 Embedded Technology, December 2012Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-778

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Embedded Technology, December 2012 www.embeddedtechmag.com 63

exceeds, the latest low-power x86 orRISC-based processors. These processorarchitectures, of course, have showntheir worth with superior graphics andinteroperability, but designers are realiz-ing that each has a place in the marketthat they can capitalize on for their form,fit and function needs. ARM-basedembedded computing platforms are notintended to replace x86 or RISC tech-nologies; rather these building blocksare targeted to applications and marketsegments that are currently underserved.

What Sets ARM-Based BuildingBlocks Apart?

The difference between ARM andalternative processor solutions is that itprovides a much longer product life –anywhere from 7 years up to 15 years.ARM processors are small in size and donot require a supporting chipset to fulfillcomprehensive designs. Many of today’sSoC solutions have simplified, passivecooling and thermal management solu-tions which eliminate points of failurefor higher system reliability and providea platform for higher density systems. Atthe same time, the overall bill-of-materi-als (BOM) is reduced for a more cost-effective and streamlined hardwaredesign, and native features and a broadrange of supported interfaces contributeto shorter time-to-market.

ARM-based platforms dominate low-power market segments, especially forsmartphones, tablets and HMI sub-sys-tems. The fierce competition in thesemarkets demands that OEMs remainkeenly focused on differentiating theirproducts. Time spent on finding,installing, programming and trou-bleshooting drivers or debugging hard-ware means they have less time to con-centrate on their core competencies.

There are many ARM solutions avail-able in the market, but most offer limitedinteroperability and almost none offer asmooth design migration path. ARM-based solutions have typically requiredmore in-depth development because oftheir proprietary nature with the softwaredirectly tied to the hardware and specificapplication. Consequently, there is a trueneed for proven design building blocksfor connected devices and subsystemssuch as those being developed for tabletand HMI-based applications

Pre-Validated Platforms and Building Blocks

Backed by standardization, a powerfulresource of verified, pre-validated ARM-based platforms that satisfy the broad

spectrum of design requirements is need-ed to meet streamlined development andfaster time-to-market demands. Openarchitecture ARM platforms offer a build-ing block solution approach that helpsminimize the time from evaluation todeployment, providing value in terms ofdesign flexibility, interoperability, andsmooth design migration.

Leveraging the advantages of verifiedopen architecture ARM platforms, OEMscan avoid the delay of validating hard-ware. Pre-validated platforms are fullyconfigured and tested to deliver therequired interoperability and functionali-ty. Application development, operatingsystem integration and adding middle-ware can be streamlined because theprocess of hardware validation has beeneliminated. With pre-validated buildingblocks, customers are assured of compati-bility, interoperability and high reliabilityso designers can fully focus on applicationdevelopment rather than dealing withhardware integration. OEMs can readilyreuse their existing “library” of applica-tion-specific software and install it on aready framework and flexible hardware.

Moving ForwardFueled by the ULP-COM standard,

ARM solutions meet the requirements inmany embedded systems to reducepower and the costs of deployment, andprovide high-end graphics demanded bya growing list of customers and theirusers. This new form factor is ideal forlow profile systems, and enables flexibledisplay options to meet an extensiverange of deployment needs.

The availability of ULP-COM solu-tions also lets designers achieverequired performance/power ratiorequirements. This key advantage trans-lates into a more cost-effective designapproach that permits portable andfully enclosed systems to have a compet-itive price. Additionally, lower-power-consumption, ARM-based solutions sup-port more simplified cooling methods –reducing costs based on a less-compli-cated mechanical design with lessassembly and higher reliability becauseof its fanless design. All of theserequirements are resolvable, howeverthe ULP-COM dramatically improvesthe process, saving time, resources anddesign compromises.

SoC-based hardware concentrates onthe needs of connected devices, and assuch requires a different designapproach that addresses a new I/Omix. Leveraging existing standardssuch as Pico-ITX and mini-ITX, as wellas developing new modules to serve asbest-fit building blocks for tomorrow’ssmart connected devices, makes themost of innovative ARM technologyand enables smart connected devicesthat are service-ready. Overall designrisk and hardware integration needsare reduced, reusing known buildingblocks that allow for leaner develop-ment schedules.

This article was written by Jack London,Product Manager, Kontron Computer-on-Modules (Poway, CA). For more information,contact Mr. London at [email protected], or visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-401.

Kontron has designed its ARM building blocks to be implemented as part of a higher level ultra-lowpower solution that includes a combination of carrier board, firmware and drivers, and operating sys-tem. Offering multiple layers that make up a complete ARM solution provides time-to-market devel-opment benefits and added value for OEMs.

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building custom electrical control panels. It alsopresents a user-friendly guide to selecting a tempera-ture control based on the performance required.Tempco is an ISO 9001 Certified Quality Companymanufacturing Electric Heaters, Temperature Sen -sors, Temp erature Controls and Process HeatingSystems. Tempco Electric Heater Corporation; Tel:800-323-6859; www.tempco.com; [email protected].

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation

ELECTRONIC SURPLUSSTORE LIVES ONAll Electronics continues the tradi-tion of surplus electronic stores ofthe past. Many unusual “one of akind” items can be found, alongwith the basic parts that form thebuilding blocks of your electronicprojects. Whether you are in Research and Development,

Design, Engineering, Small Run Manufacturing orjust garage experimentation, we have the parts youneed. Stop by our web site to see our extensive inven-tory. Orders are usually shipped within 48 hoursfrom stock. Visit us at www.allelectronics.com.

All Electronics Corp.

FAST PULSE TEST SOLUTIONS

Avtech offers over 500 standard models of high-speedpulse generators for R&D and automated factory-floor testing. Some of our standard models include:AVR-EB4-B: for reverse-recovery time testsAV-156F-B: for airbag tests.AVO-9A-B: for laser diode tests.AV-151J-B: for piezoelectric tests.AVOZ-D2-B: for testing of attenuators.AVR-DV1-B: for phototriac dV/dt testsPricing, manuals, datasheets: http://www.avtechpulse.com/

Avtech Electrosystems Ltd

THE ULTIMATE MECHANICALCONNECTIONSPOLYGON PROFILES arethe solution to any coupling,sliding, power transmission,

torque, stress, fatigue, or space problems you mayhave. Precision ground to give superb strength, ahigh capacity for torque, and long life. Self-aligning,self-centering feature eliminates alignment problems, with minimal backlash and reduced vibration. Suitable for fixed and sliding connec -tions; available on oval, 3-sided and 4-sided, customproduced to your specifications. Call 1-877-546-6378 or visit www.generalpolygon.com; e-mail:[email protected]

General Polygon

DIN RAIL POWERSUPPLIESAC/DC DIN Rail mount-able power supplies withuniversal input 85-264VAChave a compact designand efficiencies up to

93%. With optional 3 phase AC input voltage of 340-575VAC, short circuit protection and switchable par-allel function, these units are ideal for automationapplications. Contact MEGA Electronics at 732-249-2656 or [email protected] for quotations;www.megaelectronics.com.

MEGA Electronics

EVANSCAPS:HIGHEST POWERIN MORE THAN100 RATINGS

Critical for aerospace and defense, Evanscaps havethe highest power density in hermetic tantalumpackages for -55˚C to 125˚C operation — proven in over 100 ratings. Evanscaps provide high reli -ability and energy density in high power pulseapplications like phased array radar and laser tar-geting. In avionics displays, communications, andother applications, Evanscaps also provide backuppower, filtering, and ride-through capability.Product data sheets, specifications and pricing atwww.evanscap.com. Call 401-435-3555.

Evans Capacitor

PRECISIONALUMINUMEXTRUSIONSNew! An informativebrochure from MIN-ALEX, leader inclose toleranceshapes to 3 1/2",illustrates typicalapplications and de -scribes capabilitiesin cluding shortruns. MINALEX,

quality leader, delivers on time, every time.MINALEX, PO Box 247, Whitehouse Station, NJ08889; Tel: 908-534-4044; Fax: 908-534-6788.

Minalex

NEW SMALLEYENGINEERING &PARTS CATALOGSmalley’s new catalog combinesexisting Spirolox Retaining Ringand Smalley Wave Spring selec-tions with series recentlyreleased from Smalley. Now a

single catalog includes new: Hoopster Rings, MetricWave Springs, Constant Section Rings and more. Over10,000 standard parts in carbon and stainless steel; freesamples available. Specials manufactured with No-Tooling-Costs™ from .200"-120". Smalley Steel RingCompany, (847) 719-5900, [email protected],www.smalley.com/getcatalog.

Smalley Steel Ring Company

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Next-GenerationTumbleweed Rover

A document describes a next-genera-tion tumbleweed rover that involves asplit balloon system that is made up oftwo half-spherical air bladders with adisc between them. This disc contains allthe electronics and instruments. Bydeflating only the bottom balloon, therover can sit, bringing the surface probeinto contact with the ground. The bot-tom balloon has a channel passingthrough it, allowing the surface probe toreach the surface through the balloon.Once the sample has been gathered andanalyzed, the rover can re-inflate thelower air bladder and continue rolling.

The rover will use a small set of instru-ments and electronics situated at the cen-ter of its inflatable spherical hull. Thecurrent version is a large beach-ball- likeconstruction, about 1.8 m in diameterand weighing roughly 15 kg. The rovercomprises two major parts, an outerspherical hull (split in half at the centraldisc) and an inner, disc-shaped cylindri-cal section. The balloons are attached tothe bottom and top of the disc. Inside the

disc, there are temperature and pressuresensors to keep track of the inner andouter conditions of the rover. A system ofpumps and valves is responsible for inde-pendently inflating and deflating the bal-loons as necessary. There are alsoaccelerometers to record the movement,together with a GPS receiver. The dataare then sent through a modem to a con-trol station. This work builds upon theproject “Tumbleweed rover for planetaryexploration,” described in the TechnicalSupport Package, as noted below.

This work was done by Jeffrey P. Nosanovof Caltech for NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory. For more information, down-load the Technical Support Package (freewhite paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tspunder the Mechanics/Machinery category.NPO-47648

Pneumatic System forConcentration ofMicrometer-Size Lunar Soil

A report describes a size-sortingmethod to separate and concentratemicrometer-size dust from a broad sizerange of particles without using sieves,fluids, or other processes that may mod-

ify the composition or the surface prop-erties of the dust.

The system consists of four processingunits connected in series by tubing.Samples of dry particulates such as lunarsoil are introduced into the first unit, afluidized bed. The flow of introducednitrogen fluidizes the particulates andpreferentially moves the finer grain sizeson to the next unit, a flat plate impactor,followed by a cyclone separator, followedby a Nuclepore polycarbonate filter tocollect the dust.

By varying the gas flow rate and thesizes of various orifices in the system, thesize of the final and intermediate particlescan be varied to provide the desired prod-ucts. The dust can be collected from thefilter. In addition, electron microscopegrids can be placed on the Nuclepore fil-ter for direct sampling followed by elec-tron microscope characterization of thedust without further handling.

This work was done by David McKayand Bonnie Cooper of Johnson Space Center.For more information, download theTechnical Support Package (free whitepaper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp underthe Manufacturing & Prototyping category.MSC-25264-1


Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-843Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-842Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-841

Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-838 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-839

MULTIPHYSICS E-ZINE

Now is your chance tolearn what your peershave achieved throughthe use of multiphysicssimulation. The 2012Edition of COMSOLNews gives you over 25user stories that illus-trate recent achieve-

ments in industry — all made possible by COMSOL’smodeling tools. Instantly download your digital copytoday at: www.comsol.com/ntblit

COMSOL, Inc.

COMPACT SMTDUAL-CHANNELLASER DIODEDRIVERThe PCB-mounted FL500drives two independent 250mA lasers or one 500 mA laser

in Constant Current mode. Current limit, slow start,and brown-out protection help ensure stable androbust long-term operation of your laser system. TheFL500 can be battery-powered, and the small pack-age fits easily in your portable hardware. The FL591Evaluation Board simplifies prototyping; use theFL593 to USB control the FL500. Call 406-587-4910or visit www.teamwavelength.com/rd28.

Wavelength Electronics

POROUS CERAMICVACUUMCHUCKPhotoMachining of -fers a porous ceramicvacuum chuck for use

with thin films and other flat samples. Pore sizesunder 25 microns assure uniform suction and holdingpower for even the smallest parts. PhotoMachiningalso provides contract laser-manufacturing services,and designs and builds custom laser-based manufactur-ing equipment. PhotoMachining, Inc., 4 Industrial Dr.,Unit 40, Pelham, NH 03076; Tel: 603-882-9944; Fax:603-886-8844; [email protected];www.photomachining.com

PhotoMachining, Inc.

GASKETING TAPE—SILICONE SPONGEClosed cell silicone spongeand open cell silicone foamare available with pressure sensitive adhesive for fast-turn

deliveries of .062", .125", .188" and .250" thick rolls,slit to your specified width. Silicone is UV and weather resistant — certain formulations are listed for UL94V0 flame rating. Acrylic adhesivebacking provides long term bonding. (215) 335-3005;www.stockwell.com/pages/products_gasket_tape.php.

Stockwell Elastomerics

SEAL MASTER®

INFLATABLESEALS, ACTUATORS &GRIPPERSSolve difficult, awkward

design problems with Seal Master® Inflatable Seals.Custom-built, fabric reinforced, and fully molded,these elastomeric seals and other pneumatic special-ties offer close tolerance capability and resistance tocompression. Use for imaginative production/pro-cessing applications, too. Design assistance offered.Seal Master Corporation, Kent, OH; (800) 477-8436or (330) 673-8410; Fax: (330) 673-8242; email:[email protected]; Web: www.sealmaster.com

Seal Master Corporation

TAYLOR DEVICES INC. OFFERS AFULL LINE CATALOG

Taylor Devices, the leader in innovative shock controland other energy management devices, offers a FullLine Catalog with information on a wide array ofTaylor’s products, including Fluidicshoks and UNI-SHOK. The Taylor line encompasses both small andlarge bore shock absorbers, isolators, dampers, cranebuffers, liquid springs and their exclusive self-adjustingenergy absorbers. Taylor Devices Inc., Tel: 716-694-0800;Fax: 716-695-6015; Web site: www.taylordevices.com.

Taylor Devices Inc.


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66 www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, Month 200766 www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

Find out more about the 12 nominated products and cast your vote by visiting: www.techbriefs.com/poy

Only one vote per person will be counted. All votes must be submitted by January 22, 2013.

I t’s that time of year when we askNASA Tech Briefs readers to vote

for the annual Readers’ ChoiceProduct of the Year Awards.

Each month, our editors choosea Product of the Month that hasexceptional technical merit and

practical value for our design engi-neering readers.

You’re invited to cast your votefor the one product among those 12Products of the Month that you feelwas the most significant new prod-uct introduced to the engineering

community in 2012. The productreceiving the most votes will benamed NASA Tech Briefs’ Readers’Choice Product of the Year.

Winners will be announced inNASA Tech Briefs and on our Website at www.techbriefs.com.

The 2012 Nominees Are:

Vote for NASA Tech Briefs’18th Annual

Readers’ Choice Awards

ANSYSANSYS® 14.0 Simulation Software

Agilent33500B Series Waveform Generators

Data TranslationDT9862S USB Data Acquisition Module

Dataforth Corp.tPac™ Telemonitoring System

DellDell Precision M4700/M6700 Mobile Workstations

DewetronDEWE2 Data Acquisition Platforms

Hewlett-Packard HP Z1 Workstation

MathWorksMATLAB and Simulink Release 2012b

National InstrumentsNI PXIe-5644R RF Vector Signal Transceiver

OriginLab Corp.Origin & OriginPro Version 8.6 Graphing

& Simulation Software

Saelig CompanyWiPry-Combo Power Meter/Spectrum Analyzer

SpaceClaimSpaceClaim Engineer 2012 3D Direct

Modeling Software

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Product of the MonthMathWorks, Natick, MA, has introduced Release 2012b with updates to MATLAB and Simulink environ-

ments for technical computing, and simulation and design, respectively. The new release includes aredesigned help system with improved browsing, searching, filtering, and content organization. TheSimulink Editor simplifies modeling through capabilities such as tabbed model windows for improved win-dow management, an Explorer bar for navigating model hierarchy, smart signal routing to determine opti-mal signal line path, and debugging capabilities that rewind simulations and set conditional breakpoints onsignals. Simulink Projects manages project files and connects to source control software. The MATLABDesktop now features the MATLAB Toolstrip that displays icons for the most frequently used MATLAB fea-tures, such as selecting the best plot type for data. An apps gallery presents apps from the MATLAB prod-uct family to allow users to perform common tasks without writing code.


Multiphysics Modeling and SimulationCOMSOL, Burlington, MA, has

introduced Version 4.3a of COM-SOL Multiphysics® software for mod-eling and simulating physics-basedsystems. The software featuresLiveLink™ for Excel® to connect

multiphysics results with spreadsheets. The new version includes sup-port for cluster computing on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud™,and new modules for analyzing fatigue and importing ECAD files.For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-100

3D Mechanical DesignSpaceClaim, Concord, MA,

offers SpaceClaim Engineer2012+ with new capabilities formanufacturing, simulation,concept development, andmesh remodeling. Users cancreate, modify, repair, and

enhance 3D CAD geometry without compromising existing processesand methods. Users can leverage existing 2D and 3D designs, includ-ing customer and supplier models, analysis and simulation results,mesh and STL data, and surface models, along with PMI and toler-ance data. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-101

3D Design SoftwareDassault Systèmes, Paris, France, has introduced SolidWorks® 2013

that enhances collaboration, speeds model creation, and simplifies theproduct development process.Improvements include designtools and new drawing capa-bilities, sub-model simulation,cost estimation, network ren-dering, wider sharing, andincreased connectivity. Newpackages include modules for plastics, electrical, costing, sustainabili-ty, and flow simulation. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/

40440-102

Freeform ModelingGeomagic®, Morrisville, NC, has

released Freeform® v12 SP2 softwarefrom its Sensable Group’s 3D modelingproduct lines. Freeform allows users todesign highly detailed and complexorganic models. Freeform Plus users haveadvanced auto-surfacing capabilitiesincorporated from Geomagic Studio.Autosurfacing is used to convert Freeform’s voxel or polygonal mod-els into solid and surface models for import into CAD programs. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-103

CFD MeshingPointwise, Fort Worth, TX, has

announced Pointwise Version 17.0 R2 com-putational fluid dynamics (CFD) meshingsoftware that generates structured, unstruc-tured, and hybrid meshes; interfaces withCFD solvers such as ANSYS FLUENT, STAR-CCM+, ANSYS CFX, and OpenFOAM, aswell as many neutral formats such as CGNS;

runs on Windows (Intel and AMD), Linux (Intel and AMD), andMac; and has scripting languages that can automate CFD meshing.For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-104

3D Modeling and CAD TranslationSpatial Corp., Broomfield, CO,

offers the R23 release of 3D ACIS®

Modeler and 3D InterOp for CADfile translation. The releaseincludes support for most CAD fileformats. New 3D InterOp transla-tors are available for the Parasolid,SolidWorks, and Unigraphics NXfile formats. The 3D ACIS Modeler extends Boolean and stitchingcapabilities. Feature detection functionality in 3D ACIS Modelerhelps in identifying protrusion and depression features as well asblends. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-105

Product Focus: Design & Analysis Software

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Humidity/Temperature MonitoringOmega Engineering, Stamford, CT, offers the

OM-CP-THERMALERT-RH series of wirelesshumidity and temperature monitoring andalarming systems that features real-time notifica-tion of humidity and temperature deviations,and features a user-programmable alarm that canbe configured to send a message via text, screenalarm, or email if an alarm condition occurs. Thesystems feature wireless two-way communication,RTD sensing element, and battery. For Free Info

Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-106

Engineering Product SourcingThomas Industrial Network, New

York, NY, offers ThomasNet.com, aWeb-based platform for sourcingmore than 100 million parts frommore than 30,000 suppliers, includ-ing components, equipment, materi-als, and manufacturing services. Anew feature is Product Search, whichenables users to find specific compo-nents and products by definingattributes such as application, mate-rial, dimensions, and tolerances.The platform also features a CADlibrary of downloadable 2D and 3Dmodels and drawings. For Free Info


System-On-Chip FPGAsMicrosemi Corp., Alisa Viejo, CA,

offers the SmartFusion®2 system-on-chip(SoC) field-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs) that integrate flash-based FPGAfabric, a 166-MHz ARM® Cortex™-M3processor, security processing accelera-tors, DSP blocks, SRAM, eNVM, and com-munication interfaces all on a singlechip. The devices feature 10 milliwatts

(mW) of static power for 50K LUT (look-up table) device, includingthe processor. They are available with a range of density from 5K LUTto 120K LUT, plus embedded memory and multiple accumulate blocksfor digital signal processing (DSP). For Free Info Visit

http://info.hotims.com/40440-108

Battery Test SystemThe 17020 regenerative battery pack test

system from Chroma Systems Solutions,Lake Forest, CA, is an integrated solutionfor secondary battery module and pack test-ing. The system features regenerative bat-tery energy discharge, charge/dischargemodes, and channels paralleled for highercurrents. The system features multiple inde-pendent channels for dedicated charge/discharge tests on multiplebattery packs, each featuring discrete test characteristics. For Free Info


3D Printing SystemThe Ex One Co., Irwin, PA, has intro-

duced the M-FLEX 3D printing systemdesigned for additive manufacturing ofmetal parts. It features a build chamberof 400 x 250 x 250 mm that can achievespeeds of 30 seconds per layer. It uses aprint head to distribute binder into bedsof specially prepared and formulated

materials. The complete system includes a printer, recycling equip-ment, printing materials, a furnace, and multimedia training. For Free

Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-110

GigE-Vision Camera Point Grey, Richmond, BC,

Canada, has announced new 2.8megapixel models to its Flea®3 lineof GigE Vision digital cameras. TheFlea3 FL3-GE-28S4 monochromeand color models use the SonyICX687 EXview HAD CCD II™ image sensor.

The FL3-GE-28S4 camera runs 15 FPS at full 1928 x 1448 resolution,and at faster speeds when using smaller regions of interest. The Flea3,29 x 29 x 30 mm, weighs 38 grams without optics. Other featuresinclude an 8-pin, opto-isolated GPIO for industrial triggering andstrobe output; 1 MB non-volatile flash memory for user data storage;and on-camera frame buffer for retransmitting images. The Flea3 com-plies with version 1.2 of the GigE Vision specification. For Free Info


HD-SDI CameraThe Tauri2-HD 02150 SDI from

Kappa optronics, Monrovia, CA, fea-tures a 2/3" interline transfer CCD sen-sor with progressive scan. The Tauri 2camera can be switched to specified for-mats: 1080i/25, 1080i/30, 1080p/25, or

1080p/30 (1080i50; 1080i60). The high-resolution, uncompressed 1.5Gbit real-time data is delivered to the control monitor via the HD-SDIoutput. The single-cable connection to the monitor, which can coverdistances of up to 100 m, is qualified for drag chain use. For Free Info


Machine-Vision CameraThe USB uEye ML compact camera

from IDS Imaging DevelopmentSystems, Woburn, MA, offers applica-tions for metal processing, robotics,electrical, and medical engineeringvision systems. The product features amagnesium casing, lockable USB, andHirose connector.

The camera is fitted with a 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor that providesfour shutter modes, with the ability toswitch between those modes while the camera is in operation. Thecamera delivers 25 frames per second at full resolution (1280 x 1024pixel), and it includes two GPIOs, an optically decoupled trigger, andflash I/Os. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-146

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http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?201212NTBP68H



Presenters:

Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar131

If you design electrical drives and motor control systems for automotive applications, then you know what a challenge system complexity and the real-time nature of the application can be. Are you frustrated by the lack of good technical support that could help get your motor control projects off the ground more quickly and with less stress?

If so, attend this free webinar to learn about a new series of fully loaded motor control development kits from FreescaleSemiconductor that are designed to give engineers a complete out-of-the-box experience for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) or brushed DC (BLDC) motor control solutions.

Marek StulrajterFreescale Automotive Systems Engineer

Zdenek KasparFreescale Automotive Systems Manager

This 60-minute webinar includes: • Live Q&A session• Application Demo• Access to archived event on demand

WebinarsUpcoming...

Simplifying the Design of AutomotiveMotor Control Systems

Live Presentation – Thursday, December 13, 2012, 2:00 pm ET

Power SuppliesTDK-Lambda Americas, a group

company of the TDK Corporation,San Diego, CA, offers 500-wattpower supplies that comply with theEuropean energy-saving require-ments of the ErP (Energy relatedProducts) Directive. The GWS500

employs a standby power consumption of <0.5W, no-load. The AC/DC,forced air-cooled power supply achieves up to 90% efficiency. Featuringa 4.1" × 8.6" footprint and 1.6" height, the GWS500 is well-suited for fit-ting into 1U enclosures. The series is offered in six models with nomi-nal outputs of 5V, 7.5V, 12V, 24V, 36V, and 48V.

To accommodate non-standard system voltages, the GWS500’s out-put is user-adjustable, either via the built-in adjustment potentiometeror by injecting an external programming voltage. Where peak power isneeded, the 24V and 36V models deliver up to 600W for 10 seconds.For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-405

Dissolvable SpacersMulti-Seals, Manchester, CT, has introduced Wash-Away™ dissolvable

spacers, designed to provide consistent spacing between printed circuitboards and PCB components. The organic polymer spacers locate PCBcomponents during soldering operations. After soldering, Wash-Awaysdissolve in water or alcohol solvent baths. The spacers leave uniformspacing between components and boards. Wash-Aways are available in

a wide range of sizes and shapes toaccommodate a variety of PCB compo-nents, including resistors, capacitors,transistors, potentiometers, and integrat-ed circuits. Wash-Aways contain no ioniz-able material, salts, sugars, metals, orsoaps. They are non-corrosive, non-con-ductive, and non-toxic. For Free Info


System-on-DisplayADLINK Technology, San Jose, CA, has

announced the ARM-based SP-860 SmartPanel. The SP-860 system-on-display com-bines an LCD panel, CPU, and touchscreen in a single unit. The SP-860 fea-tures a 4:3 TFT-LCD Display and TI®

Cortex™ A8 Processor. The Smart Panel includes a built-in Wi-Fi+ BTSIP module and stackable expansion capability. The device supportstwo LAN ports. Optional items include a four-wire resistive touch sen-sor and a high-brightness, sunlight-readable display version. The SP-860supports Linux 2.6.32, WinCE 6.0, and Android 2.3.4 operating systems.

The SP-860 starter kit includes NAND flash with Linux inside, andcan also be booted from a micro-SD card. If the NAND flash storage iserased, the OS can be restored from a micro-SD backup. For Free Info


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NASA’s Technology SourcesIf 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 notavailable, the Innovative Partnerships Office at the NASA field center that sponsored theresearch can provide you with additional information and, if applicable, refer you to theinnovator(s). These centers are the source of all NASA-developed technology.

Ames Research CenterSelected technological strengths: InformationTechnology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;Thermal Protection Systems.Lisa L. Lockyer(650) [email protected]

Dryden Flight Research CenterSelected technological strengths:Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; ThermalTesting; Integrated Systems Test andValidation.Yvonne D. Gibbs(661) [email protected]

Glenn Research CenterSelected technological strengths:Aeropropulsion; Communications; EnergyTechnology; High-Temperature MaterialsResearch.Kathleen Needham(216) [email protected]

Goddard Space Flight CenterSelected technological strengths: Earth andPlanetary Science Missions; LIDAR; CryogenicSystems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote Sensing;Command.Nona Cheeks(301) [email protected]

Jet Propulsion LaboratorySelected technological strengths: Near/Deep-Space Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;Space Communications; Information Systems;Remote Sensing; Robotics.Indrani Graczck(818) [email protected]

Johnson Space CenterSelected technological strengths: ArtificialIntelligence and Human Computer Interface;Life Sciences; Human Space FlightOperations; Avionics; Sensors;Communications.David Leestma(281) [email protected]

Kennedy Space CenterSelected technological strengths: Fluids andFluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; ProcessEngineering; Command, Control, and MonitorSystems; Range Systems; EnvironmentalEngineering and Management.David R. Makufka(321) [email protected]

Langley Research CenterSelected technological strengths: Aerodynamics;Flight Systems; Materials; Structures; Sensors;Measurements; Information Sciences.Elizabeth B. Plentovich(757) [email protected]

Marshall Space Flight CenterSelected technological strengths: Materials;Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls andDynamics; Structures; Microgravity Processing.Jim Dowdy(256) [email protected]

Stennis Space CenterSelected technological strengths: PropulsionSystems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;Nonintrusive Instrumentation.Ramona Travis(228) [email protected]

National Technology Transfer CenterDarwin MolnarWheeling, WV(800) 678-6882

NASA HEADQUARTERS

Innovative Partnerships Program OfficeDoug Comstock, Director(202) [email protected]

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) &Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)ProgramsCarl Ray, Program Executive(202) [email protected]

Published by ....................................... Tech Briefs Media Group,an SAE International Company

Publisher.....................................................Joseph T. PrambergerEditorial Director ........................................................Linda L. BellEditor, PTB and Embedded Technology...............Bruce A. BennettTechnical/Managing Editor.........................................Ted SelinskyTechnical Writers.........................................................Shirl Phelps.........................................................................Nick LukianoffManaging Editor, Tech Briefs TV...............................Kendra SmithAssociate Editor...........................................................Billy HurleyProduction Manager .............................................Adam SantiagoAssistant Production Manager .........................Danielle GaglioneArt Director ...............................................................Lois ErlacherDesigner ...........................................................Bernadette TorresMarketing Director .............................................Debora RothwellMarketing Assistant..............................................Felicia KennedyCirculation Manager .............................................Marie ClaussellCirculation/Audience Development Coordinator ..........Brandie WrightSubscription Changes/[email protected]

NASA Tech Briefs are provided by the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration, Innovative Partnerships Program:Administrator...............................................Charles F. Bolden, Jr.Chief Technologist.......................................................Mason PeckTechnology Transfer Program Executive ................Daniel Lockney

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Reprints........................................................................Jill Kaletha .................................................................at (866) 879-9144, x168

w w w . t e c h b r i e f s . c o m

NASA’s Technology SourcesIf 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 notavailable, the IPO at the NASA field center that sponsored the research can provide you withadditional information and, if applicable, refer you to the innovator(s). These centers are thesource of all NASA-developed technology.

Ames Research CenterSelected technological strengths: InformationTechnology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;Thermal Protection Systems.David Morse(650) [email protected]

Dryden Flight Research CenterSelected technological strengths:Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; ThermalTesting; Integrated Systems Test andValidation.Ron Young(661) [email protected]

Glenn Research CenterSelected technological strengths:Aeropropulsion; Communications; EnergyTechnology; High-Temperature MaterialsResearch.Kimberly A. Dalgleish-Miller(216) [email protected]

Goddard Space Flight CenterSelected technological strengths: Earth andPlanetary Science Missions; LIDAR; CryogenicSystems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote Sensing;Command.Nona Cheeks(301) [email protected]

Jet Propulsion LaboratorySelected technological strengths: Near/Deep-Space Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;Space Communications; Information Systems;Remote Sensing; Robotics.Indrani Graczyk(818) [email protected]

Johnson Space CenterSelected technological strengths: ArtificialIntelligence and Human Computer Interface;Life Sciences; Human Space FlightOperations; Avionics; Sensors;Communications.John E. James(281) [email protected]

Kennedy Space CenterSelected technological strengths: Fluids andFluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; ProcessEngineering; Command, Control, and MonitorSystems; Range Systems; EnvironmentalEngineering and Management.David R. Makufka(321) [email protected]

Langley Research CenterSelected technological strengths: Aerodynamics;Flight Systems; Materials; Structures; Sensors;Measurements; Information Sciences.Michelle Ferebee(757) [email protected]

Marshall Space Flight CenterSelected technological strengths: Materials;Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls andDynamics; Structures; Microgravity Processing.Terry L. Taylor(256) [email protected]

Stennis Space CenterSelected technological strengths: PropulsionSystems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;Nonintrusive Instrumentation.Ramona Travis(228) [email protected]

NASA HEADQUARTERS

Daniel Lockney, Technology TransferProgram Executive

(202) [email protected]

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & SmallBusiness Technology Transfer (STTR) ProgramsRich Leshner, Program Executive(202) [email protected]

w w w . t e c h b r i e f s . c o mNASA’s Innovative PartnershipsOffice (IPO)

NASA’s 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 NASA’s nationalnetwork of laboratories and business support entities. The network includes ten NASA field centers,and a full tie-in with the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer. To explore tech-nology transfer, development, and collaboration opportunities with NASA, visit www.ipp.nasa.gov.

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Advertisers IndexFor 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

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ASM Sensors, Inc. ..............................................763 ............................39

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Maxon Precision Motors, Inc. ........................782 ..........................3a

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MPL ....................................................................770 ............................40

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Novotechnik........................................................768 ............................43

Omega Engineering ........................................736 ............................1

Omicron USA ....................................................777 ............................59

OriginLab Corporation......................................755, 835 ..............27, 64

Parametric Technology Corporation ................822............................4-5

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Taylor Devices Inc...............................................842 ............................65

Tech Briefs TV........................................................................................47

Tech-X Corporation ........................................776 ............................9

Teledyne DALSA ............................................771 ..........................49

Tempco Electric Heater Corp. ..........................837 ............................64

Toshiba Imaging Systems Div. ............................772 ............................51

uPrint SE ........................................................................................30

US Digital ............................................................784 ............................7a

Visumatic Industrial Products............................781 ............................2a

Wavelength Electronics ......................................843 ............................65

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NASA Tech Briefs, ISSN 0145-319X, USPS 750-070, copyright © 2012 in U.S. is publishedmonthly by Tech Briefs Media Group, an SAE International Company, 261 Fifth Avenue,Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016. The copyright information does not include the (U.S.rights to) individual tech briefs that are supplied by NASA. Editorial, sales, production,and circulation offices at 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016. Subscriptionfor non-qualified subscribers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, $75.00 for 1 year; $135 for 2years. Single copies $6.25. Foreign subscriptions one-year U.S. Funds $195.00. Remit bycheck, draft, postal, express orders or VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. Otherremittances at sender’s risk. Address all communications for subscriptions or circula-tion to NASA Tech Briefs, 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016. Periodicalspostage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and cancellations to NASA Tech Briefs, P.O. Box3525, Northbrook, Il 60065.

Ridealong Enclosed in Versions: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 & 14

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Spinoff


Economic Development Done RightNASA and MIT pioneer new technologies for lightweight aircraft.

Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods,transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.

Greek mythology tells of the inven-tor Daedalus using wings of hisown fashioning to escape from

imprisonment on the island of Crete. In1988, a similar adventure was launched,though in this case, carbon-fiber compos-ites, gears, and driveshafts were featuredinstead of wax and feathers.

In 1987, a group of students, alumni,and professors from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT) gatheredat Dryden Flight Research Center inCalifornia. Inspired by the Greek myth,the team started work on a series oflightweight, human-powered aircraftdesigned to reenact Daedalus’ flight. InApril 1988, the 69-pound Daedalus 88launched from Crete. Powered only bythe pedaling of the pilot, a Greek cham-pion cyclist, the aircraft flew nearly fourhours and approximately 123 milesbefore winds drove it into the sea just offthe coast of the island of Santorini.

Setting distance and durationrecords for human-powered flight thatare still unmatched today, the Daedalus

project provided NASA and the MITteam the opportunity to explore newtechnologies for lightweight aircraftand high-altitude, long-duration flight.From this effort also came the kernel ofa company that — with the help ofNASA partnerships — is producingsome of the world’s most advanced avi-ation technologies.

In 1989, John Langford foundedAurora Flight Sciences Corporation in asmall office in Alexandria, VA. Langfordhad managed the Daedalus project andsaw great potential in applying the tech-nologies developed for that effort to theinnovation of high-altitude unmannedaerial vehicles (UAVs) for global climatechange research.

Almost immediately, Aurora estab-lished a pattern of partnership withNASA that continues today. The compa-ny has engaged in numerous SmallBusiness Innovation Research (SBIR)and Small Business Technology Transfer(STTR) projects with NASA. These part-nerships have provided opportunities forAurora on multiple fronts, Langford says.

Aurora, now headquartered inManassas, VA, also partnered withGoddard Space Flight Center inMaryland and West Virginia Universitythrough a Space Act Agreement. As aresult of the partnership, Aurora devel-oped low-cost composite materials fabri-cation capabilities and opened a manu-facturing facility in West Virginia. Thisenabled Aurora to provide cost-efficientairframe parts for the NorthropGrumman Global Hawk UAV, designedfor the U.S. Air Force.

Creating Jobs and Advancing ScienceAurora now has 350 employees and

has facilities in Mississippi and Mass -achusetts, in addition to its West Virginia

and Virginia operations. The companyemploys 160 people in its NASA-enabledWest Virginia plant, and about one-thirdof Aurora’s work force is dedicated tothe company’s Global Hawk efforts.Aurora now supplies all the compositestructures for Global Hawk, except forthe wings.

“This is an example of economicdevelopment done right,” Langfordsaid. “You want to build up the economyacross the country, and this was a movethat NASA participated in that has beenvery successful.”

The partnership has also allowedAurora to contribute to the use of UAVsfor scientific endeavors; NASA’s twoGlobal Hawk aircraft recently completedlong-duration science missions to studyclimate change and hurricane behavior.

In the meantime, Aurora is continu-ing work on a number of UAV projects,including a solar-powered aircraft thatmay one day perform flights of up to fiveyears at a time.

This article was written by Bo Schwerin forSpinoff. Visit www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/10658 for the full story.

The Daedalus 88 aircraft on its last flight atDryden Flight Research Center in 1988. The air-craft set records for human-powered flight thatstill hold today.

Aurora provides much of the composite airframefor the Global Hawk UAV.

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December 2012




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IIa www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012

Fitting the right type of linear posi-tion sensor to an applicationrequires at least a working knowl-

edge of the attributes of this electro-mechanical device. Starting with thebasics, the LVDT (linear variable differ-ential transformer) is a common type oflinear position sensor widely used inelectromechanical systems today. It con-sists of two basic elements: a stationarycoil assembly and a movable core orarmature. While most LVDTs are funda-mentally AC-in/AC-out devices, somehave electronics built-in to make themDC-in/DC-out devices. This gives rise tothe terms “AC-LVDTs” and “DC-LVDTs”.

An LVDT has a natural null point inthe magnitude of its AC output becauseit is typically connected differentially.With no end position stops on the LVDT,the null position, located in the middleof the range of motion of the LVDT’score, is the “stake in the ground” fordetermining core position.

With the myriad of linear position sen-sors available on today’s market, select-ing the right LVDT for an application

involves two high-level choices based oninterfacing to the LVDT, as well as somelower-level choices based on the LVDT’sperformance specifications and theapplication environment.

First, an engineer should be con-cerned about the mechanical interface,followed by the electrical input/output(I/O). After high-level choices havebeen made, lower-level choices must bemade based on an LVDT’s performancespecifications and environmental rat-ings. Environmental ratings for eitheran AC-LVDT or a DC-LVDT are typicallyfairly easy to interpret. However, the per-formance characteristics of an LVDToften require a more detailed explana-tion. This is true both when choosing anavailable LVDT or developing the speci-fications for one for an OEM applica-tion. The following five terms andparameters often cause the most confu-sion when choosing an LVDT.

Nominal Linear Range The basic variable in LVDT selection is

the maximum range of core motion,

which produces an analog output of spe-cific linearity. Full-scale displacement isthe distance a core can travel from itsnull position in this linear region. Sincethe core can be displaced from nulltoward either end, the linear operatingrange is twice the full-scale displacement.When stated as plus or minus (±) full-scale displacement, it is referred to as thenominal linear range. When stated with-out a polarity, it is called the LVDT’s fullrange, full stroke, or total stroke.

The nominal linear range of anyLVDT varies somewhat with frequency.When the LVDT is used with the correctcore for the specified frequency, theactual linear range will always equal orexceed the nominal value. When opti-mum linearity is not essential in anapplication, the practical operatingrange may extend well beyond the spec-ified nominal linear range. Nominal lin-ear range is specified for a high imped-ance load, typically 50 kOhm to 0.5MOhm. A low load impedance can havea deleterious effect on linearity andnominal linear range.

Factors to Consider When Selecting andSpecifying LVDT Linear Position Sensors

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Linearity Error As LVDT output is a nominally linear

function of core displacement withinits linear range of motion, a plot of out-put voltage magnitude versus core dis-placement is essentially a straight line.Beyond the nominal linear range, out-put begins to deviate from a straightline into a gentle curve. From a statisti-cally best-fit straight line versus coredisplacement within an LVDT’s nomi-nal linear range, the maximum devia-tion of LVDT output is defined as thelinearity error or the non-linearity ofthe LVDT.

Linearity error is typically expressedas ± a percentage of full-range output(FRO), or in terms of an error bandwidth that envelopes the straight lineand deviations. The statistically best-fitstraight line is usually determined byapplying the method of least squares toa series of calibration readings. Theproper interpretation of the linearityerror specification for an LVDTdepends on the ultimate applicationon the LVDT in a measuring system.Some users use non-linearity as a meas-ure of system accuracy as it is often thelargest error.

2a Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-781

Shown are the components of a typical LVDT linear position sensor. The electromechanical transduc-er’s internal structure consists of a primary winding centered between a pair of identically wound sec-ondary windings, symmetrically spaced about the primary.

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While typical linearity errors of ±0.25%of full range output are common withstandard LVDTs, improvements to thesespecifications are possible with specialconstruction techniques or by the use ofonboard signal processing. Linearityerrors as low as ±0.05% of full range out-put can be obtained in this manner. Insome cases, improved linearity may alsobe obtained by using an AC-LVDT at lessthan its full range, or on only one side ofnull. Linearity error means the same forAC-LVDTs as well as DC-LVDTs.

Full-Scale Output For an AC-LVDT, full-scale output is the

output of an LVDT with its core posi-tioned at full-scale displacement and withits primary excited at a specified nominalinput voltage. In most cases, though, abetter way to compare AC-LVDTs of thesame linear range is through sensitivity.Sensitivity is usually specified in terms ofmilliVolt output per thousandths of aninch core displacement per Volt of excita-tion (mV/mil/Volt). Sensitivity varies withexcitation frequency, which must also bespecified. Sensitivity mostly affects thegain required of the LVDT’s signal condi-tioning electronics.

For most DC-LVDTs, the comparablecharacteristic to sensitivity is scale factor,which is usually expressed as Volts DC out-put per inch of core displacement. Somelegacy DC-LVDTs use a ratiometric config-uration, which requires that they also usethe same units as sensitivity, or have theirscale factor specified for a particular DCinput voltage. There are also DC-LVDTswhose output is into a 4-20mA currentloop, so their scale factors are expressedas milliamperes per inch (mA/in) or mil-liamperes per mil (mA/mil).

Resolution Resolution is the smallest core posi-

tion change that can be observed inLVDT output. An LVDT’s resolution isessentially infinite, as it operates on theprinciple of magnetic coupling. Aninfinitesimal change in core position willproduce an output change. In practice,the limitation on system resolution is theability of the associated electronic equip-ment to sense the change in LVDT out-put, which is called the signal-to-noiseratio of the system. With a properlydesigned LVDT measuring system,microinch resolution is not uncommon.

Repeatability The ability of a sensor to reproduce

the same output for repeated trials of

exactly the same input under constantoperating and environmental condi-tions is the single most important factorfor sensor selection. Called repeatability,this parameter is the only irreducibleand uncorrectable source of static errorin any electromechanical measuring sys-tem. Repeatability error is the limitingfactor in making any sensor-based meas-urement.

A well-made LVDT is so repeatablethat overall transducer repeatability isaffected only by the mechanical factors

of the physical members or structures towhich the LVDT’s core is attached, andto which the LVDT’s coil is mounted.Both repeatability and resolution con-tribute to overall measurement error,and are usually expressed as a percent-age of full-scale output. These parame-ters apply equally well to AC-LVDTs andDC-LVDTs.

This article was written by Lee Hudson,Application Engineer at Macro Sensors,Pennsauken, NJ. For more information, visithttp://info.hotims.com/40440-320.

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4a www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012

Applications

Connectors Enable Precise Movement of Lunar RoboticTool Changer

NASA’s Langley Research Center inHampton, VA hired Honeybee

Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corp.to develop a totally mechanical toolchanger for the end of what Langley’sLunar Surface Manipulation System(LSMS) team describes as a robot thatcould unload landers. Then, after thelanders were unloaded, it could, in addi-tion to doing base assembly, mate withtools to take science experiments. Thisrobot could be likened to a crane, butwith more dexterity.

The crane was designed to workremotely so that it could be used on anunmanned mission without humaninteraction. It is completely autonomous— one of the driving factors. The toolchanger does have other applications ifthey decide they want to use it on Marsor even in outer space for a robotic armand end effectors.

Since Honeybee has been developingharsh-environment, mission-critical endeffectors for over 25 years and hasworked on the equipment for otherspace missions, they were specially suitedto tackle this challenge.

Making It Work Basically, Honeybee was given a foot-

print to stay within, and all the require-ments for load ratings and misalignmentallowances. Explained Lee Carlson, a sys-tems engineer who was part of theHoneybee team, “The crane might besitting on the lander deck or on thelunar surface and would be driven fromquite a distance away from the tool to bemated to. This required designing forlarge misalignment allowances. This wasour first design challenge. The end ofthe crane and target tool could be mis-aligned by as much as a couple inches inany direction with up to 20 degreesangular misalignment when attemptinga mate.”

But, Carlson continued, there wereother considerations. “The tool changerhad to be capable of carrying around1,000 pounds, so (the tool changer) hadto be very robust. Also, since this was a

lunar project, it has to be tolerant tomoon dust. These two design criteriarequired special seals to protect largeroller bearings. If this design was forspace, it becomes considerably simpler.All of the loads would be reduced anddust is no longer an issue. But the Moonis a very harsh environment, and lunardust is a major concern when designingfor missions there.”

The original assignment called for‘dummy’ tools requiring no power; thecrane would do all the work. Toolswould range from a forklift attachment,a shovel, or scoop for acquiring surfacesamples or digging, to a bucket for lift-ing human passengers.

Then NASA decided it wanted thecapability of attaching an electronic orelectromechanical tool to the end of thecrane. Now, the tool changer would haveto provide an electrical connection aswell. Solving this problem fell toCarlson. “The contract was expanded toadd an electrical connector to the exist-ing mechanical connector. You’d have apower source on the LSMS, on the craneitself. Your tools could then be powered.

So your tools capabilities could expandinto the realm of cameras, or tools withcameras on them, or even a light jack-hammer.” However, they had not leftspace to accommodate an electrical con-nector because it was not a part of theoriginal contract and the budget did notallow for starting from scratch.

A Crucial Ten Square InchesCarlson had to work within the con-

straints of the current design becauseNASA did not want a redesign of thewhole tool changer. They just wanted toadd an electrical connector to it withoutincreasing the current envelope. Heonly had roughly 2-1/2 by 4" of freespace to incorporate the male side of thenew autonomous connector. The con-nector has to mate itself to a female con-nector mounted on the tool. Carlsonsaid, “We make small stuff all the timeand if there were more space, there aremany different ways that I could havedesigned it.”

Honeybee designed both the maleand female sides of the connector. Thefemale side had to be inexpensive and

Diagram of NASA’s Lunar Crane.

Applications

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easy to create because each tool wouldhave to have its own female connector,versus a single male connectorattached to the crane. The female con-nector has no moving parts, but isslightly compliant.

The male connector has all the mov-ing parts. It is cylindrical and populatedwith 11 1/16" diameter aluminum pinsthat are plated with gold over nickel con-figured in a standard MIL/Spec pattern.The connector rides on compact slides— miniature guides made by NBCorporation — called SEBS. The topfaces of the two glides are facing eachother and Honeybee’s components arein between the two glides, supportingthis connector. This configurationreduces the moment loads on the slides.

Precise MovementsCarlson described how it works: “We

actually used a total of 6 slides within thespace — three on each side. The slidesride on each other in the manner ofdrawer slides that are stacked to extendthe distance they can open a drawer.Our configuration achieves an exten-sion of the movement equal, approxi-mately, to the length of three slides. Soinstead of a half-inch stroke, we couldget an inch-and-a-half stroke within avery, very small footprint. Low mass, lowload, and very low profile were allrequired for this application.”

Carlson said the reason they chosethese particular guides was that theywere some of the smallest slides he couldfind. His one caveat was that he wantedto work with one of the slide suppliersthat Honeybee had worked with before,and not take chances on a new supplier.It also had to be a guide that, eventhough this was a prototype, was com-pletely made of stainless steel without

any plastics. Plastics are generally avoid-ed unless they are specially chosen andapproved. As for lunar dust tolerance,the whole electrical connector assem-blage will be sealed in a bellows to pro-tect it from the harsh lunar regolith.

Honeybee was able to choose fromthe widest selection of miniature linearslide guides on the market. The stan-dard SEBS guides’ major advantage isthat they have a standard radial clear-ance that is twice as accurate as otherstandard miniature guides. Most manu-

facturers do not claim that their preloadeliminates all clearance. Their standardsare plus to minus, which allows gaps, i.e.clearance, to exist. Minus means there issome preload so there’s no gap. NB’s arefrom zero to minus as a standard, mak-ing for greater accuracy because there isno clearance. In other words, a negativeclearance means the ball is larger thanthe space, adding more pressure andgreater rigidity. This increased rigidity isdesirable in high-precision applications.NB’s standard fabrication requires morecontrol in the assembly and manufactur-ing process in order to adhere to thishigher quality standard.

There can be instances where no pre-load is desired, where one might wantto remove all friction and trade offaccuracy and rigidity for minimal fric-tion. In such a case, one might wantclearance. But the space mission wasnot such a case.

This article was contributed by NBCorporation, Hanover Park, IL. For moreinformation, visit http://info.hotims.com/40440-321.

Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012 5aFree Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-783

Top isometric view of the connector within theenclosure.

A CAD rendering of the extended male connec-tor (without enclosure). The mini-guide appearswhite.

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The CNC package consists of a 15" panel in portrait format, basedon a Power Panel 400 with additional integrated operating elements.Programmable function and navigation keys enable users to controlthe visualization system, and a navigation wheel can also be used forinput elements on all pages of the visualization application. The CNCpanel is complemented by a handheld device that lets the machineoperator move around the machine and make required entries at theideal location.


Automation Control PlatformGE Intelligent Platforms (Charlottesville, VA) has announced the

PACSystems® control and computing platform designed for the indus-trial Internet. It incorporates COMExpress architecture with multi-coreCPUs. The RXi platform offershigh-speed interfaces, with multi-ple gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0ports. These features are cou-pled with GE’s PACSystems con-trol engine. The controllers fea-ture built-in redundant PROFINETinterfaces, and can run HMI, Historian, andanalytics applications at the machine, even inharsh environments.

The platform’s industrial PC (IPC) is rugged and fanless for factoryfloor computing. The design includes connectors on the controllerand IPC so that the two products can be mounted together for cable-less communications for applications where both control and comput-ing are desired. The IPC can also be mounted on the back of a seriesof touchscreen displays creating a family of modular panel IPCs.


HarmonicGearhead

Nexen Group (VadnaisHeights, MN) has announceda harmonic gearhead thatdirectly replaces much larger,high-ratio planetary gear-heads utilizing the latest har-monic strain wave gearingtechnology. In addition to its

compact size, the gearhead features high torque, true zero backlash,and positional accuracy. A gearing-forward design overlaps compo-nents and allows the gearing to be integrated into the same plane asthe bearing, resulting in a short and rigid gearhead. This narrow, rigiddesign is combined with a large, rugged, crossed-roller output bear-ing, designed to handle all combinations of radial, axial, and over-turning moment loads in a single, compact envelope. The gearheadcan fit virtually any machine, and can operate in less than half thespace of conventional planetary gearheads.


Helical GearboxGAM Gear (Mt. Prospect, IL) has

introduced the SPH series inline plan-etary gearbox featuring helical gear-ing. It is designed for dynamic andcyclic motion control applications, andcan be optimized for high-speed andcontinuous-duty applications. Thegears are cut at an angle to help reduceaxial forces associated with helicalgearing, and then are ground forreduced noise levels and improvedsmoothness. The gear teeth are wider,allowing for larger permissible torques

relative to the frame size, and heavy-duty taper roller bearings enablelarge loading capabilities.

Available in six frame sizes from 50 mm to 180 mm, and with ratiosup to 100:1, the gearbox offers several output configurations formachine integration, including shaft (smooth or keyed), hollow withhousing, and integrated coupling.


Microstepping DriveServo2Go.com (Greenville, DE) offers

Applied Motion Products’ STR2 stepperdrive, a compact, digital step and direc-tion drive for applications requiringbasic step and direction controlof a 2-phase step motor. Thedrive outputs up to 2.2A/phase to the step motor,and is compatible with a vari-ety of 2-phase step motors thathave been selected to optimize per-formance of both the drive and motor.The drive features microstepping perform-ance and current control with anti-resonance. Anti-resonance elec-tronically damps motor and system resonances, which improves motorsmoothness and torque over a wide speed range.

Each step motor drive operates in either Step & Direction orPulse/Pulse control mode. Selecting between these two modes is doneby moving a jumper located under the cover of the drive. Each drivecan microstep up to 20,000 steps/rev with a 1.8º step motor (1/100step), and can microstep the step motor when the command pulses arelow-resolution. All drive setup is done via dip switches on the side ofthe drive, including motor selection, running current, idle current,and step resolution.


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Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012 7a

Encoders for OEMsMotion Control Solutions from US Digital

[email protected]

EM1/HubDisk

Improved Replacement for HEDS-9000 Series

Encoder Module

Multiple Resolutions Supported

Reflective

Quick Assembly, Compact Form

Cost Effective Stepper Motor Feedback

100 – 720 CPR

EC35

U/V/W Commutation Outputs, Differential or

Open Collector

Quick, Simple Assembly

500 – 10000 CPR

Order today, get it tomorrow.

Orders placed before 11 A.M. PST, ship same day.Proud to manufacture in the USA.


Position SensorHoneywell (Minneapolis, MN) offers the SMART rotary configura-

tion position sensor that provides 360° non-contact angular positionsensing. The sensor enables users to replace an optical encoder, or to

utilize a sensor instead of a resolver. The sensor utilizesnon-contact magnetoresistive (MR) technology todetermine the object’s position, which allows it tosense position in dirty and harsh environments. Itis designed to measure values down to 0.01º.Potential applications include steering angle,articulation angle, and boom arm detection, as

well as solar panels or wind turbines. A combinationof an ASIC and an array of MR sensors is used to deter-

mine the position of a magnet collar attached to a rotat-ing object to identify and control the object’s position. The sensor’sautomotive-grade potting makes it more resistant to vibration, shock,and extreme temperatures.


Positioning StagesRollon (Hackettstown, NJ) has in -

troduced the Actuatorline TT series ofhigh-precision linear positioning stages.Available in a range of sizes and configu-rations, the stages are suited for use in robotichandling systems, semiconductor equipment, X-Y-ZCartesian robots, machine tools, and automated assem-

bly lines. The stages are made of anodized aluminum extrusions, andbodies are CNC machined on all outer surfaces and where mechanicalcomponents are attached, such as ball bearing guides.

For the drive system, the stages use preloaded precision ball screwsalong with ball screw nuts available in ISO 5 and ISO 7 accuracy class-es. Long pitch screws support high speeds. Precision guides withground rails and preloaded blocks ensure accurate parallelism, andrigidity and reduced wear. Body dimensions measure 100 x 50 mm, 155x 60 mm, 225 x 75 mm, and 310 x 105 mm. Maximum dynamic axialload capacities range from 336 to 3,800 N, and stroke lengths rangefrom 46 to 3,000 mm.


Linear GuidesLee Linear (Piscataway, NJ)

offers the SBC Linear Profile SBIlinear guide system that uses a lowprofile and wide base design forless noise, less vibration, andincreased life over caged ballassemblies. The extra load capaci-ty, which is the same in all direc-tions, includes a dynamic load rat-ing from 14.1–232.5 kN, and a static capacity from 24.1–354.1 kN. Theavailable guide sizes are 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 45, 55, and 65. Block typesavailable are flanged (FL), flanged long (FLL), slim (SL), and slim long(SLL). Raydent coatings are available for protection against corrosion.


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8a Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/40440-786


104 Industrial DriveFrankfort, NY 13340 USATEL: 315-895-7454FAX: 315-895-7268www.c-flex.comemail: [email protected]

C-Flex Pivot Bear i ngs

Make C-Flex Bearing Co., Inc. part of your Company’s “Green” supply chain and a promise to give technology a greener future

BEARING CO., INC.

e CCe Ce CCCCCC FlFlFlFllFlFlFlexexexexexexxxexe BeaBeaBeaBBBeaBeaeaB ae iiirinrinrinrinrinrinrinring CCg CCg CCCg CCCooooooo InInInInIInInnInInnIncccccccc parparparparparp t ott ot ottt f yf yf yf yf yf yyourourourourouurour CCCoCCoCoCoompapampampamm ny’ny’ny’ny’ny’ny s “““ss “GreGreGreGGreeGreGreen”n”en”nen”enen”en”n

www.c-flex.com

• Frictionless, self centering, repeatable

• No lubrication required

• Infinite cycle life within rated values

• A cylindrical, limited rotation bearing up to +/-30 degrees

• Standard units from stock or special designs/materials available

Innovative Solutions To Limited Angle Rotation Applications

ProductsNEW

Robotics Simulation SoftwareSiemens PLM Software (Plano, TX)

has introduced RobotExpert softwarefor robotics simulation and program-ming. The software enables the design,simulation, optimization, and offlineprogramming of robotic applications tomaximize the speed, flexibility, andoperation of automated systems. It fea-tures an intuitive 3D environment andcombines the ability to optimize robotic

paths and improve cycle times, with the ability to simulate virtual mock-ups of manufacturing cells and systems.

The software includes a library of robots, and enables 3D modelingof additional robots and automation. It generates configurable motionpaths based on the controller features, and allows calculation of cycletimes and analysis of real-time performance. The software can detectcollisions during robot simulation and motion.


Linear Shaft SupportsThe SBL and LPB series of linear shaft

supports from Ondrives.US Corp.(Freeport, NY) feature removable topclamps that enable easy removal of shaftsand permit reassembly without upsettingthe critical alignment between parallelshafts. At reassembly, the shafts return totheir exact, original position. The sup-ports are precision machined and sup-plied in anodized aluminum. The stan-dard SBL series is a drop-in replacement for popular industry supports.They have the same mounting hole locations, base dimensions, andshaft height. The overall height is slightly shorter. The LPB series is alow-profile support that has the lowest possible shaft height for clear-ance of ball bushing pillow blocks. Both series are available in shaftdiameters from 1⁄4" to 2", and from 8 mm to 50 mm.


Speed Controls Four controls from Bodine

Electric (Northfield, IL) providespeed control for low-voltage 12 or

24V permanent magnet DC(PMDC) gearmotors and motors(up to 1/3 HP/250 Watts). Thecontrols utilize pulse width mod-ulation (PWM) technology for

quiet operation, low operatingtemperature, and optimal brush life. The con-

trols feature five trim pots to adjust min/max speed, torque (current)limit, and acceleration time. In addition, DIP switches allow the user tomatch a motor/gearmotor to the controls. System speed may be con-trolled with a single-turn speed pot, or an isolated 0-5 VDC remote sig-nal. Models are available with either 1⁄4" quick connect tabs or a plug-interminal block. The type WPM low-voltage motor speed controls aresuited for portable or remote applications where connection to an ACline is not possible. Typical applications include accessories on electricvehicles, mobile medical equipment, solar powered devices, chemicalinjection pumps at oil wells, and automatic gate openers.


National Aperture, Inc. is a world leader in the production of precisionstages for Motion Control. Products include linear and rotary stages(manual and motorized) and several different Controllers dependingupon your system requirements. Our larger rotary stage (MM-4M-R) shown above, will carry a load of 4.5kg and has an accuracy of±2 arc-minutes and repeatability of ±30 arc-seconds. This unit hasoptical 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, mostNAI Stages are available for use in vacuum. New products are constantly being developed, please visit our web site.

National Aperture, Inc., 16 Northwestern Drive, Salem, NH 03079, P: 800-360-4598, F: 603-893-7857

Web Site: [email protected]

MINIATURE MICROPOSITIONING LINEAR AND ROTARY STAGES

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Motion Control and Automation Technology, December 2012 9a

Exlar patented roller screw actuators outperform ball screw actuators in life, load, speed and acceleration.

Move with Superior Power & Survivability.

Exlar Delivers on All Fronts.Exlar electric actuators deliver the power of legacy hydraulic systems but with greater effi ciency and easier maintenance; eliminating valves, pumps and leak-prone fl uid lines. Their compact, lightweight design allows for simplifi ed solutions that are quieter and more reliable in harsh environments for

mission critical applications involving high temperatures, humidity, vibration and shock. Learn more at exlarcorp.com


Linear Motion PlatformPBC Linear®, a Pacific Bearing Company

(Roscoe, IL) has introduced the SIMO® Serieslinear motion platform. Options allow a designengineer to meet multiple application require-ments with a single platform. Options include alow-profile rail for tight spaces or a tall versionfor greater structural integrity. Each aluminumbase rail is qualified with the SIMO process(Simultaneous Integral Milling Operation).Three bearing tribologies are available: self-lubricating FrelonGOLD®

plain bearings for contaminated environments, V-wheel roller bearingsfor high-speed applications, and profile rail linear guideways with recir-culating ball bearings for rigidity and precision. Three drive types areavailable: lead screw with machined nut or anti-backlash nut, ball screw,or two versions of belt drives.


DC MicromotorsPittman® Motors, a division of

AMETEK/Precision Motion Control(Harleysville, PA), offers high-per-formance slotless brushless DCmotors for medical applications suchas high-speed surgical tools, dentaltools, medical instruments, and othersmall medical devices. The miniature

motors produce little or no EMI emission (electromagnetic interfer-ence), provide long life, and have low audible noise. In addition, the slot-

less design eliminates magnetic cogging. The stator teeth are completelyeliminated by forming and encapsulating the entire stator winding alongthe inside surface of the back iron.

The smallest motor is 0.375" (9.53 mm) with a maximum speed ofup to 70,000 RPM and a torque rating of up to 0.3 oz-in (0.002Nm).Overall length is 2.00" (50.8 mm). The motor has a 2-pole permanentmagnet rotor, a 3-phase stator, and sensorless commutation. Largerdiameters include 0.5" (12.7 mm), 0.8" (20 mm), and 1.1" (28 mm).Maximum speeds are available up to 60,000 RPM, and torque ratingsfrom 0.9 oz-in (0.006 Nm) to 14.9 oz-in (0.105 Nm). Each diameter hastwo available stack lengths. Standard features include shielded ballbearings, stainless steel construction, and high-energy neodymiumrotor magnets.


DrivesDanfoss VLT Drives (Loves Park, IL) has

introduced D-Frame VLT® drives availablein a power range from 125-450 HP (90-315kW). They leverage back channel coolingto remove 90% of the heat generated bythe drive. The drives are available withIP20, IP21 (NEMA 1), or IP 54 (NEMA 12)enclosure protection ratings. They comestandard with conformal-coated printed cir-cuit boards, which together with the optional heat sink access panel,help to extend drive lifetime and reliability. The units can be factory-fitted with optional semiconductor fuses. Additional options such asmains disconnect, contactor, and circuit breaker are available.


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ProductsNEW

Motor Drive TransistorsInternational Rectifier (El Segundo, CA)

has introduced a family of 600V insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) for motordrive applications operating below 10 kHz,including compressors for refrigerators andair-conditioners. The Gen7 F devicesemploy punch-through Trench technologyto deliver high power density, and the abili-ty to optimize conduction and switching losses for a specific frequencyof operation. They offer smooth switching to reduce EMI and over-shoots, and are short-circuit-rated for motor drive applications. TheIRG7RC10FD and IRG7IC30FD are co-packaged with a soft recoverydiode, while the IRG7SC12F is a single IGBT that allows the designer tochoose a specific diode for the application.

Two motor control reference designs featuring Gen 7 F IGBTs areavailable. The IRMDKG7-400W features the IRG7SC30FD DPAK IGBTand IRS2334S 3-phase HVIC driver for motors up to 400W. The IRMD-KG7-600W features the IRG7SC30FD DPAK IGBT and IRS2334S 3-phase HVIC driver for motors up to 600W. Both reference designsinclude an optional heat sink.


Motion and Automation ControlKollmorgen (Radford, VA) offers the AKD

PDMM that combines a multi-axis motion con-troller, IEC61131-3 soft PLC, EtherCAT® master,and AKD® servo drive in a single, compact package.The system is suited for applications in printing,packaging, converting, and medical, as well as otherautomation applications where precise synchroniza-tion of multiple axes of motion is vital. It is fully pro-grammable through the KAS IntegratedDevelopment Environment (KAS IDE), providing

an automation solution that is scalable from a single axis up to 128 axeswith a single controller. Features include the ability to master seven ormore additional axes over an EtherCAT network, plus additionalEtherCAT connected devices such as I/O and MODBUS-connecteddevices such as HMIs. Kollmorgen Automation Suite is a completemachine automation solution comprised of software, motion compo-nents, and engineering services. It simulates the machine’s operation inadvance of connecting all components.


Rod-Style ActuatorsERD electric cylinders from Tolomatic

(Hamel, MN) are available with a reverse-parallel motor mount that makes a morecompact package. The motor is mountedin parallel with the actuator instead ofinline, which reduces the length of thetotal package and, with the addition of arear clevis pivot mount, provides greaterversatility in mounting the actuator. The ERD is a rod-style electric actu-ator designed as an alternative to pneumatic cylinders, and as an optionfor automating manual processes. The products are suitable for prod-uct changeovers, pick-and-place, pressing, diverting, and heat-staking/sonic welding. The actuators can be built in stroke lengths upto 24" (609.6 mm). The cylinders are available in four body sizes thatare approximately equivalent to 5/8" (15.9 mm), 1" (25.4 mm), 1.5"(38.1 mm), and 2" (50.8 mm) bore pneumatic cylinders. They are avail-able in stroke lengths from 8 to 24" (203.2 mm to 609.6 mm), and

forces up to 500 pounds (2,224 N). They are compatible with mostNEMA and metric mount stepper and servo motors.

The actuators can accommodate six different sensing or switchingchoices: reed, solid-state PNP (sourcing) or solid-state NPN (sinking),normally open, flying leads, or quick-disconnect. The switches are acti-vated by a standard internal magnet located inside the thrust tube.These switches allow clamp-on installation anywhere along the actua-tor tube. All switches are CE-rated and are RoHS-compliant for envi-ronmental compatibility.


Linear Positioning StagesMini-MAG precision linear position-

ing stages from Dover (Boxborough,MA) are available with a complete con-trols package. Users can combine aMini-MAG linear motor stage with aboard-level, single-axis servo drive forintegration into a control cabinet, or aKollmorgen AKD™ servo drive for single- or multi-axis applicationswith a graphical user interface for setup and programming, and real-time performance feedback. Both options provide Ethernet communi-cation for data acquisition.

The stages are available in aluminum-based versions with an option-al single-phase motor. Operation in a vertical orientation is possiblewithout requiring a counterbalance. Steel-based versions are availablefor use in demanding environments. For XY sample positioning, sus-tained throughput of up to 2,000 moves per minute is possible. Fouroptions, with 25 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm, or 150 mm travel, are available.An integral anti-creep linear guideway eliminates the need for homingmoves typically required to reset standard crossed roller bearing retain-er cages.


Linear ActuatorBEI Kimco Magnetics (Vista, CA) has introduced

the Model LA100-93-000A high force linear actu-ator with a peak force of 500 pounds. It featuresa continuous force of 292 pounds with 2" totalstroke. Other features include semi-housed con-

struction with built-in shaft and bushings that ori-ent the coil assembly concentric to the field assembly.

The unit measures 10" in diameter and 9.3" long at mid-stroke. TheLA100 is suitable for use in applications that require an actuator forceof 500 pounds and high speed.


Brush MotorsCrouzet, a brand of Custom

Sensors & Technologies (SanDiego, CA), has introducedthe DCmind Brush range ofdirect-current brush motors.The motors, even under fullload, offer a range of gear-boxes and accessories. Thenew motors have a noise levelof 35 db. The motors areavailable in 15-, 25-, and 55-Watt configurations with a 42-mm diame-ter, and 55 and 104 Watts with a 63-mm diameter. They support 12, 24,and 48V power supplies.


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