Cumulative index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1963-1965

Annotated bibliography of NASA technical briefs on electrical, energy sources, materials, life sciences, and mechanical informatio

A MEMS Dual Vertical Electrometer and Electric Field-Mill

Presented is the first iteration of a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) dual vertical electrometer and electric field-mill (EFM). The device uses a resonating structure as a variable capacitor that converts the presence of a charge or field into an electric signal. Previous MEMS electrometers are lateral electrometers with laterally spaced electrodes that resonate tangentially with respect to each other. Vertical electrometers, as the name suggests, have vertically spaced electrodes that resonate transversely with respect to each other. The non-tangential movement reduces damping in the system. Both types demonstrate comparable performance, but the vertical electrometer does so at a fraction of the size. In addition, vertical electrometers can efficiently operate as an electric field sensor. The electric field sensor simulations did not compare as well to other MEMS electric field sensors. However, the dual nature of this device makes it appealing. These devices can be used in missiles and satellites to monitor charge buildup in electronic components and the atmosphere [11]. Future iterations can improve these devices and give way to inexpensive, high-resolution electrostatic charge and field sensors

Ionic conductivity of pure and manganese doped sodium chloride

Imperial Users onl

The design and application of a data logging system to monitor discrete electronic components

A Data Logger has been designed and developed by the author. The Data Logger is used to take measurements on electronic components. The Data Logger is outlined. It is described in terms of the hardware from which it was built. It is also described in terms of the software through which it is controlled using an Apple microcomputer. An experiment on multi-layer ceramic capacitors is detailed. A further experiment on optocouplers is outlined. Both experiments make full use of the Data Logger. In concluding, the Data Logger is found to work best with two and three terminal components. Some changes are discussed, enabling the Data Logger to be compatible with the IBM PC format

Power system applications of fiber optics

Power system applications of optical systems, primarily using fiber optics, are reviewed. The first section reviews fibers as components of communication systems. The second section deals with fiber sensors for power systems, reviewing the many ways light sources and fibers can be combined to make measurements. Methods of measuring electric field gradient are discussed. Optical data processing is the subject of the third section, which begins by reviewing some widely different examples and concludes by outlining some potential applications in power systems: fault location in transformers, optical switching for light fired thyristors and fault detection based on the inherent symmetry of most power apparatus. The fourth and final section is concerned with using optical fibers to transmit power to electric equipment in a high voltage situation, potentially replacing expensive high voltage low power transformers. JPL has designed small photodiodes specifically for this purpose, and fabricated and tested several samples. This work is described

Publications of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, July 1964 through June 1965

JPL publications bibliography with abstracts - reports on DSIF, Mariner program, Ranger project, Surveyor project, and other space programs, and space science

High performance amplifier topologies implemented with a micro-machined vibrating capacitor

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-206).In this work, the design of a MEMS based differential amplifier is investigated. The goal of this investigation is to design, fabricate and characterize a differential amplifier whose performance is based on a physically coupled, but electrically isolated fully differential mechanical transconductor input stage that is fabricated using SOI-MEMS technology. The MEMS sensor will act as a vibrating capacitor input stage. It will provide galvanic isolation and up-modulation of the input signal as it vibrates. The galvanic isolation facilitates low-leakage inputs and a very wide input common mode voltage range. The up-modulation provides a means for achieving a low input referred offset voltage and low-noise via the use of correlated double sampling or chopper stabilization. At the system level, this amplifier consists of two major loops: the drive loop and a sense loop. The drive loop includes half of the MEMS structure along with some electronics and provides a means of moving the beam at a constant frequency. The drive loop's design was facilitated by describing function analysis. The drive loop vibrated the beam at its mechanical resonance because at that frequency, the displacement of the beam is maximized for a given electrostatic force and consequently, the sensitivity of the amplifier is maximized. The sense loop includes the other half of the beam and some electronics whose role is to process the differential input signal applied at the MEMS structure's inputs. Common-mode rejection is performed by the mechanical transconductor, while the sense loop's crossover frequency sets the signal bandwidth.(cont.) The performance of the amplifier agreed very well with hand calculations and simulations. The noise performance was dominated by the total noise at the preamplifier's input. The noise performance achieved in this design was 55 ... Hz , which is higher than that of other high performance amplifiers. Based on the analytical model created for the amplifier, a noise level of 450 ... Hz can be achieved when the circuitry is fully integrated with the sensor.by Akin Adeniyi Aina.Ph.D

[Research Pertaining to Physics, Space Sciences, Computer Systems, Information Processing, and Control Systems]

Research project reports pertaining to physics, space sciences, computer systems, information processing, and control system

Multimodal Wearable Sensors for Human-Machine Interfaces

Certain areas of the body, such as the hands, eyes and organs of speech production, provide high-bandwidth information channels from the conscious mind to the outside world. The objective of this research was to develop an innovative wearable sensor device that records signals from these areas more conveniently than has previously been possible, so that they can be harnessed for communication. A novel bioelectrical and biomechanical sensing device, the wearable endogenous biosignal sensor (WEBS), was developed and tested in various communication and clinical measurement applications. One ground-breaking feature of the WEBS system is that it digitises biopotentials almost at the point of measurement. Its electrode connects directly to a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter. A second major advance is that, unlike previous active biopotential electrodes, the WEBS electrode connects to a shared data bus, allowing a large or small number of them to work together with relatively few physical interconnections. Another unique feature is its ability to switch dynamically between recording and signal source modes. An accelerometer within the device captures real-time information about its physical movement, not only facilitating the measurement of biomechanical signals of interest, but also allowing motion artefacts in the bioelectrical signal to be detected. Each of these innovative features has potentially far-reaching implications in biopotential measurement, both in clinical recording and in other applications. Weighing under 0.45 g and being remarkably low-cost, the WEBS is ideally suited for integration into disposable electrodes. Several such devices can be combined to form an inexpensive digital body sensor network, with shorter set-up time than conventional equipment, more flexible topology, and fewer physical interconnections. One phase of this study evaluated areas of the body as communication channels. The throat was selected for detailed study since it yields a range of voluntarily controllable signals, including laryngeal vibrations and gross movements associated with vocal tract articulation. A WEBS device recorded these signals and several novel methods of human-to-machine communication were demonstrated. To evaluate the performance of the WEBS system, recordings were validated against a high-end biopotential recording system for a number of biopotential signal types. To demonstrate an application for use by a clinician, the WEBS system was used to record 12‑lead electrocardiogram with augmented mechanical movement information