Nasa Technical Briefs

Welcome to your Digital Edition of
NASA Tech Briefs and Photonics Tech Briefs

Included in This June Edition:
Motion Control and
Automation Technology
NASA Tech Briefs
Sensor Technology
June 2016
5/18/16 3:04 PM Page 1
Vol. 40 No. 6
www.techbriefs.com
June 2016
June 2016
Advanced Coating Technology

at NASA Goddard
NASA Technology
Converts Plastic
Waste to Energy
Motion Control
and Automation
Technology
Last Chance to Enter!

See page 6
Vibration Sensors Add New Touch

to Prosthetics
NASA Proxy Maps Reveal Earthquake Damage
Inertial Sensors Get in the Drivers Seat
A simplified approach overcomes many

initial challenges when designing a machine
with servo technology to meet specific
performance expectations. See page 56.
motio
m/
efs.co
eVADE Technology Shields Aircraft

from Volcanic Ash
echbri
www.t
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June 2016
www.techbriefs.com
Vol. 40 No. 6

at NASA Goddard
NASA Technology
Converts Plastic
Waste to Energy
Motion Control
and Automation
Technology
Last Chance to Enter!

See page 6
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June 2016 Vol. 40 No. 6
Contents
Features
8
Products of Tomorrow
12
Advances in Coating Technology Take Shape at

NASA Goddard
18
Application Briefs
72
NASA Spinoff: Plastic Recycling Technology
Solutions
20
20
20
22
22
24
24
24
25
26
26
27
28
30
30
30
32
32
34
34
34
35
36
38
38
38
40
42
42
44
46
46
46
47
Technology Focus: Software

Predicting Magnetospheric Relativistic >1 MeV Electrons
Optimal Prioritized Actuator Allocation
Terrain Model Registration
Error Budget for Pointing at Surface Features From Close Range
Traceable Automation with Remote Display and Interruptible
Scheduler Version 1.04.0
Java Pathfinder (JPF) Core System
Single Doppler Retrieval Toolkit (SingleDop)
Computing Efficient Onboard Analysis and Re-Scheduling
libSPRITE
Tool for Rapid Analysis of Monte Carlo (TRAM) Simulation Data
Object-Oriented FITS File Interface for MATLAB
Space Station Research Explorer
Electrical/Electronics
Integrated Circuit for Radio Astronomy Correlators Supporting
Large Arrays of Antennas
Fabrication of Silicon-Leg Isolated Bi-Cr Thermopiles
Current Source Logic Gate
Design of Double Layer Rectenna Array for Fault Isolation of
Schottky Diode in Operation Beyond V-Band Frequencies
Materials & Coatings
Multifunctional Ablative Thermal Protection System
Hierarchical Support for Nanocatalysts
Control of Carbon Nanotube Density and Tower Height
in an Array
In-Situ Chemical Analysis of Material Surfaces
Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Ratcheting Threaded Tapered Collet for use in Planetary Sample
Caching Systems
Planetary Ice Mining by Down-Hole Energy Injection
Launch Tie-Down and Release Mechanism for CubeSat
Spacecraft
Robotics, Automation & Control
Limboid Reconfigurable Robots for In-Space Assembly
Cam Hand
Instrumentation
Laser Architecture and Atomic Filter for Daytime Measurements
Using Spaceborne Sodium Lidar
Rangefinder for Measuring Volume of Cryogenic or Caustic
Turbulent Fluids
Micro-Force Sensing Nanoprobe
67
72
Departments
6
10
70
71
UpFront
Whos Who at NASA
NASAs Technology Transfer Program
Advertisers Index
New for Design Engineers

66
67
Product Focus: Test Instruments

New Products/Software
Special Supplement
Sensor Technology
Selected editions only.
(Solutions continued on page 4)
www.techbriefs.com
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016
MATLAB SPEAKS
WIRELESS
DESIGN
You can simulate, prototype,
and verify wireless systems
right in MATLAB. Learn how
todays MATLAB supports RF,
LTE, WLAN and 5G development
and SDR hardware.
2016 The MathWorks, Inc
mathworks.com/wireless
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Contents
48
49
49
50
50
50
52
53
55
56
62
64
High-Channel-Count, High-Scan-Rate Data Acquisition System

for the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel
Fusible Alloy Thermometer
Small-Volume Pressurized Sample Handling System
Propulsion
Generation-2 Lean Direction Injection System
Testing Aircraft Electric Propulsion Systems on NASAs
Modular Stand
Iodine-Compatible Hall Effect Thruster
Burnable-Poison-Operated Reactor Using Gadolinium
Loaded Alloy
Product of the Month

Stratasys (Eden Prairie, MN) introduced the J750 3D printer
that produces full-color, multi-material prototypes and parts
in a single 3D print without post-processing.
66
Motion Control and Automation Technology

Simplified Machine Design Approach for Optimal Servomotor
Control
Anti-Creep Mechanism Enables Ultra-Precise Motor Table
Positioning
New Products
On the cover
The 18 mirrors that make up the primary mirror of
the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) were assembled on the telescope structure in NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center's cleanroom in Greenbelt, MD. A
very fine film of vaporized gold coats each segment to
improve the mirror's reflection of infrared light.
Goddards Contamination and Coatings Engineering
Branch has developed coatings like this for many
NASA missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope,
satellites, and the Mars 2020 mission. Find out more
in a behind-the-scenes look at Goddards Thermal
Coatings Lab beginning on page 12.
(NASA image by Chris Gunn)
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration. Neither Associated Business Publications Co., Ltd. nor the
United States Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the information contained
in this document, or warrants that such use will be free from privately owned rights.
Permissions: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use
of specific clients, is granted by Associated Business Publications, provided that the flat fee of $3.00 per copy
be paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (222 Rose Wood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923). For those
organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by CCC, a separate system of payment has been
arranged. The fee code for users of the Transactional Reporting Service is: ISSN 0145-319X194 $3.00+ .00
The U.S. Government does not endorse any commercial product, process, or activity identified in this publication.
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UP
FRONT
Editors Choice
Linda Bell
Editorial Director
NASA Public Domain Patents Benefit U.S. Industry
A small, metallic thermometer is hermetically sealed, has an essentially unlimited shelf-life, is insensitive to radiation,
has no electronics or mechanisms, can
operate in any orientation or gravity, and
provides good thermal conductivity. It
features an off-the-shelf ultra-high vacuum flange and permanently records temperatures in extreme environments. The
low-cost device is read by visual inspection after opening the seal. Find out
more on page 49.
Last Chance to Create the Future!

If you havent already submitted your
new design idea, you only have until July
1, 2016 to enter the 14th annual Create
the Future Design Contest at www.
createthefuturecontest.com. Sponsored
by COMSOL and Mouser Electronics, along with
Analog Devices
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other prizes. Entries can be submitted in
seven categories. Dont miss your
chance to create the future. Visit
www.createthefuturecontest.com to submit your entry today.
Next Month in NTB

The July issue of NASA Tech Briefs will
include a special feature on NASAs
newest robotic technologies, including
rovers such as the Resource Prospector,
the next generation of humanoid robots,
Valkyrie, and advances in robotic arms.
NASA has released 56 of its formerly patented

technologies into the public domain, making
them freely available for unrestricted commercial use. In addition, a searchable database is
now available that catalogs thousands of expired
NASA patents already in the public domain.
These technologies were developed to advance
NASA missions, but may have non-aerospace
applications and can be used by commercial companies free of charge, eliminating the
time, expense, and paperwork often associated with licensing intellectual property. The
technologies include advanced manufacturing processes, sensors, propulsion methods,
rocket nozzles, thrusters, aircraft wing designs, and improved rocket safety and performance concepts.
By making these technologies available in the public domain, we are helping foster a new era of entrepreneurship that will again place America at the forefront of
high-tech manufacturing and economic competitiveness, said Daniel Lockney,
NASAs Technology Transfer program executive. By releasing this collection into the
public domain, we are encouraging entrepreneurs to explore new ways to commercialize NASA technologies.
This patents release is the latest in NASAs long tradition of extending the benefits
of its research and development into the public sector, where it may enhance the economy and quality of life for more Americans. NASAs patent portfolio includes more
than 1,000 technologies available for industry use through licensing agreements.
Visit http://technology.nasa.gov/publicdomain.
NASA and FAA Demonstrate Wireless Communication

with Aircraft
For the first time ever, engineers at
NASAs Glenn Research Center conveyed
aviation data including route options
and weather information to an airplane
over a wireless communication system for
aircraft on the ground. The demonstration, conducted in collaboration with the
Federal Aviation Administration and
Hitachi, demonstrated two technologies
The FAA Bombardier Global 5000 test aircraft
that could change airport operations used in the wireless communication system
demonstration. (NASA)
worldwide.
The team used an Aircraft Access to
System Wide Information Management (SWIM), or AAtS, prototype technical solution to convey the aviation information to an FAA Bombardier Global 5000 test aircraft taxiing 60 to 70 miles per hour. They sent the information over a new wireless
communication system called Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System
(AeroMACS), which is based on WiMAX wireless communication standards, but uses
different frequencies to enable connectivity on the ground.
Until now, pilots have relied on voice communication with air traffic control or
their airline operations center for this type of information because traditional wireless technologies dont support high data throughputs.
Visit www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics.
Connect with NTB

linkedin.com/company/tech-briefs-media
facebook.com/NASATechBriefs
6
twitter.com/NASATechBriefs
www.techbriefs.com
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They. Just. Work.

Discover the versatility of Keysight Data Acquisition Units.
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Keysight Data Acquisition Units 34970A and 34972A
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Learn more with our test challenge

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The technologies NASA develops dont just blast off

into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth.
Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety,
increased accuracy in weather forecasting, and the
miniature cameras in our cellphones are just some of
the examples of NASA-developed technology used in
products today.
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the
products of tomorrow. If you are interested in licensing
the technologies described here, use the contact information provided. To learn about more available technologies, visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at
http://technology.nasa.gov.
Products of
Tomorrow
Drain System for

Pools, Spas, and Tanks
Marshall
Space
Flight
Center developed a system
that reduces the entrapment
risks associated with a pool or spas recirculation drain.
The technology prevents hazards caused by suction
forces on the body, hair, clothing, or other articles. It
uses a novel configuration of drainage openings along
with parallel paths for water flow, redistributing force
over a much larger area, and minimizing suction force
at any localized area. With more efficient drainage and
recirculation, the device improves performance,
increases safety, and decreases operating costs. All of
these benefits come without a protrusive drain cover,
leaving the area safe and aesthetically pleasing.
Goddard Space Flight

Center developed a method
for bonding dissimilar materials using an elastic adhesive that permits the bond
to withstand variations in temperature and pressure. The new method uses a combination of thermally and chemically stable materials to withstand
large thermal shock loads. This innovation makes
use of aluminized Kapton film that is normally used
in fabricating thermal blankets for spaceflight hardware. The smooth finish and aluminum coating of
the Kapton film provides the specularity. The coating method can be used in any application requiring lightweight mirrors or reflectors.
Contact: Marshall Space Flight Center

Phone: 256-544-5226
E-mail: sammy.nabors@nasa.gov
Specular Coatings for

Composite Structures
Contact: Goddard Space Flight Center

Phone: 301-286-5810
E-mail: techtransfer@gsfc.nasa.gov
The Vibration Ring
Originally designed to reduce helicopter cabin noise, Glenn Research

Centers vibration ring provides damping of rotors, gears, bearings, and fans
within the driveline without disrupting the operation or position tolerance of a mechanical assembly.
Besides significantly attenuating vibration-induced noise, it also reduces overall wear and tear, and the
ring can generate electrical energy to power sensors on rotating machine parts. The ring-shaped mechanism reduces the effect of machine vibrations by converting applied vibratory energy into electricity. The
mechanism is self-contained and requires no external wiring.
Contact: Glenn Research Center
Phone: 216-433-3484
E-mail: ttp@grc.nasa.gov
www.techbriefs.com
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Whos Who
at NASA
Joe Munchak, Research
Meteorologist, Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
sing the Global Precipitation

Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite, launched in 2014, NASA
and Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency researchers have taken the
first 3D images of raindrops and
snowflakes. The GPM snapshots will help research meteorologist Joe Munchak determine precipitation rates and support the improvement of weather models.
NASA Tech Briefs: What can raindrop size tell us?
Joe Munchak: It tells us a lot about how the raindrop
formed, and the type of storm that produced it. Very
large raindrops have to form from melting snowflakes or
hailstones. Theres simply no other way to grow them
from just a collection of water; they would break up hydrodynamically.
NTB: Why is a three-dimensional image so valuable?

Munchak: One of the capabilities we have with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) radar is to actually probe into
storms and get very fine vertical details. The vertical component
really matters because we can see, at the top of the storm cloud,
how the particles start to form and how they grow. Are they collecting other particles by collisions? Are they shrinking due to
evaporation? Where do they melt and become rain? Or [are the
particles] falling on the ground as snow?
NTB: How can that improve forecast models?
Munchak: By knowing the size of the raindrops, we actually get
a more accurate measurement of the amount of rain thats falling.
This is the first time weve had the technology to observe this on
a global scale. With more accurate numbers, we can now determine whether or not a particular storm is likely to produce a flash
flood. As we collect this data on the micro-physical properties of
the storm as well as environmental parameters such as the
humidity and temperature, and where they vary regionally we
start to build a global picture.
NTB: How are these images taken?
Easy-to-use self-tuning
signal conditioner
Munchak: The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) was provided and

built by the Japanese Space Agency. The
two frequencies determine the raindrop
size. The way that the radar energy
reflects off of the raindrops is very
dependent on both the wavelength of
the radar signal and the size of the raindrop. When you have two different
wavelengths for the same raindrop size,
youll get two different reflectivities.
From that, you can back out the two
pieces of relevant information: the average size of the raindrops and the overall
number of raindrops.
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NTB: Whats next for the GPM mission?

Munchak: This is the first time weve had
this capability in space. We need to spend
some time in the next few years to understand all the potential sources of error that
come from these spaceborne measurements.
Once we get a handle on those, I think well
have global maps of raindrop size, and well
start to understand the variable processes
that cause those to change globally.
To learn more about the mission, read a full
transcript, or listen to a downloadable podcast,
visit www.techbriefs.com/podcast.
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Advances in Coating Technology

Take Shape at NASA Goddard
he Contamination and Coatings

Engineering Branch at NASAs
Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, MD, provides systemlevel support in contamination engineering and thermal coatings engineering from concept to mission end of life.
This includes development, implementation, and management of instrument
and spacecraft contamination control
programs, technical consultation on
contamination and coatings issues, thermal coatings applications, material
property characterization, and coatings
flight qualification.
Led by Randy Hedgeland, the branch
maintains specialized laboratories for
thermal coatings characterization and
environmental testing, molecular kinetics testing, and surface effects measurements. Additionally, the branch designs
and builds flight experiments, molecular adsorbers, custom thermal control
materials, and protective coatings for
astronaut visors. In support of current
NASA initiatives, the branch also performs research and technology development in the areas of coatings development, extraterrestrial dust mitigation,
planetary, laser damage, and advanced
cleaning and verification techniques.
Recently, NASA Tech Briefs was given a
behind-the-scenes tour of the branchs
Thermal Coatings Laboratory to find
out how these coatings are developed,
implemented, applied, and flight-qualified for NASA missions.
Two technologies for thermal control
are featured in the lab: thin film coating
technologies and spray coating technologies. The lab provides the coatings
that provide thermal protection for the
outside of the spacecraft.
When you look at a spacecraft, you
may see five surfaces: blankets, solar
arrays, antennas, instrumentation, and
then the exterior coatings that are on the
spacecraft. Thats what we do inside this
laboratory, explained Mark Hasegawa,
Thermal Coatings Application and
Development Group Lead.
Materials are evaporated onto spaceflight hardware, blanket material, or other surfaces that
require exterior passive thermal control.
Spray Coatings
If you take a regular automotive or
house coating and send it into orbit, it
would darken very quickly because of
particle radiation that you dont see on
Earth. The ultraviolet radiation is far
more intense, and the ozone in the
atmosphere stops that. Most of the stable spray coatings used at the lab are
silicate-based. Its a very brittle coat-
12
ing, said Hasegawa. A lot of preparation is required. You cant spray it

on the way you spray an automotive
coating.
The coatings developed and used in
the lab must be vacuum-stable. If not,
they become a contamination hazard.
You dont want optics fogging up
because of contamination from coatings or materials, added Hasegawa.
www.techbriefs.com
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In addition, the spray coatings do
not outgas or transport materials out.
The silicate-based materials only
transport out water, which usually is
not a hazard. And since space is a very
cold environment, the coatings will be
subjected to very cold temperatures,
and then be exposed to warm bodies
such as the Sun. They need to be able
to survive these extreme thermal
cycles. Materials on the International
Space Station, for example, go
through 90-minute orbits of repeated
hot and cold, for thousands of thermal cycles, so the coatings must bond
well and adhere well.
Additive manufacturing also can

be used to manufacture replacement parts for equipment used in
the lab. Older spray guns, for example, require replacement parts that
may be hard to obtain. By manufacturing functional parts in-house
using 3D printers, the lab is able to
keep the spray guns working.
Innovative Coatings
Research and development has

resulted in a number of innovative
coatings being created at the lab that
have both current and potential
future uses on a number of NASA
missions. The Molecular Adsorber
Thin Film Coatings
Coating (MAC) was developed to
The lab is responsible for envimitigate outgassing concerns. When
ronmental testing as well as thin
you buy a new car, that new car
coating deposition via vapor deposi- George Harris, manager of thin film coatings, with hard- smell is actually from chemicals outtion chambers that are used to evap- ware coated with a silver sapphire quartz coating that gassing from materials in the car. In
orate materials onto spaceflight reflects the vast majority of the Suns energy.
spacecraft, those outgassed molehardware, blanket material, or whatcules can deposit on sensitive surever surface requires passive thermal
faces like telescopes and mirrors. MAC
Harris explained that the lab previcontrol on the exterior of the satellite.
captures those molecules and prevents
ously coated all of the astronaut visors
We coat hardware as its rotating
them from depositing on those sensitive
prior to the end of the space shuttle
under vacuum with a coating developed
surfaces.
program. But before the program shut
in this lab in the 1970s, and were still
MAC is also being used on the
down, they had the coating stockpiled
the only ones who do it, said George
Ionospheric Connection Explorer
so that they could continue to make
Harris, manager of thin film coatings
(ICON) mission in the the Far Ultravisors for the astronauts for the remaintechnology. Its a silver sapphire quartz
Violet (FUV) instrument to mitigate
der of the flights.
coating that reflects the vast majority of
molecular outgassing. The FUV captures
Additive Manufacturing
the Suns energy and also emits in the
images of the upper atmosphere in the
While additive manufacturing or 3D
infrared interior energy created by the
far ultraviolet light range. MAC can also
printing may not be a technology that
electronics going up in the satellite.
be used inside vacuum chambers for
comes to mind initially when you think
The coating was used in a Hubble
testing, and is planned for use on the
of making coatings, the lab is using the
Space Telescope repair mission after
inside of the Mars 2020 rover.
technology in a number of ways. For
astronauts reported that the existing
Lotus Coating is a hydrophobic and
example, additive manufacturing is
thermal blanket material on the exterior
dust-mitigation coating for planetary
being used to reduce masking and strucof the telescope was falling apart. The
missions that prevents dirt and bacteria
tural loading. There are multiple comsilver Teflon material was degrading
from sticking to and contaminating the
posite units that are circular, so only the
under the combination of ultraviolet
outside can be coated, leaving the inside
and atomic oxygen. We coated 30
without coating. In order to coat the
sheets of stainless steel foil with this silentire unit, 3D printed parts were made
ver composite coating, and they made
and the composites were stacked on top
blankets out of it and put them on the
of each other to coat multiple parts in
Hubble, explained Harris.
one run, as opposed to doing one at a
The silver sapphire quartz coating is
time. This cuts down the masking
being used in a robotic servicing mission
requirements, along with touch time on
to refuel on-orbit satellites in low Earth
the parts, by a factor of ten. So instead of
orbit for the Satellite Servicing
having to mask each part, a number of
Capabilities Office (SSCO) at Goddard.
them can be stacked together with miniThe mission satellites will experience heat
mal masking, and then they can be
from the Sun and some atomic oxygen
sprayed together.
and radiation, so the danger will be the
According to Hasegawa, For a profuel line overheating. Harriss group will
The lotus plant has inspired materials engigram with 64 parts that are all the same
be coating the exterior conduit around
neers to create a coating that mimics the
plants unusual self-cleaning capabilities, and
size, it would require many hours of labor
the fuel line. The shuttle tiles were made
has led to investigation of whether materials
for masking and unmasking. Were trying
out of the same material, but they were
treated with these coatings could survive the
to use additive manufacturing for automuch thicker, he said. Our coating is
harsh space environment. (Flickr Creative
mated masking to reduce the touch time.
Commons/Liangjinjian)
only about a couple of microns thick.
14
www.techbriefs.com
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Intro
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surfaces of spaceflight gear. The need
for the technology arose when astronauts came back covered with lunar dust
that damaged their suits.
The name for the coating comes from
the method it uses to prevent contamination from sticking. It mimics that of a
lotus plant shedding water. Although the
lotus leaf appears smooth, under a microscope, its surface contains innumerable
tiny spikes that greatly reduce the area on
which water and dirt can attach. This special quality is what the NASA team is
attempting to replicate to prevent dirt
from accumulating on the surfaces of
spacesuits, scientific instruments, robotic
rovers, solar array panels, and other hardware. The coatings potential uses on
Earth include car windshields, camera
lenses, and eyeglasses almost anywhere
a need exists to repel dirt.
Metallurgy and Material

Selection
For metallurgy and material selection
for projects at Goddard, Tim Stephenson,
Senior Metallurgist in the Materials
Engineering Branch, focuses on three
major technology aspects. The first, and
most recent, is the athermalization of
optical structures, part of which has been
inspired by the James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST). The low-expansion
alloy used to maintain alignment of the
optical structures the four instruments
that sit inside the JWST Integrated
Science Instrument Module (ISIM)
was Invar, which was discovered 100 years
ago. Invar is a dense, heavy iron material,
and there is almost half a ton of it on
Thermal coatings engineer Nithin Abraham

applies a spray coating in the Contamination
and Coating Lab.
Mark Hasegawa (left) is the Thermal Coatings Application and Development Group Lead. Grace
Miller is a coatings engineer at NASA Goddard who is world renowned in her field, and has worked
on coatings development for virtually all NASA missions dating back to the 1960s. She recently celebrated 50 years of service at Goddard. Alfred Wong (right), a contamination engineer in the
Coatings Lab, is applying additive manufacturing techniques to reduce masking steps.
JWST. Since mass drives launch cost, the

idea was to try to lightweight this material
in any way possible and still have it behave
the way we want it to behave in other
words, not change dimensionally with
temperature, said Stephenson.
A second aspect of his work is tailoring
thermal expansion. Stresses developed in
structures as temperatures change are
minimized if they move in lockstep with
each other. We have an active effort in
developing silicon optics using single
crystal silicon. I can match thermal
expansion to zinc solenoid, beryllium,
and Schott glasses that were going to be
used for x-ray optics, and thats shifted
back to silicon. Thats all part of the
athermalization to minimize the distortion that occurs when we change temperature, Stephenson explained.
The third area is tailoring the geometry
of structures to select a natural frequency
response; materials that will null out lowfrequency vibrations and tolerate high-frequency vibrations. This has a lot to do
with sensitive instruments on the top of a
rocket. We can put more sensitive instruments into space if we can tailor the materials around them to null out the damaging frequencies, he said.
The promise of additive manufacturing
technology also is evident in metallurgy.
One of the challenging issues with additive
manufacturing as far as making structural
components, according to Stephenson, is
16
trying to understand their damage tolerance what is the critical flaw size? In
raw materials, thats pretty easy to do. Its
more of a challenge with metal matrix
composites and ceramic matrix composites, he explained. But with additive
manufacturing, youre essentially building
things up using the material almost as if its
a continuous weld. Thats a challenge.
Theres a whole non-destructive evaluation staff thats making rocket components using additive manufacturing.
Once you look at the cost from idea to
actual implementation, about 10% of the
cost is in the development of the concept,
and about 90% is in the scale-up to actually make it useful. There are a lot of custom
things we can do in additive manufacturing that arent done in the commercial
sector that are driven specifically to cut
cost mixing and matching materials,
developing functional structures for natural frequency tailoring, Stephenson said.
A lot of the things Ive worked on
have been in response to the science
people saying, I wish we had a material
that would , and I say, I can help you
out with that.
RESOURCES
For more information, contact Dennis
Small in Goddards Strategic Partnerships
Program Office at 301-286-5810, or email
techtransfer@gsfc.nasa.gov.
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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Intro
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APPLICATION
BRIEFS
Control Solutions Synchronize
Operation of Space Launch System
Heavy Transporters
Control panels, embedded PCs, automation software, and
servomotors and drives
Beckhoff Automation
Savage, MN
952-890-0000
www.beckhoffautomation.com
arge NASA production facilities, such as the Michoud

Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, are among the
largest manufacturing facilities in the world, with more than
1,870,000 square feet of floor space for assembly and manufacturing space that NASA shares with commercial aerospace and
U.S. government contractors. A major activity at MAF is the
assembly of core stage components for NASAs Space Launch
System (SLS) rocket program. The most powerful rocket ever
built, the SLS will be capable of carrying the highest payload
mass in history. When fully assembled, the SLS measures 322
feet high with a launch weight of 5.5 million pounds, and a payload capacity of 77 tons. NASA uses Wheelift Self-Propelled
Modular Transporters (SPMTs), manufactured by Doerfer
Companies of Waverly, IA, to move the rocket components.
Key components in the assembly include the liquid oxygen
and liquid hydrogen tanks. Representing comparatively smaller
rocket components, intertank manufacturing is also handled at
MAF. Large sections of the various tanks must be moved
throughout assembly and manufacturing processes; when the
tanks are complete, they are moved out of the manufacturing
facility via SPMT equipment and cranes to be packed and
shipped to the launch site, typically by sea on a barge.
Operator control of the Wheelift is handled primarily
through an intuitive radio interface. While one Wheelift is more
than enough for most applications, NASA applications are much
more elaborate. Multiple Wheelift vehicles must work together
to pick up large loads and even pick up multiple points of especially heavy loads. In order to safely move such large pieces of
equipment over distances as far as 1 to 2 miles, four separate
Wheelift SPMTs are coordinated together, holding large fixtures
to cradle the NASA rocket components. This required Doerfer
to gather continuous feedback from the fixture that supports
the various tanks to maintain precise alignment of the load.
Four Wheelift SPMTs are each rated for up to 100-ton load
capacity, and together move the rocket stage equipment onto
a public road, over a levee, and onto a barge. The Wheelift
SPMTs and rocket components then travel by barge to the next
NASA facility. Wheelift transporters integrate Uniload fluidequalizing suspension technology across every axle in the system, increasing capacities to a virtually unlimited weight. Each
of the wheels on the Wheelift automatically holds their own
share of the load, and permits omni-directional movement for
limitless options for steering and positioning.
18
It is challenging to maintain coordination of multiple SPMTs

balancing a support fixture over difficult ground conditions
such as bumps and other elevation changes in plant floors and
pathways. Managing these loads also requires heavy-duty servomotors and tires, as well as an advanced automation and control system that can keep up with constantly changing conditions. Through an advanced PC-based control platform from
Beckhoff Automation, the engineers at Doerfer ensure that
the Wheelift can compensate for this according to feedback
from the support fixtures, and reposition SPMTs as needed.
Doerfer dynamically sets the SPMTs to work together and
share load or torque in different groups within a synchronized
system. Hundreds of tons of rocket components must travel
over production floors and pathways without damaging the surfaces, as these are likely not reinforced for such extremely heavy
loads. The Wheelift system addresses this and other issues,
designed such that it does not apply excessive force underneath
the SPMTs or across the support fixture. This avoids imbalances
and potential damage to the fixture and the fuel tank components in transport. The four SPMTs, working in tandem, must
constantly maintain safe velocity and steering centers.
Leveraging TwinCAT 3 automation software from Beckhoff,
Doerfer has designated one SPMT that works as the master for
the vehicle group with the others following as slaves in an objectoriented control architecture. Each of the Wheelift SPMTs oper-
Since January 2014, Wheelift Self-Propelled Modular Transporters

(SPMTs) have been used by NASA to transport SLS rockets and components from site to site.
A PC-based control platform from Beckhoff Automation ensures that the

Wheelift can handle changing, frequently uneven terrain, and reposition
SPMTs as needed.
www.techbriefs.com
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Motion control for the Wheelift wheels is handled by Beckhoff AX5000 servo drives and
AM3000 servomotors.
ates via the TwinCAT 3 PLC runtime,

loaded on Beckhoff CP6201 Panel PCs
with Intel Core2 Duo processors. The
newest generation of Wheelift SPMTs
accomplishes this via DIN rail mounted
Beckhoff CX2030 embedded PCs. The
HMI devices mounted directly on the
Wheelift are Beckhoff CP29xx series
multi-touch control panels. EtherCAT
serves both as the I/O and drive bus in
Wheelift SPMTs for sub-millisecond communication times and flexible connectivity to other bus systems. The terminals are
connected to hardware e-stop buttons,
and also activate with any loss of radio
communications.
The automation system on the
Wheelift, which can have as many as 24
axes per vehicle, must handle highly
advanced positioning algorithms to successfully compensate for the movement
of extremely heavy loads. Motion control for Doerfers heavy-duty Uniload
wheels on the Wheelift is handled by
AX5000 EtherCAT servo drives and
AM3000 servomotors from Beckhoff.
For the support fixtures that cradle
the rocket sections, the Doerfer team
was required to control rotation at 4
degrees, and the Wheelift held that to
0.25 degree. Doerfer held the maximum distance between the two fixtures
to about 3/8".
Since NASA began using the Wheelift
vehicles, which measure less than 22"
high, the Agency has successfully avoided major new infrastructure investments
at their manufacturing sites. Doerfer is
able to prepare the Wheelift SPMTs,
load them, and run them on the plant
floor for NASA in a week or less.
Positioned for Tough,

Compact Applications
Novotechniks TX2 Series pivot-head mounting can handle up to 12.5 of
offset from misalignment without affecting performance. The TX2 is
designed for mobile and other tough environments with
heavy-duty construction featuring a stainless
steel rod and metal housing. It is
sealed against ingress of
dust and liquids.
Specifications
Stroke lengths from 25 to 300 mm
Very long life to 50 million movements
Resolution better than 0.01 mm
Repeatability to 0.01 mm
Linearity up to 0.05%
For complete TX2 information, visit www.novotechnik.com/tx2
Novotechnik U.S., Inc.
155 Northboro Road Southborough, MA 01772
Telephone: 508-485-2244 Fax: 508-485-2430
For Free Info Visit

http://info.hotims.com/61062-115
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19
Technology Focus: Software

Predicting Magnetospheric Relativistic >1 MeV Electrons
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
here is an association between HighIntensity Long-Duration Continuous

AE (HILDCAA) activity intervals and the
acceleration of relativistic >1 MeV electrons in the magnetosphere. All of the
HILDCAAs that occurred in solar cycle
23 (SC23) from 1995 to 2008 led to the
acceleration of E>0.6 MeV, >2.0 MeV,
and >4.0 MeV electrons in the Earths
outer radiation belts. What is particularly
noteworthy is that the E>0.6 MeV electron
acceleration was delayed ~1.0 day after the
onset of the HILDCAA event, the E>2.0
MeV electrons delayed ~1.5 days after the
onset of the HILDCAA event, and the
E>4.0 MeV electrons delayed ~2.5 days
after the onset of the HILDCAA event.
Because relativistic electrons can be
damaging to spacecraft in Earth orbit,
knowledge of future enhanced radiation

will allow spacecraft engineers to safe
their spacecraft from the upcoming radiation. The investigators worked to
understand if it was solar and interplanetary forcing that was causing the radiation near Earth. A likely scenario is that
high-speed solar wind streams come
from coronal holes on the Sun. The
embedded Alfvn waves in the solar
wind plasma cause reconnection of magnetic fields on the dayside of the Earths
magnetosphere, and the solar wind convects the fields and plasma to the tail.
After the magnetic fields reconnect in
the tail, the plasma is heated as it is
injected into the nightside region of the
magnetosphere. The energetic ~10 to
100 keV electrons generate electromag-
netic waves called chorus waves, which

interact with the ~100 keV electrons to
accelerate them to ~MeV energies.
Interplanetary space data and solar
information gathered from NASA, ESA,
and NOAA satellites were used to solve
the problem.
This work was done by Bruce T. Tsurutani of
Caltech; Rajkumar Hajra, Ezequiel Echer, and
Walter D. Gonzalez of Institute Nacional de
Pesquisas Espaciais, Sao Jose dos Campos,
Brazil; and Ondrej Santolik of the Institute of
Atmospheric Physics and Charles University,
Prague Czech Republic, for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. This software is available for license through the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, and you may request a license at:
https://download.jpl.nasa.gov/ops/request/
request_introduction.cfm. NPO-49852
Optimal Prioritized Actuator Allocation

This allocation could improve the safety and autonomy of missions where it is critical to
match torque first to minimize disturbances to spacecraft pointing.
resulting from the individual actuator commands. Mission constraints and in-flight
failures limit the configuration of actuators
on a spacecraft, in turn limiting the ability
to achieve the commanded forces and
torques. Further, off-nominal situations can
result in commands that require more agility than the actuators can provide. When a
desired maneuver exceeds the capabilities
of the actuators, it is often more important
to maintain pointing that is, prioritize
torques so translational engines stay
pointed in the correct direction and
appendages do not strike other bodies.
Prioritized allocation is achieved by solving three or more successive optimization
problems instead of the standard two. This
approach extends Bodsons framework,
where the principal novelty is to explicitly
prioritize rather than weight the force
and torque components by introducing
additional, successive optimization problems. The new approach consists of solving each level of prioritization with a con-
20
www.techbriefs.com
or formation flying, rendezvous and

docking, and proximity operations
with small bodies of the solar system,
spacecraft require simultaneous translational and rotational agility. The necessary
agility is generally provided by combinations of multiple small thrusters and
torque-only actuators. To use these actuators, an onboard control system first calculates desired forces and torques that cause
a spacecraft to follow a desired trajectory.
Then the commanded forces and torques
are turned into individual commands to
specific actuators such that the combined
action of all the actuators realizes as closely as possible the commanded forces and
torques. This problem is referred to as
actuator (or control) allocation.
Actuator allocation is fundamentally a
constrained optimization problem: given
the actuator configuration, find individual
actuator commands that minimize the difference between the desired force and
torque, and the total force and torque
Intro
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straint that ensures the performance of

the preceding optimizations is maintained. For example, first match the commanded torque as closely as possible.
Then a second optimization problem is
solved that minimizes the error between
desired and allocated force with an additional constraint that maintains the optimal torque-matching performance from
the first optimization problem. In this way,
torque is prioritized over force. Finally, the
overall actuator command vector is minimized as in the standard approach. In all
optimizations, the maximum impulse constraint is also enforced.
The explicit prioritization developed
here is different than weighting. Weighting
will not give best torque followed by best
force, but rather, 99% best torque and conceivably very poor force matching since it is
de-weighted. Further, the approach is generalizable to any prioritization of the six
degrees of freedom; for example, when
near the surface of a small body matching
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Software
tip/tilt torque, then axial force, then twist
torque, and finally lateral forces.
The main application is attitude and
position control of spacecraft. A prioritized thrust allocator is directly applicable
and could improve the safety and autonomy of the proposed Asteroid Redirect and
Return Mission (ARRM), asteroid/comet

sample return missions, autonomous and
piloted rendezvous and docking, and precision formation flying missions concepts
such as Exo-S, where it is critical to match
torque first to minimize disturbances to
spacecraft pointing.
This work was done by Daniel P. Scharf,

Milan Mandic, and Jordi Casoliva of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This software
is available for license through the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, and you may request a
license at: https://download.jpl.nasa.gov/ops/
request/request_introduction.cfm. NPO-49675
Terrain Model Registration

Model registration solves target tracking and target handoff problems.
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
his technology is a method for registration of terrain models created using

stereovision on a planetary rover. Most 3D
model registration approaches use some
variant of iterated closest point (ICP),
which minimizes a norm based on the distances between corresponding points on
an arbitrary 3D surface where closest
points are taken to be corresponding
points. The approach taken here instead
projects the two surface models into a
common viewpoint, rendering the models
as they would be seen from a single range
sensor. Correspondence is established by
determining which points on the two surfaces project to the same location on the
virtual range sensor image plane. The
norm of the deviations in observed depth
at all pixels is used as the objective function, and the algorithm finds the rigid
transformation, which minimizes the
norm. This recovered transformation can
be used for visual odometry, rover pose
estimation, and feature handoff.
Single cycle instrument placement
(SCIP) is the single greatest autonomy
need for the next generation of Mars
rovers. The goal of SCIP is to enable a
planetary rover to approach and place an
instrument on a scientifically interesting

point on the terrain from a distance of
ten meters. This must happen within one
command cycle, so that after an operator
selects a science target and uploads a
command, the next response from the
rover is the requested science measurement from the target.
The first step in SCIP is the navigation of
the rover to a location that places the point
of interest within the workspace of the arm
that carries an instrument. Uncertainty
about the exact target position and accumulated rover localization errors requires
that the rover actively keep track of where
the target is in relation to itself as it navigates towards it. Once positioned, the rover
evaluates the target to ensure the instrument can be safely placed, and then moves
it into place with the arm.
Terrain model registration can solve
both the target tracking and target handoff problems. Tracking is done by registering successively acquired terrain models
of the target area to the initially acquired
model of the target. Tracking also provides information about rover motion
between views. Handoff is done by registering the target models from two sensors.
Registration of 3D surface models is an

attractive approach for rover localization.
As long as the lighting conditions permit
the acquisition of images for stereo, the
resulting 3D surface models are independent of the lighting conditions. This
is attractive compared to 2D approaches
that might have difficulty with tracking
features or recognizing places when lighting conditions change.
During testing, surface models were not
cleaned in any way, and the results are
still promising. Other reported approaches require mesh regularization and cleaning in order to ensure that there are no
outliers before minimizing a norm that is
sensitive to large deviations. These steps
may improve the results achievable using
robust estimation, but empirically are not
required for it to work.
This work was done by Matthew Deans,
Clayton Kunz, and James Sargent for Ames
Research Center. NASA is seeking partners to
further develop this technology through joint
cooperative research and development. For
more information about this technology and
to explore opportunities, please contact
David Morse at david.r.morse@nasa.gov or
650-604-4724. ARC-15432-1
Error Budget for Pointing at Surface Features From Close

Range
from the source of the error to the surface. Translational errors (which dont
apply for celestial pointing distances)
were added to the error budget.
The novelty here is the introduction of
the concept of an effective origin of
error and inclusion of translational error,
and the derivation of a new mathematical
formulation. This innovation is useful for
22
www.techbriefs.com
raditional error budgets that characterize pointing capability in terms of

a single radial angle lack sufficient
information to support analysis of pointing error in terms of distance along a
nearby surface.
This work characterizes all sources of
angular pointing error in terms of the
traditional radial angle, plus a distance
Intro
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calculating error for any spacecraft pointing at a nearby surface.

This work was done by Stephen F. Peters of
Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This software is available for license through
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and you may
request a license at: https://download.
jpl.nasa.gov/ops/request/request_introduction.
cfm. NPO-49661
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Intro
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Software
Traceable Automation with Remote Display and

Interruptible Scheduler Version 1.04.0
Many complex procedures can be completed more quickly, under controlled conditions, and
without human intervention or error.
raceable Automation with Remote

Display and Interruptible Scheduler
(TARDIS) is a software set designed for
use in ground operations. TARDIS is a
multi-mission automation framework that
supports seamless integration of manual
and automatic processing. It was developed to automate mission design and navigation (MDN) procedures, but is general
enough to automate many other kinds of
procedures as well. It allows users to
define the tasks to run and the circumstances under which to run them.
Thereafter, TARDIS watches the entire
host computer and automatically runs the
corresponding tasks as conditions
change. It also watches the tasks as they
run and logs their results. It provides a
graphical user interface (GUI) front end,
so users can monitor and control system
state and task progress from any Web
browser. As a result, many complex procedures can be completed more quickly,
under controlled conditions, and without
human intervention or error.
TARDIS allows users to define arbitrarily complex circumstances under which

to run each task. These circumstances
include (a) time-based events, e.g. twice
per hour on every weeknight; (b) filebased events, e.g. whenever at least three
new files appear with names matching
some desired pattern; (c) task-based
events, e.g. whenever another task named
XYZ has completed; and (d) arbitrarily
complex combinations of any or all of
those kinds of events, e.g. whenever J and
K both happen OR L and M both happen, OR three Ks and two Ms all happen.
It allows users to connect tasks together
into higher-level procedures, running different sequences of tasks according to the
actual state of the host computer, whether
various tasks pass or fail, what inputs
become available at different times, and
more. It also allows users to intervene for
any tasks in a procedure, e.g. to keep correcting errors and rerunning a task until it
completes successfully. These manual
interventions may occur at any time, after
which the user may tell TARDIS to continue automatic processing from that point
forward. All the while, TARDIS can perform automatic processing of other, unrelated tasks in any procedure.
It can salvage and optionally restart
interrupted tasks, even if the entire host
system crashes without warning and is
rebooted later. Processing continues with
whichever tasks were running when the
host system crashed. In addition to its
command line user interface (CLUI),
TARDIS provides a GUI to allow users to
monitor and control the state of the host
computer and the progress of every task.
Because its GUI is Web-based, users can
run it in any browser from any computer.
This work was done by Richard M. Kelly, Ian
M. Roundhill, Jae H. Lee, and Ahlam A. Attiyah
of Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This software is available for license through
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and you may
request a license at: https://download.jpl.nasa.
gov/ops/request/request_introduction.cfm.
NPO-49507
Java Pathfinder (JPF) Core System

he JPF Core System is a framework to

analyze and verify Java bytecode programs. The major component of JPF
core is an extensible and runtime-configurable virtual machine (VM) that can
be customized with runtime components such as specific instruction sets
and plug-ins to observe program execution. The JPF core can store and restore
program states, and comes with a configuration that constitutes a standalone
software model checker that can be used

to detect and analyze concurrency
defects in Java applications like deadlocks or data race conditions.
The underlying key capability of the
JPF VM is to execute the system under
test in many alternative ways, thus achieving significantly better coverage than traditional testing, while providing better
insight into execution details. The main
design goal of the JPF core framework is
its extensibility. It therefore is a suitable

basis for creating specialized, runtimeconfigured verification tools that use the
JPF core libraries to perform tasks such as
test case generation or user interface
model checking.
This work was done by Peter Mehlitz of
SGT, Inc. for Ames Research Center. This
software is available for use. To request a
copy, please visit https://software.nasa.gov/
software/ARC-17487-1.
Single Doppler Retrieval Toolkit (SingleDop)

Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama
ingle-Doppler retrieval of low-level,

two-dimensional winds is desired to
compare ground radar wind retrievals to
satellite scatterometer wind retrievals.
This needs to be integrated within the
growing collection of open-source radar

tools maintained by the Python
Atmospheric/Ocean Sciences (PyAOS)
community. SingleDop is a software
module written in Python that retrieves
24
2D, low-level winds from either real or

simulated Doppler radar data.
It ingests Doppler radar data using
the Department of Energys Py-ART
open-source radar software toolkit, or
www.techbriefs.com
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specifies synthetic wind data. After

analysis, the user has options to either
plot the retrieved 2D wind data or save
them. It works using the IPython interactive command line interface, or the
user can write a script that calls the
module to do analyses and plots in
batch mode. The interface is simplified
to a single line of code in the end users

Python scripts, making implementation
of the algorithm in research analyses
very easy.
Simple visualization (including vector
and contour plots) and save/load routines (to preserve analysis results) are
provided.
This work was done by Timothy Lang of

Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research and
development. For more information about
this technology and to explore opportunities,
please contact Ronald C. Darty at
Ronald.C.Darty@nasa.gov. MFS-33272-1
Computing Efficient Onboard Analysis and Re-Scheduling

The objective is to speed up the responsiveness to onboard decision-making.
rior space missions have not routinely used onboard decision-making.

The Autonomous Sciencecraft (ASE),
flying onboard the Earth Observing One
spacecraft, has been flying autonomous
agent software for the past decade that
enables it to analyze acquired imagery
onboard, and use that analysis to determine future imaging. However, ASE
takes approximately one hour to analyze
and respond.
A scheduling prototype was developed
for the Earth Observing Autonomy
(EOA) project to increase the responsiveness of spacecraft flight software for

onboard decision-making, as well as to
increase the capabilities of flight software. Specifically, onboard image analysis and response performance are estimated to be in the minutes range operating on standard flight hardware. This
work focused on the re-scheduling of the
future image acquisitions in the context
of an existing set of requests, along with
new requests based on onboard analysis
of just-acquired imagery.
The software prototype of the EOA

capability includes several autonomy
components:
1. Onboard science processing algorithms. Science analysis algorithms process
onboard image data to detect science
events and suggest reactions to maximize
science return. Specifically, the use of the
Mixture-Tuned Match Filter (MTMF) for
onboard spectral analysis of acquired
imagery was investigated, but ASE has
already demonstrated the utility of thermal
analysis for volcanoes and wildfires, spec-
25
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Software
tral analysis for flooding, spectral analysis
for cryosphere study, as well as spectral
unmixing for mineralogical analysis.
2. Onboard planning and scheduling
software. The Continuous Activity
Scheduling Planning Execution and
Replanning (CASPER), combined with the
Eagle Eye Mission Planning Software system, generates a baseline mission operations plan from observation requests. This
baseline plan is subject to considerable
modification onboard in response to data

analysis from step 1. The model-based
planning algorithms enable rapid response
to a wide range of operations scenarios
based on models of spacecraft constraints.
3. Robust execution software. The JPL
core flight software (CFS) expands the
CASPER mission plan to low-level spacecraft
commands, and includes a powerful and
expressive sequencing engine. The CFS
sequencing engine monitors the execution
of the plan and has the flexibility and knowledge to perform improvements in execution as well as local responses to anomalies.
This work was done by Dero Gharibian
and Steve A. Chien of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. This software is
available for license through the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, and you may request
a license at: https://download.jpl.nasa.gov/
ops/request/request_introduction.cfm.
NPO-49806
libSPRITE
ibSPRITE is a set of software libraries

used in the development of software
applications. The libraries provide components for encoding engineering units,
math functions, a task scheduler built on
top of pthreads, a publish/subscribe data
distribution system, and a Lua scripting
language interface.
libSPRITE is composed of the following components: Base, Units
(depends on Base), Utilities (depends
on Base), Math (depends on Units),
SRTX (depends on Units), and SCALE
(depends on SCALE).
libSPRITE was specifically designed for
real-time systems that operate on a single
computational node, but may be multicore. Of primary importance was to systematically address common coding errors,
provide for multi-threaded programming
that produces the exact same results
regardless of the number of cores on fee
host compute node, and provide support
for in-operation reconfigurability (parameter and control flow modifications).
libSPRITE was designed to host both
flight software and simulations. The
rationale for that decision was to enable
application-level software development
to take place on non-flight hardware
thus reducing bottlenecks caused by limited access to flight hardware. To achieve
this, it was important that fee code execute the same on fee multicore systems
typically found on desktops and laptops,
and single-core systems typically found
on spacecraft. A side benefit of this
approach is that simulations can also be
developed on this framework and
deployed on systems with varying numbers of processors/cores while achieving
repeatable results.
The intent is to open-source the software to ease leveraging community-based
development.
This software is available for use. To request
a copy, please visit https://software.nasa.gov/
software/MFS-33231-1.
Tool for Rapid Analysis of Monte Carlo (TRAM) Simulation Data

This tool can be used in any engineering industry that uses Monte Carlo simulations as part
of a design and analysis process.
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
pacecraft design is inherently difficult

due to the complexity of the systems
involved and the expense of testing hardware in a realistic environment. The number and cost of flight tests can be reduced
by performing extensive simulation and
analysis studies to understand vehicle
operating limits and identify circumstances that lead to mission failure. A
Monte Carlo simulation approach that
varies a wide range of parameters is typically used to generate a large set of test
scenarios. The results of these analyses
bound the vehicle performance and eventually help certify a spacecraft for flight.
Identifying variables that drive the design
is crucial to ensure safety and reliability of a
spacecraft. The Monte Carlo simulation
process is perhaps the most important, and
also the most time-consuming, part of the
design and analysis cycle of any space vehicle. Engineers seek to pinpoint influential
variables that directly affect a particular system requirement in order to address the
necessary changes in the design. The main
objective of TRAM is to accelerate the data
analysis process while providing engineers
with more confidence in their analysis
results than when the analysis process is
done manually.
Monte Carlo data analysis for problems with a relatively small number of
design variables has been addressed in a
number of ways, but the analysis of data
for fully integrated spacecraft has mostly
been performed manually on an individual basis by a large number of people
working simultaneously.
TRAM combines different patternrecognition algorithms into an interactive
26
analysis tool that allows a user to explore

large data sets in a very efficient manner.
TRAM automatically searches data sets for
specific patterns and highlights critical
design variables so engineers can focus
their analysis efforts. This tool does not
replace the analysts, but it can quickly
point them to the design variables responsible for specific system failures. The tool
streamlines the process of verifying performance requirements, making decisions
on which design parameters must be
updated, and reporting problems to other
team members. Current results show that
this tool can quickly and automatically
identify individual design parameters, and
most importantly, combinations of up to
four design parameters that play a significant role in any specified system failures.
TRAM was originally developed to analyze
www.techbriefs.com
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sets of flight dynamics Monte Carlo data,

but the algorithms are applicable to any
Monte Carlo data set. The inputs and outputs of TRAM have a very generic format,
so the process can be applicable to any
other engineering design problem with a
large number of design parameters.
TRAM has two main pieces of code: A
MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI)
that contains some of the analysis algorithms, and a parallel code that runs on a
graphical processing unit (GPU) located
on a JSC server that contains the rest of the
analysis algorithms. The MATLAB user
interface takes the Monte Carlo data in the
form of three MATLAB files. The GUI
allows the analyst to select analysis variables
and system performance metrics for a
given analysis task. The MATLAB GUI
sends the data to the GPU, where it runs

through the analysis algorithms. The GPU
sends the data back to the MATLAB GUI,
where the user has the chance to display it
graphically and further explore the results.
TRAM requires only three inputs in a
very simple format so that any Monte
Carlo data set can be quickly prepared for
analysis. TRAM never manipulates the
Monte Carlo data, it does not make any
assumptions, it does not normalize the
data, and it keeps original physical units
throughout the analysis process. TRAM
treats all design parameters as equals, and
it does not require the analyst to categorize or group different types of variables.
This allows a user to analyze a system as a
whole rather than analyzing each subsystem separately.
The algorithms are based on two wellknown pattern recognition algorithms: kernel density estimation and k-nearest neighbors. However, the results of these two algorithms are combined in a novel manner in
order to rank the design variables and variable subspaces in order of importance. The
cost function that represents the influence
of a parameter on a specified failure was
developed specifically for TRAM.
This work was done by Carolina Restrepo
and Kurt McCall of Johnson Space Center,
and James Garton of Texas A&M
University. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint
more information about this technology
and to explore opportunities, please contact
jsc-techtran@mail.nasa.gov. MSC-25231-1
Object-Oriented FITS File Interface for MATLAB

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
he ability to read complicated

Flexible Image Transport System
(FITS) files in MATLAB was required
for analyzing data from the Integrated
Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

cryovac test campaign for the James
Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project.
This software was written to fill that
specific need, but is more generally

applicable.
FITS is the predominant file format for
storing image data from astronomical tele-
27
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Software
scopes, including ground test campaigns.
This software provides an object-oriented
interface for easily reading and writing
FITS files in the MATLAB computing environment, and allows the user to more easily manipulate more complicated aspects
of the standard, including header data
and multiple header data units (HDUs).
Image data from the ISIM of the JWST
is encoded in the FITS format. Portions
of this data are analyzed using software

written in MATLAB. While MATLAB
does provide both high- and low-level
interfaces for reading files in the FITS
file format, those interfaces do not present a unified method for reading and
writing header data and multiple header-data units. This software provides the
user with a convenient interface for
manipulating these more complicated
aspects of the FITS file format in the

MATLAB programming language.
This work was done by Thomas Zielinski
of Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA is
seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research
and development. For more information
about this technology and to explore opportunities, please contact Scott Leonardi at
Robert.S.Leonardi@nasa.gov. GSC-17165-1
Space Station Research Explorer

This program presents experiments, facilities, and research results from the International
Space Station in formats that could be easily understood by a wide audience.
he Space Station Research Explorer

provides current information on
International Space Station (ISS) experiments, facilities, and research results
through video, photos, interactive media,
and in-depth descriptions on iOS and
Android devices.
The Experiments section provides access
to the six main experiment categories and
their subcategories. Experiments are
depicted as dots within the category system,

and the stems connecting the dots to the
system depict the length of time the experiment spent on orbit. Users can drill down
to see specific experiments within the categories and subcategories, or search for a
specific experiment or subject using the
search option. Experiment descriptions
consist of links, images, and publications if
available. The Experiments section can be
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further narrowed by selecting a specific

expedition and sponsor by using the dials at
the top right of the screen.
The Facilities section provides an interior view of three of the station modules:
Columbus, Kibo, and Destiny. Once the
module is selected, the interior image can
be navigated by dragging up and down to
see different sides of the module, and left
and right to view any racks not shown on
the screen. Tapping a rack gives a brief
description of the rack and an experiment
description if available.
The Benefits section provides information on Human Health, Earth Benefits, and
Global Education. Selecting a section allows
the benefits to be investigated further. The
Media section provides access to three tabs:
Podcasts, Games, and Videos. The Games
section contains a game that introduces
players to the differences in gravity when
tossing a ball. Podcasts contains links to
NASA ScienceCasts, and Videos contains
links to science-related videos. The last section contains links to other Space Station
research sites and NASA applications.
The application was built using the
Unity Game Engine for cross-platform
compatibility and is available for iOS and
Android platforms through iTunes and
Google Play. Updates are provided on a
regular basis.
This work was done by Sharon Goza and
David Shores of Johnson Space Center; and
William Leu, Raymond Kraesig, Eric Richeson,
Clinton Wallace, Moses Hernandez, Cheyenne
McKeegan, Logan Kelly, and Michael Kray of
Tietronix Software, Inc. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through
joint cooperative research and development.
For more information about this technology
jsc-techtran@mail.nasa.gov. MSC-25829
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Integrated Circuit for Radio Astronomy Correlators
Supporting Large Arrays of Antennas
adio telescopes that employ arrays of

many antennas are in operation, and
ever-larger ones are being designed and
proposed. Signals from the antennas are
combined by cross-correlation. While
the cost of most components of the telescope is proportional to the number of
antennas, N, the cost and power consumption of cross-correlation are proportional to N2, and dominate at sufficiently large N. As radio telescopes get
larger, there is a need to provide digitalsignal-processing electronics that are
smaller and less power-hungry than
would be implied by the extrapolation of
existing designs.
The goal of this work was to develop
a custom integrated circuit (IC) that
performs one of the most power-consuming processes correlation
using an efficient architecture. The IC
performs digital cross-correlations for
arbitrarily many antennas in a powerefficient way. It uses an intrinsically lowpower architecture in which the movement of data between devices is minimized. In a large system, each IC performs correlations for all pairs of antennas, but for a portion of the telescopes
bandwidth. In this design, the correlations are performed in an array of 4,096
complex multiply-accumulate (CMAC)
units. This is sufficient to perform all
correlations in parallel for 64 signals.
When N is larger, the input data are
buffered in an on-chip memory, and
the CMACs are re-used as many times as
needed to compute all correlations.
The design has been synthesized and
simulated so as to obtain accurate estimates of the ICs size and power consumption. As of this writing, physical
design (layout) and fabrication of prototypes remain to be done.
The IC design provides a power-efficient means of computing all cross-correlations among many signals. The power
efficiency is more than two orders of magnitude better than that of existing large
correlators, and about a factor of 20 better than planned correlators based on
future-generation field-programmable
gate arrays (FPGAs). The IC is flexible in
that it can be used to construct correlators for almost any number of antennas,
although its efficiency is best if N is a multiple of 64.
This work was done by Douglas Wang and
Larry R. DAddario of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is seeking
partners to further develop this technology
through joint cooperative research and
please contact Dan Broderick at Daniel.
F.Broderick@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-50004
Fabrication of Silicon-Leg Isolated Bi-Cr Thermopiles

This innovation involves a fabrication methodology for realizing a silicon-leg isolated thermopile detector.
The detector consists of one or more
sets of Bi-Cr couples. The detector is
designed to operate between 170 and
300 K in the 14-to-400-micron spectral
band, and may be used for thermal
mapping of outer planet targets (e.g.,
Jupiter and its moons). Functional
operation of the process involved performing the actual fabrication inside a
Class 100 cleanroom.
Alternate embodiments of the innovation would include the use of thermopile materials different from the Bi
and Cr used; this is a generic process
that can be used for a wide variety of different thermopiles and other thermal
detectors. This process resulted in the
development of TiN thin film absorbers,
which have been demonstrated to have
>50% absorption over a 14-to-400-
30
www.techbriefs.com
he objective of this innovation was to

develop a methodology of fabricating
thermopile detectors using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques. The
goal was to develop a fabrication process
that minimized the roughening of the Si
legs during patterning of the metallic couples, and to enable delineation of the Si
legs without the use of highly toxic or carcinogenic chemicals. Another key
requirement was at least 50% optical
absorbance across the spectral band.
Prior techniques to pattern metallic
thin films on thin Si membranes typically
involved etchants that roughen the Si
itself. Furthermore, most methods used to
delineate Si legs involved the use of potassium hydroxide, which is highly toxic, or
trichloroethylene, which is carcinogenic.
Typical means to achieve high absorption
include the use of Bi thin film, which has
poor adhesion to Si, and gold black,
which is very difficult to delineate.
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micron spectral range; the development

of a TiN etching process that does not
etch the Si membrane; and the development of a Si leg delineation process,
which does not involve the use of highly
toxic or carcinogenic chemicals.
The highly absorbent thin film can be
lithographically defined, and is thermally and mechanically robust. Analysis of
the innovations capabilities was evaluated by considering the device yield. A
device yield >99% was achieved using
this fabrication process.
This work was done by Ari Brown of
Goddard Space Flight Center, Elbara Ziade of
Boston University, and Vilem Mikula of
Catholic University of America. NASA is
seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research
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Current Source Logic Gate

John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
igh-temperature electronic integrated circuits have been

demonstrated in silicon carbide (SiC) depletion mode
MESFETs. This process is only capable of producing depletion
mode n-channel MESFET transistors. With only this type of transistor, designing a logic gate is a challenge. A previous logic gate
design that can be constructed in the current process has performed well. This invention improves upon the previous design
by increasing output voltage range and decreasing the physical
layout size of a logic gate. This logic gate circuit consists of depletion mode MESFET/JFET transistors and resistors that can be
constructed with SiC depletion mode n-channel MESFETs.
The circuit is comprised of three circuit constructs: a current
source (Q1 and Rs) consisting of one transistor and one resistor, a
current steering switch input stage (Q2) consisting of at least one
transistor, and a resistor divider level shifting output stage (R1 and
R2). The current source comprised of Q1 and Rs provides current
to bias the output stage, and limits the total device current in the
logic gate. The current steering input stage of Q2 steers current to
set the output stage bias point, depending on input logic signal state.
Finally, the resistor divider level shifting output stage sets the output
stage bias points and further develops valid output logic signal states.
The circuit has two operating points: logic high input and logic
low input. As the basis gate for logic functions, the simplest function performed by the gate is the inverting or NOT function,
which results in a logic high output for a logic low input, and a
logic low output for logic high input. As an inverting logic gate,
and treating the current steering input stage transistor as a switch,
the circuit will have two ideal operating points. These ideal operating points illustrate optimal circuit operation; realized circuit operating points will differ from the ideal cases, but operation is similar.
The logic level high refers to 0V, and the logic level low refers to a
negative voltage equal to 1/2Vss. Replacing Q2 with series and/or
parallel transistor networks results in more complex logic constructs such as NOT AND (NAND), NOT OR (NOR), and in combination, complex sum of product functions.
This work was done by Michael Krasowski and Norman Prokop of
Glenn Research Center. NASA invites and encourages companies to
inquire about partnering opportunities. NASA is seeking partners to
further develop this technology through joint cooperative research and
development. For more information about this technology and to
explore opportunities, please contact ttp@grc.nasa.gov. LEW-19356-1
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Design of Double Layer

Rectenna Array for Fault
Isolation of Schottky Diode
in Operation Beyond V-Band
Frequencies
Basic designs
are readily
adaptable to a
wide variety of
applications,
special
requirements,
sizes, and
ratings.
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
icrowave power transmission using rectenna technology has

attracted a strong interest in conjunction with wireless electric
power delivery to infrastructure and subjects located at a remote
place. A typical rectenna, which is a major component of the wireless power transmission technology, consists of an antenna, a
32
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Schottky diode, and low-pass filters for lowfrequency electromagnetic wave isolation
in the device. To obtain high efficiency, an
electromagnetic wave is collected through a
high-resonance antenna, and the AC mode
of coupled wave energy is delivered to a
Schottky diode that rectifies AC power into
DC power. By connecting rectennas in
series or parallel, or in mixed way as well
as enlarging the receiving area the
rectenna array can capture microwave energy into a desirable mode of high power.
This invention introduces a new design
for high-frequency operation beyond Vband. The new design includes parallel
plate-type shunt capacitors and via connection on a double-layer layout. It is based on
previous work on rectenna development
for X-band operation using a dipole antenna structure. In a typical rectenna design,
the rectenna consists of a dipole antenna, a
low-pass filter, a Schottky diode, and a shunt
output capacitor.
Placing two capacitors on both ends of
the rectenna structure is important to suppress the re-radiation of high-order harmonic waves. In this invention, the direct connection between the dipole antenna and the
shunt capacitor is removed, and two parallel plate capacitors replace the planar capacitors in a typical design. The parallel plate
shunt capacitors with high-capacitance values can isolate high-order harmonics within
the rectenna structure, and suppress re-radiation of the second and third harmonics
through the antenna. Moreover, additional
transmitted wave loss at the fundamental frequency can also be eliminated in this design.
The capacitance ratio between planar and
parallel plate capacitors on the same projected area is more than 20 times, which is
directly related to the blocking efficiency
comparison of the new and old designs.
Another key feature in this design is the
DC routing with via structure connecting
the top layer and the bottom layers through
the substrate material. DC electrical potential at the top layer is transferred to the bottom layers with negligible loss through vias.
An electrical signal with the same polarity
from each rectenna is connected in parallel, and the electrical current from individual rectennas can be summed up and
increase output power.
The design avoids the direct connection
and replaces the function with shunt capacitors and parallel connection of the DC line
at the opposite side of a dielectric film using
via connection. Using this concept, resonance frequency of the dipole antenna can
maintain a low level of return loss even
under the variation of impedance values of
the adjacent device features. Isolation of

faulty diodes can be obtained by removing
the lines and blocking the electromagnetic
wave propagation at the shunt capacitor. In
addition, the benefit of a small cross-section
area by a two-layer layout can increase the
effective area for power conversion and
overall efficiency of a rectenna array.
This invention will provide robust operation during the high power conversion, and
upgrade power conversion efficiency of a
rectenna wireless power transmission tech-
nology. Potential impacts of this application

can extend to consumer electronics, industry, military, medical, and transportation.
This work was done by Hargsoon Yoon, Sang
H. Choi, Kunik Lee, and Kyo D. Song of
Langley Research Center. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through
LaRC-PatentLicensing@mail.nasa.gov.
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33

Multifunctional Ablative Thermal Protection System
This material has applications in aerospace systems, manufacturing, and structural
components requiring three-dimensional reinforcement.
ASA has developed a unique and

robust multifunctional material
called 3-Dimensional Multifunctional
Ablative (3DMAT) Thermal Protection
System (TPS) that meets both the structural and thermal performance needs
for a lunar return mission and beyond.
3DMAT uses a game-changing woven
technology tailored to the needs of the
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
(MPCV) compression pad. Compression
pads serve as the interface between the
crew module and service module of the
Orion MPCV. The compression pads
must carry the structural loads generated during launch, space operations, and
pyroshock separation of the two modules. They must also serve as an ablative
TPS withstanding the high heating of
Earth re-entry. 3DMAT leverages NASAs
investment in woven TPS to design, manufacture, test, and demonstrate a prototype material for the Orion compression
pads that combines the weaving of quartz
yarns with resin transfer molding.
The initial compression pad design
for Orion was complex and limited to
Earth orbit return missions, such as the
2014 Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1).
The 2D carbon phenolic material used
for EFT-1 has relatively low interlaminar
strength, and requires a metallic sheer
insert to handle structural loads. There
are few options for materials that can
meet the load demands of lunar return
missions due to performance or part-size
Backshell
Heatshield
Compression pads
(6 total)
The Orion crew module highlighting the compression pads in the heat shield.
limitations. The 3DMAT material is a

woven fiber preform fully densified with
cyanate ester resin. It produces a large
composite with significant structural
capabilities and the ability to withstand
high aerothermal heating environments
on its outer surface while keeping the
inner surface cool and protected from
the aerothermal heating. The robustness of the 3DMAT material is derived
from high fiber volume (>56%), 3D
orthogonal architecture, and low porosity (0.5%). Orion has adopted 3DMAT
for all future MPCV missions, including

EM-1 scheduled to launch in 2018.
This work was done by Jay Feldman of
Engineering Research and Consulting Inc.,
Curt Wilkinson of Bally Ribbon Mills, and
Kenneth Mercer of San Diego Composites Inc. for
Ames Research Center. NASA is seeking partners
to further develop this technology through joint
more information about this technology and to
explore opportunities, please contact David
Morse at david.r.morse@nasa.gov or 650604-4724. ARC-17602-1
Hierarchical Support for Nanocatalysts

acting the benefits of the nanoparticles.

Catalysts upon meso-porous support have
limited exposure due to diffusion distances
through the porous support. This requires
higher catalyst loading, and may lead to
particle coalescence and deactivation.
This innovation consists of a hierarchical nanocatalyst support structure for
incorporation within microchannel
34
www.techbriefs.com
his work focused on enhancing catalyst

activity and durability by developing a
method to control size, dispersion, and
exposure. Existing nanocatalysts are typically fabricated in bulk or powder form.
There are monolithic catalysts, but they
rely on meso-porous materials as supports.
Bulk nanocatalysts suffer from a lack of
complete exposure to reagents, counter-
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reactors. The hierarchical support consists of a 3D network of open pores within the microreactor structure, which is
coated with a nanofabricated support
(e.g., nanotubes or nanorods). The
nanocatalyst particles are deposited
upon the nanofabricated support.
There are no separate parts. The hierarchical support is fabricated or assemNASA Tech Briefs, June 2016
bled within a microchannel reactor system. The hierarchical support is an integral part of a reactor, and the operation is
the same as any conventional reactor.
Reagents are supplied and temperature is
controlled to the desired values.
The preferred system will have the
hierarchical support as an integral part
of a microchannel reactor layered structure. An alternate embodiment is to use
the hierarchical support structure as
monoliths inserted into a confined
space to avoid flow bypass.
Catalytic efficiency increases with

decreasing catalyst particle size (reflecting higher surface area per unit mass),
and chemical reactivity frequently is
enhanced at the nanoscale. By virtue of
their nanoscale dimensions, nanotubes
and nanorods geometrically restrict the
catalyst particle size that can be supported upon the tube walls. By confining
catalyst particles to sizes smaller than
the CNT diameter, a more uniform catalyst particle size distribution may be
maintained. The high dispersion pro-
vided by the vast surface area of the

nanoscale material serves to retain the
integrity of the catalyst by reducing sintering or coalescence.
This work was done by Susana Carranza of
Makel Engineering, and Randall Vander Wal
and Jane Fujiyama-Novak of Penn State
University for Johnson Space Center. NASA is
seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research and development. For more information about this technology and to explore opportunities, please contact jsc-techtran@mail.nasa.gov. MSC-24632-1
Control of Carbon Nanotube Density and Tower Height in

an Array
Applications include high-density semiconductor chips, and heat dissipation and thermal
conduction in personal computers, smartphones, and televisions.
se of arrays of carbon nanotubes

(CNTs) as an intermediary for transport of electrical particles (e.g., electrons)
and/or transport of thermal energy from
one body to another has grown. For exam-
ple, a CNT array may be used for dissipation of thermal energy or accumulated
electrical charge associated with operation
of an electronics device or system.
However, the device or system may require
use of different CNT array densities in various regions because of differing transport
requirements.
The technology described here allows
control of CNT growth density on a coarse
Precision machining
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Intro
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Whats On
M A T E R I A L S

scale and on a fine scale simultaneously, preferably with two or
more substantially different and adjustable scales (coarse and
fine) for the CNT density. The CNT density is allowed to vary from
one location to another. The technology allows variation and control, over a factor of about 1 to 1,000, in the coarse-scale local CNT
density, and of about 1 to 10 in the fine-scale local CNT density.
This method provides control over the growth density or tower
height of CNTs on a relatively coarse scale, with density adjustment over several orders of magnitude, using an applied electrical
field or voltage difference that is aligned substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface, which is adjacent to the surface during
growth. Control or influence of CNT growth density on a finer
scale, estimated at a factor of 2 to 10, is provided using temperature control for the CNT growth process. For example, an application of a modest electrical field of between 5 and 20 Volts over
a transverse electrode-to-electrode gap of about 25 mm (electrical
field value |E|=(28) 103 volts/cm) is estimated to change CNT
growth density by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude (coarse scale).
Variation of CNT source average temperature between 700 C and
850 C is estimated to change CNT growth density by a multiplicative factor of 2 to 10 (fine scale).
A first region may have a first range of CNT densities, and an
adjacent region, spaced apart from the first region, may have a
second range of CNT densities that partly overlaps, or has no overlap at all, with the density range of the first region. The second
region has a higher CNT density, and uses variable heating
and/or a reduced electrical field to provide the higher CNT density based on an experimentally determined growth curve and
experimental configuration of a device. This approach should be
distinguished from masking of regions on a substrate, where the
result is binary where either a CNT array with a fixed density
appears, or no CNTs appear in that region at all. The all-or-nothing approach is fine if the goal is thermal transport because maximum thermal transport benefits if the CNT concentrations are as
high as possible. However, if the need is for electron transport
(e.g., between adjacent signal processing components on a semiconductor chip), the desired CNT density may lie in an intermediate range, with both a lower bound and an upper bound.
This work was done by Lance D. Delzeit and John F. Schipper of Ames
Research Center. NASA is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this
technology. Please contact Trupti Sanghani at trupti.d.sanghani@nasa.gov
or 650-604-6889 to initiate licensing discussions. Follow this link for more
information: http://technology.nasa.gov/patent/TOP2-139. ARC-15314-1
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Engineers Discover Secret to

3D Printing One of Worlds
Lightest Materials
Graphene is a wonder material the
worlds best conductor of heat and
electricity but it is difficult to manipulate
beyond its two-dimensional form. Now, a
research team led by engineers from the
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Light-Up, Highly Stretchable

Skin for Robotic Sensing
A Cornell University engineering team has
developed a stretchable electroluminescent
actuator, and the material can be stretched,
emit light, and sense internal and external
pressure. Sheets integrated into the skin of
a soft robot provided the robot with
dynamic coloration and sensory feedback
from external and internal stimuli.
In-Situ Chemical Analysis of

Material Surfaces
light-up-skin
Composition by freezing uses laser ablation

and laser ionization mass spectrometry for
detection of chemical, pharmaceutical,
biotech, and hazardous materials.
Durable, Inexpensive IceRepellent Coating

University of Michigan researchers have
created a durable ice-repellent coating that
could help keep everything from airplanes to
ships, power lines, and windshields ice-free.
The researchers believe they have made
some of the lowest ice adhesion materials as
well as some of the most durable ice-phobic
materials that have ever been produced.
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,

California
n order to understand whether the ablation laser would cause

chemical reactions within the trapped organic molecules during resonant laser ablation of water ice containing organic molecules, a two-layer approach was devised. The first layer consisted of D2O ice containing organics that are inactive for the laser
www.techbriefs.com/tv/ice-repellent
www.techbriefs.tv
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UV Ionization Laser
IR Ablation Laser
H2O
Ice
(PAH..D2O)*
(H2O)*
TOF MS
0
90
ISO
13485 A
S9
1
00
IS
Cryogenic
Copper
Substrate
PAHs in
D2O Ice
Phase Explosion;
Shockwave & Plume
Ion Extraction
Laser machining
D2O ice is doped with PAHs being interrogated using an H2O ice-ablating infrared laser.
wavelength used (2.94 microns), and

shown not to ablate under these conditions. When an additional layer of H2O
ice was deposited on top of the D2O
layer, both H2O and D2O layers, and the
organics embedded in the D2O layer,
became ablated due to resonant excitation of the H2O ice layer that transferred
energy to the D2O layer. This showed
that the organic matter is not damaged.
H2O ice absorbs the infrared laser
pulse photons at 2.94 microns during a
few nanoseconds pulse duration.
Subsequently, within the H2O ice layer,
which is typically about 1 to 3 micrometers
thick, phase-explosion occurs, sending
pressure waves in every direction. These
pressure waves (or shockwave, based on
its velocity in the medium) travel to the
material that is below the H2O ice layer
(in this case, D2O ice) and transfer the
pressure waves into the D2O ice layer.
Subsequently, both the H2O ice and the
D2O ice containing the trapped material
are ejected into vacuum, where they are
ionized through resonance enhanced
multiphoton ionization (REMPI), followed by time of flight mass spectrometry.
Chemical composition of materials
in particular, biological is done using a
well-known technique called matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization
(MALDI). Using this technique, the analyte (molecules of interest) is dispersed in
matrix medium that can be resonantly
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
perfection
in stainless
excited and ionized by the same laser.

Such a method needs extensive sample
preparation. The new method would
avoid such a sample preparation into a
laser-active matrix medium because the
laser-active ablation initiation material
(H2O ice) is deposited on top of a sample.
This new method increases the flexibility
and removes much of the sample preparation efforts. This two-step laser ablation
and ionization mass spectrometry (2SLAIMS) technique allows any surface to be
tested for surface contaminant/composition without extracting material from the
surface and preparing samples that need
to meet the stringent conditions of MALDI
mass spectrometry. Using 2S-LALIMS, it
should now be possible to analyze the surface composition by bringing the instrument to the sample in its native form.
This work can mature into a handheld
2S-LAIMS instrument that can be used
to routinely detect surface composition
of many materials; in particular, organics, trace metals, or biomolecules.
This work was done by Murthy S. Gudipati
of Caltech and Rui Yang (postdoctoral fellow,
presently at the Fudan University) for NASAs
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is seeking
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Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Ratcheting Threaded Tapered Collet for use in Planetary
Sample Caching Systems
The desired sample tube preload can be tailored to specific applications, and allows each
sample to be individually secured.
ridged retention interlet cache via a robotic endCenter Section View of Tapered
face is necessary to secure
effector. The end effector
Collet, Center Body, and Sample Tube
planetary sample tubes within
then torques the collet to
a caching system for use in
the desired preload, reactfuture sample return mising the resulting force via
Tapered collet is torqued clockwise
(RHT), forcing the collet downward
sions. The assumed retention
standoffs located on the
and to collapse inward, applying force
interface requirements are as
cache to act as moment
on sample tube and closing around
any locking features.
follows: the interface shall
reaction features.
maintain sample integrity at
The threaded tapered collarge deceleration landing
let combines the mechanical
loads; the interface shall minadvantages of a traditional
imize weight and complexity;
collet and a tapered pipe
and any required actuation
thread to produce a lightRatchet feature secures
collet, preventing any
for sample tube retention
weight, simple, and robust
collet backout.
shall be performed by an
latching system. The desired
external source (such as a
sample tube preload can be
robotic end-effector).
tailored to specific applicaA tapered collet similar to a
tions, and allows each sample
milling machines tool holder
to be individually secured.
was designed with a threaded The tapered collet, center body, and sample tube.
This work was done by
profile on its outer tapered
Zachary R. Ousnamer and
diameter. When the collet is threaded
line). Ratcheting teeth on the collet
Louis R. Giersch of Caltech for NASAs Jet
into a corresponding non-tapered
ensure that it remains locked in place
Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is seeking
threaded hole, the collet collapses
once a preloading torque is applied.
inward, applying a radial force on the
The collets are pre-threaded into the
sample tube within. The sample is
sample cache at a zero preload state
retained within the collet by both friction
during assembly, test, and launch operathis technology and to explore opportunities,
force and any captured features designed
tions (ALTO). After sample acquisition,
into the sample tubes OML (outer mold
the sample tubes are inserted in the colF.Broderick@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-49924
Planetary Ice Mining by Down-Hole Energy Injection

This lightweight technology operates in low gravity with energy efficiency.
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The overburden of regolith must be

mechanically removed so that a rover can
drive down to the ice and chip off quantities
from its upper surface. Chipping frozen
regolith is extremely difficult because it has
the mechanical hardness of granite. Using
lightweight rovers appropriate to spaceflight, the removal of so much overburden
will be a long and cumbersome process,
making the use of this resource much less
feasible. Chipping ice in low gravity will be
energetically expensive and mechanically
38
www.techbriefs.com
ce has been discovered on Mars and is

present in the permanently shadowed
craters on the Moon and on many asteroids. The ice is usually buried beneath an
overburden of regolith. Evidence indicates
this overburden may be a meter deep in
some locations for the Moon; for Mars, it
varies with latitude and may be as deep as or
deeper than two meters in many locations.
To obtain this ice as a resource in usable
quantities, existing technology will require
that it be strip-mined.
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difficult. Excavation of regolith in low gravity with vanishingly small traction forces is
very difficult. Operating in cryogenically
cold conditions where the ice exists is difficult because metals become brittle and
machinery wears out or fails. A better, more
efficient method to extract ice from the
regolith of bodies in space is needed.
The purpose of this innovation is to drill
into the regolith to a depth that is both rich
with ice and beneath the surface, sublimate ice around the bottom of the bore
shaft, and capture it in vapor form at the

cap at the top of the bore shaft, where it is
liquefied or re-frozen for transportation
and storage. The icy regolith therefore
need not be excavated via strip-mining, but
instead acts as a relatively impermeable
bottle to channel the vapors back to the
equipment at the surface. The technology
performs this sublimation in an energetically efficient way so that a sufficiently large
quantity of ice is extracted from each borehole without wasting energy.
The innovation consists of a drill that is
extracted from the regolith after each borehole is drilled. One of several different
devices is then lowered into the borehole to
heat the regolith around the shaft of the
drill, especially toward the bottom of the
shaft. A cap on the top of the bore shaft
keeps sublimating ice from escaping. The
relatively impermeable regolith ensures the
vapors will travel up the bore shaft where it
will be captured, rather than sublimating
away to the vacuum of space.
For regolith conditions where the borehole might collapse as ice is removed from
the surrounding soil, the technology
includes three different methods to keep
the borehole from collapsing. One
method is to insert a sleeve or pipe into
the shaft before ice extraction begins. The
second method is to sinter the soil around
the bore shaft so that it melts locally and
becomes a mechanically competent pipe.
The third method is to pour cement
(made from local regolith at the surface
with an added binder) into the bore shaft
similar to the method used for oil drilling
on Earth. However, in many, if not most
cases, there will be no need to stabilize the
shaft because the regolith is already sufficiently competent to maintain a smalldiameter shaft without collapse.
The technology also includes a system
to cap the top of the bore shaft to capture
and cool the vapors after they reach the
cap, and to pressurize them in pipes or
tanks to bring them to the liquid state for
transportation and storage or to freeze
them back to the solid state for transportation and storage.
Heating can be supplied in the bore
shaft by several methods. It can be by simple electrical heating coils, which then
radiate and/or directly conduct thermal
energy into the ice. It can also be by
microwave or lasers that can be tuned to
the maximum absorption frequency of the
icy regolith. The microwave or laser hardware could be inserted into the shaft or it
could remain at the surface, pointing
down the shaft. Passive reflectors or re-radi-
ators could exist at the bottom of the shaft

to help couple the radiated microwave or
laser energy into the surrounding regolith.
For example, a material that absorbs
microwave energy to become hot could
be inserted into the bottom of the shaft
to couple the microwave energy into the
regolith far more efficiently.
For sintering the surrounding soil,
microwave, laser, or electrical heating
coils could be used. The device can be
lowered slowly into the shaft, sintering the
walls as it goes. The sintering hardware

could be attached directly to the drill bit
so that the shaft is drilled and sintered in
one operation, or it could be lowered into
the shaft after the drill is extracted. It is
optimal to perform the sintering as closely
behind the drilling operation as possible,
because the drilling will have already heated the walls of the bore shaft so sintering
will be more energetically efficient. The
sintering can be accomplished with the
same device or a different device than the
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Traditional
Stamping Process
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39
Mechanical &
Fluid Systems
one that performs heating for ice extraction. However, for sintering, the energy
levels need to be much higher so that not
just ice melts/vaporizes, but the mineral
grains of the soil also melt. Partial melting
creates a sinter instead of a glass, and is
desirable so that molten material does not
fall into the bore shaft.
Peripheral equipment includes one or
more transportation devices such as a
rover, a flying platform, or any other
method of moving equipment around on
the body in space; hardware to liquefy or
freeze the vapors after they reach the

wells cap; and pipelines, tanks, or vehicles
to move the liquid or frozen volatiles
around after they have been either liquefied or re-frozen at the surface.
This work was done by Philip Metzger of
Kennedy Space Center. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through
KSC-DL-TechnologyTransfer@mail.nasa.gov.
KSC-13723
Launch Tie-Down and Release

Mechanism for CubeSat Spacecraft
This hardware configuration takes up an extremely small
volume inside the CubeSat bus.
s CubeSats take on increased functionality, including larger solar arrays

for increased power demands and large
antennas for science and communications
needs, the requirements for launch tiedown and release mechanisms are evolving. In the past, some large CubeSatdeployable structures (solar arrays) relied
on the confining walls of the CubeSat canister to act as the restraint mechanism.
However, this practice is largely eliminated
now, with most CubeSat specifications
requiring a minimum amount of dwell
time (after the CubeSat has been ejected
from its parent canister) before the
deployable structure can be released and
deployed on orbit. Thus, a reliable
restraint and release mechanism that does

not depend on the geometry of the canister walls must be implemented.
The proposed restraint/release mechanism has three main components: 1) tiedown cable, 2) tension mechanism, and 3)
burn wire actuation mechanism. The tension mechanism allows the Vectran tiedown cable to be easily tensioned without
having to tie off a knot under tension
(which can be difficult, especially in tight
spaces). The integrated spring in the
mechanism ensures that the assembly stays
stowed and under tension, even if the
Vectran tie-off cable changes length slightly due to thermal loads or launch vibrations. Lastly, the tie-off cable is released
Burn Wire Mechanisms
Nichrome
Heating
Element
Turnbuckle/Tension
mechanism
Torque Nut
Compression Spring
Cable tie-off
The burn wire and tension mechanisms shown in cross-section.
www.techbriefs.com
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using two redundant burn wire mechanisms. These mechanisms are based on an
earlier design conceived at the Naval
Research Laboratory (NRL) using a moving Nichrome hot-wire that thermally cuts
through the Vectran tie-off cable.
The tie-down cable is a special spacerated Vectran material. The Vectran cable
is a braided construction with eight carriers, each having a denier weight of 400.
The cable has a breaking strength of 140
lbf and an approximate outer diameter of
0.036". The tension mechanism uses a
5/16-24 thread that has a linear travel of
about 0.24". Thus, the tie-off cable can
have a little bit of slack when it is tied off in
the stowed position. The tension mechanism then uses some of the 0.24" of travel
in order to fully tighten the tie-off line.
The compression spring inside the tension
mechanism has a force of 10 lbf in the fully
stowed position. Under operation, when
tightened, the nut of the tension mechanism compresses the spring to the fully
closed position. The nut is fully tightened,
but then backed off slightly to ensure the
spring is not jammed. Thus, under launch
vibration, if the acceleration force exceeds
the 10 lbf force of the spring, the tie-off
cable does not travel forward because it
hits the hardstop of the nut. However, if
the tie-off cable length increases slightly
due to thermal displacements, the tension
on the tie-off cable remains (at 10 lbf).
The Vectran tie-down cable is thermally
cut using two redundant burn wire mechanisms. These burn wires are based on the
original design developed by the NRL.
However, in the updated design, the mechanism underwent several significant modifications to optimize and enhance its capabilities. In order to leverage the heritage of the
NRL design, the burn wire mechanism uses
the same 30 awg (.010" diameter)
Nichrome wire. Using the same Nichrome
wire geometry allowed a decrease in the
number of verification tests.
In operation, a 1.6-amp current is
applied to the Nichrome wire for approximately 5-10 seconds as the Nichrome wire
heats up and thermally cuts the Vectran
tie-off cable. The burn wire mechanism
was demonstrated to work in ambient lab
conditions, as well as at vacuum conditions
at -60 C and +125 C. Most of the other
elements of the burn wire design were
modified and enhanced for this application. The electrical leads are constrained
by a highly insulated ULTEM tip.
The Nichrome wire is preloaded using a
single spring and 1/8" diameter shaft. The
single shaft simplifies the design and
allows for the ULTEM tip to freely rotate

in order to minimize built-up mechanical
stresses at its interface with the Vectran
cable. It also allows for multiple configurations of the burn wire mechanism,
depending on the orientation of the
Vectran tie-down cable. For example, the
Nichrome wire can be mounted in the
horizontal or vertical configuration without changing the design. The Nichrome
wire is preloaded using a stock compression spring with a spring constant of 2.5
lb/in, and a maximum suggested load

capacity off 0.74 lbf.
This work was done by Vinh M. Bach, Samuel
C. Bradford, Kim M. Aaron, Mark W. Thomson,
Phillip E. Walkemeyer, and Brittany S. Velasco
of Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA is seeking partners to further develop this
technology through joint cooperative research
and development. For more information about
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www.pemnet.com
Intro
Cov
ToC
41
Robotics, Automation & Control

Limboid Reconfigurable Robots for In-Space Assembly
A Limboid workforce with access to a tool crib could staff robotic space factories.
any future space vehicles, planetary bases, and mining operations

will be too large and heavy to launch on
a single rocket. Instead, component
parts would need to be launched on
multiple rockets and assembled in
space. To enable versatile in-space
assembly, a novel class of reconfigurable robots called Limboids has been
conceptualized. Limboids are robotic
limbs that attach and detach from each
other to form a variety of useful configurations. These configurations might
be as small as a single limb, which is
best for dexterous manipulation of
small parts, or as large as necessary for
gross manipulation. As a modular system, Limboids could be supplemented
with additional tools and limbs.
A core concept of Limboids is modularity at the limb scale. Each robot,
called Limbi, is a self-mobile limb and
can function as a standalone robot for
single-handed tasks. For example, one
Limbi could grab a battery pack from a
storage container and insert it into a
satellite. Both ends of Limbi are
electromechanical docks that can
attach to a structure, other robots, or
tools like grippers and drills. The base
structure powers and controls the
robots through these docks, so Limbi
can walk end-over-end across the structure without a battery or tether.
Researchers recently used a prototype
Limbi to demonstrate end-over-end
mobility and assembly of a modular
structure (Figure 1).
Because the electromechanical docks
provide power to the robots, Limboids
could move around and reconfigure
themselves without the complexity of
power cords. Examples of configurations and use cases for Limboids are
shown in Figure 2. These configurations consist of a) Limbi robots working
in parallel to perform independent or
cooperative work, b) a long arm for
grabbing incoming spacecraft, c) a
walker-manipulator to carry objects
while moving, and d) a torso with multiple arms for manipulating large
objects. The use cases include e) three

limbs working together to build a chain
of parts, and f) a two-armed Limboid
holding a large object.
In the future, Limboids might help
build a large orbiting structure, such as
a solar farm or an asteroid-processing
facility. They could unpack structural

components and climb out along the
structure as they build it, using built-in
power lines instead of carrying tethers
or batteries. Alternatively, they might
staff an orbiting spacecraft factory,
where they would crawl around on
a) Limbi grabs and moves a

free-floating element of a
modular structure
b) The new module is

brought to dock with
a base module
c) With the new module

attached, Limbi releases
itself from the base
d) The now-free end of

Limbi grabs another
disconnected module
e) Limbi docks this module

to the growing structure
f) Limbi can move between

docks on the assembled
structure as needed
Figure 1. A laboratory prototype of a Limbi robot autonomously builds a modular structure. This
process could repeat to build a large truss or spacecraft. As shown here, the modules are small, but
a similar approach would work for large modules.
42
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Precision Metal Stamping

(High and Low Volume)
Welded & Mechanical Assemblies
Complex CNC Machining
Close Tolerance Grinding
(f)
(e)
Tooling, Fixtures and Gages
Laser Cutting and Welding
Rapid Prototyping
Wire EDM
2
3
Figure 2. Limbi robots can form a wide variety of Limboid configurations, enabling small-scale dexterous manipulation, gross manipulation of large objects, docking with incoming spacecraft, and
two-handed manipulation.
trusses or walk on a floor. There, they

would grab incoming shipments,
unpack spacecraft components, assemble a solar panel array, and attach tanks,
batteries, and instruments to the spacecraft hull. They could be embedded in
either of these settings and meet
manipulation demands over many years
of factory use and multiple spacecraft
design cycles.
This work was done by Sawyer Brooks,

Peter T. Godart, Brendan Chamberlain-Simon,
Russell G. Smith, and Paul G. Backes of Caltech
for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is
seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research and
development. For more information about this
technology and to explore opportunities,
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
Cov
ToC
Robotics, Automation &

Control
Cam Hand
This robust gripper design has applicability to both robots and as a prosthetic for the
physically challenged.
durable gripper tool was designed

for use by RoboSimian robots intended for use in disaster scenarios that
demand high-force, robust manipulation.
The resulting Cam Hand fills a previously
unaddressed niche that emphasizes grip
strength and robustness over dexterity.
The design uses a number of unique features to ensure high operational flexibility. While this gripper was created for use
on a robot, its basic design could be
refined for other applications; in particular, as a new class of prosthetic that would
exist between the traditional hook and
pinch models and the dexterous models
currently under development.
The Cam Hand, shown in Figure 1, is
characterized by a number of design features. The most significant is the continuous rotation of the fingers about the
palm surface of the gripper. This unique
range of motion offsets the lack of finger
dexterity by enabling an unprecedented

number of grasping angles and operational modes through repositioning the
fingers. Of great importance to its use on
RoboSimians are the foot modes that
allow the robot to use all of its limbs for
mobility or manipulation. The gripper is
also capable of a new type of grasp: a
cam mode for internal grasps of objects
or features as shown in the lower left of
Figure 1. This mode is similar to the cam
protective equipment used by human
climbers. Even though these cam grasps
rely on friction, they are secure due to the
self-locking action of the cam mechanism.
Also unique to this gripper is the ability to
independently grasp two items. This capability can be realized by the double-hook
or by using one set of fingers to create a
grasp against one side of the gripper body
while the other set uses the other side.
Additional functionality can be realized
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44
from the continuous finger motion that,

when coupled with specifically designed
fingers, enables the functions of scissormechanism tools such as wire cutters.
Another unique attribute enabled by the
finger rotation is that when all of the fingers are rotated simultaneously in the
same direction, a wrist degree of freedom is created. In addition to giving the
gripper more utility for the same design
complexity, the wrist motion is very close
to the grasp location, an advantage for the
kinematics of a robotic manipulator and
an enormous design hurdle for more traditional gripper and arm combinations.
While the basic ideas of the Cam Hand
are achievable at different scales and various detailed design instantiations, the version created for the RoboSimian robots
emphasizes strength, as shown in Figure
2. In particular, the gripper was designed
to allow the full weight of the 125-kg
RoboSimian to hang from one finger
without damage. This design point was
chosen both to allow a RoboSimian to
climb, but also as an estimate of the maximum loads that the robot could impart
on the gripper during mobility or manipulation operations. This desire for
strength drove the rest of the design.
While there are four fingers, to save volume, the outer two fingers are slaved
together as the output of one drivetrain
resulting in only three independent
degrees of freedom (DoF) with four fingers. However, these three DoF are sufficient for relatively complex operations
such as grasping and triggering human
tools like electric drills. It has a maximum
grip strength of 304.5N at the tip of each
outer finger (assuming each is simultaneously engaged and evenly loaded) and
609N at the tip of each inner finger (or an
overall hand grip strength of 609N at the
tips, increasing the deeper into the fingers the grasped object is located). Well
over the grip strength of the human
hand, this actuated strength is sufficient
to grip a concrete block on two faces and
lift it, or pierce through half-inch drywall.
However, the hand is actually more resistant to forces put into it than what it can
actively exert on an object. Passively, each
reacted tip force for each outer finger is
1.5kN finger (assuming each is simultane-
Intro
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Figure 1. The Cam Hand can operate in a large number of modes, including both mobility and
manipulation, giving robots more functions than otherwise possible.
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Figure 2. In its current design form, the Cam Hand is extremely strong and robust. It easily supports
the 125kg mass of an entire RoboSimian. Its self-contained mechanism and electronics could be
adapted to human anchoring devices or prosthetics.
ously engaged and evenly loaded) and the

inner fingers handle 3.0kN.
In order to minimize impact on the
RoboSimian system design, the Cam
Hand was designed to only require
power and communication inputs.
Integrated electronics handle all motor
control and sensor interfaces, creating a
convenient package that can be added
not only to RoboSimian, but any other
robot manipulator of the same scale.
As mentioned, while this version of
the Cam Hand is intended as a robotic
gripper, the principles could be adapted
to use as a practical prosthetic. In particular, it can emulate many more of the
simple grasps humans use on a daily
basis than is possible with the traditional
hook prostheses. The advent of highly

articulated prostheses promises dexterous functionality, but these designs will
remain either expensive, weak, or both.
A Cam Hand prosthesis can be designed
that is relatively inexpensive, strong, and
physically robust, giving prosthesis users
great capability at a lower price point
than currently possible.
This work was done by Brett A. Kennedy
and Kalind C. Carpenter of Caltech for NASAs
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is seeking
through joint cooperative research and development. For more information about this
technology and to explore opportunities,
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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www.centuryspring.com
(800) 237-5225
Los Angeles, CA
MADE IN THE USA
Instrumentation
Laser Architecture and Atomic Filter for Daytime
Measurements Using Spaceborne Sodium Lidar
satellite-borne sodium lidar will provide key measurements that elucidate

the complex relation between the chemistry and dynamics of the Earths mesosphere, and thus provide a thorough
understanding of the composition and
dynamics of this region. The inclusion of a
well-characterized mesosphere in global
models is essential for weather and climate
prediction in the lower atmosphere. It also
will help to elucidate the complex vertical
coupling processes through which atmospheric weather affects space weather.
Furthermore, once the technique is developed, it can be used to study the composition of other planetary atmospheres, which
is identified as a key point in the recent
Planetary Decadal Survey.
A middle atmospheric lidar is a soft-target lidar. The signal return is defined by
the density and backscattering cross-sections of particles and molecules that the
transmitted photons encounter in their
propagation path. Above 80 km, the atmosphere contains a number of metals of
meteoric origin and other atomic species
that can resonate with photons that are
tuned to the correct wavelength (for sodium it is 589 nm). Although other meso-
spheric metal of meteoric origin such as K,

Fe, Ca, and Ca+ can be observed by lidar,
the Na lidar is the most widely utilized,
making possible long-term observations by
a number of lidar systems that have provided details about seasonal, latitudinal, and
diurnal variations.
Two technologies will be key for a future
spaceborne sodium (Na) lidar instrument
because they will enable daytime Na measurements: (1) burst-mode pulsed laser
architectures, and (2) a receiver atomic filter utilizing a Faraday rotation technique.
Means to increase the overall laser signal
energy are being investigated, including
delaying and interleaving multiple laser
pulses. For the receiver, the atomic filter
has been used in ground-based Na lidar systems to filter the weak sodium signal from
the much stronger solar background. The
developed instrumentation will serve as the
core for planning a spaceborne lidar to
measure the mesospheric Na layer.
It is not only atmospheric science that
can be addressed with such instruments.
Global Na layer models show that the characteristics of the Interplanetary Dust
Particle (IDP) input required to model the
observed atomic Na layer correlate roughly
linearly with the poorly understood parameterization of vertical transport. Since

advanced lidars are also able to measure
parameters of the background atmosphere
in the MLT (i.e., wind and temperature),
they provide a crucial set of measurements
that will constrain the IDPs input and consequently Zodiacal Cloud Models (ZCM).
Modeling the climatology and global distribution of the Na mesospheric layer
requires the utilization of a complex combination of ZCM, chemistry of the meteoroid ablation, and Global Circulation
Models (GCM). The measurements provided by spaceborne lidar would enable
not only the constraint of ZCM, but also
the utilization of the layer as a tracer for
global circulation, thus validating and
improving GCMs as needed.
This work was done by Diego Janches,
Sarah L. Jones, Michael A. Krainak,
Branimir Blagojevic, and Anthony W. Yu of
Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research and
please contact Scott Leonardi at Robert.
S.Leonardi@nasa.gov. GSC-17231-1
Rangefinder for Measuring Volume of Cryogenic or

Caustic Turbulent Fluids
A non-intrusive laser rangefinder yields extremely accurate fluid height measurements.
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi
pecific impulse (ISP), or simply

impulse (change in momentum) per
unit amount of propellant consumed, is
a measure of rocket and jet engine efficiency. The amount of propellant, or in
the case of engine testing at the Stennis
Space Center (SSC), cryogen consumed
during rocket engine testing must be
measured to accurately quantify ISP.
One way to determine the amount of
cryogen used is to measure the change
in cryogen fluid height within a stor-
age/feed tank during testing and then

relate the change in height to volume of
cryogen consumed. A float system coupled with discrete vertically positioned
Reed switches is currently used at the
SSC to determine cryogen fluid height
and then determine cryogen consumed
during a rocket motor test firing.
However, the cryogen fluid level within a
run tank varies continuously and the
switches are placed at discrete locations,
limiting the accuracy of this method. If
46
individual switch failures occur, the

error increases due to the increased distance between switches/measurement
locations. In addition, since pressurized
gas is used to force the significantly cooler liquid cryogen out of the tank during
a test, the liquid cryogen surface is turbulent and not flat or smooth, which can
also affect accuracy.
An optical sensor was demonstrated
that can accurately measure the amount
of fluid in a closed vessel at heights that
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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are in-between Reed switches. This technology incorporates the existing Reed
switch ball-shaped target that floats on
the fluid surface with optical fibers, a
laser rangefinder, a small athermal
telescope, and detailed knowledge of
the vessel shape. The laser rangefinder
can be located outside the tank to operate in a non-cryogenic environment.
Modulated diode laser light, generated
with the laser rangefinder, is brought
into and out of the tank using optical
fibers. Light from the fibers illuminates
the current Reed switch float within
the tank. The ball-shaped floats have
sufficient optical cross section to serve
as rangefinder targets so that the light
scattered off the float can be collected
with an athermal telescope. The telescope, in turn, focuses light back into
optical fibers to bring the light onto the
laser rangefinder detector outside the
tank. This optically derived position
measurement is then processed with
the current discrete position measurement using a Kalman filter to improve

accuracy and reduce noise and other
artifacts, like fluid height fluctuations.
Measurements and analysis performed
indicate that a non-intrusive, commercially available laser rangefinder with
fiber-optic feedthrough into a cryogen
tank coupled with a Reed switch (or
other) float system could yield extremely accurate, near-continuous fluid level
measurements under many conditions.
These measurements could also be
combined with flowmeters and other
sensors.
This work was done by Robert E. Ryan and
Mary A. Pagnutti of Innovative Imaging and
Research Corporation for Stennis Space
Center. NASA is seeking partners to further
develop this technology through joint cooperative research and development. For
more information about this technology
SSC-Technology@nasa.gov. SSC-00401
SEAL
and
DELIVER
Micro-Force Sensing Nanoprobe
Dont Get Caught In a

Labyrinth of Bad Seals
he NGXO (Next Generation X-Ray

Optics) project has several problems
relating to how to bond a very thin glass
mirror to a metallic structure without
distortion. One problem is that all epoxies shrink (at the micron level) when
they cure. This shrinkage distorts the
optical quality of the mirror unacceptably. Another problem is how to correlate finite element models of thin glass
mirrors to verify that they are accurately
predicting the distortions that a real
glass will see due to enforced displacements, such as those applied by epoxy
shrinkage. The forces required to simulate epoxy shrinkage and to balance a
mirror on a bed of actuators are in the
100-1000 micro-newton range. The displacements are on the order of a few
microns. These tiny forces and displacements cannot be easily measured or
actuated with typical lab equipment.
A nanoprobe capable of movement in
the nanometer range and simultaneous
force measurement in the milli-Newton
range has been created. This device has
applications in optical systems where
very small distortions are desired along
with a measurement of the forces necessary to create such distortions. A collection of such devices allows a new way for
mirrors especially thin mirrors to
be held without distortion by controlling
the force supporting the mirror via

adjustments to the nano-actuators.
Another application is an apparatus for
correlating finite element and optical
ray-trace models.
A known force in the milli-newton
range is applied to a thin mirror, and the
distortion is measured with an interferometer and compared to predicted finite
element distortions. The force sensor has
a range of ~30 mN and resolution of ~.01
mN. The nano-actuator has 30-nm resolution, 12.5-mm travel, 0.2-mm/s top
speed, and 50N max force. The force sensor is attached to the nano-actuator shaft
so that the sensor tip becomes the tip of
the nano-actuator. Both devices are
linked together and controlled in
LabVIEW software. The unique feature
of this device is that for the first time, it is
possible to push on something with
known micro-newton or milli-newton
forces, and/or displace something and
measure the resulting force.
This work was done by David Robinson,
Ryan McClelland, and William Zhang of
Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through joint cooperative research
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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Instrumentation
High-Channel-Count, High-Scan-Rate Data Acquisition

System for the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
he NASA Langley Research Center

(LaRC) Transonic Dynamics Tunnel
(TDT) has been operational since 1960,
investigating a wide range of aeroelastic
and non-aeroelastic phenomena. A dedicated aeroelastic test facility, the TDT is
a large, variable-pressure, transonic wind
tunnel. To support unique types of aeroelastic and dynamic tests, the TDT possesses a dynamic data acquisition system
(DAS) with synchronous scanning of all
analog channels. Steady (static) values
are simply computed as the mean of any
signal. The existing TDT DAS is referred
to as the Open Architecture Data
Acquisition System (OA-DAS). An effort
was initiated to replace OA-DAS in order
to increase the scan rate, increase the
channel count, increase the reliability,
increase user friendliness, and improve
upon some features while maintaining
synchronous scanning and other unique
abilities. This effort has been spearhead-
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Branch (AB) co-located with the TDT;
hence, the new data system has been
named AB-DAS. The new data system will
serve as the primary data system and will
substantially increase the scan rate capabilities and analog channel count. This
synchronous and dynamic system enables
high-channel-count buffet and aeroacoustic tests in addition to the range of
other testing done at TDT.
The incremental development of ABDAS is divided into three phases. Phase I
efforts have enabled AB-DAS to serve as
a standalone data system for TDT for a
specific genre of tests. Phase II efforts
will be those that increase capability
such that AB-DAS can assume all functionality and replace OA-DAS as the primary tunnel DAS. Phase III efforts will
be continued performance enhancements beyond those required to replace
OA-DAS.
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The hardware components of AB-DAS

include the existing tunnel systems; steady
pressure systems; signal conditioners; analog-to-digital converters; processing, display, and storage computer systems; Phase
II hardware for further capability development; and instrumentation sources. A
new storage area network was created for
data handling of AB-DAS systems. The
current capability of the storage area network is 1 Gbit with CAT V cables, and the
future capability will include 10 Gbit with
CAT VI cables. The current 1-Gbit network enables rapid transfer of large files
since there is no throttling of the network,
and it is independent of other DAS communication functions operating on
DASnet. The 10 Gbit will enable substantially faster communication for data file
expansion capability. Specialized backplane communication protocols include
PXIe-MC/PCIe/MXI communication.
An acceptance test has already been
completed that enables standalone operation of AB-DAS to acquire high-channelcount, high-scan-rate buffet and/or aeroacoustic data that is dynamic and synchronously acquired. In its current state, ABDAS can be used for TDT tests that do not
require a balance or digital channels. The
current version of AB-DAS has been successful in several wind tunnel tests and
incorporates many user-friendly features.
Some of these features include unique
wind-off tare capabilities; a built-in in-situ
calibration routine; compatibility with displays, existing facility systems, and postpoint analysis routines; and the ability to
broadcast all data quantities to customer
systems. The data quality of AB-DAS has
been validated through a formal operational readiness review, through the use of
calibrated standards, and through parallel
testing with the existing tunnel data system.
This work was done by Thomas G. Ivanco,
David J. Piatak, and Martin K. Sekula of
Langley Research Center; Scott A. Simmons,
Walter C. Babel, Jesse G. Collins, and James M.
Ramey of Jacobs Technology, Inc.; and Dean M.
Heald of Analytical Services & Materials, Inc.
NASA is seeking partners to further develop this
technology through joint cooperative research
and development. For more information about
please contact LaRC-PatentLicensing@mail.
nasa.gov. LAR-18788-1
Intro
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Low-Noise
DC Voltage Source
Fusible Alloy Thermometer

his work was based on the need for a relatively small passive detector of maximum temperature reached by an object
that can be visually inspected. The device
requirements are to be hermetically sealed
for contamination control, give a clear indication of maximum temperature achieved
(non-reversible) with a ~10 C resolution,
have an essentially unlimited shelf-life and
insensitivity to radiation, be passive without
any electronics or mechanisms, provide
good thermal conductivity, and be low-cost.
Prior detectors have an unclear lifetime,
contamination outgassing properties, and
radiation tolerance. These could be used at
much higher temperatures than plastic
methods (>>100 C), though out of scope
for the tests performed to date.
A device that permanently records
the maximum temperature reached
(47-70 C) was tested, though other temperatures are possible. The low-cost
device is hermetically sealed with no pos-
sibility of organic contamination, has an

essentially unlimited shelf-life, is impervious to radiation damage, can function
in any orientation or gravity, is unpowered, and passive. The device is read by
visual inspection after opening the seal.
This work provides a metallic, robust,
simple, non-reversible thermometer. The
device features a commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) ultra-high vacuum flange with
COTS eutectic metals and COTS Kapton
tape. The design is flexible for space or
non-space extreme environments where
the temperature can be read optically, and
can be used at much higher temperatures.
This work was done by Jason Dworkin of
Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA is seeking
please contact Scott Leonardi at Robert.
S.Leonardi@nasa.gov. GSC-17336-1
SIM928 ... $1095 (U.S. List)

20 V isolated voltage source
Ultra-low noise output
Switchable batteries for
continuous operation
Small-Volume Pressurized Sample

Handling System
Output floats to 40 V
The SIM928 Isolated Voltage Source is

ideal for applications where ultraclean DC voltage is required. Voltage
can be set between 20 VDC with
millivolt resolution, and the SIM928
delivers up to 10 mA. The output
circuit is optically isolated from all
earth-referenced charging cicuitry. As
the output battery is depleted, the
freshly charged standby battery is
switched in to replace it. This provides
a continuously uninterrupted isolated
bias voltage source.
method was developed for effective,

efficient, non-destructive, in-situ sample processing. Pressure vessels are used
for sample delivery and collection, a shaker is used to keep the particles suspended,
a back pressure of argon gas is used to
keep the system under pressure to regulate the flow, and flow restrictors and frits
are used that never come into contact with
the sample slurry to avoid clogs.
Two pressure vessels are connected by
a piece of tubing with the sample delivery
vessel fitted such that the tubing reaches
close to the bottom of the vessel. The
sample delivery vessel is also attached to a
water pump via a valve. The collection
vessel is connected to a T-junction, with
the two remaining sides connected to an
argon tank and a flow restrictor, each
with its own valve.
After the soil sample is loaded in the sample delivery vessel and the system is closed,
the entire system is pressurized with argon
up to the water pump valve. The water
pump is set to just above the gas pressure,
and this valve and the flow restrictor valve
are opened. This induces a flow of water

into the sample delivery vessel at a rate
determined by the differences in applied
head pressures. The flow restrictor faces no
risk of clogging because only gas flows
through it. The sample delivery vessel is
attached to a shaker to keep the slurry suspended for the length of the experiment.
This instrument addresses several difficulties in dealing with slurries and small
volumes by eliminating any frits or flow
restrictors, and shaking to keep the slurry
suspended. It also adds the capability to
pressurize the system. Each part of the
instrument design can be miniaturized
further from the prototype to make it
flight compatible.
This work was done by Valerie Scott Kristof
and Xenia Amashukeli of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. NASA is seeking partners to further develop this technology through
For more information about this technology and
to explore opportunities, please contact Dan
Broderick at Daniel.F.Broderick@jpl.nasa.gov.
NPO-49601
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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SIM900 Mainframe loaded with a

variety of SIM modules
Stanford Research Systems

Phone (408) 744-9040
www.thinkSRS.com
Propulsion
Generation-2 Lean Direction Injection System
This technology eliminates the risk of flashback and auto-ignition, and achieves emission and
operability goals.
John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
n advanced Lean-Direct-Injecauto-ignition. By optimaltion (LDI) turbine engine

ly combining the fuel stagcombustor was developed. Named
ing with the swirler-venLDI-II, which stands for secondturi F/A mixer element
generation LDI, this technology
clusters, the design is able
Air
has vastly improved and expanded
to achieve both emissions
the performance characteristics of
and operability goals.
the initial LDI design by not only
The success of the LDI-2
Fuel
exceeding NASAs N+2 emissions
has led to the further develgoal, but also meeting the operabilopment into LDI-3, with
ity requirements of full engine
the goal of reaching a TRL
Air
power range. The key enabling feaof 6 and higher. In the
ture of the technology is the coheradvent of lean combustion
ence combination of fuel staging
technologies for turbine
and positioning/sizing of swirlerengines in the midst of ever
venturi fuel/air mixer elements.
stringent environmental
Air swirler
Earlier versions of LDI configuraregulations, the achievetions have been primarily designed
ment so far has demonfor single-flow-point evaluation for The venturi-swirler element employed for the LDI-2 is the same as those strated a near-term potenemission performance. They have in the earlier LDI-I.
tial of the technology adaprelative low Technology Readiness
tation to new engine develLevel (TRL l-2) due to the exploring stage
fuel/air (F/A) mixer elements for lowopment. The LDI may well become the
of the technology. The LDI-2 has signifiemission performance. They are laid out
interruptive technology replacing the
cantly raised the TRL to 3-5 by incorporatin the combustor dome in clustered fashongoing LPP, due to its low risk, cost, and
ing the engine product design philosophy
ion to form the dome front, and facilitate
high-performance potential.
into the development process, and vastly
fuel and air flows and their intimate mixThis work was done by Phil Lee of
expanded the performance envelope as
ing. Multiple fuel staging (2-4 stages) by
Woodward FST, Inc. for Glenn Research
would be seen in production hardware.
shifting and turning on and off the fuel
The result is a steep jump in performance
among certain F/A mixer clusters
develop this technology through joint cooperaover the first-generation LDI in emissions,
enables the expanded operation envetive research and development. For more
operability, and engine realistics.
lope. The LDI differentiates itself from
information about this technology and to
The fundamental building block of
the LPP (lean-prevaporization-premix)
explore opportunities, please contact http://
the LD1-2 is the multi-swirler-venturi
by eliminating the risk of flashback and
technology.grc.nasa.gov. LEW-19376-1
Testing Aircraft Electric Propulsion Systems on NASAs

Modular Stand
This test stand allows the aviation industry to test a wide range of electric propulsion
systems to understand efficiencies and identify needed design improvements.
Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California
s powered flight expands to include

electric propulsion technologies,
aeronautics designers need to understand the electrical, aerodynamic, and
structural characteristics of these systems. Therefore, researchers at NASAs
Armstrong Flight Research Center have
developed a modular test stand to conduct extensive measurements for efficiency and performance of electric
propulsion systems up to 100 kW in scale.
The test stand helps engineers understand subsystem interactions as well as efficiencies of different batteries, motors,
50
controllers, and propellers. It offers

opportunities to determine effective test
techniques for this emerging technology.
The test stands large suite of sensors gathers extensive data on:
Torque (1,800 lbf-in)
Thrust (500 lbf)
www.techbriefs.com
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High Frequency
Preamplifier
SIM914 ... $975 (U.S. List)

NASA Armstrongs modular stand for testing aircraft electric propulsion systems with propeller installed.
Motor speed (0 to 20,000 rpm)

Vibration/acceleration (50 g, 0.5 Hz
to 2 kHz)
Motor, inverter, and battery voltages
and currents (500V AC/DC, 500A)
Temperatures of motor, inverter, and
batteries (40 C to +125 C)
Ground plane acoustics (20 Hz to 16
kHz)
Atmospheric conditions (e.g., ambient
temperature, static/dynamic pressures, wind speed, humidity)
The data acquisition system offers
high-speed sampling rates up to 2.5
million samples per second per channel
enabling the test stand to provide
accurate efficiency measurements. Developers can use these measurements to
characterize new electric propulsion
technologies, refine simulation models,
and develop best practices through lessons learned.
A key feature of this innovation is its
modularity, allowing researchers to
test a variety of motors, controllers,
batteries, and a wide range of parameters. For example:
The test stand can accommodate different motors, up to 100kw, through
the use of motor adapter plates.
The software reduces reconfiguration
time as sensor suites are easily added
or removed.
The top section of the test stand can be
quickly removed, enabling easy transport indoors to protect test articles
from adverse weather without dismantling the setup.

The test stand can be mounted onto a
truck to perform dynamic testing.
Modular wiring and test structure
allows components to be switched out
with minimal changes to the instrumentation and data acquisition system.
It also allows certain configurations of
the test stand to be easily changed
without having to create completely
new cabling.
Safety considerations were of paramount importance for NASA Armstrong
during the design of this test stand.
Remote command and monitoring allows
test operations to be conducted from a safe
location. Furthermore, software and hardware implementations of emergency shutdowns and lockouts reduce the risk of
injury and asset.
NASA Armstrongs electric propulsion
test stand represents a step toward establishing best practices for measuring the
performance and efficiencies of these
cutting-edge systems.
This work was done by Yohan Lin and
Aamod Samuel of Armstrong Flight Research
develop this technology through joint cooperative research and development. For more information about this technology and to explore
opportunities, please contact NASA Armstrong
Technology Transfer Office at 661-276-3368
or by e-mail at AFRC-TTO@mail.nasa.gov.
DRC-015-006
www.techbriefs.com
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DC to 350 MHz bandwidth

Two independent channels
Voltage gain of 5 per channel
6.4 nV/Hz input noise
3 ns overload recovery
The 350 MHz SIM914 Preamplifier

contains two wide-bandwidth,
DC-coupled amplifiers, each with a
gain of 5 (14 dB). Low noise, fast
overload recovery time, and
excellent DC accuracy make the
SIM914 an ideal instrument for
amplifying signals like those from
PMTs and photodiodes. Multiple
channels of SIM914s can be
cascaded for higher gain.


Phone (408) 744-9040
www.thinkSRS.com
Propulsion
I N D U S T R I A L | T R A N S P O R T | E N V I R O N M E N TAL | AG R I C U LT U R AL
SAFETY | INSTITUTIONAL | ENERGY
Iodine-Compatible Hall
Effect Thruster
The use of iodine reduces the technical
demands on thruster design.
Introducing the ResponseONE

Weather Transmitter, a highperformance, high-value instrument
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PRECISION METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS

he Hall effect thruster (HET) was designed for long-duration

operation with gaseous iodine as the propellant. Iodine is an
alternative to the state-of-the-art propellant xenon. Compared to
xenon, iodine stores as a solid at much higher density and at a
much lower pressure. Because iodine is a halogen, it is reactive with
some of the materials with which a Hall thruster is typically constructed. Through research and testing, the new method allows for
the HET to be used with iodine propellant for long periods of time.
The thruster is distinguished from the nominal commercial
thruster by the materials of construction, the geometry of the
anode, and the presence of iodine-resistant coatings. The anode
and gas flow lines are made from a non-magnetic, iodine-resistant alloy. The propellant voltage isolator is made from iodineresistant metals and brazes. The gas distributor was also completely redesigned to allow the use of multiple materials, and for
it to be disassembled.
A HET uses crossed electric and magnetic fields to generate and
accelerate ions. The overall structure is defined by a magnetic circuit that produces a steady magnetic field across a typically annular
channel. The upstream portion of the channel includes a gas distributor that also typically functions as an anode. In the HET
described in this work, the downstream portion of the channel is
dielectric. A potential difference or discharge voltage is applied
between the anode and an external cathode. The resulting electric
field is predominantly axial, and is concentrated near the channel
exit by interactions between the magnetic field and the plasma. In
the channel, electrons are strongly magnetized and their transport
is predominantly azimuthal due to the Hall effect. The extended
electron path enables an efficient, impact-driven ionization cascade. Ions are weakly magnetized, and most are accelerated directly out of the channel, forming the ion beam.
Iodine-compatible Hall effect thruster.
52
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Bessel/Butterworth
Filter
SIM965 ... $1195 (U.S. List)
Accelerated iodine plasma beam.
The physical shape and dimensions of

the thruster are very similar to a xenon
thruster. However, because iodine stores as
a low-pressure solid, the reservoir may be
irregular in shape, conforming to available
space. The gas pressure only needs to be
several psi a factor of 1,000 lower than
that of xenon. The feed system also needs
to be heated to prevent condensation.
This work was done by James Szabo, Bruce

Pote, and Vlad Hruby of Busek Co. Inc. for
please contact Ronald C. Darty at Ronald.
C.Darty@nasa.gov. MFS-33240-1
Bessel and Butterworth filters

1 Hz to 500 kHz
3-digit cutoff freq. resolution
High-pass or low-pass operation
Selectable 2-, 4-, 6-, or 8-pole filter
The SIM965 Analog Filter is ideal for

signal conditioning. Bessel filters offer
linear phase and clean step response,
while Butterworth filters provide
excellent pass-band flatness. A choice
of high-pass or low-pass filtering is
selected from the front panel. Cutoff
frequency is set with 3-digit resolution,
and a choice of 12, 24, 36 or 48 dB/oct.
rolloff is provided for either filter type.
Burnable-Poison-Operated Reactor
Using Gadolinium Loaded Alloy
he problem to be resolved in this work

was the use of radial control drums as
the sole active reactivity control system for
nuclear thermal propulsion, which results
in significant rocket performance
changes during full-power operation.
This can result in large inefficiencies in
propellant usage, inaccurate estimations
in Isp and thrust, and can be a dangerous
operation requiring continuous active
control of the reactor given the unstable
nature of current nuclear thermal rocket
reactor designs.
The innovation described here eliminates the active movement of the radial
control drums during full-power operation. The innovation mixes ppm quantities
of burnable neutron poison into the existing structural material of the nuclear reac-
tor for nuclear thermal propulsion to passively control the reactivity of the core.
The innovation consists of adding ppm
quantities of Gd (enriched or natural isotopic composition) to existing components in the nuclear thermal rocket. By
controlling the spatial self-shielding, it was
possible to attain a linear depletion rate of
the neutron poison that matches the reactivity changes due to the production of
xenon-135 (stable and meta-stable states)
and other fission products, and the depletion of the fissile material. The result is
that a flat reactivity profile is attained without any operator input, removing the
need for radial control drum movement
during operation.
In order to counter the drop in reactivity
found during full-power operation due to
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Phone (408) 744-9040
www.thinkSRS.com
Propulsion
fuel depletion and fission product accumulation, BORGalloy (Burnable-poison
Operating a Reactor with Gadolinium
alloy), a burnable neutron poison doped
alloy, was introduced into the reactor. A
burnable neutron poison is an isotope that
has a large neutron absorption cross-section that is converted into a non-neutronabsorbing isotope with the absorption of a
neutron. The premise of the concept is
that as the neutron poison is depleted,
there will be a resulting increase in the
core reactivity, which, if done correctly, can
be tailored to match the reactivity reduction from the fissile depletion and fission
product buildup.
The poison is Gd dispersed in minute
quantities in the outer tie tube. The poison
was selected because of its extremely high
absorption cross-section and its conversion
to an isotope that has a comparatively much
lower absorption cross-section. When the
poison is introduced into the core such that
it has minimal self-shielding (maximum
exposure to the cores neutron flux), it can
be rapidly depleted and result in an appreciable change in reactivity. Additionally, the
low self-shielding ensures that the depletion
rate remains relatively constant for all
burns, eliminating the need to replace the

poison at the beginning of each burn.
Various locations were explored, including the moderator sleeve, the inner and
outer tietubes, and the fuel matrix. Of
these, the outer tie-tube was selected as the
location of choice. This is due to its thinness
and its reduced role as a structural element
when compared with the inner tie-tube.
The thinness of the component reduces
the spatial self-shielding of the poison, and
the reduced need to provide structural support minimizes the chance that additions of
Gd to the material will reduce its strength
below acceptable levels. While the fuel
matrix was seen to be promising in terms of
self-shielding, particularly for the graphite
composite matrix, it was decided that the
outer tie-tube was preferred due to the
exponential increase in development costs
associated with fuel development.
With the identification of the burnable
poison, it was implemented into two LEU
fueled NTP cores to flatten the reactivity
profile during full-power operation: LEU
tungsten fueled (SCCTE) and LEU
graphite composite fueled (SULEU).
Through the variation of the Gd content, it
is possible to achieve a near-flat reactivity
Precision Motion Systems and

Components for Sensor Testing
change during full-power operation for the

TMI-1, MOI, and EOI for both cores. It was
found that 20 ppm to 200 ppm Gd is
required to achieve near-flat reactivity profiles for TMI-1, MOI, and TEI, depending
on the isotopic enrichment of the Gd.
It is important to note that while the use
of burnable poisons in terrestrial reactors is
a well-known technology, their implementation typically involves the burning of the
poison over the course of months, rather
than minutes. Consequently, the rapid
burn-up behavior of BORGalloy, while
computationally demonstrated, needs
experimental validation to demonstrate
that a noticeable and rapid depletion of
the poison is achievable, and that the poison can in fact be distributed in the material in a uniform and predictable manner
within calculated tolerance levels.
This work was done by Paolo Venneri and
Michael Eades of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation
for Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA is seeking
through joint cooperative research and development. For more information about this technology and to explore opportunities, please
contact Ronald C. Darty at Ronald.
C.Darty@nasa.gov. MFS-33349-1
Benets of Aerotech sensor

testing solutions include:
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ARMS family
of rate tables
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54
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June 2016
A simplified approach overcomes many

initial challenges when designing a machine
with servo technology to meet specific
performance expectations. See page 56.
tion
mo
com/
.
s
f
e
i
chbr
.te
www
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SIMPLIFIED MACHINE
DESIGN APPROACH
for Optimal Servomotor Control
n often asked question from indusA
trial machine builders or integrators
is how they can effectively design or
implement the conversion of a machine
with servo technology to meet performance expectations. This is a specialized
task filled with layers of complexity that
can prove difficult to execute, even when
the scope of work is fully understood.
Available and different technologies
present various possible engineering
variations and unique operating processes. If there is a misunderstanding or
knowledge gap for any given process in
the work to be performed, the possibilities expand exponentially and create
further complexity with added risk. This
article presents a simplified design
approach for servomotor utilization to
overcome many of the initial challenges.
The approach is based on several different but typical mechanical axis configurations and requirements that highlight
risk management, optimal performance,
and reduced development time.
When considering a machine design,
there are clearly many factors to address
in the planning phase. Reviewing all possible situations to reduce risk of failure
as well as working through the different
combination scenarios all the ifs,
ands, and buts is a demanding set of
tasks. For this reason, its essential to
build baseline knowledge of machine
functions and each of its axes, relative to
the overall chosen operating process
and work to be performed. Start by
developing a thorough understanding
of the chosen process to complete the
machines function, the full picture
encompassing the ins and outs, identify
any variables and tradeoffs, and recognize there likely will be some unknowns.
This extends to the advantages and disadvantages of available motion technologies considered and applied to each
axis of the machine.
Acquiring as much in-depth comprehension up front will undoubtedly alleviate potential issues downstream and greatly enhance the opportunity for successful
execution. Also, at the center of the design
is risk management of specific technologies available and their interface with each
other related to the tradeoffs and decision
priorities to be given to the machines
function for the desired process.
Technologies and Degrees of

Performance
What is considered high-technology
performance for one manufacturing
process is not necessarily high-performance for another. It is natural for the
machine builder to deploy technologies
they have experience with. However,
new challenges often entail the utiliza-
56
www.techbriefs.com/motion
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tion of newer technologies. When a

retrofit or a new machine design
requires the utilization of closed-loop
(servo) motion control technologies,
there are often misconceptions
involved. For example, misconceptions
often occur between what was required
for a machines optimization utilizing
previous technologies and what is now
required for a machines optimized performance. Proper deployment of closedloop motion control technologies
requires balancing its capabilities, tradeoffs, and other factors that will enhance
the new machines performance.
Previous technologies may include,
but are not limited to, hydraulic actuators, variable-speed motors, pneumatics, or any number of the typical openloop, ON-OFF control, and in some
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SIMPLIFIED MACHINE DESIGN
cases, semi- or pseudo-closed-loop

technologies. Even newer closed-loop
control concepts must be considered
or balanced with older concepts to
reduce risk. For example, it may be a
great enhancement to run a machine
and control all its axes by a virtual master axis. However, if one axis is essentially driven by two or more motors
(hard-coupled or pseudo-coupled
mechanically by the mechanism/load),
the additional latency of one motors
drive talking to another through the
virtual masters control, rather than
directly to each other, will increase risk
as a function of speed at which the
machine is to operate.
In general, any process that is to run
at a faster rate requires a machine with
the capability of faster response times
than its previous design to maintain
quality. In other words, the machine
must have the capability to move and act
on the product at a faster rate, and to
respond to all commands and disturbances within the limit of the product
and process itself.
Often an actual process time is fixed
and cannot be increased under an existing technology, leaving only product
transfer times as the available time to be
sped-up. In turn, this increases specific
axis peak horsepower (hp) requirements during acceleration/deceleration
times from its baseline by the product of
the increased ratio: speed and torque (a
15% increase of each, speed and torque,
during peak requirements is a 32.25%
hp increase). Many of the issues
involved, when converting a process
machine from some form of open-loop,
ON-OFF (bang-bang) control or pseudoclosed-loop control method to a closedloop servomotor controlled machine,
may not be particularly intuitive to a firsttime servo machine designer.
Identifiable Issues
Inertia. Inertia was not a concern or
even a consideration in the past for
some specific axes of a machine design.
For some other axes, an optimal
machine required a high system inertia
(load and actuator) to dampen any disturbance from being seen by the product. We want to utilize a high-performance servo to increase speed and thus
productivity, with the same or improved
quality. This requires axes with higherbandwidth (BW) capability than most
Illustration of gears and backlash.
previous designs in order to sense commands, product changes, and disturbances, such that we can respond to
errors (delta () between command
and actual) and make the appropriate
corrections both quickly and easily. In
order to accomplish these tasks, a lower
system inertia is generally desirable and
most frequently required. This is especially true of processes requiring pointto-point moves or on-the-fly corrections
for continuous or pseudo-continuous
processes. Production energy costs are
often reduced by the higher levels of
production efficiency.
Mechanical Advantage by Gears.
Another issue that occurs, especially
with previously designed machines, is
backlash within an axis mechanism.
Often this type of axis movement was
only mildly considered a potential
process issue. The reason is because the
unidirectional driven advantaged mechanism driving against the load usually
stays on one side of the mechanisms
backlash. However, with the constant
velocity correction of a servomotor, the
full displacement is repeatedly seen.
Mechanical Advantage by Timing Belt.
For many previously designed machines
(especially uni-directionally driven), the
amount of compliance produced by a
belt is typically not a major concern in
regards to the process, as long as it is
sized large enough so that it does not
break. However, with the constant veloc-
58
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ity correction of a servomotor, the full

displacement of the belts compliance
can be repeatedly seen. The typical doubling of the belts width (as calculated
for a unidirectional mechanism) to
reduce compliance may make the belt
too wide. In this case, the designer may
need to utilize as much width as the
available space will allow and if possible,
further reduce belt compliance
(increase rigidity) by selecting a
stronger or thicker belt. [Note: Be careful. A thicker belt reduces compliance
(desirable), but powers natural resonance
frequency
(undesirable),
depending on where the frequency is
within the control systems spectrum.
Then there is another issue: a larger
belt will have a greater side load that
must be considered in the design (bearings, tensioners, pulleys, and/or motors
could be affected).]
For many designers, these new issues
can present hard concepts to get
through at first. What worked for a host
of different open-loop, ON-OFF control
and pseudo-closed-loop control technologies is now in part or as a whole a
potential hindrance against the new
machine design, impacting the desired
goal of increased production and quality. Thus this new design may need additional effort from the mechatronic
designers with typical disciplines in
mechanical, electrical, electronic, control, process, and programming fields in
order to simplify and achieve the goals
of risk management, optimal performance, and reduced development time.
Minimizing Potential Process

Issues with the New Design
Typically, when utilizing a servo system
technology to meet this overall goal, the
designer will need to enhance the BW
response capability for each axis of the
new machine. To accomplish the task,
we must consider a number of variables.
They include frictional loads and any
external loading (gravity or otherwise),
the inertia between the load reflected
back to the motor for a practical controllable solution within the process
required tolerances, and also the backlash and compliance of each axis. For a
typical servo mechanism, it is desirable
to have a rigid style (compression, etc.)
coupling to minimize compliance.
For many direct-drive axes, the
steels compliance between the motor
and load can be a limiting factor. The

steels compliance can affect the ultimate BW of the servo control loops.
Even a machines frame compliance
can become a major player against axis
BW capability, motion stability, and
controllability, where with previous
technologies it may not have been of
any concern. For example, to achieve
the best possible axis BW capability,
controllability, and minimal risk of any
issues for direct-drive cartridge motors,
it is very important to design the driven
shaft (if applicable) with an outside
dimension (OD) as large as possible
for as long as possible, with an overall
shaft length as short as possible. (Use
as large an ID bearing here as possible
to help system BW.)
Direct-drive cartridge motor technology utilizes a machines bearings to support the rotor of a full-frame motor for
the ease of installation, and can often
eliminate the need for a mechanical
advantaged mechanism (gearheads, pulleys, and belts, etc.) like other directdrive motor designs.
Prioritizing for Risk Management

and Tradeoffs
It cannot be stressed enough that controlling factors for risk management are
the machines functions with the chosen
process to accomplish the work of each
axis, as they apply to the new product
production requirements and not the
new or original machines design.
Remember, for all new designs and especially for proof-of-concept designs, cost
reductions cannot be reasonably applied
Mechanically advantaged mechanism by a belt

and planetary gearhead.
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to a machine whose manufacturing

process doesnt yet work. Changing the
machines motion technology and control by specifically keeping the machine
functions and chosen process in the
forefront for making decisions and
tradeoffs for each axis, with available
servo system technologies, will greatly
reduce risk and enhance the success of
any machine design.
After chosen process and machine functions are understood (ins and outs, and
basic safety requirements), we can now
begin asking questions to determine direction and possible solutions for the work to
be performed by each axis. The following
set of questions is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather a strong start to simplifying
the design approach of each axis for servomotor system utilization.
1. Does the axis in question require point-topoint moves (typical Position Mode operation)?
Reduce load inertia and mechanism
inertia as much as possible. For example,
utilize aluminum over steel if possible,
and/or remove unnecessary metal from
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59
SIMPLIFIED MACHINE DESIGN
components, especially at the larger

diameters where not otherwise needed.
Remember, the moment of inertia of a
rotating component about its center axis
goes up by its diameter to the 4th power.
Reduce friction as much as possible:
bearings versus bushings, ball screw versus acme style screw, etc.
Reduce mechanism compliance as
much as possible. Use the knee of the cost
curve versus capability, when applicable.
Reduce, minimize, or eliminate mechanism backlash as much as possible: belt
versus gearhead, versus direct-drive, etc.
Minimize the number of moving bodies between the load and motor, and
make the mechanisms drive train as
rigid as possible. For example, a rackand-pinion mechanism must be locked
together such that the rack/pinion does
not rise up on its teeth during a highspeed acceleration or deceleration.
Use a rigid (compression style, etc.) or
equivalent coupling when applicable for
the mechanism, reducing potential for
mechanical wind-up and otherwise relatively large coupling inertia.
For indexing applications (especially
high-speed), increase feedback resolution to maximum (knee of the cost versus capability curve), if one has not done
so already.
Ensure proposed control method(s)
can achieve safety protocols and any
other specific requirements.
Consider basic maintenance procedure requirements in harmony with the
process and safety protocols up front.
2. Does the axis in question require a continuous operating velocity (typical Velocity
Mode operation)?
One must consider velocity tolerances
long term versus short term, if applicable. If very short-term tolerance is more
critical/dominant (smaller short-term
tolerance required per some time unit),
then a higher than normally desirable
load inertia may still be more suitable.
Process needs to be understood and for
a specific process, it could go either way:
minimized load inertia (with maximum
feedback resolution) versus a purposely
designed larger load inertia (to dampen
short term response) it is very hard to
make a judgment call without specific
process information.
If long-term tolerance is dominant
(tight long-term tolerance required
per some time unit), then typically it is
best to maximize feedback resolution,

and reduce load and mechanism inertia,
allowing the servo to maintain the best
control with the highest BW.
If the process requires the best of both
worlds, reduce load inertia and mechanism inertia, and increase feedback resolution to the maximum available (utilize knee of the cost curve vs. capability).
When applicable, reduce load inertia
and mechanism inertia as much as possible to increase BW capability. Reduce
friction as much as possible, and reduce
stiction as much as possible, especially
for low-speed process applications.
Eliminate mechanism backlash, and
reduce mechanism compliance as much
as possible. Use a rigid (compression
style, etc.) or equivalent coupling when
applicable for the mechanism, and minimize the number of moving bodies
between the load and motor.
Increase feedback resolution to maximum (knee of the cost curve vs. capability). Controls: if possible, run the drive in
a position mode for the appropriate time
and displacement range. Typically, a better constant velocity tolerance can be
achieved at the servomotor when run
inside a position loop. Ensure the proposed control method(s) can achieve
safety protocols and any other specific
requirements. Consider basic maintenance procedure requirements in harmony with the process and safety protocols up front.
4. Does the axis in question require

extremely low speed ( 1 rpm)?
Reduce friction and stiction as much
as possible; stiction can easily become an
issue. Eliminate mechanism backlash.
Reduce mechanism compliance as
much as possible; use a rigid (compression style, etc.) or equivalent coupling
when applicable for the mechanism, and
minimize the number of moving bodies
between the load and motor. Increase
feedback resolution to maximum or at
minimum, use knee of the cost curve for
higher resolution. Control: if it is a
velocity application versus positioning,
then if possible, run drive in a position
mode for the appropriate time and displacement range. Typically, a better constant velocity tolerance can be achieved
at the servomotor when run inside a
position loop. Ensure proposed control
method(s) can achieve safety protocols
and any other specific requirements.
Consider basic maintenance procedure
requirements in harmony with the
process and safety protocols up front.
5. Is the specific axis in question vertical?
Utilize a failsafe-brake (internal to the
motor or external axis brake) and/or
counterbalance load. If a failsafe-brake
is utilized, ensure its physical engagement and disengagement is timed with
the drive commands, with proper delays
for the subject brakes engagement and
disengagement. If counterbalancing
load, take into consideration the additional load inertia and its effect on accel-
3. Does the axis in question require a continuous force be applied against some load
(typically Torque Mode)?
Reduce friction as much as possible
because stiction can easily become an
issue. If an external force is
applied for some time in a
locked-rotor state, the
motor must be sized
accordingly. This is not a
typical servo application.
Many, if not most servomotors are rated at a low RPM
(stalled rotor state), with
just enough speed to
ensure even heat distribution. Contact the motor
manufacturer when applicable. Ensure proposed
control method(s) can
achieve safety protocols
and any other specific
requirements. Consider Direct-drive mechanism.
60
Intro
basic maintenance procedure requirements in harmony with the process and

safety protocols up front.
Cov
ToC
eration and deceleration torque requirements. If counterbalancing load, there

are typically tradeoffs due to actual
process cycle times, resulting in only a
percentage of the load being counterbalanced. For partially unbalanced
loads, use a current offset when applicable to offset the imbalanced load and to
minimize control-loop integration
requirements (typically reduces phase
shift and lowers risk). Ensure proposed
control method(s) can achieve safety
protocols and any other specific requirements. Consider basic maintenance procedure requirements in harmony with
the process and safety protocols up
front. Refer to suggestions above for typical mode of axis operation: position,
velocity, etc.
Conclusion
Machine builders are continually
faced with challenges in areas of technology complexity and knowledge barriers related to the scope of work to be
performed, whether it involves a new
design, re-design, or conversion implementation. By utilizing the latest servo
system technology with a simplified
axis design approach, and identifying

the action items for a number of typical mechanical configurations, they
can effectively manage design risk and
achieve optimal machine performance
while reducing development time.
This article was contributed by Kollmorgen
Corporation, Radford, VA. For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/61062-321.
Summary of the Design

Approach for Each Axis
In order to enhance the bandwidth
response capability and controllability
of any servomotor-controlled axis, a
combination of factors must be considered in relation to the machine function, chosen process, and work to be
performed by each subject axis. They
are friction and stiction, external loading, backlash and compliance, load
and mechanism inertia at the motor,
feedback resolution, and finally,
when applicable, the motors drive,
PWM/SVM, and update rates (separate controller update rates, if applicable). Furthermore, the total (but desirably minimized) number of moving
bodies between the load and motor
along with the natural frequencies of
the design may also need to be considered as the mechatronic design comes
to completion.
One cannot reasonably apply cost
reductions to a machine whose manufacturing process doesnt yet work. This
is why the needs of the chosen operating
process should take decision priority
over the machines initial performance
tradeoffs and cost reductions. It is often
best, for the initial machine build, to
design for the highest capability at the
lowest cost. If the new machine meets
the production requirements utilizing
the knee of the cost curve for its components, there may still be room for some
cost reductions. On the other hand, if
any specific component of the machine
requires additional capability, the additional cost can be more easily justified.
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Intro
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2016 U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC All Rights Reserved.
ToC
61
Applications
Anti-Creep Mechanism Enables Ultra-Precise Motor
Table Positioning
otion control is essential for the
M
digitization and automation of
high-tech equipment, but bearings
remain basic to frictionless movement.
Bearing Engineers, a bearing distributor, recently changed its name to
Motion Solutions (Aliso Viejo, CA) to
better reflect their evolution into a custom designer of motion solutions for
high-tech electromechanical systems.
Developing custom solutions has lead
to developing lines of proprietary
products that the company manufactures in-house.
A company came to Motion
Solutions seeking a better linear
motor table for positioning laser surgery equipment. The customers Lasik
eye surgery equipment was not performing smoothly enough, and its running parallelism was not up to their
standards. The problem was being
caused by linear bearing cage slippage.
Though positioned horizontally, at full
operating speed, the bearing retainer
would creep as the momentum of the
bearing movement was transferred to
the cage (also called the retainer). An
anti-cage creep mechanism was the
logical solution.
The term anti-creep is used to
describe the method of eliminating any
slippage of the retainer holding the
crossed rollers between the two Vgrooved rails of the slideway. In addition
to maintaining precise movement, without creepage, downtime is reduced, lowering the cost of maintenance.
An anti-creep device eliminates this
creeping of the retainer so the slideway can be used in any mounting
direction and with lower-momentum
motors such as linear motors. Several
complex anti-creep devices have been
developed. To prevent cage creep/
slippage, manufacturers have used a
few different approaches such as a
rack and pinion mechanism, an external attachment made of plastic gears
outside of the rail, and a metal gear
inside of the rail. Some of these
devices are quite expensive.
The STUDROLLER crossed roller anti-creep slideways.
Cage creep is prevented by the studs that roll into the raceways depressions.
After comparison tests, one mechanism was chosen that does not use a
gear. The STUDROLLER anti-cage
creep mechanism from NB Corporation
of America (Hanover Park, IL) uses a
roller with round balls studded around
its surface. It has the smoothest track-
62
Intro
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ing motion and therefore is quieter

than an externally attached toothedgear anti-creep device. In this mechanism, creep is prevented because the
raceway has depressions that track the
studs or nodules, preventing slippage
in any position.
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products all have different strengths.
Some are incredibly precise. Some create high-force
movement in a compact package. Some have exceptional
bi-directional accuracy. Some simplify the conversion of
rotary-to-linear movement.
Any of them can be customized to meet your exact
application specifications. All of them will impress you.
Motion Solutions assembly area.
Contact us today for a free consultation!
By placing studs in the center roller and machining a path

along the rail, the retainer will never slip. It is suitable for
high acceleration, vertical or horizontal mounting, and
uneven load distribution.
Motion Solutions saw that the improved linear motor table
held promise as a proprietary product. However, they had commercial concerns, including cost, which varied for crossed
roller bearings with anti-creep mechanisms depending on the
complexity of the design and whether the application has to be
custom-designed to accommodate them. Since the NB device
uses a studded roller, as opposed to a gear or exterior control,
the cost is almost the same as a standard slideway almost half
the cost of other anti-creep devices, and there are no redesign
costs to replace a standard slideway.
The product lowered the customers cost by 17 percent,
and Motion Solutions was able to establish processes that
would shorten the lead time to between two and three weeks.
The linear motor table which initially was incorporated
into Lasik eye surgery systems focusing optics and lasers on
the eye has a demonstrated level of precision that can be
used for other applications. Its suitable for any positioning
equipment that demands high tolerance and repeatability in
the medical, life sciences, and semiconductor manufacturing
industries. Successfully meeting the challenge has led to the
development of a proprietary line of precision positioning
tables that also meets the demanding requirements of liquid
crystal-related equipment, measuring instruments, assembling systems, and material transfer equipment.
The Motion Solutions Linear Motor Table is powered by
an ironless core linear motor. The smooth, noncontact drive
system prevents force ripple (attraction force or cogging).
Designed for high-speed positioning, the linear motor
tables allow speeds up to 2,550 mm/second. A compact,
lightweight aluminum alloy enclosure houses a linear
encoder that positions down to 10-nanometer resolution.
Each encoder is customized per a clients needs. They can
choose from four motor sizes, three base length options
(84, 168, or 210 mm), and encoder resolutions from 5
microns to 10 nanometers.
This article was contributed by NB Corporation of America. For more
information, visit http://info.hotims.com/61062-322.
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63
NEW
Products
Motor Drive
Positioners
The RoadRunner SoftStep R213S microstepping motor drive

from Testra Corp. (Tempe, AZ) features an onboard processor that
treats the input steps as small vector moves, and chains them together with 250 or 256 microsteps
per regular motor step with
controlled accelerations. Dual
chopper stabilized current
comparators and auto-calibration eliminate communication
discontinuities and maintain
sine wave drive, reducing
motor noise. The drives are
equipped
with
jumpers
installed with a divisor setting
of 10 to make them Geckodrive compatible; jumpers can
be reconfigured by the user. The drive microsteps in either 250 or
256 increments per step for DS (double-step) settings, 1 (full-step),
2 (half-step), 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256. The drive measures 2.5
2.5 0.825", input power is 20VDC 80VDC, and current drive is
1 to 7 amps. Other features include resistor programmable current,
opto-isolated inputs, and step frequency to 5 Mhz. Available options
include custom waveforms to match individual motor characteristics, and user-programmable waveform.
ALM Positioners (Rock Island, IL)

released the Model MHL1P 10,000-poundcapacity single-column positioner that features 68.5" vertical travel in 35 seconds; a
pendant-controlled, 4-HP, column-mounted
hydraulic unit for lifting and lowering; solenoid-controlled safety pawls; 360-degree CW
or CCW rotation; a rotator with 267,200
inch-pounds of torque; and a 48" base. It is
offered as a dual-motor rotator and variable
frequency drive (variable speed rotation of
.75 to 2.3 RPM), as well as a single rotator.
Also available is the MHL1P 3-axis, single-column, 6,000-poundcapacity positioner that requires no special foundation and is suited
for situations in which total product access is needed. It features
68.5" vertical travel in 40 seconds; 4-HP column-mount hydraulic
unit with pendant-controlled x,y,z axes; solenoid-operated safety
pawl in the column; 15-HP secondary for variable speed rotation;
180-degree rotation on axis 1 (360-degree optional); 360-degree
rotation on axis 2; optional wireless foot control; and optional programmable operation. The positioners eliminate slings, chain
transfer, and screw systems, and allow the operator to raise and
position weldments or assemblies to a convenient height and working position.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/61062-301
Linear Slide
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions (Waterbury, CT)
introduced the WGS Wide Guide Screw linear
slide that utilizes a screw-driven carriage. Length
and speed are not limited by critical screw speed,
allowing high RPM, linear speed, and long stroke
lengths. The slide offers stroke options of 6, 12,
and 18" in three leads (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0"). Each
slide comes with a size 17 and a size 23 motor
mount. The slide utilizes sliding plane bearings on
a low-profile aluminum guide rail. The lead-screw
is made of stainless steel, and all moving surfaces include Kerkite polymers running on a
Kerkote TFE coating. The slides come with wear-compensating, anti-backlash-driven carriages. Additional driven or passive carriages can be added, along with application-specific customization. Linear guides without the drive screw also are available.
Thermally Conductive
Epoxy Adhesive
Two Component
EP21TCHT-1
Angle Sensors
Novotechnik U.S. (Southborough, MA) introduced
the RSX-7900 Series angle sensors that provide up to
IP69K ingress protection and ISO13849 PL-d safety
compliance in a non-contacting design. The sensors are
available in six standard measuring ranges with angles
from 0 to 60, to 0 to 360 degrees with unrestricted rotation. Resolution is 12-bits across a 4 to 20 mA output,
with linearity to 1% at 90 degrees. Repeatability is
0.2, and update rate is 5 kHz. Single and dual redundant versions are available. The sensors offer anodized
aluminum housing with a stainless steel shaft for corrosion protection with salt and spray
resistance. Axial and radial shaft loading is up to 300 N via a double-row angular ball bearing
design. The 70-mm-diameter sensor has a nominal length of 35 mm, and is available with a
choice of shaft styles.
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Hexapod
Aerotech (Pittsburgh, PA) offers the
HEX500-350HL high-load, six-degree-offreedom hexapod for applications in sensor
testing and high-force device manipulation. It is actuated with six struts that are
built with preloaded bearings, ball screws,
and drive components, and is driven by
AC brushless, slotless servomotors that are
directly coupled to the actuator ball-screw for
drive stiffness and minimum incremental motion of 20 nm in XYZ
and 0.2 rad for xyz. The platform and base can be modified
with user-specific features or mounting patterns.
The hexapod is designed with a 150-mm-diameter clear aperture
in both the platform and base to allow for workpiece access from
the bottom. The base is designed with mounting holes to adapt
directly to English or metric optical tables. The hexapod is driven
by A3200 motion control software that enables programming and
control of the hexapod in any user-defined coordinate system.
Level Indicator
The Model BM-T tilt Switch from BinMaster (Lincoln,
NE) is a level indicator used for point level detection of
heavy materials in bins, tanks, or silos, or over a conveyor belt
or open pile. It is suspended vertically over a control point
using a wire rope, chain, or flexible hanger. As the material
level rises, the switch tips and causes a steel ball within the unit
to shift position. When tilted to 15, it activates a microswitch
and causes an alarm condition. A stainless steel paddle is
attached to the stainless steel shaft when the switch is used
in rock, aggregates, or other heavy solid materials. A plastic
sphere is suitable for lighter powders and solids.
Machine Controller
Mitsubishi
Electric
Automation
(Vernon
Hills, IL) introduced the
iQ-R Series machine control system that incorporates sequence, motion,
safety, process, and C language control into one
platform. The control
platform is designed for applications requiring integrated motion and
safety control, tight synchronization between various processes, and
high production throughput. The integrated design allows machines
or production lines to consolidate control in one rack. The system can
have up to 4 CPUs per rack for various combinations of motion,
sequence, or process control.
Features include 0.98 ns execution speed, multi-discipline control
with up to 4 CPUs in a single rack, high-speed bus, GX Works3 programming software with built-in functions and configuration screens,
CC-Link IE field network with deterministic performance over industrial Ethernet, and built-in SD memory card database. The control
design allows communication between controllers across the backplane, eliminating the need for complex wiring. It also offers a security
key feature to prevent unauthorized execution of programs.
Intro
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65
New on the
MARKET
Product of the Month

Stratasys, Eden Prairie, MN, introduced the J750 3D printer that produces full-color, multi-material prototypes
and parts in a single 3D print without post-processing. Users can choose from more than 360,000 different color
shades plus multiple material properties ranging from rigid, to flexible and opaque, to transparent. Prototypes
such as tooling, molds, jigs, and fixtures can include an array of colors, materials, and material properties in the
same part. The printer is supported with PolyJet Studio software that allows users to choose materials, optimize
the build, and manage print queues. Assignment of colors, transparencies, and rigidity is accomplished via familiar design controls. Color textures can be loaded fully intact via VRML files imported from CAD tools. Featuring
a large, six-material capacity, the printer keeps the most-used resins loaded for printing.
Product Focus: Test Instruments

Handheld Meters for Test Kits
Power Meters
OMEGA Engineering, Stamford, CT,

offers the HHC200 Series portable,
rugged environmental meters. Digital
thermometers are offered in infrared
and dual thermocouple models. Also
available are light meters and optical
RPM meters, a hygro-anemometer for
airflow and humidity measurement,
and manometers in absolute pressure
and precision differential models.
Yokogawa Corporation of America, Newnan, GA, announced the

WT300E series compact power meters that consists of the WT310E single-phase, WT310EH singlephase high current, WT332E twoelement, and WT333E three-element models. These units offer
enhanced measurement accuracy of 0.1% of reading +0.05% of
range. They provide measurement capability to 50 micro-Amps, and up
to 26 Amps RMS, and use 16-bit A/D converters.
Sampling Oscilloscopes
Leak Detector
The N1092A, N1092B, and N1092D

DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes from
Keysight Technologies, Santa Rosa,
CA, are designed for 25/100/400
Gb/s optical test. They measure lowpower, high-data-rate NRZ and PAM-4
devices and feature a FlexDCA user
interface. The N1092A has one optical
channel, the N1092B has two optical channels, and the N1092D has
four optical channels.
Pfeiffer Vacuum, Nashua, NH,

offers the ASI 35 modular leak detection system for tracer gases helium
and hydrogen in integral and localizing test procedures or a combination
of both. An optional user interface
can be controlled by PC or PLC. The
system can be used in vacuum or sniffing test modes. The electronics
module is suitable for universal voltage, and the detector is designed
for working conditions in ambient temperatures up to 45 C.
Voltage/Current Source
Power Analyzer
The Model 526 Precision DC Voltage/Current Source/Calibrator

from Krohn-Hite Corp., Brockton, MA, is a repeatable DC voltage
source and DC current
source that provides NISTtraceable voltages from 100
nVdc to 111.1110 Vdc to
within 20 ppm. Up to 32 storage output settings are provided. Selecting voltages and current limits to prevent users from
damaging sensitive circuitry may be set from the front panel.
Tektronix, Beaverton, OR,

introduced the PA3000 1- to 4channel AC/DC power analyzer
for testing single- and multiphase, high-efficiency AC-DC
and DC-AC power supplies. It
features 10-milliwatt standby power measurement capabilities and 1MHz bandwidth. The unit includes more than 50 standard measurement functions, including harmonics, frequency, and star-delta computation, and has multiple analog and digital inputs for sensor data.
The U.S. Government does not endorse any commercial product or service identified in this section.
66
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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P R O D U C T SPOTLIGHT
TRANSIENT
IMMUNITY
TESTERS
Mechatronics Platform
Eplan, Monheim, Germany, introduced
Syngineer, a communication and information platform that interfaces MCAD, ECAD,
and PLC software
directly through
the mechatronic
structure. It synchronizes mechanical engineering,
controls engineering, and software engineering, and models the mechatronic structure of a machine consisting of a users specifications, functions, and components. The
various software are linked through a browser add-in; cloud technology is required in
order to network the disciplines.
Avtechs AVRQ series of

high-voltage, high-speed
pulse generators is ideal for
testing the common-mode transient immunity
(CMTI) of next-generation optocouplers and isolated gate drivers.
Kilovolt amplitudes (1, 1.5, -2 kV)
Transition times down to 10 ns, dV/dt rates up to
120 kV/us
Switchable daughterboards to handle a variety of
DUT package styles
www.avtechpulse.com
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Dual-Channel Transceiver
Red
Rapids,
Richardson, TX,
introduced the
Model 372 FPGAconfigurable dualchannel transceiver that features a
dual-channel 16-bit analog-to-digital converter
(ADC) and dual-channel 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) clocked at 310 MHz. The
converters are coupled to a Xilinx Kintex-7
FPGA that is also connected to high-throughput SRAM. The transceiver is available on a single XMC, CCXMC, or PCI Express half-length
form factor board. The SRAM interfaces to the
FPGA through separate 18-bit read and write
ports to achieve a combined 8 Gbytes/sec data
transfer rate.
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EMI-Shielded Vents and Filters

Tech-Etch,
Plymouth, MA,
offers
EMIshielded vents
and air filters
in most shapes
and sizes. Nine
different aluminum honeycomb vents are offered in both
standard and custom configurations. Shielded
fan vents are available in six sizes, and a BeCu
gasket can be added to the frame. Quiet vents in
66 sizes with honeycomb media provide airflow
through openings requiring shielding to 90 db
attenuation levels. Shielded filters and dust
shields attenuate EMI and provide a passage for
cooling air while filtering dust.
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testing. See whats new in simulation technology at
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New Fluid Metering, Inc.

Catalog of precision Dispensers
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Laboratory, Industrial, Process
and OEM applications. FMI
products feature unique piston-type positive displacement units with No Valves, Low-Dead Volume,
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and a range from 500 Nanoliters per dispense up to
4,600 ml/min continuous metering. Many New
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Intro
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Upcoming...
Webinars
The Role of Multi-domain Dynamic Models for
Functional Verification in Model-based
Systems Engineering
Thursday, June 2, 2016 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
Much has been made of the power of Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) as a formal method for capturing and managing design
requirements for complex engineering systems. This Webinar seeks to demystify some of the key aspects of MBSE, and show how the
methodology can bring major advantages to the engineering design process.
Speakers:
Andy Ko, Ph.D.
Manager of Engineering Services,
Phoenix Integration
This 30-minute Webinar includes:

Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Access to archived event on demand
Paul Goossens
Vice President,
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Maplesoft
Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar349
Chemical Machining of Titanium A Burr

Free, Stress Free and Faster Process!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
Chemical machining of Titanium is a lower-cost alternative to producing components. Titanium is an excellent material used historically with
Aerospace and Defense applications. The use of Titanium for medical applications has also grown over the past few decades as its properties
are biocompatible with the human body and, of course, its mechanical strength and weight provide premium advantages as well. Recently, the
use of Titanium in battery applications has also highlighted the need for alternative methods of fabricating. Chemical machining is a unique
way of producing precision Titanium components and should be considered when determining how to fabricate your specific designs.
Speaker:
Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Robert D. Ashman
National Sales Manager,
Precision Products,
Photofabrication Engineering, Inc.
Advanced Passive Thermal Management Technologies

for Power Electronics: Solutions to Reduce Noise,
Power Consumption, and Operating Costs
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
Components housed within power electronic devices continue to shrink in size and increase in power. Properly managing the thermal
loads within these systems can be challenging, and traditional solutions of larger pumps and fans result in more noise and higher power
consumption. This Webinar will present a series of advanced passive technologies used to optimize thermal performance, while reducing noise and power consumption.
Speakers:
Deniz Pamukcu
New Business Development
Specialist,
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.
Darren Campo
Lead Product Development
Engineer,
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.

Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Intro
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Unlocking the Secrets of

Amorphous Metals
Thursday, June 16, 2016 at 1:00 pm U.S. EDT
Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), amorphous metals, and liquid metals are non-crystalline metal alloys that are simultaneously glasses, metals,
and liquids. In this Webinar, you will learn the fundamental science of BMG formation, how to design alloys for specific properties, new
manufacturing techniques to fabricate complex hardware, how structural applications are prototyped, and the results of bench-testing for
various applications.
Speaker:
Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Dr. Douglas Hofmann

Technologist,
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The High Frontier: In-Space

Manufacturing at NASA MSFC
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
Find out about the latest additive manufacturing technologies in use at NASA MSFC, how they work, and how they are being utilized to further
NASAs efforts to create a sustainable, lower-cost launch capability. This Webinar also will provide an overview of NASAs In-Space
Manufacturing (ISM) project and discuss efforts underway to develop and adapt manufacturing technologies for use in space that have the
potential to enhance crew safety and enable sustainable exploration.
Speakers:
Tracie Prater, Ph.D.
Aerospace Engineer,
NASA Marshall
Kenneth Cooper
Advanced Manufacturing Team
Lead,
NASA Marshall

Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Available On Demand!
Aerogel Hybrid Composite Materials:
Designs and Testing for Multifunctional Applications
Scientists at Kennedy Space Center have continued to expand the design, development, and applicability of aerogels by developing
advanced composite materials and systems with multi-functional capabilities.
This Webinar introduces the broad spectrum of aerogel composites and their diverse performance properties, and expands
specifically on the aerogel/fiber laminate systems and testing methodologies.
Speakers:
Dr. Martha Williams
Lead Polymer Scientist and
Principal Investigator,
NASA Kennedy Space Center
James Fesmire
Senior Principal Investigator,
Cryogenics Test Laboratory,
NASA Kennedy Space Center

Live Q&A session
Application Demo
Intro
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NASAs Technology
Transfer Program
www.techbriefs.com
NASAs R&D efforts produce a robust supply of promising technologies with applications in many industries. A key mechanism in identifying commercial applications for this technology is NASAs national network of laboratories and business support entities. The network includes ten NASA field centers, and
a full tie-in with the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer. To explore technology
transfer, development, and collaboration opportunities with NASA, visit technology.nasa.gov.
NASAs Technology Sources

Ames Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Information
Technology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;
Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;
Thermal Protection Systems.
David Morse
(650) 604-4724
david.r.morse@nasa.gov
Kennedy Space Center

Selected technological strengths: Fluids and
Fluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; Process
Engineering; Command, Control, and Monitor
Systems; Range Systems; Environmental
Engineering and Management.
David R. Makufka
(321) 867-6227
david.r.makufka@nasa.gov
Armstrong Flight Research Center

Selected technological strengths:
Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;
Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; Thermal
Testing; Integrated Systems Test and
Validation.
Laura Fobel
(661) 276-3967
laura.j.fobel@nasa.gov
Langley Research Center

Aerodynamics; Flight Systems; Materials;
Structures; Sensors; Measurements;
Information Sciences.
Kathy Dezern
(757) 864-5704
kathy.a.dezern@nasa.gov
Glenn Research Center

Aeropropulsion; Communications; Energy
Technology; High-Temperature Materials
Research.
Kimberly A. Dalgleish-Miller
(216) 433-8047
kimberly.a.dalgleish@nasa.gov
Marshall Space Flight Center

Selected technological strengths: Materials;
Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;
Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls
and Dynamics; Structures; Microgravity
Processing.
Terry L. Taylor
(256) 544-5916
terry.taylor@nasa.gov
Goddard Space Flight Center

Selected technological strengths: Earth and
Planetary Science Missions; LIDAR; Cryogenic
Systems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote
Sensing; Command.
Nona Cheeks
(301) 286-5810
nona.k.cheeks@nasa.gov
Stennis Space Center

Selected technological strengths: Propulsion
Systems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;
Nonintrusive Instrumentation.
Duane Armstrong
(228) 688-2180
curtis.d.armstrong@nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Selected technological strengths: Near/DeepSpace Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;
Space Communications; Information Systems;
Remote Sensing; Robotics.
Dan Broderick
(818) 354-1314
daniel.f.broderick@jpl.nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Artificial
Intelligence and Human Computer Interface;
Life Sciences; Human Space Flight Operations;
Avionics; Sensors; Communications.
John E. James
(281) 483-3809
john.e.james@nasa.gov
NASA HEADQUARTERS
Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer
Program Executive
(202) 358-2037
daniel.p.lockney@nasa.gov
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) &
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Programs
Rich Leshner, Program Executive
(202) 358-4920
rleshner@nasa.gov
70
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NASA tech briefs are provided by the National Aeronautics
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Technology Transfer Program Executive ....................Daniel Lockney
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Intro
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Advertisers
Index
Reader Service
Number
Company
For free product literature, enter advertisers reader service

numbers at www.techbriefs.com/rs, or visit the Web site listed
beneath their ad in this issue.
Advertisers listed in bold-face type have banner ads on the NASA Tech Briefs
Web site www.techbriefs.com
Page
Reader Service
Number
Company
Page
Aerotech, Inc. ..................................................752 ..........................54
R.M. Young Company ......................................749 ..........................52
Allied Electronics..............................................717 ............................5
Rohde & Schwarz ............................................724 ..........................17
AllMotion, Inc. ................................................740 ..........................40
Santest Co., Ltd. ..............................................759 ..........................65
Andantext USA Inc. ........................................754 ..........................59
Seastrom Mfg. ................................................750 ..........................52
ARM Ltd. ........................................................731 ..........................28
SEMICON West................................................732 ..........................29
AutomationDirect ............................................723 ..........................15
Smalley............................................................739 ..........................39
Avtech Electrosystems Ltd. ..............................761 ..........................67
Stanford Research Systems, Inc. ......747, 748, 751 ..............49, 51, 53
C-Flex Bearing Co., Inc. ....................................760 ..........................65
Taylor Devices Inc. ............................................753 ..........................57
Centritec Seals - A Carlyle Johnson Company....745 ..........................47
TDK-Lambda Americas Inc. ..............................730 ..........................27
Century Spring - MW Industries ......................744 ..........................45
TE Connectivity ................................................716 ............................4
COMSOL, Inc. ............................................722, 762 ..........13, 67
Tech Briefs TV....................................................................................36
Concept Group, Inc. ........................................729 ..........................25
U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC ..............755 ..........................61
Create The Future Design Contest ..............................................COV III
Wavelength Electronics ....................................766 ..........................67
Digi-Key Electronics....................................713........COV I, COV II
Wilbrecht LEDCO, Inc.......................................799 ..........................67
Dymax Corporation..........................................721, 733 ............11, 31
WinSystems Inc. ..............................................727 ..........................21
Eagle Stainless Tube ........................................738 ..........................37

Epoxy Set, Inc. ................................................746 ..........................48
Sensor Technology
Fluid Metering, Inc...........................................763 ..........................67
ATI Industrial Automation ............................703 ..........................2
HARWIN PLC ..................................................734 ..........................32
Create The Future Design Contest ..................................................3
Hotwatt Inc. ....................................................735 ..........................32
Digi-Key Electronics ................................702..............COV I, 1
Imagineering, Inc. ......................................714 ..........................1
Kaman Precision Products..............................705 ..........................7
Insaco Inc. ......................................................737 ..........................35
Massa Products Corp.....................................707 ........................15
Kaman Precision Products ................................720 ..........................10
Master Bond Inc. ....................................708, 710 ........17, 20
Keysight Technologies ......................................718 ............................7
Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH ................701 ..................COV II
Lyons Tool & Die Co. ........................................742 ..........................43
Pepperl+Fuchs ..............................................706 ..........................9
Magnetic Component Engineering, Inc. ..........743 ..........................44
Sensirion AG ................................................711 ........................21
Master Bond Inc.........................736, 758, 764 ............33, 64, 67
Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd. ..........................709 ........................17
MathWorks ....................................................715 ............................3
Steute Industrial Controls, Inc. ......................712 ..................COV IV
Minalex Corporation ........................................725 ..........................19
Tadiran Batteries............................................704 ..........................5
National Instruments ......................................767 ....................COV IV

Supplement to NASA Tech Briefs: 2
National Reconnaissance Office ................728 ........................23

Nippon Pulse America, Inc. ..............................756 ..........................63
Novotechnik ....................................................726 ..........................19
PennEngineering..............................................741 ..........................41
PhotoMachining, Inc. ......................................765 ..........................67
Proto Labs, Inc.................................................719 ............................9
Pyramid Incorporated ......................................757 ..........................63
NASA Tech Briefs, ISSN 0145-319X, USPS 750-070, copyright 2016 in U.S. is published
monthly 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.
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Intro
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71
SPINOFF
Spinoff is NASAs 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.
Recycling Technology Converts Plastic Waste to Energy

NASAs expertise in rocket engine improvement helps optimize plastic recycling process
equipment.
s good as it feels to
um product that will be sold to
throw plastic items into
distributors and marketers.
the recycling bin, the fact is
While Vadxx will operate that
most of that plastic goes
facility, its expansion plans cenunrecycled, according to Jim
ter around licensing the techGarrett, a veteran of the oil
nology to other entities. The
and gas industry. Its a dirty
company estimates theres
little secret in America that
enough feedstock in the
90 percent of our plastic
United States to build 1,500
ends up [in landfills], if not
Vadxx units, which would
in our oceans.
decrease the nations oil
The reason for the low rate
imports by 7 percent.
of recycling is that many plasAll those units would
tics contain additives and
be environmentally friendly,
fillers that make them incomaccording to Garrett. No hazpatible with current recycling
ardous byproducts are creattechnologies, while others
ed, and, unlike most compaare contaminated with paper Vadxx president Jim Garrett speaks with President Barack Obama about the nies that flare off excess fuel
companys plastics recycling technology at the Manufacturing Advocacy and
or ink. Recycling companies Growth Network (MAGNET) Innovation Center in Cleveland, which helped gas, which contributes to globtake in the clear water bottles, Vadxx connect with NASA Glenn Research Center. (Credit: Vadxx Energy LLC) al warming, Vadxx recycles
but most of the other stuff is
that gas to provide 80 percent
not recycled, Garrett said. But as the
Ullom began making improvements to
of a units heating needs. From both an
old adage goes, one mans trash is
the process that allowed the technology
economic and environmental standanother mans treasure. In 2009,
both to run nonstop and to accept conpoint, its a winner, he said. The EPA
Garrett met petroleum geologist and
tamination from materials such as wood
[Environmental Protection Agency] clasgeochemist Bill Ullom, who had in
and cardboard. After meeting Garrett,
sifies our unit as only a minor emitter,
mind a technology that could make
he founded Cleveland-based Vadxx
equivalent to a hospital boiler. And the
use of all this unwanted plastic in
Energy LLC and became its chief techkey there is were not burning feedstock,
order to strike oil, or at least manufacnology officer, with Garrett filling the
but melting it in a vessel. Its not like
ture it.
role of CEO. By 2012, the company still
were building a new refinery where it
In 2005, Ullom had found an
needed help optimizing the kilns
takes 10 years to get the approval.
expired patent for a thermal depolydesign, which would be a complex task.
The technology has generated enormerization process that could convert
While one wouldnt necessarily think
mous interest from waste disposal compaplastic back into its original form: light
NASA has much in common with a trashnies and large manufacturing facilities,
crude oil. The technology works by
recycling technology, the Agencys work
which stand to gain by paying less money
sending plastic feedstocks, as well as
on rocket propulsion makes it especially
to truck material to a Vadxx unit than to
tires and car interiors, through a
adept at analyzing such a process.
the landfill. Whats more, each unit is
shredder, where rotating cutters shred
In May 2012, a team of four scientists
projected to make $8 to $12 million per
the material before sending it through
from Glenns chemistry kinematics group
year in revenue for its operator, and proan extruder/kiln combination, where
created a kinematic model where Vadxx
vide 18 full-time jobs.
the feedstock is incrementally heated,
could put in the diameter of the kiln, the
Besides the technical leg-up NASA
producing vapor. At the exit of the
feed rates, and the viscosity of the polygave the company, Garrett said there was
process path, the vapor is released and
mers, and it optimized the process, maxianother, more indirect benefit of having
condensed into liquid form and dismizing the output of the oil byproduct.
partnered with NASA: credibility. Wed
tilled into derivatives of light crude oil,
The model proved to be a success, and
kind of brag to people that we worked
namely fuel gas and diesel additive.
Vadxx had the technology to manufacture
with NASA, and they say, Really? I may be
The last and only solid byproduct of
its first full-scale commercial kiln.
interested in investing. The NASA name
the process is inert char, which can
When fully operational, the kiln will be
has that kind of impact.
serve as a strengthening agent in rubable to process 20,000 tons of waste per
Visit http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2016/
ber products, among other uses.
year to produce 100,000 barrels of petroleee_8.html
72
www.techbriefs.com
Intro
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Connect on social media:
LAST CHANCE! Entry deadline: July 1, 2016
#CTF2016
THE BEST WAY TO

PREDICT
THE FUTURE
...IS TO
CREATE IT.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Revolutionary Design
2011 GRAND PRIZE WINNER
FLUID-SCREEN BACTERIAL DETECTION SYSTEM

For the past 100 years, the standard procedure for detecting dangerous bacteria
meant collecting a sample, sending it out to a lab, and waiting 24 to 48 hours to grow a
culture and report the results. Fluid-Screens patent-pending new technology puts the
power of a lab in the palm of your hand to give you test results in about 30 minutes.
Fluid-Screen is a revolutionary bacterial detection system for quality assurance testing
in fields such as municipal water supplies, medical applications, and food processing.
WILL YOUR DESIGN BE NEXT?

Start Creating the Future at:
www.createthefuturecontest.com
CAT E G O R Y S P O N S O R S
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
PRIZE SPONSORS
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
Intro
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SMART DEVICES REQUIRE
SMARTER
AU TOM AT ED T ES T SYS T EMS
The old approach to automated test isnt
scaling, but you already knew that. Look at your
balance sheet. To test smart devices, you need
a smarter test system built on a platform of NI
PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand. More than 35,000
companies deploy NI technology to lower their
cost of testwhat are you waiting for?
Prepare for the future at ni.com/smarter-test
NI PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand
2016 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and NI TestStand are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 25611
Intro
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June 2016
Vibration Sensors Add New Touch

to Prosthetics
eVADE Technology Shields Aircraft
from Volcanic Ash
Supplement to NASA Tech Briefs
Intro
Cov
ToC
displacement distance length position profile thickness color temperature

Contact Measurement
2D/3D Sensors
Draw Wire Sensors

Easy, fast and flexible mounting
High reliability and long life time
Laser-Line Scanner
for true profile measurement
and 3D imaging
Maximum resolution and accuracy
Wear-free
High speed measurement
Inductive Sensors (LVDT)

Wear-free and maintenance-free
Compact sensor design
Environmentally immune
(dirt / moisture)
Optical Micrometers
with fixed optic
Maximum resolution and accuracy
Ideal for process control
Eddy Current Sensors
IR Temperature Sensors
High precision and nano-meter

resolution
Non contact and wear-free
Suitable for fast applications
Reliable in harsh applications
Custom sensors with Embedded
Coil Technology (ECT)
Compact cameras for R&D, test and

process control applications
Widest range of sensor head styles
and outputs from stock
Durable, robust and low cost OEM
designs
Color Sensors
Optical Displacement Sensors
For various objects and surfaces

Fiber color sensors
Fixed lens color sensors
for special targets
High Speed Photospectrometer
colorCONTROL ACS 7000
Sensor systems for LED color
and intensity tests
Confocal Sensors
Low-cost and high-end sensors
High resolution at long distance
Advanced Real-Time-Surface-Compensation
Laser Triangulation Sensors
Nano-meter resolution
For high precision on specular and
diffuse targets
Raleigh, NC 27617 / USA Phone +1/919 787 9707 me-usa@micro-epsilon.com
CONTACT US
www.micro-epsilon.com
Intro
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Intro
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Contents
FEATURES
4
8
11
Making Sense from Sensors: How to Build a Sensor Fusion

Engine
APPLICATIONS
14
Vibration Sensors Add New Touch to Prosthetics
TECH BRIEFS
16
16
18
Airborne Elastic Backscatter and Raman Polychromator for Ash

Detection
Intelligent Displacement Sensor Deployment Using MTConnect
Protocol over Ethernet
Active Remote-Sensing Radiometer
DEPARTMENTS
19
New Products
ON THE COVER
Researchers at the University of California
Santa Barbara are using sensors like the one
shown to design an electronic skin-like device. The skin, worn on a human or robotic
hand, provides a means for capturing what
the hand feels when it touches an object. In
a separate effort to determine how to electronically measure sensation of the hand,
UCSB researcher Yon Visell and his students
have developed a wearable sensor array that
measures the mechanical signals traveling
through the fingers and beyond. The findings
support new tactical sensing applications, including improved prosthetics and robotics. To
learn more, read the article on page 14.
(Image Credit: UCSB)
ROBOTIC END - EFFECTORS
Measure all six components of

force and torque in a compact,
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Interface Structurehigh-strength
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environmental protection as needed
Low-noise Electronicsinterfaces for
Ethernet, PCI, USB, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET,
CAN, EtherCAT, Wireless, and more
Sensing Beams and Flexuresdesigned
for high stiffness and overload protection
The F/T Sensor outperforms traditional load cells, instantly providing

all loading data in every axis. Engineered for high overload protection
and low noise, its the ultimate force/torque sensor. Only from ATI.
www.ati-ia.com/ets
919.772.0115
Sensor Technology, June 2016
Intro
Cov
ToC
Connect on social media:
LAST CHANCE! Entry deadline: July 1, 2016
#CTF2016
THE BEST WAY TO

PREDICT
THE FUTURE
...IS TO
CREATE IT.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Now a Reality
2012 GRAND PRIZE WINNER
SENSORDRONE BLUETOOTH SENSOR

Sensordrone was one of the worlds first mobile, wearable, programmable, sensing
computers that dramatically extended the sensing capability of smartphones and tablets.
This key fob-sized device turned smartphones into a carbon monoxide detector, non-contact
thermometer, gas leak detector, lux meter, weather station, diagnostic tool, and more.
Winning the contest generated great publicity for Sensordrone and enhanced the
launch of the product in 2013. After manufacturing the product for almost 2 years,
Sensorcon was acquired by Molex in 2015 and we're now replacing Sensordrone with
an improved product line of wireless sensors, said Mark Wagner, GM of Sensorcon
Sensing Solutions by Molex.
WILL YOUR DESIGN BE NEXT?

Start Creating the Future at:
www.createthefuturecontest.com
CAT E G O R Y S P O N S O R S
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
PRIZE SPONSORS
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
Intro
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Making Sense from Sensors

How to Build a Sensor Fusion Engine
he presence of more than 1 bilWhen a sensor cannot be physically

of a system context being observed,
lion sensor-rich smartphones
integrated into the SoC, one can
then how does one go about building
and the intense interest surinstead integrate the peripheral intersuch a thing?
rounding the Internet of Things
face I2C or SPI, for example
has drawn wide attention to all the
required to communicate with the senStep 1: Get Your Analog Sensor on
potential and possibilities of sensor
sor. Industry-standard interface blocks
the Bus
fusion engines. Availability of context
are available from many sources.
You do not need to be an expert in the
data and general real-world data in digiphysics of the sensor to integrate it in a
tal format opens up many opportunities.
Step 2: Design Tradeoffs
System on Chip (SoC). To create a
fusion engine, the sensor requires a regBut what exactly is sensor fusion?
Once all the sensors are on the bus,
ister set and an Advanced Peripheral
Edge devices capture the analog world
the rest of the system must be built with
Bus (APB) interface.
through temperature, motion, moisture,
an eye on keeping the balance between
The Advanced Peripheral Bus is
or other data. The mystery, however, is
cost, power, and productivity.
For cost constraints, it is important
designed for low-bandwidth control
the fusion, where all the software innoto reduce the number of components
accesses for example, register intervation is taking place.
in the device. Having only one processfaces on system peripherals such as senMeasuring the speed of an athlete, for
ing unit is valuable, as opposed to mulsors. The APB includes an address and
example, requires more than just an
tiple dedicated ones, such as a microdata phase that have a reduced, low-comaccelerometer. Among various inputs,
controller and a DSP (digital signal
plexity signal list. If the data throughput
one needs to determine the athletes
processing) block. (Keep in mind that
from the sensor is high, then one can condirection of travel. Accelerometers are
some microcontrollers also have DSP
sider the Advanced High-performance
sensitive to many factors over short pericapabilities.)
Bus (AHB), an industry-standard bus proods. To adjust for the shortcoming, gyroA DMA (direct memory access)
tocol (see Figure 1).
scope data produces reliable, short-term
block optimizes power capabiliangle estimates, and a magnetomeAddress
ties. The processor block cannot
ters readings correct for any senWrite Data
Slave
constantly handle the incoming
sor drift or inaccuracies.
#1
Read Data
data from all sensors, regardless
Performing a fusion of the data
of the rate. Most of the system
from the three sources gives a
has to be put to sleep for the
more precise estimate of the
maximum amount of time; otherspeed of the athlete. Data from
Slave
Address
#2
wise the power consumption will
each sensor corrects for the shortWrite Data
be too high. A smart DMA block
comings of the others. The theory
Master
Read Data
will handle the incoming data
behind the operation and accurapoints and only wake up the
cy of each sensor type is complex,
Slave
processor when there is enough
and the fusion algorithms are seen
#3
Read Data
data that merits processing.
as valuable intellectual property.
One can build a highly comThe larger the number of data
plex design with distributed
sources, the more complex the
processing for extreme low
fusion algorithms and the closer
Slave
power but then spend years
we get to the real-life analog con#4
trying to build the software.
text. If sensor fusion is the
Productivity is about getting the
process by which data points
Figure 1. The Advanced Peripheral Bus (APB) is a low-complexfrom multiple sensors are com- ity interface for connecting an analog slave component to a solution out the door in a reasonable amount of time. The
bined to extract the best estimate microprocessor. (Image Credit: ARM, Inc.)
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Making Sense from Sensors

best setup for software development is
a sufficient choice of tools and a simple debug process (see Figure 2).
Step 3: The Fusion Algorithms
To write the software that will analyze
and fuse the data from the various sensors, the right processor must be selected.
In order to achieve the correct amount of
processing power, users need to determine the complexity of the algorithms
that are needed. Could a small generalpurpose processor be used, for example?
Or are high-performance, DSP, or even
SIMD instructions required?
Setting the data types and structures is
typically a large part of the design of any
algorithm. For sensor data, there is a
choice between three types: fixed-point,
single-precision, and double-precision
floating point.
Integer is a fixed-point data type; variables use 32 bits for positive and negative whole numbers. The data type has
less dynamic range than floating-point
data options.
Storing real numbers as integers may
also result in conversion and arithmetic
round-off errors. Examples include output from sensors measuring real-world
values, such as audio signals using 12-bit
A/D output, or image files using 8 or 24
bits per pixel. In integer math, rules
must be established for when the result
of an arithmetic operation is greater
than the upper bound of the integer
data type (i.e., when the variable saturates as an operation result exceeds the
container) and when the result is less
than the lower bound.
CPU
Single-precision, a floating-point data

type, has a reasonable dynamic range;
variables use 32 bits to accurately represent values to approximately seven decimal places. Single-precision is ideal for
storing and processing real number values where a lower level of accuracy than
double precision is acceptable.
Double-precision is a floating-point
data type with a larger dynamic range;
variables use 64 bits to accurately represent values to approximately 15 decimal places.
With fixed-point variables, the gaps
between adjacent numbers are always
exactly one. In floating point notation,
the gaps between adjacent numbers
vary over the represented number
range. If math can be done on integer
and single-precision data, then one can
store such data more efficiently and
avoid having to convert it to doubles
before processing. Fixed-point has saturation issues, while floating point has
round-off errors that cause the value of
the final result after many operations to gradually drift away from its
expected value.
Variable types must be selected to
match the data being processed. A processing unit needs to enable operations with maximum precision, minimum errors, and reasonable memory
and power usage. An easy choice
would be to use double precision for
all variables, but that leads to doubling
in the required amount of memory. Additionally, power consumption
increases significantly since all operations take place on 64 bits.
Power
Management
DMA
AHB interconnect
APB Bridge
SRAM
Controller
ensors
SRAM
SRAM
SRAM
SRAM
SRAM
SPI, I2C, Digital I/O
Sensors
On chip
Sensors
Host
Sensors
Off chip
Sensors
Figure 2. The components of a sensor fusion engine system. In the block diagram, power, cost, and
performance are balanced for optimal operation. (Image Credit: ARM, Inc.)
Step 4: Finding the Right

Instructions
There are many processors and DSP
engines on the market that support
these data types. In the end, there is
no automatic decision process that will
output the right processor choice. The
decision is tightly coupled to the set of
algorithms that will be used and the
precision required for each. Keep in
mind that all processors will run any
code. There are many variations of
libraries for single- and double-precision floating point operations, for
example.
Power and performance must be
balanced. A floating point operation
using the library function may take up
to ten times the processing time compared to performing the same operation on a processor that has a floating
point unit. When making design choices, various criteria must be balanced.
Otherwise, one would take the most
advanced high-performance processor
or an array of those to build the
fusion engine.
In selecting a processor, it is important to confirm that an instructions set
fits the operations to be performed on
the sensor data. For example, a singlecycle multiply with a 32-bit result is a
critical instruction to have for sensor
processing algorithms that perform
many multiplications.
There are a number of other examples. The long multiply instruction
multiplies two 32-bit integers and saves
the result in a 64-bit integer. The
instruction is essential for implementation of the multiplication of a 32-bit
fixed-point number.
The flexible Operand 2 command
allows for shifting by a constant or a
register. In fixed-point algorithms
there are several shifts necessary, for
instance when operating on or converting between fixed-point variables
that have different formats.
Additionally, a hardware divide provides a measurable performance benefit over performing the same divide in
software. The integer division command offers a 32-bit divide. For fixedpoint math, a common case is to perform a divide of a 64-bit number by a
32-bit number, yielding a 32-bit result.
A floating point unit dramatically
speeds up algorithms that cannot be
easily adapted to fixed-point computation, like matrix decomposition, which
otherwise would rely on a soft-float
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implementation. In addition, the

fixed-point math can be further
improved by leveraging many of the
DSP extensions to the instruction set,
including SIMD and instructions with
saturating arithmetic.
A double-precision floating point
unit, or compute block, is critical if the
choice is made to use the double-precision data type; otherwise the processing time may be off by a factor of 10.
Step 5: Output the Context
The SoC design is done, the algorithms are written and optimized, the
fusion operation is tuned for the application in mind, and all that remains
now is to integrate with a host. Usually,
for cost considerations, the fusion
engine is always a slave to a host. At system power-up, the host will download
the software to the internal memory.
The download removes the need to
embed flash memory in the fusion
engine, reducing power consumption
and cost.
During the operation of the whole
system, the host expects to receive
indications of major context changes
via the host interface one as simple
as an SPI interface. There is no industry-standard application program
interface (API), however, major
mobile operating systems have defined
their own APIs for the exchange.
Conclusion
Building a sensor fusion engine is a
straightforward exercise given the
amount of technology available off the
shelf in the market today. A good
sequence to follow is to focus first on
the desired overall context output.
Then, select the algorithms that are
required to extract that context. For
each of those algorithms, examine the
operations required for the computations used, and map those to processor
instructions for optimal performance.
If many iterations are expected while
number crunching, then make sure to
select the appropriate data types to
avoid round-off and saturation errors.
Finally, keep an eye on unexpected
potential optimizations. For example,
some processors have what is referred
to as a Multiply Accumulate Unit
(MAC). Instead of using a multiply
instruction followed by an addition
instruction, one could use the MAC to
do the multiply add operation in one
single step. The upgrade dramatically
A patient receives an electrocardiogram, or EKG. An EKG Sensor measures the electrical voltages
produced during heart contractions. The larger the number of data sources, the more complex the
fusion algorithms.
speeds up all sorts of filtering operations. Selecting the most suitable processing unit will deliver the desired output with a delicate balance of cost,
power, and productivity.
This article was written by Diya Soubra,

senior product marketing manager for ARM
Cortex-M Processors, ARM, Inc. (San
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NASA Proxy Maps Reveal

Earthquake Damage
n April 25,
2015, a magnitude-7.8
earthquake
caused widespread building damage in central
Nepal. The Italian Space
Agencys COSMO-SkyMed Sang-Ho Yun
Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) satellite acquired data over
Kathmandu a 50 x 50 km area four days
after the earthquake. Using the SAR information, Sang-Ho Yun and other researchers of
the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis
(ARIA) team at NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory and California Institute of
Technology produced a damage proxy map
showing areas of potential building damage.
radar image acquisition, whereas low

coherence means that the objects
changed during that time. We take the
difference of the two similarity maps;
therefore we can isolate a change from
other naturally occurring changes. The
high pixel values in the map directly
indicate high probability of damage, or
high degree of change.
Sensor Technology: Who used the

data?
Sang-Ho Yun: The map was used by
the National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency (NGA) to determine priority
areas for their analysis. Six days after the
earthquake, the Office of US Foreign
Disaster Assistance confirmed a strong
Sensor Technology: How were you

able to create the damage proxy
maps?
Sang-Ho Yun: We compared before
and after images. Its more sophisticated
than just a simple comparison. We use
an image called a coherence map.
Sensor Technology: What is a coherence map?

Sang-Ho Yun: A coherence map
shows similarity between two radar
images, pixel by pixel. High-coherence
pixel value means that the ground
objects under that pixel remained the
same between the two timings of the
Photos of the damage in Bhaktapur, Nepal, are overlaid on a damage proxy map derived from
COSMO-SkyMed satellite data. Colors show increasingly significant change in terrain/building
properties (including surface roughness and soil moisture). Red is most severe. (Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Google/DigitalGlobe/CNES/Astrium/Amy MacDonald/Thornton Tomasetti)
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spatial correlation between the map and

realities on the ground. Seven days after
the earthquake, Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agencys ALOS-2 [satellite]
acquired SAR data over much larger
areas (70 180 km). Nine days after the
earthquake, the DigitalGlobe [an
American commercial vendor of space
images] decided to use the damage
proxy maps to determine where to focus
their collection areas for high-resolution
imagery. On the following day, we produced damage proxy maps from ALOS-2
data, which revealed potential building
damage as well as landslides.
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Sensor Technology: Were the maps

available to the public?
www.sensing.net/ultrasonics
Sang-Ho Yun: Damage proxy maps

were made available to the public and
responding agencies through the ARIA
team website at http://aria-share.
jpl.nasa.gov/, and the US Geological
Surveys Hazards Data Distribution
System (HDDS) website at http://
hddsexplorer.usgs.gov/. From the ARIA
website alone, there were 3,198 downloads of the maps in May 2015.
Sensor Technology: What are the

advantages of Synthetic Aperture
Radar?
Sang-Ho Yun: The imaging radar sees
through clouds and can image during
day and night. So it has great potential
to be used for rapid disaster response.
Sensor Technology: What can be

seen specifically that is so valuable
for recovery teams?
Sang-Ho Yun: The expanse of the
imaged area is quite large: 50 50 kilometers and 70 180 km. The comprehensive map suddenly reveals the areas
of potential damage. So you immediately have an idea of what areas are heavily
affected. A lot of first responders and
the decision-makers can look at the map
and then come up with an informed
decision as to where they might want to
put their resources first.
Sensor Technology: How long does

it take to acquire data in a damaged
area?
Sang-Ho Yun: The first latency that we
have is the data acquisition latency,
which is the amount of time that we have
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Maps Reveal Earthquake Damage

quake. We also saw great potential on
detecting ash fall damage from volcanic eruption. There are many applications. If theres ground surface
change, theres a great potential for us
to apply this technique.
Sensor Technology: What are you

working on now?
Sang-Ho Yun: Most recently, I applied
the Synthetic Aperture Radar technique
to detect and produce a flood-extent
map; there was a Midwest flood occurring over [a span of] three weeks, starting toward the end of last year along the
Mississippi River.
Sensor Technology: How was the SAR

used to create a flood-extent map?
A damage proxy map, derived from ALOS-2 satellite data, shows images of Dhunche, Nepal.
Unreinforced stone masonry buildings (shown) resulted in many collapses following the earthquake.
(Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Google/DigitalGlobe/Amy MacDonald/Thornton Tomasetti)
to wait until we see the first radar satellite, when you look at the sky from the
affected area.
If we take into account all the existing radar satellites, the expected wait
time is already within a day. Thats very
encouraging. In fact, we had missed
the first data acquisition opportunity;
there was an Italian satellite that
passed over the area six hours after the
earthquake. The second [satellite
passed over the area] a day after the
earthquake.
This is the great potential. We can
better coordinate in the future with
other space agencies and produce this
kind of product much faster.
Sensor Technology: What were the

challenges for this type of disaster
sensing?
Sang-Ho Yun: Were using a radar sensor; that does not necessarily correspond
with what we would see with our eyes on
the ground. So we need to sort out the
similarity between what the radar sees
and what we would see. Thats where a
lot of study is warranted, and we are
making progress in that direction. Radar
can see very subtle changes that people
cannot see, like soil moisture content
change. We dont see that very well on
the ground, but radar does. We want to
identify it and reduce the rate of false

alarm in the product.
Sensor Technology: What is the difference between what we see and

what the radar sees?
Sang-Ho Yun: We see what is normal
and what is damaged. Radar sees how
much the object became rougher or
smoother (compared to radar wavelength), and perhaps how much the
ground became wetter or drier.
Sensor Technology: Where else have

the maps been used?
Sang-Ho Yun: This is a change-detection map. We see changes on the ground;
that can be a challenge when we dont
know exactly what caused that change. It
could be a soil moisture change on the
ground; it could be building damage; it
could be landslide debris; it could be a
newly established group of tents for a
shelter for the victims. The radar sensor
sees whatever is changing on the ground;
it doesnt discriminate for building damage or landslide damage.
On the flip side, its also an advantage that we can apply this technique
to many, many different applications.
In fact, we did detect a landslide,
which was induced by the Nepal earth-
10
Sang-Ho Yun: Flooded areas often

undergo surface roughness change.
This change shows up as brightness
change in radar images. Thus, simple
comparison of before and after radar
images already gives a good idea of areas
of potential floods.
Sensor Technology: What are other

possibilities for damage proxy
maps?
Sang-Ho Yun: Other than detecting
damage of artificial structure, there have
been other uses of radar images, such as
mapping of liquefaction damage, landslides, forest damage, storm surge damage, tropical cyclone damage, tsunami
damage, and damage from volcanic ash
fall and lava flow. It is also very well
known that SAR images are used to precisely measure ground deformation
caused by earthquakes, volcanic activities, ground water level change, and so
on. Such techniques are also useful to
measure the velocity of glaciers, as well
as to study spatial variation of water
vapor content in the troposphere and
total electron content in the ionosphere.
With more and more SAR missions
in orbit, I think were reaching the
capacity of where we can and should
apply the technique for more direct,
societal benefits. Im happy to see an
increased level of awareness of the usefulness of the technology. Well be continuing to improve this technique to
produce a better product for better
future response.
For more information, visit www.
jpl.nasa.gov.
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Inertial Sensors Get

in the Drivers Seat
Tiny devices improve safety, comfort in ADAS
wo decades have passed since

automotive manufacturers began
using the first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
accelerometer to measure strong acceleration and trigger the deployment of
airbags (see Figure 1). The inaugural
inertial sensor paved the way for more
widespread use of accelerometers in
todays advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Present ADAS technologies also incorporate other types of MEMS inertial sensors, including gyroscopes, pressure sensors, and magnetometers. In fact, the
much-beloved SUV would not exist if
not for the rollover safety features made
possible by MEMS. A MEMS gyroscope
detects rotation around the x-axis of the
rolling car the primary input for the
crash detection algorithm.
While inertial sensors play a prominent role in automated driving, the components enable equally important ADAS
applications, which are either here today
or will arrive soon. What do engineers
need to know about MEMS inertial sensors when designing ADAS, and what do
these technologies mean for automotive
manufacturers and consumers in the
next 10-20 years? Lets review the role of
sensors in both present and future automotive technologies.
Rollover Sensing
Rollover sensing, a passive vehicle
safety function, detects whether a car is
ise of MEMS design and the understanding of automotive systems and their
requirements. Products must be designed
according to specifications, and samples
must first be tested in lab and comply
with paper-written requirements. Finally,
the sensors need to undergo more realworld test drives, such as rides during winter or on gravel roads.
Figure 1. The first accelerometer for automotive

airbags, pioneered at Analog Devices. (Image
Credit: Analog Devices)
falling over and activates the deployment of airbags. Inertial sensors provide the primary feedback (roll rate, lateral and vertical acceleration) for crash
detection algorithms.
The challenge, however, is to provide
reliable sensor signals in a variety of conditions: under extreme heat or cold temperatures, on motorways, or on gravel
roads, for example. The requirement
also applies to inertial sensors for electronic stability control (ESC), an active
automotive safety feature that supports
the avoidance of skidding by controlling
and actuating car brakes.
One approach to the challenge is a
careful design that combines the expert-
Navigating through Urban Canyons

Drivers have embraced in-dash navigation systems; the technologies lower the
stress of self-navigation in unfamiliar
cities. Relying on maps, Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, and routing algorithms, inertial navigation systems may even provide realtime information on traffic jams via connectivity services, i.e., the traffic jam assist
feature.
Automotive engineers favor adding
inertial sensors to navigation systems
because their system will still work in
urban canyons, or areas where GNSS
signal is of poor quality, fails, or is
unavailable. In such situations, inertial
sensors can determine the change in
position after the last trustworthy GNSS
reading. If GPS signal cannot be
received when a driver is inside a tunnel,
for example, the inertial sensor calculates a vehicles direction in meters.
Dead reckoning algorithms then calculate the position change; ones current
position can be extrapolated based on
the inertial sensors signals.
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11
Inertial Sensors
Figure 2. Bosch began testing automated driving on public roads at the beginning of 2013. The latest test vehicles are based on the Tesla Model S.
(Image Credit: Robert Bosch GmbH)
Driver Assistance in Many Flavors

Driver assistance technologies are
more than simply cruise control or rear
backup cameras. Adaptive cruise control; lane keeping and lane changing
assist; advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS); and active front steering
are all variations of driver assistance
and made possible by the intelligent
fusion of MEMS inertial sensors with
perception systems such as cameras,
radar, and/or LIDAR.
Adaptive cruise control is far more
experience-specific than the familiar,
traditional cruise control features. While
the old cruise control technology conserves gas and may prove more relaxing
on long drives, who hasnt experienced
the annoying need to toggle the cruise
control off and on, depending on the
variable speeds of a nearby car? Rather
than maintaining a single speed when
on cruise, adaptive cruise control adjusts
the vehicle speed as needed, in order to
maintain a safe distance from other cars.
Adaptive cruise control depends primarily on measuring distances to objects
by using radar, cameras, or lasers. The
same kind of inertial sensor that reinforces ESC also enables adaptive cruise
control. The inertial sensor helps to predict a trajectory and then relate that
route to the obstacle detection.
A similar inertial device also supports
hill-hold control, a feature that keeps
an uphill-driving vehicle from rolling
backwards. A low-g sensor determines
inclination by using the downward
direction of gravity.
Active steering, another driver assistance technology, reduces at higher
speeds the amount of change in the
steering angle for every movement of the
wheel. The feature supports more precise driving on highways. Yaw rate sensors provide the relevant information
about sudden changes to motion.
The good news is that some driver
assistance systems are already available in
mid-priced vehicles, rather than just luxury cars. While BMW was early to market
with active steering, Ford offers active
steering on its Ford Edge; other
automakers will soon follow suit.
Much in the same way that inertial sensors support cameras, radars, and lasers
for driver assistance, the detection technologies can leverage automated driving
by predicting the motion of the car.
Look Ma, No Hands!
Current autopilots combine a series of
ADAS functions that already exist. Fully
autonomous cars need to know their
environment in detail and must interpret and predict the behavior of cars
and pedestrians. Using high-precision
maps and vision systems, perception
technology must anticipate car trajectories on highways. Highway driving predictions are easier to achieve than anticipating car and pedestrian trajectories in
urban driving (see Figure 2). Such artificial intelligence by deep learning is
imperative for achieving the cognition
required for fully autonomous cars.
Localization and Navigation
In fully autonomous driving, the car
becomes a robot that answers the questions: Where am I?, Where do I want
to go?, and How am I going to achieve
that? Inch-scale localization, which
answers those questions, is essential to
automated driving and autonomous
Figure 3. MEMS inertial sensors are integral to localization and navigation. (Image Credit: Robert
Bosch GmbH)
12
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vehicles. In contrast to the navigation

that directs us to the nearest Starbucks,
localization pinpoints ones position
within the lane of a street (see Figure 3).
Inside the self-driving car, two different technological approaches converge for self-localization: robotics and
transportation.
Using perception systems like cameras,
LIDAR, and radar, robotics researchers
have developed new methods to determine ones relative position to objects. For
example, when following the approach of
simultaneous localization and mapping
(SLAM), the robotic car creates a map of
its surrounding environment and relates
its actual position to this relative outline.
Using pronounced landmarks from the
map, and identifying their position in a
stored high-precision plot, ones absolute
position can be determined.
Field-proven in the transportation
industry, inertial navigation systems
(INS) determine change in absolute
position by measuring accelerations and
rotations. Starting from an absolute
position which the system can deduce
from GNSS readings, landmark navigation, or SLAM the strapdown algorithm calculates a new position based on
the readings of the inertial sensor.
Depending on the targeted accuracy,
INS may require high-performance sensors, since sensor drifts and errors accumulate quickly. Highest demands are
met by optical sensors, such as ring laser
gyros and fiber-optical gyros. In recent
years, high-performance MEMS sensors
have successfully entered the market of
tactical-grade sensors.
Fusing the Data of Inertial Sensors
and Perception Sensors
How do vision and perception systems
benefit from inertial sensors? Visual, or
perception, sensors perceive moving
objects the optical flow in order
to reliably determine structure from
motion, and to establish an estimate of
car motion and of distance to traffic
partners.
Inertial sensors are completely independent of a perceiving sensors limiting
factors, such as weather conditions, suitable daylight conditions, snowy roads, or
obscured landmarks. The inertial sensors do not depend on a scenes illumination because they detect kinesthetic
motion and do not compute it from pictures. Additionally, the more secure
inertial sensors do not rely on any connectivity and data communication exter-
Figure 4. Automated driving will be implemented in stages. (Image Credit: Robert Bosch GmbH)
2025
2035
Partially autonomous vehicles
12.4 %
15 %
Fully autonomous vehicles
0.5 %
9.8 %
Figure 5. Autonomous Driving Market Shares. (Credit: Revolution in the Drivers Seat: The Road to
Autonomous Vehicles, The Boston Consulting Group, April 2015)
nal to the car. Current research discusses

both a loose coupling and a tight coupling for fusing kinesthetic inertial and
visual information.
When employing a loose coupling,
both the perception system and the INS
will localize the car almost independently, and will mutually compare and correct
their results afterwards. Tight coupling
of inertial and visual sensor offers a second option, where direct (pixel-level)
visual measurements of objects are combined with inertial measurement unit
(IMU) readings.
In both approaches, the MEMS inertial sensor improves the capability of the
perception system to follow objects from
frame to frame, which can result in
improved accuracy of localization.
Where Do We Go from Here?
On the evolutionary pathway of automated driving functions, driver assistance systems such as lane keeping
and lane changing assist, AEBS, and
active front steering will become more
commonplace. Partially automated functions, such as traffic jam assist, are
already in the market. Traffic jam assist

will gradually expand over the next few
years, with higher levels of automated
functions soon to follow (see Figure 4).
By the end of this decade, expect to
see fully automated driving on highways. Fully automated driving in
urban areas, however, will probably
take another 10 or 15 years to achieve
(see Figure 5).
With such rich technologies at their
disposal, automakers will continue to satisfy consumer demand for more widespread implementation of ADAS well
before fully automated, and even partially automated, driving functions reach
the majority of consumers. While fully
automated driving may take years to
accomplish, we are already benefiting
from MEMS and sensors-enabled ADAS
in the family car.
This article was written by Karen
Lightman, executive director, MEMS &
Sensors Industry Group, and Peter Spoden,
product manager, inertial sensors, Automotive
Electronics, Robert Bosch GmbH (Reutlingen,
Germany). For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/61062-411.
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Intro
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13
Applications
Vibration Sensors Add New Touch to Prosthetics
he sense of touch is complex, and an

instructor at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the
technology to prove it. Yon Visell, assistant professor in the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
and his students designed an apparatus
that captures the unique vibration patterns associated with touch-specific actions, from gripping a coffee mug to tapping on a flat surface. The findings
could support new applications in prosthetics, robotics, and virtual reality.
Sensing the Subtleties of Touch

To date, there are very few technological sensing approaches that have attempted to capture the submodalities within
touch the more subtle interactions
between our hands and our surroundings.
The UCSB researchers determined that a
widespread area of the hand has access to
sensory information, in the form of vibrations, that is generated at the fingertips.
When a fingertip touches an object,
the contact generates transient, wave-like
mechanical signals that propagate a distance within tissues. Each action the
dragging of a finger or the picking up of
an object, for example elicits specific
vibration signatures within the skin.
By bonding an array of custom
accelerometers, or vibration sensors,
along the sides and backs of a subjects
fingers and hands, Visell captured the
signals traveling beyond the fingertips
and up past the arm.
By characterizing the signals and
unique vibration information, the team
could accurately determine the hands
action, indicate how the object was
being manipulated, and even reveal the
object itself. Using support vector
machine (SVM) classifier algorithms,
the researchers demonstrated that the
spatial patterns of vibration accurately
encoded the movements of the hand.
Visell suggests that the hand, much like
the ear, uses vibrations produced through
contact to infer what the hand is touching and how an object is being handled.
If you tap your finger on a surface,
these signals propagate pretty quickly
throughout the hand and reach at least as
far as the wrist, and in fact beyond the
Figure A shows fifteen accelerometers with miniature PCBs and flexible wires. Figure B shows a
whole-hand configuration with 30 accelerometers. (Image Credit: UCSB)
The image reveals several vibration patterns as a hand grasps a glass of water. Using color, the data
depicts intense transient vibrations that are generated when the fingers contact an object. Dark red
demonstrates the most intense vibrations, while dark blue demonstrates the least intense vibrations. Energetic vibrations are typically transmitted beyond the fingers, and even onward to other
fingers that were not in contact with the object, such as the small finger in the figures 3rd column
panels. (Image Credit: UCSB)
wrist, said Visell. If you do something

else with your hand, like grasp a coffee
mug or tap multiple fingers, you elicit
rather different patterns of vibration
propagation within the skin.
Vibration patterns produced by tapping
a single finger, for example, were shown to
be stronger than those made by grasping
or gripping motions. Tapping the index
and middle finger alone carried vibrations
across the entire surface of the hand. The
14
size of the object itself a glass, for example was also found to influence the specific vibrations and their travel path.
Although the most energetic vibrations were revealed to be at the ends of
the fingers that contacted the object,
Visell and the UCSB lab students determined that the vibrations typically transmit beyond the fingers, and even
onward to other fingers that were not in
contact with the object.
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The propagation past the fingertips

may help to explain intriguing touch
capabilities, including how anesthetized
hands still maintain the ability to feel
fine surface detail and perform discriminating tasks.
The interfaces, which consist of wearable

soft actuator arrays worn on the hands
and wrists, conform to the skin and can
potentially reproduce the signals.
I suspect [within a year] well start to
be able to elicit touchlike sensations at the
far ends of the fingers, the tips of the fingers, where youd normally touch things,
even using wearable interfaces that are
positioned on more proximal parts of the
hand, like on the wrist, said Visell.
As emerging virtual reality technologies like the Oculus Rift headset hit
shelves, new touch capabilities could
also be used to enhance the VR experience. Visells work demonstrates that
distributed patterns of vibration could
provide valuable data and reproduce
New Applications
feelings of touch in the virtual enviAs upper-limb motorized prosthetics
ronments where no physical objects
become more advanced, Visells findings
are present.
could be used to provide prosthetic
Ultimately, the UCSB laboratory
wearers with touch feedback. The
study revealed the multifaceted
UCSB results indicate that touch
nature of touch an important
sensing can be performed using
concept for sensor technologysensors distributed far away from
makers to grasp.
the area of contact, yielding rich
Touch is not one thing, said
information about touch interacVisell, Through technologies
tions with objects.
like these, its going to be possiThis suggests a possible
ble to utilize touch both as input
approach to tactile sensing for
and output, both as a way to
upper limb prosthetics in which
sense the world and to interact
vibration sensors, like the
within the world in ways that peoaccelerometers used in our study,
ple havent thought about yet.
are embedded at sparse locations
This article was written by Billy
throughout the limb, said Visell.
Hurley, Associate Editor, NASA
Through funding from Google,
Tech Briefs. For questions and
the team is beginning to design
comments, email feedback@abpi.net.
interfaces that are mechanically UCSB researcher Yon Visell demonstrated the forces felt by the For more information, visit www.
well adapted to biological tissue. hand when touching an object. (Image Credit: Sonia Fernandez) news.ucsb.edu.
15
Intro
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Tech Briefs
Airborne Elastic Backscatter and Raman Polychromator
for Ash Detection
olcanic ash is a significant hazard to

aircraft engine and electronics. It
has caused damage to unwary aircraft
and disrupted air travel for thousands of
travelers, costing millions of dollars.
The small, jagged fragments of rocks,
minerals, and volcanic glass that constitute volcanic ash are about the size of
sand and silt. Volcanic ash is hard, does
not dissolve in water, is extremely abrasive and corrosive, and conducts electricity when wet. The upper winds transport the particles away to eventual
dispersal in an ash cloud. Ash clouds
typically form above 20,000 feet, but the
lower limit of the initial cloud depends
on both the height of the volcanic vent
and the vigor with which material is
ejected from it.
eVADE (Volcanic Ash DEtection) is a
compact device capable of providing
information on the ash load in the
atmosphere. It is designed to operate
onboard an airborne platform. It uses a
polychromator to measure optical depth
and species to identify volcanic ash from
other aerosols. The polychromator separates the spectral components of elastic
backscatter and species associated with
volcanic eruptions. It is designed to

accept LIDAR return light whether in
free space or through an optical fiber.
The polychromator is compact and able
to operate on a manned or unmanned
airborne platform. The modular nature
of the instrument allows operation as
standalone with a LIDAR transmitter/receiver or in conjunction with other
measurements, such as wind velocity and
air density.
The unique features of the instrument
are the compactness to operate on small
aircraft, and the ability to measure multiple return signals pertaining to ash
concentration.
An airborne volcanic ash detection/characterization system such as
eVADE will have wide applications in
the study of the threat volcanic ash
poses to aircraft, and for other scientific
study of volcanic plumes. Studies carried out with eVADE will allow NASA to
refine their models of volcanic ash dispersion based on more data than is
available at present. There is the potential to combine such a system with
Michigan Aerospace Corporations optical air data system and icing- and turbu-
lence-detection systems to create a unified system that would sense volcanic,

turbulence, and icing hazards ahead,
and report airspeed along with air temperature and density.
eVADE will have similar utility for
non-NASA civil organizations (NOAA,
FAA, USGS, etc.) and military services
(US Air Force, etc.) in conducting scientific studies of volcanic ash characteristics and dispersal. A next generation
of eVADE that is more compact would
be mountable aboard UAVs to scout
the airways during major eruptions in
order to confirm that commercial and
military aircraft cannot fly, or give clearance for flights if the concentrations
are not judged high enough to be a
threat.
This work was done by Dominique
Fourguette, Scott Lindemann, and Greg
Ritter of Michigan Aerospace Corporation for
please contact Ronald C. Darty at
Ronald.C.Darty@nasa.gov. MFS-33347-1
Intelligent Displacement Sensor Deployment Using

MTConnect Protocol over Ethernet
The protocol interfaces to an intelligent sensor and provides data gathering using a PC
application.
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi
uality measurements for design validation and certification requirements sometimes require hundreds or
thousands of sensors and actuators.
Maintaining such a complex system is
difficult, especially over an extended
time period and inevitable personnel
changes. Many hours are spent tracking
down sensor problems related to the
sensor, associated cables, mounting
hardware, or some part of the data

acquisition system. These are expensive,
labor-intensive hours that consume valuable technical resources.
Another aspect to maintaining a complex system is the ability to gather data on
critical elements that have a finite life
expectancy. An example of such an element is a control valve. The two materials
that provide the seal in a typical valve are
16
copper and cast iron. During normal use,

the copper will wear and the valve seal will
need to be replaced. As wear occurs, the
fully closed position will change. By monitoring this position change, it is possible
to predict when a valve should be taken
out of service and rebuilt. Predicting
when a valve needs to be rebuilt before a
failure will decrease the chances of a
much more costly shutdown during a test.
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Because of these issues, many hours can be consumed

adapting data from all these data-generating devices to a format that can be used (consumed) by an application. Custom
hardware interfaces and custom software drivers are often
required. Therefore, a need for easier integration of industrial devices from multiple manufacturers, as well as a need
for devices to become more intelligent and provide information about their own condition, in addition to the function
they are performing or the process they are controlling or
monitoring, was required.
To meet this need, Lion Precision developed an intelligent
sensor (a sensor that can process information on its own, and
is capable of two-way communication and the associated communication protocols) to monitor various components on the
test stands, and a protocol with defined structure and data
items using the MTConnect standard. This standard is a communication protocol that operates over Ethernet; it is not an
application program. MTConnect provides information in
XML format, which can be accessed and understood by multiple application programs.
The MTConnect standard was developed to accommodate
many different types of devices from intelligent sensors,
to actuators, to status indicators by providing a protocol
that adheres to a pre-defined data structure and reporting
scheme. In this way, sensors communicate measurement
data, pre-processed measurement data, diagnostic data, and
sensor/system health via existing, accepted protocols that
have not yet been completely utilized in sensor interfaces.
This system is the first of its type to use the MTConnect standard.
The device software is made up of several subsystems that
provide the overall system functionality. The following are key
system interfaces:
1. Web Services that provide a platform-independent means
to communicate with the ECD device. These Web services host
both ECD-specific services as well as the MTConnect interface.
2. Device Services that are responsible for hosting the various
system services that include Web server, watchdog, and main
board communications interface.
3. Data Access that provides general storage for both configuration and data acquisition of measurement and diagnostic
data.
4. Device Framework that provides the core functionality of
the ECD device software.
5. User Interface, which is a Web user interface hosted on the
device for status and configuration.
By having an open standard that defines different types of
devices without regard to the manufacturer, it is possible for
third parties to write programs that consume this data. The system that was developed had both hardware and software that
met the following objectives:
Collect data from 4 displacement sensors located on 2 hardware (ECD152) devices using the MTConnect protocol.
Collect diagnostic data from the system and provide feedback to the user as to the overall system health (valves, re:
flow of LOX and LH2).
Record and store events for analysis and history of system
operation.
This type of functionality opens up the sensor world to a
broad range of software possibilities. For example, Web developers and database developers could easily access and display or
store sensor data. When measurement data, processed data,
Applications include
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Tech Briefs
TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data
Sheet), and HEDS (Health/Diagnostic
Electronic Data Sheet) data types are
incorporated into the MTConnect standard, the incremental cost of providing
this data by the sensor manufacturer and
the incremental cost of accessing the
data by the end user is very low because
all the data is over a single Ethernet connection, and the data is in a usable and
well-established format: XML.
The overall goal was to develop sensors to communicate measurement

data, pre-processed measurement data,
diagnostic data, and sensor/system
health using MTConnect, which has
not yet been utilized in sensor interfaces. The power of data integration is
evident, for example, in other fields
such as the diagnostic capability of
modern automobiles and other complex systems. The benefit to industry has
the potential to be enormous if data

integration from an open system consisted of devices from multiple devices
from different manufacturers.
This work was done for NASAs Stennis
Space Center by Don Martin, Mike Knowd, Ray
Herbst, and Greg Knowd of Lion Precision.
Please direct all inquiries to Don Martin,
Lion Precision, 563 Shoreview Park Road, St.
Paul, MN 55126; don@lionprecision.com;
or 651-484-6544. SSC-00398
Active Remote-Sensing Radiometer

This technology can be used for security screening and security imaging, as well as
automotive navigation in dust and fog conditions where machine vision performs poorly.
illimeter-wave (mm-wave) imaging

techniques are already a popular
solution for imaging through dust and
fog. While mm-wave offers excellent
penetration to dust when compared
with infrared or optical sensing, the
longer wavelengths create many problems associated with the specular response of surfaces at mm-wave. Generally, at mm-wave, the geometry and
orientation of the target object has a
larger influence on captured contrast
than material properties by several orders of magnitude. While these effects
can be somewhat mitigated with a radar
imager, there is still a large contrast dependence on beam-target angle, and images are still entirely derived from geometry instead of material compositions.
Active radiometers enable mm-wave
remote imaging based on material compositions instead of geometry by deriving contrast from thermal and thermodynamic properties of the object being
remotely observed. This added capability is extremely advantageous in imaging
through a dust storm or heavy fog.
Active radiometry is essentially a remote
sensing approach where the thermal
and thermodynamic properties of an
object are evaluated by remotely heating
the target with some form of directed
energy (also a mm-wave source), while
radiometry is performed to monitor spatially separated temperatures. The excitation used to raise and lower the temperature of the remote object is not continuous excitation, but instead is modulated with various waveforms so that
transient (thermodynamic) properties
of the object can be evaluated remotely.
A plastic water bottle illuminated by a high-power THz source shows the lack of contrast captured
by a remote detector in a traditional mm-wave imaging system.
Heat capacity is one of the simplest

thermal properties and describes the
rise in temperature for a given quantity of energy absorbed. This is similar
to specific heat capacity, but does
not factor the mass term. By simply
transmitting continuous mm-wave
power into the object and measuring
the temperature rise with the observing radiometer, the specific heat can
be estimated. The radiometer and
exciter need to operate at quite different frequency bands so that interference does not occur, and the coupling
between the exciter and radiometer is
dominated by thermal transfer, not
electromagnetic (harmonics and
spurs) coupling. For this sensing
approach, the exciter is located at the
lower 30 to 40 GHz Ka band where
high-power (>10 W) amplifiers are
available to deliver useful quantities of
power for heating. The radiometer will
operate in the 75 to 110 GHz W-band
range to provide better resolution as
18
the setup optics will be less diffracted

at shorter wavelengths.
Thermal conductance describes how
quickly heat is transmitted through a
material. This can be remotely measured by pulsing the exciter at a frequency comparable to the thermal constants
of the object under observation (several
Hz for most materials). By focusing
radiometers at offset positions, the propagation rate of the exciters energy
through the object material can be
directly estimated from the time difference of the heat pulses at each radiometer. Again, with further development of
raster optics for this approach, the thermal conductance of the remote object
can be contrasted to provide a raster
image of a remote target based on its
thermal conductance at each point in
the image.
NASA is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this technology. Please contact Dan
Broderick at Daniel.F.Broderick@jpl.nasa.gov
to initiate licensing discussions. NPO-49829
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New Products
Door Protection System
Sensor ICs
An electromechanical function from Kiekert AG (Heiligenhaus,

Germany/Wixom, MI) prevents car doors from unintentionally striking
nearby obstacles. The i-protect technology
features a door-brake and sensor system for
environment recognition.
The vehicle electronics evaluate the signal and send the stop command as soon as
an obstacle is detected close to the door. A
mechanism works at the doors arrester and stops the door electromagnetically when required. i-protect recognizes static objects of any size or
shape within the doors swing range.
Allegro MicroSystems (Worcester, MA) offers two new current sensor

ICs for AC or DC current sensing. Both the ACS724KMA (5 V) and the
ACS725KMA (3.3 V) are set in a high-isolation SOIC16 wide-body surface mount package that provides reinforced isolation. The differential sensing technology protects against interfering common-mode magnetic fields
from adjacent current traces or
motors. Typical applications include
motor control, load detection and management, switched-mode power
supplies, and overcurrent fault protection.
Both devices consist of a low-offset, linear Hall sensor circuit, with
a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die. Applied
current flowing through the copper conduction path generates a
magnetic field which is sensed by the integrated Hall IC and converted into a proportional voltage. The current is sensed differentially in
order to reject common-mode fields, improving accuracy in magnetically noisy environments. Leadframes are plated with 100% matte tin,
which is compatible with standard lead (Pb) free printed circuit board
assembly processes.
Microcontrollers
Toshiba America Electronic Components
(San Jose, CA) has released a group of 30
microcontrollers (MCUs) based on the ARM
Cortex-M3 core. The M3H MCUs are fabricated with an embedded flash memory
process. Target applications include motor control, consumer electronics, office automation equipment, and housing and facility equipment.
The devices operate at up to 40 Mhz, and the line-up contains low-pincount packages (32 to 100 pins) and small flash memory sizes (32 KB to
128 KB). Features integrated into the M3H group include a 12-bit AD
converter; an 8-bit DA converter; Toshibas programmable motor control
circuit (PMD), with AC motor and BLDC motor control; and generalpurpose peripheral circuits, such as UART, I2C, TSPI, and timers.
Multimeter
Fluke (Everett, WA) has announced the 279 FC
TRMS Thermal Multimeter. The test tool integrates a
digital multimeter (DMM) with a thermal camera.
Using the 279 FC imager, technicians can check for hot
spots in fuses, wires, insulators, connectors, splices, and
switches; the DMM troubleshoots and analyzes issues.
The thermal multimeter has 15 electrical measurement functions, including ac/dc voltage, resistance,
continuity, capacitance, diode test, min/max, and frequency. The optional iFlex clamp wraps around conductors and wires
in hard-to-reach spaces. The clamp additionally expands measurement
capabilities to include ac current up to 2500 A. The device features a
3.5-inch full-color LCD screen. The wireless 279 FC is part of Fluke
Connect a system of wireless test tools that communicate via the
Fluke Connect app.
IC and Module
An IC and module from Sendyne (New
York, NY) performs ground fault detection
and isolation monitoring while simultaneously measuring current, voltage, and temperature. The AEC-Q100-qualified SFPGFD
adheres to international standards and regulations for isolation monitoring in plug-in
electric vehicles (xEVs).
Using controllable excitation voltage, the technology detects all sources
of leakage, including multiple simultaneous asymmetrical and symmetrical faults, as well as resistive shorts between the chassis and battery points
that have the same potential as the chassis.
Two dedicated channels measure voltage from the battery to chassis
and the total battery potential; the latter is also available for utilization
by the battery management system (BMS). Sendynes algorithm applies
deep filtering and averaging on the measured data, resulting in noise
rejection.
The SFPGFD module has four extra high voltage channels that monitor pre-charge status, state of fuses, and contactors. All six voltage channels on the SFPGFD module measure 450 V continuous and 650 V
momentary overvoltage.
Touchless Variable Gap Sensor

Pyrometer
The IGA 140/23 pyrometer from LumaSense
Technologies (Santa Clara, CA) offers non-contact temperature measurement on metals,
ceramics, and graphite. The device, equipped
with RS232 and RS485 serial interfaces, reads
parameters via the provided InfraWin PC software. Parameters can also
be changed via PC. Communication options include RS232, RS485,
ProfiBus, ProfiNet, and Ethernet. Temperature detection ranges
between 50 and 1800 C.
PIHER Sensors and Controls S.A.

(Brighton MI), a Meggitt company,
has introduced a two-piece magnetic
Hall effect variable gap sensor that
maintains stable electrical output and
specified linearity on mobile shafts,
despite radial and axial movement. A
circular arc magnet is attached to rotating shafts or assemblies, such as
boom loaders, skid steers, buckets, and hitch arms; the electronics module is attached to the chassis.
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19
New Products
Sensor Kits
Proximity Sensor
The UFS (Universal Fluid Sensor)

line of sensor kits from Pillar Point
Electronics (Sarasota, FL) uses an
infrared (IR) emitter and microprocessor to detect the presence of air in tanks
or lines containing non-particulate bearing liquids, such as fuel, water, and
hydraulic fluid. The UFS-AN is a modified AN912-2D bushing. Designed
for in-tank applications, a clear, cylindrical cast acrylic prism is potted into
the fitting in contact with the fuel or other non-particulate bearing liquid.
Custom versions of the product can be made for specific applications.
Littelfuse (Chicago, IL) has released the 59040 Series press-fit reed
sensor. No screws, brackets, or attachment accessories are needed for
installation. The magnetically operated Firecracker sensor press-fits
securely into a 3/8" (9.5 mm) diameter hole.
The sensor is designed for mounting on a fixed frame; the magnet actuator is positioned on a moving surface or door. The 59040 Series reed sensor offers switching capability up to
200VDC/140VAC at 10 W/VA. A range of sensitivity and cable length options are available.
The component operates through nonferrous materials such as wood, plastic, or
aluminum. Hermetically sealed reed contacts last for millions of operating cycles, under microcontroller voltage
and current logic-level loads.
Spectroradiometer
The RS-3500 field portable spectroradiometer from Spectral Evolution
(Lawrence, MA) supports fast, non-destructive remote sensing applications, such as
chlorophyll/moisture analysis, plant
species identification, and forest canopy
studies. The 7-lb RS-3500 features no moving optical parts.
A sealed unit and stainless-steel-jacketed fiber optic cable resists dust,
dirt, and moisture. The new ILM-105 light source is rail-mounted to the
unit. A GETAC field PDA controls the instrument, collecting and viewing scans, GPS, voice notes, and digital pictures.
The RS-3500 provides autoshutter, autoexposure, and autodark correction before each new scan. The spectroradiometer also features a
full-range NIR field spectrometer (350-2500 nm). Accessories include
contact probe, pistol grip, leaf clip, and FOV lenses.
TDK Corporation (Tokyo, Japan/Irving, TX) has

added the new 600-A CCT series to its clamp AC current sensors. The CCT406393-600-36 sensor has a
clamp inner diameter of 36 mm and external dimensions of 56 67 96 mm. Output current is 200 mA.
Ferrite material supports the sensors current
rating. An integrated open-circuit protection element provides voltage
peak suppression. The CCT series is manufactured with automated
winding and soldering processes. Main applications include energy
management systems (EMS) for buildings, factories, stores, and communities. Mass production will begin in July 2016.
Current Sensors
Three-Axis Magnetic Sensor
EPOXY ADHESIVE EP30LTE-LO

Extra low thermal expansion coefficient
NASA low outgassing approved
Unmatched dimensional
stability
Cryogenically serviceable
MEMSIC (Andover, MA) offers the MMC3630KJ magnetometer for

portable devices. The magnetometer includes an integrated monolithic 3-axis AMR sensor and a signal conditioning ASIC. The BGA package measures 1.2 1.2 0.5 mm, and the MMC3630KJ reaches 30G
range. With 600Hz magnetic sensing bandwidth, the series includes a
self-degaussing feature, which eliminates the output drift due to temperature change and residual magnetics. The products also include an interruption feature, used for
motion detection and data acquisition notifications, to lower system-level power consumption.
Pressure Sensors
All Sensors Corp. (Morgan Hill, CA) has announced the SPM
401 Series of stainless-steel, media-isolated pressure sensors. The
pressure sensor is compatible with 316L stainless steel, a type of steel
that increases corrosion resistance, improves resistance to pitting
from chloride ion solutions, and provides increased strength at high
temperatures. The piezoresistive sensor chip is housed in a fluidfilled cylindrical cavity and isolated from measured media. The thermally compensated device has a
millivolt output of up to 180mV at a 1mA supply current. Devices are available in 1.5, 3, 5, 15, 30, 50,
and 100 PSI. Other features include pressure ranges 1.5 to 100 psi; vacuum resistance; O-ring mounting; thermally compensated and passive calibrated (offset) mV output; and supply current of 1 mA.
Night-Vision Imaging
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OleaVision See-Through Wall Technology from Olea Sensor

Networks (Reno, NV) functions optimally at a distance of 3 to 4 meters
from the target surface, requiring no contact with the wall. The lightweight device, smaller than a typical smartphone, sees through most
wall materials, regardless of whether the monitored subject is moving
or motionless. Using thermal energy, OleaVision enables first responders and armed forces to identify human beings during search-and-rescue operations.
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Vision Sensors
Surface Sensors
The SBSI series of vision sensors from

Festo (Hauppauge, NY) feature rugged
IP67 housing, built-in lighting, and
EtherNet/IP capability. SBSI sensors,
which read 1D and 2D bar codes, can be
ordered as components, portions of a subsystem ready for assembly, or parts of a
plug-and-play module.
The SBSI-B reads Direct Part Marking (DPM) codes, including both
laser-etched and dot-peened objects. The device reads up to 10 codes
per image. The SBSI-Q for quality inspection can be used for completeness and presence sensing to ensure all relevant parts are mounted and/or accounted for. Optics offer a range of reading areas and
working distances. Code reading models have enhanced depth of field
to increase the area of focus.
Sensofar Metrology (Terrassa, Spain/Scottsdale, AZ) has released

two new surface metrology systems. The S lynx, a non-contact 3D surface profiler, integrates confocal, interferometry, and focus variation
techniques into the same sensor head. The S onix, an ultra-compact 3D
surface sensor, is purpose-designed for high-speed in-line process measurement and process control tasks. The S onix sensor system features a single measurement technique: interferometric VSI.
Both systems have been designed for surface measurement applications requiring fast, non-invasive
assessment of the 3D micro- and nano-geometry of
technical surfaces, including surface roughness, textures and structuring, and thickness measurements.
Wireless Switches
Surface Profiling Sensors

OGP (Rochester NY), a division of Quality
Vision International (QVI), has introduced
its TeleStar Probe sensor. TeleStar Probe, a
self-contained off-axis partial coherence interferometric range sensor for surface contour
measurement, offers measured point resolution in the sub-micron (< 0.1 micron) space.
The sensor scans up to 500 data points per second, with 1.0-micron accuracy and 0.1-micron
repeatability.
TeleStar Probe features a 25-mm constant
working distance, and its shallow return angle allows measurement
deep inside bores and blind holes. TeleStar Probe is mounted in a
mechanical deployment mechanism that retracts when not in use.
New wireless, batteryless limit

switches from Steute Industrial
Controls (Ridgefield, CT) include
an internal electrodynamic energy generator. Displacement of the actuator generates power to send a
uniquely coded signal to one or more compatible, easily-programmed
receivers. If the limit switch does not receive the confirmation signal within 15 ms, a second signal is transmitted. The receiver accepts up to 10 discrete signals per channel.
The device, available for operation at 915 MHz, features an operating temperature range of -20 C to + 65 C and a maximum transmission range of 40 meters (indoors) and 450 meters (outdoors).
Magnetic Position Sensors

The new AS5170 and AS5171 automotive sensors from ams AG
(Premstaetten, Austria) were developed as SEooC (Safety Element
out of Context) devices, as defined in the ISO26262 functional safety standard. The magnetic position sensors have a System-inPackage (SiP) format. The
space-saving package enables
the placement of the sensor
device in environments that
are prohibitive to PCB-based
packages.
The sensors provide full
data path diagnostics, allowing automotive system OEMs to achieve a higher level of
ISO26262 system-level compliance. The diagnostic system built
into the AS517x series tests the entire device: from the Hall sensor
front end, through the DSP engine (which converts raw measurements of magnetic field strength into sine and cosine vectors),
and to the back-end interfaces and pins.
The AS517x devices, qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 0, measure the
absolute angle of rotation. The AS5171 comes in an SiP format, which
integrates the sensor die and capacitors in a single, encapsulated threepin package. The SiP eliminates the requirement to mount a position
sensor IC on a PCB, reducing component count.
The AS5171A provides an analog output, and the AS5171B supplies
a digital output, which may be programmed either as a PWM interface
or as a SENT-compliant interface. The analog AS5170A and digital
AS5170B ICs are housed in an 8-pin SOIC package.
Intro
Cov
ToC
21
Some Switches Need Wires.

Steute Switches Dont.
Our eld-proven range of FCC-, IC- and CCSAUS-certied wireless switches and receivers include
limit, pushbutton, selector, key-operated, foot, magnetic, inductive, pull-wire, and integrated
door handle switches. Available for battery-less (energy harvesting) or long-life battery operation.
Call or write to explore new solutions to your challenging switch/sensor problems.
Creating Switch Solutions Without Cables

(203) 244-6304
www.steutewireless.com
Intro
Cov
ToC
See
SENSO us at
RS
Booth 9 EXPO
47
info@steutewireless.com

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Welcome to your Digital Edition of

NASA Tech Briefs and Photonics Tech Briefs

NASA Tech Briefs

5/18/16 3:04 PM Page 1

Advanced Coating Technology

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Vibration Sensors Add New Touch

A simplified approach overcomes many

eVADE Technology Shields Aircraft

Supplement to NASA Tech Briefs

How to Navigate the Magazines:

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

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

Find: Click on this icon to search the document.

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June 2016 Vol. 40 No. 6

Advances in Coating Technology Take Shape at

NASA Spinoff: Plastic Recycling Technology

Technology Focus: Software

New for Design Engineers

Product Focus: Test Instruments

(Solutions continued on page 4)

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016

2016 The MathWorks, Inc

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High-Channel-Count, High-Scan-Rate Data Acquisition System

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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016

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NASA Public Domain Patents Benefit U.S. Industry

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NASA has released 56 of its formerly patented

NASA and FAA Demonstrate Wireless Communication

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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016

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The technologies NASA develops dont just blast off

Drain System for

Goddard Space Flight

Contact: Marshall Space Flight Center

Specular Coatings for

Contact: Goddard Space Flight Center

The Vibration Ring

Originally designed to reduce helicopter cabin noise, Glenn Research

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016

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sing the Global Precipitation