Method and apparatus for combinatorial logic signal processor in a digitally based high speed x-ray spectrometer

DOEpatents

Warburton, William K.; Zhou, Zhiquing

1999-01-01

A high speed, digitally based, signal processing system which accepts a digitized input signal and detects the presence of step-like pulses in the this data stream, extracts filtered estimates of their amplitudes, inspects for pulse pileup, and records input pulse rates and system livetime. The system has two parallel processing channels: a slow channel, which filters the data stream with a long time constant trapezoidal filter for good energy resolution; and a fast channel which filters the data stream with a short time constant trapezoidal filter, detects pulses, inspects for pileups, and captures peak values from the slow channel for good events. The presence of a simple digital interface allows the system to be easily integrated with a digital processor to produce accurate spectra at high count rates and allow all spectrometer functions to be fully automated. Because the method is digitally based, it allows pulses to be binned based on time related values, as well as on their amplitudes, if desired.

A digital acquisition and elaboration system for nuclear fast pulse detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, B.; Riva, M.; Marocco, D.; Kaschuck, Y.

2007-03-01

A new digital acquisition and elaboration system has been developed and assembled in ENEA-Frascati for the direct sampling of fast pulses from nuclear detectors such as scintillators and diamond detectors. The system is capable of performing the digital sampling of the pulses (200 MSamples/s, 14-bit) and the simultaneous (compressed) data transfer for further storage and software elaboration. The design (FPGA-based) is oriented to real-time applications and has been developed in order to allow acquisition with no loss of pulses and data storage for long-time intervals (tens of s at MHz pulse count rates) without the need of large on-board memory. A dedicated pulse analysis software, written in LabVIEWTM, performs the treatment of the acquired pulses, including pulse recognition, pile-up rejection, baseline removal, pulse shape particle separation and pulse height spectra analysis. The acquisition and pre-elaboration programs have been fully integrated with the analysis software.

Note: All-digital CMOS MOS-capacitor-based pulse-shrinking mechanism suitable for time-to-digital converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chun-Chi; Hwang, Chorng-Sii; Lin, You-Ting; Liu, Keng-Chih

2015-12-01

This paper presents an all-digital CMOS pulse-shrinking mechanism suitable for time-to-digital converters (TDCs). A simple MOS capacitor is used as a pulse-shrinking cell to perform time attenuation for time resolving. Compared with a previous pulse-shrinking mechanism, the proposed mechanism provides an appreciably improved temporal resolution with high linearity. Furthermore, the use of a binary-weighted pulse-shrinking unit with scaled MOS capacitors is proposed for achieving a programmable resolution. A TDC involving the proposed mechanism was fabricated using a TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) 0.18-μm CMOS process, and it has a small area of nearly 0.02 mm2 and an integral nonlinearity error of ±0.8 LSB for a resolution of 24 ps.

Laser Digital Cinema

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Eric B.; Flint, Graham W.; Bergstedt, Robert; Solone, Paul J.; Lee, Dicky; Moulton, Peter F.

2001-03-01

Electronic cinema projectors are being developed that use a digital micromirror device (DMDTM) to produce the image. Photera Technologies has developed a new architecture that produces truly digital imagery using discrete pulse trains of red, green, and blue light in combination with a DMDTM where in the number of pulses that are delivered to the screen during a given frame can be defined in a purely digital fashion. To achieve this, a pulsed RGB laser technology pioneered by Q-Peak is combined with a novel projection architecture that we refer to as Laser Digital CameraTM. This architecture provides imagery wherein, during the time interval of each frame, individual pixels on the screen receive between zero and 255 discrete pulses of each color; a circumstance which yields 24-bit color. Greater color depth, or increased frame rate is achievable by increasing the pulse rate of the laser. Additionally, in the context of multi-screen theaters, a similar architecture permits our synchronously pulsed RGB source to simultaneously power three screens in a color sequential manner; thereby providing an efficient use of photons, together with the simplifications which derive from using a single DMDTM chip in each projector.

Method and apparatus for combinatorial logic signal processor in a digitally based high speed x-ray spectrometer

DOEpatents

Warburton, W.K.

1999-02-16

A high speed, digitally based, signal processing system is disclosed which accepts a digitized input signal and detects the presence of step-like pulses in the this data stream, extracts filtered estimates of their amplitudes, inspects for pulse pileup, and records input pulse rates and system lifetime. The system has two parallel processing channels: a slow channel, which filters the data stream with a long time constant trapezoidal filter for good energy resolution; and a fast channel which filters the data stream with a short time constant trapezoidal filter, detects pulses, inspects for pileups, and captures peak values from the slow channel for good events. The presence of a simple digital interface allows the system to be easily integrated with a digital processor to produce accurate spectra at high count rates and allow all spectrometer functions to be fully automated. Because the method is digitally based, it allows pulses to be binned based on time related values, as well as on their amplitudes, if desired. 31 figs.

High speed imager test station

DOEpatents

Yates, George J.; Albright, Kevin L.; Turko, Bojan T.

1995-01-01

A test station enables the performance of a solid state imager (herein called a focal plane array or FPA) to be determined at high image frame rates. A programmable waveform generator is adapted to generate clock pulses at determinable rates for clock light-induced charges from a FPA. The FPA is mounted on an imager header board for placing the imager in operable proximity to level shifters for receiving the clock pulses and outputting pulses effective to clock charge from the pixels forming the FPA. Each of the clock level shifters is driven by leading and trailing edge portions of the clock pulses to reduce power dissipation in the FPA. Analog circuits receive output charge pulses clocked from the FPA pixels. The analog circuits condition the charge pulses to cancel noise in the pulses and to determine and hold a peak value of the charge for digitizing. A high speed digitizer receives the peak signal value and outputs a digital representation of each one of the charge pulses. A video system then displays an image associated with the digital representation of the output charge pulses clocked from the FPA. In one embodiment, the FPA image is formatted to a standard video format for display on conventional video equipment.

High speed imager test station

DOEpatents

Yates, G.J.; Albright, K.L.; Turko, B.T.

1995-11-14

A test station enables the performance of a solid state imager (herein called a focal plane array or FPA) to be determined at high image frame rates. A programmable waveform generator is adapted to generate clock pulses at determinable rates for clock light-induced charges from a FPA. The FPA is mounted on an imager header board for placing the imager in operable proximity to level shifters for receiving the clock pulses and outputting pulses effective to clock charge from the pixels forming the FPA. Each of the clock level shifters is driven by leading and trailing edge portions of the clock pulses to reduce power dissipation in the FPA. Analog circuits receive output charge pulses clocked from the FPA pixels. The analog circuits condition the charge pulses to cancel noise in the pulses and to determine and hold a peak value of the charge for digitizing. A high speed digitizer receives the peak signal value and outputs a digital representation of each one of the charge pulses. A video system then displays an image associated with the digital representation of the output charge pulses clocked from the FPA. In one embodiment, the FPA image is formatted to a standard video format for display on conventional video equipment. 12 figs.

Programmable pulse generator based on programmable logic and direct digital synthesis.

PubMed

Suchenek, M; Starecki, T

2012-12-01

The paper presents a new approach of pulse generation which results in both wide range tunability and high accuracy of the output pulses. The concept is based on the use of programmable logic and direct digital synthesis. The programmable logic works as a set of programmable counters, while direct digital synthesis (DDS) as the clock source. Use of DDS as the clock source results in stability of the output pulses comparable to the stability of crystal oscillators and quasi-continuous tuning of the output frequency.

Parallel pulse processing and data acquisition for high speed, low error flow cytometry

DOEpatents

van den Engh, Gerrit J.; Stokdijk, Willem

1992-01-01

A digitally synchronized parallel pulse processing and data acquisition system for a flow cytometer has multiple parallel input channels with independent pulse digitization and FIFO storage buffer. A trigger circuit controls the pulse digitization on all channels. After an event has been stored in each FIFO, a bus controller moves the oldest entry from each FIFO buffer onto a common data bus. The trigger circuit generates an ID number for each FIFO entry, which is checked by an error detection circuit. The system has high speed and low error rate.

Final Environmental Assessment: Columbus Air Force Base Digital Airport Surveillance Radar

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-02-03

a human - health hazard. Specifically, no conclusive and consistent evidence shows that exposures to residential electric and magnetic fields produce...1,000 mW/cm2 peak pulse power density. The NCRP also published guidelines for human exposure . For RFR at ASR-11 frequency, the MPE for occupational...occupational exposure to RFR in the ASR- 11 frequency band, the FCC MPE is the same as the NCRP guideline level. The power density of the ASR-11 beam varies

High brightness, low coherence, digital holographic microscopy for 3D visualization of an in-vitro sandwiched biological sample.

PubMed

Abdelsalam, D G; Yasui, Takeshi

2017-05-01

We achieve practically a bright-field digital holographic microscopy (DHM) configuration free from coherent noise for three-dimensional (3D) visualization of an in-vitro sandwiched sarcomere sample. Visualization of such sandwiched samples by conventional atomic force microscope (AFM) is impossible, while visualization using DHM with long coherent lengths is challenging. The proposed configuration is comprised of an ultrashort pulse laser source and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in transmission. Periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal was used to convert the fundamental beam by second harmonic generation (SHG) to the generated beam fit to the CCD camera used. The experimental results show that the contrast of the reconstructed phase image is improved to a higher degree compared to a He-Ne laser based result. We attribute this improvement to two things: the feature of the femtosecond pulse light, which acts as a chopper for coherent noise suppression, and the fact that the variance of a coherent mode can be reduced by a factor of 9 due to low loss through a nonlinear medium.

Effect of second harmonic in pulse-width-modulation-based DAC for feedback of digital fluxgate magnetometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyayev, Serhiy; Ivchenko, Nickolay

2018-04-01

Digital fluxgate magnetometers employ processing of the measured pickup signal to produce the value of the compensation current. Using pulse-width modulation with filtering for digital to analog conversion is a convenient approach, but it can introduce an intrinsic source of nonlinearity, which we discuss in this design note. A code shift of one least significant bit changes the second harmonic content of the pulse train, which feeds into the pick-up signal chain despite the heavy filtering. This effect produces a code-dependent nonlinearity. This nonlinearity can be overcome by the specific design of the timing of the pulse train signal. The second harmonic is suppressed if the first and third quarters of the excitation period pulse train are repeated in the second and fourth quarters. We demonstrate this principle on a digital magnetometer, achieving a magnetometer noise level corresponding to that of the sensor itself.

Programmable Pulser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumann, Eric; Merolla, Anthony

1988-01-01

User controls number of clock pulses to prevent burnout. New digital programmable pulser circuit in three formats; freely running, counted, and single pulse. Operates at frequencies up to 5 MHz, with no special consideration given to layout of components or to terminations. Pulser based on sequential circuit with four states and binary counter with appropriate decoding logic. Number of programmable pulses increased beyond 127 by addition of another counter and decoding logic. For very large pulse counts and/or very high frequencies, use synchronous counters to avoid errors caused by propagation delays. Invaluable tool for initial verification or diagnosis of digital or digitally controlled circuity.

Parallel pulse processing and data acquisition for high speed, low error flow cytometry

DOEpatents

Engh, G.J. van den; Stokdijk, W.

1992-09-22

A digitally synchronized parallel pulse processing and data acquisition system for a flow cytometer has multiple parallel input channels with independent pulse digitization and FIFO storage buffer. A trigger circuit controls the pulse digitization on all channels. After an event has been stored in each FIFO, a bus controller moves the oldest entry from each FIFO buffer onto a common data bus. The trigger circuit generates an ID number for each FIFO entry, which is checked by an error detection circuit. The system has high speed and low error rate. 17 figs.

Fatigue Effect on Low-Frequency Force Fluctuations and Muscular Oscillations during Rhythmic Isometric Contraction

PubMed Central

Lin, Yen-Ting; Kuo, Chia-Hua; Hwang, Ing-Shiou

2014-01-01

Continuous force output containing numerous intermittent force pulses is not completely smooth. By characterizing force fluctuation properties and force pulse metrics, this study investigated adaptive changes in trajectory control, both force-generating capacity and force fluctuations, as fatigue progresses. Sixteen healthy subjects (20–24 years old) completed rhythmic isometric gripping with the non-dominant hand to volitional failure. Before and immediately following the fatigue intervention, we measured the gripping force to couple a 0.5 Hz sinusoidal target in the range of 50–100% maximal voluntary contraction. Dynamic force output was off-line decomposed into 1) an ideal force trajectory spectrally identical to the target rate; and 2) a force pulse trace pertaining to force fluctuations and error-correction attempts. The amplitude of ideal force trajectory regarding to force-generating capacity was more suppressed than that of the force pulse trace with increasing fatigue, which also shifted the force pulse trace to lower frequency bands. Multi-scale entropy analysis revealed that the complexity of the force pulse trace at high time scales increased with fatigue, contrary to the decrease in complexity of the force pulse trace at low time scales. Statistical properties of individual force pulses in the spatial and temporal domains varied with muscular fatigue, concurrent with marked suppression of gamma muscular oscillations (40–60 Hz) in the post-fatigue test. In conclusion, this study first reveals that muscular fatigue impairs the amplitude modulation of force pattern generation more than it affects the amplitude responsiveness of fine-tuning a force trajectory. Besides, motor fatigue results disadvantageously in enhancement of motor noises, simplification of short-term force-tuning strategy, and slow responsiveness to force errors, pertaining to dimensional changes in force fluctuations, scaling properties of force pulse, and muscular oscillation. PMID:24465605

INSPECTION MEANS FOR INDUCTION MOTORS

DOEpatents

Williams, A.W.

1959-03-10

an appartus is descripbe for inspcting electric motors and more expecially an appartus for detecting falty end rings inn suqirrel cage inductio motors while the motor is running. In its broua aspects, the mer would around ce of reference tedtor means also itons in the phase ition of the An electronic circuit for conversion of excess-3 binary coded serial decimal numbers to straight binary coded serial decimal numbers is reported. The converter of the invention in its basic form generally coded pulse words of a type having an algebraic sign digit followed serially by a plurality of decimal digits in order of decreasing significance preceding a y algebraic sign digit followed serially by a plurality of decimal digits in order of decreasing significance. A switching martix is coupled to said input circuit and is internally connected to produce serial straight binary coded pulse groups indicative of the excess-3 coded input. A stepping circuit is coupled to the switching matrix and to a synchronous counter having a plurality of x decimal digit and plurality of y decimal digit indicator terminals. The stepping circuit steps the counter in synchornism with the serial binary pulse group output from the switching matrix to successively produce pulses at corresponding ones of the x and y decimal digit indicator terminals. The combinations of straight binary coded pulse groups and corresponding decimal digit indicator signals so produced comprise a basic output suitable for application to a variety of output apparatus.

Implantable digital hearing aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kissiah, A. M., Jr.

1979-01-01

Hearing aid converts analog output of microphone into digital pulses in about 10 channels of audiofrequencies. Each pulse band could be directly connected to portion of auditory nerve most sensitive to that range.

Endoscopic pulsed digital holography for 3D measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saucedo, A. Tonatiuh; Mendoza Santoyo, Fernando; de La Torre-Ibarra, Manuel; Pedrini, Giancarlo; Osten, Wolfgang

2006-02-01

A rigid endoscope and three different object illumination source positions are used in pulsed digital holography to measure the three orthogonal displacement components from hidden areas of a harmonically vibrating metallic cylinder. In order to obtain simultaneous 3D information from the optical set up, it is necessary to match the optical paths of each of the reference object beam pairs, but to incoherently mismatch the three reference object beam pairs, such that three pulsed digital holograms are incoherently recorded within a single frame of the CCD sensor. The phase difference is obtained using the Fourier method and by subtracting two digital holograms captured for two different object positions.

MULTI-CHANNEL ELECTRIC PULSE HEIGHT ANALYZER

DOEpatents

Gallagher, J.D. et al.

1960-11-22

An apparatus is given for converting binary information into coded decimal form comprising means, in combination with a binary adder, a live memory and a source of bigit pulses, for synchronizing the bigit pulses and the adder output pulses; a source of digit pulses synchronized with every fourth bigit pulse; means for generating a conversion pulse in response to the time coincidence of the adder output pulse and a digit pulse: means having a delay equal to two bigit pulse periods coupling the adder output with the memory; means for promptly impressing said conversion pulse on the input of said memory: and means having a delay equal to one bigit pulse period for again impressing the conversion pulse on the input of the memory whereby a fourth bigit adder pulse results in the insertion into the memory of second, third and fourth bigits.

Evolution of optical force on two-level atom by ultrashort time-domain dark hollow Gaussian pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xiaochao; Wang, Zhaoying; Lin, Qiang

2017-09-01

Based on the analytical expression of the ultrashort time-domain dark hollow Gaussian (TDHG) pulse, the optical force on two-level atoms induced by a TDHG pulse is calculated in this paper. The phenomena of focusing or defocusing of the light force is numerical analyzed for different detuning, various duration time, and different order of the ultrashort pulse. The transverse optical force can change from a focusing force to a defocusing force depending on the spatial-temporal coupling effect as the TDHG pulses propagating in free space. Our results also show that the initial phase of the TDHG pulse can significantly changes the envelope of the optical force.

Generating nonlinear FM chirp radar signals by multiple integrations

DOEpatents

Doerry, Armin W [Albuquerque, NM

2011-02-01

A phase component of a nonlinear frequency modulated (NLFM) chirp radar pulse can be produced by performing digital integration operations over a time interval defined by the pulse width. Each digital integration operation includes applying to a respectively corresponding input parameter value a respectively corresponding number of instances of digital integration.

Architecture for a 1-GHz Digital RADAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mallik, Udayan

2011-01-01

An architecture for a Direct RF-digitization Type Digital Mode RADAR was developed at GSFC in 2008. Two variations of a basic architecture were developed for use on RADAR imaging missions using aircraft and spacecraft. Both systems can operate with a pulse repetition rate up to 10 MHz with 8 received RF samples per pulse repetition interval, or at up to 19 kHz with 4K received RF samples per pulse repetition interval. The first design describes a computer architecture for a Continuous Mode RADAR transceiver with a real-time signal processing and display architecture. The architecture can operate at a high pulse repetition rate without interruption for an infinite amount of time. The second design describes a smaller and less costly burst mode RADAR that can transceive high pulse repetition rate RF signals without interruption for up to 37 seconds. The burst-mode RADAR was designed to operate on an off-line signal processing paradigm. The temporal distribution of RF samples acquired and reported to the RADAR processor remains uniform and free of distortion in both proposed architectures. The majority of the RADAR's electronics is implemented in digital CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), and analog circuits are restricted to signal amplification operations and analog to digital conversion. An implementation of the proposed systems will create a 1-GHz, Direct RF-digitization Type, L-Band Digital RADAR--the highest band achievable for Nyquist Rate, Direct RF-digitization Systems that do not implement an electronic IF downsample stage (after the receiver signal amplification stage), using commercially available off-the-shelf integrated circuits.

Full-field wrist pulse signal acquisition and analysis by 3D Digital Image Correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yuan; Su, Yong; Zhang, Chi; Xu, Xiaohai; Gao, Zeren; Wu, Shangquan; Zhang, Qingchuan; Wu, Xiaoping

2017-11-01

Pulse diagnosis is an essential part in four basic diagnostic methods (inspection, listening, inquiring and palpation) in traditional Chinese medicine, which depends on longtime training and rich experience, so computerized pulse acquisition has been proposed and studied to ensure the objectivity. To imitate the process that doctors using three fingertips with different pressures to feel fluctuations in certain areas containing three acupoints, we established a five dimensional pulse signal acquisition system adopting a non-contacting optical metrology method, 3D digital image correlation, to record the full-field displacements of skin fluctuations under different pressures. The system realizes real-time full-field vibration mode observation with 10 FPS. The maximum sample frequency is 472 Hz for detailed post-processing. After acquisition, the signals are analyzed according to the amplitude, pressure, and pulse wave velocity. The proposed system provides a novel optical approach for digitalizing pulse diagnosis and massive pulse signal data acquisition for various types of patients.

Particle identification using digital pulse shape discrimination in a nTD silicon detector with a 1 GHz sampling digitizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahata, K.; Shrivastava, A.; Gore, J. A.; Pandit, S. K.; Parkar, V. V.; Ramachandran, K.; Kumar, A.; Gupta, S.; Patale, P.

2018-06-01

In beam test experiments have been carried out for particle identification using digital pulse shape analysis in a 500 μm thick Neutron Transmutation Doped (nTD) silicon detector with an indigenously developed FPGA based 12 bit resolution, 1 GHz sampling digitizer. The nTD Si detector was used in a low-field injection setup to detect light heavy-ions produced in reactions of ∼ 5 MeV/A 7Li and 12C beams on different targets. Pulse height, rise time and current maximum have been obtained from the digitized charge output of a high bandwidth charge and current sensitive pre-amplifier. Good isotopic separation have been achieved using only the digitized charge output in case of light heavy-ions. The setup can be used for charged particle spectroscopy in nuclear reactions involving light heavy-ions around the Coulomb barrier energies.

Time-resolved gamma spectroscopy of single events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolszczak, W.; Dorenbos, P.

2018-04-01

In this article we present a method of characterizing scintillating materials by digitization of each individual scintillation pulse followed by digital signal processing. With this technique it is possible to measure the pulse shape and the energy of an absorbed gamma photon on an event-by-event basis. In contrast to time-correlated single photon counting technique, the digital approach provides a faster measurement, an active noise suppression, and enables characterization of scintillation pulses simultaneously in two domains: time and energy. We applied this method to study the pulse shape change of a CsI(Tl) scintillator with energy of gamma excitation. We confirmed previously published results and revealed new details of the phenomenon.

A SiGe Quadrature Pulse Modulator for Superconducting Qubit State Manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwende, Randy; Bardin, Joseph

Manipulation of the quantum states of microwave superconducting qubits typically requires the generation of coherent modulated microwave pulses. While many off-the-shelf instruments are capable of generating such pulses, a more integrated approach is likely required if fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures are to be implemented. In this work, we present progress towards a pulse generator specifically designed to drive superconducing qubits. The device is implemented in a commercial silicon process and has been designed with energy-efficiency and scalability in mind. Pulse generation is carried out using a unique approach in which modulation is applied directly to the in-phase and quadrature components of a carrier signal in the 1-10 GHz frequency range through a unique digital-analog conversion process designed specifically for this application. The prototype pulse generator can be digitally programmed and supports sequencing of pulses with independent amplitude and phase waveforms. These amplitude and phase waveforms can be digitally programmed through a serial programming interface. Detailed performance of the pulse generator at room temperature and 4 K will be presented.

Anticipatory planning and control of grasp positions and forces for dexterous two-digit manipulation.

PubMed

Fu, Qiushi; Zhang, Wei; Santello, Marco

2010-07-07

Dexterous object manipulation requires anticipatory control of digit positions and forces. Despite extensive studies on sensorimotor learning of digit forces, how humans learn to coordinate digit positions and forces has never been addressed. Furthermore, the functional role of anticipatory modulation of digit placement to object properties remains to be investigated. We addressed these questions by asking human subjects (12 females, 12 males) to grasp and lift an inverted T-shaped object using precision grip at constrained or self-chosen locations. The task requirement was to minimize object roll during lift. When digit position was not constrained, subjects could have implemented many equally valid digit position-force coordination patterns. However, choice of digit placement might also have resulted in large trial-to-trial variability of digit position, hence challenging the extent to which the CNS could have relied on sensorimotor memories for anticipatory control of digit forces. We hypothesized that subjects would modulate digit placement for optimal force distribution and digit forces as a function of variable digit positions. All subjects learned to minimize object roll within the first three trials, and the unconstrained device was associated with significantly smaller grip forces but larger variability of digit positions. Importantly, however, digit load force modulation compensated for position variability, thus ensuring consistent object roll minimization on each trial. This indicates that subjects learned object manipulation by integrating sensorimotor memories with sensory feedback about digit positions. These results are discussed in the context of motor equivalence and sensorimotor integration of grasp kinematics and kinetics.

Digital pulse processing for planar TlBr detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakhostin, M.; Hitomi, K.; Ishii, K.; Kikuchi, Y.

2010-04-01

We report on a digital pulse processing algorithm for correction of charge trapping in the planar TlBr detectors. The algorithm is performed on the signals digitized at the preamplifier stage. The algorithm is very simple and is implemented with little computational effort. By using a digitizer with a sampling rate of 250 MSample/s and 8 bit resolution, an energy resolution of 6.5% is achieved at 511 keV with a 0.7 mm thick detector.

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamata, Lucas

2017-03-01

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits.

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

PubMed Central

Lamata, Lucas

2017-01-01

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. PMID:28256559

UV laser interaction with a fluorescent dye solution studied using pulsed digital holography.

PubMed

Amer, Eynas; Gren, Per; Sjödahl, Mikael

2013-10-21

A frequency tripled Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (wavelength 355 nm, pulse duration 12 ns) has been used to pump Coumarin 153 dye solved in ethanol. Simultaneously, a frequency doubled pulse (532 nm) from the same laser is used to probe the solvent perpendicularly resulting in a gain through stimulated laser induced fluorescence (LIF) emission. The resulting gain of the probe beam is recorded using digital holography by blending it with a reference beam on the detector. Two digital holograms without and with the pump beam were recorded. Intensity maps were calculated from the recorded digital holograms and used to calculate the gain of the probe beam due to the stimulated LIF. In addition numerical data of the local temperature rise was calculated from the corresponding phase maps using Radon inversion. It was concluded that about 15% of the pump beam energy is transferred to the dye solution as heat while the rest is consumed in the radiative process. The results show that pulsed digital holography is a promising technique for quantitative study of fluorescent species.

Digital pulse processing for planar TlBr detectors, optimized for ballistic deficit and charge-trapping effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakhostin, M.; Hitomi, K.

2012-05-01

The energy resolution of thallium bromide (TlBr) detectors is significantly limited by charge-trapping effect and pulse ballistic deficit, caused by the slow charge collection time. A digital pulse processing algorithm has been developed aiming to compensate for charge-trapping effect, while minimizing pulse ballistic deficit. The algorithm is examined using a 1 mm thick TlBr detector and an excellent energy resolution of 3.37% at 662 keV is achieved at room temperature. The pulse processing algorithms are presented in recursive form, suitable for real-time implementations.

Digital pulse processing in Mössbauer spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veiga, A.; Grunfeld, C. M.

2014-04-01

In this work we present some advances towards full digitization of the detection subsystem of a Mössbauer transmission spectrometer. We show how, using adequate instrumentation, preamplifier output of a proportional counter can be digitized with no deterioration in spectrum quality, avoiding the need of a shaping amplifier. A pipelined architecture is proposed for a digital processor, which constitutes a versatile platform for the development of pulse processing techniques. Requirements for minimization of the analog processing are considered and experimental results are presented.

Unfolding and unfoldability of digital pulses in the z-domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regadío, Alberto; Sánchez-Prieto, Sebastián

2018-04-01

The unfolding (or deconvolution) technique is used in the development of digital pulse processing systems applied to particle detection. This technique is applied to digital signals obtained by digitization of analog signals that represent the combined response of the particle detectors and the associated signal conditioning electronics. This work describes a technique to determine if the signal is unfoldable. For unfoldable signals the characteristics of the unfolding system (unfolder) are presented. Finally, examples of the method applied to real experimental setup are discussed.

Stability of aerosol droplets in Bessel beam optical traps under constant and pulsed external forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Grégory; Esat, Kıvanç; Hartweg, Sebastian; Cremer, Johannes; Chasovskikh, Egor; Signorell, Ruth

2015-04-01

We report on the dynamics of aerosol droplets in optical traps under the influence of additional constant and pulsed external forces. Experimental results are compared with simulations of the three-dimensional droplet dynamics for two types of optical traps, the counter-propagating Bessel beam (CPBB) trap and the quadruple Bessel beam (QBB) trap. Under the influence of a constant gas flow (constant external force), the QBB trap is found to be more stable compared with the CPBB trap. By contrast, under pulsed laser excitation with laser pulse durations of nanoseconds (pulsed external force), the type of trap is of minor importance for the droplet stability. It typically needs pulsed laser forces that are several orders of magnitude higher than the optical forces to induce escape of the droplet from the trap. If the droplet strongly absorbs the pulsed laser light, these escape forces can be strongly reduced. The lower stability of absorbing droplets is a result of secondary thermal processes that cause droplet escape.

Stability of aerosol droplets in Bessel beam optical traps under constant and pulsed external forces.

PubMed

David, Grégory; Esat, Kıvanç; Hartweg, Sebastian; Cremer, Johannes; Chasovskikh, Egor; Signorell, Ruth

2015-04-21

We report on the dynamics of aerosol droplets in optical traps under the influence of additional constant and pulsed external forces. Experimental results are compared with simulations of the three-dimensional droplet dynamics for two types of optical traps, the counter-propagating Bessel beam (CPBB) trap and the quadruple Bessel beam (QBB) trap. Under the influence of a constant gas flow (constant external force), the QBB trap is found to be more stable compared with the CPBB trap. By contrast, under pulsed laser excitation with laser pulse durations of nanoseconds (pulsed external force), the type of trap is of minor importance for the droplet stability. It typically needs pulsed laser forces that are several orders of magnitude higher than the optical forces to induce escape of the droplet from the trap. If the droplet strongly absorbs the pulsed laser light, these escape forces can be strongly reduced. The lower stability of absorbing droplets is a result of secondary thermal processes that cause droplet escape.

Digitized detection of gamma-ray signals concentrated in narrow time windows for transient positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinomura, A.; Suzuki, R.; Oshima, N.; O'Rourke, B. E.; Nishijima, T.; Ogawa, H.

2014-12-01

A pulsed slow-positron beam generated by an electron linear accelerator was directly used for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy without any positron storage devices. A waveform digitizer was introduced to simultaneously capture multiple gamma-ray signals originating from positron annihilation events during a single accelerator pulse. The positron pulse was chopped and bunched with the chopper signals also sent to the waveform digitizer. Time differences between the annihilation gamma-ray and chopper peaks were calculated and accumulated as lifetime spectra in a computer. The developed technique indicated that positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy can be performed in a 20 μs time window at a pulse repetition rate synchronous with the linear accelerator. Lifetime spectra of a Kapton sheet and a thermally grown SiO2 layer on Si were successfully measured. Synchronization of positron lifetime measurements with pulsed ion irradiation was demonstrated by this technique.

The force synergy of human digits in static and dynamic cylindrical grasps.

PubMed

Kuo, Li-Chieh; Chen, Shih-Wei; Lin, Chien-Ju; Lin, Wei-Jr; Lin, Sheng-Che; Su, Fong-Chin

2013-01-01

This study explores the force synergy of human digits in both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. The patterns of digit force distribution, error compensation, and the relationships among digit forces are examined to quantify the synergetic patterns and coordination of multi-finger movements. This study recruited 24 healthy participants to perform cylindrical grasps using a glass simulator under normal grasping and one-finger restricted conditions. Parameters such as the grasping force, patterns of digit force distribution, and the force coefficient of variation are determined. Correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) are used to estimate the synergy strength under the dynamic grasping condition. Specific distribution patterns of digit forces are identified for various conditions. The compensation of adjacent fingers for the force in the normal direction of an absent finger agrees with the principle of error compensation. For digit forces in anti-gravity directions, the distribution patterns vary significantly by participant. The forces exerted by the thumb are closely related to those exerted by other fingers under all conditions. The index-middle and middle-ring finger pairs demonstrate a significant relationship. The PCA results show that the normal forces of digits are highly coordinated. This study reveals that normal force synergy exists under both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions.

The Force Synergy of Human Digits in Static and Dynamic Cylindrical Grasps

PubMed Central

Kuo, Li-Chieh; Chen, Shih-Wei; Lin, Chien-Ju; Lin, Wei-Jr; Lin, Sheng-Che; Su, Fong-Chin

2013-01-01

This study explores the force synergy of human digits in both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. The patterns of digit force distribution, error compensation, and the relationships among digit forces are examined to quantify the synergetic patterns and coordination of multi-finger movements. This study recruited 24 healthy participants to perform cylindrical grasps using a glass simulator under normal grasping and one-finger restricted conditions. Parameters such as the grasping force, patterns of digit force distribution, and the force coefficient of variation are determined. Correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) are used to estimate the synergy strength under the dynamic grasping condition. Specific distribution patterns of digit forces are identified for various conditions. The compensation of adjacent fingers for the force in the normal direction of an absent finger agrees with the principle of error compensation. For digit forces in anti-gravity directions, the distribution patterns vary significantly by participant. The forces exerted by the thumb are closely related to those exerted by other fingers under all conditions. The index-middle and middle-ring finger pairs demonstrate a significant relationship. The PCA results show that the normal forces of digits are highly coordinated. This study reveals that normal force synergy exists under both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. PMID:23544151

Development of a compact and cost effective multi-input digital signal processing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darvish-Molla, Sahar; Chin, Kenrick; Prestwich, William V.; Byun, Soo Hyun

2018-01-01

A prototype digital signal processing system (DSP) was developed using a microcontroller interfaced with a 12-bit sampling ADC, which offers a considerably inexpensive solution for processing multiple detectors with high throughput. After digitization of the incoming pulses, in order to maximize the output counting rate, a simple algorithm was employed for pulse height analysis. Moreover, an algorithm aiming at the real-time pulse pile-up deconvolution was implemented. The system was tested using a NaI(Tl) detector in comparison with a traditional analogue and commercial digital systems for a variety of count rates. The performance of the prototype system was consistently superior to the analogue and the commercial digital systems up to the input count rate of 61 kcps while was slightly inferior to the commercial digital system but still superior to the analogue system in the higher input rates. Considering overall cost, size and flexibility, this custom made multi-input digital signal processing system (MMI-DSP) was the best reliable choice for the purpose of the 2D microdosimetric data collection, or for any measurement in which simultaneous multi-data collection is required.

Force-independent distribution of correlated neural inputs to hand muscles during three-digit grasping.

PubMed

Poston, Brach; Danna-Dos Santos, Alessander; Jesunathadas, Mark; Hamm, Thomas M; Santello, Marco

2010-08-01

The ability to modulate digit forces during grasping relies on the coordination of multiple hand muscles. Because many muscles innervate each digit, the CNS can potentially choose from a large number of muscle coordination patterns to generate a given digit force. Studies of single-digit force production tasks have revealed that the electromyographic (EMG) activity scales uniformly across all muscles as a function of digit force. However, the extent to which this finding applies to the coordination of forces across multiple digits is unknown. We addressed this question by asking subjects (n = 8) to exert isometric forces using a three-digit grip (thumb, index, and middle fingers) that allowed for the quantification of hand muscle coordination within and across digits as a function of grasp force (5, 20, 40, 60, and 80% maximal voluntary force). We recorded EMG from 12 muscles (6 extrinsic and 6 intrinsic) of the three digits. Hand muscle coordination patterns were quantified in the amplitude and frequency domains (EMG-EMG coherence). EMG amplitude scaled uniformly across all hand muscles as a function of grasp force (muscle x force interaction: P = 0.997; cosines of angle between muscle activation pattern vector pairs: 0.897-0.997). Similarly, EMG-EMG coherence was not significantly affected by force (P = 0.324). However, coherence was stronger across extrinsic than that across intrinsic muscle pairs (P = 0.0039). These findings indicate that the distribution of neural drive to multiple hand muscles is force independent and may reflect the anatomical properties or functional roles of hand muscle groups.

Adaptive control for accelerators

DOEpatents

Eaton, Lawrie E.; Jachim, Stephen P.; Natter, Eckard F.

1991-01-01

An adaptive feedforward control loop is provided to stabilize accelerator beam loading of the radio frequency field in an accelerator cavity during successive pulses of the beam into the cavity. A digital signal processor enables an adaptive algorithm to generate a feedforward error correcting signal functionally determined by the feedback error obtained by a beam pulse loading the cavity after the previous correcting signal was applied to the cavity. Each cavity feedforward correcting signal is successively stored in the digital processor and modified by the feedback error resulting from its application to generate the next feedforward error correcting signal. A feedforward error correcting signal is generated by the digital processor in advance of the beam pulse to enable a composite correcting signal and the beam pulse to arrive concurrently at the cavity.

Naval Postgraduate School Research. Volume 9, Number 1, February 1999

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-02-01

before the digitization, since these add noise and nonlinear distortion to the signal. After digitization by the digital antenna, the data stream can be...instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information...like pulse compression. (Gener- ally, few experiments have measured the jitter of the lasers.) From the data , we note that the pulse width require

Pulsed spatial phase-shifting digital shearography based on a micropolarizer camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranchuk, Vyacheslav; Lal, Amit K.; Hess, Cecil F.; Trolinger, James Davis; Scott, Eddie

2018-02-01

We developed a pulsed digital shearography system that utilizes the spatial phase-shifting technique. The system employs a commercial micropolarizer camera and a double pulse laser, which allows for instantaneous phase measurements. The system can measure dynamic deformation of objects as large as 1 m at a 2-m distance during the time between two laser pulses that range from 30 μs to 30 ms. The ability of the system to measure dynamic deformation was demonstrated by obtaining phase wrapped and unwrapped shearograms of a vibrating object.

Pulse stretcher for narrow pulses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindsey, R. S., Jr. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

A pulse stretcher for narrow pulses is presented. The stretcher is composed of an analog section for processing each arriving analog pulse and a digital section with logic for providing command signals to the gates and switches in the analog section.

Investigation of plume dynamics during picosecond laser ablation of H13 steel using high-speed digital holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pangovski, Krste; Otanocha, Omonigho B.; Zhong, Shan; Sparkes, Martin; Liu, Zhu; O'Neill, William; Li, Lin

2017-02-01

Ablation of H13 tool steel using pulse packets with repetition rates of 400 and 1000 kHz and pulse energies of 75 and 44 μ {J}, respectively, is investigated. A drop in ablation efficiency (defined here as the depth per pulse or μ {m}{/}μ {J}) is shown to occur when using pulse energies of E_{{pulse}} > 44 μ {J}, accompanied by a marked difference in crater morphology. A pulsed digital holographic system is applied to image the resulting plumes, showing a persistent plume in both cases. Holographic data are used to calculate the plume absorption and subsequently the fraction of pulse energy arriving at the surface after traversing the plume for different pulse arrival times. A significant proportion of the pulse energy is shown to be absorbed in the plume for E_{{pulse}} > 44 μ {J} for pulse arrival times corresponding to {>}1 MHz pulse repetition rate, shifting the interaction to a vapour-dominated ablation regime, an energetically costlier ablation mechanism.

A new digital pulse power supply in heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rongkun; Chen, Youxin; Huang, Yuzhen; Gao, Daqing; Zhou, Zhongzu; Yan, Huaihai; Zhao, Jiang; Shi, Chunfeng; Wu, Fengjun; Yan, Hongbin; Xia, Jiawen; Yuan, Youjin

2013-11-01

To meet the increasing requirements of the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou-Cooler Storage Ring (HIRFL-CSR), a new digital pulse power supply, which employs multi-level converter, was designed. This power supply was applied with a multi H-bridge converters series-parallel connection topology. A new control model named digital power supply regulator system (DPSRS) was proposed, and a pulse power supply prototype based on DPSRS has been built and tested. The experimental results indicate that tracking error and ripple current meet the requirements of this design. The achievement of prototype provides a perfect model for HIRFL-CSR power supply system.

Stability of aerosol droplets in Bessel beam optical traps under constant and pulsed external forces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David, Grégory; Esat, Kıvanç; Hartweg, Sebastian

We report on the dynamics of aerosol droplets in optical traps under the influence of additional constant and pulsed external forces. Experimental results are compared with simulations of the three-dimensional droplet dynamics for two types of optical traps, the counter-propagating Bessel beam (CPBB) trap and the quadruple Bessel beam (QBB) trap. Under the influence of a constant gas flow (constant external force), the QBB trap is found to be more stable compared with the CPBB trap. By contrast, under pulsed laser excitation with laser pulse durations of nanoseconds (pulsed external force), the type of trap is of minor importance formore » the droplet stability. It typically needs pulsed laser forces that are several orders of magnitude higher than the optical forces to induce escape of the droplet from the trap. If the droplet strongly absorbs the pulsed laser light, these escape forces can be strongly reduced. The lower stability of absorbing droplets is a result of secondary thermal processes that cause droplet escape.« less

Logic circuit detects both present and missing negative pulses in superimposed wave trains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, R. E.

1967-01-01

Pulse divide and determination network provides a logical determination of pulse presence within a data train. The network uses digital logic circuitry to divide positive and negative pulses, to shape the separated pulses, and to determine, by means of coincidence logic, if negative pulses are missing from the pulse train.

Fresnel formulas for the forced electromagnetic pulses and their application for optical-to-terahertz conversion in nonlinear crystals.

PubMed

Bakunov, M I; Maslov, A V; Bodrov, S B

2007-11-16

We show that the usual Fresnel formulas for a free-propagating pulse are not applicable for a forced terahertz electromagnetic pulse supported by an optical pulse at the end of a nonlinear crystal. The correct linear reflection and transmission coefficients that we derive show that such pulses can experience a gain or loss at the boundary. This energy change depends on linear dielectric constants only. We also predict a regime where a complete disappearance of the forced pulse under oblique incidence occurs, an effect that has no counterpart for free-propagating pulses.

Digitized detection of gamma-ray signals concentrated in narrow time windows for transient positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinomura, A., E-mail: a.kinomura@aist.go.jp; Suzuki, R.; Oshima, N.

2014-12-15

A pulsed slow-positron beam generated by an electron linear accelerator was directly used for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy without any positron storage devices. A waveform digitizer was introduced to simultaneously capture multiple gamma-ray signals originating from positron annihilation events during a single accelerator pulse. The positron pulse was chopped and bunched with the chopper signals also sent to the waveform digitizer. Time differences between the annihilation gamma-ray and chopper peaks were calculated and accumulated as lifetime spectra in a computer. The developed technique indicated that positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy can be performed in a 20 μs time window at amore » pulse repetition rate synchronous with the linear accelerator. Lifetime spectra of a Kapton sheet and a thermally grown SiO{sub 2} layer on Si were successfully measured. Synchronization of positron lifetime measurements with pulsed ion irradiation was demonstrated by this technique.« less

Neutron/ γ-ray digital pulse shape discrimination with organic scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaschuck, Y.; Esposito, B.

2005-10-01

Neutrons and γ-rays produce light pulses with different shapes when interacting with organic scintillators. This property is commonly used to distinguish between neutrons (n) and γ-rays ( γ) in mixed n/ γ fields as those encountered in radiation physics experiments. Although analog electronic pulse shape discrimination (PSD) modules have been successfully used for many years, they do not allow data reprocessing and are limited in count rate capability (typically up to 200 kHz). The performance of a n/ γ digital pulse shape discrimination (DPSD) system by means of a commercial 12-bit 200 MSamples/s transient recorder card is investigated here. Three organic scintillators have been studied: stilbene, NE213 and anthracene. The charge comparison method has been used to obtain simultaneous n/ γ discrimination and pulse height analysis. The importance of DPSD for high-intensity radiation field measurements and its advantages with respect to analog PSD are discussed. Based on post-experiment simulations with acquired data, the requirements for fast digitizers to provide DPSD with organic scintillators are also analyzed.

Compton suppression in BEGe detectors by digital pulse shape analysis.

PubMed

Mi, Yu-Hao; Ma, Hao; Zeng, Zhi; Cheng, Jian-Ping; Li, Jun-Li; Zhang, Hui

2017-03-01

A new method of pulse shape discrimination (PSD) for BEGe detectors is developed to suppress Compton-continuum by digital pulse shape analysis (PSA), which helps reduce the Compton background level in gamma ray spectrometry. A decision parameter related to the rise time of a pulse shape was presented. The method was verified by experiments using 60 Co and 137 Cs sources. The result indicated that the 60 Co Peak to Compton ratio and the Cs-Peak to Co-Compton ratio could be improved by more than two and three times, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General purpose pulse shape analysis for fast scintillators implemented in digital readout electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asztalos, Stephen J.; Hennig, Wolfgang; Warburton, William K.

2016-01-01

Pulse shape discrimination applied to certain fast scintillators is usually performed offline. In sufficiently high-event rate environments data transfer and storage become problematic, which suggests a different analysis approach. In response, we have implemented a general purpose pulse shape analysis algorithm in the XIA Pixie-500 and Pixie-500 Express digital spectrometers. In this implementation waveforms are processed in real time, reducing the pulse characteristics to a few pulse shape analysis parameters and eliminating time-consuming waveform transfer and storage. We discuss implementation of these features, their advantages, necessary trade-offs and performance. Measurements from bench top and experimental setups using fast scintillators and XIA processors are presented.

Pulse-shape discrimination of the new plastic scintillators in neutron-gamma mixed field using fast digitizer card

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jančář, A.; Kopecký, Z.; Dressler, J.; Veškrna, M.; Matěj, Z.; Granja, C.; Solar, M.

2015-11-01

Recently invented plastic scintillator EJ-299-33 enables pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) and thus measurement of neutron and photon spectra in mixed fields. In this work we compare the PSD properties of EJ-299-33 plastic and the well-known NE-213 liquid scintillator in monoenergetic neutron fields generated by the Van de Graaff accelerator using the 3H(d, n)4He reaction. Pulses from the scintillators are processed by a newly developed digital measuring system employing the fast digitizer card. This card contains two AD converters connected to the measuring computer via 10 Gbps optical ethernet. The converters operate with a resolution of 12 bits and have two differential inputs with a sampling frequency 1 GHz. The resulting digital channels with different gains are merged into one composite channel with a higher digital resolution in a wide dynamic range of energies. Neutron signals are fully discriminated from gamma signals. Results are presented.

Feed-forward digital phase and amplitude correction system

DOEpatents

Yu, D.U.L.; Conway, P.H.

1994-11-15

Phase and amplitude modifications in repeatable RF pulses at the output of a high power pulsed microwave amplifier are made utilizing a digital feed-forward correction system. A controlled amount of the output power is coupled to a correction system for processing of phase and amplitude information. The correction system comprises circuitry to compare the detected phase and amplitude with the desired phase and amplitude, respectively, and a digitally programmable phase shifter and attenuator and digital logic circuitry to control the phase shifter and attenuator. The phase and amplitude of subsequent are modified by output signals from the correction system. 11 figs.

Feed-forward digital phase and amplitude correction system

DOEpatents

Yu, David U. L.; Conway, Patrick H.

1994-01-01

Phase and amplitude modifications in repeatable RF pulses at the output of a high power pulsed microwave amplifier are made utilizing a digital feed-forward correction system. A controlled amount of the output power is coupled to a correction system for processing of phase and amplitude information. The correction system comprises circuitry to compare the detected phase and amplitude with the desired phase and amplitude, respectively, and a digitally programmable phase shifter and attenuator and digital logic circuitry to control the phase shifter and attenuator. The Phase and amplitude of subsequent are modified by output signals from the correction system.

Prehension Synergies in the Grasps With Complex Friction Patterns: Local Versus Synergic Effects and the Template Control

PubMed Central

Niu, Xun; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.

2010-01-01

We studied adjustments of digit forces to changes in the friction. The subjects held a handle statically in a three-digit grasp. The friction under each digit was either high or low, resulting in eight three-element friction sets (such grasps were coined the grasps with complex friction pattern). The total load was also manipulated. It was found that digit forces were adjusted not only to the supported load and local friction, but also to friction at other digits (synergic effects). When friction under a digit was low, its tangential force decreased and the normal force increased (local effects). The synergic effects were directed to maintain the equilibrium of the handle. The relation between the individual digit forces and loads agreed with the triple-product model: fin=ki(2)ki(1)L, where fin is normal force of digit i, L is the load (newtons), ki(1) is a dimensionless coefficient representing sharing the total tangential force among the digits (Σki(1)=1.0), and ki(2) is a coefficient representing the relation between the tangential and normal forces of digit i (the overall friction equivalent, OFE). At each friction set, the central controller selected the grasping template—a three-element array of ki(2)ki(1) products—and then scaled the template with the load magnitude. PMID:17493928

Radioanalytical Chemistry for Automated Nuclear Waste Process Monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Devol, Timothy A.

2005-06-01

Comparison of different pulse shape discrimination methods was performed under two different experimental conditions and the best method was identified. Beta/gamma discrimination of 90Sr/90Y and 137Cs was performed using a phoswich detector made of BC400 (2.5 cm OD x 1.2 cm) and BGO (2.5 cm O.D. x 2.5 cm ) scintillators. Alpha/gamma discrimination of 210Po and 137Cs was performed using a CsI:Tl (2.8 x 1.4 x 1.4 cm3) scintillation crystal. The pulse waveforms were digitized with a DGF-4c (X-Ray Instrumentation Associates) and analyzed offline with IGOR Pro software (Wavemetrics, Inc.). The four pulse shape discrimination methods that were compared include:more » rise time discrimination, digital constant fraction discrimination, charge ratio, and constant time discrimination (CTD) methods. The CTD method is the ratio of the pulse height at a particular time after the beginning of the pulse to the time at the maximum pulse height. The charge comparison method resulted in a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 3.3 (9.9 % spillover) and 3.7 (0.033 % spillover) for the phoswich and the CsI:Tl scintillator setups, respectively. The CTD method resulted in a FoM of 3.9 (9.2 % spillover) and 3.2 (0.25 % spillover), respectively. Inverting the pulse shape data typically resulted in a significantly higher FoM than conventional methods, but there was no reduction in % spillover values. This outcome illustrates that the FoM may not be a good scheme for the quantification of a system to perform pulse shape discrimination. Comparison of several pulse shape discrimination (PSD) methods was performed as a means to compare traditional analog and digital PSD methods on the same scintillation pulses. The X-ray Instrumentation Associates DGF-4C (40 Msps, 14-bit) was used to digitize waveforms from a CsI:Tl crystal and BC400/BGO phoswich detector.« less

Digital pulse processing and electronic noise analysis for improving energy resolutions in planar TlBr detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tada, Tsutomu; Hitomi, Keitaro; Tanaka, Tomonobu; Wu, Yan; Kim, Seong-Yun; Yamazaki, Hiromichi; Ishii, Keizo

2011-05-01

Digital pulse processing and electronic noise analysis are proposed for improving energy resolution in planar thallium bromide (TlBr) detectors. An energy resolution of 5.8% FWHM at 662 keV was obtained from a 0.5 mm thick planar TlBr detector at room temperature using a digitizer with a sampling rate of 100 MS/s and 8 bit resolution. The electronic noise in the detector-preamplifier system was measured as a function of pulse shaping time in order to investigate the optimum shaping time for the detector. The depth of interaction (DOI) in TlBr detectors for incident gamma-rays was determined by taking the ratio of pulse heights for fast-shaped to slow-shaped signals. FWHM energy resolution of the detector was improved from 5.8% to 4.2% by implementing depth correction and by using the obtained optimum shaping time.

High resolution data acquisition

DOEpatents

Thornton, G.W.; Fuller, K.R.

1993-04-06

A high resolution event interval timing system measures short time intervals such as occur in high energy physics or laser ranging. Timing is provided from a clock, pulse train, and analog circuitry for generating a triangular wave synchronously with the pulse train (as seen in diagram on patent). The triangular wave has an amplitude and slope functionally related to the time elapsed during each clock pulse in the train. A converter forms a first digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the start of the event interval and a second digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the end of the event interval. A counter counts the clock pulse train during the interval to form a gross event interval time. A computer then combines the gross event interval time and the first and second digital values to output a high resolution value for the event interval.

High resolution data acquisition

DOEpatents

Thornton, Glenn W.; Fuller, Kenneth R.

1993-01-01

A high resolution event interval timing system measures short time intervals such as occur in high energy physics or laser ranging. Timing is provided from a clock (38) pulse train (37) and analog circuitry (44) for generating a triangular wave (46) synchronously with the pulse train (37). The triangular wave (46) has an amplitude and slope functionally related to the time elapsed during each clock pulse in the train. A converter (18, 32) forms a first digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the start of the event interval and a second digital value of the amplitude and slope of the triangle wave at the end of the event interval. A counter (26) counts the clock pulse train (37) during the interval to form a gross event interval time. A computer (52) then combines the gross event interval time and the first and second digital values to output a high resolution value for the event interval.

Lamb pulse observed in nature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kanamori, H.; Given, J. W.

1983-01-01

It is shown that seismograms observed at Longmire, Washington, for four eruptions of Mt. St. Helens, those on May 18, June 13, August 7, and August 8, 1980, can be interpreted as Lamb pulses excited by a nearly vertical single force representing the counter force of the eruption. These data furnish reliable estimates of the impulse of the force K (time integral of the force), from which the total momentum and the kinetic energy, E, of the ejecta associated with the eruption can be estimated. The estimates made of K are 1.4 x 10 to the 19th, 1.4 x 10 to the 16th, 3.7 x 10 to the 15th, and 2.8 x 10 to the 15th dynes-sec for the four eruptions (given chronologically). The corresponding estimates for E range from 0.70 to 2.6 x 10 to the 23rd, 0.70 to 2.6 x 10 to the 20th, 1.9 x 10 to the 19th, and 1.4 to 5.3 x 10 to the 19th erg using values of ejecta velocity ranging from 100 to 375 m/sec. The ratio of K to the amplitude of the air wave excited by the eruption is found to be 20 to 40 times larger for the main event on May 18 than for the other events, indicating a significant difference in the eruptive mechanism. A digital seismograph in the vicinity of a volcano is shown to provide a simple means for quantifying the explosive power of a volcanic eruption.

Investigations of high-speed digital imaging of low-light-level events using pulsed near-infrared laser light sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jantzen, Connie; Slagle, Rick

1997-05-01

The distinction between exposure time and sample rate is often the first point raised in any discussion of high speed imaging. Many high speed events require exposure times considerably shorter than those that can be achieved solely by the sample rate of the camera, where exposure time equals 1/sample rate. Gating, a method of achieving short exposure times in digital cameras, is often difficult to achieve for exposure time requirements shorter than 100 microseconds. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of using the short duration light pulse of a near infrared laser with high speed digital imaging systems. By closely matching the output wavelength of the pulsed laser to the peak near infrared response of current sensors, high speed image capture can be accomplished at very low (visible) light levels of illumination. By virtue of the short duration light pulse, adjustable to as short as two microseconds, image capture of very high speed events can be achieved at relatively low sample rates of less than 100 pictures per second, without image blur. For our initial investigations, we chose a ballistic subject. The results of early experimentation revealed the limitations of applying traditional ballistic imaging methods when using a pulsed infrared lightsource with a digital imaging system. These early disappointing results clarified the need to further identify the unique system characteristics of the digital imager and pulsed infrared combination. It was also necessary to investigate how the infrared reflectance and transmittance of common materials affects the imaging process. This experimental work yielded a surprising, successful methodology which will prove useful in imaging ballistic and weapons tests, as well as forensics, flow visualizations, spray pattern analyses, and nocturnal animal behavioral studies.

A Two-Color Fourier Transform Mm-Wave Spectrometer for Gas Analysis Operating from 260-295 GHZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steber, Amanda L.; Harris, Brent J.; Lehmann, Kevin K.; Pate, Brooks H.

2013-06-01

We have designed a two-color mm-wave spectrometer for Fourier transform mm-wave spectroscopy that uses consumer level components for the tunable synthesizers, digital control of the pulse modulators, and digitization of the coherent free induction decay (FID). The excitation pulses are generated using an x24 active multiplier chain (AMC) that produces a peak power of 30 mW. The microwave input to the AMC is generated in a frequency up conversion circuit that accepts a microwave input frequency from about 2-4 GHz. This circuit also generates the input to the mm-wave subhamonic mixer that creates the local oscillator from a separate 2-4 GHz microwave input. Excitation pulses at two independently tunable frequencies are generated using a dual-channel source based on a low-cost, wideband synthesizer integrated circuit (Valon Technology Model 5008). The outputs of the synthesizer are pulse modulated using a PIN diode switch that is driven using the arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) output of a USB-controlled high-speed digitizer / arbitrary waveform generator combination unit (Tie Pie HS-5 530 XM). The two pulses are combined using a Wilkinson power divider before input to the up conversion circuit. The FID frequency is down converted in a two-stage mixing process to 65 MHz. The two LO frequencies used in the receiver are provided by a second Valon 5008. The FID is digitized at 200 MSamples/s using the 12-bit Tie Pie digitizer. The digital oscilloscope (and its AWG channel) and the two synthesizers use a 10 MHz reference signal from a Rubidium clock to permit time-domain signal averaging. A key feature of the digital oscilloscope is its deep memory of 32 Mpts (complemented by the 64 Mpt memory in the 240 MS/s AWG). This makes it possible to perform several one- and two-color coherent measurements, including pulse echoes and double-resonance spectroscopy, in a single "readout" experiment to speed the analysis of mm-wave rotational spectra. The spectrometer sensitivity and frequency accuracy are illustrated by high-speed measurements of OCS rotational transitions for low-abundance isotopes. Examples of pulse echo measurements to determine the collisional relaxation rate and two-color double-resonance measurements to confirm the presence of a molecular species will be illustrated using OCS as the room-temperature gas sample.

3D endoscopic pulsed digital holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saucedo Anaya, T.; Mendoza Santoyo, F.; Pedrini, G.; Osten, W.

2006-06-01

A rigid endoscope is used in pulsed digital holography to simultaneously evaluate the three orthogonal displacement components from hidden areas of a harmonically vibrating metallic cylinder. The cylinder is illuminated from three different illuminating directions. The optical path for each illumination direction is matched to its corresponding reference beam, but also in such a way that each object-reference beam pair optical path is mismatched such that they are incoherent and can be stored in a single CCD frame. As is typical in these types of interferometric arrangements, two digital holograms are needed in order to compare two different states of the cylinder. Each hologram is Fourier transformed and due to the incoherence introduced three separate spectra are readily identified, each belonging to a object-reference beam pair. On comparing by subtraction the phase obtained from the two pulsed digital holograms it is possible to gather quantitative 3D results from harmonic displacements.

One Digit Interruption: The Altered Force Patterns during Functionally Cylindrical Grasping Tasks in Patients with Trigger Digits

PubMed Central

Chen, Po-Tsun; Lin, Chien-Ju; Jou, I-Ming; Chieh, Hsiao-Feng; Su, Fong-Chin; Kuo, Li-Chieh

2013-01-01

Most trigger digit (TD) patients complain that they have problems using their hand in daily or occupational tasks due to single or multiple digits being affected. Unfortunately, clinicians do not know much about how this disease affects the subtle force coordination among digits during manipulation. Thus, this study examined the differences in force patterns during cylindrical grasp between TD and healthy subjects. Forty-two TD patients with single digit involvement were included and sorted into four groups based on the involved digits, including thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. Twelve healthy subjects volunteered as healthy controls. Two testing tasks, holding and drinking, were performed by natural grasping with minimal forces. The relations between the force of the thumb and each finger were examined by Pearson correlation coefficients. The force amount and contribution of each digit were compared between healthy controls and each TD group by the independent t test. The results showed all TD groups demonstrated altered correlation patterns of the thumb relative to each finger. Larger forces and higher contributions of the index finger were found during holding by patients with index finger involved, and also during drinking by patients with affected thumb and with affected middle finger. Although no triggering symptom occurred during grasping, the patients showed altered force patterns which may be related to the role of the affected digit in natural grasping function. In conclusion, even if only one digit was affected, the subtle force coordination of all the digits was altered during simple tasks among the TD patients. This study provides the information for the future studies to further comprehend the possible injuries secondary to the altered finger coordination and also to adopt suitable treatment strategies. PMID:24391799

One digit interruption: the altered force patterns during functionally cylindrical grasping tasks in patients with trigger digits.

PubMed

Chen, Po-Tsun; Lin, Chien-Ju; Jou, I-Ming; Chieh, Hsiao-Feng; Su, Fong-Chin; Kuo, Li-Chieh

2013-01-01

Most trigger digit (TD) patients complain that they have problems using their hand in daily or occupational tasks due to single or multiple digits being affected. Unfortunately, clinicians do not know much about how this disease affects the subtle force coordination among digits during manipulation. Thus, this study examined the differences in force patterns during cylindrical grasp between TD and healthy subjects. Forty-two TD patients with single digit involvement were included and sorted into four groups based on the involved digits, including thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. Twelve healthy subjects volunteered as healthy controls. Two testing tasks, holding and drinking, were performed by natural grasping with minimal forces. The relations between the force of the thumb and each finger were examined by Pearson correlation coefficients. The force amount and contribution of each digit were compared between healthy controls and each TD group by the independent t test. The results showed all TD groups demonstrated altered correlation patterns of the thumb relative to each finger. Larger forces and higher contributions of the index finger were found during holding by patients with index finger involved, and also during drinking by patients with affected thumb and with affected middle finger. Although no triggering symptom occurred during grasping, the patients showed altered force patterns which may be related to the role of the affected digit in natural grasping function. In conclusion, even if only one digit was affected, the subtle force coordination of all the digits was altered during simple tasks among the TD patients. This study provides the information for the future studies to further comprehend the possible injuries secondary to the altered finger coordination and also to adopt suitable treatment strategies.

Method and apparatus for measuring frequency and phase difference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shores, Paul (Inventor); Lichtenberg, Christopher (Inventor); Kobayashi, Herbert S. (Inventor); Cunningham, Allen R. (Inventor)

1986-01-01

The present invention is a system for deriving direct digital indications of frequency and phase difference between two incoming pulse trains adaptable for collision avoidance systems or the like. A pair of radar beams are directed toward a target and corresponding beams returning therefrom are detected. A digital difference circuit forms a pulse train from the Doppler shift frequencies of each beam pair having a repetition rate functionally related to the difference in magnitude of the shift frequencies. Pulses from the pulse train are counted as a function of time. Visual indications thereof on display are correlative to target position relative to beams.

An ultra-low cost NMR device with arbitrary pulse programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsueh-Ying; Kim, Yaewon; Nath, Pulak; Hilty, Christian

2015-06-01

Ultra-low cost, general purpose electronics boards featuring microprocessors or field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) are reaching capabilities sufficient for direct implementation of NMR spectrometers. We demonstrate a spectrometer based on such a board, implemented with a minimal need for the addition of custom electronics and external components. This feature allows such a spectrometer to be readily implemented using typical knowledge present in an NMR laboratory. With FPGA technology, digital tasks are performed with precise timing, without the limitation of predetermined hardware function. In this case, the FPGA is used for programming of arbitrarily timed pulse sequence events, and to digitally generate required frequencies. Data acquired from a 0.53 T permanent magnet serves as a demonstration of the flexibility of pulse programming for diverse experiments. Pulse sequences applied include a spin-lattice relaxation measurement using a pulse train with small-flip angle pulses, and a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill experiment with phase cycle. Mixing of NMR signals with a digitally generated, 4-step phase-cycled reference frequency is further implemented to achieve sequential quadrature detection. The flexibility in hardware implementation permits tailoring this type of spectrometer for applications such as relaxometry, polarimetry, diffusometry or NMR based magnetometry.

Ultra-fast quantum randomness generation by accelerated phase diffusion in a pulsed laser diode.

PubMed

Abellán, C; Amaya, W; Jofre, M; Curty, M; Acín, A; Capmany, J; Pruneri, V; Mitchell, M W

2014-01-27

We demonstrate a high bit-rate quantum random number generator by interferometric detection of phase diffusion in a gain-switched DFB laser diode. Gain switching at few-GHz frequencies produces a train of bright pulses with nearly equal amplitudes and random phases. An unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer is used to interfere subsequent pulses and thereby generate strong random-amplitude pulses, which are detected and digitized to produce a high-rate random bit string. Using established models of semiconductor laser field dynamics, we predict a regime of high visibility interference and nearly complete vacuum-fluctuation-induced phase diffusion between pulses. These are confirmed by measurement of pulse power statistics at the output of the interferometer. Using a 5.825 GHz excitation rate and 14-bit digitization, we observe 43 Gbps quantum randomness generation.

The use of linear programming techniques to design optimal digital filters for pulse shaping and channel equalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, R. C.; Burlage, D. W.

1972-01-01

A time domain technique is developed to design finite-duration impulse response digital filters using linear programming. Two related applications of this technique in data transmission systems are considered. The first is the design of pulse shaping digital filters to generate or detect signaling waveforms transmitted over bandlimited channels that are assumed to have ideal low pass or bandpass characteristics. The second is the design of digital filters to be used as preset equalizers in cascade with channels that have known impulse response characteristics. Example designs are presented which illustrate that excellent waveforms can be generated with frequency-sampling filters and the ease with which digital transversal filters can be designed for preset equalization.

Digital pulse shape discrimination.

PubMed

Miller, L F; Preston, J; Pozzi, S; Flaska, M; Neal, J

2007-01-01

Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) has been utilised for about 40 years as a method to obtain estimates for dose in mixed neutron and photon fields. Digitizers that operate close to GHz are currently available at a reasonable cost, and they can be used to directly sample signals from photomultiplier tubes. This permits one to perform digital PSD rather than the traditional, and well-established, analogoue techniques. One issue that complicates PSD for neutrons in mixed fields is that the light output characteristics of typical scintillators available for PSD, such as BC501A, vary as a function of energy deposited in the detector. This behaviour is more easily accommodated with digital processing of signals than with analogoue signal processing. Results illustrate the effectiveness of digital PSD.

Signal digitizing system and method based on amplitude-to-time optical mapping

DOEpatents

Chou, Jason; Bennett, Corey V; Hernandez, Vince

2015-01-13

A signal digitizing system and method based on analog-to-time optical mapping, optically maps amplitude information of an analog signal of interest first into wavelength information using an amplitude tunable filter (ATF) to impress spectral changes induced by the amplitude of the analog signal onto a carrier signal, i.e. a train of optical pulses, and next from wavelength information to temporal information using a dispersive element so that temporal information representing the amplitude information is encoded in the time domain in the carrier signal. Optical-to-electrical conversion of the optical pulses into voltage waveforms and subsequently digitizing the voltage waveforms into a digital image enables the temporal information to be resolved and quantized in the time domain. The digital image may them be digital signal processed to digitally reconstruct the analog signal based on the temporal information with high fidelity.

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamata, Lucas

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi-Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. The author wishes to acknowledge discussions with I. Arrazola, A. Mezzacapo, J. S. Pedernales, and E. Solano, and support from Ramon y Cajal Grant RYC-2012-11391, Spanish MINECO/FEDER FIS2015-69983-P, UPV/EHU UFI 11/55 and Project EHUA14/04.

FPGA-Based Optical Cavity Phase Stabilization for Coherent Pulse Stacking

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yilun; Wilcox, Russell; Byrd, John; ...

2017-11-20

Coherent pulse stacking (CPS) is a new time-domain coherent addition technique that stacks several optical pulses into a single output pulse, enabling high pulse energy from fiber lasers. We develop a robust, scalable, and distributed digital control system with firmware and software integration for algorithms, to support the CPS application. We model CPS as a digital filter in the Z domain and implement a pulse-pattern-based cavity phase detection algorithm on an field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A two-stage (2+1 cavities) 15-pulse stacking system achieves an 11.0 peak-power enhancement factor. Each optical cavity is fed back at 1.5kHz, and stabilized at anmore » individually-prescribed round-trip phase with 0.7deg and 2.1deg rms phase errors for Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Optical cavity phase control with nanometer accuracy ensures 1.2% intensity stability of the stacked pulse over 12 h. The FPGA-based feedback control system can be scaled to large numbers of optical cavities.« less

FPGA-Based Optical Cavity Phase Stabilization for Coherent Pulse Stacking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Yilun; Wilcox, Russell; Byrd, John

Coherent pulse stacking (CPS) is a new time-domain coherent addition technique that stacks several optical pulses into a single output pulse, enabling high pulse energy from fiber lasers. We develop a robust, scalable, and distributed digital control system with firmware and software integration for algorithms, to support the CPS application. We model CPS as a digital filter in the Z domain and implement a pulse-pattern-based cavity phase detection algorithm on an field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A two-stage (2+1 cavities) 15-pulse stacking system achieves an 11.0 peak-power enhancement factor. Each optical cavity is fed back at 1.5kHz, and stabilized at anmore » individually-prescribed round-trip phase with 0.7deg and 2.1deg rms phase errors for Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Optical cavity phase control with nanometer accuracy ensures 1.2% intensity stability of the stacked pulse over 12 h. The FPGA-based feedback control system can be scaled to large numbers of optical cavities.« less

Generation of multiple analog pulses with different duty cycles within VME control system for ICRH Aditya system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Ramesh; Singh, Manoj; Jadav, H. M.; Misra, Kishor; Kulkarni, S. V.; ICRH-RF Group

2010-02-01

Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) is a promising heating method for a fusion device due to its localized power deposition profile, a direct ion heating at high density, and established technology for high RF power generation and transmission at low cost. Multiple analog pulse with different duty cycle in master of digital pulse for Data acquisition and Control system for steady state RF ICRH System(RF ICRH DAC) to be used for operating of RF Generator in Aditya to produce pre ionization and second analog pulse will produce heating. The control system software is based upon single digital pulse operation for RF source. It is planned to integrate multiple analog pulses with different duty cycle in master of digital pulse for Data acquisition and Control system for RF ICRH System(RF ICRH DAC) to be used for operating of RF Generator in Aditya tokamak. The task of RF ICRH DAC is to control and acquisition of all ICRH system operation with all control loop and acquisition for post analysis of data with java based tool. For pre ionization startup as well as heating experiments using multiple RF Power of different powers and duration. The experiment based upon the idea of using single RF generator to energize antenna inside the tokamak to radiate power twise, out of which first analog pulse will produce pre ionization and second analog pulse will produce heating. The whole system is based on standard client server technology using tcp/ip protocol. DAC Software is based on linux operating system for highly reliable, secure and stable system operation in failsafe manner. Client system is based on tcl/tk like toolkit for user interface with c/c++ like environment which is reliable programming languages widely used on stand alone system operation with server as vxWorks real time operating system like environment. The paper is focused on the Data acquisition and monitoring system software on Aditya RF ICRH System with analog pulses in slave mode with digital pulse in master mode for control acquisition and monitoring and interlocking.

Real-Time, Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination in Non-Hazardous Fast Liquid Scintillation Detectors: Prospects for Safety and Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, Malcolm J.; Aspinall, Michael D.; Cave, Francis D.; Lavietes, Anthony D.

2012-08-01

Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) in fast, organic scintillation detectors is a long-established technique used to separate neutrons and γ rays in mixed radiation fields. In the analogue domain the method can achieve separation in real time, but all knowledge of the pulses themselves is lost thereby preventing the possibility of any post- or repeated analysis. Also, it is typically reliant on electronic systems that are largely obsolete and which require significant experience to set up. In the digital domain, PSD is often more flexible but significant post-processing has usually been necessary to obtain neutron/γ-ray separation. Moreover, the scintillation media on which the technique relies usually have a low flashpoint and are thus deemed hazardous. This complicates the ease with which they are used in industrial applications. In this paper, results obtained with a new portable digital pulse-shape discrimination instrument are described. This instrument provides real-time, digital neutron/γ-ray separation whilst preserving the synchronization with the time-of-arrival for each event, and realizing throughputs of 3 × 106 events per second. Furthermore, this system has been tested with a scintillation medium that is non-flammable and not hazardous.

Web-based multi-channel analyzer

DOEpatents

Gritzo, Russ E.

2003-12-23

The present invention provides an improved multi-channel analyzer designed to conveniently gather, process, and distribute spectrographic pulse data. The multi-channel analyzer may operate on a computer system having memory, a processor, and the capability to connect to a network and to receive digitized spectrographic pulses. The multi-channel analyzer may have a software module integrated with a general-purpose operating system that may receive digitized spectrographic pulses for at least 10,000 pulses per second. The multi-channel analyzer may further have a user-level software module that may receive user-specified controls dictating the operation of the multi-channel analyzer, making the multi-channel analyzer customizable by the end-user. The user-level software may further categorize and conveniently distribute spectrographic pulse data employing non-proprietary, standard communication protocols and formats.

Usefulness of Pulse Oximeter That Can Measure SpO2 to One Digit After Decimal Point.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Akihiro; Burioka, Naoto; Eto, Aritoshi; Amisaki, Takashi; Shimizu, Eiji

2017-06-01

Pulse oximeters are used to noninvasively measure oxygen saturation in arterial blood (SaO 2 ). Although arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximeter (SpO 2 ) is usually indicated in 1% increments, the value of SaO 2 from arterial blood gas analysis is not an integer. We have developed a new pulse oximeter that can measure SpO 2 to one digit after the decimal point. The values of SpO 2 from the newly developed pulse oximeter are highly correlated with the values of SaO 2 from arterial blood gas analysis (SpO 2 = 0.899 × SaO 2 + 9.944, r = 0.887, P < 0.0001). This device may help improve the evaluation of pathological conditions in patients.

Digital coincidence counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckman, S. M.; Ius, D.

1996-02-01

This paper reports on the development of a digital coincidence-counting system which comprises a custom-built data acquisition card and associated PC software. The system has been designed to digitise the pulse-trains from two radiation detectors at a rate of 20 MSamples/s with 12-bit resolution. Through hardware compression of the data, the system can continuously record both individual pulse-shapes and the time intervals between pulses. Software-based circuits are used to process the stored pulse trains. These circuits are constructed simply by linking together icons representing various components such as coincidence mixers, time delays, single-channel analysers, deadtimes and scalers. This system enables a pair of pulse trains to be processed repeatedly using any number of different methods. Some preliminary results are presented in order to demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of this new method.

High-speed photonically assisted analog-to-digital conversion using a continuous wave multiwavelength source and phase modulation.

PubMed

Bortnik, Bartosz J; Fetterman, Harold R

2008-10-01

A more simple photonically assisted analog-to-digital conversion system utilizing a cw multiwavelength source and phase modulation instead of a mode-locked laser is presented. The output of the cw multiwavelength source is launched into a dispersive device (such as a single-mode fiber). This fiber creates a pulse train, where the central wavelength of each pulse corresponds to a spectral line of the optical source. The pulses can then be either dispersed again to perform discrete wavelength time stretching or demultiplexed for continuous time analog-to-digital conversion. We experimentally demonstrate the operation of both time stretched and interleaved systems at 38 GHz. The potential of integrating this type of system on a monolithic chip is discussed.

New design conception and development of the synchronizer/data buffer system in CDA station for China's GMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Kai; Fan, Shiming; Gong, Derong; Lu, Zuming; Liu, Jian

The synchronizer/data buffer (SDB) in the command and data acquisition station for China's future Geostationary Meteorological Satellite is described. Several computers and special microprocessors are used in tandem with minimized hardware to fulfill all of the functions. The high-accuracy digital phase locked loop is operated by computer and by controlling the count value of the 20-MHz clock to acquire and track such signals as sun pulse, scan synchronization detection pulse, and earth pulse. Sun pulse and VISSR data are recorded precisely and economically by digitizing the time relation. The VISSR scan timing and equiangular control timing, and equal time sampling on satellite are also discussed.

Electromagnetic pulse-induced current measurement device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandhi, Om P.; Chen, Jin Y.

1991-08-01

To develop safety guidelines for exposure to high fields associated with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), it is necessary to devise techniques that would measure the peak current induced in the human body. The main focus of this project was to design, fabricate, and test a portable, self-contained stand-on device that would measure and hold the peak current and the integrated change Q. The design specifications of the EMP-Induced Current Measurement Device are as follows: rise time of the current pulse, 5 ns; peak current, 20-600 A; charge Q, 0-20 microcoulombs. The device uses a stand-on parallel-plate bilayer sensor and fast high-frequency circuit that are well-shielded against spurious responses to high incident fields. Since the polarity of the incident peak electric field of the EMP may be either positive or negative, the induced peak current can also be positive or negative. Therefore, the device is designed to respond to either of these polarities and measure and hold both the peak current and the integrated charge which are simultaneously displayed on two separate 3-1/2 digit displays. The prototype device has been preliminarily tested with the EMP's generated at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (ALECS facility) at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

Harmonically mode-locked erbium-doped waveguide laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanto, Michael L.; Malowicki, John E.; Bussjager, Rebecca J.; Johns, Steven T.; Vettese, Elizabeth K.; Hayduk, Michael J.

2004-08-01

The generation of ultrastable picosecond pulses in the 1550 nm range is required for numerous applications that include photonic analog-to-digital converter systems and high-bit rate optical communication systems. Mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring lasers (EDFLs) are typically used to generate pulses at this wavelength. In addition to timing stability and output power, the physical size of the laser cavity is of primary importance to the Air Force. The length of the erbium (Er)-doped fiber used as the gain medium may be on the order of meters or even tens of meters which adds complexity to packaging. However, with the recent advancements in the production of multi-component glasses, higher doping concentrations can be achieved as compared to silicate glasses. Even more recent is the introduction of Er-doped multi-component glass waveguides, thus allowing the overall footprint of the gain medium to be reduced. We have constructed a novel harmonically mode-locked fiber ring laser using the Er-doped multi-component glass waveguide as the gain medium. The performance characteristics of this Er-doped waveguide laser (EDWL) including pulse width, spectral width, harmonic suppression, optical output power, laser stability and single sideband residual phase noise will be discussed in this paper.

Radar Range Sidelobe Reduction Using Adaptive Pulse Compression Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Lihua; Coon, Michael; McLinden, Matthew

2013-01-01

Pulse compression has been widely used in radars so that low-power, long RF pulses can be transmitted, rather than a highpower short pulse. Pulse compression radars offer a number of advantages over high-power short pulsed radars, such as no need of high-power RF circuitry, no need of high-voltage electronics, compact size and light weight, better range resolution, and better reliability. However, range sidelobe associated with pulse compression has prevented the use of this technique on spaceborne radars since surface returns detected by range sidelobes may mask the returns from a nearby weak cloud or precipitation particles. Research on adaptive pulse compression was carried out utilizing a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) waveform generation board and a radar transceiver simulator. The results have shown significant improvements in pulse compression sidelobe performance. Microwave and millimeter-wave radars present many technological challenges for Earth and planetary science applications. The traditional tube-based radars use high-voltage power supply/modulators and high-power RF transmitters; therefore, these radars usually have large size, heavy weight, and reliability issues for space and airborne platforms. Pulse compression technology has provided a path toward meeting many of these radar challenges. Recent advances in digital waveform generation, digital receivers, and solid-state power amplifiers have opened a new era for applying pulse compression to the development of compact and high-performance airborne and spaceborne remote sensing radars. The primary objective of this innovative effort is to develop and test a new pulse compression technique to achieve ultrarange sidelobes so that this technique can be applied to spaceborne, airborne, and ground-based remote sensing radars to meet future science requirements. By using digital waveform generation, digital receiver, and solid-state power amplifier technologies, this improved pulse compression technique could bring significant impact on future radar development. The novel feature of this innovation is the non-linear FM (NLFM) waveform design. The traditional linear FM has the limit (-20 log BT -3 dB) for achieving ultra-low-range sidelobe in pulse compression. For this study, a different combination of 20- or 40-microsecond chirp pulse width and 2- or 4-MHz chirp bandwidth was used. These are typical operational parameters for airborne or spaceborne weather radars. The NLFM waveform design was then implemented on a FPGA board to generate a real chirp signal, which was then sent to the radar transceiver simulator. The final results have shown significant improvement on sidelobe performance compared to that obtained using a traditional linear FM chirp.

Optical timing receiver for the NASA laser ranging system. Part 2: High precision time interval digitizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leskovar, B.; Turko, B.

1977-01-01

The development of a high precision time interval digitizer is described. The time digitizer is a 10 psec resolution stop watch covering a range of up to 340 msec. The measured time interval is determined as a separation between leading edges of a pair of pulses applied externally to the start input and the stop input of the digitizer. Employing an interpolation techniques and a 50 MHz high precision master oscillator, the equivalent of a 100 GHz clock frequency standard is achieved. Absolute accuracy and stability of the digitizer are determined by the external 50 MHz master oscillator, which serves as a standard time marker. The start and stop pulses are fast 1 nsec rise time signals, according to the Nuclear Instrument means of tunnel diode discriminators. Firing level of the discriminator define start and stop points between which the time interval is digitized.

Laser-pulse shape effects on magnetic field generation in underdense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopal, Krishna; Raja, Md. Ali; Gupta, Devki Nandan; Avinash, K.; Sharma, Suresh C.

2018-07-01

Laser pulse shape effect has been considered to estimate the self-generated magnetic field in laser-plasma interaction. A ponderomotive force based physical mechanism has been proposed to investigate the self-generated magnetic field for different spatial profiles of the laser pulse in inhomogeneous plasmas. The spatially inhomogeneous electric field of a laser pulse imparts a stronger ponderomotive force on plasma electrons. Thus, the stronger ponderomotive force associated with the asymmetric laser pulse generates a stronger magnetic field in comparison to the case of a symmetric laser pulse. Scaling laws for magnetic field strength with the laser and plasma parameters for different shape of the pulse have been suggested. Present study might be helpful to understand the plasma dynamics relevant to the particle trapping and injection in laser-plasma accelerators.

Experimental investigation of SDBD plasma actuator driven by AC high voltage with a superimposed positive pulse bias voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Xiao-Hua; Yan, Hui-Jie; Yang, Liang; Hua, Yue; Ren, Chun-Sheng

2017-08-01

In this work, a driven voltage consisting of AC high voltage with a superimposed positive pulse bias voltage ("AC+ Positive pulse bias" voltage) is adopted to study the performance of a surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator under atmospheric conditions. To compare the performance of the actuator driven by single-AC voltage and "AC+ Positive pulse bias" voltage, the actuator-induced thrust force and power consumption are measured as a function of the applied AC voltage, and the measured results indicate that the thrust force can be promoted significantly after superimposing the positive pulse bias voltage. The physical mechanism behind the thrust force changes is analyzed by measuring the optical properties, electrical characteristics, and surface potential distribution. Experimental results indicate that the glow-like discharge in the AC voltage half-cycle, next to the cycle where a bias voltage pulse has been applied, is enhanced after applying the positive pulse bias voltage, and this perhaps is the main reason for the thrust force increase. Moreover, surface potential measurement results reveal that the spatial electric field formed by the surface charge accumulation after positive pulse discharge can significantly affect the applied external electric field, and this perhaps can be responsible for the experimental phenomenon that the decrease of thrust force is delayed by pulse bias voltage action after the filament discharge occurs in the glow-like discharge region. The schlieren images further verify that the actuator-induced airflow velocity increases with the positive pulse voltage.

Apparatus for externally controlled closed-loop feedback digital epitaxy

DOEpatents

Eres, D.; Sharp, J.W.

1996-07-30

A method and apparatus for digital epitaxy are disclosed. The apparatus includes a pulsed gas delivery assembly that supplies gaseous material to a substrate to form an adsorption layer of the gaseous material on the substrate. Structure is provided for measuring the isothermal desorption spectrum of the growth surface to monitor the active sites which are available for adsorption. The vacuum chamber housing the substrate facilitates evacuation of the gaseous material from the area adjacent the substrate following exposure. In use, digital epitaxy is achieved by exposing a substrate to a pulse of gaseous material to form an adsorption layer of the material on the substrate. The active sites on the substrate are monitored during the formation of the adsorption layer to determine if all the active sites have been filled. Once the active sites have been filled on the growth surface of the substrate, the pulse of gaseous material is terminated. The unreacted portion of the gas pulse is evacuated by continuous pumping. Subsequently, a second pulse is applied when availability of active sites is determined by studying the isothermal desorption spectrum. These steps are repeated until a thin film of sufficient thickness is produced. 5 figs.

Apparatus for externally controlled closed-loop feedback digital epitaxy

DOEpatents

Eres, Djula; Sharp, Jeffrey W.

1996-01-01

A method and apparatus for digital epitaxy. The apparatus includes a pulsed gas delivery assembly that supplies gaseous material to a substrate to form an adsorption layer of the gaseous material on the substrate. Structure is provided for measuring the isothermal desorption spectrum of the growth surface to monitor the active sites which are available for adsorption. The vacuum chamber housing the substrate facilitates evacuation of the gaseous material from the area adjacent the substrate following exposure. In use, digital epitaxy is achieved by exposing a substrate to a pulse of gaseous material to form an adsorption layer of the material on the substrate. The active sites on the substrate are monitored during the formation of the adsorption layer to determine if all the active sites have been filled. Once the active sites have been filled on the growth surface of the substrate, the pulse of gaseous material is terminated. The unreacted portion of the gas pulse is evacuated by continuous pumping. Subsequently, a second pulse is applied when availability of active sites is determined by studying the isothermal desorption spectrum. These steps are repeated until a thin film of sufficient thickness is produced.

Method of digital epitaxy by externally controlled closed-loop feedback

DOEpatents

Eres, D.; Sharp, J.W.

1994-07-19

A method and apparatus for digital epitaxy are disclosed. The apparatus includes a pulsed gas delivery assembly that supplies gaseous material to a substrate to form an adsorption layer of the gaseous material on the substrate. Structure is provided for measuring the isothermal desorption spectrum of the growth surface to monitor the active sites which are available for adsorption. The vacuum chamber housing the substrate facilitates evacuation of the gaseous material from the area adjacent the substrate following exposure. In use, digital epitaxy is achieved by exposing a substrate to a pulse of gaseous material to form an adsorption layer of the material on the substrate. The active sites on the substrate are monitored during the formation of the adsorption layer to determine if all the active sites have been filled. Once the active sites have been filled on the growth surface of the substrate, the pulse of gaseous material is terminated. The unreacted portion of the gas pulse is evacuated by continuous pumping. Subsequently, a second pulse is applied when availability of active sites is determined by studying the isothermal desorption spectrum. These steps are repeated until a thin film of sufficient thickness is produced. 4 figs.

Method of digital epilaxy by externally controlled closed-loop feedback

DOEpatents

Eres, Djula; Sharp, Jeffrey W.

1994-01-01

A method and apparatus for digital epitaxy. The apparatus includes a pulsed gas delivery assembly that supplies gaseous material to a substrate to form an adsorption layer of the gaseous material on the substrate. Structure is provided for measuring the isothermal desorption spectrum of the growth surface to monitor the active sites which are available for adsorption. The vacuum chamber housing the substrate facilitates evacuation of the gaseous material from the area adjacent the substrate following exposure. In use, digital epitaxy is achieved by exposing a substrate to a pulse of gaseous material to form an adsorption layer of the material on the substrate. The active sites on the substrate are monitored during the formation of the adsorption layer to determine if all the active sites have been filled. Once the active sites have been filled on the growth surface of the substrate, the pulse of gaseous material is terminated. The unreacted portion of the gas pulse is evacuated by continuous pumping. Subsequently, a second pulse is applied when availability of active sites is determined by studying the isothermal desorption spectrum. These steps are repeated until a thin film of sufficient thickness is produced.

Present and Future Applications of Digital Electronics in Nuclear Science - a Commercial Prospective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Hui

2011-10-01

Digital readout electronics instrumenting radiation detectors have experienced significant advancements in the last decade or so. This on one hand can be attributed to the steady improvements in commercial digital processing components such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), field-programmable-gate-arrays (FPGAs), and digital-signal-processors (DSPs), and on the other hand can also be attributed to the increasing needs for improved time, position, and energy resolution in nuclear physics experiments, which have spurred the rapid development of commercial off-the-shelf high speed, high resolution digitizers or spectrometers. Absent from conventional analog electronics, the capability to record fast decaying pulses from radiation detectors in digital readout electronics has profoundly benefited nuclear physics researchers since they now can perform detailed pulse processing for applications such as gamma-ray tracking and decay-event selection and reconstruction. In this talk, present state-of-the-art digital readout electronics and its applications in a variety of nuclear science fields will be discussed, and future directions in hardware development for digital electronics will also be outlined, all from the prospective of a commercial manufacturer of digital electronics.

Design and Performance of the Astro-E/XRS Signal Processing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyce, Kevin R.; Audley, M. D.; Baker, R. G.; Dumonthier, J. J.; Fujimoto, R.; Gendreau, K. C.; Ishisaki, Y.; Kelley, R. L.; Stahle, C. K.; Szymkowiak, A. E.

1999-01-01

We describe the signal processing system of the Astro-E XRS instrument. The Calorimeter Analog Processor (CAP) provides bias and power for the detectors and amplifies the detector signals by a factor of 20,000. The Calorimeter Digital Processor (CDP) performs the digital processing of the calorimeter signals, detecting X-ray pulses and analyzing them by optimal filtering. We describe the operation of pulse detection, Pulse height analysis. and risetime determination. We also discuss performance, including the three event grades (hi-res mid-res, and low-res). anticoincidence detection, counting rate dependence, and noise rejection.

Numerical modeling of optical levitation and trapping of the "stuck" particles with a pulsed optical tweezers.

PubMed

Deng, Jian-Liao; Wei, Qing; Wang, Yu-Zhu; Li, Yong-Qing

2005-05-16

We present the theoretical analysis and the numerical modeling of optical levitation and trapping of the stuck particles with a pulsed optical tweezers. In our model, a pulsed laser was used to generate a large gradient force within a short duration that overcame the adhesive interaction between the stuck particles and the surface; and then a low power continuous-wave(cw) laser was used to capture the levitated particle. We describe the gradient force generated by the pulsed optical tweezers and model the binding interaction between the stuck beads and glass surface by the dominative van der Waals force with a randomly distributed binding strength. We numerically calculate the single pulse levitation efficiency for polystyrene beads as the function of the pulse energy, the axial displacement from the surface to the pulsed laser focus and the pulse duration. The result of our numerical modeling is qualitatively consistent with the experimental result.

On-line surveillance of a dynamic process by a moving system based on pulsed digital holographic interferometry.

PubMed

Pedrini, Giancarlo; Alexeenko, Igor; Osten, Wolfgang; Schnars, Ulf

2006-02-10

A method based on pulsed digital holographic interferometry for the measurement of dynamic deformations of a surface by using a moving system is presented. The measuring system may move with a speed of several meters per minute and can measure deformation of the surface with an accuracy of better than 50 nm. The deformation is obtained by comparison of the wavefronts recorded at different times with different laser pulses produced by a Nd:YAG laser. The effect due to the movement of the measuring system is compensated for by digital processing of the different holograms. The system is well suited for on-line surveillance of a dynamic process such as laser welding and friction stir welding. Experimental results are presented, and the advantages of the method are discussed.

Analysis of radial and longitudinal force of plasma wakefield generated by a chirped pulse laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghasemi, Leila; Afhami, Saeedeh; Eslami, Esmaeil, E-mail: eeslami@iust.ac.ir

2015-08-15

In present paper, the chirp effect of an electromagnetic pulse via an analytical model of wakefield generation is studied. Different types of chirps are employed in this study. Our results show that by the use of nonlinear chirped pulse the longitudinal wakefield and focusing force is stronger than that of linear chirped pulse. It is indicated that quadratic nonlinear chirped pulses are globally much efficient than periodic nonlinear chirped pulses. Our calculations also predict that in nonlinear chirped pulse case, the overlap of focusing and accelerating regions is broader than that achieved in linear chirped pulse.

Simple algorithms for digital pulse-shape discrimination with liquid scintillation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alharbi, T.

2015-01-01

The development of compact, battery-powered digital liquid scintillation neutron detection systems for field applications requires digital pulse processing (DPP) algorithms with minimum computational overhead. To meet this demand, two DPP algorithms for the discrimination of neutron and γ-rays with liquid scintillation detectors were developed and examined by using a NE213 liquid scintillation detector in a mixed radiation field. The first algorithm is based on the relation between the amplitude of a current pulse at the output of a photomultiplier tube and the amount of charge contained in the pulse. A figure-of-merit (FOM) value of 0.98 with 450 keVee (electron equivalent energy) energy threshold was achieved with this method when pulses were sampled at 250 MSample/s and with 8-bit resolution. Compared to the similar method of charge-comparison this method requires only a single integration window, thereby reducing the amount of computations by approximately 40%. The second approach is a digital version of the trailing-edge constant-fraction discrimination method. A FOM value of 0.84 with an energy threshold of 450 keVee was achieved with this method. In comparison with the similar method of rise-time discrimination this method requires a single time pick-off, thereby reducing the amount of computations by approximately 50%. The algorithms described in this work are useful for developing portable detection systems for applications such as homeland security, radiation dosimetry and environmental monitoring.

A Sub-Sampling Approach for Data Acquisition in Gamma Ray Emission Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fysikopoulos, Eleftherios; Kopsinis, Yannis; Georgiou, Maria; Loudos, George

2016-06-01

State of the art data acquisition systems for small animal imaging gamma ray detectors often rely on free running Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) and high density Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) devices for digital signal processing. In this work, a sub-sampling acquisition approach, which exploits a priori information regarding the shape of the obtained detector pulses is proposed. Output pulses shape depends on the response of the scintillation crystal, photodetector's properties and amplifier/shaper operation. Using these known characteristics of the detector pulses prior to digitization, one can model the voltage pulse derived from the shaper (a low-pass filter, last in the front-end electronics chain), in order to reduce the desirable sampling rate of ADCs. Fitting with a small number of measurements, pulse shape estimation is then feasible. In particular, the proposed sub-sampling acquisition approach relies on a bi-exponential modeling of the pulse shape. We show that the properties of the pulse that are relevant for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) event detection (i.e., position and energy) can be calculated by collecting just a small fraction of the number of samples usually collected in data acquisition systems used so far. Compared to the standard digitization process, the proposed sub-sampling approach allows the use of free running ADCs with sampling rate reduced by a factor of 5. Two small detectors consisting of Cerium doped Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet (Gd3Al2Ga3O12 : Ce or GAGG:Ce) pixelated arrays (array elements: 2 × 2 × 5 mm3 and 1 × 1 × 10 mm3 respectively) coupled to a Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube (PSPMT) were used for experimental evaluation. The two detectors were used to obtain raw images and energy histograms under 140 keV and 661.7 keV irradiation respectively. The sub-sampling acquisition technique (10 MHz sampling rate) was compared with a standard acquisition method (52 MHz sampling rate), in terms of energy resolution and image signal to noise ratio for both gamma ray energies. The Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) non-linear least-squares algorithm was used, in post processing, in order to fit the acquired data with the proposed model. The results showed that analog pulses prior to digitization are being estimated with high accuracy after fitting with the bi-exponential model.

Is the thumb a fifth finger? A study of digit interaction during force production tasks

PubMed Central

Olafsdottir, Halla; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2010-01-01

We studied indices of digit interaction in single- and multi-digit maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) tests when the thumb acted either in parallel or in opposition to the fingers. The peak force produced by the thumb was much higher when the thumb acted in opposition to the fingers and its share of the total force in the five-digit MVC test increased dramatically. The fingers showed relatively similar peak forces and unchanged sharing patterns in the four-finger MVC task when the thumb acted in parallel and in opposition to the fingers. Enslaving during one-digit tasks showed relatively mild differences between the two conditions, while the differences became large when enslaving was quantified for multi-digit tasks. Force deficit was pronounced when the thumb acted in parallel to the fingers; it showed a monotonic increase with the number of explicitly involved digits up to four digits and then a drop when all five digits were involved. Force deficit all but disappeared when the thumb acted in opposition to the fingers. However, for both thumb positions, indices of digit interaction were similar for groups of digits that did or did not include the thumb. These results suggest that, given a certain hand configuration, the central nervous system treats the thumb as a fifth finger. They provide strong support for the hypothesis that indices of digit interaction reflect neural factors, not the peripheral design of the hand. An earlier formal model was able to account for the data when the thumb acted in parallel to the fingers. However, it failed for the data with the thumb acting in opposition to the fingers. PMID:15322785

Non-contact thrust stand calibration method for repetitively pulsed electric thrusters.

PubMed

Wong, Andrea R; Toftul, Alexandra; Polzin, Kurt A; Pearson, J Boise

2012-02-01

A thrust stand calibration technique for use in testing repetitively pulsed electric thrusters for in-space propulsion has been developed and tested using a modified hanging pendulum thrust stand. In the implementation of this technique, current pulses are applied to a solenoid to produce a pulsed magnetic field that acts against a permanent magnet mounted to the thrust stand pendulum arm. The force on the magnet is applied in this non-contact manner, with the entire pulsed force transferred to the pendulum arm through a piezoelectric force transducer to provide a time-accurate force measurement. Modeling of the pendulum arm dynamics reveals that after an initial transient in thrust stand motion the quasi-steady average deflection of the thrust stand arm away from the unforced or "zero" position can be related to the average applied force through a simple linear Hooke's law relationship. Modeling demonstrates that this technique is universally applicable except when the pulsing period is increased to the point where it approaches the period of natural thrust stand motion. Calibration data were obtained using a modified hanging pendulum thrust stand previously used for steady-state thrust measurements. Data were obtained for varying impulse bit at constant pulse frequency and for varying pulse frequency. The two data sets exhibit excellent quantitative agreement with each other. The overall error on the linear regression fit used to determine the calibration coefficient was roughly 1%.

A versatile pulse programmer for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarr, C. E.; Nickerson, M. A.

1972-01-01

A digital pulse programmer producing the standard pulse sequences required for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is described. In addition, a 'saturation burst' sequence, useful in the measurement of long relaxation times in solids, is provided. Both positive and negative 4 V trigger pulses are produced that are fully synchronous with a crystal-controlled time base, and the pulse programmer may be phase-locked with a maximum pulse jitter of 3 ns to the oscillator of a coherent pulse spectrometer. Medium speed TTL integrated circuits are used throughout.

Mechanical properties of the human hand digits: Age-related differences

PubMed Central

Park, Jaebum; Pazin, Nemanja; Friedman, Jason; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2014-01-01

Background Mechanical properties of human digits may have significant implications for the hand function. We quantified several mechanical characteristics of individual digits in young and older adults. Methods Digit tip friction was measured at several normal force values using a method of induced relative motion between the digit tip and the object surface. A modified quick-release paradigm was used to estimate digit apparent stiffness, damping, and inertial parameters. The subjects grasped a vertical handle instrumented with force/moment sensors using a prismatic grasp with four digits; the handle was fixed to the table. Unexpectedly, one of the sensors yielded leading to a quick displacement of the corresponding digit. A second-order, linear model was used to fit the force/displacement data. Findings Friction of the digit pads was significantly lower in older adults. The apparent stiffness coefficient values were higher while the damping coefficients were lower in older adults leading to lower damping ratio. The damping ratio was above unity for most data in young adults and below unity for older adults. Quick release of a digit led to force changes in other digits of the hand, likely due to inertial hand properties. These phenomena of “mechanical enslaving” were smaller in older adults although no significant difference was found in the inertial parameter in the two groups. Interpretations The decreased friction and damping ratio present challenges for the control of everyday prehensile tasks. They may lead to excessive digit forces and low stability of the grasped object. PMID:24355703

A Methodology for Modeling the Flow of Military Personnel Across Air Force Active and Reserve Components

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

user, the model will use surplus inventory in one category to fill shortfalls in other categories. The TFBL model also has the capability to allow...the total force. As shown in Table 2.1, we used five-character AFSCs (four digits plus the suffix) to break out pilots in the current force as...Training Unit 4th digit Suffix 4th digit Suffix 4th digit 4th digit 2 or 3 Matches a specific aircraft designation 3 Does not match a specific

System for adjusting frequency of electrical output pulses derived from an oscillator

DOEpatents

Bartholomew, David B.

2006-11-14

A system for setting and adjusting a frequency of electrical output pulses derived from an oscillator in a network is disclosed. The system comprises an accumulator module configured to receive pulses from an oscillator and to output an accumulated value. An adjustor module is configured to store an adjustor value used to correct local oscillator drift. A digital adder adds values from the accumulator module to values stored in the adjustor module and outputs their sums to the accumulator module, where they are stored. The digital adder also outputs an electrical pulse to a logic module. The logic module is in electrical communication with the adjustor module and the network. The logic module may change the value stored in the adjustor module to compensate for local oscillator drift or change the frequency of output pulses. The logic module may also keep time and calculate drift.

DRIFT CONTROL IN AN ANALYTICAL GAMMA RAY SPECTROMETER

DOEpatents

Fite, L.E.

1963-08-20

A device for automatically and continuously controlling the over-all drift of a multi-channel analyzer so as to permit the accurate processing of spectrometric analytical data by a digital computer is described. Two sources of reference pulses, one of which is stored in the lower channels and the other being stored in the higher channels of a 256 channel analyzer, are provided. The reference pulses are processed in the same manner as the data pulses. The channels that should contain the reference pulses and the adjacent channels above and below those channels are monitored by comparison circuits such that any drift, upward or downward, of the reference pulses is detected to effect a change in high voltage supply in response to a drift in the upper channel, and to effect a change in the lower discriminator level of the analog to digital converter of the analyzer in response to a drift in the lower channel, thereby maintaining the pulses in the proper channels. (AEC)

Neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy measurement using a waveform digitizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Long-Xiang; Wang, Hong-Wei; Ma, Yu-Gang; Cao, Xi-Guang; Cai, Xiang-Zhou; Chen, Jin-Gen; Zhang, Gui-Lin; Han, Jian-Long; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Hu, Ji-Feng; Wang, Xiao-He

2016-05-01

The photoneutron source (PNS, phase 1), an electron linear accelerator (linac)-based pulsed neutron facility that uses the time-of-flight (TOF) technique, was constructed for the acquisition of nuclear data from the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP). The neutron detector signal used for TOF calculation, with information on the pulse arrival time, pulse shape, and pulse height, was recorded by using a waveform digitizer (WFD). By using the pulse height and pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) analysis to identify neutrons and γ-rays, the neutron TOF spectrum was obtained by employing a simple electronic design, and a new WFD-based DAQ system was developed and tested in this commissioning experiment. The DAQ system developed is characterized by a very high efficiency with respect to millisecond neutron TOF spectroscopy. Supported by Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science(TMSR) (XDA02010100), National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(11475245,No.11305239), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Particle Physics and Cosmology (11DZ2260700)

Accurate and agile digital control of optical phase, amplitude and frequency for coherent atomic manipulation of atomic systems.

PubMed

Thom, Joseph; Wilpers, Guido; Riis, Erling; Sinclair, Alastair G

2013-08-12

We demonstrate a system for fast and agile digital control of laser phase, amplitude and frequency for applications in coherent atomic systems. The full versatility of a direct digital synthesis radiofrequency source is faithfully transferred to laser radiation via acousto-optic modulation. Optical beatnotes are used to measure phase steps up to 2π, which are accurately implemented with a resolution of ≤ 10 mrad. By linearizing the optical modulation process, amplitude-shaped pulses of durations ranging from 500 ns to 500 ms, in excellent agreement with the programmed functional form, are demonstrated. Pulse durations are limited only by the 30 ns rise time of the modulation process, and a measured extinction ratio of > 5 × 10(11) is achieved. The system presented here was developed specifically for controlling the quantum state of trapped ions with sequences of multiple laser pulses, including composite and bichromatic pulses. The demonstrated techniques are widely applicable to other atomic systems ranging across quantum information processing, frequency metrology, atom interferometry, and single-photon generation.

A data-driven wavelet-based approach for generating jumping loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Li, Guo; Racic, Vitomir

2018-06-01

This paper suggests an approach to generate human jumping loads using wavelet transform and a database of individual jumping force records. A total of 970 individual jumping force records of various frequencies were first collected by three experiments from 147 test subjects. For each record, every jumping pulse was extracted and decomposed into seven levels by wavelet transform. All the decomposition coefficients were stored in an information database. Probability distributions of jumping cycle period, contact ratio and energy of the jumping pulse were statistically analyzed. Inspired by the theory of DNA recombination, an approach was developed by interchanging the wavelet coefficients between different jumping pulses. To generate a jumping force time history with N pulses, wavelet coefficients were first selected randomly from the database at each level. They were then used to reconstruct N pulses by the inverse wavelet transform. Jumping cycle periods and contract ratios were then generated randomly based on their probabilistic functions. These parameters were assigned to each of the N pulses which were in turn scaled by the amplitude factors βi to account for energy relationship between successive pulses. The final jumping force time history was obtained by linking all the N cycles end to end. This simulation approach can preserve the non-stationary features of the jumping load force in time-frequency domain. Application indicates that this approach can be used to generate jumping force time history due to single people jumping and also can be extended further to stochastic jumping loads due to groups and crowds.

Development of a Specific Impulse Balance for a Pulsed Capillary Discharge (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-13

thrust stand [rad/s] I. Introduction A capillary discharge based coaxial , electrothermal pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) is currently under...20-23 July 2008. 14. ABSTRACT A capillary discharge based pulsed plasma thruster is currently under development at the Air Force Research...Edwards AFB, CA 93524 A capillary discharge based pulsed plasma thruster is currently under development at the Air Force Research Laboratory. A

A real-time pulsed photon dosimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, David; Olsher, Richard H.; Eisen, Yosef; Rodriguez, Joseph F.

1996-02-01

Radiation sources producing short pulses of photon radiation are now widespread. Such sources include electron and proton linear accelerators, betatrons, synchrotrons, and field-emission impulse generators. It is often desirable to measure leakage and skyshine radiation from such sources in real time, on a single-pulse basis as low as 8.7 nGy (1 μR) per pulse. This paper describes the design and performance of a prototype, real-time, pulsed photon dosimeter (PPD) capable of single-pulse dose measurements over the range from 3.5 nGy to 3.5 μGy (0.4 to 400 μR). The PPD may also be operated in a multiple-pulse mode that integrates the dose from a train of radiation pulses over a 3-s period. A pulse repetition rate of up to 300 Hz is accommodated. The design is eminently suitable for packaging as a lightweight, portable, survey meter. The PPD uses a CdWO 4 scintillator optically coupled to a photodiode to generate a charge at the diode output. A pulse amplifier converts the charge to a voltage pulse. A digitizer circuit generates a burst of logic pulses whose number is proportional to the peak value of the voltage pulse. The digitizer output is recorded by a pulse counter and suitably displayed. A prototype PPD was built for testing and evaluation purposes. The performance of the PPD was evaluated with a variety of pulsed photon sources. The dynamic range, energy response, and response to multiple pulses were characterized. The experimental data confirm the viability of the PPD for pulsed photon dosimetry.

Nanosecond pulsed electric field induced changes in cell surface charge density.

PubMed

Dutta, Diganta; Palmer, Xavier-Lewis; Asmar, Anthony; Stacey, Michael; Qian, Shizhi

2017-09-01

This study reports that the surface charge density changes in Jurkat cells with the application of single 60 nanosecond pulse electric fields, using atomic force microscopy. Using an atomic force microscope tip and Jurkat cells on silica in a 0.01M KCl ionic concentration, we were able to measure the interfacial forces, while also predicting surface charge densities of both Jurkat cell and silica surfaces. The most important finding is that the pulsing conditions varyingly reduced the cells' surface charge density. This offers a novel way in which to examine cellular effects of pulsed electric fields that may lead to the identification of unique mechanical responses. Compared to a single low field strength NsPEF (15kV/cm) application, exposure of Jurkat cells to a single high field strength NsPEF (60kV/cm) resulted in a further reduction in charge density and major morphological changes. The structural, physical, and chemical properties of biological cells immensely influence their electrostatic force; we were able to investigate this through the use of atomic force microscopy by measuring the surface forces between the AFM's tip and the Jurkat cells under different pulsing conditions as well as the interfacial forces in ionic concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Compton suppressed detector multiplicity trigger based digital DAQ for gamma-ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Samanta, S.; Banik, R.; Bhattacharjee, R.; Basu, K.; Raut, R.; Ghugre, S. S.; Sinha, A. K.; Bhattacharya, S.; Imran, S.; Mukherjee, G.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Goswami, A.; Palit, R.; Tan, H.

2018-06-01

The development of a digitizer based pulse processing and data acquisition system for γ-ray spectroscopy with large detector arrays is presented. The system is based on 250 MHz 12-bit digitizers, and is triggered by a user chosen multiplicity of Compton suppressed detectors. The logic for trigger generation is similar to the one practised for analog (NIM/CAMAC) pulse processing electronics, while retaining the fast processing merits of the digitizer system. Codes for reduction of data acquired from the system have also been developed. The system has been tested with offline studies using radioactive sources as well as in the in-beam experiments with an array of Compton suppressed Clover detectors. The results obtained therefrom validate its use in spectroscopic efforts for nuclear structure investigations.

On Integration and Validation of a Very Low Complexity ATC UWB System for Muscle Force Transmission.

PubMed

Sapienza, Stefano; Crepaldi, Marco; Motto Ros, Paolo; Bonanno, Alberto; Demarchi, Danilo

2016-04-01

The thresholding of Surface ElectroMyoGraphic (sEMG) signals, i.e., Average Threshold Crossing (ATC) technique, reduces the amount of data to be processed enabling circuit complexity reduction and low power consumption. This paper investigates the lowest level of complexity reachable by an ATC system through measurements and in-vivo experiments with an embedded prototype for wireless force transmission, based on asynchronous Impulse-Radio Ultra Wide Band (IR-UWB). The prototype is composed by the acquisition unit, a wearable PCB 23 × 34 mm, which includes a full custom IC integrating a UWB transmitter (chip active silicon area 0.016 mm(2), 1 mW power consumption), and the receiver. The system is completely asynchronous, it acquires a differential sEMG signal, generates the ATC events and triggers a 3.3 GHz IR-UWB transmission. ATC robustness relaxes filters constraints: two passive first order filters have been implemented, bandwidth from 10 Hz up to 1 kHz. Energy needed for the single pulse generation is 30 pJ while the whole PCB consumes 5.65 mW. The pulses radiated by the acquisition unit TX are received by a short-range and low complexity threshold-based 130 nm CMOS IR-UWB receiver with an Ultra Low Power (ULP) baseband unit capable of robustly receiving generic quasi-digital pulse sequences. The acquisition unit have been tested with 10 series of in vivo isometric and isotonic contractions, while the transmission channel with over-the-air and cable measurements obtained with a couple of planar monopole antennas and an integrated 0.004 mm(2) transmitter, the same used for the acquisition unit, with realistic channel conditions. The entire system, acquisition unit and receiver, consumes 15.49 mW.

LOCO with a Shipboard Lidar

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

components attached. The laser is located on the far left corner of the bench the pulse chopper assembly and beam expansion optics are at center. The IMU...access to the computer and receivers. Modifications were also made to lock the alignment of the beam through the chopper to increase the output...Receiver 2 CPU & Digitizer Laser Head Pulse Chopper 100 cm 56 cm GPS & INS Therm al M anagem ent 56 cm INS Laser PC & Digitize TE cooler Page 6 of

Digital auscultation of the uterine artery: a measure of uteroplacental perfusion.

PubMed

Riknagel, Diana; Dinesen, Birthe; Zimmermann, Henrik; Farlie, Richard; Schmidt, Samuel; Toft, Egon; Struijk, Johannes Jan

2016-07-01

This observational study investigated digital auscultation for the purpose of assessing the clinical feasibility of monitoring vascular sounds in pregnancy. The study was performed at the Regional Hospital Viborg, Denmark, and included 29 pregnant women, 10 non-pregnant women and 10 male participants. Digital auscultation was performed with an electronic stethoscope bilaterally near the uterine arteries and correlated to the clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or normal pregnancy in the group of pregnant participants. In the group of non-pregnant participants, digital auscultation was performed as control measurements in the same anatomical positions. The auscultations displayed pulse waveforms comprising systolic and diastolic periods in 20 of the 29 pregnant participants. However, in the non-pregnant and male participants, the pulse waveforms were absent. The pulsatile patterns are thus likely to originate from the arteries in relation to the pregnant uterus. In the participants displaying pulse waveforms, the presence of a dicrotic notch appeared with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100% in the discrimination of normal pregnancies (n  =  11) from pregnancies with PE or IUGR (n  =  9), (p  <  0.001). This preliminary study shows the potential of identifying vascular complications during pregnancy such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. The morphology of the derived pulse contour should be investigated and could be further developed to identify pathophysiology.

The Resistive-Wall Instability in Multipulse Linear Induction Accelerators

DOE PAGES

Ekdahl, Carl

2017-05-01

The resistive-wall instability results from the Lorentz force on the beam due to the beam image charge and current. If the beam pipe is perfectly conducting, the electric force due to the image charge attracts the beam to the pipe wall, and the magnetic force due to the image current repels the beam from the wall. For a relativistic beam, these forces almost cancel, leaving a slight attractive force, which is easily overcome by external magnetic focusing. However, if the beam pipe is not perfectly conducting, the magnetic field due to the image current decays on a magnetic-diffusion time scale.more » If the beam pulse is longer than the magnetic diffusion time, the repulsion of the beam tail will be weaker than the repulsion of the beam head. In the absence of an external focusing force, this causes a head-to-tail sweep of the beam toward the wall. This instability is usually thought to be a concern only for long-pulse relativistic electron beams. However, with the advent of multipulse, high current linear induction accelerators, the possibility of pulse-to-pulse coupling of this instability should be investigated. Lastly, we have explored pulse-to-pulse coupling using the linear accelerator model for Dual Axis Radiography for Hydrodynamic Testing beam dynamics code, and we present the results of this paper.« less

The Resistive-Wall Instability in Multipulse Linear Induction Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ekdahl, Carl

The resistive-wall instability results from the Lorentz force on the beam due to the beam image charge and current. If the beam pipe is perfectly conducting, the electric force due to the image charge attracts the beam to the pipe wall, and the magnetic force due to the image current repels the beam from the wall. For a relativistic beam, these forces almost cancel, leaving a slight attractive force, which is easily overcome by external magnetic focusing. However, if the beam pipe is not perfectly conducting, the magnetic field due to the image current decays on a magnetic-diffusion time scale.more » If the beam pulse is longer than the magnetic diffusion time, the repulsion of the beam tail will be weaker than the repulsion of the beam head. In the absence of an external focusing force, this causes a head-to-tail sweep of the beam toward the wall. This instability is usually thought to be a concern only for long-pulse relativistic electron beams. However, with the advent of multipulse, high current linear induction accelerators, the possibility of pulse-to-pulse coupling of this instability should be investigated. Lastly, we have explored pulse-to-pulse coupling using the linear accelerator model for Dual Axis Radiography for Hydrodynamic Testing beam dynamics code, and we present the results of this paper.« less

Examination of a Novel Method for Non-Contact, Low-Cost, and Automated Heart-Rate Detection in Ambient Light Using Photoplethysmographic Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

a period of time by electrodes attached to the surface of the skin, are used in almost every clinical environment. Pulse oximeters , which measure the...medical devices, for example, pulse oximeters , vascular diagnostics, and digital beat-to-beat blood pressure measurement systems (Allen 2007). PPG is...principle is pulse oximetry. 1.2 Pulse Oximetry A pulse oximeter monitors the blood-oxygen saturation level and pulse rate in the human blood by using

Pulse Shape Correlation for Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

with the incoming measured laser pulse [3]. All of these shapes are symmetric. Siegman and Liu’s findings indicate that the pulse is seldom symmetric...of Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology (AETC), Wright Pat- terson AFB, OH, March 2007. 10. Siegman , Anthony E. Lasers . University Science...Pulse Shape Correlation for Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) THESIS Brian T. Deas, Major, USAF AFIT/GE/ENG/10-07 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR

Bubble-based acoustic radiation force using chirp insonation to reduce standing wave effects.

PubMed

Erpelding, Todd N; Hollman, Kyle W; O'Donnell, Matthew

2007-02-01

Bubble-based acoustic radiation force can measure local viscoelastic properties of tissue. High intensity acoustic waves applied to laser-generated bubbles induce displacements inversely proportional to local Young's modulus. In certain instances, long pulse durations are desirable but are susceptible to standing wave artifacts, which corrupt displacement measurements. Chirp pulse acoustic radiation force was investigated as a method to reduce standing wave artifacts. Chirp pulses with linear frequency sweep magnitudes of 100, 200 and 300 kHz centered around 1.5 MHz were applied to glass beads within gelatin phantoms and laser-generated bubbles within porcine lenses. The ultrasound transducer was translated axially to vary standing wave conditions, while comparing displacements using chirp pulses and 1.5 MHz tone burst pulses of the same duration and peak rarefactional pressure. Results demonstrated significant reduction in standing wave effects using chirp pulses, with displacement proportional to acoustic intensity and bubble size.

Bubble-Based Acoustic Radiation Force Using Chirp Insonation to Reduce Standing Wave Effects

PubMed Central

Erpelding, Todd N.; Hollman, Kyle W.; O’Donnell, Matthew

2007-01-01

Bubble-based acoustic radiation force can measure local viscoelastic properties of tissue. High intensity acoustic waves applied to laser-generated bubbles induce displacements inversely proportional to local Young’s modulus. In certain instances, long pulse durations are desirable but are susceptible to standing wave artifacts, which corrupt displacement measurements. Chirp pulse acoustic radiation force was investigated as a method to reduce standing wave artifacts. Chirp pulses with linear frequency sweep magnitudes of 100, 200, and 300 kHz centered around 1.5 MHz were applied to glass beads within gelatin phantoms and laser-generated bubbles within porcine lenses. The ultrasound transducer was translated axially to vary standing wave conditions, while comparing displacements using chirp pulses and 1.5 MHz tone burst pulses of the same duration and peak rarefactional pressure. Results demonstrated significant reduction in standing wave effects using chirp pulses, with displacement proportional to acoustic intensity and bubble size. PMID:17306697

Status of the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) for ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussmann, Hauke; Luedicke, Fabian

2017-04-01

The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) is one of the instruments selected for ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE). A fundamental goal of any exploratory space mission is to characterize and measure the shape, topography, and rotation of the target bodies. A state of the art tool for this task is laser altimetry because it can provide absolute topographic height and position with respect to a body centered reference system. With respect to Ganymede, the GALA instrument aims at mapping of global, regional and local topography; confirming the global subsurface ocean and further characterization of the water-ice/liquid shell by monitoring the dynamic response of the ice shell to tidal forces; providing constraints on the forced physical librations and spin-axis obliquity; determining Ganymede's shape; obtaining detailed topographic profiles across the linear features of grooved terrain, impact structures, possible cryo-volcanic features and other different surface units; providing information about slope, roughness and albedo (at 1064nm) of Ganymede's surface. After several flyby's (Ganymede, Europa, Callisto) it is scheduled that the JUICE orbiter will enter first into an elliptical orbit (200 km x 10.000 km) for around 150 days and then into a circular orbit (500 km) around Ganymede for 130 days. Accordingly to the different orbits and trajectories, distances to the moons respectively, the spot size of the GALA laser varies between 21 m and 140 m. GALA uses the direct-detection (classical) approach of laser altimetry. Laser pulses are emitted at a wavelength of 1064 nm by using an actively Q-switched Nd:Yag laser. The pulse energy and pulse repetition frequency are 17 mJ at 30 Hz (nominal), respectively. For targeted observations and flybys the frequency can be switched to 50 Hz. The emission time of each pulse is measured by the detector. The beam is reflected from the surface and received at a 25 cm diameter telescope. The returning laser pulse is refocused onto a silicon avalanche photodiode (APD) through back-end optics including a narrow bandpass interference filter for isolating the 1064 nm wavelength. The APD-signal is then amplified, sampled and fed to a digital range finder. This system determines the time of flight, pulse intensity, width and full shape. The GALA instrument is developed in collaboration of institutes and industry from Germany, Japan, Switzerland and Spain.

Multi-muscle synergies in an unusual postural task: quick shear force production.

PubMed

Robert, Thomas; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2008-05-01

We considered a hypothetical two-level hierarchy participating in the control of vertical posture. The framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis was used to explore the muscle groupings (M-modes) and multi-M-mode synergies involved in the stabilization of a time profile of the shear force in the anterior-posterior direction. Standing subjects were asked to produce pulses of shear force into a target using visual feedback while trying to minimize the shift of the center of pressure (COP). Principal component analysis applied to integrated muscle activation indices identified three M-modes. The composition of the M-modes was similar across subjects and the two directions of the shear force pulse. It differed from the composition of M-modes described in earlier studies of more natural actions associated with large COP shifts. Further, the trial-to-trial M-mode variance was partitioned into two components: one component that does not affect a particular performance variable (V(UCM)), and its orthogonal component (V(ORT)). We argued that there is a multi-M-mode synergy stabilizing this particular performance variable if V(UCM) is higher than V(ORT). Overall, we found a multi-M-mode synergy stabilizing both shear force and COP coordinate. For the shear force, this synergy was strong for the backward force pulses and nonsignificant for the forward pulses. An opposite result was found for the COP coordinate: the synergy was stronger for the forward force pulses. The study shows that M-mode composition can change in a task-specific way and that two different performance variables can be stabilized using the same set of elemental variables (M-modes). The different dependences of the ΔV indices for the shear force and COP coordinate on the force pulse direction supports applicability of the principle of superposition (separate controllers for different performance variables) to the control of different mechanical variables in postural tasks. The M-mode composition allows a natural mechanical interpretation.

DURIP: Fast Oscilloscope and Detectors for Air Laser Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

TEKTRONIX DPO73304D, 33 GHz Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope; 4 analog channels DPO70604C, 6 GHz Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope; 4 analog channels...when we focus in air intense UV pulses resonantly with two-photon transitions in atomic oxygen or nitrogen. The UV pump pulse (or an...two-­‐photon   UV  pumping  at  226nm  for  oxygen,  and  at  207  or  211nm  for   nitrogen   is   followed   by

Digital micromirror device-based ultrafast pulse shaping for femtosecond laser.

PubMed

Gu, Chenglin; Zhang, Dapeng; Chang, Yina; Chen, Shih-Chi

2015-06-15

In this Letter, we present a new digital micromirror device (DMD)-based ultrafast pulse shaper, i.e., DUPS. To the best of our knowledge, the DUPS is the first binary pulse shaper that can modulate high repetition rate laser sources at up to a 32 kHz rate (limited by the DMD pattern rate). Since pulse modulation occurs in the frequency domain through reflective two-dimensional micromirror arrays, i.e., DMD, the DUPS is not only compact and low in cost, but also possesses a high damage threshold that is critical for high pulse energy laser applications. In this work, a grating pair was introduced in the DUPS to compensate the DMD induced dispersion. Double pulses were generated to validate the effectiveness of the DUPS and calibrate the system. Subsequently, we demonstrated arbitrary phase shaping capability by continuous tuning of group velocity dispersion (GVD) and modulation of half-spectrum shifted by π. The overall efficiency was measured to be 1.7%, while an efficiency of up to 5% can be expected when high efficiency gratings and properly coated DMDs are used.

Digital Signal Processing Based Biotelemetry Receivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Avtar; Hines, John; Somps, Chris

1997-01-01

This is an attempt to develop a biotelemetry receiver using digital signal processing technology and techniques. The receiver developed in this work is based on recovering signals that have been encoded using either Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) or Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) technique. A prototype has been developed using state-of-the-art digital signal processing technology. A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is being developed based on the technique and technology described here. This board is intended to be used in the UCSF Fetal Monitoring system developed at NASA. The board is capable of handling a variety of PPM and PCM signals encoding signals such as ECG, temperature, and pressure. A signal processing program has also been developed to analyze the received ECG signal to determine heart rate. This system provides a base for using digital signal processing in biotelemetry receivers and other similar applications.

Non-Contact Thrust Stand Calibration Method for Repetitively-Pulsed Electric Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Andrea R.; Toftul, Alexandra; Polzin, Kurt A.; Pearson, J. Boise

2011-01-01

A thrust stand calibration technique for use in testing repetitively-pulsed electric thrusters for in-space propulsion has been developed and tested using a modified hanging pendulum thrust stand. In the implementation of this technique, current pulses are applied to a solenoidal coil to produce a pulsed magnetic field that acts against the magnetic field produced by a permanent magnet mounted to the thrust stand pendulum arm. The force on the magnet is applied in this non-contact manner, with the entire pulsed force transferred to the pendulum arm through a piezoelectric force transducer to provide a time-accurate force measurement. Modeling of the pendulum arm dynamics reveals that after an initial transient in thrust stand motion the quasisteady average deflection of the thrust stand arm away from the unforced or zero position can be related to the average applied force through a simple linear Hooke s law relationship. Modeling demonstrates that this technique is universally applicable except when the pulsing period is increased to the point where it approaches the period of natural thrust stand motion. Calibration data were obtained using a modified hanging pendulum thrust stand previously used for steady-state thrust measurements. Data were obtained for varying impulse bit at constant pulse frequency and for varying pulse frequency. The two data sets exhibit excellent quantitative agreement with each other as the constant relating average deflection and average thrust match within the errors on the linear regression curve fit of the data. Quantitatively, the error on the calibration coefficient is roughly 1% of the coefficient value.

Pulsed laser manipulation of an optically trapped bead: averaging thermal noise and measuring the pulsed force amplitude.

PubMed

Lindballe, Thue B; Kristensen, Martin V G; Berg-Sørensen, Kirstine; Keiding, Søren R; Stapelfeldt, Henrik

2013-01-28

An experimental strategy for post-eliminating thermal noise on position measurements of optically trapped particles is presented. Using a nanosecond pulsed laser, synchronized to the detection system, to exert a periodic driving force on an optically trapped 10 μm polystyrene bead, the laser pulse-bead interaction is repeated hundreds of times. Traces with the bead position following the prompt displacement from equilibrium, induced by each laser pulse, are averaged and reveal the underlying deterministic motion of the bead, which is not visible in a single trace due to thermal noise. The motion of the bead is analyzed from the direct time-dependent position measurements and from the power spectrum. The results show that the bead is on average displaced 208 nm from the trap center and exposed to a force amplitude of 71 nanoNewton, more than five orders of magnitude larger than the trapping forces. Our experimental method may have implications for microrheology.

A wireless reflectance pulse oximeter with digital baseline control for unfiltered photoplethysmograms.

PubMed

Li, Kejia; Warren, Steve

2012-06-01

Pulse oximeters are central to the move toward wearable health monitoring devices and medical electronics either hosted by, e.g., smart phones or physically embedded in their design. This paper presents a small, low-cost pulse oximeter design appropriate for wearable and surface-based applications that also produces quality, unfiltered photo-plethysmograms (PPGs) ideal for emerging diagnostic algorithms. The design's "filter-free" embodiment, which employs only digital baseline subtraction as a signal compensation mechanism, distinguishes it from conventional pulse oximeters that incorporate filters for signal extraction and noise reduction. This results in high-fidelity PPGs with thousands of peak-to-peak digitization levels that are sampled at 240 Hz to avoid noise aliasing. Electronic feedback controls make these PPGs more resilient in the face of environmental changes (e.g., the device can operate in full room light), and data stream in real time across either a ZigBee wireless link or a wired USB connection to a host. On-board flash memory is available for store-and-forward applications. This sensor has demonstrated an ability to gather high-integrity data at fingertip, wrist, earlobe, palm, and temple locations from a group of 48 subjects (20 to 64 years old).

Sample-interpolation timing: an optimized technique for the digital measurement of time of flight for γ rays and neutrons at relatively low sampling rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aspinall, M. D.; Joyce, M. J.; Mackin, R. O.; Jarrah, Z.; Boston, A. J.; Nolan, P. J.; Peyton, A. J.; Hawkes, N. P.

2009-01-01

A unique, digital time pick-off method, known as sample-interpolation timing (SIT) is described. This method demonstrates the possibility of improved timing resolution for the digital measurement of time of flight compared with digital replica-analogue time pick-off methods for signals sampled at relatively low rates. Three analogue timing methods have been replicated in the digital domain (leading-edge, crossover and constant-fraction timing) for pulse data sampled at 8 GSa s-1. Events arising from the 7Li(p, n)7Be reaction have been detected with an EJ-301 organic liquid scintillator and recorded with a fast digital sampling oscilloscope. Sample-interpolation timing was developed solely for the digital domain and thus performs more efficiently on digital signals compared with analogue time pick-off methods replicated digitally, especially for fast signals that are sampled at rates that current affordable and portable devices can achieve. Sample interpolation can be applied to any analogue timing method replicated digitally and thus also has the potential to exploit the generic capabilities of analogue techniques with the benefits of operating in the digital domain. A threshold in sampling rate with respect to the signal pulse width is observed beyond which further improvements in timing resolution are not attained. This advance is relevant to many applications in which time-of-flight measurement is essential.

A digital, constant-frequency pulsed phase-locked-loop instrument for real-time, absolute ultrasonic phase measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haldren, H. A.; Perey, D. F.; Yost, W. T.; Cramer, K. E.; Gupta, M. C.

2018-05-01

A digitally controlled instrument for conducting single-frequency and swept-frequency ultrasonic phase measurements has been developed based on a constant-frequency pulsed phase-locked-loop (CFPPLL) design. This instrument uses a pair of direct digital synthesizers to generate an ultrasonically transceived tone-burst and an internal reference wave for phase comparison. Real-time, constant-frequency phase tracking in an interrogated specimen is possible with a resolution of 0.000 38 rad (0.022°), and swept-frequency phase measurements can be obtained. Using phase measurements, an absolute thickness in borosilicate glass is presented to show the instrument's efficacy, and these results are compared to conventional ultrasonic pulse-echo time-of-flight (ToF) measurements. The newly developed instrument predicted the thickness with a mean error of -0.04 μm and a standard deviation of error of 1.35 μm. Additionally, the CFPPLL instrument shows a lower measured phase error in the absence of changing temperature and couplant thickness than high-resolution cross-correlation ToF measurements at a similar signal-to-noise ratio. By showing higher accuracy and precision than conventional pulse-echo ToF measurements and lower phase errors than cross-correlation ToF measurements, the new digitally controlled CFPPLL instrument provides high-resolution absolute ultrasonic velocity or path-length measurements in solids or liquids, as well as tracking of material property changes with high sensitivity. The ability to obtain absolute phase measurements allows for many new applications than possible with previous ultrasonic pulsed phase-locked loop instruments. In addition to improved resolution, swept-frequency phase measurements add useful capability in measuring properties of layered structures, such as bonded joints, or materials which exhibit non-linear frequency-dependent behavior, such as dispersive media.

Resting handgrip force and impaired cardiac function at rest and during exercise in COPD patients.

PubMed

Cortopassi, Felipe; Divo, Miguel; Pinto-Plata, Victor; Celli, Bartolome

2011-05-01

Cardiac function measured as the oxygen pulse (O(2) pulse) is impaired during exercise (CPET) in patients with COPD. We investigated the relationship between handgrip force and O(2) pulse in COPD and controls. We measured anthropometrics, lung function, respiratory muscle force, handgrip (HG) force and fat free mass (FFM) at rest in 18 men with COPD (FEV(1)%=45±20) and 15 controls. We then performed a symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) with similar load and used heart rate, and oxygen pulse (VO(2)/HR) to express cardiac function at rest and during exercise. We corrected the O(2) pulse by FFM. Patients and controls were similar in BMI and FFM. COPD patients had lower handgrip (37.8±7 vs. 55±2) kg. O(2) pulse and HG were associated (r=0.665). At rest, COPD patients had faster heart rate (76±11 vs. 61±5) and lower oxygen pulse. COPD patients had lower oxygen pulse mL/beat at exercise isotime (10.6±3.7 vs. 14.3±2.7), even adjusted by muscle mass. Handgrip is associated with impaired heart function at rest and during exercise in COPD patients even adjusting for muscle mass differences. Lower handgrip may be a marker of impaired cardiac function in COPD patients. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A triple-crystal phoswich detector with digital pulse shape discrimination for alpha/beta/gamma spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Travis L.; Miller, William H.

1999-02-01

Researchers at the University of Missouri - Columbia have developed a three-crystal phoswich detector coupled to a digital pulse shape discrimination system for use in alpha/beta/gamma spectroscopy. Phoswich detectors use a sandwich of scintillators viewed by a single photomultiplier tube to simultaneously detect multiple types of radiation. Separation of radiation types is based upon pulse shape difference among the phosphors, which has historically been performed with analog circuitry. The system uses a GaGe CompuScope 1012, 12 bit, 10 MHz computer-based oscilloscope that digitally captures the pulses from a phoswich detector and subsequently performs pulse shape discrimination with cross-correlation analysis. The detector, based partially on previous phoswich designs by Usuda et al., uses a 10 mg/cm 2 thick layer of ZnS(Ag) for alpha detection, followed by a 0.254 cm CaF 2(Eu) crystal for beta detection, all backed by a 2.54 cm NaI(Tl) crystal for gamma detection. Individual energy spectra and count rate information for all three radiation types are displayed and updated periodically. The system shows excellent charged particle discrimination with an accuracy of greater than 99%. Future development will include a large area beta probe with gamma-ray discrimination, systems for low-energy photon detection (e.g. Bremsstrahlung or keV-range photon emissions), and other health physics instrumentation.

The relation of digital vascular function to cardiovascular risk factors in African-Americans using digital tonometry: the Jackson Heart Study.

PubMed

McClendon, Eric E; Musani, Solomon K; Samdarshi, Tandaw E; Khaire, Sushant; Stokes, Donny; Hamburg, Naomi M; Sheffy, Koby; Mitchell, Gary F; Taylor, Herman R; Benjamin, Emelia J; Fox, Ervin R

2017-06-01

Digital vascular tone and function, as measured by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT), are associated with cardiovascular risk and events in non-Hispanic whites. There are limited data on relations between PAT and cardiovascular risk in African-Americans. PAT was performed on a subset of Jackson Heart Study participants using a fingertip tonometry device. Resting digital vascular tone was assessed as baseline pulse amplitude. Hyperemic vascular response to 5 minutes of ischemia was expressed as the PAT ratio (hyperemic/baseline amplitude ratio). Peripheral augmentation index (AI), a measure of relative wave reflection, also was estimated. The association of baseline pulse amplitude (PA), PAT ratio, and AI to risk factors was assessed using stepwise multivariable models. The study sample consisted of 837 participants from the Jackson Heart Study (mean age, 54 ± 11 years; 61% women). In stepwise multivariable regression models, baseline pulse amplitude was related to male sex, body mass index, and diastolic blood pressure (BP), accounting for 16% of the total variability of the baseline pulse amplitude. Age, male sex, systolic BP, diastolic BP, antihypertensive medication, and prevalent cardiovascular disease contributed to 11% of the total variability of the PAT ratio. Risk factors (primarily age, sex, and heart rate) explained 47% of the total variability of the AI. We confirmed in our cohort of African-Americans, a significant relation between digital vascular tone and function measured by PAT and multiple traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Further studies are warranted to investigate the utility of these measurements in predicting clinical outcomes in African-Americans. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Noise reduction and control in mode-locked semiconductor diode lasers for use in next-generation all-optical analog-to-digital converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DePriest, Christopher M.; Abeles, Joseph H.; Braun, Alan; Delfyett, Peter J., Jr.

2000-07-01

External-cavity, actively-modelocked semiconductor diode lasers (SDLs) have proven to be attractive candidates for forming the backbone of next-generation analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), which are currently being developed to sample signals at repetition rates exceeding several GHz with up to 12 bits of digital resolution. Modelocked SDLs are capable of producing waveform-sampling pulse trains with very low temporal jitter (phase noise) and very small fluctuations in pulse height (amplitude noise)--two basic conditions that must be met in order for high-speed ADCs to achieve projected design goals. Single-wavelength modelocked operation (at nominal repetition frequencies of 400 MHz) has produced pulse trains with very low amplitude noise (approximately 0.08%), and the implementation of a phase- locked-loop has been effective in reducing the system's low- frequency phase noise (RMS timing jitter for offset frequencies between 10 Hz and 10 kHz has been reduced from 240 fs to 27 fs).

A pulse-shape discrimination method for improving Gamma-ray spectrometry based on a new digital shaping filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Zhang-jian; Chen, Chuan; Luo, Jun-song; Xie, Xing-hong; Ge, Liang-quan; Wu, Qi-fan

2018-04-01

It is a usual practice for improving spectrum quality by the mean of designing a good shaping filter to improve signal-noise ratio in development of nuclear spectroscopy. Another method is proposed in the paper based on discriminating pulse-shape and discarding the bad pulse whose shape is distorted as a result of abnormal noise, unusual ballistic deficit or bad pulse pile-up. An Exponentially Decaying Pulse (EDP) generated in nuclear particle detectors can be transformed into a Mexican Hat Wavelet Pulse (MHWP) and the derivation process of the transform is given. After the transform is performed, the baseline drift is removed in the new MHWP. Moreover, the MHWP-shape can be discriminated with the three parameters: the time difference between the two minima of the MHWP, and the two ratios which are from the amplitude of the two minima respectively divided by the amplitude of the maximum in the MHWP. A new type of nuclear spectroscopy was implemented based on the new digital shaping filter and the Gamma-ray spectra were acquired with a variety of pulse-shape discrimination levels. It had manifested that the energy resolution and the peak-Compton ratio were both improved after the pulse-shape discrimination method was used.

Progress Towards Improved Analysis of TES X-ray Data Using Principal Component Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Busch, S. E.; Adams, J. S.; Bandler, S. R.; Chervenak, J. A.; Eckart, M. E.; Finkbeiner, F. M.; Fixsen, D. J.; Kelley, R. L.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Lee, S.-J.;

Modeling digital pulse waveforms by solving one-dimensional Navier-stokes equations.

PubMed

Fedotov, Aleksandr A; Akulova, Anna S; Akulov, Sergey A

2016-08-01

Mathematical modeling for composition distal arterial pulse wave in the blood vessels of the upper limbs was considered. Formation of distal arterial pulse wave is represented as a composition of forward and reflected pulse waves propagating along the arterial vessels. The formal analogy between pulse waves propagation along the human arterial system and the propagation of electrical oscillations in electrical transmission lines with distributed parameters was proposed. Dependencies of pulse wave propagation along the human arterial system were obtained by solving the one-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations for a few special cases.

DAC-board based X-band EPR spectrometer with arbitrary waveform control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufmann, Thomas; Keller, Timothy J.; Franck, John M.; Barnes, Ryan P.; Glaser, Steffen J.; Martinis, John M.; Han, Songi

2013-10-01

We present arbitrary control over a homogenous spin system, demonstrated on a simple, home-built, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer operating at 8-10 GHz (X-band) and controlled by a 1 GHz arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) with 42 dB (i.e. 14-bit) of dynamic range. Such a spectrometer can be relatively easily built from a single DAC (digital to analog converter) board with a modest number of stock components and offers powerful capabilities for automated digital calibration and correction routines that allow it to generate shaped X-band pulses with precise amplitude and phase control. It can precisely tailor the excitation profiles "seen" by the spins in the microwave resonator, based on feedback calibration with experimental input. We demonstrate the capability to generate a variety of pulse shapes, including rectangular, triangular, Gaussian, sinc, and adiabatic rapid passage waveforms. We then show how one can precisely compensate for the distortion and broadening caused by transmission into the microwave cavity in order to optimize corrected waveforms that are distinctly different from the initial, uncorrected waveforms. Specifically, we exploit a narrow EPR signal whose width is finer than the features of any distortions in order to map out the response to a short pulse, which, in turn, yields the precise transfer function of the spectrometer system. This transfer function is found to be consistent for all pulse shapes in the linear response regime. In addition to allowing precise waveform shaping capabilities, the spectrometer presented here offers complete digital control and calibration of the spectrometer that allows one to phase cycle the pulse phase with 0.007° resolution and to specify the inter-pulse delays and pulse durations to ⩽250 ps resolution. The implications and potential applications of these capabilities will be discussed.

Development of a digital method for neutron/gamma-ray discrimination based on matched filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korolczuk, S.; Linczuk, M.; Romaniuk, R.; Zychor, I.

2016-09-01

Neutron/gamma-ray discrimination is crucial for measurements with detectors sensitive to both neutron and gamma-ray radiation. Different techniques to discriminate between neutrons and gamma-rays based on pulse shape analysis are widely used in many applications, e.g., homeland security, radiation dosimetry, environmental monitoring, fusion experiments, nuclear spectroscopy. A common requirement is to improve a radiation detection level with a high detection reliability. Modern electronic components, such as high speed analog to digital converters and powerful programmable digital circuits for signal processing, allow us to develop a fully digital measurement system. With this solution it is possible to optimize digital signal processing algorithms without changing any electronic components in an acquisition signal path. We report on results obtained with a digital acquisition system DNG@NCBJ designed at the National Centre for Nuclear Research. A 2'' × 2'' EJ309 liquid scintillator was used to register mixed neutron and gamma-ray radiation from PuBe sources. A dedicated algorithm for pulse shape discrimination, based on real-time filtering, was developed and implemented in hardware.

Analog-to-digital conversion as a source of drifts in displacements derived from digital recordings of ground acceleration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boore, D.M.

2003-01-01

Displacements obtained from double integration of digitally recorded ground accelerations often show drifts much larger than those expected for the true ground displacements. These drifts might be due to many things, including dynamic elastic ground tilt, inelastic ground deformation, hysteresis in the instruments, and cross feed due to misalignment of nominally orthogonal sensors. This article shows that even if those effects were not present, the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) process can produce apparent "pulses" and offsets in the acceleration baseline if the ground motion is slowly varying compared with the quantization level of the digitization. Such slowly varying signals can be produced by constant offsets that do not coincide with a quantization level and by near- and intermediate-field terms in the wave field radiated from earthquakes. Double integration of these apparent pulses and offsets leads to drifts in the displacements similar to those found in processing real recordings. These effects decrease in importance as the resolution of the ADC process increases.

Nuclear Fission Investigation with Twin Ionization Chamber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeynalova, O.; Zeynalov, Sh.; Nazarenko, M.

2011-11-29

The purpose of the present paper was to report the recent results, obtained in development of digital pulse processing mathematics for prompt fission neutron (PFN) investigation using twin ionization chamber (TIC) along with fast neutron time-of-flight detector (ND). Due to well known ambiguities in literature (see refs. [4, 6, 9 and 11]), concerning a pulse induction on TIC electrodes by FF ionization, we first presented detailed mathematical analysis of fission fragment (FF) signal formation on TIC anode. The analysis was done using Ramo-Shockley theorem, which gives relation between charged particle motion between TIC electrodes and so called weighting potential. Weightingmore » potential was calculated by direct numerical solution of Laplace equation (neglecting space charge) for the TIC geometry and ionization, caused by FF. Formulae for grid inefficiency (GI) correction and digital pulse processing algorithms for PFN time-of-flight measurements and pulse shape analysis are presented and discussed.« less

MULTIPLE INPUT BINARY ADDER EMPLOYING MAGNETIC DRUM DIGITAL COMPUTING APPARATUS

DOEpatents

Cooke-Yarborough, E.H.

1960-12-01

A digital computing apparatus is described for adding a plurality of multi-digit binary numbers. The apparatus comprises a rotating magnetic drum, a recording head, first and second reading heads disposed adjacent to the first and second recording tracks, and a series of timing signals recorded on the first track. A series of N groups of digit-representing signals is delivered to the recording head at time intervals corresponding to the timing signals, each group consisting of digits of the same significance in the numbers, and the signal series is recorded on the second track of the drum in synchronism with the timing signals on the first track. The multistage registers are stepped cyclically through all positions, and each of the multistage registers is coupled to the control lead of a separate gate circuit to open the corresponding gate at only one selected position in each cycle. One of the gates has its input coupled to the bistable element to receive the sum digit, and the output lead of this gate is coupled to the recording device. The inputs of the other gates receive the digits to be added from the second reading head, and the outputs of these gates are coupled to the adding register. A phase-setting pulse source is connected to each of the multistage registers individually to step the multistage registers to different initial positions in the cycle, and the phase-setting pulse source is actuated each N time interval to shift a sum digit to the bistable element, where the multistage register coupled to bistable element is operated by the phase- setting pulse source to that position in its cycle N steps before opening the first gate, so that this gate opens in synchronism with each of the shifts to pass the sum digits to the recording head.

Optical trapping gold nanoparticles by a pulse laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, XiaoYu; Wang, Feng

2010-11-01

Gold nanoparticles are widely employed in nanomaterials, nanobiotechnology and health care, but generally they are considered difficult to trap stably. Compared with the continuous laser which is popular to the optical trapping, pulse laser has a relatively larger power in its work pulse, which is useful for trap particles. So this paper comprehensively analyzes the forces (the radiation forces, the gravitation, and the Brownian motion) on the gold nanoparticles in the optical tweezers formed by a pulse laser, through building up a mathematical model. Finally gets the dependence relation between the characteristics of the pulse laser and that of the gold nanoparticles.

High-rate x-ray spectroscopy in mammography with a CdTe detector: a digital pulse processing approach.

PubMed

Abbene, L; Gerardi, G; Principato, F; Del Sordo, S; Ienzi, R; Raso, G

2010-12-01

Direct measurement of mammographic x-ray spectra under clinical conditions is a difficult task due to the high fluence rate of the x-ray beams as well as the limits in the development of high resolution detection systems in a high counting rate environment. In this work we present a detection system, based on a CdTe detector and an innovative digital pulse processing (DPP) system, for high-rate x-ray spectroscopy in mammography. The DPP system performs a digital pile-up inspection and a digital pulse height analysis of the detector signals, digitized through a 14-bit, 100 MHz digitizer, for x-ray spectroscopy even at high photon counting rates. We investigated on the response of the digital detection system both at low (150 cps) and at high photon counting rates (up to 500 kcps) by using monoenergetic x-ray sources and a nonclinical molybdenum anode x-ray tube. Clinical molybdenum x-ray spectrum measurements were also performed by using a pinhole collimator and a custom alignment device. The detection system shows excellent performance up to 512 kcps with an energy resolution of 4.08% FWHM at 22.1 keV. Despite the high photon counting rate (up to 453 kcps), the molybdenum x-ray spectra, measured under clinical conditions, are characterized by a low number of pile-up events. The agreement between the attenuation curves and the half value layer values, obtained from the measured spectra, simulated spectra, and from the exposure values directly measured with an ionization chamber, also shows the accuracy of the measurements. These results make the proposed detection system a very attractive tool for both laboratory research and advanced quality controls in mammography.

Multifunction audio digitizer for communications systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monford, L. G., Jr.

1971-01-01

Digitizer accomplishes both N bit pulse code modulation /PCM/ and delta modulation, and provides modulation indicating variable signal gain and variable sidetone. Other features include - low package count, variable clock rate to optimize bandwidth, and easily expanded PCM output.

Digital pulse-shape analysis with a TRACE early silicon prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengoni, D.; Dueñas, J. A.; Assié, M.; Boiano, C.; John, P. R.; Aliaga, R. J.; Beaumel, D.; Capra, S.; Gadea, A.; Gonzáles, V.; Gottardo, A.; Grassi, L.; Herrero-Bosch, V.; Houdy, T.; Martel, I.; Parkar, V. V.; Perez-Vidal, R.; Pullia, A.; Sanchis, E.; Triossi, A.; Valiente Dobón, J. J.

2014-11-01

A highly segmented silicon-pad detector prototype has been tested to explore the performance of the digital pulse shape analysis in the discrimination of the particles reaching the silicon detector. For the first time a 200 μm thin silicon detector, grown using an ordinary floating zone technique, has been shown to exhibit a level discrimination thanks to the fine segmentation. Light-charged particles down to few MeV have been separated, including their punch-through. A coaxial HPGe detector in time coincidence has further confirmed the quality of the particle discrimination.

Blocker-tolerant and high-sensitivity $Δ$$\\!$$Σ$ correlation digitizer for radar and coherent receiver applications

DOE PAGES

Mincey, John S.; Silva-Martinez, Jose; Karsilayan, AydinIlker; ...

2017-03-17

In this study, a coherent subsampling digitizer for pulsed Doppler radar systems is proposed. Prior to transmission, the radar system modulates the RF pulse with a known pseudorandom binary phase shift keying (BPSK) sequence. Upon reception, the radar digitizer uses a programmable sample-and-hold circuit to multiply the received waveform by a properly time-delayed version of the known a priori BPSK sequence. This operation demodulates the desired echo signal while suppressing the spectrum of all in-band noncorrelated interferers, making them appear as noise in the frequency domain. The resulting demodulated narrowband Doppler waveform is then subsampled at the IF frequency bymore » a delta-sigma modulator. Because the digitization bandwidth within the delta-sigma feedback loop is much less than the input bandwidth to the digitizer, the thermal noise outside of the Doppler bandwidth is effectively filtered prior to quantization, providing an increase in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the digitizer's output compared with the input SNR. In this demonstration, a delta-sigma correlation digitizer is fabricated in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology. The digitizer has a power consumption of 1.12 mW with an IIP3 of 7.5 dBm. The digitizer is able to recover Doppler tones in the presence of blockers up to 40 dBm greater than the Doppler tone.« less

Pulsed Laser Shearography System for Defence Research and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-15

38677 PERIOD: 15 AUGUST 2015 THROUGH 30 JUNE 2017 GRANT NUMBER: N00014-15-1-2894 TITLE OF PROJECT: PULSED LASER SHEAROGRAPHY SYSTEM FOR DEFENCE... RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: V. ARANCHUK SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED 2 Table of Contents LONG-TERM GOALS...Defense Research and Education LONG-TERM GOALS The University of Mississippi purchased a pulsed digital shearography system for research

Measurement of hand dynamics in a microsurgery environment: Preliminary data in the design of a bimanual telemicro-operation test bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, Steve; Williams, Roy

1989-01-01

Data describing the microsurgeon's hand dynamics was recorded and analyzed in order to provide an accurate model for the telemicrosurgery application of the Bimanual Telemicro-operation Test Bed. The model, in turn, will guide the development of algorithms for the control of robotic systems in bimanual telemicro-operation tasks. Measurements were made at the hand-tool interface and include position, acceleration and force between the tool-finger interface. Position information was captured using an orthogonal pulsed magnetic field positioning system resulting in measurements in all six degrees-of-freedom (DOF). Acceleration data at the hands was obtained using accelerometers positioned in a triaxial arrangement on the back of the hand allowing measurements in all three cartesian-coordinate axes. Force data was obtained by using miniature load cells positioned between the tool and the finger and included those forces experienced perpendicular to the tool shaft and those transferred from the tool-tissue site. Position data will provide a minimum/maximum reference frame for the robotic system's work space or envelope. Acceleration data will define the response times needed by the robotic system in order to emulate and subsequently outperform the human operator's tool movements. The force measurements will aid in designing a force-reflective, force-scaling system as well as defining the range of forces the robotic system will encounter. All analog data was acquired by a 16-channel analog-to-digital conversion system residing in a IBM PC/AT-compatible computer at the Center's laboratory. The same system was also used to analyze and present the data.

Time-Dependent Measure of a Nano-Scale Force-Pulse Driven by the Axonemal Dynein Motors in Individual Live Sperm Cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, M J; Rudd, R E; McElfresh, M W

Nano-scale mechanical forces generated by motor proteins are crucial to normal cellular and organismal functioning. The ability to measure and exploit such forces would be important to developing motile biomimetic nanodevices powered by biological motors for Nanomedicine. Axonemal dynein motors positioned inside the sperm flagellum drive microtubule sliding giving rise to rhythmic beating of the flagellum. This force-generating action makes it possible for the sperm cell to move through viscous media. Here we report new nano-scale information on how the propulsive force is generated by the sperm flagellum and how this force varies over time. Single cell recordings reveal discretemore » {approx}50 ms pulses oscillating with amplitude 9.8 {+-} 2.6 nN independent of pulse frequency (3.5-19.5 Hz). The average work carried out by each cell is 4.6 x 10{sup -16} J per pulse, equivalent to the hydrolysis of {approx}5,500 ATP molecules. The mechanochemical coupling at each active dynein head is {approx}2.2 pN/ATP, and {approx}3.9 pN per dynein arm, in agreement with previously published values obtained using different methods.« less

High-Speed, High-Resolution Time-to-Digital Conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Richard; Kleyner, Igor; Garcia, Rafael

2013-01-01

This innovation is a series of time-tag pulses from a photomultiplier tube, featuring short time interval between pulses (e.g., 2.5 ns). Using the previous art, dead time between pulses is too long, or too much hardware is required, including a very-high-speed demultiplexer. A faster method is needed. The goal of this work is to provide circuits to time-tag pulses that arrive at a high rate using the hardwired logic in an FPGA - specifically the carry chain - to create what is (in effect) an analog delay line. High-speed pulses travel down the chain in a "wave." For instance, a pulse train has been demonstrated from a 1- GHz source reliably traveling down the carry chain. The size of the carry chain is over 10 ns in the time domain. Thus, multiple pulses will travel down the carry chain in a wave simultaneously. A register clocked by a low-skew clock takes a "snapshot" of the wave. Relatively simple logic can extract the pulses from the snapshot picture by detecting the transitions between logic states. The propagation delay of CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) logic circuits will differ and/or change as a result of temperature, voltage, age, radiation, and manufacturing variances. The time-to-digital conversion circuits can be calibrated with test signals, or the changes can be nulled by a separate on-die calibration channel, in a closed loop circuit.

A single-board NMR spectrometer based on a software defined radio architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Weinan; Wang, Weimin

2011-01-01

A single-board software defined radio (SDR) spectrometer for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is presented. The SDR-based architecture, realized by combining a single field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a digital signal processor (DSP) with peripheral radio frequency (RF) front-end circuits, makes the spectrometer compact and reconfigurable. The DSP, working as a pulse programmer, communicates with a personal computer via a USB interface and controls the FPGA through a parallel port. The FPGA accomplishes digital processing tasks such as a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO), digital down converter (DDC) and gradient waveform generator. The NCO, with agile control of phase, frequency and amplitude, is part of a direct digital synthesizer that is used to generate an RF pulse. The DDC performs quadrature demodulation, multistage low-pass filtering and gain adjustment to produce a bandpass signal (receiver bandwidth from 3.9 kHz to 10 MHz). The gradient waveform generator is capable of outputting shaped gradient pulse waveforms and supports eddy-current compensation. The spectrometer directly acquires an NMR signal up to 30 MHz in the case of baseband sampling and is suitable for low-field (<0.7 T) application. Due to the featured SDR architecture, this prototype has flexible add-on ability and is expected to be suitable for portable NMR systems.

Delivery of an ultrashort spatially focused pulse to the other end of a multimode fiber using digital phase conjugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales Delgado, Edgar E.; Papadopoulos, Ioannis N.; Farahi, Salma; Psaltis, Demetri; Moser, Christophe

2015-03-01

Multimode optical fibers potentially allow the transmission of larger amounts of information than their single mode counterparts because of their high number of supported modes. However, propagation of a light pulse through a multimode fiber suffers from spatial distortions due to the superposition of the various exited modes and from time broadening due to modal dispersion. We present a method based on digital phase conjugation to selectively excite in a multimode fiber specific optical fiber modes that follow similar optical paths as they travel through the fiber. The excited modes interfere constructively at the fiber output generating an ultrashort spatially focused pulse. The excitation of a limited number of modes following similar optical paths limits modal dispersion, allowing the transmission of the ultrashort pulse. We have experimentally demonstrated the delivery of a focused spot of pulse width equal to 500 fs through a 30 cm, 200 micrometer core step-index multimode fiber. The results of this study show that two-photon imaging capability can be added to ultra-thin lensless endoscopy using commercial multimode fibers.

Femtosecond laser pulse shaping at megahertz rate via a digital micromirror device.

PubMed

Gu, Chenglin; Chang, Yina; Zhang, Dapeng; Cheng, Jiyi; Chen, Shih-Chi

2015-09-01

In this Letter, we present a scanner and digital micromirror device (DMD)-based ultrafast pulse shaper, i.e., S-DUPS, for programmable ultrafast pulse modulation, achieving a shaping rate of 2 MHz. To our knowledge, the S-DUPS is the fastest programmable pulse shaper reported to date. In the S-DUPS, the frequency spectrum of the input pulsed laser is first spread horizontally, and then mapped to a thin stripe on the DMD programmed with phase modulation patterns. A galvanometric scanner, synchronized with the DMD, subsequently scans the spectrum vertically on the DMD to achieve a shaping rate up to 10 s MHz. A grating pair and a cylindrical lens in front of the DMD compensate for the temporal and spatial dispersion of the system. To verify the concept, experiments were conducted with the DMD and the galvanometric scanner operated at 2 kHz and 1 kHz, respectively, achieving a 2 MHz speed for continuous group velocity dispersion tuning, as well as 2% efficiency. Up to 5% efficiency of S-DUPS can be expected with high efficiency gratings and optical components of proper coatings.

Device for detecting imminent failure of high-dielectric stress capacitors. [Patent application

DOEpatents

McDuff, G.G.

1980-11-05

A device is described for detecting imminent failure of a high-dielectric stress capacitor utilizing circuitry for detecting pulse width variations and pulse magnitude variations. Inexpensive microprocessor circuitry is utilized to make numerical calculations of digital data supplied by detection circuitry for comparison of pulse width data and magnitude data to determine if preselected ranges have been exceeded, thereby indicating imminent failure of a capacitor. Detection circuitry may be incorporated in transmission lines, pulse power circuitry, including laser pulse circuitry or any circuitry where capacitors or capacitor banks are utilized.

Device for detecting imminent failure of high-dielectric stress capacitors

DOEpatents

McDuff, George G.

1982-01-01

A device for detecting imminent failure of a high-dielectric stress capacitor utilizing circuitry for detecting pulse width variations and pulse magnitude variations. Inexpensive microprocessor circuitry is utilized to make numerical calculations of digital data supplied by detection circuitry for comparison of pulse width data and magnitude data to determine if preselected ranges have been exceeded, thereby indicating imminent failure of a capacitor. Detection circuitry may be incorporated in transmission lines, pulse power circuitry, including laser pulse circuitry or any circuitry where capacitors or capactior banks are utilized.

Low-noise pulse conditioner

DOEpatents

Bird, David A.

1983-01-01

A low-noise pulse conditioner is provided for driving electronic digital processing circuitry directly from differentially induced input pulses. The circuit uses a unique differential-to-peak detector circuit to generate a dynamic reference signal proportional to the input peak voltage. The input pulses are compared with the reference signal in an input network which operates in full differential mode with only a passive input filter. This reduces the introduction of circuit-induced noise, or jitter, generated in ground referenced input elements normally used in pulse conditioning circuits, especially speed transducer processing circuits.

Design of neurophysiologically motivated structures of time-pulse coded neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasilenko, Vladimir G.; Nikolsky, Alexander I.; Lazarev, Alexander A.; Lobodzinska, Raisa F.

2009-04-01

The common methodology of biologically motivated concept of building of processing sensors systems with parallel input and picture operands processing and time-pulse coding are described in paper. Advantages of such coding for creation of parallel programmed 2D-array structures for the next generation digital computers which require untraditional numerical systems for processing of analog, digital, hybrid and neuro-fuzzy operands are shown. The optoelectronic time-pulse coded intelligent neural elements (OETPCINE) simulation results and implementation results of a wide set of neuro-fuzzy logic operations are considered. The simulation results confirm engineering advantages, intellectuality, circuit flexibility of OETPCINE for creation of advanced 2D-structures. The developed equivalentor-nonequivalentor neural element has power consumption of 10mW and processing time about 10...100us.

[Digital signal processing of a novel neuron discharge model stimulation strategy for cochlear implants].

PubMed

Yang, Yiwei; Xu, Yuejin; Miu, Jichang; Zhou, Linghong; Xiao, Zhongju

2012-10-01

To apply the classic leakage integrate-and-fire models, based on the mechanism of the generation of physiological auditory stimulation, in the information processing coding of cochlear implants to improve the auditory result. The results of algorithm simulation in digital signal processor (DSP) were imported into Matlab for a comparative analysis. Compared with CIS coding, the algorithm of membrane potential integrate-and-fire (MPIF) allowed more natural pulse discharge in a pseudo-random manner to better fit the physiological structures. The MPIF algorithm can effectively solve the problem of the dynamic structure of the delivered auditory information sequence issued in the auditory center and allowed integration of the stimulating pulses and time coding to ensure the coherence and relevance of the stimulating pulse time.

Adaptive spatiotemporal optical pulse front tilt using a digital micromirror device and its terahertz application.

PubMed

Murate, Kosuke; Roshtkhari, Mehraveh Javan; Ropagnol, Xavier; Blanchard, François

2018-05-01

We report a new method to temporally and spatially manipulate the pulse front tilt (PFT) intensity profile of an ultrashort optical pulse using a commercial microelectromechanical system, also known as a digital micromirror device (DMD). For our demonstration, we show terahertz generation in a lithium niobate crystal using the PFT pumping scheme derived from a DMD chip. The adaptive functionality of the DMD could be a convenient alternative to the more conventional grating required to generate a laser beam with a PFT intensity profile that is typically used for efficient optical rectification in noncollinear phase-matching conditions. In contrast to a grating, PFT using DMD does not suffer from wavelength dispersion, and exhibits overlap properties between grating and a stair-step echelon mirror.

CMOS time-to-digital converter based on a pulse-mixing scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chun-Chi; Hwang, Chorng-Sii; Liu, Keng-Chih; Chen, Guan-Hong

2014-11-01

This paper proposes a new pulse-mixing scheme utilizing both pulse-shrinking and pulse-stretching mechanisms to improve the performance of time-to-digital converters (TDCs). The temporal resolution of the conventional pulse-shrinking mechanism is determined by the size ratio between homogeneous and inhomogeneous elements. The proposed scheme which features double-stage operation derives its resolution according to the time difference between pulse-shrinking and pulse-stretching amounts. Thus, it can achieve greater immunity against temperature and ambient variations than that of the single-stage scheme. The circuit area also can be reduced by the proposed pulse-mixing scheme. In addition, this study proposes an improved cyclic delay line to eliminate the undesirable shift in the temporal resolution successfully. Therefore, the effective resolution can be controlled completely by the pulse-mixing unit to improve accuracy. The proposed TDC composed of only one cyclic delay line and one counter is fabricated in a TSMC CMOS 0.35-μm DPQM process. The chip core occupies an extremely small area of 0.02 mm2, which is the best among the related works. The experimental result shows that an effective resolution of around 53 ps within ±13% variation over a 0-100 °C temperature range is achieved. The power consumption is 90 μW at a sample rate of 1000 samples/s. In addition to the reduced area, the proposed TDC circuit achieves its resolution with less thermal-sensitivity and better fluctuations caused by process variations.

Non-parametric PCM to ADM conversion. [Pulse Code to Adaptive Delta Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Locicero, J. L.; Schilling, D. L.

1977-01-01

An all-digital technique to convert pulse code modulated (PCM) signals into adaptive delta modulation (ADM) format is presented. The converter developed is shown to be independent of the statistical parameters of the encoded signal and can be constructed with only standard digital hardware. The structure of the converter is simple enough to be fabricated on a large scale integrated circuit where the advantages of reliability and cost can be optimized. A concise evaluation of this PCM to ADM translation technique is presented and several converters are simulated on a digital computer. A family of performance curves is given which displays the signal-to-noise ratio for sinusoidal test signals subjected to the conversion process, as a function of input signal power for several ratios of ADM rate to Nyquist rate.

Digital Rise-Time Discrimination of Pulses from the Tigress Integrated Plunger Silicon PIN Diode Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, P.; Henderson, R.; Andreoiu, C.; Ashley, R.; Ball, G. C.; Bender, P. C.; Chester, A.; Cross, D. S.; Drake, T. E.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Hackman, G.; Ketelhut, S.; Krücken, R.; Miller, D.; Rajabali, M. M.; Starosta, K.; Svensson, C. E.; Tardiff, E.; Unsworth, C.; Wang, Z.-M.

Electromagnetic transition rate measurements play an important role in characterizing the evolution of nuclear structure with increasing proton-neutron asymmetry. At TRIUMF, the TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device and its suite of ancillary detector systems have been implemented for charged-particle tagging and light-ion identification in coincidence with gamma-ray spectroscopy for Doppler-shift lifetime studies and low-energy Coulomb excitation measurements. Digital pulse-shape analysis of signals from these ancillary detectors for particle identification improves the signal-to-noise ratio of gamma-ray energy spectra. Here, we illustrate the reaction-channel selectivity achieved by utilizing digital rise-time discrimination of waveforms from alpha particles and carbon ions detected with silicon PIN diodes, thereby enhancing gamma-ray line-shape signatures for precision lifetime studies.

Performance verification and system integration tests of the pulse shape processor for the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Sawako; Tashiro, Makoto S.; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Tsujimoto, Masahiro; Seta, Hiromi; Shimoda, Yuya; Yamaguchi, Sunao; Uehara, Sho; Terada, Yukikatsu; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa

2014-07-01

The soft X-ray spectrometer (SXS) aboard ASTRO-H is equipped with dedicated digital signal processing units called pulse shape processors (PSPs). The X-ray microcalorimeter system SXS has 36 sensor pixels, which are operated at 50 mK to measure heat input of X-ray photons and realize an energy resolution of 7 eV FWHM in the range 0.3-12.0 keV. Front-end signal processing electronics are used to filter and amplify the electrical pulse output from the sensor and for analog-to-digital conversion. The digitized pulses from the 36 pixels are multiplexed and are sent to the PSP over low-voltage differential signaling lines. Each of two identical PSP units consists of an FPGA board, which assists the hardware logic, and two CPU boards, which assist the onboard software. The FPGA board triggers at every pixel event and stores the triggering information as a pulse waveform in the installed memory. The CPU boards read the event data to evaluate pulse heights by an optimal filtering algorithm. The evaluated X-ray photon data (including the pixel ID, energy, and arrival time information) are transferred to the satellite data recorder along with event quality information. The PSP units have been developed and tested with the engineering model (EM) and the flight model. Utilizing the EM PSP, we successfully verified the entire hardware system and the basic software design of the PSPs, including their communication capability and signal processing performance. In this paper, we show the key metrics of the EM test, such as accuracy and synchronicity of sampling clocks, event grading capability, and resultant energy resolution.

High-rate dead-time corrections in a general purpose digital pulse processing system

PubMed Central

Abbene, Leonardo; Gerardi, Gaetano

2015-01-01

Dead-time losses are well recognized and studied drawbacks in counting and spectroscopic systems. In this work the abilities on dead-time correction of a real-time digital pulse processing (DPP) system for high-rate high-resolution radiation measurements are presented. The DPP system, through a fast and slow analysis of the output waveform from radiation detectors, is able to perform multi-parameter analysis (arrival time, pulse width, pulse height, pulse shape, etc.) at high input counting rates (ICRs), allowing accurate counting loss corrections even for variable or transient radiations. The fast analysis is used to obtain both the ICR and energy spectra with high throughput, while the slow analysis is used to obtain high-resolution energy spectra. A complete characterization of the counting capabilities, through both theoretical and experimental approaches, was performed. The dead-time modeling, the throughput curves, the experimental time-interval distributions (TIDs) and the counting uncertainty of the recorded events of both the fast and the slow channels, measured with a planar CdTe (cadmium telluride) detector, will be presented. The throughput formula of a series of two types of dead-times is also derived. The results of dead-time corrections, performed through different methods, will be reported and discussed, pointing out the error on ICR estimation and the simplicity of the procedure. Accurate ICR estimations (nonlinearity < 0.5%) were performed by using the time widths and the TIDs (using 10 ns time bin width) of the detected pulses up to 2.2 Mcps. The digital system allows, after a simple parameter setting, different and sophisticated procedures for dead-time correction, traditionally implemented in complex/dedicated systems and time-consuming set-ups. PMID:26289270

Optimal filter bandwidth for pulse oximetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuban, Norbert; Niwayama, Masatsugu

2012-10-01

Pulse oximeters contain one or more signal filtering stages between the photodiode and microcontroller. These filters are responsible for removing the noise while retaining the useful frequency components of the signal, thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The corner frequencies of these filters affect not only the noise level, but also the shape of the pulse signal. Narrow filter bandwidth effectively suppresses the noise; however, at the same time, it distorts the useful signal components by decreasing the harmonic content. In this paper, we investigated the influence of the filter bandwidth on the accuracy of pulse oximeters. We used a pulse oximeter tester device to produce stable, repetitive pulse waves with digitally adjustable R ratio and heart rate. We built a pulse oximeter and attached it to the tester device. The pulse oximeter digitized the current of its photodiode directly, without any analog signal conditioning. We varied the corner frequency of the low-pass filter in the pulse oximeter in the range of 0.66-15 Hz by software. For the tester device, the R ratio was set to R = 1.00, and the R ratio deviation measured by the pulse oximeter was monitored as a function of the corner frequency of the low-pass filter. The results revealed that lowering the corner frequency of the low-pass filter did not decrease the accuracy of the oxygen level measurements. The lowest possible value of the corner frequency of the low-pass filter is the fundamental frequency of the pulse signal. We concluded that the harmonics of the pulse signal do not contribute to the accuracy of pulse oximetry. The results achieved by the pulse oximeter tester were verified by human experiments, performed on five healthy subjects. The results of the human measurements confirmed that filtering out the harmonics of the pulse signal does not degrade the accuracy of pulse oximetry.

Optimal filter bandwidth for pulse oximetry.

PubMed

Stuban, Norbert; Niwayama, Masatsugu

2012-10-01

Pulse oximeters contain one or more signal filtering stages between the photodiode and microcontroller. These filters are responsible for removing the noise while retaining the useful frequency components of the signal, thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The corner frequencies of these filters affect not only the noise level, but also the shape of the pulse signal. Narrow filter bandwidth effectively suppresses the noise; however, at the same time, it distorts the useful signal components by decreasing the harmonic content. In this paper, we investigated the influence of the filter bandwidth on the accuracy of pulse oximeters. We used a pulse oximeter tester device to produce stable, repetitive pulse waves with digitally adjustable R ratio and heart rate. We built a pulse oximeter and attached it to the tester device. The pulse oximeter digitized the current of its photodiode directly, without any analog signal conditioning. We varied the corner frequency of the low-pass filter in the pulse oximeter in the range of 0.66-15 Hz by software. For the tester device, the R ratio was set to R = 1.00, and the R ratio deviation measured by the pulse oximeter was monitored as a function of the corner frequency of the low-pass filter. The results revealed that lowering the corner frequency of the low-pass filter did not decrease the accuracy of the oxygen level measurements. The lowest possible value of the corner frequency of the low-pass filter is the fundamental frequency of the pulse signal. We concluded that the harmonics of the pulse signal do not contribute to the accuracy of pulse oximetry. The results achieved by the pulse oximeter tester were verified by human experiments, performed on five healthy subjects. The results of the human measurements confirmed that filtering out the harmonics of the pulse signal does not degrade the accuracy of pulse oximetry.

Multiple channel programmable coincidence counter

DOEpatents

Arnone, Gaetano J.

1990-01-01

A programmable digital coincidence counter having multiple channels and featuring minimal dead time. Neutron detectors supply electrical pulses to a synchronizing circuit which in turn inputs derandomized pulses to an adding circuit. A random access memory circuit connected as a programmable length shift register receives and shifts the sum of the pulses, and outputs to a serializer. A counter is input by the adding circuit and downcounted by the seralizer, one pulse at a time. The decoded contents of the counter after each decrement is output to scalers.

Application of Filters for High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse Protection

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

The application of filters for the protection of electrical equipment from electrical transient signals induced by high-altitude electromagnetic ... pulse (HEMP) is discussed, and the application of filters to ac and dc power supplies and analog and digital signal inputs is described. The application

Super-resolution technique for CW lidar using Fourier transform reordering and Richardson-Lucy deconvolution.

PubMed

Campbell, Joel F; Lin, Bing; Nehrir, Amin R; Harrison, F Wallace; Obland, Michael D

2014-12-15

An interpolation method is described for range measurements of high precision altimetry with repeating intensity modulated continuous wave (IM-CW) lidar waveforms using binary phase shift keying (BPSK), where the range profile is determined by means of a cross-correlation between the digital form of the transmitted signal and the digitized return signal collected by the lidar receiver. This method uses reordering of the array elements in the frequency domain to convert a repeating synthetic pulse signal to single highly interpolated pulse. This is then enhanced further using Richardson-Lucy deconvolution to greatly enhance the resolution of the pulse. We show the sampling resolution and pulse width can be enhanced by about two orders of magnitude using the signal processing algorithms presented, thus breaking the fundamental resolution limit for BPSK modulation of a particular bandwidth and bit rate. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for determining cloud and tree canopy thicknesses far beyond this fundamental limit in a lidar not designed for this purpose.

Improved pulse shape discrimination in EJ-301 liquid scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, R. F.; Masson, D.; Pienaar, J.; Röttger, S.

2017-06-01

Digital pulse shape discrimination has become readily available to distinguish nuclear recoil and electronic recoil events in scintillation detectors. We evaluate digital implementations of pulse shape discrimination algorithms discussed in the literature, namely the Charge Comparison Method, Pulse-Gradient Analysis, Fourier Series and Standard Event Fitting. In addition, we present a novel algorithm based on a Laplace Transform. Instead of comparing the performance of these algorithms based on a single Figure of Merit, we evaluate them as a function of recoil energy. Specifically, using commercial EJ-301 liquid scintillators, we examined both the resulting acceptance of nuclear recoils at a given rejection level of electronic recoils, as well as the purity of the selected nuclear recoil event samples. We find that both a Standard Event fit and a Laplace Transform can be used to significantly improve the discrimination capabilities over the whole considered energy range of 0 - 800keVee . Furthermore, we show that the Charge Comparison Method performs poorly in accurately identifying nuclear recoils.

A Wavelet Packet Transform Inspired Method of Neutron-Gamma Discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shippen, David I.; Joyce, Malcolm J.; Aspinall, Michael D.

2010-10-01

A Simplified Digital Charge Collection (SDCC) method of discrimination between neutron and gamma pulses in an organic scintillator is presented and compared to the Pulse Gradient Analysis (PGA) discrimination method. Data used in this research were gathered from events arising from the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction detected by an EJ-301 organic liquid scintillator recorded with a fast digital oscilloscope. Time-of-Flight (TOF) data were also recorded and used as a second means of identification. The SDCC method is found to improve on the figure of merit (FOM) given by PGA method at the equivalent sampling rate.

Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) for NMR/MRI instruments at low-field.

PubMed

Asfour, Aktham; Raoof, Kosai; Yonnet, Jean-Paul

2013-11-27

A proof-of-concept of the use of a fully digital radiofrequency (RF) electronics for the design of dedicated Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) systems at low-field (0.1 T) is presented. This digital electronics is based on the use of three key elements: a Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) for pulse generation, a Software Defined Radio (SDR) for a digital receiving of NMR signals and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for system control and for the generation of the gradient signals (pulse programmer). The SDR includes a direct analog-to-digital conversion and a Digital Down Conversion (digital quadrature demodulation, decimation filtering, processing gain…). The various aspects of the concept and of the realization are addressed with some details. These include both hardware design and software considerations. One of the underlying ideas is to enable such NMR systems to "enjoy" from existing advanced technology that have been realized in other research areas, especially in telecommunication domain. Another goal is to make these systems easy to build and replicate so as to help research groups in realizing dedicated NMR desktops for a large palette of new applications. We also would like to give readers an idea of the current trends in this field. The performances of the developed electronics are discussed throughout the paper. First FID (Free Induction Decay) signals are also presented. Some development perspectives of our work in the area of low-field NMR/MRI will be finally addressed.

Enhanced electrohydrodynamic force generation in a two-stroke cycle dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Shintaro; Takahashi, Masayuki; Ohnishi, Naofumi

2017-05-01

An approach for electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force production is proposed with a focus on a charge cycle on a dielectric surface. The cycle, consisting of positive-charging and neutralizing strokes, is completely different from the conventional methodology, which involves a negative-charging stroke, in that the dielectric surface charge is constantly positive. The two-stroke charge cycle is realized by applying a DC voltage combined with repetitive pulses. Simulation results indicate that the negative pulse eliminates the surface charge accumulated during constant voltage phase, resulting in repetitive EHD force generation. The time-averaged EHD force increases almost linearly with increasing repetitive pulse frequency and becomes one order of magnitude larger than that driven by the sinusoidal voltage, which has the same peak-to-peak voltage.

Impact of nonlinear distortion on acoustic radiation force elastography.

PubMed

Draudt, Andrew B; Cleveland, Robin O

2011-11-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) produces an acoustic radiation force that induces tissue displacement, which can be measured by monitoring time shifts in the backscattered signals from interrogation pulses. If the pulse occurs simultaneously with the HIFU, the arrival time of the backscatter will be biased because nonlinearity associated with the HIFU changes the local sound speed. Measurements of the pressure field using 1.1 MHz HIFU and a 7.5 MHz pulse in water exhibited a nonlinearly induced apparent displacement (NIAD) that varied with the HIFU pressure, propagation distance and the timing of the pulse relative to the HIFU. Nonlinear simulations employing the KZK equation predicted NIADs that agreed with measurements. Experiments with chicken breast demonstrated a NIAD with magnitude similar to that expected from the radiation force. Finally it was shown that if two pulses were fired with different phases relative to the HIFU, then upon averaging, the NIAD could be mitigated. Copyright © 2011 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analog pulse processor

DOEpatents

Wessendorf, Kurt O.; Kemper, Dale A.

2003-06-03

A very low power analog pulse processing system implemented as an ASIC useful for processing signals from radiation detectors, among other things. The system incorporates the functions of a charge sensitive amplifier, a shaping amplifier, a peak sample and hold circuit, and, optionally, an analog to digital converter and associated drivers.

Versatile Stimulation Back-End With Programmable Exponential Current Pulse Shapes for a Retinal Visual Prosthesis.

PubMed

Maghami, Mohammad Hossein; Sodagar, Amir M; Sawan, Mohamad

2016-11-01

This paper reports on the design, implementation, and test of a stimulation back-end, for an implantable retinal prosthesis. In addition to traditional rectangular pulse shapes, the circuit features biphasic stimulation pulses with both rising and falling exponential shapes, whose time constants are digitally programmable. A class-B second generation current conveyor is used as a wide-swing, high-output-resistance stimulation current driver, delivering stimulation current pulses of up to ±96 μA to the target tissue. Duration of the generated current pulses is programmable within the range of 100 μs to 3 ms. Current-mode digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are used to program the amplitudes of the stimulation pulses. Fabricated using the IBM 130 nm process, the circuit consumes 1.5×1.5 mm 2 of silicon area. According to the measurements, the DACs exhibit DNL and INL of 0.23 LSB and 0.364 LSB, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the stimuli generator meets expected requirements when connected to electrode-tissue impedance of as high as 25 k Ω. Maximum power consumption of the proposed design is 3.4 mW when delivering biphasic rectangular pulses to the target load. A charge pump block is in charge of the upconversion of the standard 1.2-V supply voltage to ±3.3V.

Rapid bespoke laser ablation of variable period grating structures using a digital micromirror device for multi-colored surface images.

PubMed

Heath, Daniel J; Mills, Ben; Feinaeugle, Matthias; Eason, Robert W

2015-06-01

A digital micromirror device has been used to project variable-period grating patterns at high values of demagnification for direct laser ablation on planar surfaces. Femtosecond laser pulses of ∼1  mJ pulse energy at 800 nm wavelength from a Ti:sapphire laser were used to machine complex patterns with areas of up to ∼1  cm² on thin films of bismuth telluride by dynamically modifying the grating period as the sample was translated beneath the imaged laser pulses. Individual ∼30 by 30 μm gratings were stitched together to form contiguous structures, which had diffractive effects clearly visible to the naked eye. This technique may have applications in marking, coding, and security features.

A rocket-borne pulse-height analyzer for energetic particle measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leung, W.; Smith, L. G.; Voss, H. D.

1979-01-01

The pulse-height analyzer basically resembles a time-sharing multiplexing data-acquisition system which acquires analog data (from energetic particle spectrometers) and converts them into digital code. The PHA simultaneously acquires pulse-height information from the analog signals of the four input channels and sequentially multiplexes the digitized data to a microprocessor. The PHA together with the microprocessor form an on-board real-time data-manipulation system. The system processes data obtained during the rocket flight and reduces the amount of data to be sent back to the ground station. Consequently the data-reduction process for the rocket experiments is speeded up. By using a time-sharing technique, the throughput rate of the microprocessor is increased. Moreover, data from several particle spectrometers are manipulated to share one information channel; consequently, the TM capacity is increased.

Random noise effects in pulse-mode digital multilayer neural networks.

PubMed

Kim, Y C; Shanblatt, M A

1995-01-01

A pulse-mode digital multilayer neural network (DMNN) based on stochastic computing techniques is implemented with simple logic gates as basic computing elements. The pulse-mode signal representation and the use of simple logic gates for neural operations lead to a massively parallel yet compact and flexible network architecture, well suited for VLSI implementation. Algebraic neural operations are replaced by stochastic processes using pseudorandom pulse sequences. The distributions of the results from the stochastic processes are approximated using the hypergeometric distribution. Synaptic weights and neuron states are represented as probabilities and estimated as average pulse occurrence rates in corresponding pulse sequences. A statistical model of the noise (error) is developed to estimate the relative accuracy associated with stochastic computing in terms of mean and variance. Computational differences are then explained by comparison to deterministic neural computations. DMNN feedforward architectures are modeled in VHDL using character recognition problems as testbeds. Computational accuracy is analyzed, and the results of the statistical model are compared with the actual simulation results. Experiments show that the calculations performed in the DMNN are more accurate than those anticipated when Bernoulli sequences are assumed, as is common in the literature. Furthermore, the statistical model successfully predicts the accuracy of the operations performed in the DMNN.

Measurement of plasma momentum exerted on target by a small helicon plasma thruster and comparison with direct thrust measurement.

PubMed

Takahashi, Kazunori; Komuro, Atsushi; Ando, Akira

2015-02-01

Momentum, i.e., force, exerted from a small helicon plasma thruster to a target plate is measured simultaneously with a direct thrust measurement using a thrust balance. The calibration coefficient relating a target displacement to a steady-state force is obtained by supplying a dc to a calibration coil mounted on the target, where a force acting to a small permanent magnet located near the coil is directly measured by using a load cell. As the force exerted by the plasma flow to the target plate is in good agreement with the directly measured thrust, the validity of the target technique is demonstrated under the present operating conditions, where the thruster is operated in steady-state. Furthermore, a calibration coefficient relating a swing amplitude of the target to an impulse bit is also obtained by pulsing the calibration coil current. The force exerted by the pulsed plasma, which is estimated from the measured impulse bit and the pulse width, is also in good agreement with that obtained for the steady-state operation; hence, the thrust assessment of the helicon plasma thruster by the target is validated for both the steady-state and pulsed operations.

Human Grasp Assist Device With Exoskeleton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergelin, Bryan J (Inventor); Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Linn, Douglas Martin (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon B. J. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A grasp assist system includes a glove, actuator assembly, and controller. The glove includes a digit, i.e., a finger or thumb, and a force sensor. The sensor measures a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove. Phalange rings are positioned with respect to the digit. A flexible tendon is connected at one end to one of the rings and is routed through the remaining rings. An exoskeleton positioned with respect to the digit includes hinged interconnecting members each connected to a corresponding ring, and/or a single piece of slotted material. The actuator assembly is connected to another end of the tendon. The controller calculates a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and commands the tensile force from the actuator assembly to thereby pull on the tendon. The exoskeleton offloads some of the tensile force from the operator's finger to the glove.

A peripheral component interconnect express-based scalable and highly integrated pulsed spectrometer for solution state dynamic nuclear polarization.

PubMed

He, Yugui; Feng, Jiwen; Zhang, Zhi; Wang, Chao; Wang, Dong; Chen, Fang; Liu, Maili; Liu, Chaoyang

2015-08-01

High sensitivity, high data rates, fast pulses, and accurate synchronization all represent challenges for modern nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, which make any expansion or adaptation of these devices to new techniques and experiments difficult. Here, we present a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based highly integrated distributed digital architecture pulsed spectrometer that is implemented with electron and nucleus double resonances and is scalable specifically for broad dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhancement applications, including DNP-magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging (DNP-MRS/MRI). The distributed modularized architecture can implement more transceiver channels flexibly to meet a variety of MRS/MRI instrumentation needs. The proposed PCIe bus with high data rates can significantly improve data transmission efficiency and communication reliability and allow precise control of pulse sequences. An external high speed double data rate memory chip is used to store acquired data and pulse sequence elements, which greatly accelerates the execution of the pulse sequence, reduces the TR (time of repetition) interval, and improves the accuracy of TR in imaging sequences. Using clock phase-shift technology, we can produce digital pulses accurately with high timing resolution of 1 ns and narrow widths of 4 ns to control the microwave pulses required by pulsed DNP and ensure overall system synchronization. The proposed spectrometer is proved to be both feasible and reliable by observation of a maximum signal enhancement factor of approximately -170 for (1)H, and a high quality water image was successfully obtained by DNP-enhanced spin-echo (1)H MRI at 0.35 T.

A peripheral component interconnect express-based scalable and highly integrated pulsed spectrometer for solution state dynamic nuclear polarization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

He, Yugui; Liu, Chaoyang, E-mail: chyliu@wipm.ac.cn; State Key Laboratory of Magnet Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071

2015-08-15

High sensitivity, high data rates, fast pulses, and accurate synchronization all represent challenges for modern nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, which make any expansion or adaptation of these devices to new techniques and experiments difficult. Here, we present a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based highly integrated distributed digital architecture pulsed spectrometer that is implemented with electron and nucleus double resonances and is scalable specifically for broad dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhancement applications, including DNP-magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging (DNP-MRS/MRI). The distributed modularized architecture can implement more transceiver channels flexibly to meet a variety of MRS/MRI instrumentation needs. The proposed PCIe bus with highmore » data rates can significantly improve data transmission efficiency and communication reliability and allow precise control of pulse sequences. An external high speed double data rate memory chip is used to store acquired data and pulse sequence elements, which greatly accelerates the execution of the pulse sequence, reduces the TR (time of repetition) interval, and improves the accuracy of TR in imaging sequences. Using clock phase-shift technology, we can produce digital pulses accurately with high timing resolution of 1 ns and narrow widths of 4 ns to control the microwave pulses required by pulsed DNP and ensure overall system synchronization. The proposed spectrometer is proved to be both feasible and reliable by observation of a maximum signal enhancement factor of approximately −170 for {sup 1}H, and a high quality water image was successfully obtained by DNP-enhanced spin-echo {sup 1}H MRI at 0.35 T.« less

Exogenous energy supply to the plasma membrane of dark anaerobic cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans: thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of the ATP synthesis effected by an artificial proton motive force.

PubMed

Peschek, G A; Hinterstoisser, B; Riedler, M; Muchl, R; Nitschmann, W H

1986-05-15

The net synthesis of ATP in dark anaerobic cells of Anacystis nidulans subjected to acid jumps and/or valinomycin pulses was characterized thermodynamically and kinetically. Maximum initial rates of 75 nmol ATP/min per mg dry weight at an applied proton motive force of -350 mV were obtained, the flow-force relationship (rate of ATP synthesis vs applied proton motive force) being linear between -240 and -320 mV irrespective of the source of the proton motive force. The pulse-induced ATP synthesis was inhibited by uncouplers (H+ ionophores) and F0F1-ATPase inhibitors but not by KCN or CO. In order to obtain maximum rates of pulse-induced ATP synthesis both a favorable stationary delta psi (-100 mV at pHo 9, preceding the acid jumps) and a favorable stationary delta pH (+2 units at pHo 4.1, preceding the valinomycin pulse) of the plasma membrane were obligatory, the effects of delta psi and delta pH being strictly additive. Moreover, the pulse-induced ATP synthesis required a minimum total proton motive force of -200 to -250 mV across the plasma membrane; it also required low preexisting phosphorylation potentials corresponding to -400 mV in dark anaerobic, i.e., energy-depleted, cells. The results are discussed in terms of both a reversible H+-ATPase and a respiratory electron transport system occurring in the plasma membrane of intact Anacystis nidulans.

LIDAR pulse coding for high resolution range imaging at improved refresh rate.

PubMed

Kim, Gunzung; Park, Yongwan

2016-10-17

In this study, a light detection and ranging system (LIDAR) was designed that codes pixel location information in its laser pulses using the direct- sequence optical code division multiple access (DS-OCDMA) method in conjunction with a scanning-based microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror. This LIDAR can constantly measure the distance without idle listening time for the return of reflected waves because its laser pulses include pixel location information encoded by applying the DS-OCDMA. Therefore, this emits in each bearing direction without waiting for the reflected wave to return. The MEMS mirror is used to deflect and steer the coded laser pulses in the desired bearing direction. The receiver digitizes the received reflected pulses using a low-temperature-grown (LTG) indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) based photoconductive antenna (PCA) and the time-to-digital converter (TDC) and demodulates them using the DS-OCDMA. When all of the reflected waves corresponding to the pixels forming a range image are received, the proposed LIDAR generates a point cloud based on the time-of-flight (ToF) of each reflected wave. The results of simulations performed on the proposed LIDAR are compared with simulations of existing LIDARs.

Toward a fractal spectrum approach for neutron and gamma pulse shape discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming-Zhe; Liu, Bing-Qi; Zuo, Zhuo; Wang, Lei; Zan, Gui-Bin; Tuo, Xian-Guo

2016-06-01

Accurately selecting neutron signals and discriminating γ signals from a mixed radiation field is a key research issue in neutron detection. This paper proposes a fractal spectrum discrimination approach by means of different spectral characteristics of neutrons and γ rays. Figure of merit and average discriminant error ratio are used together to evaluate the discrimination effects. Different neutron and γ signals with various noise and pulse pile-up are simulated according to real data in the literature. The proposed approach is compared with the digital charge integration and pulse gradient methods. It is found that the fractal approach exhibits the best discrimination performance, followed by the digital charge integration method and the pulse gradient method, respectively. The fractal spectrum approach is not sensitive to high frequency noise and pulse pile-up. This means that the proposed approach has superior performance for effective and efficient anti-noise and high discrimination in neutron detection. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41274109), Sichuan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Research Team (2015TD0020), Scientific and Technological Support Program of Sichuan Province (2013FZ0022), and the Creative Team Program of Chengdu University of Technology.

Inaccurate pulse CO-oximetry of carboxyhemoglobin due to digital clubbing: case report.

PubMed

Harlan, Nicole; Weaver, Lindell K; Deru, Kayla

2016-01-01

Newer pulse CO-oximeters provide a non-invasive and quick means of measuring oxyhemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin. Clubbing has been reported to cause inaccuracy in pulse oximeters. We present a case of inaccurate carboxy-hemoglobin measurement by pulse CO-oximetry due to digital clubbing. An 18-year-old man with a history of cystic fibrosis presented after a suicide attempt by inhalation of exhaust. At the initial emergency department evaluation, his blood carboxyhemoglobin was 33%. He was intubated, placed on 100% oxygen and transferred to our facility. Upon arrival, we placed three different pulse CO-oximeters on different fingers and toes. Carboxyhemoglobin levels measured by these meters ranged from 9%-11%. A venous blood gas drawn on arrival showed a carboxyhemoglobin level of 2.3% after four hours on 100% oxygen by endotracheal tube. Thirty minutes later, we checked arterial blood gas, which revealed a COHb level of 0.9%. Again, non-invasive carboxyhemoglobin measurements read 10%. The patient was treated with hyperbaric oxygen for carbon monoxide poisoning. This case suggests that non-invasive measurements of carboxyhemoglobin should be correlated with the clinic history and with an arterial or venous blood gas oximetry analysis.

Development of microcontroller based water flow measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munir, Muhammad Miftahul; Surachman, Arif; Fathonah, Indra Wahyudin; Billah, Muhammad Aziz; Khairurrijal, Mahfudz, Hernawan; Rimawan, Ririn; Lestari, Slamet

2015-04-01

A digital instrument for measuring water flow was developed using an AT89S52 microcontroller, DS1302 real time clock (RTC), and EEPROM for an external memory. The sensor used for probing the current was a propeller that will rotate if immersed in a water flow. After rotating one rotation, the sensor sends one pulse and the number of pulses are counted for a certain time of counting. The measurement data, i.e. the number of pulses per unit time, are converted into water flow velocity (m/s) through a mathematical formula. The microcontroller counts the pulse sent by the sensor and the number of counted pulses are stored into the EEPROM memory. The time interval for counting is provided by the RTC and can be set by the operator. The instrument was tested under various time intervals ranging from 10 to 40 seconds and several standard propellers owned by Experimental Station for Hydraulic Structure and Geotechnics (BHGK), Research Institute for Water Resources (Pusair). Using the same propellers and water flows, it was shown that water flow velocities obtained from the developed digital instrument and those found by the provided analog one are almost similar.

Intelligent Robotic Systems Study (IRSS), phase 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Under the Intelligent Robotics Systems Study (IRSS), a generalized robotic control architecture was developed for use with the ProtoFlight Manipulator Arm (PFMA). Based upon the NASREM system design concept, the controller built for the PFMA provides localized position based force control, teleoperation, and advanced path recording and playback capabilities. The PFMA has six computer controllable degrees of freedom (DOF) plus a 7th manually indexable DOF, making the manipulator a pseudo 7 DOF mechanism. Joints on the PFMA are driven via 7 pulse width modulated amplifiers. Digital control of the PFMA is implemented using a variety of single board computers. There were two major activities under the IRSS phase 4 study: (1) enhancement of the PFMA control system software functionality; and (2) evaluation of operating modes via a teleoperation performance study. These activities are described and results are given.

Ultra-narrow pulse generator with precision-adjustable pulse width

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Zaiming; Liu, Hanglin

2018-05-01

In this paper, a novel ultra-narrow pulse generation approach is proposed. It is based on the decomposition and synthesis of pulse edges. Through controlling their relative delay, an ultra-narrow pulse could be generated. By employing field programmable gate array digital synthesis technology, the implemented pulse generator is with programmable ability. The amplitude of pulse signals is controlled by the radio frequency amplifiers and bias tees, and high precision can be achieved. More importantly, the proposed approach can break through the limitation of device's propagation delay and optimize the resolution and the accuracy of the pulse width significantly. The implemented pulse generator has two channels, whose minimum pulse width, frequency range, and amplitude range are 100 ps, 15 MHz-1.5 GHz, and 0.1 Vpp-1.8 Vpp, respectively. Both resolution of pulse width and channel delay are 1 ps, and amplitude resolution is 10 mVpp.

Multi-finger Prehension: An overview

PubMed Central

Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2009-01-01

This paper reviews the available experimental evidence on what people do when they grasp an object with several digits and then manipulate it. In addition to the Introduction, the paper includes three parts each addressing a specific aspect of multi-finger prehension. Part II discusses manipulation forces, i.e. the resultant force and moment of force exerted on the object, and the digits contribution to such force production. Part III deals with internal forces defined as forces that cancel each other and do not disturb object equilibrium. The role of the internal forces in maintaining the object stability is discussed with respect to such issues as slip prevention, tilt prevention and resistance to perturbations. Part IV is devoted to the motor control of prehension. It covers such topics as prehension synergies, chain effects, the principle of superposition, inter-finger connection matrices and reconstruction of neural commands, mechanical advantage of the fingers, and the simultaneous digit adjustment to several mutually reinforcing or conflicting demands. PMID:18782719

Biased-probe-induced water ion injection into amorphous polymers investigated by electric force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knorr, Nikolaus; Rosselli, Silvia; Miteva, Tzenka; Nelles, Gabriele

2009-06-01

Although charging of insulators by atomic force microscopy (AFM) has found widespread interest, often with data storage or nanoxerography in mind, less attention has been paid to the charging mechanism and the nature of the charge. Here we present a systematic study on charging of amorphous polymer films by voltage pulses applied to conducting AFM probes. We find a quadratic space charge limited current law of Kelvin probe force microscopy and electrostatic force microscopy peak volumes in pulse height, offset by a threshold voltage, and a power law in pulse width of positive exponents smaller than one. We interpret the results by a charging mechanism of injection and surface near accumulation of aqueous ions stemming from field induced water adsorption, with threshold voltages linked to the water affinities of the polymers.

Fast counting electronics for neutron coincidence counting

DOEpatents

Swansen, James E.

1987-01-01

An amplifier-discriminator is tailored to output a very short pulse upon an above-threshold input from a detector which may be a .sup.3 He detector. The short pulse output is stretched and energizes a light emitting diode (LED) to provide a visual output of operation and pulse detection. The short pulse is further fed to a digital section for processing and possible ORing with other like generated pulses. Finally, the output (or ORed output ) is fed to a derandomizing buffer which converts the rapidly and randomly occurring pulses into synchronized and periodically spaced-apart pulses for the accurate counting thereof. Provision is also made for the internal and external disabling of each individual channel of amplifier-discriminators in an ORed plurality of same.

Fast counting electronics for neutron coincidence counting

DOEpatents

Swansen, J.E.

1985-03-05

An amplifier-discriminator is tailored to output a very short pulse upon an above-threshold input from a detector which may be a /sup 3/He detector. The short pulse output is stretched and energizes a light emitting diode (LED) to provide a visual output of operation and pulse detection. The short pulse is further fed to a digital section for processing and possible ORing with other like generated pulses. Finally, the output (or ORed output) is fed to a derandomizing buffer which converts the rapidly and randomly occurring pulses into synchronized and periodically spaced-apart pulses for the accurate counting thereof. Provision is also made for the internal and external disabling of each individual channel of amplifier-discriminators in an ORed plurality of same.

Dynamic pulse difference circuit

DOEpatents

Erickson, Gerald L.

1978-01-01

A digital electronic circuit of especial use for subtracting background activity pulses in gamma spectrometry comprises an up-down counter connected to count up with signal-channel pulses and to count down with background-channel pulses. A detector responsive to the count position of the up-down counter provides a signal when the up-down counter has completed one scaling sequence cycle of counts in the up direction. In an alternate embodiment, a detector responsive to the count position of the up-down counter provides a signal upon overflow of the counter.

Entropy Production Within a Pulsed Bose-Einstein Condensate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinisch, Christoph; Holthaus, Martin

2016-10-01

We suggest to subject anharmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensates to sinusoidal forcing with a smooth, slowly changing envelope, and to measure the coherence of the system after such pulses. In a series of measurements with successively increased maximum forcing strength, one then expects an adiabatic return of the condensate to its initial state as long as the pulses remain sufficiently weak. In contrast, once the maximum driving amplitude exceeds a certain critical value there should be a drastic loss of coherence, reflecting significant heating induced by the pulse. This predicted experimental signature is traced to the loss of an effective adiabatic invariant, and to the ensuing breakdown of adiabatic motion of the system's Floquet state when the many-body dynamics become chaotic. Our scenario is illustrated with the help of a two-site model of a forced bosonic Josephson junction, but should also hold for other, experimentally accessible configurations.

Multifunction audio digitizer. [producing direct delta and pulse code modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monford, L. G., Jr. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

An illustrative embodiment of the invention includes apparatus which simultaneously produces both direct delta modulation and pulse code modulation. An input signal, after amplification, is supplied to a window comparator which supplies a polarity control signal to gate the output of a clock to the appropriate input of a binary up-down counter. The control signals provide direct delta modulation while the up-down counter output provides pulse code modulation.

Accuracy of Noninvasive Hemoglobin Monitoring in Patients at Risk for Hemorrhage

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

a noninvasive, spectrophotometry-based moni- toring technology (Radical-7 Pulse CO- Oximeter ; Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA) that provides continuous Hgb...sensor. The sensor was placed on the first or second digit on the hand opposite the clinical pulse oximeter sensor whenever possible. If the need arose...in a method similar to conventional pulse oximetry. Transmitted light is captured by photodiode receptor and ana- lyzed to create an analog signal that

A digital transducer and digital microphone using an optical technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghelmansarai, F. A.

1996-09-01

A transducer is devised to measure pressure, displacements or angles by optical means. This transducer delivers a digital output without relying on interferometry techniques or analogue-to-digital converters. This device is based on an optical scanner and an optical detector. An inter-digital photoconductive detector (IDPC) is employed that delivers a series of pulses, whose number depends on the scan length. A pre-objective scanning configuration is used that allows for the possibility of a flat image plane. The optical scanner provides scanning of IDPC and the generated scan length is proportional to the measurand.

A novel digital pulse processing architecture for nuclear instrumentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moline, Yoann; Thevenin, Mathieu; Corre, Gwenole

The field of nuclear instrumentation covers a wide range of applications, including counting, spectrometry, pulse shape discrimination and multi-channel coincidence. These applications are the topic of many researches, new algorithms and implementations are constantly proposed thanks to advances in digital signal processing. However, these improvements are not yet implemented in instrumentation devices. This is especially true for neutron-gamma discrimination applications which traditionally use charge comparison method while literature proposes other algorithms based on frequency domain or wavelet theory which show better performances. Another example is pileups which are generally rejected while pileup correction algorithms also exist. These processes are traditionallymore » performed offline due to two issues. The first is the Poissonian characteristic of the signal, composed of random arrival pulses which requires to current architectures to work in data flow. The second is the real-time requirement, which implies losing pulses when the pulse rate is too high. Despite the possibility of treating the pulses independently from each other, current architectures paralyze the acquisition of the signal during the processing of a pulse. This loss is called dead-time. These two issues have led current architectures to use dedicated solutions based on re-configurable components like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to overcome the need of performance necessary to deal with dead-time. However, dedicated hardware algorithm implementations on re-configurable technologies are complex and time-consuming. For all these reasons, a programmable Digital pulse Processing (DPP) architecture in a high level language such as Cor C++ which can reduce dead-time would be worthwhile for nuclear instrumentation. This would reduce prototyping and test duration by reducing the level of hardware expertise to implement new algorithms. However, today's programmable solutions do not meet the need of performance to operate online and not allow scaling with the increase in the number of measurement channel. That is why an innovative DPP architecture is proposed in this paper. This architecture is able to overcome dead-time while being programmable and is flexible with the number of measurement channel. Proposed architecture is based on an innovative execution model for pulse processing applications which can be summarized as follow. The signal is not composed of pulses only, consequently, pulses processing does not have to operate on the entire signal. Therefore, the first step of our proposal is pulse extraction by the use of dedicated components named pulse extractors. The triggering step can be achieved after the analog-to-digital conversion without any signal shaping or filtering stages. Pileup detection and accurate pulse time stamping are done at this stage. Any application downstream this step can work on adaptive variable-sized array of samples simplifying pulse processing methods. Then, once the data flow is broken, it is possible to distribute pulses on Functional Units (FUs) which perform processing. As the date of each pulse is known, they can be processed individually out-of-order to provide the results. To manage the pulses distribution, a scheduler and an interconnection network are used. pulses are distributed on the first FU which is not busy without congesting the interconnection network. For this reason, the process duration does not result anymore in dead-time if there are enough FUs. FUs are designed to be standalone and to comprises at least a programmable general purpose processor (ARM, Microblaze) allowing the implementation of complex algorithms without any modification of the hardware. An acquisition chain is composed of a succession of algorithms which lead to organize our FUs as a software macro-pipeline, A simple approach consists in assigning one algorithm per FU. Consequently, the global latency becomes the worst latency of algorithms execution on FU. Moreover, as algorithms are executed locally - i.e. on a FU - this approach limits shared memory requirement. To handle multichannel, we propose FUs sharing, this approach maximize the chance to find a non-busy FU to process an incoming pulse. This is possible since each channel receive random event independently, the pulse extractors associated to them do not necessarily need to access simultaneously to all Computing resources at the same time to distribute their pulses. The major contribution of this paper is the proposition of an execution model and its associated hardware programmable architecture for digital pulse processing that can handle multiple acquisition channels while maintaining the scalability thanks to the use of shared resources. This execution model and associated architecture are validated by simulation of a cycle accurate architecture SystemC model. Proposed architecture shows promising results in terms of scalability while maintaining zero dead-time. This work also permit the sizing of hardware resources requirement required for a predefined set of applications. Future work will focus on the interconnection network and a scheduling policy that can exploit the variable-length of pulses. Then, the hardware implementation of this architecture will be performed and tested for a representative set of application.« less

Turbulent Mixing Layer Control using Ns-DBD Plasma Actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ashish; Little, Jesse

2016-11-01

A low speed turbulent mixing layer (Reθo =1282, U1 /U2 = 0 . 28 and U2 = 11 . 8 m / s) is subject to nanosecond pulse driven dielectric barrier discharge (ns-DBD) plasma actuation. The forcing frequency corresponds to a Strouhal number (St) of 0.032 which is the most amplified frequency based on stability theory. Flow response is studied as a function of the pulse energy, the energy input time scale (carrier frequency) and the duration of actuation (duty cycle). It is found that successful actuation requires a combination of forcing parameters. An evaluation of the forcing efficacy is achieved by examining different flow quantities such as momentum thickness, vorticity and velocity fluctuations. In accordance with past work, a dependence is found between the initial shear layer thickness and the energy coupled to the flow. More complex relationships are also revealed such as a limitation on the maximum pulse energy which yields control. Also, the pulse energy and the carrier frequency (inverse of period between successive pulses) are interdependent whereby an optimum exists between them and extreme values of either parameter is inconsonant with the control desired. These observations establish a rich and complex process behind ns-DBD plasma actuation. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-12-1-0044).

Parallel PWMs Based Fully Digital Transmitter with Wide Carrier Frequency Range

PubMed Central

Zhou, Bo; Zhang, Kun; Zhou, Wenbiao; Zhang, Yanjun; Liu, Dake

2013-01-01

The carrier-frequency (CF) and intermediate-frequency (IF) pulse-width modulators (PWMs) based on delay lines are proposed, where baseband signals are conveyed by both positions and pulse widths or densities of the carrier clock. By combining IF-PWM and precorrected CF-PWM, a fully digital transmitter with unit-delay autocalibration is implemented in 180 nm CMOS for high reconfiguration. The proposed architecture achieves wide CF range of 2 M–1 GHz, high power efficiency of 70%, and low error vector magnitude (EVM) of 3%, with spectrum purity of 20 dB optimized in comparison to the existing designs. PMID:24223503

Double-pulse digital speckle pattern interferometry for vibration analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Dazhi; Xue, Jingfeng; Chen, Lu; Wen, Juying; Wang, Jingjing

2014-12-01

The double-pulse Digital Speckle Pattern Interferometry (DSPI) in the laboratory is established. Two good performances have been achieved at the same time, which is uniform distribution of laser beam energy by space filter and recording two successive pictures by a CCD camera successfully. Then two-dimensional discrete orthogonal wavelet transform method is used for the process of filtering method. By using the DSPI, speckle pattern of a vibrated object is obtained with interval of (2~800)μs, and 3D plot of the transient vibration is achieved. Moreover, good agreements of the mode shapes and displacement are obtained by comparing with Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) .

Changes in optical properties of electroporated cells as revealed by digital holographic microscopy

PubMed Central

Calin, Violeta L.; Mihailescu, Mona; Mihale, Nicolae; Baluta, Alexandra V.; Kovacs, Eugenia; Savopol, Tudor; Moisescu, Mihaela G.

2017-01-01

Changes in optical and shape-related characteristics of B16F10 cells after electroporation were investigated using digital holographic microscopy (DHM). Bipolar rectangular pulses specific for electrochemotherapy were used. Electroporation was performed in an “off-axis” DHM set-up without using exogenous markers. Two types of cell parameters were monitored seconds and minutes after pulse train application: parameters addressing a specifically defined area of the cell (refractive index and cell height) and global cell parameters (projected area, optical phase shift profile and dry mass). The biphasic behavior of cellular parameters was explained by water and mannitol dynamics through the electropermeabilized cell membrane. PMID:28736667

Instrument for the measurement and determination of chemical pulse column parameters

DOEpatents

Marchant, Norman J.; Morgan, John P.

1990-01-01

An instrument for monitoring and measuring pneumatic driving force pulse parameters applied to chemical separation pulse columns obtains real time pulse frequency and root mean square amplitude values, calculates column inch values and compares these values against preset limits to alert column operators to the variations of pulse column operational parameters beyond desired limits.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joyce, M. J.; Aspinall, M. D.; Cave, F. D.

Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) in fast, organic scintillation detectors is a long-established technique used to separate neutrons and {gamma} rays in mixed radiation fields. In the analogue domain the method can achieve separation in real time, but all knowledge of the pulses themselves is lost thereby preventing the possibility of any post- or repeated analysis. Also, it is typically reliant on electronic systems that are largely obsolete and which require significant experience to set up. In the digital domain, PSD is often more flexible but significant post-processing has usually been necessary to obtain neutron/{gamma}-ray separation. Moreover, the scintillation media on whichmore » the technique relies usually have a low flash point and are thus deemed hazardous. This complicates the ease with which they are used in industrial applications. In this paper, results obtained with a new portable digital pulse-shape discrimination instrument are described. This instrument provides real-time, digital neutron/{gamma} separation whilst preserving the synchronization with the time-of-arrival for each event, and realizing throughputs of 3 x 10{sup 6} events per second. Furthermore, this system has been tested with a scintillation medium that is non-flammable and not hazardous. (authors)« less

Improved neutron-gamma discrimination for a {sup 6}Li-glass neutron detector using digital signal analysis methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, C. L., E-mail: wangc@ornl.gov; Riedel, R. A.

2016-01-15

A {sup 6}Li-glass scintillator (GS20) based neutron Anger camera was developed for time-of-flight single-crystal diffraction instruments at Spallation Neutron Source. Traditional Pulse-Height Analysis (PHA) for Neutron-Gamma Discrimination (NGD) resulted in the neutron-gamma efficiency ratio (defined as NGD ratio) on the order of 10{sup 4}. The NGD ratios of Anger cameras need to be improved for broader applications including neutron reflectometers. For this purpose, six digital signal analysis methods of individual waveforms acquired from photomultiplier tubes were proposed using (i) charge integration, (ii) pulse-amplitude histograms, (iii) power spectrum analysis combined with the maximum pulse-amplitude, (iv) two event parameters (a{sub 1}, b{submore » 0}) obtained from a Wiener filter, (v) an effective amplitude (m) obtained from an adaptive least-mean-square filter, and (vi) a cross-correlation coefficient between individual and reference waveforms. The NGD ratios are about 70 times those from the traditional PHA method. Our results indicate the NGD capabilities of neutron Anger cameras based on GS20 scintillators can be significantly improved with digital signal analysis methods.« less

Modelling the isometric force response to multiple pulse stimuli in locust skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Wilson, Emma; Rustighi, Emiliano; Mace, Brian R; Newland, Philip L

2011-02-01

An improved model of locust skeletal muscle will inform on the general behaviour of invertebrate and mammalian muscle with the eventual aim of improving biomedical models of human muscles, embracing prosthetic construction and muscle therapy. In this article, the isometric response of the locust hind leg extensor muscle to input pulse trains is investigated. Experimental data was collected by stimulating the muscle directly and measuring the force at the tibia. The responses to constant frequency stimulus trains of various frequencies and number of pulses were decomposed into the response to each individual stimulus. Each individual pulse response was then fitted to a model, it being assumed that the response to each pulse could be approximated as an impulse response and was linear, no assumption were made about the model order. When the interpulse frequency (IPF) was low and the number of pulses in the train small, a second-order model provided a good fit to each pulse. For moderate IPF or for long pulse trains a linear third-order model provided a better fit to the response to each pulse. The fit using a second-order model deteriorated with increasing IPF. When the input comprised higher IPFs with a large number of pulses the assumptions that the response was linear could not be confirmed. A generalised model is also presented. This model is second-order, and contains two nonlinear terms. The model is able to capture the force response to a range of inputs. This includes cases where the input comprised of higher frequency pulse trains and the assumption of quasi-linear behaviour could not be confirmed.

Interpersonal synergies: static prehension tasks performed by two actors.

PubMed

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2016-08-01

We investigated multidigit synergies stabilizing components of the resultant force vector during joint performance of a static prehension task by two persons as compared to similar tasks performed by a single person using both hands. Subjects transferred the instrumented handle from the right hand to the left hand (one-person condition) or passed that handle to another person (two-person condition) while keeping the handle's position and orientation stationary. Only three digits were involved per hand, the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger; the forces and moments produced by the digits were measured by six-component sensors. We estimated the performance-stabilizing synergies within the uncontrolled manifold framework by quantifying the intertrial variance structure of digit forces and moments. The analysis was performed at three levels: between hands, between virtual finger and virtual thumb (imagined digits producing the same mechanical variables as the corresponding actual digits combined) produced by the two hands (in both interpersonal and intrapersonal conditions), and between the thumb and virtual finger for one hand only. Additionally, we performed correlation and phase synchronization analyses of resultant tangential forces and internal normal forces. Overall, the one-person conditions were characterized by higher amount of intertrial variance that did not affect resultant normal force components, higher internal components of normal forces, and stronger synchronization of the normal forces generated by the hands. Our observations suggest that in two-person tasks, when participants try to achieve a common mechanical outcome, the performance-stabilizing synergies depend on non-visual information exchange, possibly via the haptic and proprioceptive systems. Therefore, synergies quantified in tasks using visual feedback only may not be generalizable to more natural tasks.

Optical fiber repeatered transmission systems utilizing SAW filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, R. L.; Ross, D. G.; Trischitta, P. R.; Fishman, D. A.; Armitage, C. B.

1983-05-01

Baseband digital transmission-line systems capable of signaling rates of several hundred to several thousand Mbit/s are presently being developed around the world. The pulse regeneration process is gated by a timing wave which is synchronous with the symbol rate of the arriving pulse stream. Synchronization is achieved by extracting a timing wave from the arriving pulse stream, itself. To date, surface acoustic-wave (SAW) filters have been widely adopted for timing recovery in the in-line regenerators of high-bit-rate systems. The present investigation has the objective to acquaint the SAW community in general, and SAW filter suppliers in particular, with the requirements for timing recovery filters in repeatered digital transmission systems. Attention is given to the system structure, the timing loop function, the system requirements affecting the timing-recovery filter, the decision process, timing jitter accumulation, the filter 'ringing' requirement, and aspects of reliability.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lombigit, L., E-mail: lojius@nm.gov.my; Yussup, N., E-mail: nolida@nm.gov.my; Ibrahim, Maslina Mohd

A digital n/γ pulse shape discrimination (PSD) system is currently under development at Instrumentation and Automation Centre, Malaysian Nuclear Agency. This system aims at simultaneous detection of fast neutron and gamma ray in mixed radiations environment. This work reports the system characterization performed on the liquid scintillation detector (BC-501A) and digital pulse shape discrimination (DPSD) system. The characterization involves measurement of electron light output from the BC-501A detector and energy channels calibration of the pulse height spectra acquired with DPSD system using set of photon reference sources. The main goal of this experiment is to calibrate the ADC channel ofmore » our DPSD system, characterized the BC-501 detector and find the position of Compton edge which later could be used as threshold for the n/γ PSD experiment. The detector resolution however is worse as compared to other published data but it is expected as our detector has a smaller active volume.« less

A magnetic gradient induced force in NMR restricted diffusion experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghadirian, Bahman; Stait-Gardner, Tim; Castillo, Reynaldo

2014-03-28

We predict that the phase cancellation of a precessing magnetisation field carried by a diffusing species in a bounded geometry under certain nuclear magnetic resonance pulsed magnetic field gradient sequences results in a small force over typically micrometre length scales. Our calculations reveal that the total magnetisation energy in a pore under the influence of a pulsed gradient will be distance-dependent thus resulting in a force acting on the boundary. It is shown that this effect of the magnetisation of diffusing particles will appear as either an attractive or repulsive force depending on the geometry of the pore and magneticmore » properties of the material. A detailed analysis is performed for the case of a pulsed gradient spin-echo experiment on parallel planes. It is shown that the force decays exponentially in terms of the spin-spin relaxation. The proof is based on classical electrodynamics. An application of this effect to soft matter is suggested.« less

Simultaneous beta and gamma spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Farsoni, Abdollah T.; Hamby, David M.

2010-03-23

A phoswich radiation detector for simultaneous spectroscopy of beta rays and gamma rays includes three scintillators with different decay time characteristics. Two of the three scintillators are used for beta detection and the third scintillator is used for gamma detection. A pulse induced by an interaction of radiation with the detector is digitally analyzed to classify the type of event as beta, gamma, or unknown. A pulse is classified as a beta event if the pulse originated from just the first scintillator alone or from just the first and the second scintillator. A pulse from just the third scintillator is recorded as gamma event. Other pulses are rejected as unknown events.

Sensing mode atomic force microscope

DOEpatents

Hough, Paul V. C.; Wang, Chengpu

2003-01-01

An atomic force microscope utilizes a pulse release system and improved method of operation to minimize contact forces between a probe tip affixed to a flexible cantilever and a specimen being measured. The pulse release system includes a magnetic particle affixed proximate the probe tip and an electromagnetic coil. When energized, the electromagnetic coil generates a magnetic field which applies a driving force on the magnetic particle sufficient to overcome adhesive forces exhibited between the probe tip and specimen. The atomic force microscope includes two independently displaceable piezo elements operable along a Z-axis. A controller drives the first Z-axis piezo element to provide a controlled approach between the probe tip and specimen up to a point of contact between the probe tip and specimen. The controller then drives the first Z-axis piezo element to withdraw the cantilever from the specimen. The controller also activates the pulse release system which drives the probe tip away from the specimen during withdrawal. Following withdrawal, the controller adjusts the height of the second Z-axis piezo element to maintain a substantially constant approach distance between successive samples.

Three degree-of-freedom force feedback control for robotic mating of umbilical lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fullmer, R. Rees

1988-01-01

The use of robotic manipulators for the mating and demating of umbilical fuel lines to the Space Shuttle Vehicle prior to launch is investigated. Force feedback control is necessary to minimize the contact forces which develop during mating. The objective is to develop and demonstrate a working robotic force control system. Initial experimental force control tests with an ASEA IRB-90 industrial robot using the system's Adaptive Control capabilities indicated that control stability would by a primary problem. An investigation of the ASEA system showed a 0.280 second software delay between force input commands and the output of command voltages to the servo system. This computational delay was identified as the primary cause of the instability. Tests on a second path into the ASEA's control computer using the MicroVax II supervisory computer show that time delay would be comparable, offering no stability improvement. An alternative approach was developed where the digital control system of the robot was disconnected and an analog electronic force controller was used to control the robot's servosystem directly, allowing the robot to use force feedback control while in rigid contact with a moving three-degree-of-freedom target. An alternative approach was developed where the digital control system of the robot was disconnected and an analog electronic force controller was used to control the robot's servo system directly. This method allowed the robot to use force feedback control while in rigid contact with moving three degree-of-freedom target. Tests on this approach indicated adequate force feedback control even under worst case conditions. A strategy to digitally-controlled vision system was developed. This requires switching between the digital controller when using vision control and the analog controller when using force control, depending on whether or not the mating plates are in contact.

Ultrastable automatic frequency control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabourin, D. J.; Furiga, A.

1981-01-01

Center frequency of wideband AFC circuit drifts only hundredths of percent per day. Since circuit responds only to slow frequency drifts and modulation signal has high-pass characteristics, AFC does not interfere with normal FM operation. Stable oscillator, reset circuit, and pulse generator constitute time-averaging discriminator; digital counter in pulse generator replaces usual monostable multivibrator.

Development of channel organization and roughness following sediment pulses in single‐thread, gravel bed rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madej, Mary Ann

2001-01-01

Large, episodic inputs of coarse sediment (sediment pulses) in forested, mountain streams may result in changes in the size and arrangement of bed forms and in channel roughness. A conceptual model of channel organization delineates trajectories of response to sediment pulses for many types of gravel bed channels. Channels exhibited self‐organizing behavior to various degrees based on channel gradient, presence of large in‐channel wood or other forcing elements, the size of the sediment pulse, and the number of bed‐mobilizing flows since disturbance. Typical channel changes following a sediment pulse were initial decreases in water depth, in variability of bed elevations, and in the regularity of bed form spacing. Trajectories of change subsequently showed increased average water depth, more variable and complex bed topography, and increased uniformity of bed form spacing. Bed form spacing in streams with abundant forcing elements developed at a shorter spatial scale (two to five channel widths) than in streams without such forcing mechanisms (five to 10 channel widths). Channel roughness increased as bed forms developed.

Digitally controlled chirped pulse laser for sub-terahertz-range fiber structure interrogation.

PubMed

Chen, Zhen; Hefferman, Gerald; Wei, Tao

2017-03-01

This Letter reports a sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator controlled using a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) circuit. This design is used for the interrogation of sub-terahertz-range fiber structures for sensing applications that require real-time data collection with millimeter-level spatial resolution. A distributed feedback laser was employed to generate chirped laser pulses via injection current modulation. A DPLL circuit was developed to lock the optical frequency sweep velocity. A high-quality linearly chirped laser pulse with a frequency excursion of 117.69 GHz at an optical communication band was demonstrated. The system was further adopted to interrogate a continuously distributed sub-terahertz-range fiber structure (sub-THz-fs) for sensing applications. A strain test was conducted in which the sub-THz-fs showed a linear response to longitudinal strain change with predicted sensitivity. Additionally, temperature testing was conducted in which a heat source was used to generate a temperature distribution along the fiber structure to demonstrate its distributed sensing capability. A Gaussian temperature profile was measured using the described system and tracked in real time, as the heat source was moved.

A Single-Chip CMOS Pulse Oximeter with On-Chip Lock-In Detection.

PubMed

He, Diwei; Morgan, Stephen P; Trachanis, Dimitrios; van Hese, Jan; Drogoudis, Dimitris; Fummi, Franco; Stefanni, Francesco; Guarnieri, Valerio; Hayes-Gill, Barrie R

2015-07-14

Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive and continuous method for monitoring the blood oxygen saturation level. This paper presents the design and testing of a single-chip pulse oximeter fabricated in a 0.35 µm CMOS process. The chip includes photodiode, transimpedance amplifier, analogue band-pass filters, analogue-to-digital converters, digital signal processor and LED timing control. The experimentally measured AC and DC characteristics of individual circuits including the DC output voltage of the transimpedance amplifier, transimpedance gain of the transimpedance amplifier, and the central frequency and bandwidth of the analogue band-pass filters, show a good match (within 1%) with the circuit simulations. With modulated light source and integrated lock-in detection the sensor effectively suppresses the interference from ambient light and 1/f noise. In a breath hold and release experiment the single chip sensor demonstrates consistent and comparable performance to commercial pulse oximetry devices with a mean of 1.2% difference. The single-chip sensor enables a compact and robust design solution that offers a route towards wearable devices for health monitoring.

In-situ Testing of the EHT High Gain and Frequency Ultra-Stable Integrators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Kenneth; Ziemba, Timothy; Prager, James; Slobodov, Ilia; Lotz, Dan

2014-10-01

Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) has developed a long-pulse integrator that exceeds the ITER specification for integration error and pulse duration. During the Phase I program, EHT improved the RPPL short-pulse integrators, added a fast digital reset, and demonstrated that the new integrators exceed the ITER integration error and pulse duration requirements. In Phase II, EHT developed Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) software that allows for integrator control and real-time signal digitization and processing. In the second year of Phase II, the EHT integrator will be tested at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). In the Phase IIB program, EHT will continue development of the EHT integrator to reduce overall cost per channel. EHT will test lower cost components, move to surface mount components, and add an onboard Field Programmable Gate Array and data acquisition to produce a stand-alone system with lower cost per channel and increased the channel density. EHT will test the Phase IIB integrator at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). Work supported by the DOE under Contract Number (DE-SC0006281).

A Single-Chip CMOS Pulse Oximeter with On-Chip Lock-In Detection

PubMed Central

He, Diwei; Morgan, Stephen P.; Trachanis, Dimitrios; van Hese, Jan; Drogoudis, Dimitris; Fummi, Franco; Stefanni, Francesco; Guarnieri, Valerio; Hayes-Gill, Barrie R.

2015-01-01

Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive and continuous method for monitoring the blood oxygen saturation level. This paper presents the design and testing of a single-chip pulse oximeter fabricated in a 0.35 µm CMOS process. The chip includes photodiode, transimpedance amplifier, analogue band-pass filters, analogue-to-digital converters, digital signal processor and LED timing control. The experimentally measured AC and DC characteristics of individual circuits including the DC output voltage of the transimpedance amplifier, transimpedance gain of the transimpedance amplifier, and the central frequency and bandwidth of the analogue band-pass filters, show a good match (within 1%) with the circuit simulations. With modulated light source and integrated lock-in detection the sensor effectively suppresses the interference from ambient light and 1/f noise. In a breath hold and release experiment the single chip sensor demonstrates consistent and comparable performance to commercial pulse oximetry devices with a mean of 1.2% difference. The single-chip sensor enables a compact and robust design solution that offers a route towards wearable devices for health monitoring. PMID:26184225

Kilohertz binary phase modulator for pulsed laser sources using a digital micromirror device.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Maximilian; Papadopoulos, Ioannis N; Judkewitz, Benjamin

2018-01-01

The controlled modulation of an optical wavefront is required for aberration correction, digital phase conjugation, or patterned photostimulation. For most of these applications, it is desirable to control the wavefront modulation at the highest rates possible. The digital micromirror device (DMD) presents a cost-effective solution to achieve high-speed modulation and often exceeds the speed of the more conventional liquid crystal spatial light modulator but is inherently an amplitude modulator. Furthermore, spatial dispersion caused by DMD diffraction complicates its use with pulsed laser sources, such as those used in nonlinear microscopy. Here we introduce a DMD-based optical design that overcomes these limitations and achieves dispersion-free high-speed binary phase modulation. We show that this phase modulation can be used to switch through binary phase patterns at the rate of 20 kHz in two-photon excitation fluorescence applications.

Kilohertz binary phase modulator for pulsed laser sources using a digital micromirror device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Maximilian; Papadopoulos, Ioannis N.; Judkewitz, Benjamin

2018-01-01

The controlled modulation of an optical wavefront is required for aberration correction, digital phase conjugation or patterned photostimulation. For most of these applications it is desirable to control the wavefront modulation at the highest rates possible. The digital micromirror device (DMD) presents a cost-effective solution to achieve high-speed modulation and often exceeds the speed of the more conventional liquid crystal spatial light modulator, but is inherently an amplitude modulator. Furthermore, spatial dispersion caused by DMD diffraction complicates its use with pulsed laser sources, such as those used in nonlinear microscopy. Here we introduce a DMD-based optical design that overcomes these limitations and achieves dispersion-free high-speed binary phase modulation. We show that this phase modulation can be used to switch through binary phase patterns at the rate of 20 kHz in two-photon excitation fluorescence applications.

Note: A short-pulse high-intensity molecular beam valve based on a piezoelectric stack actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeysekera, Chamara; Joalland, Baptiste; Shi, Yuanyuan; Kamasah, Alexander; Oldham, James M.; Suits, Arthur G.

2014-11-01

Solenoid and piezoelectric disk valves, which are widely used to generate molecular beam pulses, still suffer from significant restrictions, such as pulse durations typically >50 μs, low repetition rates, and limited gas flows and operational times. Much of this arises owing to the limited forces these actuators can achieve. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new pulsed valve based on a high-force piezoelectric stack actuator. We show here that operation with pulse durations as low as 20 μs and repetition rates up to 100 Hz can be easily achieved by operating the valve in conjunction with a commercial fast high-voltage switch. We outline our design and demonstrate its performance with molecular beam characterization via velocity map ion imaging.

Note: a short-pulse high-intensity molecular beam valve based on a piezoelectric stack actuator.

PubMed

Abeysekera, Chamara; Joalland, Baptiste; Shi, Yuanyuan; Kamasah, Alexander; Oldham, James M; Suits, Arthur G

2014-11-01

Solenoid and piezoelectric disk valves, which are widely used to generate molecular beam pulses, still suffer from significant restrictions, such as pulse durations typically >50 μs, low repetition rates, and limited gas flows and operational times. Much of this arises owing to the limited forces these actuators can achieve. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new pulsed valve based on a high-force piezoelectric stack actuator. We show here that operation with pulse durations as low as 20 μs and repetition rates up to 100 Hz can be easily achieved by operating the valve in conjunction with a commercial fast high-voltage switch. We outline our design and demonstrate its performance with molecular beam characterization via velocity map ion imaging.

The possibility of multi-layer nanofabrication via atomic force microscope-based pulse electrochemical nanopatterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Uk Su; Morita, Noboru; Lee, Deug Woo; Jun, Martin; Park, Jeong Woo

2017-05-01

Pulse electrochemical nanopatterning, a non-contact scanning probe lithography process using ultrashort voltage pulses, is based primarily on an electrochemical machining process using localized electrochemical oxidation between a sharp tool tip and the sample surface. In this study, nanoscale oxide patterns were formed on silicon Si (100) wafer surfaces via electrochemical surface nanopatterning, by supplying external pulsed currents through non-contact atomic force microscopy. Nanoscale oxide width and height were controlled by modulating the applied pulse duration. Additionally, protruding nanoscale oxides were removed completely by simple chemical etching, showing a depressed pattern on the sample substrate surface. Nanoscale two-dimensional oxides, prepared by a localized electrochemical reaction, can be defined easily by controlling physical and electrical variables, before proceeding further to a layer-by-layer nanofabrication process.

Recursive Algorithms for Real-Time Digital CR-RCn Pulse Shaping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakhostin, M.

2011-10-01

This paper reports on recursive algorithms for real-time implementation of CR-(RC)n filters in digital nuclear spectroscopy systems. The algorithms are derived by calculating the Z-transfer function of the filters for filter orders up to n=4 . The performances of the filters are compared with the performance of the conventional digital trapezoidal filter using a noise generator which separately generates pure series, 1/f and parallel noise. The results of our study enable one to select the optimum digital filter for different noise and rate conditions.

A Simulation Program with Latency Exploitation for the Transient Analysis of Digital Circuits.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

PW PER) Examples: VIN 3 0 PULSE(-5 5 iNS iNS iNS 50NS lOONS) parameters default values units Vi (initial value) volts or amps V2 (pulsed value) volts...TAUl TD2 TAU2)mU Examples: VIN 3 0 EXP(-5 0 2NS 30NS 60NS 40NS) parameters default values units V1 (initial value) volts or amps V2 (pulsed value

75 FR 55577 - Office of the Secretary: Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on the Survivability of DoD...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-13

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary: Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on the Survivability of DoD Systems and Assets to Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Other Nuclear Weapons Effects AGENCY... Systems and Assets to Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and other Nuclear Weapons Effects (hereafter referred to...

Digital redesign of anti-wind-up controller for cascaded analog system.

PubMed

Chen, Y S; Tsai, J S H; Shieh, L S; Moussighi, M M

2003-01-01

The cascaded conventional anti-wind-up (CAW) design method for integral controller is discussed. Then, the prediction-based digital redesign methodology is utilized to find the new pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) digital controller for effective digital control of the analog plant with input saturation constraint. The desired digital controller is determined from existing or pre-designed CAW analog controller. The proposed method provides a novel methodology for indirect digital design of a continuous-time unity output-feedback system with a cascaded analog controller as in the case of PID controllers for industrial control processes with the presence of actuator saturations. It enables us to implement an existing or pre-designed cascaded CAW analog controller via a digital controller effectively.

Optical communication in free space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plotkin, H. H.; Mcavoy, N.; Fitzmaurice, M. W.

1974-01-01

Two classes of laser communication systems for handling very high data rates across inter-satellite distances are considered that provide for high antenna gains, wide modulation bandwidths, and optical receiver sensitivities. System design considerations are based upon the carbon dioxide laser modulation to accommodate digital or analog information, and the neodymium doped YAG laser pulse for digital modulation.

A compact, multichannel, and low noise arbitrary waveform generator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Govorkov, S.; Ivanov, B. I.; Novosibirsk State Technical University, K.Marx-Ave. 20, Novosibirsk 630092

2014-05-15

A new type of high functionality, fast, compact, and easy programmable arbitrary waveform generator for low noise physical measurements is presented. The generator provides 7 fast differential waveform channels with a maximum bandwidth up to 200 MHz frequency. There are 6 fast pulse generators on the generator board with 78 ps time resolution in both duration and delay, 3 of them with amplitude control. The arbitrary waveform generator is additionally equipped with two auxiliary slow 16 bit analog-to-digital converters and four 16 bit digital-to-analog converters for low frequency applications. Electromagnetic shields are introduced to the power supply, digital, and analogmore » compartments and with a proper filter design perform more than 110 dB digital noise isolation to the output signals. All the output channels of the board have 50 Ω SubMiniature version A termination. The generator board is suitable for use as a part of a high sensitive physical equipment, e.g., fast read out and manipulation of nuclear magnetic resonance or superconducting quantum systems and any other application, which requires electromagnetic interference free fast pulse and arbitrary waveform generation.« less

No short-term effects of digital mobile radio telephone on the awake human electroencephalogram

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roeschke, J.; Mann, K.

1997-05-01

A recent study reported the results of an exploratory study of alterations of the quantitative sleep profile due to the effects of a digital mobile radio telephone. Rapid eye movement (REM) was suppressed, and the spectral power density in the 8--13 Hz frequency range during REM sleep was altered. The aim of the present study was to illuminate the influence of digital mobile radio telephone on the awake electroencephalogram (EEG) of healthy subjects. For this purpose, the authors investigated 34 male subjects in a single-blind cross-over design experiment by measuring spontaneous EEGs under closed-eyes condition from scalp positions C{sub 3}more » and C{sub 4} and comparing the effects of an active and an inactive digital mobile radio telephone (GSM) system. During exposure of nearly 3.5 min to the 900 MHz electromagnetic field pulsed at a frequency of 217 Hz and with a pulse width of 580 {micro}s, the authors could not detect any difference in the awake EEGs in terms of spectral power density measures.« less

FITPix COMBO—Timepix detector with integrated analog signal spectrometric readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holik, M.; Kraus, V.; Georgiev, V.; Granja, C.

2016-02-01

The hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix has proven a powerful tool in radiation detection and imaging. Energy loss and directional sensitivity as well as particle type resolving power are possible by high resolution particle tracking and per-pixel energy and quantum-counting capability. The spectrometric resolving power of the detector can be further enhanced by analyzing the analog signal of the detector common sensor electrode (also called back-side pulse). In this work we present a new compact readout interface, based on the FITPix readout architecture, extended with integrated analog electronics for the detector's common sensor signal. Integrating simultaneous operation of the digital per-pixel information with the common sensor (called also back-side electrode) analog pulse processing circuitry into one device enhances the detector capabilities and opens new applications. Thanks to noise suppression and built-in electromagnetic interference shielding the common hardware platform enables parallel analog signal spectroscopy on the back side pulse signal with full operation and read-out of the pixelated digital part, the noise level is 600 keV and spectrometric resolution around 100 keV for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. Self-triggering is implemented with delay of few tens of ns making use of adjustable low-energy threshold of the particle analog signal amplitude. The digital pixelated full frame can be thus triggered and recorded together with the common sensor analog signal. The waveform, which is sampled with frequency 100 MHz, can be recorded in adjustable time window including time prior to the trigger level. An integrated software tool provides control, on-line display and read-out of both analog and digital channels. Both the pixelated digital record and the analog waveform are synchronized and written out by common time stamp.

IR technology for enhanced force protection by AIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breiter, R.; Ihle, T.; Rode, W.; Wendler, J.; Rühlich, I.; Haiml, M.; Ziegler, J.

2008-04-01

In all recent missions our forces are faced with various types of asymmetric threads like snipers, IEDs, RPGs or MANPADS. 2 nd and 3 rd Gen IR technology is a backbone of modern force protection by providing situational awareness and accurate target engagement at day/night. 3 rd Gen sensors are developed for thread warning capabilities by use of spectral or spatial information. The progress on a dual-color IR module is discussed in a separate paper [1]. A 1024x256 SWIR array with flexure bearing compressor and pulse tube cold finger provides > 50,000h lifetime for space or airborne hyperspectral imaging in pushbroom geometry with 256 spectral channels for improved change detection and remote sensing of IEDs or chemical agents. Similar concepts are pursued in the LWIR with either spectroscopic imaging or a system of LWIR FPA combined with a cooled tunable Laser to do spectroscopy with stimulated absorption of specific wavelengths. AIM introduced the RangIR sight to match the requirements of sniper teams, AGLs and weapon stations, extending the outstanding optronic performance of the fielded HuntIR with position data of a target by a laser range finder (LRF), a 3 axis digital magnetic compass (DMC) and a ballistic computer for accurate engagement of remote targets. A version with flexure bearing cooler with >30,000h life time is being developed for continuous operation in e.g. gunfire detection systems. This paper gives an overview of AIM's technologies for enhanced force protection.

Rational harmonic mode-locking pulse quality of the dark-optical-comb injected semiconductor optical amplifier fiber ring laser.

PubMed

Lin, Gong-Ru; Lee, Chao-Kuei; Kang, Jung-Jui

2008-06-09

We study the rational harmonic mode-locking (RHML) order dependent pulse shortening force and dynamic chirp characteristics of a gain-saturated semiconductor optical amplifier fiber laser (SOAFL) under dark-optical-comb injection, and discuss the competition between mode-locking mechanisms in the SOAFL at high-gain and strong optical injection condition at higher RHML orders. The evolutions of spectra, mode-locking and continuous lasing powers by measuring the ratio of DC/pulse amplitude and the pulse shortening force (I(pulse)/P(avg)(2) ) are performed to determine the RHML capability of SOAFL. As the rational harmonic order increases up to 20, the spectral linewidth shrinks from 12 to 3 nm, the ratio of DC/pulse amplitude enlarges from 0.025 to 2.4, and the pulse-shortening force reduces from 0.9 to 0.05. At fundamental and highest RHML condition, we characterize the frequency detuning range to realize the mode-locking quality, and measure the dynamic frequency chirp of the RHML-SOAFL to distinguish the linear and nonlinear chirp after dispersion compensation. With increasing RHML order, the pulsewidth is broadened from 4.2 to 26.4 ps with corresponding chirp reducing from 0.7 to 0.2 GHz and linear/nonlinear chirp ratio changes from 4.3 to 1.3, which interprets the high-order chirp becomes dominates at higher RHML orders.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder show abnormalities during initial and subsequent phases of precision gripping

PubMed Central

Magnon, Grant C.; White, Stormi P.; Greene, Rachel K.; Vaillancourt, David E.

2014-01-01

Sensorimotor impairments are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but they are not well understood. Here we examined force control during initial pulses and the subsequent rise, sustained, and relaxation phases of precision gripping in 34 individuals with ASD and 25 healthy control subjects. Participants pressed on opposing load cells with their thumb and index finger while receiving visual feedback regarding their performance. They completed 2- and 8-s trials during which they pressed at 15%, 45%, or 85% of their maximum force. Initial pulses guided by feedforward control mechanisms, sustained force output controlled by visual feedback processes, and force relaxation rates all were examined. Control subjects favored an initial pulse strategy characterized by a rapid increase in and then relaxation of force when the target force was low (Type 1). When the target force level or duration of trials was increased, control subjects transitioned to a strategy in which they more gradually increased their force, paused, and then increased their force again. Individuals with ASD showed a more persistent bias toward the Type 1 strategy at higher force levels and during longer trials, and their initial force output was less accurate than that of control subjects. Patients showed increased force variability compared with control subjects when attempting to sustain a constant force level. During the relaxation phase, they showed reduced rates of force decrease. These findings suggest that both feedforward and feedback motor control mechanisms are compromised in ASD and these deficits may contribute to the dyspraxia and sensorimotor abnormalities often seen in this disorder. PMID:25552638

Design of a pulse-type strain gauge balance for a long-test-duration hypersonic shock tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Liu, Y.; Jiang, Z.

2016-11-01

When the measurement of aerodynamic forces is conducted in a hypersonic shock tunnel, the inertial forces lead to low-frequency vibrations of the model, and its motion cannot be addressed through digital filtering because a sufficient number of cycles cannot be obtained during a tunnel run. This finding implies restrictions on the model size and mass as the natural frequencies are inversely proportional to the length scale of the model. Therefore, the force measurement still has many problems, particularly for large and heavy models. Different structures of a strain gauge balance (SGB) are proposed and designed, and the measurement element is further optimized to overcome the difficulties encountered during the measurement of aerodynamic forces in a shock tunnel. The motivation for this study is to assess the structural performance of the SGB used in a long-test-duration JF12 hypersonic shock tunnel, which has more than 100 ms of test time. Force tests were conducted for a large-scale cone with a 10^° semivertex angle and a length of 0.75 m in the JF12 long-test-duration shock tunnel. The finite element method was used for the analysis of the vibrational characteristics of the Model-Balance-Sting System (MBSS) to ensure a sufficient number of cycles, particularly for the axial force signal during a shock tunnel run. The higher-stiffness SGB used in the test shows good performance, wherein the frequency of the MBSS increases because of the stiff construction of the balance. The experimental results are compared with the data obtained in another wind tunnel and exhibit good agreement at M = 7 and α =5°.

Automatic Digital Switching Specialist Career Ladder: United States Air Force Job Inventory. AFSCs 29530, 29570, and 29590.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, Lackland AFB, TX.

The U. S. Air Force job inventory for the automatic digital switching specialist career ladder is divided into 12 categories, each of which is broken down into a duty-task list. Space is provided for Air Force personnel filling out the inventory to check whether each task is at present part of their duties. The 12 categories are: organizing and…

Neural Representations of Sensorimotor Memory- and Digit Position-Based Load Force Adjustments Before the Onset of Dexterous Object Manipulation.

PubMed

Marneweck, Michelle; Barany, Deborah A; Santello, Marco; Grafton, Scott T

2018-05-16

Anticipatory load forces for dexterous object manipulation in humans are modulated based on visual object property cues, sensorimotor memories of previous experiences with the object, and, when digit positioning varies from trial to trial, the integrating of this sensed variability with force modulation. Studies of the neural representations encoding these anticipatory mechanisms have not considered these mechanisms separately from each other or from feedback mechanisms emerging after lift onset. Here, representational similarity analyses of fMRI data were used to identify neural representations of sensorimotor memories and the sensing and integration of digit position. Cortical activity and movement kinematics were measured as 20 human subjects (11 women) minimized tilt of a symmetrically shaped object with a concealed asymmetric center of mass (CoM, left and right sided). This task required generating compensatory torques in opposite directions, which, without helpful visual CoM cues, relied primarily on sensorimotor memories of the same object and CoM. Digit position was constrained or unconstrained, the latter of which required modulating forces beyond what can be recalled from sensorimotor memories to compensate for digit position variability. Ventral premotor (PMv), somatosensory, and cerebellar lobule regions (CrusII, VIIIa) were sensitive to anticipatory behaviors that reflect sensorimotor memory content, as shown by larger voxel pattern differences for unmatched than matched CoM conditions. Cerebellar lobule I-IV, Broca area 44, and PMv showed greater voxel pattern differences for unconstrained than constrained grasping, which suggests their sensitivity to monitor the online coincidence of planned and actual digit positions and correct for a mismatch by force modulation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To pick up a water glass without slipping, tipping, or spilling requires anticipatory planning of fingertip load forces before the lift commences. This anticipation relies on object visual properties (e.g., mass/mass distribution), sensorimotor memories built from previous experiences (especially when object properties cannot be inferred visually), and online sensing of where the digits are positioned. There is limited understanding of how the brain represents each of these anticipatory mechanisms. We used fMRI measures of regional brain patterns and digit position kinematics before lift onset of an object with nonsalient visual cues specifically to isolate sensorimotor memories and integration of sensed digit position with force modulation. In doing so, we localized neural representations encoding these anticipatory mechanisms for dexterous object manipulation. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384724-14$15.00/0.

Radio frequency phototube

DOEpatents

Margaryan, Amur [Yerevan, AM; Gynashyan, Karlen [Yerevan, AM; Hashimoto, Osamu [Sendai, JP; Majewski, Stanislaw [Morgantown, WV; Tang, Linguang [Yorktown, VA; Marikyan, Gagik [Yerevan, AM; Marikyan, legal representative, Lia

2012-03-20

A method and apparatus of obtaining a record of repetitive optical or other phenomena having durations in the picosecond range, comprising a circular scan electron tube to receive light pulses and convert them to electron images consisting with fast nanosecond electronic signals, a continuous wave light or other particle pulses, e.g. electron picosecond pulses, and a synchronizing mechanism arranged to synchronize the deflection of the electron image (images) in the tube (tubes) with the repetition rate of the incident pulse train. There is also provided a method and apparatus for digitization of a repetitive and random optical waveform with a bandwidth higher than 10 GHz.

Static Prehension of a Horizontally Oriented Object in Three Dimensions

PubMed Central

Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2011-01-01

We studied static prehension of a horizontally oriented object. Specific hypotheses were explored addressing such issues as the sharing patterns of the total moment of force across the digits, presence of mechanically unnecessary digit forces, and trade-off between multi-digit synergies at the two levels of the assumed control hierarchy. Within the assumed hierarchy, at the upper level, the task is shared between the thumb and virtual finger (an imagined finger producing a wrench equal to the sum of the wrenches of individual fingers). At the lower level, action of the virtual finger is shared among the four actual fingers. The subjects held statically a horizontally oriented handle instrumented with six-component force/torque sensors with different loads and torques acting about the long axis of the handle. The thumb acted from above while the four fingers supported the weight of the object. When the external torque was zero, the thumb produced mechanically unnecessary force of about 2.8 N, which did not depend on the external load magnitude. When the external torque was not zero, tangential forces produced over 80% of the total moment of force. The normal forces by the middle and ring fingers produced consistent moments against the external torque, while the normal forces of the index and little fingers did not. Force and moment variables at both hierarchical levels were stabilized by co-varied across trials adjustments of forces/moments produced by individual digits with the exception of the normal force analyzed at the lower level of the hierarchy. There was a trade-off between synergy indices computed at the two levels of the hierarchy for the three components of the total force vector, but not for the moment of force components. Overall, the results have shown that task mechanics are only one factor that defines forces produced by individual digits. Other factors, such as loading sensory receptors may lead to mechanically unnecessary forces. There seems to be no single rule (for example, ensuring similar safety margin values) that would describe sharing of the normal and tangential forces and be valid across tasks. Fingers that are traditionally viewed as less accurate (e.g., the ring finger) may perform more consistently in certain tasks. The observations of the trade-off between the synergy indices computed at two levels for the force variables but not for the moment of force variables suggest that the degree of redundancy (the number of excessive elemental variables) at the higher level is an important factor. PMID:22071684

Multiple diagnosis based on photoplethysmography: hematocrit, SpO2, pulse, and respiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Gilwon; Lee, Jong Y.; Jeon, Kye Jin; Park, Kun-Kook; Yeo, Hyung S.; Hwang, Hyun T.; Kim, Hong S.; Hwang, In-Duk

2002-09-01

Photo-plethysmography measures pulsatile blood flow in real-time and non-invasively. One of widely known applications of PPG is the measurement of saturated oxygen in arterial blood(SpO2). In our work, using several wavelengths more than those used in a pulse oximeter, an algorithm and instrument have been developed to measure hematocrit, saturated oxygen, pulse and respiratory rates simultaneously. To predict hematocrit, a dedicated algorithm is developed based on scattering of RBC and a protocol for detecting outlier signals is used to increase accuracy and reliability. Digital filtering techniques are used to extract respiratory rate signals. Utilization of wavelengths under 1000nm and a multi-wavelength LED array chip and digital-oriented electronics enable us to make a compact device. Our preliminary clinical trials show that the achieved percent errors are +/-8.2% for hematocrit when tested with 594 persons, R2 for SpO2 fitting is 0.99985 when tested with a Bi-Tek pulse oximeter simulator and the SpO2 error for in vivo test is +/-2.5% over the range of 75~100%. The error of pulse rates is less than +/-5%. We obtained a positive predictive value of 96% for respiratory rates in qualitative analysis.

Relation between digital peripheral arterial tonometry and brachial artery ultrasound measures of vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease and in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Lee, Craig R; Bass, Almasa; Ellis, Kyle; Tran, Bryant; Steele, Savanna; Caughey, Melissa; Stouffer, George A; Hinderliter, Alan L

2012-03-01

Digital peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) is an emerging, noninvasive method to assess vascular function. The physiology underlying this phenotype, however, remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the relation between digital PAT and established brachial artery ultrasound measures of vascular function under basal conditions and after reactive hyperemia. Using a cross-sectional study design, digital PAT and brachial artery ultrasonography with pulsed wave Doppler were simultaneously completed at baseline and after reactive hyperemia in both those with established coronary artery disease (n = 99) and healthy volunteers with low cardiovascular disease risk (n = 40). Under basal conditions, the digital pulse volume amplitude demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the brachial artery velocity-time integral that was independent of the arterial diameter, in both the healthy volunteer (r(s) = 0.64, p <0.001) and coronary artery disease (r(s) = 0.63, p <0.001) cohorts. Similar positive relations were observed with the baseline brachial artery blood flow velocity and blood flow. In contrast, no relation between the reactive hyperemia-evoked digital PAT ratio and either brachial artery flow-mediated dilation or shear stress was observed in either cohort (p = NS). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that the digital PAT measures of vascular function more closely reflect basal blood flow in the brachial artery than reactive hyperemia-induced changes in the arterial diameter or flow velocity, and the presence of vascular disease does not modify the physiology underlying the digital PAT phenotype. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Digital Bistatic Radar Instrument for High-Latitude Ionospheric E-region Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huyghebaert, D. R.; Hussey, G. C.; McWilliams, K. A.; St-Maurice, J. P.

2015-12-01

A new 50 MHz ionospheric E-region radar is currently being developed and will be operational for the summer of 2016. The radar group in the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies (ISAS) at the University of Saskatchewan is designing and building the radar which will be located near the university in Saskatoon, SK, Canada and will have a field of view over Wollaston Lake in northern Saskatchewan. This novel radar will simultaneously obtain high spatial and temporal resolution through the use of a bistatic setup and pulse modulation techniques. The bistatic setup allows the radar to transmit and receive continuously, while pulse modulation techniques allow for enhanced spatial resolution, only constrained by the radio bandwidth licensing available. A ten antenna array will be used on both the transmitter and receiver sides, with each antenna having an independent radio path. This enables complete digital control of the transmitted 1 kW signal at each antenna, allowing for digital beam steering and multimode broadcasting. On the receiver side the raw digitized signal will be recorded from each antenna, allowing for complete digital post-processing to be performed on the data. From the measurements provided using these modern digital radar capabilities, further insights into the physics of E-region phenomena, such as Alfvén waves propagating from the magnetosphere above and ionospheric irregularities, may be investigated.

A Temperature-Hardened Sensor Interface with a 12-Bit Digital Output Using a Novel Pulse Width Modulation Technique

PubMed Central

Badets, Franck; Nouet, Pascal; Masmoudi, Mohamed

2018-01-01

A fully integrated sensor interface for a wide operational temperature range is presented. It translates the sensor signal into a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal that is then converted into a 12-bit digital output. The sensor interface is based on a pair of injection locked oscillators used to implement a differential time-domain architecture with low sensitivity to temperature variations. A prototype has been fabricated using a 180 nm partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Experimental results demonstrate a thermal stability as low as 65 ppm/°C over a large temperature range from −20 °C up to 220 °C. PMID:29621171

Injectable microstimulator for functional electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Loeb, G E; Zamin, C J; Schulman, J H; Troyk, P R

1991-11-01

A family of digitally controlled devices is constructed for functional electrical stimulation in which each module is an hermetically sealed glass capsule that is small enough to be injected through the lumen of a hypodermic needle. The overall design and component characteristics of microstimulators that receive power and command signals by inductive coupling from a single, externally worn coil are described. Each device stores power between stimulus pulses by charging an electrolytic capacitor formed by its two electrodes, made of sintered, anodised tantalum and electrochemically activated iridium, respectively. Externally, a highly efficient class E amplifier provides power and digitally encoded command signals to control the amplitude, duration and timing of pulses from up to 256 such microstimulators.

Skin contamination dosimeter

DOEpatents

Hamby, David M [Corvallis, OR; Farsoni, Abdollah T [Corvallis, OR; Cazalas, Edward [Corvallis, OR

2011-06-21

A technique and device provides absolute skin dosimetry in real time at multiple tissue depths simultaneously. The device uses a phoswich detector which has multiple scintillators embedded at different depths within a non-scintillating material. A digital pulse processor connected to the phoswich detector measures a differential distribution (dN/dH) of count rate N as function of pulse height H for signals from each of the multiple scintillators. A digital processor computes in real time from the differential count-rate distribution for each of multiple scintillators an estimate of an ionizing radiation dose delivered to each of multiple depths of skin tissue corresponding to the multiple scintillators embedded at multiple corresponding depths within the non-scintillating material.

Continuous-Integration Laser Energy Lidar Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karsh, Jeremy

2011-01-01

This circuit design implements an integrator intended to allow digitization of the energy output of a pulsed laser, or the energy of a received pulse of laser light. It integrates the output of a detector upon which the laser light is incident. The integration is performed constantly, either by means of an active integrator, or by passive components.

Note: A short-pulse high-intensity molecular beam valve based on a piezoelectric stack actuator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abeysekera, Chamara; Joalland, Baptiste; Shi, Yuanyuan

2014-11-15

Solenoid and piezoelectric disk valves, which are widely used to generate molecular beam pulses, still suffer from significant restrictions, such as pulse durations typically >50 μs, low repetition rates, and limited gas flows and operational times. Much of this arises owing to the limited forces these actuators can achieve. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new pulsed valve based on a high-force piezoelectric stack actuator. We show here that operation with pulse durations as low as 20 μs and repetition rates up to 100 Hz can be easily achieved by operating the valve in conjunction with a commercialmore » fast high-voltage switch. We outline our design and demonstrate its performance with molecular beam characterization via velocity map ion imaging.« less

Optimization of a Fast Neutron Scintillator for Real-Time Pulse Shape Discrimination in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) Hodoscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, James T.; Thompson, Scott J.; Watson, Scott M.

We present a multi-channel, fast neutron/gamma ray detector array system that utilizes ZnS(Ag) scintillator detectors. The system employs field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to do real-time all digital neutron/gamma ray discrimination with pulse height and time histograms to allow count rates in excess of 1,000,000 pulses per second per channel. The system detector number is scalable in blocks of 16 channels.

Effects of U.S. Navy Diver Training on Physiological Parameters, Time of Useful Consciousness and Cognitive Performance During Periods of Normobaric Hypoxia

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

from the pulse oximeter were integrated, digitized, and displayed graphically in real time in LabView (National Instruments) and logged at 20 Hz...Peripheral oxygenation monitoring: Fg-SpO2 levels were measured using a pulse oximeter placed on the left index finger (ROBD-2; Series 6202, Environics...Tolland, CT). Heart rate monitoring: HR was measured using a pulse oximeter placed on the left index finger (ROBD-2; Series 6202, Environics

Effects of U.S. Navy Diver Training on Physiological Parameters, Time of Useful Consciousness, and Cognitive Performance During Periods of Normobaric Hypoxia

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

from the pulse oximeter were integrated, digitized, and displayed graphically in real time in LabView (National Instruments) and logged at 20 Hz...Peripheral oxygenation monitoring: Fg-SpO2 levels were measured using a pulse oximeter placed on the left index finger (ROBD-2; Series 6202, Environics...Tolland, CT). Heart rate monitoring: HR was measured using a pulse oximeter placed on the left index finger (ROBD-2; Series 6202, Environics

Low-noise pulse conditioner

DOEpatents

Bird, D.A.

1981-06-16

A low-noise pulse conditioner is provided for driving electronic digital processing circuitry directly from differentially induced input pulses. The circuit uses a unique differential-to-peak detector circuit to generate a dynamic reference signal proportional to the input peak voltage. The input pulses are compared with the reference signal in an input network which operates in full differential mode with only a passive input filter. This reduces the introduction of circuit-induced noise, or jitter, generated in ground referenced input elements normally used in pulse conditioning circuits, especially speed transducer processing circuits. This circuit may be used for conditioning the sensor signal from the Fidler coil in a gas centrifuge for separation of isotopic gaseous mixtures.

Prehension Synergies in Three Dimensions

PubMed Central

Shim, Jae Kun; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the conjoint changes of digit forces/moments in 3 dimensions during static prehension under external torques acting on the object in one plane. The experimental paradigm was similar to holding a book vertically in the air where the center of mass of the book is located farther from the hand than the points of digit contacts. Three force and 3 moment components from each digit were recorded during static prehension of a customized handle. Subjects produced forces and moments in all 3 directions, although the external torques were exerted on the handheld object about only the Z-axis. The 3-dimensional response to a 2-dimensional task was explained by the cause– effect chain effects prompted by the noncollinearity of the normal forces of the thumb and the 4 fingers (represented by the “virtual finger”). Because the forces are not collinear (not along the same line), they generate moments of force about X- and Y-axes that are negated by the finger forces along the Y- and X-directions. The magnitudes of forces produced by lateral fingers (index and little) with longer moment arms were larger compared with the central fingers (middle and ring). At the virtual finger (an imaginary digit whose mechanical action is equivalent to the summed action of the 4 fingers) level, the relative contribution of different fractions of the resistive moment produced by subjects did not depend on the torque magnitude. We conclude that the CNS 1) solves a planar prehension task by producing forces and moments in all 3 directions, 2) uses mechanical advantage of fingers, and 3) shares the total torque among finger forces and moments in a particular way disregarding the torque magnitude. PMID:15456799

Timing and Pulse Shape Discrimination Comparison Against Legacy TDC & QDC and the JLab F250 FADC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milkeris-Zellar, Tyler; Sawatzky, Brad

2017-09-01

The F250 Flash Analog to Digital Convertor (FADC) is a relatively new module used in Data Acquisition Systems (DAQ) at Jefferson Lab. The FADC will replace or supplement older DAQ modules like Time to Digital Converters (TDCs) and Charge Analog to Digital Converters (QDCs). The TDC has a certain known timing resolution and the QDC can integrate a pulse's charge, a feature which can also be used for particle identification between photons and neutrons using pulse shape discrimination (PSD). The focus of this project is developing a test stand to study timing and PSD performance of legacy modules TDC and QDC, and the new F250 FADC. A cosmic telescope was used to extract timing resolution from the TDC and FADC. Through PSD with the QDC and FADC, using a liquid scintillator, we plan to identify photons and neutrons from an americium-beryllium (AmBe) source. Through PSD, we found that the FADC allows for flexible data analysis compared to the QDC. The results indicate that the TDC provides a more accurate measurement of timing resolution than the FADC. This improvement allows for a clear distinction of what module to use when wanting precision of measurement in a DAQ for a cosmic ray telescope. NSF.

Improved neutron-gamma discrimination for a 6Li-glass neutron detector using digital signal analysis methods

DOE PAGES

Wang, Cai -Lin; Riedel, Richard A.

2016-01-14

A 6Li-glass scintillator (GS20) based neutron Anger camera was developed for time-of-flight single-crystal diffraction instruments at SNS. Traditional pulse-height analysis (PHA) for neutron-gamma discrimination (NGD) resulted in the neutron-gamma efficiency ratio (defined as NGD ratio) on the order of 10 4. The NGD ratios of Anger cameras need to be improved for broader applications including neutron reflectometers. For this purpose, five digital signal analysis methods of individual waveforms from PMTs were proposed using: i). pulse-amplitude histogram; ii). power spectrum analysis combined with the maximum pulse amplitude; iii). two event parameters (a 1, b 0) obtained from Wiener filter; iv). anmore » effective amplitude (m) obtained from an adaptive least-mean-square (LMS) filter; and v). a cross-correlation (CC) coefficient between an individual waveform and a reference. The NGD ratios can be 1-102 times those from traditional PHA method. A brighter scintillator GS2 has better NGD ratio than GS20, but lower neutron detection efficiency. The ultimate NGD ratio is related to the ambient, high-energy background events. Moreover, our results indicate the NGD capability of neutron Anger cameras can be improved using digital signal analysis methods and brighter neutron scintillators.« less

Field-Programmable Gate Array-based fluxgate magnetometer with digital integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butta, Mattia; Janosek, Michal; Ripka, Pavel

2010-05-01

In this paper, a digital magnetometer based on printed circuit board fluxgate is presented. The fluxgate is pulse excited and the signal is extracted by gate integration. We investigate the possibility to perform integration on very narrow gates (typically 500 ns) by using digital techniques. The magnetometer is based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) card: we will show all the advantages and disadvantages, given by digitalization of fluxgate output voltage by means of analog-to-digital converter on FPGA card, as well as digitalization performed by external digitizer. Due to very narrow gate, it is shown that a magnetometer entirely based on a FPGA card is preferable, because it avoids noise due to trigger instability. Both open loop and feedback operative mode are described and achieved results are presented.

A laser-induced pulsed water jet for layer-selective submucosal dissection of the esophagus

PubMed Central

Sato, C; Yamada, M; Nakagawa, A; Yamamoto, H; Fujishima, F; Tominaga, T; Satomi, S; Ohuchi, N

2016-01-01

Background and aims: Conventional water jet devices have been used for injecting fluid to lift up lesions during endoscopic submucosal dissection or endoscopic mucosal resection procedures. However, these devices cannot dissect the submucosal layer effectively. Here we aim to elucidate the dissection capability of a laser-induced pulsed water jet and to clarify the mechanism of dissection with layer selectivity. Materials (Subjects) and methods: Pulsed water jets were ejected from a stainless nozzle by accelerating saline using the energy of a pulsed holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. The impact force (strength) of the jet was evaluated using a force meter. Injection of the pulsed jet into the submucosal layer was documented by high-speed imaging. The physical properties of the swine esophagus were evaluated by measuring the breaking strength. Submucosal dissection of the swine esophagus was performed and the resection bed was evaluated histologically. Results: Submucosal dissection of the esophagus was accomplished at an impact force of 1.11–1.47 N/pulse (laser energy: 1.1–1.5 J/pulse; standoff distance: 60 mm). Histological specimens showed clear dissection at the submucosal layer without thermal injury. The mean static breaking strength of the submucosa (0.11 ± 0.04 MPa) was significantly lower than that of the mucosa (1.32 ± 0.18 MPa), and propria muscle (1.45 ± 0.16 MPa). Conclusions: The pulsed water jet device showed potential for achieving selective submucosal dissection. It could achieve mucosal, submucosal, and muscle layer selectivity owing to the varied breaking strengths. PMID:27853343

Prehension of Half-Full and Half-Empty Glasses: Time and History Effects on Multi-Digit Coordination

PubMed Central

Sun, Yao; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2011-01-01

We explored how digit forces and indices of digit coordination depend on the history of getting to a particular set of task parameters during static prehension tasks. The participants held in the right hand an instrumented handle with a light-weight container attached on top of the handle. At the beginning of each trial, the container could be empty, filled to the half with water (0.4 l) or filled to the top (0.8 l). The water was pumped in/out of the container at a constant, slow rate over 10 s. At the end of each trial, the participants always held a half-filled container that has just been filled (Empty-Half), emptied (Full-Half), or stayed half-filled throughout the trial (Half-Only). Indices of co-variation (synergy indices) of elemental variables (forces and moments of force produced by individual digits) stabilizing such performance variables as total normal force, total tangetial force, and total moment of force were computed at two levels of an assumed control hierarchy. At the upper level, the task is shared between the thumb and virtual finger (an imagined digit with the mechanical action equal to that of the four fingers), while at the lower level, action of the virtual finger is shared among the actual four fingers. Filling or emptying the container led to a drop in the safety margin (proportion of grip force over the slipping threshold) below the values observed in the Half-Only condition. Synergy indices at both levels of the hierarchy showed changes over the Full-Half and Empty-Half condition. These changes could be monotonic (typical of moment of force and normal force) or non-monotonic (typical of tangential force). For both normal and tangential forces, higher synergy indices at the higher level of the hierarchy corresponded to lower indices at the lower level. Significant differences in synergy indices across conditions were seen at the final steady-state showing that digit coordination during steady holding an object is history dependent. The observations support an earlier hypothesis on a trade-off between synergies at the two levels of a hierarchy. They also suggest that, when a change in task parameters is expected, the neural strategy may involve producing less stable (easier to change) actions. The results suggest that synergy indices may be highly sensitive to changes in a task variable and that effects of such changes persist after the changes are over. PMID:21331525

Digital CODEC for real-time processing of broadcast quality video signals at 1.8 bits/pixel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shalkhauser, Mary JO; Whyte, Wayne A.

1991-01-01

Advances in very large scale integration and recent work in the field of bandwidth efficient digital modulation techniques have combined to make digital video processing technically feasible an potentially cost competitive for broadcast quality television transmission. A hardware implementation was developed for DPCM (differential pulse code midulation)-based digital television bandwidth compression algorithm which processes standard NTSC composite color television signals and produces broadcast quality video in real time at an average of 1.8 bits/pixel. The data compression algorithm and the hardware implementation of the codec are described, and performance results are provided.

Applied digital signal processing systems for vortex flowmeter with digital signal processing.

PubMed

Xu, Ke-Jun; Zhu, Zhi-Hai; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Xiao-Fen; Liu, San-Shan; Huang, Yun-Zhi; Chen, Zhi-Yuan

2009-02-01

The spectral analysis is combined with digital filter to process the vortex sensor signal for reducing the effect of disturbance at low frequency from pipe vibrations and increasing the turndown ratio. Using digital signal processing chip, two kinds of digital signal processing systems are developed to implement these algorithms. One is an integrative system, and the other is a separated system. A limiting amplifier is designed in the input analog condition circuit to adapt large amplitude variation of sensor signal. Some technique measures are taken to improve the accuracy of the output pulse, speed up the response time of the meter, and reduce the fluctuation of the output signal. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the digital signal processing systems.

The Research Library's Role in Digital Repository Services: Final Report of the ARL Digital Repository Issues Task Force

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Research Libraries, 2009

2009-01-01

Libraries are making diverse contributions to the development of many types of digital repositories, particularly those housing locally created digital content, including new digital objects or digitized versions of locally held works. In some instances, libraries are managing a repository and its related services entirely on their own, but often…

Spin contribution to the ponderomotive force in a plasma.

PubMed

Brodin, G; Misra, A P; Marklund, M

2010-09-03

The concept of a ponderomotive force due to the intrinsic spin of electrons is developed. An expression containing both the classical as well as the spin-induced ponderomotive force is derived. The results are used to demonstrate that an electromagnetic pulse can induce a spin-polarized plasma. Furthermore, it is shown that, for certain parameters, the nonlinear backreaction on the electromagnetic pulse from the spin magnetization current can be larger than that from the classical free current. Suitable parameter values for a direct test of this effect are presented.

Controlling chaos with localized heterogeneous forces in oscillator chains.

PubMed

Chacón, Ricardo

2006-10-01

The effects of decreasing the impulse transmitted by localized periodic pulses on the chaotic behavior of homogeneous chains of coupled nonlinear oscillators are studied. It is assumed that when the oscillators are driven synchronously, i.e., all driving pulses transmit the same impulse, the chains display chaotic dynamics. It is shown that decreasing the impulse transmitted by the pulses of the two free end oscillators results in regularization with the whole array exhibiting frequency synchronization, irrespective of the chain size. A maximum level of amplitude desynchrony as the pulses of the two end oscillators narrow is typically found, which is explained as the result of two competing universal mechanisms: desynchronization induced by localized heterogeneous pulses and oscillation death of the complete chain induced by drastic decreasing of the impulse transmitted by such localized pulses. These findings demonstrate that decreasing the impulse transmitted by localized external forces can suppress chaos and lead to frequency-locked states in networks of dissipative systems.

Non-resonant dynamic stark control of vibrational motion with optimized laser pulses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, Esben F.; Henriksen, Niels E.

2016-06-28

The term dynamic Stark control (DSC) has been used to describe methods of quantum control related to the dynamic Stark effect, i.e., a time-dependent distortion of energy levels. Here, we employ analytical models that present clear and concise interpretations of the principles behind DSC. Within a linearly forced harmonic oscillator model of vibrational excitation, we show how the vibrational amplitude is related to the pulse envelope, and independent of the carrier frequency of the laser pulse, in the DSC regime. Furthermore, we shed light on the DSC regarding the construction of optimal pulse envelopes — from a time-domain as wellmore » as a frequency-domain perspective. Finally, in a numerical study beyond the linearly forced harmonic oscillator model, we show that a pulse envelope can be constructed such that a vibrational excitation into a specific excited vibrational eigenstate is accomplished. The pulse envelope is constructed such that high intensities are avoided in order to eliminate the process of ionization.« less

Investigations on Surface Milling of Hardened AISI 4140 Steel with Pulse Jet MQL Applicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, Mahmood Al; Mia, Mozammel; Dhar, Nikhil Ranjan

2018-06-01

In this article, an experimental investigation was performed in milling hardened AISI 4140 steel of hardness 40 HRC. The machining was performed in both dry and minimal quantity lubricant (MQL) conditions, as part of neat machining, to make a strong comparison of the undertaken machining environments. The MQL was impinged int the form of pulse jet, by using the specially developed pulse-jet-attachment, to ensure that the cutting fluid can be applied in different timed pulses and quantities at critical zones. The tool wear, cutting force and surface roughness were taken as the quality responses while cutting speed, table feed rate and flow rate of the pulse were considered as influential factors. The depth of cut was kept constant at 1.50 mm because of its less significant effects and the straight oil was adopted as cutting fluid in pulse-jet-MQL. The effects of different factors, on the quality responses, are analyzed using ANOVA. It is observed that MQL applicator system exhibits overall better performance when compared to dry milling by reducing surface roughness, cutting force and prolonging tool life but a flow rate of 150 ml/h has tremendous effects on the responses. This investigation and afterward results are expected to aid the industrial practitioner and researcher to adopt the pulse-MQL in high speed milling to prolong tool life, reduce tool wear, diminish cutting force generation and promote better surface finish.

Investigations on Surface Milling of Hardened AISI 4140 Steel with Pulse Jet MQL Applicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, Mahmood Al; Mia, Mozammel; Dhar, Nikhil Ranjan

2016-06-01

In this article, an experimental investigation was performed in milling hardened AISI 4140 steel of hardness 40 HRC. The machining was performed in both dry and minimal quantity lubricant (MQL) conditions, as part of neat machining, to make a strong comparison of the undertaken machining environments. The MQL was impinged int the form of pulse jet, by using the specially developed pulse-jet-attachment, to ensure that the cutting fluid can be applied in different timed pulses and quantities at critical zones. The tool wear, cutting force and surface roughness were taken as the quality responses while cutting speed, table feed rate and flow rate of the pulse were considered as influential factors. The depth of cut was kept constant at 1.50 mm because of its less significant effects and the straight oil was adopted as cutting fluid in pulse-jet-MQL. The effects of different factors, on the quality responses, are analyzed using ANOVA. It is observed that MQL applicator system exhibits overall better performance when compared to dry milling by reducing surface roughness, cutting force and prolonging tool life but a flow rate of 150 ml/h has tremendous effects on the responses. This investigation and afterward results are expected to aid the industrial practitioner and researcher to adopt the pulse-MQL in high speed milling to prolong tool life, reduce tool wear, diminish cutting force generation and promote better surface finish.

Development of pulse-echo ultrasonic propagation imaging system and its delivery to Korea Air Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Hasan; Hong, Seung-Chan; Lee, Jung-Ryul; Park, Jongwoon; Ihn, Jeong-Beom

2017-04-01

This paper proposes a full-field pulse-echo ultrasonic propagation imaging (FF-PE-UPI) system for non-destructive evaluation of structural defects. The system works by detection of bulk waves that travel through the thickness of a specimen. This is achieved by joining the laser beams for the ultrasonic wave generation and sensing. This enables accurate and clear damage assessment and defect localization in the thickness with minimum signal processing since bulk waves are less susceptible to dispersion during short propagation through the thickness. The system consists of a Qswitched laser for generating the aforementioned waves, a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) for sensing, optical elements to combine the generating and sensing laser beams, a dual-axis automated translation stage for raster scanning of the specimen and a digitizer to record the signals. A graphical user interface (GUI) is developed to control all the individual blocks of the system. Additionally, the software also manages signal acquisition, processing, and display. The GUI is created in C++ using the QT framework. In view of the requirements posed by the Korean Air Force(KAF), the system is designed to be compact and portable to allow for in situ inspection of a selected area of a larger structure such as radome or rudder of an aircraft. The GUI is designed with a minimalistic approach to promote usability and adaptability while masking the intricacies of actual system operation. Through the use of multithreading the software is able to show the results while a specimen is still being scanned. This is achieved by real-time and concurrent acquisition, processing, and display of ultrasonic signal of the latest scan point in the scan area.

Using a Force Probe to Study Transverse Pulses and Reflections on a Plucked Elastic Cord

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamalainen, Ari; Abbott, David

2010-01-01

Before the advent of microcomputer-based labware (MBL), "time-of-flight" measurements for the speed of a transverse pulse on a string required elegant apparatus. This paper describes how to use an off-the-shelf MBL force sensor and a computer to perform the measurement. The data shown in this paper were collected using Vernier Software's wireless…

Synthesizing genetic sequential logic circuit with clock pulse generator.

PubMed

Chuang, Chia-Hua; Lin, Chun-Liang

2014-05-28

Rhythmic clock widely occurs in biological systems which controls several aspects of cell physiology. For the different cell types, it is supplied with various rhythmic frequencies. How to synthesize a specific clock signal is a preliminary but a necessary step to further development of a biological computer in the future. This paper presents a genetic sequential logic circuit with a clock pulse generator based on a synthesized genetic oscillator, which generates a consecutive clock signal whose frequency is an inverse integer multiple to that of the genetic oscillator. An analogous electronic waveform-shaping circuit is constructed by a series of genetic buffers to shape logic high/low levels of an oscillation input in a basic sinusoidal cycle and generate a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output with various duty cycles. By controlling the threshold level of the genetic buffer, a genetic clock pulse signal with its frequency consistent to the genetic oscillator is synthesized. A synchronous genetic counter circuit based on the topology of the digital sequential logic circuit is triggered by the clock pulse to synthesize the clock signal with an inverse multiple frequency to the genetic oscillator. The function acts like a frequency divider in electronic circuits which plays a key role in the sequential logic circuit with specific operational frequency. A cascaded genetic logic circuit generating clock pulse signals is proposed. Based on analogous implement of digital sequential logic circuits, genetic sequential logic circuits can be constructed by the proposed approach to generate various clock signals from an oscillation signal.

Measurement of the traction force of biological cells by digital holography

PubMed Central

Yu, Xiao; Cross, Michael; Liu, Changgeng; Clark, David C.; Haynie, Donald T.; Kim, Myung K.

2011-01-01

The traction force produced by biological cells has been visualized as distortions in flexible substrata. We have utilized quantitative phase microscopy by digital holography (DH-QPM) to study the wrinkling of a silicone rubber film by motile fibroblasts. Surface deformation and the cellular traction force have been measured from phase profiles in a direct and straightforward manner. DH-QPM is shown to provide highly efficient and versatile means for quantitatively analyzing cellular motility. PMID:22254175

Expanding the potential of standard flow cytometry by extracting fluorescence lifetimes from cytometric pulse shifts

PubMed Central

Cao, Ruofan; Naivar, Mark A; Wilder, Mark; Houston, Jessica P

2014-01-01

Fluorescence lifetime measurements provide information about the fluorescence relaxation, or intensity decay, of organic fluorophores, fluorescent proteins, and other inorganic molecules that fluoresce. The fluorescence lifetime is emerging in flow cytometry and is helpful in a variety of multiparametric, single cell measurements because it is not impacted by nonlinearity that can occur with fluorescence intensity measurements. Yet time-resolved cytometry systems rely on major hardware modifications making the methodology difficult to reproduce. The motivation of this work is, by taking advantage of the dynamic nature of flow cytometry sample detection and applying digital signal processing methods, to measure fluorescence lifetimes using an unmodified flow cytometer. We collect a new lifetime-dependent parameter, referred to herein as the fluorescence-pulse-delay (FPD), and prove it is a valid representation of the average fluorescence lifetime. To verify we generated cytometric pulses in simulation, with light emitting diode (LED) pulsation, and with true fluorescence measurements of cells and microspheres. Each pulse is digitized and used in algorithms to extract an average fluorescence lifetime inherent in the signal. A range of fluorescence lifetimes is measurable with this approach including standard organic fluorophore lifetimes (∼1 to 22 ns) as well as small, simulated shifts (0.1 ns) under standard conditions (reported herein). This contribution demonstrates how digital data acquisition and signal processing can reveal time-dependent information foreshadowing the exploitation of full waveform analysis for quantification of similar photo-physical events within single cells. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:25274073

Method and apparatus for analog signal conditioner for high speed, digital x-ray spectrometer

DOEpatents

Warburton, William K.; Hubbard, Bradley

1999-01-01

A signal processing system which accepts input from an x-ray detector-preamplifier and produces a signal of reduced dynamic range for subsequent analog-to-digital conversion. The system conditions the input signal to reduce the number of bits required in the analog-to-digital converter by removing that part of the input signal which varies only slowly in time and retaining the amplitude of the pulses which carry information about the x-rays absorbed by the detector. The parameters controlling the signal conditioner's operation can be readily supplied in digital form, allowing it to be integrated into a feedback loop as part of a larger digital x-ray spectroscopy system.

Influence of Waveform Characteristics on LiDAR Ranging Accuracy and Precision

PubMed Central

Yang, Bingwei; Xie, Xinhao; Li, Duan

2018-01-01

Time of flight (TOF) based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a technology for calculating distance between start/stop signals of time of flight. In lab-built LiDAR, two ranging systems for measuring flying time between start/stop signals include time-to-digital converter (TDC) that counts time between trigger signals and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that processes the sampled start/stop pulses waveform for time estimation. We study the influence of waveform characteristics on range accuracy and precision of two kinds of ranging system. Comparing waveform based ranging (WR) with analog discrete return system based ranging (AR), a peak detection method (WR-PK) shows the best ranging performance because of less execution time, high ranging accuracy, and stable precision. Based on a novel statistic mathematical method maximal information coefficient (MIC), WR-PK precision has a high linear relationship with the received pulse width standard deviation. Thus keeping the received pulse width of measuring a constant distance as stable as possible can improve ranging precision. PMID:29642639

Compact field programmable gate array-based pulse-sequencer and radio-frequency generator for experiments with trapped atoms.

PubMed

Pruttivarasin, Thaned; Katori, Hidetoshi

2015-11-01

We present a compact field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based pulse sequencer and radio-frequency (RF) generator suitable for experiments with cold trapped ions and atoms. The unit is capable of outputting a pulse sequence with at least 32 transistor-transistor logic (TTL) channels with a timing resolution of 40 ns and contains a built-in 100 MHz frequency counter for counting electrical pulses from a photo-multiplier tube. There are 16 independent direct-digital-synthesizers RF sources with fast (rise-time of ∼60 ns) amplitude switching and sub-mHz frequency tuning from 0 to 800 MHz.

Acoustic inspection device

DOEpatents

Diaz, Aaron A.; Burghard, Brion J.; Skorpik, James R.; Pappas, Richard A.; Mullen, O. Dennis; Samuel, Todd J.; Reid, Larry D.; Harris, Joe C.; Valencia, Juan D.; Smalley, Jonathan T.; Shepard, Chester L.; Taylor, Theodore T.

2005-09-06

An ultrasound inspection apparatus particularly adapted to examine containers (sealed or unsealed) containing a liquid or solid bulk material. The apparatus has an overall configuration of a hand held pistol with a front transducer contact surface that is positioned against a front wall of the container. An ultrasound pulse is transmitted from the apparatus to be reflected from a back wall of a container being investigated. The received echo pulse is converted to a digital waveform. The waveform is analyzed relative to temperature, travel distance of the pulse(s), and time of travel to ascertain characteristics of the liquid or other materials and to provide identification of the same.

Compact field programmable gate array-based pulse-sequencer and radio-frequency generator for experiments with trapped atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pruttivarasin, Thaned, E-mail: thaned.pruttivarasin@riken.jp; Katori, Hidetoshi; Innovative Space-Time Project, ERATO, JST, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656

We present a compact field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based pulse sequencer and radio-frequency (RF) generator suitable for experiments with cold trapped ions and atoms. The unit is capable of outputting a pulse sequence with at least 32 transistor-transistor logic (TTL) channels with a timing resolution of 40 ns and contains a built-in 100 MHz frequency counter for counting electrical pulses from a photo-multiplier tube. There are 16 independent direct-digital-synthesizers RF sources with fast (rise-time of ∼60 ns) amplitude switching and sub-mHz frequency tuning from 0 to 800 MHz.

Automated electrotransformation of Escherichia coli on a digital microfluidic platform using bioactivated magnetic beads.

PubMed

Moore, J A; Nemat-Gorgani, M; Madison, A C; Sandahl, M A; Punnamaraju, S; Eckhardt, A E; Pollack, M G; Vigneault, F; Church, G M; Fair, R B; Horowitz, M A; Griffin, P B

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the use of a digital microfluidic platform to perform multiplex automated genetic engineering (MAGE) cycles on droplets containing Escherichia coli cells. Bioactivated magnetic beads were employed for cell binding, washing, and media exchange in the preparation of electrocompetent cells in the electrowetting-on-dieletric (EWoD) platform. On-cartridge electroporation was used to deliver oligonucleotides into the cells. In addition to the optimization of a magnetic bead-based benchtop protocol for generating and transforming electrocompetent E. coli cells, we report on the implementation of this protocol in a fully automated digital microfluidic platform. Bead-based media exchange and electroporation pulse conditions were optimized on benchtop for transformation frequency to provide initial parameters for microfluidic device trials. Benchtop experiments comparing electrotransformation of free and bead-bound cells are presented. Our results suggest that dielectric shielding intrinsic to bead-bound cells significantly reduces electroporation field exposure efficiency. However, high transformation frequency can be maintained in the presence of magnetic beads through the application of more intense electroporation pulses. As a proof of concept, MAGE cycles were successfully performed on a commercial EWoD cartridge using variations of the optimal magnetic bead-based preparation procedure and pulse conditions determined by the benchtop results. Transformation frequencies up to 22% were achieved on benchtop; this frequency was matched within 1% (21%) by MAGE cycles on the microfluidic device. However, typical frequencies on the device remain lower, averaging 9% with a standard deviation of 9%. The presented results demonstrate the potential of digital microfluidics to perform complex and automated genetic engineering protocols.

Automated electrotransformation of Escherichia coli on a digital microfluidic platform using bioactivated magnetic beads

PubMed Central

Moore, J. A.; Nemat-Gorgani, M.; Madison, A. C.; Punnamaraju, S.; Eckhardt, A. E.; Pollack, M. G.; Church, G. M.; Fair, R. B.; Horowitz, M. A.; Griffin, P. B.

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the use of a digital microfluidic platform to perform multiplex automated genetic engineering (MAGE) cycles on droplets containing Escherichia coli cells. Bioactivated magnetic beads were employed for cell binding, washing, and media exchange in the preparation of electrocompetent cells in the electrowetting-on-dieletric (EWoD) platform. On-cartridge electroporation was used to deliver oligonucleotides into the cells. In addition to the optimization of a magnetic bead-based benchtop protocol for generating and transforming electrocompetent E. coli cells, we report on the implementation of this protocol in a fully automated digital microfluidic platform. Bead-based media exchange and electroporation pulse conditions were optimized on benchtop for transformation frequency to provide initial parameters for microfluidic device trials. Benchtop experiments comparing electrotransformation of free and bead-bound cells are presented. Our results suggest that dielectric shielding intrinsic to bead-bound cells significantly reduces electroporation field exposure efficiency. However, high transformation frequency can be maintained in the presence of magnetic beads through the application of more intense electroporation pulses. As a proof of concept, MAGE cycles were successfully performed on a commercial EWoD cartridge using variations of the optimal magnetic bead-based preparation procedure and pulse conditions determined by the benchtop results. Transformation frequencies up to 22% were achieved on benchtop; this frequency was matched within 1% (21%) by MAGE cycles on the microfluidic device. However, typical frequencies on the device remain lower, averaging 9% with a standard deviation of 9%. The presented results demonstrate the potential of digital microfluidics to perform complex and automated genetic engineering protocols. PMID:28191268

Kadenancy effect, acoustical resonance effect valveless pulse jet engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Rafis Suizwan; Jailani, Azrol; Haron, Muhammad Adli

2017-09-01

A pulse jet engine is a tremendously simple device, as far as moving parts are concerned, that is capable of using a range of fuels, an ignition device, and the ambient air to run an open combustion cycle at rates commonly exceeding 100 Hz. The pulse jet engine was first recognized as a worthy device for aeronautics applications with the introduction of the German V-1 Rocket, also known as the "Buzz Bomb." Although pulse jets are somewhat inefficient compared to other jet engines in terms of fuel usage, they have an exceptional thrust to weight ratio if the proper materials are chosen for its construction. For this reason, many hobbyists have adopted pulse jet engines for a propulsive device in RC planes, go-karts, and other recreational applications. The concept behind the design and function of propulsion devices are greatly inspired by the Newton's second and third laws. These laws quantitatively described thrust as a reaction force. Basically, whenever a mass is accelerated or expelled from one direction by a system, such a mass will exert the same force which will be equal in magnitude, however that will be opposite in direction over the same system. Thrust is that force utilized over a facade in a direction normal and perpendicular to the facade which is known as the thrust. This is the simplest explanation of the concept, on which propulsion devices functions. In mechanical engineering, any force that is orthogonal to the main load is generally referred to as thrust [1].

The effects of Patent Blue dye on peripheral and cerebral oxyhaemoglobin saturations.

PubMed

Ishiyama, T; Kotoda, M; Asano, N; Ikemoto, K; Mitsui, K; Sato, H; Matsukawa, T; Sessler, D I

2015-04-01

We measured the effect of Patent Blue dye on oxyhaemoglobin saturations after injection into breast tissue: 40 women had anaesthesia for breast surgery maintained with sevoflurane or propofol (20 randomly allocated to each). Saturations were recorded with a digital pulse oximeter, in arterial blood samples and with a cerebral tissue oximeter before dye injection and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 min afterwards. Patent Blue did not decrease arterial blood oxyhaemoglobin saturation, but it did reduce mean (SD) digital and cerebral oxyhaemoglobin saturations by 1.1 (1.1) % and 6.8 (7.0) %, p < 0.0001 for both. The falsely reduced oximeter readings persisted for at least 2 h. The mean (SD) intra-operative digital pulse oxyhaemoglobin readings were lower with sevoflurane than propofol, 97.8 (1.2) % and 98.8 (1.0) %, respectively, p < 0.0001. © 2014 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

Fast neutron flux analyzer with real-time digital pulse shape discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, A. A.; Zubarev, P. V.; Ivanenko, S. V.; Khilchenko, A. D.; Kotelnikov, A. I.; Polosatkin, S. V.; Puryga, E. A.; Shvyrev, V. G.; Sulyaev, Yu. S.

2016-08-01

Investigation of subthermonuclear plasma confinement and heating in magnetic fusion devices such as GOL-3 and GDT at the Budker Institute (Novosibirsk, Russia) requires sophisticated equipment for neutron-, gamma- diagnostics and upgrading data acquisition systems with online data processing. Measurement of fast neutron flux with stilbene scintillation detectors raised the problem of discrimination of the neutrons (n) from background cosmic particles (muons) and neutron-induced gamma rays (γ). This paper describes a fast neutron flux analyzer with real-time digital pulse-shape discrimination (DPSD) algorithm FPGA-implemented for the GOL-3 and GDT devices. This analyzer was tested and calibrated with the help of 137Cs and 252Cf radiation sources. The Figures of Merit (FOM) calculated for different energy cuts are presented.

A real-time n/γ digital pulse shape discriminator based on FPGA.

PubMed

Li, Shiping; Xu, Xiufeng; Cao, Hongrui; Yuan, Guoliang; Yang, Qingwei; Yin, Zejie

2013-02-01

A FPGA-based real-time digital pulse shape discriminator has been employed to distinguish between neutrons (n) and gammas (γ) in the Neutron Flux Monitor (NFM) for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The discriminator takes advantages of the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) parallel and pipeline process capabilities to carry out the real-time sifting of neutrons in n/γ mixed radiation fields, and uses the rise time and amplitude inspection techniques simultaneously as the discrimination algorithm to observe good n/γ separation. Some experimental results have been presented which show that this discriminator can realize the anticipated goals of NFM perfectly with its excellent discrimination quality and zero dead time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thomson Scattering Diagnostic Data Acquisition Systems for Modern Fusion Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivanenko, S.V.; Khilchenko, A.D.; Ovchar, V.K.

2015-07-01

Uniquely designed complex data acquisition system for Thomson scattering diagnostic was developed. It allows recording short duration (3-5 ns) scattered pulses with 2 GHz sampling rate and 10-bit total resolution in oscilloscope mode. The system consists up to 48 photo detector modules with 0- 200 MHz bandwidth, 1-48 simultaneously sampling ADC modules and synchronization subsystem. The photo detector modules are based on avalanche photodiodes (APD) and ultra-low noise trans-impedance amplifiers. ADC modules include fast analog to digital converters and digital units based on the FPGA (Field- Programmable Gate Array) for data processing and storage. The synchronization subsystem is used tomore » form triggering pulses and to organize the simultaneously mode of ADC modules operation. (authors)« less

The effect of timing errors in optical digital systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gagliardi, R. M.

1972-01-01

The use of digital transmission with narrow light pulses appears attractive for data communications, but carries with it a stringent requirement on system bit timing. The effects of imperfect timing in direct-detection (noncoherent) optical binary systems are investigated using both pulse-position modulation and on-off keying for bit transmission. Particular emphasis is placed on specification of timing accuracy and an examination of system degradation when this accuracy is not attained. Bit error probabilities are shown as a function of timing errors from which average error probabilities can be computed for specific synchronization methods. Of significance is the presence of a residual or irreducible error probability in both systems, due entirely to the timing system, which cannot be overcome by the data channel.

Radionuclide calorimeter system

DOEpatents

Donohoue, Thomas P.; Oertel, Christopher P.; Tyree, William H.; Valdez, Joe L.

1991-11-26

A circuit for measuring temperature differentials in a calorimeter is disclosed. The temperature differential between the reference element and sample element containing a radioactive material is measured via a wheatstone bridge arrangement of thermistors. The bridge is driven with an alternating current on a pulsed basis to maintain the thermal floor of the calorimeter at a low reference value. A lock-in amplifier connected to the bridge phase locks a signal from the bridge to the input pulsed AC signal to provide a DC voltage. The DC voltage is sampled over time and provided to a digital computer. The digital computer, using curve fitting algorithms, will derive a function for the sample data. From the function, an equilibrium value for the temperature may be calculated.

Radionuclide calorimeter system

DOEpatents

Donohoue, T.P.; Oertel, C.P.; Tyree, W.H.; Valdez, J.L.

1991-11-26

A circuit for measuring temperature differentials in a calorimeter is disclosed. The temperature differential between the reference element and sample element containing a radioactive material is measured via a Wheatstone bridge arrangement of thermistors. The bridge is driven with an alternating current on a pulsed basis to maintain the thermal floor of the calorimeter at a low reference value. A lock-in amplifier connected to the bridge phase locks a signal from the bridge to the input pulsed AC signal to provide a DC voltage. The DC voltage is sampled over time and provided to a digital computer. The digital computer, using curve fitting algorithms, will derive a function for the sample data. From the function, an equilibrium value for the temperature may be calculated. 7 figures.

Microprocessor-based single particle calibration of scintillation counter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazumdar, G. K. D.; Pathak, K. M.

1985-01-01

A microprocessor-base set-up is fabricated and tested for the single particle calibration of the plastic scintillator. The single particle response of the scintillator is digitized by an A/D converter, and a 8085 A based microprocessor stores the pulse heights. The digitized information is printed. Facilities for CRT display and cassette storing and recalling are also made available.

Telemetry Standards, RCC Standard 106-17. Chapter 8. Digital Data Bus Acquisition Formatting Standard

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

8-3 8.4.1 Characteristics of a Singular Composite Output Signal ...................................... 8-3 8.5 Single Bus Track Spread Recording ...Format .............................................................. 8-5 8.5.1 Single Bus Recording Technique Characteristics...check FCS frame check sequence HDDR high-density digital recording MIL-STD Military Standard msb most significant bit PCM pulse code modulation

A Review of Digital Image Correlation Applied to Structura Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niezrecki, Christopher; Avitabile, Peter; Warren, Christopher; Pingle, Pawan; Helfrick, Mark

2010-05-01

A significant amount of interest exists in performing non-contacting, full-field surface velocity measurement. For many years traditional non-contacting surface velocity measurements have been made by using scanning Doppler laser vibrometry, shearography, pulsed laser interferometry, pulsed holography, or an electronic speckle pattern interferometer (ESPI). Three dimensional (3D) digital image correlation (DIC) methods utilize the alignment of a stereo pair of images to obtain full-field geometry data, in three dimensions. Information about the change in geometry of an object over time can be found by comparing a sequence of images and virtual strain gages (or position sensors) can be created over the entire visible surface of the object of interest. Digital imaging techniques were first developed in the 1980s but the technology has only recently been exploited in industry and research due to the advances of digital cameras and personal computers. The use of DIC for structural dynamic measurement has only very recently been investigated. Within this paper, the advantages and limits of using DIC for dynamic measurement are reviewed. Several examples of using DIC for dynamic measurement are presented on several vibrating and rotating structures.

Digital pulse shape discrimination methods for n-γ separation in an EJ-301 liquid scintillation detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Bo; Zhang, Xue-Ying; Chen, Liang; Ge, Hong-Lin; Ma, Fei; Zhang, Hong-Bin; Ju, Yong-Qin; Zhang, Yan-Bin; Li, Yan-Yan; Xu, Xiao-Wei

2015-11-01

A digital pulse shape discrimination system based on a programmable module NI-5772 has been established and tested with an EJ-301 liquid scintillation detector. The module was operated by running programs developed in LabVIEW, with a sampling frequency up to 1.6 GS/s. Standard gamma sources 22Na, 137Cs and 60Co were used to calibrate the EJ-301 liquid scintillation detector, and the gamma response function was obtained. Digital algorithms for the charge comparison method and zero-crossing method have been developed. The experimental results show that both digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms can discriminate neutrons from γ-rays. Moreover, the zero-crossing method shows better n-γ discrimination at 80 keVee and lower, whereas the charge comparison method gives better results at higher thresholds. In addition, the figure-of-merit (FOM) for detectors of two different dimensions were extracted at 9 energy thresholds, and it was found that the smaller detector presented better n-γ separation for fission neutrons. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (91226107, 11305229) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA03030300)

Digital Intermediate Frequency Receiver Module For Use In Airborne Sar Applications

DOEpatents

Tise, Bertice L.; Dubbert, Dale F.

2005-03-08

A digital IF receiver (DRX) module directly compatible with advanced radar systems such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. The DRX can combine a 1 G-Sample/sec 8-bit ADC with high-speed digital signal processor, such as high gate-count FPGA technology or ASICs to realize a wideband IF receiver. DSP operations implemented in the DRX can include quadrature demodulation and multi-rate, variable-bandwidth IF filtering. Pulse-to-pulse (Doppler domain) filtering can also be implemented in the form of a presummer (accumulator) and an azimuth prefilter. An out of band noise source can be employed to provide a dither signal to the ADC, and later be removed by digital signal processing. Both the range and Doppler domain filtering operations can be implemented using a unique pane architecture which allows on-the-fly selection of the filter decimation factor, and hence, the filter bandwidth. The DRX module can include a standard VME-64 interface for control, status, and programming. An interface can provide phase history data to the real-time image formation processors. A third front-panel data port (FPDP) interface can send wide bandwidth, raw phase histories to a real-time phase history recorder for ground processing.

High-speed multi-frame dynamic transmission electron microscope image acquisition system with arbitrary timing

DOEpatents

Reed, Bryan W.; DeHope, William J.; Huete, Glenn; LaGrange, Thomas B.; Shuttlesworth, Richard M.

2016-02-23

An electron microscope is disclosed which has a laser-driven photocathode and an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) laser system ("laser"). The laser produces a train of temporally-shaped laser pulses each being of a programmable pulse duration, and directs the laser pulses to the laser-driven photocathode to produce a train of electron pulses. An image sensor is used along with a deflector subsystem. The deflector subsystem is arranged downstream of the target but upstream of the image sensor, and has a plurality of plates. A control system having a digital sequencer controls the laser and a plurality of switching components, synchronized with the laser, to independently control excitation of each one of the deflector plates. This allows each electron pulse to be directed to a different portion of the image sensor, as well as to enable programmable pulse durations and programmable inter-pulse spacings.

Low-to-Medium Power Single Chip Digital Controlled DC-DC Regulator for Point-of-Load Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adell, Philippe C. (Inventor); Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Inventor); Vermeire, Bert (Inventor); Liu, Tao (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A DC-DC converter for generating a DC output voltage includes: a digitally controlled pulse width modulator (DPWM) for controlling a switching power stage to supply a varying voltage to an inductor; and a digital voltage feedback circuit for controlling the DPWM in accordance with a feedback voltage corresponding to the DC output voltage, the digital voltage feedback circuit including: a first voltage controlled oscillator for converting the feedback voltage into a first frequency signal and to supply the first frequency signal to a first frequency discriminator; a second voltage controlled oscillator for converting a reference voltage into a second frequency signal and to supply the second frequency signal to a second frequency discriminator; a digital comparator for comparing digital outputs of the first and second frequency discriminators and for outputting a digital feedback signal; and a controller for controlling the DPWM in accordance with the digital feedback signal.

Digital intelligent booster for DCC miniature train networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursu, M. P.; Condruz, D. A.

2017-08-01

Modern miniature trains are now driven by means of the DCC (Digital Command and Control) system, which allows the human operator or a personal computer to launch commands to each individual train or even to control different features of the same train. The digital command station encodes these commands and sends them to the trains by means of electrical pulses via the rails of the railway network. Due to the development of the miniature railway network, it may happen that the power requirement of the increasing number of digital locomotives, carriages and accessories exceeds the nominal output power of the digital command station. This digital intelligent booster relieves the digital command station from powering the entire railway network all by itself, and it automatically handles the multiple powered sections of the network. This electronic device is also able to detect and process short-circuits and overload conditions, without the intervention of the digital command station.

Free Language Selection in the Bilingual Brain: An Event-Related fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Wang, Tao; Huang, Peiyu; Li, Dan; Qiu, Jiang; Shen, Tong; Xie, Peng

2015-01-01

Bilingual speakers may select between two languages either on demand (forced language selection) or on their own volition (free language selection). However, the neural substrates underlying free and forced language selection may differ. While the neural substrates underlying forced language selection have been well-explored with language switching paradigms, those underlying free language selection have remained unclear. Using a modified digit-naming switching paradigm, we addressed the neural substrates underlying free language selection by contrasting free language switching with forced language switching. For a digit-pair trial, Chinese-English bilinguals named each digit in Chinese or English either on demand under forced language selection condition or on their own volition under free language selection condition. The results revealed activation in the frontoparietal regions that mediate volition of language selection. Furthermore, a comparison of free and forced language switching demonstrated differences in the patterns of brain activation. Additionally, free language switching showed reduced switching costs as compared to forced language switching. These findings suggest differences between the mechanism(s) underlying free and forced language switching. As such, the current study suggests interactivity between control of volition and control of language switching in free language selection, providing insights into a model of bilingual language control. PMID:26177885

Timing performance comparison of digital methods in positron emission tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aykac, Mehmet; Hong, Inki; Cho, Sanghee

2010-11-01

Accurate timing information is essential in positron emission tomography (PET). Recent improvements in high speed electronics made digital methods more attractive to find alternative solutions to create a time mark for an event. Two new digital methods (mean PMT pulse model, MPPM, and median filtered zero crossing method, MFZCM) were introduced in this work and compared to traditional methods such as digital leading edge (LE) and digital constant fraction discrimination (CFD). In addition, the performances of all four digital methods were compared to analog based LE and CFD. The time resolution values for MPPM and MFZCM were measured below 300 ps at 1.6 GS/s and above that was similar to the analog based coincidence timing results. In addition, the two digital methods were insensitive to the changes in threshold setting that might give some improvement in system dead time.

Force-free electromagnetic pulses in a laboratory plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenzel, R. L.; Urrutia, J. M.

1990-01-01

A short, intense current pulse is drawn from an electrode immersed in a magnetized afterglow plasma. The induced magnetic field B(r,t) assumes the shape of a helical double vortex which propagates along B(0) through the uniform plasma as a whistler mode. The observations support a prediction of force-free (J x B + neE = 0) electromagnetic fields and solitary waves. Energy and helicity are approximately conserved.

A 16 x 16-pixel retinal-prosthesis vision chip with in-pixel digital image processing in a frequency domain by use of a pulse-frequency-modulation photosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagawa, Keiichiro; Furumiya, Tetsuo; Ng, David C.; Uehara, Akihiro; Ohta, Jun; Nunoshita, Masahiro

2004-06-01

We are exploring the application of pulse-frequency-modulation (PFM) photosensor to retinal prosthesis for the blind because behavior of PFM photosensors is similar to retinal ganglion cells, from which visual data are transmitted from the retina toward the brain. We have developed retinal-prosthesis vision chips that reshape the output pulses of the PFM photosensor to biphasic current pulses suitable for electric stimulation of retinal cells. In this paper, we introduce image-processing functions to the pixel circuits. We have designed a 16x16-pixel retinal-prosthesis vision chip with several kinds of in-pixel digital image processing such as edge enhancement, edge detection, and low-pass filtering. This chip is a prototype demonstrator of the retinal prosthesis vision chip applicable to in-vitro experiments. By utilizing the feature of PFM photosensor, we propose a new scheme to implement the above image processing in a frequency domain by digital circuitry. Intensity of incident light is converted to a 1-bit data stream by a PFM photosensor, and then image processing is executed by a 1-bit image processor based on joint and annihilation of pulses. The retinal prosthesis vision chip is composed of four blocks: a pixels array block, a row-parallel stimulation current amplifiers array block, a decoder block, and a base current generators block. All blocks except PFM photosensors and stimulation current amplifiers are embodied as digital circuitry. This fact contributes to robustness against noises and fluctuation of power lines. With our vision chip, we can control photosensitivity and intensity and durations of stimulus biphasic currents, which are necessary for retinal prosthesis vision chip. The designed dynamic range is more than 100 dB. The amplitude of the stimulus current is given by a base current, which is common for all pixels, multiplied by a value in an amplitude memory of pixel. Base currents of the negative and positive pulses are common for the all pixels, and they are set in a linear manner. Otherwise, the value in the amplitude memory of the pixel is presented in an exponential manner to cover the wide range. The stimulus currents are put out column by column by scanning. The pixel size is 240um x 240um. Each pixel has a bonding pad on which stimulus electrode is to be formed. We will show the experimental results of the test chip.

Fractional channel multichannel analyzer

DOEpatents

Brackenbush, L.W.; Anderson, G.A.

1994-08-23

A multichannel analyzer incorporating the features of the present invention obtains the effect of fractional channels thus greatly reducing the number of actual channels necessary to record complex line spectra. This is accomplished by using an analog-to-digital converter in the asynchronous mode, i.e., the gate pulse from the pulse height-to-pulse width converter is not synchronized with the signal from a clock oscillator. This saves power and reduces the number of components required on the board to achieve the effect of radically expanding the number of channels without changing the circuit board. 9 figs.

Fractional channel multichannel analyzer

DOEpatents

Brackenbush, Larry W.; Anderson, Gordon A.

1994-01-01

A multichannel analyzer incorporating the features of the present invention obtains the effect of fractional channels thus greatly reducing the number of actual channels necessary to record complex line spectra. This is accomplished by using an analog-to-digital converter in the asynscronous mode, i.e., the gate pulse from the pulse height-to-pulse width converter is not synchronized with the signal from a clock oscillator. This saves power and reduces the number of components required on the board to achieve the effect of radically expanding the number of channels without changing the circuit board.

Nonlinear 2D arm dynamics in response to continuous and pulse-shaped force perturbations.

PubMed

Happee, Riender; de Vlugt, Erwin; van Vliet, Bart

2015-01-01

Ample evidence exists regarding the nonlinearity of the neuromuscular system but linear models are widely applied to capture postural dynamics. This study quantifies the nonlinearity of human arm postural dynamics applying 2D continuous force perturbations (0.2-40 Hz) inducing three levels of hand displacement (5, 15, 45 mm RMS) followed by force-pulse perturbations inducing large hand displacements (up to 250 mm) in a position task (PT) and a relax task (RT) recording activity of eight shoulder and elbow muscles. The continuous perturbation data were used to analyze the 2D endpoint dynamics in the frequency domain and to identify reflexive and intrinsic parameters of a linear neuromuscular shoulder-elbow model. Subsequently, it was assessed to what extent the large displacements in response to force pulses could be predicted from the 'small amplitude' linear neuromuscular model. Continuous and pulse perturbation responses with varying amplitudes disclosed highly nonlinear effects. In PT, a larger continuous perturbation induced stiffening with a factor of 1.5 attributed to task adaptation evidenced by increased co-contraction and reflexive activity. This task adaptation was even more profound in the pulse responses where reflexes and displacements were strongly affected by the presence and amplitude of preceding continuous perturbations. In RT, a larger continuous perturbation resulted in yielding with a factor of 3.8 attributed to nonlinear mechanical properties as no significant reflexive activity was found. Pulse perturbations always resulted in yielding where a model fitted to the preceding 5-mm continuous perturbations predicted only 37% of the recorded peak displacements in RT and 79% in PT. This demonstrates that linear neuromuscular models, identified using continuous perturbations with small amplitudes, strongly underestimate displacements in pulse-shaped (e.g., impact) loading conditions. The data will be used to validate neuromuscular models including nonlinear muscular (e.g., Hill and Huxley) and reflexive components.

Effect of tendon vibration during wide-pulse neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the decline and recovery of muscle force.

PubMed

Bochkezanian, Vanesa; Newton, Robert U; Trajano, Gabriel S; Vieira, Amilton; Pulverenti, Timothy S; Blazevich, Anthony J

2017-05-02

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used to activate skeletal muscles and reverse muscle atrophy in clinical populations. Clinical recommendations for NMES suggest the use of short pulse widths (100-200 μs) and low-to-moderate pulse frequencies (30-50 Hz). However, this type of NMES causes rapid muscle fatigue due to the (non-physiological) high stimulation intensities and non-orderly recruitment of motor units. The use of both wide pulse widths (1000 μs) and tendon vibration might optimize motor unit activation through spinal reflex pathways and thus delay the onset of muscle fatigue, increasing muscle force and mass. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the acute effects of patellar tendon vibration superimposed onto wide-pulse width (1000 μs) knee extensor electrical stimulation (NMES, 30 Hz) on peak muscle force, total impulse before "muscle fatigue", and the post-exercise recovery of muscle function. Tendon vibration (Vib), NMES (STIM) or NMES superimposed onto vibration (STIM + Vib) were applied in separate sessions to 16 healthy adults. Total torque-time integral (TTI), maximal voluntary contraction torque (MVIC) and indirect measures of muscle damage were tested before, immediately after, 1 h and 48 h after each stimulus. TTI increased (145.0 ± 127.7%) in STIM only for "positive responders" to the tendon vibration (8/16 subjects), but decreased in "negative responders" (-43.5 ± 25.7%). MVIC (-8.7%) and rectus femoris electromyography (RF EMG) (-16.7%) decreased after STIM (group effect) for at least 1 h, but not after STIM + Vib. No changes were detected in indirect markers of muscle damage in any condition. Tendon vibration superimposed onto wide-pulse width NMES increased TTI only in 8 of 16 subjects, but reduced voluntary force loss (fatigue) ubiquitously. Negative responders to tendon vibration may derive greater benefit from wide-pulse width NMES alone.

Optically-synchronized encoder and multiplexer scheme for interleaved photonics analog-to-digital conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villa, Carlos; Kumavor, Patrick; Donkor, Eric

2008-04-01

Photonics Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) utilize a train of optical pulses to sample an electrical input waveform applied to an electrooptic modulator or a reverse biased photodiode. In the former, the resulting train of amplitude-modulated optical pulses is detected (converter to electrical) and quantized using a conversional electronics ADC- as at present there are no practical, cost-effective optical quantizers available with performance that rival electronic quantizers. In the latter, the electrical samples are directly quantized by the electronics ADC. In both cases however, the sampling rate is limited by the speed with which the electronics ADC can quantize the electrical samples. One way to increase the sampling rate by a factor N is by using the time-interleaved technique which consists of a parallel array of N electrical ADC converters, which have the same sampling rate but different sampling phase. Each operating at a quantization rate of fs/N where fs is the aggregated sampling rate. In a system with no real-time operation, the N channels digital outputs are stored in memory, and then aggregated (multiplexed) to obtain the digital representation of the analog input waveform. Alternatively, for real-time operation systems the reduction of storing time in the multiplexing process is desired to improve the time response of the ADC. The complete elimination of memories come expenses of concurrent timing and synchronization in the aggregation of the digital signal that became critical for a good digital representation of the analog signal waveform. In this paper we propose and demonstrate a novel optically synchronized encoder and multiplexer scheme for interleaved photonics ADCs that utilize the N optical signals used to sample different phases of an analog input signal to synchronize the multiplexing of the resulting N digital output channels in a single digital output port. As a proof of concept, four 320 Megasamples/sec 12-bit of resolution digital signals were multiplexed to form an aggregated 1.28 Gigasamples/sec single digital output signal.

Numerical Simulation of a Nanosecond Pulse Discharge in Mach 5 Flow

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Numerical Simulation of a Nanosecond Pulse Discharge in Mach 5 Flow Jonathan Poggie∗and Nicholas J. Bisek† Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright...was developed for nanosecond- pulse discharges , including real- istic air kinetics, electron energy transport, and compressible bulk gas flow. A reduced...shock waves originating near the sheath edge, consistent with experimental observations. I. Introduction In a nanosecond- pulse discharge , the input

Lorentz force detuning analysis of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accelerating cavities.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, R.R.; Matsumoto, K. Y.; Ciovati, G.

2001-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project incorporates a superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) accelerator for the final section of the pulsed mode linac. Cavities with geometrical {beta} values of {beta}=0.61 and {beta}=0.81 are utilized in the SRF section, and are constructed out of thin-walled niobium with stiffener rings welded between the cells near the iris. The welded titanium helium vessel and tuner assembly restrains the cavity beam tubes. Cavities with {beta} values less than one have relatively steep and flat side-walls making the cavities susceptible to Lorentz force detuning. In addition, the pulsed RF induces cyclic Lorentz pressures that mechanically excite themore » cavities, producing a dynamic Lorentz force detuning different from a continuous RF system. The amplitude of the dynamic detuning for a given cavity design is a function of the mechanical damping, stiffness of the tuner/helium vessel assembly, RF pulse profile, and the RF pulse rate. This paper presents analysis and testing results to date, and indicates areas where more investigation is required.« less

Quarter-Rate Superconducting Modulator for Improved High Resolution Analog-to-Digital Converter

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

third pulse to Output B2, and the fourth to Output C2. The fifth pulse goes to Output B1 and the pattern continues. The inductances LQA , LQB, LQC...inductance LQA . Junction JL1A is now biased with the loop phase being equal to – π. In the bottom left demultiplexer, junctions JR1B and JL2B are

Portable-Beacon Landing System for Helicopters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Thomas J.; Clary, George R.; Chisholm, John P.; Macdonald, Stanley L.

1987-01-01

Prototype beacon landing system (BLS) allows helicopters to make precise landings in all weather. BLS easily added to existing helicopter avionic equipment and readily deployed at remote sites. Small and light, system employs X-band radar and digital processing. Variety of beams pulsed sequentially by ground station after initial interrogation by weather radar of approaching helicopter. Airborne microprocessor processes pulses to determine glide slope, course deviation, and range.

Digital Electronics for Nuclear Physics Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skulski, Wojtek; Hunter, David; Druszkiewicz, Eryk; Khaitan, Dev Ashish; Yin, Jun; Wolfs, Frank; SkuTek Instrumentation Team; Department of Physics; Astronomy, University of Rochester Team

2015-10-01

Future detectors in nuclear physics will use signal sampling as one of primary techniques of data acquisition. Using the digitized waveforms, the electronics can select events based on pulse shape, total energy, multiplicity, and the hit pattern. The DAQ for the LZ Dark Matter detector, now under development in Rochester, is a good example of the power of digital signal processing. This system, designed around 32-channel, FPGA-based, digital signal processors collects data from more than one thousand channels. The solutions developed for this DAQ can be applied to nuclear physics experiments. Supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science under Grant DE-SC0009543.

A Digital Phase Lock Loop for an External Cavity Diode Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Long; Tao, Tian-Jiong; Cheng, Bing; Wu, Bin; Xu, Yun-Fei; Wang, Zhao-Ying; Lin, Qiang

2011-08-01

A digital optical phase lock loop (OPLL) is implemented to synchronize the frequency and phase between two external cavity diode lasers (ECDL), generating Raman pulses for atom interferometry. The setup involves all-digital phase detection and a programmable digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop in locking. The lock generates a narrow beat-note linewidth below 1 Hz and low phase-noise of 0.03rad2 between the master and slave ECDLs. The lock proves to be stable and robust, and all the locking parameters can be set and optimized on a computer interface with convenience, making the lock adaptable to various setups of laser systems.

Digital Radar-Signal Processors Implemented in FPGAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkun, Andrew; Andraka, Ray

2004-01-01

High-performance digital electronic circuits for onboard processing of return signals in an airborne precipitation- measuring radar system have been implemented in commercially available field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Previously, it was standard practice to downlink the radar-return data to a ground station for postprocessing a costly practice that prevents the nearly-real-time use of the data for automated targeting. In principle, the onboard processing could be performed by a system of about 20 personal- computer-type microprocessors; relative to such a system, the present FPGA-based processor is much smaller and consumes much less power. Alternatively, the onboard processing could be performed by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), but in comparison with an ASIC implementation, the present FPGA implementation offers the advantages of (1) greater flexibility for research applications like the present one and (2) lower cost in the small production volumes typical of research applications. The generation and processing of signals in the airborne precipitation measuring radar system in question involves the following especially notable steps: The system utilizes a total of four channels two carrier frequencies and two polarizations at each frequency. The system uses pulse compression: that is, the transmitted pulse is spread out in time and the received echo of the pulse is processed with a matched filter to despread it. The return signal is band-limited and digitally demodulated to a complex baseband signal that, for each pulse, comprises a large number of samples. Each complex pair of samples (denoted a range gate in radar terminology) is associated with a numerical index that corresponds to a specific time offset from the beginning of the radar pulse, so that each such pair represents the energy reflected from a specific range. This energy and the average echo power are computed. The phase of each range bin is compared to the previous echo by complex conjugate multiplication to obtain the mean Doppler shift (and hence the mean and variance of the velocity of precipitation) of the echo at that range.

Digital Photoplethysmography for Assessment of Arterial Stiffness: Repeatability and Comparison with Applanation Tonometry

PubMed Central

Östling, Gerd; Nilsson, Peter M.

2015-01-01

Introduction Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and can be assessed by applanation tonometry by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIX) by pressure pulse wave analysis (PWA). As an inexpensive and operator independent alternative, photoelectric plethysmography (PPG) has been introduced with analysis of the digital volume pulse wave (DPA) and its second derivatives of wave reflections. Objective The objective was to investigate the repeatability of arterial stiffness parameters measured by digital pulse wave analysis (DPA) and the associations to applanation tonometry parameters. Methods and Results 112 pregnant and non-pregnant individuals of different ages and genders were examined with SphygmoCor arterial wall tonometry and Meridian DPA finger photoplethysmography. Coefficients of repeatability, Bland-Altman plots, intraclass correlation coefficients and correlations to heart rate (HR) and body height were calculated for DPA variables, and the DPA variables were compared to tonometry variables left ventricular ejection time (LVET), PWV and AIX. No DPA variable showed any systematic measurement error or excellent repeatability, but dicrotic index (DI), dicrotic dilatation index (DDI), cardiac ejection elasticity index (EEI), aging index (AI) and second derivatives of the crude pulse wave curve, b/a and e/a, showed good repeatability. Overall, the correlations to AIX were better than to PWV, with correlations coefficients >0.70 for EEI, AI and b/a. Considering the level of repeatability and the correlations to tonometry, the overall best DPA parameters were EEI, AI and b/a. The two pansystolic time parameters, ejection time compensated (ETc) by DPA and LVET by tonometry, showed a significant but weak correlation. Conclusion For estimation of the LV function, ETc, EEI and b/a are suitable, for large artery stiffness EEI, and for small arteries DI and DDI. The only global parameter, AI, showed a high repeatability and the overall best correlations with AIX and PWV. PMID:26291079

Method and apparatus for analog signal conditioner for high speed, digital x-ray spectrometer

DOEpatents

Warburton, W.K.; Hubbard, B.

1999-02-09

A signal processing system which accepts input from an x-ray detector-preamplifier and produces a signal of reduced dynamic range for subsequent analog-to-digital conversion is disclosed. The system conditions the input signal to reduce the number of bits required in the analog-to-digital converter by removing that part of the input signal which varies only slowly in time and retaining the amplitude of the pulses which carry information about the x-rays absorbed by the detector. The parameters controlling the signal conditioner`s operation can be readily supplied in digital form, allowing it to be integrated into a feedback loop as part of a larger digital x-ray spectroscopy system. 13 figs.

Calibration of a speckle-based compressive sensing receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sefler, George A.; Shaw, T. Justin; Stapleton, Andrew D.; Valley, George C.

2017-02-01

Optical speckle in a multimode waveguide has been proposed to perform the function of a compressive sensing (CS) measurement matrix (MM) in a receiver for GHz-band radio frequency (RF) signals. Unlike other devices used for the CS MM, e.g. the digital micromirror device (DMD) used in the single pixel camera, the elements of the speckle MM are not known before use and must be measured and calibrated. In our system, the RF signal is modulated on a repetitively pulsed chirped wavelength laser source, generated from mode-locked laser pulses that have been dispersed in time or from an electrically addressed distributed Bragg reflector laser. Next, the optical beam with RF propagates through a multimode fiber or waveguide, which applies different weights in wavelength (or equivalently time) and space and performs the function of the CS MM. The output of the guide is directed to or imaged on a bank of photodiodes with integration time set to the pulse length of the chirp waveform. The output of each photodiode is digitized by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and the data from these ADCs are used to form the CS measurement vector. Accurate recovery of the RF signal from CS measurements depends critically on knowledge of the weights in the MM. Here we present results using a stable wavelength laser source to probe the guide.

EMPTAC (Electromagnetic Pulse Test Aircraft) user's guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleaveland, Dale R.; Burkhard, Avery

1988-04-01

This guide was established to give test managers a way to familiarize themselves with the Air Force Weapons Laboratory's electromagnetic pulse (EMP) test aircraft program located at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), New Mexico. Brief descriptions of the available EMP test facilities at KAFB are also included. This guide should give prospective customers (users) adequate information to scope the magnitude of their test effort and to accomplish general planning without extensive involvement in test execution details.

Is the Control of Applied Digital Forces During Natural Five-digit Grasping Affected by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

PubMed

Chen, Po-Tsun; Jou, I-Ming; Lin, Chien-Ju; Chieh, Hsiao-Feng; Kuo, Li-Chieh; Su, Fong-Chin

2015-07-01

The impaired sensory function of the hand induced by carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is known to disturb dexterous manipulations. However, force control during daily grasping configuration among the five digits has not been a prominent focus of study. Because grasping is so important to normal function and use of a hand, it is important to understand how sensory changes in CTS affect the digit force of natural grasp. We therefore examined the altered patterns of digit forces applied during natural five-digit grasping in patients with CTS and compared them with those seen in control subjects without CTS. We hypothesized that the patients with CTS will grasp by applying larger forces with lowered pair correlations and more force variability of the involved digits than the control subjects. Specifically, we asked: (1) Is there a difference between patients with CTS and control subjects in applied force by digits during lift-hold-lower task? (2) Is there a difference in force correlation coefficient of the digit pairs? (3) Are there force variability differences during the holding phase? We evaluated 15 female patients with CTS and 15 control subjects matched for age, gender, and hand dominance. The applied radial forces (Fr) of the five digits were recorded by respective force transducers on a cylinder simulator during the lift-hold-lower task with natural grasping. The movement phases of the task were determined by a video-based motion capture system. The applied forces of the thumb in patients with CTS (7 ± 0.8 N; 95% CI, 7.2-7.4 N) versus control subjects (5 ± 0.8 N; 95% CI, 5.1-5.3 N) and the index finger in patients with CTS (3 ± 0.3 N; 95% CI, 3.2-3.3 N) versus control subjects (2 ± 0.3 N; 95% CI, 2.2-2.3 N) observed throughout most of the task were larger in the CTS group (p ranges 0.035-0.050 for thumb and 0.016-0.050 for index finger). In addition, the applied force of the middle finger in patients with CTS (1 ± 0.1 N; 95% CI, 1.3-1.4 N) versus the control subjects (2 ± 0.2 N; 95% CI, 1.9-2.0 N) during the lowering phase was larger in CTS group (p ranges 0.039-0.050). The force correlations of the thumb-middle finger observed during the lowering phase in the patients with CTS (0.8 ± 0.2; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9) versus the control subjects (0.9 ± 0.1; 95% CI, 0.8-1.0; p = 0.04) were weaker in the CTS group. The thumb-little finger during holding in the patients with CTS (0.5 ± 0.2; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7) versus the control subjects (0.8 ± 0.2; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9; p = 0.02), and the lowering phase in the patients with CTS (0.6 ± 0.2; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8) versus the control subjects (0.9 ± 0.1; 95% CI, 0.8-1.0; p = 0.01) also were weaker. The force variabilities of patients with CTS were greater in the CTS group than in the control subjects: in the thumb ([0.26 ± 0.11 N, 95% CI, 0.20-0.32 N] versus [0.19 ± 0.06 N; 95% CI, 0.16-0.22 N], p = 0.03); index finger ([0.09 ± 0.07 N; 95% CI, 0.05-0.13 N] versus [0.05 ± 0.03 N; 95% CI, 0.04-0.07 N], p = 0.03); middle finger ([0.06 ± 0.04 N; 95% CI, 0.04-0.08 N] versus [0.03 ± 0.01 N; 95% CI, 0.02-0.04 N], p = 0.02), and ring finger ([0.04 ± 0.03 N; 95% CI, 0.20-0.06 N] versus [0.02 ± 0.01 N; 95% CI, 0.02-0.02 N], p = 0.01). Patients with CTS grasped with greater digit force associated with weaker correlation and higher variability on specific digits in different task demands. These altered patterns in daily grasping may lead to secondary problems, which will need to be assessed in future studies with this model to see if they are reversible in patients undergoing carpal tunnel release. The current results helped to identify altered patterns of grasping force during simulated daily function in patients with CTS and to provide the clinician with potential information that might help guide the rehabilitation of grasp in these patients.

Longitudinal Waves Drive the Solar Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Orvin

2000-05-01

In Physics Essays 12: 3-10 I explain the placement of the planets in terms of low velocity waves emitted by the sun. Evidence for the wave pulse generated near the center of the sun is indicated by the initial high latitude sunspots observed on the butterfly diagram. The wave pulse carries charge with it as observed for similar waves in plants (W-waves). For the first half cycle negative charge is carried to the surface of the sun where much of the wave pulse radiates a wave crest into space while the charge slowly redistributes itself. Meanwhile the next wave pulse carrying excess positive charge moves outward. Rotating charge determines the polarity of the sun's magnetic poles so they reverse as the pulse moves outward. The wave pulse, which interacts strongly with force fields, is guided by centripetal force and gravity so that the pulse comes out near the sun's equator. W-waves produce an automatic return wave in the vacuum so that standing waves are produced in the space around the sun providing a template for the formation and stabilization planets. W-waves are hypothesized to provide self organization for both the universe and life. See the

Synthesizing genetic sequential logic circuit with clock pulse generator

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Rhythmic clock widely occurs in biological systems which controls several aspects of cell physiology. For the different cell types, it is supplied with various rhythmic frequencies. How to synthesize a specific clock signal is a preliminary but a necessary step to further development of a biological computer in the future. Results This paper presents a genetic sequential logic circuit with a clock pulse generator based on a synthesized genetic oscillator, which generates a consecutive clock signal whose frequency is an inverse integer multiple to that of the genetic oscillator. An analogous electronic waveform-shaping circuit is constructed by a series of genetic buffers to shape logic high/low levels of an oscillation input in a basic sinusoidal cycle and generate a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output with various duty cycles. By controlling the threshold level of the genetic buffer, a genetic clock pulse signal with its frequency consistent to the genetic oscillator is synthesized. A synchronous genetic counter circuit based on the topology of the digital sequential logic circuit is triggered by the clock pulse to synthesize the clock signal with an inverse multiple frequency to the genetic oscillator. The function acts like a frequency divider in electronic circuits which plays a key role in the sequential logic circuit with specific operational frequency. Conclusions A cascaded genetic logic circuit generating clock pulse signals is proposed. Based on analogous implement of digital sequential logic circuits, genetic sequential logic circuits can be constructed by the proposed approach to generate various clock signals from an oscillation signal. PMID:24884665

Writing and Digital Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Waes, Luuk, Ed.; Leijten, Marielle, Ed.; Neuwirth, Chris, Ed.

2006-01-01

Digital media has become an increasingly powerful force in modern society. This volume brings together outstanding European, American and Australian research in "writing and digital media" and explores its cognitive, social and cultural implications. In addition to presenting programs of original research by internationally known…

Spinal manipulation force and duration affect vertebral movement and neuromuscular responses.

PubMed

Colloca, Christopher J; Keller, Tony S; Harrison, Deed E; Moore, Robert J; Gunzburg, Robert; Harrison, Donald D

2006-03-01

Previous study in human subjects has documented biomechanical and neurophysiological responses to impulsive spinal manipulative thrusts, but very little is known about the neuromechanical effects of varying thrust force-time profiles. Ten adolescent Merino sheep were anesthetized and posteroanterior mechanical thrusts were applied to the L3 spinous process using a computer-controlled, mechanical testing apparatus. Three variable pulse durations (10, 100, 200 ms, force = 80 N) and three variable force amplitudes (20, 40, 60 N, pulse duration = 100 ms) were examined for their effect on lumbar motion response (L3 displacement, L1, L2 acceleration) and normalized multifidus electromyographic response (L3, L4) using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Increasing L3 posteroanterior force amplitude resulted in a fourfold linear increase in L3 posteroanterior vertebral displacement (p < 0.001) and adjacent segment (L1, L2) posteroanterior acceleration response (p < 0.001). L3 displacement was linearly correlated (p < 0.001) to the acceleration response over the 20-80 N force range (100 ms). At constant force, 10 ms thrusts resulted in nearly fivefold lower L3 displacements and significantly increased segmental (L2) acceleration responses compared to the 100 ms (19%, p = 0.005) and 200 ms (16%, p = 0.023) thrusts. Normalized electromyographic responses increased linearly with increasing force amplitude at higher amplitudes and were appreciably affected by mechanical excitation pulse duration. Changes in the biomechanical and neuromuscular response of the ovine lumbar spine were observed in response to changes in the force-time characteristics of the spinal manipulative thrusts and may be an underlying mechanism in related clinical outcomes.

Detection of pulsed neutrons with solid-state electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzakis, J.; Rigakis, I.; Hassan, S. M.; Clark, E. L.; Lee, P.

2016-09-01

Measurements of the spatial and time-resolved characteristics of pulsed neutron sources require large area detection materials and fast circuitry that can process the electronic pulses readout from the active region of the detector. In this paper, we present a solid-state detector based on the nuclear activation of materials by neutrons, and the detection of the secondary particle emission of the generated radionuclides’ decay. The detector utilizes a microcontroller that communicates using a modified SPI protocol. A solid-state, pulse shaping filter follows a charge amplifier, and it is designed as an inexpensive, low-noise solution for measuring pulses measured by a digital counter. An imaging detector can also be made by using an array of these detectors. The system can communicate with an interface unit and pass an image to a personal computer.

Optical integrator for optical dark-soliton detection and pulse shaping.

PubMed

Ngo, Nam Quoc

2006-09-10

The design and analysis of an Nth-order optical integrator using the digital filter technique is presented. The optical integrator is synthesized using planar-waveguide technology. It is shown that a first-order optical integrator can be used as an optical dark-soliton detector by converting an optical dark-soliton pulse into an optical bell-shaped pulse for ease of detection. The optical integrators can generate an optical step function, staircase function, and paraboliclike functions from input optical Gaussian pulses. The optical integrators may be potentially used as basic building blocks of all-optical signal processing systems because the time integrals of signals may sometimes be required for further use or analysis. Furthermore, an optical integrator may be used for the shaping of optical pulses or in an optical feedback control system.

A Hydrocarbon Fuel Flash Vaporization System for a Pulsed Detonation Engine

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

Experiments were performed in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Pulsed Detonation Research Facility at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. The PDE ...AFRL-MN-EG-TP-2006-7420 A HYDROCARBON FUEL FLASH VAPORIZATION SYSTEM FOR A PULSED DETONATION ENGINE (PREPRINT) K. Colin Tucker...85,7<&/$66,),&$7,212) E7(/(3+21(180%(5 ,QFOXGHDUHDFRGH A Hydrocarbon Fuel Flash Vaporization System for a Pulsed Detonation Engine K

Nonlinear Insolation Forcing: A Physical Mechanism for Climate Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, H. S.

1998-01-01

This paper focuses on recent advances in the understanding of nonlinear insolation forcing for climate change. The amplitude-frequency resonances in the insolation variations induced by the Earth's changing obliquity are emergent and may provide a physical mechanism to drive the glaciation cycles. To establish the criterion that nonlinear insolation forcing is responsible for major climate changes, the cooperative phenomena between the frequency and amplitude of the insolation are defined as insolation pulsation. Coupling of the insolation frequency and amplitude variations has established an especially new and interesting series of insolation pulses. These pulses would modulate the insolation in such a way that the mode of insolation variations could be locked to generate the 100-kyr ice age cycle which is a long-time geophysical puzzle. The nonlinear behavior of insolation forcing is tested by energy balance and ice sheet climate models and the physical mechanism behind this forcing is explained in terms of pulse duration in the incoming solar radiation. Calculations of the solar energy flux at the top of the atmosphere show that the duration of the negative and positive insolation pulses is about 2 thousand years which is long enough to prolong glaciation into deep ice ages and cause rapid melting of large ice sheets in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. We have performed numerical simulations of climate response to nonlinear insolation forcing for the past 2 million years. Our calculated results of temperature fluctuations are in good agreement with the climate cycles as seen in the terrestrial biogenic silica (BDP-96-2) data as well as in the marine oxygen isotope (delta(sup 18)O) records.

The importance of pulsed lavage on interface temperature and ligament tension force in cemented unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Clarius, M; Seeger, J B; Jaeger, S; Mohr, G; Bitsch, R G

2012-05-01

Mechanical loosening is the most common cause of revision in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. We determined the effect of bone lavage on tibial cement penetration and interface temperature with controlled ligament tension forces. We presumed pulsed lavage would allow increased cement penetration compared with syringe lavage. Cemented unicompartmental knee arthroplasty was performed in 12 pairs of fresh-frozen knees. Lavage was performed using pulsed lavage on one side (A) and syringe lavage on the other (B). Cement penetration pressure, interface temperature, and ligament tension forces were continuously monitored during the operation. Screened radiographs were taken and cement penetration under the tibial plateau was measured. The pulsed lavage group showed a mean cement penetration area of 187.24 (SD 36.37) mm², whereas 144.29 (SD 35.74) mm(2) was measured in the group with syringe lavage. Cement penetration pressure was 13.29 (SD 8.69) kPa in Group A and 20.21 (SD 7.78) kPa in Group B. Maximum interface temperatures of 46.99°C were observed in Group A and 45.02°C in Group B. Our data showed pulsed lavage cleansing of the cancellous tibial bone substantially improved cement penetration compared with syringe lavage without reaching the temperature threshold for bone necrosis. We recommend the routine use of pulsed lavage to improve long-term fixation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bandwidth Efficient Wireless Digital Modem Developed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kifle, Muli

1999-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center has developed a digital approach for broadcasting highfidelity audio (nearly compact disk (CD) quality sound) in the commercial frequencymodulated (FM) broadcast band. This digital approach provides a means of achieving high data transmission rates with low hardware complexity--including low mass, size, and power consumption. Lewis has completed the design and prototype development of a bandwidth-efficient digital modem (modulator and demodulator) that uses a spectrally efficient modulation scheme: 16-ary rectangular quadrature amplitude modulation, or 16- ary QAM. The digital implementation is based strictly on inexpensive, commercial off-theshelf digital signal processing (DSP) hardware to perform up and down conversions and pulse shaping. The digital modem transmits data at rates up to 76 kilobits per second (kbps), which is almost 3 times faster than standard 28.8-kbps telephone modems. In addition, the modem offers improved power and spectral performance, flexible operation, and low-cost implementation.

Mechanical bioeffects of pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound on a simple neural model.

PubMed

Wahab, Radia Abdul; Choi, Mina; Liu, Yunbo; Krauthamer, Victor; Zderic, Vesna; Myers, Matthew R

2012-07-01

To study how pressure pulses affect nerves through mechanisms that are neither thermal nor cavitational, and investigate how the effects are related to cumulative radiation-force impulse (CRFI). Applications include traumatic brain injury and acoustic neuromodulation. A simple neural model consisting of the giant axon of a live earthworm was exposed to trains of pressure pulses produced by an 825 kHz focused ultrasound transducer. The peak negative pressure of the pulses and duty cycle of the pulse train were controlled so that neither cavitation nor significant temperature rise occurred. The amplitude and conduction velocity of action-potentials triggered in the worm were measured as the magnitude of the pulses and number of pulses in the pulse trains were varied. The functionality of the axons decreased when sufficient pulse energy was applied. The level of CRFI at which the observed effects occur is consistent with the lower levels of injury observed in this study relative to blast tubes. The relevant CRFI values are also comparable to CRFI values in other studies showing measureable changes in action-potential amplitudes and velocities. Plotting the measured action-potential amplitudes and conduction velocities from different experiments with widely varying exposure regimens against the single parameter of CRFI yielded values that agreed within 21% in terms of amplitude and 5% in velocity. A predictive model based on the assumption that the temporal rate of decay of action-potential amplitude and velocity is linearly proportional the radiation force experienced by the axon predicted the experimental amplitudes and conduction velocities to within about 20% agreement. The functionality of axons decreased due to noncavitational mechanical effects. The radiation force, possibly by inducing changes in ion-channel permeability, appears to be a possible mechanism for explaining the observed degradation. The CRFI is also a promising parameter for quantifying neural bioeffects during exposure to pressure waves, and for predicting axon functionality.

A New Statistics-Based Online Baseline Restorer for a High Count-Rate Fully Digital System.

PubMed

Li, Hongdi; Wang, Chao; Baghaei, Hossain; Zhang, Yuxuan; Ramirez, Rocio; Liu, Shitao; An, Shaohui; Wong, Wai-Hoi

2010-04-01

The goal of this work is to develop a novel, accurate, real-time digital baseline restorer using online statistical processing for a high count-rate digital system such as positron emission tomography (PET). In high count-rate nuclear instrumentation applications, analog signals are DC-coupled for better performance. However, the detectors, pre-amplifiers and other front-end electronics would cause a signal baseline drift in a DC-coupling system, which will degrade the performance of energy resolution and positioning accuracy. Event pileups normally exist in a high-count rate system and the baseline drift will create errors in the event pileup-correction. Hence, a baseline restorer (BLR) is required in a high count-rate system to remove the DC drift ahead of the pileup correction. Many methods have been reported for BLR from classic analog methods to digital filter solutions. However a single channel BLR with analog method can only work under 500 kcps count-rate, and normally an analog front-end application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) is required for the application involved hundreds BLR such as a PET camera. We have developed a simple statistics-based online baseline restorer (SOBLR) for a high count-rate fully digital system. In this method, we acquire additional samples, excluding the real gamma pulses, from the existing free-running ADC in the digital system, and perform online statistical processing to generate a baseline value. This baseline value will be subtracted from the digitized waveform to retrieve its original pulse with zero-baseline drift. This method can self-track the baseline without a micro-controller involved. The circuit consists of two digital counter/timers, one comparator, one register and one subtraction unit. Simulation shows a single channel works at 30 Mcps count-rate with pileup condition. 336 baseline restorer circuits have been implemented into 12 field-programmable-gate-arrays (FPGA) for our new fully digital PET system.

Detailed modeling of the statistical uncertainty of Thomson scattering measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morton, L. A.; Parke, E.; Den Hartog, D. J.

2013-11-01

The uncertainty of electron density and temperature fluctuation measurements is determined by statistical uncertainty introduced by multiple noise sources. In order to quantify these uncertainties precisely, a simple but comprehensive model was made of the noise sources in the MST Thomson scattering system and of the resulting variance in the integrated scattered signals. The model agrees well with experimental and simulated results. The signal uncertainties are then used by our existing Bayesian analysis routine to find the most likely electron temperature and density, with confidence intervals. In the model, photonic noise from scattered light and plasma background light is multiplied by the noise enhancement factor (F) of the avalanche photodiode (APD). Electronic noise from the amplifier and digitizer is added. The amplifier response function shapes the signal and induces correlation in the noise. The data analysis routine fits a characteristic pulse to the digitized signals from the amplifier, giving the integrated scattered signals. A finite digitization rate loses information and can cause numerical integration error. We find a formula for the variance of the scattered signals in terms of the background and pulse amplitudes, and three calibration constants. The constants are measured easily under operating conditions, resulting in accurate estimation of the scattered signals' uncertainty. We measure F ≈ 3 for our APDs, in agreement with other measurements for similar APDs. This value is wavelength-independent, simplifying analysis. The correlated noise we observe is reproduced well using a Gaussian response function. Numerical integration error can be made negligible by using an interpolated characteristic pulse, allowing digitization rates as low as the detector bandwidth. The effect of background noise is also determined.

Programmable controlled mode-locked fiber laser using a digital micromirror device.

PubMed

Liu, Wu; Fan, Jintao; Xie, Chen; Song, Youjian; Gu, Chenlin; Chai, Lu; Wang, Chingyue; Hu, Minglie

2017-05-15

A digital micromirror device (DMD)-based arbitrary spectrum amplitude shaper is incorporated into a large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber laser cavity. The shaper acts as an in-cavity programmable filter and provides large tunable dispersion from normal to anomalous. As a result, mode-locking is achieved in different dispersion regimes with watt-level high output power. By programming different filter profiles on the DMD, the laser generates femtosecond pulse with a tunable central wavelength and controllable bandwidth. Under conditions of suitable cavity dispersion and pump power, design-shaped spectra are directly obtained by varying the amplitude transfer function of the filter. The results show the versatility of the DMD-based in-cavity filter for flexible control of the pulse dynamics in a mode-locked fiber laser.

Write Strategy for Dual-Layer Digital Versatile Discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabata, Hiroshi; Tokui, Kenji; Higuchi, Shinji; Moriizumi, Hirokazu; Matsumoto, Ikuo

2006-02-01

A novel write strategy for rewritable dual-layer digital versatile discs (DVDs) was studied. This new strategy involves the erase top pulse which is included in the conventional write strategy for single-layer DVDs in present market. By thermal calculations, it was confirmed that this erase top pulse has an affect on the rapid heating of recording films. We observed that this new strategy enabled the improvement in data qualities on the layer near the laser incident (L0) effectively in 2 × and 4 ×-speed recordings even if L0 had a high optical transparency. Furthermore we also demonstrated a combination of what with the 2T-period strategy on the layer far from the laser incident (L1) realized a well-balanced signal performance for dual-layer DVD media.

Helical Explosive Flux Compression Generator Research at the Air Force Research Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-06-01

Air Force Research Laboratory Kirtland AFB...ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory Kirtland AFB, NM 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT...in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) explosive pulsed power program. These include circuit codes such as Microcap and

Ultrasonic Power Output Measurement by Pulsed Radiation Pressure

PubMed Central

Fick, Steven E.; Breckenridge, Franklin R.

1996-01-01

Direct measurements of time-averaged spatially integrated output power radiated into reflectionless water loads can be made with high accuracy using techniques which exploit the radiation pressure exerted by sound on all objects in its path. With an absorptive target arranged to intercept the entirety of an ultrasound beam, total beam power can be determined as accurately as the radiation force induced on the target can be measured in isolation from confounding forces due to buoyancy, streaming, surface tension, and vibration. Pulse modulation of the incident ultrasound at a frequency well above those characteristics of confounding phenomena provides the desired isolation and other significant advantages in the operation of the radiation force balance (RFB) constructed in 1974. Equipped with purpose-built transducers and electronics, the RFB is adjusted to equate the radiation force and a counterforce generated by an actuator calibrated against reference masses using direct current as the transfer variable. Improvements made during its one overhaul in 1988 have nearly halved its overall measurement uncertainty and extended the capabilities of the RFB to include measuring the output of ultrasonic systems with arbitrary pulse waveforms. PMID:27805084

Does Mckuer's Law Hold for Heart Rate Control via Biofeedback Display?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Courter, B. J.; Jex, H. R.

1984-01-01

Some persons can control their pulse rate with the aid of a biofeedback display. If the biofeedback display is modified to show the error between a command pulse-rate and the measured rate, a compensatory (error correcting) heart rate tracking control loop can be created. The dynamic response characteristics of this control loop when subjected to step and quasi-random disturbances were measured. The control loop includes a beat-to-beat cardiotachmeter differenced with a forcing function from a quasi-random input generator; the resulting error pulse-rate is displayed as feedback. The subject acts to null the displayed pulse-rate error, thereby closing a compensatory control loop. McRuer's Law should hold for this case. A few subjects already skilled in voluntary pulse-rate control were tested for heart-rate control response. Control-law properties are derived, such as: crossover frequency, stability margins, and closed-loop bandwidth. These are evaluated for a range of forcing functions and for step as well as random disturbances.

Design and test of a simple fast electromagnetic inductive gas valve for planar pulsed inductive plasma thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Dawei; Cheng, Mousen; Li, Xiaokang

2017-10-01

In support of our planar pulsed inductive plasma thruster research, a fast electromagnetic inductive valve for a gas propellant injection system has been built and tested. A new and important design feature is the use of a conical diaphragm as the action part, which greatly contributes to the virtue of simplicity for adopting the resultant force of the diaphragm deformation as the closing force. An optical transmission technique is adopted to measure the opening and closing characters of the valve while the gas throughput is determined by measuring the pressure change per pulse in a test chamber with a capacitance manometer. The experimental results revealed that the delay time before the valve reaction is less than 40 μs, and the valve pulse width is no longer than 160 μs full width at half maximum. The valve delivers 0-2.5 mg of argon gas per pulse varied by adjusting the drive voltage and gas pressure.

Design and test of a simple fast electromagnetic inductive gas valve for planar pulsed inductive plasma thruster.

PubMed

Guo, Dawei; Cheng, Mousen; Li, Xiaokang

2017-10-01

In support of our planar pulsed inductive plasma thruster research, a fast electromagnetic inductive valve for a gas propellant injection system has been built and tested. A new and important design feature is the use of a conical diaphragm as the action part, which greatly contributes to the virtue of simplicity for adopting the resultant force of the diaphragm deformation as the closing force. An optical transmission technique is adopted to measure the opening and closing characters of the valve while the gas throughput is determined by measuring the pressure change per pulse in a test chamber with a capacitance manometer. The experimental results revealed that the delay time before the valve reaction is less than 40 μs, and the valve pulse width is no longer than 160 μs full width at half maximum. The valve delivers 0-2.5 mg of argon gas per pulse varied by adjusting the drive voltage and gas pressure.

Effect of tendon vibration during wide-pulse neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on muscle force production in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

PubMed

Bochkezanian, Vanesa; Newton, Robert U; Trajano, Gabriel S; Vieira, Amilton; Pulverenti, Timothy S; Blazevich, Anthony J

2018-02-13

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in skeletal muscles in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) with the aim of increasing muscle recruitment and thus muscle force production. NMES has been conventionally used in clinical practice as functional electrical stimulation (FES), using low levels of evoked force that cannot optimally stimulate muscular strength and mass improvements, and thus trigger musculoskeletal changes in paralysed muscles. The use of high intensity intermittent NMES training using wide-pulse width and moderate-intensity as a strength training tool could be a promising method to increase muscle force production in people with SCI. However, this type of protocol has not been clinically adopted because it may generate rapid muscle fatigue and thus prevent the performance of repeated high-intensity muscular contractions in paralysed muscles. Moreover, superimposing patellar tendon vibration onto the wide-pulse width NMES has been shown to elicit further increases in impulse or, at least, reduce the rate of fatigue in repeated contractions in able-bodied populations, but there is a lack of evidence to support this argument in people with SCI. Nine people with SCI received two NMES protocols with and without superimposing patellar tendon vibration on different days (i.e. STIM and STIM+vib), which consisted of repeated 30 Hz trains of 58 wide-pulse width (1000 μs) symmetric biphasic pulses (0.033-s inter-pulse interval; 2 s stimulation train; 2-s inter-train interval) being delivered to the dominant quadriceps femoris. Starting torque was 20% of maximal doublet-twitch torque and stimulations continued until torque declined to 50% of the starting torque. Total knee extensor impulse was calculated as the primary outcome variable. Total knee extensor impulse increased in four subjects when patellar tendon vibration was imposed (59.2 ± 15.8%) but decreased in five subjects (- 31.3 ± 25.7%). However, there were no statistically significant differences between these sub-groups or between conditions when the data were pooled. Based on the present results there is insufficient evidence to conclude that patellar tendon vibration provides a clear benefit to muscle force production or delays muscle fatigue during wide-pulse width, moderate-intensity NMES in people with SCI. ACTRN12618000022268 . Date: 11/01/2018. Retrospectively registered.

Real-time multiplicity counter

DOEpatents

Rowland, Mark S [Alamo, CA; Alvarez, Raymond A [Berkeley, CA

2010-07-13

A neutron multi-detector array feeds pulses in parallel to individual inputs that are tied to individual bits in a digital word. Data is collected by loading a word at the individual bit level in parallel. The word is read at regular intervals, all bits simultaneously, to minimize latency. The electronics then pass the word to a number of storage locations for subsequent processing, thereby removing the front-end problem of pulse pileup.

Microprocessor-based cardiotachometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crosier, W. G.; Donaldson, J. A.

1981-01-01

Instrument operates reliably even with stress-test electrocardiogram (ECG) signals subject to noise, baseline wandering, and amplitude change. It records heart rate from preamplified, single-lead ECG input signal and produces digital and analog heart-rate outputs which are fed elsewhere. Analog hardware processes ECG input signal, producing 10-ms pulse for each heartbeat. Microprocessor analyzes resulting pulse train, identifying irregular heartbeats and maintaining stable output during lead switching. Easily modified computer program provides analysis.

Evaluation of force-torque displays for use with space station telerobotic activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendrich, Robert C.; Bierschwale, John M.; Manahan, Meera K.; Stuart, Mark A.; Legendre, A. Jay

1992-01-01

Recent experiments which addressed Space Station remote manipulation tasks found that tactile force feedback (reflecting forces and torques encountered at the end-effector through the manipulator hand controller) does not improve performance significantly. Subjective response from astronaut and non-astronaut test subjects indicated that force information, provided visually, could be useful. No research exists which specifically investigates methods of presenting force-torque information visually. This experiment was designed to evaluate seven different visual force-torque displays which were found in an informal telephone survey. The displays were prototyped in the HyperCard programming environment. In a within-subjects experiment, 14 subjects nullified forces and torques presented statically, using response buttons located at the bottom of the screen. Dependent measures included questionnaire data, errors, and response time. Subjective data generally demonstrate that subjects rated variations of pseudo-perspective displays consistently better than bar graph and digital displays. Subjects commented that the bar graph and digital displays could be used, but were not compatible with using hand controllers. Quantitative data show similar trends to the subjective data, except that the bar graph and digital displays both provided good performance, perhaps do to the mapping of response buttons to display elements. Results indicate that for this set of displays, the pseudo-perspective displays generally represent a more intuitive format for presenting force-torque information.

Asynchronous timing and Doppler recovery in DSP based DPSK modems for fixed and mobile satellite applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koblents, B.; Belanger, M.; Woods, D.; McLane, P. J.

While conventional analog modems employ some kind of clock wave regenerator circuit for synchronous timing recovery, in sampled modem receivers the timing is recovered asynchronously to the incoming data stream, with no adjustment being made to the input sampling rate. All timing corrections are accomplished by digital operations on the sampled data stream, and timing recovery is asynchronous with the uncontrolled, input A/D system. A good timing error measurement algorithm is a zero crossing tracker proposed by Gardner. Digital, speech rate (2400 - 4800 bps) M-PSK modem receivers employing Gardner's zero crossing tracker were implemented and tested and found to achieve BER performance very close to theoretical values on the AWGN channel. Nyguist pulse shaped modem systems with excess bandwidth factors ranging from 100 to 60 percent were considered. We can show that for any symmetric M-PSK signal set Gardner's NDA algorithm is free of pattern jitter for any carrier phase offset for rectangular pulses and for Nyquist pulses having 100 percent excess bandwidth. Also, the Nyquist pulse shaped system is studied on the mobile satellite channel, where Doppler shifts and multipath fading degrade the pi/4-DQPSK signal. Two simple modifications to Gardner's zero crossing tracker enable it to remain useful in the presence of multipath fading.

Asynchronous timing and Doppler recovery in DSP based DPSK modems for fixed and mobile satellite applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koblents, B.; Belanger, M.; Woods, D.; Mclane, P. J.

1993-01-01

While conventional analog modems employ some kind of clock wave regenerator circuit for synchronous timing recovery, in sampled modem receivers the timing is recovered asynchronously to the incoming data stream, with no adjustment being made to the input sampling rate. All timing corrections are accomplished by digital operations on the sampled data stream, and timing recovery is asynchronous with the uncontrolled, input A/D system. A good timing error measurement algorithm is a zero crossing tracker proposed by Gardner. Digital, speech rate (2400 - 4800 bps) M-PSK modem receivers employing Gardner's zero crossing tracker were implemented and tested and found to achieve BER performance very close to theoretical values on the AWGN channel. Nyguist pulse shaped modem systems with excess bandwidth factors ranging from 100 to 60 percent were considered. We can show that for any symmetric M-PSK signal set Gardner's NDA algorithm is free of pattern jitter for any carrier phase offset for rectangular pulses and for Nyquist pulses having 100 percent excess bandwidth. Also, the Nyquist pulse shaped system is studied on the mobile satellite channel, where Doppler shifts and multipath fading degrade the pi/4-DQPSK signal. Two simple modifications to Gardner's zero crossing tracker enable it to remain useful in the presence of multipath fading.

Enterprise Deployment Through PulseRider To Treat Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Recurrence.

PubMed

Valente, Iacopo; Limbucci, Nicola; Nappini, Sergio; Rosi, Andrea; Laiso, Antonio; Mangiafico, Salvatore

2018-02-01

PulseRider (Pulsar Vascular, Los Gatos, California, USA) is a new endovascular device designed to treat wide-neck bifurcation intracranial aneurysms. Deployment of a stent through a PulseRider to treat an aneurysm's recurrence has never been described before. We report the case of a 55-year-old man who underwent coiling of an 8-mm anterior communicating artery aneurysm with assistance of a PulseRider neck reconstruction device. The 6-month digital subtraction angiography control showed aneurysm recurrence, so we deployed an Enterprise 2 closed-cell stent (Codman, Miami Lakes, Florida, USA) in the A1-A2 segment passing across the previously implanted PulseRider. Enterprise correctly expanded and allowed for adequate coiling of the aneurysm. An Enterprise stent can be safely opened through a PulseRider in order to treat aneurysm recurrence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-finger synergies and the muscular apparatus of the hand.

PubMed

Cuadra, Cristian; Bartsch, Angelo; Tiemann, Paula; Reschechtko, Sasha; Latash, Mark L

2018-05-01

We explored whether the synergic control of the hand during multi-finger force production tasks depends on the hand muscles involved. Healthy subjects performed accurate force production tasks and targeted force pulses while pressing against loops positioned at the level of fingertips, middle phalanges, and proximal phalanges. This varied the involvement of the extrinsic and intrinsic finger flexors. The framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis was used to analyze the structure of inter-trial variance, motor equivalence, and anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to the force pulse in the spaces of finger forces and finger modes (hypothetical finger-specific control signals). Subjects showed larger maximal force magnitudes at the proximal site of force production. There were synergies stabilizing total force during steady-state phases across all three sites of force production; no differences were seen across the sites in indices of structure of variance, motor equivalence, or anticipatory synergy adjustments. Indices of variance, which did not affect the task (within the UCM), correlated with motor equivalent motion between the steady states prior to and after the force pulse; in contrast, variance affecting task performance did not correlate with non-motor equivalent motion. The observations are discussed within the framework of hierarchical control with referent coordinates for salient effectors at each level. The findings suggest that multi-finger synergies are defined at the level of abundant transformation between the low-dimensional hand level and higher dimensional finger level while being relatively immune to transformations between the finger level and muscle level. The results also support the scheme of control with two classes of neural variables that define referent coordinates and gains in back-coupling loops between hierarchical control levels.

Road Tripping Down the Digital Preservation Highway: Part III. Rolls Royce, Ford, or Dune Buggy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colati, Jessica Branco; Colati, Gregory C.

2011-01-01

"Road Tripping Down the Digital Preservation Highway" follows the continuing adventures of Peter Palmer, erstwhile librarian at Bellaluna University and manager of the library's and University's digital content, as he journeys down the Digital Preservation Highway. In this article, Palmer is put in charge of a task force to determine…

Control of a Glove-Based Grasp Assist Device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergelin, Bryan J (Inventor); Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Linn, Douglas Martin (Inventor); Sanders, Adam M (Inventor); Askew, R. Scott (Inventor); Laske, Evan (Inventor); Ensley, Kody (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A grasp assist system includes a glove and sleeve. The glove includes a digit, i.e., a finger or thumb, and a force sensor. The sensor measures a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove. The glove contains a tendon connected at a first end to the digit. The sleeve has an actuator assembly connected to a second end of the tendon and a controller in communication with the sensor. The controller includes a configuration module having selectable operating modes and a processor that calculates a tensile force to apply to the tendon for each of the selectable operating modes to assist the grasping force in a manner that differs for each of the operating modes. A method includes measuring the grasping force, selecting the mode, calculating the tensile force, and applying the tensile force to the tendon using the actuator assembly.

Study on boring hardened materials dryly by ultrasonic vibration cutter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiangzhong; Zhang, Heng; Zhang, Yue

2011-05-01

It has been one of the difficulties that high-precision hole on hardened materials is machined. The supersonic vibration boring acoustic system in the lathe in which supersonic wave energy is applied on tool is introduced to create pulse power on the cutting process. The separation vibration cutting is achieved by the pulse force. The comparative tests on boring accuracy and surface quality are carried. The quality of surface machined by this method is compared to that by grinding. This cutting is the green cutting. The boring process system is stability. Under the condition that the cutting speed is less than or equal to 1/3 the tool vibration speed, the cutting force is pulse force and the Cutting energy is of high concentration in time, space and direction. The pulse energy effects on the cutting unit in less than one ten-thousandth second. Traditional cutting of irregular movement elastic compression are eliminated. The cutting force is greatly reduced. The cutting temperature is at room temperature. The tool life is greatly increased. Shape precision and surface quality is greatly improved. The regulations of the ultrasonic vibration boring dry cutting of hardened material are also summarized. The test results show that the ultrasonic vibration cutting tool boring is of very superior cutting mechanism and is a high-precision deep-hole machining of hardened materials, efficient cutting methods.

The New Digital Shoreline: How Web 2.0 and Millennials Are Revolutionizing Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHaney, Roger

2011-01-01

Two seismic forces beyond our control--the advent of Web 2.0 and the inexorable influx of tech-savvy Millennials on campus--are shaping what Roger McHaney calls "The New Digital Shoreline" of higher education. Failure to chart its contours, and adapt, poses a major threat to higher education as we know it. These forces demand that we as educators…

Electrostrictive Mechanism of Nanostructure Formation at Solid Surfaces Irradiated by Femtosecond Laser Pulses.

PubMed

Pavlyniuk, Oleg R; Datsyuk, Vitaly V

2016-12-01

The significance of the mechanical pressure of light in creation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) is investigated. Distributions of the electrically induced normal pressure and tangential stress at the illuminated solid surface, as well as the field of volume electrostrictive forces, are calculated taking into account surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation. Based on these calculations, we predict surface destruction and structure formation due to inelastic deformations during single femtosecond pulses. The calculated fields of the electromagnetic forces are found to agree well with the experimental ripple structures. We thus conclude that the electrostrictive forces can explain the origin of the periodic ripple structures.

Explosive Pulsed Power Experiments At The Phillips Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-01

Weapons and Survivability Directorate Phillips Laboratory Kirtland AFB, NM 87117 J. Graham, W. Sornrnars Albuquerque Division Maxwell Technologies... Phillips Laboratory Kirtland AFB, NM 87117 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10...pulse shaping/impedance matching systems are discussed. Introduction Air Force missions utilizing pulsed power technology increasingly require the

Digital-holographic analysis of femtosecond laser-induced photodisruption in ocular tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saerchen, Emanuel; Biessy, Kevin; Kemper, Björn; Lubatschowski, Holger

2014-02-01

High repetition rated femtosecond laser oscillator systems with low pulse energy are more often applied for precise and safer eye surgery. Especially, the cutting procedure in the crystalline lens is of high important for presbyopia treatment. Nevertheless, the fundamental laser tissue interaction process is not completely understood, because apparently a self-induced process takes place, were one modified region changes the focusing behavior of following laser pulses. We used a MHz repetition rate femtosecond laser system with nJ-pulse energy which were focused inside an ocular-tissue-phantom (Hydroxy-ethylmethacrylat - HEMA) to induce photodisruption. The material change, caused by the fs-pulses was measured simultaneously with a compact digital-holographic microscope. To investigate the material manipulation at different time scales, we used a continuously illuminating light source. The holographic images provide quantitative values for optical path length difference (OPL), which is equivalent to a refractive index change. This change of the optical properties may cause following pulses to obtain different focusing conditions. Time lapse measurements during the laser application were performed, which show the temporal evolution of OPL. An increase of OPL during the laser application was measured, which was followed by a decrease in OPL after laser processing. Furthermore, similar experiments were performed in distilled water and in native porcine crystalline lenses. The fs-laser cutting effects in HEMA and crystalline lens were transferable. Simultaneous measurements of the material modification during the cutting process give rise to better knowledge of treatment modalities during ocular tissue processing.

Whole-field digital vibrometer system for buried landmine detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal, Amit; Hess, Cecil; Scott, Eddie; Dang, Michael; Nichols, Robert

2005-06-01

Previous results have shown the potential of acoustic-to-seismic coupling with Laser Doppler Vibrometry for the detection of buried landmines. An important objective of the present technology is to improve the spatial resolution and the speed of the measurement. In this paper, MetroLaser reports on a whole-field digital vibrometer (WDV) that measures an entire one meter area with sub-centimeter spatial resolution in just a few seconds. The WDV is based on a dual-pulsed laser such that each pulse illuminates a one meter area on the ground, and the temporal separation between the two laser pulses can be adjusted to match the ground excitation frequency. By sweeping this excitation frequency, a displacement map of the ground at each frequency can be quickly generated. In addition, an innovative speckle repositioning strategy allows for movement of the measurement platform at reasonable speeds while still obtaining measurements with interferometric precision. This paper describes the WDV instrument and presents preliminary experimental results obtained with this system. This research is being supported by the U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD under Contract W909MY04-C-0004.

Implementing a Digital Phasemeter in an FPGA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, Shanti R.

2008-01-01

Firmware for implementing a digital phasemeter within a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) has been devised. In the original application of this firmware, the phase that one seeks to measure is the difference between the phases of two nominally-equal-frequency heterodyne signals generated by two interferometers. In that application, zero-crossing detectors convert the heterodyne signals to trains of rectangular pulses, the two pulse trains are fed to a fringe counter (the major part of the phasemeter) controlled by a clock signal having a frequency greater than the heterodyne frequency, and the fringe counter computes a time-averaged estimate of the difference between the phases of the two pulse trains. The firmware also does the following: Causes the FPGA to compute the frequencies of the input signals; Causes the FPGA to implement an Ethernet (or equivalent) transmitter for readout of phase and frequency values; and Provides data for use in diagnosis of communication failures. The readout rate can be set, by programming, to a value between 250 Hz and 1 kHz. Network addresses can be programmed by the user.

Research of Fast DAQ system in KSTAR Thomson scattering diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J. H.; Kim, H. J.; Yamada, I.; Funaba, H.; Kim, Y. G.; Kim, D. Y.

2017-12-01

The Thomson scattering diagnostic is one of the most important diagnostic systems in fusion plasma research. It provides reliable electron temperature and density profiles in magnetically confined plasma. A Q-switched Nd:YAG Thomson system was installed several years ago in KSTAR tokamak to measure the electron temperature and density profiles. For the KSTAR Thomson scattering system, a Charge-to-Digital Conversion (QDC) type data acquisition system was used to measure a pulse type Thomson signal. Recently, however, an error was found during the Te, ne calculation, because the QDC system had integrated the pulse Thomson signal that included a signal similar to stray light. To overcome such errors, we introduce a fast data acquisition (F-DAQ) system. To test this, we use CAEN V1742 5 GS/s, a Versa Module Eurocard Bus (VMEbus) type 12-bit switched capacitor digitizer with 32 channels. In this experiment, we compare the calculated Te results of Thomson scattering data measured simultaneously using QDC and F-DAQ. In the F-DAQ system, the shape of the pulse was restored by fitting.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of coincidences in Poisson distributed pulse trains and spectral distortion caused by pulse pileup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristow, Quentin

1990-03-01

The occurrence rates of pulse strings, or sequences of pulses with interarrival times less than the resolving time of the pulse-height analysis system used to acquire spectra, are derived from theoretical considerations. Logic circuits were devised to make experimental measurements of multiple pulse string occurrence rates in the output from a scintillation detector over a wide range of count rates. Markov process theory was used to predict state transition rates in the logic circuits, enabling the experimental data to be checked rigorously for conformity with those predicted for a Poisson distribution. No fundamental discrepancies were observed. Monte Carlo simulations, incorporating criteria for pulse pileup inherent in the operation of modern analog to digital converters, were used to generate pileup spectra due to coincidences between two pulses (first order pileup) and three pulses (second order pileup) for different semi-Gaussian pulse shapes. Coincidences between pulses in a single channel produced a basic probability density function spectrum. The use of a flat spectrum showed the first order pileup distorted the spectrum to a linear ramp with a pileup tail. A correction algorithm was successfully applied to correct entire spectra (simulated and real) for first and second order pileups.

Radiative forcing from aircraft NOx emissions: Mechanisms and seasonal dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, David S.; Doherty, Ruth M.; Sanderson, Michael G.; Collins, William J.; Johnson, Colin E.; Derwent, Richard G.

2004-09-01

A chemistry-climate model has been applied to study the radiative forcings generated by aircraft NOx emissions through changes in ozone and methane. Four numerical experiments, where an extra pulse of aircraft NOx was emitted into the model atmosphere for a single month (January, April, July, or October), were compared to a control experiment, allowing the aircraft impact to be isolated. The extra NOx produces a short-lived (few months) pulse of ozone that generates a positive radiative forcing. However, the NOx and O3 both generate OH, which leads to a reduction in CH4. A detailed analysis of the OH budget reveals the spatial structure and chemical reactions responsible for the generation of the OH perturbation. Methane's long lifetime means that the CH4 anomaly decays slowly (perturbation lifetime of 11.1 years). The negative CH4 anomaly also has an associated negative O3 anomaly, and both of these introduce a negative radiative forcing. There are important seasonal differences in the response of O3 and CH4 to aircraft NOx, related to the annual cycle in photochemistry; the O3 radiative forcing calculations also have a seasonal dependence. The long-term globally integrated annual mean net forcing calculated here is approximately zero, although earlier work suggests a small net positive forcing. The model design (e.g., upper tropospheric chemistry, convection parameterization) and experimental setup (pulse magnitude and duration) may somewhat influence the results: further work with a range of models is required to confirm these results quantitatively.

Continuous micro-feeding of fine cohesive powders actuated by pulse inertia force and acoustic radiation force in ultrasonic standing wave field.

PubMed

Wang, Hongcheng; Wu, Liqun; Zhang, Ting; Chen, Rangrang; Zhang, Linan

2018-07-10

Stable continuous micro-feeding of fine cohesive powders has recently gained importance in many fields. However, it remains a great challenge in practice because of the powder aggregate caused by interparticle cohesive forces in small capillaries. This paper describes a novel method of feeding fine cohesive powder actuated by a pulse inertia force and acoustic radiation force simultaneously in an ultrasonic standing wave field using a tapered glass nozzle. Nozzles with different outlet diameters are fabricated using glass via a heating process. A pulse inertia force is excited to drive powder movement to the outlet section of the nozzle in a consolidated columnar rod mode. An acoustic radiation force is generated to suspend the particles and make the rod break into large quantities of small agglomerates which impact each other randomly. So the aggregation phenomenon in the fluidization of cohesive powders can be eliminated. The suspended powder is discharged continuously from the nozzle orifice owing to the self-gravities and collisions between the inner particles. The micro-feeding rates can be controlled accurately and the minimum values for RespitoseSV003 and Granulac230 are 0.4 mg/s and 0.5 mg/s respectively. The relative standard deviations of all data points are below 0.12, which is considerably smaller than those of existing vibration feeders with small capillaries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Digital MOS integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmasry, M. I.

MOS in digital circuit design is considered along with aspects of digital VLSI, taking into account a comparison of MOSFET logic circuits, 1-micrometer MOSFET VLSI technology, a generalized guide for MOSFET miniaturization, processing technologies, novel circuit structures for VLSI, and questions of circuit and system design for VLSI. MOS memory cells and circuits are discussed, giving attention to a survey of high-density dynamic RAM cell concepts, one-device cells for dynamic random-access memories, variable resistance polysilicon for high density CMOS Ram, high performance MOS EPROMs using a stacked-gate cell, and the optimization of the latching pulse for dynamic flip-flop sensors. Programmable logic arrays are considered along with digital signal processors, microprocessors, static RAMs, and dynamic RAMs.

Diagnostic Analysis Of Ultrasound Data

DOEpatents

Chambers, David H.; Mast, Jeffrey; Azevedo, Stephen G.; Wuebbeling, Frank; Natterer, Frank; Duric, Neb; Littrup, Peter J.; Holsapple, Earle

2006-01-10

A method and apparatus are provided for investigating tissue in which acoustic data are derived from scattering a plurality of pulsed spherical or cylindrical acoustic waves from a plurality of transmission elements through the tissue to a plurality of receiving elements. The acoustic data, which include a mix of reflected and transmitted acoustic waves, are received and digitized, and a representation of a portion of the tissue is generated from the digitized acoustic data.

A comparison of models of the isometric force of locust skeletal muscle in response to pulse train inputs.

PubMed

Wilson, Emma; Rustighi, Emiliano; Newland, Philip L; Mace, Brian R

2012-03-01

Muscle models are an important tool in the development of new rehabilitation and diagnostic techniques. Many models have been proposed in the past, but little work has been done on comparing the performance of models. In this paper, seven models that describe the isometric force response to pulse train inputs are investigated. Five of the models are from the literature while two new models are also presented. Models are compared in terms of their ability to fit to isometric force data, using Akaike's and Bayesian information criteria and by examining the ability of each model to describe the underlying behaviour in response to individual pulses. Experimental data were collected by stimulating the locust extensor tibia muscle and measuring the force generated at the tibia. Parameters in each model were estimated by minimising the error between the modelled and actual force response for a set of training data. A separate set of test data, which included physiological kick-type data, was used to assess the models. It was found that a linear model performed the worst whereas a new model was found to perform the best. The parameter sensitivity of this new model was investigated using a one-at-a-time approach, and it found that the force response is not particularly sensitive to changes in any parameter.

Fast collimated neutron flux measurement using stilbene scintillator and flashy analog-to-digital converter in JT-60U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikawa, M.; Itoga, T.; Okuji, T.; Nakhostin, M.; Shinohara, K.; Hayashi, T.; Sukegawa, A.; Baba, M.; Nishitani, T.

2006-10-01

A line-integrated neutron emission profile is routinely measured using the radial neutron collimator system in JT-60U tokamak. Stilbene neuron detectors (SNDs), which combine a stilbene organic crystal scintillation detector (SD) with an analog neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) circuit, have been used to measure collimated neutron flux. Although the SND has many advantages as a neutron detector, the maximum count rate is limited up to ˜1×105counts/s due to the analog PSD circuit. To overcome this issue, a digital signal processing system (DSPS) using a flash analog-to-digital converter (Acqiris DC252, 8GHz, 10bits) has been developed at Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center in Tohoku University. In this system anode signals from photomultiplier of the SD are directory stored and digitized. Then, the PSD between neutrons and gamma rays is performed using software. The DSPS has been installed in the vertical neutron collimator system in JT-60U and applied to deuterium experiments. It is confirmed that the PSD is sufficiently performed and collimated neutron flux is successfully measured with count rate up to ˜5×105counts/s without the effect of pileup of detected pulses. The performance of the DSPS as a neutron detector, which supersedes the SND, is demonstrated.

Compact pulse width modulation circuitry for silicon photomultiplier readout.

PubMed

Bieniosek, M F; Olcott, P D; Levin, C S

2013-08-07

The adoption of solid-state photodetectors for positron emission tomography (PET) system design and the interest in 3D interaction information from PET detectors has lead to an increasing number of readout channels in PET systems. To handle these additional readout channels, PET readout electronics should be simplified to reduce the power consumption, cost, and size of the electronics for a single channel. Pulse-width modulation (PWM), where detector pulses are converted to digital pulses with width proportional to the detected photon energy, promises to simplify PET readout by converting the signals to digital form at the beginning of the processing chain, and allowing a single time-to-digital converter to perform the data acquisition for many channels rather than routing many analogue channels and digitizing in the back end. Integrator based PWM systems, also known as charge-to-time converters (QTCs), are especially compact, reducing the front-end electronics to an op-amp integrator with a resistor discharge, and a comparator. QTCs, however, have a long dead-time during which dark count noise is integrated, reducing the output signal-to-noise ratio. This work presents a QTC based PWM circuit with a gated integrator that shows performance improvements over existing QTC based PWM. By opening and closing an analogue switch on the input of the integrator, the circuit can be controlled to integrate only the portions of the signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio. It also allows for multiplexing different detectors into the same PWM circuit while avoiding uncorrelated noise propagation between photodetector channels. Four gated integrator PWM circuits were built to readout the spatial channels of two position sensitive solid-state photomultiplier (PS-SSPM). Results show a 4 × 4 array 0.9 mm × 0.9 mm × 15 mm of LYSO crystals being identified on the 5 mm × 5 mm PS-SSPM at room temperature with no degradation for twofold multiplexing. In principle, much larger multiplexing ratios are possible, limited only by count rate issues.

Boolean gates on actin filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siccardi, Stefano; Tuszynski, Jack A.; Adamatzky, Andrew

2016-01-01

Actin is a globular protein which forms long polar filaments in the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. Actin networks play a key role in cell mechanics and cell motility. They have also been implicated in information transmission and processing, memory and learning in neuronal cells. The actin filaments have been shown to support propagation of voltage pulses. Here we apply a coupled nonlinear transmission line model of actin filaments to study interactions between voltage pulses. To represent digital information we assign a logical TRUTH value to the presence of a voltage pulse in a given location of the actin filament, and FALSE to the pulse's absence, so that information flows along the filament with pulse transmission. When two pulses, representing Boolean values of input variables, interact, then they can facilitate or inhibit further propagation of each other. We explore this phenomenon to construct Boolean logical gates and a one-bit half-adder with interacting voltage pulses. We discuss implications of these findings on cellular process and technological applications.

Discrete-Time Demodulator Architectures for Free-Space Broadband Optical Pulse-Position Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, A. A.; Lee, C.

2004-01-01

The objective of this work is to develop discrete-time demodulator architectures for broadband optical pulse-position modulation (PPM) that are capable of processing Nyquist or near-Nyquist data rates. These architectures are motivated by the numerous advantages of realizing communications demodulators in digital very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. The architectures are developed within a framework that encompasses a large body of work in optical communications, synchronization, and multirate discrete-time signal processing and are constrained by the limitations of the state of the art in digital hardware. This work attempts to create a bridge between theoretical communication algorithms and analysis for deep-space optical PPM and modern digital VLSI. The primary focus of this work is on the synthesis of discrete-time processing architectures for accomplishing the most fundamental functions required in PPM demodulators, post-detection filtering, synchronization, and decision processing. The architectures derived are capable of closely approximating the theoretical performance of the continuous-time algorithms from which they are derived. The work concludes with an outline of the development path that leads to hardware.

Trigger circuit forces immediate synchronization of free-running oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagano, S.

1975-01-01

Device provides positive triggering for inverter synchronization in uninterruptible power supplies. Integrated-circuit oscillator frequency may be higher, lower, or the same as that of the synch pulse and is always synchronized by first clock pulse.

No effect of artificial gravity on lung function with exercise training during head-down bed rest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Longxiang; Guo, Yinghua; Wang, Yajuan; Wang, Delong; Liu, Changting

2016-04-01

The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of microgravity simulated by head-down bed rest (HDBR) and artificial gravity (AG) with exercise on lung function. Twenty-four volunteers were randomly divided into control and exercise countermeasure (CM) groups for 96 h of 6° HDBR. Comparisons of pulse rate, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) and lung function were made between these two groups at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96 h. Compared with the sitting position, inspiratory capacity and respiratory reserve volume were significantly higher than before HDBR (0° position) (P < 0.05). Vital capacity, expiratory reserve volume, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, forced inspiratory vital capacity, forced inspiratory volume in 1 s, forced expiratory flow at 25, 50, and 75%, maximal mid-expiratory flow and peak expiratory flow were all significantly lower than those before HDBR (P < 0.05). Neither control nor CM groups showed significant differences in pulse rate, SpO2, pulmonary volume and pulmonary ventilation function over the HDBR observation time. Postural changes can lead to variation in lung volume and ventilation function, but a HDBR model induced no changes in pulmonary function and therefore should not be used to study AG countermeasures.

A DSP equipped digitizer for online analysis of nuclear detector signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasquali, G.; Ciaranfi, R.; Bardelli, L.; Bini, M.; Boiano, A.; Giannelli, F.; Ordine, A.; Poggi, G.

2007-01-01

In the framework of the NUCL-EX collaboration, a DSP equipped fast digitizer has been implemented and it has now reached the production stage. Each sampling channel is implemented on a separate daughter-board to be plugged on a VME mother-board. Each channel features a 12-bit, 125 MSamples/s ADC and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for online analysis of detector signals. A few algorithms have been written and successfully tested on detectors of different types (scintillators, solid-state, gas-filled), implementing pulse shape discrimination, constant fraction timing, semi-Gaussian shaping, gated integration.

In-Orbit Performance of the Digital Electronics for the X-Ray Microcalorimeter Onboard the Hitomi Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujimoto, M.; Tashiro, M. S.; Ishisaki, Y.; Yamada, S.; Seta, H.; Mitsuda, K.; Boyce, K. R.; Eckart, M. E.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Leutenegger, M. A.; Porter, F. S.; Kelley, R. L.

2018-03-01

The pulse shape processor is the onboard digital electronics unit of the X-ray microcalorimeter instrument—the soft X-ray spectrometer—onboard the Hitomi satellite. It processes X-ray events using the optimum filtering with limited resources. It was operated for 36 days in orbit continuously without issues and met the requirement of processing a 150 s^{-1} event rate during the observation of bright sources. Here, we present the results obtained in orbit, focusing on its performance as the onboard digital signal processing unit of an X-ray microcalorimeter.

Experimental application of pulsed laser-induced water jet for endoscopic submucosal dissection: mechanical investigation and preliminary experiment in swine.

PubMed

Sato, Chiaki; Nakano, Toru; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Yamada, Masato; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Kamei, Takashi; Miyata, Go; Sato, Akira; Fujishima, Fumiyoshi; Nakai, Masaaki; Niinomi, Mitsuo; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Tominaga, Teiji; Satomi, Susumu

2013-05-01

A current drawback of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early-stage gastrointestinal tumors is the lack of instruments that can safely assist with this procedure. We have developed a pulsed jet device that can be incorporated into a gastrointestinal endoscope. Here, we investigated the mechanical profile of the pulsed jet device and demonstrated the usefulness of this instrument in esophageal ESD in swine. The device comprises a 5-Fr catheter, a 14-mm long stainless steel tube for generating the pulsed water jet, a nozzle and an optical quartz fiber. The pulsed water jet was generated at pulse rates of 3 Hz by irradiating the physiological saline (4°C) within the stainless steel tube with an holmium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser at 1.1 J/pulse. Mechanical characteristics were evaluated using a force meter. The device was used only for the part of submucosal dissection in the swine ESD model. Tissues removed using the pulsed jet device and a conventional electrocautery device, and the esophagus, were histologically examined to assess thermal damage. The peak impact force was observed at a stand-off distance of 40 mm (1.1 J/pulse). ESD using the pulsed jet device was successful, as the tissue specimens showed precise dissection of the submucosal layer. The extent of thermal injury was significantly lower in the dissected bed using the pulsed jet device. The results showed that the present endoscopic pulsed jet system is a useful alternative for a safe ESD with minimum tissue injury. © 2012 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2012 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Photon Counting Using Edge-Detection Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gin, Jonathan W.; Nguyen, Danh H.; Farr, William H.

2010-01-01

New applications such as high-datarate, photon-starved, free-space optical communications require photon counting at flux rates into gigaphoton-per-second regimes coupled with subnanosecond timing accuracy. Current single-photon detectors that are capable of handling such operating conditions are designed in an array format and produce output pulses that span multiple sample times. In order to discern one pulse from another and not to overcount the number of incoming photons, a detection algorithm must be applied to the sampled detector output pulses. As flux rates increase, the ability to implement such a detection algorithm becomes difficult within a digital processor that may reside within a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Systems have been developed and implemented to both characterize gigahertz bandwidth single-photon detectors, as well as process photon count signals at rates into gigaphotons per second in order to implement communications links at SCPPM (serial concatenated pulse position modulation) encoded data rates exceeding 100 megabits per second with efficiencies greater than two bits per detected photon. A hardware edge-detection algorithm and corresponding signal combining and deserialization hardware were developed to meet these requirements at sample rates up to 10 GHz. The photon discriminator deserializer hardware board accepts four inputs, which allows for the ability to take inputs from a quadphoton counting detector, to support requirements for optical tracking with a reduced number of hardware components. The four inputs are hardware leading-edge detected independently. After leading-edge detection, the resultant samples are ORed together prior to deserialization. The deserialization is performed to reduce the rate at which data is passed to a digital signal processor, perhaps residing within an FPGA. The hardware implements four separate analog inputs that are connected through RF connectors. Each analog input is fed to a high-speed 1-bit comparator, which digitizes the input referenced to an adjustable threshold value. This results in four independent serial sample streams of binary 1s and 0s, which are ORed together at rates up to 10 GHz. This single serial stream is then deserialized by a factor of 16 to create 16 signal lines at a rate of 622.5 MHz or lower for input to a high-speed digital processor assembly. The new design and corresponding hardware can be employed with a quad-photon counting detector capable of handling photon rates on the order of multi-gigaphotons per second, whereas prior art was only capable of handling a single input at 1/4 the flux rate. Additionally, the hardware edge-detection algorithm has provided the ability to process 3-10 higher photon flux rates than previously possible by removing the limitation that photoncounting detector output pulses on multiple channels being ORed not overlap. Now, only the leading edges of the pulses are required to not overlap. This new photon counting digitizer hardware architecture supports a universal front end for an optical communications receiver operating at data rates from kilobits to over one gigabit per second to meet increased mission data volume requirements.

Investigation of force, contact area, and dwell time in finger-tapping tasks on membrane touch interface.

PubMed

Liu, Na; Yu, Ruifeng

2018-06-01

This study aimed to determine the touch characteristics during tapping tasks on membrane touch interface and investigate the effects of posture and gender on touch characteristics variables. One hundred participants tapped digits displayed on a membrane touch interface on sitting and standing positions using all fingers of the dominant hand. Touch characteristics measures included average force, contact area, and dwell time. Across fingers and postures, males exerted larger force and contact area than females, but similar dwell time. Across genders and postures, thumb exerted the largest force and the force of the other four fingers showed no significant difference. The contact area of the thumb was the largest, whereas that of the little finger was the smallest; the dwell time of the thumb was the longest, whereas that of the middle finger was the shortest. Relationships among finger sizes, gender, posture and touch characteristics were proposed. The findings helped direct membrane touch interface design for digital and numerical control products from hardware and software perspectives. Practitioner Summary: This study measured force, contact area, and dwell time in tapping tasks on membrane touch interface and examined effects of gender and posture on force, contact area, and dwell time. The findings will direct membrane touch interface design for digital and numerical control products from hardware and software perspectives.

Digital Analysis and Sorting of Fluorescence Lifetime by Flow Cytometry

PubMed Central

Houston, Jessica P.; Naivar, Mark A.; Freyer, James P.

2010-01-01

Frequency-domain flow cytometry techniques are combined with modifications to the digital signal processing capabilities of the Open Reconfigurable Cytometric Acquisition System (ORCAS) to analyze fluorescence decay lifetimes and control sorting. Real-time fluorescence lifetime analysis is accomplished by rapidly digitizing correlated, radiofrequency modulated detector signals, implementing Fourier analysis programming with ORCAS’ digital signal processor (DSP) and converting the processed data into standard cytometric list mode data. To systematically test the capabilities of the ORCAS 50 MS/sec analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and our DSP programming, an error analysis was performed using simulated light scatter and fluorescence waveforms (0.5–25 ns simulated lifetime), pulse widths ranging from 2 to 15 µs, and modulation frequencies from 2.5 to 16.667 MHz. The standard deviations of digitally acquired lifetime values ranged from 0.112 to >2 ns, corresponding to errors in actual phase shifts from 0.0142° to 1.6°. The lowest coefficients of variation (<1%) were found for 10-MHz modulated waveforms having pulse widths of 6 µs and simulated lifetimes of 4 ns. Direct comparison of the digital analysis system to a previous analog phase-sensitive flow cytometer demonstrated similar precision and accuracy on measurements of a range of fluorescent microspheres, unstained cells and cells stained with three common fluorophores. Sorting based on fluorescence lifetime was accomplished by adding analog outputs to ORCAS and interfacing with a commercial cell sorter with a radiofrequency modulated solid-state laser. Two populations of fluorescent microspheres with overlapping fluorescence intensities but different lifetimes (2 and 7 ns) were separated to ~98% purity. Overall, the digital signal acquisition and processing methods we introduce present a simple yet robust approach to phase-sensitive measurements in flow cytometry. The ability to simply and inexpensively implement this system on a commercial flow sorter will both allow better dissemination of this technology and better exploit the traditionally underutilized parameter of fluorescence lifetime. PMID:20662090

A model for technology assessment applied to pulse oximetry. The Technology Assessment Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

PubMed

1993-04-01

To test a model for the assessment of critical care technology. To develop practice guidelines for the use of pulse oximetry. A computer-assisted search of the English language literature and interviews with recognized experts in the field of pulse oximetry. Those studies that addressed one or more of the seven questions contained in our technology assessment template were analyzed. Study design was not a factor in article selection. However, the lack of well-designed clinical outcome studies was an important factor in determining the method of practice policy development we utilized. A focus person summarized the data from the selected studies that related to each of the seven assessment questions. The preliminary data summary developed by the focus person was further analyzed and refined by the task force and then sent to 16 expert reviewers for comment. These expert comments were considered by the task force, and this final consensus report was developed. Pulse oximetry combines the principles of spectrophotometry and plethysmography to noninvasively measure oxygen saturation with a high degree of accuracy over the range of 80% to 100% saturation, assuming the device is being used according to the manufacturer's instructions and without any adverse operating conditions. The appropriate clinical uses of pulse oximetry fall into one of two broad categories: as a warning system based on continuous real-time measurement of arterial desaturation, or as an end-point for titration of therapeutic interventions. There are no published studies that allow for definitive, outcome-based conclusions concerning either the clinical impact or cost-benefit ratio of pulse oximetry. The model developed for technology assessment proved to be appropriate for assessing pulse oximetry. The available data have allowed us to develop an evidence-based practice policy for the use of pulse oximetry in critical care. Critical care clinicians, researchers, and industry have a shared responsibility to provide valid outcome and efficacy studies of new technologies.

Repetitively Pulsed Nonequilibrium Plasmas for Plasma-Assisted Combustion, Flow Control, and Molecular Lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamovich, Igor

2006-10-01

The paper presents results of three experiments using high voltage, short pulse duration, high repetition rate discharge plasmas. High electric field during the pulse (E/N˜500-1000 Td) allows efficient ionization and molecular dissociation. Between the pulses, additional energy can be coupled to the decaying plasma using a DC field set below the breakdown threshold. While the DC sustainer discharge adds 90-95% of all the power to the flow, it does not produce any additional ionization. The pulser and the sustainer discharges are fully overlapped in space. Low duty cycle of the pulsed ionizer, ˜1/1000, allows sustaining diffuse and uniform pulser-sustainer plasmas at high pressures and power loadings. The first experiment using the pulsed discharge is ignition of premixed hydrocarbon-air flows, which occurs at low pulsed discharge powers, ˜100 W, and very low plasma temperatures, 100-200^0 C. The second experiment is Lorentz force acceleration of low-temperature supersonic flows. The pulsed discharge was used to generate electrical conductivity in M=3 nitrogen and air flows, while the sustainer discharge produced transverse current in the presence of magnetic field of B=1.5 T. Retarding Lorentz force applied to the flow produced a static pressure increase of up to 15-20%, while accelerating force of the same magnitude resulted in static pressure rise of up to 7-8%, i.e. a factor of two smaller. The third experiment is singlet delta oxygen (SDO) generation in a high-pressure pulser-sustainer discharge. SDO yield was inferred from the integrated intensity of SDO infrared emission spectra calibrated using a blackbody source. The measured yield exceeds the laser threshold yield by about a factor of three, which makes possible achieving positive gain in the laser cavity. The highest gain measured so far is 0.03%/cm.

Design of a delay-locked-loop-based time-to-digital converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhaoxin, Ma; Xuefei, Bai; Lu, Huang

2013-09-01

A time-to-digital converter (TDC) based on a reset-free and anti-harmonic delay-locked loop (DLL) circuit for wireless positioning systems is discussed and described. The DLL that generates 32-phase clocks and a cycle period detector is employed to avoid “false locking". Driven by multiphase clocks, an encoder detects pulses and outputs the phase of the clock when the pulse arrives. The proposed TDC was implemented in SMIC 0.18 μm CMOS technology, and its core area occupies 0.7 × 0.55 mm2. The reference frequency ranges from 20 to 150 MHz. An LSB resolution of 521 ps can be achieved by using a reference clock of 60 MHz and the DNL is less than ±0.75 LSB. It dissipates 31.5 mW at 1.8 V supply voltage.

A fast-initializing digital equalizer with on-line tracking for data communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, R. C.; Barksdale, W. J.

1974-01-01

A theory is developed for a digital equalizer for use in reducing intersymbol interference (ISI) on high speed data communications channels. The equalizer is initialized with a single isolated transmitter pulse, provided the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is not unusually low, then switches to a decision directed, on-line mode of operation that allows tracking of channel variations. Conditions for optimal tap-gain settings are obtained first for a transversal equalizer structure by using a mean squared error (MSE) criterion, a first order gradient algorithm to determine the adjustable equalizer tap-gains, and a sequence of isolated initializing pulses. Since the rate of tap-gain convergence depends on the eigenvalues of a channel output correlation matrix, convergence can be improved by making a linear transformation on to obtain a new correlation matrix.

Flight data identification of six degree-of-freedom stability and control derivatives of a large crane type helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tomaine, R. L.

1976-01-01

Flight test data from a large 'crane' type helicopter were collected and processed for the purpose of identifying vehicle rigid body stability and control derivatives. The process consisted of using digital and Kalman filtering techniques for state estimation and Extended Kalman filtering for parameter identification, utilizing a least squares algorithm for initial derivative and variance estimates. Data were processed for indicated airspeeds from 0 m/sec to 152 m/sec. Pulse, doublet and step control inputs were investigated. Digital filter frequency did not have a major effect on the identification process, while the initial derivative estimates and the estimated variances had an appreciable effect on many derivative estimates. The major derivatives identified agreed fairly well with analytical predictions and engineering experience. Doublet control inputs provided better results than pulse or step inputs.

Partially filled electrodes for digital microfluidic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyne, D. G.; Salman, W. M.; Abdelgawad, M.; Sun, Y.

2013-07-01

As digital microfluidics technology evolves, the need for integrating additional elements (e.g., sensing/detection and heating elements) on the electrode increases. Consequently, electrode area for droplet actuation is reduced to create space for accommodating these additional elements, which undesirably affects force generation. Electrodes cannot simply be scaled larger to compensate for this loss of force, as this would also increase droplet volume and thereby compromise the advantages thought in miniaturization. Here, we present a study evaluating, numerically with preliminary experimental verification, different partially filled electrode designs and suggesting designs that combine high actuation forces with a large reduction in electrode area.

The GPS Burst Detector W-Sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCrady, D.D.; Phipps, P.

1994-08-01

The NAVSTAR satellites have two missions: navigation and nuclear detonation detection. The main objective of this paper is to describe one of the key elements of the Nuclear Detonation Detection System (NDS), the Burst Detector W-Sensor (BDW) that was developed for the Air Force Space and Missle Systems Center, its mission on GPS Block IIR, and how it utilizes GPS timing signals to precisely locate nuclear detonations (NUDET). The paper will also cover the interface to the Burst Detector Processor (BDP) which links the BDW to the ground station where the BDW is controlled and where data from multiple satellitesmore » are processed to determine the location of the NUDET. The Block IIR BDW is the culmination of a development program that has produced a state-of-the-art, space qualified digital receiver/processor that dissipates only 30 Watts, weighs 57 pounds, and has a 12in. {times} l4.2in. {times} 7.16in. footprint. The paper will highlight several of the key multilayer printed circuit cards without which the required power, weight, size, and radiation requirements could not have been met. In addition, key functions of the system software will be covered. The paper will be concluded with a discussion of the high speed digital signal processing and algorithm used to determine the time-of-arrival (TOA) of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from the NUDET.« less

Receiver design, performance analysis, and evaluation for space-borne laser altimeters and space-to-space laser ranging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Frederic M.; Sun, Xiaoli; Field, Christopher T.

1995-01-01

Laser altimeters measure the time of flight of the laser pulses to determine the range of the target. The simplest altimeter receiver consists of a photodetector followed by a leading edge detector. A time interval unit (TIU) measures the time from the transmitted laser pulse to the leading edge of the received pulse as it crosses a preset threshold. However, the ranging error of this simple detection scheme depends on the received, pulse amplitude, pulse shape, and the threshold. In practice, the pulse shape and the amplitude are determined by the target target characteristics which has to be assumed unknown prior to the measurement. The ranging error can be improved if one also measures the pulse width and use the average of the leading and trailing edges (half pulse width) as the pulse arrival time. The ranging error becomes independent of the received pulse amplitude and the pulse width as long as the pulse shape is symmetric. The pulse width also gives the slope of the target. The ultimate detection scheme is to digitize the received waveform and calculate the centroid as the pulse arrival time. The centroid detection always gives unbiased measurement even for asymmetric pulses. In this report, we analyze the laser altimeter ranging errors for these three detection schemes using the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) as an example.

Walking, running and the evolution of short toes in humans.

PubMed

Rolian, Campbell; Lieberman, Daniel E; Hamill, Joseph; Scott, John W; Werbel, William

2009-03-01

The phalangeal portion of the forefoot is extremely short relative to body mass in humans. This derived pedal proportion is thought to have evolved in the context of committed bipedalism, but the benefits of shorter toes for walking and/or running have not been tested previously. Here, we propose a biomechanical model of toe function in bipedal locomotion that suggests that shorter pedal phalanges improve locomotor performance by decreasing digital flexor force production and mechanical work, which might ultimately reduce the metabolic cost of flexor force production during bipedal locomotion. We tested this model using kinematic, force and plantar pressure data collected from a human sample representing normal variation in toe length (N=25). The effect of toe length on peak digital flexor forces, impulses and work outputs was evaluated during barefoot walking and running using partial correlations and multiple regression analysis, controlling for the effects of body mass, whole-foot and phalangeal contact times and toe-out angle. Our results suggest that there is no significant increase in digital flexor output associated with longer toes in walking. In running, however, multiple regression analyses based on the sample suggest that increasing average relative toe length by as little as 20% doubles peak digital flexor impulses and mechanical work, probably also increasing the metabolic cost of generating these forces. The increased mechanical cost associated with long toes in running suggests that modern human forefoot proportions might have been selected for in the context of the evolution of endurance running.

Digital Literacy: Tools and Methodologies for Information Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivoltella, Pier Cesare, Ed.

2008-01-01

Currently in a state of cultural transition, global society is moving from a literary society to digital one, adopting widespread use of advanced technologies such as the Internet and mobile devices. Digital media has an extraordinary impact on society's formative processes, forcing a pragmatic shift in their management and organization. This…

Human Grasp Assist Device Soft Goods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Bergelin, Bryan (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon B. J. (Inventor); Bibby, Heather (Inventor); Schroeder, Judy (Inventor); Linn, Douglas Martin (Inventor); Erkkila, Craig (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A grasp assist system includes a glove and a flexible sleeve. The glove includes a digit such as a finger or thumb, a force sensor configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove, and adjustable phalange rings positioned with respect to the digit. A saddle is positioned with respect to the finger. A flexible tendon is looped at one end around the saddle. A conduit contains the tendon. A conduit anchor secured within a palm of the glove receives the conduit. The sleeve has pockets containing an actuator assembly connected to another end of the tendon and a controller. The controller is in communication with the force sensor, and calculates a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force. The controller commands the tensile force from the actuator assembly to tension the tendon and thereby move the finger.

Identifying traction-separation behavior of self-adhesive polymeric films from in situ digital images under T-peeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nase, Michael; Rennert, Mirko; Naumenko, Konstantin; Eremeyev, Victor A.

2016-06-01

In this paper procedures are developed to identify traction-separation curves from digital images of the deformed flexible films during peeling. T-peel tests were performed for self-adhesive polymeric films. High quality photographs of the deformed shape within and outside the zone of adhesive interaction were made in situ by the digital light microscope. The deformed line is approximated by a power series with coefficients computed by minimizing a least squares functional. Two approaches to identify the traction-separation curve for the given deformation line are proposed. The first one is based on the energy integral of the non-linear theory of rods and allows the direct evaluation of the adhesion force potential. The second one utilizes the complementary energy type variational equation and the Ritz method to compute the adhesion force. The accuracy of both approaches is analyzed with respect to different approximations for the deformed line and the force of interaction. The obtained traction vs. axial coordinate and the traction-separation curves provide several properties of the adhesive system including the maximum adhesion force, the length of the adhesive zone and the equilibrium position, where the adhesive force is zero while the separation is positive.

Sensorimotor memory of object weight distribution during multidigit grasp.

PubMed

Albert, Frederic; Santello, Marco; Gordon, Andrew M

2009-10-09

We studied the ability to transfer three-digit force sharing patterns learned through consecutive lifts of an object with an asymmetric center of mass (CM). After several object lifts, we asked subjects to rotate and translate the object to the contralateral hand and perform one additional lift. This task was performed under two weight conditions (550 and 950 g) to determine the extent to which subjects would be able to transfer weight and CM information. Learning transfer was quantified by measuring the extent to which force sharing patterns and peak object roll on the first post-translation trial resembled those measured on the pre-translation trial with the same CM. We found that the overall gain of fingertip forces was transferred following object rotation, but that the scaling of individual digit forces was specific to the learned digit-object configuration, and thus was not transferred following rotation. As a result, on the first post-translation trial there was a significantly larger object roll following object lift-off than on the pre-translation trial. This suggests that sensorimotor memories for weight, requiring scaling of fingertip force gain, may differ from memories for mass distribution.

Digital control of a direct current converter for a hybrid vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Juan Manuel

The nonlinear feedback loops permitting the large signal control of pulse width modulators in direct current converters are discussed. A digital feedback loop on a converter controlling the coupling of a direct current machine is described. It is used in the propulsion of a hybrid vehicle (thermal-electric) with regenerative braking. The protection of the power switches is also studied. An active protection of the MOST bipolar transistor association is proposed.

Fault detection in digital and analog circuits using an i(DD) temporal analysis technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beasley, J.; Magallanes, D.; Vridhagiri, A.; Ramamurthy, Hema; Deyong, Mark

1993-01-01

An i(sub DD) temporal analysis technique which is used to detect defects (faults) and fabrication variations in both digital and analog IC's by pulsing the power supply rails and analyzing the temporal data obtained from the resulting transient rail currents is presented. A simple bias voltage is required for all the inputs, to excite the defects. Data from hardware tests supporting this technique are presented.

Enhanced shock wave generation via pre-breakdown acceleration using water electrolysis in negative streamer pulsed spark discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kern; Chung, Kyoung-Jae; Hwang, Y. S.

2018-03-01

This paper presents a method for enhancement of shock waves generated from underwater pulsed spark discharges with negative (anode-directed) subsonic streamers, for which the pre-breakdown process is accelerated by preconditioning a gap with water electrolysis. Hydrogen microbubbles are produced at the cathode by the electrolysis and move towards the anode during the preconditioning phase. The numbers and spatial distributions of the microbubbles vary with the amplitude and duration of each preconditioning pulse. Under our experimental conditions, the optimum pulse duration is determined to be ˜250 ms at a pulse voltage of 400 V, where the buoyancy force overwhelms the electric force and causes the microbubbles to be swept out from the water gap. When a high-voltage pulse is applied to the gap just after the preconditioning pulse, the pre-breakdown process is significantly accelerated in the presence of the microbubbles. At the optimum preconditioning pulse duration, the average breakdown delay is reduced by 87% and, more importantly, the energy consumed during the pre-breakdown period decreases by 83%. This reduced energy consumption during the pre-breakdown period, when combined with the morphological advantages of negative streamers, such as thicker and longer stalks, leads to a significant improvement in the measured peak pressure (˜40%) generated by the underwater pulsed spark discharge. This acceleration of pre-breakdown using electrolysis overcomes the biggest drawback of negative subsonic discharges, which is slow vapor bubble formation due to screening effects, and thus enhances the efficiency of the shock wave generation process using pulsed spark discharges in water.

Using Pulsed Power for Hydrodynamic Code Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-06-01

Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ). A...bank at the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ). A cylindrical aluminum liner that is magnetically imploded onto a central target by self-induced...James Degnan, George Kiuttu Air Force Research Laboratory Albuquerque, NM 87117 Abstract As part of ongoing hydrodynamic code

Comparison of digital controllers used in magnetic suspension and balance systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kilgore, William A.

1990-01-01

Dynamic systems that were once controlled by analog circuits are now controlled by digital computers. Presented is a comparison of the digital controllers presently used with magnetic suspension and balance systems. The overall responses of the systems are compared using a computer simulation of the magnetic suspension and balance system and the digital controllers. The comparisons include responses to both simulated force and position inputs. A preferred digital controller is determined from the simulated responses.

Comparative study of dual-pulsed 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and single-pulsed 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser by using zebrafish model and prospective split-face analysis of facial melasma.

PubMed

Jang, Hee Won; Chun, Seung Hyun; Park, Hae Chul; Ryu, Hwa Jung; Kim, Il-Hwan

2017-04-01

Recently dual-pulsed low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG (QSNY) laser has been developed for reducing complication during melasma treatment. Comparison of the efficacy and safety between dual-pulsed mode and single-pulsed mode for the treatment of melasma. In preclinical study, adult zebrafish were irradiated with dual-pulsed and single-pulsed mode. Changes of melanophore and cell death were assessed. In split-face clinical study, dual-pulsed and single-pulsed mode were irradiated on the left and right side of the face, respectively. L* value, clinical digital photos, modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scores, and side effects were measured. As compared to single-pulsed mode and dual-pulsed mode with longer intervals, zebrafish melanophore was cleared quickly at dual-pulsed mode with 80-μsec interval and 0.3 J/cm 2 fluence. Dual-pulsed mode showed the least regeneration of melanophore at 4 weeks after irradiation and no cell death was observed with 80-μsec interval. Both pulse modes improved melasma significantly but modified MASI score and L* value were not significantly different between each other. Lesser pain and shorter duration of post-laser erythema were observed with dual-pulsed mode. Dual-pulsed mode was as effective as single-pulsed mode for the treatment of melasma and revealed less side effects.

Lidar Luminance Quantizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quilligan, Gerard; DeMonthier, Jeffrey; Suarez, George

2011-01-01

This innovation addresses challenges in lidar imaging, particularly with the detection scheme and the shapes of the detected signals. Ideally, the echoed pulse widths should be extremely narrow to resolve fine detail at high event rates. However, narrow pulses require wideband detection circuitry with increased power dissipation to minimize thermal noise. Filtering is also required to shape each received signal into a form suitable for processing by a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) followed by a time-to-digital converter (TDC). As the intervals between the echoes decrease, the finite bandwidth of the shaping circuits blends the pulses into an analog signal (luminance) with multiple modes, reducing the ability of the CFD to discriminate individual events

Coordination of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscle activity as a function of wrist joint angle during two-digit grasping.

PubMed

Johnston, Jamie A; Bobich, Lisa R; Santello, Marco

2010-04-26

Fingertip forces result from the activation of muscles that cross the wrist and muscles whose origins and insertions reside within the hand (extrinsic and intrinsic hand muscles, respectively). Thus, tasks that involve changes in wrist angle affect the moment arm and length, hence the force-producing capabilities, of extrinsic muscles only. If a grasping task requires the exertion of constant fingertip forces, the Central Nervous System (CNS) may respond to changes in wrist angle by modulating the neural drive to extrinsic or intrinsic muscles only or by co-activating both sets of muscles. To distinguish between these scenarios, we recorded electromyographic (EMG) activity of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the thumb and index finger as a function of wrist angle during a two-digit object hold task. We hypothesized that changes in wrist angle would elicit EMG amplitude modulation of the extrinsic and intrinsic hand muscles. In one experimental condition we asked subjects to exert the same digit forces at each wrist angle, whereas in a second condition subjects could choose digit forces for holding the object. EMG activity was significantly modulated in both extrinsic and intrinsic muscles as a function of wrist angle (both p<0.05) but only for the constant force condition. Furthermore, EMG modulation resulted from uniform scaling of EMG amplitude across all muscles. We conclude that the CNS controlled both extrinsic and intrinsic muscles as a muscle synergy. These findings are discussed within the theoretical frameworks of synergies and common neural input across motor nuclei of hand muscles. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Pulse Counting for the Mars Organic Mass Analyzer (MOMA) Ion Trap Detection Scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Amerom, Friso H.; Short, Tim; Brinckerhoff, William; Mahaffy, Paul; Kleyner, Igor; Cotter, Robert J.; Pinnick, Veronica; Hoffman, Lars; Danell, Ryan M.; Lyness, Eric I.

2011-01-01

The Mars Organic Mass Analyzer is being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center to identify organics and possible biological compounds on Mars. In the process of characterizing mass spectrometer size, weight, and power consumption, the use of pulse counting was considered for ion detection. Pulse counting has advantages over analog-mode amplification of the electron multiplier signal. Some advantages are reduced size of electronic components, low power consumption, ability to remotely characterize detector performance, and avoidance of analog circuit noise. The use of pulse counting as a detection method with ion trap instruments is relatively rare. However, with the recent development of high performance electrical components, this detection method is quite suitable and can demonstrate significant advantages over analog methods. Methods A prototype quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer with an internal electron ionization source was used as a test setup to develop and evaluate the pulse-counting method. The anode signal from the electron multiplier was preamplified. The an1plified signal was fed into a fast comparator for pulse-level discrimination. The output of the comparator was fed directly into a Xilinx FPGA development board. Verilog HDL software was written to bin the counts at user-selectable intervals. This system was able to count pulses at rates in the GHz range. The stored ion count nun1ber per bin was transferred to custom ion trap control software. Pulse-counting mass spectra were compared with mass spectra obtained using the standard analog-mode ion detection. Prelin1inary Data Preliminary mass spectra have been obtained for both analog mode and pulse-counting mode under several sets of instrument operating conditions. Comparison of the spectra revealed better peak shapes for pulse-counting mode. Noise levels are as good as, or better than, analog-mode detection noise levels. To artificially force ion pile-up conditions, the ion trap was overfilled and ions were ejected at very high scan rates. Pile-up of ions was not significant for the ion trap under investigation even though the ions are ejected in so-called 'ion-micro packets'. It was found that pulse counting mode had higher dynamic range than analog mode, and that the first amplification stage in analog mode can distort mass peaks. The inherent speed of the pulse counting method also proved to be beneficial to ion trap operation and ion ejection characterization. Very high scan rates were possible with pulse counting since the digital circuitry response time is so much smaller than with the analog method. Careful investigation of the pulse-counting data also allowed observation of the applied resonant ejection frequency during mass analysis. Ejection of ion micro packets could be clearly observed in the binned data. A second oscillation frequency, much lower than the secular frequency, was also observed. Such an effect was earlier attributed to the oscillation of the total plasma cloud in the ion trap. While the components used to implement pulse counting are quite advanced, due to their prevalence in consumer electronics, the cost of this detection system is no more than that of an analog mode system. Total pulse-counting detection system electronics cost is under $250

Pulse Vector-Excitation Speech Encoder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Grant; Gersho, Allen

1989-01-01

Proposed pulse vector-excitation speech encoder (PVXC) encodes analog speech signals into digital representation for transmission or storage at rates below 5 kilobits per second. Produces high quality of reconstructed speech, but with less computation than required by comparable speech-encoding systems. Has some characteristics of multipulse linear predictive coding (MPLPC) and of code-excited linear prediction (CELP). System uses mathematical model of vocal tract in conjunction with set of excitation vectors and perceptually-based error criterion to synthesize natural-sounding speech.

Reduction and analysis of data collected during the electromagnetic tornado experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davisson, L. D.

1976-01-01

Techniques for data processing and analysis are described to support tornado detection by analysis of radio frequency interference in various frequency bands, and sea state determination from short pulse radar measurements. Activities include: strip chart recording of tornado data; the development and implementation of computer programs for digitalization and analysis of the data; data reduction techniques for short pulse radar data, and the simulation of radar returns from the sea surface by computer models.

Multi-Modulator for Bandwidth-Efficient Communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, Andrew; Lee, Dennis; Lay, Norman; Cheetham, Craig; Fong, Wai; Yeh, Pen-Shu; King, Robin; Ghuman, Parminder; Hoy, Scott; Fisher, Dave

2009-01-01

A modulator circuit board has recently been developed to be used in conjunction with a vector modulator to generate any of a large number of modulations for bandwidth-efficient radio transmission of digital data signals at rates than can exceed 100 Mb/s. The modulations include quadrature phaseshift keying (QPSK), offset quadrature phase-shift keying (OQPSK), Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK), and octonary phase-shift keying (8PSK) with square-root raised-cosine pulse shaping. The figure is a greatly simplified block diagram showing the relationship between the modulator board and the rest of the transmitter. The role of the modulator board is to encode the incoming data stream and to shape the resulting pulses, which are fed as inputs to the vector modulator. The combination of encoding and pulse shaping in a given application is chosen to maximize the bandwidth efficiency. The modulator board includes gallium arsenide serial-to-parallel converters at its input end. A complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) performs the coding and modulation computations and utilizes parallel processing in doing so. The results of the parallel computation are combined and converted to pulse waveforms by use of gallium arsenide parallel-to-serial converters integrated with digital-to-analog converters. Without changing the hardware, one can configure the modulator to produce any of the designed combinations of coding and modulation by loading the appropriate bit configuration file into the FPGA.

Mechanical analysis and force chain determination in granular materials using digital image correlation.

PubMed

Chen, Fanxiu; Zhuang, Qi; Zhang, Huixin

2016-06-20

The mechanical behaviors of granular materials are governed by the grain properties and microstructure of the materials. We conducted experiments to study the force transmission in granular materials using plane strain tests. The large amount of nearly continuous displacement data provided by the advanced noncontact experimental technique of digital image correlation (DIC) has provided a means to quantify local displacements and strains at the particle level. The average strain of each particle could be calculated based on the DIC method, and the average stress could be obtained using Hooke's law. The relationship between the stress and particle force could be obtained based on basic Newtonian mechanics and the balance of linear momentum at the particle level. This methodology is introduced and validated. In the testing procedure, the system is tested in real 2D particle cases, and the contact forces and force chain are obtained and analyzed. The system has great potential for analyzing a real granular system and measuring the contact forces and force chain.

Pulse energy dependence of refractive index change in lithium niobium silicate glass during femtosecond laser direct writing.

PubMed

Cao, Jing; Poumellec, Bertrand; Brisset, François; Lancry, Matthieu

2018-03-19

Femtosecond laser-induced refractive index changes in lithium niobium silicate glass were explored at high repetition rate (300 fs, 500 kHz) by polarized light microscopy, full-wave retardation plate, quantitative birefringence microscopy, and digital holographic microscopy. We found three regimes on energy increase. The first one corresponds to isotropic negative refractive index change (for pulse energy ranging 0.4-0.8 μJ/pulse, 0.6 NA, 5μm/s, 650μm focusing depth in the glass). The second one (0.8-1.2 μJ/pulse) corresponds to birefringence with well-defined slow axis orientation. The third one (above 1.2 μJ/pulse) is related to birefringence direction fluctuation. Interestingly, these regimes are consistent with crystallization ones. In addition, an asymmetric orientational writing effect has been detected on birefringence. These topics extend the possibility of controlling refractive index change in multi-component glasses.

Microsecond-scale electric field pulses in cloud lightning discharges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villanueva, Y.; Rakov, V. A.; Uman, M. A.; Brook, M.

1994-01-01

From wideband electric field records acquired using a 12-bit digitizing system with a 500-ns sampling interval, microsecond-scale pulses in different stages of cloud flashes in Florida and New Mexico are analyzed. Pulse occurrence statistics and waveshape characteristics are presented. The larger pulses tend to occur early in the flash, confirming the results of Bils et al. (1988) and in contrast with the three-stage representation of cloud-discharge electric fields suggested by Kitagawa and Brook (1960). Possible explanations for the discrepancy are discussed. The tendency for the larger pulses to occur early in the cloud flash suggests that they are related to the initial in-cloud channel formation processes and contradicts the common view found in the atmospheric radio-noise literature that the main sources of VLF/LF electromagnetic radiation in cloud flashes are the K processes which occur in the final, or J type, part of the cloud discharge.

Generation of picosecond optical pulse based on chirp compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiaofeng; Yang, Jiaqian; Li, Shangyuan; Xue, Xiaoxiao; Zheng, Xiaoping; Zhou, Bingkun

2017-10-01

Picosecond optical pulses are widely used in optical communication systems, such as the optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) and photonic analog-to-digital converter (ADC). We have proposed and demonstrated a simple method to generate picosecond optical pulse using the mach-zehnder modulator (MZM), phase modulator (PM) and single model fiber (SMF). The phase modulator is used to generate a frequency chirp which varies periodically with time. The MZM is used to suppress the pedestal of the pulse and improve the performance of the pulse. The SMF is used to compensate the frequency chirp. We have carried out theoretical analysis and numerical simulation for the generation process of the picosecond optical pulse. The influence of phase shift between the modulation signals loaded on the MZM and PM is analyzed by numerical simulation and the conditions for the generation of picosecond optical pulse are given. The formula for calculating the optimum length of SMF which is used to compensate the linear chirp is given. The optical pulses with a repetition frequency of 10 GHz and a pulse width of 8.5 ps were obtained. The time-bandwidth product was as small as 1.09 and the timing jitter is as low as 83 fs.

Trajectory Adjustments Underlying Task-Specific Intermittent Force Behaviors and Muscular Rhythms

PubMed Central

Chen, Yi-Ching; Lin, Yen-Ting; Huang, Chien-Ting; Shih, Chia-Li; Yang, Zong-Ru; Hwang, Ing-Shiou

2013-01-01

Force intermittency is one of the major causes of motor variability. Focusing on the dynamics of force intermittency, this study was undertaken to investigate how force trajectory is fine-tuned for static and dynamic force-tracking of a comparable physical load. Twenty-two healthy adults performed two unilateral resistance protocols (static force-tracking at 75% maximal effort and dynamic force-tracking in the range of 50%–100% maximal effort) using the left hand. The electromyographic activity and force profile of the designated hand were monitored. Gripping force was off-line decomposed into a primary movement spectrally identical to the target motion and a force intermittency profile containing numerous force pulses. The results showed that dynamic force-tracking exhibited greater intermittency amplitude and force pulse but a smaller amplitude ratio of primary movement to force intermittency than static force-tracking. Multi-scale entropy analysis revealed that force intermittency during dynamic force-tracking was more complex on a low time scale but more regular on a high time scale than that of static force-tracking. Together with task-dependent force intermittency properties, dynamic force-tracking exhibited a smaller 8–12 Hz muscular oscillation but a more potentiated muscular oscillation at 35–50 Hz than static force-tracking. In conclusion, force intermittency reflects differing trajectory controls for static and dynamic force-tracking. The target goal of dynamic tracking is achieved through trajectory adjustments that are more intricate and more frequent than those of static tracking, pertaining to differing organizations and functioning of muscular oscillations in the alpha and gamma bands. PMID:24098640

The Explosive Pulsed Power Test Facility at AFRL

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

Air Force Research Laboratory , AFRL /DEHP, Albuquerque...NM 87117 S. Coffey, A. Brown, B. Guffey NumerEx, Albuquerque, NM Abstract The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed and tested a...Chestnut Site on Kirtland Air Force Base. The facility is described in this paper, including details of recent upgrades. I.

Power pulsing of the CMOS sensor Mimosa 26

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuprash, Oleg

2013-12-01

Mimosa 26 is a monolithic active pixel sensor developed by IPHC (Strasbourg) & IRFU (Saclay) as a prototype for the ILC vertex detector studies. The resolution requirements for the ILC tracking detector are very extreme, demanding very low material in the detector, thus only air cooling can be considered. Power consumption has to be reduced as far as possible. The beam structure of the ILC allows the possibility of power pulsing: only for about the 1 ms long bunch train full power is required, and during the 199 ms long pauses between the bunch trains the power can be reduced to a minimum. Not being adapted for the power pulsing, the sensor shows in laboratory tests a good performance under power pulsing. The power pulsing allows to significantly reduce the heating of the chip and divides power consumption approximately by a factor of 6. In this report a summary of power pulsing studies using the digital readout of Mimosa 26 is given.

Digital force-feedback for protein unfolding experiments using atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bippes, Christian A.; Janovjak, Harald; Kedrov, Alexej; Muller, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

Since its invention in the 1990s single-molecule force spectroscopy has been increasingly applied to study protein (un-)folding, cell adhesion, and ligand-receptor interactions. In most force spectroscopy studies, the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) is separated from a surface at a constant velocity, thus applying an increasing force to folded bio-molecules or bio-molecular bonds. Recently, Fernandez and co-workers introduced the so-called force-clamp technique. Single proteins were subjected to a defined constant force allowing their life times and life time distributions to be directly measured. Up to now, the force-clamping was performed by analogue PID controllers, which require complex additional hardware and might make it difficult to combine the force-feedback with other modes such as constant velocity. These points may be limiting the applicability and versatility of this technique. Here we present a simple, fast, and all-digital (software-based) PID controller that yields response times of a few milliseconds in combination with a commercial AFM. We demonstrate the performance of our feedback loop by force-clamp unfolding of single Ig27 domains of titin and the membrane proteins bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and the sodium/proton antiporter NhaA.

Photon mass drag and the momentum of light in a medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Partanen, Mikko; Häyrynen, Teppo; Oksanen, Jani; Tulkki, Jukka

2017-06-01

Conventional theories of electromagnetic waves in a medium assume that the energy propagating with the light pulse in the medium is entirely carried by the field. Thus, the possibility that the optical force field of the light pulse would drive forward an atomic mass density wave (MDW) and the related kinetic and elastic energies is neglected. In this work, we present foundations of a covariant theory of light propagation in a medium by considering a light wave simultaneously with the dynamics of the medium atoms driven by optoelastic forces between the induced dipoles and the electromagnetic field. We show that a light pulse having a total electromagnetic energy ℏ ω propagating in a nondispersive medium transfers a mass equal to δ m =(n2-1 ) ℏ ω /c2 , where n is the refractive index. MDW, which carries this mass, consists of atoms, which are more densely spaced inside the light pulse as a result of the field-dipole interaction. We also prove that the transfer of mass with the light pulse, the photon mass drag effect, gives an essential contribution to the total momentum of the light pulse, which becomes equal to the Minkowski momentum pM=n ℏ ω /c . The field's share of the momentum is the Abraham momentum pA=ℏ ω /(n c ) , while the difference pM-pA is carried by MDW. Due to the coupling of the field and matter, only the total momentum of the light pulse and the transferred mass δ m can be directly measured. Thus, our theory gives an unambiguous physical meaning to the Abraham and Minkowski momenta. We also show that to solve the centenary Abraham-Minkowski controversy of the momentum of light in a nondispersive medium in a way that is consistent with Newton's first law, one must account for the mass transfer effect. We derive the photon mass drag effect using two independent but complementary covariant models. In the mass-polariton (MP) quasiparticle approach, we consider the light pulse as a coupled state between the photon and matter, isolated from the rest of the medium. The momentum and the transferred mass of MP follow unambiguously from the Lorentz invariance and the fundamental conservation laws of nature. To enable the calculation of the mass and momentum distribution of a light pulse, we have also generalized the electrodynamics of continuous media to account for the space- and time-dependent optoelastic dynamics of the medium driven by the field-dipole forces. In this optoelastic continuum dynamics (OCD) approach, we obtain with an appropriate space-time discretization a numerically accurate solution of the Newtonian continuum dynamics of the medium when the light pulse is propagating in it. The OCD simulations of a Gaussian light pulse propagating in a diamond crystal give the same momentum pM and the transferred mass δ m for the light pulse as the MP quasiparticle approach. Our simulations also show that, after photon transmission, some nonequilibrium of the mass distribution is left in the medium. Since the elastic forces are included in our simulations on equal footing with the optical forces, our simulations also depict how the mass and thermal equilibria are reestablished by elastic waves. In the relaxation process, a small amount of photon energy is dissipated into lattice heat. We finally discuss a possibility of an optical waveguide setup for experimental measurement of the transferred mass of the light pulse. Our main result that a light pulse is inevitably associated with an experimentally measurable mass is a fundamental change in our understanding of light propagation in a medium.

Non-contact measurement of pulse wave velocity using RGB cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, Kazuya; Aoki, Yuta; Satoh, Ryota; Hoshi, Akira; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Nishidate, Izumi

2016-03-01

Non-contact measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV) using red, green, and blue (RGB) digital color images is proposed. Generally, PWV is used as the index of arteriosclerosis. In our method, changes in blood volume are calculated based on changes in the color information, and is estimated by combining multiple regression analysis (MRA) with a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) model of the transit of light in human skin. After two pulse waves of human skins were measured using RGB cameras, and the PWV was calculated from the difference of the pulse transit time and the distance between two measurement points. The measured forehead-finger PWV (ffPWV) was on the order of m/s and became faster as the values of vital signs raised. These results demonstrated the feasibility of this method.

The CARIBU EBIS control and synchronization system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickerson, Clayton; Peters, Christopher

2015-01-01

The Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) charge breeder has been built and tested. The bases of the CARIBU EBIS electrical system are four voltage platforms on which both DC and pulsed high voltage outputs are controlled. The high voltage output pulses are created with either a combination of a function generator and a high voltage amplifier, or two high voltage DC power supplies and a high voltage solid state switch. Proper synchronization of the pulsed voltages, fundamental to optimizing the charge breeding performance, is achieved with triggering from a digital delay pulse generator. The control system is based on National Instruments realtime controllers and LabVIEW software implementing Functional Global Variables (FGV) to store and access instrument parameters. Fiber optic converters enable network communication and triggering across the platforms.

Detection capability of a pulsed Ground Penetrating Radar utilizing an oscilloscope and Radargram Fusion Approach for optimal signal quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyfried, Daniel; Schoebel, Joerg

2015-07-01

In scientific research pulsed radars often employ a digital oscilloscope as sampling unit. The sensitivity of an oscilloscope is determined in general by means of the number of digits of its analog-to-digital converter and the selected full scale vertical setting, i.e., the maximal voltage range displayed. Furthermore oversampling or averaging of the input signal may increase the effective number of digits, hence the sensitivity. Especially for Ground Penetrating Radar applications high sensitivity of the radar system is demanded since reflection amplitudes of buried objects are strongly attenuated in ground. Hence, in order to achieve high detection capability this parameter is one of the most crucial ones. In this paper we analyze the detection capability of our pulsed radar system utilizing a Rohde & Schwarz RTO 1024 oscilloscope as sampling unit for Ground Penetrating Radar applications, such as detection of pipes and cables in the ground. Also effects of averaging and low-noise amplification of the received signal prior to sampling are investigated by means of an appropriate laboratory setup. To underline our findings we then present real-world radar measurements performed on our GPR test site, where we have buried pipes and cables of different types and materials in different depths. The results illustrate the requirement for proper choice of the settings of the oscilloscope for optimal data recording. However, as we show, displaying both strong signal contributions due to e.g., antenna cross-talk and direct ground bounce reflection as well as weak reflections from objects buried deeper in ground requires opposing trends for the oscilloscope's settings. We therefore present our Radargram Fusion Approach. By means of this approach multiple radargrams recorded in parallel, each with an individual optimized setting for a certain type of contribution, can be fused in an appropriate way in order to finally achieve a single radargram which displays all contributions occurring originally at different strengths in an equalized and normalized way by means of appropriate digital signal post-processing.

Quantifying Young's moduli of protein fibrils and particles with bimodal force spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gilbert, Jay; Charnley, Mirren; Cheng, Christopher; Reynolds, Nicholas P; Jones, Owen G

2017-10-19

Force spectroscopy is a means of obtaining mechanical information of individual nanometer-scale structures in composite materials, such as protein assemblies for use in consumer films or gels. As a recently developed force spectroscopy technique, bimodal force spectroscopy relates frequency shifts in cantilevers simultaneously excited at multiple frequencies to the elastic properties of the contacted material, yet its utility for quantitative characterization of biopolymer assemblies has been limited. In this study, a linear correlation between experimental frequency shift and Young's modulus of polymer films was used to calibrate bimodal force spectroscopy and quantify Young's modulus of two protein nanostructures: β-lactoglobulin fibrils and zein nanoparticles. Cross-sectional Young's modulus of protein fibrils was determined to be 1.6 GPa while the modulus of zein nanoparticles was determined as 854 MPa. Parallel measurement of β-lactoglobulin fibril by a competing pulsed-force technique found a higher cross-sectional Young's modulus, highlighting the importance of comparative calibration against known standards in both pulsed and bimodal force spectroscopies. These findings demonstrate a successful procedure for measuring mechanical properties of individual protein assemblies with potential use in biological or packaging applications using bimodal force spectroscopy.

Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) enhance cytotoxicity of cisplatin to hepatocellular cells by microdomain disruption on plasma membrane.

PubMed

Yin, Shengyong; Chen, Xinhua; Xie, Haiyang; Zhou, Lin; Guo, Danjing; Xu, Yuning; Wu, Liming; Zheng, Shusen

2016-08-15

Previous studies showed nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) can ablate solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but its effect on cell membrane is not fully understood. We hypothesized nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on outer-cellular membrane with direct mechanical force and as a result the plasma membrane permeability increases to facilitate the small molecule intake. Three HCC cells were pulsed one pulse per minute, an interval longer than nanopore resealing time. The cationized ferritin was used to mark up the electronegative microdomains, propidium iodide (PI) for membrane permeabilization, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for the negative cell surface charge and cisplatin for inner-cellular cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that the ferritin marked-microdomain and negative cell surface charge were disrupted by nsPEF caused-mechanical force. The cell uptake of propidium and cytotoxicity of DNA-targeted cisplatin increased with a dose effect. Cisplatin gains its maximum inner-cellular cytotoxicity when combining with nsPEF stimulation. We conclude that nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on the outer cellular membrane directly and increase the membrane permeabilization for PI and cisplatin. The microdomain disruption and membrane infiltration changes are caused by the mechanical force from the changes of negative cell surface charge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiation imaging apparatus

DOEpatents

Anger, Hal O.; Martin, Donn C.; Lampton, Michael L.

1983-01-01

A radiation imaging system using a charge multiplier and a position sensitive anode in the form of periodically arranged sets of interconnected anode regions for detecting the position of the centroid of a charge cloud arriving thereat from the charge multiplier. Various forms of improved position sensitive anodes having single plane electrode connections are disclosed. Various analog and digital signal processing systems are disclosed, including systems which use the fast response of microchannel plates, anodes and preamps to perform scintillation pulse height analysis digitally.

Selective deficits of grip force control during object manipulation in patients with reduced sensibility of the grasping digits.

PubMed

Nowak, Dennis A; Hermsdörfer, Joachim

2003-09-01

Persons with impaired manual sensibility frequently report problems to use the hand in manipulative tasks, such as using tools or buttoning a shirt. At least two control processes determine grip forces during voluntary object manipulation. Anticipatory force control specifies the motor commands on the basis of predictions about physical object properties and the consequences of our own actions. Feedback sensory information from the grasping digits, representing mechanical events at the skin-object interface, automatically modifies grip force according to the actual loading requirements and updates sensorimotor memories to support anticipatory grip force control. We investigated grip force control in nine patients with moderately impaired tactile sensibility of the grasping digits and in nine sex- and age-matched healthy controls lifting and holding an instrumented object. In healthy controls grip force was adequately scaled to the weight of the object to be lifted. The grip force was programmed to smoothly change in parallel with load force over the entire lifting movement. In particular, the grip force level was regulated in an economical way to be always slightly higher than the minimum required to prevent the object slipping. The temporal coupling between the grip and load force profiles achieved a high precision with the maximum grip and load forces coinciding closely in time. For the temporal regulation of the grip force profile patients with impaired tactile sensibility maintained the close co-ordination between proximal arm muscles, responsible for the lifting movement and the fingers stabilising the grasp. Maximum grip force coincided with maximum acceleration of the lifting movement. However, patients employed greater maximum grip forces and greater grip forces to hold the object unsupported when compared with controls. Our results give further evidence to the suggestion that during manipulation of objects with known physical properties the anticipatory temporal regulation of the grip force profile is centrally processed and less under sensory feedback control. In contrast, sensory afferent information from the grasping fingers plays a dominant role for the efficient scaling of the grip force level according to actual loading requirements.

Ultrapulse welding: A new joining technique. [for automotive industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. G.

1972-01-01

The ultrapulse process is a resistance welding process that utilizes unidirectional current of high magnitude for a very short time with a precisely controlled dynamic force pulse. Peak currents of up to 220,000 amperes for two to ten milliseconds are used with synchronized force pulses of up to nine thousand pounds. The welding current passing through the relatively high resistance of the interface between the parts that are being joined results in highly localized heating. Described is the UPW process as it applies to the automotive industry.

Dynamics of the Coulomb explosion of large hydrogen iodide clusters irradiated by superintense ultrashort laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krainov, V. P.; Roshchupkin, A. S.

2001-12-01

Dynamics of the inner and outer above-barrier ionization and of the Coulomb explosion are calculated for large hydrogen iodide clusters irradiated by superintense ultrashort laser pulses. We have found that the Coulomb forces predominate in the expansion of these clusters in comparison with the hydrodynamic forces. The energy distribution of the iodine multiple atomic ions in laser focal volume is derived. Results of our calculations are in a good agreement with the recent experimental data of Tisch et al. [Phys. Rev. A 60, 3076 (1999)].

High pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of crystalline lenses with laser-induced microbubble interrogated by acoustic radiation force

PubMed Central

Yoon, Sangpil; Aglyamov, Salavat; Karpiouk, Andrei; Emelianov, Stanislav

2012-01-01

A high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of animal crystalline lens was developed and validated. We measured the bulk displacement of laser-induced microbubbles created at different positions within the lens using nanosecond laser pulses. An impulsive acoustic radiation force was applied to the microbubble, and spatio-temporal measurements of the microbubble displacement were assessed using a custom-made high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system consisting of two 25 MHz focused ultrasound transducers. One of these transducers was used to emit a train of ultrasound pulses and another transducer was used to receive the ultrasound echoes reflected from the microbubble. The developed system was operating at 1 MHz pulse repetition frequency. Based on measured motion of the microbubble, the Young’s moduli of surrounding tissue were reconstructed and the values were compared with those measured using indentation test. Measured values of Young’s moduli of 4 bovine lenses ranged from 2.6±0.1 to 26±1.4 kPa and there was good agreement between the two methods. Therefore, our studies, utilizing the high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system, suggest that the developed approach can be used to assess the mechanical properties of ex vivo crystalline lenses. Furthermore, the potential of the presented approach for in vivo measurements is discussed. PMID:22797709

Technical data on new engineering products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1985-02-01

New grades of permanently magnetic materials; automatic digital radiolocator; bench winder; analog induction gauge; programmable pulse generator; portable defibrillators; pipe welders; two-component electromagnetic log; sulphur content analyzer; peristaltic pumps; function generators; welding manipulator; and tonsiometer are described.

A system for the automated data-acquisition of fast transient signals in excitable membranes.

PubMed

Bustamante, J O

1988-01-01

This paper provides a description of a system for the acquisition of fast transient currents flowing across excitable membranes. The front end of the system consists of a CAMAC crate with plug-in modules. The modules provide control of CAMAC operations, analog to digital conversion, electronic memory storage and timing of events. The signals are transferred under direct memory access to an IBM PC microcomputer through a special-purpose interface. Voltage levels from a digital to analog board in the microcomputer are passed through multiplexers to produce the desired voltage pulse patterns to elicit the transmembrane currents. The dead time between consecutive excitatory voltage pulses is limited only by the computer data bus and the software characteristics. The dead time between data transfers can be reduced to the order of milliseconds, which is sufficient for most experiments with transmembrane ionic currents.

Development of multichannel analyzer using sound card ADC for nuclear spectroscopy system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibrahim, Maslina Mohd; Yussup, Nolida; Lombigit, Lojius

This paper describes the development of Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA) using sound card analogue to digital converter (ADC) for nuclear spectroscopy system. The system was divided into a hardware module and a software module. Hardware module consist of detector NaI (Tl) 2” by 2”, Pulse Shaping Amplifier (PSA) and a build in ADC chip from readily available in any computers’ sound system. The software module is divided into two parts which are a pre-processing of raw digital input and the development of the MCA software. Band-pass filter and baseline stabilization and correction were implemented for the pre-processing. For the MCA development,more » the pulse height analysis method was used to process the signal before displaying it using histogram technique. The development and tested result for using the sound card as an MCA are discussed.« less

Measuring the radio emission of cosmic ray air showers with LOPES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder, F. G.; Apel, W. D.; Arteaga, J. C.; Asch, T.; Badea, F.; Bähren, L.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Biermann, P. L.; Blümer, J.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Brüggemann, M.; Buchholz, P.; Buitink, S.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cossavella, F.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; Di Pierro, F.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Falcke, H.; Finger, M.; Fuhrmann, D.; Gemmeke, H.; Ghia, P. L.; Glasstetter, R.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Horneffer, A.; Huege, T.; Isar, P. G.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Kickelbick, D.; Krömer, O.; Kuijpers, J.; Lafebre, S.; łuczak, P.; Ludwig, M.; Mathes, H. J.; Mayer, H. J.; Melissas, M.; Mitrica, B.; Morello, C.; Navarra, G.; Nehls, S.; Nigl, A.; Oehlschläger, J.; Over, S.; Palmieri, N.; Petcu, M.; Pierog, T.; Rautenberg, J.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Saftoiu, A.; Schieler, H.; Schmidt, A.; Sima, O.; Singh, K.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Ulrich, H.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Wommer, M.; Zabierowski, J.; Zensus, J. A.

2010-05-01

When ultra high energy cosmic rays hit the atmosphere, they produce a shower of millions of secondary particles. Thereby the charged particles in the shower emit a radio pulse whilst deflected in the Earth's magnetic field. LOPES is a digital antenna array measuring these radio pulses in the frequency range from 40 to 80 MHz. It is located at the site of and triggered by the air shower experiment KASCADE-Grande at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. In its present configuration, it consists of 15 east-west-polarized and 15 north-south-polarized, absolutely calibrated short dipole antennas, as well as 10 LPDAs (with two channels each). Furthermore, it serves as a test bench for technological developments, like new antenna types or a radio-based self-triggering ( LOPESSTAR). To achieve a good angular reconstruction and to digitally form a beam into the arrival direction of the shower, it has a precise time calibration.

Optimal design of waveform digitisers for both energy resolution and pulse shape discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cang, Jirong; Xue, Tao; Zeng, Ming; Zeng, Zhi; Ma, Hao; Cheng, Jianping; Liu, Yinong

2018-04-01

Fast digitisers and digital pulse processing have been widely used for spectral application and pulse shape discrimination (PSD) owing to their advantages in terms of compactness, higher trigger rates, offline analysis, etc. Meanwhile, the noise of readout electronics is usually trivial for organic, plastic, or liquid scintillator with PSD ability because of their poor intrinsic energy resolution. However, LaBr3(Ce) has been widely used for its excellent energy resolution and has been proven to have PSD ability for alpha/gamma particles. Therefore, designing a digital acquisition system for such scintillators as LaBr3(Ce) with both optimal energy resolution and promising PSD ability is worthwhile. Several experimental research studies about the choice of digitiser properties for liquid scintillators have already been conducted in terms of the sampling rate and vertical resolution. Quantitative analysis on the influence of waveform digitisers, that is, fast amplifier (optional), sampling rates, and vertical resolution, on both applications is still lacking. The present paper provides quantitative analysis of these factors and, hence, general rules about the optimal design of digitisers for both energy resolution and PSD application according to the noise analysis of time-variant gated charge integration.

Pulse width modulated push-pull driven parallel resonant converter with active free-wheel

DOEpatents

Reass, William A.; Schrank, Louis

2004-06-22

An apparatus and method for high frequency alternating power generation to control kilowatts of supplied power in microseconds. The present invention includes a means for energy storage, push-pull switching means, control electronics, transformer means, resonant circuitry and means for excess energy recovery, all in electrical communication. A push-pull circuit works synchronously with a force commutated free-wheel transistor to provide current pulses to a transformer. A change in the conduction angle of the push-pull circuit changes the amount of energy coupled into the transformer's secondary oscillating circuit, thereby altering the induced secondary resonating voltage. At the end of each pulse, the force commutated free-wheel transistor causes residual excess energy in the primary circuit to be transmitted back to the storage capacitor for later use.

A New Kind of Laser Microphone Using High Sensitivity Pulsed Laser Vibrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Chen-Chia; Trivedi, Sudhir; Jin, Feng; Swaminathan, V.; Prasad, Narasimha S.

2008-01-01

We demonstrate experimentally a new kind of laser microphone using a highly sensitive pulsed laser vibrometer. By using the photo-electromotive-force (photo-EMF) sensors, we present data indicating the real-time detection of surface displacements as small as 4 pm.

In-water gas combustion for thrust production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teslenko, V. S.; Drozhzhin, A. P.; Medvedev, R. N.

2017-07-01

The paper presents the results of experimental study for hydrodynamic processes occurring during combustion of a stoichiometric mixture propane-oxygen in combustion chambers with different configurations and submerged into water. The pulses of force acting upon a thrust wall were measured for different geometries: cylindrical, conic, hemispherical, including the case of gas combustion near a flat thrust wall. After a single charge of stoichiometric mixture propane-oxygen is burnt near the thrust wall, the process of cyclic generation of force pulses develops. The first pulse is generated due to pressure growth during gas combustion, and the following pulses are the result of hydrodynamic pulsations of the gaseous cavity. Experiments demonstrated that efficient generation of thrust occurs if all bubble pulsations are used during combustion of a single gas combustion. In the series of experiments, the specific impulse on the thrust wall was in the range 104-105 s (105-106 m/s) with account for positive and negative components of impulse.

Adaptive mass expulsion attitude control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodden, John J. (Inventor); Stevens, Homer D. (Inventor); Carrou, Stephane (Inventor)

2001-01-01

An attitude control system and method operative with a thruster controls the attitude of a vehicle carrying the thruster, wherein the thruster has a valve enabling the formation of pulses of expelled gas from a source of compressed gas. Data of the attitude of the vehicle is gathered, wherein the vehicle is located within a force field tending to orient the vehicle in a first attitude different from a desired attitude. The attitude data is evaluated to determine a pattern of values of attitude of the vehicle in response to the gas pulses of the thruster and in response to the force field. The system and the method maintain the attitude within a predetermined band of values of attitude which includes the desired attitude. Computation circuitry establishes an optimal duration of each of the gas pulses based on the pattern of values of attitude, the optimal duration providing for a minimal number of opening and closure operations of the valve. The thruster is operated to provide gas pulses having the optimal duration.

Digital time delay

DOEpatents

Martin, A.D.

1986-05-09

Method and apparatus are provided for generating an output pulse following a trigger pulse at a time delay interval preset with a resolution which is high relative to a low resolution available from supplied clock pulses. A first lumped constant delay provides a first output signal at predetermined interpolation intervals corresponding to the desired high resolution time interval. Latching circuits latch the high resolution data to form a first synchronizing data set. A selected time interval has been preset to internal counters and corrected for circuit propagation delay times having the same order of magnitude as the desired high resolution. Internal system clock pulses count down the counters to generate an internal pulse delayed by an internal which is functionally related to the preset time interval. A second LCD corrects the internal signal with the high resolution time delay. A second internal pulse is then applied to a third LCD to generate a second set of synchronizing data which is complementary with the first set of synchronizing data for presentation to logic circuits. The logic circuits further delay the internal output signal with the internal pulses. The final delayed output signal thereafter enables the output pulse generator to produce the desired output pulse at the preset time delay interval following input of the trigger pulse.

Low Capacity Reliquefier for Storage of Cryogenic Fluids.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-11-01

comparably derated mechanically driven Stirling cryocooler could have low pressure ratio and forces without the high temperature problems. Pulse Tube ...than conventional Stirling refrigerators. Pulse tube cryocoolers have reached temperatures below 35 K with 1 or 2 stages and below 10 K with 3 stages...temperatures below 20 K with regenerative cycle cryocoolers (e.g. Stirling , Gifford- McMahan, pulse tube , etc.). Ideally, the regenerator should have high

Lorentz force particle analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaodong; Thess, André; Moreau, René; Tan, Yanqing; Dai, Shangjun; Tao, Zhen; Yang, Wenzhi; Wang, Bo

2016-07-01

A new contactless technique is presented for the detection of micron-sized insulating particles in the flow of an electrically conducting fluid. A transverse magnetic field brakes this flow and tends to become entrained in the flow direction by a Lorentz force, whose reaction force on the magnetic-field-generating system can be measured. The presence of insulating particles suspended in the fluid produce changes in this Lorentz force, generating pulses in it; these pulses enable the particles to be counted and sized. A two-dimensional numerical model that employs a moving mesh method demonstrates the measurement principle when such a particle is present. Two prototypes and a three-dimensional numerical model are used to demonstrate the feasibility of a Lorentz force particle analyzer (LFPA). The findings of this study conclude that such an LFPA, which offers contactless and on-line quantitative measurements, can be applied to an extensive range of applications. These applications include measurements of the cleanliness of high-temperature and aggressive molten metal, such as aluminum and steel alloys, and the clean manufacturing of semiconductors.

High-frequency trigger generators for CuBr-laser high voltage pumping source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torgaev, S.; Kozhemyak, O.; Yaroslavtsev, E.; Trigub, M.; Musorov, I.; Chertikhina, D.

2016-04-01

In this paper the circuits of high frequency trigger generators of pulses of the nanosecond duration are presented. A detailed study of a generator based on the avalanche transistor with the use of a coaxial cable instead of a capacitor is described. This circuit showed advanced characteristics of the output pulses. A circuit of a generator built on high-speed digital components is also considered. The basic advantages and disadvantages of both generators are presented in this paper.

Study of pulse shape discrimination for a neutron phoswich detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Jessica; Barzilov, Alexander

2017-09-01

A portable phoswich detector capable of differentiating between fast neutrons and thermal neutrons, and photons was developed. The detector design is based on the use of two solid-state scintillators with dissimilar scintillation time properties coupled with a single optical sensor: a 6Li loaded glass and EJ-299-33A plastic. The on-the-fly digital pulse shape discrimination and the wavelet treatment of measured waveforms were employed in the data analysis. The instrument enabled neutron spectrum evaluation.

Techniques for measuring arrival times of pulsar signals 1: DSN observations from 1968 to 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downs, G. S.; Reichley, P. E.

1980-01-01

Techniques used in the ground based observations of pulsars are described, many of them applicable in a navigation scheme. The arrival times of the pulses intercepting Earth are measured at time intervals from a few days to a few months. Low noise, wide band receivers, amplify signals intercepted by 26 m, 34, and 64 m antennas. Digital recordings of total received signal power versus time are cross correlated with the appropriate pulse template.

Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) encoder handbook for Aydin Vector MMP-900 series system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raphael, David

1995-01-01

This handbook explicates the hardware and software properties of a time division multiplex system. This system is used to sample analog and digital data. The data is then merged with frame synchronization information to produce a serial pulse coded modulation (PCM) bit stream. Information in this handbook is required by users to design congruous interface and attest effective utilization of this encoder system. Aydin Vector provides all of the components for these systems to Goddard Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility.

Direct measurement of mammographic X-ray spectra with a digital CdTe detection system.

PubMed

Abbene, Leonardo; Gerardi, Gaetano; Principato, Fabio; Del Sordo, Stefano; Raso, Giuseppe

2012-01-01

In this work we present a detection system, based on a CdTe detector and an innovative digital pulse processing (DPP) system, for high-rate X-ray spectroscopy in mammography (1-30 keV). The DPP system performs a height and shape analysis of the detector pulses, sampled and digitized by a 14-bit, 100 MHz ADC. We show the results of the characterization of the detection system both at low and high photon counting rates by using monoenergetic X-ray sources and a nonclinical X-ray tube. The detection system exhibits excellent performance up to 830 kcps with an energy resolution of 4.5% FWHM at 22.1 keV. Direct measurements of clinical molybdenum X-ray spectra were carried out by using a pinhole collimator and a custom alignment device. A comparison with the attenuation curves and the half value layer values, obtained from the measured and simulated spectra, from an ionization chamber and from a solid state dosimeter, also shows the accuracy of the measurements. These results make the proposed detection system a very attractive tool for both laboratory research, calibration of dosimeters and advanced quality controls in mammography.

Scalable Multiprocessor for High-Speed Computing in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lux, James; Lang, Minh; Nishimoto, Kouji; Clark, Douglas; Stosic, Dorothy; Bachmann, Alex; Wilkinson, William; Steffke, Richard

2004-01-01

A report discusses the continuing development of a scalable multiprocessor computing system for hard real-time applications aboard a spacecraft. "Hard realtime applications" signifies applications, like real-time radar signal processing, in which the data to be processed are generated at "hundreds" of pulses per second, each pulse "requiring" millions of arithmetic operations. In these applications, the digital processors must be tightly integrated with analog instrumentation (e.g., radar equipment), and data input/output must be synchronized with analog instrumentation, controlled to within fractions of a microsecond. The scalable multiprocessor is a cluster of identical commercial-off-the-shelf generic DSP (digital-signal-processing) computers plus generic interface circuits, including analog-to-digital converters, all controlled by software. The processors are computers interconnected by high-speed serial links. Performance can be increased by adding hardware modules and correspondingly modifying the software. Work is distributed among the processors in a parallel or pipeline fashion by means of a flexible master/slave control and timing scheme. Each processor operates under its own local clock; synchronization is achieved by broadcasting master time signals to all the processors, which compute offsets between the master clock and their local clocks.

An investigation of the digital discrimination of neutrons and γ rays with organic scintillation detectors using an artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, G.; Aspinall, M. D.; Ma, X.; Joyce, M. J.

2009-08-01

The discrimination of neutron and γ-ray events in an organic scintillator has been investigated by using a method based on an artificial neural network (ANN). Voltage pulses arising from an EJ-301 organic liquid scintillation detector in a mixed radiation field have been recorded with a fast digital sampling oscilloscope. Piled-up events have been disentangled using a pile-up management unit based on a fitting method. Each individual pulse has subsequently been sent to a discrimination unit which discriminates neutron and γ-ray events with a method based on an artificial neural network. This discrimination technique has been verified by the corresponding mixed-field data assessed by time of flight (TOF). It is shown that the characterization of the neutrons and photons achieved by the discrimination method based on the ANN is consistent with that afforded by TOF. This approach enables events that are often as a result of scattering or pile-up to be identified and returned to the data set and affords digital discrimination of mixed radiation fields in a broad range of environments on the basis of training obtained with a single TOF dataset.

A flexible FPGA based QDC and TDC for the HADES and the CBM calorimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rost, A.; Galatyuk, T.; Koenig, W.; Michel, J.; Pietraszko, J.; Skott, P.; Traxler, M.

2017-02-01

A Charge-to-Digital-Converter (QDC) and Time-to-Digital-Converter (TDC) based on a commercial FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) was developed to read out PMT signals of the planned HADES electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany). The main idea is to convert the charge measurement of a detector signal into a time measurement, where the charge is encoded in the width of a digital pulse, while the arrival time information is encoded in the leading edge time of the pulse. The PaDiWa-AMPS prototype front-end board for the TRB3 (General Purpose Trigger and Readout Board—version 3) which implements this conversion method was developed and qualified. The already well established TRB3 platform provides the needed precise time measurements and serves as a data acquisition system. We present the read-out concept and the performance of the prototype boards in laboratory and also under beam conditions. First steps have been completed in order to adapt this concept to SiPM signals of the hadron calorimeter in the CBM experiment at the planned FAIR facility (Darmstadt).

Quartz tuning fork-based frequency modulation atomic force spectroscopy and microscopy with all digital phase-locked loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Sangmin; Hong, Mun-heon; Kim, Jongwoo; Kwon, Soyoung; Lee, Kunyoung; Lee, Manhee; Jhe, Wonho

2012-11-01

We present a platform for the quartz tuning fork (QTF)-based, frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) system for quantitative study of the mechanical or topographical properties of nanoscale materials, such as the nano-sized water bridge formed between the quartz tip (˜100 nm curvature) and the mica substrate. A thermally stable, all digital phase-locked loop is used to detect the small frequency shift of the QTF signal resulting from the nanomaterial-mediated interactions. The proposed and demonstrated novel FM-AFM technique provides high experimental sensitivity in the measurement of the viscoelastic forces associated with the confined nano-water meniscus, short response time, and insensitivity to amplitude noise, which are essential for precision dynamic force spectroscopy and microscopy.

Quartz tuning fork-based frequency modulation atomic force spectroscopy and microscopy with all digital phase-locked loop.

PubMed

An, Sangmin; Hong, Mun-heon; Kim, Jongwoo; Kwon, Soyoung; Lee, Kunyoung; Lee, Manhee; Jhe, Wonho

2012-11-01

We present a platform for the quartz tuning fork (QTF)-based, frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) system for quantitative study of the mechanical or topographical properties of nanoscale materials, such as the nano-sized water bridge formed between the quartz tip (~100 nm curvature) and the mica substrate. A thermally stable, all digital phase-locked loop is used to detect the small frequency shift of the QTF signal resulting from the nanomaterial-mediated interactions. The proposed and demonstrated novel FM-AFM technique provides high experimental sensitivity in the measurement of the viscoelastic forces associated with the confined nano-water meniscus, short response time, and insensitivity to amplitude noise, which are essential for precision dynamic force spectroscopy and microscopy.

Coincidence measurements in α/β/γ spectrometry with phoswich detectors using digital pulse shape discrimination analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Celis, B.; de la Fuente, R.; Williart, A.; de Celis Alonso, B.

2007-09-01

A novel system has been developed for the detection of low radioactivity levels using coincidence techniques. The device combines a phoswich detector for α/β/γ ray recognition with a fast digital card for electronic pulse analysis. The detector is able to discriminate different types of radiation in a mixed α/β/γ field and can be used in a coincidence mode by identifying the composite signal produced by the simultaneous detection of β particles in a plastic scintillator and γ rays in an NaI(Tl) scintillator. Use of a coincidence technique with phoswich detectors was proposed recently to verify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which made it necessary to monitor the low levels of xenon radioisotopes produced by underground nuclear explosions. Previous studies have shown that combining CaF 2(Eu) for β ray detection and NaI(Tl) for γ ray detection makes it difficult to identify the coincidence signals because of the similar fluorescence decay times of the two scintillators. With the device proposed here, it is possible to identify the coincidence events owing to the short fluorescence decay time of the plastic scintillator. The sensitivity of the detector may be improved by employing liquid scintillators, which allow low radioactivity levels from actinides to be measured when present in environmental samples. The device developed is simpler to use than conventional coincidence equipment because it uses a single detector and electronic circuit, and it offers fast and precise analysis of the coincidence signals by employing digital pulse shape analysis.

Pulse joining cartridges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golovashchenko, Sergey Fedorovich; Bonnen, John Joseph Francis

A pulsed joining tool includes a tool body that defines a cavity that receives an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member and a pulse joining cartridge. The tubular members are nested together with the cartridge being disposed around the outer tubular member. The cartridge includes a conductor, such as a wire or foil, that extends around the outer tubular member and is insulated to separate a supply segment from a return segment. A source of stored electrical energy is discharged through the conductor to join the tubular members with an electromagnetic force pulse.

Pulse joining cartridges

DOEpatents

Golovashchenko, Sergey Fedorovich; Bonnen, John Joseph Francis

2016-08-23

A pulsed joining tool includes a tool body that defines a cavity that receives an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member and a pulse joining cartridge. The tubular members are nested together with the cartridge being disposed around the outer tubular member. The cartridge includes a conductor, such as a wire or foil, that extends around the outer tubular member and is insulated to separate a supply segment from a return segment. A source of stored electrical energy is discharged through the conductor to join the tubular members with an electromagnetic force pulse.

An Experiment on Repetitive Pulse Operation of Microwave Rocket

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oda, Yasuhisa; Shibata, Teppei; Komurasaki, Kimiya

2008-04-28

Microwave Rocket was operated with repetitive pulses. The microwave rocket model with forced breathing system was used. The pressure history in the thruster was measured and the thrust impulse was deduced. As a result, the impulse decreased at second pulse and impulses at latter pulses were constant. The dependence of the thrust performance on the partial filling rate of the thruster was compared to the thrust generation model based on the shock wave driven by microwave plasma. The experimental results showed good agreement to the predicted dependency.

Video Guidance Sensors Using Remotely Activated Targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryan, Thomas C.; Howard, Richard T.; Book, Michael L.

2004-01-01

Four updated video guidance sensor (VGS) systems have been proposed. As described in a previous NASA Tech Briefs article, a VGS system is an optoelectronic system that provides guidance for automated docking of two vehicles. The VGS provides relative position and attitude (6-DOF) information between the VGS and its target. In the original intended application, the two vehicles would be spacecraft, but the basic principles of design and operation of the system are applicable to aircraft, robots, objects maneuvered by cranes, or other objects that may be required to be aligned and brought together automatically or under remote control. In the first two of the four VGS systems as now proposed, the tracked vehicle would include active targets that would light up on command from the tracking vehicle, and a video camera on the tracking vehicle would be synchronized with, and would acquire images of, the active targets. The video camera would also acquire background images during the periods between target illuminations. The images would be digitized and the background images would be subtracted from the illuminated-target images. Then the position and orientation of the tracked vehicle relative to the tracking vehicle would be computed from the known geometric relationships among the positions of the targets in the image, the positions of the targets relative to each other and to the rest of the tracked vehicle, and the position and orientation of the video camera relative to the rest of the tracking vehicle. The major difference between the first two proposed systems and prior active-target VGS systems lies in the techniques for synchronizing the flashing of the active targets with the digitization and processing of image data. In the prior active-target VGS systems, synchronization was effected, variously, by use of either a wire connection or the Global Positioning System (GPS). In three of the proposed VGS systems, the synchronizing signal would be generated on, and transmitted from, the tracking vehicle. In the first proposed VGS system, the tracking vehicle would transmit a pulse of light. Upon reception of the pulse, circuitry on the tracked vehicle would activate the target lights. During the pulse, the target image acquired by the camera would be digitized. When the pulse was turned off, the target lights would be turned off and the background video image would be digitized. The second proposed system would function similarly to the first proposed system, except that the transmitted synchronizing signal would be a radio pulse instead of a light pulse. In this system, the signal receptor would be a rectifying antenna. If the signal contained sufficient power, the output of the rectifying antenna could be used to activate the target lights, making it unnecessary to include a battery or other power supply for the targets on the tracked vehicle.

Looking into Generator Room, showing electromagnetic pulse (EMP) filter boxes ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Looking into Generator Room, showing electromagnetic pulse (EMP) filter boxes mounted above door - Beale Air Force Base, Perimeter Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased-Array Warning System, Power Plant, End of Spencer Paul Road, north of Warren Shingle Road (14th Street), Marysville, Yuba County, CA

High-density digital recording

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalil, F. (Editor); Buschman, A. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The problems associated with high-density digital recording (HDDR) are discussed. Five independent users of HDDR systems and their problems, solutions, and insights are provided as guidance for other users of HDDR systems. Various pulse code modulation coding techniques are reviewed. An introduction to error detection and correction head optimization theory and perpendicular recording are provided. Competitive tape recorder manufacturers apply all of the above theories and techniques and present their offerings. The methodology used by the HDDR Users Subcommittee of THIC to evaluate parallel HDDR systems is presented.

Radiation imaging apparatus

DOEpatents

Anger, H.O.; Martin, D.C.; Lampton, M.L.

1983-07-26

A radiation imaging system using a charge multiplier and a position sensitive anode in the form of periodically arranged sets of interconnected anode regions for detecting the position of the centroid of a charge cloud arriving thereat from the charge multiplier. Various forms of improved position sensitive anodes having single plane electrode connections are disclosed. Various analog and digital signal processing systems are disclosed, including systems which use the fast response of microchannel plates, anodes and preamps to perform scintillation pulse height analysis digitally. 15 figs.

Linear transformer driver for pulse generation

DOEpatents

Kim, Alexander A; Mazarakis, Michael G; Sinebryukhov, Vadim A; Volkov, Sergey N; Kondratiev, Sergey S; Alexeenko, Vitaly M; Bayol, Frederic; Demol, Gauthier; Stygar, William A

2015-04-07

A linear transformer driver includes at least one ferrite ring positioned to accept a load. The linear transformer driver also includes a first power delivery module that includes a first charge storage devices and a first switch. The first power delivery module sends a first energy in the form of a first pulse to the load. The linear transformer driver also includes a second power delivery module including a second charge storage device and a second switch. The second power delivery module sends a second energy in the form of a second pulse to the load. The second pulse has a frequency that is approximately three times the frequency of the first pulse. The at least one ferrite ring is positioned to force the first pulse and the second pulse to the load by temporarily isolating the first pulse and the second pulse from an electrical ground.

A new scalable modular data acquisition system for SPECT (PET)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenstrom, P.; Rillbert, A.; Bergquist, M.; Habte, F.; Bohm, C.; Larsson, S. A.

1998-06-01

Describes a modular decentralized data acquisition system that continuously samples shaped PMT pulses from a SPECT detector. The pulse waveform data are used by signal processors to accurately reconstruct amplitude and time for each scintillation event. Data acquisition for a PMT channel is triggered in two alternative ways, either when its own signal exceeds a selected digital threshold, or when it receives a trigger pulse from one of its neighboring PMTs. The triggered region is restricted to seven, thirteen or nineteen neighboring PMT channels. Each acquisition module supports three PMT channels and connects to all other modules and a reconstruction computer via Firewire to cover the 72 channels in the Stockholm University/Karolinska Hospital cylindrical SPECT camera.

Water depth measurement using an airborne pulsed neon laser system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoge, F. E.; Swift, R. N.; Frederick, E. B.

1980-01-01

The paper presents the water depth measurement using an airborne pulsed neon laser system. The results of initial base-line field test results of NASA airborne oceanographic lidar in the bathymetry mode are given, with water-truth measurements of depth and beam attenuation coefficients by boat taken at the same time as overflights to aid in determining the system's operational performance. The nadir-angle tests and field-of-view data are presented; this laser bathymetry system is an improvement over prior models in that (1) the surface-to-bottom pulse waveform is digitally recorded on magnetic tape, and (2) wide-swath mapping data may be routinely acquired using a 30 deg full-angle conical scanner.

Alpha-gamma pulse-shape discrimination in Gd3Al2Ga3O12 (GAGG):Ce3+ crystal scintillator using shape indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamagawa, Yoichi; Inukai, Yuji; Ogawa, Izumi; Kobayashi, Masaaki

2015-09-01

The pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) in a GAGG single-crystal scintillator was studied by using a shape indicator (SI) parameter of the optimal digital filter method. SI is one of the most useful PSD methods that use typical pulse shapes. Excellent discrimination between 0.662 MeV γ-rays and 5.48 MeV α-rays was achieved. For a cut at SI=0.0056, 99.95% of the γ-rays and only 0.22% of the α-rays were retained. Selection of background events (γ and α) in the GAGG scintillator was achieved by using the PSD method.

Apparatus for and method of operating a cylindrical pulsed induction mass launcher

DOEpatents

Cowan, M. Jr.; Duggin, B.W.; Widner, M.M.

1992-06-30

An electromagnetic cylindrical projectile mass launcher and a method of operation is provided which includes a cylindrical projectile having a conducting armature, a cylindrical barrel in which the armature is received, a plurality of electromagnetic drive coil stages, a plurality of pulse energy sources, and a pulsed power arrangement for generating magnetic pulses forming a pulsed magnetic wave along the length of the launcher barrel. The pulsed magnetic wave provides a propelling force on the projectile along the drive coil. The pulsed magnetic wave of the drive coil stages is advanced along the armature faster than the projectile to thereby generate an induced current wave in the armature. The pulsed generation of the magnetic wave minimizes electromagnetic heating of the projectile and provides for smooth acceleration of the projectile through the barrel of the launcher. 2 figs.

Apparatus for and method of operating a cylindrical pulsed induction mass launcher

DOEpatents

Cowan, Jr., Maynard; Duggin, Billy W.; Widner, Melvin M.

1992-01-01

An electromagnetic cylindrical projectile mass launcher and a method of operation is provided which includes a cylindrical projectile having a conducting armature, a cylindrical barrel in which the armature is received, a plurality of electromagnetic drive coil stages, a plurality of pulse energy sources, and a pulsed power arrangement for generating magnetic pulses forming a pulsed magnetic wave along the length of the launcher barrel. The pulsed magnetic wave provides a propelling force on the projectile along the drive coil. The pulsed magnetic wave of the drive coil stages is advanced along the armature faster than the projectile to thereby generate an induced current wave in the armature. The pulsed generation of the magnetic wave minimizes electromagnetic heating of the projectile and provides for smooth acceleration of the projectile through the barrel of the launcher.

A nerve stimulation method to selectively recruit smaller motor-units in rat skeletal muscle.

PubMed

van Bolhuis, A I; Holsheimer, J; Savelberg, H H

2001-05-30

Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerve results in a motor-unit recruitment order opposite to that attained by natural neural control, i.e. from large, fast-fatiguing to progressively smaller, fatigue-resistant motor-units. Yet animal studies involving physiological exercise protocols of low intensity and long duration require minimal fatigue. The present study sought to apply a nerve stimulation method to selectively recruit smaller motor-units in rat skeletal muscle. Two pulse generators were used, independently supplying short supramaximal cathodal stimulating pulses (0.5 ms) and long subthreshold cathodal inactivating pulses (1.5 s) to the sciatic nerve. Propagation of action potentials was selectively blocked in nerve fibres of different diameter by adjusting the strength of the inactivating current. A tensile-testing machine was used to gauge isometric muscle force of the plantaris and both heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. The order of motor-unit recruitment was estimated from twitch characteristics, i.e. peak force and relaxation time. The results showed prolonged relaxation at lower twitch peak forces as the intensity of the inactivating current increased, indicating a reduction of the number of large motor-units to force production. It is shown that the nerve stimulation method described is effective in mimicking physiological muscle control.

Control of vortex on a non-slender delta wing by a nanosecond pulse surface dielectric barrier discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Guang-yin; Li, Ying-hong; Liang, Hua; Han, Meng-hu; Hua, Wei-zhuo

2015-01-01

Wind tunnel experiments are conducted for improving the aerodynamic performance of delta wing using a leading-edge pulsed nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge (NS-DBD). The whole effects of pulsed NS-DBD on the aerodynamic performance of the delta wing are studied by balanced force measurements. Pressure measurements and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are conducted to investigate the formation of leading-edge vortices affected by the pulsed NS-DBD, compared to completely stalled flow without actuation. Various pulsed actuation frequencies of the plasma actuator are examined with the freestream velocity up to 50 m/s. Stall has been delayed substantially and significant shifts in the aerodynamic forces can be achieved at the post-stall regions when the actuator works at the optimum reduced frequency of F + = 2. The upper surface pressure measurements show that the largest change of static pressure occurs at the forward part of the wing at the stall region. The time-averaged flow pattern obtained from the PIV measurement shows that flow reattachment is promoted with excitation, and a vortex flow pattern develops. The time-averaged locations of the secondary separation line and the center of the vortical region both move outboard with excitation.

Femtosecond pulse laser-oriented recording on dental prostheses: a trial introduction.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Tetsuo; Hayasaki, Yoshio; Fujita, Keiji; Nagao, Kan; Murata, Masayo; Kawano, Takanori; Chen, JianRong

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a femtosecond pulse laser processing technique to store information on a dental prosthesis. Commercially pure titanium plates were processed by a femtosecond pulse laser system. The processed surface structure was observed with a reflective illumination microscope, scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscope. Processed area was an almost conical pit with a clear boundary. When laser pulse energy was 2 microJ, the diameter and depth were approximately 10microm and 0.2 microm respectively--whereby both increased with laser pulse energy. Further, depth of pit increased with laser pulse number without any thermal effect. This study showed that the femtosecond pulse processing system was capable of recording personal identification and optional additional information on a dental prosthesis.

The CARIBU EBIS control and synchronization system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dickerson, Clayton, E-mail: cdickerson@anl.gov; Peters, Christopher, E-mail: cdickerson@anl.gov

2015-01-09

The Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) charge breeder has been built and tested. The bases of the CARIBU EBIS electrical system are four voltage platforms on which both DC and pulsed high voltage outputs are controlled. The high voltage output pulses are created with either a combination of a function generator and a high voltage amplifier, or two high voltage DC power supplies and a high voltage solid state switch. Proper synchronization of the pulsed voltages, fundamental to optimizing the charge breeding performance, is achieved with triggering from a digital delay pulse generator. Themore » control system is based on National Instruments realtime controllers and LabVIEW software implementing Functional Global Variables (FGV) to store and access instrument parameters. Fiber optic converters enable network communication and triggering across the platforms.« less

Quench Detection and Protection of an HTS Coil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, Evan; Pfotenhauer, John; Miller, Franklin; Christianson, Owen

2017-12-01

A pulsed, modular HTS magnet for energy storage applications was constructed and tested. Charge and discharge pulses were accomplished in about 1 second. A recuperative cryogenic cooling system supplies 42 to 80 Kelvin helium gas to the magnet. A practical solution to overvoltage and overcurrent protection has been implemented digitally using LabVIEW. Voltages as little as 46 μV greater than the expected value trigger the protection system, which stops the pulse profile and begins an immediate current ramp down to zero over 1 second. The protection system has displayed its effectiveness in HTS transition detection and damage prevention. Experimentation has demonstrated that current pulses on the order of seconds with amplitudes of up to 110 Amps can be achieved for extended periods. Higher currents produce joint heating in excess of the available cooling from the existing cryogenic system.

Billion frames per second spectrum measurement for high-repetition-rate optical pulses based on time stretching technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Hideaki; Makino, Takeshi; Asghari, Mohammad H.; Trinh, Paul; Jalali, Bahram; Wang, Xiaomin; Kobayashi, Tetsuya; Man, Wai S.; Tsang, Kwong Shing; Wada, Naoya

2017-02-01

Single-shot and long record length spectrum measurements of high-repetition-rate optical pulses are essential for research on nonlinear dynamics as well as for applications in sensing and communication. To achieve a continuous measurements we employ the Time Stretch Dispersive Fourier Transform. We show single-shot measurements of millions of sequential pulses at high repetition rate of 1 Giga spectra per second. Results were obtained using -100 ps/nm dispersive Fourier transform module and a 50 Gsample/s real-time digitizer of 16 GHz bandwidth. Single-shot spectroscopy of 1 GHz optical pulse train was achieved with the wavelength resolution of approximately 150 pm. This instrument is ideal for observation of complex nonlinear dynamics such as switching, mode locking and soliton dynamics in high repetition rate lasers.

Test Bed Considerations for the Evaluation of EMP Protection Measures for Defense Electronics Installations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-31

number) EMP Hardening EMP Testing Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) EMP Test Bed Facility Electromagnetic Environment Electromagnetic Susceptibility 20 ABSTRACT...very high energy electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The EMP from an exo-atmospheric :3 burst can disrupt or damage unprotected electronics over an area as...3. A., and Parker, R. L., " Electromagnetic Pulse Handbook for Missiles and Aircraft in Flight EMP Interaction 1-1," Sandia Laboratories for Air Force

Pulse pile-up identification and reconstruction for liquid scintillator based neutron detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, X. L.; Modamio, V.; Nyberg, J.; Valiente-Dobón, J. J.; Nishada, Q.; de Angelis, G.; Agramunt, J.; Egea, F. J.; Erduran, M. N.; Ertürk, S.; de France, G.; Gadea, A.; González, V.; Goasduff, A.; Hüyük, T.; Jaworski, G.; Moszyński, M.; Di Nitto, A.; Palacz, M.; Söderström, P.-A.; Sanchis, E.; Triossi, A.; Wadsworth, R.

2018-07-01

The issue of pulse pile-up is frequently encountered in nuclear experiments involving high counting rates, which will distort the pulse shapes and the energy spectra. A digital method of off-line processing of pile-up pulses is presented. The pile-up pulses were firstly identified by detecting the downward-going zero-crossings in the first-order derivative of the original signal, and then the constituent pulses were reconstructed based on comparing the pile-up pulse with four models that are generated by combining pairs of neutron and γ standard pulses together with a controllable time interval. The accuracy of this method in resolving the pile-up events was investigated as a function of the time interval between two pulses constituting a pile-up event. The obtained results show that the method is capable of disentangling two pulses with a time interval among them down to 20 ns, as well as classifying them as neutrons or γ rays. Furthermore, the error of reconstructing pile-up pulses could be kept below 6% when successive peaks were separated by more than 50 ns. By applying the method in a high counting rate of pile-up events measurement of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA), it was empirically found that this method can reconstruct the pile-up pulses and perform neutron- γ discrimination quite accurately. It can also significantly correct the distorted pulse height spectrum due to pile-up events.

Preventing Electromagnetic Pulse Irradiation Damage on Testis Using Selenium-rich Cordyceps Fungi. A Preclinical Study in Young Male Mice.

PubMed

Miao, Xia; Wang, Yafeng; Lang, Haiyang; Lin, Yanyun; Guo, Qiyan; Yang, Mingjuan; Guo, Juan; Zhang, Yanjun; Zhang, Jie; Liu, Junye; Liu, Yaning; Zeng, Lihua; Guo, Guozhen

2017-02-01

Networked 21st century society, globalization, and communications technologies are paralleled by the rise of electromagnetic energy intensity in our environments and the growing pressure of the environtome on human biology and health. The latter is the entire complement of environmental factors, including the electromagnetic energy and the technologies that generate them, enacting on the digital citizen in the new century. Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) irradiation might have serious damaging effects not only on electronic equipment but also in the whole organism and reproductive health, through nonthermal effects and oxidative stress. We sought to determine whether EMP exposure (1) induces biological damage on reproductive health and (2) the extent to which selenium-rich Cordyceps fungi (daily coadministration) offer protection on the testicles and spermatozoa. In a preclinical randomized study, 3-week-old male BALB/c mice were repeatedly exposed to EMP (peak intensity 200 kV/m, pulse edge 3.5 ns, pulse width 15 ns, 0.1 Hz, and 400 pulses/day) 5 days per week for four consecutive weeks, with or without coadministration of daily selenium-rich Cordyceps fungi (100 mg/kg). Testicular index and spermatozoa formation were measured at baseline and 1, 7, 14, 28, and 60 day time points after EMP exposure. The group without Cordyceps cotreatment displayed decreased spermatozoa formation, shrunk seminiferous tubule diameters, and diminished antioxidative capacity at 28 and 60 days after exposure (p < 0.05). The Cordyceps daily cotreatment alleviated the testicular damage by EMP exposure, increased spermatozoa formation, and reduced apoptotic spermatogenic cells. These observations warrant further preclinical and clinical studies as an innovative approach for potential protection against electromagnetic radiation in the current age of networked society and digital citizenship.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thirolf, P. G.; Habs, D.; Filipescu, D.

Next-generation {gamma} beams from laser Compton-backscattering facilities like ELI-NP (Bucharest)] or MEGa-Ray (Livermore) will drastically exceed the photon flux presently available at existing facilities, reaching or even exceeding 10{sup 13}{gamma}/sec. The beam structure as presently foreseen for MEGa-Ray and ELI-NP builds upon a structure of macro-pulses ({approx}120 Hz) for the electron beam, accelerated with X-band technology at 11.5 GHz, resulting in a micro structure of 87 ps distance between the electron pulses acting as mirrors for a counterpropagating intense laser. In total each 8.3 ms a {gamma} pulse series with a duration of about 100 ns will impinge on themore » target, resulting in an instantaneous photon flux of about 10{sup 18}{gamma}/s, thus introducing major challenges in view of pile-up. Novel {gamma} optics will be applied to monochromatize the {gamma} beam to ultimately {Delta}E/E{approx}10{sup -6}. Thus level-selective spectroscopy of higher multipole excitations will become accessible with good contrast for the first time. Fast responding {gamma} detectors, e.g. based on advanced scintillator technology (e.g. LaBr{sub 3}(Ce)) allow for measurements with count rates as high as 10{sup 6}-10{sup 7}{gamma}/s without significant drop of performance. Data handling adapted to the beam conditions could be performed by fast digitizing electronics, able to sample data traces during the micro-pulse duration, while the subsequent macro-pulse gap of ca. 8 ms leaves ample time for data readout. A ball of LaBr{sub 3} detectors with digital readout appears to best suited for this novel type of nuclear photonics at ultra-high counting rates.« less

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-01

In the 1960's U.S. Government laboratories, under Project Orion, investigated a pulsed nuclear fission propulsion system. Small nuclear pulse units would be sequentially discharged from the aft end of the vehicle. A blast shield and shock absorber system would protect the crew and convert the shock loads into a continuous propulsive force.

A gamma and neutron phoswich read out with SiPM for SPRD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Tuchen; Fu, Qibin; Yuan, Cenxi; Lin, Shaopeng

2018-02-01

A gamma and neutron phoswich was developed for spectroscopic personal radiation detectors (SPRDs). It consisted of a Φ25 × 25 mm NaI(Tl) crystal for gamma detection and a Φ25 × 3 mm LiI(Eu) crystal for neutron detection. The phoswich was read out by 8 × 8 ch SiPM array (24 × 24 mm2). Radiations in NaI(Tl) and LiI(Eu) were discriminated by pulse shape, while gammas and neutrons in LiI(Eu) were separated by pulse amplitude. For the LiI(Eu), the gamma equivalent energy for thermal neutrons was measured as 3.6 ± 0.1 MeV, providing satisfactory gamma rejection. For NaI(Tl), the response of SiPM array was well linear in the energy range up to 1408 keV, at which a deviation less than 2% was measured. Digital pulse shape discrimination (PSD) was implemented with an 8-bit digitizer running at 50 MSPS sampling rate and offline analysis. The signal pulses from NaI(Tl) and LiI(Eu) showed significant difference in falling edge allowing effective PSD. The best figure of merit (FOM) was measured as 4.4 ± 0.2 with optimized parameters, providing excellent PSD performance. The energy resolutions for 661.6 keV gamma rays in NaI(Tl) and thermal neutrons in LiI(Eu) were measured as 7.0 ± 0.2% and 11.2 ± 0.2% respectively, with selected PSD threshold.

Micro-gun based on laser pulse propulsion.

PubMed

Yu, Haichao; Li, Hanyang; Cui, Lugui; Liu, Shuangqiang; Yang, Jun

2017-11-24

This paper proposes a novel "micro-gun" structure for laser pulse propulsion. The "micro-bullets" (glass microspheres) are irradiated by a laser pulse with a 10 ns duration in a dynamic process. Experimental parameters such as the microsphere diameter and the laser pulse energy are varied to investigate their influence on laser pulse propulsion. The energy field and spatial intensity distribution in the capillary tube were simulated using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. The experimental results demonstrate that the propulsion efficiency is dependent on the laser pulse energy and the microsphere size. The propulsion modes and sources of the propelling force were confirmed through direct observation and theoretical calculation. Waves also generated by light-pressure and thermal expansions assisted the propulsion.

Magnetic resonance force microscopy with a paramagnetic probe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berman, G. P.; Gorshkov, V. N.; Tsifrinovich, V. I.

Here, we consider theoretically extension of magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) replacing a ferromagnetic probe on a cantilever tip (CT) with a paramagnetic one (PMRFM). The dynamics of the interaction between the paramagnetic probe and a local magnetic moment in a sample is analyzed, using a quasi-classical approach. We show that the application of a proper sequence of electromagnetic pulses provides a significant deflection of the CT from the initial equilibrium position. Periodic application of these sequences of pulses results in quasi-periodic CT deflections from the equilibrium, which can be used for detection of the magnetic moment in a sample.

Magnetic resonance force microscopy with a paramagnetic probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, G. P.; Gorshkov, V. N.; Tsifrinovich, V. I.

2017-04-01

We consider theoretically extension of magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) replacing a ferromagnetic probe on a cantilever tip (CT) with a paramagnetic one (PMRFM). The dynamics of the interaction between the paramagnetic probe and a local magnetic moment in a sample is analyzed, using a quasi-classical approach. We show that the application of a proper sequence of electromagnetic pulses provides a significant deflection of the CT from the initial equilibrium position. Periodic application of these sequences of pulses results in quasi-periodic CT deflections from the equilibrium, which can be used for detection of the magnetic moment in a sample.

Magnetic resonance force microscopy with a paramagnetic probe

DOE PAGES

Berman, G. P.; Gorshkov, V. N.; Tsifrinovich, V. I.

2017-04-01

Here, we consider theoretically extension of magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) replacing a ferromagnetic probe on a cantilever tip (CT) with a paramagnetic one (PMRFM). The dynamics of the interaction between the paramagnetic probe and a local magnetic moment in a sample is analyzed, using a quasi-classical approach. We show that the application of a proper sequence of electromagnetic pulses provides a significant deflection of the CT from the initial equilibrium position. Periodic application of these sequences of pulses results in quasi-periodic CT deflections from the equilibrium, which can be used for detection of the magnetic moment in a sample.

Single-channel voice-response-system program documentation volume I : system description

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

This report documents the design and implementation of a Voice Response System (VRS) using Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) voice coding. Implemented on a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11/20,R this VRS system supports a single ...

A high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for the ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of crystalline lenses with laser-induced microbubbles interrogated by acoustic radiation force.

PubMed

Yoon, Sangpil; Aglyamov, Salavat; Karpiouk, Andrei; Emelianov, Stanislav

2012-08-07

A high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for an ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of an animal crystalline lens was developed and validated. We measured the bulk displacement of laser-induced microbubbles created at different positions within the lens using nanosecond laser pulses. An impulsive acoustic radiation force was applied to the microbubble, and spatio-temporal measurements of the microbubble displacement were assessed using a custom-made high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system consisting of two 25 MHz focused ultrasound transducers. One of these transducers was used to emit a train of ultrasound pulses and another transducer was used to receive the ultrasound echoes reflected from the microbubble. The developed system was operating at 1 MHz pulse repetition frequency. Based on the measured motion of the microbubble, Young's moduli of surrounding tissue were reconstructed and the values were compared with those measured using the indentation test. Measured values of Young's moduli of four bovine lenses ranged from 2.6 ± 0.1 to 26 ± 1.4 kPa, and there was good agreement between the two methods. Therefore, our studies, utilizing the high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system, suggest that the developed approach can be used to assess the mechanical properties of ex vivo crystalline lenses. Furthermore, the potential of the presented approach for in vivo measurements is discussed.

Loran-C digital word generator for use with a KIM-1 microprocessor system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nickum, J. D.

1977-01-01

The problem of translating the time of occurrence of received Loran-C pulses into a time, referenced to a particular period of occurrence is addressed and applied to the design of a digital word generator for a Loran-C sensor processor package. The digital information from this word generator is processed in a KIM-1 microprocessor system which is based on the MOS 6502 CPU. This final system will consist of a complete time difference sensor processor for determining position information using Loran-C charts. The system consists of the KIM-1 microprocessor module, a 4K RAM memory board, a user interface, and the Loran-C word generator.

A versatile computer-controlled pulsed nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Gregory; MacNamara, Ernesto; Santini, Robert E.; Raftery, Daniel

1999-12-01

A new, pulsed nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectrometer capable of performing a variety of pulsed and swept experiments is described. The spectrometer features phase locked, superheterodyne detection using a commercial spectrum analyzer and a fully automatic, computer-controlled tuning and matching network. The tuning and matching network employs stepper motors which turn high power air gap capacitors in a "moving grid" optimization strategy to minimize the reflected power from a directional coupler. In the duplexer circuit, digitally controlled relays are used to switch different lengths of coax cable appropriate for the different radio frequencies. A home-built pulse programmer card controls the timing of radio frequency pulses sent to the probe, while data acquisition and control software is written in Microsoft Quick Basic. Spin-echo acquisition experiments are typically used to acquire the data, although a variety of pulse sequences can be employed. Scan times range from one to several hours depending upon the step resolution and the spectral range required for each experiment. Pure NQR spectra of NaNO2 and 3-aminopyridine are discussed.

Integration of a versatile bridge concept in a 34 GHz pulsed/CW EPR spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Band, Alan; Donohue, Matthew P.; Epel, Boris; Madhu, Shraeya; Szalai, Veronika A.

2018-03-01

We present a 34 GHz continuous wave (CW)/pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer capable of pulse-shaping that is based on a versatile microwave bridge design. The bridge radio frequency (RF)-in/RF-out design (500 MHz to 1 GHz input/output passband, 500 MHz instantaneous input/output bandwidth) creates a flexible platform with which to compare a variety of excitation and detection methods utilizing commercially available equipment external to the bridge. We use three sources of RF input to implement typical functions associated with CW and pulse EPR spectroscopic measurements. The bridge output is processed via high speed digitizer and an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) demodulator for pulsed work or sent to a wideband, high dynamic range log detector for CW. Combining this bridge with additional commercial hardware and new acquisition and control electronics, we have designed and constructed an adaptable EPR spectrometer that builds upon previous work in the literature and is functionally comparable to other available systems.

Shear wave pulse compression for dynamic elastography using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Thu-Mai; Song, Shaozhen; Arnal, Bastien; Wong, Emily Y.; Huang, Zhihong; Wang, Ruikang K.; O'Donnell, Matthew

2014-01-01

Assessing the biomechanical properties of soft tissue provides clinically valuable information to supplement conventional structural imaging. In the previous studies, we introduced a dynamic elastography technique based on phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT) to characterize submillimetric structures such as skin layers or ocular tissues. Here, we propose to implement a pulse compression technique for shear wave elastography. We performed shear wave pulse compression in tissue-mimicking phantoms. Using a mechanical actuator to generate broadband frequency-modulated vibrations (1 to 5 kHz), induced displacements were detected at an equivalent frame rate of 47 kHz using a PhS-OCT. The recorded signal was digitally compressed to a broadband pulse. Stiffness maps were then reconstructed from spatially localized estimates of the local shear wave speed. We demonstrate that a simple pulse compression scheme can increase shear wave detection signal-to-noise ratio (>12 dB gain) and reduce artifacts in reconstructing stiffness maps of heterogeneous media.