A High Input Impedance Low Noise Integrated Front-End Amplifier for Neural Monitoring.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhijun; Warr, Paul A

2016-12-01

Within neural monitoring systems, the front-end amplifier forms the critical element for signal detection and pre-processing, which determines not only the fidelity of the biosignal, but also impacts power consumption and detector size. In this paper, a novel combined feedback loop-controlled approach is proposed to compensate for input leakage currents generated by low noise amplifiers when in integrated circuit form alongside signal leakage into the input bias network. This loop topology ensures the Front-End Amplifier (FEA) maintains a high input impedance across all manufacturing and operational variations. Measured results from a prototype manufactured on the AMS 0.35 [Formula: see text] CMOS technology is provided. This FEA consumes 3.1 [Formula: see text] in 0.042 [Formula: see text], achieves input impedance of 42 [Formula: see text], and 18.2 [Formula: see text] input-referred noise.

An 8.4-GHz dual-maser front-end system for Parkes reimplementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trowbridge, D. L.; Loreman, J. R.; Brunzie, T. J.; Quinn, R.

1990-01-01

An 8.4-GHz front-end system consisting of a feedhorn, a waveguide feed assembly, dual masers, and downconverters was reimplemented at Parkes as part of the Parkes Canberra Telemetry Array for the Voyager Neptune encounter. The front-end system was originally assembled by the European Space Agency and installed on the Parkes antenna for the Giotto project. It was also used on a time-sharing basis by the Deep Space Network as part of the Parkes Canberra Telemetry Array to enhance the data return from the Voyager Uranus encounter. At the conclusion of these projects in 1986, part of the system was then shipped to JPL on loan for reimplementation at Parkes for the Voyager Neptune encounter. New design and implementation required to make the system operable at Parkes included new microwave front-end control cabinets, closed-cycle refrigeration monitor system, noise-adding radiometer system, front-end controller assembly, X81 local oscillator multiplier, and refurbishment of the original dual 8.4-GHz traveling-wave masers and waveguide feed system. The front-end system met all requirements during the encounter and was disassembled in October 1989 and returned to JPL.

Front-end Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM). Results of Prototype Evaluation

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

Conrad, Ryan C.; Keller, Daniel T.; Morris, Scott J.

2015-07-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deploys unattended monitoring systems to provide continuous monitoring of nuclear material within safeguarded facilities around the world. As the number of unattended monitoring instruments increases, the IAEA is challenged to become more efficient in the implementation of those systems. In 2010, the IAEA initiated the Front-End Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM) project with the goals of greater flexibility in the interfaces to various sensors and data acquisition systems, and improved capabilities for remotely located sensors (e.g., where sensor and front-end electronics might be separated by tens of meters). In consultation with the IAEA, amore » technical evaluation of a candidate FEUM device produced by a commercial vendor has been performed. This evaluation assessed the device against the IAEA’s original technical specifications and a broad range of important parameters that include sensor types, cable lengths and types, industrial electromagnetic noise that can degrade signals from remotely located detectors, and high radiation fields. Testing data, interpretation, findings and recommendations are provided.« less

The development of W-PBPM at diagnostic beamline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seungnam; Kim, Myeongjin; Kim, Seonghan; Shin, Hocheol; Kim, Jiwha; Lee, Chaesun

2017-12-01

The photon beam position monitor (PBPM) plays a critically important role in the accurate monitoring of the beam position. W (Wire)-PBPMs are installed at the front end and photon transfer line (PTL) of the diagnostic beamline and detect the change of position and angle of the beam orbit applied to the beamline. It provides beam stability and position data in real time, which can be used in feedback system with BPM in storage-ring. Also it provides beam profile, which makes it possible to figure out the specifications of beam. With two W-PBPMs, the angle information of beam could be acquired and the results coupled with beam profile are used with orbit correction. The W-PBPM has been designed and installed in the diagnostic beamline at Pohang Light Source. Herein the details of the design, analysis and performance for the W-PBPM will be reported.

An RFID tag system-on-chip with wireless ECG monitoring for intelligent healthcare systems.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng-Pin; Lee, Shuenn-Yuh; Lai, Wei-Chih

2013-01-01

This paper presents a low-power wireless ECG acquisition system-on-chip (SoC), including an RF front-end circuit, a power unit, an analog front-end circuit, and a digital circuitry. The proposed RF front-end circuit can provide the amplitude shift keying demodulation and distance to digital conversion to accurately receive the data from the reader. The received data will wake up the power unit to provide the required supply voltages of analog front-end (AFE) and digital circuitry. The AFE, including a pre-amplifier, an analog filter, a post-amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter, is used for the ECG acquisition. Moreover, the EPC Class I Gen 2 UHF standard is employed in the digital circuitry for the handshaking of communication and the control of the system. The proposed SoC has been implemented in 0.18-µm standard CMOS process and the measured results reveal the communication is compatible to the RFID protocol. The average power consumption for the operating chip is 12 µW. Using a Sony PR44 battery to the supply power (605mAh@1.4V), the RFID tag SoC operates continuously for about 50,000 hours (>5 years), which is appropriate for wireless wearable ECG monitoring systems.

A UNIX-based real-time data acquisition system for microprobe analysis using an advanced X11 window toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, J. L. A. M.; Ullings, A. H.; Vis, R. D.

1993-05-01

A real-time data acquisition system for microprobe analysis has been developed at the Free University of Amsterdam. The system is composed of two parts: a front-end real-time and a back-end monitoring system. The front-end consists of a VMEbus based system which reads out a CAMAC crate. The back-end is implemented on a Sun work station running the UNIX operating system. This separation allows the integration of a minimal, and consequently very fast, real-time executive within the sophisticated possibilities of advanced UNIX work stations.

Integral window/photon beam position monitor and beam flux detectors for x-ray beams

DOEpatents

Shu, Deming; Kuzay, Tuncer M.

1995-01-01

A monitor/detector assembly in a synchrotron for either monitoring the position of a photon beam or detecting beam flux may additionally function as a vacuum barrier between the front end and downstream segment of the beamline in the synchrotron. A base flange of the monitor/detector assembly is formed of oxygen free copper with a central opening covered by a window foil that is fused thereon. The window foil is made of man-made materials, such as chemical vapor deposition diamond or cubic boron nitrate and in certain configurations includes a central opening through which the beams are transmitted. Sensors of low atomic number materials, such as aluminum or beryllium, are laid on the window foil. The configuration of the sensors on the window foil may be varied depending on the function to be performed. A contact plate of insulating material, such as aluminum oxide, is secured to the base flange and is thereby clamped against the sensor on the window foil. The sensor is coupled to external electronic signal processing devices via a gold or silver lead printed onto the contact plate and a copper post screw or alternatively via a copper screw and a copper spring that can be inserted through the contact plate and coupled to the sensors. In an alternate embodiment of the monitor/detector assembly, the sensors are sandwiched between the window foil of chemical vapor deposition diamond or cubic boron nitrate and a front foil made of similar material.

A novel pulse height analysis technique for nuclear spectroscopic and imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, H. H.; Wang, C. Y.; Chou, H. P.

2005-08-01

The proposed pulse height analysis technique is based on the constant and linear relationship between pulse width and pulse height generated from front-end electronics of nuclear spectroscopic and imaging systems. The present technique has successfully implemented into the sump water radiation monitoring system in a nuclear power plant. The radiation monitoring system uses a NaI(Tl) scintillator to detect radioactive nuclides of Radon daughters brought down by rain. The technique is also used for a nuclear medical imaging system. The system uses a position sensitive photomultiplier tube coupled with a scintillator. The proposed techniques has greatly simplified the electronic design and made the system a feasible one for potable applications.

40 CFR 63.489 - Batch front-end process vents-monitoring equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... device (including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor... temperature monitoring device equipped with a continuous recorder is required. (i) Where an incinerator other than a catalytic incinerator is used, the temperature monitoring device shall be installed in the...

40 CFR 63.489 - Batch front-end process vents-monitoring equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... device (including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor... temperature monitoring device equipped with a continuous recorder is required. (i) Where an incinerator other than a catalytic incinerator is used, the temperature monitoring device shall be installed in the...

40 CFR 63.489 - Batch front-end process vents-monitoring equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... device (including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor... temperature monitoring device equipped with a continuous recorder is required. (i) Where an incinerator other than a catalytic incinerator is used, the temperature monitoring device shall be installed in the...

Dust-tolerant electrical connector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadick, Shazad (Inventor); Herman, Jason (Inventor); Roberts, Dustyn (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A connector assembly includes releasably mateable plug and receptacle units. At least one socket is enclosed within the receptacle unit and is aligned with at least one permeable membrane disposed in the front end of the receptacle unit. The plug unit includes a body slidably mounted within a longitudinal bore therein. At least one pin extends from the front end of the body and is aligned with at least one permeable membrane disposed in the front end of the plug unit. The plug unit is biased toward a first, de-mate position in which the body is extended rearwardly such that the pin is enclosed with the plug unit and is slidable to a second, mate position in which the body is compressed forwardly such that the pin projects through the permeable membranes of the plug and receptacle units to electrically connect with the socket.

Front-end circuit for position sensitive silicon and vacuum tube photomultipliers with gain control and depth of interaction measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero, Vicente; Colom, Ricardo; Gadea, Rafael; Lerche, Christoph W.; Cerdá, Joaquín; Sebastiá, Ángel; Benlloch, José M.

2007-06-01

Silicon Photomultipliers, though still under development for mass production, may be an alternative to traditional Vacuum Photomultipliers Tubes (VPMT). As a consequence, electronic front-ends initially designed for VPMT will need to be modified. In this simulation, an improved architecture is presented which is able to obtain impact position and depth of interaction of a gamma ray within a continuous scintillation crystal, using either kind of PM. A current sensitive preamplifier stage with individual gain adjustment interfaces the multi-anode PM outputs with a current division resistor network. The preamplifier stage allows to improve front-end processing delay and temporal resolution behavior as well as to increase impact position calculation resolution. Depth of interaction (DOI) is calculated from the width of the scintillation light distribution, which is related to the sum of voltages in resistor network input nodes. This operation is done by means of a high-speed current mode scheme.

Progress on the CWU READI Analysis Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melbourne, T. I.; Szeliga, W. M.; Santillan, V. M.; Scrivner, C.

2015-12-01

Real-time GPS position streams are desirable for a variety of seismic monitoring and hazard mitigation applications. We report on progress in our development of a comprehensive real-time GPS-based seismic monitoring system for the Cascadia subduction zone. This system is based on 1 Hz point position estimates computed in the ITRF08 reference frame. Convergence from phase and range observables to point position estimates is accelerated using a Kalman filter based, on-line stream editor that produces independent estimations of carrier phase integer biases and other parameters. Positions are then estimated using a short-arc approach and algorithms from JPL's GIPSY-OASIS software with satellite clock and orbit products from the International GNSS Service (IGS). The resulting positions show typical RMS scatter of 2.5 cm in the horizontal and 5 cm in the vertical with latencies below 2 seconds. To facilitate the use of these point position streams for applications such as seismic monitoring, we broadcast real-time positions and covariances using custom-built aggregation-distribution software based on RabbitMQ messaging platform. This software is capable of buffering 24-hour streams for hundreds of stations and providing them through a REST-ful web interface. To demonstrate the power of this approach, we have developed a Java-based front-end that provides a real-time visual display of time-series, displacement vector fields, and map-view, contoured, peak ground displacement. This Java-based front-end is available for download through the PANGA website. We are currently analyzing 80 PBO and PANGA stations along the Cascadia margin and gearing up to process all 400+ real-time stations that are operating in the Pacific Northwest, many of which are currently telemetered in real-time to CWU. These will serve as milestones towards our over-arching goal of extending our processing to include all of the available real-time streams from the Pacific rim. In addition, we have developed a Kalman filter to combine CWU real-time PPP solutions with those from Scripps Institute of Oceanography's PPP-AR real-time solutions as well as real-time solutions from the USGS. These combined products should improve the robustness and reliability of real-time point-position streams in the near future.

A miniature bidirectional telemetry system for in-vivo gastric slow wave recordings

PubMed Central

Farajidavar, Aydin; O’Grady, Gregory; Rao, Smitha M.N.; Cheng, Leo K; Abell, Thomas; Chiao, J.-C.

2012-01-01

Stomach contractions are initiated and coordinated by an underlying electrical activity (slow waves), and electrical dysrhythmias accompany motility diseases. Electrical recordings taken directly from the stomach provide the most valuable data, but face technical constraints. Serosal or mucosal electrodes have cables that traverse the abdominal wall, or a natural orifice, causing discomfort and possible infection, and restricting mobility. These problems motivated the development of a wireless system. The bidirectional telemetric system constitutes a front-end transponder, a back-end receiver and a graphical user interface. The front-end module conditions the analog signals, then digitizes and loads the data into a radio for transmission. Data receipt at the back-end is acknowledged via a transceiver function. The system was validated in a bench-top study, then validated in-vivo using serosal electrodes connected simultaneously to a commercial wired system. The front-end module was 35×35×27 mm3 and weighed 20 g. Bench-top tests demonstrated reliable communication within a distance range of 30 m, power consumption of 13.5 mW, and 124-hour operation when utilizing a 560-mAh, 3-V battery. In-vivo, slow wave frequencies were recorded identically with the wireless and wired reference systems (2.4 cycles/min), automated activation time detection was modestly better for the wireless system (5% vs 14% false positive rate), and signal amplitudes were modestly higher via the wireless system (462 vs 386 μV; p<0.001). This telemetric system for slow wave acquisition is reliable, power efficient, readily portable and potentially implantable. The device will enable chronic monitoring and evaluation of slow wave patterns in animals and patients. PMID:22635054

Web-based DAQ systems: connecting the user and electronics front-ends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenzi, Thomas

2016-12-01

Web technologies are quickly evolving and are gaining in computational power and flexibility, allowing for a paradigm shift in the field of Data Acquisition (DAQ) systems design. Modern web browsers offer the possibility to create intricate user interfaces and are able to process and render complex data. Furthermore, new web standards such as WebSockets allow for fast real-time communication between the server and the user with minimal overhead. Those improvements make it possible to move the control and monitoring operations from the back-end servers directly to the user and to the front-end electronics, thus reducing the complexity of the data acquisition chain. Moreover, web-based DAQ systems offer greater flexibility, accessibility, and maintainability on the user side than traditional applications which often lack portability and ease of use. As proof of concept, we implemented a simplified DAQ system on a mid-range Spartan6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development board coupled to a digital front-end readout chip. The system is connected to the Internet and can be accessed from any web browser. It is composed of custom code to control the front-end readout and of a dual soft-core Microblaze processor to communicate with the client.

Progress in using real-time GPS for seismic monitoring of the Cascadia megathrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szeliga, W. M.; Melbourne, T. I.; Santillan, V. M.; Scrivner, C.; Webb, F.

2014-12-01

We report on progress in our development of a comprehensive real-time GPS-based seismic monitoring system for the Cascadia subduction zone. This system is based on 1 Hz point position estimates computed in the ITRF08 reference frame. Convergence from phase and range observables to point position estimates is accelerated using a Kalman filter based, on-line stream editor. Positions are estimated using a short-arc approach and algorithms from JPL's GIPSY-OASIS software with satellite clock and orbit products from the International GNSS Service (IGS). The resulting positions show typical RMS scatter of 2.5 cm in the horizontal and 5 cm in the vertical with latencies below 2 seconds. To facilitate the use of these point position streams for applications such as seismic monitoring, we broadcast real-time positions and covariances using custom-built streaming software. This software is capable of buffering 24-hour streams for hundreds of stations and providing them through a REST-ful web interface. To demonstrate the power of this approach, we have developed a Java-based front-end that provides a real-time visual display of time-series, vector displacement, and contoured peak ground displacement. We have also implemented continuous estimation of finite fault slip along the Cascadia megathrust using an NIF approach. The resulting continuous slip distributions are combined with pre-computed tsunami Green's functions to generate real-time tsunami run-up estimates for the entire Cascadia coastal margin. This Java-based front-end is available for download through the PANGA website. We currently analyze 80 PBO and PANGA stations along the Cascadia margin and are gearing up to process all 400+ real-time stations operating in the Pacific Northwest, many of which are currently telemetered in real-time to CWU. These will serve as milestones towards our over-arching goal of extending our processing to include all of the available real-time streams from the Pacific rim. In addition, we are developing methodologies to combine our real-time solutions with those from Scripps Institute of Oceanography's PPP-AR real-time solutions as well as real-time solutions from the USGS. These combined products should improve the robustness and reliability of real-time point-position streams in the near future.

An ultra low-power front-end IC for wearable health monitoring system.

PubMed

Yu-Pin Hsu; Zemin Liu; Hella, Mona M

2016-08-01

This paper presents a low-power front-end IC for wearable health monitoring systems. The IC, designed in a standard 0.13μm CMOS technology, fully integrates a low-noise analog front-end (AFE) to process the weak bio-signals, followed by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to digitize the extracted signals. An AC-coupled driving buffer, that interfaces between the AFE and the ADC is introduced to scale down the power supply of the ADC. The power consumption decreases by 50% compared to the case without power supply scaling. The AFE passes signals from 0.5Hz to 280Hz and from 0.7Hz to 160Hz with a simulated input referred noise of 1.6μVrms and achieves a maximum gain of 35dB/41dB respectively, with a noise-efficiency factor (NEF) of the AFE is 1. The 8-bit ADC achieves a simulated 7.96-bit resolution at 10KS/s sampling rate under 0.5V supply voltage. The overall system consumes only 0.86μW at dual supply voltages of 1V (AFE) and 0.5 V (ADC).

LIDAR TS for ITER core plasma. Part III: calibration and higher edge resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, P.; Gowers, C.; Salzmann, H.

2017-12-01

Calibration, after initial installation, of the proposed two wavelength LIDAR Thomson Scattering System requires no access to the front end and does not require a foreign gas fill for Raman scattering. As already described, the variation of solid angle of collection with scattering position is a simple geometrical variation over the unvignetted region. The additional loss over the vignetted region can easily be estimated and in the case of a small beam dump located between the Be tiles, it is within the specified accuracy of the density. The only additional calibration is the absolute spectral transmission of the front-end optics. Over time we expect the transmission of the two front-end mirrors to suffer a deterioration mainly due to depositions. The reduction in transmission is likely to be worse towards the blue end of the scattering spectrum. It is therefore necessary to have a method to monitor such changes and to determine its spectral variation. Standard methods use two lasers at different wavelength with a small time separation. Using the two-wavelength approach, a method has been developed to determine the relative spectral variation of the transmission loss, using simply the measured signals in plasmas with peak temperatures of 4-6 keV . Comparing the calculated line integral of the fitted density over the full chord to the corresponding interferometer data we also have an absolute calibration. At the outer plasma boundary, the standard resolution of the LIDAR Thomson Scattering System is not sufficient to determine the edge gradient in an H-mode plasma. However, because of the step like nature of the signal here, it is possible to carry out a deconvolution of the scattered signals, thereby achieving an effective resolution of ~ 1-2 cm in the outer 10-20 cm.

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

Chen, K.; Chen, H.; Wu, W.

We present that in the upgrade of ATLAS experiment, the front-end electronics components are subjected to a large radiation background. Meanwhile high speed optical links are required for the data transmission between the on-detector and off-detector electronics. The GBT architecture and the Versatile Link (VL) project are designed by CERN to support the 4.8 Gbps line rate bidirectional high-speed data transmission which is called GBT link. In the ATLAS upgrade, besides the link with on-detector, the GBT link is also used between different off-detector systems. The GBTX ASIC is designed for the on-detector front-end, correspondingly for the off-detector electronics, themore » GBT architecture is implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). CERN launches the GBT-FPGA project to provide examples in different types of FPGA. In the ATLAS upgrade framework, the Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system is used to interface the front end electronics of several ATLAS subsystems. The GBT link is used between them, to transfer the detector data and the timing, trigger, control and monitoring information. The trigger signal distributed in the down-link from FELIX to the front-end requires a fixed and low latency. In this paper, several optimizations on the GBT-FPGA IP core are introduced, to achieve a lower fixed latency. For FELIX, a common firmware will be used to interface different front-ends with support of both GBT modes: the forward error correction mode and the wide mode. The modified GBT-FPGA core has the ability to switch between the GBT modes without FPGA reprogramming. Finally, the system clock distribution of the multi-channel FELIX firmware is also discussed in this paper.« less

Optimization on fixed low latency implementation of the GBT core in FPGA

DOE PAGES

Chen, K.; Chen, H.; Wu, W.; ...

2017-07-11

We present that in the upgrade of ATLAS experiment, the front-end electronics components are subjected to a large radiation background. Meanwhile high speed optical links are required for the data transmission between the on-detector and off-detector electronics. The GBT architecture and the Versatile Link (VL) project are designed by CERN to support the 4.8 Gbps line rate bidirectional high-speed data transmission which is called GBT link. In the ATLAS upgrade, besides the link with on-detector, the GBT link is also used between different off-detector systems. The GBTX ASIC is designed for the on-detector front-end, correspondingly for the off-detector electronics, themore » GBT architecture is implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). CERN launches the GBT-FPGA project to provide examples in different types of FPGA. In the ATLAS upgrade framework, the Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system is used to interface the front end electronics of several ATLAS subsystems. The GBT link is used between them, to transfer the detector data and the timing, trigger, control and monitoring information. The trigger signal distributed in the down-link from FELIX to the front-end requires a fixed and low latency. In this paper, several optimizations on the GBT-FPGA IP core are introduced, to achieve a lower fixed latency. For FELIX, a common firmware will be used to interface different front-ends with support of both GBT modes: the forward error correction mode and the wide mode. The modified GBT-FPGA core has the ability to switch between the GBT modes without FPGA reprogramming. Finally, the system clock distribution of the multi-channel FELIX firmware is also discussed in this paper.« less

Optimization on fixed low latency implementation of the GBT core in FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, K.; Chen, H.; Wu, W.; Xu, H.; Yao, L.

2017-07-01

In the upgrade of ATLAS experiment [1], the front-end electronics components are subjected to a large radiation background. Meanwhile high speed optical links are required for the data transmission between the on-detector and off-detector electronics. The GBT architecture and the Versatile Link (VL) project are designed by CERN to support the 4.8 Gbps line rate bidirectional high-speed data transmission which is called GBT link [2]. In the ATLAS upgrade, besides the link with on-detector, the GBT link is also used between different off-detector systems. The GBTX ASIC is designed for the on-detector front-end, correspondingly for the off-detector electronics, the GBT architecture is implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). CERN launches the GBT-FPGA project to provide examples in different types of FPGA [3]. In the ATLAS upgrade framework, the Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system [4, 5] is used to interface the front-end electronics of several ATLAS subsystems. The GBT link is used between them, to transfer the detector data and the timing, trigger, control and monitoring information. The trigger signal distributed in the down-link from FELIX to the front-end requires a fixed and low latency. In this paper, several optimizations on the GBT-FPGA IP core are introduced, to achieve a lower fixed latency. For FELIX, a common firmware will be used to interface different front-ends with support of both GBT modes: the forward error correction mode and the wide mode. The modified GBT-FPGA core has the ability to switch between the GBT modes without FPGA reprogramming. The system clock distribution of the multi-channel FELIX firmware is also discussed in this paper.

Overview of recent trends and developments for BPM systems

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

Wendt, M.; /Fermilab

2011-08-01

Beam position monitoring (BPM) systems are the workhorse of beam diagnostics for almost any kind of charged particle accelerator: linear, circular or transport-lines, operating with leptons, hadrons or heavy ions. BPMs are essential for beam commissioning, accelerator fault analysis and trouble shooting, machine optics, as well as lattice measurements, and finally, for accelerator optimization, in order to achieve the ultimate beam quality. This presentation summarizes the efforts of the beam instrumentation community on recent developments and advances on BPM technologies, i.e. BPM pickup monitors and front-end electronics (analog and digital). Principles, examples, and state-of-the-art status on various BPM techniques, servingmore » hadron and heavy ion machines, sync light synchrotron's, as well as electron linacs for FEL or HEP applications are outlined.« less

The GBT-SCA, a radiation tolerant ASIC for detector control and monitoring applications in HEP experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caratelli, A.; Bonacini, S.; Kloukinas, K.; Marchioro, A.; Moreira, P.; De Oliveira, R.; Paillard, C.

2015-03-01

The future upgrades of the LHC experiments will increase the beam luminosity leading to a corresponding growth of the amounts of data to be treated by the data acquisition systems. To address these needs, the GBT (Giga-Bit Transceiver optical link [1,2]) architecture was developed to provide the simultaneous transfer of readout data, timing and trigger signals as well as slow control and monitoring data. The GBT-SCA ASIC, part of the GBT chip-set, has the purpose to distribute control and monitoring signals to the on-detector front-end electronics and perform monitoring operations of detector environmental parameters. In order to meet the requirements of different front-end ASICs used in the experiments, it provides various user-configurable interfaces capable to perform simultaneous operations. It is designed employing radiation tolerant design techniques to ensure robustness against SEUs and TID radiation effects and is implemented in a commercial 130 nm CMOS technology. This work presents the GBT-SCA architecture, the ASIC interfaces, the data transfer protocol, and its integration with the GBT optical link.

Monitoring the CMS strip tracker readout system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mersi, S.; Bainbridge, R.; Baulieu, G.; Bel, S.; Cole, J.; Cripps, N.; Delaere, C.; Drouhin, F.; Fulcher, J.; Giassi, A.; Gross, L.; Hahn, K.; Mirabito, L.; Nikolic, M.; Tkaczyk, S.; Wingham, M.

2008-07-01

The CMS Silicon Strip Tracker at the LHC comprises a sensitive area of approximately 200 m2 and 10 million readout channels. Its data acquisition system is based around a custom analogue front-end chip. Both the control and the readout of the front-end electronics are performed by off-detector VME boards in the counting room, which digitise the raw event data and perform zero-suppression and formatting. The data acquisition system uses the CMS online software framework to configure, control and monitor the hardware components and steer the data acquisition. The first data analysis is performed online within the official CMS reconstruction framework, which provides many services, such as distributed analysis, access to geometry and conditions data, and a Data Quality Monitoring tool based on the online physics reconstruction. The data acquisition monitoring of the Strip Tracker uses both the data acquisition and the reconstruction software frameworks in order to provide real-time feedback to shifters on the operational state of the detector, archiving for later analysis and possibly trigger automatic recovery actions in case of errors. Here we review the proposed architecture of the monitoring system and we describe its software components, which are already in place, the various monitoring streams available, and our experiences of operating and monitoring a large-scale system.

Electro-optical detector for use in a wide mass range mass spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giffin, Charles E. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

An electro-optical detector is disclosed for use in a wide mass range mass spectrometer (MS), in the latter the focal plane is at or very near the exit end of the magnetic analyzer, so that a strong magnetic field of the order of 1000G or more is present at the focal plane location. The novel detector includes a microchannel electron multiplier array (MCA) which is positioned at the focal plane to convert ion beams which are focused by the MS at the focal plane into corresponding electron beams which are then accelerated to form visual images on a conductive phosphored surface. These visual images are then converted into images on the target of a vidicon camera or the like for electronic processing. Due to the strong magnetic field at the focal plane, in one embodiment of the invention, the MCA with front and back parallel ends is placed so that its front end forms an angle of not less than several degrees, preferably on the order of 10.degree.-20.degree., with respect to the focal plane, with the center line of the front end preferably located in the focal plane. In another embodiment the MCA is wedge-shaped, with its back end at an angle of about 10.degree.-20.degree. with respect to the front end. In this embodiment the MCA is placed so that its front end is located at the focal plane.

Instrument front-ends at Fermilab during Run II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, T.; Slimmer, D.; Voy, D.

2011-11-01

The optimization of an accelerator relies on the ability to monitor the behavior of the beam in an intelligent and timely fashion. The use of processor-driven front-ends allowed for the deployment of smart systems in the field for improved data collection and analysis during Run II. This paper describes the implementation of the two main systems used: National Instruments LabVIEW running on PCs, and WindRiver's VxWorks real-time operating system running in a VME crate processor. Work supported by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the United States Department of Energy.

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras.

PubMed

Bolotnikov, A E; Ackley, K; Camarda, G S; Cherches, C; Cui, Y; De Geronimo, G; Fried, J; Hodges, D; Hossain, A; Lee, W; Mahler, G; Maritato, M; Petryk, M; Roy, U; Salwen, C; Vernon, E; Yang, G; James, R B

2015-07-01

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm(3) detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays' performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2015-07-28

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Improving Spectral Image Classification through Band-Ratio Optimization and Pixel Clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neill, M.; Burt, C.; McKenna, I.; Kimblin, C.

2017-12-01

The Underground Nuclear Explosion Signatures Experiment (UNESE) seeks to characterize non-prompt observables from underground nuclear explosions (UNE). As part of this effort, we evaluated the ability of DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 (WV3) to detect and map UNE signatures. WV3 is the current state-of-the-art, commercial, multispectral imaging satellite; however, it has relatively limited spectral and spatial resolutions. These limitations impede image classifiers from detecting targets that are spatially small and lack distinct spectral features. In order to improve classification results, we developed custom algorithms to reduce false positive rates while increasing true positive rates via a band-ratio optimization and pixel clustering front-end. The clusters resulting from these algorithms were processed with standard spectral image classifiers such as Mixture-Tuned Matched Filter (MTMF) and Adaptive Coherence Estimator (ACE). WV3 and AVIRIS data of Cuprite, Nevada, were used as a validation data set. These data were processed with a standard classification approach using MTMF and ACE algorithms. They were also processed using the custom front-end prior to the standard approach. A comparison of the results shows that the custom front-end significantly increases the true positive rate and decreases the false positive rate.This work was done by National Security Technologies, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25946 with the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE/NV/25946-3283.

A Wearable EEG-HEG-HRV Multimodal System With Simultaneous Monitoring of tES for Mental Health Management.

PubMed

Ha, Unsoo; Lee, Yongsu; Kim, Hyunki; Roh, Taehwan; Bae, Joonsung; Kim, Changhyeon; Yoo, Hoi-Jun

2015-12-01

A multimodal mental management system in the shape of the wearable headband and earplugs is proposed to monitor electroencephalography (EEG), hemoencephalography (HEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) for accurate mental health monitoring. It enables simultaneous transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) together with real-time monitoring. The total weight of the proposed system is less than 200 g. The multi-loop low-noise amplifier (MLLNA) achieves over 130 dB CMRR for EEG sensing and the capacitive correlated-double sampling transimpedance amplifier (CCTIA) has low-noise characteristics for HEG and HRV sensing. Measured three-physiology domains such as neural, vascular and autonomic domain signals are combined with canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and temporal kernel canonical correlation analysis (tkCCA) algorithm to find the neural-vascular-autonomic coupling. It supports highly accurate classification with the 19% maximum improvement with multimodal monitoring. For the multi-channel stimulation functionality, after-effects maximization monitoring and sympathetic nerve disorder monitoring, the stimulator is designed as reconfigurable. The 3.37 × 2.25 mm(2) chip has 2-channel EEG sensor front-end, 2-channel NIRS sensor front-end, NIRS current driver to drive dual-wavelength VCSEL and 6-b DAC current source for tES mode. It dissipates 24 mW with 2 mA stimulation current and 5 mA NIRS driver current.

AN INTERNET RACK MONITOR-CONTROLLER FOR APS LINAC RF ELECTRONICS UPGRADE

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

Ma, Hengjie; Smith, Terry; Nassiri, Alireza

To support the research and development in APS LINAC area, the existing LINAC rf control performance needs to be much improved, and thus an upgrade of the legacy LINAC rf electronics becomes necessary. The proposed upgrade plan centers on the concept of using a modern, network-attached, rackmount digital electronics platform –Internet Rack Monitor-Controller (or IRMC) to achieve the goal of modernizing the rf electronics at a lower cost. The system model of the envisioned IRMC is basically a 3-tier stack with a high-performance DSP in the mid-layer to perform the core tasks of real-time rf data processing and controls. Themore » Digital Front-End (DFE) attachment layer at bottom bridges the applicationspecific rf front-ends to the DSP. A network communication gateway, together with an embedded event receiver (EVR) in the top layer merges the Internet Rack MonitorController node into the networks of the accelerator controls infrastructure. Although the concept is very much in trend with today’s Internet-of-Things (IoT), this implementation has actually been used in the accelerators for over two decades.« less

Development of a portable Linux-based ECG measurement and monitoring system.

PubMed

Tan, Tan-Hsu; Chang, Ching-Su; Huang, Yung-Fa; Chen, Yung-Fu; Lee, Cheng

2011-08-01

This work presents a portable Linux-based electrocardiogram (ECG) signals measurement and monitoring system. The proposed system consists of an ECG front end and an embedded Linux platform (ELP). The ECG front end digitizes 12-lead ECG signals acquired from electrodes and then delivers them to the ELP via a universal serial bus (USB) interface for storage, signal processing, and graphic display. The proposed system can be installed anywhere (e.g., offices, homes, healthcare centers and ambulances) to allow people to self-monitor their health conditions at any time. The proposed system also enables remote diagnosis via Internet. Additionally, the system has a 7-in. interactive TFT-LCD touch screen that enables users to execute various functions, such as scaling a single-lead or multiple-lead ECG waveforms. The effectiveness of the proposed system was verified by using a commercial 12-lead ECG signal simulator and in vivo experiments. In addition to its portability, the proposed system is license-free as Linux, an open-source code, is utilized during software development. The cost-effectiveness of the system significantly enhances its practical application for personal healthcare.

Design and evaluation of wide-range and low-power analog front-end enabling body-implanted devices to monitor charge injection properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Keita; Uno, Shoma; Goto, Tatsuya; Takezawa, Yoshiki; Harashima, Takuya; Morikawa, Takumi; Nishino, Satoru; Kino, Hisashi; Kiyoyama, Koji; Tanaka, Tetsu

2017-04-01

For safe electrical stimulation with body-implanted devices, the degradation of stimulus electrodes must be considered because it causes the unexpected electrolysis of water and the destruction of tissues. To monitor the charge injection property (CIP) of stimulus electrodes while these devices are implanted, we have proposed a charge injection monitoring system (CIMS). CIMS can safely read out voltages produced by a biphasic current pulse to a stimulus electrode and CIP is calculated from waveforms of the acquired voltages. In this paper, we describe a wide-range and low-power analog front-end (AFE) for CIMS that has variable gain-frequency characteristics and low-power analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion to adjust to the degradation of stimulus electrodes. The designed AFE was fabricated with 0.18 µm CMOS technology and achieved a valuable gain of 20-60 dB, an upper cutoff frequency of 0.2-10 kHz, and low-power interleaving A/D conversion. In addition, we successfully measured the CIP of stimulus electrodes for body-implanted devices using CIMS.

Analytical modeling and sensor monitoring for optimal processing of advanced textile structural composites by resin transfer molding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loos, Alfred C.; Macrae, John D.; Hammond, Vincent H.; Kranbuehl, David E.; Hart, Sean M.; Hasko, Gregory H.; Markus, Alan M.

1993-01-01

A two-dimensional model of the resin transfer molding (RTM) process was developed which can be used to simulate the infiltration of resin into an anisotropic fibrous preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) has been developed for in situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization tests were performed to obtain data which can be used to verify the sensor measurements and the model predictions. Results of the tests showed that FDEMS can accurately detect the position of the resin flow-front during mold filling, and that the model predicted flow-front patterns agreed well with the measured flow-front patterns.

Electrode configuration for extreme-UV electrical discharge source

DOEpatents

Spence, Paul Andrew; Fornaciari, Neal Robert; Chang, Jim Jihchyun

2002-01-01

It has been demonstrated that debris generation within an electric capillary discharge source, for generating extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray, is dependent on the magnitude and profile of the electric field that is established along the surfaces of the electrodes. An electrode shape that results in uniform electric field strength along its surface has been developed to minimize sputtering and debris generation. The electric discharge plasma source includes: (a) a body that defines a circular capillary bore that has a proximal end and a distal end; (b) a back electrode positioned around and adjacent to the distal end of the capillary bore wherein the back electrode has a channel that is in communication with the distal end and that is defined by a non-uniform inner surface which exhibits a first region which is convex, a second region which is concave, and a third region which is convex wherein the regions are viewed outwardly from the inner surface of the channel that is adjacent the distal end of the capillary bore so that the first region is closest to the distal end; (c) a front electrode positioned around and adjacent to the proximal end of the capillary bore wherein the front electrode has an opening that is communication with the proximal end and that is defined by a non-uniform inner surface which exhibits a first region which is convex, a second region which is substantially linear, and third region which is convex wherein the regions are viewed outwardly from the inner surface of the opening that is adjacent the proximal end of the capillary bore so that the first region is closest to the proximal end; and (d) a source of electric potential that is connected across the front and back electrodes.

Mining machine with adjustable jib

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

Hart, D.

1987-05-26

A mining machine is described having a pair of crawler tracks, a means for individually driving each of the crawler tracks, a frame mounted on the crawler tracks, an elongated jib carrying a sprocket at each end, an endless cutting chain supported on the sprockets, cutters and loading flights mounted on the endless cutting chain, and means on the frame supporting the elongated jib. The means support the elongated jib consisting of a bridge on the frame, at least one scissors linkage pivotally mounted on the bridge, and arm having a first end attached to the scissors linkage, a frontmore » plate mounted on the second end of the arm and means adjustably mounting the elongated jib on the front plate. The means adjustably mount the elongated jib on the front plate including a first means for rotating the elongated jib between a vertical position and a horizontal position.« less

Visual EKF-SLAM from Heterogeneous Landmarks †

PubMed Central

Esparza-Jiménez, Jorge Othón; Devy, Michel; Gordillo, José L.

2016-01-01

Many applications require the localization of a moving object, e.g., a robot, using sensory data acquired from embedded devices. Simultaneous localization and mapping from vision performs both the spatial and temporal fusion of these data on a map when a camera moves in an unknown environment. Such a SLAM process executes two interleaved functions: the front-end detects and tracks features from images, while the back-end interprets features as landmark observations and estimates both the landmarks and the robot positions with respect to a selected reference frame. This paper describes a complete visual SLAM solution, combining both point and line landmarks on a single map. The proposed method has an impact on both the back-end and the front-end. The contributions comprehend the use of heterogeneous landmark-based EKF-SLAM (the management of a map composed of both point and line landmarks); from this perspective, the comparison between landmark parametrizations and the evaluation of how the heterogeneity improves the accuracy on the camera localization, the development of a front-end active-search process for linear landmarks integrated into SLAM and the experimentation methodology. PMID:27070602

Cross-well 4-D resistivity tomography localizes the oil-water encroachment front during water flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Revil, A.

2015-04-01

The early detection of the oil-water encroachment front is of prime interest during the water flooding of an oil reservoir to maximize the production of oil and to avoid the oil-water encroachment front to come too close to production wells. We propose a new 4-D inversion approach based on the Gauss-Newton approach to invert cross-well resistance data. The goal of this study is to image the position of the oil-water encroachment front in a heterogeneous clayey sand reservoir. This approach is based on explicitly connecting the change of resistivity to the petrophysical properties controlling the position of the front (porosity and permeability) and to the saturation of the water phase through a petrophysical resistivity model accounting for bulk and surface conductivity contributions and saturation. The distributions of the permeability and porosity are also inverted using the time-lapse resistivity data in order to better reconstruct the position of the oil water encroachment front. In our synthetic test case, we get a better position of the front with the by-products of porosity and permeability inferences near the flow trajectory and close to the wells. The numerical simulations show that the position of the front is recovered well but the distribution of the recovered porosity and permeability is only fair. A comparison with a commercial code based on a classical Gauss-Newton approach with no information provided by the two-phase flow model fails to recover the position of the front. The new approach could be used for the time-lapse monitoring of various processes in both geothermal fields and oil and gas reservoirs using a combination of geophysical methods.

Analysis of fractionation in corn-to-ethanol plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Camille

As the dry grind ethanol industry has grown, the research and technology surrounding ethanol production and co-product value has increased. Including use of back-end oil extraction and front-end fractionation. Front-end fractionation is pre-fermentation separation of the corn kernel into 3 fractions: endosperm, bran, and germ. The endosperm fraction enters the existing ethanol plant, and a high protein DDGS product remains after fermentation. High value oil is extracted out of the germ fraction. This leaves corn germ meal and bran as co-products from the other two streams. These 3 co-products have a very different composition than traditional corn DDGS. Installing this technology allows ethanol plants to increase profitability by tapping into more diverse markets, and ultimately could allow for an increase in profitability. An ethanol plant model was developed to evaluate both back-end oil extraction and front-end fractionation technology and predict the change in co-products based on technology installed. The model runs in Microsoft Excel and requires inputs of whole corn composition (proximate analysis), amino acid content, and weight to predict the co-product quantity and quality. User inputs include saccharification and fermentation efficiencies, plant capacity, and plant process specifications including front-end fractionation and backend oil extraction, if applicable. This model provides plants a way to assess and monitor variability in co-product composition due to the variation in whole corn composition. Additionally the co-products predicted in this model are entered into the US Pork Center of Excellence, National Swine Nutrition Guide feed formulation software. This allows the plant user and animal nutritionists to evaluate the value of new co-products in existing animal diets.

Pion Production from 5-15 GeV Beam for the Neutrino Factory Front-End Study

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

Prior, Gersende

2010-03-30

For the neutrino factory front-end study, the production of pions from a proton beam of 5-8 and 14 GeV kinetic energy on a Hg jet target has been simulated. The pion yields for two versions of the MARS15 code and two different field configurations have been compared. The particles have also been tracked from the target position down to the end of the cooling channel using the ICOOL code and the neutrino factory baseline lattice. The momentum-angle region of pions producing muons that survived until the end of the cooling channel has been compared with the region covered by HARPmore » data and the number of pions/muons as a function of the incoming beam energy is also reported.« less

Web Monitoring of EOS Front-End Ground Operations, Science Downlinks and Level 0 Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordier, Guy R.; Wilkinson, Chris; McLemore, Bruce

2008-01-01

This paper addresses the efforts undertaken and the technology deployed to aggregate and distribute the metadata characterizing the real-time operations associated with NASA Earth Observing Systems (EOS) high-rate front-end systems and the science data collected at multiple ground stations and forwarded to the Goddard Space Flight Center for level 0 processing. Station operators, mission project management personnel, spacecraft flight operations personnel and data end-users for various EOS missions can retrieve the information at any time from any location having access to the internet. The users are distributed and the EOS systems are distributed but the centralized metadata accessed via an external web server provide an effective global and detailed view of the enterprise-wide events as they are happening. The data-driven architecture and the implementation of applied middleware technology, open source database, open source monitoring tools, and external web server converge nicely to fulfill the various needs of the enterprise. The timeliness and content of the information provided are key to making timely and correct decisions which reduce project risk and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The authors discuss security measures employed to limit access of data to authorized users only.

A non-contact capacitance based electrocardiograph and associated heart-rate detection using enhanced Fourier interpolation method.

PubMed

Kumar Thakur, Rupak; Anoop, C S

2015-08-01

Cardio-vascular health monitoring has gained considerable attention in the recent years. Principle of non-contact capacitive electrocardiograph (ECG) and its applicability as a valuable, low-cost, easy-to-use scheme for cardio-vascular health monitoring has been demonstrated in some recent research papers. In this paper, we develop a complete non-contact ECG system using a suitable front-end electronic circuit and a heart-rate (HR) measurement unit using enhanced Fourier interpolation technique. The front-end electronic circuit is realized using low-cost, readily available components and the proposed HR measurement unit is designed to achieve fairly accurate results. The entire system has been extensively tested to verify its efficacy and test results show that the developed system can estimate HR with an accuracy of ±2 beats. Detailed tests have been conducted to validate the performance of the system for different cloth thicknesses of the subject. Some basic tests which illustrate the application of the proposed system for heart-rate variability estimation has been conducted and results reported. The developed system can be used as a portable, reliable, long-term cardiac health monitoring device and can be extended to human drowsiness detection.

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

Smith, Leon E.; Conrad, Ryan C.; Keller, Daniel T.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deploys unattended monitoring systems to provide continuous monitoring of nuclear material within safeguarded facilities around the world. As the number of unattended monitoring instruments increases, the IAEA is challenged to become more efficient in the implementation of those systems. In 2010, the IAEA initiated the Front-End Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM) project with the goals of greater flexibility in the interfaces to various sensors and data acquisition systems, and improved capabilities for remotely located sensors (e.g., where sensor and front-end electronics might be separated by tens of meters). In consultation with the IAEA, amore » technical evaluation of a candidate FEUM device produced by a commercial vendor is being performed. This evaluation is assessing the device against the IAEA’s original technical specifications and a broad range of important parameters that included sensor types, cable types, and industrial electromagnetic noise that can degrade signals from remotely located detectors. Testing has been performed in a laboratory and also in environments representative of IAEA deployments. The results are expected to inform the IAEA about where and how FEUM devices might be implemented in the field. Data and preliminary findings from the testing performed to date are presented.« less

Deep Space Network information system architecture study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beswick, C. A.; Markley, R. W. (Editor); Atkinson, D. J.; Cooper, L. P.; Tausworthe, R. C.; Masline, R. C.; Jenkins, J. S.; Crowe, R. A.; Thomas, J. L.; Stoloff, M. J.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe an architecture for the DSN information system in the years 2000-2010 and to provide guidelines for its evolution during the 1990's. The study scope is defined to be from the front-end areas at the antennas to the end users (spacecraft teams, principal investigators, archival storage systems, and non-NASA partners). The architectural vision provides guidance for major DSN implementation efforts during the next decade. A strong motivation for the study is an expected dramatic improvement in information-systems technologies--i.e., computer processing, automation technology (including knowledge-based systems), networking and data transport, software and hardware engineering, and human-interface technology. The proposed Ground Information System has the following major features: unified architecture from the front-end area to the end user; open-systems standards to achieve interoperability; DSN production of level 0 data; delivery of level 0 data from the Deep Space Communications Complex, if desired; dedicated telemetry processors for each receiver; security against unauthorized access and errors; and highly automated monitor and control.

Vortex Generators to Control Boundary Layer Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babinsky, Holger (Inventor); Loth, Eric (Inventor); Lee, Sang (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Devices for generating streamwise vorticity in a boundary includes various forms of vortex generators. One form of a split-ramp vortex generator includes a first ramp element and a second ramp element with front ends and back ends, ramp surfaces extending between the front ends and the back ends, and vertical surfaces extending between the front ends and the back ends adjacent the ramp surfaces. A flow channel is between the first ramp element and the second ramp element. The back ends of the ramp elements have a height greater than a height of the front ends, and the front ends of the ramp elements have a width greater than a width of the back ends.

The Deep Space Network information system in the year 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markley, R. W.; Beswick, C. A.

1992-01-01

The Deep Space Network (DSN), the largest, most sensitive scientific communications and radio navigation network in the world, is considered. Focus is made on the telemetry processing, monitor and control, and ground data transport architectures of the DSN ground information system envisioned for the year 2000. The telemetry architecture will be unified from the front-end area to the end user. It will provide highly automated monitor and control of the DSN, automated configuration of support activities, and a vastly improved human interface. Automated decision support systems will be in place for DSN resource management, performance analysis, fault diagnosis, and contingency management.

31. Interior view, north end of the west wall looking ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

31. Interior view, north end of the west wall looking at the section between the front door and the northwestern corner of the building, with scale (note position of post fire partition wall and floor joists as recorded in the brickwork) - Kiskiack, Naval Mine Depot, State Route 238 vicinity, Yorktown, York County, VA

75 FR 70703 - Humana Insurance Company a Division of Carenetwork, Inc. Front End Operations and Account...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

... Division of CareNetwork, Inc., Front End Operations and Account Installation-Product Testing Groups, De... a Division of Carenetwork, Inc. Front End Operations and Account Installation-Product Testing Groups..., a Division of CareNetwork, Inc., Front End Operations and Account Installation- Product Testing...

A 0.18 μm biosensor front-end based on 1/f noise, distortion cancelation and chopper stabilization techniques.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Viswanathan; Ruedi, Pierre-Francois; Temiz, Yuksel; Ferretti, Anna; Guiducci, Carlotta; Enz

2013-10-01

This paper presents a novel sensor front-end circuit that addresses the issues of 1/f noise and distortion in a unique way by using canceling techniques. The proposed front-end is a fully differential transimpedance amplifier (TIA) targeted for current mode electrochemical biosensing applications. In this paper, we discuss the architecture of this canceling based front-end and the optimization methods followed for achieving low noise, low distortion performance at minimum current consumption are presented. To validate the employed canceling based front-end, it has been realized in a 0.18 μm CMOS process and the characterization results are presented. The front-end has also been tested as part of a complete wireless sensing system and the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test results from electrochemical sensors are provided. Overall current consumption in the front-end is 50 μA while operating on a 1.8 V supply.

40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process vents... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

A front end readout electronics ASIC chip for position sensitive solid state detectors

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

Kravis, S.D.; Tuemer, T.O.; Visser, G.J.

1998-12-31

A mixed signal Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip for front end readout electronics of position sensitive solid state detectors has been manufactured. It is called RENA (Readout Electronics for Nuclear Applications). This chip can be used for both medical and industrial imaging of X-rays and gamma rays. The RENA chip is a monolithic integrated circuit and has 32 channels with low noise high input impedance charge sensitive amplifiers. It works in pulse counting mode with good energy resolution. It also has a self triggering output which is essential for nuclear applications when the incident radiation arrives at random. Different,more » externally selectable, operational modes that includes a sparse readout mode is available to increase data throughput. It also has externally selectable shaping (peaking) times.« less

40 CFR 63.489 - Batch front-end process vents-monitoring equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... installed in the gas stream immediately before and after the catalyst bed. (2) Where a flare is used, a device (including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor... at the scrubber influent for liquid flow. Gas stream flow shall be determined using one of the...

40 CFR 63.489 - Batch front-end process vents-monitoring equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... installed in the gas stream immediately before and after the catalyst bed. (2) Where a flare is used, a device (including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor... at the scrubber influent for liquid flow. Gas stream flow shall be determined using one of the...

A 32-channel front-end ASIC for GEM detectors used in beam monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciciriello, F.; Altieri, P. R.; Corsi, F.; De Robertis, G.; Felici, G.; Loddo, F.; Lorusso, L.; Marzocca, C.; Matarrese, G.; Ranieri, A.; Stamerra, A.

2017-11-01

A multichannel, mixed-signal, front-end ASIC for GEM detectors, intended for beam monitoring in hadron therapy applications, has been designed and prototyped in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The analog channels are based on the classic CSA + shaper processing chain, followed by a peak detector which can work as an analog memory, to simplifiy the analog-to-digital conversion of the peak voltage of the output pulse, proportional to the energy of the detected event. The available hardware resources include an 8-bit A/D converter and a standard-cell digital part, which manages the read-out procedure, in sparse or serial mode. The ASIC is self-triggered and transfers energy and address data to the external DAQ via a fast 100 MHz LVDS link. Preliminary characterization results show that the non-linearity error is limited to 5% for a maximum input charge of about 70 fC, the measured ENC is about 1400e- and the time jitter of the trigger signal generated in response to an injected charge of 60 fC is close to 200 ps.

End-Users, Front Ends and Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourne, Donna E.

1989-01-01

The increase in end-user searching, the advantages and limitations of front ends, and the role of the librarian in end-user searching are discussed. It is argued that librarians need to recognize that front ends can be of benefit to themselves and patrons, and to assume the role of advisors and educators for end-users. (37 references) (CLB)

Internal monitoring of GBTx emulator using IPbus for CBM experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Swagata; Zabolotny, Wojciech; Sau, Suman; Chkrabarti, Amlan; Saini, Jogender; Chattopadhyay, Subhasis; Pal, Sushanta Kumar

2015-09-01

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment is a part of the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt at GSI. In CBM experiment a precisely time synchronized fault tolerant self-triggered electronics is required for Data Acquisition (DAQ) system in CBM experiments which can support high data rate (up to several TB/s). As a part of the implementation of the DAQ system of Muon Chamber (MUCH) which is one of the important detectors in CBM experiment, a FPGA based Gigabit Transceiver (GBTx) emulator is implemented. Readout chain for MUCH consists of XYTER chips (Front end electronics) which will be directly connected to detector, GBTx emulator, Data Processing Board (DPB) and First level event selector board (FLIB) with backend software interface. GBTx emulator will be connected with the XYTER emulator through LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signalling) line in the front end and in the back end it is connected with DPB through 4.8 Gbps optical link. IPBus over Ethernet is used for internal monitoring of the registers within the GBTx. In IPbus implementation User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stack is used in transport layer of OSI model so that GBTx can be controlled remotely. A Python script is used at computer side to drive IPbus controller.

Advanced Wireless Sensor Nodes - MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnavas, Kosta; Richeson, Jeff

2017-01-01

NASA field center Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), has invested in advanced wireless sensor technology development. Developments for a wireless microcontroller back-end were primarily focused on the commercial Synapse Wireless family of devices. These devices have many useful features for NASA applications, good characteristics and the ability to be programmed Over-The-Air (OTA). The effort has focused on two widely used sensor types, mechanical strain gauges and thermal sensors. Mechanical strain gauges are used extensively in NASA structural testing and even on vehicle instrumentation systems. Additionally, thermal monitoring with many types of sensors is extensively used. These thermal sensors include thermocouples of all types, resistive temperature devices (RTDs), diodes and other thermal sensor types. The wireless thermal board will accommodate all of these types of sensor inputs to an analog front end. The analog front end on each of the sensors interfaces to the Synapse wireless microcontroller, based on the Atmel Atmega128 device. Once the analog sensor output data is digitized by the onboard analog to digital converter (A/D), the data is available for analysis, computation or transmission. Various hardware features allow custom embedded software to manage battery power to enhance battery life. This technology development fits nicely into using numerous additional sensor front ends, including some of the low-cost printed circuit board capacitive moisture content sensors currently being developed at Auburn University.

IMAPS Device Packaging Conference 2017 - Engineered Micro Systems & Devices Track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnavas, Kosta

2017-01-01

NASA field center Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), has invested in advanced wireless sensor technology development. Developments for a wireless microcontroller back-end were primarily focused on the commercial Synapse Wireless family of devices. These devices have many useful features for NASA applications, good characteristics and the ability to be programmed Over-The-Air (OTA). The effort has focused on two widely used sensor types, mechanical strain gauges and thermal sensors. Mechanical strain gauges are used extensively in NASA structural testing and even on vehicle instrumentation systems. Additionally, thermal monitoring with many types of sensors is extensively used. These thermal sensors include thermocouples of all types, resistive temperature devices (RTDs), diodes and other thermal sensor types. The wireless thermal board will accommodate all of these types of sensor inputs to an analog front end. The analog front end on each of the sensors interfaces to the Synapse wireless microcontroller, based on the Atmel Atmega128 device. Once the analog sensor output data is digitized by the onboard analog to digital converter (A/D), the data is available for analysis, computation or transmission. Various hardware features allow custom embedded software to manage battery power to enhance battery life. This technology development fits nicely into using numerous additional sensor front ends, including some of the low-cost printed circuit board capacitive moisture content sensors currently being developed at Auburn University.

Cell culture imaging using microimpedance tomography.

PubMed

Linderholm, Pontus; Marescot, Laurent; Loke, Meng Heng; Renaud, Philippe

2008-01-01

We present a novel, inexpensive, and fast microimpedance tomography system for two-dimensional imaging of cell and tissue cultures. The system is based on four-electrode measurements using 16 planar microelectrodes (5 microm x 4 mm) integrated into a culture chamber. An Agilent 4294A impedance analyzer combined with a front-end amplifier is used for the impedance measurements. Two-dimensional images are obtained using a reconstruction algorithm. This system is capable of accurately resolving the shape and position of a human hair, yielding vertical cross sections of the object. Human epithelial stem cells (YF 29) are also grown directly on the device surface. Tissue growth can be followed over several days. A rapid resistivity decrease caused by permeabilized cell membranes is also monitored, suggesting that this technique can be used in electroporation studies.

Deep Space Network information system architecture study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beswick, C. A.; Markley, R. W. (Editor); Atkinson, D. J.; Cooper, L. P.; Tausworthe, R. C.; Masline, R. C.; Jenkins, J. S.; Crowe, R. A.; Thomas, J. L.; Stoloff, M. J.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe an architecture for the Deep Space Network (DSN) information system in the years 2000-2010 and to provide guidelines for its evolution during the 1990s. The study scope is defined to be from the front-end areas at the antennas to the end users (spacecraft teams, principal investigators, archival storage systems, and non-NASA partners). The architectural vision provides guidance for major DSN implementation efforts during the next decade. A strong motivation for the study is an expected dramatic improvement in information-systems technologies, such as the following: computer processing, automation technology (including knowledge-based systems), networking and data transport, software and hardware engineering, and human-interface technology. The proposed Ground Information System has the following major features: unified architecture from the front-end area to the end user; open-systems standards to achieve interoperability; DSN production of level 0 data; delivery of level 0 data from the Deep Space Communications Complex, if desired; dedicated telemetry processors for each receiver; security against unauthorized access and errors; and highly automated monitor and control.

Motor for High Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roopnarine (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A high temperature motor has a stator with poles formed by wire windings, and a rotor with magnetic poles on a rotor shaft positioned coaxially within the stator. The stator and rotor are built up from stacks of magnetic-alloy laminations. The stator windings are made of high temperature magnet wire insulated with a vitreous enamel film, and the wire windings are bonded together with ceramic binder. A thin-walled cylinder is positioned coaxially between the rotor and the stator to prevent debris from the stator windings from reaching the rotor. The stator windings are wound on wire spools made of ceramic, thereby avoiding need for mica insulation and epoxy/adhesive. The stator and rotor are encased in a stator housing with rear and front end caps, and rear and front bearings for the rotor shaft are mounted on external sides of the end caps to keep debris from the motor migrating into the bearings' races.

Pipe crawler with stabilizing midsection

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.; Treanor, R.C.

1994-12-27

A pipe crawler is described having a midsection that provides the stability and flexibility to allow the pipe crawler to negotiate curved and uneven segments of piping while traveling through piping systems. The pipe crawler comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a midsection with a gimbal at each end for connecting the midsection to the front and rear leg assemblies in a flexible manner, and an air cylinder for changing the distance between the front and rear leg assemblies. The pipe crawler moves in ''inch worm'' fashion with the front and rear leg assemblies alternating between an extended and a retracted position as the air cylinder moves the retracted leg assembly forward. The midsection has a plurality of legs extending radially for holding the midsection within a maximum displacement from the piping axis so that the gimbals are not pivoted to extreme angles where they might lock up or seize. When the midsection is displaced sufficiently, its legs with wheels on each end engage the interior surface of the piping and prevent further displacement. Using two gimbals divides the angle between the planes defined by the front and rear leg assemblies which also helps to prevent excessive gimbal pivoting. 5 figures.

Pipe crawler with stabilizing midsection

DOEpatents

Zollinger, William T.; Treanor, Richard C.

1994-01-01

A pipe crawler having a midsection that provides the stability and flexibty to allow the pipe crawler to negotiate curved and uneven segments of piping while traveling through piping systems. The pipe crawler comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a midsection with a gimbal at each end for connecting the midsection to the front and rear leg assemblies in a flexible manner, and an air cylinder for changing the distance between the front and rear leg assemblies. The pipe crawler moves in "inch worm" fashion with the front and rear leg assemblies alternating between an extended and a retracted position as the air cylinder moves the retracted leg assembly forward. The midsection has a plurality of legs extending radially for holding the midsection within a maximum displacement from the piping axis so that the gimbals are not pivoted to extreme angles where they might lock up or seize. When the midsection is displaced sufficiently, its legs with wheels on each end engage the interior surface of the piping and prevent further displacement. Using two gimbals divides the angle between the planes defined by the front and rear leg assemblies which also helps to prevent excessive gimbal pivoting.

Pipe crawler with stabilizing midsection

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

Zollinger, W.T.; Treanor, R.C.

1993-09-20

This invention is comprised of a pipe crawler having a midsection that provides the stability and flexibility to allow the pipe crawler to negotiate curved and uneven segments of piping while traveling through piping systems. The pipe crawler comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a midsection with a gimbal at each end for connecting the midsection to the front and rear leg assemblies in a flexible manner, and an air cylinder for changing the distance between the front and rear leg assemblies. The pipe crawler moves in ``inch worm`` fashion with the front and rear leg assembliesmore » alternating between an extended and a retracted position as the air cylinder moves the retracted leg assembly forward. The midsection has a plurality of legs extending radially for holding the midsection within a maximum displacement from the piping axis so that the gimbals are not pivoted to extreme angles where they might lock up or seize. When the midsection is displaced sufficiently, its legs with wheels on each end engage the interior surface of the piping and prevent further displacement. Using two gimbals divides the angle between the planes defined by the front and rear leg assemblies which also helps to prevent excessive gimbal pivoting.« less

Pipe crawler with stabilizing midsection

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

Zollinger, W.T.; Treanor, R.C.

1994-12-27

A pipe crawler is described having a midsection that provides the stability and flexibility to allow the pipe crawler to negotiate curved and uneven segments of piping while traveling through piping systems. The pipe crawler comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a midsection with a gimbal at each end for connecting the midsection to the front and rear leg assemblies in a flexible manner, and an air cylinder for changing the distance between the front and rear leg assemblies. The pipe crawler moves in ''inch worm'' fashion with the front and rear leg assemblies alternating between anmore » extended and a retracted position as the air cylinder moves the retracted leg assembly forward. The midsection has a plurality of legs extending radially for holding the midsection within a maximum displacement from the piping axis so that the gimbals are not pivoted to extreme angles where they might lock up or seize. When the midsection is displaced sufficiently, its legs with wheels on each end engage the interior surface of the piping and prevent further displacement. Using two gimbals divides the angle between the planes defined by the front and rear leg assemblies which also helps to prevent excessive gimbal pivoting. 5 figures.« less

Whole-body vibration in heavy equipment operators of a front-end loader: role of task exposure and tire configuration with and without traction chains.

PubMed

Blood, Ryan P; Rynell, Patrik W; Johnson, Peter W

2012-12-01

This study measured whole-body vibration (WBV) exposures in front-end loader operators, and evaluated the effects of traction chains and work tasks on their WBV exposures. WBV exposures were measured and compared across three different front-end loader tire configurations: (a) stock rubber tires, (b) rubber tires with ladder chains, and (c) rubber tires with basket chains. The operators completed three distinct standardized tasks: driving on a city street, simulated plowing, and a simulated scooping and dumping task. A portable data acquisition system collected tri-axial time weighted and raw WBV data per ISO 2631-1 and 2631-5 standards. In addition, Global Positioning System (GPS) data were collected in order to compare loader speeds across tire conditions and the standardized tasks. Relative to the stock rubber tires, both types of tire chains significantly increased WBV exposures with the ladder chains having substantially higher WBV exposures compared to basket chains. Additionally, there were task dependent differences in WBV exposures. During the driving task, the z-axis (up and down) was the predominant exposure; the plowing task had a more even distribution of exposure across all three axes; while during scooping and dumping task, the x-axis (fore and aft) had the highest WBV exposures. The GPS data indicated that there were significant speed differences across tasks but not between the basket and ladder chain conditions. Tires with ladder chains increased the front-end loader operators' exposure to WBV above the ISO 2631-1 recommended eight hour action limit increasing risk for adverse health effects. Although more expensive, basket chains are recommended over ladder chains since they substantially lowered the front-end loader operator's exposures and may ultimately reduce vibration related wear and tear on the vehicle. In order to reduce a heavy equipment vehicle (HEV) operator's chances for developing low back pain, this study provides information that health and safety professionals can use to reduce whole-body vibration (WBV) exposures when operating front-end wheel loaders with traction chains. Copyright © 2012 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The art of customer service.

PubMed

Williams, Jeni

2007-10-01

Strategies for improving the consumer service skills of finance staff include: Hire employees who have a customer service background. Work with your human resources department to provide customer service training. Monitor new hires extensively. Offer front-end employees scripted language for situations they may face on the job. Measure the quality of customer service provided. Provide incentives for performance.

Do prospective workday appraisals influence end-of-workday affect and self-monitored performance?

PubMed

Grawitch, Matthew J; Granda, Stephanie E; Barber, Larissa K

2008-10-01

The current study uses self-regulation as the basis for a model that examines the influence of three types of workday appraisals (resource, task, and response). At the beginning of their workday, a total of 170 faculty, graduate students, and staff of a university completed appraisal ratings of their anticipated workday tasks, resources, and responses. At the end of the workday, they completed assessments of positive and negative affect and self-monitored performance. Results suggested that resource appraisals of control and skills were predictive of task appraisals of difficulty, threat, and ambiguity. Task appraisals were then predictive of both response appraisals, in terms of anticipated support and effort, and self-monitored performance at the end of the day. Anticipated effort and self-monitored performance were both positively related to positive affect at the end of the day. Anticipated support and self-monitored performance were both negatively related to negative affect at the end of the day, while threat task appraisals were positively related to negative affect. Implications of the results for workplace interventions are discussed.

An isocenter estimation tool for proton gantry alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Peter; Hu, Dongming

2017-12-01

A novel tool has been developed to automate the process of locating the isocenter, center of rotation, and sphere of confusion of a proton therapy gantry. The tool uses a Radian laser tracker to estimate how the coordinate frame of the front-end beam-line components changes as the gantry rotates. The coordinate frames serve as an empirical model of gantry flexing. Using this model, the alignment of the front and back-end beam-line components can be chosen to minimize the sphere of confusion, improving the overall beam positioning accuracy of the gantry. This alignment can be performed without the beam active, improving the efficiency of installing new systems at customer sites.

Front End Software for Online Database Searching. Part 2: The Marketplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Louise R.; Hawkins, Donald T.

1986-01-01

This article analyzes the front end software marketplace and discusses some of the complex forces influencing it. Discussion covers intermediary market; end users (library customers, scientific and technical professionals, corporate business specialists, consumers); marketing strategies; a British front end development firm; competitive pressures;…

Performance of a 2.5 THz Receiver Front-End for Spaceborne Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaidis, Michael C.; Pickett, H. M.; Siegel, P. H.; Smith, C. D.; Smith, R. P.; Martin, S. C.

1999-01-01

The OH radical plays a significant role in a great many of the known ozone destruction cycles, and has become the focus of an important radiometer development effort for NASA's Earth Observing System Chem I satellite, which will monitor and study many tropospheric and stratospheric gases and is scheduled for launch in 2002. Here we describe the design, fabrication, and testing of a receiver front end used to detect the OH signals at 2.5 THz. This is to be the first Terahertz heterodyne receiver to be flown in space. The challenges of producing the necessary high-performance mixers are numerous, but for this application, there is the added challenge of designing a robust receiver which can withstand the environmental extremes of a rocket launch and five years in space. The receiver front-end consists of the following components: a four-port dual-polarization diplexer, off-axis elliptical feed mirrors, mixers for horizontal and vertical polarization, support structures allowing simple and rugged alignment, low noise IF amplification from 7.7 to 21.1 GHz, and mixer DC bias circuitry. The front-end design, alignment, and operation will be covered in depth, followed by a discussion of the most recent results in receiver noise and dual-mode horn beam patterns. JPL MOMED mixers are employed, and have resulted in receiver noise temperatures of 14,500 K, DSB with LO frequency 2.522 GHz and IF of 12.8 GHz. Horn beam patterns correspond well with theory, with no significant sidelobes above the -25 dB level. Considering the high-quality beam of this receiver, these results are competitive with the best reported in the literature.

Automatic low-order aberrations compensator for a conduction-cooled end-pumped solid-state zigzag slab laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xin; Dong, Lizhi; Lai, Boheng; Yang, Ping; Wang, Shuai; Wang, Xun; Liu, Yong; Tang, Guomao; Xu, Bing

2017-11-01

In order to solve the problem of large low-order aberrations with solid-state zigzag slab lasers, an automatic compensator has been developed in this paper. In this compensator, three lenses are mounted on a motorized rail, whose positions can be obtained using ray tracing method based on the beam parameters detected by a wave-front sensor. The initial peak to valley (PV) values of the wave-front range up to several tens of microns. Both simulated and experimental results show that the PV values of the wave-front can be reduced to around 1 . 6 μm with the proposed automatic compensator.

Accelerometer's position independent physical activity recognition system for long-term activity monitoring in the elderly.

PubMed

Khan, Adil Mehmood; Lee, Young-Koo; Lee, Sungyoung; Kim, Tae-Seong

2010-12-01

Mobility is a good indicator of health status and thus objective mobility data could be used to assess the health status of elderly patients. Accelerometry has emerged as an effective means for long-term physical activity monitoring in the elderly. However, the output of an accelerometer varies at different positions on a subject's body, even for the same activity, resulting in high within-class variance. Existing accelerometer-based activity recognition systems thus require firm attachment of the sensor to a subject's body. This requirement makes them impractical for long-term activity monitoring during unsupervised free-living as it forces subjects into a fixed life pattern and impede their daily activities. Therefore, we introduce a novel single-triaxial-accelerometer-based activity recognition system that reduces the high within-class variance significantly and allows subjects to carry the sensor freely in any pocket without its firm attachment. We validated our system using seven activities: resting (lying/sitting/standing), walking, walking-upstairs, walking-downstairs, running, cycling, and vacuuming, recorded from five positions: chest pocket, front left trousers pocket, front right trousers pocket, rear trousers pocket, and inner jacket pocket. Its simplicity, ability to perform activities unimpeded, and an average recognition accuracy of 94% make our system a practical solution for continuous long-term activity monitoring in the elderly.

Wearable dry sensors with bluetooth connection for use in remote patient monitoring systems.

PubMed

Gargiulo, Gaetano; Bifulco, Paolo; Cesarelli, Mario; Jin, Craig; McEwan, Alistair; van Schaik, Andre

2010-01-01

Cost reduction has become the primary theme of healthcare reforms globally. More providers are moving towards remote patient monitoring, which reduces the length of hospital stays and frees up their physicians and nurses for acute cases and helps them to tackle staff shortages. Physiological sensors are commonly used in many human specialties e.g. electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes, for monitoring heart signals, and electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes, for sensing the electrical activity of the brain, are the most well-known applications. Consequently there is a substantial unmet need for physiological sensors that can be simply and easily applied by the patient or primary carer, are comfortable to wear, can accurately sense parameters over long periods of time and can be connected to data recording systems using Bluetooth technology. We have developed a small, battery powered, user customizable portable monitor. This prototype is capable of recording three-axial body acceleration, skin temperature, and has up to four bio analogical front ends. Moreover, it is also able of continuous wireless transmission to any Bluetooth device including a PDA or a cellular phone. The bio-front end can use long-lasting dry electrodes or novel textile electrodes that can be embedded in clothes. The device can be powered by a standard mobile phone which has a Ni-MH 3.6 V battery, to sustain more than seven days continuous functioning when using the Bluetooth Sniff mode to reduce TX power. In this paper, we present some of the evaluation experiments of our wearable personal monitor device with a focus on ECG applications.

Seasonal variability in ice-front position, glacier speed, and surface elevation at Helheim Glacier, SE Greenland, from 2010-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kehrl, L. M.; Joughin, I. R.; Shean, D. E.

2016-12-01

Marine-terminating glaciers can be very sensitive to changes in ice-front position, depending on their geometry. If a nearly grounded glacier retreats into deeper water, the glacier typically must speed up to produce the additional longitudinal and lateral stress gradients necessary to restore force balance. This speedup often causes thinning, which can increase the glacier's susceptibility to further retreat. In this study, we combine satellite observations and numerical modeling (Elmer/Ice) to investigate how seasonal changes in ice-front position affect glacier speed and surface elevation at Helheim Glacier, SE Greenland, from 2010-2016. Helheim's calving front position fluctuated about a mean position from 2010-2016. During 2010/11, 2013/14, and 2015/16, Helheim seasonally retreated and advanced along a reverse bed slope by > 3 km. During these years, the glacier retreated from winter/spring to late summer and then readvanced until winter/spring. During the retreat, Helheim sped up by 20-30% and thinned by 20 m near its calving front. This thinning caused the calving front to unground, and a floating ice tongue was then able to readvance over the following winter with limited iceberg calving. The advance, which continued until the glacier reached the top of the bathymetric high, caused the glacier to slow and thicken. During years when Helheim likely did not form a floating ice tongue, iceberg calving continued throughout the winter. Consequently, the formation of this floating ice tongue may have helped stabilize Helheim after periods of rapid retreat and dynamic thinning. Helheim's rapid retreat from 2001-2005 also ended when a floating ice tongue formed and readvanced over the 2005/06 winter. These seasonal retreat/advance cycles may therefore be important for understanding Helheim's long-term behavior.

Curiosity Drill in Place for Load Testing Before Drilling

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-28

The percussion drill in the turret of tools at the end of the robotic arm of NASA Mars rover Curiosity has been positioned in contact with the rock surface in this image from the rover front Hazard-Avoidance Camera Hazcam.

Relationship between glacier melting and atmospheric circulation in the southeast Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osipova, O. P.; Osipov, E. Y.

2018-01-01

The interaction between climate and cryosphere is a key issue in recent years. Changes in surface mass balance of mountain glaciers closely correspond to differential changes in atmospheric circulation. Mountain glaciers in southeast Siberia located on East Sayan, Baikalsky and Kodar ridges have been continuously shrinking since the end of the Little Ice Age. In this study we used daily synoptic weather maps (Irkutsk Center of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring), 500 hPa, 700 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height and air temperature data of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis to assess relationships between atmospheric circulation patterns and the sum of positive temperature (SPT), a predictor of summer ice/snow ablation. Results show that increased SPT (ablation) is generally associated with anticyclones and anticyclonic pressure fields (with cloudless weather conditions) and warm atmospheric fronts. Decreased SPT (ablation) is strongly correlated with cyclones and cyclonic type pressure fields, cold atmospheric fronts and air advections. Significant correlations have been found between ablation and cyclonic/anticyclonic activity. Revealed decreasing trends in the SPT in three glaciarized ridges at the beginning of the 21st century led to changes of air temperature and snow/ice melt climates.

Using AVIRIS to assess hemlock abundance and early decline in the Catskills, New York

Treesearch

Jennifer Pontius; Richard Hallett; Mary Martin

2005-01-01

In order to aid land managers in monitoring and controlling the ongoing hemlock woolly adelgid outbreak, more accurate landscape scale tools are required to locate the hemlock resource, identify infestation and spot early decline. To this end, NASA's Airborne Visible Infra-red Imaging Spectrometer was flown over the infestation front in the Catskills region of New...

Loran digital phase-locked loop and RF front-end system error analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccall, D. L.

1979-01-01

An analysis of the system performance of the digital phase locked loops (DPLL) and RF front end that are implemented in the MINI-L4 Loran receiver is presented. Three of the four experiments deal with the performance of the digital phase locked loops. The other experiment deals with the RF front end and DPLL system error which arise in the front end due to poor signal to noise ratios. The ability of the DPLLs to track the offsets is studied.

The Relationship Between Propulsive Force in Tethered Swimming and 200-m Front Crawl Performance.

PubMed

Santos, Karini B; Bento, Paulo C B; Pereira, Gleber; Rodacki, André L F

2016-09-01

Santos, KB, Bento, PCB, Pereira, G, and Rodacki, ALF. The relationship between propulsive force in tethered swimming and 200-m front crawl performance. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2500-2507, 2016-The aims of this study were to determine whether propulsive force (peak force, mean force, impulse, and rate of force development) and stroke rate change during 2 minutes of front crawl tethered swimming and to correlate them with the stroke rate and swimming velocity in 200-m front crawl swimming. Twenty-one swimmers (21.6 ± 4.8 years, 1.78 ± 0.06 m, 71.7 ± 8.1 kg), with 200-m front crawl swimming performance equivalent to 78% of the world record (140.4 ± 10.1 seconds), were assessed during 2 minutes of maximal front crawl tethered swimming (propulsive forces and stroke rate) and 200-m front crawl swimming (stroke rate and clean velocity). Propulsive forces decreased between the beginning and the middle instants (∼20%; p ≤ 0.05) but remained stable between the middle and the end instants (∼6%; p > 0.05). The peak force was positively correlated with the clean velocity in the 200-m front crawl swimming (mean r = 0.61; p < 0.02). The stroke rates of the tethered swimming and 200-m front crawl swimming were positively correlated (r = 45; p≤ 0.01) at the middle instant. Therefore, the propulsive force and stroke rate changed throughout the 2 minutes of tethered swimming, and the peak force is the best propulsive force variable tested that correlated with 200-m front crawl swimming performance.

Estimated effects of projected ground-water withdrawals on movement of the saltwater front in the Floridan aquifer, 1976-2000, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, William Edward

1982-01-01

Maps of observed 1976 and simulated 2000 potentiometric surfaces were used to estimate rates of saltwater encroachment and theoretical predevelopment equilibrium positions of the saltwater-freshwater interface in west-central Florida. The observed saltwater front, defined by the 19,000 milligrams-per-liter line of equal chloride concentration in the lower part of the Floridan aquifer, corresponds closely to a theoretical predevelopment equilibrium position of a saltwater-freshwater interface. The interface position was computed by the Ghyben-Herzberg method, using heads from a map of the predevelopment potentiometric surface. In maps of both the observed May 1976 and simulated May 2000 potentiometric surface, the saltwater front was within a large seasonal cone of depression in parts of Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. Average landward flow rate of the front was computed to be 0.30 foot per day in May 1976 and 0.36 foot per day in May 2000. Seaward potentiometric-surface gradient under simulated October 2000 conditions averaged 8.8 x 10-5 foot per foot less than under observed September 1976 conditions. Regional observation wells are desirable for monitoring potentiometric-level changes in western Hardee County and eastern Manatee County and for monitoring water-quality changes along the saltwater front, on its landward side, from mid-Sarasota County northward to Hillsborough County. Net landward movement of the saltwater front in the lower part of the Floridan aquifer is probably occurring under existing conditions. Pumping during 1976-2000 would probably increase slightly the rate of movement. However, rates are so slow that on a regional basis saltwater encroachment under existing and projected conditions is not presently a threat to the existing freshwater resources. The maximum projected regional landward movement, under 'worst case' conditions, of the saltwater front between 1976 and 2000 is estimated to be about one-half mile. Significant local encroachment could result from (1) ground-water development in the zone of transition and (2) deviations of local hydrogeologic conditions from average regional conditions.

MAAG Job Position: Rolebooks and Technical Vocabulary (Iberian Spanish). Methods for Determining Language Objectives and Criteria, Volume VII.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setzler, Hubert H., Jr.; And Others

Rolebooks and technical Iberian Spanish vocabulary for the job position of military advisory and assistance group (MAAG) officer of the Air Force are presented. The materials are part of the communication/language objectives-based system (C/LOBS), which supports the front-end analysis efforts of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language…

Characterization and application of droplet spray ionization for real-time reaction monitoring.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong; Li, Na; Li, Xiao-di; Jiang, Jie; Zhao, Dan-Dan; You, Hong

2016-08-01

The ionization source for real-time reaction monitoring has attracted tremendous interest in recent years. We have previously reported a reliable approach in which droplet spray ionization (DSI) was used for monitoring chemical reactions in real-time. Herein, we systematically investigated the characterization and application of DSI for real-time reaction monitoring. Analyte ions are generated by loading a sample solution onto a corner of a microscope cover glass positioned in front of the MS inlet and applying a high voltage to the sample. The tolerance to positioning, solvent effect, spray angle and spray time were investigated. Extension to real-time monitoring of macromolecule reactions was also demonstrated by the charge state change of cytochrome c in the presence of acetic acid. The corner could be positioned within an area of approximately 10 × 6 × 5 mm (x, y, z) in front of the MS inlet. The broad polarities of solvents from methanol to PhF were suitable for DSI. It featured monitoring real-time changes in reactions on the time scale of seconds to minutes. A real-time charge state change of cytochrome c was captured. DSI-MS features ease of use, durability of the spray platform and reusability of the ion source. Eliminating the need for a sample transport capillary, DSI opens a new avenue for the in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of short-lived key reaction intermediates even at subsecond dead times. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor

PubMed Central

Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

2017-01-01

This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations. PMID:28702512

A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor.

PubMed

Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

2016-02-01

This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations.

40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-reference control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process...

40 CFR 63.491 - Batch front-end process vents-recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.491 Batch front-end process vents—recordkeeping requirements. (a) Group determination records for...) through (a)(6) of this section for each batch front-end process vent subject to the group determination...

40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process vents...

40 CFR 63.491 - Batch front-end process vents-recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.491 Batch front-end process vents—recordkeeping requirements. (a) Group determination records for...) through (a)(6) of this section for each batch front-end process vent subject to the group determination...

40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-reference control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process...

40 CFR 63.487 - Batch front-end process vents-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-reference control technology. 63.487 Section 63.487 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.487 Batch front-end process vents—reference control technology. (a) Batch front-end process...

40 CFR 63.491 - Batch front-end process vents-recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.491 Batch front-end process vents—recordkeeping requirements. (a) Group determination records for...) through (a)(6) of this section for each batch front-end process vent subject to the group determination...

40 CFR 63.491 - Batch front-end process vents-recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.491 Batch front-end process vents—recordkeeping requirements. (a) Group determination records for...) through (a)(6) of this section for each batch front-end process vent subject to the group determination...

The Parkes front-end controller and noise-adding radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunzie, T. J.

1990-01-01

A new front-end controller (FEC) was installed on the 64-m antenna in Parkes, Australia, to support the 1989 Voyager 2 Neptune encounter. The FEC was added to automate operation of the front-end microwave hardware as part of the Deep Space Network's Parkes-Canberra Telemetry Array. Much of the front-end hardware was refurbished and reimplemented from a front-end system installed in 1985 by the European Space Agency for the Uranus encounter; however, the FEC and its associated noise-adding radiometer (NAR) were new Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designs. Project requirements and other factors led to the development of capabilities not found in standard Deep Space Network (DSN) controllers and radiometers. The Parkes FEC/NAR performed satisfactorily throughout the Neptune encounter and was removed in October 1989.

A compact dual-band RF front-end and board design for vehicular platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharawi, Mohammad S.; Aloi, Daniel N.

2012-03-01

Modern vehicular platforms include several wireless systems that provide navigation, entertainment and road side assistance, among other services. These systems operate at different frequency bands and thus careful system-level design should be followed to minimise the interference between them. In this study, we present a compact dual-band RF front-end module for global positioning system (GPS) operating in the L1-band (1574.42-1576.42 MHz) and satellite digital audio radio system (SDARS) operating in the S-band (2320-2345 MHz). The module provides more than 26 dB of measured gain in both bands and low noise figure values of 0.9 and 1.2 dB in SDARS and GPS bands, respectively. The front-end has interference suppression capability from the advanced mobile phone system and personal communication service cellular bands. The module is designed on a low-cost FR-4 substrate material and occupies a small size of 62 × 29 × 1.3 mm3. It dissipates 235 mW in the SDARS section and 100 mW in the GPS section. Three prototypes have been built to verify a repeatable performance.

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart U of... - Group 1 Batch Front-End Process Vents and Aggregate Batch Vent Streams-Monitoring, Recordkeeping...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... collected—PR. d,e Carbon adsorber f a. Total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure gauge or absolute) during carbon bed regeneration cycle(s), and 1. Record of total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure for each carbon bed regeneration cycle. 2. Record and report the total...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart U of... - Group 1 Batch Front-End Process Vents and Aggregate Batch Vent Streams-Monitoring, Recordkeeping...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... collected—PR. d,e Carbon adsorber f a. Total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure gauge or absolute) during carbon bed regeneration cycle(s), and 1. Record of total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure for each carbon bed regeneration cycle. 2. Record and report the total...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart U of... - Group 1 Batch Front-End Process Vents and Aggregate Batch Vent Streams-Monitoring, Recordkeeping...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... collected—PR. d,e Carbon adsorber f a. Total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure gauge or absolute) during carbon bed regeneration cycle(s), and 1. Record of total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure for each carbon bed regeneration cycle. 2. Record and report the total...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart U of... - Group 1 Batch Front-End Process Vents and Aggregate Batch Vent Streams-Monitoring, Recordkeeping...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... collected—PR. d,e Carbon adsorber f a. Total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure gauge or absolute) during carbon bed regeneration cycle(s), and 1. Record of total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure for each carbon bed regeneration cycle. 2. Record and report the total...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart U of... - Group 1 Batch Front-End Process Vents and Aggregate Batch Vent Streams-Monitoring, Recordkeeping...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... collected—PR. d e Carbon adsorber f a. Total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure gauge or absolute) during carbon bed regeneration cycle(s), and 1. Record of total regeneration steam flow or nitrogen flow, or pressure for each carbon bed regeneration cycle. 2. Record and report the total...

Design of the Trigger Interface and Distribution Board for CEBAF 12 GeV Upgrade

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

Gu, Jianhui; Dong, Hai; Cuevas, R

The design of the Trigger Interface and Distribution (TID) board for the 12 GeV Upgrade at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at TJNAL is described. The TID board distributes a low jitter system clock, synchronized trigger, and synchronized multi-purpose SYNC signal. The TID also initiates data acquisition for the crate. With the TID boards, a multi-crate system can be setup for experiment test and commissioning. The TID board can be selectively populated as a Trigger Interface (TI) board, or a Trigger Distribution (TD) board for the 12 GeV upgrade experiments. When the TID is populated as a TI,more » it can be located in the VXS crate and distribute the CLOCK/TRIGGER/SYNC through the VXS P0 connector; it can also be located in the standard VME64 crate, and distribute the CLOCK/TRIGGER/SYNC through the VME P2 connector or front panel. It initiates the data acquisition for the front crate where the TI is positioned in. When the TID is populated as a TD, it fans out the CLOCK/TRIGGER/SYNC from trigger supervisor to the front end crates through optical fibres. The TD monitors the trigger processing on the TIs, and gives feedback to the TS for trigger flow control. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) is utilised on TID board to provide programmability. The TID boards were intensively tested on the bench, and various setups.« less

Development of a 3D CZT detector prototype for Laue Lens telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caroli, Ezio; Auricchio, Natalia; Del Sordo, Stefano; Abbene, Leonardo; Budtz-Jørgensen, Carl; Casini, Fabio; Curado da Silva, Rui M.; Kuvvetlli, Irfan; Milano, Luciano; Natalucci, Lorenzo; Quadrini, Egidio M.; Stephen, John B.; Ubertini, Pietro; Zanichelli, Massimiliano; Zappettini, Andrea

2010-07-01

We report on the development of a 3D position sensitive prototype suitable as focal plane detector for Laue lens telescope. The basic sensitive unit is a drift strip detector based on a CZT crystal, (~19×8 mm2 area, 2.4 mm thick), irradiated transversally to the electric field direction. The anode side is segmented in 64 strips, that divide the crystal in 8 independent sensor (pixel), each composed by one collecting strip and 7 (one in common) adjacent drift strips. The drift strips are biased by a voltage divider, whereas the anode strips are held at ground. Furthermore, the cathode is divided in 4 horizontal strips for the reconstruction of the third interaction position coordinate. The 3D prototype will be made by packing 8 linear modules, each composed by one basic sensitive unit, bonded on a ceramic layer. The linear modules readout is provided by a custom front end electronics implementing a set of three RENA-3 for a total of 128 channels. The front-end electronics and the operating logics (in particular coincidence logics for polarisation measurements) are handled by a versatile and modular multi-parametric back end electronics developed using FPGA technology.

Wireless monitoring of highways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Richard; Hayes-Gill, Barrie; Crowe, John A.; Armitage, Robert; Rodgers, Dale; Hendroff, Adrian

1999-05-01

Electronic hardware has been developed to telemetrically transmit temperature and strain measurements from within a public highway in the UK. These measurements provide an important health check for monitoring fatigue damage in pavements. Previous attempts at measuring strain and temperature have required lengths of cable to be installed in the highway. The installation of these cables is both expensive and damaging to the pavement and provides potentially unreliable electrical connections. The new systems consist of a retrofitted instrumented asphalt core which is bonded into the pavement structure. The core contains all the electronics necessary to record two temperatures and two strains. An analogue front end provides signal conditioning which is digitized and passed to microcontroller for endcoding. From there the data is transmitted via a low power radio link to a receiver and data logger positioned by the side of the road. The system has an in-situ operating life of 6 months on AA alkaline batteries. Results are presented of power management and fault tolerant radio protocol techniques, long term temperature variations, dynamic strain measurements within the highway, and RF transmission capabilities through a layer of asphalt.

Backset and cervical retraction capacity among occupants in a modern car.

PubMed

Jonsson, Bertil; Stenlund, Hans; Svensson, Mats Y; Björnstig, Ulf

2007-03-01

The horizontal distance between the back of the head and the frontal of the head restraint (backset) and rearward head movement relative to the torso (cervical retraction) were studied in different occupant postures and positions in a modern car. A stratified randomized population of 154 test subjects was studied in a Volvo V70 year model 2003 car, in driver, front passenger, and rear passenger position. In each position, the subjects adopted (i) a self-selected posture, (ii) a sagging posture, and (iii) an erect posture. Cervical retraction, backset, and vertical distance from the top of the head restraint to the occipital protuberance in the back of the head of the test subject were measured. These data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and linear regression analysis with a significance level set to p < 0.05. In the self-selected posture, the average backset was 61 mm for drivers, 29 mm for front passengers, and 103 mm for rear passengers (p < 0.001). Women had lower mean backset (40 mm) than men (81 mm), particularly in the self-selected driving position. Backset was larger and cervical retraction capacity lower in the sagging posture than in the self-selected posture for occupants in all three occupant positions. Rear passengers had the largest backset values. Backset values decreased with increased age. The average cervical retraction capacity in self-selected posture was 35 mm for drivers, 30 mm for front passengers, and 33 mm for rear passengers (p < 0.001). Future design of rear-end impact protection may take these study results into account when trying to reduce backset before impact. Our results might be used for future development and use of BioRID manikins and rear-end tests in consumer rating test programs such as Euro-NCAP.

Back-end and interface implementation of the STS-XYTER2 prototype ASIC for the CBM experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, K.; Szczygiel, R.; Zabolotny, W.

2016-11-01

Each front-end readout ASIC for the High-Energy Physics experiments requires robust and effective hit data streaming and control mechanism. A new STS-XYTER2 full-size prototype chip for the Silicon Tracking System and Muon Chamber detectors in the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR, Germany) is a 128-channel time and amplitude measuring solution for silicon microstrip and gas detectors. It operates at 250 kHit/s/channel hit rate, each hit producing 27 bits of information (5-bit amplitude, 14-bit timestamp, position and diagnostics data). The chip back-end implements fast front-end channel read-out, timestamp-wise hit sorting, and data streaming via a scalable interface implementing the dedicated protocol (STS-HCTSP) for chip control and hit transfer with data bandwidth from 9.7 MHit/s up to 47 MHit/s. It also includes multiple options for link diagnostics, failure detection, and throttling features. The back-end is designed to operate with the data acquisition architecture based on the CERN GBTx transceivers. This paper presents the details of the back-end and interface design and its implementation in the UMC 180 nm CMOS process.

Spectrally tunable, temporally shaped parametric front end to seed high-energy Nd:glass laser systems

DOE PAGES

Dorrer, C.; Consentino, A.; Cuffney, R.; ...

2017-10-18

Here, we describe a parametric-amplification–based front end for seeding high-energy Nd:glass laser systems. The front end delivers up to 200 mJ by parametric amplification in 2.5-ns flat-in-time pulses tunable over more than 15 nm. Spectral tunability over a range larger than what is typically achieved by laser media at similar energy levels is implemented to investigate cross-beam energy transfer in multibeam target experiments. The front-end operation is simulated to explain the amplified signal’s sensitivity to the input pump and signal. A large variety of amplified waveforms are generated by closed-loop pulse shaping. Various properties and limitations of this front endmore » are discussed.« less

Spectrally tunable, temporally shaped parametric front end to seed high-energy Nd:glass laser systems

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

Dorrer, C.; Consentino, A.; Cuffney, R.

Here, we describe a parametric-amplification–based front end for seeding high-energy Nd:glass laser systems. The front end delivers up to 200 mJ by parametric amplification in 2.5-ns flat-in-time pulses tunable over more than 15 nm. Spectral tunability over a range larger than what is typically achieved by laser media at similar energy levels is implemented to investigate cross-beam energy transfer in multibeam target experiments. The front-end operation is simulated to explain the amplified signal’s sensitivity to the input pump and signal. A large variety of amplified waveforms are generated by closed-loop pulse shaping. Various properties and limitations of this front endmore » are discussed.« less

Front End Software for Online Database Searching Part 1: Definitions, System Features, and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Donald T.; Levy, Louise R.

1985-01-01

This initial article in series of three discusses barriers inhibiting use of current online retrieval systems by novice users and notes reasons for front end and gateway online retrieval systems. Definitions, front end features, user interface, location (personal computer, host mainframe), evaluation, and strengths and weaknesses are covered. (16…

Multiphysical FE-analysis of a front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilmola, Joonas; Seppälä, Oskari; Leinonen, Olli; Pohjonen, Aarne; Larkiola, Jari; Jokisaari, Juha; Putaansuu, Eero

2018-05-01

In hot steel rolling processes, a slab is generally rolled to a transfer bar in a roughing process and to a strip in a hot strip rolling process. Over several rolling passes the front-end may bend upward or downward due to asymmetrical rolling conditions causing entry problems in the next rolling pass. Many different factors may affect the front-end bending phenomenon and are very challenging to measure. Thus, a customized finite element model is designed and built to simulate the front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip rolling process. To simulate the functioning of the hot strip mill precisely, automated controlling logic of the mill must be considered. In this paper we studied the effect of roll bite friction conditions and amount of reduction on the front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip rolling process.

Spacelab output processing system architectural study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Two different system architectures are presented. The two architectures are derived from two different data flows within the Spacelab Output Processing System. The major differences between these system architectures are in the position of the decommutation function (the first architecture performs decommutation in the latter half of the system and the second architecture performs that function in the front end of the system). In order to be examined, the system was divided into five stand-alone subsystems; Work Assembler, Mass Storage System, Output Processor, Peripheral Pool, and Resource Monitor. The work load of each subsystem was estimated independent of the specific devices to be used. The candidate devices were surveyed from a wide sampling of off-the-shelf devices. Analytical expressions were developed to quantify the projected workload in conjunction with typical devices which would adequately handle the subsystem tasks. All of the study efforts were then directed toward preparing performance and cost curves for each architecture subsystem.

Monitoring in situ in real time of resin infusion for thermoset composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faci, A.; Wang, P.; Cochrane, C.; Koncar, V.

2017-10-01

The presented work investigates changes in electrical resistance of embedded sensory yarns as a method to monitor the resin flow front position and curing degree of resin during manufacturing of composite structures by vacuum infusion technology. The sensor concept is based on Piezo-resistive sensors integrated to the flax fabric, having almost identical propriety and dimensions as the flax threads used for the production of reinforcements. In the first time sensors have been characterized and first measures of the resin infusion have been realized in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Then, the measures in real time were realized with fibrous sensors added to the flax fabric (green composites) to monitor the flow front of resin. A large amount of data recorded, filtered, examined, analysed and processed in order to understand and to optimize the infusion and polymerization process.

Injury severity data for front and second row passengers in frontal crashes.

PubMed

Atkinson, Theresa; Leszek Gawarecki; Tavakoli, Massoud

2016-06-01

The data contained here were obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration׳s National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) for the years 2008-2014. This publically available data set monitors motor vehicle crashes in the United States, using a stratified random sample frame, resulting in information on approximately 5000 crashes each year that can be utilized to create national estimates for crashes. The NASS-CDS data sets document vehicle, crash, and occupant factors. These data can be utilized to examine public health, law enforcement, roadway planning, and vehicle design issues. The data provided in this brief are a subset of crash events and occupants. The crashes provided are exclusively frontal crashes. Within these crashes, only restrained occupants who were seated in the right front seat position or the second row outboard seat positions were included. The front row and second row data sets were utilized to construct occupant pairs crashes where both a right front seat occupant and a second row occupant were available. Both unpaired and paired data sets are provided in this brief.

Injury severity data for front and second row passengers in frontal crashes

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Theresa; Leszek Gawarecki; Tavakoli, Massoud

2016-01-01

The data contained here were obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration׳s National Automotive Sampling System – Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) for the years 2008–2014. This publically available data set monitors motor vehicle crashes in the United States, using a stratified random sample frame, resulting in information on approximately 5000 crashes each year that can be utilized to create national estimates for crashes. The NASS-CDS data sets document vehicle, crash, and occupant factors. These data can be utilized to examine public health, law enforcement, roadway planning, and vehicle design issues. The data provided in this brief are a subset of crash events and occupants. The crashes provided are exclusively frontal crashes. Within these crashes, only restrained occupants who were seated in the right front seat position or the second row outboard seat positions were included. The front row and second row data sets were utilized to construct occupant pairs crashes where both a right front seat occupant and a second row occupant were available. Both unpaired and paired data sets are provided in this brief. PMID:27077084

CMOS Rad-Hard Front-End Electronics for Precise Sensors Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordo-Ibáñez, Samuel; Piñero-García, Blanca; Muñoz-Díaz, Manuel; Ragel-Morales, Antonio; Ceballos-Cáceres, Joaquín; Carranza-González, Luis; Espejo-Meana, Servando; Arias-Drake, Alberto; Ramos-Martos, Juan; Mora-Gutiérrez, José Miguel; Lagos-Florido, Miguel Angel

2016-08-01

This paper reports a single-chip solution for the implementation of radiation-tolerant CMOS front-end electronics (FEE) for applications requiring the acquisition of base-band sensor signals. The FEE has been designed in a 0.35μm CMOS process, and implements a set of parallel conversion channels with high levels of configurability to adapt the resolution, conversion rate, as well as the dynamic input range for the required application. Each conversion channel has been designed with a fully-differential implementation of a configurable-gain instrumentation amplifier, followed by an also configurable dual-slope ADC (DS ADC) up to 16 bits. The ASIC also incorporates precise thermal monitoring, sensor conditioning and error detection functionalities to ensure proper operation in extreme environments. Experimental results confirm that the proposed topologies, in conjunction with the applied radiation-hardening techniques, are reliable enough to be used without loss in the performance in environments with an extended temperature range (between -25 and 125 °C) and a total dose beyond 300 krad.

Percussive arc welding apparatus

DOEpatents

Hollar, Jr., Donald L.

2002-01-01

A percussive arc welding apparatus includes a generally cylindrical actuator body having front and rear end portions and defining an internal recess. The front end of the body includes an opening. A solenoid assembly is provided in the rear end portion in the internal recess of the body, and an actuator shaft assembly is provided in the front end portion in the internal recess of the actuator body. The actuator shaft assembly includes a generally cylindrical actuator block having first and second end portions, and an actuator shaft having a front end extending through the opening in the actuator body, and the rear end connected to the first end portion of the actuator block. The second end portion of the actuator block is in operational engagement with the solenoid shaft by a non-rigid connection to reduce the adverse rebound effects of the actuator shaft. A generally transversely extending pin is rigidly secured to the rear end of the shaft. One end of the pin is received in a slot in the nose housing sleeve to prevent rotation of the actuator shaft during operation of the apparatus.

New methodology for dynamic lot dispatching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tai, Wei-Herng; Wang, Jiann-Kwang; Lin, Kuo-Cheng; Hsu, Yi-Chin

1994-09-01

This paper presents a new dynamic dispatching rule to improve delivery. The dynamic dispatching rule named `SLACK and OTD (on time delivery)' is developed for focusing on due date and target cycle time under the environment of IC manufacturing. This idea uses traditional SLACK policy to control long term due date and new OTD policy to reflect the short term stage queue time. Through the fuzzy theory, these two policies are combined as the dispatching controller to define the lot priority in the entire production line. Besides, the system would automatically update the lot priority according to the current line situation. Since the wafer dispatching used to be controlled by critical ratio that indicates the low customer satisfaction. And the overall slack time in the front end of the process is greater compared to that in the rear end of the process which reveals that the machines in the rear end are overloaded by rush orders. When SLACK and OTD are used the due date control has been gradually improved. The wafer with either a long stage queue time or urgent due date will be pushed through the overall production line instead of jammed in the front end. A demand pull system is also developed to satisfy not only due date but also the quantity of monthly demand. The SLACK and OTD rule has been implemented in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for eight months with beneficial results. In order to clearly monitor the SLACK and OTD policy, a method called box chart is generated to simulate the entire production system. From the box chart, we can not only monitor the result of decision policy but display the production situation on the density figure. The production cycle time and delivery situation can also be investigated.

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 238 - Alternative Dynamic Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... of cab cars and MU locomotives with shaped-noses or crash energy management designs, or both. In any... Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives F Appendix F to Part 238 Transportation Other... Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives As specified in § 238.209(b...

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 238 - Alternative Dynamic Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... of cab cars and MU locomotives with shaped-noses or crash energy management designs, or both. In any... Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives F Appendix F to Part 238 Transportation Other... Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives As specified in § 238.209(b...

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 238 - Alternative Dynamic Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... of cab cars and MU locomotives with shaped-noses or crash energy management designs, or both. In any... Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives F Appendix F to Part 238 Transportation Other... Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives As specified in § 238.209(b...

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 238 - Alternative Dynamic Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... of cab cars and MU locomotives with shaped-noses or crash energy management designs, or both. In any... Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives F Appendix F to Part 238 Transportation Other... Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives As specified in § 238.209(b...

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 238 - Alternative Dynamic Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives F Appendix F to Part 238 Transportation Other... Performance Requirements for Front End Structures of Cab Cars and MU Locomotives As specified in § 238.209(b... and allow for the application of dynamic performance criteria to cab cars and MU locomotives as an...

Front-end electronics development for TPC detector in the MPD/NICA project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremukhina, G.; Movchan, S.; Vereschagin, S.; Zaporozhets, S.

2017-06-01

The article is aimed at describing the development status, measuring results and design changes of the TPC front-end electronics. The TPC is placed in the middle of Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) and provides tracing and identifying of charged particles in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 1.2. The readout system is one of the most complex parts of the TPC. The electronics of each readout chamber is an independent system. The whole system contains 95232 channels, 1488 64-channel—front-end cards (FEC), 24 readout control units (RCU). The front-end electronics (FEE) is based on ASICs, FPGAs and high-speed serial links. The concept of the TPC front-end electronics has been motivated from one side—by the requirements concerning the NICA accelerator complex which will operate at the luminosity up to 1027 cm-2 s-1 for Au79+ ions over the energy range of 4 < √SNN < 11 GeV with the trigger rate up to 7 kHz and from the other side—by the requirements of the 4-π geometry to minimize the substance on the end-caps of the TPC.

A 1.2-V CMOS front-end for LTE direct conversion SAW-less receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riyan, Wang; Jiwei, Huang; Zhengping, Li; Weifeng, Zhang; Longyue, Zeng

2012-03-01

A CMOS RF front-end for the long-term evolution (LTE) direct conversion receiver is presented. With a low noise transconductance amplifier (LNA), current commutating passive mixer and transimpedance operational amplifier (TIA), the RF front-end structure enables high-integration, high linearity and simple frequency planning for LTE multi-band applications. Large variable gain is achieved using current-steering transconductance stages. A current commutating passive mixer with 25% duty-cycle LO improves gain, noise and linearity. A direct coupled current-input filter (DCF) is employed to suppress the out-of-band interferer. Fabricated in a 0.13-μm CMOS process, the RF front-end achieves a 45 dB conversion voltage gain, 2.7 dB NF, -7 dBm IIP3, and +60 dBm IIP2 with calibration from 2.3 to 2.7 GHz. The total RF front end with divider draws 40 mA from a single 1.2-V supply.

Front-end multiplexing—applied to SQUID multiplexing: Athena X-IFU and QUBIC experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prele, D.

2015-08-01

As we have seen for digital camera market and a sensor resolution increasing to "megapixels", all the scientific and high-tech imagers (whatever the wave length - from radio to X-ray range) tends also to always increases the pixels number. So the constraints on front-end signals transmission increase too. An almost unavoidable solution to simplify integration of large arrays of pixels is front-end multiplexing. Moreover, "simple" and "efficient" techniques allow integration of read-out multiplexers in the focal plane itself. For instance, CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology has boost number of pixels in digital camera. Indeed, this is exactly a planar technology which integrates both the sensors and a front-end multiplexed readout. In this context, front-end multiplexing techniques will be discussed for a better understanding of their advantages and their limits. Finally, the cases of astronomical instruments in the millimeter and in the X-ray ranges using SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) will be described.

Advanced RF Front End Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, M. I.; Valas, S.; Katehi, L. P. B.

2001-01-01

The ability to achieve low-mass low-cost micro/nanospacecraft for Deep Space exploration requires extensive miniaturization of all subsystems. The front end of the Telecommunication subsystem is an area in which major mass (factor of 10) and volume (factor of 100) reduction can be achieved via the development of new silicon based micromachined technology and devices. Major components that make up the front end include single-pole and double-throw switches, diplexer, and solid state power amplifier. JPL's Center For Space Microsystems - System On A Chip (SOAC) Program has addressed the challenges of front end miniaturization (switches and diplexers). Our objectives were to develop the main components that comprise a communication front end and enable integration in a single module that we refer to as a 'cube'. In this paper we will provide the latest status of our Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) switches and surface micromachined filter development. Based on the significant progress achieved we can begin to provide guidelines of the proper system insertion for these emerging technologies. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

One Way of Testing a Distributed Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edstrom, R.; Kleckner, D.

1982-01-01

Launch processing for Space Shuttle is checked out, controlled, and monitored with new system. Entire system can be exercised by two computer programs--one in master console and other in each of operations consoles. Control program in each operations console detects change in status and begins task initiation. All of front-end processors are exercised from consoles through common data buffer, and all data are logged to processed-data recorder for posttest analysis.

A Wearable Healthcare System With a 13.7 μA Noise Tolerant ECG Processor.

PubMed

Izumi, Shintaro; Yamashita, Ken; Nakano, Masanao; Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Kimura, Hiromitsu; Marumoto, Kyoji; Fuchikami, Takaaki; Fujimori, Yoshikazu; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Shiga, Toshikazu; Yoshimoto, Masahiko

2015-10-01

To prevent lifestyle diseases, wearable bio-signal monitoring systems for daily life monitoring have attracted attention. Wearable systems have strict size and weight constraints, which impose significant limitations of the battery capacity and the signal-to-noise ratio of bio-signals. This report describes an electrocardiograph (ECG) processor for use with a wearable healthcare system. It comprises an analog front end, a 12-bit ADC, a robust Instantaneous Heart Rate (IHR) monitor, a 32-bit Cortex-M0 core, and 64 Kbyte Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM). The IHR monitor uses a short-term autocorrelation (STAC) algorithm to improve the heart-rate detection accuracy despite its use in noisy conditions. The ECG processor chip consumes 13.7 μA for heart rate logging application.

CVD-diamond-based position sensitive photoconductive detector for high-flux x-rays and gamma rays.

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

Shu, D.

1999-04-19

A position-sensitive photoconductive detector (PSPCD) using insulating-type CVD diamond as its substrate material has been developed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Several different configurations, including a quadrant pattern for a x-ray-transmitting beam position monitor (TBPM) and 1-D and 2-D arrays for PSPCD beam profilers, have been developed. Tests on different PSPCD devices with high-heat-flux undulator white x-ray beam, as well as with gamma-ray beams from {sup 60}Co sources have been done at the APS and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It was proven that the insulating-type CVD diamond can be used to make a hard x-ray andmore » gamma-ray position-sensitive detector that acts as a solid-state ion chamber. These detectors are based on the photoconductivity principle. A total of eleven of these TBPMs have been installed on the APS front ends for commissioning use. The linear array PSPCD beam profiler has been routinely used for direct measurements of the undulator white beam profile. More tests with hard x-rays and gamma rays are planned for the CVD-diamond 2-D imaging PSPCD. Potential applications include a high-dose-rate beam profiler for fourth-generation synchrotrons radiation facilities, such as free-electron lasers.« less

Onboard calibration circuit for the DAMPE BGO calorimeter front-end electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, De-Liang; Feng, Chang-Qing; Zhang, Jun-Bin; Wang, Qi; Ma, Si-Yuan; Shen, Zhong-Tao; Jiang, Di; Gao, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Yun-Long; Guo, Jian-Hua; Liu, Shu-Bin; An, Qi

2016-05-01

DAMPE (DArk Matter Particle Explorer) is a scientific satellite which is mainly aimed at indirectly searching for dark matter in space. One critical sub-detector of the DAMPE payload is the BGO (bismuth germanium oxide) calorimeter, which contains 1848 PMT (photomultiplier tube) dynodes and 16 FEE (Front-End Electronics) boards. VA160 and VATA160, two 32-channel low power ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), are adopted as the key components on the FEEs to perform charge measurement for the PMT signals. In order to monitor the parameter drift which may be caused by temperature variation, aging, or other environmental factors, an onboard calibration circuit is designed for the VA160 and VATA160 ASICs. It is mainly composed of a 12-bit DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), an operational amplifier and an analog switch. Test results showed that a dynamic range of 0-30 pC with a precision of 5 fC (Root Meam Square, RMS) was achieved, which covers the VA160’s input range. It can be used to compensate for the temperature drift and test the trigger function of the FEEs. The calibration circuit has been implemented for the front-end electronics of the BGO Calorimeter and verified by all the environmental tests for both Qualification Model and Flight Model of DAMPE. The DAMPE satellite was launched at the end of 2015 and the calibration circuit will operate periodically in space. Supported by Strategic Priority Research Program on Space Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA04040202-4), and National Basic Research Program (973 Program) of China (2010CB833002) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (11273070)

A miniature bidirectional telemetry system for in vivo gastric slow wave recordings.

PubMed

Farajidavar, Aydin; O'Grady, Gregory; Rao, Smitha M N; Cheng, Leo K; Abell, Thomas; Chiao, J-C

2012-06-01

Stomach contractions are initiated and coordinated by an underlying electrical activity (slow waves), and electrical dysrhythmias accompany motility diseases. Electrical recordings taken directly from the stomach provide the most valuable data, but face technical constraints. Serosal or mucosal electrodes have cables that traverse the abdominal wall, or a natural orifice, causing discomfort and possible infection, and restricting mobility. These problems motivated the development of a wireless system. The bidirectional telemetric system constitutes a front-end transponder, a back-end receiver and a graphical userinter face. The front-end module conditions the analogue signals, then digitizes and loads the data into a radio for transmission. Data receipt at the backend is acknowledged via a transceiver function. The system was validated in a bench-top study, then validated in vivo using serosal electrodes connected simultaneously to a commercial wired system. The front-end module was 35 × 35 × 27 mm3 and weighed 20 g. Bench-top tests demonstrated reliable communication within a distance range of 30 m, power consumption of 13.5 mW, and 124 h operation when utilizing a 560 mAh, 3 V battery. In vivo,slow wave frequencies were recorded identically with the wireless and wired reference systems (2.4 cycles min−1), automated activation time detection was modestly better for the wireless system (5% versus 14% FP rate), and signal amplitudes were modestly higher via the wireless system (462 versus 3 86μV; p<0.001). This telemetric system for slow wave acquisition is reliable,power efficient, readily portable and potentially implantable. The device will enable chronic monitoring and evaluation of slow wave patterns in animals and patients.0967-3334/

Design and simulation of front end power converter for a microgrid with fuel cells and solar power sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeevargi, Chetankumar; Lodhi, Anuj; Sateeshkumar, Allu; Elangovan, D.; Arunkumar, G.

2017-11-01

The need for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is increasing due to increased demand for the supply of power and it is also environment friendly.In the recent few years, the cost of generation of the power from the RES has been decreased. This paper aims to design the front end power converter which is required for integrating the fuel cells and solar power sources to the micro grid. The simulation of the designed front end converter is carried out in the PSIM 9.1.1 software. The results show that the designed front end power converter is sufficient for integrating the micro grid with fuel cells and solar power sources.

A beam-splitter-type 3-D endoscope for front view and front-diagonal view images.

PubMed

Kamiuchi, Hiroki; Masamune, Ken; Kuwana, Kenta; Dohi, Takeyoshi; Kim, Keri; Yamashita, Hiromasa; Chiba, Toshio

2013-01-01

In endoscopic surgery, surgeons must manipulate an endoscope inside the body cavity to observe a large field-of-view while estimating the distance between surgical instruments and the affected area by reference to the size or motion of the surgical instruments in 2-D endoscopic images on a monitor. Therefore, there is a risk of the endoscope or surgical instruments physically damaging body tissues. To overcome this problem, we developed a Ø7- mm 3-D endoscope that can switch between providing front and front-diagonal view 3-D images by simply rotating its sleeves. This 3-D endoscope consists of a conventional 3-D endoscope and an outer and inner sleeve with a beam splitter and polarization plates. The beam splitter was used for visualizing both the front and front-diagonal view and was set at 25° to the outer sleeve's distal end in order to eliminate a blind spot common to both views. Polarization plates were used to avoid overlap of the two views. We measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), sharpness, chromatic aberration (CA), and viewing angle of this 3-D endoscope and evaluated its feasibility in vivo. Compared to the conventional 3-D endoscope, SNR and sharpness of this 3-D endoscope decreased by 20 and 7 %, respectively. No significant difference was found in CA. The viewing angle for both the front and front-diagonal views was about 50°. In the in vivo experiment, this 3-D endoscope can provide clear 3-D images of both views by simply rotating its inner sleeve. The developed 3-D endoscope can provide the front and front-diagonal view by simply rotating the inner sleeve, therefore the risk of damage to fragile body tissues can be significantly decreased.

Channel Access in Erlang

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

Nicklaus, Dennis J.

2013-10-13

We have developed an Erlang language implementation of the Channel Access protocol. Included are low-level functions for encoding and decoding Channel Access protocol network packets as well as higher level functions for monitoring or setting EPICS process variables. This provides access to EPICS process variables for the Fermilab Acnet control system via our Erlang-based front-end architecture without having to interface to C/C++ programs and libraries. Erlang is a functional programming language originally developed for real-time telecommunications applications. Its network programming features and list management functions make it particularly well-suited for the task of managing multiple Channel Access circuits and PVmore » monitors.« less

End user evaluation of a Kneeling Wheelchair with "on the fly" adjustable seating functions.

PubMed

Mattie, Johanne; Wong, Angie; Leland, Danny; Borisoff, Jaimie

2018-04-18

A "kneeling" ultralight wheelchair prototype has been developed that allows users to adjust seat position "on the fly" for different activities throughout the day. The wheelchair includes independent adjustment functions for rear seat height, front seat height ("kneeling") and backrest angle.  Aim: This work aimed to gather feedback about the wheelchair's functionality and performance through end user evaluation trials.  Methods: Eight manual wheelchair users evaluated the prototype Kneeling Wheelchair for a range of activities. User perspectives on parameters such as usability, comfort, stability and effectiveness were obtained through both open-ended and Likert-scale rating questions.  Results: Results indicate several potential benefits of the adjustment functions of the Kneeling Wheelchair. Rear seat height adjustment may facilitate a number of activities of daily living, as well as provide benefits for comfort and social interactions. Back rest adjustment may increase comfort and stability on slopes. Front seat height adjustment may be beneficial for transfers and conducting sustained low-to-the-ground activities. While benefits of this adjustment function were described by many participants, some struggled with usability of the kneeling mechanism and rated this function less favourably than the other two.  Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform future iterations of the Kneeling Wheelchair design and may spur future developments in wheeled mobility. In the long-term, it is anticipated that novel wheelchair solutions, such as the one described in this paper, may support improved health, quality of life and community participation for people with mobility impairments. Implications for rehabilitation Wheelchairs that allow users to easily adjust seat and backrest position "on the fly" to better suit different tasks throughout the day may provide benefits such as facilitating activities of daily living. A front seat height adjustment feature on a new wheelchair prototype may be beneficial for transfers and conducting sustained low-to-the ground activities. End user evaluations can provide valuable insight to direct future design modifications and innovation.

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

Bolotnikov, A. E., E-mail: bolotnik@bnl.gov; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm{sup 3} detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We presentmore » the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

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

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Electronics for a prototype variable field of view PET camera using the PMT-quadrant-sharing detector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H.; Wong, Wai-Hoi; Zhang, N.; Wang, J.; Uribe, J.; Baghaei, H.; Yokoyama, S.

1999-06-01

Electronics for a prototype high-resolution PET camera with eight position-sensitive detector modules has been developed. Each module has 16 BGO (Bi/sub 4/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 12/) blocks (each block is composed of 49 crystals). The design goals are component and space reduction. The electronics is composed of five parts: front-end analog processing, digital position decoding, fast timing, coincidence processing and master data acquisition. The front-end analog circuit is a zone-based structure (each zone has 3/spl times/3 PMTs). Nine ADCs digitize integration signals of an active zone identified by eight trigger clusters; each cluster is composed of six photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). A trigger corresponding to a gamma ray is sent to a fast timing board to obtain a time-mark, and the nine digitized signals are passed to the position decoding board, where a real block (four PMTs) can be picked out from the zone for position decoding. Lookup tables are used for energy discrimination and to identify the gamma-hit crystal location. The coincidence board opens a 70-ns initial timing window, followed by two 20-ns true/accidental time-mark lookup table windows. The data output from the coincidence board can be acquired either in sinogram mode or in list mode with a Motorola/IRONICS VME-based system.

Status of the photomultiplier-based FlashCam camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pühlhofer, G.; Bauer, C.; Eisenkolb, F.; Florin, D.; Föhr, C.; Gadola, A.; Garrecht, F.; Hermann, G.; Jung, I.; Kalekin, O.; Kalkuhl, C.; Kasperek, J.; Kihm, T.; Koziol, J.; Lahmann, R.; Manalaysay, A.; Marszalek, A.; Rajda, P. J.; Reimer, O.; Romaszkan, W.; Rupinski, M.; Schanz, T.; Schwab, T.; Steiner, S.; Straumann, U.; Tenzer, C.; Vollhardt, A.; Weitzel, Q.; Winiarski, K.; Zietara, K.

2014-07-01

The FlashCam project is preparing a camera prototype around a fully digital FADC-based readout system, for the medium sized telescopes (MST) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The FlashCam design is the first fully digital readout system for Cherenkov cameras, based on commercial FADCs and FPGAs as key components for digitization and triggering, and a high performance camera server as back end. It provides the option to easily implement different types of trigger algorithms as well as digitization and readout scenarios using identical hardware, by simply changing the firmware on the FPGAs. The readout of the front end modules into the camera server is Ethernet-based using standard Ethernet switches and a custom, raw Ethernet protocol. In the current implementation of the system, data transfer and back end processing rates of 3.8 GB/s and 2.4 GB/s have been achieved, respectively. Together with the dead-time-free front end event buffering on the FPGAs, this permits the cameras to operate at trigger rates of up to several ten kHz. In the horizontal architecture of FlashCam, the photon detector plane (PDP), consisting of photon detectors, preamplifiers, high voltage-, control-, and monitoring systems, is a self-contained unit, mechanically detached from the front end modules. It interfaces to the digital readout system via analogue signal transmission. The horizontal integration of FlashCam is expected not only to be more cost efficient, it also allows PDPs with different types of photon detectors to be adapted to the FlashCam readout system. By now, a 144-pixel mini-camera" setup, fully equipped with photomultipliers, PDP electronics, and digitization/ trigger electronics, has been realized and extensively tested. Preparations for a full-scale, 1764 pixel camera mechanics and a cooling system are ongoing. The paper describes the status of the project.

Reaction Buildup of PBX Explosives JOB-9003 under Different Initiation Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xu; Wang, Yan-fei; Hung, Wen-bin; Gu, Yan; Zhao, Feng; Wu, Qiang; Yu, Xin; Yu, Heng

2017-04-01

Aluminum-based embedded multiple electromagnetic particle velocity gauge technique has been developed in order to measure the shock initiation behavior of JOB-9003 explosives. In addition, another gauge element called a shock tracker has been used to monitor the progress of the shock front as a function of time, thus providing a position-time trajectory of the wave front as it moves through the explosive sample. The data are used to determine the position and time for shock to detonation transition. All the experimental results show that: the rising-up time of Al-based electromagnetic particle velocity gauge was very fast and less than 20 ns; the reaction buildup velocity profiles and the position-time for shock to detonation transition of HMX-based PBX explosive JOB-9003 with 1-8 mm depth from the origin of impact plane under different initiation pressures are obtained with high accuracy.

Low-voltage analog front-end processor design for ISFET-based sensor and H+ sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Wen-Yaw; Yang, Chung-Huang; Peng, Kang-Chu; Yeh, M. H.

2003-04-01

This paper presents a modular-based low-voltage analog-front-end processor design in a 0.5mm double-poly double-metal CMOS technology for Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET)-based sensor and H+ sensing applications. To meet the potentiometric response of the ISFET that is proportional to various H+ concentrations, the constant-voltage and constant current (CVCS) testing configuration has been used. Low-voltage design skills such as bulk-driven input pair, folded-cascode amplifier, bootstrap switch control circuits have been designed and integrated for 1.5V supply and nearly rail-to-rail analog to digital signal processing. Core modules consist of an 8-bit two-step analog-digital converter and bulk-driven pre-amplifiers have been developed in this research. The experimental results show that the proposed circuitry has an acceptable linearity to 0.1 pH-H+ sensing conversions with the buffer solution in the range of pH2 to pH12. The processor has a potential usage in battery-operated and portable healthcare devices and environmental monitoring applications.

Front-End Analysis Cornerstone of Logistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nager, Paul J.

2000-01-01

The presentation provides an overview of Front-End Logistics Support Analysis (FELSA), when it should be performed, benefits of performing FELSA and why it should be performed, how it is conducted, and examples.

Efficient heart beat detection using embedded system electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramasamy, Mouli; Oh, Sechang; Varadan, Vijay K.

2014-04-01

The present day bio-technical field concentrates on developing various types of innovative ambulatory and wearable devices to monitor several bio-physical, physio-pathological, bio-electrical and bio-potential factors to assess a human body's health condition without intruding quotidian activities. One of the most important aspects of this evolving technology is monitoring heart beat rate and electrocardiogram (ECG) from which many other subsidiary results can be derived. Conventionally, the devices and systems consumes a lot of power since the acquired signals are always processed on the receiver end. Because of this back end processing, the unprocessed raw data is transmitted resulting in usage of more power, memory and processing time. This paper proposes an innovative technique where the acquired signals are processed by a microcontroller in the front end of the module and just the processed signal is then transmitted wirelessly to the display unit. Therefore, power consumption is considerably reduced and clearer data analysis is performed within the module. This also avoids the need for the user to be educated about usage of the device and signal/system analysis, since only the number of heart beats will displayed at the user end. Additionally, the proposed concept also eradicates the other disadvantages like obtrusiveness, high power consumption and size. To demonstrate the above said factors, a commercial controller board was used to extend the monitoring method by using the saved ECG data from a computer.

Concepts for a Muon Accelerator Front-End

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

Stratakis, Diktys; Berg, Scott; Neuffer, David

2017-03-16

We present a muon capture front-end scheme for muon based applications. In this Front-End design, a proton bunch strikes a target and creates secondary pions that drift into a capture channel, decaying into muons. A series of rf cavities forms the resulting muon beams into a series of bunches of differerent energies, aligns the bunches to equal central energies, and initiates ionization cooling. We also discuss the design of a chicane system for the removal of unwanted secondary particles from the muon capture region and thus reduce activation of the machine. With the aid of numerical simulations we evaluate themore » performance of this Front-End scheme as well as study its sensitivity against key parameters such as the type of target, the number of rf cavities and the gas pressure of the channel.« less

Design and characterization of the PREC (Prototype Readout Electronics for Counting particles)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assis, P.; Brogueira, P.; Ferreira, M.; Luz, R.; Mendes, L.

2016-08-01

The design, tests and performance of a novel, low noise, acquisition system—the PREC (Prototype Readout Electronics for Counting particles) is presented in this article. PREC is a system developed using discrete electronics for particle counting applications using RPCs (Resistive Plate Chamber) detectors. PREC can, however, be used with other kind of detectors that present fast pulses, e.g. Silicon Photomultipliers. The PREC system consists in several Front-End boards that transmit data to a purely digital Motherboard. The amplification and discrimination of the signal is performed in the Front-End boards, making them the critical component of the system. In this paper, the Front-End was tested extensively by measuring the gain, noise level, crosstalk, trigger efficiency, propagation time and power consumption. The gain shows a decrease with the working temperature and an increase with the power supply voltage. The Front-End board shows a low noise level (<= 1.6 mV at 3σ level) and no crosstalk is detected above this level. The s-curve of the trigger efficiency is characterized by a 3 mV gap from the region where most of the signals are triggered to almost no signal is triggered. The signal transit time between the Front-End input and the digital Motherboard is estimated to be 5.82 ns. The maximum power consumption is 3.372 W for the Motherboard and 3.576 W and 1.443 W for each Front-End analogue circuitry and digital part, respectively.

Kinematic, kinetic and EMG analysis of four front crawl flip turn techniques.

PubMed

Pereira, Suzana Matheus; Ruschel, Caroline; Hubert, Marcel; Machado, Leandro; Roesler, Helio; Fernandes, Ricardo Jorge; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo

2015-01-01

This study aimed to analyse the kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic characteristics of four front crawl flip turn technique variants. The variants distinguished from each other by differences in body position (i.e., dorsal, lateral, ventral) during rolling, wall support, pushing and gliding phases. Seventeen highly trained swimmers (17.9 ± 3.2 years old) participated in interventional sessions and performed three trials of each variant, being monitored with a 3-D video system, a force platform and an electromyography (EMG) system. Studied variables: rolling time and distance, wall support time, push-off time, peak force and horizontal impulse at wall support and push-off, centre of mass horizontal velocity at the end of the push-off, gliding time, centre of mass depth, distance, average and final velocity during gliding, total turn time and electrical activity of Gastrocnemius Medialis, Tibialis Anterior, Biceps Femoris and Vastus Lateralis muscles. Depending on the variant, total turn time ranged from 2.37 ± 0.32 to 2.43 ± 0.33 s, push-off force from 1.86 ± 0.33 to 1.92 ± 0.26 BW and centre of mass velocity during gliding from 1.78 ± 0.21 to 1.94 ± 0.22 m · s(-1). The variants were not distinguishable in terms of kinematical, kinetic and EMG parameters during the rolling, wall support, pushing and gliding phases.

State of the Art for Design and Construction of Sand Compaction Piles

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

Walz, Headquarters, US Army Corps of Engineers (HQUSACE), was REMR Technical Monitor. The REMR Overview Committee, consisted of Mr. John R. Nikel ... Wire Vibrator Hopper Casing Pipe Air Line Power Line Sand Skip Bucket Front End Loader Figure 2. Typical equipment used to construct a sand...8217~~~~--­ Rubber Packing Wire Inlet for air to close valve and press sand down ..,...__ Air lnl~ot: Figure 5. Special valve used to seal the casing when

High-Frequency Wireless Communications System: 2.45-GHz Front-End Circuit and System Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, M.-H.; Huang, M.-C.; Ting, Y.-C.; Chen, H.-H.; Li, T.-L.

2010-01-01

In this article, a course on high-frequency wireless communications systems is presented. With the 145-MHz baseband subsystem available from a prerequisite course, the present course emphasizes the design and implementation of the 2.45-GHz front-end subsystem as well as system integration issues. In this curriculum, the 2.45-GHz front-end…

Yield enhancement of 3D flash devices through broadband brightfield inspection of the channel hole process module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jung-Youl; Seo, Il-Seok; Ma, Seong-Min; Kim, Hyeon-Soo; Kim, Jin-Woong; Kim, DoOh; Cross, Andrew

2013-03-01

The migration to a 3D implementation for NAND flash devices is seen as the leading contender to replace traditional planar NAND architectures. However the strategy of replacing shrinking design rules with greater aspect ratios is not without its own set of challenges. The yield-limiting defect challenges for the planar NAND front end were primarily bridges, protrusions and residues at the bottom of the gates, while the primary challenges for front end 3D NAND is buried particles, voids and bridges in the top, middle and bottom of high aspect ratio structures. Of particular interest are the yield challenges in the channel hole process module and developing an understanding of the contribution of litho and etch defectivity for this challenging new integration scheme. The key defectivity and process challenges in this module are missing, misshapen channel holes or under-etched channel holes as well as reducing noise sources related to other none yield limiting defect types and noise related to the process integration scheme. These challenges are expected to amplify as the memory density increases. In this study we show that a broadband brightfield approach to defect monitoring can be uniquely effective for the channel hole module. This approach is correlated to end-of-line (EOL) Wafer Bin Map for verification of capability.

Positioning Industrial Design Students to Operate at the "Fuzzy Front End": Investigating a New Arena of University Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wormald, Paul W.

2011-01-01

This paper describes pedagogic research to instigate, support and understand a significant change in the education of undergraduate industrial design students. Design educators at Loughborough University, UK, have proposed that it will be critical for future industrial designers to learn new knowledge and abilities which will enable them to…

FPGA-Based Front-End Electronics for Positron Emission Tomography

PubMed Central

Haselman, Michael; DeWitt, Don; McDougald, Wendy; Lewellen, Thomas K.; Miyaoka, Robert; Hauck, Scott

2010-01-01

Modern Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are capable of performing complex discrete signal processing algorithms with clock rates above 100MHz. This combined with FPGA’s low expense, ease of use, and selected dedicated hardware make them an ideal technology for a data acquisition system for positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. Our laboratory is producing a high-resolution, small-animal PET scanner that utilizes FPGAs as the core of the front-end electronics. For this next generation scanner, functions that are typically performed in dedicated circuits, or offline, are being migrated to the FPGA. This will not only simplify the electronics, but the features of modern FPGAs can be utilizes to add significant signal processing power to produce higher resolution images. In this paper two such processes, sub-clock rate pulse timing and event localization, will be discussed in detail. We show that timing performed in the FPGA can achieve a resolution that is suitable for small-animal scanners, and will outperform the analog version given a low enough sampling period for the ADC. We will also show that the position of events in the scanner can be determined in real time using a statistical positioning based algorithm. PMID:21961085

Position sensitive and energy dispersive x-ray detector based on silicon strip detector technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiącek, P.; Dąbrowski, W.; Fink, J.; Fiutowski, T.; Krane, H.-G.; Loyer, F.; Schwamberger, A.; Świentek, K.; Venanzi, C.

2015-04-01

A new position sensitive detector with a global energy resolution for the entire detector of about 380 eV FWHM for 8.04 keV line at ambient temperature is presented. The measured global energy resolution is defined by the energy spectra summed over all strips of the detector, and thus it includes electronic noise of the front-end electronics, charge sharing effects, matching of parameters across the channels and other system noise sources. The target energy resolution has been achieved by segmentation of the strips to reduce their capacitance and by careful optimization of the front-end electronics. The key design aspects and parameters of the detector are discussed briefly in the paper. Excellent noise and matching performance of the readout ASIC and negligible system noise allow us to operate the detector with a discrimination threshold as low as 1 keV and to measure fluorescence radiation lines of light elements, down to Al Kα of 1.49 keV, simultaneously with measurements of the diffraction patterns. The measurement results that demonstrate the spectrometric and count rate performance of the developed detector are presented and discussed in the paper.

View southwest, east front, interior bays, and north end ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View southwest, east front, interior bays, and north end - Abraham Cyrus Farmstead, Equipment Shed, About 320 feet south-southwest of farmhouse at 3271 Cyrus Road (County Road 1/6), Cyrus, Wayne County, WV

4. DETAIL OF SOUTH (FRONT) ELEVATION AT EAST END OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. DETAIL OF SOUTH (FRONT) ELEVATION AT EAST END OF PORCH WITH STRUCTURAL SYSTEM OF WOOD FRAME WITH BRICK NOGGING REVEALED. - Andalusia, The Cottage, State Road vicinity (Bensalem Township), Andalusia, Bucks County, PA

5. Bombproof barracks, front elevation at southwest end. Doors and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. Bomb-proof barracks, front elevation at southwest end. Doors and windows covered with plywood. Railway and car stop in foreground. - Fort Hamilton, Bomb-Proof Barracks, Rose Island, Newport, Newport County, RI

Spirit's Course

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1Figure 2

This digital elevation map shows the topography of the 'Columbia Hills,' just in front of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's current position. Rover planners have plotted the safest route for Spirit to climb to the front hill, called 'West Spur.' The black line in the middle of the image represents the rover's traverse path, which starts at 'Hank's Hollow' and ends at the top of 'West Spur.' Scientists are sending Spirit up the hill to investigate the interesting rock outcrops visible in images taken by the rover. Data from the Mars Orbital Camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor were used to create this 3-D map.

In figure 1, the digital map shows the slopes of the 'Columbia Hills,' just in front of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's current position. Colors indicate the slopes of the hills, with red areas being the gentlest and blue the steepest. Rover planners have plotted the safest route for Spirit to climb the front hill, called 'West Spur.' The path is indicated here with a curved black line. Stereo images from the Mars Orbital Camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor were used to create this 3-D map.

In figure 2, the map shows the north-facing slopes of the 'Columbia Hills,' just in front of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's current position. Bright areas indicate surfaces sloping more toward the north than dark areas. To reach the rock outcrop at the top of the hill, engineers will aim to drive the rover around the dark areas, which would yield less solar power. The curved black line in the middle represents the rover's planned traverse path.

Front-end electronics of the Belle II drift chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimazaki, Shoichi; Taniguchi, Takashi; Uchida, Tomohisa; Ikeno, Masahiro; Taniguchi, Nanae; Tanaka, Manobu M.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the performance of the Belle II central drift chamber (CDC) front-end electronics. The front-end electronics consists of a current sensitive preamplifier, a 1/t cancellation circuit, baseline restorers, a comparator for timing measurement and an analog buffer for the dE/dx measurement on a CDC readout card. The CDC readout card is located on the endplate of the CDC. Mass production will be completed after the performance of the chip is verified. The electrical performance and results of a neutron/gamma-ray irradiation test are reported here.

Understanding and addressing racial/ethnic disproportionality in the front end of the child welfare system.

PubMed

Osterling, Kathy Lemon; D'Andrade, Amy; Austin, Michael J

2008-01-01

Racial/ethnic disproportionality in the child welfare system is a complicated social problem that is receiving increasing amounts of attention from researchers and practitioners. This review of the literature examines disproportionality in the front-end of the child welfare system and interventions that may address it. While none of the interventions had evidence suggesting that they reduced disproportionality in child welfare front-end processes, some of the interventions may improve child welfare case processes related to disproportionality and outcomes for families of color.

VIEW OF BASE END STATION BARLOW SHOWING THE SUGGESTED APPEARANCE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF BASE END STATION BARLOW SHOWING THE SUGGESTED APPEARANCE DURING USE (TOP IS NOT EXTANT INDICATING POST-USE DAMAGE), PACING NORTHWEST, VIEW IS OF THE FRONT, WITH THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER EXPOSED - White's Point Reservation, Base End Stations, B"1, Bounded by Voyager Circle & Mariner Drive, San Pedro, Los Angeles County, CA

Tracking the NOvA Detectors' Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psihas, Fernanda; NOvA Collaboration

2016-03-01

The NOvA experiment measures long baseline νμ -->νe oscillations in Fermilab's NuMI beam. We employ two detectors equipped with over 10 thousand sets of data-taking electronics; avalanche photo diodes and front end boards which collect and process the scintillation signal from particle interactions within the detectors. These sets of electronics -as well as the systems which power and cool them- must be monitored and maintained at precise working conditions to ensure maximal data-taking uptime, good data quality and a lasting life for our detectors. This poster describes the automated systems used on NOvA to simultaneously monitor our data quality, diagnose hardware issues, track our performance and coordinate maintenance for the detectors.

35. EAST FRONT OF POWERHOUSE AND CAR BARN: East front ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

35. EAST FRONT OF POWERHOUSE AND CAR BARN: East front of powerhouse and car barn. 'Annex' is right end of building. - San Francisco Cable Railway, Washington & Mason Streets, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Advanced integrated safeguards using front-end-triggering devices

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

Howell, J.A.; Whitty, W.J.

This report addresses potential uses of front-end-triggering devices for enhanced safeguards. Such systems incorporate video surveillance as well as radiation and other sensors. Also covered in the report are integration issues and analysis techniques.

2. SHED, SOUTH END OF SHORTER BARRACKS, FRONT AND RIGHT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. SHED, SOUTH END OF SHORTER BARRACKS, FRONT AND RIGHT SIDES, LOOKING SOUTHWEST. - NIKE Missile Base C-84, Paint & Oil Storage Shed, South of Launch Area Entrance Drive, near security fence, Barrington, Cook County, IL

2. VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE SHOWING NORTHEAST (GABLE END) FRONT. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE SHOWING NORTHEAST (GABLE END) FRONT. (BUILDING 114 IS VISIBLE ON RIGHT.) - Fort McPherson, World War II Station Hospital, G. U. Treatment Unit Dispensary, Thorne Avenue, Atlanta, Fulton County, GA

Noise propagation effects in power supply distribution systems for high-energy physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arteche, F.; Rivetta, C.; Iglesias, M.; Echeverria, I.; Pradas, A.; Arcega, F. J.

2017-12-01

High-energy physics experiments are supplied by thousands of power supply units placed in distant areas from the front-end electronics. The power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through long power cables that propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the detector. This paper addresses the effect of long cables on the noise propagation and the impact that those cables have on the conducted emission levels required for the power supplies and the selection of EMI filters for the front-end electronic low-voltage input. This analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused on functional safety to define the type of cable, shield connections, EMI filters and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.

Noise propagation effects in power supply distribution systems for high-energy physics experiments

DOE PAGES

Arteche, F.; Rivetta, C.; Iglesias, M.; ...

2017-12-05

High-energy physics experiments are supplied by thousands of power supply units placed in distant areas from the front-end electronics. The power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through long power cables that propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the detector. Here, this paper addresses the effect of long cables on the noise propagation and the impact that those cables have on the conducted emission levels required for the power supplies and the selection of EMI filters for the front-end electronic low-voltage input. Lastly, this analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused onmore » functional safety to define the type of cable, shield connections, EMI filters and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.« less

Noise propagation effects in power supply distribution systems for high-energy physics experiments

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

Arteche, F.; Rivetta, C.; Iglesias, M.

High-energy physics experiments are supplied by thousands of power supply units placed in distant areas from the front-end electronics. The power supply units and the front-end electronics are connected through long power cables that propagate the output noise from the power supplies to the detector. Here, this paper addresses the effect of long cables on the noise propagation and the impact that those cables have on the conducted emission levels required for the power supplies and the selection of EMI filters for the front-end electronic low-voltage input. Lastly, this analysis is part of the electromagnetic compatibility based design focused onmore » functional safety to define the type of cable, shield connections, EMI filters and power supply specifications required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics.« less

Geospatial Data as a Service: The GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity Map Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, B. J. K.; Antony, J.; Guerschman, J. P.; Larraondo, P. R.; Richards, C. J.

2017-12-01

Empowering end-users like pastoralists, land management specialists and land policy makers in the use of earth observation data for both day-to-day and seasonal planning needs both interactive delivery of multiple geospatial datasets and the capability of supporting on-the-fly dynamic queries while simultaneously fostering a community around the effort. The use of and wide adoption of large data archives, like those produced by earth observation missions, are often limited by compute and storage capabilities of the remote user. We demonstrate that wide-scale use of large data archives can be facilitated by end-users dynamically requesting value-added products using open standards (WCS, WMS, WPS), with compute running in the cloud or dedicated data-centres and visualizing outputs on web-front ends. As an example, we will demonstrate how a tool called GSKY can empower a remote end-user by providing the data delivery and analytics capabilities for the GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity (RAPP) Map tool. The GEOGLAM RAPP initiative from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and its Agricultural Monitoring subgroup aims at providing practical tools to end-users focusing on the important role of rangelands and pasture systems in providing food production security from both agricultural crops and animal protein. Figure 1, is a screen capture from the RAPP Map interface for an important pasture area in the Namibian rangelands. The RAPP Map has been in production for six months and has garnered significant interest from groups and users all over the world. GSKY, being formulated around the theme of Open Geospatial Data-as-a-Service capabilities uses distributed computing and storage to facilitate this. It works behind the scenes, accepting OGC standard requests in WCS, WMS and WPS. Results from these requests are rendered on a web-front end. In this way, the complexities of data locality and compute execution are masked from an end user. On-the-fly computation of products such as NDVI, Leaf Area Index, vegetation cover and others from original source data including MODIS are achived, with Landsat and Sentinel-2 on the horizon. Innovative use of cloud computing and storage along with flexible front-ends, allow the democratization of data dissemination and we hope better outcomes for the planet.

1. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING NORTHEAST END (FRONT) OF TRANSIT SHED, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING NORTHEAST END (FRONT) OF TRANSIT SHED, IN CONTEXT WITH LOADING YARD AND DERRICK, LOOKING WEST - Oakland Army Base, Transit Shed, East of Dunkirk Street & South of Burma Road, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Thermal management and prototype testing of Compton scattering X-ray beam position monitor for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. H.; Yang, B. X.; Collins, J. T.; Ramanathan, M.

2017-02-01

Accurate and stable x-ray beam position monitors (XBPMs) are key elements in obtaining the desired user beam stability in the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade. In the next-generation XBPMs for the canted-undulator front ends, where two undulator beams are separated by 1.0 mrad, the lower beam power (<10 kW) per undulator allows us to explore lower-cost solutions based on Compton scattering from a diamond placed edge-on to the x-ray beam. Because of the high peak power density of the x-ray beams, this diamond experiences high temperatures and has to be clamped to a water-cooled heat spreader using thermal interface materials (TIMs), which play a key role in reducing the temperature of the diamond. To evaluate temperature changes through the interface via thermal simulations, the thermal contact resistance (TCR) of TIMs at an interface between two solid materials under even contact pressure must be known. This paper addresses the TCR measurements of several TIMs, including gold, silver, pyrolytic graphite sheet, and 3D graphene foam. In addition, a prototype of a Compton-scattering XBPM with diamond blades was installed at APS Beamline 24-ID-A in May 2015 and has been tested. This paper presents the design of the Compton-scattering XBPM, and compares thermal simulation results obtained for the diamond blade of this XBPM by the finite element method with in situ empirical measurements obtained by using reliable infrared technology.

Thermal management and prototype testing of Compton scattering X-ray beam position monitor for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade.

PubMed

Lee, S H; Yang, B X; Collins, J T; Ramanathan, M

2017-02-01

Accurate and stable x-ray beam position monitors (XBPMs) are key elements in obtaining the desired user beam stability in the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade. In the next-generation XBPMs for the canted-undulator front ends, where two undulator beams are separated by 1.0 mrad, the lower beam power (<10 kW) per undulator allows us to explore lower-cost solutions based on Compton scattering from a diamond placed edge-on to the x-ray beam. Because of the high peak power density of the x-ray beams, this diamond experiences high temperatures and has to be clamped to a water-cooled heat spreader using thermal interface materials (TIMs), which play a key role in reducing the temperature of the diamond. To evaluate temperature changes through the interface via thermal simulations, the thermal contact resistance (TCR) of TIMs at an interface between two solid materials under even contact pressure must be known. This paper addresses the TCR measurements of several TIMs, including gold, silver, pyrolytic graphite sheet, and 3D graphene foam. In addition, a prototype of a Compton-scattering XBPM with diamond blades was installed at APS Beamline 24-ID-A in May 2015 and has been tested. This paper presents the design of the Compton-scattering XBPM, and compares thermal simulation results obtained for the diamond blade of this XBPM by the finite element method with in situ empirical measurements obtained by using reliable infrared technology.

OPeNDAP Server4: Buidling a High-Performance Server for the DAP by Leveraging Existing Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, N.; West, P.; Gallagher, J.; Garcia, J.; Fox, P.

2006-12-01

OPeNDAP has been working in conjunction with NCAR/ESSL/HAO to develop a modular, high performance data server that will be the successor to the current OPeNDAP data server. The new server, called Server4, is really two servers: A 'Back-End' data server which reads information from various types of data sources and packages the results in DAP objects; and A 'Front-End' which receives client DAP request and then decides how use features of the Back-End data server to build the correct responses. This architecture can be configured in several interesting ways: The Front- and Back-End components can be run on either the same or different machines, depending on security and performance needs, new Front-End software can be written to support other network data access protocols and local applications can interact directly with the Back-End data server. This new server's Back-End component will use the server infrastructure developed by HAO for use with the Earth System Grid II project. Extensions needed to use it as part of the new OPeNDAP server were minimal. The HAO server was modified so that it loads 'data handlers' at run-time. Each data handler module only needs to satisfy a simple interface which both enabled the existing data handlers written for the old OPeNDAP server to be directly used and also simplifies writing new handlers from scratch. The Back-End server leverages high- performance features developed for the ESG II project, so applications that can interact with it directly can read large volumes of data efficiently. The Front-End module of Server4 uses the Java Servlet system in place of the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) used in the past. New front-end modules can be written to support different network data access protocols, so that same server will ultimately be able to support more than the DAP/2.0 protocol. As an example, we will discuss a SOAP interface that's currently in development. In addition to support for DAP/2.0 and prototypical support for a SOAP interface, the new server includes support for the THREDDS cataloging protocol. THREDDS is tightly integrated into the Front-End of Server4. The Server4 Front-End can make full use of the advanced THREDDS features such as attribute specification and inheritance, custom catalogs which segue into automatically generated catalogs as well as providing a default behavior which requires almost no catalog configuration.

Assessment of need for transport tubes when continuously monitoring for radioactive aerosols.

PubMed

Whicker, J J; Rodgers, J C; Lopez, R C

1999-09-01

Aerosol transport tubes are often used to draw aerosol from desirable sampling locations to nearby air sampling equipment that cannot be placed at that location. In many plutonium laboratories at Los Alamos National Laboratory, aerosol transport tubes are used to transport aerosol from the front of room ventilation exhaust registers to continuous air monitors (CAMs) that are mounted on nearby walls. Transport tubes are used because past guidance suggests that extraction of aerosol samples from exhaust locations provides the most sensitive and reliable detection under conditions where the rooms have unpredictable release locations and significant spatial variability in aerosol concentrations after releases, and where CAMs cannot be located in front of exhaust registers without blocking worker walkways. Despite designs to minimize particle loss in tubes, aerosol transport model predictions suggest losses occur lowering the sensitivity of CAMs to accidentally released plutonium aerosol. The goal of this study was to test the hypotheses that the reliability, speed, and sensitivity of aerosol detection would be equal whether the sample was extracted from the front of the exhaust register or from the wall location of CAMs. Polydisperse oil aerosols were released from multiple locations in two plutonium laboratories to simulate plutonium aerosol releases. Networked laser particle counters (LPCs) were positioned to simultaneously measure time-resolved aerosol concentrations at each exhaust register (representative of sampling with transport tubes) and at each wall-mounted CAM location (representative of sampling without transport tubes). Results showed no significant differences in detection reliability, speed, or sensitivity for LPCs positioned at exhaust locations when compared to LPCs positioned at the CAM wall location. Therefore, elimination of transport tubes would likely improve CAM performance.

4. Photocopy of measured drawing dated January, 1948 FRONT ELEVATION ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Photocopy of measured drawing dated January, 1948 FRONT ELEVATION An addendum to Hanson-Cramer House, Sea Street, south end, Rockport, Knox County, Maine - Hanson-Cramer House, End of Sea Street (moved from Pascal's Avenue), Rockport, Knox County, ME

Align the Front End First.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Jim

1995-01-01

Discussion of management styles and front-end analysis focuses on a review of Douglas McGregor's theories. Topics include Theories X, Y, and Z; leadership skills; motivational needs of employees; intrinsic and extrinsic rewards; and faulty implementation of instructional systems design processes. (LRW)

The Giga Bit Transceiver based Expandable Front-End (GEFE)—a new radiation tolerant acquisition system for beam instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barros Marin, M.; Boccardi, A.; Donat Godichal, C.; Gonzalez, J. L.; Lefevre, T.; Levens, T.; Szuk, B.

2016-02-01

The Giga Bit Transceiver based Expandable Front-End (GEFE) is a multi-purpose FPGA-based radiation tolerant card. It is foreseen to be the new standard FMC carrier for digital front-end applications in the CERN BE-BI group. Its intended use ranges from fast data acquisition systems to slow control installed close to the beamlines, in a radioactive environment exposed to total ionizing doses of up to 750 Gy. This paper introduces the architecture of the GEFE, its features as well as examples of its application in different setups.

Development of 3He LPSDs and read-out system for the SANS spectrometer at CPHS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, T. C.; Gong, H.; Shao, B. B.; Wang, X. W.; Zhang, Y.; Pang, B. B.

2014-01-01

The Compact Pulsed Hadron Source (CPHS) is a 13-MeV proton-linac-driven neutron source under construction in Tsinghua University. Time-of-flight (TOF) small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer is one of the first instruments to be built. It is designed to use linear position-sensitive detectors (LPSDs) of 3He gas proportional counters to cover a 1 m×1 m area. Prototypical LPSDs (Φ = 12 mm, L=1 m) have been made and read-out system is developed based on charge division. This work describes the in-house fabrication of the prototypical LPSDs and design of the read-out system including front-end electronics and data acquisition (DAQ) system. Key factors of the front-end electronics are studied and optimized with PSPICE simulation. DAQ system is designed based on VME bus architecture and FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) standard with high flexibility and extendibility. Preliminary experiments are carried out and the results are present and discussed.

Commercialization and Industrial Development for the Fetal Hear Rate Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahorian, Stephen

2000-01-01

The primary objectives for this task were to continue the development and testing of the NASA/ODU passive acoustic fetal heart rate monitor, with the goal of transferring the technology to the commercial sector. Areas of work included: 1. To assist in the development of a new hardware front end electronics box for the fetal heart rate monitor, so as to reduce the size of the electronics box, and also to provide for a "low-frequency" and "high-frequency" mode of operation. To make necessary changes in the operating software to support the two modes of operation. 2. To provide an option for a strip chart recording for the system, so that medical personnel could more easily make comparisons with ultra sound strip chart recordings. and 3. To help with continued testing of the system.

User Consultation during the Fuzzy Front End: Evaluating Student's Design Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conradie, Peter; De Marez, Lieven; Saldien, Jelle

2017-01-01

In this paper we evaluate the involvement of a partially blind user as lead user in the early stages of a product redesign during an undergraduate product design-engineering course. Throughout the early stages of product design, or fuzzy front end, there is a high level of uncertainty. End users, with their increased contextual knowledge can play…

Integrated Arrays on Silicon at Terahertz Frequencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhayay, Goutam; Lee, Choonsup; Jung, Cecil; Lin, Robert; Peralta, Alessandro; Mehdi, Imran; Llombert, Nuria; Thomas, Bertrand

2011-01-01

In this paper we explore various receiver font-end and antenna architecture for use in integrated arrays at terahertz frequencies. Development of wafer-level integrated terahertz receiver front-end by using advanced semiconductor fabrication technologies and use of novel integrated antennas with silicon micromachining are reported. We report novel stacking of micromachined silicon wafers which allows for the 3-dimensional integration of various terahertz receiver components in extremely small packages which easily leads to the development of 2- dimensioanl multi-pixel receiver front-ends in the terahertz frequency range. We also report an integrated micro-lens antenna that goes with the silicon micro-machined front-end. The micro-lens antenna is fed by a waveguide that excites a silicon lens antenna through a leaky-wave or electromagnetic band gap (EBG) resonant cavity. We utilized advanced semiconductor nanofabrication techniques to design, fabricate, and demonstrate a super-compact, low-mass submillimeter-wave heterodyne frontend. When the micro-lens antenna is integrated with the receiver front-end we will be able to assemble integrated heterodyne array receivers for various applications such as multi-pixel high resolution spectrometer and imaging radar at terahertz frequencies.

Front-End/Gateway Software: Availability and Usefulness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesselman, Martin

1985-01-01

Reviews features of front-end software packages (interface between user and online system)--database selection, search strategy development, saving and downloading, hardware and software requirements, training and documentation, online systems and database accession, and costs--and discusses gateway services (user searches through intermediary…

1. VIEW OF NORTHEAST FRONT (GABLE END) FROM THORNE AVENUE, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. VIEW OF NORTHEAST FRONT (GABLE END) FROM THORNE AVENUE, FACING NORTHWEST. (BUILDINGS 114 AND 118 ARE VISIBLE IN THE BACKGROUND.) - Fort McPherson, World War II Station Hospital, G. U. Treatment Unit Dispensary, Thorne Avenue, Atlanta, Fulton County, GA

1. 185/189D in center, north end west facades (190D front ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. 185/189-D in center, north end west facades (190-D front left and west facade; 195-D rear right). Looking south. - D-Reactor Complex, Deaeration Plant-Refrigeration Buildings, Area 100-D, Richland, Benton County, WA

Public Understanding of Science through Evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusenbery, P.; Koke, J.

Evaluation is an integral part of exhibition development. It is usually a 3-phase process: front end, formative and summative. This report will compare science misconception studies of students with a number of front-end museum studies in order to elucidate the similarities and differences between student and general public understanding of science. The Space Science Institute (SSI) has recently conducted a major front-end evaluation of its Alien Earths exhibition. Alien Earths has four interrelated exhibit areas: Our Place in Space, Star Birth, PlanetQuest, and Search for Life. Exhibit visitors will explore the awesome events surrounding the birth of stars and planets; they will join scientists in the hunt for planets outside our solar system including those that may be in ``habitable zones'' around other stars; and finally they will be able to learn about the wide range of conditions for life on Earth and how scientists are looking for signs of life beyond Earth. The front-end evaluation elicited visitors' beliefs about the origins of life, what life is dominant on Earth, and the role indirect evidence plays in science. The front-end evaluation also examined visitors' understanding of the tools used in origins research from grand telescopes to microscopes, their ability to decipher and interpret images of star forming regions, and their fluency with the specific terminology likely to be used in the Alien Earths scripts. Front-end evaluation worked to support concept design and development by developing the visitors' entrance narrative -- their pre-existing knowledge, commonly held misconceptions, and their attitudes and interests towards the topic. This served to identify potential points of access and barriers to efficient communication.

Analysis of the influence of passenger vehicles front-end design on pedestrian lower extremity injuries by means of the LLMS model.

PubMed

Scattina, Alessandro; Mo, Fuhao; Masson, Catherine; Avalle, Massimiliano; Arnoux, Pierre Jean

2018-01-30

This work aims at investigating the influence of some front-end design parameters of a passenger vehicle on the behavior and damage occurring in the human lower limbs when impacted in an accident. The analysis is carried out by means of finite element analysis using a generic car model for the vehicle and the lower limbs model for safety (LLMS) for the purpose of pedestrian safety. Considering the pedestrian standardized impact procedure (as in the 2003/12/EC Directive), a parametric analysis, through a design of experiments plan, was performed. Various material properties, bumper thickness, position of the higher and lower bumper beams, and position of pedestrian, were made variable in order to identify how they influence the injury occurrence. The injury prediction was evaluated from the knee lateral flexion, ligament elongation, and state of stress in the bone structure. The results highlighted that the offset between the higher and lower bumper beams is the most influential parameter affecting the knee ligament response. The influence is smaller or absent considering the other responses and the other considered parameters. The stiffness characteristics of the bumper are, instead, more notable on the tibia. Even if an optimal value of the variables could not be identified trends were detected, with the potential of indicating strategies for improvement. The behavior of a vehicle front end in the impact against a pedestrian can be improved optimizing its design. The work indicates potential strategies for improvement. In this work, each parameter was changed independently one at a time; in future works, the interaction between the design parameters could be also investigated. Moreover, a similar parametric analysis can be carried out using a standard mechanical legform model in order to understand potential diversities or correlations between standard tools and human models.

Recent progress in online ultrasonic process monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Szu-Sheng L.; Chen, Tzu-Fang; Ramos-Franca, Demartonne; Nguyen, Ky T.; Jen, Cheng-Kuei; Ihara, Ikuo; Derdouri, A.; Garcia-Rejon, Andres

1998-03-01

On-line ultrasonic monitoring of polymer co-extrusion and gas-assisted injection molding are presented. During the co- extrusion of high density polyethylene and Santoprene ultrasonic sensors consisting of piezoelectric transducers and clad ultrasonic buffer rods are used to detect the interface between these two polymers and the stability of the extrusion. The same ultrasonic sensor also measures the surface temperature of the extruded polymer. The results indicate that temperature measurements using ultrasound have a faster response time than those obtained by conventional thermocouple. In gas-assisted injection molding the polymer and gas flow front positions are monitored simultaneously. This information may be used to control the plunger movement.

Low-noise front-end electronics for detection of intermediate-frequency weak light signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Cunbao; Yan, Shuhua; Du, Zhiguang; Wei, Chunhua; Wang, Guochao

2015-02-01

A novel low-noise front-end electronics was proposed for detection of light signals with intensity about 10 μW and frequency above 2.7 MHz. The direct current (DC) power supply, pre-amplifier and main-amplifier were first designed, simulated and then realized. Small-size components were used to make the power supply small, and the pre-amplifier and main-amplifier were the least capacitors to avoid the phase shift of the signals. The performance of the developed front-end electronics was verified in cross-grating diffraction experiments. The results indicated that the output peak-topeak noise of the +/-5 V DC power supply was about 2 mV, and the total output current was 1.25 A. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the output signal of the pre-amplifier was about 50 dB, and it increased to nearly 60 dB after the mainamplifier, which means this front-end electronics was especially suitable for using in the phase-sensitive and integrated precision measurement systems.

Modeling of an 8-12 GHz receiver front-end based on an in-line MEMS frequency discriminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Chenlei; Liao, Xiaoping

2018-06-01

This paper focuses on the modeling of an 8-12 GHz RF (radio frequency) receiver front-end based on an in-line MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) frequency discriminator. Actually, the frequency detection is realized by measuring the output dc thermal voltage generated by the MEMS thermoelectric power sensor. Based on this thermal voltage, it has a great potential to tune the resonant frequency of the VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) in the RF receiver front-end application. The equivalent circuit model of the in-line frequency discriminator is established and the measurement verification is also implemented. Measurement and simulation results show that the output dc thermal voltage has a nearly linear relation with frequency. A new construction of RF receiver front-end is then obtained by connecting the in-line frequency discriminator with the voltage controlling port of VCO. Lastly, a systemic simulation is processed by computer-aided software and the real-time simulation waveform at each key point is observed clearly.

The front-end electronics of the LSPE-SWIPE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontanelli, F.; Biasotti, M.; Bevilacqua, A.; Siccardi, F.

2016-07-01

The SWIPE detector of the Ballon Borne Mission LSPE (see e.g. the contribution of P. de Bernardis et al. in this conference) intends to measure the primordial 'B-mode' polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). For this scope microwave telescopes need sensitive cryogenic bolometers with an overall equivalent noise temperature in the nK range. The detector is a spiderweb bolometer based on transition edge sensor and followed by a SQUID to perform the signal readout. This contribution will concentrate on the design, description and first tests on the front-end electronics which processes the squid output (and controls it). The squid output is first amplified by a very low noise preamplifier based on a discrete JFET input differential architecture followed by a low noise CMOS operational amplifier. Equivalent input noise density is 0.6 nV/Hz and bandwidth extends up to at least 2 MHz. Both devices (JFET and CMOS amplifier) have been tested at liquid nitrogen. The second part of the contribution will discuss design and results of the control electronics, both the flux locked loop for the squid and the slow control chain to monitor and set up the system will be reviewed.

A Simulation of the Front End Signal Digitization for the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer thin RPC trigger upgrade project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiangting; Chapman, John; Levin, Daniel; Dai, Tiesheng; Zhu, Junjie; Zhou, Bing; Um Atlas Group Team

2016-03-01

The ATLAS Muon Spectrometer Phase-I (and Phase-II) upgrade includes the BIS78 muon trigger detector project: two sets of eight very thin Resistive Place Chambers (tRPCs) combined with small Monitored Drift Tube (MDT) chambers in the pseudorapidity region 1<| η|<1.3. The tRPCs will be comprised of triplet readout layer in each of the eta and azimuthal phi coordinates, with about 400 readout strips per layer. The anticipated hit rate is 100-200 kHz per strip. Digitization of the strip signals will be done by 32-channel CERN HPTDC chips. The HPTDC is a highly configurable ASIC designed by the CERN Microelectronics group. It can work in both trigger and trigger-less modes, be readout in parallel or serially. For Phase-I operation, a stringent latency requirement of 43 bunch crossings (1075 ns) is imposed. The latency budget for the front end digitization must be kept to a minimal value, ideally less than 350 ns. We conducted detailed HPTDC latency simulations using the Behavioral Verilog code from the CERN group. We will report the results of these simulations run for the anticipated detector operating environment and for various HPTDC configurations.

Verification of the Sentinel-4 focal plane subsystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williges, Christian; Uhlig, Mathias; Hilbert, Stefan; Rossmann, Hannes; Buchwinkler, Kevin; Babben, Steffen; Sebastian, Ilse; Hohn, Rüdiger; Reulke, Ralf

2017-09-01

The Sentinel-4 payload is a multi-spectral camera system, designed to monitor atmospheric conditions over Europe from a geostationary orbit. The German Aerospace Center, DLR Berlin, conducted the verification campaign of the Focal Plane Subsystem (FPS) during the second half of 2016. The FPS consists, of two Focal Plane Assemblies (FPAs), two Front End Electronics (FEEs), one Front End Support Electronic (FSE) and one Instrument Control Unit (ICU). The FPAs are designed for two spectral ranges: UV-VIS (305 nm - 500 nm) and NIR (750 nm - 775 nm). In this publication, we will present in detail the set-up of the verification campaign of the Sentinel-4 Qualification Model (QM). This set up will also be used for the upcoming Flight Model (FM) verification, planned for early 2018. The FPAs have to be operated at 215 K +/- 5 K, making it necessary to exploit a thermal vacuum chamber (TVC) for the test accomplishment. The test campaign consists mainly of radiometric tests. This publication focuses on the challenge to remotely illuminate both Sentinel-4 detectors as well as a reference detector homogeneously over a distance of approximately 1 m from outside the TVC. Selected test analyses and results will be presented.

Implementation of a level 1 trigger system using high speed serial (VXS) techniques for the 12GeV high luminosity experimental programs at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

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

C. Cuevas, B. Raydo, H. Dong, A. Gupta, F.J. Barbosa, J. Wilson, W.M. Taylor, E. Jastrzembski, D. Abbott

We will demonstrate a hardware and firmware solution for a complete fully pipelined multi-crate trigger system that takes advantage of the elegant high speed VXS serial extensions for VME. This trigger system includes three sections starting with the front end crate trigger processor (CTP), a global Sub-System Processor (SSP) and a Trigger Supervisor that manages the timing, synchronization and front end event readout. Within a front end crate, trigger information is gathered from each 16 Channel, 12 bit Flash ADC module at 4 nS intervals via the VXS backplane, to a Crate Trigger Processor (CTP). Each Crate Trigger Processor receivesmore » these 500 MB/S VXS links from the 16 FADC-250 modules, aligns skewed data inherent of Aurora protocol, and performs real time crate level trigger algorithms. The algorithm results are encoded using a Reed-Solomon technique and transmission of this Level 1 trigger data is sent to the SSP using a multi-fiber link. The multi-fiber link achieves an aggregate trigger data transfer rate to the global trigger at 8 Gb/s. The SSP receives and decodes Reed-Solomon error correcting transmission from each crate, aligns the data, and performs the global level trigger algorithms. The entire trigger system is synchronous and operates at 250 MHz with the Trigger Supervisor managing not only the front end event readout, but also the distribution of the critical timing clocks, synchronization signals, and the global trigger signals to each front end readout crate. These signals are distributed to the front end crates on a separate fiber link and each crate is synchronized using a unique encoding scheme to guarantee that each front end crate is synchronous with a fixed latency, independent of the distance between each crate. The overall trigger signal latency is <3 uS, and the proposed 12GeV experiments at Jefferson Lab require up to 200KHz Level 1 trigger rate.« less

Reproducibility of The Abdominal and Chest Wall Position by Voluntary Breath-Hold Technique Using a Laser-Based Monitoring and Visual Feedback System

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

Nakamura, Katsumasa; Shioyama, Yoshiyuki; Nomoto, Satoru

2007-05-01

Purpose: The voluntary breath-hold (BH) technique is a simple method to control the respiration-related motion of a tumor during irradiation. However, the abdominal and chest wall position may not be accurately reproduced using the BH technique. The purpose of this study was to examine whether visual feedback can reduce the fluctuation in wall motion during BH using a new respiratory monitoring device. Methods and Materials: We developed a laser-based BH monitoring and visual feedback system. For this study, five healthy volunteers were enrolled. The volunteers, practicing abdominal breathing, performed shallow end-expiration BH (SEBH), shallow end-inspiration BH (SIBH), and deep end-inspirationmore » BH (DIBH) with or without visual feedback. The abdominal and chest wall positions were measured at 80-ms intervals during BHs. Results: The fluctuation in the chest wall position was smaller than that of the abdominal wall position. The reproducibility of the wall position was improved by visual feedback. With a monitoring device, visual feedback reduced the mean deviation of the abdominal wall from 2.1 {+-} 1.3 mm to 1.5 {+-} 0.5 mm, 2.5 {+-} 1.9 mm to 1.1 {+-} 0.4 mm, and 6.6 {+-} 2.4 mm to 2.6 {+-} 1.4 mm in SEBH, SIBH, and DIBH, respectively. Conclusions: Volunteers can perform the BH maneuver in a highly reproducible fashion when informed about the position of the wall, although in the case of DIBH, the deviation in the wall position remained substantial.« less

Front-end electronics and DAQ for the EURITRACK tagged neutron inspection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunardon, M.; Bottosso, C.; Fabris, D.; Moretto, S.; Nebbia, G.; Pesente, S.; Viesti, G.; Bigongiari, A.; Colonna, A.; Tintori, C.; Valkovic, V.; Sudac, D.; Peerani, P.; Sequeira, V.; Salvato, M.

2007-08-01

The EURopean Illicit TRAfficing Countermeasures Kit (EURITRACK) Front-End and Data Acquisition System is a compact set of VME boards interfaced with a standard PC. The system is part of a cargo container inspection portal based on the tagged neutrons technique. The front-end processes all detector signals and checks coincidences between any of the 64 pixels of the alpha particle detector and any gamma-ray signals in 22 NaI(Tl) scintillators. The system is capable of handling the data flow at neutron flux up to the portal limiting value of 108 neutrons/second. Some typical applications are presented.

LH Power Losses In Front of the JET Launcher

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

Jacquet, P.; Arnoux, G.; Kirov, K.

2009-11-26

In recent JET experiments, Lower Hybrid (LH) power losses in the Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) were characterized using infra-red (IR) thermography. Hot spots were observed on objects intercepting the field lines passing in front of the LH launcher, i.e. on poloidal limiters and on dumplates located at the top of the tokamak; their locations being in good agreement with magnetic field line tracing using the EFIT equilibrium code. The dumplate temperature was monitored while scanning the launcher position so that the radial distance between field lines intercepting the hot spots and the launcher was increased up to 3.5 cm. The dissipationmore » layer in front of the launcher was estimated to be at least 3.5 cm wide, in agreement with recent measurements on Tore-Supra, but not with simple models that predict a dissipation layer in the mm range.« less

A multitasking, multisinked, multiprocessor data acquisition front end

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

Fox, R.; Au, R.; Molen, A.V.

1989-10-01

The authors have developed a generalized data acquisition front end system which is based on MC68020 processors running a commercial real time kernel (rhoSOS), and implemented primarily in a high level language (C). This system has been attached to the back end on-line computing system at NSCL via our high performance ETHERNET protocol. Data may be simultaneously sent to any number of back end systems. Fixed fraction sampling along links to back end computing is also supported. A nonprocedural program generator simplifies the development of experiment specific code.

Monitoring the fracture behavior of SiCp/Al alloy composites using infrared lock-in thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kordatos, E. Z.; Myriounis, D., P.; Hasan, S., T.; Matikas, T. E.

2009-03-01

his work deals with the study of fracture behavior of silicon carbide particle-reinforced (SiCp) A359 aluminum alloy matrix composites using an innovative nondestructive method based on lock-in thermography. The heat wave, generated by the thermo-mechanical coupling and the intrinsic energy dissipated during mechanical cyclic loading of the sample, was detected by an infrared camera. The coefficient of thermo-elasticity allows for the transformation of the temperature profiles into stresses. A new procedure was developed to determine the crack growth rate using thermographic mapping of the material undergoing fatigue: (a) The distribution of temperature and stresses at the surface of the specimen was monitored during the test. To this end, thermal images were obtained as a function of time and saved in the form of a movie. (b) The stresses were evaluated in a post-processing mode, along a series of equally spaced reference lines of the same length, set in front of the crack-starting notch. The idea was that the stress monitored at the location of a line versus time (or fatigue cycles) would exhibit an increase while the crack approaches the line, then attain a maximum when the crack tip was on the line. Due to the fact that the crack growth path could not be predicted and was not expected to follow a straight line in front of the notch, the stresses were monitored along a series of lines of a certain length, instead of a series of equally spaced points in front of the notch. The exact path of the crack could be easily determined by looking at the stress maxima along each of these reference lines. The thermographic results on the crack growth rate of the metal matrix composite (MMC) samples with three different heat treatments were correlated with measurements obtained by the conventional compliance method, and found to be in agreement.

Diligence in front-end processes is critical: an interview with Cheryl A. Harmon.

PubMed

Harmon, Cheryl A

2002-12-01

Cheryl Harmon's position reflects her organization's emphasis on an expanded role for the CFO. Harmon was hired recently to serve as CFO of Provena Covenant Medical Center, (PCMC) in Urbana, Illinois. Her mission as CFO is to help develop strategies to ensure that Provena Covenant maintains its financial stability. Harmon appreciates Povena Covenant's creative approaches to challenges faced by many healthcare organizations, such as workforce shortages.

Initial performances of first undulator-based hard x-ray beamlines of NSLS-II compared to simulations

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

Chubar, Oleg, E-mail: chubar@bnl.gov; Chu, Yong S.; Huang, Xiaojing

2016-07-27

Commissioning of the first X-ray beamlines of NSLS-II included detailed measurements of spectral and spatial distributions of the radiation at different locations of the beamlines, from front-ends to sample positions. Comparison of some of these measurement results with high-accuracy calculations of synchrotron (undulator) emission and wavefront propagation through X-ray transport optics, performed using SRW code, is presented.

Accidental strangulation of a mentally retarded patient by a clothing collar: a case report.

PubMed

Hitosugi, Masahito; Yokoyama, Tomoko; Kido, Masahito; Kawato, Hitoshi; Matsushima, Kazumi; Nagai, Toshiaki; Tokudome, Shogo

2006-07-01

A 40-year-old mentally retarded woman died of accidental strangulation in a nursing home. She was found in a kneeling position with her hands on her knees and the collar of her clothing compressing the front and sides of the neck. Before the accident, a nurse had dressed the patient in one-piece overall-style pyjamas put on back to front so that she could not remove the garment herself. The post-mortem findings and reconstruction of the scene of death suggested that the patient had been strangled by the collar of her backward-facing clothing while in a kneeling position. Because patients with psychiatric illnesses may have a limited ability to recognize or communicate symptoms of physical danger, they must be closely monitored by knowledgeable medical and nursing staff. This case highlights the importance of preventing the accidental deaths of mentally retarded patients in nursing homes.

FRED, a Front End for Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crystal, Maurice I.; Jakobson, Gabriel E.

1982-01-01

FRED (a Front End for Databases) was conceived to alleviate data access difficulties posed by the heterogeneous nature of online databases. A hardware/software layer interposed between users and databases, it consists of three subsystems: user-interface, database-interface, and knowledge base. Architectural alternatives for this database machine…

29. Interior view, south end of the west (front) wall ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. Interior view, south end of the west (front) wall looking at the section between the door and southwestern corner, with scale (note remnants of the post-1915 fire plaster on wall) - Kiskiack, Naval Mine Depot, State Route 238 vicinity, Yorktown, York County, VA

Front-end Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM). Prototype Test Plan

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

Conrad, Ryan C.; Morris, Scott J.; Smith, Leon E.

2015-09-16

The IAEA has requested that PNNL perform an initial set of tests on front-end electronics for unattended measurement (FEUM) prototypes. The FEUM prototype test plan details the tests to be performed, the criteria for evaluation, and the procedures used to execute the tests.

The Front-End System For MARE In Milano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaboldi, Claudio; Pessina, Gianluigi

2009-12-01

The first phase of MARE consists of 72 μ-bolometers composed each of a crystal of AgReO4 readout by Si thermistors. The spread in the thermistor characteristics and bolometer thermal coupling leads to different energy conversion gains and optimum operating points of the detectors. Detector biasing levels and voltage gains are completely remote-adjustable by the front end system developed, the subject of this paper, achieving the same signal range at the input of the DAQ system. The front end consists of a cold buffer stage, a second pseudo differential stage followed by a gain stage, an antialiasing filter, and a battery powered detector biasing set up. The DAQ system can be used to set all necessary parameters of the electronics remotely, by writing to a μ-controller located on each board. Fiber optics are used for the serial communication between the DAQ and the front end. To suppress interference noise during normal operation, the clocked devices of the front end are maintained in sleep-mode, except during the set-up phase of the experiment. An automatic DC detector characterization procedure is used to establish the optimum operating point of every detector of the array. A very low noise level has been achieved: about 3nV/□Hz at 1 Hz and 1 nV/□Hz for the white component, high frequencies.

Digital correlation detector for low-cost Omega navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlin, K. A.

1976-01-01

Techniques to lower the cost of using the Omega global navigation network with phase-locked loops (PLL) were developed. The technique that was accepted as being "optimal" is called the memory-aided phase-locked loop (MAPLL) since it allows operation on all eight Omega time slots with one PLL through the implementation of a random access memory. The receiver front-end and the signals that it transmits to the PLL were first described. A brief statistical analysis of these signals was then made to allow a rough comparison between the front-end presented in this work and a commercially available front-end to be made. The hardware and theory of application of the MAPLL were described, ending with an analysis of data taken with the MAPLL. Some conclusions and recommendations were also given.

Integrated seat frame and back support

DOEpatents

Martin, Leo

1999-01-01

An integrated seating device comprises a seat frame having a front end and a rear end. The seat frame has a double wall defining an exterior wall and an interior wall. The rear end of the seat frame has a slot cut therethrough both the exterior wall and the interior wall. The front end of the seat frame has a slot cut through just the interior wall thereof. A back support comprising a generally L shape has a horizontal member, and a generally vertical member which is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal member. The horizontal member is sized to be threaded through the rear slot and is fitted into the front slot. Welded slat means secures the back support to the seat frame to result in an integrated seating device.

Motivation and Front-End Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harless, Joe

1978-01-01

Relates Front-End Analysis (FEA) to motivation by categorizing it as either Diagnostic FEA or Planning FEA. The former is used to diagnose existing problems and prescribe motivational programs; the latter assumes that motivational programs must be implemented, along with other programs, to build the optimum environment to support the performance.…

Design for an Adaptive Library Catalog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckland, Michael K.; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes OASIS, a prototype adaptive online catalog implemented as a front end to the University of California MELVYL catalog. Topics addressed include the concept of adaptive retrieval systems, strategic search commands, feedback, prototyping using a front-end, the problem of excessive retrieval, commands to limit or increase search results, and…

24 CFR 941.612 - Disbursement of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... following requirements: (1) Front-end assistance may be used to pay for materials and services related to... Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND... Development of Public Housing Units § 941.612 Disbursement of grant funds. (a) Front-end drawdowns. A PHA may...

Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twining, Brian V.; Fisher, Jason C.

2015-01-01

Normalized mean head values were analyzed for all 11 multilevel monitoring wells for the period of record (2007–13). The mean head values suggest a moderately positive correlation among all boreholes and generally reflect regional fluctuations in water levels in response to seasonal climatic changes. Boreholes within volcanic rift zones and near the southern boundary (USGS 103, USGS 105, USGS 108, USGS 132, USGS 135, USGS 137A) display a temporal correlation that is strongly positive. Boreholes in the Big Lost Trough display some variations in temporal correlations that may result from proximity to the mountain front to the northwest and episodic flow in the Big Lost River drainage system. For example, during June 2012, boreholes MIDDLE 2050A and MIDDLE 2051 showed head buildup within the upper zones when compared to the June 2010 profile event, which correlates to years when surface water was reported for the Big Lost River several months preceding the measurement period. With the exception of borehole USGS 134, temporal correlation between MLMS wells completed within the Big Lost Trough is generally positive. Temporal correlation for borehole USGS 134 shows the least agreement with other MLMS boreholes located within the Big Lost Trough; however, borehole USGS 134 is close to the mountain front where tributary valley subsurface inflow is suspected.

An X-ray beam position monitor based on the photoluminescence of helium gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revesz, Peter; White, Jeffrey A.

2005-03-01

A new method for white beam position monitoring for both bend magnet and wiggler synchrotron X-ray radiation has been developed. This method utilizes visible light luminescence generated as a result of ionization by the intense X-ray flux. In video beam position monitors (VBPMs), the luminescence of helium gas at atmospheric pressure is observed through a view port using a CCD camera next to the beam line. The beam position, profile, integrated intensity and FWHM are calculated from the distribution of luminescence intensity in each captured image by custom software. Misalignment of upstream apertures changes the image profile making VBPMs helpful for initial alignment of upstream beam line components. VBPMs can thus provide more information about the X-ray beam than most beam position monitors (BPMs). A beam position calibration procedure, employing a tilted plane-parallel glass plate placed in front of the camera lens, has also been developed. The accuracy of the VBPM system was measured during a bench-top experiment to be better than 1 μm. The He-luminescence-based VBPM system has been operative on three CHESS beam lines (F hard-bend and wiggler, A-line wiggler and G-line wiggler) for about a year. The beam positions are converted to analog voltages and used as feedback signals for beam stabilization. In our paper we discuss details of VBPM construction and describe further results of its performance.

Toward Realization of 2.4 GHz Balunless Narrowband Receiver Front-End for Short Range Wireless Applications.

PubMed

El-Desouki, Munir M; Qasim, Syed Manzoor; BenSaleh, Mohammed S; Deen, M Jamal

2015-05-07

The demand for radio frequency (RF) transceivers operating at 2.4 GHz band has attracted considerable research interest due to the advancement in short range wireless technologies. The performance of RF transceivers depends heavily on the transmitter and receiver front-ends. The receiver front-end is comprised of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a downconversion mixer. There are very few designs that focus on connecting the single-ended output LNA to a double-balanced mixer without the use of on-chip transformer, also known as a balun. The objective of designing such a receiver front-end is to achieve high integration and low power consumption. To meet these requirements, we present the design of fully-integrated 2.4 GHz receiver front-end, consisting of a narrow-band LNA and a double balanced mixer without using a balun. Here, the single-ended RF output signal of the LNA is translated into differential signal using an NMOS-PMOS (n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor, p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistor differential pair instead of the conventional NMOS-NMOS transistor configuration, for the RF amplification stage of the double-balanced mixer. The proposed receiver circuit fabricated using TSMC 0.18 µm CMOS technology operates at 2.4 GHz and produces an output signal at 300 MHz. The fabricated receiver achieves a gain of 16.3 dB and consumes only 6.74 mW operating at 1.5 V, while utilizing 2.08 mm2 of chip area. Measurement results demonstrate the effectiveness and suitability of the proposed receiver for short-range wireless applications, such as in wireless sensor network (WSN).

A custom readout electronics for the BESIII CGEM detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Rocha Rolo, M.; Alexeev, M.; Amoroso, A.; Baldini Ferroli, R.; Bertani, M.; Bettoni, D.; Bianchi, F.; Bugalho, R.; Calcaterra, A.; Canale, N.; Capodiferro, M.; Carassiti, V.; Cerioni, S.; Chai, J. Y.; Chiozzi, S.; Cibinetto, G.; Cossio, F.; Cotta Ramusino, A.; De Mori, F.; Destefanis, M.; Di Francesco, A.; Dong, J.; Evangelisti, F.; Farinelli, R.; Fava, L.; Felici, G.; Fioravanti, E.; Garzia, I.; Gatta, M.; Greco, M.; Lavezzi, L.; Leng, C. Y.; Li, H.; Maggiora, M.; Malaguti, R.; Marcello, S.; Marciniewski, P.; Melchiorri, M.; Mezzadri, G.; Mignone, M.; Morello, G.; Pacetti, S.; Patteri, P.; Pellegrino, J.; Pelosi, A.; Rivetti, A.; Savrié, M.; Scodeggio, M.; Soldani, E.; Sosio, S.; Spataro, S.; Tskhadadze, E.; Varela, J.; Verma, S.; Wheadon, R.; Yan, L.

2017-07-01

For the upgrade of the inner tracker of the BESIII spectrometer, planned for 2018, a lightweight tracker based on an innovative Cylindrical Gas Electron Multiplier (CGEM) detector is now under development. The analogue readout of the CGEM enables the use of a charge centroid algorithm to improve the spatial resolution to better than 130 μm while loosening the pitch strip to 650 μm, which allows to reduce the total number of channels to about 10 000. The channels are readout by 160 dedicated integrated 64-channel front-end ASICs, providing a time and charge measurement and featuring a fully-digital output. The energy measurement is extracted either from the time-over-threshold (ToT) or the 10-bit digitisation of the peak amplitude of the signal. The time of the event is generated by quad-buffered low-power TDCs, allowing for rates in excess of 60 kHz per channel. The TDCs are based on analogue interpolation techniques and produce a time stamp (or two, if working in ToT mode) of the event with a time resolution better than 50 ps. The front-end noise, based on a CSA and a two-stage complex conjugated pole shapers, dominate the channel intrinsic time jitter, which is less than 5 ns r.m.s. The time information of the hit can be used to reconstruct the track path, operating the detector as a small TPC and hence improving the position resolution when the distribution of the cloud, due to large incident angle or magnetic field, is very broad. Event data is collected by an off-detector motherboard, where each GEM-ROC readout card handles 4 ASIC carrier FEBs (512 channels). Configuration upload and data readout between the off-detector electronics and the VME-based data collector cards are managed by bi-directional fibre optical links. This paper covers the design of a custom front-end electronics for the readout of the new inner tracker of the BESIII experiment, addressing the relevant design aspects of the detector electronics and the front-end ASIC for the CGEM readout, and reviewing the first silicon results of the chip prototype.

Mud aprons in front of Svalbard surge moraines: Evidence of subglacial deforming layers or proglacial glaciotectonics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, Lene; Benn, Douglas I.; Hormes, Anne; Ottesen, Dag

2009-10-01

Large debris-flow units commonly occur on the distal sides of subaqueous end moraines deposited by surges of Svalbard tidewater glaciers, but have rarely been described in terrestrial settings. Some researchers have argued that these kinds of debris flows reflect processes unique to the subaqueous environment, such as the extrusion of subglacial deforming layers or extensive failure of oversteepened moraine fronts. In this paper, we describe terrestrial and subaqueous parts of a single late Holocene moraine system deposited by a major surge of the tidewater glacier Paulabreen in west Spitsbergen. The ice-marginal landforms on land closely resemble the corresponding landforms on the seabed as evidenced by geomorphic mapping and geophysical profiles from both environments. Both onland and offshore, extensive areas of hummocky moraine occur on the proximal side of the maximum glacier position, and large mud aprons (interpreted as debris flows) occur on the distal side. We show that the debris-flow sediments were pushed in front of the advancing glacier as a continuously failing, mobile push moraine. We propose that the mud aprons are end members of a proglacial landforms continuum that has thrust-block moraines as the opposite end member. Two clusters of dates (~ 8000 YBP and ~ 700 YBP) have previously been interpreted to indicate two separate surges responsible for the moraine formation. New dates suggest that the early cluster indicates a local extinction of the abounded species Chlamys islandica. Other changes corresponding to the widespread 8.2 ka event within the fjord, may suggest that the extinction of the C. islandica corresponds to that time.

The DIRC front-end electronics chain for BaBar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailly, P.; Beigbeder, C.; Bernier, R.; Breton, D.; Bonneaud, G.; Caceres, T.; Chase, R.; Chauveau, J.; Del Buono, L.; Dohou, F.; Ducorps, A.; Gastaldi, F.; Genat, J. F.; Hrisoho, A.; Imbert, P.; Lebbolo, H.; Matricon, P.; Oxoby, G.; Renard, C.; Roos, L.; Sen, S.; Thiebaux, C.; Truong, K.; Tocut, V.; Vasileiadis, G.; Va'Vra, J.; Verderi, M.; Warner, D.; Wilson, R. J.; Wormser, G.; Zhang, B.; Zomer, F.

2000-12-01

Recent results from the Front-End electronics of the Detector of Internally Reflected Cerenkov light (DIRC) for the BaBar experiment at SLAC (Stanford, USA) are presented. It measures to better than 1 ns the arrival time of Cerenkov photoelectrons detected in a 11000 phototubes array and their amplitude spectra. It mainly comprises 64-channel DIRC Front-End Boards (DFB) equipped with eight full-custom analog chips performing zero-cross discrimination with 2 mV threshold and pulse shaping, four full-custom digital time to digital chips (TDC) for timing measurements with 500 ps binning and a readout logic selecting hits in the trigger window, and DIRC Crate Controller cards (DCC) serializing the data collected front up to 16 DFBs onto a 1.2 Gb/s optical link. Extensive test results of the pre-production chips are presented, as well as system tests.

Optimal ergonomics for laparoscopic surgery in minimally invasive surgery suites: a review and guidelines.

PubMed

van Det, M J; Meijerink, W J H J; Hoff, C; Totté, E R; Pierie, J P E N

2009-06-01

With minimally invasive surgery (MIS), a man-machine environment was brought into the operating room, which created mental and physical challenges for the operating team. The science of ergonomics analyzes these challenges and formulates guidelines for creating a work environment that is safe and comfortable for its operators while effectiveness and efficiency of the process are maintained. This review aimed to formulate the ergonomic challenges related to monitor positioning in MIS. Background and guidelines are formulated for optimal ergonomic monitor positioning within the possibilities of the modern MIS suite, using multiple monitors suspended from the ceiling. All evidence-based experimental ergonomic studies conducted in the fields of laparoscopic surgery and applied ergonomics for other professions working with a display were identified by PubMed searches and selected for quality and applicability. Data from ergonomic studies were evaluated in terms of effectiveness and efficiency as well as comfort and safety aspects. Recommendations for individual monitor positioning are formulated to create a personal balance between these two ergonomic aspects. Misalignment in the eye-hand-target axis because of limited freedom in monitor positioning is recognized as an important ergonomic drawback during MIS. Realignment of the eye-hand-target axis improves personal values of comfort and safety as well as procedural values of effectiveness and efficiency. Monitor position is an important ergonomic factor during MIS. In the horizontal plain, the monitor should be straight in front of each person and aligned with the forearm-instrument motor axis to avoid axial rotation of the spine. In the sagittal plain, the monitor should be positioned lower than eye level to avoid neck extension.

[Low-power Wireless Micro Ambulatory Electrocardiogram Node].

PubMed

Cai, Zhipeng; Luo, Kan; Li, Jianqing

2016-02-01

Ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring can effectively reduce the risk and death rate of patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The Body Sensor Network (BSN) based ECG monitoring is a new and efficien method to protect the CVDs patients. To meet the challenges of miniaturization, low power and high signal quality of the node, we proposed a novel 50 mmX 50 mmX 10 mm, 30 g wireless ECG node, which includes the single-chip an alog front-end AD8232, ultra-low power microprocessor MSP430F1611 and Bluetooth module HM-11. The ECG signal quality is guaranteed by the on-line digital filtering. The difference threshold algorithm results in accuracy of R-wave detection and heart rate. Experiments were carried out to test the node and the results showed that the pro posed node reached the design target, and it has great potential in application of wireless ECG monitoring.

General-Purpose Front End for Real-Time Data Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark

2007-01-01

FRONTIER is a computer program that functions as a front end for any of a variety of other software of both the artificial intelligence (AI) and conventional data-processing types. As used here, front end signifies interface software needed for acquiring and preprocessing data and making the data available for analysis by the other software. FRONTIER is reusable in that it can be rapidly tailored to any such other software with minimum effort. Each component of FRONTIER is programmable and is executed in an embedded virtual machine. Each component can be reconfigured during execution. The virtual-machine implementation making FRONTIER independent of the type of computing hardware on which it is executed.

Studies about the Behavior of the Crash Boxes of a Car Body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantin, B. A.; Iozsa, D.; Fratila, G.

2016-11-01

A continuous evolution of requirements and standards sheds over the development of new vehicles (for example EuroNCAP ratings) in order to create competition between same market models customer related. The low speed impact protection has to be permanently improved as the damage of the front end structure of the vehicle to be reduced to minimal. As a consequence, a lower damage implies less repair costs and therefore a lower insurance category. The front end structure, including the bumper, responds for the absorption of the kinetic energy created during the impact with maximum efficiency in order to avoid the large deformation of structural components. This is only one of the constraints that the front end structure has to cope with, additionally we can mention the dimensioning of the front end of the vehicle which can affect the packaging, which is mainly influenced by the design, styling and the pedestrian requirements intended to be accomplished by the vehicle. The present paper focuses on the low speed urban impact, offering an overview over the actual state, the load configuration, the applicable regulation, the challenging requirements of a modern front structure, which the modern bumper has to comply with and the finite element simulation of this kind of test.

A hybrid single-end-access MZI and Φ-OTDR vibration sensing system with high frequency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yixin; Xia, Lan; Cao, Chunqi; Sun, Zhenhong; Li, Yanting; Zhang, Xuping

2017-01-01

A hybrid single-end-access Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and phase sensitive OTDR (Φ-OTDR) vibration sensing system is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. In our system, the narrow optical pulses and the continuous wave are injected into the fiber through the front end of the fiber at the same time. And at the rear end of the fiber, a frequency-shift-mirror (FSM) is designed to back propagate the continuous wave modulated by the external vibration. Thus the Rayleigh backscattering signals (RBS) and the back propagated continuous wave interfere with the reference light at the same end of the sensing fiber and a single-end-access configuration is achieved. The RBS can be successfully separated from the interference signal (IS) through digital signal process due to their different intermediate frequency based on frequency division multiplexing technique. There is no influence between these two schemes. The experimental results show 10 m spatial resolution and up to 1.2 MHz frequency response along a 6.35 km long fiber. This newly designed single-end-access setup can achieve vibration events locating and high frequency events response, which can be widely used in health monitoring for civil infrastructures and transportation.

Recycling isotachophoresis - A novel approach to preparative protein fractionation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sloan, Jeffrey E.; Thormann, Wolfgang; Bier, Milan; Twitty, Garland E.; Mosher, Richard A.

1986-01-01

The concept of automated recycling isotachophoresis (RITP) as a purification methodology is discussed, in addition to a description of the apparatus. In the present automated RITP, the computer system follows the achievement of steady state using arrays of universal and specific sensors, monitors the position of the front edge of the zone structure, activates the counterflow if the leading boundary passes a specified position along the separation axis, or changes the applied current, accordingly. The system demonstrates high resolution, in addition to higher processing rates than are possible in zone electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing.

40 CFR 63.491 - Batch front-end process vents-recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (b)(2): (i) For an incinerator or non-combustion control device, the percent reduction of organic HAP... the process vent stream is introduced with combustion air or is used as a secondary fuel and is not... combustion device to control halogenated batch front-end process vents or halogenated aggregate batch vent...

25. FRONT END LOADERS MOMENTARILY IN REPOSE IN THE ORE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

25. FRONT END LOADERS MOMENTARILY IN REPOSE IN THE ORE STORAGE YARD. AN ORE BRIDGE THAT FORMERLY TRANSFERRED ORE WITHIN THE STORAGE YARD WAS DESTROYED BY A BLIZZARD IN 1978. - Pennsylvania Railway Ore Dock, Lake Erie at Whiskey Island, approximately 1.5 miles west of Public Square, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH

Closed-loop wavelength stabilization of an optical parametric oscillator as a front end of a high-power iodine laser chain.

PubMed

Kral, L

2007-05-01

We present a complex stabilization and control system for a commercially available optical parametric oscillator. The system is able to stabilize the oscillator's output wavelength at a narrow spectral line of atomic iodine with subpicometer precision, allowing utilization of this solid-state parametric oscillator as a front end of a high-power photodissociation laser chain formed by iodine gas amplifiers. In such setup, a precise wavelength matching between the front end and the amplifier chain is necessary due to extremely narrow spectral lines of the gaseous iodine (approximately 20 pm). The system is based on a personal computer, a heated iodine cell, and a few other low-cost components. It automatically identifies the proper peak within the iodine absorption spectrum, and then keeps the oscillator tuned to this peak with high precision and reliability. The use of the solid-state oscillator as the front end allows us to use the whole iodine laser system as a pump laser for the optical parametric chirped pulse amplification, as it enables precise time synchronization with a signal Ti:sapphire laser.

Prohibitin, relocated to the front ends, can control the migration directionality of colorectal cancer cells

PubMed Central

Guo, Li-Li; Hu, Chun-Ting; Huang, Ying-Xin; Huang, Guan; Jing, Fang-Yan; Liu, Chao; Li, Zhuo-Yi; Zhou, Na; Yan, Qian-Wen; Lei, Yan; Zhu, Shi-Jie; Cheng, Zhi-Qiang; Cao, Guang-Wen; Deng, Yong-Jian; Ding, Yan-Qing

2017-01-01

Directional migration is a cost-effective movement allowing invasion and metastatic spread of cancer cells. Although migration related to cytoskeletal assembly and microenvironmental chemotaxis has been elucidated, little is known about interaction between extracellular and intracellular molecules for controlling the migrational directionality. A polarized expression of prohibitin (PHB) in the front ends of CRC cells favors metastasis and is correlated with poor prognosis for 545 CRC patients. A high level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the interstitial tissue of CRC patients is associated with metastasis. VEGF bound to its receptor, neuropilin-1, can stimulate the activation of cell division cycle 42, which recruits intra-mitochondrial PHB to the front end of a CRC cell. This intracellular relocation of PHB results in the polymerization and reorganization of filament actin extending to the front end of the cell. As a result, the migration directionality of CRC cells is targeted towards VEGF. Together, these findings identify PHB as a key modulator of directional migration of CRC cells and a target for metastasis. PMID:29100316

Reviewed approach to defining the Active Interlock Envelope for Front End ray tracing

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

Seletskiy, S.; Shaftan, T.

To protect the NSLS-II Storage Ring (SR) components from damage from synchrotron radiation produced by insertion devices (IDs) the Active Interlock (AI) keeps electron beam within some safe envelope (a.k.a Active Interlock Envelope or AIE) in the transverse phase space. The beamline Front Ends (FEs) are designed under assumption that above certain beam current (typically 2 mA) the ID synchrotron radiation (IDSR) fan is produced by the interlocked e-beam. These assumptions also define how the ray tracing for FE is done. To simplify the FE ray tracing for typical uncanted ID it was decided to provide the Mechanical Engineering groupmore » with a single set of numbers (x,x’,y,y’) for the AIE at the center of the long (or short) ID straight section. Such unified approach to the design of the beamline Front Ends will accelerate the design process and save valuable human resources. In this paper we describe our new approach to defining the AI envelope and provide the resulting numbers required for design of the typical Front End.« less

FBI Fingerprint Image Capture System High-Speed-Front-End throughput modeling

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

Rathke, P.M.

1993-09-01

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has undertaken a major modernization effort called the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFISS). This system will provide centralized identification services using automated fingerprint, subject descriptor, mugshot, and document processing. A high-speed Fingerprint Image Capture System (FICS) is under development as part of the IAFIS program. The FICS will capture digital and microfilm images of FBI fingerprint cards for input into a central database. One FICS design supports two front-end scanning subsystems, known as the High-Speed-Front-End (HSFE) and Low-Speed-Front-End, to supply image data to a common data processing subsystem. The production rate of themore » HSFE is critical to meeting the FBI`s fingerprint card processing schedule. A model of the HSFE has been developed to help identify the issues driving the production rate, assist in the development of component specifications, and guide the evolution of an operations plan. A description of the model development is given, the assumptions are presented, and some HSFE throughput analysis is performed.« less

A 4 μW/Ch analog front-end module with moderate inversion and power-scalable sampling operation for 3-D neural microsystems.

PubMed

Al-Ashmouny, Khaled M; Chang, Sun-Il; Yoon, Euisik

2012-10-01

We report an analog front-end prototype designed in 0.25 μm CMOS process for hybrid integration into 3-D neural recording microsystems. For scaling towards massive parallel neural recording, the prototype has investigated some critical circuit challenges in power, area, interface, and modularity. We achieved extremely low power consumption of 4 μW/channel, optimized energy efficiency using moderate inversion in low-noise amplifiers (K of 5.98 × 10⁸ or NEF of 2.9), and minimized asynchronous interface (only 2 per 16 channels) for command and data capturing. We also implemented adaptable operations including programmable-gain amplification, power-scalable sampling (up to 50 kS/s/channel), wide configuration range (9-bit) for programmable gain and bandwidth, and 5-bit site selection capability (selecting 16 out of 128 sites). The implemented front-end module has achieved a reduction in noise-energy-area product by a factor of 5-25 times as compared to the state-of-the-art analog front-end approaches reported to date.

Thermal management and prototype testing of Compton scattering X-ray beam position monitor for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade

DOE PAGES

Lee, S. H.; Yang, B. X.; Collins, J. T.; ...

2017-02-07

Accurate and stable x-ray beam position monitors (XBPMs) are key elements in obtaining the desired user beam stability in the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade. In the next-generation XBPMs for the canted-undulator front ends, where two undulator beams are separated by 1.0 mrad, the lower beam power (<10 kW) per undulator allows us to explore lower-cost solutions based on Compton scattering from a diamond placed edge-on to the x-ray beam. Because of the high peak power density of the x-ray beams, this diamond experiences high temperatures and has to be clamped to a water-cooled heat spreader using thermal interface materials (TIMs),more » which play a key role in reducing the temperature of the diamond. To evaluate temperature changes through the interface via thermal simulations, the thermal contact resistance (TCR) of TIMs at an interface between two solid materials under even contact pressure must be known. This paper addresses the TCR measurements of several TIMs, including gold, silver, pyrolytic graphite sheet, and 3D graphene foam. In addition, a prototype of a Compton-scattering XBPM with diamond blades was installed at APS Beamline 24-ID-A in May 2015 and has been tested. This study presents the design of the Compton-scattering XBPM, and compares thermal simulation results obtained for the diamond blade of this XBPM by the finite element method with in situ empirical measurements obtained by using reliable infrared technology.« less

ETHERNET BASED EMBEDDED SYSTEM FOR FEL DIAGNOSTICS AND CONTROLS

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

Jianxun Yan; Daniel Sexton; Steven Moore

2006-10-24

An Ethernet based embedded system has been developed to upgrade the Beam Viewer and Beam Position Monitor (BPM) systems within the free-electron laser (FEL) project at Jefferson Lab. The embedded microcontroller was mounted on the front-end I/O cards with software packages such as Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) and Real Time Executive for Multiprocessor System (RTEMS) running as an Input/Output Controller (IOC). By cross compiling with the EPICS, the RTEMS kernel, IOC device supports, and databases all of these can be downloaded into the microcontroller. The first version of the BPM electronics based on the embedded controller wasmore » built and is currently running in our FEL system. The new version of BPM that will use a Single Board IOC (SBIOC), which integrates with an Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA) and a ColdFire embedded microcontroller, is presently under development. The new system has the features of a low cost IOC, an open source real-time operating system, plug&play-like ease of installation and flexibility, and provides a much more localized solution.« less

Does the Shoe Fit? Ethical, Legal, and Policy Considerations of Global Positioning System Shoes for Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Yang, Y Tony; Kels, Charles G

2016-08-01

As the overall incidence of Alzheimer's disease rises, the burden on caregivers and law enforcement institutions will increase to find individuals who wander. As such, technological innovations that could reduce this burden will become increasingly important. One such innovation is the GPS Shoe. As with any innovation involving the transfer of personal data to third parties, potential pitfalls with respect to loss of privacy and inadequate consent counterbalance the substantial promise of GPS shoes. To some extent, advance planning can mitigate these concerns, wherein individuals willingly elect to be monitored before their impairments progress to a stage that makes such authorization impractical. Nonetheless, tension may arise between the peace of mind of caregivers and family members and other important considerations at the intersection of autonomy, privacy, dignity, and consent. Ultimately, confronting ethical, legal, and policy considerations at the front end of product development and deployment will help ensure that new technologies are used wisely and that their lifesaving potential is realized. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Does patient position influence the reading of the bispectral index monitor?

PubMed

Kaki, Abdullah M; Almarakbi, Waleed A

2009-12-01

Bispectral index (BIS) was developed to monitor patients' level of consciousness under general anesthesia. Several factors have been found to alter BIS readings without affecting the depth of anesthesia. We conducted a study to assess the impact of changing patients' position on BIS readings. General anesthesia was administered to 40 patients undergoing minor surgeries. Patients were kept in neutral position (supine) for 15 min and BIS readings, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and end-tidal isoflurane were recorded. Patients were then shifted to head-down position (30 degrees), neutral position, and lastly head-up position (30 degrees) each of 15-min duration and the data were recorded. There was a significant increase in BIS values in head-down position (median 47 vs 40) compared with neutral position, whereas head-up position significantly decreased BIS (39 vs 41) compared with neutral position (P < 0.05). Changing a patient's position significantly affects the BIS values, which might affect the interpretation of anesthetic depth.

Can new passenger cars reduce pedestrian lower extremity injury? A review of geometrical changes of front-end design before and after regulatory efforts.

PubMed

Nie, Bingbing; Zhou, Qing

2016-10-02

Pedestrian lower extremity represents the most frequently injured body region in car-to-pedestrian accidents. The European Directive concerning pedestrian safety was established in 2003 for evaluating pedestrian protection performance of car models. However, design changes have not been quantified since then. The goal of this study was to investigate front-end profiles of representative passenger car models and the potential influence on pedestrian lower extremity injury risk. The front-end styling of sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUV) released from 2008 to 2011 was characterized by the geometrical parameters related to pedestrian safety and compared to representative car models before 2003. The influence of geometrical design change on the resultant risk of injury to pedestrian lower extremity-that is, knee ligament rupture and long bone fracture-was estimated by a previously developed assessment tool assuming identical structural stiffness. Based on response surface generated from simulation results of a human body model (HBM), the tool provided kinematic and kinetic responses of pedestrian lower extremity resulted from a given car's front-end design. Newer passenger cars exhibited a "flatter" front-end design. The median value of the sedan models provided 87.5 mm less bottom depth, and the SUV models exhibited 94.7 mm less bottom depth. In the lateral impact configuration similar to that in the regulatory test methods, these geometrical changes tend to reduce the injury risk of human knee ligament rupture by 36.6 and 39.6% based on computational approximation. The geometrical changes did not significantly influence the long bone fracture risk. The present study reviewed the geometrical changes in car front-ends along with regulatory concerns regarding pedestrian safety. A preliminary quantitative benefit of the lower extremity injury reduction was estimated based on these geometrical features. Further investigation is recommended on the structural changes and inclusion of more accident scenarios.

Remote Detection of Saline Intrusion in a Coastal Aquifer Using Borehole Measurements of Self-Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAllister, DJ.; Jackson, M. D.; Butler, A. P.; Vinogradov, J.

2018-03-01

Two years of self-potential (SP) measurements were made in a monitoring borehole in the coastal UK Chalk aquifer. The borehole SP data showed a persistent gradient with depth, and temporal variations with a tidal power spectrum consistent with ocean tides. No gradient with depth was observed at a second coastal monitoring borehole ca. 1 km further inland, and no gradient or tidal power spectrum were observed at an inland site ca. 80 km from the coast. Numerical modeling suggests that the SP gradient recorded in the coastal monitoring borehole is dominated by the exclusion-diffusion potential, which arises from the concentration gradient across a saline front in close proximity to, but not intersecting, the base of the borehole. No such saline front is present at the two other monitoring sites. Modeling further suggests that the ocean tidal SP response in the borehole, measured prior to breakthrough of saline water, is dominated by the exclusion-diffusion potential across the saline front, and that the SP fluctuations are due to the tidal movement of the remote front. The electrokinetic potential, caused by changes in hydraulic head across the tide, is one order of magnitude too small to explain the observed SP data. The results suggest that in coastal aquifers, the exclusion-diffusion potential plays a dominant role in borehole SP when a saline front is nearby. The SP gradient with depth indicates the close proximity of the saline front to the borehole and changes in SP at the borehole reflect changes in the location of the saline front. Thus, SP monitoring can be used to facilitate more proactive management of abstraction and saline intrusion in coastal aquifers.

A real-time data-acquisition and analysis system with distributed UNIX workstations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, H.; Miyamoto, K.; Maruyama, K.; Hirosawa, H.; Nakayoshi, K.; Emura, T.; Sumi, Y.

1996-02-01

A compact data-acquisition system using three RISC/UNIX™ workstations (SUN™/SPARCstation™) with real-time capabilities of monitoring and analysis has been developed for the study of photonuclear reactions with the large-acceptance spectrometer TAGX. One workstation acquires data from memory modules in the front-end electronics (CAMAC and TKO) with a maximum speed of 300 Kbytes/s, where data size times instantaneous rate is 1 Kbyte × 300 Hz. Another workstation, which has real-time capability for run monitoring, gets the data with a buffer manager called NOVA. The third workstation analyzes the data and reconstructs the event. In addition to a general hardware and software description, priority settings and run control by shell scripts are described. This system has recently been used successfully in a two month long experiment.

LightWAVE: Waveform and Annotation Viewing and Editing in a Web Browser.

PubMed

Moody, George B

2013-09-01

This paper describes LightWAVE, recently-developed open-source software for viewing ECGs and other physiologic waveforms and associated annotations (event markers). It supports efficient interactive creation and modification of annotations, capabilities that are essential for building new collections of physiologic signals and time series for research. LightWAVE is constructed of components that interact in simple ways, making it straightforward to enhance or replace any of them. The back end (server) is a common gateway interface (CGI) application written in C for speed and efficiency. It retrieves data from its data repository (PhysioNet's open-access PhysioBank archives by default, or any set of files or web pages structured as in PhysioBank) and delivers them in response to requests generated by the front end. The front end (client) is a web application written in JavaScript. It runs within any modern web browser and does not require installation on the user's computer, tablet, or phone. Finally, LightWAVE's scribe is a tiny CGI application written in Perl, which records the user's edits in annotation files. LightWAVE's data repository, back end, and front end can be located on the same computer or on separate computers. The data repository may be split across multiple computers. For compatibility with the standard browser security model, the front end and the scribe must be loaded from the same domain.

Fuzzy Logic Based Autonomous Parallel Parking System with Kalman Filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panomruttanarug, Benjamas; Higuchi, Kohji

This paper presents an emulation of fuzzy logic control schemes for an autonomous parallel parking system in a backward maneuver. There are four infrared sensors sending the distance data to a microcontroller for generating an obstacle-free parking path. Two of them mounted on the front and rear wheels on the parking side are used as the inputs to the fuzzy rules to calculate a proper steering angle while backing. The other two attached to the front and rear ends serve for avoiding collision with other cars along the parking space. At the end of parking processes, the vehicle will be in line with other parked cars and positioned in the middle of the free space. Fuzzy rules are designed based upon a wall following process. Performance of the infrared sensors is improved using Kalman filtering. The design method needs extra information from ultrasonic sensors. Starting from modeling the ultrasonic sensor in 1-D state space forms, one makes use of the infrared sensor as a measurement to update the predicted values. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of sensor improvement.

Mini-O, simple Omega receiver hardware for user education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burhans, R. W.

1976-01-01

A problem with the Omega system is a lack of suitable low cost hardware for the small user community. A collection of do it yourself circuit modules are under development intended for use by educational institutions, small boat owners, aviation enthusiasts, and others who have some skills in fabricating their own electronic equipment. Applications of the hardware to time frequency standards measurements, signal propagation monitoring, and navigation experiments are presented. A family of Mini-O systems have been constructed varying from the simplest RF preamplifiers and narrowband filters front-ends, to sophisticated microcomputer interface adapters.

The SKA1 LOW telescope: system architecture and design performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waterson, Mark F.; Labate, Maria Grazia; Schnetler, Hermine; Wagg, Jeff; Turner, Wallace; Dewdney, Peter

2016-07-01

The SKA1-LOW radio telescope will be a low-frequency (50-350 MHz) aperture array located in Western Australia. Its scientific objectives will prioritize studies of the Epoch of Reionization and pulsar physics. Development of the telescope has been allocated to consortia responsible for the aperture array front end, timing distribution, signal and data transport, correlation and beamforming signal processors, infrastructure, monitor and control systems, and science data processing. This paper will describe the system architectural design and key performance parameters of the telescope and summarize the high-level sub-system designs of the consortia.

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW SHOWING FRONT (EAST) END AND SOUTH SIDE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. EXTERIOR OVERVIEW SHOWING FRONT (EAST) END AND SOUTH SIDE OF BUILDING 103, ROCK WALL AND MATURE COTTONWOOD TREES IN FOREGROUND, CONTROL SUBSTATION BEHIND BUILDING 103, AND BUILDING 106 BEHIND THE COTTONWOOD TREE IN THE NORTH BACKGROUND. VIEW TO NORTH. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Control Station, Worker Cottage, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

Front End Loader Operator. Open Pit Mining Job Training Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savilow, Bill

This training outline for front end loader operators, one in a series of eight outlines, is designed primarily for company training foremen or supervisors and for trainers to use as an industry-wide guideline for heavy equipment operator training in open pit mining in British Columbia. Intended as a guide for preparation of lesson plans both for…

Front Elevation and Floor Plan in 1893, 1894, and 1909; ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Front Elevation and Floor Plan in 1893, 1894, and 1909; Office End Elevation, Waiting End Elevation, Section A (1894), Section B (1894), Signage (ca. 1908-1911), Map of Rail Lines & Depots on Soldiers' Home - National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Pacific Branch, Streetcar Depot, Corner of Pershing & Dewey Avenues, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Front-end antenna system design for the ITER low-field-side reflectometer system using GENRAY ray tracing.

PubMed

Wang, G; Doyle, E J; Peebles, W A

2016-11-01

A monostatic antenna array arrangement has been designed for the microwave front-end of the ITER low-field-side reflectometer (LFSR) system. This paper presents details of the antenna coupling coefficient analyses performed using GENRAY, a 3-D ray tracing code, to evaluate the plasma height accommodation capability of such an antenna array design. Utilizing modeled data for the plasma equilibrium and profiles for the ITER baseline and half-field scenarios, a design study was performed for measurement locations varying from the plasma edge to inside the top of the pedestal. A front-end antenna configuration is recommended for the ITER LFSR system based on the results of this coupling analysis.

Test of ATLAS RPCs Front-End electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aielli, G.; Camarri, P.; Cardarelli, R.; Di Ciaccio, A.; Di Stante, L.; Liberti, B.; Paoloni, A.; Pastori, E.; Santonico, R.

2003-08-01

The Front-End Electronics performing the ATLAS RPCs readout is a full custom 8 channels GaAs circuit, which integrates in a single die both the analog and digital signal processing. The die is bonded on the Front-End board which is completely closed inside the detector Faraday cage. About 50 000 FE boards are foreseen for the experiment. The complete functionality of the FE boards will be certificated before the detector assembly. We describe here the systematic test devoted to check the dynamic functionality of each single channel and the selection criteria applied. It measures and registers all relevant electronics parameters to build up a complete database for the experiment. The statistical results from more than 1100 channels are presented.

FELIX: a PCIe based high-throughput approach for interfacing front-end and trigger electronics in the ATLAS Upgrade framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J.; Bauer, K.; Borga, A.; Boterenbrood, H.; Chen, H.; Chen, K.; Drake, G.; Dönszelmann, M.; Francis, D.; Guest, D.; Gorini, B.; Joos, M.; Lanni, F.; Lehmann Miotto, G.; Levinson, L.; Narevicius, J.; Panduro Vazquez, W.; Roich, A.; Ryu, S.; Schreuder, F.; Schumacher, J.; Vandelli, W.; Vermeulen, J.; Whiteson, D.; Wu, W.; Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

The ATLAS Phase-I upgrade (2019) requires a Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system able to trigger and record data from up to three times the nominal LHC instantaneous luminosity. The Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system provides an infrastructure to achieve this in a scalable, detector agnostic and easily upgradeable way. It is a PC-based gateway, interfacing custom radiation tolerant optical links from front-end electronics, via PCIe Gen3 cards, to a commodity switched Ethernet or InfiniBand network. FELIX enables reducing custom electronics in favour of software running on commercial servers. The FELIX system, the design of the PCIe prototype card and the integration test results are presented in this paper.

On-line monitoring of in-vitro oral bioaccessibility tests as front-end to liquid chromatography for determination of chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements.

PubMed

Kremr, Daniel; Cocovi-Solberg, David J; Bajerová, Petra; Ventura, Karel; Miró, Manuel

2017-05-01

A novel fully automated in-vitro oral dissolution test assay as a front-end to liquid chromatography has been developed and validated for on-line chemical profiling and monitoring of temporal release profiles of three caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) isomers, namely, 3-CQA,4-CQA and 5-CQA, known as chlorogenic acids, in dietary supplements. Tangential-flow filtration is harnessed as a sample processing approach for on-line handling of CQA containing extracts of hard gelatin capsules and introduction of protein-free samples into the liquid chromatograph. Oral bioaccessibility/dissolution test assays were performed at 37.0±0.5°C as per US Pharmacopeia recommendations using pepsin with activity of ca. 749,000 USP units/L in 0.1mol/L HCl as the extraction medium and a paddle apparatus stirred at 50rpm. CQA release rates and steady-state dissolution conditions were determined accurately by fitting the chromatographic datasets, namely, the average cumulative concentrations of bioaccessible pools of every individual isomer monitored during 200min, with temporal resolutions of ≥10min, to a first-order dissolution kinetic model. Distinct solid-to-liquid phase ratios in the mimicry of physiological extraction conditions were assessed. Relative standard deviations for intra-day repeatability and inter-day intermediate precision of 5-CQA within the 5-40µg/mL concentration range were <3.4% and <5.5%, respectively. Trueness of the automatic flow method for determination of 5-CQA released from dietary supplements in gastric fluid surrogate was demonstrated by spike recoveries, spanning from 91.5-104.0%, upon completion of the dissolution process. The proposed hyphenated setup was resorted for evaluating potential differences in dissolution profiles and content of the three most abundant chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements from varied manufacturers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visual monitoring of the melting front propagation in a paraffin-based PCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charvát, Pavel; Štětina, Josef; Mauder, Tomáš; Klimeš, Lubomír

Experiments were carried out in an environmental chamber with the aim to monitor the melting front propagation in a rectangular cavity filled with a paraffin-based Phase Change Material (PCM). The PCM was contained in transparent containers with the heat flux introduced by means of an electric heating element. The stabilized power source was used to maintain the constant heat output of the heating elements. The experiments were performed for the heat flux introduced at the side wall of the container and at the upper surface of the PCM. The paraffin-based PCM RT28HC with the phase change temperature of 28 °C was used in the experiments. The temperature in the environmental chamber was maintained at the melting temperature of the PCM. The propagation of the melting front was monitored with a digital camera and temperatures at several locations were monitored with RTDs and thermocouples. Significant natural convection was observed for the heat flux introduced at the side wall of the container. As a result the melting front propagated much faster at the top of the container than at its bottom. The heat flux introduced at the upper-surface of the PCM resulted in almost one-dimensional propagation of the melting front. The acquired data are to be used for validation of an in-house developed numerical model based on the front-tracking method.

Towards an implantable bio-sensor platform for continuous real-time monitoring of anti-epileptic drugs.

PubMed

Hammoud, Abbas; Chamseddine, Ahmad; Nguyen, Dang K; Sawan, Mohamad

2016-08-01

The need of continuous real-time monitoring device for in-vivo drug level detection has been widely articulated lately. Such monitoring could guide drug posology and timing of intake, detect low or high drug levels, in order to take adequate measures, and give clinicians a valuable window into patients' health and their response to therapeutics. This paper presents a novel implantable bio-sensor based on impedance measurement capable of continuously monitoring various antiepileptic drug levels. This portable point-of-care microsystem replaces large and stationary conventional macrosystems, and is a one of a kind system designed with an array of electrodes to monitor various anti-epileptic drugs rather than one drug. The micro-system consists of (i) the front-end circuit including an inductive coil to receive energy from an external base station, and to exchange data with the latter; (ii) the power management block; (iii) the readout and control block; and (iv) the biosensor array. The electrical circuitry was designed using the 0.18-um CMOS process technology intended to be miniature and consume ultra-low power.

Use of Computed X-ray Tomographic Data for Analyzing the Thermodynamics of a Dissociating Porous Sand/Hydrate Mixture

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Freifeld, Barry M.; Kneafsey, Timothy J.; Tomutsa, Liviu; Stern, Laura A.; Kirby, Stephen H.

2002-02-28

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a method that has been used extensively in laboratory experiments for measuring rock properties and fluid transport behavior. More recently, CT scanning has been applied successfully to detect the presence and study the behavior of naturally occurring hydrates. In this study, we used a modified medical CT scanner to image and analyze the progression of a dissociation front in a synthetic methane hydrate/sand mixture. The sample was initially scanned under conditions at which the hydrate is stable (atmospheric pressure and liquid nitrogen temperature, 77 K). The end of the sample holder was then exposed to the ambient air, and the core was continuously scanned as dissociation occurred in response to the rising temperature. CT imaging captured the advancing dissociation front clearly and accurately. The evolved gas volume was monitored as a function of time. Measured by CT, the advancing hydrate dissociation front was modeled as a thermal conduction problem explicitly incorporating the enthalpy of dissociation, using the Stefan moving-boundary-value approach. The assumptions needed to perform the analysis consisted of temperatures at the model boundaries. The estimated value for thermal conductivity of 2.6 W/m K for the remaining water ice/sand mixture is higher than expected based on conduction alone; this high value may represent a lumped parameter that incorporates the processes of heat conduction, methane gas convection, and any kinetic effects that occur during dissociation. The technique presented here has broad implications for future laboratory and field testing that incorporates geophysical techniques to monitor gas hydrate dissociation.

Ultrasonic monitoring of spontaneous imbibition experiments: Acoustic signature of fluid migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Christian; Barnes, Christophe; Desrues, Mathilde; Pimienta, Lucas; Sarout, Joël.; Dautriat, Jérémie

2017-07-01

Capillary rise experiments (spontaneous imbibition tests) were conducted in the laboratory with ultrasonic and X-ray monitoring on the Sherwood sandstone and the Majella grainstone. The aim was to provide a direct comparison between the variation in seismic attributes (amplitude, velocity, spectral content, and energy) and the actual fluid distribution in the rock. Two pairs of ultrasonic P wave sensors located at different heights on a cylindrical rock specimen recorded every 5 s the waveforms when capillary forces make water rise up into the rock from the bottom in contact with a water tank. Simultaneously, computerized tomography scan images of a vertical cross section were also recorded. Two important results were found. (i) The amplitude of the first P wave arrival is impacted by the upward moving fluid front before the P wave velocity is, while the fluid front has not yet reached the sensors level. In contrast, the P wave velocity decreases when the fluid front reaches the Fresnel clearance zone. The spectral analysis of the waveforms shows that the peak frequency amplitude is continuously decreasing without noticeable frequency shift. (ii) A methodology based on the calculation of the analytical signal and instantaneous phase was designed to decompose each waveform into discrete wavelets associated with direct or reflected waves. The energy carried by the wavelets is very sensitive to the fluid substitution process: the coda wavelets related to reflections on the bottom end face of the specimen are impacted as soon as imbibition starts and can be used as a precursor for the arriving fluid.

Development of ground-based ELF/VLF receiver system in Wuhan and its first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yanping; Yang, Guobin; Ni, Binbin; Zhao, Zhengyu; Gu, Xudong; Zhou, Chen; Wang, Feng

2016-05-01

A new digital low-frequency receiver system has been developed at Wuhan University for sensitive reception of low-latitude broadband Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves originating from either natural or artificial sources. These low-frequency radio waves are useful for ionospheric remote sensing, geospace environment monitoring, and submarine communications. This paper presents the principle and architecture of the system framework, including magnetic loop antenna design, low-noise analog front-end and digital receiver with data sampling and transmission. A new structure is adopted in the analog front end to provide high common-mode rejection and to reduce interference. On basis of field programmable gate array (FPGA) device and Universal Serial Bus (USB) architecture, the digital receiver is developed along with time keeping and synchronization module. The validity and feasibility of the self-developed ground-based ELF/VLF receiver system is evaluated by first results of experimental data that show the temporal variation of broadband ELF/VLF wave spectral intensity in Wuhan (30.54 °N, 114.37 °E). In addition to the acquisition of VLF transmitter signals at various frequencies, tweek atmospherics are also clearly captured to occur at multiple modes up to n = 6.

Front end design of smartphone-based mobile health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Changfan; He, Lingsong; Gao, Zhiqiang; Ling, Cong; Du, Jianhao

2015-02-01

Mobile health has been a new trend all over the world with the rapid development of intelligent terminals and mobile internet. It can help patients monitor health in-house and is convenient for doctors to diagnose remotely. Smart-phone-based mobile health has big advantages in cost and data sharing. Front end design of it mainly focuses on two points: one is implementation of medical sensors aimed at measuring kinds of medical signal; another is acquisition of medical signal from sensors to smart phone. In this paper, the above two aspects were both discussed. First, medical sensor implementation was proposed to refer to mature measurement solutions with ECG (electrocardiograph) sensor design taken for example. And integrated chip using can simplify design. Then second, typical data acquisition architecture of smart phones, namely Bluetooth and MIC (microphone)-based architecture, were compared. Bluetooth architecture should be equipped with an acquisition card; MIC design uses sound card of smart phone instead. Smartphone-based virtual instrument app design corresponding to above acquisition architecture was discussed. In experiments, Bluetooth and MIC architecture were used to acquire blood pressure and ECG data respectively. The results showed that Bluetooth design can guarantee high accuracy during the acquisition and transmission process, and MIC design is competitive because of low cost and convenience.

Intelligent communication assistant for databases

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

Jakobson, G.; Shaked, V.; Rowley, S.

1983-01-01

An intelligent communication assistant for databases, called FRED (front end for databases) is explored. FRED is designed to facilitate access to database systems by users of varying levels of experience. FRED is a second generation of natural language front-ends for databases and intends to solve two critical interface problems existing between end-users and databases: connectivity and communication problems. The authors report their experiences in developing software for natural language query processing, dialog control, and knowledge representation, as well as the direction of future work. 10 references.

An open-source data storage and visualization back end for experimental data.

PubMed

Nielsen, Kenneth; Andersen, Thomas; Jensen, Robert; Nielsen, Jane H; Chorkendorff, Ib

2014-04-01

In this article, a flexible free and open-source software system for data logging and presentation will be described. The system is highly modular and adaptable and can be used in any laboratory in which continuous and/or ad hoc measurements require centralized storage. A presentation component for the data back end has furthermore been written that enables live visualization of data on any device capable of displaying Web pages. The system consists of three parts: data-logging clients, a data server, and a data presentation Web site. The logging of data from independent clients leads to high resilience to equipment failure, whereas the central storage of data dramatically eases backup and data exchange. The visualization front end allows direct monitoring of acquired data to see live progress of long-duration experiments. This enables the user to alter experimental conditions based on these data and to interfere with the experiment if needed. The data stored consist both of specific measurements and of continuously logged system parameters. The latter is crucial to a variety of automation and surveillance features, and three cases of such features are described: monitoring system health, getting status of long-duration experiments, and implementation of instant alarms in the event of failure.

How Front-End Loading Contributes to Creating and Sustaining the Theory-Practice Gap in Higher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Jeanne Maree

2011-01-01

In this paper, I show how Mead's theory of emergence can prove explanatory in how the theory-practice gap is co-created and sustained in "front-end loading" university programs. Taking teacher education as an exemplar, I argue that trainee teachers encounter different and oft-times conflicting environmental, social and cultural conditions in the…

Implementation of artificial intelligence rules in a data base management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feyock, S.

1986-01-01

The intelligent front end prototype was transformed into a RIM-integrated system. A RIM-based expert system was written which demonstrated the developed capability. The use of rules to produce extensibility of the intelligent front end, including the concept of demons and rule manipulation rules were investigated. Innovative approaches such as syntax programming were to be considered.

Desktop Application Program to Simulate Cargo-Air-Drop Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuthbert, Peter

2009-01-01

The DSS Application is a computer program comprising a Windows version of the UNIX-based Decelerator System Simulation (DSS) coupled with an Excel front end. The DSS is an executable code that simulates the dynamics of airdropped cargo from first motion in an aircraft through landing. The bare DSS is difficult to use; the front end makes it easy to use. All inputs to the DSS, control of execution of the DSS, and postprocessing and plotting of outputs are handled in the front end. The front end is graphics-intensive. The Excel software provides the graphical elements without need for additional programming. Categories of input parameters are divided into separate tabbed windows. Pop-up comments describe each parameter. An error-checking software component evaluates combinations of parameters and alerts the user if an error results. Case files can be created from inputs, making it possible to build cases from previous ones. Simulation output is plotted in 16 charts displayed on a separate worksheet, enabling plotting of multiple DSS cases with flight-test data. Variables assigned to each plot can be changed. Selected input parameters can be edited from the plot sheet for quick sensitivity studies.

45 Gb/s low complexity optical front-end for soft-decision LDPC decoders.

PubMed

Sakib, Meer Nazmus; Moayedi, Monireh; Gross, Warren J; Liboiron-Ladouceur, Odile

2012-07-30

In this paper a low complexity and energy efficient 45 Gb/s soft-decision optical front-end to be used with soft-decision low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoders is demonstrated. The results show that the optical front-end exhibits a net coding gain of 7.06 and 9.62 dB for post forward error correction bit error rate of 10(-7) and 10(-12) for long block length LDPC(32768,26803) code. The performance over a hard decision front-end is 1.9 dB for this code. It is shown that the soft-decision circuit can also be used as a 2-bit flash type analog-to-digital converter (ADC), in conjunction with equalization schemes. At bit rate of 15 Gb/s using RS(255,239), LDPC(672,336), (672, 504), (672, 588), and (1440, 1344) used with a 6-tap finite impulse response (FIR) equalizer will result in optical power savings of 3, 5, 7, 9.5 and 10.5 dB, respectively. The 2-bit flash ADC consumes only 2.71 W at 32 GSamples/s. At 45 GSamples/s the power consumption is estimated to be 4.95 W.

Verification of a three-dimensional resin transfer molding process simulation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fingerson, John C.; Loos, Alfred C.; Dexter, H. Benson

1995-01-01

Experimental evidence was obtained to complete the verification of the parameters needed for input to a three-dimensional finite element model simulating the resin flow and cure through an orthotropic fabric preform. The material characterizations completed include resin kinetics and viscosity models, as well as preform permeability and compaction models. The steady-state and advancing front permeability measurement methods are compared. The results indicate that both methods yield similar permeabilities for a plain weave, bi-axial fiberglass fabric. Also, a method to determine principal directions and permeabilities is discussed and results are shown for a multi-axial warp knit preform. The flow of resin through a blade-stiffened preform was modeled and experiments were completed to verify the results. The predicted inlet pressure was approximately 65% of the measured value. A parametric study was performed to explain differences in measured and predicted flow front advancement and inlet pressures. Furthermore, PR-500 epoxy resin/IM7 8HS carbon fabric flat panels were fabricated by the Resin Transfer Molding process. Tests were completed utilizing both perimeter injection and center-port injection as resin inlet boundary conditions. The mold was instrumented with FDEMS sensors, pressure transducers, and thermocouples to monitor the process conditions. Results include a comparison of predicted and measured inlet pressures and flow front position. For the perimeter injection case, the measured inlet pressure and flow front results compared well to the predicted results. The results of the center-port injection case showed that the predicted inlet pressure was approximately 50% of the measured inlet pressure. Also, measured flow front position data did not agree well with the predicted results. Possible reasons for error include fiber deformation at the resin inlet and a lag in FDEMS sensor wet-out due to low mold pressures.

Riparian ecosystem consequences of water redistribution along the Colorado Front Range

Treesearch

John D. Wiener; Kathleen A. Dwire; Susan K. Skagen; Robert R. Crifasi; David Yates

2008-01-01

Water has shaped the American West. Nowhere is this more evident than along the Front Range of Colorado. At the west end of the famous Great Plains rainfall gradient, the Front Range extends most of the length of Colorado and is one of the fastest growing metropolitan regions in the nation. Annual precipitation along the Front Range averages about 16 inches, and...

Effective seismic acceleration measurements for low-cost Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pentaris, Fragkiskos; Makris, John P.

2015-04-01

There is increasing demand on cost effective Structural Health Monitoring systems for buildings as well as important and/or critical constructions. The front end for all these systems is the accelerometer. We present a comparative study of two low cost MEMS accelaration sensors against a very sensitive, high dynamic range strong motion accelerometer of force balance type but much more expensive. A real experiment was realized by deploying the three sesnors in a reinforced concrete building of the premises of TEI of Crete at Chania Crete, an earthquake prone region. The analysis of the collected accelararion data from many seismic events indicates that all sensors are able to efficiently reveal the seismic response of the construction in terms of PSD. Furthermore, it is shown that coherence diagrams between excitation and response of the building under study, depict structural characteristics but also the seismic energy distribution. This work is supported by the Archimedes III Program of the Ministry of Education of Greece, through the Operational Program "Educational and Lifelong Learning", in the framework of the project entitled "Interdisciplinary Multi-Scale Research of Earthquake Physics and Seismotectonics at the front of the Hellenic Arc (IMPACT-ARC)" and is co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds.

FELIX: a PCIe based high-throughput approach for interfacing front-end and trigger electronics in the ATLAS Upgrade framework

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

Anderson, J.; Bauer, K.; Borga, A.

The ATLAS Phase-I upgrade (2019) requires a Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system able to trigger and record data from up to three times the nominal LHC instantaneous luminosity. Furthermore, the Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system provides an infrastructure to achieve this in a scalable, detector agnostic and easily upgradeable way. It is a PC-based gateway, interfacing custom radiation tolerant optical links from front-end electronics, via PCIe Gen3 cards, to a commodity switched Ethernet or InfiniBand network. FELIX enables reducing custom electronics in favour of software running on commercial servers. Here, the FELIX system, the design of the PCIe prototypemore » card and the integration test results are presented.« less

Integrated front-end electronics in a detector compatible process: source-follower and charge-sensitive preamplifier configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratti, Lodovico; Manghisoni, Massimo; Re, Valerio; Speziali, Valeria

2001-12-01

This study is concerned with the simulation and design of low-noise front-end electronics monolithically integrated on the same high-resistivity substrate as multielectrode silicon detectors, in a process made available by the Istituto per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (ITC-IRST) of Trento, Italy. The integrated front-end solutions described in this paper use N-channel JFETs as basic elements. The first one is based upon an all-NJFET charge preamplifier designed to match detector capacitances of a few picofarads and available in both a resistive and a non resistive feedback configuration. In the second solution, a single NJFET in the source-follower configuration is connected to the detector, while its source is wired to an external readout channel through an integrated capacitor.

FELIX: a PCIe based high-throughput approach for interfacing front-end and trigger electronics in the ATLAS Upgrade framework

DOE PAGES

Anderson, J.; Bauer, K.; Borga, A.; ...

2016-12-13

The ATLAS Phase-I upgrade (2019) requires a Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system able to trigger and record data from up to three times the nominal LHC instantaneous luminosity. Furthermore, the Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) system provides an infrastructure to achieve this in a scalable, detector agnostic and easily upgradeable way. It is a PC-based gateway, interfacing custom radiation tolerant optical links from front-end electronics, via PCIe Gen3 cards, to a commodity switched Ethernet or InfiniBand network. FELIX enables reducing custom electronics in favour of software running on commercial servers. Here, the FELIX system, the design of the PCIe prototypemore » card and the integration test results are presented.« less

Multi sensor satellite imagers for commercial remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cronje, T.; Burger, H.; Du Plessis, J.; Du Toit, J. F.; Marais, L.; Strumpfer, F.

2005-10-01

This paper will discuss and compare recent refractive and catodioptric imager designs developed and manufactured at SunSpace for Multi Sensor Satellite Imagers with Panchromatic, Multi-spectral, Area and Hyperspectral sensors on a single Focal Plane Array (FPA). These satellite optical systems were designed with applications to monitor food supplies, crop yield and disaster monitoring in mind. The aim of these imagers is to achieve medium to high resolution (2.5m to 15m) spatial sampling, wide swaths (up to 45km) and noise equivalent reflectance (NER) values of less than 0.5%. State-of-the-art FPA designs are discussed and address the choice of detectors to achieve these performances. Special attention is given to thermal robustness and compactness, the use of folding prisms to place multiple detectors in a large FPA and a specially developed process to customize the spectral selection with the need to minimize mass, power and cost. A refractive imager with up to 6 spectral bands (6.25m GSD) and a catodioptric imager with panchromatic (2.7m GSD), multi-spectral (6 bands, 4.6m GSD), hyperspectral (400nm to 2.35μm, 200 bands, 15m GSD) sensors on the same FPA will be discussed. Both of these imagers are also equipped with real time video view finding capabilities. The electronic units could be subdivided into the Front-End Electronics and Control Electronics with analogue and digital signal processing. A dedicated Analogue Front-End is used for Correlated Double Sampling (CDS), black level correction, variable gain and up to 12-bit digitizing and high speed LVDS data link to a mass memory unit.

Time-resolved acoustic emission tomography in the laboratory: tracking localised damage in rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantut, N.

2017-12-01

Over the past three decades, there has been tremendous technological developments of laboratory equipment and studies using acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring of rock samples during deformation. Using relatively standard seismological techniques, acoustic emissions can be detected, located in space and time, and source mechanisms can be obtained. In parallel, ultrasonic velocities can be measured routinely using standard pulse-receiver techniques.Despite these major developments, current acoustic emission and ultrasonic monitoring systems are typically used separately, and the poor spatial coverage of acoustic transducers precludes performing active 3D tomography in typical laboratory settings.Here, I present an algorithm and software package that uses both passive acoustic emission data and active ultrasonic measurements to determine acoustic emission locations together with the 3D, anisotropic P-wave structure of rock samples during deformation. The technique is analogous to local earthquake tomography, but tailored to the specificities of small scale laboratory tests. The fast marching method is employed to compute the forward problem. The acoustic emission locations and the anisotropic P-wave field are jointly inverted using the Quasi-Newton method.The method is used to track the propagation of compaction bands in a porous sandstone deformed in the ductile, cataclastic flow regime under triaxial stress conditions. Near the yield point, a compaction front forms at one end of the sample, and slowly progresses towards the other end. The front is illuminated by clusters of Acoustic Emissions, and leaves behind a heavily damaged material where the P-wave speed has dropped by up to 20%.The technique opens new possibilities to track in-situ strain localisation and damage around laboratory faults, and preliminary results on quasi-static rupture in granite will be presented.

X-ray Computed Tomography Observation of Methane Hydrate Dissociation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomutsa, L.; Freifeld, B.; Kneafsey, T.J.; Stern, L.A.

2002-01-01

Deposits of naturally occurring methane hydrate have been identified in permafrost and deep oceanic environments with global reserves estimated to be twice the total amount of energy stored in fossil fuels. The fundamental behavior of methane hydrate in natural formations, while poorly understood, is of critical importance if the economic recovery of methane from hydrates is to be accomplished. In this study, computed X-ray tomography (CT) scanning is used to image an advancing dissociation front in a heterogeneous gas hydrate/sand sample at 0.1 MPa. The cylindrical methane hydrate and sand aggregate, 2.54 cm in diameter and 6.3 cm long, was contained in a PVC sample holder that was insulated on all but one end. At the uninsulated end, the dissociated gas was captured and the volume of gas monitored. The sample was initially imaged axially using X-ray CT scanning within the methane hydrate stability zone by keeping the sample temperature at 77??K. Subsequently, as the sample warmed through the methane hydrate dissociation point at 194??K and room pressure, gas was produced and the temperature at the bottom of the sample plug was monitored while CT images were acquired. The experiment showed that CT imaging can resolve the reduction in density (as seen by a reduction in beam attenuation) of the hydrate/sand aggregate due to the dissociation of methane hydrate. In addition, a comparison of CT images with gas flow and temperature measurements reveals that the CT scanner is able to resolve accurately and spatially the advancing dissociation front. Future experiments designed to better understand the thermodynamics of hydrate dissociation are planned to take advantage of the temporal and spatial resolution that the CT scanner provides.

The AD and ELENA orbit, trajectory and intensity measurement systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marco-Hernández, R.; Alves, D.; Angoletta, M. E.; Marqversen, O.; Molendijk, J.; Oponowicz, E.; Ruffieux, R.; Sánchez-Quesada, J.; SØby, L.

2017-07-01

This paper describes the new Antiproton Decelerator (AD) orbit measurement system and the Extra Low ENergy Antiproton ring (ELENA) orbit, trajectory and intensity measurement system. The AD machine at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is presently being used to decelerate antiprotons from 3.57 GeV/c to 100 MeV/c for matter vs anti-matter comparative studies. The ELENA machine, presently under commissioning, has been designed to provide an extra deceleration stage down to 13.7 MeV/c. The AD orbit system is based on 32 horizontal and 27 vertical electrostatic Beam Position Monitor (BPM) fitted with existing low noise front-end amplifiers while the ELENA system consists of 24 \\gls{BPM}s equipped with new low-noise head amplifiers. In both systems the front-end amplifiers generate a difference (delta) and a sum (sigma) signal which are sent to the digital acquisition system, placed tens of meters away from the AD or ELENA rings, where they are digitized and further processed. The beam position is calculated by dividing the difference signal by the sum signal either using directly the raw digitized data for measuring the turn-by-turn trajectory in the ELENA system or after down-mixing the signals to baseband for the orbit measurement in both machines. The digitized sigma signal will be used in the ELENA system to calculate the bunched beam intensity and the Schottky parameters with coasting beam after passing through different signal processing chain. The digital acquisition arrangement for both systems is based on the same hardware, also used in the ELENA Low Level Radio Frequency (LLRF) system, which follows the VME Switched Serial (VXS) enhancement of the Versa Module Eurocard 64x extension (VME64x) standard and includes VITA 57 standard Field Programmable Gate Array Mezzanine Card (FMC). The digital acquisition Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) firmware shares many common functionalities with the LLRF system but has been tailored for this measurement application in particular. Specific control and acquisition software has been developed for these systems. Both systems are installed in AD and ELENA. The AD orbit system currently measures the orbit in AD while the ELENA system is being used in the commissioning of the ELENA ring.

JSC MCC Bldg 30 personnel monitor STS-26 post landing activities

NASA Image and Video Library

1988-10-03

JSC Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 flight control room (FCR) personnel monitor STS-26 post landing activities and ceremonies at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) via their monitors. Displayed on front screens are approach and landing diagrams, data, the space shuttle program insignia, the STS-26 mission insignia, the Mission Operations Directorate insignia, and the STS-26 crew standing in front of Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103.

Movement Demands of Elite U20 International Rugby Union Players

PubMed Central

Drawer, Scott; Eager, Robin; Taylor, Neil; Cook, Christian

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify movement demands of elite international age grade (U20) rugby union players during competitive tournament match play. Forty elite professional players from an U20 international performance squad were monitored using 10Hz global positioning systems (GPS) during 15 international tournament matches during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Data on distances, velocities, accelerations, decelerations, high metabolic load (HML) distance and efforts, and number of sprints were derived. Data files from players who played over 60 min (n = 161) were separated firstly into Forwards and Backs, and more specifically into six positional groups; FR—Front Row (prop & hooker), SR—Second Row, BR—Back Row (Flankers & No.8), HB—Half Backs (scrum half & outside half), MF—Midfield (centres), B3 –Back Three (wings & full back) for match analysis. Analysis revealed significant differences between forwards and backs positions. Backs scored higher on all variables measured with the exception of number of moderate accelerations, decelerations (no difference). The centres covered the greatest total distance with the front row covering the least (6.51 ± 0.71 vs 4.97 ± 0.75 km, p < 0.001). The front row also covered the least high speed running (HSR) distance compared to the back three (211.6 ± 112.7 vs 728.4 ± 150.2 m, p < 0.001) who covered the most HSR distance, affirming that backs cover greater distances but forwards have greater contact loads. These findings highlight for the first time differences in the movement characteristics of elite age grade rugby union players specific to positional roles. PMID:27055230

Movement Demands of Elite U20 International Rugby Union Players.

PubMed

Cunningham, Daniel; Shearer, David A; Drawer, Scott; Eager, Robin; Taylor, Neil; Cook, Christian; Kilduff, Liam P

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify movement demands of elite international age grade (U20) rugby union players during competitive tournament match play. Forty elite professional players from an U20 international performance squad were monitored using 10 Hz global positioning systems (GPS) during 15 international tournament matches during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Data on distances, velocities, accelerations, decelerations, high metabolic load (HML) distance and efforts, and number of sprints were derived. Data files from players who played over 60 min (n = 161) were separated firstly into Forwards and Backs, and more specifically into six positional groups; FR--Front Row (prop & hooker), SR--Second Row, BR--Back Row (Flankers & No.8), HB--Half Backs (scrum half & outside half), MF--Midfield (centres), B3--Back Three (wings & full back) for match analysis. Analysis revealed significant differences between forwards and backs positions. Backs scored higher on all variables measured with the exception of number of moderate accelerations, decelerations (no difference). The centres covered the greatest total distance with the front row covering the least (6.51 ± 0.71 vs 4.97 ± 0.75 km, p < 0.001). The front row also covered the least high speed running (HSR) distance compared to the back three (211.6 ± 112.7 vs 728.4 ± 150.2 m, p < 0.001) who covered the most HSR distance, affirming that backs cover greater distances but forwards have greater contact loads. These findings highlight for the first time differences in the movement characteristics of elite age grade rugby union players specific to positional roles.

Compact, Miniature MMIC Receiver Modules for an MMIC Array Spectrograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kangaslahti, Pekka P.; Gaier, Todd C.; Cooperrider, Joelle T.; Samoska, Lorene A.; Soria, Mary M.; ODwyer, Ian J.; Weinreb, Sander; Custodero, Brian; Owen, Heahter; Grainge, Keith;

Why Patient Matching Is a Challenge: Research on Master Patient Index (MPI) Data Discrepancies in Key Identifying Fields

PubMed Central

Just, Beth Haenke; Marc, David; Munns, Megan; Sandefer, Ryan

2016-01-01

Patient identification matching problems are a major contributor to data integrity issues within electronic health records. These issues impede the improvement of healthcare quality through health information exchange and care coordination, and contribute to deaths resulting from medical errors. Despite best practices in the area of patient access and medical record management to avoid duplicating patient records, duplicate records continue to be a significant problem in healthcare. This study examined the underlying causes of duplicate records using a multisite data set of 398,939 patient records with confirmed duplicates and analyzed multiple reasons for data discrepancies between those record matches. The field that had the greatest proportion of mismatches (nondefault values) was the middle name, accounting for 58.30 percent of mismatches. The Social Security number was the second most frequent mismatch, occurring in 53.54 percent of the duplicate pairs. The majority of the mismatches in the name fields were the result of misspellings (53.14 percent in first name and 33.62 percent in last name) or swapped last name/first name, first name/middle name, or last name/middle name pairs. The use of more sophisticated technologies is critical to improving patient matching. However, no amount of advanced technology or increased data capture will completely eliminate human errors. Thus, the establishment of policies and procedures (such as standard naming conventions or search routines) for front-end and back-end staff to follow is foundational for the overall data integrity process. Training staff on standard policies and procedures will result in fewer duplicates created on the front end and more accurate duplicate record matching and merging on the back end. Furthermore, monitoring, analyzing trends, and identifying errors that occur are proactive ways to identify data integrity issues. PMID:27134610

An undulator based soft x-ray source for microscopy on the Duke electron storage ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Lewis Elgin

1998-09-01

This dissertation describes the design, development, and installation of an undulator-based soft x-ray source on the Duke Free Electron Laser laboratory electron storage ring. Insertion device and soft x-ray beamline physics and technology are all discussed in detail. The Duke/NIST undulator is a 3.64-m long hybrid design constructed by the Brobeck Division of Maxwell Laboratories. Originally built for an FEL project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the undulator was acquired by Duke in 1992 for use as a soft x-ray source for the FEL laboratory. Initial Hall probe measurements on the magnetic field distribution of the undulator revealed field errors of more than 0.80%. Initial phase errors for the device were more than 11 degrees. Through a series of in situ and off-line measurements and modifications we have re-tuned the magnet field structure of the device to produce strong spectral characteristics through the 5th harmonic. A low operating K has served to reduce the effects of magnetic field errors on the harmonic spectral content. Although rms field errors remained at 0.75%, we succeeded in reducing phase errors to less than 5 degrees. Using trajectory simulations from magnetic field data, we have computed the spectral output given the interaction of the Duke storage ring electron beam and the NIST undulator. Driven by a series of concerns and constraints over maximum utility, personnel safety and funding, we have also constructed a unique front end beamline for the undulator. The front end has been designed for maximum throughput of the 1st harmonic around 40A in its standard mode of operation. The front end has an alternative mode of operation which transmits the 3rd and 5th harmonics. This compact system also allows for the extraction of some of the bend magnet produced synchrotron and transition radiation from the storage ring. As with any well designed front end system, it also provides excellent protection to personnel and to the storage ring. A diagnostic beamline consisting of a transmission grating spectrometer and scanning wire beam profile monitor was constructed to measure the spatial and spectral characteristics of the undulator radiation. Test of the system with a circulating electron beam has confirmed the magnetic and focusing properties of the undulator, and verified that it can be used without perturbing the orbit of the beam.

REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR NSLS EXPERIMENTAL BEAM LINE VACUUM SYSTEMS-REVISION B.

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

FOERSTER,C.

Typical beam lines are comprised of an assembly of vacuum valves and shutters referred to as a ''front end'', optical elements to monochromatize, focus and split the photon beam, and an experimental area where a target sample is placed into the photon beam and data from the interaction is detected and recorded. Windows are used to separate sections of beam lines that are not compatible with storage ring ultra high vacuum. Some experimental beam lines share a common vacuum with storage rings. Sections of beam lines are only allowed to vent up to atmospheric pressure using pure nitrogen gas aftermore » a vacuum barrier is established to protect ring vacuum. The front end may only be bled up when there is no current in the machine. This is especially true on the VUV storage ring where for most experiments, windows are not used. For the shorter wavelength, more energetic photons of the x-ray ring, beryllium windows are used at various beam line locations so that the monochromator, mirror box or sample chamber may be used in a helium atmosphere or rough vacuum. The window separates ring vacuum from the environment of the downstream beam line components. The stored beam lifetime in the storage rings and the maintenance of desirable reflection properties of optical surfaces depend upon hydrocarbon-free, ultra-high vacuum systems. Storage ring vacuum systems will operate at pressures of {approximately} 1 x 10{sup {minus}10} Torr without beam and {approximately} 1 x 10{sup {minus}9} Torr with beam. Systems are free of hydrocarbons in the sense that no pumps, valves, etc. containing organics are used. Components are all-metal, chemically cleaned and bakeable. To the extent that beam lines share a common vacuum with the storage ring, the same criteria will hold for beam line components. The design philosophy for NSLS beam lines is to use all-metal, hydrocarbon-free front end components and recommend that experimenters use this approach for common vacuum hardware downstream of front ends. O-ring-sealed valves, if used, are not permitted upstream of the monochromator exit aperture. It will be the responsibility of users to demonstrate that their experiment will not degrade the pressure or quality of the storage ring vacuum. As a matter of operating policy, all beam lines will be monitored for prescribed pressure and the contribution of high mass gases to this pressure each time a beam line has been opened to ring vacuum.« less

Design and Measurement of a Low-Noise 64-Channels Front-End Readout ASIC for CdZnTe Detectors

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

Gan, Bo; Wei, Tingcun; Gao, Wu

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) detectors, as one of the principal detectors for the next-generation X-ray and γ-ray imagers, have high energy resolution and supporting electrode patterning in the radiation environment at room-temperature. In the present, a number of internationally renowned research institutions and universities are actively using these detector systems to carry out researches of energy spectrum analysis, medical imaging, materials characterization, high-energy physics, nuclear plant monitoring, and astrophysics. As the most important part of the readout system for the CdZnTe detector, the front-end readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) would have an important impact on the performances of themore » whole detector system. In order to ensure the small signal to noise ratio (SNR) and sufficient range of the output signal, it is necessary to design a front-end readout ASIC with very low noise and very high dynamic range. In addition, radiation hardness should be considered when the detectors are utilized in the space applications and high energy physics experiments. In this paper, we present measurements and performances of a novel multi-channel radiation-hardness low-noise front-end readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors. The readout circuits in each channel consist of charge sensitive amplifier, leakage current compensation circuit (LCC), CR-RC shaper, S-K filter, inverse proportional amplifier, peak detect and hold circuit (PDH), discriminator and trigger logic, time sequence control circuit and driving buffer. All of 64 readout channels' outputs enter corresponding inputs of a 64 channel multiplexer. The output of the mux goes directly out of the chip via the output buffer. The 64-channel readout ASIC is implemented using the TSMC 0.35 μm mixed-signal CMOS technology. The die size of the prototype chip is 2.7 mm x 8 mm. At room temperature, the equivalent noise level of a typical channel reaches 66 e{sup -} (rms) at zero farad for a power consumption of 8 mW per channel. The linearity error is lower than 1% and the overall gain of the readout channel is 165 V/pC. The crosstalk between the channels is less than 3%. By connecting the readout ASIC to a CdZnTe detector, we obtained a γ-ray spectrum, the energy resolution is 5.1% at the 59.5-keV line of {sup 241}Am source. (authors)« less

Numerical study on the influence of boss cap fins on efficiency of controllable-pitch propeller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Ying; Wang, Zhanzhi; Qi, Wanjiang

2013-03-01

Numerical simulation is investigated to disclose how propeller boss cap fins (PBCF) operate utilizing Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method. In addition, exploration of the influencing mechanism of PBCF on the open water efficiency of one controllable-pitch propeller is analyzed through the open water characteristic curves, blade surface pressure distribution and hub streamline distribution. On this basis, the influence of parameters including airfoil profile, diameter, axial position of installation and circumferential installation angle on the open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller is investigated. Numerical results show: for the controllable-pitch propeller, the thrust generated is at the optimum when the radius of boss cap fins is 1.5 times of propeller hub with an optimal installation position in the axial direction, and its optimal circumferential installation position is the midpoint of the extension line of the front and back ends of two adjacent propeller roots in the front of fin root. Under these optimal parameters, the gain of open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller with different advance velocity coefficients is greater than 0.01, which accounts for approximately an increase of 1%-5% of open water efficiency.

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF NECK MUSCULAR SIZE AND RANGE OF MOTION IN RUGBY PLAYERS.

PubMed

Hemelryck, Walter; Calistri, Josselin; Papadopoulou, Virginie; Theunissen, Sigrid; Dugardeyn, Christian; Balestra, Costantino

2018-02-01

World Rugby Union laws are constantly evolving towards stringent injury-prevention, particularly for contested scrums, since front row players are most at risk of cervical spine injuries. Recently, some countries have also introduced tailored training programs and minimum performance requirements for playing in the front row. Nevertheless, these approaches lack an objective assessment of each cervical muscle that would provide protective support. Since front row players are the most at risk for cervical spine injuries due to the specific type of contact during scrums, the purpose of this study was to ascertain whether significant differences exist in neck muscle size and range of motion between front row players and players of other positions, across playing categories. Cross-sectional controlled laboratory study. 129 sub-elite male subjects from various first-team squads of Belgian Rugby clubs were recruited. Subjects were grouped according to age: Junior (J) < 19 years old, Senior (S) 19 to 35 years old and Veteran (V) > 35 years old; as well as playing position: Front row players (J = 10, S = 12, V = 11 subjects), (Rest of the) pack (J = 12, S = 12, V = 10), backs (J = 10, S = 11, V = 11). An age-matched control group of non-rugby players was also recruited (J = 10, S = 10, V = 10).For each subject, the total neck circumference (NC) and the cervical range of motion (CROM) were measured. In addition, the thickness of the trapezius (T), splenius capitis (SCa), semispinalis capitis (SCb), semispinalis cervicis (SPC), sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCOM), and the total thickness of all four structures (TT), were measured using ultrasonography. In each age category, compared to controls, rugby players were found to have decreased CROM, an increase in neck circumference (NC), and increased total thickness (TT), trapezius (T), semispinalis capitis (SCb) and sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCOM) sizes. For junior players, the thickness of the semispinalis cervicis (SPC) was also increased compared to controls. The CROM was decreased in front row players compared to pack and back players for all age categories; Front row seniors also showed an increase in trapezius (T), splenius capitis (SCa), semispinalis capitis (SCb) and total thickness (TT), compared to back players. In regard of the differences in cervical values found between player positions, the implementation of both range of motion and echography muscle thickness assessments could serve to create an additional measurement for all front row players, that could complement current pre-participation screening used by rugby federations by objectively monitoring muscular size and motion amplitude around the cervical spine.

Performance monitoring for brain-computer-interface actions.

PubMed

Schurger, Aaron; Gale, Steven; Gozel, Olivia; Blanke, Olaf

2017-02-01

When presented with a difficult perceptual decision, human observers are able to make metacognitive judgements of subjective certainty. Such judgements can be made independently of and prior to any overt response to a sensory stimulus, presumably via internal monitoring. Retrospective judgements about one's own task performance, on the other hand, require first that the subject perform a task and thus could potentially be made based on motor processes, proprioceptive, and other sensory feedback rather than internal monitoring. With this dichotomy in mind, we set out to study performance monitoring using a brain-computer interface (BCI), with which subjects could voluntarily perform an action - moving a cursor on a computer screen - without any movement of the body, and thus without somatosensory feedback. Real-time visual feedback was available to subjects during training, but not during the experiment where the true final position of the cursor was only revealed after the subject had estimated where s/he thought it had ended up after 6s of BCI-based cursor control. During the first half of the experiment subjects based their assessments primarily on the prior probability of the end position of the cursor on previous trials. However, during the second half of the experiment subjects' judgements moved significantly closer to the true end position of the cursor, and away from the prior. This suggests that subjects can monitor task performance when the task is performed without overt movement of the body. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extracting whole short rotation trees with a skidder and a front-end loader

Treesearch

R. Spinelli; B.R. Hartsough

2001-01-01

We time-studied a Caterpillar 950F front-end loader and a Caterpillar 528 grapple skidder used to extract bunched whole trees to a landing in a short rotation Eucalyptus plantation. The loader was 40-60% more productive than the grapple skidder, depending on extraction distance. Alternatively, the single loader could both extract trees and handle the landing duties,...

76 FR 62491 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-07

... need to be tied to a single order ID within the CBOEdirect \\7\\ system or in the front end system used... system. Thus, the order would need to be entered in its entirety into the Exchange's system or into the applicable front end system so that the Exchange could clearly identify the total size of the order. For an...

Passive front-ends for wideband millimeter wave electronic warfare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jastram, Nathan Joseph

This thesis presents the analysis, design and measurements of novel passive front ends of interest to millimeter wave electronic warfare systems. However, emerging threats in the millimeter waves (18 GHz and above) has led to a push for new systems capable of addressing these threats. At these frequencies, traditional techniques of design and fabrication are challenging due to small size, limited bandwidth and losses. The use of surface micromachining technology for wideband direction finding with multiple element antenna arrays for electronic support is demonstrated. A wideband tapered slot antenna is first designed and measured as an array element for the subsequent arrays. Both 18--36 GHz and 75--110 GHz amplitude only and amplitude/phase two element direction finding front ends are designed and measured. The design of arrays using Butler matrix and Rotman lens beamformers for greater than two element direction finding over W band and beyond using is also presented. The design of a dual polarized high power capable front end for electronic attack over an 18--45 GHz band is presented. To combine two polarizations into the same radiating aperture, an orthomode transducer (OMT) based upon a new double ridge waveguide cross section is developed. To provide greater flexibility in needed performance characteristics, several different turnstile junction matching sections are tested. A modular horn section is proposed to address flexible and ever changing operational requirements, and is designed for performance criteria such as constant gain, beamwidth, etc. A multi-section branch guide coupler and low loss Rotman lens based upon the proposed cross section are also developed. Prototyping methods for the herein designed millimeter wave electronic warfare front ends are investigated. Specifically, both printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping of micromachined systems and 3D printing of conventionally machined horns are presented. A 4--8 GHz two element array with integrated beamformer fabricated using the stacking of PCB boards is shown, and measured results compare favorably with the micromachined front ends. A 3D printed small aperture horn is compared with a conventionally machined horn, and measured results show similar performance with a ten-fold reduction in cost and weight.

BaRT Manual Version 3.0

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-14

collectio of ifnformation is eitirmate" to average Ihoar der fesporse. inciudng the time for reviwing instructions, searchi’ng estung data sources...visible field of the buffer. <Cntl>-n -- next visible field of the buffer. <Cntl>- k -- kill from point to end of buffer. <Cntl>-y -- yank from kill ring...and a button. Position the mouse on the field in front of the Name. A box will highlight this field. Click on this field. Press <cntr> k to remove the

JWFront: Wavefronts and Light Cones for Kerr Spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frutos Alfaro, Francisco; Grave, Frank; Müller, Thomas; Adis, Daria

2015-04-01

JWFront visualizes wavefronts and light cones in general relativity. The interactive front-end allows users to enter the initial position values and choose the values for mass and angular momentum per unit mass. The wavefront animations are available in 2D and 3D; the light cones are visualized using the coordinate systems (t, x, y) or (t, z, x). JWFront can be easily modified to simulate wavefronts and light cones for other spacetime by providing the Christoffel symbols in the program.

The Development of Design Tools for Fault Tolerant Quantum Dot Cellular Automata Based Logic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Curtis D.; Humphreys, William M.

2003-01-01

We are developing software to explore the fault tolerance of quantum dot cellular automata gate architectures in the presence of manufacturing variations and device defects. The Topology Optimization Methodology using Applied Statistics (TOMAS) framework extends the capabilities of the A Quantum Interconnected Network Array Simulator (AQUINAS) by adding front-end and back-end software and creating an environment that integrates all of these components. The front-end tools establish all simulation parameters, configure the simulation system, automate the Monte Carlo generation of simulation files, and execute the simulation of these files. The back-end tools perform automated data parsing, statistical analysis and report generation.

Advancing the sensitivity of selected reaction monitoring-based targeted quantitative proteomics

PubMed Central

Shi, Tujin; Su, Dian; Liu, Tao; Tang, Keqi; Camp, David G.; Qian, Wei-Jun; Smith, Richard D.

2012-01-01

Selected reaction monitoring (SRM)—also known as multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)—has emerged as a promising high-throughput targeted protein quantification technology for candidate biomarker verification and systems biology applications. A major bottleneck for current SRM technology, however, is insufficient sensitivity for e.g., detecting low-abundance biomarkers likely present at the low ng/mL to pg/mL range in human blood plasma or serum, or extremely low-abundance signaling proteins in cells or tissues. Herein we review recent advances in methods and technologies, including front-end immunoaffinity depletion, fractionation, selective enrichment of target proteins/peptides including posttranslational modifications (PTMs), as well as advances in MS instrumentation which have significantly enhanced the overall sensitivity of SRM assays and enabled the detection of low-abundance proteins at low to sub- ng/mL level in human blood plasma or serum. General perspectives on the potential of achieving sufficient sensitivity for detection of pg/mL level proteins in plasma are also discussed. PMID:22577010

Advancing the sensitivity of selected reaction monitoring-based targeted quantitative proteomics

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

Shi, Tujin; Su, Dian; Liu, Tao

2012-04-01

Selected reaction monitoring (SRM)—also known as multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)—has emerged as a promising high-throughput targeted protein quantification technology for candidate biomarker verification and systems biology applications. A major bottleneck for current SRM technology, however, is insufficient sensitivity for e.g., detecting low-abundance biomarkers likely present at the pg/mL to low ng/mL range in human blood plasma or serum, or extremely low-abundance signaling proteins in the cells or tissues. Herein we review recent advances in methods and technologies, including front-end immunoaffinity depletion, fractionation, selective enrichment of target proteins/peptides or their posttranslational modifications (PTMs), as well as advances in MS instrumentation, whichmore » have significantly enhanced the overall sensitivity of SRM assays and enabled the detection of low-abundance proteins at low to sub- ng/mL level in human blood plasma or serum. General perspectives on the potential of achieving sufficient sensitivity for detection of pg/mL level proteins in plasma are also discussed.« less

A Real-Time Cardiac Arrhythmia Classification System with Wearable Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Hu, Sheng; Wei, Hongxing; Chen, Youdong; Tan, Jindong

2012-01-01

Long term continuous monitoring of electrocardiogram (ECG) in a free living environment provides valuable information for prevention on the heart attack and other high risk diseases. This paper presents the design of a real-time wearable ECG monitoring system with associated cardiac arrhythmia classification algorithms. One of the striking advantages is that ECG analog front-end and on-node digital processing are designed to remove most of the noise and bias. In addition, the wearable sensor node is able to monitor the patient's ECG and motion signal in an unobstructive way. To realize the real-time medical analysis, the ECG is digitalized and transmitted to a smart phone via Bluetooth. On the smart phone, the ECG waveform is visualized and a novel layered hidden Markov model is seamlessly integrated to classify multiple cardiac arrhythmias in real time. Experimental results demonstrate that the clean and reliable ECG waveform can be captured in multiple stressed conditions and the real-time classification on cardiac arrhythmia is competent to other workbenches. PMID:23112746

Design of an Intelligent Front-End Signal Conditioning Circuit for IR Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Arcas, G.; Ruiz, M.; Lopez, J. M.; Gutierrez, R.; Villamayor, V.; Gomez, L.; Montojo, Mª. T.

2008-02-01

This paper presents the design of an intelligent front-end signal conditioning system for IR sensors. The system has been developed as an interface between a PbSe IR sensor matrix and a TMS320C67x digital signal processor. The system architecture ensures its scalability so it can be used for sensors with different matrix sizes. It includes an integrator based signal conditioning circuit, a data acquisition converter block, and a FPGA based advanced control block that permits including high level image preprocessing routines such as faulty pixel detection and sensor calibration in the signal conditioning front-end. During the design phase virtual instrumentation technologies proved to be a very valuable tool for prototyping when choosing the best A/D converter type for the application. Development time was significantly reduced due to the use of this technology.

Development and Demonstration of a Magnesium-Intensive Vehicle Front-End Substructure

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

Logan, Stephen D.; Forsmark, Joy H.; Osborne, Richard

2016-07-01

This project is the final phase (designated Phase III) of an extensive, nine-year effort with the objectives of developing a knowledge base and enabling technologies for the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of magnesium-intensive automotive front-end substructures intended to partially or completely replace all-steel comparators, providing a weight savings approaching 50% of the baseline. Benefits of extensive vehicle weight reduction in terms of fuel economy increase, extended vehicle range, vehicle performance and commensurate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are well known. An exemplary vehicle substructure considered by the project is illustrated in Figure 1, along with the exterior vehicle appearance.more » This unibody front-end “substructure” is one physical objective of the ultimate design and engineering aspects established at the outset of the larger collective effort.« less

An instrumental electrode model for solving EIT forward problems.

PubMed

Zhang, Weida; Li, David

2014-10-01

An instrumental electrode model (IEM) capable of describing the performance of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) systems in the MHz frequency range has been proposed. Compared with the commonly used Complete Electrode Model (CEM), which assumes ideal front-end interfaces, the proposed model considers the effects of non-ideal components in the front-end circuits. This introduces an extra boundary condition in the forward model and offers a more accurate modelling for EIT systems. We have demonstrated its performance using simple geometry structures and compared the results with the CEM and full Maxwell methods. The IEM can provide a significantly more accurate approximation than the CEM in the MHz frequency range, where the full Maxwell methods are favoured over the quasi-static approximation. The improved electrode model will facilitate the future characterization and front-end design of real-world EIT systems.

Issues in implementing a knowledge-based ECG analyzer for personal mobile health monitoring.

PubMed

Goh, K W; Kim, E; Lavanya, J; Kim, Y; Soh, C B

2006-01-01

Advances in sensor technology, personal mobile devices, and wireless broadband communications are enabling the development of an integrated personal mobile health monitoring system that can provide patients with a useful tool to assess their own health and manage their personal health information anytime and anywhere. Personal mobile devices, such as PDAs and mobile phones, are becoming more powerful integrated information management tools and play a major role in many people's lives. We focus on designing a health-monitoring system for people who suffer from cardiac arrhythmias. We have developed computer simulation models to evaluate the performance of appropriate electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis techniques that can be implemented on personal mobile devices. This paper describes an ECG analyzer to perform ECG beat and episode detection and classification. We have obtained promising preliminary results from our study. Also, we discuss several key considerations when implementing a mobile health monitoring solution. The mobile ECG analyzer would become a front-end patient health data acquisition module, which is connected to the Personal Health Information Management System (PHIMS) for data repository.

4. EXTERIOR OF SOUTH END OF BUILDING 103 SHOWING 1LIGHT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. EXTERIOR OF SOUTH END OF BUILDING 103 SHOWING 1-LIGHT SIDE EXIT DOOR AND ORIGINAL WOOD-FRAMED SLIDING GLASS KITCHEN WINDOWS AT PHOTO LEFT, CRISS-CROSS WOOD BALUSTRADE AROUND FRONT PORCH WITH OPEN DOOWAY TO BASEMENT BENEATH, AND STONE FACING ALONG ORIGINAL PORTION OF HOUSE FRONT AT PHOTO RIGHT. VIEW TO WEST. - Rush Creek Hydroelectric System, Worker Cottage, Rush Creek, June Lake, Mono County, CA

Detecting Motion from a Moving Platform; Phase 1: Biomimetic Vision Sensor

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

optical design software, Zemax , was used to explore various optical configurations that led to the optical front-ends of the hardware prototypes...and a Truly Curved Surface 4.2. Modeling and Simulation Simulations were performed using both Zemax and MATLAB. In particular, the various...tradeoffs for light propagation through the front-end optics were investigated by simulating with Zemax , then building the physical optics for the best

Improved Load Alleviation Capability for the KC-135

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

software, such as Matlab, Mathematica, Simulink, and Robotica Front End for Mathematica available in the simulation laboratory Overview This thesis report is...outlined in Spong’s text in order to utilize the Robotica system development software which automates the process of calculating the kinematic and...kinematic and dynamic equations can be accomplished using a computer tool called Robotica Front End (RFE) [ 15], developed by Doctor Spong. Boom Root d3

Comparison of a Skidder and Front-End Loader for Primary Transport of Short-Rotation Trees

Treesearch

Raffaele Spinelli; Bruce R. Hartsough

1999-01-01

We time-studied a Cat 950F and a Cat 528 grapple skidder as extraction devices for moving bunched whole trees to a landing in a short rotation eucalyptus plantation. The front-end loader was 40 to 60% more productive than the grapple skidder, depending on extraction distance. Alternatively, the single loader could both extract trees and handle the landing duties such...

Development of Integrated Preamplifier for High-Frequency Ultrasonic Transducers and Low-Power Handheld Receiver

PubMed Central

Choi, Hojong; Li, Xiang; Lau, Sien-Ting; Hu, ChangHong; Zhou, Qifa; Shung, K. Kirk

2012-01-01

This paper describes the design of a front-end circuit consisting of an integrated preamplifier with a Sallen-Key Butterworth filter for very-high-frequency ultrasonic transducers and a low-power handheld receiver. This preamplifier was fabricated using a 0.18-μm 7WL SiGe bi-polar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) process. The Sallen-Key filter is used to increase the voltage gain of the front-end circuit for high-frequency transducers which are generally low in sensitivity. The measured peak voltage gain of the frontend circuits for the BiCMOS preamplifier with the Sallen-Key filter was 41.28 dB at 100 MHz with a −6-dB bandwidth of 91%, and the dc power consumption of the BiCMOS preamplifier was 49.53 mW. The peak voltage gain of the front-end circuits for the CMOS preamplifier with the Sallen-Key filter was 39.52 dB at 100 MHz with a −6-dB bandwidth of 108%, and the dc power consumption of the CMOS preamplifier was 43.57 mW. Pulse-echo responses and wire phantom images with a single-element ultrasonic transducer have been acquired to demonstrate the performance of the front-end circuit. PMID:23443700

SOUTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. January, 1998 Edwards Air ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SOUTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. January, 1998 - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Electrical Substation, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

4. NORTHWEST FRONT, WITH FOUR BULLET GLASS WINDOWS. Edwards ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. NORTHWEST FRONT, WITH FOUR BULLET GLASS WINDOWS. - Edwards Air Force Base, South Base Sled Track, Observation Block House, Station "O" area, east end of Sled Track, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA

Construction and beam-tests of silicon-tungsten prototype modules for the CMS High Granularity Calorimeter for HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quast, Thorben

2018-02-01

As part of its HL-LHC upgrade program, CMS is developing a High Granularity Calorimeter (HGCAL) to replace the existing endcap calorimeters. The HGCAL will be realised as a sampling calorimeter, including an electromagnetic compartment comprising 28 layers of silicon pad detectors with pad areas of 0.5-1.0 cm2 interspersed with absorbers. Prototype modules, based on 6-inch hexagonal silicon pad sensors with 128 channels, have been constructed and include many of the features required for this challenging detector. In 2016, beam tests of sampling configurations made from these modules have been conducted both at FNAL and at CERN using the Skiroc2 front-end ASIC (designed by the CALICE collaboration for ILC). In 2017, the setup has been extended with CALICE's AHCAL prototype, a scinitillator based sampling calorimeter, and it was further tested in dedicated beam tests at CERN. There, the new Skiroc2-CMS front-end ASIC was used for the first time. We highlight final results from our studies in 2016, including position resolution as well as precision timing-measurements. Furthermore, the extended setup in 2017 is discussed and first results from beam tests with electrons and pions are shown.

Greenland ice sheet outlet glacier front changes: comparison of year 2008 with past years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decker, D. E.; Box, J.; Benson, R.

2008-12-01

NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery are used to calculate inter-annual, end of summer, glacier front area changes at 10 major Greenland ice sheet outlets over the 2000-2008 period. To put the recent 8 end of summer net annual changes into a longer perspective, glacier front position information from the past century are also incorporated. The largest MODIS-era area changes are losses/retreats; found at the relatively large Petermann Gletscher, Zachariae Isstrom, and Jakobshavn Isbrae. The 2007-2008 net ice area losses were 63.4 sq. km, 21.5 sq. km, and 10.9 sq. km, respectively. Of the 10 largest Greenland glaciers surveyed, the total net cumulative area change from end of summer 2000 to 2008 is -536.6 sq km, that is, an area loss equivalent with 6.1 times the area of Manhattan Is. (87.5 sq km) in New York, USA. Ice front advances are evident in 2008; also at relatively large and productive (in terms of ice discharge) glaciers of Helheim (5.7 sq km), Store Gletscher (4.9 sq km), and Kangerdlugssuaq (3.4 sq km). The largest retreat in the 2000-2008 period was 54.2 sq km at Jakobshavn Isbrae between 2002 and 2003; associated with a floating tongue disintegration following a retreat that began in 2001 and has been associated with thinning until floatation is reached; followed by irreversible collapse. The Zachariae Isstrom pro-glacial floating ice shelf loss in 2008 appears to be part of an average ~20 sq km per year disintegration trend; with the exception of the year 2006 (6.2 sq km) advance. If the Zachariae Isstrom retreat continues, we are concerned the largest ice sheet ice stream that empties into Zachariae Isstrom will accelerate, the ice stream front freed of damming back stress, increasing the ice sheet mass budget deficit in ways that are poorly understood and could be surprisingly large. By approximating the width of the surveyed glacier frontal zones, we determine and present effective glacier normalized length (L') changes that also will be presented at the meeting. The narrow Ingia Isbrae advanced in L' the most in 2006-2007 by 9.2 km. Jakobshavn decreased in L' the most in 2002-2003 by 8.0 km. Petermann decreased in length the most in 2000-2001, that is, L' = -5.3 km and again by L' = -3.9 km in 2007-2008. Helheim Gl. retreated in 2004-2005 by L' = -4.6 km and advanced 2005-2006 by L' = 4.4 km. The 10 glacier average L' change from end of summer 2000 end of summer 2008 was 0.6 km. Results from a growing list of glaciers will be presented. We attempt to interpret the observed glacier changes using glaciological theory and regional climate observations.

Managing Fault Management Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDougal, John M.

2010-01-01

As the complexity of space missions grows, development of Fault Management (FM) capabilities is an increasingly common driver for significant cost overruns late in the development cycle. FM issues and the resulting cost overruns are rarely caused by a lack of technology, but rather by a lack of planning and emphasis by project management. A recent NASA FM Workshop brought together FM practitioners from a broad spectrum of institutions, mission types, and functional roles to identify the drivers underlying FM overruns and recommend solutions. They identified a number of areas in which increased program and project management focus can be used to control FM development cost growth. These include up-front planning for FM as a distinct engineering discipline; managing different, conflicting, and changing institutional goals and risk postures; ensuring the necessary resources for a disciplined, coordinated approach to end-to-end fault management engineering; and monitoring FM coordination across all mission systems.

Design details of Intelligent Instruments for PLC-free Cryogenic measurements, control and data acquisition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antony, Joby; Mathuria, D. S.; Chaudhary, Anup; Datta, T. S.; Maity, T.

2017-02-01

Cryogenic network for linear accelerator operations demand a large number of Cryogenic sensors, associated instruments and other control-instrumentation to measure, monitor and control different cryogenic parameters remotely. Here we describe an alternate approach of six types of newly designed integrated intelligent cryogenic instruments called device-servers which has the complete circuitry for various sensor-front-end analog instrumentation and the common digital back-end http-server built together, to make crateless PLC-free model of controls and data acquisition. These identified instruments each sensor-specific viz. LHe server, LN2 Server, Control output server, Pressure server, Vacuum server and Temperature server are completely deployed over LAN for the cryogenic operations of IUAC linac (Inter University Accelerator Centre linear Accelerator), New Delhi. This indigenous design gives certain salient features like global connectivity, low cost due to crateless model, easy signal processing due to integrated design, less cabling and device-interconnectivity etc.

Variability of slope current positioning from space: Application to the Northern Current in the North Western Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouffard, Jerome; Marmain, Julien; Bosse, Anthony; Petrenko, Anne; Forget, Philippe; Doglioli, Andrea; Testor, Pierre; Mortier, Laurent

The space-time variability of slope currents plays a key role on the across-shore transport of natural and anthropogenic elements. It is therefore of critical importance to monitor the front positioning associated with these hydrodynamical features in a synoptic way, in particular along densely populated coasts such as the littoral zone of the Mediterranean Sea. Our paper proposes to address this issue by developing a new multi-satellite altimetric-based approach aiming at monitoring the long-term behaviour of the Northern Current, from 2002 to 2012. Our method is assessed by direct comparisons with observations from glider transects of the current, coastal HF radar and a moored current-meter. Despite important limitations due to the current altimetric sampling and a lower accuracy in the 50 km coastal band, we demonstrate the ability of our new method to characterize the variability of the front positioning from intra-seasonal to annual scales. We particularly focus the analysis on the Gulf of Lion, where the distance between the mean geostrophic flow and the coast allows a good detection of high frequency signals associated with slope current intrusions over the continental shelf. We show that such abrupt events generally occur in autumn and are forced by heterogeneous, strong and rapidly evolving south-easterly wind events. This work is based on an original exploitation of the existing along-track altimetry data and paves the way for new applications within the prospect of the next satellite generation whose technology is more suitable for coastal studies.

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology

PubMed Central

Zao, John K.; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system. PMID:24917804

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology.

PubMed

Zao, John K; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system.

40 CFR 63.486 - Batch front-end process vent provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions: Group I Polymers and Resins § 63.486... paragraph (b) of this section, owners and operators of new and existing affected sources with batch front...

31. SOUTH FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 232 (MINE SHOP) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

31. SOUTH FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 232 (MINE SHOP) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

40. NORTHWEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 269 (PAINT BUILDING) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

40. NORTHWEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 269 (PAINT BUILDING) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

25. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 227 (FIRE STATION) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

25. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 227 (FIRE STATION) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

1. MISSILE TEST AND ASSEMBLY BUILDING, FRONT, LOOKING SOUTH. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. MISSILE TEST AND ASSEMBLY BUILDING, FRONT, LOOKING SOUTH. - NIKE Missile Base SL-40, Missile Test & Assembly Building, South end of launch area, northeast of Generator Building No. 3, Hecker, Monroe County, IL

14. WEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 343 (STORAGE MAGAZINE) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. WEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 343 (STORAGE MAGAZINE) IN STORAGE AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

11. WEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 342 (STORAGE MAGAZINE) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. WEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 342 (STORAGE MAGAZINE) IN STORAGE AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

1. PAINT AND OIL STORAGE SHED, FRONT, LOOKING SOUTHWEST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. PAINT AND OIL STORAGE SHED, FRONT, LOOKING SOUTHWEST. - NIKE Missile Base SL-40, Paint & Oil Storage Shed, North end of base, northwest of Mess Hall & south of Basketball Court, Hecker, Monroe County, IL

Monolithic Gallium Arsenide Superheterodyne Front End.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

which also provides a con - venient heat sink (not of primary importance in this application due to the low power dissipation of the monolithic...components utilized in the receiver front end). The thickness of the GaAs is then selected as a compromise between con - flicting requirements. A thick...International ERC41014.2FR 2.4 Analysis and Design for Low Noise The design of monolithic amplifiers for low noise must take into con - sideration active

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 1. UNIT XIX, I--ENGINE TUNE-UP--CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE, II--FRONT END SUSPENSION AND AXLES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

THIS MODULE OF A 30-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF DIESEL ENGINE TUNE-UP PROCEDURES AND THE DESIGN OF FRONT END SUSPENSION AND AXLES USED ON DIESEL ENGINE EQUIPMENT. TOPICS ARE (1) PRE-TUNE-UP CHECKS, (2) TIMING THE ENGINE, (3) INJECTOR PLUNGER AND VALVE ADJUSTMENTS, (4) FUEL PUMP ADJUSTMENTS ON THE ENGINE (PTR AND PTG),…

Front End Analysis of Soldier Individual Power Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

in the state-of-the-art MOD-GPHS-RTG, but with the fuel being polonium 210 , with a half life of 13.1.4 days, in the form of a gadolinium polonide (GdPo...allies, and industry to evaluate state-of-the-art technologies and integrate them into a system with synergistic improvement in combat effectiveness . The...Schemes ................................................... 79 Front End Analysis of Soldier Individual Power S LIST OF FIGURES I Effect of Mission

Microwave integrated circuit radiometer front-ends for the Push Broom Microwave Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, R. F.; Hearn, C. P.

1982-01-01

Microwave integrated circuit front-ends for the L-band, S-band and C-band stepped frequency null-balanced noise-injection Dicke-switched radiometer to be installed in the NASA Langley airborne prototype Push Broom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR) are described. These front-ends were developed for the fixed frequency of 1.413 GHz and the variable frequencies of 1.8-2.8 GHz and 3.8-5.8 GHz. Measurements of the noise temperature of these units were made at 55.8 C, and the results of these tests are given. While the overall performance was reasonable, improvements need to be made in circuit losses and noise temperatures, which in the case of the C-band were from 1000 to 1850 K instead of the 500 K specified. Further development of the prototypes is underway to improve performance and extend the frequency range.

Low power analog front-end electronics in deep submicrometer CMOS technology based on gain enhancement techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez-Galán, J. A.; Sánchez-Rodríguez, T.; Sánchez-Raya, M.; Martel, I.; López-Martín, A.; Carvajal, R. G.; Ramírez-Angulo, J.

2014-06-01

This paper evaluates the design of front-end electronics in modern technologies to be used in a new generation of heavy ion detectors—HYDE (FAIR, Germany)—proposing novel architectures to achieve high gain in a low voltage environment. As conventional topologies of operational amplifiers in modern CMOS processes show limitations in terms of gain, novel approaches must be raised. The work addresses the design using transistors with channel length of no more than double the feature size and a supply voltage as low as 1.2 V. A front-end system has been fabricated in a 90 nm process including gain boosting techniques based on regulated cascode circuits. The analog channel has been optimized to match a detector capacitance of 5 pF and exhibits a good performance in terms of gain, speed, linearity and power consumption.

Broadband quantitative NQR for authentication of vitamins and dietary supplements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Cheng; Zhang, Fengchao; Bhunia, Swarup; Mandal, Soumyajit

2017-05-01

We describe hardware, pulse sequences, and algorithms for nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy of medicines and dietary supplements. Medicine and food safety is a pressing problem that has drawn more and more attention. NQR is an ideal technique for authenticating these substances because it is a non-invasive method for chemical identification. We have recently developed a broadband NQR front-end that can excite and detect 14N NQR signals over a wide frequency range; its operating frequency can be rapidly set by software, while sensitivity is comparable to conventional narrowband front-ends over the entire range. This front-end improves the accuracy of authentication by enabling multiple-frequency experiments. We have also developed calibration and signal processing techniques to convert measured NQR signal amplitudes into nuclear spin densities, thus enabling its use as a quantitative technique. Experimental results from several samples are used to illustrate the proposed methods.

Development of a front end controller/heap manager for PHENIX

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

Ericson, M.N.; Allen, M.D.; Musrock, M.S.

1996-12-31

A controller/heap manager has been designed for applicability to all detector subsystem types of PHENIX. the heap manager performs all functions associated with front end electronics control including ADC and analog memory control, data collection, command interpretation and execution, and data packet forming and communication. Interfaces to the unit consist of a timing and control bus, a serial bus, a parallel data bus, and a trigger interface. The topology developed is modular so that many functional blocks are identical for a number of subsystem types. Programmability is maximized through the use of flexible modular functions and implementation using field programmablemore » gate arrays (FPGAs). Details of unit design and functionality will be discussed with particular detail given to subsystems having analog memory-based front end electronics. In addition, mode control, serial functions, and FPGA implementation details will be presented.« less

All-Dielectric Photonic-Assisted Radio Front-End Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayazi, Hossein Ali

The threats to civil society posed by high-power electromagnetic weapons are viewed as a grim but real possibility in the world after 11 September 2001. These weapons produce a power surge capable of destroying or damaging sensitive circuitry in electronic systems. Unfortunately, the trend towards circuits with smaller sizes and voltages renders modern electronics highly susceptible to such damage. Radiofrequency communication systems are particularly vulnerable, because the antenna provides a direct port of entry for electromagnetic radiation. In this work, we present a novel type of radiofrequency receiver front end featuring a complete absence of electronic circuitry and metal interconnects, the traditional 'soft spots' of a conventional radiofrequency receiver. The device exploits a dielectric resonator antenna to capture and deliver the radiofrequency signal onto a whispering-gallery mode electro-optic field sensor. The dielectric approach has an added benefit in that it reduces the physical size of the front end, an important benefit in mobile applications.

Readout ASICs and Electronics for the 144-channel HAPDs for the Aerogel RICH at Belle II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishida, S.; Adachi, I.; Ikeda, H.; Hara, K.; Iijima, T.; Iwata, S.; Korpar, S.; Križan, P.; Kuroda, E.; Pestotnik, R.; Seljak, A.; Sumiyoshi, T.; Takagaki, H.

The particle identification (PID) device in the endcap of the Belle detector will be upgraded to a ring imaging Cherenkov counter (RICH) using aerogel as a radiator at the Belle II experiment. We develop the electronics to read out the 70,000 channels of hit information from the 144-channel hybrid avalanche photodetectors (HAPD), of the aerogel RICH detector. A readout ASIC is developed to digitize the HAPD signals, and was used in a beam test with the prototype detector. The performance and plan of the ASIC is reported in this study. We have also designed the readout electronics for the aerogel RICH, which consist of front-end boards with the ASICs merger boards to collect data from the front-end boards. A front-end board that fits in the actual available space for the aerogel RICH electronics was produced.

Development of a data management front-end for use with a LANDSAT-based information system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, B. J.

1982-01-01

The development and implementation of a data management front-end system for use with a LANDSAT based information system that facilitates the processsing of both LANDSAT and ancillary data was examined. The final tasks, reported on here, involved; (1) the implementation of the VICAR image processing software system at Penn State and the development of a user-friendly front-end for this system; (2) the implementation of JPL-developed software based on VICAR, for mosaicking LANDSAT scenes; (3) the creation and storage of a mosiac of 1981 summer LANDSAT data for the entire state of Pennsylvania; (4) demonstrations of the defoliation assessment procedure for Perry and Centre Counties, and presentation of the results at the 1982 National Gypsy Moth Review Meeting, and (5) the training of Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry personnel in the use of the defoliation analysis system.

High Dynamic Range Cognitive Radio Front Ends: Architecture to Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashok, Arun; Subbiah, Iyappan; Varga, Gabor; Schrey, Moritz; Heinen, Stefan

2016-07-01

Advent of TV white space digitization has released frequencies from 470 MHz to 790 MHz to be utilized opportunistically. The secondary user can utilize these so called TV spaces in the absence of primary users. The most important challenge for this coexistence is mutual interference. While the strong TV stations can completely saturate the receiver of the cognitive radio (CR), the cognitive radio spurious tones can disturb other primary users and white space devices. The aim of this paper is to address the challenges for enabling cognitive radio applications in WLAN and LTE. In this process, architectural considerations for the design of cognitive radio front ends are discussed. With high-IF converters, faster and flexible implementation of CR enabled WLAN and LTE are shown. The effectiveness of the architecture is shown by evaluating the CR front ends for compliance of standards namely 802.11b/g (WLAN) and 3GPP TS 36.101 (LTE).

Monitoring of vapor phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan; Hajaligol, Mohammad R.

2004-06-01

An apparatus for monitoring vapor phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a high-temperature environment has an excitation source producing electromagnetic radiation, an optical path having an optical probe optically communicating the electromagnetic radiation received at a proximal end to a distal end, a spectrometer or polychromator, a detector, and a positioner coupled to the first optical path. The positioner can slidably move the distal end of the optical probe to maintain the distal end position with respect to an area of a material undergoing combustion. The emitted wavelength can be directed to a detector in a single optical probe 180.degree. backscattered configuration, in a dual optical probe 180.degree. backscattered configuration or in a dual optical probe 90.degree. side scattered configuration. The apparatus can be used to monitor an emitted wavelength of energy from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as it fluoresces in a high temperature environment.

The Data Processor of the JEM-EUSO pathfinders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scotti, V.; Osteria, G.

2014-06-01

JEM-EUSO is a wide-angle refractive UV telescope being proposed for attachment to the Japanese Experiment Module on ISS. The main goal of the mission is to study Extreme Energy Cosmic Rays. Two pathfinder mission are now in progress: EUSO-TA and EUSO-Balloon. The EUSO-TA project foresees the installation of a telescope prototype in the Telescope Array site. The aim of this project is to calibrate the telescope with the TA fluorescence detector. An initial run of one year starting from 2013 is foreseen. EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission in which a prototype telescope will be mounted on a stratospheric balloon. The main aim of this mission is to perform a end-to-end test of all the key technologies and instrumentation of JEM-EUSO detectors and to prove the global detection chain. EUSO-Balloon will measure the UV background fundamental for the development of the simulations. EUSO-Balloon has the potential to detect Extensive Air Showers from above, paving the way for any future space-based EECR observatory. We will present the Data Processor of the pathfinders. The DP is the component of the Electronics System which performs data management and instrument control. The DP controls front-end electronics, performs 2nd level trigger filtering, tags events with arrival time and payload position through a GPS system, manages mass memory for data storage, measures live and dead time of the telescope, provides signals for time synchronization of the event, performs housekeeping monitor and handles interface to the telemetry system. We will describe the main components of the DP, the state-of-the-art and the results of the tests carried out.

Experience with Multi-Tier Grid MySQL Database Service Resiliency at BNL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wlodek, Tomasz; Ernst, Michael; Hover, John; Katramatos, Dimitrios; Packard, Jay; Smirnov, Yuri; Yu, Dantong

2011-12-01

We describe the use of F5's BIG-IP smart switch technology (3600 Series and Local Traffic Manager v9.0) to provide load balancing and automatic fail-over to multiple Grid services (GUMS, VOMS) and their associated back-end MySQL databases. This resiliency is introduced in front of the external application servers and also for the back-end database systems, which is what makes it "multi-tier". The combination of solutions chosen to ensure high availability of the services, in particular the database replication and fail-over mechanism, are discussed in detail. The paper explains the design and configuration of the overall system, including virtual servers, machine pools, and health monitors (which govern routing), as well as the master-slave database scheme and fail-over policies and procedures. Pre-deployment planning and stress testing will be outlined. Integration of the systems with our Nagios-based facility monitoring and alerting is also described. And application characteristics of GUMS and VOMS which enable effective clustering will be explained. We then summarize our practical experiences and real-world scenarios resulting from operating a major US Grid center, and assess the applicability of our approach to other Grid services in the future.

A Front-End Analysis Of Rear-End Crashes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-05-17

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE APPLICATION OF A SEVEN-STEP CRASH PROBLEM ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY, AS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING PAPER BY LEASURE (1), TO REAR-END CRASHES. THE PAPER SHOWS HOW MODELING OF REAR-END CRASH SCENARIOS AND CANDIDATE COUNTERMEASURE AC...

Electromagnetic interference of cardiac rhythmic monitoring devices to radio frequency identification: analytical analysis and mitigation methodology.

PubMed

Ogirala, Ajay; Stachel, Joshua R; Mickle, Marlin H

2011-11-01

Increasing density of wireless communication and development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in particular have increased the susceptibility of patients equipped with cardiac rhythmic monitoring devices (CRMD) to environmental electro magnetic interference (EMI). Several organizations reported observing CRMD EMI from different sources. This paper focuses on mathematically analyzing the energy as perceived by the implanted device, i.e., voltage. Radio frequency (RF) energy transmitted by RFID interrogators is considered as an example. A simplified front-end equivalent circuit of a CRMD sensing circuitry is proposed for the analysis following extensive black-box testing of several commercial pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. After careful understanding of the mechanics of the CRMD signal processing in identifying the QRS complex of the heart-beat, a mitigation technique is proposed. The mitigation methodology introduced in this paper is logical in approach, simple to implement and is therefore applicable to all wireless communication protocols.

Near real time water quality monitoring of Chivero and Manyame lakes of Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muchini, Ronald; Gumindoga, Webster; Togarepi, Sydney; Pinias Masarira, Tarirai; Dube, Timothy

2018-05-01

Zimbabwe's water resources are under pressure from both point and non-point sources of pollution hence the need for regular and synoptic assessment. In-situ and laboratory based methods of water quality monitoring are point based and do not provide a synoptic coverage of the lakes. This paper presents novel methods for retrieving water quality parameters in Chivero and Manyame lakes, Zimbabwe, from remotely sensed imagery. Remotely sensed derived water quality parameters are further validated using in-situ data. It also presents an application for automated retrieval of those parameters developed in VB6, as well as a web portal for disseminating the water quality information to relevant stakeholders. The web portal is developed, using Geoserver, open layers and HTML. Results show the spatial variation of water quality and an automated remote sensing and GIS system with a web front end to disseminate water quality information.

Design and implementation of a mobile-care system over wireless sensor network for home healthcare applications.

PubMed

Lee, Ren-Guey; Lai, Chien-Chih; Chiang, Shao-Shan; Liu, Hsin-Sheng; Chen, Chun-Chang; Hsieh, Guan-Yu

2006-01-01

According to home healthcare requirement of chronic patients, this paper proposes a mobile-care system integrated with a variety of vital-sign monitoring, where all the front-end vital-sign measuring devices are portable and have the ability of short-range wireless communication. In order to make the system more suitable for home applications, the technology of wireless sensor network is introduced to transmit the captured vital signs to the residential gateway by means of multi-hop relay. Then the residential gateway uploads data to the care server via Internet to carry out patient's condition monitoring and the management of pathological data. Furthermore, the system is added in the alarm mechanism, which the portable care device is able to immediately perceive the critical condition of the patient and to send a warning message to medical and nursing personnels in order to achieve the goal of prompt rescue.

A Three-Step Resolution-Reconfigurable Hazardous Multi-Gas Sensor Interface for Wireless Air-Quality Monitoring Applications.

PubMed

Choi, Subin; Park, Kyeonghwan; Lee, Seungwook; Lim, Yeongjin; Oh, Byungjoo; Chae, Hee Young; Park, Chan Sam; Shin, Heugjoo; Kim, Jae Joon

2018-03-02

This paper presents a resolution-reconfigurable wide-range resistive sensor readout interface for wireless multi-gas monitoring applications that displays results on a smartphone. Three types of sensing resolutions were selected to minimize processing power consumption, and a dual-mode front-end structure was proposed to support the detection of a variety of hazardous gases with wide range of characteristic resistance. The readout integrated circuit (ROIC) was fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process to provide three reconfigurable data conversions that correspond to a low-power resistance-to-digital converter (RDC), a 12-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a 16-bit delta-sigma modulator. For functional feasibility, a wireless sensor system prototype that included in-house microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensing devices and commercial device products was manufactured and experimentally verified to detect a variety of hazardous gases.

On-line remote monitoring of radioactive waste repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calì, Claudio; Cosentino, Luigi; Litrico, Pietro; Pappalardo, Alfio; Scirè, Carlotta; Scirè, Sergio; Vecchio, Gianfranco; Finocchiaro, Paolo; Alfieri, Severino; Mariani, Annamaria

2014-12-01

A low-cost array of modular sensors for online monitoring of radioactive waste was developed at INFN-LNS. We implemented a new kind of gamma counter, based on Silicon PhotoMultipliers and scintillating fibers, that behaves like a cheap scintillating Geiger-Muller counter. It can be placed in shape of a fine grid around each single waste drum in a repository. Front-end electronics and an FPGA-based counting system were developed to handle the field data, also implementing data transmission, a graphical user interface and a data storage system. A test of four sensors in a real radwaste storage site was performed with promising results. Following the tests an agreement was signed between INFN and Sogin for the joint development and installation of a prototype DMNR (Detector Mesh for Nuclear Repository) system inside the Garigliano radwaste repository in Sessa Aurunca (CE, Italy). Such a development is currently under way, with the installation foreseen within 2014.

Spirit Wiggles into Position

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit completed a difficult, rocky ascent en route to reaching a captivating rock outcrop nicknamed 'Hillary' at the summit of 'Husband Hill.' At the end of the climb the robotic geologist was tilted almost 30 degrees. To get the rover on more solid footing for deploying the instrument arm, rover drivers told Spirit to wiggle its wheels one at a time. This animation shows Spirit's position before and after completing the wheel wiggle, during which the rover slid approximately 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) downhill. Rover drivers decided this position was too hazardous for deploying the instrument arm and subsequently directed Spirit to a more stable position before conducting analyses with instruments on the rover's arm.

Spirit took these images with its front hazard-avoidance camera on martian day, or sol, 625 (Oct. 6, 2005).

Slow Progress in Dune (Left Front Wheel)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The left front wheel of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity makes slow but steady progress through soft dune material in this movie clip of frames taken by the rover's front hazard identification camera over a period of several days. The sequence starts on Opportunity's 460th martian day, or sol (May 10, 2005) and ends 11 days later. In eight drives during that period, Opportunity advanced a total of 26 centimeters (10 inches) while spinning its wheels enough to have driven 46 meters (151 feet) if there were no slippage. The motion appears to speed up near the end of the clip, but that is an artifact of individual frames being taken less frequently.

BOWS (bioinformatics open web services) to centralize bioinformatics tools in web services.

PubMed

Velloso, Henrique; Vialle, Ricardo A; Ortega, J Miguel

2015-06-02

Bioinformaticians face a range of difficulties to get locally-installed tools running and producing results; they would greatly benefit from a system that could centralize most of the tools, using an easy interface for input and output. Web services, due to their universal nature and widely known interface, constitute a very good option to achieve this goal. Bioinformatics open web services (BOWS) is a system based on generic web services produced to allow programmatic access to applications running on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters. BOWS intermediates the access to registered tools by providing front-end and back-end web services. Programmers can install applications in HPC clusters in any programming language and use the back-end service to check for new jobs and their parameters, and then to send the results to BOWS. Programs running in simple computers consume the BOWS front-end service to submit new processes and read results. BOWS compiles Java clients, which encapsulate the front-end web service requisitions, and automatically creates a web page that disposes the registered applications and clients. Bioinformatics open web services registered applications can be accessed from virtually any programming language through web services, or using standard java clients. The back-end can run in HPC clusters, allowing bioinformaticians to remotely run high-processing demand applications directly from their machines.

Satellite-Tracking Millimeter-Wave Reflector Antenna System For Mobile Satellite-Tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Densmore, Arthur C. (Inventor); Jamnejad, Vahraz (Inventor); Woo, Kenneth E. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A miniature dual-band two-way mobile satellite-tracking antenna system mounted on a movable vehicle includes a miniature parabolic reflector dish having an elliptical aperture with major and minor elliptical axes aligned horizontally and vertically, respectively, to maximize azimuthal directionality and minimize elevational directionality to an extent corresponding to expected pitch excursions of the movable ground vehicle. A feed-horn has a back end and an open front end facing the reflector dish and has vertical side walls opening out from the back end to the front end at a lesser horn angle and horizontal top and bottom walls opening out from the back end to the front end at a greater horn angle. An RF circuit couples two different signal bands between the feed-horn and the user. An antenna attitude controller maintains an antenna azimuth direction relative to the satellite by rotating it in azimuth in response to sensed yaw motions of the movable ground vehicle so as to compensate for the yaw motions to within a pointing error angle. The controller sinusoidally dithers the antenna through a small azimuth dither angle greater than the pointing error angle while sensing a signal from the satellite received at the reflector dish, and deduces the pointing angle error from dither-induced fluctuations in the received signal.

A satellite-tracking millimeter-wave reflector antenna system for mobile satellite-tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Densmore, Arthur C. (Inventor); Jamnejad, Vahraz (Inventor); Woo, Kenneth E. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A miniature dual-band two-way mobile satellite tracking antenna system mounted on a movable ground vehicle includes a miniature parabolic reflector dish having an elliptical aperture with major and minor elliptical axes aligned horizontally and vertically, respectively, to maximize azimuthal directionality and minimize elevational directionality to an extent corresponding to expected pitch excursions of the movable ground vehicle. A feed-horn has a back end and an open front end facing the reflector dish and has vertical side walls opening out from the back end to the front end at a lesser horn angle and horizontal top and bottom walls opening out from the back end to the front end at a greater horn angle. An RF circuit couples two different signal bands between the feed-horn and the user. An antenna attitude controller maintains an antenna azimuth direction relative to the satellite by rotating it in azimuth in response to sensed yaw motions of the movable ground vehicle so as to compensate for the yaw motions to within a pointing error angle. The controller sinusoidally dithers the antenna through a small azimuth dither angle greater than the pointing error angle while sensing a signal from the satellite received at the reflector dish, and deduces the pointing angle error from dither-induced fluctuations in the received signal.

A new data acquisition system for the CMS Phase 1 pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornmayer, A.

2016-12-01

A new pixel detector will be installed in the CMS experiment during the extended technical stop of the LHC at the beginning of 2017. The new pixel detector, built from four layers in the barrel region and three layers on each end of the forward region, is equipped with upgraded front-end readout electronics, specifically designed to handle the high particle hit rates created in the LHC environment. The DAQ back-end was entirely redesigned to handle the increased number of readout channels, the higher data rates per channel and the new digital data format. Based entirely on the microTCA standard, new front-end controller (FEC) and front-end driver (FED) cards have been developed, prototyped and produced with custom optical link mezzanines mounted on the FC7 AMC and custom firmware. At the same time as the new detector is being assembled, the DAQ system is set up and its integration into the CMS central DAQ system tested by running the pilot blade detector already installed in CMS. This work describes the DAQ system, integration tests and gives an outline for the activities up to commissioning the final system at CMS in 2017.

Characterization of the VEGA ASIC coupled to large area position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, R.; Evangelista, Y.; Fuschino, F.; Ahangarianabhari, M.; Macera, D.; Bertuccio, G.; Grassi, M.; Labanti, C.; Marisaldi, M.; Malcovati, P.; Rachevski, A.; Zampa, G.; Zampa, N.; Andreani, L.; Baldazzi, G.; Del Monte, E.; Favre, Y.; Feroci, M.; Muleri, F.; Rashevskaya, I.; Vacchi, A.; Ficorella, F.; Giacomini, G.; Picciotto, A.; Zuffa, M.

2014-08-01

Low-noise, position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) are particularly useful for experiments in which a good energy resolution combined with a large sensitive area is required, as in the case of X-ray astronomy space missions and medical applications. This paper presents the experimental characterization of VEGA, a custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) used as the front-end electronics for XDXL-2, a large-area (30.5 cm2) SDD prototype. The ASICs were integrated on a specifically developed PCB hosting also the detector. Results on the ASIC noise performances, both stand-alone and bonded to the large area SDD, are presented and discussed.

STS-55 Pilot Henricks uses CTE equipment mounted on SL-D2 aft end cone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

STS-55 Pilot Terence T. Henricks, positioned in front of an adjustable workstation mounted on the Spacelab Deutsche 2 (SL-D2) science module aft end cone, conducts Crew Telesupport Experiment (CTE). The STS-55 crew portrait (STS055(S)002) appears on the screen of the Macintosh portable computer. CTE will demonstrate real-time communication between the shuttle crew and the ground via a computer-based multimedia documentation file that includes text, graphics, and photos. CTE is expected to improve the effectiveness of on-orbit payload operations, returns from scientific investigations, crew interaction with the ground, and contingency maintenance tasks for systems and payloads. Also in the view and attached to the end cone are a fire extinguisher, a checklist, and an STS-37 extravehicular activity (EVA) photo of Mission Specialist (MS1) and Payload Commander (PLC) Jerry L. Ross (STS037-18-032).

Flexible pipe crawling device having articulated two axis coupling

DOEpatents

Zollinger, William T.

1994-01-01

An apparatus for moving through the linear and non-linear segments of piping systems. The apparatus comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a mechanism for extension and retraction of the front and rear leg assembles with respect to each other, such as an air cylinder, and a pivoting joint. One end of the flexible joint attaches to the front leg assembly and the other end to the air cylinder, which is also connected to the rear leg assembly. The air cylinder allows the front and rear leg assemblies to progress through a pipe in "inchworm" fashion, while the joint provides the flexibility necessary for the pipe crawler to negotiate non-linear piping segments. The flexible connecting joint is coupled with a spring-force suspension system that urges alignment of the front and rear leg assemblies with respect to each other. The joint and suspension system cooperate to provide a firm yet flexible connection between the front and rear leg assemblies to allow the pivoting of one with respect to the other while moving around a non-linear pipe segment, but restoring proper alignment coming out of the pipe bend.

Flexible pipe crawling device having articulated two axis coupling

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.

1994-05-10

An apparatus is described for moving through the linear and non-linear segments of piping systems. The apparatus comprises a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly, a mechanism for extension and retraction of the front and rear leg assembles with respect to each other, such as an air cylinder, and a pivoting joint. One end of the flexible joint attaches to the front leg assembly and the other end to the air cylinder, which is also connected to the rear leg assembly. The air cylinder allows the front and rear leg assemblies to progress through a pipe in inchworm' fashion, while the joint provides the flexibility necessary for the pipe crawler to negotiate non-linear piping segments. The flexible connecting joint is coupled with a spring-force suspension system that urges alignment of the front and rear leg assemblies with respect to each other. The joint and suspension system cooperate to provide a firm yet flexible connection between the front and rear leg assemblies to allow the pivoting of one with respect to the other while moving around a non-linear pipe segment, but restoring proper alignment coming out of the pipe bend. 4 figures.

1. NORTHWEST SIDE AND SOUTHWEST FRONT. Looking east. Edwards ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. NORTHWEST SIDE AND SOUTHWEST FRONT. Looking east. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Firing Control Building, Test Area 1-100, northeast end of Test Area 1-100 Road, Boron, Kern County, CA

29. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 229 (ELECTRIC POWER STATION) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 229 (ELECTRIC POWER STATION) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

35. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 233 (MISSLE ASSEMBLY SHOP) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

35. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 233 (MISSLE ASSEMBLY SHOP) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

19. SOUTH FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 216 (AMMUNITION MAINTENANCE SHOP) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

19. SOUTH FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 216 (AMMUNITION MAINTENANCE SHOP) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

49. NORTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 365 (ARMAMENT TESTING BUILDING) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

49. NORTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 365 (ARMAMENT TESTING BUILDING) IN BASE SPARES AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

52. NORTHWEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 367 (ADMINISTRATION OFFICE BUILDING) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

52. NORTHWEST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 367 (ADMINISTRATION OFFICE BUILDING) IN BASE SPARES AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

16. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 345 (ENTRY CONTROL BUILDING) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

16. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 345 (ENTRY CONTROL BUILDING) IN STORAGE AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

61. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 372 (HAZARDOUS STORAGE) IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

61. SOUTHEAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 372 (HAZARDOUS STORAGE) IN BASE SPARES AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

A multimodal 3D framework for fire characteristics estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toulouse, T.; Rossi, L.; Akhloufi, M. A.; Pieri, A.; Maldague, X.

2018-02-01

In the last decade we have witnessed an increasing interest in using computer vision and image processing in forest fire research. Image processing techniques have been successfully used in different fire analysis areas such as early detection, monitoring, modeling and fire front characteristics estimation. While the majority of the work deals with the use of 2D visible spectrum images, recent work has introduced the use of 3D vision in this field. This work proposes a new multimodal vision framework permitting the extraction of the three-dimensional geometrical characteristics of fires captured by multiple 3D vision systems. The 3D system is a multispectral stereo system operating in both the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral bands. The framework supports the use of multiple stereo pairs positioned so as to capture complementary views of the fire front during its propagation. Multimodal registration is conducted using the captured views in order to build a complete 3D model of the fire front. The registration process is achieved using multisensory fusion based on visual data (2D and NIR images), GPS positions and IMU inertial data. Experiments were conducted outdoors in order to show the performance of the proposed framework. The obtained results are promising and show the potential of using the proposed framework in operational scenarios for wildland fire research and as a decision management system in fighting.

MTR FAST NEUTRON FLUX MEASUREMENTS FOR CYCLE 146

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

Weber, L D; Hogg, C H

1962-03-20

The fast neutron fluxes in selected positions of the MTR were measured for Cycle 146. The measurements were made at the beginning, throughout, and at the end of the cycle (564 Mwd). Vertical traverses for each position monitors are shown. (auth)

Reduction of exposure to ultrafine particles by kitchen exhaust hoods: the effects of exhaust flow rates, particle size, and burner position.

PubMed

Rim, Donghyun; Wallace, Lance; Nabinger, Steven; Persily, Andrew

2012-08-15

Cooking stoves, both gas and electric, are one of the strongest and most common sources of ultrafine particles (UFP) in homes. UFP have been shown to be associated with adverse health effects such as DNA damage and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This study investigates the effectiveness of kitchen exhaust hoods in reducing indoor levels of UFP emitted from a gas stove and oven. Measurements in an unoccupied manufactured house monitored size-resolved UFP (2 nm to 100 nm) concentrations from the gas stove and oven while varying range hood flow rate and burner position. The air change rate in the building was measured continuously based on the decay of a tracer gas (sulfur hexafluoride, SF(6)). The results show that range hood flow rate and burner position (front vs. rear) can have strong effects on the reduction of indoor levels of UFP released from the stove and oven, subsequently reducing occupant exposure to UFP. Higher range hood flow rates are generally more effective for UFP reduction, though the reduction varies with particle diameter. The influence of the range hood exhaust is larger for the back burner than for the front burner. The number-weighted particle reductions for range hood flow rates varying between 100 m(3)/h and 680 m(3)/h range from 31% to 94% for the front burner, from 54% to 98% for the back burner, and from 39% to 96% for the oven. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF NECK MUSCULAR SIZE AND RANGE OF MOTION IN RUGBY PLAYERS

PubMed Central

Calistri, Josselin; Papadopoulou, Virginie; Theunissen, Sigrid; Dugardeyn, Christian; Balestra, Costantino

2018-01-01

Background World Rugby Union laws are constantly evolving towards stringent injury-prevention, particularly for contested scrums, since front row players are most at risk of cervical spine injuries. Recently, some countries have also introduced tailored training programs and minimum performance requirements for playing in the front row. Nevertheless, these approaches lack an objective assessment of each cervical muscle that would provide protective support. Objective Since front row players are the most at risk for cervical spine injuries due to the specific type of contact during scrums, the purpose of this study was to ascertain whether significant differences exist in neck muscle size and range of motion between front row players and players of other positions, across playing categories. Study Design Cross-sectional controlled laboratory study Methods 129 sub-elite male subjects from various first-team squads of Belgian Rugby clubs were recruited. Subjects were grouped according to age: Junior (J) < 19 years old, Senior (S) 19 to 35 years old and Veteran (V) > 35 years old; as well as playing position: Front row players (J = 10, S = 12, V = 11 subjects), (Rest of the) pack (J = 12, S = 12, V = 10), backs (J = 10, S = 11, V = 11). An age-matched control group of non-rugby players was also recruited (J = 10, S = 10, V = 10). For each subject, the total neck circumference (NC) and the cervical range of motion (CROM) were measured. In addition, the thickness of the trapezius (T), splenius capitis (SCa), semispinalis capitis (SCb), semispinalis cervicis (SPC), sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCOM), and the total thickness of all four structures (TT), were measured using ultrasonography. Results In each age category, compared to controls, rugby players were found to have decreased CROM, an increase in neck circumference (NC), and increased total thickness (TT), trapezius (T), semispinalis capitis (SCb) and sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCOM) sizes. For junior players, the thickness of the semispinalis cervicis (SPC) was also increased compared to controls. The CROM was decreased in front row players compared to pack and back players for all age categories; Front row seniors also showed an increase in trapezius (T), splenius capitis (SCa), semispinalis capitis (SCb) and total thickness (TT), compared to back players. Conclusion In regard of the differences in cervical values found between player positions, the implementation of both range of motion and echography muscle thickness assessments could serve to create an additional measurement for all front row players, that could complement current pre-participation screening used by rugby federations by objectively monitoring muscular size and motion amplitude around the cervical spine. PMID:29484239

Beamline front end for in-vacuum short period undulator at the photon factory storage ring

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

Miyauchi, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi.miyauchi@kek.jp; Department of Accelerator Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, SOKENDAI; Tahara, Toshihiro, E-mail: ttahara@post.kek.jp

The straight-section upgrade project of the Photon Factory created four new short straight sections capable of housing in-vacuum short period undulators. The first to fourth short period undulators SGU#17, SGU#03, SGU#01 and SGU#15 were installed at the 2.5-GeV Photon Factory storage ring in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively. The beamline front end for SGU#15 is described in this paper.

Maximum-Likelihood Detection Of Noncoherent CPM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Divsalar, Dariush; Simon, Marvin K.

1993-01-01

Simplified detectors proposed for use in maximum-likelihood-sequence detection of symbols in alphabet of size M transmitted by uncoded, full-response continuous phase modulation over radio channel with additive white Gaussian noise. Structures of receivers derived from particular interpretation of maximum-likelihood metrics. Receivers include front ends, structures of which depends only on M, analogous to those in receivers of coherent CPM. Parts of receivers following front ends have structures, complexity of which would depend on N.

Microwave Photonic Architecture for Direction Finding of LPI Emitters: Front End Analog Circuit Design and Component Characterization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

design to control the phase shifters was complex, and the calibration process was time consuming. During the redesign process, we carried out...signals in time domain with a maximum sampling frequency of 20 Giga samples per second. In the previous tests of the design , the performance of...PHOTONIC ARCHITECTURE FOR DIRECTION FINDING OF LPI EMITTERS: FRONT-END ANALOG CIRCUIT DESIGN AND COMPONENT CHARACTERIZATION by Chew K. Tan

YAMM - Yet Another Menu Manager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazer, Alan S.; Weidner, Richard J.

1991-01-01

Yet Another Menu Manager (YAMM) computer program an application-independent menuing package of software designed to remove much difficulty and save much time inherent in implementation of front ends of large packages of software. Provides complete menuing front end for wide variety of applications, with provisions for independence from specific types of terminals, configurations that meet specific needs of users, and dynamic creation of menu trees. Consists of two parts: description of menu configuration and body of application code. Written in C.

The new front-end electronics for the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter Phase 2 Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes, A.

2016-02-01

We present the plans, design, and performance results to date for the new front-end electronics being developed for the Phase 2 Upgrade of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter. The front-end electronics will be replaced to address the increased luminosity at the HL-LHC around 2025, as well as to upgrade to faster, more modern components with higher radiation tolerance. The new electronics will operate dead-timelessly, pushing full data sets from each beam crossing to the data acquisition system that resides off-detector. The new on-detector electronics contains five main parts: the front-end boards that connect directly to the photomultiplier tubes; the Main Boards that digitize the data; the Daughter Boards that collect the data streams and contain the high speed optical communication links for writing data to the data acquisition system; a programmable high voltage control system; and a new low voltage power supply. There are different options for implementing these subcomponents, which will be described. The new system contains new features that in the current version include power system redundancy, data collection redundancy, data transmission redundancy with 2 QSFP optical transceivers and Kintex-7 FPGAs with firmware enhanced scheme for single event upset mitigation. To date, we have built a Demonstrator—a fully functional prototype of the new system. Performance results and plans are presented.

CMOS Ultralow Power Brain Signal Acquisition Front-Ends: Design and Human Testing.

PubMed

Karimi-Bidhendi, Alireza; Malekzadeh-Arasteh, Omid; Lee, Mao-Cheng; McCrimmon, Colin M; Wang, Po T; Mahajan, Akshay; Liu, Charles Yu; Nenadic, Zoran; Do, An H; Heydari, Payam

2017-08-01

Two brain signal acquisition (BSA) front-ends incorporating two CMOS ultralow power, low-noise amplifier arrays and serializers operating in mosfet weak inversion region are presented. To boost the amplifier's gain for a given current budget, cross-coupled-pair active load topology is used in the first stages of these two amplifiers. These two BSA front-ends are fabricated in 130 and 180 nm CMOS processes, occupying 5.45 mm 2 and 0.352 mm 2 of die areas, respectively (excluding pad rings). The CMOS 130-nm amplifier array is comprised of 64 elements, where each amplifier element consumes 0.216 μW from 0.4 V supply, has input-referred noise voltage (IRNoise) of 2.19 μV[Formula: see text] corresponding to a power efficiency factor (PEF) of 11.7, and occupies 0.044 mm 2 of die area. The CMOS 180 nm amplifier array employs 4 elements, where each element consumes 0.69 μW from 0.6 V supply with IRNoise of 2.3 μV[Formula: see text] (corresponding to a PEF of 31.3) and 0.051 mm 2 of die area. Noninvasive electroencephalographic and invasive electrocorticographic signals were recorded real time directly on able-bodied human subjects, showing feasibility of using these analog front-ends for future fully implantable BSA and brain- computer interface systems.

2.5 Gbit/s Optical Receiver Front-End Circuit with High Sensitivity and Wide Dynamic Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Tiezhu; Mo, Taishan; Ye, Tianchun

2017-12-01

An optical receiver front-end circuit is designed for passive optical network and fabricated in a 0.18 um CMOS technology. The whole circuit consists of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a single-ended to differential amplifier and an output driver. The TIA employs a cascode stage as the input stage and auxiliary amplifier to reduce the miller effect. Current injecting technique is employed to enlarge the input transistor's transconductance, optimize the noise performance and overcome the lack of voltage headroom. To achieve a wide dynamic range, an automatic gain control circuit with self-adaptive function is proposed. Experiment results show an optical sensitivity of -28 dBm for a bit error rate of 10-10 at 2.5 Gbit/s and a maxim input optical power of 2 dBm using an external photodiode. The chip occupies an area of 1×0.9 mm2 and consumes around 30 mW from single 1.8 V supply. The front-end circuit can be used in various optical receivers.

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

Bolotnikov, A. E., E-mail: bolotnik@bnl.gov; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.

We investigated the feasibility of long-drift-time CdZnTe (CZT) gamma-ray detectors, fabricated from CZT material produced by Redlen Technologies. CZT crystals with cross-section areas of 5 × 5 mm{sup 2} and 6 × 6 mm{sup 2} and thicknesses of 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-mm were configured as 3D position-sensitive drift detectors and were read out using a front-end ASIC. By correcting the electron charge losses caused by defects in the crystals, we demonstrated high performance for relatively thick detectors fabricated from unselected CZT material.

Inside Victoria Crater for Extended Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

After a finishing an in-and-out maneuver to check wheel slippage near the rim of Victoria Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity re-entered the crater during the rover's 1,293rd Martian day, or sol, (Sept. 13, 2007) to begin a weeks-long exploration of the inner slope.

Opportunity's front hazard-identification camera recorded this wide-angle view looking down into and across the crater at the end of the day's drive. The rover's position was about six meters (20 feet) inside the rim, in the 'Duck Bay' alcove of the crater.

Sibling violence silenced: rivalry, competition, wrestling, playing, roughhousing, benign.

PubMed

Phillips, Debby A; Phillips, Kate H; Grupp, Kitty; Trigg, Lisa J

2009-01-01

In this article, sibling violence and the silence surrounding it is explicated through professional literature and research findings, exemplars from clinical practice, and statistics. Theoretical positions and discourse analysis have been used to help explain how regular broken bones, bruises, lacerations, and verbal humiliation can be minimized as normal sibling rivalry or roughhousing, which does not cause serious consequences. Nursing should be on the front lines of ending practices of violence. Recognizing sibling violence as such is part of this work and is a social justice issue.

From production to performance: solving the positioning dilemma in dental practice.

PubMed

Armstrong, James; Pitt, Leyland; Berthon, Pierre

2006-09-01

Thriving dental practices are excellent at providing a warm personal experience or are efficient, fast and cost-effective. Those that that attempt to do both end up being mediocre at just about everything. Introducing ideas from dramaturgy and service simultaneity in the services marketing literature, the authors provide a model for the conceptualization and redesign of the dental practice. Successful dental practices will be those that concentrate on low customization of activities in the back office or high customization of activities in the front office.

Small Magnetic Sensors for Space Applications

PubMed Central

Díaz-Michelena, Marina

2009-01-01

Small magnetic sensors are widely used integrated in vehicles, mobile phones, medical devices, etc for navigation, speed, position and angular sensing. These magnetic sensors are potential candidates for space sector applications in which mass, volume and power savings are important issues. This work covers the magnetic technologies available in the marketplace and the steps towards their implementation in space applications, the actual trend of miniaturization the front-end technologies, and the convergence of the mature and miniaturized magnetic sensor to the space sector through the small satellite concept. PMID:22574012

Geomatic methods applied to the study of the front position changes of Johnsons and Hurd Glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica, between 1957 and 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez Cielos, Ricardo; Aguirre de Mata, Julián; Díez Galilea, Andrés; Álvarez Alonso, Marina; Rodríguez Cielos, Pedro; Navarro Valero, Francisco

2016-08-01

Various geomatic measurement techniques can be efficiently combined for surveying glacier fronts. Aerial photographs and satellite images can be used to determine the position of the glacier terminus. If the glacier front is easily accessible, the classic surveys using theodolite or total station, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) techniques, laser-scanner or close-range photogrammetry are possible. When the accessibility to the glacier front is difficult or impossible, close-range photogrammetry proves to be useful, inexpensive and fast. In this paper, a methodology combining photogrammetric methods and other techniques is applied to determine the calving front position of Johnsons Glacier. Images taken in 2013 with an inexpensive nonmetric digital camera are georeferenced to a global coordinate system by measuring, using GNSS techniques, support points in accessible areas close to the glacier front, from which control points in inaccessible points on the glacier surface near its calving front are determined with theodolite using the direct intersection method. The front position changes of Johnsons Glacier during the period 1957-2013, as well as those of the land-terminating fronts of Argentina, Las Palmas and Sally Rocks lobes of Hurd glacier, are determined from different geomatic techniques such as surface-based GNSS measurements, aerial photogrammetry and satellite optical imagery. This provides a set of frontal positions useful, e.g., for glacier dynamics modeling and mass balance studies.Link to the data repository: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.845379.

2. BUILDING 8767, SOUTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. Edwards ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. BUILDING 8767, SOUTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunkers for Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

6. BUILDING 8768, NORTHWEST SIDE AND SOUTHWEST FRONT. Edwards ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

6. BUILDING 8768, NORTHWEST SIDE AND SOUTHWEST FRONT. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunkers for Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

8. BUILDING 8769, WEST FRONT AND SOUTH SIDE. Edwards ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. BUILDING 8769, WEST FRONT AND SOUTH SIDE. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunkers for Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

5. MISSILE TEST AND ASSEMBLY BUILDING, FRONT AND RIGHT SIDES, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. MISSILE TEST AND ASSEMBLY BUILDING, FRONT AND RIGHT SIDES, LOOKING SOUTHEAST. - NIKE Missile Base SL-40, Missile Test & Assembly Building, South end of launch area, northeast of Generator Building No. 3, Hecker, Monroe County, IL

2. DETAIL, CONDUITS ALONG BASE OF NORTH FRONT. Looking east. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. DETAIL, CONDUITS ALONG BASE OF NORTH FRONT. Looking east. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-4, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

43. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 272 (STORAGE STRUCTURE A2) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

43. EAST FRONT ELEVATION OF BUILDING 272 (STORAGE STRUCTURE A-2) IN ASSEMBLY AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

2. PAINT AND OIL STORAGE SHED, FRONT AND RIGHT SIDES, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. PAINT AND OIL STORAGE SHED, FRONT AND RIGHT SIDES, LOOKING SOUTH. - NIKE Missile Base SL-40, Paint & Oil Storage Shed, North end of base, northwest of Mess Hall & south of Basketball Court, Hecker, Monroe County, IL

Analysis and control of the photon beam position at PLS-II

PubMed Central

Ko, J.; Kim, I.-Y.; Kim, C.; Kim, D.-T.; Huang, J.-Y.; Shin, S.

2016-01-01

At third-generation light sources, the photon beam position stability is a critical issue for user experiments. In general, photon beam position monitors are developed to detect the real photon beam position, and the position is controlled by a feedback system in order to maintain the reference photon beam position. At Pohang Light Source II, a photon beam position stability of less than 1 µm r.m.s. was achieved for a user service period in the beamline, where the photon beam position monitor is installed. Nevertheless, a detailed analysis of the photon beam position data was necessary in order to ensure the performance of the photon beam position monitor, since it can suffer from various unknown types of noise, such as background contamination due to upstream or downstream dipole radiation, and undulator gap dependence. This paper reports the results of a start-to-end study of the photon beam position stability and a singular value decomposition analysis to confirm the reliability of the photon beam position data. PMID:26917132

System-level considerations for the front-end readout ASIC in the CBM experiment from the power supply perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, K.; Koczon, P.; Ayet, S.; Löchner, S.; Schmidt, C. J.

2017-03-01

New fixed target experiments using high intensity beams with energy up to 10 AGeV from the SIS100 synchrotron presently being constructed at FAIR/GSI are under preparation. Most of the readout electronics and power supplies are expected to be exposed to a very high flux of nuclear reaction products and have to be radiation tolerant up to 3 MRad (TID) and sustain up to 1014/cm2 of 1 MeV neutron equivalent in their life time. Moreover, the mostly minimum ionising particles under investigation leave very little signal in the sensors. Therefore very low noise level amplitude measurements are required by the front-end electronics for effective tracking. Sensor and interconnecting micro-cable capacitance and series resistance in conjunction with intrinsic noise of the charge sensitive amplifier are dominant noise sources in the system. However, the single-ended architecture of the amplifiers employed for the charge processing channels implies a potential problem with noise contributions from power supply sources. Strict system-level constraints leave very little freedom in selecting a power supply structure optimal with respect to: power efficiency, cooling capabilities and power density on modules, but also noise injection to the front-end via the power supply lines. Design of the power supply and distribution system of the Silicon Tracking System in the CBM experiment together with details on the front-end ASICs (STS -XYTER2) and measurement results of power supply and conditioning electronics (selected DC/DC converter and LDO regulators) are presented.

Ultra-low-power wearable biopotential sensor nodes.

PubMed

Yazicioglu, R F; Torfs, T; Penders, J; Romero, I; Kim, H; Merken, P; Gyselinckx, B; Yoo, H J; Van Hoof, C

2009-01-01

This paper discusses ultra-low-power wireless sensor nodes intended for wearable biopotential monitoring. Specific attention is given to mixed-signal design approaches and their impact on the overall system power dissipation. Examples of trade-offs in power dissipation between analog front-ends and digital signal processing are also given. It is shown how signal filtering can further reduce the internal power consumption of a node. Such power saving approaches are indispensable as real-life tests of custom wireless ECG patches reveal the need for artifact detection and correction. The power consumption of such additional features has to come from power savings elsewhere in the system as the overall power budget cannot increase.

Wearable System for Acquisition and Monitoring of Biological Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccinini, D. J.; Andino, N. B.; Ponce, S. D.; Roberti, MA; López, y. N.

2016-04-01

This paper presents a modular, wearable system for acquisition and wireless transmission of biological signals. Configurable slaves for different signals (such as ECG, EMG, inertial sensors, and temperature) based in the ADS1294 Medical Analog Front End are connected to a Master, based in the CC3200 microcontroller, both from Texas Instruments. The slaves are configurable according to the specific application, providing versatility to the wearable system. The battery consumption is reduced, through a couple of Li-ion batteries and the circuit has also a battery charger. A custom made box was designed and fabricated in a 3D printer, preserving the requirements of low cost, low weight and safety recommendations.

Design and Test of a 65nm CMOS Front-End with Zero Dead Time for Next Generation Pixel Detectors

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

Gaioni, L.; Braga, D.; Christian, D.

This work is concerned with the experimental characterization of a synchronous analog processor with zero dead time developed in a 65 nm CMOS technology, conceived for pixel detectors at the HL-LHC experiment upgrades. It includes a low noise, fast charge sensitive amplifier with detector leakage compensation circuit, and a compact, single ended comparator able to correctly process hits belonging to two consecutive bunch crossing periods. A 2-bit Flash ADC is exploited for digital conversion immediately after the preamplifier. A description of the circuits integrated in the front-end processor and the initial characterization results are provided

Condensation Front Migration in a Protoplanetary Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

2004-01-01

Condensation front dynamics are investigated in the mid-solar nebula region. A quasi-steady model of the evolving nebula is combined with equilibrium vapor pressure curves to determine evolutionary condensation fronts for selected species. These fronts are found to migrate inwards from the far-nebula to final positions during a period of 10(exp 7) years. The physical process governing this movement is a combination of local viscous heating and luminescent heating from the central star. Two luminescent heating models are used and their effects on the ultimate radial position of the condensation front are discussed. At first the fronts move much faster than the nebular accretion velocity, but after a time the accreting gas and dust overtakes the slowing condensation front.

A portable magnetic induction measurement system (PIMS).

PubMed

Cordes, Axel; Foussier, Jérôme; Pollig, Daniel; Leonhardt, Steffen

2012-02-22

For contactless monitoring of ventilation and heart activity, magnetic induction measurements are applicable. As the technique is harmless for the human body, it is well suited for long-term monitoring solutions, e.g., bedside monitoring, monitoring of home care patients, and the monitoring of persons in critical occupations. For such settings, a two-channel portable magnetic induction system has been developed, which is small and light enough to be fitted in a chair or bed. Because demodulation, control, and filtering are implemented on a front-end digital signal processor, a PC is not required (except for visualization/data storage during research and development). The system can be connected to a local area network (LAN) or wireless network (WiFi), allowing to connect several devices to a large monitoring system, e.g., for a residential home for the elderly or a hospital with low-risk patients not requiring standard ECG monitoring. To visualize data streams, a Qt-based (Qt-framework by Nokia, Espoo, Finland) monitoring application has been developed, which runs on Netbook computers, laptops, or standard PCs. To induce and measure the magnetic fields, external coils and amplifiers are required. This article describes the system and presents results for monitoring respiration and heart activity in a (divan) bed and for respiration monitoring in a chair. Planar configurations and orthogonal coil setups were examined during the measurement procedures. The measurement data were streamed over a LAN to a monitoring PC running Matlab (The MathWorks Inc, Natick, MA, USA).

Compositional Verification with Abstraction, Learning, and SAT Solving

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

arithmetic, and bit-vectors (currently, via bit-blasting). The front-end is based on an existing tool called UFO [8] which converts C programs to the Horn...supports propositional logic, linear arithmetic, and bit-vectors (via bit-blasting). The front-end is based on the tool UFO [8]. It encodes safety of...tool UFO [8]. The encoding in Horn-SMT only uses the theory of Linear Rational Arithmetic. All experiments were carried out on an Intel R© CoreTM2 Quad

THz semiconductor-based front-end receiver technology for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehdi, Imran; Siegel, Peter

2004-01-01

Advances in the design and fabrication of very low capacitance planar Schottky diodes and millimeter-wave power amplifiers, more accurate device and circuit models for commercial 3-D electromagnetic simulators, and the availability of both MEMS and high precision metal machining, have enabled RF engineers to extend traditional waveguide-based sensor and source technologies well into the TI-Iz frequency regime. This short paper will highlight recent progress in realizing THz space-qualified receiver front-ends based on room temperature semiconductor devices.

A front-end automation tool supporting design, verification and reuse of SOC.

PubMed

Yan, Xiao-lang; Yu, Long-li; Wang, Jie-bing

2004-09-01

This paper describes an in-house developed language tool called VPerl used in developing a 250 MHz 32-bit high-performance low power embedded CPU core. The authors showed that use of this tool can compress the Verilog code by more than a factor of 5, increase the efficiency of the front-end design, reduce the bug rate significantly. This tool can be used to enhance the reusability of an intellectual property model, and facilitate porting design for different platforms.

Scraping and stapling of end-grafted DNA chains by a bioadhesive spreading vesicle to reveal chain internal friction and topological complexity.

PubMed

Nam, Gimoon; Hisette, Marie Laure; Sun, Yuting Liang; Gisler, Thomas; Johner, Albert; Thalmann, Fabrice; Schröder, André Pierre; Marques, Carlos Manuel; Lee, Nam-Kyung

2010-08-20

Stained end-grafted DNA molecules about 20 μm long are scraped away and stretched out by the spreading front of a bioadhesive vesicle. Tethered biotin ligands bind the vesicle bilayer to a streptavidin substrate, stapling the DNAs into frozen confinement paths. Image analysis of the stapled DNA gives access, within optical resolution, to the local stretching values of individual DNA molecules swept by the spreading front, and provides evidence of self-entanglements.

AiGERM: A logic programming front end for GERM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashim, Safaa H.

1990-01-01

AiGerm (Artificially Intelligent Graphical Entity Relation Modeler) is a relational data base query and programming language front end for MCC (Mission Control Center)/STP's (Space Test Program) Germ (Graphical Entity Relational Modeling) system. It is intended as an add-on component of the Germ system to be used for navigating very large networks of information. It can also function as an expert system shell for prototyping knowledge-based systems. AiGerm provides an interface between the programming language and Germ.

Frequency to Voltage Converter Analog Front-End Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mata, Carlos; Raines, Matthew

2012-01-01

The frequency to voltage converter analog front end evaluation prototype (F2V AFE) is an evaluation board designed for comparison of different methods of accurately extracting the frequency of a sinusoidal input signal. A configurable input stage is routed to one or several of five separate, configurable filtering circuits, and then to a configurable output stage. Amplifier selection and gain, filter corner frequencies, and comparator hysteresis and voltage reference are all easily configurable through the use of jumpers and potentiometers.

Cold Front Cools the Eastern U.S.

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-16

Summertime heat and humidity in the U.S. East Coast is on hold for a couple of days thanks to a cold front and that brought clouds, showers, thunderstorms, and some severe weather on July 16 to the coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted that the dip in the jet stream will create below normal temperatures for most of the Central and Eastern U.S. for the next couple of days. NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured an image of the clouds associated with the cold front on July 16 at 1630 UTC (12:30 p.m. EDT).The clouds follow the front which stretches from the Florida panhandle, across Florida and up the U.S. East Coast into eastern Canada. Along the front lie two areas of low pressure, one over eastern New England, and the other offshore from South Carolina. Both of those low pressure areas are associated with additional cloudiness along the front. GOES satellites are managed by NOAA. The image was created by the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. GOES satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. Geostationary describes an orbit in which a satellite is always in the same position with respect to the rotating Earth. This allows GOES to hover continuously over one position on Earth's surface, appearing stationary. As a result, GOES provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. For updated information about the storm system, visit NOAA's National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov For more information about GOES satellites, visit: www.goes.noaa.gov/ or goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Image Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project, Text: Rob Gutro NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

A virtual test system representing the distribution of pedestrian impact configurations for future vehicle front-end optimization.

PubMed

Li, Guibing; Yang, Jikuang; Simms, Ciaran

2016-07-03

The purpose of this study is to define a computationally efficient virtual test system (VTS) to assess the aggressivity of vehicle front-end designs to pedestrians considering the distribution of pedestrian impact configurations for future vehicle front-end optimization. The VTS should represent real-world impact configurations in terms of the distribution of vehicle impact speeds, pedestrian walking speeds, pedestrian gait, and pedestrian height. The distribution of injuries as a function of body region, vehicle impact speed, and pedestrian size produced using this VTS should match the distribution of injuries observed in the accident data. The VTS should have the predictive ability to distinguish the aggressivity of different vehicle front-end designs to pedestrians. The proposed VTS includes 2 parts: a simulation test sample (STS) and an injury weighting system (IWS). The STS was defined based on MADYMO multibody vehicle to pedestrian impact simulations accounting for the range of vehicle impact speeds, pedestrian heights, pedestrian gait, and walking speed to represent real world impact configurations using the Pedestrian Crash Data Study (PCDS) and anthropometric data. In total 1,300 impact configurations were accounted for in the STS. Three vehicle shapes were then tested using the STS. The IWS was developed to weight the predicted injuries in the STS using the estimated proportion of each impact configuration in the PCDS accident data. A weighted injury number (WIN) was defined as the resulting output of the VTS. The WIN is the weighted number of average Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 2+ injuries recorded per impact simulation in the STS. Then the predictive capability of the VTS was evaluated by comparing the distributions of AIS 2+ injuries to different pedestrian body regions and heights, as well as vehicle types and impact speeds, with that from the PCDS database. Further, a parametric analysis was performed with the VTS to assess the sensitivity of the injury predictions to changes in vehicle shape (type) and stiffness to establish the potential for using the VTS for future vehicle front-end optimization. An STS of 1,300 multibody simulations and an IWS based on the distribution of impact speed, pedestrian height, gait stance, and walking speed is broadly capable of predicting the distribution of pedestrian injuries observed in the PCDS database when the same vehicle type distribution as the accident data is employed. The sensitivity study shows significant variations in the WIN when either vehicle type or stiffness is altered. Injury predictions derived from the VTS give a good representation of the distribution of injuries observed in the PCDS and distinguishing ability on the aggressivity of vehicle front-end designs to pedestrians. The VTS can be considered as an effective approach for assessing pedestrian safety performance of vehicle front-end designs at the generalized level. However, the absolute injury number is substantially underpredicted by the VTS, and this needs further development.

Solid State Lighting Program (Falcon)

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

Meeks, Steven

2012-06-30

Over the past two years, KLA-Tencor and partners successfully developed and deployed software and hardware tools that increase product yield for High Brightness LED (HBLED) manufacturing and reduce product development and factory ramp times. This report summarizes our development effort and details of how the results of the Solid State Light Program (Falcon) have started to help HBLED manufacturers optimize process control by enabling them to flag and correct identified killer defect conditions at any point of origin in the process manufacturing flow. This constitutes a quantum leap in yield management over current practice. Current practice consists of die dispositioningmore » which is just rejection of bad die at end of process based upon probe tests, loosely assisted by optical in-line monitoring for gross process deficiencies. For the first time, and as a result of our Solid State Lighting Program, our LED manufacturing partners have obtained the software and hardware tools that optimize individual process steps to control killer defects at the point in the processes where they originate. Products developed during our two year program enable optimized inspection strategies for many product lines to minimize cost and maximize yield. The Solid State Lighting Program was structured in three phases: i) the development of advanced imaging modes that achieve clear separation between LED defect types, improves signal to noise and scan rates, and minimizes nuisance defects for both front end and back end inspection tools, ii) the creation of defect source analysis (DSA) software that connect the defect maps from back-end and front-end HBLED manufacturing tools to permit the automatic overlay and traceability of defects between tools and process steps, suppress nuisance defects, and identify the origin of killer defects with process step and conditions, and iii) working with partners (Philips Lumileds) on product wafers, obtain a detailed statistical correlation of automated defect and DSA map overlay to failed die identified using end product probe test results. Results from our two year effort have led to “automated end-to-end defect detection” with full defect traceability and the ability to unambiguously correlate device killer defects to optically detected features and their point of origin within the process. Success of the program can be measured by yield improvements at our partner’s facilities and new product orders.« less

Seasonal Atmospheric Argon Variability Measured in the Equatorial Region of Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometers: Evidence for an Annual Argon-Enriched Front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

VanBommel, S. J.; Gellert, R.; Clark, B. C.; Ming, D. W.

2018-02-01

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity (MER-B) has been exploring the surface of Mars since landing in 2004. Its Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is primarily used to interrogate the chemical composition of rocks and soil samples in situ. Additionally, the APXS has measured the atmosphere of Mars with a regular cadence, monitoring the change in relative atmospheric argon density. Atmospheric measurements with the MER-B APXS span over six Mars years providing an unprecedented level of statistics for careful study of the ubiquitous APXS spectral background. Several models were applied to high-frequency long-duration Spirit rover atmospheric APXS measurements. The most stable model with the least uncertainty was applied to the MER-B data set. Seasonal variation of 10-15% in equatorial atmospheric argon density was observed - in agreement with existing literature and global climate models. Unseen in previous work and global climate models, an abrupt deviation from the model-predicted annual mixing ratio was measured by the MER-B APXS around Ls 150. The sharp change, 10% over 10° Ls, provides strong evidence for a northward migrating front, enriched in argon, sourced from the south pole at the end of southern winter. A similar weaker front is possibly observed around Ls 325, sourced from the northern polar region.

Experimentally increased nutrient availability at the permafrost thaw front selectively enhances biomass production of deep-rooting subarctic peatland species.

PubMed

Keuper, Frida; Dorrepaal, Ellen; van Bodegom, Peter M; van Logtestijn, Richard; Venhuizen, Gemma; van Hal, Jurgen; Aerts, Rien

2017-10-01

Climate warming increases nitrogen (N) mineralization in superficial soil layers (the dominant rooting zone) of subarctic peatlands. Thawing and subsequent mineralization of permafrost increases plant-available N around the thaw-front. Because plant production in these peatlands is N-limited, such changes may substantially affect net primary production and species composition. We aimed to identify the potential impact of increased N-availability due to permafrost thawing on subarctic peatland plant production and species performance, relative to the impact of increased N-availability in superficial organic layers. Therefore, we investigated whether plant roots are present at the thaw-front (45 cm depth) and whether N-uptake ( 15 N-tracer) at the thaw-front occurs during maximum thaw-depth, coinciding with the end of the growing season. Moreover, we performed a unique 3-year belowground fertilization experiment with fully factorial combinations of deep- (thaw-front) and shallow-fertilization (10 cm depth) and controls. We found that certain species are present with roots at the thaw-front (Rubus chamaemorus) and have the capacity (R. chamaemorus, Eriophorum vaginatum) for N-uptake from the thaw-front between autumn and spring when aboveground tissue is largely senescent. In response to 3-year shallow-belowground fertilization (S) both shallow- (Empetrum hermaphroditum) and deep-rooting species increased aboveground biomass and N-content, but only deep-rooting species responded positively to enhanced nutrient supply at the thaw-front (D). Moreover, the effects of shallow-fertilization and thaw-front fertilization on aboveground biomass production of the deep-rooting species were similar in magnitude (S: 71%; D: 111% increase compared to control) and additive (S + D: 181% increase). Our results show that plant-available N released from thawing permafrost can form a thus far overlooked additional N-source for deep-rooting subarctic plant species and increase their biomass production beyond the already established impact of warming-driven enhanced shallow N-mineralization. This may result in shifts in plant community composition and may partially counteract the increased carbon losses from thawing permafrost. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tele-healthcare for diabetes management: A low cost automatic approach.

PubMed

Benaissa, M; Malik, B; Kanakis, A; Wright, N P

2012-01-01

In this paper, a telemedicine system for managing diabetic patients with better care is presented. The system is an end to end solution which relies on the integration of front end (patient unit) and backend web server. A key feature of the system developed is the very low cost automated approach. The front-end of the system is capable of reading glucose measurements from any glucose meter and sending them automatically via existing networks to the back-end server. The back-end is designed and developed using n-tier web client architecture based on model-view-controller design pattern using open source technology, a cost effective solution. The back-end helps the health-care provider with data analysis; data visualization and decision support, and allows them to send feedback and therapeutic advice to patients from anywhere using a browser enabled device. This system will be evaluated during the trials which will be conducted in collaboration with a local hospital in phased manner.

48. FRONT ENTRY DETAIL ON SOUTHWEST ELEVATION OF BUILDING 361 ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

48. FRONT ENTRY DETAIL ON SOUTHWEST ELEVATION OF BUILDING 361 (MUNITIONS MAINTENANCE SQUADRON ADMINISTRATION BUILDING) IN BASE SPARES AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

VIEW OF THE FRONT SIDE OF BOAT LANDING S370 NEAR ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF THE FRONT SIDE OF BOAT LANDING S370 NEAR NORTH END, FACING WEST - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Boat Landing S370, Along Essex Street at Southeast shore of Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

VIEW OF THE FRONT SIDE OF BOAT LANDING S370 NEAR ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF THE FRONT SIDE OF BOAT LANDING S370 NEAR SOUTH END, FACING NORTHWEST - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Boat Landing S370, Along Essex Street at Southeast shore of Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

A front-end electronic system for large arrays of bolometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaboldi, C.; Carniti, P.; Cassina, L.; Gotti, C.; Liu, X.; Maino, M.; Pessina, G.; Rosenfeld, C.; Zhu, B. X.

2018-02-01

CUORE is an array of thermal calorimeters composed of 988 crystals held at about 10 mK, whose absorbed energy is read out with semiconductor thermistors. The composition of the crystal is TeO2, and the aim is the study of the double beta decay of 130Te on very long and stable runs. CUPID-0 is an array of 26 Zn82Se crystals with double thermistor readout to study the double beta decay of 82Se. In the present paper, we present an overview of the entire front-end electronic readout chain, from the preamplifier to the anti-aliasing filter. This overview includes motivations, design strategies, circuit implementation and performance results of the electronic system, including other auxiliary yet important elements like power supplies and the slow control communication system. The stringent requirements of stability on the very long experimental runs that are foreseen during CUORE and CUPID-0 operation, are achieved thanks to novel solutions of the front-end preamplifier and of the detector bias circuit setup.

Analog front-end design of the STS/MUCH-XYTER2—full size prototype ASIC for the CBM experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleczek, Rafal

2017-01-01

The design of the analog front-end of the STS/MUCH-XYTER2 ASIC, a full-size prototype chip for the Silicon Tracking System (STS, based on double-sided silicon strip sensors) and Muon Chamber (MUCH, based on gas sensors) detectors is presented. The ASIC contains 128 charge processing channels, each built of a charge sensitive amplifier, a polarity selection circuit and two pulse shaping amplifiers forming two parallel signal paths. The first path is used for timing measurement with a fast discriminator. The second path allows low-noise amplitude measurement with a 5-bit continuous-time flash ADC. Different operating conditions and constraints posed by two target detectors' applications require front-end electronics flexibility to meet extended system-wise requirements. The presented circuit implements switchable shaper peaking time, gain switching and trimming, input amplifier pulsed reset circuit, fail-safe measures. The power consumption is scalable (for the STS and the MUCH modes), but limited to 10 mW/channel.

Status of the Warm Front End of PIP-II Injector Test

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

Shemyakin, Alexander; Alvarez, Matthew; Andrews, Richard

The Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) at Fermilab is a program of upgrades to the injection complex. At its core is the design and construction of a CW-compatible, pulsed H⁻ SRF linac. To validate the concept of the front-end of such machine, a test accelerator known as PIP-II Injector Test is under construction. It includes a 10 mA DC, 30 keV H⁻ ion source, a 2 m-long Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT), a 2.1 MeV CW RFQ, followed by a Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) that feeds the first of 2 cryomodules increasing the beam energy to about 25 MeV,more » and a High Energy Beam Transport section (HEBT) that takes the beam to a dump. The ion source, LEBT, RFQ, and initial version of the MEBT have been built, installed, and commissioned. This report presents the overall status of the warm front end.« less

Coupling Front-End Separations, Ion Mobility Spectrometry, and Mass Spectrometry For Enhanced Multidimensional Biological and Environmental Analyses

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

Zheng, Xueyun; Wojcik, Roza; Zhang, Xing

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a widely used analytical technique for rapid molecular separations in the gas phase. IMS alone is useful, but its coupling with mass spectrometry (MS) and front-end separations has been extremely beneficial for increasing measurement sensitivity, peak capacity of complex mixtures, and the scope of molecular information in biological and environmental sample analyses. Multiple studies in disease screening and environmental evaluations have even shown these IMS-based multidimensional separations extract information not possible with each technique individually. This review highlights 3-dimensional separations using IMS-MS in conjunction with a range of front-end techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC),more » supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), liquid chromatography (LC), solid phase extractions (SPE), capillary electrophoresis (CE), field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS), and microfluidic devices. The origination, current state, various applications, and future capabilities for these multidimensional approaches are described to provide insight into the utility and potential of each technique.« less

Towards on-chip integration of brain imaging photodetectors using standard CMOS process.

PubMed

Kamrani, Ehsan; Lesage, Frederic; Sawan, Mohamad

2013-01-01

The main effects of on-chip integration on the performance and efficiency of silicon avalanche photodiode (SiAPD) and photodetector front-end is addressed in this paper based on the simulation and fabrication experiments. Two different silicon APDs are fabricated separately and also integrated with a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) front-end using standard CMOS technology. SiAPDs are designed in p+/n-well structure with guard rings realized in different shapes. The TIA front-end has been designed using distributed-gain concept combined with resistive-feedback and common-gate topology to reach low-noise and high gain-bandwidth product (GBW) characteristics. The integrated SiAPDs show higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), sensitivity and detection efficiency comparing to the separate SiAPDs. The integration does not show a significant effect on the gain and preserves the low power consumption. Using APDs with p-well guard-ring is preferred due to the higher observed efficiency after integration.

The OPERA muon spectrometer tracking electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrosio, M.; Barichello, G.; Brugnera, R.; Carrara, E.; Consiglio, L.; Corradi, A.; Dal Corso, F.; Dusini, S.; Felici, G.; Garfagnini, A.; Manea, C.; Masone, V.; Paoloni, A.; Paoluzzi, G.; Papalino, G.; Parascandolo, P.; Sorrentino, G.; Spinetti, M.; Stanco, L.; Terranova, F.; Votano, L.

2004-11-01

The document describes the front-end electronics that instrument the spectrometer of the OPERA experiment. The spectrometer is made of two separate modules. Each module consists of 22 RPC planes equipped with horizontal and vertical strips readout for a total amount of about 25,000 digital channels. The front end electronics is self-triggered and has single plane readout capability. It is made of three different stages: the Front End Boards (FEBs) system, the Controller Boards (CBs) system and the Timing Boards (TBs) system. The FEB system provides discrimination of the strip incoming signals; a FAST OR output of the input signals is also available for trigger plane signal generation. FEBs discriminated signals are acquired by the CBs system that manages also the communication to the experiment DAQ and Slow Control interface. A Trigger Board allows to operate in both self-trigger (the FEB FAST OR signal starts the plane acquisition) or external-trigger (different conditions can be set on the OR signals generated from different planes) modes.

Modern design of a fast front-end computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šoštarić, Z.; Anic̈ić, D.; Sekolec, L.; Su, J.

1994-12-01

Front-end computers (FEC) at Paul Scherrer Institut provide access to accelerator CAMAC-based sensors and actuators by way of a local area network. In the scope of the new generation FEC project, a front-end is regarded as a collection of services. The functionality of one such service is described in terms of Yourdon's environment, behaviour, processor and task models. The computational model (software representation of the environment) of the service is defined separately, using the information model of the Shlaer-Mellor method, and Sather OO language. In parallel with the analysis and later with the design, a suite of test programmes was developed to evaluate the feasibility of different computing platforms for the project and a set of rapid prototypes was produced to resolve different implementation issues. The past and future aspects of the project and its driving forces are presented. Justification of the choice of methodology, platform and requirement, is given. We conclude with a description of the present state, priorities and limitations of our project.

Coupling Front-End Separations, Ion Mobility Spectrometry, and Mass Spectrometry For Enhanced Multidimensional Biological and Environmental Analyses

PubMed Central

Zheng, Xueyun; Wojcik, Roza; Zhang, Xing; Ibrahim, Yehia M.; Burnum-Johnson, Kristin E.; Orton, Daniel J.; Monroe, Matthew E.; Moore, Ronald J.; Smith, Richard D.; Baker, Erin S.

2017-01-01

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a widely used analytical technique for rapid molecular separations in the gas phase. Though IMS alone is useful, its coupling with mass spectrometry (MS) and front-end separations is extremely beneficial for increasing measurement sensitivity, peak capacity of complex mixtures, and the scope of molecular information available from biological and environmental sample analyses. In fact, multiple disease screening and environmental evaluations have illustrated that the IMS-based multidimensional separations extract information that cannot be acquired with each technique individually. This review highlights three-dimensional separations using IMS-MS in conjunction with a range of front-end techniques, such as gas chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, liquid chromatography, solid-phase extractions, capillary electrophoresis, field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry, and microfluidic devices. The origination, current state, various applications, and future capabilities of these multidimensional approaches are described in detail to provide insight into their uses and benefits. PMID:28301728

Pulsed laser Doppler measurements of wind shear

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimarzio, C.; Harris, C.; Bilbro, J. W.; Weaver, E. A.; Burnham, D. C.; Hallock, J. N.

1979-01-01

There is a need for a sensor at the airport that can remotely detect, identify, and track wind shears near the airport in order to assure aircraft safety. To determine the viability of a laser wind-shear system, the NASA pulsed coherent Doppler CO2 lidar (Jelalian et al., 1972) was installed in a semitrailer van with a rooftop-mounted hemispherical scanner and was used to monitor thunderstorm gust fronts. Wind shears associated with the gust fronts at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) between 5 July and 4 August 1978 were measured and tracked. The most significant data collected at KSC are discussed. The wind shears were clearly visible in both real-time velocity vs. azimuth plots and in postprocessing displays of velocities vs. position. The results indicate that a lidar system cannot be used effectively when moderate precipitation exists between the sensor and the region of interest.

Inter-satellite links for satellite autonomous integrity monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Irma; García-Serrano, Cristina; Catalán Catalán, Carlos; García, Alvaro Mozo; Tavella, Patrizia; Galleani, Lorenzo; Amarillo, Francisco

2011-01-01

A new integrity monitoring mechanisms to be implemented on-board on a GNSS taking advantage of inter-satellite links has been introduced. This is based on accurate range and Doppler measurements not affected neither by atmospheric delays nor ground local degradation (multipath and interference). By a linear combination of the Inter-Satellite Links Observables, appropriate observables for both satellite orbits and clock monitoring are obtained and by the proposed algorithms it is possible to reduce the time-to-alarm and the probability of undetected satellite anomalies.Several test cases have been run to assess the performances of the new orbit and clock monitoring algorithms in front of a complete scenario (satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground links) and in a satellite-only scenario. The results of this experimentation campaign demonstrate that the Orbit Monitoring Algorithm is able to detect orbital feared events when the position error at the worst user location is still under acceptable limits. For instance, an unplanned manoeuvre in the along-track direction is detected (with a probability of false alarm equals to 5 × 10-9) when the position error at the worst user location is 18 cm. The experimentation also reveals that the clock monitoring algorithm is able to detect phase jumps, frequency jumps and instability degradation on the clocks but the latency of detection as well as the detection performances strongly depends on the noise added by the clock measurement system.

Architecture of PAU survey camera readout electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castilla, Javier; Cardiel-Sas, Laia; De Vicente, Juan; Illa, Joseph; Jimenez, Jorge; Maiorino, Marino; Martinez, Gustavo

2012-07-01

PAUCam is a new camera for studying the physics of the accelerating universe. The camera will consist of eighteen 2Kx4K HPK CCDs: sixteen for science and two for guiding. The camera will be installed at the prime focus of the WHT (William Herschel Telescope). In this contribution, the architecture of the readout electronics system is presented. Back- End and Front-End electronics are described. Back-End consists of clock, bias and video processing boards, mounted on Monsoon crates. The Front-End is based on patch panel boards. These boards are plugged outside the camera feed-through panel for signal distribution. Inside the camera, individual preamplifier boards plus kapton cable completes the path to connect to each CCD. The overall signal distribution and grounding scheme is shown in this paper.

Looking north along the west front of the administration building, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Looking north along the west front of the administration building, toward the east end of the library. The liberal arts building (a non-contributor) is at the left. - San Bernardino Valley College, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

1. Northeast front and southeast side of original section. Addition ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. Northeast front and southeast side of original section. Addition to rear view to west. - Offutt Air Force Base, Looking Glass Airborne Command Post, Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) Storage Facility, Far Northwest end of Project Looking Glass Historic District, Bellevue, Sarpy County, NE

4. Northeast front and northwest side of original section and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Northeast front and northwest side of original section and addition. View to south. - Offutt Air Force Base, Looking Glass Airborne Command Post, Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) Storage Facility, Far Northwest end of Project Looking Glass Historic District, Bellevue, Sarpy County, NE

2. BUILDING 8814, NORTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. Looking south ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. BUILDING 8814, NORTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE. Looking south southwest toward water tank complex. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunker 1-D-3, Test Area 1-125, northwest end of Altair Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

Perl Extension to the Bproc Library

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

Grunau, Daryl W.

2004-06-07

The Beowulf Distributed process Space (Bproc) software stack is comprised of UNIX/Linux kernel modifications and a support library by which a cluster of machines, each running their own private kernel, can present itself as a unified process space to the user. A Bproc cluster contains a single front-end machine and many back-end nodes which receive and run processes given to them by the front-end. Any process which is migrated to a back-end node is also visible as a ghost process on the fron-end, and may be controlled there using traditional UNIX semantics (e.g. ps(1), kill(1), etc). This software is amore » Perl extension to the Bproc library which enables the Perl programmer to make direct calls to functions within the Bproc library. See http://www.clustermatic.org, http://bproc.sourceforge.net, and http://www.perl.org« less

Towards the development of a wearable Electrical Impedance Tomography system: A study about the suitability of a low power bioimpedance front-end.

PubMed

Menolotto, Matteo; Rossi, Stefano; Dario, Paolo; Della Torre, Luigi

2015-01-01

Wearable systems for remote monitoring of physiological parameter are ready to evolve towards wearable imaging systems. The Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) allows the non-invasive investigation of the internal body structure. The characteristics of this low-resolution and low-cost technique match perfectly with the concept of a wearable imaging device. On the other hand low power consumption, which is a mandatory requirement for wearable systems, is not usually discussed for standard EIT applications. In this work a previously developed low power architecture for a wearable bioimpedance sensor is applied to EIT acquisition and reconstruction, to evaluate the impact on the image of the limited signal to noise ratio (SNR), caused by low power design. Some anatomical models of the chest, with increasing geometric complexity, were developed, in order to evaluate and calibrate, through simulations, the parameters of the reconstruction algorithms provided by Electrical Impedance Diffuse Optical Reconstruction Software (EIDORS) project. The simulation results were compared with experimental measurements taken with our bioimpedance device on a phantom reproducing chest tissues properties. The comparison was both qualitative and quantitative through the application of suitable figures of merit; in this way the impact of the noise of the low power front-end on the image quality was assessed. The comparison between simulation and measurement results demonstrated that, despite the limited SNR, the device is accurate enough to be used for the development of an EIT based imaging wearable system.

Vehicle underbody fairing

DOEpatents

Ortega, Jason M.; Salari, Kambiz; McCallen, Rose

2010-11-09

A vehicle underbody fairing apparatus for reducing aerodynamic drag caused by a vehicle wheel assembly, by reducing the size of a recirculation zone formed under the vehicle body immediately downstream of the vehicle wheel assembly. The fairing body has a tapered aerodynamic surface that extends from a front end to a rear end of the fairing body with a substantially U-shaped cross-section that tapers in both height and width. Fasteners or other mounting devices secure the fairing body to an underside surface of the vehicle body, so that the front end is immediately downstream of the vehicle wheel assembly and a bottom section of the tapered aerodynamic surface rises towards the underside surface as it extends in a downstream direction.

SE-FIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Yongkang; Weislogel, Mark; Schaeffer, Ben; Semerjian, Ben; Yang, Lihong; Zimmerli, Gregory

2012-01-01

The mathematical theory of capillary surfaces has developed steadily over the centuries, but it was not until the last few decades that new technologies have put a more urgent demand on a substantially more qualitative and quantitative understanding of phenomena relating to capillarity in general. So far, the new theory development successfully predicts the behavior of capillary surfaces for special cases. However, an efficient quantitative mathematical prediction of capillary phenomena related to the shape and stability of geometrically complex equilibrium capillary surfaces remains a significant challenge. As one of many numerical tools, the open-source Surface Evolver (SE) algorithm has played an important role over the last two decades. The current effort was undertaken to provide a front-end to enhance the accessibility of SE for the purposes of design and analysis. Like SE, the new code is open-source and will remain under development for the foreseeable future. The ultimate goal of the current Surface Evolver Fluid Interface Tool (SEFIT) development is to build a fully integrated front-end with a set of graphical user interface (GUI) elements. Such a front-end enables the access to functionalities that are developed along with the GUIs to deal with pre-processing, convergence computation operation, and post-processing. In other words, SE-FIT is not just a GUI front-end, but an integrated environment that can perform sophisticated computational tasks, e.g. importing industry standard file formats and employing parameter sweep functions, which are both lacking in SE, and require minimal interaction by the user. These functions are created using a mixture of Visual Basic and the SE script language. These form the foundation for a high-performance front-end that substantially simplifies use without sacrificing the proven capabilities of SE. The real power of SE-FIT lies in its automated pre-processing, pre-defined geometries, convergence computation operation, computational diagnostic tools, and crash-handling capabilities to sustain extensive computations. SE-FIT performance is enabled by its so-called file-layer mechanism. During the early stages of SE-FIT development, it became necessary to modify the original SE code to enable capabilities required for an enhanced and synchronized communication. To this end, a file-layer was created that serves as a command buffer to ensure a continuous and sequential execution of commands sent from the front-end to SE. It also establishes a proper means for handling crashes. The file layer logs input commands and SE output; it also supports user interruption requests, back and forward operation (i.e. undo and redo), and others. It especially enables the batch mode computation of a series of equilibrium surfaces and the searching of critical parameter values in studying the stability of capillary surfaces. In this way, the modified SE significantly extends the capabilities of the original SE.

Using a gel/plastic surrogate to study the biomechanical response of the head under air shock loading: a combined experimental and numerical investigation.

PubMed

Zhu, Feng; Wagner, Christina; Dal Cengio Leonardi, Alessandra; Jin, Xin; Vandevord, Pamela; Chou, Clifford; Yang, King H; King, Albert I

2012-03-01

A combined experimental and numerical study was conducted to determine a method to elucidate the biomechanical response of a head surrogate physical model under air shock loading. In the physical experiments, a gel-filled egg-shaped skull/brain surrogate was exposed to blast overpressure in a shock tube environment, and static pressures within the shock tube and the surrogate were recorded throughout the event. A numerical model of the shock tube was developed using the Eulerian approach and validated against experimental data. An arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) fluid-structure coupling algorithm was then utilized to simulate the interaction of the shock wave and the head surrogate. After model validation, a comprehensive series of parametric studies was carried out on the egg-shaped surrogate FE model to assess the effect of several key factors, such as the elastic modulus of the shell, bulk modulus of the core, head orientation, and internal sensor location, on pressure and strain responses. Results indicate that increasing the elastic modulus of the shell within the range simulated in this study led to considerable rise of the overpressures. Varying the bulk modulus of the core from 0.5 to 2.0 GPa, the overpressure had an increase of 7.2%. The curvature of the surface facing the shock wave significantly affected both the peak positive and negative pressures. Simulations of the head surrogate with the blunt end facing the advancing shock front had a higher pressure compared to the simulations with the pointed end facing the shock front. The influence of an opening (possibly mimicking anatomical apertures) on the peak pressures was evaluated using a surrogate head with a hole on the shell of the blunt end. It was revealed that the presence of the opening had little influence on the positive pressures but could affect the negative pressure evidently.

End Joining-Mediated Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells Using PCR-Amplified DNA Constructs that Contain Terminator in Front of Promoter.

PubMed

Nakamura, Mikiko; Suzuki, Ayako; Akada, Junko; Tomiyoshi, Keisuke; Hoshida, Hisashi; Akada, Rinji

2015-12-01

Mammalian gene expression constructs are generally prepared in a plasmid vector, in which a promoter and terminator are located upstream and downstream of a protein-coding sequence, respectively. In this study, we found that front terminator constructs-DNA constructs containing a terminator upstream of a promoter rather than downstream of a coding region-could sufficiently express proteins as a result of end joining of the introduced DNA fragment. By taking advantage of front terminator constructs, FLAG substitutions, and deletions were generated using mutagenesis primers to identify amino acids specifically recognized by commercial FLAG antibodies. A minimal epitope sequence for polyclonal FLAG antibody recognition was also identified. In addition, we analyzed the sequence of a C-terminal Ser-Lys-Leu peroxisome localization signal, and identified the key residues necessary for peroxisome targeting. Moreover, front terminator constructs of hepatitis B surface antigen were used for deletion analysis, leading to the identification of regions required for the particle formation. Collectively, these results indicate that front terminator constructs allow for easy manipulations of C-terminal protein-coding sequences, and suggest that direct gene expression with PCR-amplified DNA is useful for high-throughput protein analysis in mammalian cells.

Observations of seating position of front seat occupants relative to the side of the vehicle.

PubMed

Dinas, Arthur; Fildes, Brian N

2002-01-01

This study was an on-road observational study of the seating position and limb position of front seat occupants relevant to the side of the car for a representative sample of occupants during straight road driving and turning manoeuvres. A video camera captured over 650 front-on images of passenger car occupants in Metropolitan Melbourne. Results showed a significant numbers of occupants were seated out-of-position while travelling on the road and that a number of these were seated in a manner that may possibly result in injury from the deployment of a side airbag. This was particularly so while turning, a situation common in many side impacts. A substantial number of front seat occupants' arms were exposed to severe injury in the event of a side impact crash. These findings highlight a number of aspects of seating behaviour of driver and front passengers that need to be taken into account when designing side impact airbags.

Influence of an electric field on the buoyancy-driven instabilities.

PubMed

Zadrazil, Ales; Sevcíková, Hana

2005-11-01

The influence of dc electric fields (EFs) on the development of buoyancy-driven instabilities of reaction fronts is investigated experimentally in a modified Hele-Shaw cell for the arsenous acid-iodate system. Assessment of effects of external EFs is made both visually and through dispersion curves. It is shown that density fingering, observed on ascending fronts, is suppressed by the EF if the front propagates towards the positive electrode and is enhanced when the front propagates towards the negative electrode. The stabilizing (destabilizing) effects include slower (faster) development of fingers and the decrease (increase) in their numbers. The descending front, stable under no EF conditions, remains stable when an EF is applied with the positive electrode facing the approaching front. When the descending front faces the negative electrode, the tiny fingerlike structure develops after quite a long time.

2. NORTH FRONT, FROM SUPERSTRUCTURE TO FLAME DEFLECTOR. Looking south ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. NORTH FRONT, FROM SUPERSTRUCTURE TO FLAME DEFLECTOR. Looking south southwest from Observation Post No. 1 (Building 8767). - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

FELIX: The new detector readout system for the ATLAS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Soo; ATLAS TDAQ Collaboration

2017-10-01

After the Phase-I upgrades (2019) of the ATLAS experiment, the Front-End Link eXchange (FELIX) system will be the interface between the data acquisition system and the detector front-end and trigger electronics. FELIX will function as a router between custom serial links and a commodity switch network using standard technologies (Ethernet or Infiniband) to communicate with commercial data collecting and processing components. The system architecture of FELIX will be described and the status of the firmware implementation and hardware development currently in progress will be presented.

Depositional environments of the Rock Springs Formation, southwest flank of the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirschbaum, M.A.

1986-01-01

This deltaic Upper Cretaceous Rock Springs Formation of the Mesaverde Group was deposited during early Campanian time near the end of the regressive phase of the Niobrara cyclothem. On the southwest end of the Uplift, part of the delta system is exposed near the seaward edge of a series of transgressive/regressive sequences, which consist of intertonguing prodelta, delta-front, and delta-plain deposits. Eight major delta-front sandstones are vertically stacked and laterally continuous throughout the main study area.-from Author

The front end test stand high performance H- ion source at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

PubMed

Faircloth, D C; Lawrie, S; Letchford, A P; Gabor, C; Wise, P; Whitehead, M; Wood, T; Westall, M; Findlay, D; Perkins, M; Savage, P J; Lee, D A; Pozimski, J K

2010-02-01

The aim of the front end test stand (FETS) project is to demonstrate that chopped low energy beams of high quality can be produced. FETS consists of a 60 mA Penning Surface Plasma Ion Source, a three solenoid low energy beam transport, a 3 MeV radio frequency quadrupole, a chopper, and a comprehensive suite of diagnostics. This paper details the design and initial performance of the ion source and the laser profile measurement system. Beam current, profile, and emittance measurements are shown for different operating conditions.

Non-Electronic Radio Front-End (NERF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

electro - optic field sensor. The absence of metallic interconnects and the charge isolation provided by the optics removes the soft spots in a traditional receiver. In the proof-of concept experiment, detection of C band electromagnetic signals at 7.38 GHz with a sensitivity of 4.3x10 -3 V/m.Hz(exp 1/2) is demonstrated. The dielectric approach has an added benefit: it reduces physical size of the front end an important benefit in mobile applications. DIELECTRIC RESONATOR ANTENNA, PHOTONICALLY ISOLATED ANTENNA RECEIVER, ELECTRO - OPTIC DIELECTRIC ANTENNA,

Understanding the Manager of the Project Front-End

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulenburg, Gerald M.; Imprescia, Cliff (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Historical data and new findings from interviews with managers of major National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) projects confirm literature reports about the criticality of the front-end phase of project development, where systems engineering plays such a key role. Recent research into the management of ten contemporary NASA projects, combined with personal experience of the author in NASA, provide some insight into the relevance and importance of the project manager in this initial part of the project life cycle. The research findings provide evidence of similar approaches taken by the NASA project manager.

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

Anderson, Mathew; Bowen, Brian; Coles, Dwight

The Middleware Automated Deployment Utilities consists the these three components: MAD: Utility designed to automate the deployment of java applications to multiple java application servers. The product contains a front end web utility and backend deployment scripts. MAR: Web front end to maintain and update the components inside database. MWR-Encrypt: Web utility to convert a text string to an encrypted string that is used by the Oracle Weblogic application server. The encryption is done using the built in functions if the Oracle Weblogic product and is mainly used to create an encrypted version of a database password.

Architecture of a general purpose embedded Slow-Control Adapter ASIC for future high-energy physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrielli, Alessandro; Loddo, Flavio; Ranieri, Antonio; De Robertis, Giuseppe

2008-10-01

This work is aimed at defining the architecture of a new digital ASIC, namely Slow-Control Adapter (SCA), which will be designed in a commercial 130-nm CMOS technology. This chip will be embedded within a high-speed data acquisition optical link (GBT) to control and monitor the front-end electronics in future high-energy physics experiments. The GBT link provides a transparent transport layer between the SCA and control electronics in the counting room. The proposed SCA supports a variety of common bus protocols to interface with end-user general-purpose electronics. Between the GBT and the SCA a standard 100 Mb/s IEEE-802.3 compatible protocol will be implemented. This standard protocol allows off-line tests of the prototypes using commercial components that support the same standard. The project is justified because embedded applications in modern large HEP experiments require particular care to assure the lowest possible power consumption, still offering the highest reliability demanded by very large particle detectors.

User Interface for the ESO Advanced Data Products Image Reduction Pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rité, C.; Delmotte, N.; Retzlaff, J.; Rosati, P.; Slijkhuis, R.; Vandame, B.

2006-07-01

The poster presents a friendly user interface for image reduction, totally written in Python and developed by the Advanced Data Products (ADP) group. The interface is a front-end to the ESO/MVM image reduction package, originally developed in the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) project and used currently to reduce imaging data from several instruments such as WFI, ISAAC, SOFI and FORS1. As part of its scope, the interface produces high-level, VO-compliant, science images from raw data providing the astronomer with a complete monitoring system during the reduction, computing also statistical image properties for data quality assessment. The interface is meant to be used for VO services and it is free but un-maintained software and the intention of the authors is to share code and experience. The poster describes the interface architecture and current capabilities and give a description of the ESO/MVM engine for image reduction. The ESO/MVM engine should be released by the end of this year.

Mind of Its Own

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This animation shows the path the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit traveled during its 24-meter (78.7-foot) autonomous drive across the bumpy terrain at Gusev Crater, Mars, on the 39th day, or sol, of its mission. The colored data are from the rover's hazard-avoidance camera and have been reconstructed to show the topography of the land. Red areas indicate extremely hazardous terrain, and green patches denote safe, smooth ground. At the end of its drive, Spirit decided it was safer to back up then go forward. The rover is now positioned directly in front of its target, a rock dubbed Stone Council.

A Study on the Optimal Positions of ECG Electrodes in a Garment for the Design of ECG-Monitoring Clothing for Male.

PubMed

Cho, Hakyung; Lee, Joo Hyeon

2015-09-01

Smart clothing is a sort of wearable device used for ubiquitous health monitoring. It provides comfort and efficiency in vital sign measurements and has been studied and developed in various types of monitoring platforms such as T-shirt and sports bra. However, despite these previous approaches, smart clothing for electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring has encountered a serious shortcoming relevant to motion artifacts caused by wearer movement. In effect, motion artifacts are one of the major problems in practical implementation of most wearable health-monitoring devices. In the ECG measurements collected by a garment, motion artifacts are usually caused by improper location of the electrode, leading to lack of contact between the electrode and skin with body motion. The aim of this study was to suggest a design for ECG-monitoring clothing contributing to reduction of motion artifacts. Based on the clothing science theory, it was assumed in this study that the stability of the electrode in a dynamic state differed depending on the electrode location in an ECG-monitoring garment. Founded on this assumption, effects of 56 electrode positions were determined by sectioning the surface of the garment into grids with 6 cm intervals in the front and back of the bodice. In order to determine the optimal locations of the ECG electrodes from the 56 positions, ECG measurements were collected from 10 participants at every electrode position in the garment while the wearer was in motion. The electrode locations indicating both an ECG measurement rate higher than 80.0 % and a large amplitude during motion were selected as the optimal electrode locations. The results of this analysis show four electrode locations with consistently higher ECG measurement rates and larger amplitudes amongst the 56 locations. These four locations were abstracted to be least affected by wearer movement in this research. Based on this result, a design of the garment-formed ECG monitoring platform reflecting the optimal positions of the electrode was suggested.

Wavefront sensor for the GAIA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vosteen, Amir; Draaisma, Folkert; van Werkhoven, Willem; van Riel, Luud; Mol, Margreet; Gielesen, Wim

2017-11-01

TNO has developed, built and tested the Wave Front Sensor (WFS) for ESA's Gaia mission. The WFS will help Gaia create an extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map of more than one billion stars in our Galaxy. Part of ESA's Cosmic Vision programme, Gaia's build is led by EADS Astrium and is scheduled for launch in 2012. The Wave Front Sensor will be used to monitor the wave front errors of the two main telescopes mounted on the GAIA satellite. These mirrors include a 5-degree of freedom (DOF) mechanism that can be used to minimize the wave front errors during operation. The GAIA-WFS will operate over a broad wavelength (450 to 900 nm) and under cryogenic conditions (130 to 200 K operation temperature). The WFS uses an all reflective, a-thermal design and is of the type of Shack-Hartmann. The boundary condition for the design is that the focal plane of the WFS is the same plane as the focal plane of the GAIA telescopes. The spot pattern generated after a micro lens array ( MLA) by a star is compared to the pattern of one of the three calibration sources that is included in the WFS, allowing in flight calibration. We show the robust and lightweight opto mechanical design that is optimised for launch and cryogenic operation. Details are given on its alignment and commissioning. The WFS is able to measure relative wave front distortions in the order of lambda/1000, and can determine the optimum position of the focal plane with an accuracy of 50 μm

A multichannel EEG acquisition scheme based on single ended amplifiers and digital DRL.

PubMed

Haberman, Marcelo Alejandro; Spinelli, Enrique Mario

2012-12-01

Single ended (SE) amplifiers allow implementing biopotential front-ends with a reduced number of parts, being well suited for preamplified electrodes or compact EEG headboxes. On the other hand, given that each channel has independent gain; mismatching between these gains results in poor common-mode rejection ratios (CMRRs) (about 30 dB considering 1% tolerance components). This work proposes a scheme for multichannel EEG acquisition systems based on SE amplifiers and a novel digital driven right leg (DDRL) circuit, which overcome the poor CMRR of the front-end stage providing a high common mode reduction at power line frequency (up to 80 dB). A functional prototype was built and tested showing the feasibility of the proposed technique. It provided EEG records with negligible power line interference, even in very aggressive EMI environments.

3. DETAIL OF NORTH FRONT AND WEST SIDE, WITH SUPERSTRUCTURE, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. DETAIL OF NORTH FRONT AND WEST SIDE, WITH SUPERSTRUCTURE, FROM NEAR OBSERVATION POST NO. 3. Looking south southeast from below. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

1. BUILDING 8814, NORTH FRONT AND WEST SIDE. BUILDING 8832, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. BUILDING 8814, NORTH FRONT AND WEST SIDE. BUILDING 8832, TEST STAND 1-E, IN LEFT DISTANCE. Looking southeast. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunker 1-D-3, Test Area 1-125, northwest end of Altair Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

14. VARIOUS OUTBUILDINGS: a) OCTAGONAL STRUCTURE (center): WASH HOUSE b) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. VARIOUS OUTBUILDINGS: a) OCTAGONAL STRUCTURE (center): WASH HOUSE b) SQUARE BUILDING WITH HIPPED ROOF (right front): SMOKEHOUSE c) BRICK BUILDING WITH END CHIMNEYS (left front): KITCHEN AND COOK'S BUILDING d) LONG BRICK BUILDING (in background): SERVANTS' QUARTERS (?) - Colonel McNeal House, Union & Bills Streets, Bolivar, Hardeman County, TN

Ice-shelf Dynamics Near the Front of Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Revealed by SAR Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rignot, E.; MacAyeal, D. R.

1998-01-01

Fifteen synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images of the Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica, obtained by the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Earth Remote Sensing satellites (ERS) 1 & 2 are used to study ice-shelf dynamics near two ends of the iceberg-calving front.

1. Southwest front, dock no. 491. Aircraft tail extends through ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. Southwest front, dock no. 491. Aircraft tail extends through gasket in center hangar doors. View to east. - Offutt Air Force Base, Looking Glass Airborne Command Post, Nose Docks, On either side of Hangar Access Apron at Northwest end of Project Looking Glass Historic District, Bellevue, Sarpy County, NE

A Monolithic Multisensor Microchip with Complete On-Chip RF Front-End

PubMed Central

Felini, Corrado; Della Corte, Francesco G.

2018-01-01

In this paper, a new wireless sensor, designed for a 0.35 µm CMOS technology, is presented. The microchip was designed to be placed on an object for the continuous remote monitoring of its temperature and illumination state. The temperature sensor is based on the temperature dependence of the I-V characteristics of bipolar transistors available in CMOS technology, while the illumination sensor is an integrated p-n junction photodiode. An on-chip 2.5 GHz transmitter, coupled to a mm-sized dipole radiating element fabricated on the same microchip and made in the top metal layer of the same die, sends the collected data wirelessly to a radio receiver using an On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation pattern. PMID:29301297

Performance of an implantable impedance spectroscopy monitor using ZigBee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogónez-Franco, P.; Bayés-Genís, A.; Rosell, J.; Bragós, R.

2010-04-01

This paper presents the characterization measurements of an implantable bioimpedance monitor with ZigBee. Such measurements are done over RC networks, performing short and long-term measurements, with and without mismatch in electrodes and varying the temperature and the RF range. The bioimpedance monitor will be used in organ monitoring through electrical impedance spectroscopy in the 100 Hz - 200 kHz range. The specific application is the study of the viability and evolution of engineered tissue in cardiac regeneration in an experimental protocol with pig models. The bioimpedance monitor includes a ZigBee transceiver to transmit the measured data outside the animal chest. The bioimpedance monitor is based in the 12 Bit Impedance Converter and Network Analyzer AD5933, improved with an analog front-end that implements a 4-electrode measurement structure and allows to measure small impedances. In the debugging prototype, the system autonomy exceeds 1 month when a 14 frequencies impedance spectrum is acquired every 5 minutes. The receiver side consists of a ZigBee transceiver connected to a PC to process the received data. In the current implementation, the effective range of the RF link was of a few centimeters, then needing a range extender placed close to the animal. We have increased it by using an antenna with higher gain. Basic errors in the phantom circuit parameters estimation after model fitting are below 1%.

Stability Measurements for Alignment of the NIF Neutron Imaging System Pinhole Array

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

Fittinghoff, D N; Bower, D E; Drury, O B

2011-03-29

The alignment system for the National Ignition Facility's neutron imaging system has been commissioned and measurements of the relative stability of the 90-315 DIM, the front and the back of the neutron imaging pinhole array and an exploding pusher target have been made using the 90-135 and the 90-258 opposite port alignment systems. Additionally, a laser beam shot from the neutron-imaging Annex and reflected from a mirror at the back of the pinhole array was used to monitor the pointing of the pinhole. Over a twelve hour period, the relative stability of these parts was found to be within {approx}more » {+-}18 {micro}m rms even when using manual methods for tracking the position of the objects. For highly visible features, use of basic particle tracking techniques found that the front of the pinhole array was stable relative to the 90-135 opposite port alignment camera to within {+-}3.4 {micro}m rms. Reregistration, however, of the opposite port alignment systems themselves using the target alignment sensor was found to change the expected position of target chamber center by up to 194 {micro}m.« less

Wideband monolithically integrated front-end subsystems and components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mruk, Joseph Rene

This thesis presents the analysis, design, and measurements of passive, monolithically integrated, wideband recta-coax and printed circuit board front-end components. Monolithic fabrication of antennas, impedance transformers, filters, and transitions lowers manufacturing costs by reducing assembly time and enhances performance by removing connectors and cabling between the devices. Computational design, fabrication, and measurements are used to demonstrate the capabilities of these front-end assemblies. Two-arm wideband planar log-periodic antennas fed using a horizontal feed that allows for filters and impedance transformers to be readily fabricated within the radiating region of the antenna are demonstrated. At microwave frequencies, low-cost printed circuit board processes are typically used to produce planar devices. A 1.8 to 11 GHz two-arm planar log-periodic antenna is designed with a monolithically integrated impedance transformer. Band rejection methods based on modifying the antenna aperture, use of an integrated filter, and the application of both methods are investigated with realized gain suppressions of over 25 dB achieved. The ability of standard circuit board technology to fabricate millimeter-wave devices up to 110 GHz is severely limited. Thin dielectrics are required to prevent the excitation of higher order modes in the microstrip substrate. Fabricating the thin line widths required for the antenna aperture also becomes prohibitively challenging. Surface micro-machining typically used in the fabrication of MEMS devices is capable of producing the extremely small features that can be used to fabricate antennas extending through W-band. A directly RF fed 18 to 110 GHz planar log-periodic antenna is developed. The antenna is fabricated with an integrated impedance transformer and additional transitions for measurement characterization. Singly terminated low-loss wideband millimeter-wave filters operating over V- and W- band are developed. High quality performance of an 18 to 100 GHz front-end is realized by dividing the single instantaneous antenna into two apertures operating from 18 to 50 and 50 to 100 GHz. Each channel features an impedance transformer, low-pass (low-frequency) or band-pass (high-frequency) filter, and grounded CPW launch. This dual-aperture front-end demonstrates that micromachining technology is now capable of fabricating broadband millimeter-wave components with a high degree of integration.

Changes in zooplankton habitat, behavior, and acoustic scattering characteristics across glider-resolved fronts in the Southern California Current System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Jesse R.; Ohman, Mark D.

2015-05-01

We report cross-frontal changes in the characteristics of plankton proxy variables measured by autonomous Spray ocean gliders operating within the Southern California Current System (SCCS). A comparison of conditions across the 154 positive frontal gradients (i.e., where density of the surface layer decreased in the offshore direction) identified from six years of continuous measurements showed that waters on the denser side of the fronts typically showed higher Chl-a fluorescence, shallower euphotic zones, and higher acoustic backscatter than waters on the less dense side. Transitions between these regions were relatively abrupt. For positive fronts the amplitude of Diel Vertical Migration (DVM), inferred from a 3-beam 750 kHz acoustic Doppler profiler, increased offshore of fronts and covaried with optical transparency of the water column. Average interbeam variability in acoustic backscatter also changed across many positive fronts within 3 depth strata (0-150 m, 150-400 m, and 400-500 m), revealing a front-related change in the acoustic scattering characteristics of the assemblages. The extent of vertical stratification of distinct scattering assemblages was also more pronounced offshore of positive fronts. Depth-stratified zooplankton samples collected by Mocness nets corroborated the autonomous measurements, showing copepod-dominated assemblages and decreased zooplankton body sizes offshore and euphausiid-dominated assemblages with larger median body sizes inshore of major frontal features.

Wireless biopotential acquisition system for portable healthcare monitoring.

PubMed

Wang, W-S; Huang, H-Y; Wu, Z-C; Chen, S-C; Wang, W-F; Wu, C-F; Luo, C-H

2011-07-01

A complete biopotential acquisition system with an analogue front-end (AFE) chip is proposed for portable healthcare monitoring. A graphical user interface (GUI) is also implemented to display the extracted biopotential signals in real-time on a computer for patients or in a hospital via the internet for doctors. The AFE circuit defines the quality of the acquired biosignals. Thus, an AFE chip with low power consumption and a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) was implemented in the TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process. The measurement results show that the proposed AFE, with a core area of 0.1 mm(2), has a CMRR of 90 dB, and power consumption of 21.6 μW. Biopotential signals of electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) were measured to verify the proposed system. The board size of the proposed system is 6 cm × 2.5 cm and the weight is 30 g. The total power consumption of the proposed system is 66 mW. Copyright © 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.

Linearity enhancement design of a 16-channel low-noise front-end readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Huiming; Wei, Tingcun; Wang, Jia

2017-03-01

A 16-channel front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with linearity enhancement design for cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) detectors is presented in this paper. The resistors in the slow shaper are realized using a high-Z circuit to obtain constant resistance value instead of using only a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, thus the shaping time of the slow shaper can be kept constant for different amounts of input energies. As a result, the linearity of conversion gain is improved significantly. The ASIC was designed and fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process with a die size of 2.60 mm×3.53 mm. The tested results show that a typical channel provides an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of 109.7e-+16.3e-/pF with a power consumption of 4 mW and achieves a conversion gain of 87 mV/fC with a nonlinearity of <0.4%. The linearity of conversion gain is improved by at least 86.6% as compared with the traditional approaches using the same front-end readout architecture and manufacture process. Moreover, the inconsistency among channels is <0.3%. An energy resolution of 2.975 keV (FWHM) for gamma rays of 59.5 keV was measured by connecting the ASIC to a 5 mm×5 mm ×2 mm CdZnTe detector at room temperature. The front-end readout ASIC presented in this paper achieves an outstanding linearity performance without compromising the noise, power consumption, and chip size performances.

Patient perceptions of a remote monitoring intervention for chronic disease management.

PubMed

Wakefield, Bonnie J; Holman, John E; Ray, Annette; Scherubel, Melody

2011-04-01

Use of telecommunications technology to provide remote monitoring for people with chronic disease is becoming increasingly accepted as a means to improve patient outcomes and reduce resource use. The purpose of this project was to evaluate patient perceptions of a nurse-managed remote monitoring intervention to improve outcomes in veterans with comorbid diabetes and hypertension. Postintervention evaluation data were collected using a 12-item questionnaire and an open-ended question. Participants rated the program as generally positive on the questionnaire, but responses to the open-ended question revealed criticisms and suggestions for improvement not captured on the questionnaire. Interviewing participants in these programs may offer richer data for identifying areas for program improvement. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Performance evaluation of the analogue front-end and ADC prototypes for the Gotthard-II development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Andrä, M.; Barten, R.; Bergamaschi, A.; Brückner, M.; Dinapoli, R.; Fröjdh, E.; Greiffenberg, D.; Lopez-Cuenca, C.; Mezza, D.; Mozzanica, A.; Ramilli, M.; Redford, S.; Ruat, M.; Ruder, C.; Schmitt, B.; Shi, X.; Thattil, D.; Tinti, G.; Turcato, M.; Vetter, S.

2017-12-01

Gotthard-II is a silicon microstrip detector developed for the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL.EU). Its potential scientific applications include X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy, hard X-ray high resolution single-shot spectrometry (HiREX), energy dispersive experiments at 4.5 MHz frame rate, beam diagnostics, as well as veto signal generation for pixel detectors. Gotthard-II uses a silicon microstrip sensor with a pitch of 50 μm or 25 μm and with 1280 or 2560 channels wire-bonded to readout chips (ROCs). In the ROC, an adaptive gain switching pre-amplifier (PRE), a fully differential Correlated-Double-Sampling (CDS) stage, an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) as well as a Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) capable of storing all the 2700 images in an XFEL.EU bunch train will be implemented. Several prototypes with different designs of the analogue front-end (PRE and CDS) and ADC test structures have been fabricated in UMC-110 nm CMOS technology and their performance has been evaluated. In this paper, the performance of the analogue front-end and ADC will be summarized.

Design of a front-end integrated circuit for 3D acoustic imaging using 2D CMUT arrays.

PubMed

Ciçek, Ihsan; Bozkurt, Ayhan; Karaman, Mustafa

2005-12-01

Integration of front-end electronics with 2D capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays has been a challenging issue due to the small element size and large channel count. We present design and verification of a front-end drive-readout integrated circuit for 3D ultrasonic imaging using 2D CMUT arrays. The circuit cell dedicated to a single CMUT array element consists of a high-voltage pulser and a low-noise readout amplifier. To analyze the circuit cell together with the CMUT element, we developed an electrical CMUT model with parameters derived through finite element analysis, and performed both the pre- and postlayout verification. An experimental chip consisting of 4 X 4 array of the designed circuit cells, each cell occupying a 200 X 200 microm2 area, was formed for the initial test studies and scheduled for fabrication in 0.8 microm, 50 V CMOS technology. The designed circuit is suitable for integration with CMUT arrays through flip-chip bonding and the CMUT-on-CMOS process.

REACH: a high-performance wireless base station front end

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nettleton, Ray W.

1996-01-01

The link budget determines the relationships between range, capacity and transmitted power for any wireless technology. In every case it is a key determinant of the system's performance from both an engineering and an economic point of view. Unfortunately, the new 1.9 GHz PCS systems will begin life with an inherent 7 dB disadvantage over the 800 MHz cellular due to propagation differences. Additionally, system wiring and electronics often degrade performance by a further 5 to 10 dB due to long coaxial runs and noisy front end amplification, both of which are harder issues to deal with at 1.9 GHz than at 800 MHz. SCT's REACHTM products address these shortcomings by packaging critical components--front end amplification, filtering, etc.--in a compact cryoelectronic package intended for mounting near the antennas of the base station. In a recent trial with Qualcomm in San Diego, this package improved the CDMA uplink budget by 6 dB--enough to halve the number of base stations that are needed in most areas. This paper examines the technical and economic ramifications of the REACHTM product.

AFEII Analog Front End Board Design Specifications

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

Rubinov, Paul; /Fermilab

2005-04-01

This document describes the design of the 2nd iteration of the Analog Front End Board (AFEII), which has the function of receiving charge signals from the Central Fiber Tracker (CFT) and providing digital hit pattern and charge amplitude information from those charge signals. This second iteration is intended to address limitations of the current AFE (referred to as AFEI in this document). These limitations become increasingly deleterious to the performance of the Central Fiber Tracker as instantaneous luminosity increases. The limitations are inherent in the design of the key front end chips on the AFEI board (the SVXIIe and themore » SIFT) and the architecture of the board itself. The key limitations of the AFEI are: (1) SVX saturation; (2) Discriminator to analog readout cross talk; (3) Tick to tick pedestal variation; and (4) Channel to channel pedestal variation. The new version of the AFE board, AFEII, addresses these limitations by use of a new chip, the TriP-t and by architectural changes, while retaining the well understood and desirable features of the AFEI board.« less

Analysis and Quantification of Coupling Mechanisms of External Signal Perturbations on Silicon Detectors for Particle Physics Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arteche, F.; Rivetta, C.; Iglesias, M.; Echeverria, I.

2016-05-01

Silicon detectors have been used in astrophysics satellites and particle detectors for high energy physics (HEP) experiments. For HEP applications, EMC studies have been conducted in silicon detectors to characterize the impact of external noise on the system. They have shown that problems associated with the new generation of silicon detectors are related with interferences generated by the power supplies and auxiliary equipment connected to the device. Characterization of these interferences along with the coupling and their propagation into the susceptible front-end circuits is required for a successful integration of these systems. This paper presents the analysis of the sensitivity curves and coupling mechanisms between the noise and the front-end electronics that have been observed during the characterization of two silicon detector prototypes: the CMS-Silicon tracker detector (CMS-ST) and Silicon Vertex Detector (Belle II-SVD). As a result of these studies, it is possible to identify critical elements in prototypes to take corrective actions in the design and improve the front-end electronics performance.

Tunable compensation of GVD-induced FM-AM conversion in the front end of high-power lasers.

PubMed

Li, Rao; Fan, Wei; Jiang, Youen; Qiao, Zhi; Zhang, Peng; Lin, Zunqi

2017-02-01

Group velocity dispersion (GVD) is one of the main factors leading to frequency modulation (FM) to amplitude modulation (AM) conversion in the front end of high-power lasers. In order to compensate the FM-AM modulation, the influence of GVD, which is mainly induced by the phase filter effect, is theoretically investigated. Based on the theoretical analysis, a high-precision, high-stability, tunable GVD compensatory using gratings is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The results indicate that the compensator can be implemented in high-power laser facilities to compensate the GVD of fiber with a length between 200-500 m when the bandwidth of a phase-modulated laser is 0.34 nm or 0.58 nm and the central wavelength is in the range of 1052.3217-1053.6008 nm. Due to the linear relationship between the dispersion and the spacing distance of the gratings, the compensator can easily achieve closed-loop feedback controlling. The proposed GVD compensator promises significant applications in large laser facilities, especially in the future polarizing fiber front end of high-power lasers.

Programming time-multiplexed reconfigurable hardware using a scalable neuromorphic compiler.

PubMed

Minkovich, Kirill; Srinivasa, Narayan; Cruz-Albrecht, Jose M; Cho, Youngkwan; Nogin, Aleksey

2012-06-01

Scalability and connectivity are two key challenges in designing neuromorphic hardware that can match biological levels. In this paper, we describe a neuromorphic system architecture design that addresses an approach to meet these challenges using traditional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) hardware. A key requirement in realizing such neural architectures in hardware is the ability to automatically configure the hardware to emulate any neural architecture or model. The focus for this paper is to describe the details of such a programmable front-end. This programmable front-end is composed of a neuromorphic compiler and a digital memory, and is designed based on the concept of synaptic time-multiplexing (STM). The neuromorphic compiler automatically translates any given neural architecture to hardware switch states and these states are stored in digital memory to enable desired neural architectures. STM enables our proposed architecture to address scalability and connectivity using traditional CMOS hardware. We describe the details of the proposed design and the programmable front-end, and provide examples to illustrate its capabilities. We also provide perspectives for future extensions and potential applications.

FERMI: a digital Front End and Readout MIcrosystem for high resolution calorimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexanian, H.; Appelquist, G.; Bailly, P.; Benetta, R.; Berglund, S.; Bezamat, J.; Blouzon, F.; Bohm, C.; Breveglieri, L.; Brigati, S.; Cattaneo, P. W.; Dadda, L.; David, J.; Engström, M.; Genat, J. F.; Givoletti, M.; Goggi, V. G.; Gong, S.; Grieco, G. M.; Hansen, M.; Hentzell, H.; Holmberg, T.; Höglund, I.; Inkinen, S. J.; Kerek, A.; Landi, C.; Ledortz, O.; Lippi, M.; Lofstedt, B.; Lund-Jensen, B.; Maloberti, F.; Mutz, S.; Nayman, P.; Piuri, V.; Polesello, G.; Sami, M.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Schwemling, P.; Stefanelli, R.; Sundblad, R.; Svensson, C.; Torelli, G.; Vanuxem, J. P.; Yamdagni, N.; Yuan, J.; Ödmark, A.; Fermi Collaboration

1995-02-01

We present a digital solution for the front-end electronics of high resolution calorimeters at future colliders. It is based on analogue signal compression, high speed {A}/{D} converters, a fully programmable pipeline and a digital signal processing (DSP) chain with local intelligence and system supervision. This digital solution is aimed at providing maximal front-end processing power by performing waveform analysis using DSP methods. For the system integration of the multichannel device a multi-chip, silicon-on-silicon multi-chip module (MCM) has been adopted. This solution allows a high level of integration of complex analogue and digital functions, with excellent flexibility in mixing technologies for the different functional blocks. This type of multichip integration provides a high degree of reliability and programmability at both the function and the system level, with the additional possibility of customising the microsystem to detector-specific requirements. For enhanced reliability in high radiation environments, fault tolerance strategies, i.e. redundancy, reconfigurability, majority voting and coding for error detection and correction, are integrated into the design.

Characterization of RF front-ends by long-tail pulse response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzaro, Gregory J.; Ranney, Kenneth I.

2010-04-01

The recognition of unauthorized communications devices at the entry-point of a secure location is one way to guard against the compromise of sensitive information by wireless transmission. Such recognition may be achieved by backscatter x-ray and millimeter-wave imaging; however, implementation of these systems is expensive, and the ability to image the contours of the human body has raised privacy concerns. In this paper, we present a cheaper and less-invasive radio-frequency (RF) alternative for recognizing wireless communications devices. Characterization of the device-under-test (DUT) is accomplished using a stepped-frequency radar waveform. Single-frequency pulses excite resonance in the device's RF front-end. Microsecond periods of zero-signal are placed between each frequency transition to listen for the resonance. The stepped-frequency transmission is swept through known communications bands. Reception of a long-tail decay response between active pulses indicates the presence of a narrowband filter and implies the presence of a front-end circuit. The frequency of the received resonance identifies its communications band. In this work, cellular-band and handheld-radio filters are characterized.

Fast front-end electronics for semiconductor tracking detectors: Trends and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivetti, Angelo

2014-11-01

In the past few years, extensive research efforts pursued by both the industry and the academia have lead to major improvements in the performance of Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) and Time to Digital Converters (TDCs). ADCs achieving 8-10 bit resolution, 50-100 MHz conversion frequency and less than 1 mW power consumption are the today's standard, while TDCs have reached sub-picosecond time resolution. These results have been made possible by architectural upgrades combined with the use of ultra deep submicron CMOS technologies with minimum feature size of 130 nm or smaller. Front-end ASICs in which a prompt digitization is followed by signal conditioning in the digital domain can now be envisaged also within the tight power budget typically available in high density tracking systems. Furthermore, tracking detectors embedding high resolution timing capabilities are gaining interest. In the paper, ADC's and TDC's developments which are of particular relevance for the design front-end electronics for semiconductor trackers are discussed along with the benefits and challenges of exploiting such high performance building blocks in implementing the next generation of ASICs for high granularity particle detectors.

Underwater fiber-wireless communication with a passive front end

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jing; Sun, Bin; Lyu, Weichao; Kong, Meiwei; Sarwar, Rohail; Han, Jun; Zhang, Wei; Deng, Ning

2017-11-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel concept on underwater fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) communication system with a fully passive wireless front end. A low-cost step-index (SI) plastic optical fiber (POF) together with a passive collimating lens at the front end composes the underwater Fi-Wi architecture. We have achieved a 1.71-Gb/s transmission at a mean BER of 4.97 × 10-3 (1.30 × 10-3 when using power loading) over a 50-m SI-POF and 2-m underwater wireless channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Although the wireless part is very short, it actually plays a crucial role in practical underwater implementation, especially in deep sea. Compared with the wired solution (e.g. using a 52-m POF cable without the UWOC part), the proposed underwater Fi-Wi scheme can save optical wet-mate connectors that are sophisticated, very expensive and difficult to install in deep ocean. By combining high-capacity robust POF with the mobility and ubiquity of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC), the proposed underwater Fi-Wi technology will find wide application in ocean exploration.

3. Main Control Switchboard (front), view to the southwest, with ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. Main Control Switchboard (front), view to the southwest, with item 1 (the synchronization monitor) on the far left of the photograph and item 14 (the Libby transmission line panel) on the far right of the photograph. The operator's desk, with telephone and computer monitors, is also visible in left foreground of the photograph. - Washington Water Power Clark Fork River Noxon Rapids Hydroelectric Development, Powerhouse, South bank of Clark Fork River at Noxon Rapids, Noxon, Sanders County, MT

Electrical resistance tomography to monitor unsaturated moisture flow in cementitious materials

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

Hallaji, Milad; Seppänen, Aku; Pour-Ghaz, Mohammad, E-mail: mpourghaz@ncsu.edu

2015-03-15

Traditionally the electrically-based assessment of the moisture flow in cement-based materials relies on two- or four-point measurements. In this paper, imaging of moisture distribution with electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is considered. Especially, the aim is to study whether ERT could give information on unsaturated moisture flows in cases where the flow is non-uniform. In the experiment, the specimens are monitored with ERT during the water ingress. The ERT reconstructions are compared with neutron radiographs, which provide high resolution information on the 2D distribution of the moisture. The results indicate that ERT is able to detect the moisture movement and tomore » show approximately the shape and position of the water front even if the flow is nonuniform.« less

A CMOS Front-End With Integrated Magnetoresistive Sensors for Biomolecular Recognition Detection Applications.

PubMed

Costa, Tiago; Cardoso, Filipe A; Germano, Jose; Freitas, Paulo P; Piedade, Moises S

2017-10-01

The development of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors has demonstrated significant advantages in nanomedicine, particularly for ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics. To this end, the detection system is required to be compact, portable, and low power consuming at the same time that a maximum signal to noise ratio is maintained. This paper reports a CMOS front-end with integrated magnetoresistive sensors for biomolecular recognition detection applications. Based on the characterization of the GMR sensor's signal and noise, CMOS building blocks (i.e., current source, multiplexers, and preamplifier) were designed targeting a negligible noise when compared with the GMR sensor's noise and a low power consumption. The CMOS front-end was fabricated using AMS [Formula: see text] technology and the magnetoresistive sensors were post-fabricated on top of the CMOS chip with high yield ( [Formula: see text]). Due to its low circuit noise (16 [Formula: see text]) and overall equivalent magnetic noise ([Formula: see text]), the full system was able to detect 250 nm magnetic nanoparticles with a circuit imposed signal-to-noise ratio degradation of only -1.4 dB. Furthermore, the low power consumption (6.5 mW) and small dimensions ([Formula: see text] ) of the presented solution guarantees the portability of the detection system allowing its usage at the point-of-care.

An inductorless multi-mode RF front end for GNSS receiver in 55 nm CMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanbin, Luo; Chengyan, Ma; Yebing, Gan; Min, Qian; Tianchun, Ye

2015-10-01

An inductorless multi-mode RF front end for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver is presented. Unlike the traditional topology of a low noise amplifier (LNA), the inductorless current-mode noise-canceling LNA is applied in this design. The high-impedance-input radio frequency amplifier (RFA) further amplifies the GNSS signals and changes the single-end signal path into fully differential. The passive mixer down-converts the signals to the intermediate frequency (IF) band and conveys the signals to the analogue blocks. The local oscillator (LO) buffer divides the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and generates 25%-duty-cycle quadrature square waves to drive the mixer. Our measurement results display that the implemented RF front end achieves good overall performance while consuming only 6.7 mA from 1.2 V supply. The input return loss is better than -26 dB and the ultra low noise figure of 1.43 dB leads to high sensitivity of the GNSS receiver. The input 1 dB compression point is -43 dBm at the high gain of 48 dB. The designed circuit is fabricated in 55 nm CMOS technology and the die area, which is much smaller than traditional circuit, is around 220 × 280 μm2.

Experimental Evaluation of the Failure of a Seismic Design Category - B Precast Concrete Beam-Column Connection System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

27  Figure 37. Posttest view of SDC-B experimental specimen...center vertical displacement (y2) vs. time (x). .............................................. 28  Figure 40. Posttest front view of the SDC B top...center column. .......................................................... 30  Figure 41. Posttest front view of end columns

1. NORTHWEST FRONT AND SOUTHWEST SIDE, SHOWING LOCATION OF BUILDING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. NORTHWEST FRONT AND SOUTHWEST SIDE, SHOWING LOCATION OF BUILDING 0520 WEST OF FIRING CONTOL BLOCK HOUSE (BLDG. 0545), BETWEEN SLED TRACK AND CAMERA ACCESS ROAD. - Edwards Air Force Base, South Base Sled Track, Observation Block House, Station "O" area, east end of Sled Track, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA

2. OBLIQUE VIEW OF WEST FRONT. The frames on an ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. OBLIQUE VIEW OF WEST FRONT. The frames on an angle originally held mirrors for viewing the tests from inside the building. Vertical frame originally held bullet glass. - Edwards Air Force Base, South Base Sled Track, Firing Control Blockhouse, South of Sled Track at east end, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA

Mountain Plains Learning Experience Guide: Automotive Repair. Course: Suspension Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, C.; Osland, Walt

One of twelve individualized courses included in an automotive repair curriculum, this course covers the theory, maintenance, and repair of front-end suspension and steering mechanisms. The course is comprised of five units: (1) Tire Balancing, (2) Manual Steering Gears, (3) Power Steering, (4) Fundamentals of Suspension, and (5) Front-End…

Potential Application of BIOMASS Technology at National Space Technology Laboratories and Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-02-01

fuel. Based on the survey data, wood chips in the NSTL area are sold for $13 to $16 per wet ton ($14 to $18 Der l03 kg wet), bark for $6 to $7 per wet...truck 3 Chip vans (initially) 1 Pickup (3/4 ton) 1 Front-end loader (for handling at chip pile) This equipment combination assumes all material ]-inch...ing sites in chip vans , preferably with live-beds to aid in unloading. At the processing site the chips would be stored in large piles. A Front-end

Signal-processing theory for the TurboRogue receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, J. B.

1995-01-01

Signal-processing theory for the TurboRogue receiver is presented. The signal form is traced from its formation at the GPS satellite, to the receiver antenna, and then through the various stages of the receiver, including extraction of phase and delay. The analysis treats the effects of ionosphere, troposphere, signal quantization, receiver components, and system noise, covering processing in both the 'code mode' when the P code is not encrypted and in the 'P-codeless mode' when the P code is encrypted. As a possible future improvement to the current analog front end, an example of a highly digital front end is analyzed.

A low-voltage low-power front-end for wearable EEG systems.

PubMed

Yates, D; López-Morillo, E; Carvajal, R G; Ramirez-Angulo, J; Rodriguez-Villegas, E

2007-01-01

A low-voltage and low-power front-end for miniaturized, wearable EEG systems is presented. The instrumentation amplifier, which removes the electrode drift and conditions the signal for a 10-bit A/D converter, combines a chopping strategy with quasi-FGMOS (QFG) transistors to minimize low frequency noise whilst enabling operation at 1 V supply. QFG devices are also key to the A/D converter operating at 1.2 V with 70dB of SNR and an oversampling ratio of 64. The whole system consumes less than 2uW at 1.2V.

Front-end electronics for the LZ experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morad, James; LZ Collaboration

2016-03-01

LZ is a second generation direct dark matter detection experiment with 5.6 tonnes of liquid xenon active target, which will be instrumented as a two-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The peripheral xenon outside the active TPC (``skin'') will also be instrumented. In addition, there will be a liquid scintillator based outer veto surrounding the main cryostat. All of these systems will be read out using photomultiplier tubes. I will present the designs for front-end electronics for all these systems, which have been optimized for shaping times, gains, and low noise. Preliminary results from prototype boards will also be presented.

Advances in directional borehole radar data analysis and visualization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, D.V.G.; Brown, P.J.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a directional borehole radar (DBOR) tool for mapping fractures, lithologic changes, and underground utility and void detection. An important part of the development of the DBOR tool is data analysis and visualization, with the aim of making the software graphical user interface (GUI) intuitive and easy to use. The DBOR software system consists of a suite of signal and image processing routines written in Research Systems' Interactive Data Language (IDL). The software also serves as a front-end to many widely accepted Colorado School of Mines Center for Wave Phenomena (CWP) Seismic UNIX (SU) algorithms (Cohen and Stockwell, 2001). Although the SU collection runs natively in a UNIX environment, our system seamlessly emulates a UNIX session within a widely used PC operating system (MicroSoft Windows) using GNU tools (Noer, 1998). Examples are presented of laboratory data acquired with the prototype tool from two different experimental settings. The first experiment imaged plastic pipes in a macro-scale sand tank. The second experiment monitored the progress of an invasion front resulting from oil injection. Finally, challenges to further development and planned future work are discussed.

EMODnet MedSea Checkpoint for sustainable Blue Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moussat, Eric; Pinardi, Nadia; Manzella, Giuseppe; Blanc, Frederique

2016-04-01

The EMODNET checkpoint is a wide monitoring system assessment activity aiming to support the sustainable Blue Growth at the scale of the European Sea Basins by: 1) Clarifying the observation landscape of all compartments of the marine environment including Air, Water, Seabed, Biota and Human activities, pointing out to the existing programs, national, European and international 2) Evaluating fitness for use indicators that will show the accessibility and usability of observation and modeling data sets and their roles and synergies based upon selected applications by the European Marine Environment Strategy 3) Prioritizing the needs to optimize the overall monitoring Infrastructure (in situ and satellite data collection and assembling, data management and networking, modeling and forecasting, geo-infrastructure) and release recommendations for evolutions to better meet the application requirements in view of sustainable Blue Growth The assessment is designed for : - Institutional stakeholders for decision making on observation and monitoring systems - Data providers and producers to know how their data collected once for a given purpose could fit other user needs - End-users interested in a regional status and possible uses of existing monitoring data Selected end-user applications are of paramount importance for: (i) the blue economy sector (offshore industries, fisheries); (ii) marine environment variability and change (eutrophication, river inputs and ocean climate change impacts); (iii) emergency management (oil spills); and (iv) preservation of natural resources and biodiversity (Marine Protected Areas). End-user applications generate innovative products based on the existing observation landscape. The fitness for use assessment is made thanks to the comparison of the expected product specifications with the quality of the product derived from the selected data. This involves the development of checkpoint information and indicators based on Data quality and Metadata standards for geographic information (ISO 19157 and ISO 19115 respectively). The fitness for use of the input datasets are assessed using 2 categories of criteria to determine how these datasets fits the user requirements which drive them to select a data source rather than another one and to show performance and gaps of the present monitoring systems : • Data appropriateness : what is made available to the user ?. • Data availability : how it is made available to the user? All information are stored in a GIS platform and made available with two types of interfaces: - Front-end interfaces with users, to present the input data used by all challenges, the innovative products generated by challenges and the assessment indicators. - Back-end interfaces to partners, to store the checkpoint descriptors of input data, specification to generate targeted products, catalogue information of products with associated checkpoint indicators linked to the input data The validation of the records is done at three levels, at technical level (GIS), at challenge level (use), and at sea basin level (synthesis of monitoring data adequacy including expert comments) to end with the production of a yearly Data Adequacy Report.

Light-front field theory in the description of hadrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Chueng-Ryong

2017-03-01

We discuss the use of light-front field theory in the descriptions of hadrons. In particular, we clarify the confusion in the prevailing notion of the equivalence between the infinite momentum frame and the light-front dynamics and the advantage of the light-front dynamics in hadron physics. As an application, we present our recent work on the flavor asymmetry in the proton sea and identify the presence of the delta-function contributions associated with end-point singularities arising from the chiral effective theory calculation. The results pave the way for phenomenological applications of pion cloud models that are manifestly consistent with the chiral symmetry properties of QCD.

Development of autonomous gamma dose logger for environmental monitoring

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

Jisha, N. V.; Krishnakumar, D. N.; Surya Prakash, G.

2012-03-15

Continuous monitoring and archiving of background radiation levels in and around the nuclear installation is essential and the data would be of immense use during analysis of any untoward incidents. A portable Geiger Muller detector based autonomous gamma dose logger (AGDL) for environmental monitoring is indigenously designed and developed. The system operations are controlled by microcontroller (AT89S52) and the main features of the system are software data acquisition, real time LCD display of radiation level, data archiving at removable compact flash card. The complete system operates on 12 V battery backed up by solar panel and hence the system ismore » totally portable and ideal for field use. The system has been calibrated with Co-60 source (8.1 MBq) at various source-detector distances. The system is field tested and performance evaluation is carried out. This paper covers the design considerations of the hardware, software architecture of the system along with details of the front-end operation of the autonomous gamma dose logger and the data file formats. The data gathered during field testing and inter comparison with GammaTRACER are also presented in the paper. AGDL has shown excellent correlation with energy fluence monitor tuned to identify {sup 41}Ar, proving its utility for real-time plume tracking and source term estimation.« less

Development of autonomous gamma dose logger for environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jisha, N. V.; Krishnakumar, D. N.; Surya Prakash, G.; Kumari, Anju; Baskaran, R.; Venkatraman, B.

2012-03-01

Continuous monitoring and archiving of background radiation levels in and around the nuclear installation is essential and the data would be of immense use during analysis of any untoward incidents. A portable Geiger Muller detector based autonomous gamma dose logger (AGDL) for environmental monitoring is indigenously designed and developed. The system operations are controlled by microcontroller (AT89S52) and the main features of the system are software data acquisition, real time LCD display of radiation level, data archiving at removable compact flash card. The complete system operates on 12 V battery backed up by solar panel and hence the system is totally portable and ideal for field use. The system has been calibrated with Co-60 source (8.1 MBq) at various source-detector distances. The system is field tested and performance evaluation is carried out. This paper covers the design considerations of the hardware, software architecture of the system along with details of the front-end operation of the autonomous gamma dose logger and the data file formats. The data gathered during field testing and inter comparison with GammaTRACER are also presented in the paper. AGDL has shown excellent correlation with energy fluence monitor tuned to identify 41Ar, proving its utility for real-time plume tracking and source term estimation.

Actinobase: Database on molecular diversity, phylogeny and biocatalytic potential of salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes.

PubMed

Sharma, Amit K; Gohel, Sangeeta; Singh, Satya P

2012-01-01

Actinobase is a relational database of molecular diversity, phylogeny and biocatalytic potential of haloalkaliphilic actinomycetes. The main objective of this data base is to provide easy access to range of information, data storage, comparison and analysis apart from reduced data redundancy, data entry, storage, retrieval costs and improve data security. Information related to habitat, cell morphology, Gram reaction, biochemical characterization and molecular features would allow researchers in understanding identification and stress adaptation of the existing and new candidates belonging to salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes. The PHP front end helps to add nucleotides and protein sequence of reported entries which directly help researchers to obtain the required details. Analysis of the genus wise status of the salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes indicated 6 different genera among the 40 classified entries of the salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes. The results represented wide spread occurrence of salt tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycetes belonging to diverse taxonomic positions. Entries and information related to actinomycetes in the database are publicly accessible at http://www.actinobase.in. On clustalW/X multiple sequence alignment of the alkaline protease gene sequences, different clusters emerged among the groups. The narrow search and limit options of the constructed database provided comparable information. The user friendly access to PHP front end facilitates would facilitate addition of sequences of reported entries. The database is available for free at http://www.actinobase.in.

Cycle 24 COS FUV Internal/External Wavelength Scale Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, William J.

2018-02-01

We report on the monitoring of the COS FUV wavelength scale zero-points during Cycle 24 in program 14855. Select cenwaves were monitored for all FUV gratings at Lifetime Position 3. The target and cenwaves have remained the same since Cycle 21, with a change only to the target acquisition sequence. All measured offsets are within the error goals, although the G140L cenwaves show offsets at the short-wavelength end of segment A that are approaching the tolerance. This behavior will be closely monitored in subsequent iterations of the program.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE FLAW DETECTION APPARATUS

DOEpatents

Stateman, M.J.; Holloway, H.R.

1957-12-17

An apparatus is described for the non-destructive detection of flaws in electrical conducting articles. The particular feature of the detection apparatus is that a flaw in the front or back of the test article will not be masked by signals caused by the passage of the end and front of the article through the detection apparatus. The present invention alleviates the above problem by mounting detection coils on directly opposite sides of the test passageway so that the axes of the pickup coils are perpendicular to the axis of an energizing coil through which the article is passed. A flaw in the article will cause a change in the voltage induced in one pickup coil, but passage of the end or front of the article will not produce unequal signals. The signals are compared in appropriate electrical circuitry to actuate a recorder only when unequal signals are present, indicating the presence of a flaw.

The front-end electronics and slow control of large area SiPM for the SST-1M camera developed for the CTA experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar, J. A.; Bilnik, W.; Borkowski, J.; Cadoux, F.; Christov, A.; della Volpe, D.; Favre, Y.; Heller, M.; Kasperek, J.; Lyard, E.; Marszałek, A.; Moderski, R.; Montaruli, T.; Porcelli, A.; Prandini, E.; Rajda, P.; Rameez, M.; Schioppa, E.; Troyano Pujadas, I.; Ziȩtara, K.; Błocki, J.; Bogacz, L.; Bulik, T.; Curyło, M.; Dyrda, M.; Frankowski, A.; Grudniki, Ł.; Grudzińska, M.; Idźkowski, B.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Lalik, K.; Mach, E.; Mandat, D.; Michałowski, J.; Neronov, A.; Niemiec, J.; Ostrowski, M.; Paśsko, P.; Pech, M.; Schovanek, P.; Seweryn, K.; Skowron, K.; Sliusar, V.; Sowiński, M.; Stawarz, Ł.; Stodulska, M.; Stodulski, M.; Toscano, S.; Walter, R.; Wiȩcek, M.; Zagdański, A.; Żychowski, P.

2016-09-01

The single mirror Small Size Telescope (SST-1M) is one of the proposed designs for the smallest type of telescopes, SSTs that will compose the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The SST-1M camera will use Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPM) which are nowadays commonly used in High Energy Physics experiments and many imaging applications. However the unique pixel shape and size have required a dedicated development by the University of Geneva and Hamamatsu. The resulting sensor has a surface of ∼94 mm2 and a total capacitance of ∼3.4 nF. These unique characteristics, combined with the stringent requirements of the CTA project on timing and charge resolution have led the University of Geneva to develop custom front-end electronics. The preamplifier stage has been tailored in order to optimize the signal shape using measurement campaigns and electronic simulation of the sensor. A dedicated trans-impedance pre-amplifier topology is used resulting in a power consumption of 400 mW per pixel and a pulse width < 30 ns. The measurements that have led to the choice of the different components and the resulting performance are detailed in this paper. The slow control electronics was designed to provide the bias voltage with 6.7 mV precision and to correct for temperature variation with a forward feedback compensation with 0.17 °C resolution. It is fully configurable and can be monitored using CANbus interface. The architecture and the characterization of the various elements are presented.

After Opportunity's First Drive in Six Weeks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its front hazard-identification camera to obtain this image at the end of a drive on the rover's 1,271st sol, or Martian day (Aug. 21, 2007).

Due to sun-obscuring dust storms limiting the rover's supply of solar energy, Opportunity had not driven since sol 1,232 (July 12, 2007). On sol 1,271, after the sky above Opportunity had been gradually clearing for more than two weeks, the rover rolled 13.38 meters (44 feet). Wheel tracks are visible in front of the rover because the drive ended with a short test of driving backwards.

Opportunity's turret of four tools at the end of the robotic arm fills the center of the image. Victoria Crater, site of the rover's next science targets, lies ahead.