Abstract: A digitally activated display scale in association with digital-electronic ircuitry, displays both the airspeed and airspeed trend of a landing aircraft. The digital/electronic circuitry process an analog voltage corresponding to an airspeed range of 80 to 179 knots to produce a digital number representative of the airspeed of the landing aircraft. The digital number is used to produce a continuous display of the airspeed and to indicate the trend of the airspeed as either increasing or decreasing.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of determining the material properties of a dielectric and/or conducting radar target by deciphering the backscattered signals returned from the target is disclosed. The resonance "code" of the echo signals from the target is a function of the width and spacing of the resonant spectral lines in the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes of the returned signals. The resonances present in any TE or TM mode become uniformly spaced and of uniform width at high frequencies. The uniform spacing between adjacent resonances is used to uniquely determine the dielectric constant of the material comprising the target, and their uniform width is used to uniquely determine its thickness.

Abstract: A digital m of n correlation device using signal and reference shaft registers, modulo 2 adders, unique 1-bit D/A converters, and single resistor analog summing provides a very fast correlation product for pulse compression modulations such as phase or frequency shift keying. The compression ratio for the digital m of n correlation device, according to the present invention, is 168:1 (equal to the number of bits). The device is capable of bit rates in excess of 100 Mbps and is well suited for LSI fabrication.

Abstract: Uniquely integrating a search mirror and a deflection mirror with a passive ptical rangefinder and a remote sextant, enhances the operation of both devices. The improved rangefinder/sextant provides day/night 360.degree. azimuthal and at least -5.degree. to about 60.degree. elevational search capability with the additional capability of pointing the search mirror at a navigational star in a direction different from that of an imaging camera. Thus, the imaging camera, can be pointed at the sea horizon that is least obscured by haze and/or sea clutter, thereby allowing altitude readings under adverse conditions.

Abstract: A digital compass including a two-axis earth's magnetic field sensor and a earing processor computes the bearing for local display or transmission from a remote site to a local site for display and/or storage. The bearing processor portion of the digital compass includes an analog-to-digital converter configured for ratiometric measurements to compute the ratio of the x-axis and y-axis signals (smaller divided by the larger) from the aforementioned two-axis earth's magnetic field sensor. A programmable memory unit controlled, inter alia, by the data line outputs of the analog-to-digital converter, contains the arc tangent function for angles from 0.degree. to 90.degree.. The data line outputs from the memory unit defines a quadrant displacement angle in the range of 0.degree. to 90.degree. which is subsequently added to the cardinal point forming the lower boundary in bearing of the host quadrant.

Abstract: A device which uses a light signal to control the amplification of light is disclosed. Optically active ions in a laser material are pumped to an intermediate energy state by light of a first frequency, and thereafter pumped from the intermediate energy state to an upper energy state by light of a second frequency. Lasing occurs when the optically active ions fall back to the intermediate energy state. When the intensity of the light of the first frequency is below the threshold pumping level, no laser action can occur even though the intensity of the light of the second frequency is above its threshold pumping level. Thus a large output power can be controlled by a small input power.

Abstract: An improved release apparatus, including an actuator device, a release dee and a firing device, releases the firing device in a water environment and not in an air environment when the actuator device is remotely actuated. When in a water environment, a predetermined gas pressure from the actuator device drives forward a pusher piston and valve sleeve arrangement, disposed in a water chamber of the release device, initially to close off lower entry/exit orifices in the water chamber by action of the valve sleeve, and then to compress an entrapped column of water to a predetermined water pressure sufficiently to cause shearing off of an annular lip of a ball lock piston thereby separating the firing device from the release device. When in an air environment, the pressure from a compressed entrapped air column is not sufficient to cause shearing off or folding down of the annular lip of the ball lock piston, and, accordingly, the release apparatus is safed.

Abstract: A method of fabricating improved semiconductor devices, such as FET's, wh require or are improved by a hyperabrupt interface between the active channel and the underlying insulating region. A substrate, such as GaAs, is polished and then implanted with light ions, such as protons, to amorphize the crystal structure down to a certain depth determined by the ion-beam accelerating voltage and the ion fluence level. The crystal is damaged but not amorphized below the lowest amorphization depth. The interface between the amorphized and the non-amorphized, but damaged, regions is a relatively narrow region which will become a hyperabrupt junction. The substrate is then implanted with donor ions, such as Si, in accordance with the requirements of the device to be fabricated and under conditions which provide a retrograde donor ion concentration profile with depth. An annealing/donor activating step is now performed at a relatively low temperature (600.degree. C.

Abstract: Information about the plasma density profile in an aerodynamic flow field of plasma adjacent a supersonic space vehicle or test model is provided by a flush mountable plasma density profile probe device having at least three striplines embedded in and separated by a dielectric support member from a conducting ground plane therebelow. In operation, the device is affixed flush and conformally to the surface of the space vehicle or test model. The plasma density profile is determined from a plot of data points derived from sequential measurements, in the plasma flow field environment, of the conduction between a driven stripline and parallel flush embedded additional striplines in the order of the nearest stripline to the furtherest stripline from the driven stripline. Standard formulas can be applied to determine the data points.

Abstract: A low power expenditure oscillator/driver circuit including a transistor drive and control windings connected thereto and being operatively wound on a magnetic core suitable for use in a fluxgate magnetometer is disclosed. Its low power expenditure feature is provided, inter alia, by including an additional resistor in the base circuit of the transistor portion thereof so as to lengthen the base current pulses which permits their termination to be controlled by saturation of the magnetic core.

Abstract: A high-frequency transistor and method of making same wherein the parasitic apacitance between base and collector is reduced. The collector layer of GaAs is impregnated with boron ions to form an insulative region under the base contact structure thereby reducing the capacitance in this region and leaving only the region underlying the emitter structure as the active transistor region.

Abstract: A solid-state, signal conversion circuit for converting electrical, periodic analog signals to other analog signals of different amplitude and/or frequency and/or phase is disclosed. The input signal is demodulated, scaled and sampled and each sample converted, via an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, to a digital word corresponding to the sample's amplitude. The digital words address a ROM which has other words stored at the addresses in correspondence with the desired values for a preselected output signal. Scaling means is used to keep the input signal to the A/D converter at a constant peak value regardless of fluctuations in the signal level. A comparator and subtractor are used to invert the downslope of input signals to avoid ambiguity problems when the output signal frequency is an even multiple of the input signal frequency.