Abstract: A backplane assembly for a cluster of modules with the backplane assembly comprised of an electrical backplane and an optical backplane which has optical connectors that extend through openings in the electrical backplane to thereby share a connector shell with the electrical backplane with the clearance between the optical connectors and the electrical backplane sufficiently great so as to permit the optical backplane to be attached or detached from the cluster of modules without having to disconnect the electrical backplane.

Abstract: A device to measure the volume and weight of a harvested grain crop during the harvesting of the grain crop with a weight measurement member including an elevator for moving grain from a lower elevation to a higher elevation with the elevator having a rotatable belt and a set of paddles thereon for moving grain from the lower elevation to the higher elevation with a torque sensor to determine the increase in torque on the shaft as a result of having to raise the kernels of grain from the lower elevation to the higher elevation and an acoustic volume measurement member to obtain information on the depth of the grain that is correlatable to volume of the harvested crop.

Abstract: A device to measure the volume and weight of a harvested grain crop during the harvesting of the grain crop with a weight measurement member including an elevator for moving grain from a lower elevation to a higher elevation with the elevator having a rotatable belt and a set of paddies thereon for moving grain from the lower elevation to the higher elevation with a torque sensor to determine the increase in torque on the shaft as a result of having to raise the kernels of grain from the lower elevation to the higher elevation and an acoustic volume measurement member to obtain information on the depth of the grain that is correlatable to volume of the harvested crop.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for guiding an agricultural implement having transversely extending arms by spraying the ground with a band of a fluorescent chemical from an end of one of the extending arms of the agricultural implement to mark the end of the area covered by a first pass of the agricultural implement, directing an optical beam having a width substantially greater than the band of fluorescent chemical onto the band of fluorescent chemical to fluoresce a portion of the band of fluorescent chemical which produces a fluoresced region on the band of fluorescent chemical, and positioning a detector on the band of fluorescent chemicals to detect the fluoresced region on the band of fluorescent chemical to determine the position of the implement with respect to the fluoresced region and thereby maintain the implement on course.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for simultaneous transmission of a multiplicity of independent optical data signals without having to precisely align each source of the optical data signals with a single fiber-optic strand including an emitter array for emitting a multiplicity of optical data signals onto one end face of a coherent fiber-optic bundle having a plurality of fiber-optic strands bundled in a contiguous arrangement; and a photodiode array having optical data signals receiving area with the receiving area having a minimum dimension at least as large as a second end of the plurality of fiber-optic strands to enable the optical data signals to travel from the emitter to the photodiode receiving area over one or more of the plurality of fiber-optic strands.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for on-the-go measuring of the amount and quality of grain being harvested including a first light source for projecting a first light image onto a pile of grain on a conveyor in a harvesting machine to cream a three-dimensional light image on the pile of grain on the conveyor and then converting the light image into coordinates for comparison to reference coordinates to determine the volume of the pile of grain on the conveyor belt; and an apparatus for determination of the amount of moisture in the pile of grain by projecting a second light image of a first wavelength onto the pile of grain, with the wavelength of the light of a frequency responsive to the amount of moisture in the pile of grain, and measuring the amount of reflectance of the light image of the first wavelength; and projecting a third light image of a second wavelength on the pile of grain, with the second wavelength of light in a region where reflectance is not responsive to the amount of moisture in the pile of gra