Abstract: A combined angle-faceted, superluminescent diode and readout photodetector with an optical fiber coupled at one end of the superluminescent diode and the readout photodetector coupled at the other end wherein no fiber-optic couplers are used to couple the optical fiber with the readout photodetector.

Abstract: A regulated current source is used to drive the cathodes of a hot cathode gas discharge lamp. In one embodiment, the regulated current source is time shared between the lamp cathodes and the lamp arc.

Abstract: A package for enclosing and mounting a multichip module to a printed wiring board including a ceramic base with an elevated peripheral ledge constructed of a material, having a coefficient of thermal expansion differing substantially from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of a serpentine sidewall mounted to the base, and having a lid mounted to the top of the sidewall. The package includes electrical contacts extending through the ledge for connecting the multichip module to the circuit board. The sidewall is a series of interconnected short segments having acute angles at their interconnection forming a pleated shape.

Abstract: Aliasing on a video display resulting from digital sampling and appearing as jagged lines and crawling movement is eliminated by controlling the intensity of video display pixels as a function of distance from the ideal line location. Intensity values are stored in an intensity lookup table as a function of two values. For the middle portion of a line, the two values are the shorter of the distance from a pixel in either the x-direction or y-direction and the smaller of the slope with respect to the x-axis or the y-axis. For line end points, the two values are the distances of the pixel from the end point in the x-direction and the y-direction.

Abstract: A self-timed bus arbitration and digital data transfer system is provided for a computer network having multiple master and slave devices sharing a digital data bus. Each master device includes a bus arbitration logic circuit having a time delay element. Each master contending for access to the data bus outputs an identifier on signal lines connecting the master devices. After a period of time comprising the slowest master's operational delay, the bus arbitration circuits determine, on a prioritized basis, which particular master shall have access to the data bus at that time. Upon gaining access, the particular master provides a request signal on a control line connecting the master and slave devices and provides an address on an address bus that may be multiplexed with the data bus. After each slave has decoded the address, as determined by the slowest slave's delay, an acknowledge signal is provided on the control line to the particular master so that data transfer may proceed to/from the selected slave.

Abstract: A high performance global positioning system receiver including a first circuit section adapted for operative association with an antenna means and including components for receiving, amplifying, and converting transmitted signals from analog-to-digital signals; and a second circuit section including components for correcting Doppler frequency shifts in the transmitted signal, removing any codes from the digitized transmitted signal, and processing and preparing the digitized transmitted signals for operative utilization by a computer processor. A substantial part of the first circuit section is reducible to micronized format, whereas the entire second circuit section is reducible to micronized format.

Abstract: An improved aircraft fiber optic data distribution system which includes an LRM coupled by a blind mateable electric pin connector in an avionics cabinet, to an optical data link which converts the electrical signals into optical signals which is then provided through a switch system to a distant display device which is coupled to second optical data link by a blind mateable electrical pin connector which provides for the ability of an LRM to communicate with a display device over a fiber optic system without the need for blind mateable optical connectors.

Abstract: The switching frequency of switching power supplies using bipolar emitter-follower transistor amplifiers to drive field-effect output transistors is increased from a currently typical frequency of 100 KHz to at least 1.5 MHz. by reducing the heating in the bipolar transistors. The heating, which is caused by the inherent 0.7 volt drop in the base-emitter junction of the bipolar transistor, is eliminated by feeding back from a dual core output transformer, a compensating voltage equal to the junction drop, the feedback winding being wound over only one core, and the output signal windings being wound over both cores. The flux in the feedback winding core of the transformer is limited by means of a diode to keep the feedback voltage substantially the same as the forward voltage of the base-emitter junction of the bipolar transistor. The core of the transformer is temperature compensating to keep the feedback voltage correct over temperature extremes.

Abstract: Data from long range aids such as the global positioning system (GPS) and an inertial navigation system (INS) and short range aids such as a microwave landing system (MLS) are used to smoothly and automatically transition an aircraft from the long range aids to the short range aids. During cruise a Kalman filter combines data from the global positioning system and the inertial navigation system to provide accurate enroute information. When the aircraft arrives in the vicinity of the airport and begins to acquire valid data from the microwave landing system, the Kalman filter is calibrated with the MLS data to permit Precision landing with GPS/INS data alone in case the MLS system subsequently fails. In addition, navigation information begins to be derived from a weighted sum of the GPS/INS and MLS data, the weighting being determined by distance from the airport. In a first region farthest from the airport, the GPS/INS data is given a 1.

Abstract: A system for mounting avionics line replaceable modules in an avionics rack where electrical connections are made between the back end of the LRM and connectors disposed within the rack and where the latching assembly includes two rotating cams, one at the bottom of the LRM and the other at the top of engaging spring biased latch plates and thereby securely holding the LRM in the rack.

Abstract: An improved mounting and carrying assembly for avionics displays including a swing handle with edge mounted sliding spring latches thereon for cooperating with holding pins disposed on a side of the display bezel that is not the front or viewing side.

Abstract: An improved GPS receiver including a 5-level carrier injection function for digitally demodulating down-converted GPS signals, which utilizes dual 3-level single sideband mixers where one of the single sideband mixers is delayed by a predetermined interval, thereby allowing for the combination of the two 3-level single sideband mixers to be combined to provide an overall output signal which is representative of an output of a demodulator using a 5-level carrier injection signal.

Abstract: The average RF power output of an independent sideband diversity radio transmitter, modulated by a multiple tone data signal, is increased while the RF output peak envelope voltage is held constant. For diversity operation the same information, as a combination of the data tones, is applied to both the upper and lower sideband channels of the RF translator. Adding predetermined phase shifts between the upper and lower sideband audio tone pairs results in a reduced peak envelope voltage at the composite RF output. The final RF amplifier gain can then be increased resulting in a higher average RF power output.

Abstract: An improved three dimensional head-up display utilizing a holographic optic element diffraction grating to selectively reflect light emitted from a first CRT into a first of the pilot's eyes and reflecting light from a second CRT into the second of the pilot's eyes.

Abstract: An improved microwave radar antenna including a plurality of linear waveguides arranged in a two dimensional array with each linear waveguide having a mounting flange along the bottom narrow edge of the waveguide for attachment to the ground plane of the antenna by the conductive epoxy. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing an improved microwave antenna where flanged linear waveguides are milled to provide for radiator slots and then are affixed to a attentive ground plane along the flanged edge of the waveguide by a conductive epoxy.

Abstract: An improved fly by wire or fly by light system which provides for a smooth manual override of the autopilot function by allowing the pilot to modify the autopilot command to the control surfaces by physically manipulating the yoke to a position different than that commanded by the autopilot.

Abstract: A filter system which may be configured either as a stopband (notch) or passband filter having controlled gain and low ripple throughout its stopband or passband. The system includes a filter network which is operative for splitting an input signal spectrum into a pair of complimentary spectrum components and a coupler for proportionately combining these spectrum components in accordance with a prescribed gain factor. The filter network may either comprise a pair of complimentary band reject and band pass filters connected to a common input terminal or a diplexer including identical filters coupled between a splitter and a combiner.

Abstract: An improved air traffic control (ATC) system which utilizes traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS) as a component together with a flight control computer of an aircraft autopilot, a data radio and an interactive touch screen display device to produce a system for allowing easy trailing of another aircraft on trans-oceanic flights and to reduce landing delays at busy airports under IFR conditions.

Abstract: A system for suppressing spurious product signals and radiation resulting from the leakage of local oscillator signal energy in superheterodyne radio receivers. The system includes a 0.degree. signal splitter, a 180.degree. signal splitter, a pair of mixers and a 180.degree. signal combiner. The splitters split the communications input signal and local oscillator signal into signal components which are mixed together in the mixers to form intermediate frequency components which are combined in the combiner.

Abstract: A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of-phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.