Abstract: An embodiment of the invention generally relates to a method of converting a commercial off-the-shelf electrical lead to a rugged off-the-shelf electrical lead by laser machining a portion of the electrical lead. The method includes ablating material from the electrical lead of the commercial off-the-shelf component to reduce the moment of inertia or increase the flexibility of the electrical lead.

Abstract: An optical sensing system includes a transmitter assembly for generating a generated signal having a frequency in an optical wavelength. An optical sensing fiber is coupled to the transmitter assembly for receiving the generated signal and producing a reflected signal from backscattering of the generated signal. The system also includes a receiver assembly coupled to the optical sensing fiber for receiving the reflected signal. The system further includes a controller in communication with the receiver assembly for determining environmental effects imposed on the optical sensing fiber based on characteristics of the reflected signal.

Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) receiver that is configured to rapidly acquire GPS signals in space applications and a method for rapidly acquiring GPS signals in space applications is disclosed. In an embodiment, the GPS receiver includes, but is not limited to, a GPS signal acquisition component. The GPS signal acquisition component is adapted to acquire a GPS signal by receiving data from the GPS signal and processing the data to detect the GPS signal.

Abstract: An interposer lead provides a connection between an integrated circuit and a circuit board. The interposer lead includes a first leg for interfacing with the circuit board. The interposer lead also includes a second leg disposed generally parallel to the first leg for interfacing with an IC electrical lead extending from the integrated circuit. A connecting portion operatively connects the first leg and the second leg. The interposer lead further includes a lip extending non-parallel from the second leg for limiting movement of the IC electrical lead on the second leg.

Abstract: A method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system including, but not limited to, identifying one sub-aperture to serve as a reference sub-aperture, actuating the reference sub-aperture in a series of piston steps of a known amount, collecting data relating to each image of a plurality of images of a point object, each image corresponding to a respective piston step, compiling the data into a three-dimensional data cube, detecting a plurality of fringes positioned within the three-dimensional data cube, determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures based on a location of each fringe of the plurality of fringes within the three-dimensional data cube, and actuating a piston associated with at least one sub-aperture based, at least in part, on the relative location to move the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are at substantially

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compliant leaded interposer for resiliently attaching and electrically connecting a ball grid array package to a circuit board. The interposer may include a substrate, a plurality of pads, and a plurality of pins. The plurality of pads may be positioned substantially on the top surface of the substrate and arranged in a predetermined pattern substantially corresponding to the solder ball pattern on the ball grid array package. The plurality of pins may be positioned substantially perpendicular to the substrate and may extend through the substrate and the plurality of pads. The interposer may be configured to attach the ball grid array package to the circuit board such that each of the solder balls on the ball grid array package contacts at least a portion the plurality of pins and at least a portion of the plurality of pads and such that the each of the plurality of pins also connects to a contact on the circuit board.

Abstract: A connector system is provided. The system includes a substantially circular interconnecting hub, and a plurality of circuit board bays configured substantially radially around the substantially circular interconnecting hub. Each circuit board bay has a plurality of aligned connectors configured to receive a circuit board. The interconnecting circuit hub has, for each individual circuit board bay, a direct data pathway connecting the individual circuit board bay to all remaining circuit board bays of the plurality of circuit board bays. Each of the plurality of circuit board bays can directly communicate through the interconnecting hub with each of the remaining circuit boards bays.

Abstract: A channel in a telemetry system is described. The channel includes a sample-and-hold circuit, a variable resistor circuit, and a control element. The sample-and-hold circuit is configured to hold a sample of a signal. The variable resistor circuit is communicatively coupled to the sample-and-hold circuit, and is configured to present a variable impedance to one or more signal lines during a time period designated for the channel. The variable impedance is representative of the sample held by the sample-and-hold circuit. The control element is configured to control the variable resistor circuit to present to the one or more signal lines an open circuit equivalent impedance during times other than the time period designated for the channel.

Abstract: A cable includes an outer jacket of polyethylene surrounding a plurality of conductive wires. Each one of the plurality of insulated conductive wires comprises a conductive core and an insulating layer surrounding the conductive core, the insulating layer being made of cross-linked polyethylene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connector system for resiliently attaching and electrically connecting an integrated circuit chip to a circuit board using a plurality of leads. Each of the plurality of leads are sized and arranged to form a curved body having a first leg and a second leg with a curved portion between the first leg and the second leg. The curved body of the leads may be C-shaped in accordance with the present invention. The plurality of leads may be formed from strips of copper foil or copper mesh folded to form the curved body. The plurality of leads may also be sized and arranged to support the integrated circuit chip in a generally flat arrangement relative to the circuit board with a maximum separation of about 0.016 inches or less between the integrated circuit chip and the circuit board.

Abstract: A system method for manufacturing leads is provided. The method includes providing a conductive sheet, shaping the conductive sheet into at least two opposing longitudinal strips and a plurality of interposing strips, masking lateral sides and a center of the plurality of interposing strips, covering the exposed surface with a conductor and severing the conductive sheet at least along center mask. The plurality of interposing strips are preferably flexible and configurable into desired shapes for potential future attachment to an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method for retrieving and managing addresses is provided. The steps may include of receiving, at a first buffer of m buffers, a request for an address; obtaining the address from a corresponding first register of the m registers; sending the address, received by said obtaining, to a destination; storing the address, received by the obtaining, in the first buffer; and clearing the contents of a second buffer of the m buffers, in response to any of said receiving, obtaining or storing, without clearing the contents of said first buffer, wherein m is a positive integer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the communication frequencies of a software controlled radio by using GPS to calibrate one or more local oscillators and compensating within the digital radio processing for the local oscillator inaccuracies. The apparatus and method receives and transmits radio frequency signals and includes an oscillator; a frequency monitor adapted to measure the frequency of the oscillator; a numerically controlled oscillator; and a computer adapted to receive the frequency measurement of the oscillator from the frequency monitor, to calculate an error associated with the oscillator, and to calculate a numerically controlled oscillator setting based on the calculation of the error associated with the oscillator; the numerically controlled oscillator adapted to receive the numerically controlled oscillator setting from the computer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a number of techniques for laminating and interconnecting multiple substrates to form a multilayer package or other circuit component. A solder bump may be formed on the conductive pad of at least one of two or more substrates. The solder bump preferably is formed from an application of solder paste to the conductive pad(s). Adhesive films may be positioned between the surfaces of the substrates having the conductive pads, where the adhesive films include apertures located substantially over the conductive pads such that the conductive pads and/or solder bumps confront each other through the aperture. The two or more substrates then may be pressed together to mechanically bond the two or more substrates via the adhesive films. The solder bump(s) may be reflowed during or after the lamination to create a solder segment that provides an electrical connection between the conductive pads through the aperture in the adhesive films.

Abstract: A method of determining a distance to an object is presented. A first photon and a second photon are simultaneously generated. The first photon is reflected off an object. The second photon is directed to an optical cavity. An arrival of the first photon is correlated with an arrival of the second photon, and the distance to the object is at least partially determined using the correlation.

Abstract: A telemetry system is described in which a plurality of channels are coupled to a bus. A control subsystem controls the channels so that one of the channels presents to the bus during its designated time period a channel characteristic. The control subsystem interrogates in the analog domain each of the channels during its designated time period, and forms a signal representative of the channel characteristic. The control subsystem may combine one or more of the signals into a digital packet, and transmit the same over a network. Each channel in the telemetry system can include a sample-and-hold circuit, a variable resistor circuit, and a control element. The sample-and-hold circuit is configured to hold a sample of a signal. The variable resistor circuit is configured to present a variable impedance to one or more signal lines during a time period designated for the channel an impedance representative of the sample held by the sample-and-hold circuit.

Abstract: Provided are two-dimensional autofocus methods in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system which include: (1) two-dimensional pulse pair product algorithm including shear PGA, eigenvector phase history (“EPH”), shear PGA/EPH); (2) two-dimensional optimization algorithms including parametric one-dimensional estimate/two-dimensional correction, parametric two dimensional estimate/two-dimensional correction, unconstrained two-dimensional nonparametric and constrained two-dimensional nonparametric methods; (3) a two-dimensional geometry filter algorithm; (4) a two-dimensional prominent point processing algorithm; (5) a one-dimensional phase estimate of higher order two dimensional phase errors; and, (6) a fast SHARP parametric autofocus algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a collection device for a substance, and methods related to collecting thereof.

Abstract: A connector system is provided. The system includes a substantially circular interconnecting hub, and a plurality of circuit board bays configured substantially radially around the substantially circular interconnecting hub. Each circuit board bay has a plurality of aligned connectors configured to receive a circuit board. The interconnecting circuit hub has, for each individual circuit board bay, a direct data pathway connecting the individual circuit board bay to all remaining circuit board bays of the plurality of circuit board bays. Each of the plurality of circuit board bays can directly communicate through the interconnecting hub with each of the remaining circuit boards bays.

Abstract: A telemetry system is described in which a plurality of channels are coupled to a bus. A control subsystem controls the channels so that one of the channels presents to the bus during its designated time period a channel characteristic. The control subsystem interrogates in the analog domain each of the channels during its designated time period, and forms a signal representative of the channel characteristic. The control subsystem may combine one or more of the signals into a digital packet, and transmit the same over a network.