Abstract: A method of manufacturing a miniature electromechanical system (MEMS) device includes the steps of forming a moving member on a first substrate such that a first sacrificial layer is disposed between the moving member and the substrate, encapsulating the moving member, including the first sacrificial layer, with a second sacrificial layer, coating the encapsulating second sacrificial layer with a first film formed of a material that establishes an hermetic seal with the substrate, and removing the first and second sacrificial layers.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: first and second Fourier transform lenses, the first Fourier transform lens receiving an incident plane wavefront and focusing the plane wavefront down to a focal point in a focal plane, and the second Fourier transform lens reimaging the focused down plane wavefront to an output plane wavefront; a bead located substantially at the focal point and that is illuminated by radiation that comes in from the first lens, the bead reradiating a spherical wave, which interferes with light that passes around the bead to produce a diffraction pattern; an array of controllable light transmissive elements that support the bead in the focal plane; and a null seeking servomechanism for assigning an electrical value of phase departure of the incident plane wavefront from a reference thereof, the null seeking servomechanism controlling the light transmissive elements to produce phase shifts in light that passes around the bead to thereby remove aberrations in the incident plane wavefront.

Abstract: The print head and screen assembly of a Semi-Automatic Screen Printer is raised above its normal printing height and selective attachment of several different fixtures on the nest plate for holding the substrate in a desired position during a screen printing operation for printing gold on LTCC substrates.

Abstract: There is provided a method for generating a probability distribution for a desired variable. A hyper parameter density function is provided, from which values are randomly selected. The selected hyper parameter value is used to compute an input variable value. A value is randomly selected from each input variable probability density function. These values are input into a physics model to compute an output value. This process is repeated to generate numerous output values, which are then used to construct an output value probability density function. After the output value probability density function is constructed, output value sensor data is obtained. The output density function is updated using the sensor data and a probabilistic evaluation of the hyper parameters. Improved predictions are iteratively made with the updated output distribution.

Abstract: A technique for enhancing the signal-to-noise performance of a digital communication link without affecting its power flux density. An information data stream has its original signaling rate selectively reduced prior to transmission, to enhance signal-to-noise performance. Then the reduced signaling rate information signal is combined with a pseudorandom data sequence at the original signaling rate, to provide a randomized data sequence to be transmitted at the original signaling rate, thereby maintaining power flux density levels below those permitted by regulatory limits.

Abstract: The invention is an electronic circuit for testing a receiver. In detail, the circuit includes a RF signal generator providing an RF signal to a first mixer. A first oscillator providing a first signal to the first mixer. The first mixer receives the RF signal and the first signal and provides a first output signal comprising the RF signal plus the first signal and the RF signal minus the first signal. A first filter is coupled to the first mixer for receiving the first output signal and providing a second output signal wherein the RF signal plus the first output signal is removed. A second mixer is coupled to the first filter and is adapted to receive the second output signal and a second input signal from a second oscillator; and provides a third output signal to a second filter. A fourth output signal from the second filter provides a fifth output signal for testing the receiver that is amplitude and temperature insensitive.

Abstract: A power and cooling management system configured to flexibly couple various adaptive modules to an integrated power and cooling unit to suit any aircraft platform is provided. The integrated power and cooling unit has a compressor(s), power turbine(s), cooling turbine(s) and integral starter generator(s) mounted to the shaft of the power and cooling turbine. The integrated power and cooling unit may be pneumatically and/or pneumatically coupled to an adaptive module that comprises an additional compressor and an additional turbine or electrically coupled to a fuel cell which provides the main power after entering the full operation mode. When the engine includes an integral starter generator mounted thereto, the integral starter generator of the integrated power and cooling unit is operative to receive electric power from the engine mounted generator. Alternatively, a motor/generator may be mounted to the shaft of the additional turbine of the adaptive module.

Abstract: The invention is a process for identifying an unknown object. In detail, the process includes the steps of: 1) compiling data on selected features on a plurality of segments of a plurality of known objects; 2) illuminating the unknown object with a laser radar system; 3) dividing the unknown object into a plurality segments corresponding to each of the segments of the known objects; 4) sequentially measuring selected features of each of the plurality of segments of the unknown object; and 5) comparing the sequentially measuring selected features of each of the plurality of segments of the unknown object to the selected features on the plurality of segments of the plurality of known objects.

Abstract: A disruptive media dispersal system for aircraft which absorbs and scatters directed energy weapon beams such as tracking lasers and high energy lasers (HELs) is disclosed. The system may include laser detectors, laser beam propagation disruptive media and a dispersal system. When attacked by a directed energy weapon such as a laser, the laser detector system or vehicle operator deploys the disruptive media. The disruptive media is released by a feeder and dispersal system into the air in the path of the tracking and/or HEL weapon. For example, the dispersal system may be located onboard the aircraft near the front of the fuselage.

Abstract: Dichroic beam splitters having non-parallel entry and exit surfaces, reduced distance between such surfaces, and an aspherical exit surface can be advantageously used in dual channel optical systems, particularly when one channel is dedicated to infrared light and the other channel is dedicated to visible or near-infrared light.

Abstract: System and method for mitigating errors in electrostatic force balanced instrument is provided. The system and method mitigate errors in measurement readings caused by charge buildup in force balanced instruments that employ charge pulses to generate an electrostatic force to null an inertial proof mass disposed between opposing electrodes. The system and method mitigate charge buildup by applying charge pulses to each opposing electrode of a sensing element for a given charge cycle time period in a normal polarity configuration followed by charge pulses to each opposing electrode of the sensing element for a second given charge cycle time period in a reverse polarity configuration.

Abstract: A relatively wide bandwidth low noise amplifier with an active input matching network. The active load maybe formed from a field effect transistor (FET) or high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) in a common gate configuration. The active load input matching network has a lower overall noise component to only transistor channel noise than reactive matching components, such as inductors and capacitors. By utilizing the active mode input matching network in accordance with the present invention, the circuit layout such amplifiers can be reduces significantly, for example, 23 mils×47 mils.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a distributed array of antenna elements for receiving a radio frequency signal on a satellite communications link, wherein the radio frequency signal includes a known preamble; a plurality of mixers for translating the radio frequency signal to a plurality of baseband signals having in-phase and quadrature components; a processor for applying weights to the baseband signals, wherein the weights are found adaptively in response to the preamble in combination with decision-directed feedback when the preamble is not present; and a receiver for processing the weighted baseband signals. A pre-processor can be used to create sub-arrays of the antenna elements using maximal-ratio weighting. A method performed by the apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for exchanging Small Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messages in a multi-network system between devices across different networks and a network management station. Network identification information is provided into SNMP messages transmitted across a common network backbone. A respective SNMP firewall provided at the networks extract the network identification information to determine if the SNMP message is addressed to a device in the respective network. The SNMP firewall removes the network identification information and forwards the SNMP message to the destination device if the SNMP message is associated with a device in the respective network. Providing network identification information in the SNMP messages allows devices in different networks to have similar IP addresses, while still allowing current SNMP tool sets to facilitate network managements when networks are coupled to one another to form a larger more complex network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for constructing and evaluating a story of interest. The system includes a plurality of decision algorithms. Each decision algorithm is operative to quantify at least one category of uncertainty associated with the story of interest as a set of at least one uncertainty parameter. An uncertainty management component is operative to reconcile the sets of uncertainty parameters from the plurality of decision algorithms as to produce a global uncertainty parameter for each of the plurality of uncertainty categories for the story of interest.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one multilayer wafer which includes a device layer adjacent to a barrier layer, and the device layer includes at least two photoconductive regions separated by an etched channel extending through the device layer. In some instances the apparatus may be an accelerometer having two photodiodes formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer with the photodiodes defined by one or more etched channels extending through the device layer of the SOI wafer. Also disclosed are methods for forming such an apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a foam metal panel heat exchanger core positioned in a duct, an inlet flow passage for directing a first fluid to the heat exchanger core, and an exit flow passage for directing the first fluid from the heat exchanger core, wherein the inlet flow passage is tapered relative to an inlet face of the heat exchanger core and the exit flow passage is tapered relative to an outlet face of the heat exchanger core. The first fluid has a substantially uniform flow distribution through the core. The inlet and exit flow passages can be adjacent to each other. The core can be formed of a compressed foam.

Abstract: A method for providing stable dc-to-dc power conversion from high impedance or pure current input sources by inverting the duty cycle control with respect to the duty cycle control used with low impedance or pure voltage input sources.

Abstract: A non-redundant differential MSK demodulator with double-error correction capability includes a differential detection stage, an error signal generator stage, and an error detection-and-correction stage. Differential detectors receive modulated MSK input. The error signal generator converts outputs from the differential detectors into orthogonal error signals. The error detection-and-correction stage compares an algebraic sum of the error signals to a threshold value and outputs a correction value based thereon. The correction value is added to output from the differential detection stage to produce demodulated MSK output.

Abstract: A multi-band focal plane array architecture operative to detect multiple spectral image. The multi-band focal plane array architecture has an integrated readout circuit, a plurality of first detectors integrated in the readout circuit and a plurality of second detectors deposited on the readout circuit. Preferably, the first detectors are operative to detect visible signals and the second detectors are operative to detect infrared signals. The first and second detectors are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, in alternate rows or columns, or at least partially overlapped with each other to realize simultaneous detection in two different wavelength bands. The architecture may also have an additional integrated readout circuit flip-chip bonded to the integrated readout circuit. By forming a plurality of third detectors on the additional integrated readout circuit, a tri-band focal plane array may be realized.