Abstract: An inductive position transducer system is provided, including an inductive position transducer and one or more sensing circuit portions. Each sensing circuit portion is connected to first and second sensing coil terminals and is configured to receive a signal from a respective sensing coil and comprises an impedance circuit portion and an input circuit portion (e.g., of an ASIC). The impedance circuit portion comprises at least first and second impedance circuit portion components. The first impedance circuit portion component is coupled between first and second impedance circuit portion nodes. The second impedance circuit portion component is at least one of: coupled between the first coil terminal and the first impedance circuit portion node; or coupled between the first impedance circuit portion node and the second impedance circuit portion node (for which a third impedance circuit portion component may also be provided in some implementations).

Abstract: A measuring system includes a measuring probe with a contact portion that contacts a workpiece to be measured. The measuring probe operates with a first update rate during at least part of a moving mode, wherein the moving mode includes movement of the measuring probe such that the contact portion is moved away from the workpiece and/or is moved at a distance from the workpiece that is equal to or greater than a threshold distance. The measuring probe operates with a second update rate (i.e., which is faster than the first update rate) during at least part of a measuring mode, wherein the measuring mode includes movement of the measuring probe such that the contact portion is moved toward the workpiece for obtaining a measurement. In various implementations, the combined use of the first and second update rates effectively reduces power-on drift of the measuring probe.

Abstract: A measuring system includes a measuring probe with a contact portion that contacts a workpiece to be measured. The measuring probe operates with a first update rate during at least part of a moving mode, wherein the moving mode includes movement of the measuring probe such that the contact portion is moved away from the workpiece and/or is moved at a distance from the workpiece that is equal to or greater than a threshold distance. The measuring probe operates with a second update rate (i.e., which is faster than the first update rate) during at least part of a measuring mode, wherein the measuring mode includes movement of the measuring probe such that the contact portion is moved toward the workpiece for obtaining a measurement. In various implementations, the combined use of the first and second update rates effectively reduces power-on drift of the measuring probe.

Abstract: A high-power fast-pulse driver and illumination system for high speed metrology imaging is provided, which includes an illumination source and a driver circuit configured to overdrive the illumination source using high currents and/or high current densities. The high currents are currents higher than manufacturer-recommended currents used to drive the illumination source and the high current densities are current densities higher than manufacturer-recommended current densities used to drive the illumination source. The illumination source is operated using a lifetime preserving technique selected from a first technique of operating the illumination source at low duty cycles of 2% or less or a second technique of operating the illumination source in a burst mode at higher duty cycles for short intervals. The driver and illumination system may be incorporated in a variable focus lens (VFL) system, to define multiple exposure increments for acquiring one or more images focused at one or more focus planes.

Abstract: A high-power fast-pulse driver and illumination system for high speed metrology imaging is provided, which includes an illumination source and a driver circuit configured to overdrive the illumination source using high currents and/or high current densities. The high currents are currents higher than manufacturer-recommended currents used to drive the illumination source and the high current densities are current densities higher than manufacturer-recommended current densities used to drive the illumination source. The illumination source is operated using a lifetime preserving technique selected from a first technique of operating the illumination source at low duty cycles of 2% or less or a second technique of operating the illumination source in a burst mode at higher duty cycles for short intervals. The driver and illumination system may be incorporated in a variable focus lens (VFL) system, to define multiple exposure increments for acquiring one or more images focused at one or more focus planes.

Abstract: A coordinate measuring probe body includes a rigid probe body structure including an upper mounting portion, a compliant element mounting frame, and an axial extension portion between them. A stylus suspension portion includes compliant elements that suspend a moving element from the compliant element mounting frame. A displacement sensing arrangement that senses displacement of the moving element includes displacement sensors that output a respective displacement signals. A circuit board assembly that receives the displacement signals has three component mounting portions which are interconnected with a flexible circuit component, and located around the axial extension portion. In various embodiments, all of the compliant elements are located on a distal side of the circuit board assembly.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens imaging system. The method includes: (a) providing a smart lighting pulse control routine/circuit (SLPCRC) that provides a first mode of exposure control corresponding to a points from focus (PFF) mode of the TAG lens imaging system and a second mode of exposure control corresponding to an extended depth of focus (EDOF) mode of the TAG lens imaging system; (b) placing a workpiece in a field of view of the TAG lens imaging system; and (c) periodically modulating a focus position of the TAG lens imaging system without macroscopically adjusting the spacing between elements in the TAG lens imaging system, wherein the focus position is periodically modulated over a plurality of focus positions along a focus axis direction in a focus range including a surface height of the workpiece, at a modulation frequency of at least 30 kHz.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens imaging system. The method includes: (a) providing a smart lighting pulse control routine/circuit (SLPCRC) that provides a first mode of exposure control corresponding to a points from focus (PFF) mode of the TAG lens imaging system and a second mode of exposure control corresponding to an extended depth of focus (EDOF) mode of the TAG lens imaging system; (b) placing a workpiece in a field of view of the TAG lens imaging system; and (c) periodically modulating a focus position of the TAG lens imaging system without macroscopically adjusting the spacing between elements in the TAG lens imaging system, wherein the focus position is periodically modulated over a plurality of focus positions along a focus axis direction in a focus range including a surface height of the workpiece, at a modulation frequency of at least 30 kHz.

Abstract: A coordinate measuring probe body includes a rigid probe body structure including an upper mounting portion, a compliant element mounting frame, and an axial extension portion between them. A stylus suspension portion includes compliant elements that suspend a moving element from the compliant element mounting frame. A displacement sensing arrangement that senses displacement of the moving element includes displacement sensors that output a respective displacement signals. A circuit board assembly that receives the displacement signals has three component mounting portions which are interconnected with a flexible circuit component, and located around the axial extension portion. In various embodiments, all of the compliant elements are located on a distal side of the circuit board assembly.

Abstract: A compact CMM touch probe may include internal digital processing, a regulated power circuit, a trigger signal generating circuit, an interface connector limited to two electrical connections, and a differential signal configuration that inputs and outputs differential digital communication signals (including touch trigger signals) through the two connections, superimposed on a CMM supply voltage connected to them from the CMM. A specialized supply isolation circuit is configured in combination with various probe components and operating parameters, to couple the regulated power supply circuit to the CMM supply voltage at the two connections, while isolating it from loading the differential digital signals, which are AC coupled to the two connections. The differential digital signals may normally comprise touch trigger signals, and intermittent control and data signals, during separate respective time periods.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for operating a touch probe for a coordinate measuring machine, wherein a value is permanently stored in the touch probe corresponding to an accumulated number of trigger signals generated in the touch probe over its operating history. For a non-erase cycle during which an erasable trigger counter block (e.g., included in a flash memory) of the touch probe is not erased, increasing values of an accumulated trigger count are stored in N address locations of the erasable trigger counter block. After all of the N address locations have been used, an erase operation sequence is performed, and a new non-erase cycle is initiated for repeating the process. In various implementations, the touch probe may not include an embedded processor or battery, for which the types of circuitry and methods that may be utilized for maintaining and storing the accumulated trigger count are correspondingly limited.

Abstract: A compact CMM touch probe may include internal digital processing, a regulated power circuit, a trigger signal generating circuit, an interface connector limited to two electrical connections, and a differential signal configuration that inputs and outputs differential digital communication signals (including touch trigger signals) through the two connections, superimposed on a CMM supply voltage connected to them from the CMM. A specialized supply isolation circuit is configured in combination with various probe components and operating parameters, to couple the regulated power supply circuit to the CMM supply voltage at the two connections, while isolating it from loading the differential digital signals, which are AC coupled to the two connections. The differential digital signals may normally comprise touch trigger signals, and intermittent control and data signals, during separate respective time periods.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for operating a touch probe for a coordinate measuring machine, wherein a value is permanently stored in the touch probe corresponding to an accumulated number of trigger signals generated in the touch probe over its operating history. For a non-erase cycle during which an erasable trigger counter block (e.g., included in a flash memory) of the touch probe is not erased, increasing values of an accumulated trigger count are stored in N address locations of the erasable trigger counter block. After all of the N address locations have been used, an erase operation sequence is performed, and a new non-erase cycle is initiated for repeating the process. In various implementations, the touch probe may not include an embedded processor or battery, for which the types of circuitry and methods that may be utilized for maintaining and storing the accumulated trigger count are correspondingly limited.

Abstract: A position encoder system (e.g., including a linear encoder) is configured to rapidly provide encoder position data in response to position trigger signals that are received from a host motion control system at predictable times (e.g., according to a preset frequency, etc.) A pre-trigger lead time is determined that is a fraction of a duration of a defined encoder position sample period. A current instance of the encoder position sample period is then initiated at the pre-trigger lead time before a next predictable time of the position trigger signal. A current position trigger signal is then received (e.g., near the middle of the current instance of the encoder position sample period) from the host motion control system. The average effective sample time of the current instance of the encoder position sample period coincides with the actual timing of the current position trigger signal within an allowed tolerance window.