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: An optical connector is formed by mounting mating optical cable ferrules in separate connector housing sections and then joining the sections together.

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 optical system for detecting vegetation with the use of a single image sensor, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) camera is provided by optical elements which project separate red and near infrared (NIR) images onto the CCD camera. The camera then can supply output signals representative of the two images to a signal processing device that determines the nature of the vegetation that provided the original image. Embodiments are described where the imaging sensor utilizes unitary optical splitters to provide wide-angle separate images. In another version a single lens and a group of mirrors provide a narrow-angle telescope device. Another version includes two separate lens, red and NIR filters, each adjacent to one of the lenses so as to project an image on separate areas of the CCD camera.

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: A novel optical connector of the type useful for interconnecting operational modules comprises a polymer backplane for supporting a plurality of polymer waveguides on a formable substrate. Each said waveguide is provided with a receiving end and a transmitting end. Each end is precisely located juxtaposed a spherical ball lens located in a precision recess formed in the lower cladding layer of said substrate. A housing comprising a transparent window is mounted opposite each ball lens. In one form a plurality of window connectors extends transversely from a backplane substrate to provide a high speed optical data bus.

Abstract: An on-the-go probe for determining the presence of chemical residue in a soil using Transient Infrared Spectroscopy by pulling a soil implement through the soil with the soil implement having a heating or cooling source for temporarily creating a temperature differential between a layer of soil proximate the soil implement and a layer of soil remote from the soil implement, and moving the soil sufficiently fast with respect to heating source to enable measuring the radiation characteristics of the thin layer of soil before the thin layer of soil begins to self-absorb and substantially change its emission characteristics.

Abstract: Dual transmitter-receiver repeaters are provided on a GRIN rod lens optical bus to boost the optical signals that are transmitted on the bus. Only one of the repeaters is operative as a repeater at a time such that when an activated repeater fails, the other repeater is activated to operate as a repeater to replace the failed one. Repeaters, in alternate embodiments, may be located together on the optical backplane, may be on adjacent cards on the electrical backplane, may be on separate cards located at opposite ends of the optical backplane, or may be located on the same card on the electrical backplane. When the repeaters are located on adjacent cards on the electrical backplane, a prism is secured to the last optical tap prism in the transmitting light path to allow the repeaters to communicate with the information processing receivers and transmitters of the optical bus.

Abstract: GRID rod lenses extend between the faces of beam-splitting prisms that are in the transmitting and receiving light beam paths of an optical backpanel bus. The GRIN rod lenses are secured in segments to the inner opposing faces of pairs of beam-splitting prisms along the light beam paths with optical grade epoxy in order to reduce undesirable reflections when vibrations occur. These GRIN rod lenses are contained in a Kovar channel which has a pair or elongated V-shaped grooves. Kovar is the preferred material because it has approximately the same index of expansion as the GRIN rod lenses. The GRIN rod lenses of the transmitting path are secured in one V-shaped groove while the GRIN rod lenses of the receiving path are secured in another V-shaped groove.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is comprised of an optical fiber having a core and a cladding wherein the core comprises an organic polymer media exhibiting non-linear optical response over a predetermined optically transmissive region, the polymer having a predetermined index of refraction and the fiber having a predetermined uniform diameter and an arbitrary length. The fiber inherently possesses waveguide properties which are utilized for the detection of radio frequency fields, modulating optical signals, frequency doubling, and as a parametric amplifier.

Abstract: An electro-optical light deflector utilizing layers of a non-linear electro-optically (NLO) responsive polymer for directing an exiting light beam in a given direction. Sandwiched between each NLO layer of a multi-layer array is a thin film electrically conductive layer that is connected to a voltage source. By applying an electric field across an NLO layer, a change in refractive index is induced and the phase of that portion of the optical beam passing through it is either retarded or advanced. Each layer in the NLO array sees a slightly different electric field and therefore produces a slightly different phase change in the portion of the propogating optical beam. This results in directing the reconstructed beam in a different direction. By applying different voltages to the electrodes, both beam shaping and changing beam direction are possible.

Abstract: A SQUID, nominally of the "hybrid" type, wherein the normally superconducting modulation coil is modified to instead be a non-superconducting material, nominally manginin, exhibits reduced long-term, or d.c., thermal response. When an alternating current waveform--rising to a nominal 130 ma. r.m.s. amplitude within a nominal 0.5 seconds and, after a nominal 100 msec. to 20 sec. duration, returning to 0 within a nominal 0.1 sec--is applied to the non-superconducting modulation coil of such a SQUID at superconducting temperature then the entire SQUID thermal response, particularly including the short-term, or a.c., SQUID thermal response, is thereafter reducible to essentially 0. The process is hypothesized to "deflux" the SQUIDs of fluxons trapped during the cool-down of superconductor within the SQUID and associated circuitry. The optimal "de-fluxing" alternating current waveform for any individual SQUID is empirically derivable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid state apparatus for and a method of (1) modulating the intensity of a multimode light beam; (2) coupling the light beam to an input optic fiber that is butt coupled to a diffraction grating that is formed of a plurality of stripe domains in a magnetic film; (3) altering, by the application of suitable magnetic fields, the angular orientation of the stripe domains in the plane of the magnetic film, and (4) multiplexing the diffracted light beam to a selected one of a plurality of several output optic fibers. The apparatus uses a liquid-phase epitaxially (LPE) grown film of bismuth substituted rare earth iron garnet to form a magnetizable layer in which stripe domains may be generated, sustained and moved about. The stripe domains form a diffraction grating. The angular orientation of the stripe domains in the plane of the diffraction grating may be altered by the application of external magnetic fields.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid state apparatus for and a method of (1) modulating the intensity of a multimode light beam; (2) coupling the light beam to an input optic fiber that is butt coupled to a diffraction grating that is formed of a plurality of stripe domains in a magnetic film; (3) altering, by the application of suitable magnetic fields, the angular orientation of the stripe domains in the plane of the magnetic film, and (4) multiplexing the diffracted light beam to a selected one of a plurality of several output optic fibers. The apparatus uses a liquid-phase epitaxially (LPE) grown film of bismuth substituted rare earth iron garnet to form a magnetizable layer in which stripe domains may be generated, sustained and moved about. The stripe domains form a diffraction grating. The angular orientation of the stripe domains in the plane of the diffraction grating may be altered by the application of external magnetic fields -- see the E. J. Torok, et al, U.S. Pat. No.