Abstract: A services coordinator provides access to a piece of equipment to a supply chain member with interest in the piece of equipment. The services coordinator is coupled to an equipment overlay network, which includes an equipment server that is coupled to the piece of equipment to manage concurrent accesses to the piece of equipment. The supply chain member is coupled to the services coordinator to communicate with the piece of equipment through an application that is coupled to the equipment server.

Abstract: A neutral density filter is made by providing a substrate including a volume absorber having a first density and having an uneven first attenuation characteristic, and providing for a substantially constant attenuation of light by depositing on a backside of the volume absorber a thin-film attenuator having light reflective properties attenuated by the volume attenuator, having a second density and a second attenuation characteristic substantially complementing the first attenuation characteristic to provide the neutral density filter with a substantially constant attenuation at a density substantially equal to the first and second densities. The volume absorber and thin film attenuator are positioned so that incoming light first traverses the volume absorber and then the thin-film attenuator. An antireflection coating may be deposited on a front side of the volume absorber.

Abstract: An optical variable attenuator includes first, second, third and fourth wedge shaped plates, each of said plates having two surfaces defined by an angle of convergence, the first and second plates being supported with two of said surfaces of said first and second plates being in spaced parallel alignment and with the angle of convergence of the two plates being in opposite directions, and the third and fourth plates being supported with two of said surfaces of said third and fourth plates being in spaced parallel alignment and with the angle of convergence of the third and fourth plates.