Abstract: A micromachined three-plate capacitive accelerometer incorporates hinges attached to top and bottom surfaces of the proof mass that are symmetric about X and Y axes and also about diagonal axes; passageways for gas film damping in the fixed members that do not affect the capacitance to any significant degree; and provision for independently selecting two of the parameters sensitivity, capacitance and maximum acceleration.

Abstract: An integrated optic IO device chip with anisotropic thermal expansion properties is packaged in a material enclosure by first bonding the chip to a substrate having anisotropic thermal expansion properties substantially equivalent to those of the IO device and substrate thickness substantially greater than that of the IO device, and bonding the substrate to the enclosure.

Abstract: The sensor wires (16, 18) of an angular rate sensor (ARS) on sensor plug assembly (12) are mounted to their respective mounting posts (20-23) using dual laser beams (30, 32) spaced on opposite sides of the wire (16) so as to melt the post surface without direct heating of the wire.

Abstract: In a position measurement system having a plurality of redundant pulsed light sources, detectors, control circuits, signal conditioning circuits, and signal processors, but having space available for only a single encoder for measuring the position of a monitored device, the pulsed light sources emitting light of different wavelengths which are combined in wavelength multiplexed fashion at the encoder, the combined light then being split for encoding and recombining in time domain multiplexed fashion, the recombined light then being split for filtering of the different wavelengths at the plurality of light detectors each of which provide signal manifestations indicative of the position of the monitored device according to the encoded light pulses of the particular wavelength monitored to the associated control and signal conditioning circuits for transmittal to an associated signal processor.

Abstract: The nozzle of an angular rate sensor which directs a stream of fluid toward a pair of temperature-dependent sensing resistor elements is formed in a major block which defines the chamber within which the sensing elements are also mounted, thereby to mitigate problems of aligning the jet with respect to the chamber and of aligning the sensing elements with respect to the nozzle. Within the casing, only the nozzle block, a diaphragm pump assembly, and an anvil need be mounted; these are secured by a lock nut, the pressure thereof being applied through a conical Belleville spring. A fine weld is used to hermetically seal the element, but the weld can be cut off without damage to the unit; so that by loosening the lock nut, the entire apparatus can be disassembled without destruction. Reference resistors, for a bridge to measure changes in the sensing elements, are mounted directly within the unit, to avoid bridge misbalances due to external connections.