Abstract: An illumination system for illuminating an area within a room includes one or more light sources, preferably disposed outside the room, one or more lighting heads disposed within the room, one or more light pipes and/or fiber bundles to transmit light from the source(s) to the lighting head(s). The system includes means for controlling both the intensity and the color rendering index of the light emitted from the lighting head. In a preferred embodiment, the sources include an incandescent source extending across the visible spectrum and a light emitting diode source which emits essentially red light, and control of the color rendering index is effected by controlling the relative amounts of light from the two sources reaching the lighting head. Preferred forms of the invention also include special joints which permit all necessary translations and rotations of the lighting head while still permitting a continuous light path via fiber bundles and/or light pipes from the source to the lighting head.

Abstract: A kinematic mount assembly where the relative orientation of a mounted item may be adjusted from above the mounted item. The mount assembly including a first element to which the mounted item is secured and a second element. The first and second elements are L-shaped and biased toward each other to form a generally rectangular tube. The first element includes three adjustable engagement elements which contact three engagement portions on the second element. The three contact points of the engagement elements and portions define a reference plane which is not generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the adjustable engagement elements. Adjustment of engagement elements changes the orientation of the mounted item along two non-parallel axes within the plane of the mounted item.

Abstract: A wavefront reconstruction and measuring system detects incoming light waves with a wavefront sensor having an array of photodetectors. The sensor provides a data processor with signals indicative of phase differences between sample points on the wavefront. The measured phase differences and respective spacing of the sample points form a matrix associated with the input wavefront. The matrix has unit cells with orthogonal sides defined by the measured phase differences and with corners defined by four commonly laterally, longitudinally or diagonally adjacent sample points. The data processor iteratively modifies each measured phase difference by a fraction of the curls of unit cells or groups of unit cells comprising the side defined by the measured phase difference. The data processor iteratively modifies each measured phase difference until the curls of each unit cell relaxes to ten percent or less of its original value.

Abstract: An isotropic light source produces uniform illumination of a generally planar objects to be visually inspected by a microscope such as a P.C. board having an irregular specular surface. Detrimental dark spots which are normally produced are eliminated by providing a skewed beamsplitter between the microscope and the viewed surface, which beamsplitter redirects light directly at the object along or near the optical viewing axis. The isotropic light source is a light integrating cavity in a first embodiment and a pair of fluorescent lamps in a second embodiment.

Abstract: A beam projector capable of projecting alternately orthogonally oriented cross-sectional beams by utilizing a single beam generator that emits a polarized beam through an electro-optical cell, which is activated to alternately switch the beam between two orthogonal plane polarization states. The respectively alternately polarized beams are imaged into an elongated cross-sectional beam wherein one of the beams of one of the polarizations states is rotated orthogonally with respect to the other beam and the beams are projected along parallel paths.