Abstract: A bow and stern thruster apparatus includes a motor, a propeller, a battery, a radio receiver, control logic, and power driver circuitry; together forming a fully integrated thruster unit that slides up and down along a guide device to a hull attachment fixture near the water line of a boat. The deployed thruster unit can act as a bow or a stern thruster depending on where the guide device and attachment fixture are mounted to the boat. The thruster unit is retracted by raising it along the guide device to be stowed well above the water line, or to be removed entirely from the hull.

Abstract: A bow and stern thruster apparatus includes a motor, a propeller, a battery, a radio receiver, control logic, and power driver circuitry; together forming a fully integrated thruster unit that slides up and down along a guide device to a hull attachment fixture near the water line of a boat. The deployed thruster unit can act as a bow or a stem thruster depending on where the guide device and attachment fixture are mounted to the boat. The thruster unit is retracted by raising it along the guide device to be stowed well above the water line, or to be removed entirely from the hull.

Abstract: Methods of calibrating and operating optical switches as well as optical switches in which the orientations of mirrors are measured and controlled using control light beams and position sensing detectors are described. The present invention may provide high resolution control of a plurality of mirrors in an optical switch and thus allow the optical switch to cross-connect a large number of input and output ports with a low insertion loss.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a centroid of a spot produced by electromagnetic radiation, e.g., optic radiation, using an array of PIN photodiodes serving as photodetectors and being organized in columns and in rows. Vertical connections are used to interconnect the PIN photodiodes in the columns in accordance with a first pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent columns. Horizontal connections are used to interconnect PIN photodiodes in the rows in accordance with a second pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent rows. The first and second patterns of interconnections can include just two adjacent columns and two adjacent rows, respectively and form a checkerboard interconnect pattern. The interconnections are made such that there are no anode connections between the PIN photodiodes in the rows and columns.

Abstract: An optical fiber switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a first plurality of ports, a second plurality of ports, a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface, and a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface. Each one of the first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of the first plurality of ports to any one of the second plurality of mirrors. Each one of the second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of the second plurality of ports light incident on it from any one of the first plurality of mirrors. Advantageously, optical fiber switches in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may couple more than a thousand input ports to more than a thousand output ports with an insertion loss of less than about 3 decibels.

Abstract: Methods of calibrating and operating optical switches as well as optical switches in which the orientations of mirrors are measured and controlled using control light beams and position sensing detectors are described. The present invention may provide high resolution control of a plurality of mirrors in an optical switch and thus allow the optical switch to cross-connect a large number of input and output ports with a low insertion loss.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a centroid of a spot produced by electromagnetic radiation, e.g., optic radiation, using an array of PIN photodiodes serving as photodetectors and being organized in columns and in rows. Vertical connections are used to interconnect the PIN photodiodes in the columns in accordance with a first pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent columns. Horizontal connections are used to interconnect PIN photodiodes in the rows in accordance with a second pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent rows. The first and second patterns of interconnections can include just two adjacent columns and two adjacent rows, respectively and form a checkerboard interconnect pattern. The interconnections are made such that there are no anode connections between the PIN photodiodes in the rows and columns.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a centroid of a spot produced by electromagnetic radiation, e.g., optic radiation, using an array of PIN photodiodes serving as photodetectors and being organized in columns and in rows. Vertical connections are used to interconnect the PIN photodiodes in the columns in accordance with a first pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent columns. Horizontal connections are used to interconnect PIN photodiodes in the rows in accordance with a second pattern that interconnects two or more adjacent rows. The first and second patterns of interconnections can include just two adjacent columns and two adjacent rows, respectively and form a checkerboard interconnect pattern. The interconnections are made such that there are no anode connections between the PIN photodiodes in the rows and columns.

Abstract: An optical fiber switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a first plurality of ports, a second plurality of ports, a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface, and a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface. Each one of the first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of the first plurality of ports to any one of the second plurality of mirrors. Each one of the second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of the second plurality of ports light incident on it from any one of the first plurality of mirrors. Advantageously, optical fiber switches in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may couple more than a thousand input ports to more than a thousand output ports with an insertion loss of less than about 3 decibels.

Abstract: An optical switching fabric enables an optical signal entering the device on any one of multiple input ports to be directed to any one of multiple output ports. The present optical switching fabrics include sensing and monitoring devices that permit precise initial calibration and continuous switch connection status monitoring and control. Light entering the switching fabric on an input port is reflected by one of a first set of individually controllable mirrors to one of a second set of individually controllable mirrors and then to a corresponding output port. The switching fabrics include control lasers and position sensing devices which provide output signals corresponding to the orientations of the mirrors. In addition, a subset of the input ports and output ports can be attached to monitor light sources and detectors for recalibration and control.

Abstract: Methods of calibrating and operating optical switches as well as optical switches in which the orientations of mirrors are measured and controlled using control light beams and position sensing detectors are described. The present invention may provide high resolution control of a plurality of mirrors in an optical switch and thus allow the optical switch to cross-connect a large number of input and output ports with a low insertion loss.

Abstract: An optical switching fabric enables an optical signal entering the device on any one of multiple input ports to be directed to any one of multiple output ports. The present optical switching fabrics include sensing and monitoring devices that permit precise initial calibration and continuous switch connection status monitoring and control. Light entering the switching fabric on an input port is reflected by one of a first set of individually controllable mirrors to one of a second set of individually controllable mirrors and then to a corresponding output port. The switching fabrics include control lasers and position sensing devices which provide output signals corresponding to the orientations of the mirrors. In addition, a subset of the input ports and output ports can be attached to monitor light sources and detectors for recalibration and control.