Techbriefs... National Aeronautics and Space Administration... May 1995

77 Pages·1995·23.4 MB·English

by  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NAS [ AT 3-4 ! GSC
Electronic Components and Circuits
Electronic Systems
Physical Sciences
Materials
Computer Programs
Mechanics
Machinery
Fabrication Technology
Mathematics and Information Sciences
Life Sciences
¥
95-05 BEST COPY AVAILABLE §2A y9r . ,UGyERt” 1995
75 - 036604
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NASA Tech Briefs, May 1995 1
° NASA Tech Briefs, May 1995
5 Electronic Components and Circuits
13 Electronic Systems
23 Physical Sciences
29 Materials
39 Computer Programs
43 Mechanics
51 Machinery
57 Fabrication Technology
67 Mathematics and Information Sciences
3|O68'/ O00/ 9/68
71 Life Sciences
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United
Govern t nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Govenent assures any lability resulting from the use of the information
contained in this docurnent, or warrants that such use wil be free from :-"Wately owned rights.
NASA '> 2 Briefs, May 1995 3
GUAM PAGE
Sf O. m—i_ oana oYno en a
f
met Wet ee! the tg- See Se
TC
' i a )
ag ae eee
Hardware, Techniques, and Processes
7 Maximum AcceleRrecaordtinig oCinrcu it
7 Switch Box for Controlling Flows of Four Gases
8 Circuit for Control ofB lectromecPhroastnheiticc aHlan d
9 ASIC for Complex Fixed-PAoriithnmetti c
10 K ,-Band Data~CommunicatAdiaoptne r
10 Transient-Switch-Signal Suppressor
11 Digital Latching Circuit for a Safety-Related Application
Books and Reports
11 Test of a Microwave Amplifier With SuperconductiFvilete r
NASA Tech Briefs, May 1995
GLARE PAGE
Maximum Acceieration Recording Circuit
Coarsely digitized maximum levels are Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center,
recorded in blown fuses. Houston, Texas
A circuit feeds power to an accelerom- Switch
eter and makes a nonvolatile record of the ?
maamnum level to which the output oft he wv ev |e v 1 Jom
acosierometer rises Guring @ measure- Fieté-Ettect <Ug ht-Emitbng
ment interval. Inc omparwiitsh oinenrti a- rece smunaee os 3|_|e Diode Toive
type single-preset-trip-point mechanical \ s + ~g _
maximum-acceleration-recording ) ae 6 (a P— -
devices, the circut weighs much less, |A ccelerometer = 1 net
occupies less sp20e, and records accel- eure +— Dieplay ,
erations within narrower bands of uncer- ou ude R, Sik2 bee fe
tainty. in comparison with prior electronic 100K, 7 Le
data-acquisttion systems designed fort he ST 310T ua 4 a ve
same purpose, the circuit iss impler, less _ TowrFr | gf +»
bulky, consulemss eposwer , costs less, “ - L vfores
and does not require playback and analy- = —" a
sis of data recorded in magnetic ore lec- LMS © Gunna tnaaad
tronic memory devices. The circuit could
be used, for exarnple, to record accelera- This Circult Blows Onc or More Fuses in a module. The posi/son of the blown fuse(s) in the
tions to which commodiarte siubejescte d module indicate(s) the maximum level(s) of acceleration reacned during a measurement.
Guring transportoant tiruockns . ing division of the next higher level by a brated a? the setting at which the light-
The circuit (see figure) includes three 9- facior of V2 (3 decibels/step). emitting, diode on output line 10 (which
V batteries, one of which supplies the 9 V D.spon tehe nlevedl ofi then inpgut s ig- reptrhe efull-sscalee signnal tlevesl) fl ick-
needed by the circull, and al of which nal, the Gisplay driver energizes 1 of its 10 ers on. The power is then turned off.
Supply the 27 V needed by the accalerom- output lines, each of which is connected to The calibsourrcea its diiscoonnnect -
ter. Power 's supplied to the acoslerome- 1 of 10 2-mA transparent-cap microfuses 1, the acceleriso comnneecttede, ra nd
ter throug’: field-effect diode D,, which plugged into a module. If the fuse on a line the power is tured on. Next, mode
reguictes the acoceleron ster current to is st intact, then when that ine is ene- Switch S,, is turned to the “operate” posi-
keepi t in the rangeo f 2 to 4 mA The @ized, the driver delivers a current of 10 tion. (Capacitor C, absorbs the resulting
acceleputrs oout mane act siegnarl th at mA, biowing the fuse. The fuses can be turn-on transients and prevents inadver-
peaks at a full-scale value of 5 V when the inspected visually or electrically at any oun- tent triggering of the open-coliectodrri -
ac Compof aoccelnerateion nreacthes 50 venient time thereafter to determine vhich vers in the display-criver circuit) The
g (where g denotes normal Earth gravita- @f any) has blown, thereby deternining Circuit can then be left unattended to
tion). ihe acceleration signal is coupled what level of accelerwaast rieaochned . record the naximum acceleration.
through C, and D, into C,, which retains The circuit is calibrated wil’) the This work was done by Richard J.
the peak value for a short time. accelerometer visconnected and a 5-V Bazeman, Jr, of Johnson Space Cen-
The signal is fed through potentiometer peak-sigtnalo at- a frpequeencay okf 5 00 ter. Further information is contained in a
R, to the input terminal (pin 5) of a 10- Hz Coupled capacitot thie vaceoelleryom - TSP [see page 1]
level display driver, which is basicallayn eter terminalis. Mode swith S. is placed This invention is owned by NASA, and a
analog-tcoonv-erdteri. gThie tconavelrte r in the “calibrate” position, and power patent application has been filed. inquiries
can be an integrated circuit (M3914) switch S, is dosed to tn the power on.
that has equally spaced levels, each rap- The potentisi fsot smete tot mienirmum ,
resenting 5 g; or it can be a similar circuit then the setting is inc/eased to the level of
(LUM3915) that has logarithwnicsaalcleyd the signal reaching the input of the display Counsel, Johnson Space Center {see
levels, each succeleevedl irepn: sgsen t- driver. The croult 6 deemed to be caii- page 1) Refer toM SC-21922.
Switch Box for Controlling Flows of Four Gases
Each of four gas controllers can be connected to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
any one of six mass-flow controllers. Pasadena, California
A switch box has been designed for conttro anoy olne lof eas rmansy ,as six mechaeffnectis thce raegullatilon yof t he
use in simultaneously comrolling the available mass-fiow controllAesr uss.e d flow of one of the sik gazes at a rate
flows of as many as four out of a total o!
six available gases into a semiconductor.
processing chamber. The switch box circuiry that commathen“lldow sof a To select one of the six gases to be fed
contains switches, relays, logic circuliry, speciic gas at a specific rate. “Mass- to the chamber, the technician fips one of
display devices, end other circuitry for flow contdrenootesl thlat eparrt o”f t he six activation switches on the front panel
conneaceh ofc ast mainy ans fgour gas processe-quicpmoentn tthert oelelctr o- of the switch box (see figure). The logic arr-
NASA Tech Brie, May 1995 7
?
’ |
Gelay circuits) in the switch box seeks a
gas Controller for that gas and activates an
apprreloay pwhenr itif indas atn aveaila ble
gas controller. The switch box contains 12
relays On a board. Each relay is assigned
to a specific gas controller and mass-fliow
controller. When a relay is activated by the
on the devices correspond to the gas con-
trolers. When the technitcumis aonn a
The Front Panel of the Switch Box apprises the technician of the statuses of the flows of
Switch for a gas, its activation lamp ights
the various gases. Gases that have been selected are indicated by illurrunation of the corre-
up, and a number from 0 to 4 appears on
sponding activation lamps. The gas controllers assigned to those gases are indicated by the
the adjacent display device. A display of 0 numbers on the numerical-disdpevliaceys .
indicates that no gas controller has been
assigned to that gas, and so the gas is not rupted. It telis the technitchait aalnl o f This work was done by James FR
flowing. A display of 1 to 4 represents the the mass-fiow controhalvel beeern sdi s- Wishanad Jramdes L. Laomf Cbalte ch
gas controtlo ewhric h the gas and its confnrom eall ocf thte gaes condtrol lers for NASA's Jet Propulsion Labor-
mass-flow controler are assigned. and thus all flows of gases have been story. Further informisa cotntiaionend in
The power-interirnduicpattori olanm p stopped. The technmiusct iresaetn t he a TSP [see page 1}
lights up when power has been inter- system to make the flows resume. NPO-19201
Circuit for Contro! of Electromechanical Prosthetic Hand
Control signals would be derived from Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center,
shoulder movements. Houston, Texas
A proposed circuit for the control of an
electromechanical prosthetic hand would Geter
derive electrical control signals from He Actuator -Driving
shoulder movernents. The circuit can be ayad a
regarded as an updated, electronic ver Dagita! Digna! Output)
sion of a prosthesis, developed in the pel, 2008 |Or tputs |
19th century, that includes two hooklike se 1 ~wccce weedecce
fingers actuated via cables from a shou- A, ‘ ar !
der harness. Many below-the-elbow | 100K ; 7 1 ;
amputees still favor prostheses based on Unease wee! '
that design because of its low cost, relia- Potentiometer a ;
bility, ease of repair, and simplicity of in Shoulder 3 Solenoido r |
operation. ji. prop7ee circuit would be ditasnen 2 ; ya ’
built around the favored shvulder har- Fm tert of Shrug) Wendt 5
ness, yet would provide more Gexterous
!
movewithmout eounningt th,e c om-
!
plexity of compu’-contr“obiloiniec”d o r
hydraulically actuated devices.
The har.ess would contain a linear Digital Outputs of the bar-graph driver, representing a sequence of values of R, would turn
potent(R,i inot hem figeuret), t.he ’res is- on current to actuators in prosthetic fingers.
tance of whch would be varied by log-tocon-verdteri ogf tihe ttyape lus ed current to a solenoid or rnc .or to actuate
shrugging the svouider as in the older to control a bar-graph display. Either a one of the prostfh geers.t Wiitch n o
mechsysater’n. Tihe vcariaable lout put strug, the prosthetic t unb and all oft he
voltage of the pote tiometer would be prosthetic fingers we uid be extended. As
fed to an attenpu.t aenttiomietner gR. ,), the stvug increar sd, the cioltal outputs
which would be set to ucule the voltage would tum oo: in sequence, thereby
to the range of shoulder movementT.h e Causing tty thumb and fingteor msov e
Caled voltage would be fed to on ana- sequen? ally to the closed position.
BEST COPY AVAl! ABLE
NASA Tech Briefs, May 1995
An @ Gitonal hamess and potentiom- tol signals Geveloped by the croull con This invention is owned by NASA and
ter con wected to a similar contol cro nected to the frst shoulder harness would 8 patent application hes been fied
could ve mounted on the offer shoulder be tanstor tei prfosivieice hadnd ve inquines conceming nonexclusive or
This cout could be used to contal a Sigvings at te prosthweistt ijocrt . exclusive tcense for fis commercial
Stepung motor tal would rlsle Te This work was done by Richard J. Gevelshooulpd bme aaddrressend tto t he
hanJ about the prosthetic wrist to one of Bareman, Jc. of Johnson Space Cen- Patent Counsel, Johnson Space Canter
@ rumber of anges consistet’ wih te ter. Further inforims aconttaiineod nin a fsee page 1) Refer toM SC-2'941.
nmuniber of digial outputs. The finger-con- TSP [see page1 }
ASIC for Complex Fixed-PAoriithnmetti c
A 24-bit design reflects a compromise between NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
preciasndi ospened . Pasadena, California
Auxitinaor yCa te
Cosme Sie
that work in parallel to give 26-bit trun
cated results. They multiply the shifte:
fy operation.
The final section of the ASIC is a dual
possible to use the ASIC as a multiplier
and acournasd miaghtt boe rnee,de d,
for example, in digital Mtering. Each
acournulator in the dua acoumnuator
can be operated separateAedl iy. ,-b it
outputs allow 4 bits of expery son before
Olson of Caltech for NASA's Jet Pro-
pulsion Laborafutrtoherr iynfo.rme -
tion is contained in a TSP see page 1)
NPO-19102