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At least 37 records · Page 2

A large granite stage and measuring microscope.

A stage and measuring microscope servocontrolled by a computer have been constructed. The travel of the stage is 0.5 x 0.5 m and the travel of the microscope objective is 7.5 cm. The measuring accuracy is 1 micron in the x-y plane and 5 microns along the z axis. The mechanical and optical construction of the stage and microscope, as well as the way in which the control electronics are organized, permit great flexibility of operation. Possible applications include the scanning and measuring of astronomical plates, the laying out of patterns of semiconductor devices of very large sizes, and the measurement of precision grids.

Alston-Garnjost, M.

Circadian rhythms of visual accommodation responses and physiological correlations.

Use of a recently developed servocontrolled infrared optometer to continuously record the state of monocular focus while subjects viewed a visual target for which the stimulus to focus was systematically varied. Calculated parameters form recorded data - e.g., speeds of accommodation to approaching and receding targets, magnitude of accommodation to step changes in target distance, and amplitude and phase lag of response to sinusoidally varying stimuli were submitted to periodicity analyses. Ear canal temperature (ECT) and heart rate (HR) rhythms were also recorded for physiological correlation with accommodation rhythms. HR demonstrated a 24-hr rhythm, but ECT data did not.

Murphy, M. R.

Electromagnetic free suspension system for space manufacturing. Volume 1: Technology department

The technology developed in defining a facility to be used on the Skylab mission for electromagnetic suspension of small, molten spheres in the weightless space environment is described. The technologies discussed include: four-coil optimization, four-coil versus six-coil configuration comparison, four-coil position servocontrol, four-coil breadboard, position sensing and servosystem, two-color pyrometer, and specimen toration mode analysis.

Buerger, E. H.

Digital servo control of random sound test excitation

A digital servocontrol system for random noise excitation of a test object in a reverberant acoustic chamber employs a plurality of sensors spaced in the sound field to produce signals in separate channels which are decorrelated and averaged. The average signal is divided into a plurality of adjacent frequency bands cyclically sampled by a time division multiplex system, converted into digital form, and compared to a predetermined spectrum value stored in digital form. The results of the comparisons are used to control a time-shared up-down counter to develop gain control signals for the respective frequency bands in the spectrum of random sound energy picked up by the microphones.

Nakich, R. B.

Hybrid random-sound test-control system

Controller develops gain-control signals by comparing detected sound levels in each band with reference set levels. By eliminating multiplexing network and single clock used in digital system, design allows servocontrol rate for each band to be adjusted independently.

Woodbury, R. C.

Symmetric voltage-controlled variable resistance

Feedback network makes resistance of field-effect transistor (FET) same for current flowing in either direction. It combines control voltage with source and load voltages to give symmetric current/voltage characteristics. Since circuit produces same magnitude output voltage for current flowing in either direction, it introduces no offset in presense of altering polarity signals. It is therefore ideal for sensor and effector circuits in servocontrol systems.

Vanelli, J. C.

Simple torsion test for shear moduli determination of orthotropic composites

By means of torsion tests performed on test specimens of the same material having a minimum of two different cross sections (flat sheet of different widths), the effective in-plane (G13) and out-of-plane (G23) shear moduli were determined for two composite materials of uniaxial and angleply fiber orientations. Test specimens were 16 plies (nominal 2 mm) thick, 100 mm in length, and in widths of 6.3, 9.5, 12.5, and 15.8 mm. Torsion tests were run under controlled deflection (constant angle of twist) using an electrohydraulic servocontrolled test system. In-plane and out-of-plane shear moduli were calculated from an equation derived in the theory of elasticity which relates applied torque, the torsional angle of twist, the specimen width/thickness ratio, and the ratio of the two shear moduli G13/G23. Results demonstrate that torsional shear moduli, G23 as well as G13, can be determined by simple torsion tests of flat specimens of rectangular cross section. Neither the uniaxial nor angleply composite material were transversely isotropic.

Sumsion, H. T.

Fader and ramp shaper replace linear filters

Digital "fader" or "ramp shaper" circuits replace linear filters in suppressing switching transients and instabilities within servocontrol systems. Circuits can be optimized to introduce no attenuation, transport delay, or phase lags in new output signal.

Robinson, T. A.

A 1.2 meter balloon-borne telescope for a submillimeter wave sky survey

A balloon-borne, 1.2 meter Cassegrain telescope designed for diffraction-limited imagery at 100 microns is being developed for a survey of the Galactic plane at submillimeter wavelengths. The telescope pointing system is servocontrolled using a gyroscope for the primary stabilization reference. Extensive use is made of microprocessors for flight sequencing, pointing control and stabilization, and telemetry formatting. A description of the telescope, helium-cooled detectors, and the orientation subsystems are presented together with a brief discussion of the proposed astronomical observations.

Silverberg, R. F.

Photometer used for response time measurement

Photometer detects motion for measuring response speed and acceleration of servocontrol system. Instrument senses selected output movement shortly after operator activates hand-controlled input. Time delay is measured on X/T recorder and response calculated. With suitable motion targets, photometer measures any open- or closed-loop servoresponse and servorate or computer lag without system disturbance.

Da Silva, A. J.

Design and use of a servo-controlled high pressure window bomb in spectroscopic studies of solid propellant combustion

The feasibility of using a high pressure window bomb as a laboratory scale model of actual motor conditions. The design and operation of a modified high pressure window bomb is discussed. An optical servocontrol mechanism has been designed to hold the burning surface of a propellant strand at a fixed position within the bomb chamber. This mechanism permits the recording of visible and infrared emission spectra from various propellants. Preliminary visible emission spectra of a nonmetalized and metalized propellant are compared with spectra recorded using the modified bomb.

Goetz, F.

Effects of misalignment on mechanical behavior of metals in creep

Creep tests were conducted by means of a closed loop servocontrolled materials test system. The strain history prior to creep is carefully monitored. Tests were performed for aluminum alloy 6061-O at 150 C and were monitored by a PDP 11/04 minicomputer at a preset constant plastic strain rate prehistory. The results show that the plastic strain rate prior to creep plays a significant role in creep behavior. The endochronic theory of viscoplasticity was applied to describe the observed creep curves. Intrinsic time and strain rate sensitivity function concepts are employed and modified according to the present observation.

Wu, H. C.

Solar total irradiance observations by active cavity radiometers

Investigations have been conducted concerning the development of new cavity pyrheliometer for an absolute measurement of solar irradiance both in preflight testing of spacecraft and in flight experiments to measure the total solar flux. A series of instruments developed as part of this program are electrically self-calibrated cavity pyrheliometers whose mode of operation is characterized by the name Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR). The temperatures of their cavity sensors are servocontrolled, actively maintained at constant temperatures relative to their heat sinks by electrical heating. The solar irradiance is related to the International System of Units by measuring the difference in amount of electrical heating required with the cavity sensor alternately shaded and exposed to the sun. Studies conducted with the ACR are discussed. While variations of a few tenths of a percent in solar total irradiance lasting no more than a week or two have been detected, no long term trends were identified.

Willson, R. C.

Bringing AI up to the space challenge

The state of the art in automated systems for working in environments hostile to humans is assessed, together with the technological advancements necessary to meet NASA goals. Since completely automated operations are not possible with the current level of artificial intelligence (AI), the operator must have access to remote television access and interactive computerized controls. A proximal system exists when the teleoperated mechanism is close enough so that negligible time passes between operator and servocontrolled activation and feedback. An additional constraint is the complexity of the signal. Further development areas have been identified as limiting the necessary communication, compensating for technical limitations of communication with remote systems, such as bandwidth, error rate, and equipment response time, and to build-in fault tolerance, self-diagnosis, and self-maintenance capabilities. An AI expert system is being developed at JPL to provide an expert knowledge base and a decision-making capability. It is suggested that only thorough questioning of mission and spacecraft experts, as well as searching the large volume of project documentations, will provide the necessary data for establishing an expert data base for AI implementation.

Heer, E.

Robot-Arm Dynamic Control by Computer

Feedforward and feedback schemes linearize responses to control inputs. Method for control of robot arm based on computed nonlinear feedback and state tranformations to linearize system and decouple robot end-effector motions along each of cartesian axes augmented with optimal scheme for correction of errors in workspace. Major new feature of control method is: optimal error-correction loop directly operates on task level and not on joint-servocontrol level.

Bejczy, Antal K.

Measuring Electrostatic Discharge

Apparatus measures electrostatic-discharge properties of several materials at once. Allows samples charged either by friction or by exposure to corona. By testing several samples simultaneously, apparatus eliminates errors introduced by variations among test conditions. Samples spaced so they pass at intervals under either of two retractable arms. Samples are 2 inches wide along circular path. Arm tips and voltmeter probe are 6 inches from turntable center. Servocontrolled turntable speed constant within 0.1 percent.

Smith, William C.