Kinetics of Protein Dynamics
Kinetics of Preotein Dynamics Customer Case The customer is measuring kinetics of protein dynamics with a time scale of between a few nanoseconds and about a hundred milliseconds. The customer's two response signals occur after a few-nanosecond-pulse excitation that repeats at a rate of 1-10Hz. This requires a bandwidth from DC to a few hundred MHz, sampling speed of about 1-2GS/s, and processing time for one acquisition that is less than 1-0.1secs. An analog signal of about 10-30mV comes from a Photo-Multiplier Tube (PMT) or a photo-diode with a trans-impedance pre-amplifier. The customer is currently using a couple of [...]
Capacitance Sensors vs. Eddy Current Sensors Application Note
Capacitance Sensors vs. Eddy Current Sensors Application Note Capacitance sensors and Eddy current sensors are both used for non-contact measurements. Capacitive probes use electric fields to measure the distance from the sensor face to the surface of a target that is typically conductive and grounded. Eddy current probes use an alternating AC current to induce a magnetic field in a conductive target instead. In turn, the induced magnetic field produces a back magnetic field that is proportional to the gap between the probe face and the target. In a recent application note, MTI Instruments examines the differences between capacitance [...]
Radioactive Nuclear-Decay Detection
Radioactive Nuclear-Decay Detection Customer Case The customer has a requirement for PC-based waveform digitizer cards to digitize shaped pulses derived from nuclear-decay detectors. These pulses vary in their rate (frequency of occurrence) and amplitude. Their shape is approximately Gaussian with a full-width at half the maximum amplitude (FWHM) of 3-5 microseconds. The characterization of each pulse is critical for the accurate and precise determination of the activity of radioactive materials. These materials have very low count-rates (0.02 pulses per minute) to relatively high count-rates (>1000 pulses per minute). Important to the measurement process are the speed and reliability of [...]
Neutrino Detection System
Neutrino Detection System Customer Case Neutrinos are tiny (possibly massless) neutral elementary particles which interact with matter via the weak nuclear force. The weakness of the weak force gives neutrinos the property that matter is almost transparent to them. The sun, and all other stars, produce neutrinos copiously due to nuclear fusion and decay processes within the core. Since they rarely interact, these neutrinos pass through the sun and the earth (and you) unhindered. Other sources of neutrinos include exploding stars (supernovae), relic neutrinos (from the birth of the universe) and nuclear power plants (in fact a lot of [...]
Foam Density Measurement: Capacitance Sensors vs. Nuclear Gauges
This application note from MTI Instruments compares two technologies for measuring foam density: capacitance sensors and nuclear gauges. It examines the basic operating principles of each technology and explains why capacitance measurement is recommended for in-line measurement during foam manufacturing. Capacitance Sensors Capacitive probes are non-contact devices that use electric fields to measure foam density. In combination with a thickness value, a density measurement may be calculated. These probes consist of a capacitance sensor inside of a protective housing and are part of a larger measurement system that includes amplifiers, cables, and software. With parallel plate capacitance, the capacitance probe [...]
Nuclear Particle Location
Nuclear Particle Location Customer Case The customer studies nuclear particles traveling in an electrically charged medium. The particles emit two types of short 53 MHz signal bursts. The first type lasts for 1.6 ms, the second type lasts for 6 ms. The customer had to capture these bursts in at least two locations and analyze their amplitudes in order to determine the position and some of the characteristics of the nuclear particles. The application requires two channels of capture at speeds of at least 500 MS/s. The depth of capture at 1 GS/s is 6,000 samples for the 6 [...]
Get More Out Of Your Military & Aerospace Applications
When testing the electrical systems for your military and aerospace applications, you need to ensure they are ready for the job and meet all the necessary standards. These specialized systems work to keep the highly sophisticated and advanced technology housed in these applications running at full strength, which requires the right amount of power to do their jobs effectively. Having the right electrical safety and performance testing equipment on hand can help determine the overall effectiveness of your applications. […]
Ozone Profiling Lidar System
Ozone Profiling Lidar System Customer Case The customer is designing an ozone-profiling lidar system for measuring the concentration of ozone from ground level up to about 4 kilometer (km) altitude. The system operates in the ultraviolet range and uses multiple receiver telescopes to cover the range. The dynamic range of the signal is enormous, so small aperture telescopes are used to collect backscattered light from low altitudes and large ones are used to collect backscattered light from high altitudes. The customer is operating simultaneously at three laser wavelengths, and the current design requires a total of nine photodetectors (three [...]
High-Spatial Resolution Lidar
High-Spatial Resolution Lidar Customer Case In Lidar, which is Laser Radar, spatial resolution is limited by the laser pulse width. This customer's laser pulse width is 3.5 ns. The total range interrogated by the Lidar system will be on the order of 250 meters. The customer needs to digitize the Lidar signal at 500 MS/s into 8 MegaSamples of memory. 8-bit digitizer resolution will be sufficient and they would also prefer to keep software programming at an absolute minimum. GaGe Case Solution Had the customer required higher resolution, say 12 or 14-bit, and sampling rates of 100 MS/s, then [...]
Capacitance Sensing vs. Strain Gauge Sensing Application Note
Capacitance Sensing vs. Strain Gauge Sensing Application Note Capacitance probes that are embedded in piezo flexure stages can provide significantly greater accuracy than strain gauges. Although some minor mounting modifications are required, capacitance probes with picoscale positioning provide higher linearity, greater long-term stability, and better direct measurement. Capacitance sensors cost more, however, and are limited by sensing distance. Therefore, strain gauge sensors remain a good choice for applications where cost is a consideration, sensing distances are larger, and high resolution or high accuracy are required. In a recent application note, MTI Instruments examines the differences between capacitance probes and [...]