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Results for “electrical signals”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Electrical signal transmission in a bone cell network: the influence of a discrete gap junction

A refined electrical cable model is formulated to investigate the role of a discrete gap junction in the intracellular transmission of electrical signals in an electrically coupled system of osteocytes and osteoblasts in an osteon. The model also examines the influence of the ratio q between the membrane's electrical time constant and the characteristic time of pore fluid pressure, the circular, cylindrical geometry of the osteon, and key simplifying assumptions in our earlier continuous cable model (see Zhang, D., S. C. Cowin, and S. Weinbaum. Electrical signal transmission and gap junction regulation in a bone cell network: A cable model for an osteon. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 25:379-396, 1997). Using this refined model, it is shown that (1) the intracellular potential amplitude at the osteoblastic end of the osteonal cable retains the character of a combination of a low-pass and a high-pass filter as the corner frequency varies in the physiological range; (2) the presence of a discrete gap junction near a resting osteoblast can lead to significant modulation of the intracellular potential and current in the osteoblast for measured values of the gap junction coupling strength; and (3) the circular, cylindrical geometry of the osteon is well simulated by the beam analogy used in Zhang et al.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1964

Camera shutter is actuated by electric signal

Rotary solenoid energized by an electric signal opens a camera shutter, and when the solenoid is de-energized a spring closes it. By the use of a microswitch, the shutter may be opened and closed in one continuous, rapid operation when the solenoid is actuated.

Neff, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Dynamic Range Enhancement of High-Speed Electrical Signal Data via Non-Linear Compression

Systems and methods for high-speed compression of dynamic electrical signal waveforms to extend the measuring capabilities of conventional measuring devices such as oscilloscopes and high-speed data acquisition systems are discussed. Transfer function components and algorithmic transfer functions can be used to accurately measure signals that are within the frequency bandwidth but beyond the voltage range and voltage resolution capabilities of the measuring device.

Laun, Matthew C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Acoustic and electric signals from lightning

Observations of infrasound apparently generated by the collapse of the electrostatic field in the thundercloud, are presented along with electric field measurements and high-frequency thunder signals. The frequency of the infrasound pulse is about 1 Hz and amplitude a few microbars. The observations seem to confirm some of the theoretical predictions of Wilson (1920) and Dessler (1973). The signal is predominated by a compressional phase and seems to be beamed vertically. Calculation of the parameters of the charged region using the infrasound signal give reasonable values.

Balachandran, N. K.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Electrical signal transmission and gap junction regulation in a bone cell network: a cable model for an osteon

A cable model is formulated to estimate the spatial distribution of intracellular electric potential and current, from the cement line to the lumen of an osteon, as the frequency of the loading and the conductance of the gap junction are altered. The model predicts that the characteristic diffusion time for the spread of current along the membrane of the osteocytic processes, 0.03 sec, is nearly the same as the predicted pore pressure relaxation time in Zeng et al. (Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 1994) for the draining of the bone fluid into the osteonal canal. This approximate equality of characteristic times causes the cable to behave as a high-pass, low-pass filter cascade with a maximum in the spectral response for the intracellular potential at approximately 30 Hz. This behavior could be related to the experiments of Rubin and McLeod (Osteoporosis, Academic Press, 1996) which show that live bone appears to be selectively responsive to mechanical loading in a specific frequency range (15-30 Hz) for several species.

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗
NASA NTRS1988

Planetographic clustering of low-altitude impulsive electric signals in the night ionosphere of Venus

This paper presents maps of the locations of electromagnetic signals, presumably caused by lightning, which were observed at 730 Hz during the first three nighttime observing seasons of Pioneer Venus Orbiter when the spacecraft reached altitudes low enough to detect the signals. The maps show that there are specific 'active regions' of enhanced signal occurrence, and that at least some of these active regions appear to remain fixed in planetographic coordinates from year to year.

Russel, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Source locations for impulsive electric signals seen in the night ionosphere of Venus

A mapping of the rate of occurrence of impulsive VLF noise bursts in Venus' dark low altitude ionosphere, which increases rapidly with decreasing altitude, as a function of latitude and longitude indicates enhanced occurrence rates over Atla. In a 30-sec observing period, there are impulsive signals 70 percent of the time at 160 km in the region of maximum occurrence; the occurrence rates, moreover, increase with decreasing latitude, so that the equatorial rate is of the order of 1.6 times that at 30 deg latitude. These phenomena are in keeping with lightning-generated wave sources.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Arterial pulse wave pressure transducer

An arterial pulse wave pressure transducer is introduced. The transducer is comprised of a fluid filled cavity having a flexible membrane disposed over the cavity and adapted to be placed on the skin over an artery. An arterial pulse wave creates pressure pulses in the fluid which are transduced, by a pressure sensitive transistor in direct contact with the fluid, into an electric signal. The electrical signal is representative of the pulse waves and can be recorded so as to monitor changes in the elasticity of the arterial walls.

Kim, C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Method and Apparatus for Assessment of Changes in Intracranial Pressure

A non-invasive method and apparatus for monitoring changes in intracranial pressure which removes extracranial effects from the measurements. The method and apparatus can include the supplying of a fixed frequency electrical output to a transducer coupled to the patient's head, thereby generating an acoustical tone burst in the patient's head which generates a first echo and a second echo, the first echo reflecting from a first interface in the side of the patient's head coupled to the transducer, and the second echo reflecting from a second interface at the opposite side of the patient's head. The first and second echoes are received by the transducer which can generate a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal, wherein the first and second electrical signals vary in accordance with the corresponding first and second echoes. The counterbalancing phase shifts required to bring about quadrature between each of the first and second electrical signals and the fixed frequency electrical output can be measured, and values for the change in intracranial distance based on the changes in the counterbalancing phase shifts can be obtained.

Yost, William T.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Method and Apparatus for Characterizing Pressure Sensors using Modulated Light Beam Pressure

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods are provided that use light sources instead of sound sources for characterizing and calibrating sensors for measuring small pressures to mitigate many of the problems with using sound sources. In one embodiment an apparatus has a light source for directing a beam of light on a sensing surface of a pressure sensor for exerting a force on the sensing surface. The pressure sensor generates an electrical signal indicative of the force exerted on the sensing surface. A modulator modulates the beam of light. A signal processor is electrically coupled to the pressure sensor for receiving the electrical signal.

Robert C Youngquist↗
NASA NTRS2012

Covert laser remote sensing and vibrometry

Designs of single-beam laser vibrometry systems and methods. For example, a method for detecting vibrations of a target based on optical sensing is provided to include operating a laser to produce a laser probe beam at a laser frequency and modulated at a modulation frequency onto a target; collecting light at or near the laser to collect light from the target while the target is being illuminated by the laser probe beam through an optical receiver aperture; using a narrow-band optical filter centered at the laser frequency to filter light collected from the optical receiver aperture to transmit light at the laser frequency while blocking light at other frequencies; using an optical detector to convert filtered light from the narrow-band optical filter to produce a receiver electrical signal; using a lock-in amplifier to detect and amplify the receiver electrical signal at the modulation frequency while rejecting signal components at other frequencies to produce an amplified receiver electrical signal; processing the amplified receiver electrical signal to extract information on vibrations of the target carried by reflected laser probe beam in the collected light; and controlling optical power of the laser probe beam at the target to follow optical power of background illumination at the target.

Maleki, Lutfollah↗
NASA NTRS1984

Upset susceptibility study employing circuit analysis and digital simulation

This paper describes an approach to predicting the susceptibility of digital systems to signal disturbances. Electrical disturbances on a digital system's input and output lines can be induced by activities and conditions including static electricity, lightning discharge, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Pulsation (EMP). The electrical signal disturbances employed for the susceptibility study were limited to nondestructive levels, i.e., the system does not sustain partial or total physical damage and reset and/or reload will bring the system to an operational status. The front-end transition from the electrical disturbances to the equivalent digital signals was accomplished by computer-aided circuit analysis. The Super-Sceptre (system for circuit evaluation of transient radiation effects) Program was used. Gate models were developed according to manufacturers' performance specifications and parameters resulting from construction processes characteristic of the technology. Digital simulation at the gate and functional level was employed to determine the impact of the abnormal signals on system performance and to study the propagation characteristics of these signals through the system architecture. Example results are included for an Intel 8080 processor configuration.

Carreno, V. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Television camera video level control system

A video level control system is provided which generates a normalized video signal for a camera processing circuit. The video level control system includes a lens iris which provides a controlled light signal to a camera tube. The camera tube converts the light signal provided by the lens iris into electrical signals. A feedback circuit in response to the electrical signals generated by the camera tube, provides feedback signals to the lens iris and the camera tube. This assures that a normalized video signal is provided in a first illumination range. An automatic gain control loop, which is also responsive to the electrical signals generated by the camera tube 4, operates in tandem with the feedback circuit. This assures that the normalized video signal is maintained in a second illumination range.

Kravitz, M.↗
NASA NTRS2014

In-Situ Wire Damage Detection System

An in-situ system for detecting damage in an electrically conductive wire. The system includes a substrate at least partially covered by a layer of electrically conductive material forming a continuous or non-continuous electrically conductive layer connected to an electrical signal generator adapted to delivering electrical signals to the electrically conductive layer. Data is received and processed to identify damage to the substrate or electrically conductive layer. The electrically conductive material may include metalized carbon fibers, a thin metal coating, a conductive polymer, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles or a combination thereof.

Williams, Martha K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Monolithic Optical-To-Electronic Receiver

Monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuit converts multiplexed digital optical signals into electrical signals, separates, and distributes them to intended destinations. Developed to deliver phase and amplitude commands to monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's) at elements of millimeter-wave phased-array antenna from single optical fiber driven by external array controller. Also used in distribution of high-data-rate optical communications in local-area networks (LAN's). Notable features include options for optical or electrical clock inputs; outputs for raw data, addresses, and instructions for diagnosis; and optical-signal-detection circuit used to reduce power consumption by 80 percent between data-transmission times. Chip fabricated by processes available at many major semiconductor foundries. Distribution of digital signals in aircraft, automobiles, and ships potential application.

Kunath, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1994

Electronic filters, signal conversion apparatus, hearing aids and methods

An electronic filter for filtering an electrical signal. Signal processing circuitry therein includes a logarithmic filter having a series of filter stages with inputs and outputs in cascade and respective circuits associated with the filter stages for storing electrical representations of filter parameters. The filter stages include circuits for respectively adding the electrical representations of the filter parameters to the electrical signal to be filtered thereby producing a set of filter sum signals. At least one of the filter stages includes circuitry for producing a filter signal in substantially logarithmic form at its output by combining a filter sum signal for that filter stage with a signal from an output of another filter stage. The signal processing circuitry produces an intermediate output signal, and a multiplexer connected to the signal processing circuit multiplexes the intermediate output signal with the electrical signal to be filtered so that the logarithmic filter operates as both a logarithmic prefilter and a logarithmic postfilter. Other electronic filters, signal conversion apparatus, electroacoustic systems, hearing aids and methods are also disclosed.

Morley, Jr., Robert E.↗