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Marshall Space Flight Center is a recipient of
2003 Imaging Solution of the Year Award from Advanced Imaging Magazine. The Imaging Systems Team
within the Avionics Department is responsible for developing and testing low-cost, lightweight imaging
systems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, and flight experiments. They work with other NASA centers
alongside academia and industry in new research and technology areas that enables the team to develop
novel imaging solutions to meet customer needs. Eric Corder, the Team Leader of the Imaging Systems Team,
states ”We used the HTC3000 chip to control a Melcor TEC that was utilized to control the temperature of
our experiment fluid located in a quartz glass growth cell (10mm x 20mm x 1mm). A temperature setpoint
within the range of 15 to 35 degrees C is selected by the astronaut and our system is required to hold
that setpoint within +- 0.5 degrees C. With our design we have shown that we can hold about the setpoint
to within +- 0.1 degrees C. We are quite pleased.”
Congratulations Marshall Space Flight Center!
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Based on the Wavelength Electronics WTC3243 Temperature Controller, this custom system displays temperature (converted
from the thermistor signal), has an LED indicator tree to show "in" or "out" of range, and adapts to multiple thermoelectrics.
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"Our Manufacturing and Engineering groups needed a temperature controller to aid in product prototyping and in-house
tooling. Working with Wavelength Electronics was as easy as working with our own in-house engineers. The communication
was excellent, which in turn helped the "team" create a set of well-defined specifications. Atypical of most custom design
companies, Wavelength Electronics fully documented the design, created a datasheet and continues to provide product support.
We received our controller well ahead of schedule, in spite of the difficult size specifications. Furthermore, the "off-the-shelf"
availability and "stock" pricing of these custom controller tools will make purchasing and design decisions down the road
far easier. Even factoring in the development costs, the price was quite competitive (well under the "off-the-shelf" price
for other tools in the industry)."
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-Red Byer, Mechanical Design Engineer, Lightwave Electronics
[Lightwave Electronics manufactures Diode Pumped Lasers (DPL)
for commercial, OEM, medical and R&D markets]
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