Private:Weekly Group 11/12/2009

Jim
During the past week my time has been focused on gather the required data needed to interface different components that will combine to construct the Tagger Microscope. I have performed some preliminary calculations (very rough estimates) and hope to start TurboCad / AutoCad rendering next week. Over the weekend I spent a couple of hours discussing the specifics of our project with former co-workers to get a new (seasoned) aspect to our approaches and to help myself become more familiar with discussing the project. Many good ideas were discussed and suggestions were made. In addition, I have been trying to keep in contact, via e-mail, with the companies we are considering for laser welding of the waveguides and scintillating fibers. As of today I have not had any confirmation as to whether our samples, which were shipped last week, were received or not. I will keep on top of thing and hope to hear some initial feedback from the companies by the end of next week.

This past week I have also spent time considering improvements to the design of the different equipment used to manufacture (cut/polish) the fibers. One particular component that has caused me a little concern is the collar used to secure 25 fibers into a bundle. While cutting the last bundle of fibers for the laser welding companies I noticed that there was a significant amount of damage to the cladding of the fibers which were on the perimeter of the bundle. This damage was a result the corners of the metal collars (edge perpendicular to the fiber lengths; parallel to the cutting surface) being forced against the fibers. The force required to maintain the center fibers securely in place is enough to cause scoring and etching of the cladding. Although most of the damage is most likely well within tolerance levels, it is something that should be considered and corrected if feasible. The damage not only constitutes a breach in the integrity of the fiber and its light carrying properties but also may be a precursor to more significant damage that may occur in the future when mass production and different team members are used. My justification for spending time on this issue is the fact that more collars about to be manufactured and a little time now may lead to bigger savings in the future.

Woody
This week I posted the most recent copies of all tagger microscope electronics files on the Wiki. I also finished the backplane design and submitted it for quoting. Sierra contacted me with several questions about the amplifier board bill of materials and XY assembly data, which I answered. The project is making good forward progress.

I emailed Screaming Circuits to find out if they could help us determine the cause of the DAC burnout on the digital board. It has been one week since I sent the email, and I received no response.

Goals for next week are to start entering digital board revisions into Altium, as well as to attempt to contact Screaming Circuits again.

Brendan
Brendan Pratt: This week I have been working on the refurbishment of the excimer laser. I have completed the online safety course required by the university and will be taking an eye exam shortly. I have also established a contact with Coherent Inc. technician Jeff Edberg. Jeff worked on older EMG 101 MSC before the company was bought out by Coherent Inc. He recommended taking the laser head off and checking a circulating fan for the laser tube. If the motor doesn’t turn then the project would most likely be canceled because it is impossible to find parts. Thursday, I took off the cover of the excimer laser and was able to verify that the motor is working properly. We are now ready to move the laser down to Dr. Barry Wells’ laboratory which I visited this Monday. The lab has the proper exhaust, power supply and water system we will need and all we are waiting for is a table from Dave Perry. The wiki page has been updated regarding the progress of the laser and of the fiber splicing possibilities. Lastly, I have contacted various camera repair companies in a long shot attempt to gain some information on the Casio ex-f1. I actually received a promising email from Stan Tamarkin saying that he knows the president of Casio. With any luck, he will be able to give us some new information on the layout of the lens system.

Matt
Matt Heiss: Progress, week of 11/12/09

This week, I have made two major steps forwards. Most importantly, I have completely redone all of my flawed lens equations. I have rewritten all of the code in my Excel sheets to correct problems with the equations. Also, the new equations generate the appropriate object distance given that the final image falls on the reciever. From this, the magnification of the object as it falls on the reciever can be calculated as well. Secondly, I have studied the effects of the aperture size and f-stop on the final image. While I am unsure if I will be able to add a variable aperture to my charts and graph without gross simplifications, I believe I will be able to calculate the intensity of the image given the size and position of the aperture. However, if we assume that the aperture is fixed somewhere between the second and third lenses in the lens assembly, I may be able to add it to the light paths. Because a changing aperture only affects the intensity of the light falling on the reciever, it might not be important to add it to the light path diagram. For next week's meeting, I hope to have all the lens equations completely finalized and completed.