Endevco and National Instruments develop Plug-and-Play sensors

Endevco and National Instruments are developing plug-and-play sensors. The sensors have in-built low-cost memory chip that contains information about the transducer stored in the Transducer Electronic Data Sheets (TEDS). Information such as calibration data will be automatically read by a signal conditioner or analyzer, thereby eliminating calibration errors. The TEDS format conforms to the IEEE standard P1451.4, which was in part developed by National Instruments.

Read more on the Endevco web site.

Sony releases new active noise cancellation headphones

Sony have released a new active-noise cancellation ear-bud style headphones, model MDR-NC11. When the unit is switched on noise is reduced by 10dB. The specs on the website say that it cancels noise from 50Hz to 1,000 Hz, with a maximum of 10dB noise cancellation in the critical range from 100 to 400 Hz – where the human ear is super-sensitive.

Read more on the SonyStyle web site and search for MDR-NC11. Watch the shockwave flash advert for noise cancellation products.

IDEALAlert service transferring to Elsevier

Elsevier Science has bought out Academic press, and transferring ownership of journals and online services. The IDEALAlert service (email notification of table of contents) is also ceasing on December 31, 2002. To receive free alerts about IDEAL journals (Journal of Sound and Vibration, Digital Signal Processing, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Journal of Fluids and Structures, and others), by signing up for:
– ScienceDirect alerts, available for all the over 1,700 journals
on the platform, and accessible at
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/alerts.
– ContentsDirect, providing alerts for Elsevier Science journals
and books, and accessible at http://contentsdirect.elsevier.com/.

Laminated steel plates make products quieter

MSC Laminates is an off shoot from Material Sciences Corporation that makes laminated steel products. Their QuietSteel product is damping material that has been sandwiched between two layers of sheet steel. I have heard that this product is used in every oil pan on US cars. Recent news articles have appeared describing how Ford are using it in the firewall of their larger vehicles to reduce noise transmitted into the cabin.

Read more on the MSC Laminates web site.

Making aircraft quieter

The European Commission’s SILENCE program, Significantly Lower aircraft Environmental Noise Community ExposuRe, aims to reduce the noise from commercial aircraft. The research program involves 51 companies. Rolls Royce and Boeing developed a modified engine that was flight tested on a Boeing 777 that resulted in jet noise reduction of 4 dB and fan noise reduction by 13 dB.

Read more on the SAE Aerospace magazine online web site.

Sound and Vibration Magazine online

The Sound and Vibration magazine has a new web address: http://www.sandv.com/. Their feature articles are available for download in PDF format. This month they have an interesting article on “Airplane Ground Vibration Testing”, that discusses the modal anlysis of a 767 supported by the undercarriage on air-springs. In addition, they also have many older articles available for download – well worth checking out.

Acoustic Microscope

Researchers have developed a technique that uses an ultrasonic probe to examine tissue samples. The advantage of this technique is that tissue can be examined in-situ, without removing samples and that the tissue does not need staining. The resolution of the technique is useful to examine cells, down to about 0.1 micron.

Read more on the Physics Today web site.