This fun project re-created the Star Wars intercommunication voice link where one Stormtrooper talks followed by a short static burst while the voice channel “turns over” for the next Stormtrooper to talk. These are sold and used at theme conventions (such as Gen Con's Star Wars Celebration) where the properly attired white helmet Stormtroopers walk around.

Stormtrooper
Helmet Comm Link

The Servenger Programmable Analog Module (PAM) packages the Anadigm Programmable Analog Signal Processor IC into a convenient to use circuit board with connectors, power supply, analog input and output buffers plus the serial interface to the PC. Used with the AnadigmDesigner2 software (free from Anadigm) the PAM units allow the immediate application of the Anadigm technology to real world projects. Used with the new Prentice-Hall textbook Electronic Devices, Eighth Edition by Thomas L. Floyd, an excellent teaching aid for sophomore and junior level engineering programs.

Servenger Programmable Analog Module

This NEC America telephone system provided 96 POTS (“plain old telephone service”) lines and several types of telephone special service lines for lower density residential areas and for business parks. It was functionally identical to a common Western Electric system but used ¼ the rack space and power and came with a fiber feed option from the FD-6 product.

NEC ISC-303
Digital Telephone System

This interesting product carried four T1/DS1 digital telephone signals over an inexpensive fiber optic data link to digital telephone equipment and to cell phone tower sites. It was a consistent money maker for several years that allowed NEC America to fund the development of additional digital products. Steve was the team leader and the designer of the switch control interface, the power supply and the fiber optic transmitter & receiver circuitry.

NEC FD-6 Fiber Multiplexer:

An oscilloscope Sweep Circuit generates the calibrated Volts / time waveform that drives an electron beam left to right across the face of a cathode ray tube (CRT). This specialized CRT was for an optical input oscilloscope aimed at measuring both very slow & dim optical signals and extremely fast & very bright optical signals (think laser fusion experiments and similar high energy events). The performance requirement for 11 orders of magnitude of time per division settings for CRT sweep speed was a record that probably still stands today. This hand built prototype was in service for over a year until replaced with the microcircuit production version. Steve was the sole designer, builder and tester.

Sweep Circuit for
200 TeraHz Optical Scope

In the form shown in this photo, the U2 spy plane was equipped with large optical instrument pods in the middle of each wing. Interconnecting the camera systems in each pod was many hundreds of pounds of analog cabling and signal processing. With this weight the aircraft flew within 5 knots of stalling. The project was to develop a digital fiber optic data link between the camera pods to replace all the cabling. With Steve as the fiber optic module designer and the engineering team leader, the 2 pound fiber optic data link was delivered on time and under budget. The fiber optic data link was flown many times on a real U2.

Fiber Optic Data Link for
U2 Recon Plane

The Tektronix 2465 portable oscilloscope and its derivatives were Tektronix’s largest dollar volume instruments for several years. The program began with the development of an all new high speed amplifier integrated circuit technology, new IC designs, new hybrid microcircuits and then the creation of a hybrid circuits manufacturing division. Over 6 years Steve played several roles as process development engineer, project manager and then engineering manager for the hybrids manufacturing division.

Microelectronics for
Tektronix 2465 Scope

This clock driven comparator was at the heart of a 200 Mega-Hertz 8 bit digitizer instrument (very fast for 1976). The ECL type IC was normally clocked at 200 MHz but was usable up to 1 GHz. It out performed an equivalent GaAs comparator IC designed 10 years later. Steve was the sole designer for this IC.

Comparator IC for
Tektronix 7612 Digitizer