Fully digital controller for cantilever-based instruments

Details Fully digital controller for cantilever-based instruments Fully digital controller for cantilever-based instruments

2007-06-26

2007-06-26

Larkin, Daniel S. (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Surface and cutting edge testing

Roughness

C250S306000, C702S094000

Reexamination Certificate

active

10740940

ABSTRACT:
A controller for cantilever-based instruments, including atomic force microscopes, molecular force probe instruments, high-resolution profilometers and chemical or biological sensing probes. The controller samples the output of the photo-detector commonly used to detect cantilever deflection in these instruments with a very fast analog/digital converter (ADC). The resulting digitized representation of the output signal is then processed with field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors without making use of analog electronics. Analog signal processing is inherently noisy while digital calculations are inherently “perfect” in that they do not add any random noise to the measured signal. Processing by field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors maximizes the flexibility of the controller because it can be varied through programming means, without modification of the controller hardware.

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patent: WO 02/48644 (2002-06-01), None

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