The question
Can a small, well-characterized instrument produce a measurement that is still trustworthy outside the lab that built it?
What I work on
- Analog front ends and low-noise power
- Data conversion, timing, and embedded control
- Calibration and drift
- Enclosure, thermal design, and field use
Current work
Instrument work is being developed around the same measurement chain used in the astronomy project: characterize the sensor, record the raw signal, and keep the calibration with the data.
The first designs will be documented as schematics, a bill of materials, a calibration procedure, and a test fixture.
Methods and standards
- Schematics and a maintained bill of materials
- Bench calibration and repeatability tests
- Firmware with automated tests
- A data format that keeps raw counts and calibration together
Directions
- Photometer and spectrometer readout
- Environmental and power monitoring
- Open hardware with testable firmware
- Field instruments that can be rebuilt from the record
All research areas. Notes and records are in the notes archive and the data and code index.