Signal Transmission
We sometimes
say that misunderstandings are due to people being out of
sync or not on the same wavelength. When it comes to our
communications devices, these expressions are literally
true. Precision measurement of time and frequency are essential
to communications. So are a host of other measurement tools
and standards. Read on to see how NIST provides communications
measurements and standards.
Time
and Frequency—maintains one of the most accurate
atomic clocks in the world; provides time and frequency
signals necessary for radio, television, phone, and Internet
communication, as well as navigation and space exploration.
Antenna
Metrology—helps industry determine performance of
antennas and related components for satellites, radar, and
communications systems.
Optoelectronics
Manufacturing Group helps
keep phone, email, and cable television signals from
degrading with NIST-developed
measurement tools that help industry accurately measure
optical fiber diameters to within a millionth of a meter.
Optical
Components Group—characterizes the properties of
optical fiber and optical communication systems components;
develops wavelength standards for optical communications.
Standard
Reference Materials for optical fibers—here's a
list of optical fiber and wavelength calibration standards
for telecommunications.
NIST's
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network
of assistance centers for small manufacturers in all 50
states and Puerto Rico, offers expert advice on productivity
and modernization. Since 1988, MEP has assisted more than
100,000 firms, including communications companies.
CommScope,
Inc., of Scottsboro, Ala., a maker of fiber optic and
coaxial
cable, sought advice from its local Manufacturing
Extension Partnership center, the Alabama
Technology Network, for its spool winding operation.
With ATN assistance, CommScope increased productivity.
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Wireless
We ask
a lot from the tiny, intricate components that make up cellular
telephones, pagers, and other miniature communications devices.
In order to deliver clear communications, key parts have
to perform consistently in a wide range of temperatures.
NIST measurements are helping industry improve performance
of our wireless communications. Read on to see what we're
doing.
National
Wireless Electronic Systems Testbed—promotes the
development of the broadband wireless industry by creating
and carrying out tests and measurements at the system and
components levels; promotes sound operational standards
and specifications based on open technical results.
Wireless
Communication Technologies Group -- helps develop industry
consensus national and international standards for wireless
communications; conducts basic and applied research in wireless
communications to support testing, measurements, and standards;
develops tests and measurement methods for the U.S. wireless
communications industry. Contact: Nader
Moayeri, (301) 975-3767.
Ceramics
Division—works with industry to provide measurements
and standards needed to produce ceramic materials, including
the dielectric ceramics used for filters, resonators, and
oscillators in wireless devices.
Ceramics
WebBook—a collection of evaluated databases and
other tools and resources for ceramics researchers.
Ceramic
Thin Films—helps industry measure ceramic thin films
which are increasingly used in wireless devices; helps develop
data and standards.
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Advances
for Video
Digital
bits are quickly replacing film reels and video casettes.
We're seeing higher resolution and truer colors on tiny
handheld computers as well as big stadium-size displays.
NIST research is supporting advances in video technology.
Follow the links below to see how.
NIST's
Advanced Technology Program spurs innovation in U.S.
industry by co-funding high-risk, high-payoff projects with
private industry. Results from completed NIST's
Advanced Technology Program projects (see links below)
are advancing video display technology.
Cubic
Videocomm, Inc., of San Diego, won NIST's
Advanced Technology Program funding to develop an innovative
video compression program with commercial application for
video e-mail and industrial security. Read
more
Elsicon,
Inc., of Wilmington, Del., won NIST's
Advanced Technology Program funding to develop a novel
technology for aligning liquid crystals using polarized
light to improve yields and reduce costs of making LCDs
for laptop computers and other electronic communication
devices.
Sarnoff
Corp. Of Princeton, N.J., won an Emmy Award in October
2000, for outstanding technological achievement for a unique
technology to predict how viewers will perceive the quality
of digitally processed TV images or still pictures. The
company developed this technology with NIST ATP funding.
Read
more.
NIST
in-house laboratory research is also helping support and
improve video displays. The links below lead to specific
project descriptions.
Flat
Panel Display Metrology—develops and refines measurement
procedures for electronic display metrology and helps develop
national and international standards for flat panel displays.
Colorimetry
of Displays—We're developing a facility to calibrate
colorimeters and spectroradiometers for high accuracy color
measurements of video displays.
Digital
Video Retrieval—provides a collection of reusable
public domain digital video to encourage researchers to
develop solutions for digital video retrieval problems,
supports scientific comparison of solutions.
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Computer
Security
In the
electronic age, words like hacker and virus have taken on
new meaning. And efforts to secure electronic information
are becoming increasingly important. NIST helps secure electronic
data by identifying vulnerabilities and cost-effective security
measures. The links below describe what we're doing to secure
electronic information.
Computer
Security Division—works to improve information systems
security for consumers, industry, and government agencies;
develops standards, measurement methods, tests, and validation
programs for information security.
Computer
Security Resource Center—a collection of information
security advisories, bulletins, and announcements maintained
for government, industry, and individual computer users.
Advanced
Encryption Standard—a new proposed encryption standard
selected through an international competition sponsored
by NIST; when official, this algorithm will protect financial
and other highly sensitive information transactions.
Cryptographic
Model Validation Program—maintains cryptographic
standards and coordinates validation programs for many of
these standards.
Virus
Information—maintains a list of computer virus resources,
anti-virus vendors, and recommendations.
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Information
Storage
The
power and convenience of our electronic devices depend on
how much information we can fit into tiny amounts of space.
NIST research in data storage technology is helping U.S.
industry think small.
Magnetic
Technology Division—develops and disseminates advanced
measurement methods and standards for the magnetic data
storage and superconductor power industries; among our projects
are studies on high-density and high-speed magnetic recording,
magnetoresistive sensors and memory elements.
Magnetic
Nanostructure—develops new measurement methods to
study how the physical and magnetic nanostructure of magnetic
recording media influences their storage capacity.
Magnetic
Materials—characterizes the properties and performance
of magnetic materials used in magnetic recording media,
microwave communications, and many other devices, tools
and instruments.
NIST
Center for Neutron Research -- provides state-of-the-art
neutron research tools to probe next-generation high performance
magnetic materials, to determine the properties and behavior
of magnetic multi-layer films for read/write heads and recording
media, and devices used in high-Q microwave communications.
Object
Oriented MicroMagnetic Framework -- download software
tools created jointly by NIST and industry to verify results
from programs designed to predict how the tiny magnetic
charges in new magnetic storage devices will behave. Comparison
of predicitions allows researchers to make more accurate
models of many computer storage materials.
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Networks
Global
communications are becoming increasingly dependent on computer
networks for electronic commerce, health care, education,
science, and entertainment. NIST helps keep these networks
humming.
Advanced
Networking Technologies—helps network protocol designers,
engineers, programmers and testers evaluate their systems
and components by providing test methods and measurement
technologies.
NIST
Networking Research Projects—NIST research in high
speed networks, internetworking technologies, multimedia
networking, and wireless networks is described here.
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Public
Safety
Whether
they're handling routine incidents or major emergencies,
police, fire, and emergency medical personnel need reliable
communications systems that allow them to share information
with each other. Here are some of the ways NIST is helping.
Public
Safety Communication Standards—develops wireless
telecommunications and information technology standards,
profiles, and guidelines for interoperability and information
sharing among criminal justice and public safety agencies
at state, local, and federal levels.
Computer
Forensics Investigation Tools—establishes reference
tools for investigating and prosecuting software piracy,
copyright infringement, child pornography, and related crimes
involving computer files.
Fingerprint
Research—creates databases for evaluating fingerprint
classification and matching systems.
Mugshot/Face
Research—develops test methods and databases for
face recognition technology for law enforcement agencies.
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Electronic
information
NIST
researchers have helped advance the emerging eBook industry
by developing a prototype eBook, organizing and hosting
Electronic Book Conferences, and facilitating development
of a file interchange format. Read
more.
Another
NIST innovation helps bring books to the blind or visually
impaired. Researchers have developed a Braille reader that
converts electronic text into a continuous Braille output.
The new device could be significantly less expensive than
existing Braille readers. Read
more.
The
NIST
Speech Group helps advance the state- of-the art in
speech recognition so spoken language can serve as a reliable
way to input, process, and manage electronic information.
The
NIST Retrieval
Group works with industry, academia, and other government
agencies to promote effective and efficient methods of manipulating,
browsing, searching, and presenting electronic text.
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Other Resources
NIST
outreach programs work directly with business and industry
to boost U.S. economic competitiveness. Many communications
companies have benefitted by taking advantage of these programs.
NIST's
Advanced Technology Program
spurs innovation in U.S. industry by co-funding high-risk,
high-payoff projects with private industry.
Smaller
manufacturers face many challenges in our technology-driven
environment. To help meet these challenges, NIST started
the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program in 1988. This nationwide network
of centers, now in all 50 states, has assisted more than
10,000 U.S. firms, including communications firms.
The
Baldrige National
Quality Program recognizes performance excellence and
quality achievement by U.S. manufacturers, service companies,
educational organizations, and health-care providers. Communications
firms have been competing for the Baldrige Award since it
was established in 1988. In 1995, Corning
Telecommunications Products Division won the Baldrige
Award. In 1994, AT&T
Consumer Communications Services and GTE
Directories Corporation were selected as winners. In
1992, two divisions of AT&T won: AT&T
Network Systems Group and AT&T
Universal Card Services. Motorola
Inc. was one of the very first Baldrige Award winners
in 1998.
Organizations
that apply for the Baldrige Award must address seven key
criteria: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market
focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process
management, and results. Each applicant receives a feedback
report citing strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Award recipients and applicants alike say the application
process can yield significant process improvements and is
good for the bottom line. In fact, a fictitious 'Baldrige
Index' made up of winning company stock has consistently
outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. And thousands
of other companies have used the Criteria
for Performance Excellence to assess and improve their
overall performance.
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