When we start reading about radar, we come across various terms which are explained differently. There are various kinds of Radar classified in different ways. This article explains the various radar types in a lucid manner. A Primary Radar transmits high-frequency signals toward the targets. The transmitted pulses are reflected by the target and then received by the same radar. The reflected energy or the echoes are further processed to extract target information. Secondary radar units work with active answer signals. In addition to primary radar, this type of radar uses a transponder on the airborne target/object. The secondary radar unit transmits and also receives high-frequency impulses, the so called interrogation. This isn’t simply reflected, but received by the target by means of a transponder which receives and processes. After this the target answers at another frequency.
RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging)
If you have sometimes experienced the reflection of a sound due to the presence of a sound reflecting object like a canyon/ cave, etc. you have in a way experienced how radar functions. When you shout near towards a valley or a mountain, the reflection of a sound, i.e., the echo comes back. The time an echo requires to come back can be used to estimate the distance of the reflecting object, provided the speed of sound in air is known. Radar functions in a similar manner to find out the location of the reflection object using RF waves. Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detecting And Ranging. The name itself suggests that the radars are used to detect the presence of object and determine its range, i.e., distance and bearing, using radio frequency waves.
Swarm Robotics
“When everybody thinks alike, nobody is thinking much”, is so rightly said. Think out-of-the-box and you potent some innovation or maybe an invention; credits to your gamut. To speak in line with the concept here, swarming population; not always, is a bad idea. How about rescuing some disaster hit zone with swarming intelligent population or maintaining a warehouse with moving, self-operational shelves?? A great idea indeed. Everybody must have noticed the movement of ants or similar insects. It is awesomely coordinated and aligned with respect to each other. They accomplish their task collectively by keeping an eye on each other’s movement. This type of coordinated movement in insects is termed as Swarm and when this movement is performed by some group of robots then in technical terms it is called as “Swarm Robotics” inspired by colonies of ants and swarms of bees.
CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
The first working point contact transistor developed by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley at Bell laboratories in 1947 initiated the rapid growth of the information technology industry. In 1958, J Kilby invented the first integrated circuit flip flop at Texas and soon after this; Frank Wanlass at Fairchild described the first CMOS logic…
COB ICs
The quest to fabricate more and more devices in a minimum Silicon space has been ON since J. K and R. Noyce invented the first ICs. This quest has enabled scientific community to cross various technological frontiers. Sustained efforts to put more and more transistors on a wafer have led us to nanotechnologies. In the commonly used electronic technology, the semiconductor chips (also known as bare-dice) are individually mounted on a package, and wire-bonded to its I/O pins. This package is then mounted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). However, not only does packaging of single chip ICs cost more than the cost of the chips they contain, packaging of a chip take relatively large amount of physical space. Using a conventional single chip package and circuit board interconnect strategy, the package and interconnects took up over 50% of the timing budget as well.
IRIS Detection or IRIS Recognition
Day in and day out we need to prove our identity at various places, for secure access to buildings, air and rail travel, to cast a vote, etc. Security and the authentication of individuals are necessary in different spheres of life. Traditionally, we have been using photo-based identity cards to prove our identity and we have been quite accustomed to it. These identity cards were augmented/replaced by passwords in many cases. However, of late, these conventional identity proofs are being replaced by biometric identifications to overcome many of the shortfalls of these methods. One of the most dangerous security threats is the impersonation, in which somebody claims to be somebody else. Trend in the identification & authentication world is headed towards biometrics. Finger prints, face recognition, Iris Recognition, DNA pattern recognition are replacing printed identity cards.
Multi-touch Screen Technology
While we are all fascinated by the touchscreen-market gimmick cajoling us with its ‘Touch away’ tagline, are we actually only at an inch’s distance? This ‘no-distance’ de facto makes sense at the front end only. When given a hawk’s eye, there is another world inside waiting to be discovered, waiting to satiate your knowledge for technology. Well, for the smart gadgets with smart people in the smart world, it’s an uncanny missing out a discussion on Touchscreen Technology, specifically undertaking the Multitouch Technology. The multi-touch or the plural touch is an interactive technique which allows users to interact with the digital environment inside the gadget, directly or indirectly with his fingers or palm. Multi-touch devices include smart phones, touch tables, computer tables, public kiosks, walls, and ‘touchpad’. Well these inverts in touchpad bring us to a minute line of demarcation between touchscreen and touchpad.
Infrared Sensors or IR Sensors
Infrared radiation is the portion of electromagnetic spectrum having wavelengths longer than visible light wavelengths, but smaller than microwaves, i.e., the region roughly from 0.75µm to 1000 µm is the infrared region. Infrared waves are invisible to human eyes. The wavelength region of 0.75µm to 3 µm is called near infrared, the region from 3 µm to 6 µm is called mid infrared and the region higher than 6 µm is called far infrared. Active infrared sensors employ both infrared source and infrared detectors. They operate by transmitting energy from either a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode. A LED is used for a non-imaging active IR detector, and a laser diode is used for an imaging active IR detector. In this types of IR sensors, the LED or laser diode illuminates the target, and the reflected energy is focused onto a detector. Photoelectric cells, Photodiode or phototransistors are generally used as detectors. The measured data is then processed using various signal-processing algorithms to extract the desired information.
NanoTechnology
From the gigantic universe to the little atom, Mother Nature with her amazing organization has bestowed unique worth to everything, to the biggest and to the smallest too. The big world of small, where an ant is a behemoth and thousands of atoms can fit on width of single human hair, You are in the startling world of Nanotechnology; ‘Nano’ it is tinier than the tiniest you can see and think!!Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are closely related terms. Nanoscience is the study and understanding of matter at ‘Nano-scale’, where unique properties allow never imagined applications and Nanotechnology is the way for manifestation of such novel applications. In other words, Nanotechnology is precise manipulation, control and use of matter at nano scale for design, characterization, and production for different applications, phenomenon or for specific technology. It is the engineering and technology conducted at ‘Nano’ scale.
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems or MEMS is a precision device technology that integrates mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate through micro fabrication technology. MEMS is also referred to as MST (Microsystems Technology in Europe) and MM (Micromachines in Japan). MEMS with optics is called MOEMS- Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical-Systems). ICs can be thought of as the “brains” of a system and MEMS augments it with the “Senses” and “Limbs”. While the electronics are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) batch processing techniques, MEMS uses compatible “micromachining” processes, in addition to IC fabrication processes, that selectively etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices. These systems can sense, control and actuate on microscale, and function individually or in arrays to generate effects on macroscale.
Virtual Reality
Go…Go….Go…Roger FIRE in the hole!….Fire in the hole!!!….Two down…TWO DOWN…one more one more… YOU LOST!!!While pressing the keys of your keyboard or keypad to convert the lost games to last moment victories the chances are you have encountered the virtual reality in your life. These games involve you with the characters or objects and with the amplification of the involvement, one feels a part of this virtual world. By using 3D imagery with a head mounted device (HMD) and high quality surrounding sound equipments, these games creates more involvement in the virtual world and consequently shut down the cues of real world. This is what is called virtual reality, which has applications far beyond gaming.Virtual reality can be defined as an upcoming technology that makes users feel in a Virtual Environment (VE) by using computer hardware and software.
4G Technology
Wireless technology has transformed our lives in many ways. Until very recently, we needed a computer wired to a port, to get online. Even wired telephones are becoming a thing of past. Nowadays, we use our mobile phones for banking, to check ticket availability at a Cinema Hall, and many more. Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of enhanced electrical conductors or “wires”. And, Wireless networking refers to any kind of networking that does not involve cables. It helps in saving the cost of cables for networking in addition to providing the mobility. Mobile networks have evolved tremendously in last three decades. Cellular concept was introduced with 1G (‘G’ stands for generation) networks. Today, 4G technology is getting ready to storm the markets. Not only that, research on 5G technology has already begun.
RTOS – Real Time Operating System
An Operating system (OS) is nothing but a collection of system calls or functions which provides an interface between hardware and application programs. It manages the hardware resources of a computer and hosting applications that run on the computer. An OS typically provides multitasking, synchronization, Interrupt and Event Handling, Input/ Output, Inter-task Communication, Timers and Clocks and Memory Management. Core of the OS is the Kernel which is typically a small, highly optimised set of libraries. Real-time systems are those systems in which the correctness of the system depends not only on the logical result of computation, but also on the time at which the results are produced. RTOS is therefore an operating system that supports real-time applications by providing logically correct result within the deadline required. Basic Structure is similar to regular OS but, in addition, it provides mechanisms to allow real time scheduling of tasks.
Cloud Computing Technology: Classification, Application & Framework
It’s time and again now that my buzzing fingers do not stop boasting about this very internet-prevalence to this day. Who, in his best dream would have ever thought that he wouldlend data from a remote cloud one day as he does water and electricity from the supply line? Goodness! It’s pragmatically visible now..!! Cloud Computing is nothing less than a dream come true with the evolution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Its rightly said; “Every cloud has a silver lining”, but wait, here we have a silver cloud available at our service 24 x 7. Cloud Computing is the fifth generation of computing after Mainframe, Personal computer, Client-Server computing and the Web. A cloud is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. Cloud computing is a technology that puts your entire computing infrastructure both hardware and software, applications, etc online.
Barcode Technology – What is Barcode?
During a shopping excursion to a shopping mall, you would have noticed the cashier scanning your products using some Laser device to produce a bill. What actually he is doing that he is reading the product barcodes using a Laser/Barcode scanner. Barcode scanner reads the code, data is sent to the computer, and computer looks up into the database for the price and description of the item. Barcodes are structured to contain specific product related information. It basically encodes alphanumeric characters and symbols using black and white stripes, also called bars. Bar-coding is one of the AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Collection) technologies which reduce human involvement in data entry and collection and thereby also reducing error and time.
Face Recognition
Face, the foremost distinguishing feature of human body, making you the ‘unique you’, not only gives you an individual identity, but can also save you from security breaches and fraud transactions, can take care of your personal data, and prevent your PC, wireless network from plausible security threats!! Unlike the world of facebook, where you can wear different face every day, here it is the uniqueness of your face that makes all the difference. The fast track technology has brought the world at your finger tips, be it anything, it is not more than a click away. The easier life is getting day by day, the more complex it is becoming to escape from the traps intended to crack and get access to your private data. The growth of e-commerce wholly depends on the integrity of transaction.
What is IPTV
Televisions have been the prime source of entertainment since their commercialization. New display technologies as well as the content over the TV channels are continuously enhancing the user experience since its invention. In the twenty first century, mobile and internet technologies have revolutionized the entire civilization. Televisions have also been influenced by the internet technology. The conventional methods to serve the television programs like cables, satellite or broadcasting are getting replaced with the broadband cables used for internet. IPTV is a system where digital television services are delivered over the internet by using Internet Protocol. The video channels and programs are delivered to the television sets through a broadband connection, instead of being delivered through the conventional cable or broadcast formats.
Computer Monitors – CRT, LCD, LED, Plasma & OLED Display Monitors
A computer monitor, technically termed as visual display unit is an output device that presents the information from the CPU on the screen working as an interface between CPU and the user. A cable connects the monitor to a video adaptor or video card which is set up on the motherboard of the computer. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) sends instruction to the video adaptor telling what needs to be displayed on the screen. The video adaptor converts the instructions into a set of corresponding signals and sends to the monitor. Monitor contains a circuitry that generates the picture on the screen from the set of signals. The major parameters that measure the performance of a monitor are luminance, contrast ratio, resolution, dot pitch, response time, refresh rate and power consumption. The common problem that arises in monitors is dead pixels, blurred screen, phosphor-burn, etc.
Introduction to E Commerce
Carry ‘the globe’ in your shopping bag!! It’s not exaggerating the fact if I say: the world is now coalesced to a click on our computers. Since long ago, all alluring materials around have taken an exodus to the world of internet. No often do we now think of taking a stroll through the market before buying a mobile handset, but a healthy online research which in some cases is consequently followed by an online purchase. E-Commerce stands for electronic commerce and caters to trading in goods and services through the electronic medium such as internet, mobile or any other computer network. It involves the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in making commerce between consumers and organizations, organization and organization or consumer and consumer.
Printers : Daisy Wheel, Dot Matrix, Inkjet Printers & Laser Printers
A printer is an electromechanical device which converts the text and graphical documents from electronic form to the physical form. Generally they are the external peripheral devices which are connected with the computers or laptops through a cable or wirelessly to receive input data and print them on the papers. Since the invention of the printing technology, a variety of technologies have been employed in computer printers. Broadly printers are categorized as impact and non impact printers. Impact printers are the type of printers in which a key strikes the paper to make a letter. The examples of Impact printers are Daisy wheel and Dot matrix printers. While non-impact printers do not operate by striking a head against a ribbon. Inkjet printers and laser printers are the non-impact printers.