Collaborate Disseminate
We think of crystals as the gold standard of frequency generation. However, if you want real precision, you need something either better than a crystal or something that will correct …read more Continue reading Inside a Rubidium Frequency Standard
If you think about it, an antenna is nothing more than a radio frequency energy sensor, or — more precisely — a transducer. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that …read more Continue reading Atomic Antenna uses Lasers
The current state of the art of embedded motion sensing is based around micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. These miracles of microfabrication use tiny silicon structures, configured to detect acceleration and …read more Continue reading Quantum Atomic Interferometer For Precision Motion Sensing
GPS and similar satellite navigation systems changed everything. The modern generation is far less likely to have had to fold a service station map or ask someone for directions on …read more Continue reading Vacuum “Tube” Might Replace GPS One Day
The early Cold War years may have been suffused with existential dread thanks to the never-ending threat of nuclear obliteration, but at least it did have a great look. Think …read more Continue reading Boat Anchor Nixie Clock Plays the Cold Warrior Role Convincingly
[Cameron Meredith] starts the Hackaday.io page for one of his projects by quoting a Hackaday write-up: “A timepiece is rather a rite of passage in the world of hardware hacking“. We stand by that assertion, but we’d say most of the clocks we feature aren’t as capable as his project. He’s made a real-time-clock module controlled by a rubidium frequency standard, and since it also includes a GPS clock he can track local time dilation effects by comparing the two.
Surplus rubidium standards are readily available, but each description of one seems to feature a lot of old-fashioned …read more
