We present an eight-channel evaluation board for ultrasound sonography and photoacoustic imaging. High frame rates enable averaging, improving signal-to-noise ratio. The board integrates a programmable preamplifier and an analog front-end with 12-bit analog-to-digital conversion, with data transmitted via Ethernet for PC evaluation. Gain distribution and its effect on signal-to-noise ratio in a multichannel photoacoustic receive chain are quantitatively characterized at 540 frames per second.

Automation in measurement tracking improves quality management by reducing human interaction and manual data risks. To enable this, all metrological and administrative data in quality certificates must be machine-readable. Digital calibration certificates (DCCs) meet this need and enable fully automated compliance checks. A temperature-monitoring demonstrator illustrates their automation potential. Its code is published for reuse.

We developed a simple and versatile sensor that can detect harmful substances more effectively. By improving how the sensor's key component, the membrane, is made, we matched it better with the materials used to capture target chemicals. This makes the sensor easier to build and more reliable. Our work shows how choosing the right membrane material can greatly improve performance, opening the way for broader applications in detecting pollutants.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) enable sub-nanometer surface imaging and complement each other's limitations. Integrating AFM into a SEM vacuum chamber combines their strengths. However, vacuum increases the cantilever's Q factor and reduces scan speed. We develop a feedback circuit and a piezoelectric MEMS cantilever to tune the Q factor, enabling vacuum AFM at air-like speeds.

This paper is related to a theoretical background and the performance testing of lateral position sensing based on quadrature spatio-temporal modulation with adaptive parameter correction, implemented in a prototype micropower optical position sensor. There is a substantial improvement in position readout accuracy over a basic detection method (0.2 mm for sensing gaps >100 mm), and elevated tolerance to harsh field conditions (e.g. partial blockage in optical paths) has been demonstrated. 

This article presents first results from our research on the improvement of post-consumer recycled plastics in a suitable measurement situation on the compounding extruder, where the material is molten and by-products are removed by a vacuum. An extraction system was implemented, and samples were analyzed with laboratory methods. The results give insight into occurring substances and show the feasibility of the technique. Guidelines for an online sampling and monitoring system are derived.

More traffic leads to more accidents involving wildlife, especially on rural roadcuts through habitats. Solutions like wildlife bridges and fences are needed, but there is no comprehensive solution yet. We have developed a system to detect and assess wildlife, including deer. This technology can work at night and in fog as animals cross roads in poor visibility. Radar sensors and infrared cameras are our solution.