U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Cotton Production and Processing Research: Lubbock, TX
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area Lubbock, Texas Cropping Systems Research Laboratory Cotton Production and Processing Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Pelletier, Mathewitem
                                            VIERA, JOSEPH - Microsemi
  Submitted to: Sensors
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2010
                                    Publication  Date: 12/6/2010
                                    Citation: Pelletier, M.G., Viera, J.A. 2010. Low-cost electronic microwave calibration for rapid on-line moisture sensing of seedcotton. Sensors. 10(12):11088-11099.Interpretive Summary: For rapid on-line moisture sensing of seedcotton in cotton gins of critical need is a means by which to establish a reliable wide-band electronic calibration by which to center the circuit due to changes in the internal signal delays and attenuations caused by temperature changes to the various system components and circuit elements. This research examines a hardware technique for use in conjunction with microwave reflective sensing probes with an extended bandwidth from 500MHz through 2.5GHz. Comparison testing of the new technique was performed and validated experimentally against known electrical propagation delay standards. Results of the measured propagation delay with this type of automatic electronic calibration method was found to sustain the accuracy of the measurement to within 4% of the measurement, 95% confidence with a standard error of +/-18.6 pico-seconds for the delay measurements.
                                Technical Abstract: In order to improve rapid on-line moisture sensing of seedcotton in cotton gins, a means by which to establish a reliable wide-band electronic calibration is critically needed. This calibration is needed to center the circuit due to changes in the internal signal delays and attenuations caused by temperature changes in the various system components and circuit elements. A limitation on this calibration procedure is the inability to physically remove the circuit from the on-line system to periodically calibrate it. This research examines a hardware technique for use in conjunction with microwave reflective sensing probes having an extended bandwidth from 500MHz through 2.5GHz. This new technique was validated experimentally against known electrical propagation delay standards. Results of the measured propagation delay with this type of automatic electronic calibration method was found to agree with results using a normal vector network analyzer with a traditional 6 term S11 single port error correction calibration methodology to within 4% of the measurement, 95% confidence, with a standard error of +/-18.6 ps for the delay measurements. At this level of performance, the proposed technique exhibits superior performance over the typical field time-domain reflectometer (TDR) instruments in common use in soil moisture testing and is likely sufficient for use in cotton gin moisture sensing of seedcotton.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov