Book excerpt: The complete, practical sourcebook for laser sensing and measurement This is a systematic, up-to-date guide to laser instrumentation for sensing and measurement in contemporary scientific, industrial, automotive and avionics applications. Dr. Silvano Donati presents clear design rules and useful hints for practical implementation of a wide variety of laser instruments. For each type of instrument, the author outlines basic principles, physical limitations, reasonable performance expectations, optical design issues, and electronic signal handling--illustrated with block schemes. Coverage includes: Interferometers for sub-micrometer displacement measurements Nanometer vibrometers and structural integrity testing Doppler velocimeters for anemometry of fluids Range finders and anti-collision systems Non-contact wire-diameter and particle-diameter sizing Alignment and level meter apparatuses Ring laser and optical fiber gyroscopes Optical fiber sensors Thorough and accessible, Electro-Optical Instrumentation offers balanced coverage of both optical and electronic issues and challenges. It will give working electronic engineers and scientists the knowledge they need to design virtually any electro-optical instrumentation system. PRENTICE HALL Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 www.phptr.com