2016 Judson C. French Award

Mr. Lipe is recognized for delivering a new NIST Standard Reference Instrument (SRI) that improves the measurement of ac voltage by a factor of ten for frequencies above 10 MHz. This range, critical for calibrating avionic systems vital to national security and commercial aircraft safety, could no longer be calibrated with sufficient accuracy to keep pace with emerging needs. Mr. Lipe’s impressive instrument solves this problem, making National Metrology Institute-quality standards available to equipment manufacturers and users, while eliminating the need to send products to NIST for costly, time-consuming calibrations. The new instrument serves avionics, standards, and instrument manufacturers, benefitting both commercial and military standards laboratories.