Who are we?
The Northwestern University Laser and Electronics Design core facility (NU-LED) is an open access facility where students, postdocs, faculty and staff can utilize a library of electronic testing/fabrication equipment maintained by the facility. In addition, much of the equipment is available for both short term and long term rent. NU-LED offers educational courses on LabVIEW programming, field programmable gate array (FPGA) based design, and general soldering techniques. Finally, NU-LED employs two full time staff who provide professional services including but not limited to:
- High level electronics design/fabrication/prototyping
- State of the art optical/laser system development
- Schematic design and printed circuit board development
- FPGA based design and firmware
- Instrument integration and automation (e.g., LabVIEW Programming)
- Electronics and optics troubleshooting
- Instrument repair and maintenance
- Consultation/teaching
Mission
The Northwestern University Laser and Electronics Design core facility exists to give Northwestern researchers a competitive edge in the fields of electronics and optical engineering when compared to research institutions that do not provide such support. NU-LED offers professional design, prototyping & fabrication, integration & automation, and testing/repair services in these fields. NU-LED also maintains a collection of professional quality electrical test instruments which is available for short term rent. Our staff provides educational assistance to students, postdocs, and faculty through both informal consultation and classes. We assist groups with developing, monitoring, and troubleshooting to quickly diagnose any issues with digital, analog, and laser based systems.
