DEVICE MEASURING SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: measurement technology, measurement of surfaces and profiles with aid of interferometry. SUBSTANCE: device measuring surface characteristics has diffraction interferometer including bent diffraction grating put on supporting lever that carries on its end probe to contact surface. Contacting emerges under action of electromagnetic coil acting on armature. Laser diode illuminates diffraction grating to generate pair of beams of first order of opposite sign which are reflected from internal surfaces of prism and are integrated with the use of its central layer that splits beam and pair of beam splitters. Output signals of beam splitters are fed into circuit of signal processing that incorporates counter of interference bands and interpolator. Counter of interference bands detects crossing of zero level of signals and interpolator sustains digital estimation of signal phase and updates estimation when phase difference between calculated and input signals exceeds specified threshold. Interpolator has digital counter which output includes least significant digits of digital output signals for which output of counter of interference bands has more significant digits. EFFECT: increased mechanical strength, measurement safety, versatility of application. 41 cl, 36 dwg