We have spent more than ten years developing specialized electronics for use in physical research and particle detectors for ionizing radiation. Our principal collaborators are IEAP CTU and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN, Switzerland).
Our work and research are mainly focused on the development of readout systems (DAQ systems) for the CERN-developed MEDIPIX class detectors. Then, these devices provide details regarding the location, energy, and time of capture of each particle (alpha particles, electrons, photons, protons...). The systems developed in our labs — in particular, our flagship product Katherine readout — are used by numerous research institutions worldwide, including INFN (Italy), University of Geneva (Switzerland), Czech Technical University in Prague, The University of Manchester (UK), Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (Germany), Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA; France), etc.
Our employees and students have already installed several devices in the ATLAS experiment or the LHC accelerator as part of our ongoing work developing electronics for large-scale experimental infrastructures. In almost all our projects, we address the problem of precise time measurement (in order of picoseconds), because this element is essential for experimental physics domain.
Our students, especially the PhD students, participate in research team activities, learn vital skills for working on international projects, and practice how to collaborate with colleagues from around the world.

For more than 15 years, we have been engaged in research and development in the field of materials and technologies for their processing. Currently, we are the only one at UWB to solve an excellent basic research project of the Czech Science Foundation EXPRO aimed at improving the properties of current top performance alloys, which we managed to obtain together with the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Among other projects solved belong, for example, industrially oriented research and development projects of heat treatment in energy-saving furnaces for shape stability of bearing components, technological process for hardening of grinding wheels in energy efficient furnaces, an automated mobile rail welding system for small and medium scale repairs or tools for precision die forging of non-ferrous metal alloys. The results of these projects are both of a publication nature in prestigious high-impact journals and at renowned conferences, and of an applied focus, such as a number of Czech and American patents, for instance. For all of them, it is possible to mention one recently granted American patent entitled Method of Manufacturing Hybrid Parts Consisting of Metallic and Non-metallic Materials at High Temperature. Foreign cooperation is oriented towards a number of countries and institutions, for example the German Chemnitz University of Technology or the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology.

The VZLUSAT-1 and VZLUSAT-2 technological nanosatellites were developed under the leadership of the Czech Aerospace Research Centre in Prague with the cooperation of a number of Czech industrial partners and universities. These satellites test new technologies, especially in the field of ionizing radiation particle detectors and new composite radiation shielding materials. We act as the main ground control station for both satellites, which ensures their control, mission planning and data download. For the VZLUSAT-1 satellite, we also developed an optical trigger for activating an X-ray telescope with optics based on the lobster eye principle. The entire project of the VZLUSAT-1 satellite was awarded by a subcommittee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic for its contribution to aviation and cosmonautics. From 2022, the VZLUSAT-2 satellite started operating, which also provides high-resolution photos and scientifically valuable measurements of gamma ray bursts for their worldwide cataloging under the NASA database.

In cooperation with the Czech Technical University in Prague and the Pennsylvania State University, we participated in an experiment to observe the Vela nebula in the X-ray radiation spectra using a short suborbital flight of the Black Brant IX sounding rocket, provided by NASA to American universities. Our task in project was to prepare a camera system in the visible spectrum that would confirm the correct orientation of the Czech X-ray telescope with respect to the target nebula by targeting the position of the surrounding visible stars. The used industrial camera required the development of a special algorithm for taking a sequence of images and their post-processing to ensure sufficient sensitivity to detect faint stars in the vicinity of the Vela Nebula. As part of this suborbital flight, we were also able to test some electronic systems for our upcoming university satellite PilsenCUBE, especially electronic gyroscopes and an infrared thermal camera for its attitude determination system.

For tests of the electronic systems of the PilsenCUBE satellite, we developed our simple PilsenCUBE-Strato high-altitude balloon platform with recording equipment based on Raspberry single-board computers. The platform had to be light, thermally insulating and able to withstand a relatively high impact speed when landing on a small parachute. The combination of 3D printing and extruded polystyrene proved to be the ideal design solution. We took flights with our platform on a stratospheric balloon in Torun (Poland) and Malé Bielice (Slovakia). We obtained fantastic photos from the camera for the PilsenCUBE satellite from about 24 km above the ground and confirmed the functionality of the Melexis pixel infrared thermal cameras as an Earth horizon detector for the satellite's attitude determination system, which could not otherwise be tested on Earth under the thick layers of the atmosphere.

Since 2010, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering UWB in Pilsen, we have started to build a ground control station for space missions with our own efforts, which would enable us to establish a two-way data connection with small satellites (like CubeSats) in low Earth orbits (LEO). The existence of this station was also the reason why the Czech Aerospace Research Centre in Prague established cooperation with us on their VZLUSAT satellites. Since the beginning, the ground station has undergone many innovations and today provides a fully automated concurrent operation of the VZLUSAT-1 (since 2017) and VZLUSAT-2 (since 2022) satellites. We also occasionally provide cooperation to other satellites and their teams if they fall with their mission into an emergency situation requiring the support of other stations. Our station is fully automated, but at the same time also allows manual operation of VZLUSAT satellites via secure remote access to the ground station facilities from anywhere in the world.

At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, we are developing a complete solution (mechanical system, power supply system, communication system, onboard computer and data handling system, attitude determination system and payload systems) for a small satellite of the CubeSat standard, and in recent years we have established cooperation with the representatives of Pilsen city and the Information Technology Administration (SIT Pilsen) in order to involve in this university project also secondary school students and their teams. We designed all critically important systems as radiation-resistant and tolerant against single event effects caused by ionizing cosmic radiation. For the satellite, we proposed a unique power supply system with high level of safety and autonomy, combining accumulators and supercapacitors. We are also developing our own radios (in the 437 MHz and 2400 MHz bands), an onboard microprocessor system and new simplified methods of manufacturing some elements (stabilizing coils, solar panels) or principles for attitude determining of satellite (combination of IR, UV and Vis photodiodes, matrix infrared cameras). As part of Hackathons, secondary school students are preparing a number of interesting experiments that will be tested in our satellite (radiation testing of several microcontrollers, preprocessing and sorting of photos onboard the satellite, evaluation of satellite rotation in three axes, preprocessing of infrared images and detection of the Earth's horizon,...).

In the field of electromagnetic compatibility, we are able to offer advice during the development of electronic devices and carry out pre-compliance EMI measurements and EMS testing. We can redirect you to our accredited testing laboratory ETL if the certification measurement is required. We perform EMC measurements in a wide frequency range, mainly high-frequency measurements, but we are also able to perform low-frequency measurements, such as determining the quality of the electrical grid, harmonic components of voltage and current, and flicker. Our main focus is on measuring electronic devices for home and (light) industrial environments.

Measurements could be performed in situ or in our shielded, semi-anechoic chamber (3 m measuring distance, 4 m high antenna mast, turntable). We cover the frequency band up to 6 GHz (depending on the requirement).

We can also prepare training on EMC issues for those who are interested (general or specific topic). 

At our workplace, in cooperation with the Policie ČR, we carry out processing of recordings from spatial eavesdropping in order to maximally increase their intelligibility through the application of appropriately selected signal processing methods, we also carry out the complete process of restoration of historical gramophone sound recordings, including the export of the sound image to digital media. A gramophone record is captured, digitized and restored using professional, specially adapted equipment. The mechanical records are captured using suitable types of capture systems, followed by AD conversion of the mechanical gramophone record with the application of IEC S78 or RIAA frequency correction of the recording characteristic, the rotation speed of the recording medium can be 16 to 78 rpm, optionally specific non-standard frequency correction of the recording characteristic can be applied (CETRA, His Masters Voice, Columbia, Parlophon, DGG, Italia, NAB, NARTB, LGC, etc.). Depending on technical condition of the record, it is possible to apply adaptive filtering, adaptive suppresion of noise and acoustic effects of mechanical damage of the record groove (suppression of cracking and unwanted vibrations of the record groove).

We have complete technical equipment for development, analysis, testing and measurement of technical parameters of low frequency devices for professional and commercial applications, measurement of audio systems in digital and analog domain or their mutual combinations including multichannel measurements (e.g. on analog and digital interfaces SPDIF/TosLink, TDIF, ADAT, AES3/AES-EBU, AES11, etc.). We also perform measurements of technical parameters of low-frequency devices, amplifiers and power amplifiers according to EN 61305, EN 60268 up to 30kW, digital parts of audio and audiovisual equipment according to EN 61606 (audio equipment for professional use, audio parts of consumer electronics, audio parts of personal computers), technical parameters of AD and DA converters according to AES specification. In the framework of projects with Český rozhlas we also deal with the issue of measuring quality of transmission and processing of high quality broadband audio signal (ITU-R BS.1387), prediction of listener's subjective perceived audio quality (ITU-R BS.1116, ITU-R BS.1534) with respect to applications of preceptual encoders and audio modulation processors, including measurement of perceived loudness of audio modulation (ITU-R BS.1770), especially in DAB+ and DVBT2 digital systems and their distribution systems.

In collaboration with a lingerie manufacturer and other private entities, with the support of the TAČR grant agency, we have been developing electronic sensor systems suitable for incorporation into bras and sports t-shirts to monitor the basic vital signs of both potentially at-risk patients and athletes. By combining several basic sensors, it was possible to monitor breathing and cardiac activity, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and other physiological data, which were subsequently transmitted to a mobile phone and cloud storage, over which further processing of the measured data with their evaluation was applied.

As part of several university theses, there is an effort to gradually develop electronic systems that would allow remote monitoring of the life situations of elderly people in the household without excessive intrusion in their privacy and without requiring their active cooperation. The aim is to respond to unfavorable trends in the area of demographic aging of the population and overcrowding of social care homes for the elderly and to enable elderly people to live safely in their homes for as long as possible under the remote assistance of their relatives and caregivers. Simple low-resolution infrared cameras can detect people falling out of bed or immobile in an unusual place in the home, as well as monitor the safety of kitchen appliances, the use of toilets and bathrooms, the regularity of meals, etc. Sound sensors can detect falls of household items, calls for help, nighttime coughing or a telephone call may be automatically activated if an emergency situation requiring assistance is detected.