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Developing a New Product Line The first control problem I really had to tackle myself was CSM: Thank you for speaking with CSM. I understand while I was at NASA, where I was upgrading a home-built you've had a diverse background beginning in physics and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. The problem astronomy. Could you describe your career path leading was to move a somewhat massive linear stage at a uni- up to your present position? form programmed velocity for a scan. We replaced a Matt: I became interested in physics in high school in finicky optical interferometer with a linear encoder, New Jersey, which led me to MIT, where my undergradu- ate major was physics. Looking back, it was during this time, surrounded by really good engineering students, that I began to appreciate design work. I continued studying physics at the University of California at Berke- ley, working on high-energy particle physics experiments at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, California) and Fermilab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois). I cut my teeth in electron- ics at Fermilab, and I've been heavily involved in elec- tronics design ever since. After receiving my Ph.D. in 1992, I switched to astrophysics, joining a group based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Mary- land) making measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Our group built instruments that flew on high-altitude balloons, and the group had a tradi- tion of building most of its own equipment. After five years and four balloon campaigns, I was interested in doing something different. In basic research, a truly optimized experiment should fall apart shortly after the final measurements are taken. If it doesn't, then Matt Kowitt and his son Quinn, age five. Matt is employed by you might have spent too much time building a "gold- SRS in Sunnyvale, California, where he is project lead for plated" apparatus, and you run the risk of your competi- SRS's new Small Instrumentation Modules product family, tion beating you to publication! I was much more which includes the SIM960 Analog PID Controller. interested in designing instruments that were built to last, which led me to my current position at SRS. Our research group at NASA had several of the company's products, and we were always impressed with the techni- cal support we received. After joining the R&D depart- ment at SRS, I discovered that my path here was not at all unique since a majority of the staff were former research scientists in physics or physical chemistry. CSM: Did any of the projects you worked on involve con- trol technology, and, if so, what was your role in develop- ing the designs and implementing the systems? Matt: My first exposure to control systems was when I was working at SLAC. Our experiment involved sending short laser pu