***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE***
BACKGROUND
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a multi-instrument system that is software-reconfigurable and packaged into a single physical platform, to perform general purpose measurements and control of experiments in areas of passive and active photonics, plasmonics, optomechanics and optical metasurfaces. The system is required to perform data acquisition, real-time control, storage of results over a network, and required to be controllable using a Python program or MATLAB script running on a separate computing device. The system user interface and real-time display of measurements should be fully controllable and accessible over a WiFi network by an external computer or mobile touch screen interface, as well as by an Apple Vision Pro headset which is being used as a form of laser safety eyewear in the laboratory.
The system must contain at least 4 inputs, and 4 output channels, and must be capable of performing a broad array of functions (“instruments”) including lock-in amplifier, phasemeter, standard waveform generator, proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller, data logger, laser lock box, frequency response analyzer, oscilloscope, digital filter, logic analyzer, time and frequency analyzer, arbitrary waveform generator, spectrum analyzer, and finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter builder. The system should be able to run up to least four instruments simultaneously and provide internal input/output interconnexion between them. It should also allow browser-based field-programmable gate array (FPGA) programming to implement a user-specified instrument with custom functionality.
If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Liquid Instruments, Inc (12526 High Bluff Dr. Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92130) under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334513.
NIST has a need for a multi-instrument measurement and control system that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:
- At least 4 analog inputs with a minimum bandwidth of 300 MHz in each channel. sampling rate of at least 1.25 GSa/s in 4 channels.
- Resolution of 18-bits or better at low bandwidth.
- Input voltages of up to 40 Vp-p, into input impedance of 1 MOhm.
- At least 4 analog outputs with a bandwidth of up to 500 MHz in each channel (at 2 Vp-p into 50 Ohm), sampling of at least 1.25 GSa/s, and resolution of at least 16-bit. Output voltages of up to 10 Vp-p.
- External trigger, ability to use internal as well as external clocks, internal clock stability of 0.3 ppm or better.
- Must connect via WiFi, Ethernet and USB.
- Must operate with a portable touch screen interface (e.g., Apple iPAD) and using a computer.
- Must be fully operable from an Apple Vision Pro headset.
- Shall include software for the following instrument modules:
- lock-in amplifier
- phasemeter
- standard waveform generator
- proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller
- data logger
- laser lock box
- frequency response analyzer
- oscilloscope
- digital filter
- logic analyzer
- time and frequency analyzer
- arbitrary waveform generator
- spectrum analyzer
- finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter builder
- Up to at least 4 instrument modules must be able to operate simultaneously.
- The instrument must be controllable using Python programming and MATLAB scripting.
- Instrument shall be capable of internally loading user-generated programs that interoperate with the included software instrument modules.
NIST conducted market research from 2023 to 2024 by attending trade shows and major optics/photonics conferences, speaking with colleagues, performing internet searches, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Liquid Instruments (UEI: MS6AHD4EF8D7) appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.
HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE
In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.
- Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
- Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.
- Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.
- Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.
- For the NAICS code
- Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
- If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
- If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
- Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.
- Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
- Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE
Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 21, 2024. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.
IMPORTANT NOTES
The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.
This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.
This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.
No award will be made as a result of this notice.
NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.
NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.
Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!
