Each week, the editor of Planet Analog finds items of interest and then features them in two sections, entitled “Also of Interest” and “Elementals”. Each cites items from publications outside the Planet Analog and EETimes portfolios. And we also have an archive of recent weekly Planet Analog Newsletters, as pdf files; see the list at the very bottom.
“Also of Interest” and “Elementals” is an extension of our belief that engineers are interested in on-going tutorial on obviously relevant topics, as well as the serendipity of exploring topics which are not directly related to their jobs, but which will broaden their knowledge and sometimes spurs innovative and creative approaches. The first box highlights items of general interest to the engineer, while the second highlights basic and tutorial electronic-engineering material. Among the publications we check are IEEE Spectrum , Machine Design , Design News , Laser Focus World , EDN , Electronic Design , NASA Tech Briefs , Microwave Journal , RF & Microwaves , and Physics Today , plus others.
Consider these items as “online-only” extras, and worth a look. (Please note: there are also links to the previous weeks' editions, below this week’s items.)
Also of Interest:
- Composite materials present a host of failure modes (cracks, disjoints, delaminations, etc.) that can be nearly catastrophic and very difficult to detect; photonics offers an elegant solution to this problem in the form of embedded fiber optic sensors.:
“Monitoring Carbon Composite Structures With Optical Fiber Sensors,”
Photonics Tech Briefs , April 2010 - Custom on-demand connector manufacturing enables design flexibility. OEMs that require customization for components should explore this option:
“Mass Customization in Electrical Connector Design,”
Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry , March 2010 - Power sources for mobile systems are now a major concern of the military as it strives to cut the size and weight of its tactical systems, while improving performance:
“Mobile Power Sources Impact Military Operations,”
Power Electronics , March 2010 - Gravity field mapping technology enables more detailed study of dynamic Earth processes like climate change:
“A Transportable Gravity Gradiometer Based on Atom Interferometry,”
NASA Tech Briefs , May 2010 - System completes all the necessary steps for proper preservation:
“System for Packaging Planetary Samples for Return to Earth,”
NASA Tech Briefs , May 2010
Elementals:
- To combat heat and short-circuit failures, temperature-sensitive protection devices team up with overvoltage protection to help ensure LED performance and reliability:
“Circuit-protection strategies for improving LED reliability and lifetime,”
EDN , March 18, 2010 - Summary of the I2 C bus and how optocouplers can be used with it to provide galvanic isolation:
“Galvanic Isolation Strengthens I2 C Communications,”
Electronic Design , April 8, 2010 - By optimizing a microstrip filter’s coupling structure, it is possible to achieve small size and wide rejection bandwidth while accounting for fabrication tolerances:
“Tune Out Spurious In Dual-Mode BPFs,”
Microwaves & RF , March 2010 - A case history describing the design choices and tradeoff considerations required to meet a particular set of customer specifications:
“LNA With a Bypass Mode Improves Overload Resistance for Mobile TV,”
High Frequency Electronics , April 2010 - As circuit-board complexity increases, identifying structural defects such as opens and shorts represents a significant manufacturing challenge:
“Power to the opens,”
Test & Measurement World , May 2010
Previous “Also of Interest” and “Elementals” Editions:
Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:
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