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:
- Applying everyday principles to product development can reduce hazards and increase patient safety:
“Controlling risk in medical devices,”
Machine Design , October 5, 2009 - All-ceramic bearings' lower density, friction, and lubrication needs let them last longer and save energy:
“Ceramic Bearings Save Energy, Extend Life,”
Machine Design , October 5, 2009 - Tailoring the internal structure of metamaterials to vary optical properties controls how they transform light–leading to applications from optical cloaking to the optical counterparts of black holes:
“Newest metamaterials promise customized optical properties,”
Laser Focus World , October 2009 - So how do astronomers look for planets that could support life?:
“The Search for Other Earths,”
Photonics Spectra , October 2009
Elementals:
- Designers often test prototypes with a variable-voltage bench power supply; someone may change the voltage to a level that could damage components in the prototype:
“Create A Simple Crowbar To Protect Prototypes From Supply Overvoltage,”
Electronic Design , September 10, 2009 - Measuring the noise performance of a modern voltage reference requires special measurement techniques:
“Characterizing noise in high-performance voltage-reference ICs,”
EDN , September 3, 2009 - A method for evaluating wide bandwidth antenna structures, and create rules for the discovery of potentially useful new structures:
“Taxonomical and Heuristic Studies on UWB Antenna Design Strategies,”
High Frequency Electronics , August 2009 - This analysis will help designers of printed wire boards to understand the effects of coplanar ground planes on stripline and microstrip trace impedance:
“Gauge The Effects Of Coplanar Ground Planes,”
Microwaves & RF , September 2009
Previous “Also of Interest” and “Elementals” Editions:
Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:
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