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:

• The box is easily prepared for performing experiments in limited work space:
  “Small, Lightweight, Collapsible Glove Box,”
  NASA Tech Briefs , July 2009
• Use of rotors cast from copper brings efficiencies that let small motors handle big jobs:
  “Copper Shines in Motor Rotors,”
  Machine Design , August 18, 2009
• You can carry medical devices wherever you go–and that means small size and low-power design requirements:
  “Medical Devices Get A Prescription For Wafer-Level Chip-Scale Packaging,”
  Electronic Design , July 23, 2009
• Bridging electrical and mechanical designs results in a common language:
  “Learning to Speak ECAD,”
  Desktop Engineering , August 2009

Elementals:

• Users need to decide between capturing up to the third harmonic and getting the features of an RT scope or capturing the fifth harmonic with an ET scope:
  “The Fifth Harmonic: Tradeoffs Between Sampling and Real-Time Oscilloscopes,”
  Electronic Design , June 25, 2009
• By controlling spurious emissions, you can exorcise those EMI demons:
  “The Dark Force Of Evil In Electronics: Electromagnetic Interference,”
  Electronic Design , June 25, 2009
• A thorough summary of linearity requirements for WCDMA receivers, with special attention to the way they apply to the direct conversion architecture:
  “IP2 and IP3 Nonlinearity Specifications for 3G/WCDMA Receivers,”
  High Frequency Electronics , June 2009
• The procedures and results of lab experiments comparing the relative attenuation performance of two different EMI absorber materials:
  “Coupled Magnetic Probes Compare EMI Absorber Materials,”
  High Frequency Electronics , July 2009

Previous “Also of Interest” and “Elementals” Editions:

• September 28, 2009
• September 21, 2009
• September 14, 2009
• September 7, 2009
• August 31, 2009

Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:

• September 30, 2009
• September 23, 2009
• September 16, 2009
• September 9, 2009
• September 2, 2009
• August 26, 2009