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:

• A new machine, Camara Oscura, could economically manufacture a wide variety of thin-film electronic devices and do it in high volumes:
  “The Camara Oscura Could Revolutionize the Way Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Electronics is Done,”
  Machine Design , July 30, 2009
• Imaging and machine vision are multipurpose technologies widely used in industry, science, medicine and surveillance:
  “Seeing Clearly: The Latest in Machine Vision Software,”
  Photonics Spectra , July 2009
• Tiny accelerometers and gyroscopes are dropping in price, swinging open the doors to a host of novel applications:
  “Motion-Sensing MEMS Gyros And Accelerometers Are Everywhere,”
  Electronic Design , July 9, 2009
• Mercury has been detected at concentrations as low as 2 ppb:
  “Detecting Airborne Mercury by Use of Gold Nanowires,”
  NASA Tech Briefs , July 2009

Elementals:

• The signal path in ultrasound machines is a multichannel transmitter-receiver system with blazingly fast data rates:
  “Diagnostic ultrasound gets smaller, faster, and more useful,”
  EDN , June 25, 2009
• A model that includes a voltage- controlled voltage source coupled with a current-controlled current source that correctly simulates the operation of an ideal transformer, even at dc:
  “Spice Model For An Ideal Transformer Allows Bi-directional Operation,”
  Electronic Design , June 11, 2009
• New capacitors place additional demands on contactors to keep power circuits balanced:
  “Application of Electromechanical Contactors for Power Factor Correction,”
  Machine Design , August 18, 2009

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

• September 7, 2009
• August 31, 2009
• August 24, 2009
• August 17, 2009
• August 10, 2009

Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:

• September 9, 2009
• September 2, 2009
• August 26, 2009
• August 26, 2009
• August 19, 2009
• August 12, 2009