Each week, the editor of Planet Analog finds technical items of interest and highlights them in this “Also of Interest” feature. In addition, we also provide an archive of recent weekly Planet Analog Newsletters, viewable as pdf files; see the list at the very bottom.
The “Also of Interest” listing is the embodiment of our belief that engineers are interested in exploring topics which are not directly related to their jobs, but which will broaden their knowledge and sometimes spur further innovative and creative approaches.
Among the publications we check are IEEE Spectrum , Machine Design , Design News , Laser Focus World , Photonics Spectra , NASA Tech Briefs (in its various manifestations), Microwave Journal , RF & Microwaves , and Physics Today —and there are others, as well.
Consider these items as online “extras”, and worth a look and a few minutes of your time. (Please note: there are also links to the past weeks' editions of this feature, in the “Navigate” box to the right.)
Also of Interest:
- Adaptive optics systems with MEMS deformable mirrors enable large ground-based telescopes to achieve diffraction-limited images by correcting for the light-distorting effects of Earth’s atmosphere:
“New adaptive optics system at Lick Observatory uses MEMS,”
Laser Focus World , August 2011 - Techniques for extending the spectral width of an optical pulse across an octave make it possible to compress pulse lengths to a single cycle of light. So far, erbium-doped fiber lasers hold the record with a mere 1.3 cycles in a pulse:
“Spectral broadening advances quest for single-cycle pulses,”
Laser Focus World , August 2011 - CompactPCI PlusIO (PICMG 2.30) and CompactPCI Serial (PICMG CPCI-S.0), both now ratified by PICMG, provide a development path for systems using CompactPCI that will avoid obsolescence for at least the next 15 years:
“The Evolution of CompactPCI From Parallel to Serial I/O,”
Embedded Technology , August 2011 - Voltage reference ICs provide an accurate, temperature compensated voltage source for use in a variety of applications:
“A Look At Voltage Reference ICs,”
Power Electronics Technology , September 2011 - Sleeve bearings’ tolerance for low-volume oil feed lets designers simplify lubrication setups and cut power loss:
“Should you flood or starve a sleeve bearing?,”
Machine Design , August 25, 2011 - With tighter diesel-emissions regulations kicking in, here’s how major engine manufacturers are meeting the challenge:
“Off-highway diesel engines meet Tier 4 emissions regulations,”
Machine Design , August 25, 2011 - As new components come to market in SMT packages, QFPs, BGAs and the like, board design and assembly for prototypes must change to accommodate the surface mount components:
“Prototyping with Multi-Layer Boards,”
Defense Tech Briefs , October 2011 - Factors that must be taken into account include the characteristics of acoustic-wave propagation in water of varying densities, the vibrations and elastic waves, the system’s materials and components, electrical considerations, and many others:
“Better, Faster Sonar Development With Multiphysics Simulation,”
Software Tech Briefs , September 2011
Recent Planet Analog Newsletters (click to see as a pdf):
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