"Also of Interest" and "Elementals" for February 8, 2010; plus recent "Planet Analog" Newsletters

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:

• This system provides an enclosed and completely sealed system that preserves sterility, and both injects and extracts liquid or gas substances:
  "Magnetic Plungerless Injection System,"
  NASA Tech Briefs, November 2009
• The near-ultraviolet (250"400 nm) region is flourishing, primarily because of the availability of new optical components, coatings, and light sources:
  "New optical developments boost near-UV applications,"
  Laser Focus World, November 2009
• There are a lot of educational and engineering toys on the shelves:
  "Editors' Picks for Educational Toys,"
  Machine Design, December 2009
• Drivers can change colors of LED-based instrument panel and vehicle interior:
  "LEDs Brighten New Mustang,"
  Design News, December 2009

Elementals:

• Properly designed off-the-shelf production test software for WiMAX and WLAN applications must provide the measurement flexibility to handle a range of devices:
  "Configuring Software For WiMAX Testing,"
  Microwaves & RF, November 2009
• Regardless of their primary field, sooner or later, most designers have to deal with motor controls:
  "A Multi-Level Approach Makes Understanding Motor Control Easier,"
  Electronic Design, November 6, 2009
• This article compares two test methods for measuring on/off time of device enable and gain select functions in a WLAN LNA, showing their differences and potential errors:
  "Accurate Measurement of On/Off Time for 802.11 b/g WLAN/WiMAX LNAs,"
  High Frequency Electronics, November 2009
• Li-ion batteries have transformed portable electronic products; now, carmakers and would-be automotive battery suppliers are looking for a similar transformation to redefine automotive propulsion:
  "Li-ion Suppliers Try To Find The Right Chemistry With Car Buyers,"
  Electronic Design, November 6, 2009

Previous "Also of Interest" and "Elementals" Editions:

• February 1, 2010
• January 18, 2010
• January 11, 2010
• January 4, 2010

Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:

• February 3, 2010
• January 27, 2010
• January 20, 2010
• January 13, 2010

TECH PAPER
1. FPGA Design Methods for Fast Turn Around

TECH PAPER
2. Multi-Voltage Design Flow with Olympus-SoC

TECH PAPER
3. Realizing ESL with Scalable Transaction Level Models

TECH PAPER
4. Effectively Testing Embedded Display Interfaces