Electronic Design articles from June 2006

Electronic Design archives from June 2006

Engineers work medical miracles every day.(Texas Instruments Inc.'s market strategy)(demand for medical electronics)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... The prognosis for medical electronics is very strong. While the aging baby boomers will drive growth, don't forget the rising middle classes in India and China. The worldwide market is more than $70 billion, with double-digit growth forecast...

What's all this "error budget" stuff, anyhow?(Pease: PORRIDGE)(integrated circuits)(Column)
June 8, 2006... I was just on the phone explaining how to do an "error budget" analysis on some fairly simple circuits to a young engineer. Later, I mentioned this while I was visiting with my friend Martin, and he said he had been quite surprised when he...

Don't fret over IC obsolescence, prepare for it.(POV: POINT OF VIEW)(Viewpoint essay)
June 8, 2006... ICs are discontinued all the time. Last year, some 150,000 components were declared end of life (EOL). For some manufacturers, this isn't a problem. Their products are on to the next revision anyway. For more and more long-life systems...

Crusher charges on to the battlefield--all by itself.(Tech VIEW)(robot developed by National Robotics Engineering Center)
June 8, 2006... It's seven tons of armor-plated all-wheel drive, and it lives up its name. Developed by the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) at Carnegie Mellon University, Crusher is the latest robot in the military's Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle...

Washing-machine controller wrings multiple design wins from one platform.(Tech VIEW: ANALOG & POWER)(International Rectifier iMotion)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... Recently, International Rectifier released its iMotion control platform for air conditioners in China and Japan (see "Air Conditioner Chip Set Is Way Cool," March 30, 2006, p. 36). This month, IR released a version for washing machines with a...

Device server makes M2M implementation a snap.(Tech VIEW: COMMUNICATIONS)(Lantronix's UDS1100 )(machine-to-machine application)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... If you've been trying to implement a machine-to-machine (M2M) application, you know you have to cobble together the right mix of computers, interfaces, and software. Now there's a faster, easier, and cheaper way. Lantronix's UDS1100 device...

FPGA customizes PC/104 I/O card.(Tech VIEW: DIGITAL)(Diamond Systems GPIO-MM)(field programmable gate arrays)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... Diamond Systems is taking an approach to standard boards that has been common on high-end systems such as VME and CompactPCI. This approach uses an FPGA to deliver a level of customization that lets vendors deliver different functionality with...

Versatile measurement platform allows affordable customer reconfiguration.(Tech VIEW: TEST & MEASUREMENT)(Cascade Microtech M150 Measurement Platform)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... With test equipment as expensive as it is, flexibility (read: reusability) is important. The M150 Measurement Platform from Cascade Microtech aims to please in that regard, with a variety of interchangeable standard parts and accessories...

Test scripts automate evaluation of Wi-Fi mesh networks.(Tech VIEW: TEST & MEASUREMENT)(Azimuth Mesh Testing Software Suite from Azimuth Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... Wireless mesh networks are growing in popularity as municipalities use them in Wi-Fi Access Point systems for high-speed broadband capability for first responders, residents, and businesses. But wireless mesh networks use a series of nodes to...

Extensions drop SystemC into the hardware domain.(Tech VIEW: EDA)(ESL Synthesis support for SystemC from Bluespec Inc. )(electronic design automation)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... Despite being touted early on as a higher-level alternative to HDLs, hardware modeling in SystemC has suffered for its lack of a path to implementable RTL. Further, SystemC does a poor job of expressing concurrency. Bluespec, which first...

Cores that share chores: single-chip microcontroller houses a number of Forth processor cores that must cooperate when performing computational tasks.(PUTTING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE)(IntellaSys SEAforth-24 uses ColorForth of Forth Inc.)
June 8, 2006... Reduce the size of a processing core, and usually more can fit onto one chip. IntellaSys took that approach with its Scalable Embedded Array (SEA) architecture, which resembles Parallax's Propeller (see "Eight 32-Bit Cores Take Flight In...

Advances trigger an ultrasonic boom: impressive technology gains in sensors, signal processing, and software push ultrasound imagers into a host of new medical applications.(ENGINEERING FEATURE: MEDICAL ELECTRONICS)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... Faster, more powerful processing. A better handle on nonlinear wave propagation. Higher-performance transducers. The development of specialized contrasting agents. Advances in image and real-time signal processing. All of these factors are...

Digital TV, audio boost analog/mixed-signal: innovation in the analog domain has never been stronger thanks to a series of new applications from the digital side.(TECHNOLOGY REPORT: HIGH-PERFORMANCE ANALOG)(STMicroelectronics TSH300, National Semiconductor LMV79x and Analog Devices AD8500 operational amplifiers)(Editorial)
June 8, 2006... It's next to impossible to encapsulate the concept of "high-performance" analog in a few simple datasheet specs like bandwidth or conversion rate or resolution. Dimensions of performance, to borrow a term from Analog Devices, expand and...

PCIE, where are you?(Embedded IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)(PCI Express)(peripheral component interconnect)(Editorial)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... The tide is turning for PCI Express (PCIe), but certain currents are running faster than others. The PC side is a veritable flood as vendors push the edge, especially when it comes to graphics (see "Bevy Of Computer Parts Adds Up To A Banner...

Fibre channel to PCI express links SAN/NAS.(EMBEDDED NEWS)
June 8, 2006... PMC-Sierra's Tachyon QE4 targets storage-area network (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) applications by bridging between one or more PCI Express hosts and two or four 4-Gbit/s Fibre Channel links. Each link typically will be tied to a...

Choose OTG or Ethernet with this 32-bit MCU.(EMBEDDED NEWS)
June 8, 2006... Freescale's entry-level 80-MHz MCF5223x ColdFire family comes in two flavors. The first incorporates a USB 2.0 Full Speed On-the-go (OTG) interface. The other not only has a Fast Ethernet controller complete with a physical layer, it also can...

Graphical programming ready to run robots.(Embedded: IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)(National Instruments' LabView 8.0)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... National Instruments' LabView 8 was a hot topic at April's Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, especially when the discussion turned to Analog Devices' Blackfin. This looks to be a match made in robot heaven with the advent of the Blackfin...

UML highlights MDD at ESC.(Embedded: IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)(Telelogic AB teamed up with i-Logix Inc. and released Rhapsody 6.2)(Mentor Graphics Corp. improved Edge UML Suite)(model-driven design)(Embedded Systems Conference)(Unified Modeling Language)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... Two major Unified Modeling Language (UML) vendors, Mentor Graphics and Telelogic, had some major model-driven design (MDD) announcements at the Embedded Systems Conference, held in April in San Jose, Calif. Telelogic has teamed up with...

Perpendicular recording yields big disks.(Embedded IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)(Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 from Seagate Technology L.L.C.)(Brief article)
June 8, 2006... The next big thing in hard drives is perpendicular recording. These drives are now appearing, with Seagate's Barracuda 7200.10 among the largest. At 750 Gbytes, it's a major jump from its predecessor, the 500-Gbyte 7200.9. The new...

Dual-core single-board computer meets XTX standard.(Embedded: IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
June 8, 2006... Ampro's XTX 830 is an XTX-compatible (Extended ETX) Computer-on-Module (COM) that houses a 2-GHz Intel Core Duo processor with a 2-Mbyte L2 cache. The 95- by 114-mm board can handle up to 1 Gbyte of DDR2 small-outline dual-inline memory-module...

PowerPC packs punch.(Embedded: IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
June 8, 2006... Applied Micro Circuits' 400-MHz PowerPC 405EZ microprocessor targets networked industrial control applications. The 64-bit core includes 32 kbytes of SRAM. Its external bus with arbitration can handle a range of memory types, including flash...

50-MIPS 8-Bit MCU fits In A 5- by 5-mm package.(Embedded: IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
June 8, 2006... Silicon Laboratories' 50-MHz 8051F41x integrates up to 32 kbytes of flash memory and 2304 bytes of RAM in a 5- by 5-mm, 28-pin quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. Thanks to the chip's SmaRTClock real-time clock, the MCU can automatically detect...

Turn capacitors and inductors into "active passives".(Design: VIEW POWER)(switching regulators)
June 8, 2006... When designers think of passive components, they think of manufacturing tolerances for inductors and capacitors that are typically [+ or -] 20% and [+ or -] 10%. That's okay in theory, but not when these components are used in an actual...

Low-quiescent-current regulator withstands high input voltages.(IFD: POWERFUL IDEAS FOR DESIGN)
June 8, 2006... In automotive applications, more and more on-board modules need to meet stringent requirements for ignition-off current, with many modules requiring less than 100 [micro] A of current. A controller-area network (CAN) interface IC and a...

Boost stepper-motor switching-logic-sequence performance.(INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FROM READERS)
June 8, 2006... Sometimes less is more. Here, a quarter-step switching logic sequence for stepper motors offers several significant advantages over full- and half-step modes---higher resolution, smoother drive, minimal resonance effects, and reduced settling...

Programmable DC/DC to 1000Vdc.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 8, 2006... * "M" Family of converters to 10 Watts * Programmable using 0-5Vdc Signal * On-board 5Vdc Reference * Single Outputs to 1000Vdc * Dual Outputs to +/- 500Vdc * 1000Vdc Isolation * Input Ranges (10-20Vdc, 18-36Vdc) ...

Ready-to-go wireless!(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 8, 2006... A compact network processor module, WiPort[TM] enables you to build wireless networking into virtually any electronic device with serial or Ethernet capability. With WiPort your products can be wirelessly accessed and controlled over a network...

Caplugs' catalog released.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 8, 2006... (Buffalo, N.Y.) -- Caplugs' product catalog features more than 80 new parts along with our existing product lines of caps, plugs, edge liners, grommets, wraps, nettings, and Clearview[TM] tubing. The 150-page, full-color catalog highlights more...

ISI Lead Free Interposers for DDR2 BGAs.
June 8, 2006... ISI Lead Free Interposers allow OEMs to use standard eutectic (leaded) SMT assembly processes, even when BGAs are only available in lead-free packaging. DDR2 memory chips are one common application, although ISI supplies interposers for a...

IR's advanced point-of-load chipset delivers 80A with three active devices.
June 8, 2006... International Rectifier's IR3623 dual synchronous buck PWM control IC and iP2003A iPOWIR[TM] integrated driver-MOSFET power building blocks form a chipset that reduces component count in non-isolated DC-DC buck converters. The chipset can be...

New Product Catalogs from MAGNETICS.
June 8, 2006... Magnetics' 2006 Ferrite Design Manual Many new geometries/sizes including; * E, I, U Cores (11 new sizes) * EFD Cores (4 new sizes) * ETD, EER, ER Cores (12 new sizes) * Large toroids (3 new sizes) Magnetics' Strip Wound...

From luggable to wearable: musings on the future of mobile data.
June 22, 2006... Seems like part of the fun of a career in the fast-changing world of electronics is sitting around reminiscing about the archaic computing products of days gone by. Put a group of techies together and often there's a conversation like the one...

Bob's mailbox.(Letter to the editor)
June 22, 2006... Dear Bob: When looking at datasheets or application notes that have the schematics of an IC in them, I often see very strange components; transistors with two, three, or even four collectors or emitters, and a component that looks like a...

CORBA/e: not your father's distributed architecture.(Common Object Request Broker Architecture)
June 22, 2006... What do battlefield robots, wireless basestations, air traffic control systems, sophisticated medical equipment, and the like have in common? They need a distributed communications architecture that has high reliability, high performance, and a...

MIT takes new semiconductor out for a spin.(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Francis Bitter Magnet Lab have developed a semiconductor that can improve the use of spintronics. This material could increase computing power while decreasing power consumption. ...

Industry barometer.
June 22, 2006... INDUSTRY BAROMETER What's your outlook on the economic health of the electronics industry for this quarter? Q1 2006 Q2 2006 * Robust and growing 13% 19% * Showing...

PoE chip mixes logic and power devices to kickstart new applications.(Silicon Laboratories launched powered-device chips)
June 22, 2006... The relative dearth of recent power-over-Ethernet (PoE) product announcements made me think that 802.3af had hit some kind of plateau. Perhaps people are waiting for the IEEE 802.3af subcommittee to wrap up its classification issues and make...

Smart design squeezes 212-W AC-DC supply into a 3-by 5-in. footprint.
June 22, 2006... Any week's e-mail includes new product announcements from power-supply OEMs, but I usually don't write about these releases unless they have something special to say about design. In fact, I'm encouraging companies that send me these...

Low power, multiple cores at Spring Processor Forum.(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... The theme at the Spring Processor Forum, held in San Jose last month, was cool--as in low power. Many products that were presented use different techniques to deliver more performance for fewer watts, such as a novel Forth-based multicore mesh...

Chip meets standards for low- and mid-range digital TVs.(Tech VIEW: DIGITAL)
June 22, 2006... The TC90400 targets low- to mid-range HDTV and DTV products with screens that typically measure less than 32 in. This chip from Toshiba supports standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) outputs as well as worldwide standards. FCC...

Initiative looks to establish low-power design infrastructure.
June 22, 2006... The "power problem" for today's large systems-on-a-chip and ASICs is becoming intractable. Process scaling no longer is a viable means of meeting power-management needs. A design-based solution to the problem is going to be required, especially...

Sequential-logic equivalence checker gains capacity and speeds up runtimes.(sequential-logic equivalence checker)(Calypto Design Systems launches debugging software)(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Checking functional equivalency between system-level models expressed in SystemC or C/C++ and their corresponding RTL representations is an important step toward making the high-level models useful in implementation. Calypto's SLEC...

C/C++ compiler targets multicore chips.(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... Multicore chips bring more power to bear on a problem while lowering power consumption-but only if programmers can take advantage of their architecture. Parallelizing compilers for vector-processing single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD)...

Media processor drives DVD recorder.(LSI Logic's DoMiNo media processors DMN-8604 and DMN-8654 )(Brief article)
June 22, 2006... The DVD recorder market is hot, and LSI Logic's DoMiNo media processors are fanning the flames. The DMN-8604 and DMN-8654 target such popular worldwide consumer electronics. The DMN-8604 is an entry-level chip designed for single-drive or...

ARM9 power wireless module.
June 22, 2006... Digi International's ConnectCore Wi-9C module houses an ARM926EJ-S processor with 802.11b/g support. It also has a 100BaseT connection and USB host and device support. The small-outline dual-inline memory-module connector provides access to I/O...

DDS fronts global virtual database.
June 22, 2006... Real-Time Innovation's Data Distribution Service (DDS) 4.0 middleware allows DDS clients to access a virtual database. The database can be the front end in memory or disk-based database services hosted on other clients. The middleware handles...

USB 2.0 speeds compact JTAG.
June 22, 2006... Macraigor's [usb.sup.2]Sprite and [usb.sup.2]Demon push past parallel-port performance. The $750 [usb.sup.2]Demon can be over three times faster than the smaller, less expensive $210 [usb.sup.2]Sprite. Both are available for a range of 32-bit...

Chip simplifies Internet access.
June 22, 2006... ConnectOne's iChip CO120SQ targets machine-to-machine Internet links. The gateway chip uses a Hayes-style command interface on the host side and Wi-Fi or Ethernet on the other side. Host interfaces include USB, serial, SPI, and [I.sup.2]C....

Bluetooth EDR apps get giant range boost from tiny power amplifier.(enhanced data rate)(SiGe Semiconductor's SE2425U power amplifier)
June 22, 2006... Bluetooth is a great short-range wireless technology for cell phones, laptops, PDAs, headsets, peripherals, and other devices. But it quickly runs out of steam when the range goes beyond 10 m. It's particularly troublesome with enhanced data...

SoC soars in satellite radios.
June 22, 2006... Beginning next year, customers for Sirius Satellite Radio products will be getting the new and greatly improved radio system-on-a-chip (SoC) from Agere Systems. The chip will find its way into automotive, home, portable, and navigation radios....

Active power mixer performs to 4 GHz with low power consumption.
June 22, 2006... You can't get rid of the mixer in any RF or wireless product. That makes a good mixer the very core of every RF design. But you don't have to worry about that thanks to Linear Technology's LT5560. It can be used for upconversion or...

DFM optimization tool drives design requirements to the fab: relying on a design's power and timing requirements to influence manufacturing, a DFM tool provides tailored guidance to the design-to-mask-creation flow.(design-for-manufacturing )(Blaze DFM Inc. )
June 22, 2006... The idea behind design-for-manufacturing (DFM) products has been to bring design and manufacturing closer together. Yet designers look at the world based on performance, power consumption, and cost targets. They don't overtly concern themselves...

Power-pinching WiMAX SoC still extends range: with the lowest power consumption of its type, this chip makes embedded fixed and portable broadband wireless applications practical.
June 22, 2006... WiMAX is coming--oh, you know, the broadband wireless technology that promises high-speed Internet service and other broadband offerings such as TV to homes and businesses, which will be in direct competition with entrenched DSL and cable TV....

Powerful portables: mobile computers have come a long way over the past 25 years. But designers shouldn't sacrifice PC functionality for the latest bells and whistles.
June 22, 2006... If there was a motto for mobile computing, it most likely would say "take it with you." Even before Adam Osborne started Osborne Computer in 1981, computer users have wanted to carry the power of the mainframe, the mini, and then the micro...

E-paper chase nears the finish line: demos, prototypes, and new products indicate that electronic ink and paper are just about ready for the masses.
June 22, 2006... Demonstrations of the latest in electronic paper technology indicate that it may finally be ready to "roll up" and "plug in" to the electronic office. E-paper comprises organic electronics that use conductive materials containing tiny...

Integration shrinks geared motor size.(Alpha Gear Drives Inc. launched TPM rotary actuator)
June 22, 2006... The TPM, a highly integrated geared motor (rotary actuator), is based on an ac servo motor and high-precision planetary gearing. This compact unit is less than half the size of a conventional motor and gear combination. Developed by Alpha...

Groschopp Inc. now has manufacturing compliance with the European Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive.
June 22, 2006... Groschopp Inc. now has manufacturing compliance with the European Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. The company will replace its Sn50 Pb50 solder for Sn96.4Ag3.0Cu0.5 lead-free solder. The solder processes, including the...

Maxon Precision Motors' EC-16 sterilizible brushless motors deliver the performance and lifetime of a brushless motor in a sterilizible package.(NEWS IN BRIEF: MOTORS)
June 22, 2006... Maxon Precision Motors' EC-16 sterilizible brushless motors deliver the performance and lifetime of a brushless motor in a sterilizible package. Good heat dissipation and high overload capability result from assembling the motor with the coils...

Lin Engineering has introduced a bipolar, 1.8[degrees], NEMA 17 step motor combined with a microstepping driver and intelligent controller all in one compact unit.
June 22, 2006... Lin Engineering has introduced a bipolar, 1.8[degrees], NEMA 17 step motor combined with a microstepping driver and intelligent controller all in one compact unit. The SilverPak 17T eliminates the need for external equipment and exhibits smooth...

Comparator-based circuits easily shift voltage level, flip polarity.(Design BRIEFS: INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FROM READERS)
June 22, 2006... Because digital systems often have only a single-polarity power supply, a common problem becomes translating an opposite-polarity pulse train into a positive- or negative-pulse output. Here are some simple circuits that can do the job easily...

PWM-to-RS-232 translator boasts over 11-bit accuracy.(Design BRIEFS: INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FROM READERS)
June 22, 2006... Over the years, many sensor monitor designs would have benefited by being able to have their encoded pulse-width modulation (PWM) data forwarded to and post-processed by a PC-based host. However you encode the PWM information, the PWM-to-RS-232...

Delta Introduces The Delphi Series DNS, DNM, DNL point-of-load converters.
June 22, 2006... The Delphi Series DNS, DNM and DNL families of POL DC/DC converters offer both programmable output voltages as well as 5V and 12V input voltages. This feature-rich Series includes programmable tracking and sequencing functions, which provide...

Flex circuits design kit.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 22, 2006... Learn how flex circuits can add value to your application today with the Minco Flex Circuits Design Kit. This kit contains comprehensive information to help you understand the potential of flex circuit technology, select the appropriate...

Sound and vibration toolkit.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 22, 2006... Easily handle audio measurements, fractional-octave analysis, sound and vibration displays and much more with the National Instruments LabVIEW Sound and Vibration Toolkit. Combined with the industry-standard LabVIEW development environment,this...

High performance sockets and adapters.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 22, 2006... Includes GHz bandwidth sockets for BGA and QFN only slightly larger than the IC with integral heatsink for medium power and optional heatsinking to over 100 watts.Up to 500k insertions.Adapters for prototype,test,and more. Quick turn volume...

Free 2006 NI measurement and automation catalog.(PRODUCT ALERT)
June 22, 2006... Featuring new product information, comparison charts,key specifications, and information on: * NI LabVIEW 8 Distributed Intelligence * PCI Express M Series * PXI Flexible--Resolution Digitizer * USB Data Acquisition Modules...

Competitiveness initiative: a plan for you and the U.S.(Issue: Overview)(American Competitiveness Initiative introduced by George W. Bush,)
June 29, 2006... Things are looking brighter for EEs these days. Judging from our most recent Barometer Poll, in which we ask Electronic Design readers how you're feeling about your current job stability and the prospects for work in the pipeline, it seems that...

Design FAQs: voltage reference ICs: frequently asked questions.(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... What is a voltage reference IC? A voltage reference IC is an accurate, temperature-compensated voltage source that provides specific output voltage values, such as 1.225, 4.096, or 10.000 V. What are the two basic topologies for...

Megatrends: the global factor: wireless dominates, but what other technologies and issues will have the greatest impact on our industry over the next few years?(Megatrends)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... The word megatrends isn't listed in most dictionaries. But we usually know them when we see them, especially in the electronics industry. Predicting what technologies and issues are most likely to dominate the industry is a tricky business. But...

Wireless, homeland security, and don't forget about cars: while consumers scramble for the latest gear, they need something to scramble in--and somebody to watch their backs.(Today's Hot Markets)
June 29, 2006... Is anything hotter than wireless? Maybe consumer electronics. Both are pervasive markets. But wireless is everywhere and constantly finding new applications, even where wired solutions didn't exist. There's GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth,...

Fully smart buildings still in the blueprint stage: intelligent buildings can cut costs while helping people feel better and work more efficiently. So why aren't more of them being built?(Smart Buildings)
June 29, 2006... It began with the thermostat-the first electric building control device. "People used to bang on the pipe to alert the superintendent to send up more heat," says Kenneth Wacks, a building automation management and engineering consultant based...

New technologies make roads safer ... one smart car at a time: Developments in sensors converge to make sure you get to where you want to go and back again in one piece.(High-Tech Vehicles)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... Think about cars from the past. Actuators drove almost every mechanical and hydraulic system. Nowadays, there's an alphabet soup of electronic components and systems. Electronic sensors augment or have even replaced the various mechanical...

Breaking barriers with mobile media: anything, anytime, anywhere--that's how we want our electronic entertainment and information.(Mobile Media)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... We've always wanted to take our electronics with us. It started with vacuum tube radios. Even if they used three heavy batteries and the housing was a big suitcase, they had a handle, and that made them portable. Then came radios in cars,...

Smaller servers, larger performance: thanks to the latest architectures, designers can pack more processors into less space. But parallel processing may have to wait until the software catches up with the hardware.(Super Servers)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... It all began in 1952, when the ILLIAC I (Illinois Automatic Computer) graced the stage at the University of Illinois. By 1956, this machine had more compute power than all of Bell Labs--not bad for a 4.5-ton, 10- by 2- by 8.5-ft box filled with...

Homeland security's techno war on terror: technologies combine to detect radiological, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction.(Homeland Security)
June 29, 2006... Dangerous times call for high-tech answers. Today's detection and neutralization systems help guard our borders against people, cargo, and vehicles that may be carrying explosives, arms, and contraband that could include pathogenic and even...

Digital entertainment takes center stage: the TV may still be the main source of entertainment for most consumers, but now it has some company--and competition.(Consumer Electronics)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... The VCR changed the way people watched TV when it hit the market in the 1970s. No longer tethered to their television sets, consumers could record their favorite TV shows to watch at their own convenience. Consumers now have even more options...

Seek and ye shall find: there are jobs out there, but not necessarily where you would expect to find them.(Tomorrow's Markets Careers)(CareerBuilder Inc.'s survey)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... Is engineering going to be a good career move over the next several years? It's a mixed picture at the moment, especially if you're still in school. The U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for EEs to be up 9.7%...

Attack of the humanoid robots: they walk. Some talk, and you might be able to get one soon.(Humanoid Robots)(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Wakamaru)(Honda ASIMO)
June 29, 2006... Robotics is a lot harder than it looks. But that's what makes it so challenging. Rolling, flying, and walking robots are hard enough to build. Now try creating a robot in human form. Yet the state of the art continues to improve by leaps and...

Alternative fuels look to solve petro's plunder: greener gas may help the environment while providing new opportunities for EEs.(Power Systems)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... Beyond mere self-interest, there are at least two reasons EEs might want to keep an eye on developments in alternative fuels for transportation. For power engineers, the odds are strong that most future vehicles will use electric motors, either...

Location awareness--boon or privacy bane? Technology now can tell you--and other people--exactly where you are.(GPS/Location)(global positioning system)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... Location, location, location. It's a crucial factor, whether it involves real estate or simply where you're standing. Using technology to determine a location isn't all that new a concept. For years, people have used multiple receivers with...

This little nano went to market ... eventually: the industry, government, and academia first have to tackle nanotechnology's manufacturing, design, safety, and environmental issues.(Nanotechnology)
June 29, 2006... Is nanotechnology a myth borne of hype and marketing, or is it reality? The answer depends on your perspective. The general public may think that expectations are ridiculously high and the technology won't be viable. Not so, though, for many of...

Telemedicine: a shot in the arm for healthcare: despite cost, legal, and privacy concerns, an aging population and rising healthcare costs are propelling the technology.(Telemedicine)(Editorial)
June 29, 2006... Advances in wireless video technology and Internet communications are just what the doctor ordered for telemedicine's leap toward ubiquity. Higher image quality, shorter latency times, faster transmission speeds, and improvements in...