VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN SECTION
NEWSLETTER
IEEE Region 3, Council 09, Section 65 March 2000
****************************************************************
CONTENTS
March Meeting
Joint with Computer/Control/
Industrial Electronics Chapter 1
Reservations 2
VMS Activities: Meeting Report 3
ExComm Meeting 4
Student Contest 5
Metrowire Service 6
Electronic Newsletter 7
Chair's Comments 8
Chapter Chairs - Attention 9
That All May Know 10
Draper prize to past VMS member 11
Comp/Control/Ind. Eng. Chapter 12
Half Year memberships 13
Britannica Award 14
New Travel Benefits 15
IEEE-USA Notes 16
1999-2000 VMS Schedule 17
VMS Section 18
**************************************************************** ( 1 )
March Meeting
Joint with Computer / Control /Industrial Electronics Chapter
DSL vs. Cable Modems
Telco and CATV Competition for Broadband Wireline Access
Dr. Ira Jacobs, Professor
The Bradley Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech
Although the bit-rate capability of
modems has increased remarkably, the
56K capability of current modems is likely
the end of the road for voiceband modems.
Two technologies for broadband (greater
than 1.5 Megabit/s) wireline access
currently exist: digital subscriber line
(DSL) systems on telephone company
twisted-wire pairs, and cable modems
using CATV company coaxial cables.
These systems differ not only because of
the transmission capabilities of these
media, but more so because of differences
in the way that telephone and CATV
networks are constructed. There are
differences also in the types of services
that can be offered, and the nature (and
consequently the cost) of the equipment
necessary in the home and in the service
provider offices.
We will discuss these differences as they
affect the competition between telephone
companies and CATV providers for the
broadband access market. We will also
discuss how fiber optic cable in telephone
company and CATV networks influence
the provision and future expansion of
broadband access.
The Speaker
Ira Jacobs joined the faculty at Virginia
Tech as Professor of Electrical
Engineering and member of the Fiber and
Electro-Optics Research Center in 1987,
following a career of 32 years at AT&T
Bell Laboratories. He received a BS from
City College of New York in 1950, and an
MS and Ph.D. in physics from Purdue
University in 1952 and 1955, respectively.
He was at Bell Laboratories from 1955 to
1987, working in the fields of electro-
magnetic and communication theory, and
then transmission systems engineering
and development.
Dr. Jacobs was elected a Fellow of the
IEEE in 1981, and was named a Life
Fellow in 1995. He is Senior Adviser to
the Editor of IEEE Transactions on
Communications and was an Associate
Editor of IEEE Photonics Technology
Letters. He was Vice-Chair of IEEE
Southeastcon '97, and has been on the
Executive Committee of the IEEE
Virginia Mountain Section since 1994.
**************************************************************** ( 2 )
Reservations
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2000
Social: 6:30 PM
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Talk: 8:00 PM
Cost: Member or Guest $15.00
Student $ 7.00
Clarion Hotel Roanoke Airport
2727 Ferndale Drive NW
I581 Exit 3 Hershberger Rd West
1st Rt. onto Ferncliff Ave.,
2nd Rt. onto Ferndale Drive.
Reserve by 5 PM Monday March 13
Roanoke:
Dan Jackson (540) 774-0484
Blacksburg:
Ira Jacobs (540) 231-5620
Lexington:
David Livingston (540)464-7545
Radford and Christiansburg:
Russell Churchill (540) 731-0655
**************************************************************** ( 3 )
VMS Activities
Meeting Report
February 17, 2000
Bart Cregger
Engineering Education for the 21st
Century: The Model at VCU
The fifth meeting of the 1999-2000
season was held February 17, 2000 in
the American Electric Power (AEP)
Christiansburg facility. Twenty-four
participants enjoyed a catered dinner
followed by Bart Cregger's interesting
description of what it takes to start a
new School of Engineering. Bart is the
Assistant Dean of Engineering
responsible for the overall operations
and undergraduate programs. VCU
launched its school in August 1996 and
currently has 425 students majoring in
four undergraduate engineering
programs: Biomedical, Chemical,
Electrical, and Mechanical. The School
of Engineering is housed in a new 43
million dollar facility containing
120,000 square feet.
Bart concentrated his presentation on
the Electrical Engineering major.
Specializations are offered in Computer
Engineering, Communications, Control
and Automation, and Microelectronics.
The Microelectronics facilities include
the 27,000 square foot Virginia
Microelectronics Center which contains
a 5000 square foot student run factory-
laboratory and a 2500 square foot
research laboratory having Class 1000
clean rooms. VCU combines its new
facilities with a unique program to
encourage highly goal orientated
students to prepare themselves to be
successful in industry. Special areas of
emphasis include laboratory experience
every semester, business and
manufacturing concepts,
communications ability, interpersonal
teamwork skills building, and a
required summer industrial internship
between the junior and senior years.
The first four year undergraduate class
will graduate in Spring 2000. The
school is expecting to grow to 1000
undergraduates and 200 graduate
students in the next five years. A joint
five year program will be offered with
the Business School to earn both the
BS and MBA degrees. Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU)
offers 157 degree programs and has an
enrollment of 23,000 students. This
diversity offers strong support for the
new School of Engineering to further
develop interdisciplinary thrust areas in
nanotechnology, life science
engineering, and design and
automation. MS and Ph.D. programs
will commence in the Fall 2000.
Dave Kingma thanked Bart for coming
from Richmond to acquaint us with this
new engineering education asset. Ted
Aaron and his team were again our
hosts, and we wish to thank them for
handling the arrangements and for their
cheery hospitality.
...Howard J. Moses
...Secretary/Treasurer
**************************************************************** ( 4 )
ExComm Meeting
Board members please note. The
March meeting will be preceded by an
ExComm meeting at 5:30.
**************************************************************** ( 5 )
Student Contest
Our annual student competition will be
held at VMI this year.
The competition will be among papers
presented orally at the April meeting.
Unofficially, prizes will probably be
similar to last year when more than
$700.00 was awarded.
See forthcoming campus notices for
details.
...editor
**************************************************************** ( 6 )
Meeting Announcements Now On
Metrowire
The Roanoke on-line public service site
Metrowire now carries our meeting
notices. Browse to
http://www.metrowire.com/
choose: Calendar
then: participating organizations: IEEE
A "search" leads to a short
announcement and a link to the VMS
web page.
**************************************************************** ( 7 )
Electronic Newsletter
Please Sign On
Update
Responses to our request to accept the
electronic version of the Newsletter in
lieu of hard copy is still increasing.
More members signed on last month
We strongly encourage more of you to
sign up.
As noted previously, the Newsletter is
the largest single expense in the
Section's budget. The total cost is
about $0.50 per copy. That's a small
number but we send out about 500
copies each month. We are trying to
trim the mailing to free funds for other
uses.
Please send your name to the editor
(j.fennick@ieee.org) with a short note
requesting sign-on. We will see that
you are placed on the distribution list.
Note, the Newsletter is also available,
along with back issues, on our Web
site. Go to:
www.ewh.ieee.
org/r3/virginia-mountain
...editor
**************************************************************** ( 8 )
CHAIR'S COMMENTS
by Dan Jackson
d.jackson@ieee.org
Cattle ranchers brand their cattle so
they and all others may know who the
cattle belong to. Car companies make
many different models of cars but they
frequently add the company name to
the car and they always put the
company logo on. A number of years
ago Virginia Tech was known by
several different names, VPI, VPI &
SU, Virginia Poly, and Virginia Tech
among them. The university finally
decided to use one name, Virginia
Tech, so that the public would not
think that there were several different
institutions.
IEEE with ten geographical regions,
299 sections, 1144 chapters, 970
student branches, ten technical
divisions with 37 societies, and a
considerable number of other entities
has been perceived by many members
and nonmembers as a fragmented
organization and not the single premier
technical professional organization
which it really is. Over the past two
years the IEEE Board of Directors
conducted a study aimed at establishing
a single IEEE brand identity and an up
to date logo recognizable worldwide.
After considerable, sometimes heated,
debate the Board decided that the logo
designed in 1963 when the AIEE and
the IRE merged was modern and
suitable for the 21st century. It is
strictly graphic and, therefore,
recognizable regardless of one's
language or type of alphabet. I highly
recommend that you read the article,
"That All May Know," by Cleon
Anderson, Region 6 Director, which
appears elsewhere in this Newsletter.
He provides a very good explanation of
the significance of the parts of our
logo. We should be proud to be part of
our profession and wear our logo with
pride. It reminds us as well of what we
owe to those who have gone before.
...Dan Jackson
**************************************************************** ( 9 )
Attention Chapter Chairs
Need help with Meetings?
Meetings help to achieve the goals of
education and professional
advancement basic to all IEEE
Technical Societies and provide a way
to manage Chapter business. For some
pointers on the basic components of
holding successful meetings, go to the
Section/Chapter Support web page at
www.ieee.org/ra/scs.
Select the link for Resources for
Officers, then "How to hold a
Successful Chapter Meeting."
...editor
**************************************************************** ( 10 )
That All May Know
The Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers, pars pro toto,
"The Institute" is also warmly known
to its members as aye-triple-ee: IEEE.
The beginnings of this organization
date back to 1884 as the AIEE, the
American Institute of Electrical
Engineers. In 1963 the AIEE and the
Institute of Radio Engineers, IRE,
which had existed since 1912 merged.
Because these two groups had a large
number of members in common, they
had come to realize that their general
interests in electrical and electronic
engineering lay together. So those
common members joined forces to form
the IEEE, with the determination to
make it the premier scientific and
educational organization. Such is the
vision of IEEE: to advance global
prosperity by fostering technological
innovation, enabling members' careers
and promoting community worldwide.
Since the merger, electrical engineering
has proven to be the learned profession
at the forefront in most, if not all,
modem technological development. The
breadth of the technologies involve are
represented by 37 societies of IEEE.
These technologies have proliferated
into every facet of human endeavor and
are largely responsible for the quality
of life enjoyed in the world today. As
the breadth of these technologies from
nuclear and oceanic science to
computer hardware and software is
viewed, it seems quite distant to
remember the work of Faraday,
Maxwell, Gauss, Heavyside, Joule,
Ohm, Ampere, Volta, Watt, Weber,
Tesla, Marconi and the other 19^
century founders of this profession.
However, that all may know, we
celebrate the work of these founders
symbolically in the logo of IEEE.
When the founding organizations were
joined in 1963 there was considerable
effort expended to unify and simplify
logos of these organizations while at
the same time retaining their historical
significance. The result of this work is
the IEEE logo that we know today. It is
the symbol we often refer to in familiar
terms as the kite and right-hand rule.
And symbolic it is:
A committee headed by Alexander
Graham Bell in 1893 designed the
AlEE's first logo. It was a kite shaped
badge with a periphery marked by a
coil of gold wire. The midpoints were
spanned by a galvanometer complete
with a blued steel needle on an amber
disk. In 1897 another AIEE logo was
developed using two linked circles to
describe the relationship between the
electric and magnetic fields. In 1912
the IRE logo was developed using a
triangle and arrows to represent these
same electrical and magnetic forces
using the configuration of the right-
hand rule.
The use of the right-hand rule in the
IEEE logo captures, in simplistic
terms, the great mathematical
foundations of the profession as
described in Maxwell's Equations. The
right-hand rule is symbolic of the
mathematical relationship between the
electric and magnetic fields. It serves as
a reminder that electrical engineering
and the technologies that flow from it,
are based on the calculus and higher
orders of mathematics as would be
expected of a learned profession.
In a similar manner the kite, as found
in the original logo of the AIEE,
represents the kite used by Benjamin
Franklin when he discovered electricity
in lightning. So the kite immortalizes
discovery as an essential element of the
engineering profession. One is
immediately drawn to the effort
expended by Edison as he tried filament
after filament leading to the discovery
of the incandescent lamp. Today,
discovery remains the essential tool of
a technologist. The kite represents
discovery just as Edison's work
provides us a definitive example of the
discovery process.
The IEEE kite logo is shown without
the tail and in a symmetrical diamond
form. The geometry of diamond shaped
kite with its right-hand rule can also be
viewed as a stylized form of the
Wheatstone bridge. It has been said
that this bridge with its galvanometer
also depicts the earliest observation of
electrical phenomena by Thales, and
the source of the word electricity. The
bridge is used as a precise
measurement tool. Folklore
surrounding the Wheatstone bridge
reminds us that the linemen of
yesteryear used it to predict the
location of a break in a telegraph line
to within the distance between two
poles. And further, they would often
bet coffee on which pole the break was
closest to. Hence, the diamond
symmetry of the IEEE logo represents
the technologist's use of precision
instrumentation and exact measurement
as indispensable tools of the profession.
The logo of the IEEE serves as a
reminder to our diverse membership,
that today, we but stand on the
shoulders of the giants who founded
our profession. As part of the master
brand of IEEE, the logo serves as a
reminder of the underlying unity of the
technologies that have flooded to fill
the world as the result of the practice of
electrical and electronic engineering.
Transcending language, this symbol
has become known worldwide. It is
expressive of those engineering tools
that will continue to be used to foster
technological innovation: advanced
mathematics, measurement,
instrumentation, and discovery. And in
the end. Providence willing, this logo
will represent the engineers, scientists
and technologists who will be known
for promoting community worldwide.
Written by
W. Cleon Anderson Director, Region 6
November 25,1999
...Dan
**************************************************************** ( 11 )
Past Section Member Wins
Draper Prize
Engineering's highest honor, the 1999
Charles Stark Draper Prize has been
awarded to three pioneers in fiber optic
technology. Charles Kao, past member
of the Virginia Mountain Section, will
share the $500,000 award with Robert
Maurer and John MacChesney. They
will be receiving the award during
National Engineers Week 2000.
Charles Kao, who was working at
ITT's Standard Telecommunications
Laboratories in the 1960s, theorized
about how to use light for
communication instead of copper wire.
He was the first to publicly propose the
possibility of a practical application for
fiber optic telecommunication. Some of
his early work was done here in
Roanoke at the ITT facility.
The Draper Prize was established in
1988 to recognize individuals whose
outstanding engineering achievements
have contributed to the well-being and
freedom of humanity. Although
previously awarded biennially, the
Draper Prize will now be awarded
annually. This prize is awarded by the
National Academy of Engineering and
is generally considered the Nobel of
Engineering.
Information for this article came from
the Engineering Times, November
1999.
...Dan
**************************************************************** ( 12 )
Computer / Control /
Industrial Electronics Chapter
Scott Midkiff of Virginia Tech will
speak at the April meeting on MOBILE
INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES. His
talk will cover the rapid advances being
made in the development and
deployment of mobile Internet services.
He will briefly survey important
technologies -- at the link, network, and
application level -- that enable wireless
mobile Internet access. Specifically, he
will discuss mobile data services, the
IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standard,
Bluetooth for personal area networks,
mobile ad hoc networks, and other
protocols.
Scott is known to VMS IEEE members
as a former newsletter editor, and long
time active member of the Section. He
received his degrees from Duke and
Stanford, and has been at Tech longer
than I have been at GE in Salem (this
time). His research interests include
computer networks, including wireless
networks, broadband network
management, network applications, and
performance evaluation. He is
associated with the Center for Wireless
Telecommunications (CWT) and is
part of the Virginia Tech team funded
by DARPA's Global Mobile
Information Systems (GloMo)
program. He teaches courses in
computer networks,
telecommunications, and computer
engineering.
The meeting will be held at the GE
main plant at 1501 Roanoke Boulevard
in Salem. Come to the front door near
the flagpole. Guests are Welcome. You
do not have to be a member of the
Chapter to attend. Social hour begins at
5:00. Coffee and soft drinks will be
available. The presentation will begin
promptly at 5:30. There is no charge.
RESERVATIONS are appreciated!
Call Dave Geer, 540-387-7359 or
email d.geer@ieee.org by noon on the
day of the meeting.
…Dave Geer
**************************************************************** ( 13 )
The IEEE Leadership Wire
25 Feb 2000
Excerpts
Half-Year Memberships
Begin 1 March
Membership applications received
by the IEEE, including technical
society memberships, as of 1
March will be processed on a "half
year" basis with dues at half of the
regular annual rate.
Those who join after 1 March will
become members through 31 Dec and
will receive all publications from the
time their applications are entered into
the database but will not receive back
issues.
**************************************************************** ( 14 )
Ieee History Center Wins
Encyclopedia Britannica Award
The IEEE History Center's Web site
has been honored with an award from
Encyclopedia Britannica -- the
Britannica Internet Guide Award. The
site was chosen for its quality,
accuracy and usability in the
presentation of historical material.
For more information, go to
http://www.ieee.org/organizations/histo
ry_center/website_awards.html.
**************************************************************** ( 15 )
New Travel Benefit For Ieee
Members
IEEE members can enjoy convenient
and secure parking at major U.S.
airports through AviStar Airport Valet
Parking if they join the AviStar
Express Club.
Some benefits include a 20 percent
discount on parking at all U.S. AviStar
locations, two free indoor parking
upgrades each year, and guaranteed
parking availability. The first-year
membership fee is waived.
AviStar has valet parking centers at
these U.S. airports:
Newark, LaGuardia, JFK,
Philadelphia, Bradley/Hartford
(Connecticut), Atlanta, Chicago
O'Hare.
More locations are being added.
For more information or to join the
AviStar Express Club, visit
http://www.ieeetravelonline.org.
To contact an IEEE Global Travel
Services representative, send an e-mail
message to
travel-team@ieee.org.
**************************************************************** ( 16 )
IEEE-USA Website Provides Latest
On Career, Policy Activities
IEEE members seeking the latest
information on IEEE-USA's promotion
of electrotechnology careers and policy
should go to the organization's
THIS WEEK website at
http://www.ieeeusathisweek.org/curr
ent_issue/index.html.
Updated every other week, the current
issue includes a description of IEEE-
USA's discussion forum in which
members can engage in and read
ongoing discussions on research and
development, retirement security,
immigration reform, PACE, and the
Government Fellows program. The site
also includes sections on workforce
issues, career development and a
readers' forum.
E-Zline Focuses On Policy Issues
In its 4 Feb. issue, IEEE-USA
EYE ON WASHINGTON,
the organization's biweekly update on
government-related career and
technology policy activities, includes
blurbs on: IEEE-USA's call for "green
cards, not guest workers"; White
House plans to bridge the "digital
divide"; winners of the National
Technology and Science Medals; and
IEEE-USA plans to help launch a new
technical information center for state
legislatures. To subscribe and receive
the latest issue, go to
http://www.ieeeusa.org/emailupdates
For further schedule information, go to:
http://www.nationaldesk.com/Frames
/TVschedules.htm.
CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS:
An interview on immigration issues
with IEEE-USA Past President Paul J.
Kostek is scheduled to appear on PBS
in many areas of the U.S. on 31 March.
For further schedule information, go to:
http://www.nationaldesk.com/Frames/T
Vschedules.htm.
**************************************************************** ( 17 )
1999-2000 MEETING SCHEDULE
DATE
SPEAKER/TOPIC
MEETING PLACE
September 16
50th Anniversary
Hotel Roanoke
October 21
Joint Meeting with Industry
Applications
Dr. Jason Lai, Virginia Tech
Topic: "Electric Vehicles and Power Electronics"
Appalachian Electric Power,
Christiansburg
November 18
Partners' Night
Nancy Vorona, Industry Director for Advanced
Materials & Electronics, Virginia Center for
Innovative Technology
"The Electronics Industry in Virginia
- Plans for the Future"
Clarion Hotel, Roanoke
January 20
Dr. Dennis G. Sweeney
Center for Wireless Telecommunications
Department of Electrical Engineering, VA Tech
"Local Multipoint Distribution Services"
Appalachia Electric Power,
Christiansburg
February 17
Bart Cregger, Assistant Dean of Engineering, VCU
"Engineering Education for the 21st Century:
The Model at VCU"
Appalachian Electric Power,
Christiansburg
March 16
Joint Meeting: Industrial
Electronics/Computer/Control
Systems
Ira Jacobs, Virginia Tech
DSL vs. Cable Modems
Telco and CATV Competition for Broadband Wireline
Access
Clarion Hotel, Roanoke
April 20
Student Project Night
Lejeune Hall
VMI, Lexington
May 18
Plant Tour
Cloverdale Station
**************************************************************** ( 18 )
IEEE Virginia Mountain Section
VMS OFFICERS
Chairman: Daniel W. Jackson
d.jackson@ieee.org (540) 774-0484
Vice Chairman: Dave Kingma
dkingma@swva.net (540) 552-3011 x304
Sec./Treasurer: Howard J. Moses
hjmoses@aol.com (540) 953-5069
VMS Executive Committee
Russell Churchill
arcova@swva.net (540) 731-0655
John Fennick
jhfslf@swva.net (540) 552-0052
Ira Jacobs
ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620
Vacant (1)
Junior Past Chairman:
David Livingston
d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 464-7545
Virginia Council Representative:
David Geer
d.geer@ieee.org (540) 387-7359
VMS Chapter Chairs
Industry Applications
Dal Y. Ohm
ohm@usit.net (540 ) 552-8973
Industrial Electronics/Computer/Control Systems
David Geer
d.geer@ieee.org (540) 387-7359
Microwave Theory & Techniques/Electron Devices
Tim Gittemeier
Tim.Gittemeier@gaastek.de.ittind.com
(540) 563-3972
Power Engineering
Ted Aaron
Tea45@aol.com (540) 381-2521
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Awards:
Ira Jacobs
ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620
Education:
Russell Churchill
arcova@swva.net (540) 731-0655
Membership Development:
Ira Jacobs
ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620
Nominations:
David Livingston
d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 464-7545
PACE :
Dan Jackson
d.jackson@ieee.org (540) 774-0484
Program :
Dave Kingma
dkingma@swva.net (540) 552-3011 x304
Publicity :
John Fennick
j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052
Student Activities:
Vacant
NEWSLETTER
Editor: John Fennick
j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052
e-mail Newsletter Subscription
Send the one-line message:
SUBSCRIBE IEEEVMS your-name
to: LISTSERV@listserv.vt.edu
Anyone may submit material for the Newsletter
Deadline: Monday following each meeting
Submit To: Editor
Change of Address
US Mail: IEEE Service Center
445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331
Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331
e-mail: address.change@ieee.org
Tel: 800-678-IEEE
Fax: 732-981-9667
IEEE Web:
http://services1.ieee.org/membersvc/coa/intro.htm
(Changes are forwarded to the Newsletter)
Visit the VMS WEB page:
www.ewh.ieee.org/r3/virginia-mountain
Section/Chapter meeting notices, and reports. Past issues
of the Newsletter, PACE Patter, etc. Articles,
organizations, and activities affecting our profession.
Contributions welcomed - make them on-line