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Volume 53-04 |
April 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Newsletter of the Central Texas Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. Published monthly. Deadline for inclusion is the 25th day of the previous month. Send submissions, comments, questions to Dennis Ferguson, Editor, dferguson@ieee.org CONTENTS1. Section Activities
2. Chapter Activities
3. News & Information
4. Local Conferences5. Other ConferencesIEEE EXTERNAL LINKS
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1. Section ActivitiesChairman's ColumnFriends, An exciting month lies ahead. The Region 5 Conference is set for Lubbock, the 125th Anniversary Celebration is slated for the end of the month, and lastly we salute one of our stars, Steve Crowl, as he leaves two key leadership positions in the Section. On 12-18 April, section leaders from the 20+ sections from 12 states will gather in Lubbock for the annual Region 5 Conference. The focus will be on the general business concerns of the geographic units for 2009. Moreover, the Saturday evening banquet will recognize the Region 5 award winners in categories ranging from the Individual Achievement Award to Outstanding Small Student Branch Award. The 125th Anniversary Celebration of IEEE is slated for 30 April in Austin. It will be held in collaboration with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Austin Brain Party. Finally, I offer a hearty thanks to Steve Crowl for all he's done for the Section as he relinquishes leadership of the Student Liaison activities, as well as the Chairmanship of our Joint Chapter of the Signal Processing and Communications Societies. Steve will be sorely missed. Stepping into the breach, I offer a special thanks to Ron Seaman for taking the Student Liaison duties, and to Hanan Potash for becoming Acting Chairman of the joint SP/Comm Chapter. And as always, thanks to all of you for all you do for the profession. Garrett Polhamus Back to TOP Engineering in San Antonio - SA Vice-Chair's ColumnRecently, Dean Schneider (CTS K-12 Education Coordinator) and I gave a full day seminar to 17 science, math, and technology high school teachers from SA and Austin area. The purpose was to introduce lesson plans for them to use in their classrooms where engineering is a major theme. Remember learning things in school, and wondering 'Why do I really need this? Where will I ever use this concept?" Several asked us if we could recommend engineers to come into their classrooms and talk about exactly such topics. If you are interested, contact me if you're in SA, or Tom Grim (t.grim@ieee.org) if you're in Austin. The National Future City competition was won by a team from Ohio this year. I am still looking for volunteers for the CTS Future City competition for next year - I will need volunteers to mentor the student groups, and judges for the competition. Just as a reminder, in Future City, a team of students, a teacher and an engineer mentor design a city with a theme (which changes every year and is/was water this year). They design, build, write about, the whole 9 yards, their city for the competition. I'm talking about the Fall for the mentors, and early January next year for the competition, which will probably be located between SA and Austin (San Marcos?) Have fun and pray for rain, or do a rain dance! Dawn Roberson Back to TOP Membership DevelopmentHalf Price IEEE MembershipBeen waiting to be an IEEE member? Waiting for the right time or the right set of circumstances? Well now is the time with IEEE Half Price Membership. Each year at this time, IEEE begins offering half price membership for the remainder of 2009. This offer applies for new IEEE members. Go to www.ieee.org/web/membership/join/join.html for details. Join today and begin taking advantage of the benefits of IEEE members.If you have been an IEEE member and want to renew, either go to www.ieee.org/membership or simply call 1 800 678-4333. If you have any difficulty with any of the above, please send me an Email or give me a call and I'll help you work though your issues. Did you know about IEEEThere are a number of interesting bits of information about your IEEE. I will begin each month included one of the Did You Knows in each Analog. Free eBooks - Did you know? All Professional grade members who renew their IEEE Membership for 2009 will have the option to choose one free e-books, compliments of the IEEE-USA. See the selection of free e-books at www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks. Watch your email from IEEE to see how to get your eBook! Joe Redfield Back to TOP Section & Chapter News
Engineering Co-op StudentsThe University of Cincinnati currently seeking co-op positions for students for Spring Quarter (3/30/09 - 6/20/09) and/or Summer Quarter (6/22/09 - 9/19/09). Hiring a co-op student is an easy, simple process:
Sincerely, Back to TOP Continuing EducationWebinars from IEEE Spectrum
Back to TOP Student BranchesSt Mary's University- San Antonio (https://ieee.stmarytx.edu/) Trinity University - San Antonio University of Texas at Austin (https://ieee.ece.utexas.edu/) University of Texas at San Antonio (https://www.utsaieee.org/) Student Member NewsCall for student papersIEEE is holding a student paper contest in conjunction with the upcoming Region 5 meeting, to be held April 17-18, 2009 in Lubbock, TX. https://www.r5conferences.org/. The Region 5 Paper Contest has three levels: Local, Area and Region. Look at the Central Texas Section website www.ieee.org/CTS for deadlines and instructions for submission. Why You Should Stick With IEEEEach year about half the IEEE student members who graduate don't renew and move up to full members--they just drop out. But if they don't renew, these graduates will miss out on a load of benefits that could come in handy as they enter the workforce. Check out the top reasons you should keep your membership after you graduate at https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13927/40069599 Back to TOP Calls for VolunteersStudent Paper Contest JudgesIEEE is holding a student paper contest in conjunction with the upcoming Region 5 meeting, to be held April 17-18, 2009 in Lubbock, TX. https://www.r5conferences.org/. The Region 5 Paper Contest has three levels: Local, Area and Region. We need some volunteers to judge the CTS and Southern Area entries. Please contact Clif Denny at c.denny@ieee.org for more information or to volunteer. IEEE Teacher In-Service Program (TISP)The IEEE Teacher In-Service Program is sponsored by the IEEE Education Activities Board (EAB) and features IEEE Section volunteers developing and presenting technologically oriented subject matter to local pre-university educators in an in-service or professional development setting. TISP allows IEEE volunteers to share their technical expertise and to demonstrate the application of engineering concepts to support the teaching and learning of science, mathematics and technology disciplines. For more information about TISP, please go to https://www.ieee.org/web/education/preuniversity/tispt/index.html , or contact Dean Schneider at d.schneider@ieee.org. Back to TOP 2. Chapter ActivitiesMultiple Society Events
Back to TOP Joint Circuits and Systems/Solid-State Circuits
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| Topic/Title | A Sub 2W Low Power IA Processor for Mobile Internet Devices in 45nm Hi-K Metal Gate CMOS |
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| Speaker | Gian Gerosa, Intel Austin |
| Abstract | This presentation describes a low power Intel(R) Architecture (IA) processor specifically designed for Mobile Internet Devices. The design relies on high residency in a new low-power state in order to keep average power and idle power below 220 and 80 mW, respectively. The design consists of an in-order pipeline capable of issuing 2 instructions per cycle supporting 2 threads, 32KB instruction and 24KB data L1 caches, independent integer and floating point execution units, x86 front end execution unit, a 512KB L2 cache with in-line ECC and a 533 MT/s dual-mode (GTL and CMOS) front-side-bus. The design contains 47 million transistors in a die size under 25 mm2 manufactured in a 9-metal 45nm CMOS process with optimized transistors for low leakage. Several circuit techniques to reduce dynamic and leakage power will be presented. Maximum thermal design power consumption is measured at 2W at 1. |
| Date/Time | Tuesday April 14th, 6:30pm |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | not required |
| Location | UT Campus - ENS 306A |
| Notes |
The joint Circuits & Systems/Solid State Circuits Societies normally meet on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This meeting is open to the public and interested parties. Additional details will be posted at the website. If you have any questions about this meeting or this group, please contact seningen@ieee.org or dferguson@ieee.org
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No CPMT meetings are scheduled for April.
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| Topic/Title | TBD |
|---|---|
| Speaker | TBD |
| Abstract | |
| Date/Time | TBD |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | not required |
| Location | National Instruments, 11500 N. Mopac Expy Bldg C, Rooms 1S13, 1S14, 1S15 - see map |
| Note: | There is a joint meeting with the Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - Austin on March 19th |
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| Topic/Title | 5th Annual Student Night - come hear what local students are up to! |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Students from Trinity, UTSA, UIW, and St. Mary's |
| Abstract | |
| Date/Time | Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 6:30-9:00 pm |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | Not required. It would be nice to drop a note to Yu Zhang so we can be sure to have enough food, or call (210) 999-7399 |
| Location | UTSA (see website for directions and parking details) |
| Notes | See www.ieee-cs-cts.org for directions and parking information. This meeting is open to the public. |
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| Topic/Title | Managing Stress in a Down Economy |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Chris Douglas Chris Douglas is a consultant, coach and trainer and his areas of focus include Leadership, Conflict and Stress. His clients include IBM, AMD and governmental agencies. He holds a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. |
| Abstract | Our current economy is causing many people to experience elevated levels of anxiety and stress. In this talk, we'll discuss the impact of stress on our minds and bodies and we'll learn tools that help us access calm and positive mental and emotional states that help us handle the challenges we face in the most effective manner. |
| Date/Time | Wednesday, April 22, 2009, (Please note new meeting date in 2009 is 4th Wednesday of the month), Networking at 6:00 pm; Business and Program from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm |
| Cost | $5.00 minimum charge for the restaurant. Supper is at optional extra cost. |
| Location | China Star Restaurant, 6134 Hwy 290E, Austin TX, Westbound access road of 290E, just east of I-35 |
| Notes | For more information, contact Ed Gordon ebg@ieee.org or Kai Wong kaiwong@ieee.org |
SAVE THE DATE -- May 26th, IEEE CTCN presents HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANT,
Workshop, 2-6 pm, Freescale Semiconductor, 7700 W. Parmer, Austin, TX, Building A, Main auditorium, $20 IEEE/$25 PUBLIC/$35 AT DOOR. For more information, contact Ed Gordon ebg@ieee.org or Kai Wong kaiwong@ieee.org
Do a friend a favor. Bring your colleague to grow the Consultants Network.
The Consultants web directory is to be found at https://www.alesu.com/xltrp/ieeecons/listzero.htm
Do the Consultants Network a favor. Give a talk or get a speaker for one meeting this year. Email the bio and summary to the Chairman.
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| Topic/Title | Issues in Achieving Field Uniformity from 1 GHz to 6 GHz |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Tom Mullineaux, USA Sales Manager, MILMEGA Limited |
| Abstract | This presentation will cover the challenge of achieving the required radiated electric field uniformity over the 1 GHz to 6 GHz frequency range as required by the new EN61000-4-3 Edition 3. An example will be used to demonstrate how the required RF power is determined. Alternatives to the single antenna approach including the use of a 4-horn antenna array and a single-horn with reflector plate are proposed. The results of modeling the alternatives in 3D RF Software will also be presented. |
| Date/Time | Wednesday, April 22, 2009. 6:30 pm social/dinner, 7:00 pm program |
| Reservations | Not required |
| Cost | Free |
| Location | National Instruments, Building C, 11500 North Mopac Expwy., Austin, TX 78759 |
| Notes | See https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/chapters/centraltexas/index.html for directions and parking information. This meeting is open to the public. |
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| Topic/Title | Energy Harvesting Materials and Devices |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Dr. Husam Alshareef, University of Texas at Dallas |
| Abstract | In this presentation, the current research activities and recent results in organic photovoltaics and piezoelectrics will be reviewed. Organic electronics are attractive because of the potential for low-cost and large-area manufacturing that can be achieved on flexible substrates. Yet, there are still formidable challenges that stand in the way of commercialization these devices. The physics, processing, and device characterization of these cells will be reviewed. In addition, energy harvesting from naturally-occurring and man-made vibrations via the piezoelectric effect will be discussed. Unlike solar energy, the piezoelectric energy harvesting approach is targeted only to low-power applications such as self-powered sensors in remote areas and difficult to access applications, where battery replacement is difficult to do. |
| Date/Time | Thursday April 23rd, 2009 6:00-7:30PM |
| Refreshments | Light refreshments are provided |
| Reservations | Please RSVP to Christian Catalan at Christian.Catalan@amd.com. We need an accurate count to purchase refreshments. |
| Location | SEMATECH Room F-C - Map at https://www.sematech.org/corporate/map.htm |
| Notes | Dr. Husam Alshareef is a Research Professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at UT Dallas. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University. Following graduation from NC State (in 1996), he worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Sandia National Laboratory for two years. He then joined Micron technology, where he worked on various aspects of DRAM device fabrication. Dr. Alshareef joined Texas Instruments in 2001, where he worked on process development and integration. The author of more than 120 articles, he has over 45 issued patents. His research interests are in electronic materials and devices, including inorganic and organic semiconductors, photovoltaics, and functional materials. His current research is funded by NSF, ARL, Texas Instruments, Texas Micropower, and the II-VI foundation, among others. He won numerous awards including the United Nations Undergraduate Fellowship, the Seth Sprague Physics Award, the U.S. Department of Education Electronic Materials Fellowship, the Sematech Corporate Excellence Award, and two of Dr. Alshareef's papers on ferroelectrics were cited among the 100 most influential in ferroelectric thin films in the period 1991-2001. Dr. Alshareef is a senior member of the IEEE. |
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| Topic/Title | "Welcome to My World: Modern methods of reconstructing the skull" |
|---|---|
| Speaker | David F. Jimenez, MD, Professor and Chairman of Neurosurgery, UTHSCSA |
| Abstract | Clinical Simulations: Another in our series of talks by local prominent clinicians, to help foster insight and innovation in biomedical engineering. Dr. Jimenez' work with reconstruction of the craniofacial bones following accident or disease is at the leading edge of medicine. His work in building the capabilities and reputation of the Department of Neurosurgery at UTHHSCSA has led to local and national recognition. Come hear from him directly about the latest techniques, example cases, and constant challenges in repairing the effects of congenital defects, trauma, and disease in adults and children. |
| Date/Time | April 15th, 2009 at 6:30 pm |
| Agenda | 6:30 pm - networking, 7:00 pm dinner, 8:00 pm Presentation |
| Cost | $10 IEEE members, $15 non-members, students FREE! |
| Reservations | Please email Royce Johnson (JohnsonR@kci1.com) so we have a head count for dinner. |
| Location | KCI R&D, 6203 Farinon Dr., San Antonio, TX 78249 last KCI bldg on right going west on Farinon Dr from IH10. Enter at end doors. |
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No Graduates of the Last Decade meetings are scheduled for April.
For more Information contact Jason Polendo jpolendo@ieee.org
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No Laser and Electro Optics Society meetings are scheduled for April.
For more information, contact Ray Chen
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No Life Members Affinity Group meetings are scheduled for April.
No Power & Energy Society meetings are scheduled for April.
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| Topic/Title | "Engineering Ethics" |
|---|---|
| Speaker | David Howell, Texas Board of Professional Engineers |
| Date/Time | Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 - 5:57pm Social, 6:31pm Dinner, 7:03pm Program |
| Cost | $10 members, $15 non-members, FREE for students (Cash only please, no checks or credit cards) |
| Reservations | Please RSVP to John Brogan @ 210-353-3375 or jabrogan@ieee.org |
| Location | Grady's BBQ, 6510 San Pedro, San Antonio (210-806-8036) |
| Notes | For more information please go to our web site at https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/sanantonio |
As always you do not have to be an IEEE member to attend.
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| Topic/Title | Transporting Batteries - Shipping Requirements |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Jay Taylor, Dell |
| Date/Time | April 21, 2009, 6:30pm |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | Call Dale Ritzen (512) 651-5338 for details and directions. |
| Location | Dell, Parmer Campus, Parmer South Building 4, Victoria Conference Room. |
We encourage you, others in your organization, or other interested parties to participate in our meetings. The PSES meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm, with the program starting at 7:00 pm. For further information about the PSES, please contact Dale Ritzen at (512)v 651-5338 or Gary Schrempp at gary_schrempp@dell.com.
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| Topic/Title | GNU General Public License: What We've Changed in Version 3 and Why |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Richard Stallman, President & Activist - Free Software Foundation |
| Abstract | Richard Stallman wrote the first GNU General Public License in 1989, and version 3 which was completed in 2007. He will discuss the philosophy of the GNU GPL, the changes made in version 3, and the reasons for those changes. A must attend for software enthusiasts, developers, entrepreneurs, managers, and students. There is limited seating at the venue: first come, first served registration will apply. |
| Date/Time | 23rd April 2009, 6PM - 8PM |
| Cost | Free Registration, light refreshments provided. |
| Reservations | There is Limited Registration due to seating capacity - Click Here to Register. Richard will also talk at the UT Campus on 24th April on: "Copyright vs Community". Please contact Saurabh Sureka at sab@ieee.org for additional information. |
| Location | National Instruments, 11500 N MoPac Expy, Austin, TX 78759 |
| Details | Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system (see www.gnu.org) in 1984. GNU is free software: everyone has the freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes either large or small. The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions of computers today. Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a MacArthur Foundation fellowship,the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award, and the the Takeda Award for Social/Economic Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates. Check our website https://www.cts-comsoc-sp.org for details |
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| Topic/Title | The Road to 4G: The IMT Process and History |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Marc Grant, Principal Technical Architect, AT&T Services, Inc. |
| Abstract | check our website for updates |
| Date/Time | Monday, April 20, 2009 at 6:30pm |
| Cost | Free for IEEE Members, $5 non-members |
| Reservations | Please RSVP to Brian Kelley dr.brian.kelley@gmail.com. |
| Location | SWRI, 6220 Culebra Road, Bldg 139, Room 206 |
| Notes | https://www.cts-comsoc-sp.org |
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| Topic/Title | How to Become a Successful Consultant |
|---|---|
| Date/Time | Tuesday May 26 from 1:30 pm-6:00 pm. Registration starts at 1:30 pm |
| Cost | Cost is $20 IEEE members/$25 public/$35 at the door |
| Reservations | If you are interested please register (forms are online) and return the form to Ed Gordon before May 19. Payment will be taken in check or cash only at the event. No credit cards please. |
| Location | Freescale Semiconductor, 7700 W. Parmer, Austin, TX, Building A, Main auditorium |
| Details | See https://www.austin-tmc.org for details and to RSVP. |
Contact Leslie Martinich (lmartinich@ieee.org) for more information about the Austin TMC.
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No Technology Managmeent Council - San Antonio meetings are scheduled for April.
Contact Nils Smith (nils.smith@ieee.org) for information about the San Antonio TMC.
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No Women in Engineering meetings are scheduled for April.
Women in Engineering has been an Affinity Group of the Central Texas Section since the Fall of 2002.
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IBM and Sun Microsystems are in talks about a merger that would create a computer giant poised to dominate the market for the virtual computing resources on which cloud computing depends. With Big Blue's deep pockets and Sun's cadre of brilliant in-house and independent software and hardware developers, the postmerger company would be a preferred server vendor to small businesses and massive enterprise data centers alike. For more on the benefits that will accrue to IBM and to Sun's crack R&D teams, read on at: IBM Sun Merger
No one is left, of course, to reminisce about the days when IEEE's predecessor society, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, was formed 125 years ago, in 1884. But quite a few members recall when IEEE was formed in January 1963 by the merger of the AIEE and the Institute of Radio Engineers. Read their stories at Early Days
With the world economy so shaky, many IEEE members are looking at consulting to supplement their income or even to replace income from lost jobs. But how do you become a consultant? Read some tips from a recent meeting of the IEEE Consultants Network at Consultant
As resources become scarcer, while more people clamor to share them, and global warming is an increasing danger, it's plain that our current course is not sustainable. To address this, IEEE President John Vig has created the President's Sustainability Initiative to contribute IEEE's expertise to the public dialogue and to strengthen the sustainability efforts of IEEE's societies. Read on at Sustainability
You can't go anywhere these days without appearing on camera. That's especially true in Britain, where by 2002 there were already more than 4.2 million closed-circuit surveillance cameras videotaping people's comings and goings. Though the effectiveness of pervasive surveillance as a crime deterrent is still debated, U.S. government intelligence agencies are stepping up efforts to mine the hours of video for clues to the plans of terrorists and other criminals. The spy agencies' R&D arm is developing an automated system to detect unusual objects and events and categorize them. Read on at: Camera
The start of 2009 marked the official kickoff of IEEE's 125th Anniversary celebration. IEEE is commemorating this milestone with a variety of activities surrounding the theme of Celebrating 125 Years of Engineering the Future. The official 125th anniversary mark is already visible on ieee.org, and is being used on IEEE publication covers and other materials throughout the year. The latest anniversary information is available on https://www.ieee125.org.
Major anniversary events include the first IEEE Presidents' Change the World Competition for college and university students worldwide; a global media roundtable and webcast addressing emerging, world changing technologies on 10 March in New York City; Engineering the Future Day on 13 May and a series of celebrations in major world cities throughout the year:
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