IEEE Central Texas Section

THE ANALOG

Volume 55-06

June 2011

Newsletter of the Central Texas Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.

Archives of The Analog can be found on the CTS web site here.

Published monthly. Deadline for inclusion is the 26th day of the previous month. Send submissions, comments, questions to John Purvis, Editor, john.purvis@ieee.org

CONTENTS

General Interest

Chairman's Column

Membership Development

News of Interest to the Section

Continuing Education

Student Branches

Calls for Volunteers

Local Chapter Activities

Antennas & Propagation/Microwave Theory and Techniques

Joint Circuits and Systems/Solid-State Circuits

Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology

Computer Society - Austin

Computer Society - San Antonio

Consultants Network

Electromagnetic Compatibility Society

Electron Devices Society

Engineering in Medicine and Biology

Graduates of the Last Decade

Instrumentation and Measurement Society

Laser and Electro Optics Society

Life Members Affinity Group

Power Engineering Society - Austin

Power Engineering Society - San Antonio

Product Safety Engineering Society

Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - Austin

Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - San Antonio

Systems, Man and Cybernetics

Technology Management Council - Austin

Technology Management Council - San Antonio

Women in Engineering

Conferences, Other Meetings and Events

Local IEEE Conferences

Other IEEE Events or Workshops

Non-IEEE Meetings & Events of interest suggested by the membership

Miscellaneous

Latest issue of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer

Tips, Tools and Gadgets

IEEE EXTERNAL LINKS

IEEE

IEEE-USA

IEEE Region 5

IEEE Central Texas Section

Call for Papers

IEEEXplore - full text access to IEEE Publications

What's New at IEEE

SocietyNews from IEEE

IEEE Standards Association

The Spectrum Online - The Magazine for Technology Insiders

General Interest

Chairman's Column

We seem to be starting our normally hot summer early this year.  Despite the heat I hope that all and their families were able to enjoy the break of the Memorial Day weekend.  With this time for vacations, our activity level be somewhat reduced over the coming three months.  I hope that all will have an opportunity to get away from work and recharg themselves.

I wanted to congratulate our reently elevated members, Kanak Agarwal and Bhyrav Mutnury.  We will be organizing a Senior Member upgrade night for later this year, so that more of our membership can apply for rank elevation.  We will announce the date and location in a future issue of the Analog.  

One of our members,  Len Hause, was recently able to participate in the annual IEEE DC fly-in.  This annual event is a great way to speak out for IEEE to members of Congress.  Take a few minutes and read Len's account of his visit in the News of Interest to the Section section of the Analog, and consider volunteering for the 2012 fly-in.

Tom Grim
Chairman, Central Texas Section
t.grim@ieee.org

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Membership Development

Membership only E-learning tutorials

The IEEE is giving renewing members access to free E-learning tutorials.  In addition to those already provided at no charge to IEEE members, the following online tutorials are available courtesy of IEEE:
  • The four-part series Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School by Carl Selinger
  • Thinking Like a Leader: The TILL System by Kim Sydow Campbell
  • Introduction to IEEE 802 by Todor Cooklev
  • Introduction to Nanotechnology by Meyya Meyyappan
  • Introduction to Universal Plug and Play Technology by Jack Weast
  • Development Of Fuel Cell Technology for Electric Power Generation by John Scott
  • Computational Intelligence: Natural Information Processing by Leonid Perlovsky
Watch your inbox for an IEEE Email with details or visit the IEEE Member Loyalty eLearning Package website.

Not an IEEE member and have been waiting to join?

Join now with ½ year dues!  Join IEEE and receive 8 months of membership for the price of six.  If you have been away from IEEE for more than a year, you can re-join for half price!

Did you know about IEEE - IEEE Jobsite

IEEE maintains a Jobsite to assist engineers in finding jobs, seeing what is available, and determining benefit and salary comparisons.  The site is open to the public but many of the extended capabilities are available through your IEEE Web Account.  See https://careers.ieee.org/
  • The upgraded Jobsite contains:
  • Schedules of virtual and physical carrier fairs from major employers
  • Webinars on using IEEE job seeker tools and other topics
  • Articles on the latest employment trends
  • IEEE Job Search Widget
  • Rated as one of top 100 job website
Log on and check it out!

Joe Redfield
CTS Membership Development Chair
J.Redfield@ieee.org
210-522-3729

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News of Interest to the Section

IEEE Energy Policy Fly-In
If you ever wonder how you can use your engineering skills and experience to influence government policy and get a feel for how things are done in Washington DC, I would highly recommend participating in an IEEE Fly-In event.  I recently participated in the IEEE Energy Policy Fly-In which was organized by the IEEE-USA Washington office.  The purpose of the event was to enable IEEE members to have conversations with policy makers to help inform them on upcoming legislation and present a point of view from an experienced professional. The members represent themselves as constituents and may go solo or with several other members from the same locale.  The IEEE-USA office does an excellent job in support of the process in several ways:  They publish a Policy Position Statement which summarizes the work of many IEEE volunteers in a way that is very relevant to the issues concerning Congress, they set up logistics for scheduling with the Congressional members and/or staff, and they hold a pre-meeting to go over specific upcoming legislation and how to best conduct a successful conversation.

This was my second Fly-In event so I was already familiar with the process but I very much appreciated the well prepared materials and the logistical support.  The Capitol complex can be pretty intimidating and it always helps to have someone at hand to get you to where you need to be.  It also of benefit to be associated with the IEEE as it is long established and respected professional organization on Capitol Hill that is not tainted by party-bias or lobbyist credentials. I visited with the staff of 2 House members and both Senators from Texas.  The conversations were very cordial and the information was well received.  In several instances, the staff was not well informed as to the content of the upcoming legislation so they appreciated hearing how it was relevant straight from an interested and professional constituent.  I was asked by several staff members about an opportunity for follow-up.  I found the best strategy for getting your point across is to come prepared with some personal stories on how these issues affect you and your local area.  They love stories in DC!!

I highly recommend participating in one of these events.  In addition to the satisfaction you feel as a concerned citizen practicing your rights, you get first-hand insight as to how the governmental process works (good and bad) and you get some great new professional connections!

Get more info on future Fly-Ins and Energy Policy recommendations at:
https://www.ieeeusa.org
https://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/energyplan

Len Hause
President
MashBrain Consulting LLC
Austin, TX
len@mashbrain.com

Georgetown University Reports on the value of a Degree
A recent study of the economic value of several undergraduate degrees by major was recently published by Georgetown University.  Engineering graduates ranged fro $55K to $120K, the best of the majors evaluated. Computer and mathematics grads were alos rated highly, $50K to $98K.  More information on the report can be obtained at https://chronicle.com/article/Median-Earnings-by-Major-and/127604/.

Texas Dominates in Study of Best Cities for 2011 Job Growth
Texas cities claimed the top 6 positions in a study released by Forbes.com and NewGeography.com.  Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos came ranked fourth, while San Antonio-New Braunfels ranked seventeenth of nearly 400 locations evaluated.  More information can be seen at https://www.newgeography.com/content/002215-the-best-cities-jobs-2011.

at&t Launches Wi-Fi Hotzone on Austin's Sixth Street
at&t announced in early May that it will launch its fifth major Wi-Fi "hotzone" along Austin's Sixth Street Entertainment District.  at&t said it would provide Wi-Fi from the 100 block to 600 block on Sixth Street, between Congress and I35.  at&t's's hotzone is said to provide much better Wi-Fi coverage than a typical Wi-Fi access point.  This will be a permanent version of the temporary Wi-Fi zone set up for SXSW earlier this year.  

Congratulations to Central Texas Section members recently promoted to Senior Member
At the April meeting of the Admission & Advancement (A&A) review panel Kanak Agarwal and Bhyrav Mutnury were both elevated to Senior Member status. 

Are You Moving to the Cloud?
Storing documents using Dropbox, playing games with OnLive . . . more and more people are moving their data to the cloud. Cloud computing services allow users to access their content from any computer by connecting to outside servers storing the data. Fans say they like accessing content from any Internet-connected device without worrying about running out of storage space. But critics warn that cloud data can be unreliable if accessed from mobile devices because fast Wi-Fi networks are frequently unavailable, and cellular networks are getting too  congested. Some are also concerned about the security of their data.

Will storage in the cloud become the most popular way to store data? Would you--or do you already--use cloud services? Weigh in at <mailto:institute@ieee.org>

GirlGeeks, https://www.girlgeeks.org/
GirlGeeks is an organization that encourages women to pursue and develop careers in technology. The organization started in 1998 as a documentary film about women's impact on computing throughout history. The GirlGeeks website states that "technology for communication and community-building are more important than ever...[and] we want to ensure that women and other often-overlooked groups have the freedom, motivation and resources to participate in this new world." Visitors will find that the website is divided up into the categories: "Inner Geek," "Education," "Technology," "Career," and "Business." The "Inner Geek" area has a section called "Inspiring Women" that features women in various technology industries. Visitors can also read about very young women, as young as age 12, who have already had success in these fields. The "Technology" category provides articles about updating one's knowledge and increasing one's skill-set in topical areas like shareware and open source materials, to name just a few.

STEM Education Coalition, https://www.stemedcoalition.org/
The Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition is an educational lobbying group that promotes "policies to improve STEM education at all levels." A coalition consisting of 500 organizations, it aims to educate policymakers about the importance of STEM education in keeping the U.S. competitive in the global marketplace. Visitors can find testimony and letters from the Coalition to various lawmakers in the "Positions and Activities" tab, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and President Obama himself. The "STEM Resources" tab has multiple links to fact sheets, report cards, and various reports that indicate the state of STEM education in the U.S. Visitors will also find an extensive number of panel discussions, commissions, and reports, beginning with a report from September 1996 on teaching and America's future to a more recent report titled "Tapping America's Potential: Gaining Momentum, Losing Ground.

TeachEngineering, https://www.teachengineering.org/
The TeachEngineering website is a resource for teachers who seek to make engineering concepts come to life for students in grades K-12. It is also worth nothing that some of the resources are appropriate for college-level students. Funded with money from the National Science Foundation, a team of university researchers worked to create a searchable web-based digital library of free and accessible curriculum resources. The rationale behind teaching engineering to K-12 students is helpfully explained to visitors in the "K-12 Engineering" tab near the top of the page. To search or browse the database, visitors can use such criteria as "Lessons," "Subject Areas," or "Educational Standards." Other ways visitors can view the curriculum include the highlighted "Editor's Picks," "Most Popular," and "Recently Added" sections. The student activity "Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs of Design" is the May 2011 Editor's Pick.

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Continuing Education

Webinar: Acoustics Simulation in Devices Using COMSOL
If you're modeling acoustics in devices with small geometrical features, you have to deal with the physics of thermoacoustics. This webinar on 15 June deals with thermoacoustics and the simulation of small acoustic devices. Also discussed are efficient modeling strategies for coupling thermoacoustics to classical pressure acoustics and lumped models. For more information and to register, visit https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/18069/32170
Now On Demand: Performance Analysis of Embedded Systems
IBM and Inchron, a software development company, have teamed up to create a new model-based approach to developing real-time embedded systems. Learn about what they've accomplished at this webinar, available on demand, which also presents examples of automotive in-vehicle systems that use the approach. Watch it at https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/18070/32170

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Student Branches

St Mary's University - San Antonio (https://engineering.stmarytx.edu/ieee/)
Faculty Adviser: Djaffer Ibaroudene, email: dibaroudene@stmarytx.edu
Branch Chair: Ug Igboanugo, email: uigboanugo@mail.stmarytx.edu

Texas State University - San Marcos (new branch, 2009)
Faculty Adviser: Larry Larson, email: Larry.Larson@TXState.edu
Branch President: Eduardo Gonzalez, email: eg1196@txstate.edu

Trinity University - San Antonio (https://www.engr.trinity.edu/)
Faculty Adviser: Farzan Aminian, email: Farzan.Aminian@Trinity.edu
Branch Chair: Paurakh Rajbhandary, email: paurakh.rajbhandary@trinity.edu

University of Texas at Austin (https://ieee.ece.utexas.edu/)
Faculty Adviser: Sriram Vishwanath, email: sriram@ece.utexas.edu
Branch Chair: Erik Eyberg, email: chair@ieee.ece.utexas.edu

University of Texas at San Antonio (https://www.utsaieee.org/)
Faculty Adviser: Yufang Jin, email: Yufang.Jin@utsa.edu
Branch Chair: Kevin Messenhimer, email: kmessen@gmail.com


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Calls for Volunteers

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Local Chapter Activities

Antennas & Propagation/Microwave Theory and Techniques (APS/MTTS)
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/ap_mtt/


Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker


Abstract

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Reservations


Location

Notes

 We are looking for anyone interested in presenting at our next meeting.  If interested please contact Jeremy Pruitt @ jeremy.pruitt@ieee.org

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Joint Circuits and Systems/Solid-State Circuits (CASS/SSCS)
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/ssc_css/

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

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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 renhaoxing@ieee.org or zhuoli@ieee.org

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Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology (CPMT) - Austin
https://cpmtaustinchapter.org/

No meeting scheduled at this time.

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Computer Society - Austin (CS)
https://www.austin-cs.org/

Topic/title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

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Abstract

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Computer Society - San Antonio (CS)
https://www.ieee-cs-cts.org/

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

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Central Texas Consultants Network Affinity Group
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/cn

Topic/Title Consultants Workshop - “Key Consulting Support Tools”
Speaker
Speaker Bio
Abstract


Date Wednesday,  June 15, 2011, 2-6:00 PM.
Location

Freescale Bldg-A Conference Center at 7700 W. Parmer Lane, Austin (See map per link):
 
https://www.imaps.org/chapters/centraltexas/images/2006June_Maps.pdf
Cost

$20/$30 IEEE members;   $25/$35 Public;   In Advance/At Door.   Please pay at the event with cash or check to ”IEEE-CTS.”  No Credit Cards please.    

Reservations Please RSVP to Bob Baker at:  mailto:rjbakeratx@austin.rr.com.  
Notes

For more information, go to:  https://www.ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/cn/index.htm

Do a friend a favor. Bring your colleagues to grow the Consultants Network.

More information on Consultants Networks: https://www.ieeeusa.org/business/whatis.asp

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Electromagnetic Compatibility Society
https://ewh.ieee.org/mu/ctx-emcs/

No meeting scheduled at this time.

Topic/title

 Ten Things You Must Know About NEBS

Speaker

 Dave Lorusso

Dave Lorusso is an international regulatory consultant specializing in NEBS design and testing.  He can be reached by phone at 512-695-5871, or by e-mail at dave@lorusso.com.

Abstract

 Network Equipment–Building System (NEBS) requirements are the most common set of safety, spatial and environmental design guidelines applied to telecommunications equipment in the United States. These requirements are critical to maintaining a robust telecommunications infrastructure. The NEBS equipment design guidelines, are described in Telcordia documents GR-63-CORE (Physical Protection) and GR-1089-CORE (EMC and Electrical Safety). This presentation will cover the ten most important things to know when attempting to apply the hundreds of requirements which must be met to get your product into a phone company's Central Office.

Date/time

 June 21, 2011
6:30-7:00pm Food, drinks and networking
7:00-8:30pm Presentation

Location

MET Labs, 13301 McAllen Pass, Austin, TX

Cost

None

Reservations

Not required

Notes

See the EMC Society Chapter web site at https://ewh.ieee.org/mu/ctx-emcs/ additional information. This meeting is open to the public. Please note that this is a different meeting place for the Product Safety and EMC Society chapters.


Joint meeting with the PSES Society.

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Electron Devices Society (EDS)
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/eds/

Topic/Title

 Noise as an Assessment Technique for Degradation in LDMOS Transistors 

Speaker

 Zeynep Çelik-Butler

Zeynep Çelik-Butler is Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of Nanotechnology Research and Teaching Facility at the University of Texas at Arlington. She received dual B.S. degrees in electrical engineering and physics from Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey, in 1982. She received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering in 1984 and 1987, respectively, from the University of Rochester. She was an IBM Pre-doctoral Fellow from 1983 to 1984, and an Eastman Kodak Pre-doctoral Fellow from 1985 to 1987. She joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at Southern Methodist University in 1987 as an Assistant Professor; was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in 1993. Dr. Çelik-Butler was the holder of J. Lindsay Embrey Trustee Assistant Professorship from 1990 to 1993. She served as the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Research from 1996 to 1999. She moved to University of Texas at Arlington in 2002.

She served in various technical committees including 1988, 1989 IEEE-IEDM's and Annual Symposia on Electronic Materials, Processing and Characterization (1989 - 1992) and International Conference on Noise in Physical Systems and 1/f Fluctuations (1993, 1999, 2001-2009 ).  She was the General Chair of TEXMEMS II Workshop. She was the co-Chair for the SPIE Conf. on Noise in Devices and Circuits in the Symp. on Fluctuation and Noise (FaN'2003) and the symposium co-chair for the same symposium in 2005 (FaN’2005). She was an editor for Fluctuation and Noise Letters from 1999 to 2005. She currently serves in the editorial board of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices and Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics.

Prof. Çelik-Butler has received several awards including the University of Texas at Arlington Outstanding Research Achievement Award (2006), IEEE-Dallas Section Electron Devices Society Outstanding Service Awards (1995, 1997), IEEE-Electron Devices Society, Service Recognition Award (1995, 2009), IEEE-Electron Devices Society, Distinguished Lecturer Appreciation Award (2006), Outstanding Electrical Engineering Graduate Faculty Awards (1996, 1997, 2001), and SMU-Sigma Xi Research Award (1997). Her research interests include microelectromechanical systems, multi-functional reconfigurable sensors, noise and reliability in nanoelectronic devices. She has four awarded and three pending patents, six book chapters, and over 170 journal and conference publications in these fields. Dr. Çelik -Butler’s research has been supported by NSF, NASA, AFOSR, ARO, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, SRC, Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Laerdal Co., L-3 Communications, Legerity, ST-Microelectronics, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Dr. Çelik-Butler is a senior member of IEEE, member of Eta Kappa Nu, and the American Physical Society.

Abstract

 Degradation mechanisms observed in LDMOS transistors differ substantially from the degradation effects usually observed in standard CMOS transistors. In addition, as the current is flowing at the interface, and as the gate or the drain is subjected to high voltage, LDMOS devices are prone to hot carrier injection, trap generation and degradation, leading to higher Ron, and lower Idsat. Several LDMOS characteristics such as breakdown voltage, specific on-resistance, on-state breakdown voltage or safe operating area, and energy capability interact with each other in a competing manner, requiring compromises. This presentation will focus on determination of different degradation mechanisms in LDMOS using noise power spectral density measurements. The techniques developed by our group separates the contribution to degradation from different regions, specifically the channel/gate dielectric interface, extended lateral drain/gate dielectric interface, and the drain drift region.

Date/Time

 June 23rd, 2011
Meeting time: 6:00-7:30PM
Refreshments: 6:00-6:30PM

Refreshments


Reservations


Location

 Meeting Location: Rio Grande Conference room at SVTC
Map: https://www.sematech.org/corporate/map.htm

Notes

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Engineering in Medicine and Biology (EMBS)
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/embs/index.html

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
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Engineering Management
https://www.ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/ems

The Engineering Management Society has become the Technology Management Council. Information about meetings can be found in the sections for Technology Management Council - Austin and Technology Management Council - San Antonio

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Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Affinity Group

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
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Notes Welcome from the new Chair of IEEE CTS GOLD,

It is my pleasure to serve as the Chair for CTS GOLD.  I am excited about implementing Social Events, Networking Events, Workshops/Seminars, Focus Groups, Career Guidance Mentorship, and much more. 

I am usually tied to a computer deep in the basement, as most Information Technology workers are, so I am truly excited to plan and participate in events that get me away from staring at a screen.  I enjoy any chance to be outdoors, especially if it is with Remote Control 1/8 scale gas powered buggies, which is one of my favorite hobbies.  I will plan an R/C event if other members enjoy R/C as well, just utilize my contact details below to let me know. 

As the GOLD Group matures, events, discussions, and useful resources will be posted on the following sites.
Events: https://goo.gl/d8D0D
Linkedin Group: https://goo.gl/aVi3O
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/2wQ4Z

I am planning a kickoff event, so make sure you visit the resource pages above to get the latest news.

Thank you,
Troy Green
Chair, IEEE CTS GOLD
troy.green@ieee.org

More information on GOLD: https://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/gold/index.html

GOLD Launches Mentoring Connection Webinar
Are you interested in becoming a mentor or finding a mentor to help with  your professional development? If the answer is yes, check out a free new IEEE Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) webinar aimed at
helping mentors and mentees connect with each other. Learn more at https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/17953/32170

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Instrumentation and Measurement Society

Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

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Abstract

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Laser and Electro Optics Society

No meeting scheduled at this time.

For more information, contact Ray Chen

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Life Members (LM) Affinity Group - San Antonio

Topic/Title Alamo Regional Mobility
Speaker Mr. Leroy Alloway, Director of Community Development at Alamo RMA
Abstract

Those of us who have lived in Houston, Boston, or Los Angeles may consider San Antonio's traffic congestion to be a trivial problem.

There are, however, plenty of problems to be solved in San Antonio, mostly fueled by the city's rapid growth.

With the motto "Moving people faster", the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority was created to be a proactive partner empowering our community to address our congestion and mobility concerns through local means with local leadership.

Please join the Life Member Group as we hear from the Alamo RMA about its current and future activities.
Date/Time Thursday, June 16, 2010
11:30 AM Lunch (Italian menu - a meatless option will be available)
12:00 PM Program
Location Aldino at the Vineyard
1203 NW Loop 1604 (C. W. Anderson Loop at Blanco Road)
San Antonio, Texas
Cost

$10 each for members, $15 each for guests
Reservations Seating is limited.  Please call Tom O'Brien, Vice Chair, at 210 481 3443 or e-mail  t.p.obrien@ieee.org before 5 PM June 15th.
Notes


More information on LM: https://www.ieee.org/societies_communities/geo_activities/life_members/index.html

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Power and Energy Society - Austin (PES)
https://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/austin

Topic/Title

Smart Meter Communications
Speaker Herman Millican of Austin Energy

Herman Millican received a BSEE degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. He started work in the electricity industry in February, 1958 in the Distribution Engineering section with LCRA giving him over fifty years of experience in the electricity industry which includes work for utilities, suppliers, and manufacturers of electrical test equipment. Since June, 1973 he has been devoted to revenue metering. Millican is a Life Senior member of IEEE and is representing IEEE to the ANSI C12 committee and subcommittees for twenty years as a voting member. Currently he is chairman of the ANSI C12 subcommittee 16, which is responsible for C12.20 and is vice chair of the North American End Device Registration Authority. He has been associated with the Southwest Electric Meterman Association (SWEMA) since 1973, is a past President of SWEMA, has served on the planning committee, has been awarded top instructor several times, and is a SWEMA Circle Of Honor recipient. In 1994, he joined Austin Energy and is currently Superintendent of Metering Operations. Herman and Evalyn, his wife for almost 50 years, keeps in touch with their three children, twelve grandchildren, and soon to be eight great-grandchildren. 
Abstract How does the utility/consumer get the results of the meter’s metrology from the meter? Or in other words, what makes the “smart grid” smart? What data can be extracted from the “smart meter”? How can the utility use this data? This presentation will look at these questions and at one method of getting information from the “smart meter” to the utility/consumer in order to increase their intelligence.
Date/Time Tuesday, June 28, 2011
 6:00 PM Social
6:30 to 7:00 PM Dinner
7:00 to 7:30 PM Business Meeting
7:30 to 8:30 PM Program
9:00 PM room closes for the benefit of long distance drivers and early risers
Location  El Gallo Mexican Restaurant, 512-444-2205
2910 S Congress (directions below)
Austin, Texas
Cost · $11 or $13 for IEEE members and accompanying spouses
· $14 or $16 for non-IEEE members
· $2 for Drinks
· Student members FREE and $2 for specials,
· $3 student visitors, and non-meal participants
The bar will be available to those who care to purchase a drink or beer. When you order, you will have a choice from nine special selections and six traditional combinations on our menu.
Reservations

Please RSVP - if you plan to attend please reply to this invitation. To reply or for further information, please contact Steve Pearson via email:  pearssteve@gmail.com

Notes

There is a large parking lot in front of and on the south side of the restaurant. The meeting will be held in the party room to the left of the cashier’s counter.

Directions:          (See the map linked from the Website, https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/)

From I –35:  Exit at Oltorf and drive west. At S. Congress, turn left (south). El Gallo is about 500 feet past the next traffic light (Cumberland), on the right (west) side of Congress, directly across from the entrance to St. Edward’s University.                    

From Ben White Blvd. (US290/SH71):  Exit at S. Congress Avenue and drive north. El Gallo is about 600 feet past the next traffic light (Woodward), on the left (west) side of Congress directly across from the entrance to St. Edward’s University.

Check the web site for further information

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Power and Energy Society - San Antonio
https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/sanantonio

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
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Product Safety Engineering Society (PSES)
https://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/pses/

Topic/Title Ten Things You Must Know About NEBS
Speaker Dave Lorusso

Dave Lorusso is an international regulatory consultant specializing in NEBS design and testing.  He can be reached by phone at 512-695-5871, or by e-mail at dave@lorusso.com.
Abstract Network Equipment–Building System (NEBS) requirements are the most common set of safety, spatial and environmental design guidelines applied to telecommunications equipment in the United States. These requirements are critical to maintaining a robust telecommunications infrastructure. The NEBS equipment design guidelines, are described in Telcordia documents GR-63-CORE (Physical Protection) and GR-1089-CORE (EMC and Electrical Safety). This presentation will cover the ten most important things to know when attempting to apply the hundreds of requirements which must be met to get your product into a phone company's Central Office.
Date/Time June 21, 2011
6:30-7:00pm Food, drinks and networking
7:00-8:30pm Presentation
Cost

None
Reservations

Not required
Location MET Labs, 13301 McAllen Pass, Austin, TX
Notes

See the EMC Society Chapter web site at https://ewh.ieee.org/mu/ctx-emcs/ additional information. This meeting is open to the public. Please note that this is a different meeting place for the Product Safety and EMC Society chapters.


Joint meeting with the EMC Society.

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 6:30pm, with the program starting at 7:00pm. For further information about the PSES, please contact Dale Ritzen at (512) 651-5338.

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Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - Austin
https://www.cts-comsoc-sp.org/

Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Location


Cost


Reservations

Notes



Check our website https://www.cts-comsoc-sp.org for details.

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Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - San Antonio
https://www.cts-comsoc-sp.org/

Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Location


Cost

Reservations


Notes

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Systems, Man & Cybernetics Society

Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Location


Cost

Reservations


Notes

 For further information, contact David Akopian david.akopian@utsa.edu

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Technology Management Council - Austin
https://www.austin-tmc.org/

Topic/Title The People Side of Engineering

Doug will provide some insights from his terrific book Succeeding the in Project Management Jungle: How to Manage the People Side of Projects. 

Also, Donna Imam and Leslie Martinich will introduce a fantastic new program for Central Texas, based on pioneering work at Deutsche Bank, Unilever, Sodexo, and IBM Europe, as reported in the Harvard Business Review.
Speaker Doug Russell of Executive Team Leadership
Date/Time Thursday, June 9
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Networking, Dinner, Talk)
Location El Gallo Restaurant, 2910 S. Congress, Austin.
Cost $15 includes dinner.
Registration RSVP (required) and more information: click here. 
Notes Receipts and Certifications for PDHs will be available.  Doug will have a limited number of copies of his book available for purchase.

int meeting with the Women in Engineering chapter

Contact Leslie Martinich (lmartinich@ieee.org) for more information about the Austin TMC.

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Technology Management Council - San Antonio (TMC)

https://webinabox.vtools.ieee.org/wibp_home/index/CH05214
Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker
Abstract
Date/Time
Location
Cost
Registration
Notes

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Women in Engineering Affinity Group
https://www.austin-wie.org/

Topic/Title The People Side of Engineering

Doug will provide some insights from his terrific book Succeeding the in Project Management Jungle: How to Manage the People Side of Projects. 

Also, Donna Imam and Leslie Martinich will introduce a fantastic new program for Central Texas, based on pioneering work at Deutsche Bank, Unilever, Sodexo, and IBM Europe, as reported in the Harvard Business Review.
Speaker Doug Russell of Executive Team Leadership
Date/Time Thursday, June 9
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Networking, Dinner, Talk)
Location El Gallo Restaurant, 2910 S. Congress, Austin.
Cost $15 includes dinner.
Registration RSVP (required) and more information: click here. 
Notes Receipts and Certifications for PDHs will be available.  Doug will have a limited number of copies of his book available for purchase.

Joint meeting with the Austin Technology Management Council chapter

Contact Leslie Martinich (lmartinich@ieee.org) for more information about the Austin TMC.

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Conferences, Other Meetings and Events

Local IEEE Conferences


Other IEEE Events or Workshops

  • June 15, 2011: Consultants Workshop
      • The IEEE Central Texas Consultant's Network presents: “Key Consulting Support Tools”
       
      A successful consultant brings expertise in a given area to the pursuit of satisfying a client's objectives.  But a consulting business requires more than technical expertise to be viable.  Some of the key support tools that are required to facilitate client acquisition will be discussed in this workshop.  Join us to learn from our panel of experts.
       
      The Agenda:
      1:30 -2:00     Registration & Networking

      2:00 -2:05     Introduction – Kai Wong

      2:05 -3:00     "Why Entrepreneurs Fail"
                              Kevin Koym,  Tech Ranch

      3:00 -3:55     “Mentoring, Coaching, and the Importance of Examples"
                              Dr. John Vanston,  Future Technology Inc.

      3:55 -4:10     Break

      4:10 -5:05     "Marketing Your Consulting Business"
                              Dr. Robert Badgley,  Emcon Systems

      5:05 -6:00     "Building a Simple and Sustainable Sales Plan"
                              Bob Davis,  Simple Sales Strategy

               
      The Location:
      Freescale Semiconductor, 7700 W. Parmer, Austin TX, Building A, Auditorium
       
      Cost for this workshop:  $20/$30 IEEE members;   $25/$35 Public;   In Advance/At Door.
       
      Please pay at the event with cash or check to ”IEEE-CTS.”  No Credit Cards please.
       
      RSVP to Bob Baker at:  rjbakeratx@austin.rr.com
       
      For more information, go to:  https://www.ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/cn/index.htm

Non-IEEE Meetings and Events of interest suggested by the membership

June 7, 2011
Event:     Agile Austin Meeting
Date:     June 7, 2011
Time:     6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:     Quarry Oaks Atrium, Bldg. 2 - 2nd Fl., 10900 S. Stonelake Blvd. Austin, TX 78759
Speaker:     Nathan Slippen, Chief Technologist, US with Valtech
Title:     One Shot at Agile Scrum
 
Description:     In an age where companies' IT and Business have to work together to keep up with today's fast past on the next best software product offering, they are striving to build better quality software, quicker to meet time to market demand, but understanding how to meet the end goal is a challenge. They often look for the 'Silver Bullet', to find there really is no such thing. Generally after much searching within management and struggling with IT, and nearly out of time, the companies find hope using 'Agile Scrum, but you only have so much time to get it right, before someone call's it quits. Here are some guidelines on what to do, when you have only 'One Shot at Agile Scrum".
 
Speaker Bio:     Nathan Slippen is currently the Chief Technologist in the US with Valtech, a global leader in IT solutions delivery, consulting, and training utilizing the 'Agile Scrum' methodology as a foundation in it's service offerings. Nathan spends his time setting the tactical and strategic direction in the US, as well as with our global counterparts, from a technology and process perspective with his practice leads, which contributes to the quality Valtech provides our customers in the states as well as abroad.

Nathan has over 23 years experience in the IT industry as a consultant to fortune 500 companies, federal, state and local government. He has over 11 years as an Enterprise Architect / Technical Lead of Software Projects using two, three and multi tier systems. His expertise include: C, C++, Java, Objective C, and C# Programming, DB Administration, Networking Engineering, Systems Administration on Windows and Unix Systems, and holds certifications from Oracle and S! crum Alliance.

Nathan is a Certified Scrum Professional and has been a speaker at many highly regarded agile conferences. He was a co-founder of the Werx project, and is currently a partner in Market Mentor Trader and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
 
Additional Information
Cost:     Free
Map Directions:     From Mopac, take Braker Lane exit. Turn West on Braker Ln to Balcones Center Dr, then turn Right to Stonelake Blvd. Turn left on Stonelake Blvd.
From 183, take Braker Lane exit. Turn East on Braker Ln to Stonelake Blvd. Turn left at Stonelake Blvd. (map)
More Info:    www.agileaustin.org or info@AgileAustin.org
Agenda:     Sign-in and Networking     6:00 - 6:30 PM
Announcements, Presentation 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Q&A and Networking     8:00 - 8:15 PM
SIG Open Space     8:15 - 9:00 PM

June 19-25, 2011
First Bytes Computer Science Camp at UT Austin
The Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin will host First Bytes, Version 9.0 - a free one-week residential program for high school women - designed to dispel myths about computer science and intrigue these young women with the potential of computing and the excitement of problem solving - June 19-25, 2011. Application forms and more information available on line.  All portions of the application must be submitted or postmarked by Friday, March 25, 2011.
June 24-25, 2011
The Texas Symposium on Software Engineering (TSSE)
Although the previous decades have yielded many significant achievements, the 6th decade (2010’s) of software engineering brings us a focus on ensuring that software is constructed to standards that meet the lifetime demands that will be placed on it. This requires our attention to such matters as: architectural pattern quality, requirements dynamics, ubiquity, mobility, verifiability, security, evolvability, measurability, effective lifecycle paradigms and total cost/benefit of ownership.  Emerging technology in these areas will enhance our ability to manage the increasing complexity and ubiquity of modern software systems, as well as boost overall system quality and reduce costs and vulnerabilities.
 
TSSE is a regional software engineering conference sponsored by the UT Center for Advanced Research in Software Engineering (UT ARiSE), providing a forum for managers, practitioners, researchers and educators to discuss the most recent trends, experiences and concerns in the field of software systems engineering.  In order to accelerate community learning, this conference will identify and discuss the critical issues impacting software engineering professionals and their organizations in the next decade. 
 
TSSE offers an exciting program of events, including keynote talks, presentations, panels, tutorials, and poster sessions. The event will be complemented by a set of social opportunities, providing further venues for discussion and networking.
 
Register by May 15th for a 20% discount.
For more information see the conference web site at  https://tsse.ece.utexas.edu

November 5-6, 2011
Second Annual Texas Science and Engineering Festival (TSEF)
It is with great enthusiasm that MAES announces the Second Annual Texas Science and Engineering Festival (TSEF).

The Texas Festival is modeled after the highly successful Austin Science and Engineering Festival. With an estimated 20,000 people in 2010, attendance at the first Austin Science and Engineering Festival (ASEF) proved that STEM is fun!

Fueled by the best scientific and educational resources in the area all geared towards making science interesting, relevant and fun, the ASEF committee worked in partnership with the community to develop an annual initiative to engage and excite Texas in the wonders of science and engineering.

This year we expand the festival to the entire state of Texas with the first state-wide Texas Science and Engineering Festival. The Texas Science and Engineering Festival will be an even larger celebration, jam-packed with the smiling faces of our future scientists and engineers as they explore the myriad of STEM-related activities – lectures, exhibitions, plays, workshops, and more. There will be something for everyone!

As a partner, your name and logo will be prominently displayed on the Festival website. There is no funding required from our partners. Partners are encouraged to:

• promote the festival
• provide volnteers

Where Will You Be When Science Takes Over Texas?

The two-day Expo will be held at the Austin Convention Center on November 5-6, 2011. We invite you to become a partner of the Texas Science and Engineering Festival.

This will be a great opportunity for your organization to gain additional public awareness and recognition. Please join us in encouraging the youth of America to embrace and pursue the opportunities available in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Join us at the Texas Science and Engineering Festival, one of the largest celebrations of science and engineering. We look forward to another exciting, interesting and fun festival.

You can find out more at https://texassciencefestival.org

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Miscellaneous

May issue of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer includes these features:

Your career, your life
  • Career Focus: Biomedical Engineering
  • Restoring Balance to Your Work and Life
  • Don't Let Doubts About Age Sabotage Your Career
  • Finding a Job in the Hidden Job Market

U.S. innovation & competitiveness
  • Stemming the Tide: New Study Examines Why Women Leave Engineering
  • Diversity and Inclusion Fuels Innovation in STEM

Energy Update
  • World Engineering Convention Seeks an Engineering Approach to Addressing Global Energy Challenges

Licensure & registration
  • Path to Licensure: A BSSE or BSCS?
  • Exemption to PE Licensure Under Review

Resources
  • IEEE-USA Toolkit
  • Tech News Digest

Tips, Tools and Gadgets

This past spring I taught a class in the Masters of Computer Informations Systems program at St. Edward's University.  At the end of most classes I took a few minutes to mention a "Tip, Tool or Gadget" that I thought  might be of interest to my students.  This addition seemed to be well received.  Thinking about changes to The Analog, I imagined that our readers might be interested in the same kinds of brief suggestions.  

We are all introduced to new phone apps, web sites, software, and gadgets almost every day.  Occassionally we find one that is of particular benefit to our productivity, or adds greatly to our entertainment and relaxation.  I hope to bring something to The Analog in each of the months ahead to share with the readers that I have found to be useful, or that has been recommended to me by a reader.

This month I want to recommend the application Evernote (https://www.evernote.com/).  This application can, and should, be installed almost everywhere - PCs (both Windows and Macs), android devices, and IOS devices.  Web pages, notes, pictures, documents can all be captured and stored in Evernote.  A file captured on one device and saved to Evernote will replicate to your other devices with Evernote installed.  Evernote offers a great way to capture a variety of information and save it for later retrieval and use.  I find that I access something I have saved in Evernote daily  from my MacBook, iPad or android phone.  There are both free and paid ($5 per month, $45 per year) versions, though with a 60MB per month upload limit for the free account, I am still using it.  If this sounds like it might be useful to you, check out the full features on the Evernot web site.  

If you have comments, or suggestions as to something I should mention in a future issue, please let me know at john.purvis@ieee.org.  I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions.