IEEE Central Texas Section

THE ANALOG

Volume 56-03

March 2012

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

Joint Power and Energy, Power Electronics, Industrial Electronics, and Industrial Applications Societies - Austin

Power Engineering Society - San Antonio

Product Safety Engineering Society

Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - Austin

Joint Communications and Signal Processing Society - San Antonio

Systems, Man and Cybernetics

Technology Management Council - Austin

Technology Management Council - San Antonio

Women in Engineering

Conferences, Events and Other Meetings

Local IEEE Conferences, Events and Workshops

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

Miscellaneous

Latest issue of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Events and Information

Career

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

IEEE Regional News

General Interest

Chairman's Column

The Central Texas Section again this year sponsored a series of meetings for Engineering Week, February 20-24. This year there were four EWEEK events, 2 in the evening and two Lunch & Learns. They were all very well attended with over 50 attendees at two of them. CTS would like to thank NI, HP, IBM and AMD for being gracious hosts for EWEEK 20112. I would like to thank all the volunteers and presenters for putting on high quality and informative events. There are many great speakers and topics planned at chapter meetings in the next few months, be sure to check the listings below for upcoming meetings.

Kenny Rice
Chairman, Central Texas Section
krice@ieee.org

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Membership Development

Not an IEEE member and have been waiting to join?

Join now with ½ year dues!  Join IEEE and receive 10 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!


Have you renewed your IEEE membership for 2012?

It is easy to forget and easy to put off.  If you haven’t renewed your IEEE membership, or don’t know if you have, go to your MYIEEE account NOW and check at https://www.myieee.org or call 800 678-4333.

Beginning March 1st, non-renewing IEEE members will lose all member benefits.  Renew now and regain access to your IEEE benefits.

If you have already renewed, thank you for being part of the Central Texas Section and the IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association.


Did you know about IEEE – E-Books from IEEE Press

The IEEE Press has partnered with John Wiley, Inc. to provide 240+ books, which are available to member at no additional cost.  The e-book collection spans a number of today’s technologies across 19 content areas, and include:
  • Practical handbooks;
  • Introductory and advanced texts
  • Reference works
  • Professional books

IEEE is committed to serve the needs of practicing engineers and members from industry.  The value of this benefit grows ever year the member renews.  IEEE Press will be adding 40-50 books annually.

Access your E-Books by logging on to  IEEE Xplore (https://www.ieeexplore.ieee.org) using  your MyIEEE account.  Select Books and you begin browsing.

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

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News of Interest to the Section


March 16, 2012: Deadline for 2013 IEEE-USA Government Fellows
It is not too late to apply to be one of the 2013 IEEE-USA Government Fellows.  This is a terrific program; I can testify to that; I'm the 2012 IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow, and I'm working on energy policy, cybersecurity and innovation with Congressman Steve Israel.

Email me at lmartinich@ieee.org for help with your application process, and I'll be glad to fill you in on details!  But hurry, the deadline is March 16!

K-12 Activities
The IEEE Life Members had two tables at the Build It Day at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, and the exhibits were moderately popular. Over 600 attendees were counted by mid afternoon."
 
I am glad that this activity was so successful. I know that many of our members are involved in
other activities introducing K-12 students to the field of engineering. I would like to hear from you
about your activities with this age group. I would also like your suggestions on ways that the Central Texas Section can be more involved.
 
Please send me e-mail with your comments to alozano@ieee.org. Please put
IEEE K-12 on the subject line so that I do not miss your e-mail.
 
Albert Lozano
K-12 Activities Chair

Austin Number Two In IT Startup Jobs
A new study of technology jobs, from pay ranking service PayScale, finds that Austin is number two in the nation for IT jobs. According to PayScale, which tracks pay and salary across the nation for different jobs, its comparison of the top 50 largest areas across the country and the salaries and IT job opportunities, ranked Austin number two, behind San Francisco. Austin beat out Seattle (number 3), Salt Lake City (number 4), and Denver (number 5) in terms of job opportunities. PayScale said that, although Austin has relatively low wages compared to cities such as Seattle and Boston, it was ranked highly due to the large availability of start-up IT jobs.

IEEE-USA Offers Free E-Books to Members in March & April: "How to Handle Your Boss" & "How to Handle Your Colleagues"
As a special benefit to IEEE membership, IEEE-USA is offering a free e-book in March and April. "Engineering the Art of Negotiation -- Part 1: How to Handle Your Boss" is offered free this month. In April, members can receive "Engineering the Art of Negotiation -- Part 2: How to Handle Your Colleagues."

"How to Handle Your Boss" demonstrates a practical approach to satisfying people's interest in how to build a better relationship with their boss. Readers will receive tips on how to make progress in their organization and experience greater career satisfaction by building a better relationship with their employer.

The publication, free to IEEE members, can be downloaded in March at
https://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks/files/alkj820c7/Art-of-Negotiation-How-to-Handle-Your-Boss.pdf

"How to Handle Your Colleagues" shows you how to get your colleagues to do what you want them to do by having a deep understanding of your interests and theirs; a willingness to listen to your colleagues; and flexibility in seeking solutions that satisfy your needs and the needs of your colleagues. You can apply these lessons to make your professional and personal life less stressful and more rewarding.

Members can download this free e-book in April at:
https://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks/files/85sk2nihs/Art-of-Negotiation-How-to-Handle-Your-Colleagues.pdf

Congratulations to new Senior members
The last A&A Review Panel meeting was held on 18 February in Phoenix, AZ, USA and promoted the following Central Texas IEEE members to the rank of Senior Member: Mikhail Belkin, Wenbin Luo and Ronald Waters. 

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Continuing Education

March 14, 2012: Introduction to Professional Wireless Communications
14 March 2012 - ONLINE -9:00am - 4:30pm EST

This is an introductory level 1-day course for individuals interested in an overview of wireless telecommunications. A basic understanding of RF and wireless fundamentals is useful but not mandatory. The objective of this course is to provide an adequate system level understanding of key wireless terms, technologies, and product. The focus is threefold:

1. Cellular/Wireless/Mobile Techniques
   a. A bit of history: from smoke signals (Greece 150 BC) to 5+Billion mobile users (2011)
   b. RF aspects: propagation, antennas, basestations, and wireless vs. mobility
   c. Key industry drivers (KPIs): capacity, bandwidth, coverage, latency, speed and throughput.

2. Products and Standards
   a. Celular: GSM, UMTS, LTE, WiMAX, etc.
   b. Broadband and Satellite systems
   c. WLAN/PAN: wifi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, home RF, sensors

3. Devices, Services, and Applications
   a. Services and applications: from SMS/Voice to Mobile Multimedia video/gaming/browsing/location
   b. Devices (mobile phones, tablets, embedded modules
   c. Wireless web and wireless platforms (Android, iOS, ..)

Price: $300 non-member; $250 member
Registration for this much in demand course is open through 5 March 2012.
Instructor: Lee Vishloff
Earn 0.6 IEEE CEUs for participating.

Learn more. Register Today.

March 14, 2012: Spectrum Webcast: Common Platform Virtual Technology Forum 2012
TIME: Doors open 8:30 AM Pacific Time
          Live event 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
          Available through 2012

DESCRIPTION: Please join IBM, Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., and GLOBALFOUNDRIES at Common Platform Virtual Technology Forum. The forum will showcase this alliance’s technological progress and how joint collaboration and innovation are setting the direction for industry-leading solutions to enable next-generation products.

Under this year’s theme: “A Decade of Invention… A World of Solutions,” the agenda features advanced production-ready design and manufacturing technology from the alliance and more than 20 of its ecosystem partners in our Partner Pavilion

REGISTER FOR THIS VIRTUAL FORUM NOW!

March 15, 2012: Spectrum Webcasts: Piezoelectric Device Simulations
2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PT / 19:00 GMT (Duration: 1 hour)
Piezoelectric phenomenon is widely used in devices such as transducers, sensors, actuators, resonators etc. Piezoelectric layers are a key design component and thus require modeling for efficiency. This webinar will introduce you to the modeling and simulation of such devices. Special attention is given to the multiphysics tools that allow you to easily couple piezoelectric simulations with other physics such as acoustics in fluids.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/webinar/1994059

March 19-23, 2012: 5-Day Wireless Communications Engineering Intermediate Fundamentals Review and Current Practices
19-23 March 2012 from 9:00am - 11am EST (2 hour break)
then 1:00pm - 3:00pm EST.
ONLINE
$725 non-member; $625 member
Register by 29 February and save $100. Registration closes 8 March 2012.
Four hours of instruction each day for 5 days with a break built in so you can manage your other responsibilities during the week long training. 20 hours of total instruction earn you 2 IEEE Continuing Education Units upon completion of the course. Learn More.

Learn more about ComSoc Training. Register Today.

March 20, 2012: Spectrum Webinar: Electromagnetic Simulation of Antennas Installed Inside Vehicles - An Automotive EMC Approach
TIME: 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST / 19:00 GMT (Duration: 1 hour)

DESCRIPTION: Reducing the overall cost of vehicles while introducing innovative features to meet the growing customer demand is probably the greatest challenge faced by automakers. Electronics has become a large part of a vehicle, not only for infotainment (multimedia, audio, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS) but also for on-board diagnostics (OBD). Many antennas are present on vehicles today and defining proper installment has become a challenge not only due to the antenna performance, but also due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) that one electronic device (on board or off board) can cause with other systems. This presentation will show how electromagnetic simulation can help address all of these issues, detailing how to evaluate the performance of antennas inside the vehicle and how certification tests of automotive electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards like ISO 11451-2 can be easily performed using ANSYS tools.

REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR NOW!

Two Week Black Belt Six Sigma Training: UT CLEE
Week One: April 2-6, 2012
Week Two: May 7-11, 2012
See more here

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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: Omar Magaña email: omagana1@mail.stmarytx.edu

Texas State University - San Marcos (new branch, 2009)
Faculty Adviser: Larry Larson, email: Larry.Larson@TXState.edu
Branch Chair: Jonathan Park, email: jp1563@txstate.edu

Trinity University - San Antonio (https://www.engr.trinity.edu/)
Faculty Adviser: Farzan Aminian, email: Farzan.Aminian@Trinity.edu
Branch Chair: Harold Garza, email: hgarza@trinity.edu

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

 Artificial plasma in applied electromagnetics

Speaker

 Dr. Olli Luukkonen, Nokia Research Center
Olli Luukkonen received the M.Sc. (Tech.) and D.Sc. (Tech.) (with distinction) degrees in electrical engineering from the TKK Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland, in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
From 2005 to 2009, he was an Assistant Researcher and a Researcher at the Radio Laboratory, TKK. In 2009–2010, he was a Visiting Researcher and a Postdoctoral Researcher with a Fulbright scholarship at the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania. From 2010 to 2011, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Radio Science and Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. Currently, he is a Senior Researcher with the Nokia Research Center, Helsinki, Finland. His current research interests include electromagnetic theory, artificial electromagnetic materials and surfaces, plasmonics, plasmas, and radar technology.

Abstract

 In this talk I will cover several topics related to applied electromagnetics focusing on electromagnetic plasma applications. The properties of plasma, a gas composed of ionized particles, are well known. This type of properties can be found in various frequency bands for different types of materials, such as metals or semiconductors. When applying a static magnetic field across the plasma, non-reciprocal properties arise in this material. In properly designed systems this can lead to an extreme situation for which energy can travel only in one direction, that is, propagating modes exist only in one direction and energy entering the system from one end must exit it from the other. In possible applications, this would question the need for any additional impedance matching between the source and the load within the operational frequency band of the system. Wire medium, a structure that consists of a periodically organized lattice of parallel wires with certain lattice constant (or periodicity) and wire radius, has been used to mimic the interesting properties of plasma at microwave frequencies. The main difference between this artificial material and its model is that in the latter case the charge carriers are not bound whereas in the former case the charge carriers are bound – usually to a mesh structure that is dictated by the geometry. This leads to spatial dispersion, a commonly unwanted feature in artificial plasma. However, spatial dispersion can be suppressed in these structures, and in this talk I will discuss possibilities on how it can be done, especially in the context to artificial impedance surfaces. These surfaces, when properly designed, allow us to tune their electromagnetic response to fit the application in hand; whether it is an electromagnetic absorber for minimizing the radar cross-section of an object or a surface for enhancing the radiating properties of an antenna. Finally, some topics related to antenna and radar technology in mobile devices and possible future applications will be discussed.

Date/Time

 09-March-2012
10:00AM to 11:00AM (1.00 hours)

Cost


Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/10485

Location

 Building: ACES
Room Number: 2.402
UT Austin
Austin,  Texas

Notes

 https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/11011

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

Topic/Title

The Annual Review of the ISSCC Conference: Digital, Processor and Memory

Speaker

 Matt Felder, Josh Friedrich, Dr. Ramin K. Poorfard and Dr. Betty Prince

Abstract


Date/Time

 03/27/2012 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Cost

Reservations

Please register here.

Location

 UT Campus ENS 314.

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/

Topic/Title

Stress issues on Cu-TSV performance and investigating grain structure changes by thermal cycle test
Speaker Dr. Jay Im, UT
Date/Time March 15, 2012 / 6:00pm-7:30pm
Cost
Location Roundup conference room, Freescale (Building B)
7700 Parmer Ln, Austin, TX 78729
Notes For more information, please visit https://cpmtaustinchapter.org/ or contact Nanju Na at 512-286-9677

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

Topic/title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/time

Location

Cost

Reservations

Notes

Follow the Austin chapter on Twitter @AustinIEEECS, and please feel to tweet with our tag for relevant content to our community.

We've officially launched the LinkedIn group for our the Austin chapter of the IEEE Computer Society.  Feel free to sign up at the following URL:  https://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=4064900.

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

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker
Abstract
Date/Time
Location
Cost

Dinner, $15 Members, $4 students, $18 Non-Members
Reservations

Please email Dr. Djaffer Ibaroudene, dibaroudende@stmarytx.edu , or call (210) 431-2050
Notes See website for directions and parking,
  https://www.ieee-cs-cts.org

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

Topic/Title Iridium: Where It's Been and Where It's Going.
Speaker Michael Cruess
Speaker Bio Michael Cruess began his career at Motorola Inc. where he held engineering and management positions.  He was a co-developer of Motorola's first 32-bit microprocessor chip set and led a team developing operating system and compiler software.  He was a Motorola assignee to the MCC Research Consortium where he led the development of the Experimental Systems Kit distributed C++ environment.  At Motorola Labs he led a team that developed proof-of-concept demonstrations for advanced technologies.
 
A chance conversation led Michael into intellectual property work.  At Freescale Semiconductor, Michael oversaw invention disclosure, review and prioritization for Freescale's business units.  After leaving Freescale, Michael worked as a Technical Advisor at the law firm of Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert and Goetzel.  Michael did regulatory and medical safety certification work for Waldo Health before landing at GIT Satellite, where he holds the position of VP Systems Engineering.
 
Mr. Cruess earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rice University and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  Mr. Cruess is a member of the IEEE.
Abstract

The Iridium satellite communication system was conceived over 20 years ago to allow telephone calls to be made from the most remote locations on Earth.  Since then, the system has evolved with new capabilities and new hardware options.  One of the most exciting features that has been added since Iridium was launched enables machine-to-machine communication from nearly anywhere on the planet.  This talk will outline the history of Iridium, it's future, and describe applications for satellite-based tracking with products available from GIT Satellite and others.
Date Wednesday,  March 28, 2012
Networking at 6:00 pm;  Business and Program from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Location PoK-e-Jo’s,  2121 W. Parmer Lane at Lamplight Village,  Austin  TX  78727
Do a friend a favor.  Bring your colleagues to grow the Consultants Network.
Cost

Cost:  $5.00 minimum charge for the restaurant.   Supper is at optional extra cost.

Reservations Not required.  All interested parties are invited to attend.
Notes

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

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/time

Location


Cost


Reservations


Notes

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

Topic/Title

 No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Refreshments


Reservations


Location

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

Notes

 Sponsoring the Solar Technology Workshop, September 16.  See IEEE Meetings section for details. 

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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
Speaker
Abstract
Date/Time
Cost


Reservations
Location


Notes

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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
Speaker


Abstract
Date/Time


Cost
Reservations


Location


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

There will be no I&M meeting in March.  The next meeting will be April 16th.

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Cost


Reservations

Location

Notes


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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 Bar Codes - They're Everywhere!
Speaker Life Senior Member Tom O'Brien
Abstract

Tom will present a brief history of the development and use of bar codes for product identification and other purposes.  Included in the presentation will be demonstrations of handheld devices for bar code scanning.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own samples of bar-coded information for scanning.  There's no guarantee that these scanners will read every bar code, but their versatility is amazing.  Join us and play "Stump the Scanner"!
Date/Time Thursday, 15 March 2012
11:30 AM CST to 1:30 PM CST
Location Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub
842 NW Loop 410 (at Blanco Road)
Park North Center
San Antonio, TX
Cost

We will order individually from the menu and the restaurant will prepare separate checks with gratuity added.
Reservations Tom O'Brien (t.p.obrien@ieee.org) by end of day March 13th.
Notes
 We will order from the regular menu and the restaurant will provide separate checks.


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/PELS/IAS/IES)
https://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/austin

Topic/Title Four Simple Steps to Reduce 600V Class AC Variable Frequency Drive Failures by 75%
Speaker Scott D. Holdridge, Sales Manager for ESD Drives and Automation, Shermco Industries.
For 33 years, Scott has been supporting application systems engineering for large industrial motors and AC-DC drive systems for Baldor-Powerton, GE-Fuji, Marathon, Reliance, Sabina, TE, TMEIC Teco-Westinghouse and Toshiba industrial products. He has been formally trained for, and has experience with, application, service and warranty support for these products. He has also been formally trained for, and has experience with, Falk, US Electric, Rexnord, Dodge, Sumitomo and Shimpo mechanical geared products. He has spent a large portion of his career with Shermco Industries supporting aerospace, cement, plastics, paper, steel, utilities and municipal industries. He was instrumental in the development of the New Equipment Industrial Application and Marketing Department and the creation of the New Drives and Automation Department as new business development additions to Shermco. Presently, he provides engineered application and project support for the Sales Department and Customer Service Support Department for the Drives and Automation Department.
Abstract There are four simple industrial maintenance steps that you can take to reduce 75% of your 600V Class AC Variable Frequency Drive failures.
Date/Time Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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
Reservations If you plan to attend, please RSVP to this invitation by sending an e-mail to ieee.pes.austin@zxtech.net. For further information, please contact Joel Sandahl via email: jsandahl@zxtech.net.
Notes (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.

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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
Speaker
Abstract


Date/Time
Location


Cost
Reservations
Notes

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Product Safety Engineering Society (PSES)
https://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/pses/

Topic/Title Update on IEC 62368 - Part 2
Speaker Lal Bahra - Product Safety Engineer, Dell
Abstract
Date/Time March 20, 2012   6:30 - 8:00pm
Cost None
Reservations None
Location Dell Parmer Campus, Parmer South Building 4, Victoria Conference Room (just inside the visitor’s entrance)
Notes

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://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/com_sp/


Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker

Abstract

Date/Time

Location


Cost

Reservations

Notes


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Joint Communications and Signal Processing Society - San Antonio (Com/SP)
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 No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker
Date/Time
Location
Cost
Registration
Notes

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

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker
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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, Events or Workshops

May 14-17, 2012: 2012 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference, San Antonio

J.W. Marriott Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, TX, USA
https://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/conferencedetails/index.html?Conf_ID=18155

May 30 - June1, 2012: 2012 IEEE International Conference on IC Design & Technology (ICICDT)

Freescale Semiconductor 7700 W Parmer Lane, Austin, TX, USA https://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/conferencedetails/index.html?Conf_ID=19537

June 3-8, 2012: 2012 IEEE 38th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC)

Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX.  https://www.ieee-pvsc.org/

June 2013: 50th IEEE/ACM Design Automation Conference

The 50th DAC will take place at the Austin Convention Center.


Non-IEEE Meetings and Events of interest suggested by the membership
March 6, 2012: Agile Austin Meeting
Date:     March 6, 2012
Time:     6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:     Pervasive Software, 12365-B Riata Trace Parkway
Speaker:     Bob Wilson, Owner of Industrial Andons and Jidoka Consulting
Title:     System Level Thinking: Getting Back to Lean Basics
 
Description:     When we work in the details day to day, its easy to lose sight of the big picture. And when trying to make improvements - it's easy to end up making local optimizations that actually decrease performance of the overall system.

After a review of core Lean principles, Bob Wilson will lead a hands-on exercise that looks at local optimization in light of viewing the system as a whole. Different teams will compete to see how applying lean principles drive bottom line profitability. Then as a group, we will discuss how the learning from the simulation can be applied to the real situations we face.

More Info:    https://www.agileaustin.org or info@AgileAustin.org

March 8, 2012: Door64 Pre-SXSW Interactive Party!
When: Thursday March 8th, 6 PM to 1 AM
Where: Six Lounge and The Tap Room
117 West 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701 [Map]
Who: Door64 members, anyone attending SXSW Interactive.
(NO SXSW BADGE REQUIRED.)
Music: Band to be announced. Stay tuned...
Cost: Cheaper if you're fast, full-price if you procrastinate.
Register: Register via Eventbrite!

March 8, 2012: Austin SPIN
Guerrilla Quality

March 8, 2012, 6:30PM - 8:45PM

Speakers: Jeff Fiebrich & Celeste Yeakley

Abstract:

Today’s economic climate makes it more important to work smarter.  Dedicated Quality Personnel are stretched to the limit and time constraints force greater emphasis on effective process improvements.  The battle cry “Do more with less” has become “Work Hard, Work Smart!”  This framework will help you develop Software Quality Advocates on each of your organization’s projects.   These advocates extend the reach of the quality office and accelerate process improvements deep into the organization.   Topics covered during this presentation will include:

·         Acquiring management support and buy-in
·         Establishing training curriculum
·         Developing required infrastructure
·         Providing tools (templates, guidelines, checklist)
·         Establishing repositories
·         Facilitating metrics, evaluations, and rewards

Meeting Location
New Horizons Austin
300 E Highland Mall Blvd
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78752

March 9-10, 2012: Tech Career Expo
The Tech Career Expo @ SXSW Interactive takes place March 9-10, 2012 at the Austin Music Hall. Open free to the more than 20,000 SXSW Interactive attendees and non-attendees alike, this official SXSW event showcases the best tech jobs and career opportunities from across the technology and interactive media industry.

Tech Career Expo is an unmatched opportunity for employers and talented professionals from across the nation and around the world to meet and network in one central location at SXSW.

https://techcareerexpo.com/

March 15, 2012: VMUG VMWare User Group
8:00 - 5:00, Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs, Austin, TX.  Visit the Austin VMUG User Conference event page to reserve your place at this event now.

April 19, 2012: TXEN Funding Forum
The Open Deals Funding Forum in Round Rock for the Wilco Angel Network is open for Entrepreneur Pitches. Submit your executive summary through our CONNECT Program.  (If you have pitched before, contact Hall Martin directly to express your interest in this forum).
Location: Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, 212 E. Main Street, Round Rock, Texas, 78664
Cost to observe: $15 (plus applicable fees)

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Miscellaneous

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

CAREER FOCUS
  • The Real Steel: Robotics Careers Ready to Boom
YOUR CAREER, YOUR LIFE
  • Four Steps to Becoming an Expert and Purposeful Networker
  • The Heilmeier Catechism
FROM THE ENGINEER'S DESK
  • Outlook 2012
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • SOPA/PIPA Defeated...For Now
  • Sifting for Gold in the Invention Mine
TRANSPORTATION
  • Electric Vehicle Charging at Work
  • Electric Vehicles the Focus of Upcoming IEEE Conference in South Carolina
SHORT CIRCUITS
  • Your Engineering Heritage: Early Digital Technology and the Navy
  • World Bytes: Passing of Mentors

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Events and Information

March 12, 2012: National STEM Video Game Challenge
Inspired by the Educate to Innovate campaign, President Obama's initiative to promote a renewed focus on STEM education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge aims to motivate interest in STEM learning among America's youth by tapping into students' natural passions for playing and making video games. The 2011 Challenge features two competitions, a Youth Prize (grades 5-8) and a Developer Prize (open to emerging and experienced game developers). Deadline: March 12, 2012.
Details: https://www.stemchallenge.org/Default.aspx

March 22 & 26, April 9: Seeking Female Engineering Role Models for UT Austin Women in Engineering Program "Consider Every Option" (CEO) Workshop Series
The Women in Engineering Program is hosting a series of luncheons and dinners for undergrad and graduate engineering students. The event consists of small group networking, experience sharing and Q&A over dinner. It's a "no preparation required" volunteer opportunity. Events happening Feb 15 & 16, Mar 22 & 26, Apr 9.  To learn more or to sign up, visit https://www.engr.utexas.edu/wep/career/ceo.

April 1, 2012: Google Science Fair
https://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/
Deadline to enter: April 1st
Have you asked a question today? What did you do with it?
Did it take you somewhere new? Did it bring you here?
The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea.
Geniuses are not always A-grade students. We welcome all mavericks, square-pegs and everybody who likes to ask questions. Simply upload your project here to win some life changing prizes. Everyone has a question. What's yours?

Career

eWeek Careers at https://eweek.com
 IEEE Career Alert
Are Engineers Really In Demand?

Tips, Tools and Gadgets

My wife and I have been involved with youth flag football teams for several years.  Recently my wife purchased a DSLR and this season I became the photographer for the three teams that we are involved with.  I found that I would shoot 300 - 400 pictures of each game, capturing the players in motion.  I wanted to share the best of those pictures with the teams and their parents.  I found Photobucket (https://photobucket.com/) to offer a free upload and photo sharing service.  Important to me to maintain the privacy of the kids involved in our teams, I could set a password that would restrict visitors to the photos.  There was also a plugin I could download to my Mac so that I could select the best photos and upload those directly from iPhoto.  You can also set up URLs for a Album you have created.  I just created an album for pictures I have recently taken of IEEE CTS events - The Brain party last May and booths at NI Week.  The URL for those is https://photobucket.com/IEEECTS.  Whether your needs are personal or professional, this is a great tool to share pictures. 

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.