IEEE Central Texas Section

THE ANALOG

Volume 56-08

August 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



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

Each year National Instruments host Texas Day at NIWEEK. This one-day engineering and networking event is on Tuesday, August 7, beginning at 8:00 AM at the Austin Convention Center. The IEEE Central Texas Section is a sponsor this year of the Texas Day invitation-only luncheon featuring a guest speaker as well as a Tour of Texas, highlighting success stories across the state. Seats are limited, so reserve your spot today. When registering as a first-time NIWeek attendee, use the code "TxDayNew" for complimentary admission.

As you probably know, IEEE was founded on January 1, 1963, through the merger of the AIEE (founded 1884) and IRE (founded 1912).  So 2012 is IEEE's 50th year and IEEE is celebrating it modestly, focusing primarily on honoring those members who have been with us continuously since the beginning.  There are about 9400 of them.  They have received a pin identifying them as a "Member 1st 50 Years". The Central Texas Section is proud to recognize these loyal members and we encourage everyone to congratulate them as we do. Click here for the list of 50 Year Members of the Central Texas Section.

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

Back to TOP


Membership Development

IEEE Participation in this Year’s National Instruments NI WEEK
The IEEE Central Texas Section will be participating in this year’s NI Week as exhibitors August 6th though the 9th.  We IEEE need volunteers to help man the booth.  If you’re available and want to have some fun, even for as little as a half day, please contact Don Drumtra or Joe Redfield at drumtra@ieee.org or j.redfield@ieee.org.

Texas Day, a complementary day at NIWeek, Tuesday August 7th.  For 1st time NIWeek attendees the day is complementary.  Stop by the IEEE table at the Texas Day luncheon.  Register today at   https://www.ni.com/niweek/ and use the code TxDayNew for your Texas Day complementary registration.

AND if you’re at NI Week, be sure and stop by and help talk to others about what it is to be an IEEE member!


Did you know about IEEE – IEEE Membership Tool-kit

Did You Know –

The IEEE-USA has put together a website to support membership career development.  Whether you're a student trying to select a focus, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.
Resource  highlights:
Ebooks
Salary Comparison
Employment Navigation
Others

And it’s FREE ……check it out at:
https://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/

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

Back to TOP


News of Interest to the Section

Dr. Dougal Passes
The morning of August 1 the obituary of Dr. Dougal was in the Austin-American Statesman. An obituary and memorial guest book is available at https://www.wcfish.com/ (Weed-Corley-Fish ). A memorial service will be held Friday, August 3rd at 11:00 AM at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin. Dr. Dougal was an IEEE Fellow, a past Central Texas Section Chairman and Region Director.

Congratulations to new Senior Members
Congratulations to these Central Texas Section members who were elevated to Senior Member at the latest Admission & Advancement (A&A) review panel meeting: Daniel DeDraujo, Arjang Hassibi and Mike O'Connor. 

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
The new NCEES Software Engineering PE exam is ready and will be offered for the first time in April 2013.  Everyone practicing software engineering is encouraged to register for the exam.  If you or someone you know is interested in the exam, more information can be found here: https://engineers.texas.gov/software.html


Free eBook
As a special benefit to IEEE members in August, the gratis e-book will be "Technical Presentations, Book 1: Strategy, Preparation and Planning." See more information at https://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks

Back to TOP


Continuing Education

Introduction to Professional Wireless Communications
Monday, 6 August 2012 - 9:00am - 4:30pm EDT - Online
Instructor: Lee Vishloff
Price: $300 non-member; $250 IEEE/ComSoc member
Registration open through Monday, 30 July - 5:00pm EDT
This course will help you understand the difference between wireless and mobile. Wireless and mobile are two different concepts and have their own distinct technical issues. Basic definitions and principles are address.  Register today.

LTE for the Wireless Engineering Practitioner: Fundamentals and Applications
Monday, 20 August 2012 - 9:00am - 4:30pm EDT - Online
Instructor: K. Daniel Wong
Price: $300 non-member; $250 IEEE/ComSoc member
Register by 31 July and save $25.
Focused on the evolution of wireless communications technology and networks with a concentration on an end-to-end LTE system view and the influence of emerging IP networks, this course is essential.  Register.

Back to TOP


Student Branches

St Mary's University - San Antonio (https://engineering.stmarytx.edu/ieee/)
Faculty Adviser: Djaffer Ibaroudene, email: dibaroudene@stmarytx.edu
Branch Chair: Jordan Dean, email: jdean5@mail.stmarytx.edu

Texas State University - San Marcos (new branch, 2009)
Faculty Adviser: Larry Larson, email: Larry.Larson@TXState.edu
Branch Chair: Adrian Fabian, email: af1362@txstate.edu

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

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

University of Texas at San Antonio (https://www.utsaieee.org/)
Faculty Adviser: Shuo Wang, email: Shuo.Wang@utsa.edu
Branch Chair: Michael Starkweather, email: michael.starkweather@ieee.org

Back to TOP


Calls for Volunteers


Back to TOP


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


Date/Time


Cost


Reservations


Location


Notes


Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title

IEEE CASS Distinguished Lecture: Ultra Low Power Analog Integrated Circuits for Implantable Medical Devices

Speaker

Fernando Silveira (S’89- M’90- SM’03) received the Electrical Engineering degree from Universidad de la República, Uruguay in 1990 and the MSc. and PhD degree in Microelectronics from Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium in, respectively, 1995 and 2002. He is Professor at Universidad de la República, Uruguay. His research interests are in design of ultra low-power analog and RF integrated circuits and systems, in particular with biomedical application. In this field, he is co-author of one book and many technical articles and advised Masters and PhD thesis. He has acted as invited plenary speaker at various events and served as reviewer of several journals and conferences.

He has multiple industrial activities with CCC Medical Devices and NanoWattICs, including leading the design of an ASIC for implantable pacemakers, applied in industrial production and designing analog circuit modules for implantable devices for various companies worldwide (USA, Israel, Europe and Canada) that are part of medical devices which are currently under human clinical evaluation, mainly related to the cardiovascular and neural fields. He was member of the Technical Advisory Board of Gtronix, Inc, USA from 2006 to 2010. Dr. Silveira received the “Ingeniero Destacado” (Distinguished Engineer) award by the Uruguayan Association of Engineers in 2007 and is a member for 2011-2012 of the Distinguished Lecturers Program of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.

Abstract

This tutorial introduces the requirements and design techniques of ultra low power (ULP) analog CMOS integrated circuits, based on the framework of its application to implantable medical devices. The talk has three parts. In the first part, the main characteristics and needs of implantable medical devices, particularly from the point of view of the analog circuit designer, are presented. The second part presents the field of ULP analog CMOS design by considering the aspects of device modeling, circuit design techniques and architectures. Finally, the last part, discusses perspectives in the fields of ULP analog CMOS and implantable medical devices.

Date/Time

10-August-2012
06:00PM to 08:00PM

Cost

Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/13441

Location

Building: ACES
Room Number: 2.302 (AVAYA Auditorium)
201 E. 24th Street
University of Texas at Austin
Austin,  Texas

Notes



Topic/Title

IEEE SSCS Distinguished Lecture: VCO-based Quantizers: Has Their Time Arrived?

Speaker

Michael Perrott of Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi
Michael H. Perrott received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM in 1988, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 and 1997, respectively. From 1997 to 1998, he worked at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto, CA, on high speed circuit techniques for Sigma-Delta synthesizers. In 1999, he was a visiting Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. From 1999 to 2001, he worked at Silicon Laboratories in Austin, TX, and developed circuit and signal processing techniques to achieve high performance clock and data recovery circuits. He was an Assistant and then Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2001 to 2008. He was with SiTime Corporation from 2008 to 2010, where he developed key technology for MEMS-based oscillators. He is currently a professor at Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, where he is focusing on low power, mixed-signal circuits for health and fitness and other applications.

Abstract

VCO-based quantizers take advantage of the steadily increasing speed of modern CMOS processes by quantizing time rather than amplitude. Their implementation leads to highly digital architectures that benefit directly from Moore's law, and offer intriguing benefits such as inherent shaping of their quantization noise. In this talk, we examine their potential for achieving high resolution analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), and identify key shortcomings such as nonlinearity of the voltage-to-frequency characteristic and its impact on SNDR. Circuit techniques are then presented to overcome such shortcomings, along with recent results verifying their effectiveness. In particular, we show that using phase rather than frequency within a continuous-time Sigma-Delta ADC topology enables 78dB SNDR performance within 20MHz bandwidth with a power efficiency of 330 fJ/conversion step. Finally, we conclude by generalizing the VCO-based quantizer as an efficient combination of a voltage-to-time converter and a time-to-digital converter, and discuss its advantages compared to other recent approaches which combine these components.

Date/Time

27-August-2012
06:00PM to 06:45PM

Cost

Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/13509

Location

Building: ACES
Room Number: 2.302 (AVAYA Auditorium)
201 E. 24th Street
University of Texas at Austin
Austin,  Texas

Notes



Topic/Title

IEEE SSCS Distinguished Lecture: A Low Noise Temperature-to-Digital Converter for a High Stability MEMS-Based Oscillator

Speaker

Michael Perrott of Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi
    Michael H. Perrott received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM in 1988, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 and 1997, respectively. From 1997 to 1998, he worked at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto, CA, on high speed circuit techniques for Sigma-Delta synthesizers. In 1999, he was a visiting Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. From 1999 to 2001, he worked at Silicon Laboratories in Austin, TX, and developed circuit and signal processing techniques to achieve high performance clock and data recovery circuits. He was an Assistant and then Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2001 to 2008. He was with SiTime Corporation from 2008 to 2010, where he developed key technology for MEMS-based oscillators. He is currently a professor at Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, where he is focusing on low power, mixed-signal circuits for health and fitness and other applications.

Abstract

This talk presents a MEMS-based programmable oscillator which achieves better than +/-0.5ppm frequency stability from -40 degrees C to 85 degrees C and less than 1ps (rms) integrated phase noise (12kHz to 20MHz). We focus on the key component of this system, which is a thermistor-based temperature-to-digital converter (TDC) that enables accurate and low noise compensation of temperature-induced variation of the MEMS resonant frequency. The TDC utilizes several circuit techniques including a high resolution, tunable reference resistor based on a switched capacitor network and fractional-N frequency division, a switched resistor measurement approach which allows a pulsed bias technique for reduced noise, and a VCO-based quantizer for digitization of the temperature signal. To verify the effectiveness of these techniques, measured performance of a 180nm CMOS IC with co-packaged MEMS die is presented which demonstrates 0.1mK (rms) resolution for the TDC within a 5Hz bandwidth and power consumption of 3.97mA with 3.3V supply.

Date/Time

27-August-2012
06:45PM to 08:00PM

Cost

Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/13511

Location

Building: ACES
Room Number: 2.302 (AVAYA Auditorium)
201 E. 24th Street
University of Texas at Austin
Austin,  Texas

Notes



Topic/Title

IEEE SSCS Distinguished Lecture: Energy Limits in Current A/D Converter Architectures 

Speaker

Boris Murmann of Stanford University
Boris Murmann is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford, CA. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 2003. From 1994 to 1997, he was with Neutron Mikrolektronik, Germany, where he developed low-power and smart-power ASICs in automotive CMOS technology. Dr. Murmann’s research interests are in the area of mixed-signal integrated circuit design, with special emphasis on data converters and sensor interfaces. In 2008, he was a co-recipient of the Best Student Paper Award at the VLSI Circuits Symposium in 2008 and a recipient of the Best Invited Paper Award at the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC). He received the Agilent Early Career Professor Award in 2009 and the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award in 2012. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, the Data Converter Subcommittee Chair of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) and as a program committee member of the European Solid-State Circuits Conference (ESSCIRC). He is a Distinguished Lecturer and elected AdCom member of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society.

Abstract

Driven by ever-increasing application demands, the energy expended per A/D conversion has been reduced substantially over the last decade. This presentation will survey the most recent trends and will investigate energy limits as they apply to A/D converter architectures commonly employed in fine-line CMOS technology (Flash, Pipeline, SAR and Oversampling Converters). Through this analysis, opportunities for further improvements will be identified and discussed in detail, specifically emphasizing the impact of technology scaling.

Date/Time

30-August-2012
06:00PM to 08:00PM

Cost

Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/13513

Location

Building: ACES
Room Number: 2.302 (AVAYA Auditorium)
201 E. 24th Street
University of Texas at Austin
Austin,  Texas

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

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker
Date/Time
Cost
Location
Notes

Back to TOP


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

Topic/title

Intersections of the Future: Using Fully Autonomous Vehicles

Speaker

Dr. Peter Stone is an Alfred! P. Sloan Research Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, AAAI Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, and Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D in Computer Science in 1998 from Carnegie Mellon University. From 1999 to 2002 he was a Senior Technical Staff Member in the Artificial Intelligence Principles Research Department at AT&T Labs - Research. Peter's research interests include machine learning, multiagent systems, robotics, and e-commerce. In 2003, he won a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation for his research on learning agents in dynamic, collaborative, and adversarial multiagent environments. In 2004, he was named an ONR Young Investigator for his research on machine learning on physical robots. In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious IJCAI 2007 Computers and Thought award, given once every two years to the top AI researcher under the age of 35.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence research is ushering in a new era of sophisticated, mass-market transportation technology. While computers can already fly a passenger jet better than a trained human pilot, people are still faced with the dangerous yet tedious task of driving automobiles. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the field of study that aims to use artificial intelligence to make transportation safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Recent advances in ITS point to a future in which vehicles themselves handle the vast ma jority of the driving task. Once autonomous vehicles become popular, autonomous interactions amongst *multiple* vehicles will be possible. Current methods of vehicle coordination, which are all designed to work with human drivers, will be outdated. The bottleneck for roadway efficiency will no longer be the drivers, but rather the mechanism by which those drivers' actions are coordinated. While open-road driving is a well-studied and more-or-less-solved problem, urban traffic scenarios, especially intersections, are much more challenging.

This talk will address the question: "To what extent and how can a multiagent intersection ! control mechanism take advantage of the capabilities of autonomous vehicles in order to make automobile travel safer and faster?'' First, I will introduce and specify the problem of intersection management as a multiagent system and define a metric by which solutions can be evaluated. Next, I will propose a novel multiagent intersection control mechanism in which autonomous driver agents "call ahead'' and reserve space-time in the intersection, pending the approval of an arbiter agent called an intersection manager, which is located at the intersection.

Date/time

Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - food/drinks provided
6:30 p.m. Networking and Gathering
7:00 p.m. Call to Order, Announcement
7:15 p.m. Presentation, with Q/A
8:45 p.m. Meeting Evaluation, Adjourn

Location

THE ADVISORY BOARD - BUILDING 7
Room Number: Suite 100
12357-C Riata Trace Parkway
Bldg 7, Suite 100
Austin,  Texas

Cost


Reservations

https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/meeting_view/list_meeting/13375

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.


Back to TOP


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


Reservations


Notes See website for directions and parking,
  https://www.ieee-cs-cts.org

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title Smart Solar Power System Controller
Speaker John Merritt
Speaker Bio John has over 30 years of technical marketing, technology commercialization, and product launch experience.  Prior to joining Solar Power Technologies as VP of Field Operations, John spent several years as a business development consultant to Clean Tech companies.  He co-founded Traq-Wireless and NetSolve, and also worked at Dallas Semiconductor and Motorola.  Mr. Merritt has a BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas.
Abstract

John will talk about the commercial and utility-scale PV installations market and the latest technology in energy management and monitoring tool that includes artificial intelligence for decision-making and risk management.

Date Wednesday,  August 22, 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
Cost $5.00 minimum charge for the restaurant.   Supper is at optional extra cost.
Reservations Not required.  All interested parties are invited to attend.
For more information, go to:  https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/cn/

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

Back to TOP


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


Back to TOP


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


Notes

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

Back to TOP


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

Back to TOP


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

Back to TOP


Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Affinity Group

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker


Abstract
Date/Time


Cost
Reservations


Location


Notes

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

Back to TOP


Instrumentation and Measurement Society

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker


Abstract


Date/Time


Cost


Reservations


Location


Notes



Back to TOP


Laser and Electro Optics Society

No meeting scheduled at this time.

For more information, contact Ray Chen

Back to TOP


Life Members (LM) Affinity Group - San Antonio

Topic/Title
Speaker Dan Fulgham, PhD.
Dan Fulgham has on his resume an amazing number of accomplishments in science, technology, and aviation.  His long career includes many years in the US Air Force, as well as a second career at Southwest Research Institute here in San Antonio.
Abstract

On the afternoon of January 23rd, 1968, a U.S. electronics intelligence gathering (spy) ship was attacked in International Waters by North Korean sea and air forces, boarded and taken to Wonsan harbor in North Korea, where the crew was imprisoned and tortured for eleven months before being released. The Pueblo made repeated calls for help while under attack, but no one responded.  Who should have been available to respond?: The 7th Fleet at Yokosuka (USN aircraft carrier Enterprise); the 5th Air Force at Okinawa (F-105s); and the 5th AF at Kunsan, So. Korea (F-4s). Why didn’t they? Captain Bucher displayed outstanding leadership in protecting his crew during captivity, so why did the Navy try to court-martial him after his release? This is a classic Fate is the Hunter tale: luck, fate, coincidences stacked upon coincidences, lack of government will, etc., etc.

In February 1968, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force dispatched three officers, Col. Clyde Burtenshaw (PACAF historian), Major Dan Fulgham (F-4 Vietnam vet) and Major James Wall (F-105 Vietnam vet) to the Far East to investigate the 5th Air Forces’ involvement in the Pueblo Incident. Their charter gave them unlimited access to every level of the 5th AF and what it could/should have been done to support the Pueblo. Their report was classified well above Top Secret and was only recently partially declassified. Some of what Dr. Fulgham will tell has never before been revealed.

Date/Time August 16, 2012
11:30 to 1:00 PM
Location Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub, 842 NW Loop 410 (Park North Shopping Center)
San Antonio, TX
Cost

We will order from the regular menu, and the restaurant will provide separate checks.

Reservations So that we may have an accurate headcount, RSVP to Tom O'Brien, Life Members (SA) Chair, 210.481.3443 or t.p.obrien@ieee.org
Notes



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

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title Ethics
Speaker Lance Kinney, Executive Director, Texas Board of Professional Engineers, Austin, TX
Lance is the Executive Director of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Before taking his leadership role there, Lance worked in industry for 11 years and academia for 8 years. He received a BS in Physics from UT-Austin, an MS in Industrial Technology from TSU-San Marcos and a PhD in Education from UT-Austin.
Abstract Professional engineering ethics .. Mr. Kinney will address details on the division of duties between Architects and Engineers
Date/Time Tuesday, August 28, 2012
6:00 to 6:30 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 IEEE members and accompanying spouses: $11 or $13 for dinners.
Non-IEEE members: $14 or $16 for dinners.
Member non-meal participants: $2.
All: $2 for non-alcoholic beverages.
Student members: FREE or $2 for special selections for dinners.
Student visitors and non-meal participants: $5.
A bar is available for those who care to purchase a beer or other alcoholic beverage.
Reservations If you plan on attending, please RSVP by sending an e-mail to ieee.pi2.austin@zxtech.net.
Notes See the map linked from our 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.

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title TBD
Speaker TBD
Abstract TBD
Date/Time August 23rd, 2012
6:00 PM Social
6:30 to 7:00 PM Dinner
7:00 to 8:00 PM Speaker Presentation
Location

Acadiana Café
1289 Southwest Loop 410
San Antonio, Texas
210-674-0019

Cost Attendees shall order and pay for their own meals via room waitstaff.
In addition the following fees are due for IEEE:
$2 Members
$5 Non-members
$10 No meal ordered – applies to both members and non-members
Fee waived for students
Reservations Please RSVP to Curtis Cryer @ 210-353-2159, or cbcryer@ieee.org
For more information go to our web site https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/centraltexas/sanantonio/index.html
Notes

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title Short Circuit Current Ratings – What are they, why are they required & how do you calculate it?
Speaker Charles Goertz, Senior Product Safety Engineer, TÜV SÜD America
Abstract
Date/Time Tuesday, August 21, 2012 - 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Cost The cost of the movie plus food
Reservations Please so we have some idea of how many people are coming
 For more information: Call Gary Schrempp (512) 724-3757 for details and directions
  https://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/pses/
Location  Dell Parmer South Campus, Parmer South Building S4
  Victoria Conference Room
  701 East Parmer Lane
  Austin, TX
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.

Back to TOP


Joint Signal Processing/Communications Society - Austin

https://sites.ieee.org/ct-comsp/



Topic/Title


Speaker


Abstract


Date/Time

July 19, 2012

Location

AT&T Labs
9505 Arboretum Blvd
Room #220
Austin, TX 78759

Cost


Reservations

https://comsoc071912.eventbrite.com

Notes



Back to TOP


Joint Communications and Signal Processing Society - San Antonio (Com/SP)
https://ewh.ieee.org/r5/central_texas/satx

Topic/Title

No meeting scheduled at thist time

Speaker


Abstract


Date/Time


Location


Cost


Reservations


Notes


Back to TOP


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

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker
Date/Time
Location
Cost
Registration
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.

Back to TOP


Technology Management Council - San Antonio (TMC)

https://webinabox.vtools.ieee.org/wibp_home/index/CH05214
Topic/Title TMC SA has no scheduled meetings for August
Speaker
Abstract
Date/Time
Location
Cost
Registration
Notes

Back to TOP


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

Topic/Title No meeting scheduled at thist time
Speaker
Date/Time
Location
Cost
Registration
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.

Back to TOP

Conferences, Other Meetings and Events

Local IEEE Conferences, Events or Workshops


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

August 3-4, 2012: Texas Linux Fest 2012
Texas Linux Fest 2012 will be held Aug. 3-4 at the Norris Conference Center in downtown San Antonio.

In its third year, Texas Linux Fest 2012 brings the latest developments in Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) to the public, and provides a wide variety of sessions to accommodate everyone from the newest beginner to the most seasoned developer.

In addition, the event also features an exhibition hall where the latest Linux distros and FOSS programs will display their wares.

The Call for Papers for Texas Linux Fest 2012 opened April 15, and speakers are encouraged to get their proposals in early. A more detailed announcement is forthcoming. The deadline for submissions is June 1 and speakers will be notified on June 15.To submit your talk for consideration, email the following information to info@texaslinuxfest.org

To register for Texas Linux Fest 2012, visit https://register.texaslinuxfest.org/reg6/

For more information, visit
https://www.texaslinuxfest.org

August 6-9, 2012: NIWeek, Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas
Each year National Instruments hosts Texas Day at NIWeek. This one-day engineering and networking event is on Tuesday, August 7, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Austin Convention Center. Texas Day includes access to NIWeek's kickoff keynote presentation featuring Dr. James Truchard! Throughout the day, learn from today’s leading innovators through a variety of interactive technical sessions, panel discussions, and hands-on and case study presentations for beginners and advanced developers.

Texas Day also includes an invitation-only luncheon featuring a guest speaker as well as a Tour of Texas, highlighting success stories across the state. Meet your local NI field engineers and NI Alliance Partners, and discover how you can use NI products to advance your application and retain your competitive advantage.

Seats are limited, so reserve your spot today. When registering as a first-time NIWeek attendee, use the code TxDayNew for complimentary admission. To learn more, contact an NI technical sales representative at (800) 433-3488.

See
https://www.ni.com/niweek/

August 15, 2012: Door64 Happy Hour, sponsored by Sequel Data and Unitrends (North Austin)
Who: Door64.com members
When: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 / 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: The Park, 11601 Domain Drive #200, Austin, TX 78758 [Map]
How (much): Free!
Food: Provided!
Registration https://door64.com/aug2012n

August 16, 2012: What: Door64 Happy Hour (Downtown Austin)

Who: Door64.com members
When: Thursday, August 16, 2012 / 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: Six Lounge, 117 West 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701 [Map]
How (much): Free!
Food: Provided!
Registration https://door64.com/aug2012

August 23, 2012: The Funding Forum in Austin is open for Entrepreneur pitches.
(If you have pitched before, contact Hall Martin directly to express your interest in this forum).
Location: Better Business Bureau Conference Center, 1005 La Posada Drive, Austin, TX 78752
Cost to observe: $15 (plus applicable fees)

September 20, 2012: The  Funding Forum in Round Rock 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 St.
Cost to observe: $15.00 (plus applicable fees)

October 5, 2012:  Fall 2012 Software Painpoint Job Fair
Co-located with the 8000-attendee ITEXPO Conference in Austin.  Employer registration is now open, and premium booth selection is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you anticipate your company will need Java developers, .NET developers, UI/UX practitioners, and/or Software QA engineers within the next three months, and/or you are aware of the benefits of keeping your talent pipeline full, join us on October 5 to meet these professionals in Austin!


Back to TOP


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




Career

The IEEE-USA Career Manager (https://www.ieeeusa.org/careers) is organized into eight categories designed to help you manage and advance in your career:

* Career Management Interactive Workshop
* Salary Service
* Consulting and Entrepreneurship
* Professional Development Webinars
* Employment Assistance and Job Search
* IEEE Online Distance Learning
* E-Book Library
* IEEE.tv

Tips, Tools and Gadgets

I recently came across two apps that I thought might be of interest, one iOS and one Android.  I recently had some trouble with my Android phone regarding battery depletion.  I went into a Verizon store and the Advanced Task Killer app was recommended.  This is a free app that you configure to run periodically which will kill apps that are not in use, thus saving battery power.  I have been running it for a few weeks now and have been quite pleased with the results. 

The other app is for iOS called Chirp.  Chirp allows sending a link or other small packet of data to others with the app.  The nice thing about it is that it is done using an audio sound burst that resembles a birds chirp, hence the name.  So with this you could share a link to a file or web site with others in a meeting, or across an auditorium over a PA system, or even over the radio.  All the receivers have to do is have Chirp installed and activated to receive the message you send.  This would be a great way to distribute copies of presentation handouts to meeting attendees.  While it is iOS only right now, Android is supposed to be coming soon. 

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.