Articles
10 must-see posts from September
October 1, 2012 12:28 pm | by The ECN Editors | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for September. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
Would you use a dissolvable medical implant?
September 28, 2012 2:08 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsPart of the problem with implanted medical devices -- for example a birth control, drug delivery device like Implanon and Nexplanon -- is that eventually, they must be removed. This is proving particularly difficult with the Implanon and Nexplanon, as occasionally fibrous sheath
How a space hater becomes a space junkie
September 26, 2012 8:55 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor, Space Nerd | CommentsSpace has never really interested me. When I was forced to go to a Star Trek museum at age 10 and a man dressed as a Klingon--the fictional warrior race--chased me around the gift shop, I was pretty much done with how “fun” space could be.
Military demands shape rugged storage trends
September 25, 2012 1:29 pm | by Mike Southworth, Director of Marketing, Parvus Corporation | CommentsThe success of network-centric operations relies on the ability to provide the right information to the right people at the right time. As a result, the issue of data storage is becoming increasingly important as the warfighter needs fast, reliable access to vast amounts of mission-critical data.
This app could save your teen driver’s life
September 25, 2012 9:26 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWe’ve all seen it. You’re driving down the road and see someone driving erratically only to find that person is messing with the radio, yelling at their reprobate children, shaving, eating, or applying makeup. Distracted driving has taken on an entirely new meaning with the advent of texting.
Tips for selecting and designing a membrane switch
September 24, 2012 12:45 pm | CommentsMembrane switches are known for standing up to tough environmental conditions. Flexible and durable, the membrane switch can be customized with embossing, backlighting, sealing, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) shielding. Membrane switches can be made with either tactile or non-tactile feedback and they can be integrated with LEDs and other components.
Intelligent systems add brainpower to everyday electronics
September 21, 2012 9:56 am | by Fernando Mujica, Director of System Architectures Lab of the Systems and Applications R&D Center, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) | CommentsWhat is an intelligent system? It’s any system that can input information, analyze it, and intelligently make decisions or take actions as a result. Intelligent systems have been emerging for decades, but they are on the brink of an intelligence explosion that will revolutionize the way we interact with machines, making our world smarter, safer and more fun.
Emergence of thinking networks
September 20, 2012 4:53 pm | by Mike Fahrion, director of product management, B&B Electronics | CommentsWhen examining Flame, the most sophisticated malware that has appeared to date, investigators discovered an interesting feature: Flame can steal and transmit data from computers that have no Internet connections. Flame does it by using unsuspecting humans for bi-directional data transport.
The demanding requirements of harsh environment switch designs
September 19, 2012 1:33 pm | by Owen Camden, Business Development Manager, C&K Components | CommentsElectromechanical components are not all created equal. A primary concern for design engineers when specifying electromechanical components in industrial applications is ensuring the products are rugged and robust enough to withstand harsh industrial environments.
Electronic locks: Intelligent access enhances datacenter security
September 19, 2012 1:22 pm | by Steve Spatig, General Manager, Electronic Access Solutions, Southco | CommentsThe information stored within datacenters has become the foundation on which many organizations today conduct daily business and operations, and in many cases, is considered to be their most valuable asset. From the facility down to the cabinet level, security is a key concern of datacenter engineers.
Putting technology adoption on a faster curve
September 18, 2012 2:22 pm | by Jeff Jussel, Sr. Technology Director, Newark element14 | CommentsKeeping up with the pace of changing technology is a challenge for even the most experienced embedded system developer. As new processor architectures, silicon chips and their peripherals come to the market, what is the quickest way for engineers to evaluate and successfully adopt technology to their next design?
Electronica 2012 and the PCB Marketplace
September 18, 2012 11:28 am | by Electronica | CommentsIn close cooperation with the ZVEI (Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association), the PCB Marketplace communications platform is being initiated at electronica for the first time. Following its successful launch at productronica 2011, now the forum as well as a networking
Embedded platforms featured at Electronica 2012
September 18, 2012 11:22 am | by Electronica | CommentsAt the embedded platforms conference from November 14 – 15, semiconductor and tool manufacturers as well as service-providers will present concrete solutions and services for developing embedded platforms. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from embedded design
Audio-signal processing without code headaches
September 18, 2012 11:18 am | by Jon Titus, Technical Contributor | CommentsGraphical approaches to processing audio information lets designers concentrate on how their products sound rather than on DSP and programming chores. It seems few people lack an audio device, which can include an MP3 player and small sound bar up to a custom HiFi sound system in a home theatre.
The lighting game is changing before our eyes
September 18, 2012 9:05 am | by Ted Konnerth, Founder, President and CEO, Egret Consulting Group | CommentsA secret lingers behind most lighting fixtures made since WWII. Don’t tell anyone, but lighting manufacturers don’t actually make ‘lighting’ equipment. For years, fixtures have fallen into the same classifications. When it comes to fixture types, there’s the 2X2, 2X4, troffer, downlight, strip, wrap, wallpack, Type 2, Type 5, spot, flood, can and so on.
