The meeting with Santosh Venkatesha has been moved to the first week of December. It deals with issues, trials and tribulations of starting a new small business.

Please check the website for further updates:

http://embs.bme.jhu.edu

2. EMC Society Meeting Notice

Topic:

New Advancements in Shielding Materials

Speaker:

Gary Fenical

EMC Technical Support Engineer

NARTE Certified EMC Engineer

Laird Technologies Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327

Date:

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Time:

Reception, Refreshments and Chapter Business: 5:30 - 6:00 PM

Lecture and Discussion: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Location:

Northrop Grumman, Electronics Systems facility at BWI

Conference Room 603

See directions below

Open to Members and the General Public.

Note: There will be no admission charge; however RSVPs would be appreciated by COB Tuesday 31 October in order to estimate the quantity of refreshments.

RSVP to:

EMC Chair: John Anderson, 410-573-7502, janderson@alionscience.com

Vice Chair: Robert Berkovits, 410-993-5403, RJBERKOV@IEEE.ORG

http://ieee.org/baltimore

Abstract

In keeping pace with the ongoing electronics boom, the wireless surge, increasing power levels and higher frequencies, there is no doubt that advances in electronic components are occurring at a rapid pace. While consumers demand more advanced products with increased features and speed, engineers work to meet the requirements of the electronics marketplace. Many factors, such as increasing frequencies, miniaturization, heat, environmental issues and more have to be weighed before working on enhancements to computers, digital cameras, video game handsets, RFID systems, LASER readers and countless other consumer and commercial devices.

In order to equip the industry with the tools needed for the next wave of electronics devices, new electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities, for one, are being improved. The latest available products help companies to lower costs, reduce waste, increase airflow and install devices in small spaces, to name a few.

Shielding products, in general, have experienced numerous noteworthy changes over the years. The uses, properties and advantages of the new materials, as well as advanced EMI shielding product designs, are significant in the world of electronics. Recent advancements include:

High-performance, dent-resistant vent panels

High aspect ratio form-in-place (FiP)

Ultrasoft sculpted fabric-over-foam (FoF)

Conductive foam (CF)

Metal mold-in-place (MIP) combination gaskets

Recyclable Clean Copper RF Gaskets

Biography:

Mr. Fenical is the EMC Technical Sales Representative at Laird Technologies, in Delaware Water Gap, PA and has been with the firm for 23 years. Mr. Fenical is a specialist in RF shielded enclosures and has been responsible for the design and/or measurement and quality control of hundreds of large-scale shielded enclosures as well as a number of shielded equipment cabinets and housings. He was instrumental in the design and construction of Laird Technologies' state-of-the-art World Compliance Centers.

He has over 40 years of electronic experience in the operation and maintenance of RF and digital systems for both military and commercial applications. His experience covers classified RADAR systems, analog and digital computers, electronic and hard copy readouts, and both secure telecommunications and computer network systems.

Mr. Fenical has authored many articles on EMC Requirements for Medical Devices, Mutual Recognition Agreements and Guidelines to meet the essential requirements if the EMC Directive. He has also authored several seminars on the EMC Directive, International Compliance, and Designing for EMC and EMC Requirements for Medical Devices which have been presented worldwide. He holds the patent for the invention of heat-treated beryllium-copper knitted wire mesh gasket.

He is a special government employee for the FDA as an EMC consultant. He is the Chairman of the SAE AE-4 Committee on Aerospace EMC and a member of the IEEE-EMC Society, SMRI, and holds an FCC General Radiotelephone License (1st Class) with Ship RADAR Endorsement.

Directions:

From Washington DC and the Capital Beltway (I-495):

Take either 295 (Baltimore Washington Parkway) or I-95 north toward Baltimore. Turn off on I-195 towards BWI (east) – turn south onto MD 170. NGC ES will be on your left. Proceed to the fourth traffic light (just past the entrance to Amtrak Way, on the right) and turn left into the parking lot at the end of the building.

From the Annapolis area:

From the intersection of Routes 50 and 97, take Rt. 97 north to Rt.100 West. Exit at the next exit, MD 170 North (Aviation Blvd.). Take MD 170 north past lights at Dorsey Rd. and Stoney Run Rd. At the next light turn right into the parking lot at the west end of the Northrop Grumman building.

At the Facility:

Park anywhere at the west end of the building and go into the lobby next to the gate. Sign in with the guard; he will give you a visitor's badge. Room 603 is on the left.

3. Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Meeting Notice

Title:

Big Science (in a small room) with Extremely Intense Lasers

Speaker:

Dr. Howard M. Milchberg

Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering

University of Maryland, College Park

Location:

JHU Applied Physics Laboratory Howard County Room 3

Date:

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Time:

6PM Dinner

7PM Lecture

The Baltimore Chapter of the Lasers and Electro-Optics Society is pleased to announce Dr. Howard M. Milchberg, Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering of the University of Maryland College Park, as the next speaker in the Chapter’s Fall Technical Seminar Series. The event will be held at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County Room 3 on Wednesday, November 29, 2006. A light dinner and refreshments will be served at 6pm followed by a discussion of current and future Chapter activities. The evening will culminate in a captivating technical lecture, beginning at 7pm. As always, new ideas and thoughts for Chapter activities are welcome. Please see below and the Chapter web site www.ieee.org\BaltimoreLEOS for more details. Please RSVP for the dinner by Monday November 27, 2005 to:

Baltimore.LEOS@ieee.org

4. MTT/AP Meeting Notice

Topic:

Terahertz Technology in Outer and Inner Space

Speaker:

Dr. Peter H. Siegel

Senior Research Scientist, Beckman Institute, Division of Biology, Caltech

Senior Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Supervisor: Submillimeter Wave Advanced Technology (SWAT)

Date:

Monday, November 13th 2006

Time:

Chapter Business and dinner 6:00-6:30

Lecture: 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Location:

Northrop Grumman, Electronics Systems facility at BWI

Conference Room 603

See directions below

Open to Members and the General Public. US citizens only (due to the location).

Note:

Please RSVP so that we can plan the food.

RSVP to:

Nathan Bushyager, nathan.bushyager@ngc.com

Abstract:

After more than 30 years of niche applications in the space sciences area, the field of Terahertz Technology is entering a true Renaissance. While major strides continue to be made in submillimeter wave astronomy and spectroscopy, the past few years have seen an unprecedented expansion of terahertz applications, components and instruments. Broad popular interest in this unique frequency domain has emerged for the first time, spanning applications as diverse as biohazard detection and tumor recognition. Already there are groups around the world who have applied specialized Terahertz techniques to disease diagnostics , recognition of protein structural states , monitoring of receptor binding , performing label-free DNA sequencing and visualizing contrast in otherwise uniform tissue. A commercial terahertz imaging system has recently started tests in a hospital environment and new high sensitivity imagers with much deeper penetration into tissue have begun to emerge. Solicitations for more sophisticated instruments and enabling terahertz components have filtered into US agency proposal calls from DoD and NASA, to NSF and NIH, and many new research groups have sprung up, both in this country and in Europe and Asia. This talk will broadly survey terahertz technology from its cradle applications in space science and spectroscopy to more recent biomedical and chemical uses.

Speaker Biography:

Peter H. Siegel obtained a BA in astronomy and physics from Colgate University, Hamilton NY in 1976, a Masters in Physics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University in 1978 and 1983 respectively. He has been involved in the analysis and development of millimeter-and submillimeter-wave sensors for over 30 years. He began his career in millimeter wave technology in 1975 as a summer student at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, working with astronomer Patrick Thaddeus and electrical engineer Tony Kerr on low noise receivers. In 1983 he moved up in frequency to the submillimeter, working as a National Research Council Fellow on THz planar antenna arrays. From 1984-87 Dr. Siegel was employed at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory where he worked with Sandy Weinreb and the millimeter wave receiver group in Charlottesville Virginia, maintaining the Kitt Peak National Radio Observatory. He moved to JPL in 1987 to work on advanced technology development for NASA astrophysics applications. At JPL, Dr. Siegel naturally became involved in several satellite instrument applications, including a very successful Earth observing platform that returned early data on the Antarctic ozone hole and chemical processes in the stratosphere. In 1993 he founded the JPL Submillimeter Wave Advanced Technology team (SWAT), a group of 25 engineers and scientists working on the development of submillimeter-wave technology for NASA's near and long term astrophysics, Earth remote sensing, and planetary mission applications. At JPL, Dr. Siegel has led or co-I'd more than sixty R&D programs as well as developing and delivering hardware for four major space flight instruments. He currently holds a position as a Senior Research Scientist for Submillimeter Wave Technology and Instruments. In 2002 Dr. Siegel joined the staff at Caltech as a Senior Research Scientist at the Beckman Institute, Division of Biology, where he is working on biological applications of THz technology. He maintains a joint appointment as the Technical Group Supervisor for SWAT at JPL, where he continues to propose and work on space applications of THz technology. Dr. Siegel and his JPL team have won numerous awards for their technical achievements and are internationally recognized as leaders in THz technology development. Dr. Siegel is a member of AAAS, an elected Fellow of the IEEE, Chair of IEEE MTT Committee 4 - Terahertz Technology and Applications, Vice-Chair of the International Organizing Committee of the Symposium on Infrared and Millimeter Waves (IRMMW), and Organizer of the 33rd IRMMW & 16th THz Electronics Symposium to be held at Caltech in Pasadena, California in 2008 – to which you are all invited!

Directions:

From Washington DC and the Capital Beltway (I-495):

Take either 295 (Baltimore Washington Parkway) or I-95 north toward Baltimore.

Turn off on I-195 towards BWI (east) – turn south onto MD 170. NGC ES will be on your left. Proceed to the fourth traffic light (just past the entrance to Amtrak Way, on the right) and turn left into the parking lot at the end of the building.

From the Annapolis area:

From the intersection of Routes 50 and 97, take Rt. 97 north to Rt.100 West.

Exit at the next exit, MD 170 North (Aviation Blvd.). Take MD 170 north past lights at Dorsey Rd. and Stoney Run Rd. At the next light turn right into the parking lot at the west end of the Northrop Grumman building.

At the Facility:

Park anywhere at the west end of the building and go into the lobby next to Gate #3. Sign in with the guard; he will give you a visitor's badge. Room 603 is on the left.

5. Power Engineering Society Technical Meeting Notice

Topic:

Effect of Future Technical and Regulatory Developments on Transmission Systems.

Speaker:

John (Jack) Casazza

Date:

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Time:

12 Noon: Lunch

12:10 – 1:30PM: Presentation.

To ensure lunch reservation, please RSVP to baltimorepes@ieee.org by Friday, December 1st. Cost is $5.00 for both PES Members and non-members.

Location:

Rutherford Business Complex (RBC) – South Conference Center

7225 Windsor Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21224

See below for directions.

Abstract:

The presentation will cover potential future institutional and technical developments and how they could affect future transmission systems. The need to coordinate institutional and technical requirements will be stressed. There will be discussion of possible legislative and regulatory developments and the potential role of the engineer in setting policy.

Biography:

Jack is currently President of the American Education Institute, a not-for-profit organization that he founded in 1994 dedicated to providing the education needed in setting electric power policy. He is a past Director for the Georgia Systems Operations Company, and has been a member of the Energy Committee of the National Research Council. He is a past President of the CSA Energy Consultants and Vice President for Planning and Research for the Public Service Electric & Gas Co. He recently helped form Power Engineers Supporting Truth which is dedicated to improving the technical competence of government officials and the leadership role of engineers. Visit www.PEST-03.org for more details.

Jack is an IEEE Life Fellow and has received many awards for his contributions to the development of electric power systems. He is the author of more than 80 publications with his most recent book “Understanding Electric Power Systems-An Overview of the Technology and the Marketplace”. Visit www.ameredinst.org for more information

Directions to RBC-South:

From I-695:

Exit 17, Security Boulevard.

Bear left on the exit ramp.

Go to the 3^rd traffic light and turn right on Lord Baltimore Drive.

Left on Windsor Boulevard.

The RBC -South is the 2nd building on the left.

From I-83 and the Towson area:

I-695 West.

Exit 17, Security Boulevard.

Right on Security Boulevard.

Right on Lord Baltimore Drive.

Left on Windsor Boulevard.

The RBC -South is the 2nd building on the left.

From BWI Airport:

Leave the airport on I-195.

Take Route 295, North Baltimore.

I-695, West Towson.

Exit 17, Security Boulevard.

Bear left on the exit ramp.

Go to the 3^rd traffic light and turn right on Lord Baltimore Drive.

Left on Windsor Boulevard.

The RBC -South is the 2nd building on the left.

6. Power Engineering Society Gala

The IEEE Baltimore Power Engineering Society is planning a Gala to be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 at the Grey Rock Mansion in Pikesville, Maryland from 6:30 PM to 9 PM. This event will be a semi-formal evening affair of dining, wine tasting, and networking, as well as a presentation by a distinguished guest speaker. The purpose of the event is to provide a forum for power engineers from diverse sectors to network, while providing support for our local PES chapter. Plans for the event are still being finalized. Please check the PES website for up-to-date information:

http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r2/baltimore/baltimorepes/

7. Power Electronics Meeting Notice (1)

Topic:

Recent Developments in Power Electronics Packaging

Speaker:

Dr. Dimos Katsis

Date:

November 6, 2006

Time:

6 PM

Location:

Historical Electronics Museum

Abstract:

High power semiconductor modules are finding mainstream applications in consumer electronics, hybrid vehicles, and power distribution. The challenges for reliability include not only power semiconductor performance but also packaging and thermal management. This presentation will outline recent research and industrial developments in the development of power semiconductor modules. The talk is a follow-up to Dimos's trip to the 40th annual IEEE Industry Applications Society meeting.

Please RSVP to hobrien@arl.army.mil if planning to attend.

8. Power Electronics Meeting Notice (2)

Topic:

Reliability of Power Electronic Modules

Speaker:

Dr. Patrick McCluskey

Date:

December 4, 2006

Time:

6 PM

Location:

Historical Electronics Museum

Abstract:

There is an ever increasing need for advanced electrical power systems that can be used to control, manage, and distribute power at multiple levels, for applications as diverse as laptops, hybrid electric vehicles, and power substations. These advanced electrical power systems rely on solid-state electronic power modules to improve energy efficiency and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while simultaneously reducing system size and weight and improving system performance. Critical to the widespread incorporation of these solid-state modules, however, is determining and enhancing their reliability under the harsh environmental (high temperatures, high humidity, and dust) and operational (high voltages, currents and power dissipation levels) loading conditions typical of power electronics applications.

Accelerated qualification testing, the traditional method for assessing the reliability of power electronic modules and systems, is time-consuming and costly, and provides little understanding of the fundamental factors that can be used to design reliability into an electronic system. This presentation will discuss the application of the PoF (Physics of Failure) based approach to assess the reliability of both traditional and next generation power modules. Critical failure sites to be discussed include wirebond interconnects, flip chip interconnects, die and substrate attach, and substrates.

Please RSVP to hobrien@arl.army.mil if planning to attend.

9. Education Society Chapter Meeting Notice

The first meeting of the Washington DC / Baltimore Joint Sections Education Chapter is to take place in the President's Room, ITE-456 the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus on Wednesday 8 Nov 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. This will be an organizational meeting in which we will plan future events and directions for the new chapter. For more details, please contact Prof David Bourner, 410 455 2855 or email bourner@umbc.edu. Refreshments will be provided.

10. Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits Chapter Hosts Fellows Night

Two members of the Baltimore Chapter of the Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits Societies were elected to the grade of IEEE Fellow in 2006. Mr. R. Chris Clarke, Director of the Northrop Grumman Science and Technology Center in Baltimore, was honored "for contributions to the development of high-power silicon carbide devices for microwave applications". Dr. Andreas G. Andreou, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute's Fabrication and Lithography Facility, was honored "for contributions to energy efficient sensory microsystems". Both will be featured at the chapter meeting on November 28 at the Historical Electronics Museum near the BWI airport; a casual dinner at 5:30 PM precedes the main program at 6:00. Mr. Clarke will speak on new battery/capacitor concepts for high-efficiency electric and hybrid vehicles. Dr. Andreou will discuss some of his research interests, which include sensors, micropower electronics, heterogeneous microsystems, and information processing in biological systems. Admission is free. To RSVP or request further information, email the chapter secretary (papotyraj@ieee.org).

11. IEEE MPAC-WIE Conference

IEEE Region 2 (Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Southern New Jersey Sections) and WIE (Women in Engineering) affinity groups jointly held a member professional awareness conference (MPAC) on October 14 and 15, 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland. IEEE-USA sponsored MPACs are a forum for communication of members of IEEE, students and friends to discuss and share views on their professional needs and interests. IEEE WIE affinity groups are IEEE men and women members dedicated to important issues for women engineers.

The theme conference, "Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century Engineer" addressed interesting topics such as, diversity, starting a small business and a workshop on innovative and practical steps to completing your master’s thesis or dissertation. The keynote speaker, IEEE VP Technical Activities Board, Celia Desmond from Canada informed the audience about the necessity of developing skills in today’s competitive telecommunication industry. National WIE Committee Chair Mary Ellen Randall from North Carolina reported the results of a recent study on gender influences in engineering. Keynote speaker Dr. Ruth David, an advisor on homeland security, discussed the need for a systems approach in securing the nation during Saturday night dinner banquet.

The two-day conference is the first-of-a-kind collaborative IEEE MPAC-WIE regional event. It was well attended by many who have come from other areas outside the Washington-Baltimore corridor, like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. It also attracted members from regions outside of region 2 such as New Hampshire, Tennessee, and as far as California. Over 30 percent of the attendees were students. The event has also inspired other members and students to form new WIE affinity groups in their areas.

Contact: Carole C. Carey

E-mail: c.carey@ieee.org

12. Call for Nominations

The IEEE Baltimore Section is issuing a call for nominations for section officers for next year. Please send your nominations to:

Dr. Brian Sequeira

brian.sequeira@ieee.org

13. Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Show

The Wilmington ISA Section is hosting an instrumentation, systems and automation show November 16th along the Delaware / Pennsylvania line off I-95 that might be of interest to IEEE members. There is free admission and parking. There are exhibitor tables available. Please contact:

Ken Lawrence

Show Coordinator

KRL Marketing, Inc

215-453-6782 PA Office

215-622-0051 Cell

Ken@krlmarketing.com

14. HEM Web Exhibit

HEM has a new web only exhibit. Please feel free to spread the word.

http://www.hem-usa.org/wwii-radar-kiosk.shtml

15. Continuing EE Education Course

Kim Fowler's Continuing EE Education (CEEE) course is now confirmed by the Historical Electronics Museum (HEM) for two successive Saturdays: Jan, 6 and Jan 13, 2007, from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm on each of these two dates (2 x 4 hours).

Here is a summary of Kim's proposed course:

"Developing Real-Time Embedded Products."

The course surveys many different concerns that an engineer or designer needs to consider when developing a new product - hardware circuits, software processes, power, cooling, human interfaces, testing, integration, delivery, and support after product launch. It presents many different tradeoffs, such as buy versus build, architectures that suit specific applications, and types of markets.

Short bio:

Kim has spent 25 years in designing and developing medical, military, and satellite equipment. He authored, Electronic Instrument Design: Architecting for the Life Cycle, published by Oxford University Press and is currently working on three other books. He is Editor-In-Chief of the IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement magazine, writes the Tried and True column, and is an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer. He co-founded Stimsoft, a medical products company, which sold in 2003 and now consults in product development. He has published widely in engineering journals and has several patents.

16. Continuing EE Education

We are re-running this request for interest in a continuing education program. This program will be in the format of seminars focused on a particular topic of interest. The seminars may run either during the week after work hours or possibly on Saturday. The idea for the program is described below.

Name of project: Continuing EE Education (“CEEE”)

Goal: A section-level program aimed at:

Updating the IEEE members on new developments in the EE field.

Familiarizing engineers with basic new tools, products and techniques as well as giving them the initial knowledge and skills to use them.

Inviting representatives from different vendors to present leading novel products.

Giving tutorials in new areas.

Helping IEEE fellow members become more competitive, especially in times of uncertain jobs, off-shoring and salary stagnation.

Facilitating networking.

Broadening the horizon of each IEEE member.

Fostering collaboration between members of different societies as well as generation of new ideas (“cross-pollination” element).

The program should be open to all IEEE members, including students. It is meant to be a cross-societies initiative, i.e. should not be limited to narrow topics serving the interests of a single chapter only. Emphasis should be placed on meeting with experienced experts from different fields. Critical comparisons between different solutions of EE problems are expected to be made, and trends should be discussed.

Potential topics of interest could include, but are not limited to:

Software tools:

Programming languages

Compilers

Real-Time Operating systems

Debuggers

Emulators

Hardware tools:

Novel electronic components

Single-Board Computers (SBC)

Embedded solutions

FPGAs

Printed circuit board design (schematics capture, layout)

Circuit simulation (PSPICE)

Portable devices

Signal and image processing (examples, tools, help)

Wireless devices:

Theory

Standards

Available OEM products

Trends

Internet-based methods and devices:

Standards

Available tools

Web Page Design

Contemporary design tools (like AutoCad and Solid Works)

Reliability and Compliance issues

We plan to invite qualified speakers from academia, industry and governmental institutions. The speakers will be professionals who can give first-hand information and share front-line experience on the technology, methods and tools being presented.

We plan to organize 2-4 meetings annually. Each meeting is planned to last for 2 hours or more. We could meet on weekdays, or on Saturdays.

Please send us your suggestions and preferences regarding topics, time and place of meetings, the name/acronym of the program etc.

Boris Gramatikov

Chair,

Baltimore Section

Bgramat@jhmi.edu