 |
Roger Allan
|
 Write for Electronic Design
|
Roger Allan is a 39-year electronics journalism veteran, and served as
Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors,
components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and
measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military
electronics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics techologies. He is a frequent contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science.
Email address: rsallan@optonline.net
|
|
802 results found for Roger Allan, displaying items 1 - 20
|
October 9, 2008
[Technology Report]
MOST Emerges As "The" Auto Multimedia Standard
Who would have thought 10 years ago when the MOST Cooperation was formed that today’s automobiles, with all of their multimedia features, would turn into home entertainment centers on wheels? In fact, two years prior in 1996, U.S. automotive manufacturers weren’t even keen on adopting the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) protocol. Such wasn’t the case with their European and later their Asian counterparts, who began discussing the concept (...
October 9, 2008
[Technology Report]
MOST Boasts Expanding Hardware/Software Support
The MOST automotive protocol seems to add new hardware and software suppliers to its cadre daily. Parts suppliers are realizing the strong market opportunity in supporting a network that meets modern and future automotive infotainment system requirements with a high level of quality of service and at ever-improving cost levels. A crucial element is the fiber-optic transceiver (FOT) circuit for the high-speed fiber version of the 150-Mbit/s protocol. In the...
October 9, 2008
[Engineering Essentials]
OLED Origins
Believe it or not, OLEDs extend back to the early 1950s. Researchers at the Université de Nancy in France produced electroluminescence in organic materials by applying a high-voltage ac potential to crystalline thin films of acridine orange and quinacrine. Dow Chemical Co. followed in the 1960s by developing ac-driven electroluminescent cells using doped anthracene. Other researchers added further contributions. It’s generally acknowledged that...
October 9, 2008
[Engineering Essentials]
OLEDs Put On Quite A Display
Of all the leading display technologies, none has generated more excitement as the display technology of the future than organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). OLEDs possess all of the positive attributes of any current display technology with little or no negative features—at least not yet. For example, they don’t require any backlighting like other displays, such as liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). OLEDs present bright, clear video and images...
October 9, 2008
[Engineering Feature]
Strong Forecasts Bolster Automotive Safety And Control IC Market
The market outlook for automotive safety and control ICs is rosy, according to several market research firms—particularly for sensors and microcontroller units (MCUs). For example, Frost & Sullivan says global revenues for meeting mandated automotive active safety requirements will reach $21.3 billion in 2012, up from $13 billion in 2006, for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8%. According to iSuppli Corp., worldwide shipments of...
October 9, 2008
[Engineering Feature]
Semi ICs Drive Auto Safety And Control Innovation
In the never-ending battle to add more end-user value, the focus among automotive component and car manufacturers has turned to improving safety and control for vehicles. Driver assistance, collision prediction and avoidance, lane-departure warning, and electronic stability control (ESC) are just some of the systems getting a lot of attention these days. However, “value” isn’t the only driving force behind these technological pursuits....
October 7, 2008
[Product Report]
Samsung HDD Touts Highest Storage, Smallest Footprint
Samsung’s Spinpoint M6 hard-disk drive (HDD) packs 500 Gbytes of storage into a single 2.5-in. hard-disk drive (HDD) in a standard 9.5-mm height with a 3-8 Gbit/s SATA interface, in what may be the best pound-for-pound HDD out there. The drive fits into the chassis of commercial and multimedia notebooks and some laptops (not all general-purpose laptops, though).
August 28, 2008
[Engineering Feature]
Portable Craze Redefines The Dashboard
TText, blog, or twitter hands-free while driving. Access your car’s iPod media player to change tracks and adjust the volume without lifting a finger. Even host a three-way telephone call via a Bluetooth device without your hands leaving the steering wheel. No longer content with standard features for low-end and mid-range cars, drivers expect satellite navigation, multizone climate control, satellite radio, and even beverage refrigeration as standard items. ...
August 19, 2008
[Web Exclusive]
DNA In Your Gadgets?
We all know how DNA technology has revolutionized forensics as the unique identifier for organic life. Now here comes DNA technology for automobiles, motorcycles, marine equipment, clothing, laptops, building materials, packaging, industrial goods, construction equipment, etc.
August 12, 2008
[ED Bookstore]
Lessons Learned From A Lean Consultant
Want some insights into “lean” manufacturing? Want to learn from the mistakes made when companies failed in their quest for more efficient manufacturing? Then this is the right book to read.
July 24, 2008
[Technology Report]
MEMS And 3D Packaging
As microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) ICs satisfy more functions and proliferate, packaging them into high-density form factors like 3D becomes more of a challenge than conventional ICs. To suppress costs and make them more competitive in the market, they need high-density packaging. MEMS devices are essentially “machines” that involve motion, not transistors. This means they must be effectively protected from the environments they operate in, which often can be very...
July 24, 2008
[Technology Report]
Shrinking ICs Need High Density In A Package Deal
The push is on for IC packages in smaller form factors, not only length- and width-wise, but also height-wise. Hence, the term “3D ICs.” Smaller form factors require greater density, and that means stacking chips and boards on top of each other in a 3D form. As ICs downsize from quad flat packs (QFPs) to ball-grid arrays (BGAs) and further down the line, fewer stacks and external I/Os are needed (Fig....
July 15, 2008
[Web Exclusive]
Pen-Enabled Mac Modbook? What’s Not To Like?
Most of us know about the legendary intuitive user interface of Apple Mac computers. Now Axiotron, Inc. has taken this one step further with the one and only pen-enabled tablet Mac, the Modbook, which allows users to draw and write directly on the 13.3-in. diagonal LCD screen. Having tried it for a couple of weeks, this writer found the unit’s condensed form factor and integrated pen-based user experience a real joy in terms of flexibility and control. And it’s fast!
July 10, 2008
[Technology Report]
MEMS The Word... In Consumer Electronics
Demand for devices that can sense motion, orientation, and location is surging, and it runs the gamut from the hottest video games to critical medical technology. With accelerometers and gyroscopes based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) rapidly maturing, that demand is being met. Many of the latest consumer products include one or more MEMS IC functions that measure and control factors like movement, position, force, and even temperature. As a...
June 26, 2008
[Engineering Feature]
All A-Board!
Aerospace and military applications that are more sophisticated and complex are spawning a new breed of single-board computers (SBCs). Thatâ??s because the users in these areas have rather formidable demands, such as greater ruggedness, higher reliability, more power performance, less power dissipation, and a smaller form factor. As a result, board and systems integrators are scrambling to find ways to pack as much technology as possible on the...
June 19, 2008
[Sensors Expo]
Innovations Grab The Spotlight At The 2008 Sensors Expo & Conference
Held June 9-11 in Rosemont, Ill., this year’s Sensors Expo & Conference offered a rich technical program and a floor of fascinating exhibits. Nearly 200 exhibitors participated, introducing the latest wireless controllers, thermometers, glucose monitors, automotive subsystems, industrial automation systems, oil pressure gauges, smoke alarms, manufacturing materials, and other technologies.
June 19, 2008
[Sensors Expo]
MEMS Motion Sensors Lead The Way At Sensors Expo 2008
Some of the biggest advances revealed at Sensors Expo 2008, held June 9-11 in Rosemont, Ill., involved some of the smallest technology. A host of companies was on hand and eager to display their hottest developments in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) motion sensors.
June 19, 2008
[Sensors Expo]
Wireless Applications Dominate 2008 Sensors Expo
Wireless technology is spreading sensor applications to just about everywhere in the world, and the exhibitors at Sensors Expo & Conference 2008, held June 9-11 in Rosemont, Ill., are all ready to take advantage of these global opportunities.
June 19, 2008
[Technology Report]
Robots Finally Have That Personal Touch
Extending from the factory floor and into your living room, the personal robot’s time has arrived. These devices have pushed past uses as expensive and cute toys like Sony’s Aibo and into sophisticated and affordable products that perform a number of functions in and around the home. Allied Business Intelligence Research says that the personal robotics market, which includes robotic toys, educational robots, and task-based robots, will reach $15...
June 19, 2008
[Technology Report]
Robotics Give Doctors A Helping Hand
Advances in robotics technology are completely transforming today’s hospital operating rooms. With robot control and assistance, surgery for any kind of injury or ailment is faster, more accurate, and less invasive than ever before. Because robots help accelerate procedures, operations become safer. With conventional surgery, a surgeon performing an operation lasting several hours can become exhausted. As a result, the surgeon’s hand can be subject...
 prev. page
[1]
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
next page 
|
|
