Madison Section Newsletter

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• Review of November Events

  IEEE Madison Life Member Affinity Group "Software Defined Radio": 

  At the November 5 meeting, Tom Kaminski explained how software is used to process radio signals to accommodate a wide range of input signal characteristics and output requirements. After reviewing the underlying digital signal processing theory, Tom explained and demonstrated the hardware and software that is used to implement software defined radio (SDR).  An SDR system can be implemented using a $20 USB pre-processor dongle and free-download application software on a computer or cellphone. For a small, inexpensive, stand-alone system, a Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer can be used instead of a notebook or cell-phone.

  Using a GQRX software receiver, Tom demonstrated reception of local FM broadcast stations and NOAA weather radio. In a better location or by using a better antenna, aircraft, satellite, police, amateur and other signals could be received. Tom also described his work with UW-Madison students collaborating with Project Lifesaver International to build drones equipped with SDR systems for locating lost people who wear location signaling devices due to their limited capacity to find their way. In a similar project, he worked with UW wildlife researchers to develop systems for coyote and fox tracking. The presentation generated numerous questions and a lively discussion that began while Tom set up his equipment and continued during and after the presentation. You can access Tom's presentation slides here.

  
  

Photo: LMAG Election and Talk "Software Defined Radio" (Wires EVERYWHERE!)

November Section Meeting: "OSTEOPROSIS: The Road To Discovery" --  Dr. Everett Smith spoke to our Section about Osteoporosis research. Americans spend $44 billion dollars on diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. The human skeletal system has three purposes: support, a mineral reservoir, and blood cell formation. Osteoporosis affects the skeletal system's ability to support the body. Smith's research studies bones in chambers that keep cultures and alive and subject them to variable loads. He studies that amount of bone compression as a function of load. This load must be applied cyclically in a way calculated to prevent the bone from responding to the load by getting harder. Bone is similar to a sponge in that the slope of its compression vs force graph is low for low forces, increases in an intermediate “spongy” zone, and then plateaus. If we plotted the slope of compression change vs force, it would show low values except for a parabola-shaped hump in the compressible zone.

The studies reveal how the microscope features of bone structure respond to mechanical force and how this response can be influenced by medical interventions. Smith discussed how the drug Celebrex inhibits COX-2. This blocks prostaglandin, which plays a role in how bones respond to mechanical load. They also studied how endothelin blocker reduce insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) The load cells may be the part of most interest to EEs. They must keep the bone cells alive, tolerate the chemicals the researchers want to expose the bones to, and deliver a variable load to the bone over time according to the researchers' desired load vs time program. What researchers learn using them could lead to new ways to mitigate the effects of bone aging.


• Upcoming Meetings

  December Madison Section Meeting: Greg Taylor from Cycling '74 will give a talk on his view of what is happening in the area of electronic musis, both analog and digital.  In addition to composing electronic music, Greg has a wealth of knowledge of the tools of the trade, in part through his employment at Cycling '74, a software company that make things happen with a full kit of creative tools for sound, graphics, music and interactivity in a visual environment. Greg also hosts a local radio show "RTQE" (Remember those Quite Evenings) on Sunday evenings on WORT. Greg's presentation should be a great way to learn about what is happening in electronic music.
  
  December ECN Meeting: Was held on Thursday, December 3rd before the Newsletter was published.  It was a social/professional "Meet and Greet" where attendees shared their background and talked about what they do. 
  
  January Life Member Affinity Group Meeting: Chuck Kime will be giving a dynamite image and video presentation of his photos from Denali.  Chuck has used time in retirement to polish his considerable skill in photography and videography.  Don't miss it!  Check out some of his work Chuck Kime | Flickr.
  
  January Madison Section Meeting: Professor Vasquez, the current President of the IEEE Magnetics Society will give a lecture on CoFe Nanotubes.  NOTE THE DAY change -- Monday rather than the usual third Thursday. 
  

• IEEE Madison Elections
  

  Madison Section Officer Elections: You should have received an electronic notification (full members only, no student members or affiliate members) of the Section Officer Elections.  PLEASE VOTE by clicking on the link.  If you have forgotten the link, you can access your voting history (including the latest ones) at this vtools voting link.  You must have an IEEE login to vote.
  

• Volunteers Needed
  

  Micro Volunteers: Do you have some time to spare to help IEEE-Madison Section?  Perhaps you have a meeting topic that you would like to see us host and could find a speaker.   Maybe you have time to call a few members who might have forgotten to renew their membership. 
  
  Antenna Modeler: Do you have experience with designing and modeling antennas?  The UW-Madison IEEE Student Branch project team would love to have you help them model the RDF antennas they have built.
  
  Please consider sending some time helping with the Section activities.  Let me know (tjkaminski (at) ieee.org).

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