Category: Engineering

Coupling & Crosstalk: Look beyond the small screen to get the big picture!

Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Spring 2019 edition on pages 8-9.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column, by mixing technology and general observations, is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Look beyond the small screen to get the big picture!

The electronics industry is in a transition forced by rapid changes in computer hardware and concepts. However, there is even more change on the horizon and this historical perspective can help you to understand and plan for the future.

The earliest ‘big iron’ computer systems were built to solve Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Look beyond the small screen to get the big picture!”

Coupling & Crosstalk: Engineering: The Solution to Software Quality!

house of cards canstockphoto10105769 200x300Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Winter 2015 edition on pages 11-12.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column, by mixing technology and general observations, is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Engineering: The Solution to Software Quality!

Who is an engineer? In a recent Atlantic article, “Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers”, Ian Bogost argues strongly that software developers should not be called engineers based upon several factors including quality, professional licensure, and liability. Mr. Bogost includes examples of where software has failed even as it has become critical infrastructure. Having struck a nerve, there are several notable rebuttal articles and thousands of comments on the original article.

But instead of arguing over who should be called an Engineer Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Engineering: The Solution to Software Quality!”