Ed Ramsden

As I write this, the latest news on the financial front is the reaction to the $220 million in bonuses paid to executives at the bailed-out insurer AIG. Although the bonuses are a very small fraction (0.13%) of the $173 billion in public funds supplied to the insurer, it has been more than enough...more >>

Living near Portland Oregon, the new self-proclaimed Green Capital of America, one hears a lot about how the new environmentalism is going to save the planet, the economy, and our immortal souls-all at the same time. Our homes will be powered by clean renewable energy, we will all be driving...more >>

War, recession, the presidential race-some days it doesn't pay to turn on the news. Amid our current environment of doom and gloom, however, there are a few bright spots, at least for people making sensors. There are significant industries that have been quietly growing amid the economic turmoil....more >>

This column usually focuses on prosaic and proven applications for circuits and sensors. This month, though, I am going to talk about an emerging field called evolvable hardware, which potentially has tremendous applicability to designing robust sensing and control systems.

In the original Star Trek series, DeForest Kelley played ship's surgeon Dr. Leonard McCoy. This character was especially memorable for his frequent medical pronouncement, He's dead, Jim, and for his handheld medical scanner, a device that looked like a pepper shaker with a spinning cap. This...more >>

Synchronous detction can be used to recover very small signals buried in lots of noise.

In a previous blog I shared some thoughts about outsourcing, and how I believe it to be a valuable tool for improving the effectiveness and productivity of your business. Like the Force, however, outsourcing can be used for both good and evil. Today I'll discuss some of its less savory aspects.

With the recent introduction of cheap ?? analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) offering resolutions of 24 bits or more, you'd think that the digital revolution is complete, and that the need for analog design has passed. Twenty-four bits gives you a resolution of better than 1 ?V on a 10 V span, so...more >>

"Outsourcing is still a four-letter word to many, especially when preceded by China. When used appropriately, however, outsourcing can make your operations far more effective and profitable.

The reader feedback pages of many engineering trade magazines could make you think engineering is a truly horrible profession, and that no sane person would want to go into it. Why is that? I went into it, and most of you did too. What gives?