EE Times' Design Currents section is the gathering place for engineers looking to identify the latest trends and concepts in electronics design, what challenges those trends bring to the forefront, and how those challenges can be overcome.
To those ends, the Design section is comprised of Design Feature, Tips and Tricks and Under the Hood.
Design Feature
Kicking off the Design section, Design Features monitor and spotlight trends in Embedded, Communications and Silicon/EDA Design, with each of the three being explored by the editors of EE Times on a monthly cycle. The contributed features may be culled from CMP's online how-to design resources. Alternatively, contributed articles are chosen from unsolicited manuscripts.
The fourth week of every month will feature a "wildcard" contributed article from TechOnline’s DesignLines. See the 2008 EE Times Editorial Calendar for more details, or contact Nicolas Mokhoff.
Contributed Article Content
Design Feature contributions are engineer-to-engineer discussions of issues that designers now face as a result of recent technological developments. All abstracts should be submitted to an EE Times beat editor or to Nicolas Mokhoff to ensure they are in line with expected requirements. Please contact us at least six to eight weeks prior to the issue date.
For contributed pieces, please keep the following in mind:
- Be as non-product specific as possible.
- Write about the nature of the problem followed by possible solutions and its pros and cons.
- Argue for a specific solution that seems to achieve the best results.
Style: Write modularly. Keep the text of the main article tightly focused on the topic and its development, with details on standards, specifications and specific product implementations in sidebars. Breaking up an article this way makes it easier to read.
It is highly advisable to work with editors to: (1) Make choices amongst a number of different story ideas; (2) Rough out the material to be included in a specific article under consideration; (3) Break up what you want to write about into two or three article ideas, each shorter and to the point.
Advance preparation with the editor will ensure the article meets requirements and avoid duplication of content, which can lead to an article being axed from a section.
Timing: Typically, editors plan for contributed articles two to three months prior to the date of publication. While there are exceptions, it is important to contact an appropriate editor early to discuss opportunities, article ideas, and any important requirements or recommendations for upcoming sections.
Design Feature Article Requirements
The following requirements must be met for an article to be published in the EE Times Design section.
Abstract: An abstract is required before article submission. The abstract should provide the editor with specific information about the author's goals for the article. It can be an outline that details major points that will be expanded upon in the article.
Article length: 1,200 to 1,600 words
Bylined information: The article must have a title (suggested headline) and an author or authors, with individual names, titles, full company name, city, state and an email address. A photo of the author(s) is also required. As these are engineer-to-engineer discussions, titles must reflect that (ie. no marketing titles allowed). Due to byline space restrictions, there is a limit of two authors per article.
Acronyms: All acronyms need to be spelled out the first time they are used. Any additional company mentioned in the article must include the full company name and location.
Art requirements: Only one piece of art is allowed per article. The art can be a drawing, schematic, table, code or a high-resolution photo. All acronyms need to be spelled out in the art.
Captions: Each piece of art must be accompanied by a caption, which should explain what the reader should take away from the figure. Caption length is a maximum of three sentences. The art and captions are considered to be self-contained entities. In particular, do not refer to or discuss drawings in the text of the article.
Submission Procedures
Abstract/Article: The abstract and article should be sent to the appropriate editor in Microsoft Word at an agreed upon deadline.
Art submission: The art should be sent to the editor in a separate file. It must be sent in one of following common formats: TIFF, GIF, JPG, PDF or PowerPoint. Only high-resolution photos (300 dpi or greater) can be used.
Editorial procedures: All articles and art are edited by EE Times staff editors and meet EE Times editorial procedures before publication. Copyright is under CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Tips and Tricks
A clearinghouse for the dissemination of quickly digestible, timely and sage design advice, Tips and Tricks taps experts from the widest possible range of electronic design disciplines to bring the latest in useful and readily applicable design techniques. Dealing with topics as varied as the tweaking of analog circuits to the generation of optimal code for the latest processing architecture to the proper use of the latest in test and EDA tools, Tips and Tricks content takes many forms. Articles can range from code listings and one-paragraph heads up on a neat design trick, right up to 700-word rankings of the top five do's and don'ts in a particular design area. Emphasis will be placed on online-interactive tips where, for example, the visual or aural effect of a potential tweak can be seen or heard directly, or test tips can be demonstrated.
This section will also play host to a series of regular columns from both industry experts and EE Times staff. Of particular interest to potential contributors from the industry is the monthly "OpenMic" column where engineers are invited to write 700 words on an issue they feel needs airing. Please send all Tips and Tricks ideas to Nicolas Mokhoff.
Under the Hood
So, what's really in there? How does it tick? Formerly known as "Teardown" within the pages of EE Times, this weekly feature lives within the Design section. Working with the top "teardown" experts in the business to strip and analyze the latest processors and systems to hit the market, Under the Hood will deliver detailed and insightful comparative analyses of everything from construction and design to choice of manufacturer, country of manufacture and advice on cost-cutting strategies. From mobile phones to supercomputers, Under the Hood will put the latest and greatest under the microscope.To see the 160+ archives of Under the Hood along with On Demand Seminars and a digital special edition, see the EE Times companion site, TechOnline.
