Welcome to our Spring 1999 edition of the KlipschSpeaker Alumni News. The Klipsch School is running smoothly under the direction of Klipsch School Interim Head, Steve Castillo and College of Engineering Interim Dean Jay Jordan. Our undergraduate enrollment continues to increase and we are able to offer more students more scholarships. We continue to bring more of the courses in our new curriculum online, and we continue to work toward ABET 2000 and our ABET visit in the fall of 2000.

This issues describes a research project to use cellular phone technology to receive satellite data transmissions from anywhere in the world, a discussion of the 42^nd Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems hosted by the Klipsch School, a feature on alumni Chris Hickman and Public Service Company of New Mexico appearing in the January 1999 issue of Transmission & Distribution, and our efforts involved in ABET 2000.

KLIPSCH SCHOOL RESEARCH TO

HELP SATELLITES "PHONE HOME"

Dr. Steven Horan will direct the Klipsch School's participation in a project to launch a cluster of satellites in 2001 which may use cellular phone technology to "phone home." The "3 Corners Satellite" cluster is a joint project of the Klipsch School's Telemetering and Telecommunications Program, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Arizona State University. The project is funded by the U.S. Air Force, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and NASA under their University Nanosatellite program. The "3 Corners Satellite" is a cluster of three nanoosatellites, satellites weighing less than 10 kilograms, operating together in low-earth orbit. Each university will be responsible for the operation of one of the satellites, but the three will cooperate on the scientific mission of the program. Students will benefit from the program because they will be involved in every aspect of the project. Klipsch School students, for example, will gain experience in such things as dealing with regulatory bureaucracy, filing paperwork for launch certifications, verifying safety procedures and managing costs. These experiences aren't normally encountered in the classroom.

The satellites will measure stereo images of clouds from space which is important since in viewing weather map images, it's hard to tell how high the clouds are. Two goals of the research are to show that images received from space can be processed fairly quickly and to help the university researchers prove they can build and run satellites and quickly do neat, innovative things on a shoestring budget. $100,000 will be provided to each of the universities to buy parts, create the satellites, make sure they work, test them, and get them approved. The Air Force will coordinate the launch details.

Each university will play a different role in developing, building, and monitoring the satellites. ASU will develop the basic architecture and build the satellites. Since these satellites will be the second generation of ASU's satellite model, the effort will help the student researchers learn how to build a better spacecraft. CU-Boulder will oversee the on-board computer control systems to keep the satellites working and working together. The Klipsch School will develop and test new communication techniques for the cluster.

Most spacecraft use a dedicated radio link. This will be the first set of satellites to use cellular phone technology to communicate from space. When using a dedicated radio link, that frequency is reserved while the satellite is over the receiver's spot on the earth. However, the communication link exists for five to ten minutes about four times each day. Cellular phone technology uses satellites to transfer signals, and can transmit at any time to any area covered by a service provider. There's no guarantee that there won't be a busy signal, but the satellite can be made lighter and less complicated by relying on the phone company to provide the infrastructure and the service. Dr. Horan also wants to use existing commercial communication methods like the Internet to communicate with the satellites. It's all technology in which NASA, the Air Force, federal agencies, private industries, and the space community in general, are keenly interested. Until now, this technology has existed only on paper and in labs. This research is aggressive, but many of the pieces already exist. This is a technology demonstration program.

Research is progressing at a fast pace since project officials anticipate launching the satellites in about two years. This is a very quick turn-around in the space community. When the satellites are launched, they will start out close together and will gradually spread apart over several months to a distance of about 100 kilometers.

Depending on the launch details, the expected life of the satellites will be from three months to a year and one-half before the equipment wears out and the satellite's orbits began to decay and they fall back to earth. Because they are expected to be in space for such a short time, special, space-rated parts for the communication system will not be required, which will help reduce the cost of the mission.

MWSCAS'99 AT NMSU

The 42^nd Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems will be held at NMSU on August 8 -11, 1999. The symposium is sponsored by the Klipsch School and the IEEE Circuits and System Society. The symposium includes all aspects of theory, design, implementation, testing, and application of analog, digital, and microwave circuits and systems. Six short courses, two plenary speakers, several invited sessions and a student paper contest are planned. The symposium committee includes Klipsch School Professor Jaime Ramirez-Angulo as General Chair, Assistant Professor Paul Furth as Technical Chair, and Emeritus Professor Lonnie Ludeman for Publicity & Publications. The conference technical tracks include: Analog Circuits, Digital Circuits, Communication Systems, Signal Processing, VLSI and CAD, Neural Systems and Control, and Applications. The short courses to be presented are: Digital Signal Processing and Applications, Analog and Mixed-signal Design for Test Techniques, Design of Microelectome-chanical (MEM) Structures, Advanced CMOS Digital Integrated Circuit Design Techniques, High Speed/ High Resolution Data Converters, Controlling Common-Mode Signals and Applications, and Feedback in Linear Analog Circuits - A Systemic Approach. For more information see the conference's web site: www.mwscas99.nmsu.edu.

CHRIS HICKMAN - ONE OF A NEW

BREED OF UTILITY PROFESSIONALS

Professor Bill Kersting's Electrical Utility Management Program (EUMP) has always taken the broad view in training masters students in both electrical engineering, computer engineering, and business. With the whirlwind changes occurring in the electric utility industry, more so than ever there is a need for a new breed of utility professionals who are comfortable with technology and are willing to make high impact business decisions. The January 1999 issue of Transmission & Distribution World contained an article "Five Utilities Lead the Way to the 21^st Century," by Rick Bush. Klipsch School alumni Chris Hickman, senior engineer and director of research and development, was featured along with Public Service Company of New Mexico, a strong supporter of the EUMP program, and a company with which all New Mexicans are familiar. The following are excerpts from the article.

At 6 feet 8 inches tall with an engaging yet determined personality, Chris Hickman is a man to be reckoned with. A senior engineer with Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), Hickman approaches his engineering profession with the same zeal he once reserved for the basketball court. Just five years ago, his team's daily scrimmages and sprints paid off when New Mexico State University made it to the Sweet-Sixteen round of the NCAA basketball tournament. Today, Hickman and his PNM teammates are just as hungry and just as committed to win in the electric utility game being played out around the world.

Six months ago, our editors searched out utilities that, in one way or another, were setting trends that would change our perceptions of our industry, and in so doing, change the industry itself. We agreed to cover a broad cross-section of utility strategies and objectives. We looked worldwide to assure we covered utilities facing different regulatory climates and different competitive pressures. But surprisingly, we came to a consensus in fairly short order.

We realized that each utility we selected was staffed with individuals like Hickman who nurture an inner fire stoked by a shared vision and fanned by unwavering commitment.

• •PNM, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S., is becoming a wired company with access to industry-changing utility applications.
• •Great Southern Energy, a distribution company in Australia, is embarking on a path that could lead it to become a virtual utility.
• •Hydro Québec intends to leverage a vertically integrated past, in an effort to become a global powerhouse.
• •Duke Energy has embarked on a bold move to tap into the synergy of its electric and gas holdings.
• •Scottish Power displays a refreshing, aggressive business acumen as it shapes itself into an international player.

Public Service Company of

New Mexico

.........PNM executives are providing its people with the freedom to innovate so customers can purchase electricity and gas at prices that will bring prosperity to the state. PNM President and Chief Executive Officer Ben Montoya hopes to "manage the talent without killing the creative spirit."

"Advances in technology are enabling PNM to challenge the existing price structure frontier," Montoya says.

Recently departed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Sterba elaborated, "With 2800 employees, we are a small company, so we can't afford to have front-end development. We take what others have developed and use it to meet our needs." This company's willingness to work with vendors, consultants, contractors and software developers is providing solutions at a fraction of the cost incurred at larger companies.

At PNM, former collegiate basketball star Chris Hickman is unique. But at PNM there are many unique individuals who are willing to do what it takes to change the very fabric of the company. Hickman, with dual roles as senior engineer and director of research and development, finds himself personally involved with many of the technical advances his company rolls out. Hickman is convinced that graphically based information systems provide the foundation upon which to build a wired power-delivery enterprise.

The PNM Power Delivery Group has tied the Oracle^TM database to both an Intergraph AM/FM/GIS system and to several ERSI geographic information system (GIS) tools. On these platforms, applications can be rolled out almost continuously.....

For instance, PNM recently developed a distribution substation design application to speed work flow. Engineers historically spent three months designing each substation. Now, engineers have developed a modular 3-D substation design application based on AutoCAD's LISP programming abilities. Output includes a cost estimate and a full set of construction drawings as well as material lists and purchase requisitions. The substation design initiative was born when engineers struck alliance agreements with Central Electric and Waukesha Electric to provide three designs of pre-engineered, pre-approved transformers. Substation design times have been reduced from an average of three months to three hours.

Chris Hickman is the point man for the Power Delivery Group in the development of the Transmission Asset Management Information System (TAMIS) that recently went on-line. This system was born as a right-of-way application tool and was expanded to become a comprehensive operational asset management tool. TAMIS is available to field personnel equipped with mobile computers and geographical position system (GPS) modules. In the rough and mountainous terrain of New Mexico, crews using TAMIS can quickly query where maintenance is required and determine the quickest route to get heavy equipment to the site. Information includes instantaneous access to environmental site constraints and landowner restrictions, weight and height limitations and preferred travel routes. TAMIS also ties to engineering and procurement software, speeding up the process of getting engineered solutions to the site. New Mexico is home to hundreds of thousands of known archeological sites. The state is also criss-crossed by a network of back roads, desert arroyos and locked ranch gates. TAMIS crews can tap into this GIS-based information, enabling them to avoid time-consuming detours and costly environmental site blunders.

Another information-based system that is up and running is the GIS-based outage management system. This system, in use on the distribution system, has been running for more than a year. Outages reported to the customer service center are automatically routed to the outage management system. Data is sorted by the call location. As calls come in, a rules-based system accurately predicts outage causes and locations. Dispatchers assign crews to tackle problem areas with the biggest outage impact. Based on the time requirements for similar repairs, customers can be notified when service will be restored. The outage management system helped reduce outage restoration times, resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.

PNM believes that only those GIS systems that export both graphics and attributes will provide the platform necessary to innovate work practices......PNM is not afraid of spending money on computer-based technology but is careful with its investments. Marc Christensen, vice president of finance, puts it this way, "We want to be the leading edge, not bleeding edge."..........

For the complete article visit www.tdworld.com.

THE MARCH TOWARD ABET 2000

We've devoted several sections in previous KlipschSpeakers to the subject of ABET 2000 and our upcoming ABET visit during the fall 2000 semester. The College of Engineering in general, and particularly the Klipsch School really has a "tiger by the tail." Linda Riley, who formerly was Director of the College of Business Administration and Economics Research Center, and is now an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering is organizing the college's ABET 2000 effort. Klipsch School Assistant Professor Paul Furth and College Associate Professor Sheila Horan are attending Dr. Riley's workshops in order to smooth out the Klipsch School's transition. Much of the ABET 2000 qualitative evaluation of our electrical engineering program involves the outcomes assessment we've discussed in earlier issues of the KlipschSpeaker. We will need to form constituent groups, such as you alumni, which we will need to survey. We will be asking you to provide feedback to the Klipsch School so that we may provide continuous improvement. We are in the process of developing the survey instruments and have not yet decided how to get the surveys in your hands, whether to use the KlipschSpeaker, or separate mailings. However, in any event, when you receive a survey, please, please fill it out and return it. ABET 2000 is very serious about this form of outcomes assessment.

Another thing that we need to do is to rethink and rework the syllabi for each of the Klipsch School courses. The feedback loop is being tightened and shortened considerably. The syllabi need to present and focus much more strongly on detailed objectives, the expected outcomes, how well these outcomes are being accomplished by the students as measured by the course instructor, and how well the instructor is achieving the expected course outcomes as measured by the students by numerous course evaluations during the semester.

THE ACADEMY

Information on the Electrical and Computer Engineering Academy including current membership with biographies, bylaws, eligibility for membership, etc., can be found in the Klipsch School home page at www.ece.nmsu. ece/ecea/ecea.html. If you are interested in knowing more about the Academy or Industrial Advisory Group, becoming a member, or wish to nominate someone, let us know. We will E-mail, fax, or mail the information to you.

FACULTY/ STAFF HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Qing-Huo Liu, Klipsch School Associate Professor, has accepted a position with Duke University, beginning in June. J. Derald Morgan, Klipsch School Professor and former Dean of the College of Engineering, has been named Vice President of University Advancement for The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Morgan will be responsible for planning, organization and implementation of fund-raising, university and alumni relations and special events for the university. As vice president for advancement, Dr. Morgan will serve on the university's administrative cabinet and as a member of the board of the University of Alabama Huntsville Foundation. Dr. Morgan will assume his new position in April.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE

DOING

Shakti Davis, Klipsch School senior, has been awarded an IBM Internship at Alamaden Research Center, Storage Systems Division, in San Jose, California. Nationwide, IBM awards only five of these prestigious internships each year. Shakti will spend the summer in San Jose and complete her BSEE during the fall 1999 semester. One reason Shakti was selected was due to her outstanding performance during her fall 1998 co-op at IBM in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Mario Chacon, who received his PhD from the Klipsch School during the fall 1998 semester is now a professor at the Instituto Technologico de Chihuahua in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The demand for Klipsch School graduates has been much, much greater than the supply. We had far more companies interviewing than in recent years. One masters student in the digital signal processing area, with no industrial experience was offered an annual starting salary of $58,000. Many of the offers were exceeding the students' expectations.

KLIPSCH SCHOOL NOTES

We now have the KlipschSpeaker on our web site. Locate http://www.ece.nmsu.edu/alumni/ alumni. html, select KlipschSpeaker and bring up the issue you want.

It's important to us that all of the Klipsch School alumni receive the quarterly KlipschSpeaker. We get our mailing labels from the NMSU Alumni Association, but we know there are Klipsch School alumni who are not members of the NMSU Alumni Association. We want to put these alumni in a Klipsch School database, but we don't know how to find them. Please send us addresses of alumni not receiving the KlipschSpeaker.

We can also provide the KlipschSpeaker as an attachment to an E-mail message for those alumni who prefer electronic service. This may be especially attractive to foreign alumni. If you want E-mail delivery, send your name and email address to jtaylor@nmsu.edu. Indicate any special requirements.

If you haven't already, please check the Klipsch School's web page at http://www.ece.nmsu.edu. Our web page tells about the Klipsch School students, faculty, programs, and research. Look us up. The NMSU web page address is http://www.nmsu.edu. You can get to our web page from NMSU's or directly at the address above. The University has a calendar of events web page at http://www.nmsu. edu/general/calendar. If you want to get in touch with us, obtain additional information, or tell us something about you or other alumni, contact the Klipsch School Head, Dr. Steven Castillo at 505-646-3115 or E-mail to scastill@nmsu.edu, or Dr. Javin Taylor, Associate Head and KlipschSpeaker Editor at 505-646-1239 or E-mail to jtaylor@ nmsu.edu. Or use the Klipsch School fax number, 505-646-1435.

KlipschSpeaker

Spring 1999 Alumni News

Vol. 3, No. 2 news-q992.wpd

Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM 88003