What you’ll learn
- Who is Lou Frenzel?
- What has he written?
- Why we are going to miss his authorship.
If you’re a regular Electronic Design reader, you have probably read a host of articles from Contributing Technology Editor Lou Frenzel (Fig. 1). He’s been a full-time editor as well as a contributing editor over the years and has finally decided to take it easy. We wish him well.
I write a lot, but I think Lou has me beat on the book side of things. As a budding electrical engineer, you may have used a copy of his Principles of Electronic Communication Systems (Fig. 2). This hefty tome has been updated four times, with the fifth edition being released this year. You can also check out one of his many articles on Electronic Design like “10 Tips for Writing Your First Technical Book.”
Having written almost two dozen books, he’s an authority on writing as well as technology. His Communiqué blog has informed and entertained over the years and will be sorely missed.
Lou’s career hasn’t just centered around being an editor at Electronic Design. He held Vice President-level positions with Heathkit, Longman Crown, McGraw Hill, and Technovate. And he taught communication and electronics college classes for nine years.
Lou started with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and picked up a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. He’s a long-time amateur radio operator (W5LEF) and electronic hobbyist.
We both started full time at Electronic Design in 2000, covering different technology areas. I focused on test, processors, and software, and Lou covered communications. This was back when print was king and a six-page article was considered small. Video was merely a glimmer from Hollywood.
These days we record regular TechXchange Talks with engineers and CTOs. It’s a much different arena now, and Lou adapted to the technology as usual, providing insights, entertainment, and education along the way.
Lou now lives in Bulverde, TX with his wife Joan. You can still check out his latest projects on his website, www.loufrenzel.com. We will stay in touch, but I will miss his regular contributions to Electronic Design.