Eye Current

OLED, What's It To Me?

2008-08-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

The first OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) displays have hit the market. Sony is claiming that it's XEL-1 is the “next big thing”. I think they may be right. Don't get me wrong, I love my dual 21” wide screen LCD's, however their contrast ratios are a measly 2000:1 compared to the XEL-1's 1,000,000:1. That's right ONE MILLION TO ONE! In layman terms, that means that the whites are 1,000,000 times brighter than the blacks. That's another thing OLED displays have to offer: complete darkness. With an LCD display black is simply a dark combination of reds, greens, and blues. However, this is not the case with OLED's; when pixel is “off” it really is “off”, there is nothing to be displayed but total darkness. Along with total darkness comes an incredible array of colors that can be displayed with OLED's. It's not that any different colors are displayed with OLED's. It has more to do with the contrast ratio allowing for a greater difference in colors resulting in what is seen as a purer hue. Power consumption is another great feature of OLED's. LCD displays require a backlight, to be constantly on in order to make the display bright enough to see. With OLED technology the OLED molecule itself is the backlight. So going back to the total darkness, this means that when the pixel is off it consumes no power whatsoever. Given that there is no longer a need for a backlight the OLED displays are significantly thinner. In fact Sony's XEL-1 is only 3mm thick (or thin for that matter). To put that into perspective, two penny's stacked on top of each other are 3mm thick; really, really thin to say the least. Now, Sony's display is designed for consumers and has a nice cover on it and what not. However, without any plastic housing OLED displays are much thinner than that. There has been talk of developing HUDs (Heads Up Displays) for military vehicles using this technology. They would simply adhere the OLED to the windshield, plug into the appropriate interface, and go. Also, OLED's are incredibly flexible allowing for them to be rolled up and taken anywhere. One drawback with the current OLED technology is that the displays are pretty small at this point, for example Sony's XEL-1 is a whooping 11” measured diagonally. All of that will change as the technology matures and its market share increases. Until then, I will stick with my dual 21” wide screen LCD's.

iPhone 3G Released, Sales Skyrocket

2008-07-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Apple’s iPhone 3G launch didn’t go quite as expected. Customers across the globe had problems activating the beloved smart phone with the Apple network, and as many have probably guessed this did nothing to overall sales.

The problem started when consumers were told that stores would not activate the phone that they had go home and do it on their own due to overloaded servers and the long wait incurred with activating in-store. In weeks previous Apple made it clear that this generation would be different than the other iPhones and activation would only happen at retail locations. Along with this confusion came iTunes network problems. When customers tried activating at home, as they were told to do so, many faced network problems associated with a new release of iTunes. And the lines at the stores were only getting longer. As the day went on, those waiting at stores for their iPhone were welcomed to a few shows such as a boxing match at one AT&T store featuring customers who thought it would be a good idea to skip in line. Still though, Apple projects iPhone sales to top around 13 million this year and to come close to 45 million by next year.

In the days to come we will no longer hear about the problems that plagued the iPhone upon release but about the wonderful things you can accomplish with an iPhone at your side. “Pick one up when you’re heading out the door and see how many great opportunities come landing at your feet!” they’ll say; but I know I can go outside without an iPhone and still have a great time. Can you?

The Nanomachines are Coming!

2008-06-30T09:49:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not there has been a push recently in the scientific community for more research into nanotechnology. Nanotechnology refers to the developments made by applied science and technology that are on the atomic or molecular scale and their ability to control these devices. Be advised that this is not a new science; we have been living with nanotechnology for quite some time such as carbon allotropes used to produce the silver in food packaging and some clothing. Although these are not very “techy” applications they are still reserved as “first generation” passive nanomaterials. Currently nanoparticles are being considered as a viable option for direct drug delivery to diseased cells, an answer to reducing the weight and power consumption of today’s electronics, cleaning and filtering water, and as chemical sensors that are able to detect trace amounts of chemical vapors. Another advancement in terms of nanotechnology is the famous Respirocytes.

These Respirocytes are an artificial red blood cell that is able to deliver 236 times more oxygen to body tissues than your homegrown red blood cells. It is also speculated that an adult filled with Respirocytes would be able to hold their breath underwater for four hours and sprint at top speed for at least 15 minutes without the need for a deep breath.

Of course with the good comes the bad. It has been proposed that nanomachines could be given the ability to self replicate, meaning a human would only need to make one of a type and then give the order for the machine to go to work building five million more of the same type. Could this be useful? For sure, it makes Joe Scientist’s job easier helping people, but I don’t think I need to explain the risk of self-replicating machines.

All in all, could this move to development in nanotechnology prove useful for the people of the world? Yes it can, but people like you and I will not determine the applications in the future.

From a 1000 Years to 3 Months...

2008-05-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Currently it takes at least 1000 years if not longer for the PE (Polyethylene or for you chemists out there C2H4) to breakdown. PE has been used for consumer applications since the 1930's however, there is one serious problem: We have trillions of these bags all over the earth that will not decompose in our lifetime. But fear not the plastic shopping bag any longer. The Record, a Canadian newspaper, has reported that Daniel Burd, an 11th grade student, has developed a way to decompose PE 4000 times faster. He came up with this as way to get rid of all the plastic bags that he encountered while doing his daily chores. To accomplish this Burd exposed the PE to "concentration of plastic-eating microbes". After isolating the bacteria that degraded the most plastic, he tweaked his solution and ran his test again. After 6 weeks in the solution the PE "was visibly clearer and more brittle", it was hypothesized that another 6 weeks and the PE would have ceased to exist. "Why do I care about a high school science fair project?", you ask. Well I'll tell you. Not only is this solution feasible on a large scale but it could possibly be sold in DIY kits; comparable to a DIY compost heap. It would be a much nobler way to get rid of those plastic bags than releasing them into the environment to choke some birds and fish. Another reason that you should care is that it offers a way to get rid of the pollution that already exists. It wouldn't be long before all the Green people in the world would start a movement to collect and destroy the plastic bags already in the environment. Oh and did I mention it's cheap and doesn't create hardly any waste. As it is now, in it's developmental stage, "each microbe produces only 0.01 per cent of its own infinitesimal weight in carbon dioxide". What that means is that for every 100 microbes that are use to break down the bags in this way, the carbon dioxide created would only be equal to that of a single microbe. This is pretty insignificant considering all of PE that would be taken out of the
pollution loop. Also, costs are relatively low: a bucket, some of the bacterial solution, and some time. That's all it takes to rid the world of all these annoying plastic bags. However, until this process reaches the consumer market I recommend that everyone take a look at reusable bags.

EDS To Become HP?

2008-05-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

HP is currently in talks to buy Electronic Data Systems Corp. for the modest price of $12.6 billion in cash. HP takes the lead when it comes to manufacturing personal computers for the world but teamed up with the technology services of EDS they are hoping that they can start a company to rival the all knowing IBM.

Even with this goal unachieved HP is expected to come close to doubling their revenue with this acquisition. In 2007 EDS alone had $22.13 billion while HP brought in a good $16.6 billion. HP has gone on to say that the business would have its home office in Plano, Texas at EDS Headquarters and led by the chairman and Chief Executive Ronald A. Rittenmeyer.

Seeing as it is HP’s biggest deal in six years it is understandable that they have big plans for EDS if the deal is closed. HP sees this as an opportunity to challenge the IBM Corp. basically at its own game in technology services (IT). As companies expand and see the need for faster better and more technology their need for a great IT service grows, but at the end of the day whom are you going to choose HP or IBM?

A Meter for I & E Techs: A Fluke 789 Review

2008-04-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Most I & E Technicians are long time fans of Fluke meters. We at PCO are big fans and we use several pieces of their test and laboratory equipment. Almost every Instrument and Electronics technician has a trusty Fluke 87 or simular meter. The also usually have an 4 to 20 ma process simulator. from a company like Altek, Transmation or Unical. These are typically somewhat limited and not very field toughened.

Fluke has a new meter, the 789 Processmeter. It is a standard volt Ohm Current meter with the diode test and beeping continuity check, but it can output 0 to 20 milliamp signals. It behaves as a a source or as a passive device. It is as close as a field tech will ever get to a one meter fits all solution.

Our 789 came with 2 sets of leads: the standard Fluke multimeter probes and another set of leads with big rubberized alligator clips on the end. The first thing I did when I got my meter was fabricate a set of miniclip leads. The alligator leads are just fine for larger lugged terminations but are too big for smaller terminations that most newer systems are using today.
One of the first things I noticed is that it uses 4 AA cells instead of 9Volt batteries that never seem to be around when you need them. We also have the C Cell adaptor so that the unit can run on the very long lasting C cells for our benchwork. The C cells seem to last forever. It has a large well laid out display that can be back lit if needed.

The meter displays 5 digits of accuracy in both input and output. 0.000 to 20.000 Which is up to par for 16 bit measurement systems

24 V Loop power supply
Double-sized, dual display
Enhanced backlight with 2 brightness settings
20mA drive into 1200 ohms
HART mode setting with loop power (adds 250 ohm resistor)
0% and 100 % mA Span Check buttons to toggle between 4 and 20 mA
Externally accessible fuses for easy replacement
Infrared I/O serial port compatible with FlukeView Forms software
Precision 1000 V, 440 mA True-RMS digital Multimeter
0.1% dc voltage accuracy
0.05% dc current accuracy
Frequency measurement to 20 kHz
Min/Max/Average/Hold/Relative modes
Diode Test and Continuity Beeper
Simultaneous mA and % of scale readout
20 mA DC current source / loop calibrator / simulator
Manual Step (100%, 25%, Coarse, Fine) plus Auto Step and Auto Ramp
Improved battery power with four AA batteries

Fluke has found a need and filled it for those who seek the one meter that does everything.

Earth Day is Nearing

2008-04-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Earth Day will be here shortly and our friends at PCO have made a little tool to help us remember. If you like it feel free to share it.

Hello My Name is Robert and I Am a Google Addict.

2008-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

It seems that Google has got something that no one is even close to attaining: a network of tools and users. I am a firm believer in the Sherman Act don't get me wrong, but for those who are screaming monopoly at Google, I don't see it. Google has done something that all of the other search engines haven't figured out yet; they have a cult like following of users. I hate to say this but yes I am addicted to Google too. It's not the Internet and everything on Google, it's all of the tools they offer. I use 16 different tools the Google offers. From one page (see screen shot below) I can manage my PPC(Google AdWords) and see the traffic(Google Analytics) they are driving to my site. Or I can share documents(Google Docs) with my friends in Austin. Oh and here's the real kicker it's free. Well free in the sense that I don't have to pay for it. However, I am not naive enough to think that Google is not collecting all sorts of information on my internet habits, but you know what as long as they keep delivering I could care less. Another thing Google has working for it is that their help center consists of volunteers; i.e. Internet gurus that browse the Google Groups all day answering questions. I can post a question in the Google Webmaster Forum and have 10 answers by the time I get back from lunch. You can't beat that with a ten foot stick. However, there is still one question that is plaguing me: Why is that the other big names in Search Engines don't offer the same resources? I'm not going to lie...I have no idea. The best I can figure is that they don't see the value in it. Google already has the web wrapped around its "$800 million in revenue? $200 million in profit?" finger. Personally if Yahoo! or Microsoft developed tools comparable to Google's I would be privy to use them. It only makes sense to obtain information from more than one place, the problem is there's nowhere else to turn to. So until Yahoo! or Microsoft ante up and give all of us Webmasters something to work with, Google it is.

MIMO Technology in Development Stages

2008-03-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

ETH Zurich has successfully tested a WLAN network using MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology that makes transmission speeds of 216 Mbps possible on conventional networks. The MIMO technology lets several transceivers communicate with each other at the same time all while using the same bandwidth.

The use of multiple antenna technology sounds great but comes with some limiting disadvantages. Take into account that WLAN networks means that there will most likely be more than one user at a time sending and receiving data. This can become quite a task for a computer to not only send a lot of packets of information but it will have to receive and decode the incoming signal to its original base-band signal. Here’s a good example, imagine a room full of cubicles and now every individual is looking over their cubicle throwing handfuls of paper every direction. To simulate computing speed, there is one guy going through all of these papers in the corner of the room. This can get messy and very slow when many users are involved, obviously. The models using MIMO technology need to be built using the most cost effective solutions, which means cheap chips will be used to decode all of the data back to base-band and that basically spells out that it will have a slow computing speed. All in all, until better and more effective chips are found/developed this transfer speed can not be properly used to its fullest capabilities.

Currently there are limitations but we can always count on time and future developments to give us an idea when it will be commercially available.

Flash Everything

2008-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it; the compact disc’s time is up. All make way for the mp3 revolution! Alright, alright it’s been here for a while and most of us are used to it by now. Then came the construction of handheld devices comparable to portable CD players, the mp3 player. Since their release, the market for mp3 players has risen sharply from $532 million in the year 2000 to $1.3 billion in 2005. This is hardly a slight increase in sales and explains why we are bound to run into someone with headphones in their ears no matter where we go.

Following this trend of development our favorite musicians are now offering us the chance to own their music, not on a CD but a flash drive instead. The flash drive concept is not a bad idea but just like anything it has its pros and cons. For one thing, an USB flash drive can hold a lot more songs than a CD ever could, and you never have to worry about a scratched flash drive ruining your music. While those are pure advantages over CDs they still have flaws such as data loss. By not removing your flash drive properly from the computer you risk the chance of losing your files or corrupting them. “Oh, bye new music…” Expect that to happen to you forgetful ones at some point. Also how many times have you left your flash drive in a computer you were using and walked away? Exactly, a flash drive is small and easy to lose. If it’s not left in a computer at work, school, or anywhere else you have access; it’s lost in your purse, car, house, or worse stolen.

Of course, this is not enough to stop things now; people have chosen and I can’t say it is a horrible decision. Overall it’s easy and convenient what more can you ask for? Soon our movies will arrive in a DVD-shaped case sans DVD and in its place, a neat little flash drive. Although, they are still in the idea stages of flash drive food, it’s only a matter of time. I can taste it now.

The Ipod Nano Is Not So Nano Afterall..

2008-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Nanolasers are paving the way for higher storage capacity where magnetism alone can no longer travel.

A research team led by Sakhrat Khizroev, an associate professor of engineering, is exploring the use of nanolasers to further miniaturize our hard-drives while supplying over 50 times the data storage that we are able to achieve today with magnetic storage. The team talks of storing 10 terabits in a one-half-inch-square footprint with nanolasers they’ve developed, as they can focus light as small as 30 nanometers and provide 250 nanowatts of power. Keep in mind that nanometers and nanowatts are on a molecular scale, meaning that ideas of even smaller drives with less storage capacity than 10 terabits are soon to be attainable.

Researchers have found out that by using a combination of magnetism and light they are able to contain bits of data on smaller areas on the disk. This is fortunate because lately many have begun to realize that the old form of magnetic storage is beginning to reach the end of the road for miniaturization. The team has stated that their next goal is to improve the nanolaser to generate light beams as small as 5 nanometers, the team suspects this can be achieved by refining the gallium ion beams used in fabrication.

Khizroev has stated that there will be numerous things to consider when trying to produce “tiny disk drives” for consumers, such as integrating the nanolaser with a recording head and lubricating tiny parts. However, he insists that the 10 terabit drive is a near-term innovation and is expecting a consumer version in as little as two years.

This development just gives a little insight as to how far we will advance in another 10 years. In 1998 we saw IBM’s Microdrive which was able to store a whopping 350MB on a 1-inch platter. Fast forward to present time and realize that we are now talking of storing 10 terabits on a similarly sized drive. Surely when we see advancements such as this in one aspect of the computer and electronic field we know that there will be 10 more just like it, not only in storage but in computing speed for example. Over the past 7 years we have seen great improvements to our processing speed to where we now have dual quad-core processors as a standard in most new computers. Not much thought is given to the fact that we are making HD a standard in televisions and gaming consoles. As stated earlier, all of the technology that has become available in the last 10 years is just a small peephole in an ever-thinning wall that separates man from machine.

Crafting a Triode

2008-01-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Fabrication d'une lampe triode

Vacuum tubes still have a market in CRTs radio transmissions and with musicians We find them still being manufactured in Eastern Europe. While silicon isn't under threat yet, French amatuer Radio Operator, is buillding a vacuum tubes. In this fascinating video, Claude Paillard takes us step by step in the process of hand fabricating a vacume tube. This is indeed the work of a true craftsman.

3 Billion dollars to Spend

2008-01-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Fred Kindle has $3 Billion and is looking for somewhere to spend it

ABB (ABBN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) must do something with its cash pile of around $3 billion by 2008, the Swiss engineering group's Chief Executive Fred Kindle was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal on Monday. "We have to do something with the cash by 2008," Kindle said, according to an article on the Journal's web site. "I am an entrepreneur, not a fund manager," Kindle said. The newspaper said that he and other top ABB executives preferred to make an acquisition than repurchase stock.
"But if an acquisition doesn't work out right away, we can (use) our cash to grow organically -- and having cash certainly gives us flexibility."

ABB said in September it could afford to spend up to $15 billion on acquisitions. It said at its last strategy update that it saw acquisition opportunities in automation products.

Lots of folks wondering who they have their sights focused on?

HD for Everyone...Well Most of Us at Least

2008-01-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

FCC, Federal Communications Commission, right? Let's try Failure to Communicate Clearly. I'm sure anyone who watches TV has seen the commercials coercing people into buying a Digital Converter Box. The thought of HD television for everyone seems nice, but when the mandate interferes with rural folks who receive their news from “low-power” stations, I think it poses a problem. When the FCC says all TV will be digital in 2009, well what they meant to say is all “full-power” TV stations will be in HD. They neglected to inform the public that “low-power” TV stations, which are most commonly found in rural areas that lack access to major nationwide channels, will not have to be in HD. This may be good for small stations lacking the monetary resources to follow through with the upgrade, however this means that those stations will not be received by people with the converter boxes. Those who receive both the low-power and high-power stations will be able to see digital channels with the box, but not without it. On the other hand, they won't be able to watch analog channels with the box, but without it they will. This is obviously confusing not only in print but in practice. It seems as though there may have been a slight leaning towards the “high-power” stations, the same ones who pay more for their chunk of frequencies that the FCC some how staked out as theirs. All sarcasm aside, the real problem is that people whose only link to the world outside of their rural community is their local low-power TV station may not be able to receive the news they need when they need it without having to navigate the FCC's terrible solution to an already terrible infrastructure. It isn't that it's not possible to make a converter box with an analog pass-through feature, it's that it would have driven up the cost of the converter boxes. This would lead to a loss of profits for the manufacturers. Another question plaguing me, as it should be you, is how in the world did this semi-funded government mandate slip past all of us. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 pretty much cleared up this issue, but just like wars based on false pretenses this will slip past us as well. For most of you this switch shouldn't be a problem. I mean come on, Uncle Sam is giving us two $40 vouchers to buy these converter boxes, not too bad considering that half of all homes in the US have three or more TV's. But then that means that most of us will have to buy more converter boxes not to mention it's unknown as to whether or not the $40 will cover the cost of one box by itself. The sad part is no one will be up in arms until one day their TV just quits working, but by then it will be too late. You can always count on complacency...

Maintenance, a Homeland Security Issue

2007-12-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

Almost every industrial maintenance person I've ever met takes their job pretty serious. Plant management usually understands that maintenance is not a just about allocating resources to protect resources, but the health and safety of our fellow employees often depends on us doing our jobs well. Paul Studebaker of PlantServices.com suggests Reports on an incident.

A recent pipeline explosion is just another disaster on U.S. soil that could have been prevented by solid maintenance practices, writes Paul Studebaker, Editor in Chief.

As the latest in a series of events that includes flooding New Orleans, neglecting Walter Reed Army Medical Center and collapsing the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis, the November 28 explosion on a major Canadian-U.S. crude-oil pipeline showed once again that terrorists would be hard-pressed to match the damage we can do to ourselves with engineering, maintenance and management mistakes.

The explosion killed two maintenance workers. Then it spooked speculators into raising oil prices by more than $3 a barrel to $95 on November 29. Those of us in the rapidly-freezing Midwest were terrorized by loose talk of fuel oil and gasoline shortages, and only somewhat reassured when U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson Megan Barnett promised to consider tapping the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Later that day, oil futures investors discovered that the incident would have no appreciable effect on U.S. supplies because the pipeline was already shut down for maintenance and would be back in service in three days. Just in case, OPEC announced plans to step up production by half-a-million barrels a day, more than enough to cover any deficit. (Oil exporters don’t want the United States to learn how to do without.)

This incident is coupled with a shutdown of the 1-10 Atchafalaya throughway last month,

Louisiana state police have reopened a stretch of Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge that has been closed since Nov. 15 because of a natural gas well blowout, the Associated Press reported Monday, Nov. 26.

Troopers and highway workers removed cones and barricades to allow traffic through in both directions at about 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the AP.

The 55-mile corridor over the Atchafalaya Basin between Louisiana State Route 415 and I-49 -- part of a major route between Houston and New Orleans -- was not damaged seriously, authorities said.

Paul Studebaker has somne suggestions though;

Maybe what the United States really needs is a Department of Homeland Integrity to go along with our Department of Homeland Security. We could invest some of the billions of dollars we spend trying to fend off external threats on educating people about the costs and value of sound infrastructure, the payback on sound maintenance practices and the indispensable roles of reliability-enforcement personnel including facility managers, engineers and technicians.

The Corps of Engineers could become the core of a national effort to recruit, train and employ an army of experts to search out, identify and exorcise the structural and procedural deficiencies that daily threaten the well-being of our citizens. We’d save lives, improve our environment, and increase the efficiency of our infrastructure. If we did it right, we ought to be able to make a profit.

And then he asks "Who's with me". While asking for government intervention is asking for trouble. He does bring to our attention that plant maintenance issues may be national security issues, and that there are folks looking at having Uncle give us another hand. Those of us who deal with maintenance issues and government regulations know just how unhelpful the government help can be.

It's A Birthday

2007-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

This month the lowly transistor turns 60. I don't know if there is another moment in the past century that has become so significant. Eric Berger reflects;

the transistor turns 60. Has anything been as transformative?

Born in the now defunct Bell labs, one has to to wonder if these folks really understood how significant their new discovery was.

IN DECEMBER 1947, Bells Labs scientists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain first revealed what would come to be known as the transistor.

They held the future in their hands - a device that would replace vacuum tubes in 10 years, and 60 years later has transformed electronics.

Inventions change things; great inventions change everything.

It was a different time. Bell labs developed the technologies and the rest of the world ran with it.
Bell labs is gone, but their legacy is built into every radio computer and piece of electronics we make. I have to wonder what the one great invention of this century will be.

ISA 2007

2007-11-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

I went to the ISA show last month. It was alright. I learned some, connected with a few old friends, and made some valuable contacts. I look forward to the show when they come around, and wasn't disappointed.

I find this observation from Joe Pinto interesting though.

Attendance at central exhibitions is declining only because, in the age of the Internet and tortuous air-travel, few want to travel to distant locations for an old-fashioned "exhibition".

He has a point, but as he suggest, these things aren't only about learning new technologies and products. They are also about people, contacts old and new.

Ultra Caps Redone

2007-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

We wrote a bit about ultra-capacitors a couple of weeks ago. It appears they are in the news again. This time with nano-tubes. The article is a good over view about the the state of the art concerning Ultra capacititors, and realistic in their potential applications. Its a fascinating article that not only goes into an indepth explanation of the research, but it is written first hand by one of the developers himself, Joel Schindall. I thought this photo was slick.

Photo: Riccardo Signorelli/MIT

ELECTRIC SHAG: A cross section of an electrode made with carbon nanotubes.

Another Neat Tool from Fluke

2007-11-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

Maybe this should be under the header "It's about time" We use clamp on current detectors all the time here at PCO but these are high current monitors for testing power supply outputs and so forth. The new Fluke 771 is used in testing process current loops, 4-20 ma loops in particular. Having to break a current loop in order to test the circuit isn't always practical and checking the Voltage won't always give us a real picture of whats happening. List price for this is $395. It could pay for itself the first time its really needed. This is going to be on every instrument techs must have list.

Cameras, a useful tool

2007-11-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

At our shop in Baytown I find that our little digital camera is one of the most useful in our arsenal. I admit its not thought of as useful as our multimeters and o'scopes but it can save a lot of work and surely aids in communication.

While working on an old 650 Watt Sorensen power supply it became apparent that a small 4 winding toroid transformer had to be changed. I needed to rewind it with some fresh new magnetic wire. Now I could try to make notes on where each of the leads go and try to keep track of each of their windings and polarities. The simple thing to do of course is take a picture, print it out on the laser/ink jet jot a few notes and I have some pretty foolproof documentation. Using Photoshop or just about any other photo editing software one could put text tags mark up a photo that will be emailed or saved to disk. A picture can also simplify a written procedure by showing just what a specific setup is supposed to look like.

Often part numbers can be confusing a particular widget might have a zillion options and a dozen build options a picture just might be the way to communicate exactly what widget is under discussion.

Some companies have pretty tight security policies on cameras in the workplace. We as support people have to live within whatever guidelines that are given us. However in most cases justification can be made in the time and money that a camera can save in documentation and communications. I am seeing more shops and support people with cameras available when they need them.

Energy-Efficient Processors

2007-10-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

This month Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) unveiled six 45-watt processors meant for the desktop to reduce power consumption. The processors are primarily targeted to system builders and OEMs who want to give customers a low heat and low noise system.

The processors will be similar to the Athlon X2 dual-core processor, with improvements made for better multi-tasking performance with an energy conscience system. There are also designs for their other Athlon and Sempron single core processors that affects the performance and the price of the processors.

The energy-efficient processors lessens the amount of energy the PC's consume, which has great affect on the need for cooling and, frankly, the price of the end product be it just the board itself or the computer that it is being used in. But this low price will not have any hand in the overall speed of the processor, AMD said it expects the performance to be equal to other similar solutions, the only change is the reduced power consumption.

Lastly, AMD said the processors will meet and exceed the system requirements from the EPA's Energy Star Version 4 computer specification.

50 years of Space

2007-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

On October 4th 1957, the old USSR launched Sputnik. This event triggered a series events leading to the formation of NASA, and the space race. Perhaps even more important it demonstrated what what could be done and the importance of math and science in our schoolrooms. Sputnik not only opened opened our eyes to the promise of new technology. It frightened us with its potential. This project took only three months from inception to implementation, has shaped much of where we are today.

Capacitor Powered Powertools

2007-10-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Capacitors are being looked at closely as part of our energy solutions. NASA Tech Briefs mentions a project, where they connect up a half dozen ultra-capacitors and used the caps to power their electric drill. The list of potential benefits are multitude among those listed are:

Fast recharge times seconds vs hours
excelent cold temperature performance,
Low restance to discharge High currents
Reliability in in Milions of Charge/Discharge cycles vs 300 to thousand on batteries
Simplified charging circuits
Environmentally friendly. The long life expectancy and the lack of heavy metal make end of life issues greener.
Capacitors don't mind being discharged and stored for long periods of times like batteries.
Efficiency Batteries run at about 50% efficiecy for ther charge discharge cycles. Capacitors at around 50%

Ultra Caps haven't reached the Energy per time ratios that are achieved with modern batteries. Something like the electric drill though it might not matter if one conciders it only takes a few seconds to get a complete charge.

For the cordless drill, a dedicated charger is used to fully realize the advantages of the ultracapacitors as energystorage devices. Because of the non-critical nature of charging and discharging of ultracapacitors, this charger is less complex and less costly than would be a battery charger for the same power drill. More spectacularly, taking advantage of the unique charging characteristics of ultracapacitors, this charger can make the ultracapacitor-powered cordless drill ready for operation in seconds, in contradistinction to the several hours needed to recharge batteries.

There have been a few potential breakthroughs in ultra capacitor science in the past few months. The newer technologies promise more power and energy storage for a given weight and volume. that might gain the energy vs mass ratios. EESTOR has received some investment capital and has created some industry excitement with their claims.

Ultracapacitors have advantages over traditional electrochemical batteries. Unlike batteries, ultracapacitors can completely absorb and release a charge at high rates and in a virtually endless cycle with little degradation.

Where they’re weak, however, is with energy storage. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, high-end ultracapacitors on the market today store 25 times less energy per pound.

This is why ultracapacitors, with their ability to release quick jolts of electricity and to absorb this energy just as fast, are perfect as a complement to batteries or fuel cells in electric-drive vehicles. The power burst that ultracapacitors provide can assist with stop-start acceleration, and the energy is more efficiently recaptured through regenerative braking.EEStor ’s system, called an Electrical Energy Storage Unit (EESU), is based on an ultracapacitor architecture that appears to escape the traditional limitations of such devices. The company has developed a ceramic ultracapacitor with abarium-titanate dielectric, or insulator, that can achieve an exceptionally high specific energy—the amount of energy in a given unit of mass.

The company’s system claims a specific energy of about 280 watt hours per kilogram, compared with around 120 watt hours per kilogram for lithium-ion and 32 watt hours per kilogram for lead-acid gel batteries. This leads to new possibilities for electric vehicles and other applications, including for the military.

The trick is to modify the composition of the barium-titanate powders to allow for a thousand fold increase in ultracapacitor voltage in the range of 1,200 to 3,500 volts, and possibly much higher.

EEStor claims, using an automated production line and existing power electronics, it will initially build a 15-kilowatt-hour energy-storage system for a small electric car weighing less than 100 pounds, and with a 200-mile driving range. The vehicle, the company said, will be able to recharge in less than 10 minutes.

Its not clear what the future holds for what most technician consider a most humble component. But what isn't clear yet is just how these super capacitors are going to effect the way we do things with our control circuitry. We can count on these caps making our circuits more reliable and able to withstand almost any power blip, What could prove interesting though new ways to transfer and use the large amounts of capacitive power that will become available to us.

Make That Picture An Ultra Wide

2007-10-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center have been working with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University to build a robotic device that gives any digital camera the ability to take gigapixel (billions of pixels) panoramas, which are named, GigaPans. With this device on your camera anyone can shoot interactive panoramas that, if put on the Internet; enable you to examine the photos in great depth and detail.

The device makes the digital camera take a quick series of photos that are later "stitched" together, to create a digital panoramic image. The resulting images can then be uploaded to a public website and looked at closer so you can actually see many things you've never noticed before. Lets stop and think about this for a second; on average any digital camera you find will be around 7 megapixels, meaning it can take standard sized photos with a resolution of up to 7 million pixels. Now, the GigaPan lets you take PANORAMIC photos using a full GIGAPIXEL. That's a photo that is at least 140 times the pixels than most average cameras can take when they are right out of the box.

Project Scientist from Carnegie Mellon West, Randy Sargent, stumbled upon his idea for GigaPan as a technical staff member at NASA's Ames Research Center while he was helping to develop software for stitching pictures into panoramas that came from Mars Exploration Rovers. He was quickly convinced that the same technology could open the public's eyes to the diversity of their own planet.

Sargent thinks the GigaPan could become an important tool for ecologists, biologists, and other scientists. The researchers have already worked with Google and created a GigaPan layer on Google Earth. Now anyone who uses Google Earth can fly into these GigaPan panoramas to explore the terrain of the world.

So now I offer a question, What shuttle would you take to get to Sunset? GigaPan Of The Golden Gate Bridge.

$10 Laptops!!!

2007-10-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Initially, computer executives scoffed at the idea of building $10 laptops for children in developing countries. With screens costing upwards of a $100, how could you produce a laptop for that price?

Fortunately Ms. Mary Lou Jepsen, who is a former Intel chip designer, figured out that by modifying laptop displays you could lower the cost to around $40. This also resulted in a reduced power consumption of 80 percent, and a display that is even visible in sunlight.

The nonprofit project One Laptop Per Child has accepted this proposition along with many other designs that others have contributed, to make the goal of giving millions of students in developing countries access to not only a great learning tool but also the Internet and basically the world. So far the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Libya, India, Nigeria, and Thailand; have committed to provide these laptops to their students. And with production expected to start in mid-2007 by Quanta Computer this commitment will soon become a reality for millions of students.

Although the laptop does not include a hard drive (it uses solid state memory 500MB, which has no moving parts and is cost effective), or Microsoft Windows (uses the readily available Linux OS); it will be able to use many different methods to connect to the Internet. With the use of satellite downlinks, long range Wi-Fi antennas, or utilizing current cellular data networking the laptop will be able to connect and use the Internet in almost any condition or country. And if none of that helps your connection, you still have the option of getting closer to someone who has a laptop with a connection, because each laptop can become an Internet repeater letting the Internet flow from one computer to another up to a third of a mile. The users are able to use a map like view of others who are connected nearby. Imagine an endless string of laptops connecting to one another, and it just keeps growing.

As for battery power, that’s a whole different monster. Knowing that at some point the laptops will need to recharge in places where power outlets are not a common sight the designers have pocketed a few alternatives such as a foot pedal and a hand-pulled device that resembles a salad spinner.

This train seems like its never derailing.

With added features such as a video-camera lens, it will still include a low-fi web browser, a word processor and a growing number of learning programs.

The goal being a $10 laptop, currently the cost is close to $45. As good as a hardy, low-tech, Internet anywhere laptop sounds there are no plans to make it available to consumers. Quite honestly I’ll stick to my Mac G5.