标签: equipment

There are times when I feel as though I'm walking around with blinkers on, because I discover there are all sorts of things going on around me of which I'm blissfully unaware (if the saying "ignorance is bliss" is true, that would go somewhat to explain why I'm such a jolly happy chappy).   As an example, I just discovered that there's an organization called Energy Huntsville here in town. My understanding is that this initiative was launched by our mayor, Tommy Battle, around three and a half years ago. Since its inauguration, Energy Huntsville has grown from being a local industry organization to a regional organization, and is now moving to having a "national footprint."   The goal of Energy Huntsville is to establish this community as the go-to technology center for solutions to energy programs and projects. They have a meeting on the third Tuesday of each month, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to this month's assembly.   This is a fantastic organization for anyone from an individual contractor to a major player if you want to be involved in the spectrum of energy sectors, including renewables, fossil fuels, power generation, energy storage, transportation, building energy efficiency, and energy management. In the meeting I attended, for example, the attendees were informed of a new $990 million business opportunity. It seems that over 60 local companies have been identified as being eligible to act as prime contractors and sub-contractors. I also discovered that members have access to a spreadsheet containing thousands of energy-related opportunities nationwide.   There's a keynote speaker at each meeting. This month's presenter was Stephen Bates, who is Director, Advanced Analytics at OSIsoft . As an aside, I met up with Stephen for breakfast before his talk, and was delighted to discover that he is a fellow beer quaffer, horologist, and Saddleback Leather junkie, but we digress...   Stephen's talk was titled "IoT Primer," so I'm afraid I went into this thinking "Ho Hum, I'm pretty sure I know all this stuff." Boy, was I wrong. The thing is that my expertise is more in the nitty-gritty implementation details. By comparison, although Stephen did introduce some key concepts, his talk also spanned current and future trends and business opportunities.   Quite apart from anything else, Stephen proved to be a very engaging speaker with lots of interest and fun in his slides. For example, after explaining how important it is to gather data, he pointed out that having reams of data is meaningless if you can't understand it.   (Source: OSIsoft)   Stephen also introduced me to a number of concepts I'd never heard of in these terms, such as The Industrial Awakening: The Internet of Heavier Things . The idea here is that there's around $6.8 trillion of existing "dumb" fixed infrastructure and machinery in the USA alone.   (Source: Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers)   This equipment needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, either by being replaced or by being retrofitted with a wide range of capabilities and functionalities, including communications, networking, security, and... the list goes on. According to a report generated by the World Economic Forum, this "Industrial Awakening" will generate $14.2 trillion of global output by 2030.   I tell you, my head is still reeling by everything I heard at this meeting, I can't wait to hear what the Energy Huntsville presenters have to say in the 2016 get-togethers.

Anyone here who still remembers the Heathkit "Stackables"? These were presented with a blue plastic box and a white front panel in build-it-yourself kit form.   As I recall, the Ix-528x series included a multimeter, RF signal generator, audio signal generator, signal tracer, RLC bridge, and -- possibly (I can't remember for sure) -- a power supply. These were a family of low-cost basic test instruments for the electronics experimenter/hobbyist/repair person. Their notable claim to fame was that they were all built into the same plastic cabinet that featured molded feet that interlocked with a molded top ridge so they could be stacked vertically and stably on a benchtop, thus saving a lot of scarce and valuable real-estate.   Think for just a moment about this simple concept, and how it can similarly apply in your food pantry. Lately I've noticed two types of tin cans -- the older style that can be vertically stacked because their bottoms mate with the tops of the cans beneath them (e.g., Campbell's soup tins), and a newer style that was designed by some dimwit who did not think to include the stackability feature (e.g., Kroger-brand veggies). Try to stack these types and they come crashing down like a house of cards. No question as to the preferred type to make the best use of the limited horizontal space in a pantry.   Other than the intentional Heathkit stackable feature, most older styles of test equipment were not designed to be stackable. However, since they typically came in flat-topped cabinet enclosures, this was an inherent attribute. Even units from different manufactures could easily be stacked on a bench into a reasonably stable "tower of power" -- just look at any of illustrator Daniel Guidera's monthly EETimes caption contest cartoons for examples.   Then, along came the aesthetic enclosure designers hired by marketeering managers with no brains. Fancy curves and non-flat tops -- test equipment styling started looking more like sports cars than truly functional items. The result is that many of them can no longer be stacked.   Keeping this in mind, let's look at how some of these non-mating test equipment boxes can be made to fit together on a limited-space benchtop. Consider the DMM sitting on top of a power supply as shown below. The unfolded front tilt-flap of the DMM keeps it from sliding backwards off the tilted-upwards power supply, but it tends to slip forward and hide the power supply's display.     However, when the tilt-flap folded against the DMM bottom as shown below, it prevents the DMM feet from engaging the power supply and it slides off.     One solution is to forcibly remove the annoying tilt-flap from the DMM, thereby allowing its feet to hold it somewhat in place. But the serial number that is on the tilt-flap is no longer part of the DMM, which could raise some issues with the ISO-9000 calibration auditor.   Next, consider the frequency counter sitting on top of a function generator as shown below. The front lip of the frequency counter holds it from slipping off the function generator, but it does make the function generator's button labels hard to see.     Swapping these two devices round and placing the function generator on top of the frequency counter doesn't work; the function generator's tilt-riser holds it from slipping off, but hides the counter's digits.   Even identical equipment made by the same dimwit manufacturer who never considered stackability can be stacked with the aid of series-connected cable tie-wraps as shown below (don't use duct tape because it can cover up the ventilation holes). By the way, if you have to tie-wrap-stack two scopes together to make a 4-channel scope, you (or your corporate fiscal expenditure manager) might be a Redneck (with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy).     Note that these Atten brand "Scopes from Hell" have a couple of functional bugs (among many) that are clearly visible in the above photo. One of these bugs is fairly obvious -- the other is a little more hidden. Can you spot these bugs? If so, please post a comment below. Also, please offer any suggestions you have for stacking these types of devices on your benchtop.   Glen Chenier Engineer

Here's an interesting piece of equipment that really had everyone baffled for a while. Well, I just received an email from my chum Girish Choudankar who said: Hi Max, yesterday I visited an electronics fair with my kids and came across this in the antique section. It has an efficiency of 93 per cent and is rated at 400A. It was installed in 1905 in a downtown Toronto building as part of an elevator's power supply.   Good grief, you certainly don't see many of these little beauties around these days. I would love to have this in my office. Of course you know what this is, don't you?