Part two of the basics in Digital Systems presentation explains the Exclusive OR “XOR” gate, its meaning and how it used in Boolean algebra. The fundamentals to Digital…
How ac/dc power supplies save you money
Choosing a high-quality, high-efficiency power supply that costs $50-$100, will probably pay for itself in the course of a year. Today’s trend is for power supplies to do…
NOARK markets power and energy systems worldwide
NOARK Electric reliable products and efficient solutions to intelligent power and energy systems are now available worldwide. This global supplier of electrical components and intelligent control systems has…
DAQ Series: Podcast: miniSystems for Engineering Excellence
In this DAQ Series, we discuss how DAQs are scaled down for educational purposes. National Instruments is dedicated to teaching engineering fundamentals beyond theory and mathematical applications. Its…
DAQ Series: Methodology associated with data acquisition
In the previous DAQ series, What is a Data Acquisition (DAQ), and How DAQs Work at a High Level, terminology that is analogous with DAQs was mentioned. To…
Podcast: Platform to design and build custom embedded computers
Designed for customers who want a device tailored to their specifications, without the cost of conventional electrical engineering, layout and manufacturing, Geppetto is a complete system for building…
Three common mistakes when designing power supplies
When I posed this question to companies that design power supplies, I thought that I was going to receive varying answers. Surprisingly, these companies tend to agree on…
Market Insight Couples with Innovative Motion Control Ideas
by Natasha Townsend, Electronics Editor The need for consistency is an industry-wide challenge. OEMs and end-customers evaluate the cost-performance advantages of emerging motion control solutions versus traditional hydraulic, mechanical and electro-mechanical machine system designs. Sunnen, an OEM, customizes high-end, bore sizing and finishing systems designs. When identifying a new market segment opportunity, the immediate problem…
Energy Management is Big Business
by Natasha Townsend, Associate Editor In energy management systems, real-time monitoring and energy efficiency are major factors in performance and cost control. An energy management system (EMS) monitors, controls, and conserves energy in a facility. The importance of EMS is not only for manufacturing facilities, but for engineers as well. These systems have been used…
DAQ Series: How DAQs work at a high level
As Daniel Carnes (Facebook reader) said, “As more and more data acquisition systems make their way into our lives it is good to know how they work at…
Sensoray Introduces PCI Express Analog and Digital I/O
Sensoray announces the newest member of their extensive line of OEM data acquisition cards with the release of the Model 826, a PCI Express Analog and Digital I/O…
Siemens Obtains Explosion-Proof Approvals for Sitrans Magnetic Flow Meters
Siemens has introduced the addition of FM Class 1 Division 1, Groups A, B, C and D, and FM Class 1, Zone 1 AEx d (ia) ia/IIC/T3-T6 approvals…
DAQ Series: What is a Data Acquisition System (DAQ)?
Data acquisition systems (DAQ) are getting a lot of engineers’ attention lately. Pondering minds would like to know what is a DAQ? To clarify, it is simpler to…
Engineering and Concussion Reduction Therapy (CRT)
There has been a lot of discussion about aggressive sports and head injuries. These conversations are pertaining to the rising concerns of traumatic brain injuries resulting from forceful…
Update: Student loan forgiveness for Engineers
Don’t despair! We are getting close to a loan program that will help all engineers. Hold on to your hats kids. I went online to pay my student…
The biggest engineering mistakes / disasters in modern history
Over the course of history, man has made plenty mistakes when inventing devices to better mankind. Some mistakes were miniscule mishaps that resulted in huge disasters. In this…
Would you ride in a volocopter?
It’s a bird! No, it’s a plane. No, it’s a VOLOCOPTER! ….. What in the world is a volocopter? “The e-volo volocopter is a completely novel, vertical take-off…
Collaborated disciplines maximize speed in irrigation system
The professional irrigation systems and drip irrigation technology of Netafim, Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel), in collaboration with Innovative Products & Equipment (Tyngsboro, MA), manufacturer of special machines, to improve its modified linear transfer line, had reached its technical limits at 60 cycles per minute. The performance of this assembly and test station, which produces components…
CNC technology produces medical implants with high precision
Producing a new medical implant can take 12 to 18 months from the first drawing, including the design and job planning, through to the completed, approved product. Substantial legal requirements complicate functional specifications for the implant manufacturers. From the design, including the materials, through production, the complete process chain must be documented and validated. Artificial…
Thyristor, Thyristor, How art thou thyristor?
A thyristor is like a diode; it can pass electricity in a forward direction but, blocks it in a reverse direction. The difference between a diode and a thyristor is that the thyristor is a three terminal device consisting of an anode, cathode and gate, which will also block current flow in the forward direction […]
8 ways electrical engineering is changing medicine
Electrical engineering (EE) is a field that goes beyond electricity and electrical components. In today’s world, EE’s are used frequently in the medical profession. Here are eight ways that EE’s are contributing to the medical field by developing products or software, and researching or working collaboratively with researchers in biomedical fields. 1.) Apps Doctors now […]
8 ways electrical engineering is changing medicine
Electrical engineering (EE) is a field that goes beyond electricity and electrical components. In today’s world, EE’s are used frequently in the medical profession. Here are eight ways…
It is better to learn electrostatic discharge (ESD) from others
From the last post “Avoid the stew getting shocked out of you”, a tremendous amount of feedback was given. In continuing with basic electric fundamentals (I say this tongue in cheek), here is a video that teaches electrostatic discharge (ESD) basic principles through interactive learning. I was going to demonstrate these fundamental principles to this […]
Avoid getting the stew shocked out of you
Have you ever seen the experiment where approximately ten people are holding hands? The first person in line is receiving electrical current by holding onto an electrical device. The other eight people (holding hands in line with the person receiving the current) never feels the shock of the electrical current. However, the last person standing […]
5 worst EE inventions ever
Electrical Engineers (EE) have come up with some of the most fascinating inventions known to mankind. Because of the discovery of modern electricity and the expansion thereof by Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse and (my favorite) Nicolai Tesla, life has been pretty convenient for modern society. However, there comes inventions that are not worth the paper […]