Its been an year now since i wrote my last post discussing recession and its effects. I talked about how innovation is influenced by recession in my previous post. In todays post I will talk about the Int'l Society of Automation student chapter we currently started at OSU, stillwater.
Int'l Society of Automation student chapter has currently 25 student members with 4 interim officers and one faculty advisor. The constitution of the chapter describes the purpose as and i quote
The objectives of the Section are to advance and to reinforce the arts and sciences related to the theory, design, manufacture, and use of instrumentation, computers, and systems for measurement and control in the various sciences and technologies for the benefit of mankind and to advance knowledge of career opportunities in the field of instrumentation. More specifically: to promote automation within OSU as a career; to avail a cross disciplinary experience for members; to understand the breadth of automation, and to gather information for members to make rational educational choices to prepare for the careers in automation.The chapter already has many events in line including design contests, guest speakers, movies, career workshops and expo. The elections for the officer positions is to be held in November first week.
Its an exciting new venture and I am looking forward towards more fun and knowledge sharing.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Positive notes towards recession
Recently I came across an article in the 'Wired Magazine' by Daniel Roth entitled 'Back to the garage'.
Recession has brought about many challenges for all in the coming days. Things do not seem to be promising, while some even say the worst is yet to come. But amidst all this the past recession or depresiions as you may call it have seen the birth of some of todays leading companies. This is the right time for companies to invest in new technologies and come up with breakthroughs as they no longer have to worry about competition.
The most memorable crucible in modern history is fo course the Great Depression writes Daniel. During that era several firms made huge bets that changed their fortunes and those of the world. Du Pont told one of its star scientists Wallace brothers to set aside basic research and concentrate on a profitable invention. this gave birth the revolutionizing invention of synthetic fabric 'Nylon'. IBM 's founder Thomas Watson built a new R&D centre. Douglas Aircraft debuted the DC-3. Bill Hewitt of HP committed to building the pocket calculator during the 1969-70 recession period. Also the 2001 dotcom led downturn led to the new startups like the jetblue and Six Apart.
By the end of current recession period many revolutisioning concepts would be born and new technologies would be at the fore-front.
Process industries would see a major change in the working and execution of projects and investments in research would pay off in the future. The way companies work out their policies in the coming months would be very interesting to follow. But the future definitely seems very promising; as all that is permanent is change.
Recession has brought about many challenges for all in the coming days. Things do not seem to be promising, while some even say the worst is yet to come. But amidst all this the past recession or depresiions as you may call it have seen the birth of some of todays leading companies. This is the right time for companies to invest in new technologies and come up with breakthroughs as they no longer have to worry about competition.
The most memorable crucible in modern history is fo course the Great Depression writes Daniel. During that era several firms made huge bets that changed their fortunes and those of the world. Du Pont told one of its star scientists Wallace brothers to set aside basic research and concentrate on a profitable invention. this gave birth the revolutionizing invention of synthetic fabric 'Nylon'. IBM 's founder Thomas Watson built a new R&D centre. Douglas Aircraft debuted the DC-3. Bill Hewitt of HP committed to building the pocket calculator during the 1969-70 recession period. Also the 2001 dotcom led downturn led to the new startups like the jetblue and Six Apart.
By the end of current recession period many revolutisioning concepts would be born and new technologies would be at the fore-front.
Process industries would see a major change in the working and execution of projects and investments in research would pay off in the future. The way companies work out their policies in the coming months would be very interesting to follow. But the future definitely seems very promising; as all that is permanent is change.
Friday, September 19, 2008
underwater acoustic sensor networks a promising field!
We recently did a review of the paper" Positioning of Sensors in Underwater Acoustic Networks.
by Jose Esteban Garcia, Institute of Communications Engineering, University of Hanover, Germany." It's a very good paper in the field of underwater acoustic networks which is a very promising field in the future. though i couldnot find automation companies involved in providing automation software for remote monitoring and surveillance of coastal regions i presume that they would doing so soon in the future. I can visualise a DCS system providing the location and data from sensor nodes and various details of parameters useful for monitoring the health of the sensor nodes!
The author proposes the idea of “Distributed Positioning Algorithm” for remote monitoring and surveillance of ocean regions and coastal areas. In distribution technique the sensor nodes are able to communicate only with their one hop neighbor and correspondingly find the distance with their other neighbor. While doing so the author takes into account the physical properties of water viz. salinity, temperature, and depth/pressure. This, as per the authors literature review; is not taken into account by any other previous work on Underwater Acoustic Networks. The author further states that in order to accurately determine the accurate position of sensors the physical properties of water play a vital role. He argues that in order to find the range between the sender and the receiver accurately the dependency of travel time (TDoA) on physical properties of water should be taken into account. This he proves further in his paper by performing simulation using OMNeT++ as the base platform.
The novelty lies in the development of a new distributed algorithm “Accurate position algorithm” for finding the accurate position of sensor nodes. The author successfully applies the algorithm and hence proves that considering the physical properties of water; this algorithm successfully achieves a trade off among two main parameters; namely “positioning error of all positioned sensor nodes and final number of positioned nodes”.
In section 3 of his paper the author gives the fundamentals of distributed positioning and common solutions. The author mainly cites “Ad-Hoc positioning” by Niculescu and Nath, “N-hop multilateration” by Savvides, “Robust positioning” Savarese and his own algorithm “Accurate positioning in underwater acoustic networks”. Author has done a fair amount of survey of earlier research work and later on has proposed his own algorithm based on earlier positioning algorithms. Even in the simulation software used, the author has studied the Positiff package and OMNeT++ software used in earlier simulations. He has enhanced these further and developed his own Underwater Positioning software (UWPOS) for simulation.
The current problems that might be faced in this area are mainly battery issues, we cannot replace them due to cost constraints and no self charging either due to insufficient sunlight under the water. also distributed positioning algorithm requires large number of reference nodes whose coordinates are known due to a GPS receiver. this makes it expensive if there are large number of anchor or reference nodes.
moreover we need time synchorinisation among the sensor nodes which is not so easy to achieve.Despite all these the paper definitely brings us one step closer to achieving an accurate system for underwater sensor networks.
by Jose Esteban Garcia, Institute of Communications Engineering, University of Hanover, Germany." It's a very good paper in the field of underwater acoustic networks which is a very promising field in the future. though i couldnot find automation companies involved in providing automation software for remote monitoring and surveillance of coastal regions i presume that they would doing so soon in the future. I can visualise a DCS system providing the location and data from sensor nodes and various details of parameters useful for monitoring the health of the sensor nodes!
The author proposes the idea of “Distributed Positioning Algorithm” for remote monitoring and surveillance of ocean regions and coastal areas. In distribution technique the sensor nodes are able to communicate only with their one hop neighbor and correspondingly find the distance with their other neighbor. While doing so the author takes into account the physical properties of water viz. salinity, temperature, and depth/pressure. This, as per the authors literature review; is not taken into account by any other previous work on Underwater Acoustic Networks. The author further states that in order to accurately determine the accurate position of sensors the physical properties of water play a vital role. He argues that in order to find the range between the sender and the receiver accurately the dependency of travel time (TDoA) on physical properties of water should be taken into account. This he proves further in his paper by performing simulation using OMNeT++ as the base platform.
The novelty lies in the development of a new distributed algorithm “Accurate position algorithm” for finding the accurate position of sensor nodes. The author successfully applies the algorithm and hence proves that considering the physical properties of water; this algorithm successfully achieves a trade off among two main parameters; namely “positioning error of all positioned sensor nodes and final number of positioned nodes”.
In section 3 of his paper the author gives the fundamentals of distributed positioning and common solutions. The author mainly cites “Ad-Hoc positioning” by Niculescu and Nath, “N-hop multilateration” by Savvides, “Robust positioning” Savarese and his own algorithm “Accurate positioning in underwater acoustic networks”. Author has done a fair amount of survey of earlier research work and later on has proposed his own algorithm based on earlier positioning algorithms. Even in the simulation software used, the author has studied the Positiff package and OMNeT++ software used in earlier simulations. He has enhanced these further and developed his own Underwater Positioning software (UWPOS) for simulation.
The current problems that might be faced in this area are mainly battery issues, we cannot replace them due to cost constraints and no self charging either due to insufficient sunlight under the water. also distributed positioning algorithm requires large number of reference nodes whose coordinates are known due to a GPS receiver. this makes it expensive if there are large number of anchor or reference nodes.
moreover we need time synchorinisation among the sensor nodes which is not so easy to achieve.Despite all these the paper definitely brings us one step closer to achieving an accurate system for underwater sensor networks.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
robotics and process control engineer
service robotics is a naive industry but growing at a rapid pace. recently i came across an article by micheal somby who is a robotics hobbyist and a process control engineer!
He is a professional control systems engineer focusing on avionics systems and industrial control systems. His experience ranges from an autopilot design up to building a control system for a power plant.
He has written an article on software robotics platform wherein he describes the appllication of robotics in service industry, which was recently given an update
He quotes
you can get the complete article on "http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9631072539.html"
He is a professional control systems engineer focusing on avionics systems and industrial control systems. His experience ranges from an autopilot design up to building a control system for a power plant.
He has written an article on software robotics platform wherein he describes the appllication of robotics in service industry, which was recently given an update
He quotes
"The cost of control software accounts for a large share of the overall cost of
a typical robotics project. For example, up to 80 percent of an industrial
automation project is spent on system integration, which includes software
development/customization. So, the main idea behind any robotics software
platform is to simplify the job of robotics software engineers -- and thus
reduce the project cost. "
He has discussed various platforms in his article like the URBI, Webots, OROCOS, iRobot microsoft robotics studio and skilligent all of them which help to develop the project.Microsoft robotics studio has been supported by many users while skilligent involves a" training the robot approach" instead of giving a runtime environment. He has also discussed webots and other platforms in his article. There are loads of them out there according to the application you want.
development in robotics will definitely help to run process plants better and efficiently and of course touch our own lives!!
you can get the complete article on "http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9631072539.html"
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Control systems in tissue engineering
Tissue engineering has a lot of potential for growth. Recently I came across an article on Technology Review mag published by the famous institution MIT..... that discussess the Tissue engineering.
They quote....."Tissue engineers are ambitious. If they had their way, a dialysis patient could receive a new kidney made in the lab from his own cells, instead of waiting for a donor organ that his immune system might reject. Likewise, a diabetic could, with grafts of lab-made pancreatic tissue, be given the ability to make insulin again. But tissue engineering has stalled in part because bioengineers haven't been able to replicate the structural complexity of human tissues. Now researchers have taken an important first step toward building complex tissues from the bottom up by creating what they call living Legos. These building blocks, biofriendly gels of various shapes studded with cells, can self-assemble into complex structures resembling those found in tissues."
According to a bioengineer Ali Khademhosseini, at Harvard Medical School
"Living tissues have repeating functional units. The liver, for example, is made
up of repeated hexagonal lobes. Each has a central branching vessel that brings
in blood for filtration; the vessel and its branches are surrounded by
toxin-filtering cells surrounded by canals that transport filtered blood to
other vessels leading out of the organ".
Khademhosseini method works on the basic principle that water and oil don't mix.
"When water is dropped into a pool of oil, it will form a sphere, the shape that
minimizes its interaction with the oil."Bioengineers seed cells onto the outside
of polymer scaffolds in the hopes that they will migrate inside and organize
themselves.
Controlling the cell organization is the most important part of the entire process. We might soon be able to replicate parts like pancreas, liver and heart muscle.
It might seem very far fetch at this point of time but I do believe that automation companies would come up with higher competant control systems for tissue engineering.
To know more about Khademhosseini wonderful research you may visit http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotechhappy reading!!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
control system cyber security
I recently read an article "Peril in the pipeline" by Marshall Abrams and Joe Weiss. The article is more eyeopening rather than interesting as it investigates deeper into the unresponsiveness of the SCADA system on 10 June 1999 which was controlling the pipeline system owned by Olympic Pipeline Company. The system could not detect the rupture in 16inch dia pipeline which in turn resulted in gasoline leaking into the Hanna and Whatcom Creeks in Whatcom Falls Park within Bellingham, Wash.
The effects of the disaster were tremendous causing injuries to people and killing two 10-year-old boys and an 18 year old man.
Both Marshall and Joe admit that "
.... more discussion is needed about control system cyber security and how its policies and countermeasures can potentially preclude or minimize the impacts of a control system cyber security event....."
The SCADA system consisted of........
In addition to this there was a seperate computere for pipeline leak detection system software package. As Marshall and Joe point out...
Three reasons were given for this accident, firstly the damage, gouges, and dents to the pipeline in the vicinity of the eventual rupture. Second was the construction and startup of the Bayview products terminal. Some pressure elief vakves were installed initially which were later founs to be improperly installed and configured. Last but the most important the SCADA system became unresponsive making things extremely tough for the controllers.
Digging deeper into Why the SCADA system was not able to respond the report of the National Transportation Safety Board......
The effects of the disaster were tremendous causing injuries to people and killing two 10-year-old boys and an 18 year old man.
Both Marshall and Joe admit that "
.... more discussion is needed about control system cyber security and how its policies and countermeasures can potentially preclude or minimize the impacts of a control system cyber security event....."
The SCADA system consisted of........
SCADA vector (object-based editing) software running on two virtual
asset extension (VAX) computers with virtual memory system (VMS) operation
system Version 7.1. [VAX is a 32-bit computing architecture that supports an
orthogonal instruction set (machine language) and virtual addressing (i.e.,
demand paged virtual memory)]
In addition to this there was a seperate computere for pipeline leak detection system software package. As Marshall and Joe point out...
"The VAX-VMS was designed to be a multi-user system and was capable of keeping
track of hundreds of simultaneous users. Each user was allocated his/her
share of system resources, and each user was only permitted to run or view
files associated with that person’s user identification (login). Extensive
operating system accountability and permission logs documented the resources
used by any user. Only one login was employed by all Olympic operators,
which allowed them to have undifferentiated system administrator privileges,
including manipulation or deletion of any file on the system."
Three reasons were given for this accident, firstly the damage, gouges, and dents to the pipeline in the vicinity of the eventual rupture. Second was the construction and startup of the Bayview products terminal. Some pressure elief vakves were installed initially which were later founs to be improperly installed and configured. Last but the most important the SCADA system became unresponsive making things extremely tough for the controllers.
Digging deeper into Why the SCADA system was not able to respond the report of the National Transportation Safety Board......
"There was no indication of an in-place cyber security program, including control system policies and procedures"
The forensic report showed that......
A comprehensive control system cyber security program was not in place nor
was appropriate SCADA operator training. The SCADA system appeared
to have diagnostics capabilities, but those capabilities were not
configured to address internal cyber issues. In addition, system logs that should have been automatically generated were inexplicably missing. The single backbone Ethernet network did not provide adequate separation from the real-time systems and non-critical business network."
Though the technology has improved a lot today but the ghosts of 10th June 1999 will continue to haunt the control system professionals and keep reminding them that a mistake in ther job might cause precious human lives.
The Olympic Pipeline Company has subsequently gone out of business.
The complete article can be found on ISAs' website"http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.cfm?Section=Article_Index1&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=69643"
Monday, June 30, 2008
Modern Temeperature Transmitters
one thing that has caught my eye recently has been EDDL. The technology is jus going great guns, as Jonas Berge recently put up an article Temperature Transmitters: Warming Up To EDDL. You may recall him from my earlier posts. Jonas is a senior PlantWeb consultant at Emerson Process Management.
Temperature transmitter use a variety of protocols today includind wirless HART and Foundation Fieldbus. As Jonas rightly puts it "Supporting this mix of transmitters can be a challenge. However, modern temperature transmitters diagnose themselves, the sensor wiring, and the temperature element."
These have greatly helped in maintaining the loops and has got the plants running more effectively. A burnout in the TT can burn a deep hole in the customers pocket. With the use of EDDL we can easily switch through the dynamic displays and get into the problem immediately. The two important diagnostics discussed are sensor drift and hot backup.
Jonas discusses sensor drift alert as "A sensor with dual sensing elements at one measurement point takes two readings that are compared and if a maximum difference is exceeded, the diagnostics determines that drift has occurred." This gives more insight to the operator as it directly shows the diagnostics on the operator consoles.
Another important advanced diagnostic is the hot-backup. "For this, two sensors measure the same point. In normal operation the reading of one sensor is used, but if the primary sensor fails its value is discarded and the backup sensor reading is used." This is pretty well important.
Even the handheld communicators are designed by the same EDDL technology providing the technicians advanced troubleshooting and of-course they are even offered help by EDDL wizards to make there job easy!!
Those inerested can surely go through this wonderful article by Jonas Berge on www.iaasiaonline.com [Home --> Instrumentation & Measurement]
Temperature transmitter use a variety of protocols today includind wirless HART and Foundation Fieldbus. As Jonas rightly puts it "Supporting this mix of transmitters can be a challenge. However, modern temperature transmitters diagnose themselves, the sensor wiring, and the temperature element."
These have greatly helped in maintaining the loops and has got the plants running more effectively. A burnout in the TT can burn a deep hole in the customers pocket. With the use of EDDL we can easily switch through the dynamic displays and get into the problem immediately. The two important diagnostics discussed are sensor drift and hot backup.
Jonas discusses sensor drift alert as "A sensor with dual sensing elements at one measurement point takes two readings that are compared and if a maximum difference is exceeded, the diagnostics determines that drift has occurred." This gives more insight to the operator as it directly shows the diagnostics on the operator consoles.
Another important advanced diagnostic is the hot-backup. "For this, two sensors measure the same point. In normal operation the reading of one sensor is used, but if the primary sensor fails its value is discarded and the backup sensor reading is used." This is pretty well important.
Even the handheld communicators are designed by the same EDDL technology providing the technicians advanced troubleshooting and of-course they are even offered help by EDDL wizards to make there job easy!!
Those inerested can surely go through this wonderful article by Jonas Berge on www.iaasiaonline.com [Home --> Instrumentation & Measurement]
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