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Friday, March 14, 2008 |
Just saw a post on Slashdot. Today is Pi day (3.14, get it?). So, in commemoration of this auspicious occasion, I will shut the MacBook Pro down and go have a pizza (pi).
This is my 1499th post in 4-1/2 years. Guess it should be a trivial one. Have a good weekend.
7:35:54 PM 
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We're always leery when press releases come announcing the first of something. I'm sure if this is not exactly true, then there will be comments. But Emerson Process Management says it is the first process automation supplier to begin taking orders for WirelessHart-enabled products. The WirelessHart standard specifies use of open wireless communications for process measurement and control applications. Emerson estimates the demand for wireless technology will exceed $1 billion by 2012.
"In my 39 years in Process Automation, I have never seen a technology with such compelling, immediate benefits," commented John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. "Emerson customers proved these benefits with installations of our pre-standard products. The WirelessHart standard opens the door to confident and broad implementation of wireless throughout the industry."
Emerson's Smart Wireless range of pressure, flow, level, temperature, and vibration transmitters and gateways are available with WirelessHart standard communications, as is AMS Suite predictive maintenance software and 375 field communicator. Future new products from Emerson will also use the standard, including the pH transmitter, discrete transmitter, valve position transmitter, the Smart Wireless THUM Communicator to unleash stranded diagnostics in legacy devices, and the DeltaV native wireless interface.
3:13:09 PM
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I don't do a lot of product announcements on this blog, but I still have a soft spot for vision systems--even if the fun of the cutthroat competition between Cognex and DVT ended with the collapse of DVT's leadership and sell out to Cognex. There are other vision system suppliers, but they aren't very active in promotion like the good old days ;-)
I worked with vision systems based sort of on the huge VME bus controllers. It took two trips to take my demo equipment from the car to the conference room. Cognex, DVT and Omron Electronics started driving the footprint down and ease of use up. Dalsa ipd even came out with a small system with dedicated functions dubbed "vision appliances." Now Cognex announces a new generation vision system that's even smaller. It is dubbed "In-Sight Micro." It is a vision system packed into a 30mm x 30mm x 60mm package. It comes with a new "intuitive" configuration software called EasyBuilder.
For more than five years, manufacturers of these small, but powerful, vision systems have touted the ease of setup and use that would allow most control engineers and technicians to deploy them. Not one to hold back enthusiasm, though, Cognex Senior Vice President Justin Testa stated, "What's truly revolutionary about the In-Sight Micro vision system is that it transforms machine vision into a much more affordable and accessible solution for so many people. Now even users unfamiliar with machine vision systems will find it easy to set up and deploy machine vision systems."
According to the release, product features include "a full vision system the size of a remote-head camera, ideal for mounting in very tight spaces on robots, production lines and machinery." It also features flexible mounting and a "unique non-linear calibration tool.".
10:49:45 AM
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[Updated: I was out of focus this morning when I typed the wrong word in the title.]
There's an interesting blog called Zen Habits. The writer discusses how to simplify and declutter your life. In this post he talks about focus. Sometimes we lose focus during the day and our work drifts. This is especially true if our job is sitting at a computer writing software, a marketing campaign or a blog post. Do you have a trick for regaining your focus. I get up and walk around a bit or just sit back, close my eyes and practice deep, rhythmic breathing. The Zen Habits writer also talks about being in the present. If you're troubleshooting a machine that's down or a loop out of tune, then you'd better focus on that problem and get other thoughts out of your head.
In "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," Robert Pirsig talks about fixing his motorcycle (you've got to think old motorcycle, doesn't make sense with today's kind). He says that when you are trying to fix a problem with the chain but your screwdriver slips and you strip the screw holding on the guard, you'd better realize that your problem isn't the chain, it's the screw. If you don't refocus, then you'll never solve the problem.
Anyone have trouble with focus? What do you do?
7:20:24 AM
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© Copyright 2008 Gary Mintchell.
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