The environment is similar to a small factory; somewhat harsh in that it is isolated from everything outside, but everything inside becomes that much more noise.
Day 1 and 2 added a lot of valuable knowledge to my problem solving toolbox. It was also a great way to briefly catch up on the basics of current RF systems, especially MIMO and beam forming in harsh environments.
Our company designs products for harsh environmental conditions; high vibration, -40C to +85C temp. Wireless communication and control is a question that comes up from prospective customers. Safety and failsafe design are parts of the designs.
Some other creative antenna work is to provide optimum decorrelation between MIMO antennas (to increase MIMO performance) in a small device like a phone
FANNY: Dipole is the firt chapter in a antenna text book Any one doing research that may influence the introduction of more advanced antenna cell design?
regarding antenna design - it's a difficult skill to find, but now we use smart antenna technoclogy, which is basically DSP and works with regular dipole antennas
FANNY: Manny year ago, telecommunication engineers had to learn about antenna design, which was the most dificult course in engineering school. Are folks still studying that and applying that kind of expertise inthe industry?
the optimum way to position antennas is at 45 degree angles. You shoudl use the same orientation of antennas (polarization) among all the communicating devies. 802.11 uses vertical polarization by convention.
Any suggestions on direction for harsh environments with little throughput requirements? Looking at low power (energy-harvesting) systems that push simple control information periodically.
Fanny, just curious - what security is (typically or usually used) for smartgrid applications? I can just imagine the hacking of utility meter transmissions...
Pardon my ignorance if these techniques are already being used, but the last we need is a wireless version of Stuxnet into our WiNets. Like military jamming techniques...
Collision avoidance in overlapping channels seems like a big problem - how is it being addressed besides hoping it doesn't happen? Are systems robust enough for packet recovery when it does?
Thanks. FYI those without PowerPoint using GoogleDocs: Your slides do not convert to Google format and almost all have unreadable parts as unconverted docs, due to incompatible fonts I think. e.g. text runs off the bottom or under graphics.
Will need to pick a band and an architecture and try to stick with it as the company grows and adds capability. 3D models to CNC machinery, subtractive and additive processes. Considering a leased environment to stay away from tech obsolescence.
"harsh environment" - set up WiFi for father-in-law - 802.11n routers over longish line-of-sight (100+ feet) - still slower-than-expected throughput (or slower than I'd like...)
HARSH ENVIRONMENT: will need to be continuwously redefined. The more frequency band and protocols overlaps on the street, "harsh" will end up moving from the factory floor to the streets.
Not at this time, but it is always a consideration when designing any system when trying to brainstorm future implementations - if can be designed in easily up front - could more easliy create a market solution later.
@MazianLab - I couldn't send anything (PDFs) without permission from designnews - I believe the audio is available (later?) for replaying (and maybe downloading)
info about standards is good to have, helps understand arrogant vendors ... implementation details based on experience -- "how to" and "how not to" -- would be most helpful
Alex - I made PDF files of each slide deck (for myself - easier for me to use on two screens) - can I send them to you to distribute as well as the Powerpoint files?
@Alex - 802.11... What are the new standards since 'n' Also, what might be available for someone who has not done an embedded interface to an 802.11. How is it done? What are the HW and firmware choices?
Just a reminder - if your corporate firewall blocks the audio stream (and you have a smartphone), then you can use your phone to bring in the audio while viewing the slides on your computer.
Alex, same e-mail today (...As a special offer, we are offering each of today's qualified attendees a $5 Starbucks Card. So don't miss out. Attend this afternoon's session to receive your $5 Starbucks card. We look forward to you participating....). How do we get it?
The streaming audio player will appear on this web page when the show starts at 2pm eastern today. Note however that some companies block live audio streams. If when the show starts you don't hear any audio, try refreshing your browser.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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