Since they are calling it open FPGA and one of the mission goals of open FPGA is "To define develop, and promote the use of open standards for communication between application programs and FPGA technologies," I wonder if programming with NI's VST is proprietary to Lab View or will it be able to utilize other software platforms...
The other issue with power usage, besides the $/KWH is the power source. If this is going into a factory where you are just grabbing the power from the utility line, that's one thing. However, if you are using wireless because the process you want to monitor is remote or mobile or a small independent installation, the power source itself becomes more important.
I was anticipating what would come out of the aqusition of ettus research. NI has held up to what they said in the beginning, that they will stay out their business but release there own devices using the technology ettus developed. Looks good thus far. I am excited to see what will be coming down the pipe next, merging these minds together for the better.
I see your point. But there are others tings that come into play (I think). For example, if you stack five of them together in a chassis, the heat reduction is somewhat significant, thereby reducing the need for fans constantly running, thereby lowing the noise.
Rich, you mention the power consumption of the device. I find that interesting. Considering that power costs about $0.10 per kWhr, doubling that consumption is really just pocket change (or really a rounding error). I wonder how much effort they put into getting down to that consumption. Considering the cost of such devices, this is less than insignificant. This is not meant to be a criticism of you or the article, or NI. I just mean it as an observation on power consumption in general, and our facination with it where it really does not matter.
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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