Tech Directions - February 2008 - (Page 16)

A Little Background ● Could we interface it to the company’s computers for analysis? To appreciate this second measure of success, I need These and many, many more questions needed adto give you some important facts about the history of dressing. When we finished, we had a very bulky docuelectrical network analysis. Engineers at the time had ment that vendors and manufacturers could use to protwo ways to analyze the operation of networks. Both vide a cost estimate and time schedule for building and methods were apdelivering the system. proximations, since a direct solution was not possible without Making It Happen resorting to analytical Detailed specifications went out to potential bidders methods. The older and the team reviewed the bids to determine which method was to hardvendor could best do the work. Once we selected a venwire a network todor, work began on building the system. gether using electriThe team began development of a test specification cal cabling and resisfor formally accepting the vendor’s system once it was tances, directly meacompleted. Here, we detersuring unitized line mined what types of tests flows, and convertwould be performed and ing everything back how their effectiveness to the proper values. would be measured. We idenIn effect, the engitified a variety of electrical I needed a team of experts neer built a breadnetwork analysis problems in the company to work with. board model of the that would represent a suite network to be analyzed and approximated the values. of typical problems the While tedious and approximate, it did allow the engineer system should be able to to “tinker” with the network and gain an appreciation for address and solve. The how it responded. vendor was informed of The more recent method of analysis involved using this testing sequence emerging computer techniques to quickly crunch the and had agreed to it as massive amounts of simultaneous equations involved to part of the contract for Once we selected a vendor, once again approximate the answers. While this method building the GPS. work began on building the allowed for performing many types of analysis cases in Once a month, other system. one batch run, it left the engineer out as a direct particimembers of the team and pant in the “tinkering”, making it more abstract and I visited the vendor’s plant to discuss necessary details mathematical. Also, it required that all the line flow soluor problems, and to witness progress and demonstrations be plotted by hand on paper circuit diagrams. My tions of the system’s performance. My monthly progress job as project manager was to combine the best of the reports described any significant problems or revisions breadboard simulation with the computer analysis needed. When doing an R&D project like this, method and restore the engineer’s central many revisions and corrections arise role in the analysis process. along the way. This is simply the nature Clearly, since no one had ever designed of anything that is built for the first time. such a system, I needed a team of experts in Everyone understood the experimental the company to work with, and I soon had a aspects of this project. It was also my group of computer experts put on my team. I responsibility to review and authorize all also needed to know what was possible with payments to the vendor and resolve any the technology of the day, so our team visdifficulties. ited computer developer and vendor sites to I also had to design a special room for see how various technologies might be used. the GPS system since it had some bulky As the visitation phase of the project got equipment with rather large heat-producunderway, the team began development of ing terminals, data storage units, and a detailed specifications for the new system, large mini-computer. The room had to now called the Graphic Planning System be ready by the time of delivery, along (GPS): with the necessary communications interface to our giant corporate computer ● How would it be designed—with what I also had to design a system. major system components? special room for the GPS When the GPS arrived at our company ● How would it display the circuit diasystem. site and was installed, acceptance testing grams and have data linked to it? began. I put our staff of engineers through a course to ● What kinds of storage capacity and memory would learn how to use the new system and also to construct it need? 16 techdirections ◆ FEBRUARY 2008

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Tech Directions - February 2008 Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers How Engineers Engineer—Lessons from My First Big Engineering Project Tips on Creating Complex Geometry Using Solid Modeling Software Press to Test—Shop-Built BJT Checker Is Easy Cable Television Technician International Technology Education Association Conference—Teaching TIDE with Pride Professional Development Opportunities Product Central Free for the Asking More than Fun

Tech Directions - February 2008

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