Understanding Data Transmission Mediums: Twisted Pair, Coaxial, Fiber Optics, and Wireless
1. Twisted Pair Cable
Twisted pair cable consists of two conductors, usually copper, each with its own plastic insulation, twisted together. One cable carries signals to the receiver, and the other acts as a signal ground reference. Twisting the cables helps balance the impact of interference and noise, as it ensures both cables are equally affected by external sources.
Types of Copper Twisted Pair
- UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair): The most common type, lacking additional shielding.
- FTP (Foiled Twisted
From Abacus to Modern Computers: A History of Computing
1. From Abacus to the First Computers
The Abacus
The oldest calculating device, the abacus, gets its name from the Greek word “abakos,” meaning “flat.” Its origins date back to the 5th century BC. Composed of a set of wires with beads strung on them, it represented units, tens, and so on.
The Pascaline
Mathematician Blaise Pascal created the Pascaline, an arithmetical machine, to assist his father with calculations. Its operation relied on rotating gears, marked from 0 to 9, which advanced with each
Read MoreUrban Street Design: Pedestrian & Vehicle Space Optimization
Street and Pedestrian Space: Urban design should prioritize both pedestrian and vehicle mobility. Street treatments must maintain pedestrian continuities, avoiding isolated interventions. Pedestrian routes should accommodate diverse activities, creating versatile and adaptable spaces. These spaces should be comfortable, safe, and environmentally suitable.
Pedestrians require a minimum of 0.60 meters of space on a sidewalk. Recommended widths are:
- 1 person: 0.75 m
- 1 person with a stroller: 0.90 m
- 2
Understanding Video Cameras: A Guide to their Components
The Video Camera
Optical Block
The optical system of a video camera is similar to that of any other camera. Key elements found in ENG (Electronic News Gathering) or EFP (Electronics Field Production) cameras include:
Diaphragm or Iris:
This has automatic and manual settings, often with remote control capabilities. Manual mode usually involves a key or button to switch between manual and automatic.Zoom:
Zoom can be automatic (with wide-angle ‘W’ and telephoto ‘T’ positions) or manual, controlled by
Introduction to Control Technology
Introduction to Control Technology
Control technology covers all procedures and systems that allow you to automate machines, equipment, and manufacturing processes.
Control system: A set of components that act coordinately to achieve a government action within a process through direct or indirect manipulation of the magnitudes that intervene.
An automatic control system is a set of technical elements that aims to make a machine or process carry out their duties with minimal human intervention. (Human
Read MoreProcess Control and Automation in Industrial Plants
Process Control and Automation
Control Variables
Perturbations: These are the variables that affect the system’s excitation and can be manipulated.
Feedback Control
Control Elements:
- Sensors/Transmitters: Measure the output and/or disturbance and send a correlated signal.
- Controller: Modifies the system dynamics to achieve the desired output.
- Actuator: Changes the system’s output (e.g., amplifier).
Controller Types
- Two-Position Controller: Moves the final control element between two fixed positions based