Globe Valve
Written by Neal Babcock
A Globe valve is a type of valve used for regulating flow in a pipeline, consisting of a movable disk-type element and a stationary ring seat in a generally spherical body.
Globe Valves are named for their Read more
Ball Valve
Written by Neal Babcock
A ball valve is a valve that opens by turning a handle attached to a ball inside the valve. The ball has a hole, or port, through the middle so that when Read more
Engineering Organizations
Written by Neal Babcock
These are the professional organizations for the more common types of engineering.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Architectural Engineering Institute
Biomedical Engineering Society
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Society of Petroleum Engineers
The Tricks To Writing A Resume That Scores
Written by Neal Babcock
For those of us who are engineers or technicians, resume writing can be pretty tough. Most of us don’t like to write; we like to program things and build stuff.
But the reality of life in the technical world is that, first, you have to get a job. Getting a job as an engineer starts first with getting the attention of a potential employer and that is where a professional resume comes into play. Read more
General Troubleshooting Tips
Written by Neal Babcock
Here are a few troubleshooting tips I have picked up along the way.
Learn Who You Can Trust to Provide Accurate Information
Gathering accurate information is an important aspect of troubleshooting. However well meaning, some of the people you deal with will not provide accurate information. Read more
Common Terms of Industrial Automation
Written by Neal Babcock
I have compiled a list of terms that you might run across on the factory floor. You may want to browse through them. If you are looking for a specific definition, it could be quicker to use the search box on the right.
Industrial Automation Glossary – A
Written by Neal Babcock
0 a logical negative, or zero.
1 a logic positive, high, or 1.
A/D Analog to digital converter (see ADC).
abort the disruption of normal operation.
absolute pressure a pressure measured relative to zero pressure.
absorptive law a special case of Boolean algebra where A(A+B) becomes A. Read more
Industrial Automation Glossary – B
Written by Neal Babcock
backbone
a central network line that ties together distributed networks.
background
in multitasking systems, processes may be running in the background while the user is working in the foreground, giving the user the impression that they are the only user of the machine (except when the background job is computationally intensive).
background suppression
the ability of a sensing system to discriminate between the signal of interest, and background noise or signals. Read more
Industrial Automation Glossary – C
Written by Neal Babcock
C
A programming language that followed B (which followed A). It has been widely used in software development in the 80s and 90s. It has grown up to become C++ and Java.
CAA (Computer Aided Analysis)
allows the user to input the definition of a part and calculate the performance variables.
cable
a communication wire with electrical and mechanical shielding for harsh environments. Read more
Glossary – D
Written by Neal Babcock
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
replaced ARPA. This is a branch of the US department of defense that has participated in a large number of research projects.
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
data acquisition
refers to the automated collection of information collected from a process or system. Read more
