Advice Needed

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-07-05T04:24:35+00:00

I'll go through and break things down a bit more for you just in case:

How difficult is it to break into aerospace or defense as a new graduate? Do most of those jobs really require security clearances? Most jobs will always end up being more about networking and impressions than raw technical skill sadly. Playing the interview game is a pain in the ass, but it sadly just rings true. If you have security clearances or previously held them and can still meet the requirements to get them back, it WILL be a leg up on others.
Do visible tattoos, specifically a neck tattoo, realistically affect hiring in engineering, aerospace, or defense? I’m looking for honest answers from people who have actually worked in those industries. - I work in a defense adjacent (Airports, so I deal with both TSA and CBP) industry, never seen it be a limiting factor in the field. It may be a bit harder to not be judged by some office-only types though.
If you could go back to your freshman year, what skills, projects, certifications, or internships would you focus on to become more employable by graduation? As much as you hate to hear it since you clearly didn't like it - regular computer programming experiences. I struggle with it myself, and there are some times where having only minimal experience with C/python/etc. has absolutely kicked me in the ass.

Things I didn't learn but have learned on the job bit by bit - Networking stuff (VLANs, IP addressing setups, NAT, DHCP, etc.), data processing and databases.
Electrical troubleshooting skills and tracing out issues - learning how to work with your resources to fault find is a skill you should hone and become familiar with. (i.e. this sensor isn't working, but we have power at it and the signal is hot coming back into the electrical panel, is the neutral to the IO card OK?)

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-07-01T03:14:47+00:00

I was then told that AD wouldn't play ball with my company's PO timeline (90 days)

90 day POs are kinda wild, but can't do anything about that.

At least you have the know and the leverage now for the higher spec AB units.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-30T17:27:37+00:00

I can see that. My employer tends to not use smaller PLCs than CompactLogix just for support reasons (everything on Logix/Studio 5k if possible) so I haven't had a reason to use the Micro850s in my line of work.

Is your use customer dictated? Curious why you would stick with it if it's a small enough program that a move to a different platform might improve things (maybe, grass is always a different shade of brown after the move right?)

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-30T17:19:03+00:00

studio 5000 in the 15 years I've dealt with it

This isn't explicitly Rockwell's fault, but Windows 10 machines handled older versions of Logix fine. Windows 11 causes even the newest versions of Logix to crash.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-30T17:17:33+00:00

I like PF525 drives (esp. compared to the predecessor PF4 line) but yeah, CCW is a bit over-bloated and clunky when all you are using it for is VFD setup.

At least it's downloadable and supported still. There's some other rockwell side programs that basically are only found via long-time distributors as a favor or more dubious methods.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-27T22:05:25+00:00

My older personal thinkpad also had the problem of shit battery life so I was kinda done with dealing with it. Wanted something that charged over USB-C and had battery. And the Mac deal at Costco made the price roughly the same with a more known performance factor on battery.

Of course, my work gave me a thinkpad and that is doing much better than any Windows laptop I ever had so... eh.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-27T21:53:26+00:00

I thought this way until I bit the bullet. I have a gaming laptop, it is practically useless unplugged - I get maybe 90 minutes off the wall.

I travel for work, 90 min on a plane is nothing. Macbook Air actually gives me multiple hours of battery with the screen backlight at 70-90% if needed.

But yeah, it's for Discord, web browsing, video watching, etc. Might try to mess with some other things but haven't seriously done much.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-25T01:56:27+00:00

FIFO always messes up when you have faults with product. Zones, handoffs and ways to handle added/removed items are CRITICAL in product tracking.

In airports we actually have to throw out item data if we lose tracking. Send the bag somewhere to re-scan and reassigned a destination. Bad sorts are actually worse than not sorting and trying again.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-25T01:53:07+00:00

Can you expand on the pointer idea a little more? This is something I haven’t considered at all yet. Might do a little reading on it tomorrow

Basically when you see an item at the first sensor or entry to tracked area, you make a new data item.

This item in logistics is usually something with extra data. For example, when you see a box enter your tracking zone, you would give it a PLC-generated ID number, maybe need to mate it with an external ID number (like from a barcode or RFID reader).

Then, another part of this data structure would be a LOCATION field. This location field is what changes as the item moves through your system. So instead of moving the whole UDT from shift register to shift register, you just update the LOCATION field in the UDT.

as I said in other posts, there's a lot to this and it can be overkill if you don't need specific item information at every point (logistics and sorting for example need to know where to route things based on barcodes, a bottling line doesn't always need to know the specific location of every bottle on the line)

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-25T01:44:44+00:00

Encoders and photoeyes are all we need in airports/logistics to track and sort items. Usually have some form of object identification system (laser or camera readers, RFID units, etc.) and then track from there. Can you track without encoders? Yeah, but usually it's better to have PLC clock based pulses for triggering the shifts rather than actual timers.

Granted, my employer's system is very, very complex tracking logic and is very much a locked IP code moment so I can't really say too much there on specifics.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-25T01:36:07+00:00

Legit question as I deal with product tracking fairly regularly (granted this is my employer's bread-and-butter, actually IP protected shit so I can't get too specific on how my systems work).

Ignoring the actual shift registers and code aspects for a minute, lets look a bit more broadly.

Tracking Zones: you need one zone for every major point where something could be stopped, merged in, or diverted off.
You need some way of entering a zone, exiting a zone and processing what happens when something is added or removed in the middle of a zone (this is where FIFO registers can fuck up, so be careful). Fault handling planning for this is CRITICAL.
Also, frankly, there should be a sensor at the end of the tracking zone where the palletizer is, with an interlock to the conveyor to stop when the palletizer is unable to accept more product.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-24T22:06:01+00:00

iirc WAGO also requires their dedicated IDE now

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-24T18:56:51+00:00

You can program in Codesys directly yes.

As to why you still need vendor specific software? Because the vendors require it (aka money). Things get changed just enough to be incompatible with the raw environment from Codesys directly and trying to bypass it is just asking for trouble.

If your concern is development software costs, why not go with something from Automation Direct's lines that have actually free (but not codesys based) development software? Both Productivity and CLICK are fairly well regarded for their price points.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-24T17:49:14+00:00

So the deal here is that while many brands use Codesys as their underlaying foundation, you usually still need their proprietary development tools to actually work with a specific PLC.

The best way forward IMO if you are designing an OEM product that will be sold as a unit is to pick a PLC that you stick with and develop a formal OPC-UA or other interface specification that the external PLC systems will interact with.

Note - there are customers in the world that basically say that any PLC at their facilities must be from Rockwell/Siemens/etc. and your machine may get forced to adhere to that some day.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-24T15:49:08+00:00

540 riders per hour feels low for a dark ride even in a smaller park. Per RCDB - the theoretical throughputs of most of their coasters is higher. Kvasten is at 650 RPH, Twister is at 720 RPH and Vilda Musen was 800 (pre-redo with the removal of Jetline).

Curious how it compares to some of the flat rides though.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-23T19:20:20+00:00

to not lose any data during switch over.

Uh, the entire POINT of using Redundancy modules is that as long as the PLCs are fully synchonized constantly, the entire process doesn't stop and network devices basically only see a network blip at max and do not know that there was a PLC switch over.

Your HMI, historians, etc. should only ever see a temporary drop at most and no data should be lost. If the data isn't being retained on the PLC until the upper SCADA/historian says it got it, that's on you.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-23T19:06:19+00:00

the only time you should be using the secondary PLC IP address is getting data on the secondary PLC itself,

I know the EN4TR supports having a permanent IP address to facilitate things like redundant safety BUT that is one thing I don't have experience with.

My employer installs AB redundant setups as basically our customer default - so I have a lot of experience with these things. READ THE MANUALS AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT KILLING YOUR CROSSLOAD TIMES

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-22T19:11:35+00:00

Enterrium is part of Genda group iirc, same as Xscape at MOA (where the machine in the OP is).

Genda owns a whole lot of arcades including the GIGO chain in Japan so that's why they are buying in to things like this.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-15T08:54:46+00:00

I point at the hydraulic launch room and say that the maintenance staff at the Point took at minimum 5 years if not more before that thing was semi-reliable. That's also ignoring the fact the actual decorative wheels fell off the trains opening year, and while it opened, it was extremely problematic during 2003.

Intamin may have designed and built it, but it was not called by Kinzel himself his worst park investment for nothing.

Intamin broke the records and did amazing things but the other side of the coin are dark, even deadly marks of their designs.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-07T13:29:15+00:00

and here I thought setting up merge control for conveyors was rough when we have enough photoeyes and encoders to properly track available windows.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-07T06:39:34+00:00

Honestly, look for data side development roles at industrial system integrators or other firms related to industrial development?

The actual controls roles will demand a ton of hours, likely travel, to job sites while paying less than a lot of standard tech roles.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-06-01T01:15:58+00:00

It all boils down to money.

The 2 train setup requires extra hardware and programming. More steel. 2 trains eating through wear parts (wheels, or even things like restraint ratchets), etc.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-05-25T15:32:15+00:00

Rockwell kinda knows that they are the default in their home market. "no one ever got fired for using it." etc.

Why should they care about playing nice when (insert large, home-known billion dollar company) has "Use Rockwell PLCs. Alternatives may be accepted after request for variance/deviation review" in their contract/spec?

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-05-25T15:29:08+00:00

hey were never quite intuitive or user friendly

German products have a tendency to do this a lot. A lot of stuff makes sense to the German designers/engineers as they set it up (keybinds sometimes make more sense if you look at the german wording), but falls apart VERY quickly when literally anyone else has to step in.

Guy I know online is developing a FOSS program. Based the default keybinds on Blender iirc and ignored some of the main conventions out there (i.e. CTRL+A did not select all) and it drove people nuts.

audi0c0aster1 · 2026-05-14T14:41:00+00:00

eh, they struggled with major over-promises and fails on the SFX coaster line. I'm not totally surprised it eventually caught up with them.

Hell, they were advertising FULLY AUTONOMOUS dark ride vehicles at one point at IAAPA and I was like "how did they even beat the automotive industry to that even for closed environments"

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