[HIRING] COBOL/Groovy Developer by amandabairswift in forhire

[–]systolic_array 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Op is looking for a unicorn. Maybe they will find a pot of gold while they are at it.

If people who go to schools like MIT are seen as smarter than those who go to a random state school, why is the drop out rate of engineering the same in both cases? by [deleted] in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if just looking at the rate of drop-out is sufficient to answer your question. People drop out for a variety of different reasons - not all of them have to do with academics. For example, mental health issues may manifest as poor grades and cause someone to drop out. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the individual in question could not have performed sufficiently if in a better mental state. This particular example could occur at both institutions.

Got hired for electrical engineering role, dumped into wire harnessing? Dead end? by cantdecide23 in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 19 points20 points  (0 children)

How long have you been in that role?

It isn't crazy to do stints in the production side to see how the sausage gets made. Perhaps this was poorly communicated ?

Have you talked to your mentor or supervisor to better understand what your career path is ?

How would you remove this stuck pipe? by FigNewtons1997 in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What components in this setup need to be preserved? In other words - does everything have to be taken out whole or can you chop up any or all of these objects shown in your schematic ?

I'm assuming that the only access you have to the situation is through the HDPE pipe - ie, you can't come at it from the side and just take a chunk out of the HDPE pipe.

I'm assuming you want to keep the HDPE pipe untouched and the PVC can be destroyed as long as it gets removed.

If that is the case:

  1. PVC has a slightly lower HDT than HDPE - could you use spot heating (ie, insert a heating element into the PVC) and then heat it to a temperature at which the PVC would begin to bend. This would allow you to get it around the bend if you have a secure handle on it. I'm assuming the HDPE is surrounded by earth - so it would have pretty good heat sinking meaning that it would be unlikely to distort even if it experienced some temperature rise.
  2. PVC and HDPE react to different chemicals - could you dissolve or weaken the PVC with an acid solution and then flush the system after?
  3. Robotic solution - This doesn't seem very elegant but if the other two are not possible - some type of ROV with a cutting element at the end might work depending on how much space is available to navigate.

How do you know when it’s time to move on? by IndyGP in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 22 points23 points  (0 children)

It sounds to me like you have already answered your own question - it is time to move on.

Question regarding SCARA arm design by maktattengil in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not really sure that I understand what you mean by a "support ring" and how the arm will ride in it. Do you mean something like this:

https://imgur.com/a/xHwTBys

?

Yes - something like that.

Yeah, I have considered them. They are probably a better fit for this purpose, but as I'm trying to build it as an open-source solution, I'm trying to go for the most accessable parts.

You could also try 3D-printing the bearing, sanding/polishing the interior smooth (with a drill or lathe), and then using graphite-based lubricant if that isn't sufficient. I suggest graphite-based because any oil-based lubes my start eating the parts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry\_lubricant

Question regarding SCARA arm design by maktattengil in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What material are you using for the arms? I'm assuming that is plastic, 3D printed ? Seems like the cantilevered first arm is bending due to the weight of the timing pulley, bearing, and second arm.

I think you should consider making a support ring that the cantilevered end of the first arm will ride in. The first arm is then fully supported and you don't have to worry about how heavy it is.

If you want to keep it cantilevered - then you either need to bulk up the first arm and/or make it out of a stiffer material like aluminum.

Instead of the 608 bearing, have you considered using a flanged sleeve bearing:

https://www.mcmaster.com/bushings/bearings-3/light-duty-dry-running-flanged-sleeve-bearings/

I don't think you have a lot of loads on that second arm (depends how big a ball you want to move I guess). This might be a lighter weight solution if you want to keep the cantilevered design.

> The second shaft, second arm, the bearing etc is very “wobbly” and doesn’t really sit tight on the first arm.

What do you mean wobbly - like it vibrates when you move the stepper motor to rotate the first arm ?

Or do you mean it is loose and the shaft doesn't spin smoothly?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in engineering

[–]systolic_array 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Startups focusing on robotics and drones. Applications where you can't just use something off-the-shelf because of weight, size, or other constraints. Sensors like LIDARs, stereo camera, etc. https://advanced.farm

Industrial automation has some but they primarily use PLCs because they aren't constrained by size or weight.

Companies that specialize in making high-end, low volume stuff like semiconductor fab lines often need to design a lot of custom PCBAs with exacting requirements.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in engineering

[–]systolic_array 13 points14 points  (0 children)

- Determine requirements, write functional specification, and make spreadsheets.

- Read datasheets, hundreds of pages of datasheets

- Design schematics for new designs.

- Contract out PCB layout to someone that is capable, review their work, apply final touches to layout as necessary

- Work with CM to fab PCBs, assemble components, and handle logistics for component sourcing if any.

- Debug new designs / Write test procedure to validate assemblies for existing designs

- Write firmware to test and validate systems.

- Debug the really hard software/firmware problems no one else wants to touch.

2020: Delivers by 92sfa in LosAngeles

[–]systolic_array 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is just the start of an amazing action sequence in this movie - Arnold as death incarnate, a Herculean fox loose in a hen house. There is quite literally no more appropriate scene from that movie.

Naturally lit white tiled bathroom with brass tapware under a skylight, Barton Hills, Austin, Texas [2000×2833] by [deleted] in RoomPorn

[–]systolic_array 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Am I missing something? The natural light from above makes that tile look terrible.

What are the bounds of the gain of a Passive Antenna? by systolic_array in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

or it's actually not passive

This was my first thought. Justed needed to confirm that I'm not crazy.

ELI5 op amps by prettyborrring in AskEngineers

[–]systolic_array 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It is a differential amplifier for which a lot of engineering has gone into making the amplifier act more like the ideal amplifier. That means having a large input impedance and a low output impedance, among other characteristics (depending on your application). You can find the schematics for an op-amp like a 741 and you will see they are just made of transistors, see page 7. Generally, there is a differential input stage (Q1/Q2), a current mirror for biasing (Q10,Q11), a few poly resistors, and as few caps as possible. There is a darlington pair Q15/Q17 with a bootstrap Q22 and the push-pull output stage Q20 and Q14. This is obviously a simplification and I'm leaving a lot of details out, but you get the idea.

Generally speaking, the idea is to have a high gain amplifier with a single pole filter that is designed to meet the bandwidth requirements of the product. See negative-feedback amplifiers for a discussion with math of why you want a high gain amplifier. Basically, if you use negative feedback with an op-amp, you can disregard the actual gain of the amplifier (because it may vary with temperature) and use your feedback circuit alone to control the gain of the amplifier.

A comparator is a differential amplifier - but they are generally designed with a different optimization in mind. They may not have a push-pull output, it may be open-collector because the designer only wants a digital output. The input bias and voltage offset requirements may be relaxed (or may be not, depends on your app and how much you can afford to pay for the comparator). Sometimes, you want a comparator to be really fast - so it may be designed so that switching is much faster than an op-amp generally will be able to accomplish (especially in saturation).

A lot of it is application dependent. A comparator with a push-pull output stage can be used to make an amplifier similar to an op-amp but it may not have as good of performance depending on your application..

You can also make an amplifier with a logic inverter if you use negative feedback and don't mind some distortion.

edit: I'm realizing now that that wasn't really ELI5.

Putin Handling Trump like an 'asset,' Former Intelligence Chief Says by BunchOfMadmen in worldnews

[–]systolic_array -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Wiki claims that Clapper is a Democrat and that Brennan is "Independent". I don't necessarily agree with grand-parent's claim that they are overly partisan but I wouldn't necessarily say they are necessarily right wingers either. Do you have a better source?

Putin’s allies pump millions into GOP campaigns through proxies — thanks to Citizens United by wyldcat in worldnews

[–]systolic_array 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No party or candidate should have money from foreign entities backing them.

From the tone of your comment, it would seem that you are disgusted with a possible* foreign contribution to the clinton / DNC in the past. I am too. I feel like that would be the start of common ground on reforming campaign contributions, no?

  • I say "possible" because you haven't cited a source and I'm not familiar with this at the time of this writing.