Engineeringtalk newsletter issue 419

Software, switches and splitters

Written by the Engineeringtalk editor May 28, 2008

This month, more than a century after it was begun, a secret tunnel that runs deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean was finally completed. And an extraordinary optical device called a Telectroscope was installed at both ends - one in London, the other in New York.

The Telectroscope looks like an enormous telescope with a strange bee-hive shaped cowl at one end. According to legend, it 'contains a complex configuration of mirrors and lenses that act as a visual amplifier', allowing people to 'see through' the tunnel - from Tower Bridge at one end to Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn at the other.

Of course, in reality, the tunnel does not exist. And if you could break inside one of the Telectroscopes, all you'd most likely find is a camera, a projector, and a computer linked up to a high-speed network. Not much more technology, in fact, than you might have in your own home.

And yet, having said that, there's something extremely inspiring about these wonderful 'installations' that have been created by artist Paul St. George on both sides of the Atlantic.

Perhaps it's because the sight of these Jules Verne like beasts transports us back one hundred years or more, when the very foundations of today's high-tech society were being laid. Back to a golden age of innovation, when engineers were developing the electric light bulb, the internal combustion engine, the phonograph and photographic film.

Of course, that's not to say that some astonishing technical advances haven't been made since then, and one only has to look at the world of computers and communications to see that. But I can't help feel that these simply haven't captured the imagination of the public in the same way as those curiosities that were developed in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

That's where St. George's Telectroscope serves such a very useful purpose. Because the Victorian artistry of the beast, coupled with the high-technology computer and communications equipment inside, is a very big and important reminder that we still live in an age of innovation.

Plenty of people in both cities would seem to agree, queuing up to communicate with one another in a way that makes one wonder if they have ever used a telephone or communicated via the Internet!

The pity of it is that the 'Telectroscope Installation' will only run until June 15. Personally, I think it should become a permanent fixture in both cities - an inspiration to a whole new generation of artists, engineers and writers for years to come.

In the meantime, best of luck to Paul St. George, who I understand through most unreliable sources, is now planning a Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

You can enter the amazing world of the Telectroscope at: (Link)

Top Products featured this issue

[1] SOFTWARE UPDATE STREAMLINES PRODUCTION

(GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms UK, 26 May 2008)

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has released Version 4.4 of its Proficy Plant Applications software which now supports VMware virtualisation, Citrix remote desktop architectures and Microsoft Server Clustering.

[2] SPLITTER PROVIDES POWER AND DATA IN ONE CABLE

(Advantech (UK), 28 May 2008)

The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech has released the EKI-2701PSI industrial power over Ethernet (PoE) splitter, which offers the convenience of a single cable to supply both power and data to connected devices and equipment.

[3] AUTOMATION CONTROLLER CUTS CABLING REQUIREMENTS

(Adlink Technology, 22 May 2008)

New from Adlink Technology, the DPAC-3000 is a distributed programmable automation controller (DPAC) for the machine automation and factory automation industry that offers a distributed control solution for digital and analogue I/O and motion control.

[4] MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY SAVES SPACE AND MONEY

(Moeller Electric, 26 May 2008)

Moeller Electric's easyHMI MFD4 is a 5.7in multifunction display unit that combines HMI and PLC functions in a single unit, saving money and space and simplifying programming to boot.

[5] TOUCH SCREEN SURVIVES WORKPLACE ABUSE

(Stealth Computer Corporation, 28 May 2008)

Stealth Computer Corporation has released the SV-2400 24in industrial grade, panel mount LCD monitor which has been built to withstand the demanding effects of harsh environments typically encountered on the industrial plant floor.

[6] TUBULAR HEATERS RUN UP TO 850C

(Hawco, 23 May 2008)

New tubular heating elements from Hawco provide a clean and efficient heat source that can be used for heating liquids or gases by conduction, convection or radiation.

[7] RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEM CUTS COSTS, NOT ACCURACY

(Laser Lines (Industrial and Medical), 26 May 2008)

Stratasys' FDM 360mc is an additive fabrication system for rapid prototyping designed for users that require the same accuracy, repeatability and material specifications of more expensive FDM systems but who don't need as much speed or as many features.

[8] COUPLINGS SURVIVE ENGINE TEMPERATURES

(Renold Hi-Tec Couplings, 23 May 2008)

Renold Hi-Tec's HTB range of blind assembly rubber-in-compression couplings is designed for use within the bell housings of diesel engines where ambient temperatures are likely to reach 200C.

[9] ULTRASONIC LEVEL SWITCH IGNORES DUST AND FOAM

(K-Tek, 28 May 2008)

K-Tek has released the Ksonik Micro, a compact, ultrasonic level transmitter/switch designed to work even in the presence of dust, vapour or foam typically found in liquid and bulk solids level applications.

[10] INCLINOMETER PROMISES RUGGED PERFORMANCE

(OEM Automatic, 27 May 2008)

Available now from OEM Automatic, three versions of the rugged IS40 inclinometer from Kubler sport measuring ranges of +/-10, +/-45 and +/-60 degrees. The small inclinomters measure just 30 x 20 x 50mm and can be mounted virtually anywhere.

Not what you're looking for? Search the site.

Dave Wilson

Engineeringtalk editor

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