Undoubtedly, solar energy is a beneficial alternative for preservation from the environment. In fact, know that it’s a source of energy that’s renewable and probably going to be around all of your life. Solar energy is extremely appealing for several reasons Solar in Buckeye, including spending less and also the influence on our planet. Keep reading for insight into this important decision.
If your roof cannot to aid the load of photo-voltaic solar power panels, it will save you a ton of money by purchasing thin film solar panel systems. These panels are extremely light and versatile, that makes the installation much simpler and affordable. Their higher pricing is also justified by their efficiency.
The most efficient solar panel systems are the types which do not depend upon the fickle sun to build power. A lot of the latest panels can store the energy in the sun whenever it’s shining therefore, you may use your panels anytime, day or night. This is extremely useful when you use power in the evenings.
Should you own a pool, think about using a solar water home heating system to maintain it warm inside the cooler months. Solar heating is much less expensive than electric or perhaps gas heating, and is particularly relatively simple to setup. In the first year alone, it will save you about 30 % over the cost of heating your pool with electricity.
Purchase batteries to save excess solar powered energy. These batteries act like rechargeable batteries however, they utilize the sun’s energy to power the batteries. This energy works extremely well in the evenings and also at night to aid power your appliances, televisions and lighting requirements. These batteries are comparatively cheap causing them to be a great choice for the beginner.
Solar energy systems just get better as time pass. Though they was previously expensive, solar panel systems are becoming cheaper. Irrespective of your energy needs, you will find an excellent solar energy system by trying.
Always use non abrasive cleansers in your solar panels. An abrasive cleaner can scratch the top of the panel and cause permanent damage and affect how good the solar power panel works. There are commercial cleaning methods to use or use a pool skimmer by using a very soft cloth on it.
When you often travel with your electronic, you should think of investing in solar-powered chargers. These chargers feature a small solar panels that will generate enough ability to charge your cell phone or any other electronic device for instance a laptop. You can even find cases including a small solar charger intended for tablets.
If you love passing time within the great outdoors, but love the benefit of energy, solar powered energy is an ideal solution for you. There are many products, like fans and battery chargers, which use solar technology to product the electricity needed to run them. Consider, you might camp in a hot location and still love a strong breeze.
Decide whether you would like to be on or off of the power grid. Many people look forward to getting “off of the grid” whenever they move to solar powered energy, however this will not be the best option. Staying on your power grid implies that when you have poor sunlight conditions you are able to purchase additional power if you want it. Like a bonus, once you produce more power than you utilize, it is possible to sell the extra returning to the utilities.
For those who have a swimming pool, don’t even think of heating it almost every other way than solar! This really is easily the most beneficial consumption of solar technology there is and you will save a bundle. Solar heating systems cost about the same or lower than conventional systems and basically operate themselves so stop squandering your money performing it the previous-fashioned way!
You don’t necessarily must stick the solar panels within the typical locations the thing is in the brochures. There only needs to be a little gap of around 1″ behind the panel for air flow. You can get interesting positions anywhere on your own property that really work together with the style and design of the nearby area.
The basic tips in the following paragraphs will go along approach to assisting you to use solar power. This will assist you to run your appliances without harming planet earth. Someday every building might be powered through the sun. Today we must start this trend by installing this technology ourselves and working with it.


The Importance of Requirements-Based Software Prediction Model
Quality, customer satisfaction, and reliable software products are highly important, especially in this all-around digital world. The quality of software depends not only on the design and coding, but also on the delivery time, budget, and its scope of functionality. Based on a study from Standish Group in 2009, only 32% of software projects that managed to deliver in time, on budget, and fully functioned.
From this problem, a prediction model is needed to make sure that all the efforts (money, time, and energy) are met and can be planned of time. The prediction model can also be used to increase accuracy and practicality in terms of software development.
On Thursday (17/9), BINUS University held a dissertation defense for Wartika Memed Purawinata, a student in the Doctor of Computer Science study program. Joining Wartika, the promoter team consisted of Prof. Dr. Widodo Budiharto, S.Si., M.Kom., Dr. Ford Lumban Gaol, S.Si., M.Kom., and Ariadi Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Wartika Memed Purawinata, esteemed lecturer and software developer
Wartika started her academic journey by studying at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB University) for her bachelor’s degree in 1989. By 1997, she had completed her bachelor study at STMIK Bandung, taking the Information Systems degree.
In 2014, Wartika completed her Master of Information Technology degree at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and started to pursue her Doctoral degree in Computer Science at BINUS University in 2016. Apart from her extensive degrees, Wartika is an esteemed lecturer at Universitas Komputer Indonesia (UNIKOM Bandung), specifically in its Information System study program. Her dedication as an educator also leads her to the professional software development projects, for both private and government institutions.
Wartika has also written many research papers that are published in national and international conferences. Her vast knowledge and experience in the software and computer industries have contributed massively to the academic world.
Requirements based software model to predict the complexity and effort estimation
Wartika presented her dissertation titled “The Prediction of Software Complexity Based on Complexity Requirements Using Effort Estimation” on Thursday, September 17th, 2020. She defended her dissertation in front of the examination committee led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Harjanto Prabowo, M.M. as the Rector of BINUS University, along with the promoter team.
Complexity directly affects the required time and fund for software development. Therefore, identifying the software’s complexity should be done at the very start of the process, before jumping into the design and coding process. Although it is important to note that efficient software development requires an accurate prediction.
With these in mind, Wartika’s dissertation aims to create a software complexity prediction model with a requirements basis that can be used to estimate the effort. The dissertation also aims to analyze the performance and accuracy of the prediction model. Wartika has compiled three previous studies and added more measurement parameters to increase accuracy. During the research and model construction, Wartika used regression analysis techniques and non-linear statistical data modeling tools, which was an artificial neural network.
Based on the normality test and statistical analysis, Wartika managed to construct 5 levels of software complexity, from the lowest to highest, Not Complex, Quite Complex, Complex, Very Complex, and Highly Complex. Wartika also found that requirements (requirements document factor, cost driver factor, and function point) are viable variables to predict the software complexity, each simultaneously has a 79,9% effect on the software complexity, whereas the other 20,1% is affected by outside variables. From the constructed model, Wartika proved that it affects 48,9% of the effort estimation.
By using mean squared error, Wartika concluded that the model performance triumphs by 5.1e-01 when compared to the previous research done by Arthi. The accuracy is also 19,4% than the previous model from Arthi, which in total is 72,2% guaranteed accuracy. ** (PID)


Philip L. Clarke, a native of Nassau Bahamas, is a graduate research assistant and mechanical engineering doctoral (PhD) candidate at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (Tullahoma, TN). Philip attended high school at St. Augustine’s College (Nassau, Bahamas) graduating in 2006 with honours and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude) from Florida International University (Miami, FL) in the Fall of 2011.
Currently at the University of Tennessee, Philip is currently working to complete his dissertation related to computational fracture mechanics research on the optimization of Lithium ion Battery components to reduce mechanical failures and in turn increase their lifespan. Apart from his primary research endeavours, Philip is assisting in the development of an in-house Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software utilizing Space-time Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods (SDGFEM) for general numerical problems.
This post was written by beta_admin


This review applies to version 4.3.
The latest version of this software will soon be reviewed by our
TopoDOT™ is a high performance MicroStation™ application for importing and extracting topography and models from point clouds, calibrated images and related data.
TopoDOT™ offers a balance of automation and streamlined user interaction designed to maximize productivity while assuring quality. TopoDOT™ facilitates the use of point clouds and calibrated images across Survey, Design, Engineering, Construction and Management operations to enhance quality, improve efficiency and increase profitability. TopoDOT™ offers complete access to all open 3D image data formats such as point cloud "LAS" from all systems and sources. Proprietary formats are accommodated at every opportunity. TopoDOT™ makes it easy to integrate aerial views from many sources such as Google™, Bing™, etc., or your own custom aerials into your 3D image data. TopoDOT™ imports "calibrated" images into the MicroStation™ environment such that these images, the point cloud data and the CAD elements are mapped to a common perspective view. TopoDOT™ offers a tool suite developed for extracting ground topography quickly, easily, and accurately from point clouds and calibrated images. Breaklines, elevations, station cross-sections, and other DTM components are extracted in MicroStation™ according to project format requirements.


The finalised design has a generous gain Audio Amplifier that can even drive a loudspeaker via a transformer and actually needs a volume control on stronger stations!
The finished Hergé radio (with reaction for volume)
The theory is that using a loop aerial as the tuning coil (with a feedback coil on it too) will remove the need for a separate aerial and earth. Also less local electrical noise will be received compare with a whip or long wire aerial.
The aerial loop / tuning coil has 5 coils wound side by side. When you put 2 x 0.6mH inductors in series you get 1.2mH, put them in parallel you get 0.3mH. But if they are very close the two inductors become ONE inductor with twice the turns. Inductance of a simple coil is proportional to N2 so you get 2.4mH if two coils wound with each strand side by side are in series. If they are in parallel you get the same inductance, but it’s as if you used fatter wire or “Litz” wire, the “Q” is increased. In this case I have 4 coils for tuning and the 5th is the feedback or tickler coil. Putting four in series should be 2.4mH, fine for LW. two pairs in parallel/Series is 0.6mH, fine for MW. All four in parallel is maybe 0.3mH, and should do about 1.7MHz to 4MHz. Or 3.5MHz to 6MHz if you have a smaller tuning capacitor.
Note the first coil is wound with about 4.5mm spacing and each subsequent coil has each turn beside the previous, with about 0.8mm to 1mm pitch (about 0.9mm average). Each coil is about 16 turns (the number of turns depends on the overall arm size, the prototype loop is 41cm tall and 41cm wide using about 7.6cm width of a 9cm wide baton ).
The circuit concept dates from the 1920s! Only a 1.5V AA cell for “filament” (LT = Low Tension) and a few PP3 batteries for HT (High tension).
With an external amplifier it will work with just 2 x PP3 batteries (16V to 19V HT). With a “crystal earpiece” very like those in the 1940s to 1960s (available today in Maplin for €3) and 27V to 90V HT it is audible with no extra amplifier. You’d need a strong station and good ears for 27V (3 x PP3) but it’s quite good at 6 x PP3 (about 45 to 50V). At 8 x Alkaline PP3s it’s quite loud!
With suitable C13, C14 and coils it will work on LW, MW or SW.
How it works
With a Pentode rather than Triode operation the advantage is that you don’t need an RFC (Radio Frequency choke) on the Anode. The screen grid is essentially acting as a psuedo RF Anode and the actual anode as AF Anode.
Regeneration is essentially “Q” multiplication by using the screen grid for controlled positive feed back to cancel the losses of the coil (which lowers Q). The Q becomes very high just before oscillation. The Pentode characteristics are such that the valve is also a mixer, so at almost oscillation the carrier mixes and creates baseband and twice frequency components (What people called Homodyne/Syncrodyne, though these are regarded as two diffferent modes by some writers). Since the Anode is decoupled at RF (220K and 470pF), only the modulation is left on the anode.
I can only test MW at night as there are no MW stations near. But Five Live and “Absolute Radio” 1215 very clear from Twilight.
R1 RTE 252 LW during day with very faint BBC R4 and slight “growls” on other LW frequencies.
Anyway, no diode detector needed.
Normally there is a series resistor bypassed with capacitor to bias the grid more negative. At the 18V to 22V HT (PP3s sitting on the filament supply) and grid biased to 0.25V below “f-” (the 12 Ohm resistor between -LT and f-) the bias is OK. Adding such a “grid leak” scheme makes it tend to oscillate at low audio frequencies.
Also there are usually a couple of RFCs (Radio frequency chokes) with problems of self resonance. The “reaction” or “tickler” coil feedback is often adjusted with a variable capacitor for historic reasons, now a 50K Ohm pot is much easier to get. A 100K may be a little better.
The Aerial is often coupled via a 3rd winding. If the aerial is very long or 50 Ohms, then a 3rd winding with about 1/3 or 1/4 the number of turns of the “tickler” or feedback winding may be needed. A Short whip is very high impedance and the series coil helps match it and reduce its tendency to affect the tuning. I used a “resistor” sized 1mH coil. You can wind an air core one.
Next to try is a tuned loop so no separate aerial whip is needed. It will have two windings and replace the coils. If the main winding is two parallel windings of 35 turns on about 18″ (45cm), I think switching from parallel to series will quadruple the inductance an thus the one loop will work for LW & MW.
The colours are the “standard” large ferrite rod aerial colours. If winding your own make the “tickler” or feedback coil about 1/4 turns of main coil and beside it on ferrite, or on top at “earthy end” on air-cored. If there is silence at all positions of pot, reverse connections on the feedback winding. It should get noisier as pot slider moved from HT resistor. If near a station it will squeal if turned to high. If turned full it will be totally silent again as the circuit simply oscillating. So adjust pot over full travel before deciding the feedback wires need reversed.
1.0V to 1.35V is fine on the filament. These are not like D-series battery valves, which are designed for direct connection to Carbon-Zinc, these are designed for NiCd batteries. Hence 0.9V to 1.4V limits in data sheet. The extra 0.25V across filament resistor really optimises the grid bias at these low HT volts.
Battery valves historically used nominal 22.5V, 45V, 67.5V and 90V HT packs and sometimes 6 x 1.5V “D” size Zinc Carbon cells in parallel for “LT”. Performance was best with 90V. The 22.5V was very poor and only used in hearing aids. Some packs combined the LT & HT in one box. Though the batteries where expensive, they lasted much longer than a modern DAB Radio. The large cabinets (often wood) and 6″ to 8″ loudspeakers meant that late model Battery portables sounded far better than the early 1960s transistor radios that killed them off.
Approximately 170KHz to 270KHz on LW and 550KHz to 1200MHz on MW.
4 x AA Alkaline nominal6V LT @ 21.5mA (about 120 hours), 4 x C cells would be better match to HT life
4 x PP3 Alkaline nominal 36V HT @ 700uA (about 250 hours)
4 x 1j18b valves. (Cost under 3 Euro total excluding postage)
No external aerial or earth required.
Note that higher voltages are dangerous, especially above 50V. There is also risk of fire and burns or even explosions if NiMH are used to make higher voltage packs.
The latter half 1950s Battery portable radio sets used a loop aerial in the lid. They used 125mA LT 1.5V and about 6.5mA HT from 90V pack. Line up DK96, DF96, DAF96 and DL96. Usually LW & MW. The earlier 1950s and late 1940s miniature valve sets used DF91 which is twice the filament current. They had more variation of valves and design and up to 250mA LT 1.5V current.
The “Hergé” uses 24mA from 4 x AA cells (6V) and about 1mA from 4 x PP3 (36V)
The chassis is a piece of plywood (Hardboard or MDF will do too) mounted on battens deep enough to house PP3 battery. If you want C or D cell instead of AA cells for the “filament” supply (LT = Low Tension), then use taller battens.
My base is 26 x 17cm, but a bit wider would be fine.
The front panel is easiest to do neat if 2mm plastic sheet. But Aluminium or MDF can be used. Perspex / Acrylic is difficult to work without cracks. A disk type motorised tile cutter will cut Perspex or thin Aluminium sheets. My front panel is 12cm x 26cm x 2mm.
The coil / aerial is supported on two bits of panelling wood 41cm x 8cm x 9mm with the tongue and groove split off. This makes the coil “diameter” vary from 30cm to 42cm
The “cross” is supported a few cm above the base by a 3rd piece of panel board.
The 3 x 1.5V AA cell (with two dummy cells if only one valve) and the 4 x PP3 batteries are mounted on a plastic or wooden board screwed to the bottom. (was 8, but four is fine)
The valve is mounted on screw terminal block, though you can use veroboard/stripboard.
You can see the slow motion drive variable capacitor mounted to base. The front panel is scored with a line at height of centre of the shaft. A small screw driver blade was poked through and the hole enlarged by twisting a scissor blade till it was required size. You can use a vertical drill. Then the other controls and socket mounted at same height.
For convenience of re-wiring and for those inexperienced in soldering you can cut the excess plastic off sides and one end of screw terminals and fit them on the Pot and Tuning capacitor.
You can see the PP3 batteries only need one clip, cut in half:
The next page in the series will discuss the circuit revisions and design of the coil.
The radio is working on MW and LW, though in Limerick MW only at night.
It’s a bit faint, and WWII versions such as “sweetheart” that used an external aerial (more signal) used three valves. So there is an addon amplifier option.
A four pole two way toggle switch is mounted on the “aerial frame”. The main tuning coil is two coils wound in parallel, that are wired in parallel (more Q) for MW and in series for LW (x4 Inductance). The green wire at the edge is 5 turns for the “Tickler” or feedback coil across the “regenerative feedback” control pot. The waveband switch also adds parallel capacitor on LW.
Front panel Tuning scale
Print at a suitable size for your front panel. Of course many of these stations don’t exist any more. Athone on LW is actually Summerhill, Near Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland. Home on LW is R4.


collaborative ideas in programming and coding have led to the development of mobile technology in healthcare, which has transformed the industry by improving efficiency, enhancing patient care, and shaping the future of healthcare.
Improving Clinical Efficiency with Mobile Technology
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are an essential component of mobile technology in healthcare, which provides immediate access to patient data and medical records. EHRs have improved clinical efficiency by reducing errors, streamlining workflows, and enhancing communication and coordination among healthcare providers.
Implementation of Electronic Health Records
The implementation of EHRs has revolutionized healthcare, making patient information accessible and easily manageable. It has eliminated the need for paper-based records and has allowed doctors and nurses to update patient’s health records in real-time. EHRs allow healthcare providers to easily access the patient’s medical history, which has improved the accuracy of diagnoses and the quality of care.
Streamlining Communication and Coordination
Mobile technology in healthcare has also improved communication and coordination among the healthcare team. The use of mobile apps and messaging platforms has made it easier for healthcare providers to communicate with each other and share patient information. This has also improved response time, reduced missed appointments, and ensured that all members of the team are aware of any changes in the patient's condition.
Optimizing Medication Management
Mobile technology has made medication management easier, safer, and more effective. Mobile apps, websites, and reminder systems are available for patients to track and manage their medications. Healthcare providers can also use these technologies to ensure accurate medication administration, dosage, and timing.
Enhancing Patient Care with Mobile Technology
Mobile technology in healthcare has enhanced patient care by providing remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and virtual consultations. Patients can monitor their health conditions, communicate with healthcare providers, and receive medical treatment in the comfort of their homes.
Remote Patient Monitoring and Telemedicine
Remote patient monitoring is a type of mobile technology used to monitor patients' health conditions remotely. Mobile apps and wearable devices can collect data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs, and transmit them to healthcare providers. Telemedicine, on the other hand, is the use of mobile technology to provide medical care and advice remotely, through video conferencing, messaging platforms, and other technologies.
Wearable Devices for At-Home Monitoring
Wearable devices are now widely used to monitor patients at home. These devices are equipped with sensors that collect data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, which can be transmitted to healthcare providers. This has helped improve patient outcomes by allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients' health in real-time and make necessary adjustments to their care.
Video Conferencing for Virtual Consultations
Video conferencing is an essential component of telemedicine, allowing healthcare providers to provide medical advice and consultations remotely. This technology has been particularly useful in rural and underserved areas where access to medical care is limited.
Telemedicine for Rural and Underserved Communities
Telemedicine has the potential to revolutionize healthcare in rural and underserved communities. Many patients living in remote areas have limited access to medical care due to geographical barriers. Telemedicine can provide these patients with access to medical specialists and improve the quality of care they receive.
Future Developments in Mobile Healthcare Technology
Mobile technology is rapidly evolving, and new developments are constantly emerging. The future of mobile healthcare technology is promising, with the potential to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes.
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Augmented reality and virtual reality
- Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices
- Blockchain technology and secure data sharing


Pre sale price offer 219 USD, 15th April- 2nd May 2019 only.
RRP 320 USD.
The smartphone will be soon available in different colors like Gold, Black and Blue which comes under price bracket or you can call it a budgeted smartphone.
The Oukitel K9 comes with a 6 GB and 64 GB internal storage which can be expanded later with a microSD card.
The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 (MT6765) processor PowerVR GE8320, 680 MHz GPU.
The latest version has the same battery like the Oukitel K9, 6000 mAh battery and the phone runs on Android 9.0 Pie platform.
The smartphone has 16 MP with dual-LED and AF Dual Rear Camera and 8 Megapixel Front Camera.
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14 Giu The Gotthard Base Tunnel , traveling safely with Siemens technology through the Alps
Gotthard Base Tunnel opens for passenger transport
The first passenger train will roll through the Gotthard Base Tunnel early June 2016. Siemens has supplied the tunnel control and fire protection systems for the world’s longest railway tunnel. The sophisticated safety system has over 200,000 sensors, and places maximum demands on logistics and data processing.
The control system controls and monitors all installations completely automatically. The tunnel is fitted with sensors, control electronics and surveillance equipment. This includes video cameras in the multifunction points, which are connected by optical fiber cables to two tunnel control centers located at the north and south entrances. Siemens has installed a tunnel control system in each center, each system acting as a reserve for the other. The movement of each train is recorded, and displayed in the control center.
The system controls the entire infrastructure, which has 3,200 kilometers of electrical cables and 2,600 kilometers of data cables. It detects a door that has not been closed properly or a light that has failed. When required, the ventilation system is activated, the light at the next emergency stop point is switched on, and the doors are opened automatically. What is actually happening is seen on screen by the around 60 employees on duty in the centers. “Events” are classified according to five alarm stages.
The system provides information and decision-making steps for each stage to help the head of operations. Sensors check the trains for overheated brakes and leaks before they enter the tunnel and without requiring them to stop. However, the main task of the new system is to maintain availability. The maintenance periods, such as close-down times and spare parts requirement, can be efficiently planned with a new tool.
It goes without saying that safety is paramount in a tunnel where in the near future more than 200 trains a day will barrel through the tubes at speeds up to 250 km/h. The tubes are connected every 300 meters by crosscuts that allow train passengers to escape to the other tube in case of a fire. Each tube has two emergency-stop stations 600 meters in length which allows the evacuation of up to 1,000 passengers.
Source: Siemens News


Energy · Finance · Sustainability · Transportation
Okra Solar is an IoT technology solution that enables solar generating communities to share and utilize more energy. It is a plug-and-play smart grid technology that enables rapid electrification for last-mile communities. Using mobile payments, modular grid design, and remote monitoring, they provide utility companies with a low-cost, data-driven solution to operate solar networks in hard to reach communities. They are on a mission to connect off-grid communities to the modern economy. Okra Solar was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.Something looks off?


Exploring what is stopping this non-intermittent renewable technology from plugging into the grid right now
Hydroelectricity is almost as old as generated electricity itself – and people have used water to propel watermills and other applications for thousands of years. While these have been done using flowing water from rivers and creeks, there is another reliable form of water-based power: waves.
There are shorelines around the world that have constant wave activity, much more constant than any wind (with the exception of the katabatic wind, but this occurs only in certain polar topography). Waves have the potential to create reliable, large-scale carbon-free electricity in coastal areas that often lack other renewable resources – so what is hindering their development and implementation?
This is the second entry in an ongoing collection of informal case studies looking at the current state of different sustainable tech solutions. Some are ready to use, some require more funding, and some have a complicated position, as we previously discussed with nuclear SMRs.
The goal of exploring these case studies is to highlight the importance of clear and informative communication with industries, governments, and the public to get the technologies with the best chance to make the world a more sustainable place to market – whether they involve carbon-free energy, plastics reductions, food production, or other ideas.
Here at Linq Consulting, we specialize in three things: helping sustainable tech projects obtain funding, helping these projects manage their operations, and providing effective communication to ensure successful projects can contribute to sustainable solutions in the real world.
We are exploring some of the most promising examples of emerging technologies that require help in one or more of these three areas in an effort to shed some light on the challenges and opportunities that exist – while highlighting any areas that can benefit from our expertise.
Below is our second informal case study and exploration of a renewable energy technology that should become a part of the global push for realistic full-scale electrification.
What is Wave Energy?
Wave energy is a form of renewable, carbon-free electricity generation that comes from the kinetic motion of ocean waves. These can be harnessed in a variety of ways, including shore-break waves, rising and falling swells, and other wave movements.
The first generation of ocean energy technologies were developed over 100 years ago. The first known patent to use energy from ocean waves dates back to 1799 and was filed in Paris by Girard and his son. An early application of wave power was a device constructed around 1910 by Bochaux-Praceique to light and power his house at Royan, near Bordeaux in France. Wave energy got a new interest in the 1970s during the oil crisis on 1973. In 1973, members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) decided to put a prohibition on oil exports, which in turn caused people to look for alternative energies. These new pioneers included Stephen Salter, famous for inventing the Salter's Duck (or nodding duck), which converted wave power into electricity.
Image of a nodding duck (Thorpe, 1999) [ref]
Wave energy has the potential to be one of the most consistent sources of renewable energy, yet so far has been notoriously difficult to capture cost effectively. Despite the unique challenges wave energy poses, waves have tremendous benefits that can fill in the gaps of our current renewable energy sources.
Unlike wind and solar, waves are constantly moving and therefore they can produce energy 24/7, although the energy level does vary over time as the weather changes. Waves provide a more consistent power source compared to wind or solar.
An average wave on the US West coast contains around 10 kW of power in each foot of wave crest. This means that a one-mile section of coastline will receive enough energy to power 40,000 homes. With the appropriate equipment, this energy can be converted into electricity and added to an electric utility power grid. According to Science Direct, waves at the world’s coastlines together have enough energy to provide as much 80,000 TWh of electricity per year if they could be efficiently tapped.
However, as solar and wind power grow, this other renewable energy source with vast potential — the power of waves — continues to lag far behind. One thing holding up deployment of marine energy is uncertainty over how devices may affect marine ecosystems. But progress is now being made as governments and the private sector step up efforts to bring marine energy into the mainstream.
Types of Wave Energy Technology
There are multiple different technologies used for wave energy, with five main types currently being either deployed or discussed for deployment: Absorbers, Attenuators, Oscillating Water Columns, Overtopping, and Inverted Pendulum devices.
Contrasting wave energy technologies [ref]. Note that the ‘inverted pendulum’ is more commonly known as the oscillating wave surge converter.
Absorbers are the most common type of wave technology. It is designed to extract energy from the rise and fall of the waves with a buoy. Once the energy is extracted it is then converted into electrical energy with a linear or rotary generator.
Attenuators capture energy from wave movement by being placed perpendicular to wave crests, which causes the attenuator to continuously flex and unflex along connected segments. Movement from this flexion is then transferred to hydraulic pumps which convert the movement to energy. Attenuators are one of the most direct uses of converting wave energy into electricity.
Oscillation Water Columns (OWC)
OWCs are partially submerged enclosed structures. The top of the structure, which is above the water, is filled with air, forcing incoming waves to be funneled into the bottom of the structure. When these are funnelled through the structure, the flow causes the water column to rise and fall with each wave, causing the air in the top of the structure to pressurize and depressurize. This movement pushes and pulls air through a connected air turbine at the top of the structure, converting air movement – from wave movement – into electricity.
Overtopping features a ‘wave lift’ over a barrier which fills a reservoir with incoming water from waves that pass over the barrier. This water is then drained through a hydro turbine, making it very similar to a conventional hydropower dam, except that instead of a river it utilizes reliable wave movement.
Inverted Pendulum devices use the motion of waves to move a hinged paddle back and forth underwater. The motion of the paddle drives hydraulic pumps, which drives electric generators. It is relatively simple and is one of the more direct conversions of wave energy into electricity.
Waves Farms in Operation
Wave energy is relatively new, but it seems that there has been a lull in creating new projects since a peak period around 2010. Whether this is due to decreasing interest or lack of needed investment, there are only a few countries that currently have or are installing wave farms. These areas include Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States – and the only countries that have expressed interest in potentially developing new wave farms are Russia and Italy.
The very first wave farm, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, was built in Portugal about 3 miles offshore to the north of Porto. It was designed to use 3 Pelamis wave energy converters and had an installed capacity of 2.25 MW. Unfortunately, the timing for Aguçadoura could not have been worse: it was officially opened in September 2008 – just weeks before the financial collapse from the worldwide economic crisis that hit Portugal particularly hard. It was shut down soon after it went online.
The UK has two functional wave energy operations: one off the coast of Scotland and one off the coast of Cornwall involving the University of Exeter, which allows for up to 40 MW of electricity generation – enough to provide up to 7,500 households with power and save around 300,000 tons of CO2 in the next 25 years.
Australia has two wave farms that are currently under development off the West coast and near Portland, Victoria. Both projects are targeted to cost upward of $65 million. There is also a GreenWave device off the coast of Southern Australia.
The United States was to have a wave farm off the West coast by Oregon. The Reedsport farm was supposed to be installed in 2013, but due to legal and technical problems, the project came to a halt.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wave Energy
Wave energy has a large potential with oceans covering 71% of the Earth’s surface, making it very accessible on a global scale. Wave energy also has many different positive aspects. First, the energy is green. Harnessing wave energy doesn't emit any harmful gases, and it can easily replace energies that do, such as using fossil fuels. Second, the energy is renewable. Ultimately, the energy is caused by heat which is emitted from the sun, and this energy will not be disappearing any time soon. Third, there is an incredible potential in wave energy. For every meter of wave along the shore, the energy density is between 30 kW and 40 kW. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) analyzed the potential, and for the U.S. alone, there is a potential of about 2,640 TWh/y along the continental shelf edge. Fourth, wave energy is reliable. Solar always needs the sun, and wind energy always needs the wind to work. Since waves are essentially always in motion and are never interrupted, it's a reliable and more stable source compared to the other main renewable energy sources.
However, as with any energy resource available, there are negatives as well. Wave energy effects the environment. As with wind farms being an eye-sore, wave energy could cause conflicts with appearance of oceans, which in turn could conflict with tourism and local acceptance. It is also currently unclear on how harvesting wave energy affects marine life. Because of these, installations on the coast and land facilities are held to higher restrictions on size and location for wave energy farms. Wave energy also has issues in terms of cost. It still is in the early stages of development, so costs of wave power are still fairly high compared to other forms of renewable energy technology. Wave energy devices also require regular maintenance, which is a significant added cost.
Overall, wave power has some disadvantages as of now, but the potential is enormous.
What is Needed to Make Wave Energy More Mainstream?
Current regulatory and permitting procedures must be updated for this technology. And the environmental impact of withdrawing large amounts of wave energy must be studied further.
Besides powering the electricity grid, wave farms could also be used in powering a variety of offshore applications. Our project team is interested in helping to secure funding for developing wave farm designs tailored for such energy needs. For example, an interesting application is developing smaller scale wave farms that address the energy requirements for offshore water desalination processes. These solutions may push forward water desalination technologies that could in turn help address the global water crisis.
Over the past two decades, several types of wave energy devices have been developed and deployed. There have been commercial-scale wave farms deployed in Australia and Europe, but none has been put online in the US.
For ocean energy to scale up, some gaps in the field’s knowledge still need to be filled. In the future, wave farms will not be a collection of individual generators. Instead, they will be a complex cyber-physical system and require interdisciplinary tools.
What kind of funding is available for wave energy projects?
Adequate funding can not only accelerate the implementation of technologies such as wave energy, but can also be the difference between just being able to explore their validity or not even moving past the prototype stage in the lab.
Potential Horizon Europe Funding
The FP7 and Horizon 2020 were the main research and innovation funding programmes of the European Commission’s lighthouse energy research policy, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan).
In cooperation with national governments, the Commission’s SET-Plan defined priorities and objectives for renewable energy research. Funding was made available through seven-year programmes such as Horizon 2020. There was a 50% increase in ocean energy funding over the second half of the program, with €78m awarded by FP7 from 2007 to 2013 and Horizon 2020 awarding over €117m to the sector from 2014 to 2020. In FP7, €28m was awarded to projects looking solely at wave technology. A further €28.5m were awarded to “general” projects, whose applications can benefit a range of ocean energy technologies. Over the past 10 years, the EU has invested over €375m in ocean energy research, development, and innovation (RD&I), through a multitude of funding programmes. Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) ensures that European funds address the needs and are adequately designed for the sector.
Looking to the future, Horizon Europe continues funding research and innovation in 2021 with a total budget of €95.5 billion for the next 7 years. Like its Horizon 2020 predecessor, it supports ocean energy research, development and innovation. Calls are both specific to the sector and of broader relevance.
OEE engages on behalf of its members with the European Commission to ensure that Horizon Europe is aligned with the needs of the industry. A new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda has been released by the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Ocean Energy (ETIP Ocean), describing the different ocean energy R&I actions that require funding in the coming years.
At the moment, there is one dedicated call in Horizon Europe devoted to wave energy ‘Demonstration of wave energy devices to increase experience in real sea condition’, an Innovation Action with €15 million in funding, expected to fund one project.
Other European Funding Opportunities
United States Government Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced up to $27 million in federal funding for research and development projects to convert energy more efficiently from ocean waves into carbon-free electricity. This funding opportunity aims to advance wave energy technologies toward commercial viability and supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to build a clean energy economy that will create good-paying jobs and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
High Net Worth Individual Funding
With carbon credit generation possible from these projects – and the associated income – wave energy could prove to be a great potential investment opportunity for high net worth individuals. As of the time of writing, there were no publicly confirmed high-level investments in any of the aforementioned wave technologies. It remains to be seen if this is a viable source of funding.
Wave Energy Technology Summary
Overall, the main takeaways from the current state of wave energy are:
There is a great potential in areas that can highly benefit from renewable energy, as well as being a great addition to electrification grid increases that are much needed
Safety is great, while the downside is taking away marine coastal areas, much like wind or solar farms take up space
It is already in place in some areas, but still lacking mainstream appeal
Public perception is lacking; not a very popular form of tech (though it has much fewer issues than nuclear or other challenging technologies)
Wave uptake needs to occur fairly soon to help the world get on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. Assuming the strategy of mass electrification is the best route to net-zero, the global electricity grid needs to expand by several times its current capacity to meet demand; nuclear SMRs (or some other form of baseload electricity, such as fusion, which are both less likely at this moment) are necessary to reach the installed capacity needed.
How to find out more about wave energy technology
We at Linq Consulting hope that this informal case study on our second featured sustainable technology provided a valuable overview of a promising route to carbon-free emissions. Wave energy certainly has the potential to play a large role in decarbonization of the global energy system – and increased uptake is very possible indeed.
For further in-depth reading on wave energy technology, we recommend these resources:
If you have any questions about wave energy or any related subjects contact us here or send us an email. If you are currently developing a project that involves this or another type of sustainable technology and would like to discuss potential funding options, we can help you secure funding from a variety of sources.
Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org


On this 115th anniversary of the discovery of X-rays, Health Imaging Hub is going to highlight some concepts and details of medical imaging and its advancement at the present time. Medical imaging and related technology is not a story to tell in few lines, it is a concept that involves multiple industries and stakeholders all over the world. Here is a brief introduction to the medical imaging and related disciplines and how the technology will help in coming years in achieving better patient care.
Simply put, Medical Imaging is process of obtaining body images for medical information purposes. Medical imaging includes all sort of imaging (radiology, pathology, endoscope, etc), but the term is widely used to in radiology sciences which is what we are going to discuss.
Medical Imaging in Radiology
The dream of obtaining clear, sharp and fully-detailed medical imaging of the human body internal organs to serve various medical needs came true by inventing and developing means of medical imaging technology. Proper medical imaging providing diagnosis, classification, pre and post operative assessment requires accurate and sensitive imaging with reduced cost and less harm to the patient. Development through ionizing radiation (x-ray and computed tomography) into non-ionizing radiation (ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging) enabled more features and options that were not available before. The development of contrast media adds more to the sensitivity and specification of the medical imaging techniques. Advanced medical imaging with combination between different imaging modalities even created superior medical imaging advantage over time. Radiology is even used in therapeutic purpose rather than just medical imaging in multiple medical hazards, especially malignancy.
Medical Imaging Equipment
Since the discovery of x-rays by Roentgen, the intelligent minds never stopped designing and creating new facilities for better medical imaging visualization, accurate medical diagnosis and less hazards among the patients. The worldwide propagation of medical services and the great demand for proper medical imaging inspired scientists to develop reliable and robust equipment with user-friendly interface for proper distribution all over the globe.
The x-ray machines gradually developed from low KV tube into high ones producing sharper medical imaging, and the needs for direct visualization encouraged further supplementing with screens producing what is called medical imaging fluoroscopy for direct and live visualization of the internal organs of the human body. Interventional radiology raised the need of developing the medical imaging fluoroscopy into continuous imaging through C arms that enabled minor surgical procedure to be done. The scientific revolution and the widespread of computers made a touch over x-ray machines with invention of digital medical imaging through computed radiography (CR) technique with replacement of ordinary sensitive films by imaging plate, producing sharper medical imaging slides with better details and information. With usage of contrast media, further diagnosis could be obtained through medical imaging of hollow organs and tracts. Due to its reliability and essentiality, x-ray equipment are considered the most commonly available and well distributed medical imaging tool all over the world beside the ultrasound equipments.
Ultrasound was initially invented for military and exploratory purposes, and the medical need for safe imaging tools diverted the interest of ultrasound waves into the medical imaging field. Different modes were developed over years to provide the optimum medical imaging required for proper diagnosis. With its reliability, fast performing, low cost and portable availability, ultrasound equipment are widely spread globally. The invention of multiple transducers enabled access to different regions providing high resolution medical imaging that facilitated the diagnostic process. Obstetrical medical imaging is one the great advantages of the ultrasound among other medical imaging modalities because of its safe procedure over the pregnant woman as well as the fetus. Color Doppler also made a huge step for non-invasive vascular medical imaging which is of great value.
Computed tomography (CT) is a natural development of x-rays, using the same physical source with aid of technology and computers to produce a highly advanced medical imaging beam that enabled soft tissue characterization. Through time the development process crossed the conventional to spiral and multi-slice to dual equipment. The dependence on computers enabled coronal and sagittal reconstruction of axial medical imaging, and further more 3D reconstruction which added more medical benefit for both physicians and patients. Advanced techniques as CT angiography and virtual studies enrich the value of computed tomography. Unfortunately, its dependence on ionizing radiation limits its utilization among certain subjects, but current studies are carried out to reduce radiation doses.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a unique form of medical imaging that depends on magnetic field and complicated imaging technique. Its main advantage is the safety with no radiation hazards. Although it has some limitations in cases with metallic prostheses and pacemakers, still the technique is of great medical imaging advantage due to its superior soft tissue characterization which is mainly implicated in joints medical imaging. The ability of multi-planning, axial, sagittal and coronal without reconstruction generated obvious medical imaging enhancement with better diagnoses. Magnetic resonance angiography and venography added a new non-invasive vascular medical imaging procedure.
Scintigraphy is also one of the medical imaging forms, although it measures the radiation from the patients body itself. It is implicated in multiple systemic monitoring for function and medical assessment. A special interest is made upon the metastasis in cancer suffering patients.
Modern medical imaging modalities like positron emission tomography (PET) and merging computed tomography (PET-CT) are of great medical imaging value in neoplastic diseases and assess metastatic conditions as well as measuring viability of suspected lesions.
Medical Imaging IT & Software
The overspread of healthcare IT in medical field raised the interest in applying the technology into medical imaging. Many software and applications are created to enhance the images towards better medical imaging diagnoses through advanced imaging reconstruction, subtraction and colors adding. Even more, the demand of organization of radiological data popped up the idea of creating what is called radiology information system (RIS) which is designed to organize the medical imaging workflow inside radiology departments within hospitals and institutions.
The progressive demand for proper archiving and viewing the medical imaging created by different radiological modalities, the picture and archiving system (PACS) is created to facilitate medical imaging storage in an editable form with easy access and transportation. Many universities and engineering departments are working on healthcare IT projects seeking the medical service propagation through medical imaging studies.
Medical Imaging, From a Global Perspective
The critical and vital role of medical imaging in diagnosis and medical assessment forced the installation of medical imaging equipment all over the world even inside the primary care facilities. With lack of experienced radiologists to properly diagnose and provide medical information needed by physician, the concept of telemedicine had to play its role.
Telemedicine is designed to support regions in need of medical service using telecommunication, especially the internet. The imaging portion of tele-medicine is named as tele-radiology services. The association between communication and healthcare IT software enabled a stable platform for viewing medical imaging anywhere in the world with full detailed report delivering to the concerned physician before medical intervention or treatment decision.
The cycle of development is running over serious researches to add more value and medical advantages over the current medical imaging modalities and technology, the near future will carry more and more medical imaging facilities.
Dr. Mohamed El-Refaey, MSc


In an era where sustainability and eco-conscious living take center stage, DIY solar panels have emerged as a viable and empowering solution for homeowners seeking to harness the power of the sun. Building your own solar panels not only contributes to a greener planet but also offers the opportunity to generate clean, renewable energy right from the comfort of your home. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of DIY solar panels, providing you with the knowledge and confidence to embark on this empowering journey toward energy self-sufficiency.
Understanding the Basics
Before diving into the hands-on aspect of building DIY solar panels, it’s crucial to grasp the fundamental principles. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic cells. These cells, typically made of silicon, generate a flow of electrons when exposed to sunlight, creating a direct current (DC) that can be converted into usable electricity.
Assessing Your Energy Needs
The first step in your DIY solar panel journey is understanding your energy consumption. Assess your household’s electricity needs, considering appliances, lighting, and other devices. This evaluation will guide the size and capacity of the solar panel system you’ll be building, ensuring it meets your energy requirements.
Gathering Materials and Tools
Once you’ve determined the scale of your DIY solar project, gather the necessary materials and tools. Basic components include solar cells, a solar charge controller, an inverter, batteries for energy storage (if desired), and the supporting structure for your panels. Ensure you have the essential tools such as a soldering iron, wire cutters, and a drill to facilitate the assembly process.
Building the Solar Panels
Building DIY solar panels involves connecting individual solar cells to create a larger module. This process requires careful soldering of the cells, wiring them in series or parallel to achieve the desired voltage and current. Mounting the assembled cells onto a sturdy backing material, such as plywood or aluminum, completes the construction of each panel.
Installation and Connection
Select a strategic location for your solar panels, typically on the roof or in an open area with maximum sunlight exposure. Secure the panels in place and connect them to a solar charge controller, which regulates the flow of electricity to prevent overcharging. The charge controller then feeds the power to an inverter, converting the DC electricity into the alternating current (AC) used in most homes.
Monitoring and Maintenance
After installation, regularly monitor the performance of your DIY solar panel system. Keep an eye on energy production, ensuring it aligns with your household’s needs diy solar panels. Perform routine checks on connections and clean the panels to optimize sunlight absorption. DIY solar panels are a long-term investment, and proper maintenance ensures they continue to operate efficiently.
The Financial and Environmental Benefits
Beyond the technical aspects, it’s crucial to consider the financial and environmental advantages of DIY solar panels. While the initial investment may seem significant, the long-term savings on energy bills often outweigh the costs. Additionally, contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and reliance on conventional energy sources adds to the environmental benefits.
A Sustainable Future Starts at Home
Embarking on the journey of building DIY solar panels is not just a practical endeavor; it’s a statement of commitment to sustainability and self-sufficiency. By taking control of your energy production, you not only reduce your environmental footprint but also gain a sense of empowerment and independence. As more homeowners embrace DIY solar solutions, the collective impact contributes to a greener, more sustainable future for all.


About the Smart Charger
The Smart Charger solar charging stations can be used as a solar kiosk, a solar generator, a solar phone booth, for remote solar power, educational solar power, solar marketing, solar tailgating, solar camping, or for a solar hunt camp. They can also be used to add solar power to public parks, docks, boardwalks, campuses, bus stops, outdoor beer gardens and restaurants and more.
Customers have found the Smart Charger useful for the following applications and more:
- Emergency and disaster relief
- Marine power
- Outdoor dining and cafes
- Tailgating and camping
- Art festivals and music festivals
- US-made and maintenance-free
- 250 watt solar panel
- 600 watt 120v peak AC output (1000 watt option)
- USB outlets and 120v outlets
- GFCI protected
- LED area lighting
- 36” Table (47” option)
- Large battery storage for 24-hour operation
- All aluminum, heavy-gauge, weather-proof construction
- Can be upgraded and customized for specific applications
- Custom colors available (We can match any RAL#)
- Arrives as a “blank canvas” ready for your own custom branding
Power where you need it with no fuel necessary. What could you use it for?
Smart Charger Assembly
The Smart Charger solar charging station is easily assembled by two people in under 15 minutes! The portable power of the sun can be brought to sporting engagements, music festivals, park events, and many other outdoor events!


During the summer of 2017, I started working on my first real electronics project. This project marks the first time I have ever seen an electronics project all the way through, from start to finish: initial idea, schematic design, PCB layout, manufacturing, board assembly, testing, device driver development, and full firmware creation.
I love LEDs and interactive toys, so I decided that I wanted to build a top that people could spin to entertain themselves. The PCB would be circular and consist of a single row of LEDs, LED driver, accelerometer / gyroscope and microcontroller (MCU). Having these components would enable the MCU to detect angular velocity while spinning to display persistence of vision (POV) animations on the LED row. I decided to name the project Razzler because blinky LEDs always seem to razzle dazzle. ;)
Since I started this project in the summer of 2017, I figured I’d have working devices by Christmas to give to family and friends as gifts. Little did I know how tall the mountain was that I needed to climb to complete the project… Read on to learn about my journey!
When I started, I remember thinking that there was an unknown number of unknowns. I really had no idea the questions to ask, or even the problems that I needed to solve. Little by little, I progressed forward until completion! It only took me seven months…
- 2017 Jul: Idea conception
- 2017 Aug: Schematic design started
- 2017 Nov: PCB v1 ordered
- 2017 Dec: Device driver firmware working
- 2018 Jan: “Final” firmware finished
To design and draw the device schematic, I needed an EDA. Eagle is a common hobbyist/student EDA that has a rich history with many examples and tutorials. The software had recently been acquired by Autodesk, so it was regularly receiving major updates (SPICE / Fusion 360 integration, etc). I chose Eagle for these compelling reasons.
When first starting out, a big hurdle of electronics design is choosing parts and modeling them in your EDA. As a board designer, one should be able to use any part simply by looking at its datasheet. This means creating a symbol for schematic usage and associated footprint for PCB layout. This process only needs to be done once; future projects can use the same library.
Vendors like DigiKey reduce part cost when purchased in high quantities (1000+). For small quantities, I quickly realized that buying parts from online Chinese stores (like AliExpress) was much more economical since they buy in bulk, but had long ship times and limited component selection. I placed many orders for seemly random parts that might be useful for projects: batteries, battery holders, MCUs, LEDs, resistors, capacitors, common ICs, etc.
Weeks after placing these orders, packages started arriving. Upon delivery, I modeled the component in Eagle for later use. Since packages arrive on different dates, this made component entry very manageable. I now have a library of solely parts that I own, so I know I can use any of them in a future project without issue.
Creating a circuit schematic can prove to be a challenging part of design because one must be aware of how parts interact. It can be very frustrating to get PCBs back just to discover excess power supply noise or misconnected device pins. Before a part is used and a support circuit is proven to work, one never really knows if a circuit will work; simulation and analysis only go so far.
As a beginner, I didn’t know much. I struggled with determining correct decoupling capacitor requirements, what to do with no-connect (NC) pins, and reading datasheets. I also didn’t know how many components could actually fit on my desired PCB size; this eventually determined between RGB LEDs and single-colored LEDs. I designed the original schematic using RGB, but after attempting to layout the PCB, I switched to single-color LEDs.
I think the biggest lesson learned at this step is to look online for examples of component use. Many device datasheets have application circuits that can be used. Also, make sure schematic design is finalized before PCB layout. Altering trivial things on the circuit schematic can undo hours of previous PCB layout work.
View PDF version of schematic: click here.
The STM32 line of MCUs was chosen for this project; specifically the STM32F030K6. This is basically the cheapest, lowest performance 32-bit MCU ST makes. Since the Razzler’s firmware doesn’t need to do much, this choice made sense.
To interface with the MCU, a simple four pin header is provided which provides access to the SWD debugging signals. An external module is then needed to do the programming.
To control 16 LEDs with minimal GPIO pins, a 16-channel constant current LED driver was chosen for this project; specifically the MBI5024. This is a Chinese clone (even pin compatible) of TI’s LED driver that was found on AliExpress. To control it, the MCU sends a simple serial data stream that encodes which LED outputs are on / off.
Motion is detected via the MPU-6050 accelerometer / gyroscope IC. Since this IC is fairly old, it is easy to find from distributors in China. It records linear and angular accelerations in the X, Y, and Z directions. These samples can be queued in its 1024 byte FIFO, and later drained by the host controller. The MPU-6050 communicates via the I2C protocol.
To keep the PCB balanced for appropriate spinning, two CR2032 batteries are used. A master power switch allows batteries to be permanently installed and a main power LED indicates when the device is switched on.
After schematic design completion, I moved onto PCB layout. Since I included footprints when I modeled my components, I just needed to arrange the parts and route traces to implement the schematic.
I didn’t know what to set for layer stack-up or design rules. Turns out, these are answerable questions after selecting a board manufacturer. Research pointed me to low-cost Chinese fabs; I chose Seeed Studio (read my review of their service). To qualify for their cheapest service, I used a two layer stack-up with 6/6 mil clearances.
Since this board was going to be spun as a top, it needed to be balanced. This affected component placement. For example, two batteries were used to keep the center of gravity about the center point. The row of LEDs was offset slightly so that they meshed together every 180 degrees. Little concern was placed on accel/gyro placement in terms of radius from center (turned out to be a big mistake).
Laying out the PCB was a very time consuming task. It wasn’t that hard, but with a practically unlimited number of choices, it was easy to spend countless nights perfecting everything. I wanted the routing to be pretty, so I aligned every trace to optimize space utilization.
To speed up layout, it’s best to start with important interface component placement. For this project, that meant locking in the positions of LEDs, batteries, mounting holes, switches, buttons, and programming headers. Next, look at the rats nest of wires and place other parts to optimize routing traces. Plan the power signals (ground/power planes, etc). Route sensitive signals first, then route power signals. The whole process is very iterative; just keep chugging and eventually the layout will pass the design rule check (DRC) and be ready for production.
I uploaded the gerber files to Seeed Studio and submitted my order. Once a few weeks passed, a pack of 10 boards showed up and were ready to assemble.
To assemble the boards, I manually apply solder paste from a tube and then place all the SMD parts using tweezers. 0603 packages were prevalent in the design but proved to be fairly easy to solder. Since I haven’t built/bought a DIY reflow oven, I used a hot air reflow station to manually attach each component separately.
From start to finish, the board took about one hour to assemble.
While I manually assembled my board for this project, Seeed Studio offers a great PCB assembly service. They also offer a nice free library of parts (Open Parts Library) which supports Eagle directly. If you design with this library and have them assemble your boards, many of the OPL parts are actually free! This can be a great option for batch board runs.
I currently have a project in the works to take advantage of Seeed Studio’s PCBA service using their OPL. Check back later for an article about my experience!
The goal of the project was to create a spinning top based around a PCB. I wanted a simple, yet attractive frame around the PCB to add the structure of the top. My father has a CNC machine at home in the garage, so I worked with him to design a simple two-part assembly on which to affix the PCB.
When programming simple hobby embedded devices, typically little thought is given to overall system design. Many times, Arduino-like semantics are employed (setup and loop routines). The problem with this architecture is lack of fine-grained control for real-time events. For example, if many distinct tasks need to run at different rates on the MCU, a loop approach can become cumbersome.
Implementing a very basic scheduler can make firmware much more modular and easier to extend with new functionality. Certain system designs guarantee properties that may be important for specific applications, like deterministic execution or exact update frequency.
Razzler’s firmware is task based, with a fixed time slice duration (10ms) that the duration of all module tasks together must fit within. Modules register their tasks with the scheduler during start-up and then are called at their requested frequency (up to 100Hz per task). This allows many tasks to run “concurrently,” at independent intervals.
Modular use of the accelerometer / gyroscope data is accomplished using the Digital Motion Processor (DMP) module. This module registers itself with the main scheduler, but also allows other modules to register DMP tasks with it. A DMP task is sample rate dependent, as opposed to real time dependent. DMP tasks can be evaluated using bursts of samples from a buffer, given that the samples stored in the buffer were taken at the requested sample rate. Razzler supports a maximum sample rate of 200Hz from the accelerometer / gyroscope.
Since the constant current LED driver simply turns each LED on/off, the illusion of variable LED brightnesses requires pulse-width modulating (PWM) each LED’s on-time. To prevent visible flickering, this modulating needs to happen at a high frequency (60Hz or more) and without interruptions. While this could be accomplished via the main scheduler, the Razzler uses a dedicated hardware timer interrupt to perform LED updates completely asynchronously. This naturally pauses other system activity, but the interrupt is very short so no noticeable delay is introduced.
Razzler’s firmware is constantly running multiple independent modules to realize device functionality. Independent module operation is described below, as well as how modules interact with each other.
Completely asynchronous to all tasks, the
MBI5024 module sends virtual LED brightness levels (off, low, medium, high, on) to the MBI5024 IC via a serial data stream, which creates the variable brightness levels.
Registered to run at 50Hz, the
Animator module calculates each LED’s brightness level according to predefined animation patterns. It then updates the LED output buffer virtual brightnesses in the
MBI5024 module. The
Animator module also queries the
Motion module to determine if the device is spinning or not. If it’s spinning, it plays spinning animations, otherwise it plays static animations (spinning animations don’t use PWM, static animations do). The
Animator module also exposes an API to other modules to disable/enable animation updates.
Registered to run at 100Hz, the
DMP module interacts with the MPU-6050 accelerometer / gyroscope. The MPU-6050 is configured to record samples at 200Hz and store them in its internal buffer. The
DMP module then drains the buffer every 100Hz, which ends up pulling two sets of samples (a sample is six 16-bit numbers: linear / angular acceleration in X / Y / Z directions) per run. For each sample, the
DMP module checks to see if any registered child DMP tasks needs to run. If so, it passes off the sample for processing.
Motion module is responsible for two things: knowing if the device is spinning, and recording how long the device is motionless. It uses one real-time dependent task and two sample rate dependent DMP tasks to realize this functionality.
The DMP task for spinning recognition is registered at 200 samples per second (SPS), while the stillness recognition DMP task is registered at 10 SPS. The high sample rate for the spinning DMP task is necessary because the
Animator module must switch from static to spinning animations with very little latency when the top starts spinning.
During each DMP task execution, the supplied sample is simply copied to a local buffer for later reference. This means that the main DMP task registered with the main scheduler runs very quickly.
For counting time that the device is still, a real-time task is run at 10Hz which looks at the local sample buffer and calculates maximum deltas across acceleration samples. If these maximum deltas are less than some threshold, it knows the device has been still for the past 100ms.
When another module wants to know if the device is spinning, they run a
Motion module API which compares the past few samples’ centripetal accelerations to some threshold. If they are all over that threshold, the device is spinning. This means that the actual determination of spinning is done within the caller’s context.
Registered to run at 10Hz, this module checks if the total still time is over some threshold (120 seconds). If so, it disables animations and puts the device into a low power state. It then waits until the
Motion module reports that the device is spinning, to which it responds by restoring normal operation.
There’s always room for improvement
Growing up, I remember my dad saying something along the lines of “success can always be achieved if you redefine what it means to be successful.” I feel that this describes my relationship with this project. I set out to do one thing, but ended up doing another very similar thing that I still classify as success. While my first attempt at a POV spinning top was mostly a success, a couple things didn’t quite go to plan.
The first issue should have been easily avoidable: I wired the I2C interface for the MPU-6050 to GPIO pins that didn’t support hardware I2C. The firmware could still control these pins as regular GPIO, but I needed to implement the I2C protocol in software. After much studying of the protocol and some sample code, I managed to communicate with the inertial sensor. Since the processor is directly doing the bit banging (as opposed to using the DMA engine), there is less time for other tasks in the system. Overall, this issue was fairly easy to overcome.
The other issue was a more fundamental design flaw: I never did any physics to calculate if the inertial sensor was capable of sensing the high angular rate at which the top would spin. I originally intended to use the data from the accelerometer / gyroscope to determine how fast the top was spinning. If the display algorithm knew the precise angular velocity, it could lock the POV animations to the spinning rate, creating a still image.
After I created the top, I took some short exposure pictures of it spinning to try to get an estimate of peak angular velocity. On the computer, I measured the angle that it rotated while the shutter was open, which I then extrapolated to estimate a peak angular velocity of slightly less than 1,500 rotations per minute (RPM). If the inertial sensor could measure 1,500 RPM, my initial plan would work.
Gyroscopes are designed to directly measure angular velocity. A little unit conversion reveals that 1,500 RPM is 9,000 degrees per second (dps). The spec for the MPU-6050 states that the gyroscope can detect a maximum angular rate of 250 dps. 9,000 is much much bigger than 250…
Conclusion: the gyroscope cannot determine how fast the top spins.
After a little research, it seems that there is a very limited selection of sensors that can detect +/- 9,000 dps. Analog Devices’ ADXRS649 would fit the bill, but at a unit cost of ~$92, this sensor must be plated in gold. Not reasonable for my project.
As a last resort, I turned to the accelerometer data. Turns out that the circular motion unit from physics class in high school actually is useful for something! The x-axis of the MPU-6050 is directly inline with the PCB center, so conveniently measures centripetal acceleration while spinning. Simply plug and chug into the standard circular motion equation:
Letting and , then or . The MPU-6050’s accelerometer only supports +/- 16g…
Conclusion: the accelerometer cannot determine how fast the top spins.
Fortunately, when the acceleration is above the MPU-6050’s limit, the sensor saturates and reports a full scale value (probably to indicate an overflow). The firmware then recognizes this to create a boolean spinning indicator.
Since using the gyroscope is out of the picture due to high RPMs, I was curious if there was a simple way to determine spin direction (CW / CCW) from the accelerometer data. When the top is initially spun, it must accelerate from rest to its peak angular velocity. The y-axis of the MPU-6050 should be able to measure this; if the acceleration is positive, the top was spun clockwise, if negative then counter-clockwise. If we assume that the spin-up acceleration is constant:
Letting , , , then . This is well within the limit of the MPU-6050, so this method can be used to determine spin direction.
For version two, I intend on changing a handful of things:
- Programming headers (through-hole to surface mount)
- I2C pin connections (enable hardware I2C support)
- MPU-6050 placement (reduce radius so max centripetal acceleration is in sensor range)
Check back later for a new article about my experience creating version two!
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Prof. Dr. Siti Mariyam Shamsuddin
Prof. Dr. Siti Mariyam Shamsuddin received her Bachelor and Master degree in Mathematics from New Jersey USA, and Phd in Pattern Recognition & Artificial Intelligence from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), MALAYSIA. She has published many journals and conference papers. Her research interests include Big Data Computing, Machine Learning, Soft Computing, Pattern Recognition, Biometrics systems and Intelligent Graphics. She was a Head of R & D Cluster of Engineering and ICT, UTM from 2007 until 2009, Head Department of Computer Graphics and Multimedia from 2001 until 2006, and Head, Soft Computing Research Group, UTM, from 2000 until April 2014. Currently, she is a Director of UTM Big Data Centre. She is also Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Advances in Soft Computing & Its Applications (http://www.home.ijasca.com ), and reviewers of many international reputable journals related to her fields.


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The 2012 TERENA Networking Conference is slowly winding down. As always, it has been an exciting week among good friends. One thing that has been of particular interest to me this week has been to observe that we continue to see real innovation being presented at the network layers, with several excellent presentations on a range of topics.
For a couple of years – not so long ago – it appeared to me that by an large the innovation (or at least the innovation presented at the TNC’s) had moved up the stack. Yes, we continued to see increasing bandwidth, increased reach, more packets, but by and large we had years where that was mostly “more of the same” – in contrast to areas such as roaming, identity middleware, network control planes, etc. where we saw new ideas reworking the landscape. I remember thinking that we should consider renaming the conference the TERENA Middleware Conference.
Not so this year. Not that the middleware, application, or user innovation, has slowed down. We have seen great presentations on identity management, exploitation of cloud services, integration of NREN and commercial services, etc. However, we have equally seen exiting innovations and new ideas with the potential to reshape the network (transport) landscape.
Of particular interest to me has been a number of presentations on virtualization and on technologies that support a network virtualization approach. The standout talk for me was the talk Thursday morning by Wes Doonan of ADVA on virtual topologies, showing how far advanced virtualization ideas are in industrial research. Other talks have presented on software-defined networks, demonstrating that approaches to virtualization are being taking at both the packet and the optical layers. There has been talks on software-defined optics, providing among other things the low-level underpinnings for some of these approaches, and there’s been talks on Network-as-a-Service, an approach to network service offerings that exploit network abstraction and network virtualization to provide application-level services based on complex, multi-level, multi-domain networks. And there was continued presentations on Bandwidth-on-Demand technologies that also exploit network dynamism, including progress on the OGF NSI protocol framework and and interesting talk from ESnet on the use of OpenFlow technology to cover the last mile local access problem that so often seems to stump dynamic end-to-end network services.
Of course, the “Citius, Altius, Fortius” innovations continue, too. Close to heart for me was the demonstration given by ADVA and friends on a 100 Gbps optical link on an undersea cable between Denmark and Iceland – a demonstration I’m proud to say build on a long-standing collaboration between Ciena, University of Amsterdam, SURFnet, and NORDUnet, and others, pushing the limits of what we can do with existing optical platforms, using among other things alien wave optical technology, and in this case showing the way toward 100 Gbps inter-continental services.
If you missed the lower-layer network innovations among all the upper-layer presentations, I encourage you to peruse the program on the TNC2012 website and use the excellent video streaming service to sample some of the talks. For me, I will be looking forward to the evolution of the technologies presented and for more innovations presented at future TERENA conferences.


UV germicidal lamp has been widely applications, including industrial waste water, drinking water, environmental protection equipment, farm waste gas treatment, water treatment and other aquatic areas. For the use of different places, different use of the environment, of course, choose a different UV germicidal lamp, here for everyone to introduce a selection of UV germicidal lamp water treatment methods:
1. UV germicidal lamp power of choice
Environmental protection equipment, the application of high-power high-intensity ultraviolet germicidal lamp is necessary, because if you use a large number of UV germicidal lamp, the number of electrical appliances are much more complex lines, the control section is also more complex, often bad a UV germicidal lamp, we should stop replacement, repair, and less power electrodeless UV lamps and ballasts use the number, the probability will rarely broken.
2. UV germicidal lamp Brand Selection
Exhaust gas treatment industry, the operation of environmental protection equipment are based on the needs of enterprises and work, and sometimes have to use for 24 hours while the water treatment industry, the device is usually 24/7 mode, which the ultraviolet germicidal lamp life have certain requirements, the Star Cape Promise UV germicidal lamp, no electrodes, germicidal lamp life longer than an ordinary UV. If the air disinfection, ordinary UV lamp can also be replaced at any time, but if in water treatment, an ordinary UV germicidal lamp broken, usually affects the entire device, system, and may even affect other water systems and users. So select star Cape Promise UV germicidal lamp, long life, energy saving more.
And domestic products compared, XPES lamp UV germicidal lamp in life has an absolute advantage, the UV germicidal lamp life can be up to 5-7 million hours of service life of the ballast up to 20,004 one thousand hours , more than three times the strength of ordinary UV germicidal lamp, 14 months of continuous work without problems and with excellent results. XPES focus on the production of high-power UV lamp germicidal lamp 7 years for you to reduce operating costs and extend sterilization time, so air and water treatment UV germicidal product best brand.