LEGO just celebrated its 50th anniversary as reported by fellow blogger Eric Murphy on the OPC Exchange and by Time Magazine in “Lego Celebrates 50 Years of Building”. Eric created the OPC logo in LEGO blocks. (Not quite as ambitious as this LEGO aircraft carrier.) I don’t have LEGOs but I did get Lincoln Logs for Christmas, so here is a PROFIBUS and PROFINET architecture schematic in Lincoln Logs. Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son in 1916 (I say as I look out my window at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale). Ok, it’s a different kind of architecture more suitable to Arizona than industrial automation:
Here’s a 50th anniversary we missed somehow last year: the SCR turned 50 last year in July. History buffs can read all about it in IEEE Industry Applications Magazine: “SCR Is 50 Years Old.” During the 60’s as I was starting my engineering career, DC Drives were replacing MG sets and Eddy Current Clutches for controlling the speed of plastics extruders. These DC drives used SCRs; the larger ones using SCRs in the “hockey-puck” format. There were no digital controls in those days. PROFINET IRT is quite the contrast to analog electronic controllers and analog voltage tachs.
A final anniversary, although not a 50th: I took my wife to Hawaii for our anniversary. Prior to departure I consulted “A Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering,” which would be better titled “An Engineer’s Guide to Sightseeing.” Their recommendation for Kauai was the Kilauea Point Lighthouse.
The lighthouse:
The lens:
About the lens:
More PROFIBUS and PROFINET coming up next post as I slowly transition back into “work” mode.