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I guess I am a lucky man because I work with what I like to do most -
Electronics,
computers and
programming. Almost like getting paid
for doing my hobbies.
 I work as a Product Development Engineer
and have been doing this for more than 20 years in a small electronics
company called Liros. Here I take part
in all steps in the development of a finished product, which involves planning,
circuit design, PCB layout with CAD, creating the firmware for devices with micro processor(s), prototype manufacturing, certifications (EMC, LVD, ATEX),
writing operating manuals, creating production documents and drawings (BOM, assembly
and test instructions) and in some cases also creating an accompanying
PC application.
When you are working with product development you shouldn't
see the up and running prototype as the end result. The end
result for a hardware development is instead the production
documentation which must be of a quality good enough for the
production team to be able to make and remake the end product to
always look and work within the specs for that product. With
poor or missing documentation there will always be room for
faults because the production team doesn't have the right input.
If bad products reach the market it could be devastating for the
product and the company. It could also lead to compromising of
the electric safety for that product. This is the reason why
notified or competent bodies always assesses the compliance for
certain safety standards against the products documentation and
only uses the actual prototype to do verification measurements.
(Not so for EMC or radio certifications though, since they need
to assess an actual product.)
It is also important to keep track of changes and revisions
for a product. This is ensured by using a quality system and
controlled documents which guarantees that the production team
always has the latest documents.
To some extents, this also applies for software development
for standalone (PC) applications. Instead of just making a
program, the end product should be a complete installation
package.
Some of the products I have made are:
 Equipment
to remove static electricity using high voltage, where the latest
product,
No Static Long Range, operates at extremely long range (up to 1m).
This type of equipment is used in manufacturing processes and machines
which handle materials that can get electrostatically charged. Examples
of these materials are all kind of plastics, paper, fabrics and powders.
 A
PC
application for data acquisition in garbage collecting trucks. The
garbage bins are tagged with
RFID chips and the trucks are equipped with RFID readers and scales
in order to identify the bin and weigh the garbage directly when the bin
is emptied. This is done completely automatic without any additional
handling from the truck driver. The truck is equipped with a mobile PC
which continuously shows route information and updates this as the route
is progressed. The trucks are connected to the internet via
GPRS
and continuously gets route updates from the dispatch center and also
sends back collected data and
GPS
positions, which enables the dispatch staff to quickly locate a truck
and to follow its work route. Some systems also displays the route and
bins on a map which continuously is updated during the progress of the
route.
 ATEX
approved temperature measurement system called
Grain Watch
for monitoring activity in grain storing facilities. When storing the
grain it is important to monitor it for biological activity, such as
vermin and mould attacks which could make the grain useless and even
dangerous (some mould are very carcinogenic). This doesn't only affect
the grain but also the silo. It may have to be decontaminated before it
could be used again after a mould attack which could be a very costly
process. All biological activity can be measured as a temperature rise
which is measured with temperature sensor lines in a Grain Watch system.
The temperature sensor line has sensors evenly mounted, at intervals of
2-3 meters over the entire length of the line, inside a protective,
steel reinforced conduit cable. It is designed to be suspended in the
ceiling of the silo, hanging down into the stored grain and thereby
being able to measure the temperature of the grain throughout the entire
height of the silo.
The sensor lines are connected to one or more data collecting devices
which in turn are connected to a PC running an application that
continuously displays the temperatures for the different silos in the
grain storing facility. This is done with a graphical interface that
makes it easy to see where there could be a potential problem. The PC
can also generate alarm signals to external devices. The environment, in
which some of the components of the Grain Watch System are designed to
operate, is, under the ATEX directive, classified as being a hazardous
area due to the presence of combustible dust. Electrical and mechanical
equipment operating in this area has to be explosion and fire protected
and separated from equipment in the non-hazardous area in order to be
safe. The explosion and fire protection of the Grain Watch Temperature
Monitoring System is realized using safety barriers and components in
the hazardous area encapsulated in dust tight enclosures. |
