Archive for the 'Computers' Category

The Right Tools for the Job: A Look at Tools and Productivity

Published on August 24, 2010 by Tim

Whether building a house, designing a bridge, or mixing live sound, having the correct tools in your tool box is essential. Having the right tools not only allows you to do the job to the best of your ability, but it also can decrease the amount of time it takes to do a task. For example, framing a house with a hammer and a box of nails will work, but it will be much slower than using a pneumatic air hammer. This same principle applies in any office today where workers are often plagued with slow computers, small monitors and cheep peripherals.

Many companies, faced with the larger up front cost of more expensive equipment opt for equipment which is smaller, has less features, or preforms sub-par. In the long run though, larger equipment with more features can actually increase productivity to the point where the better equipment would rapidly pay for itself. One example of this is computer monitors. NEC in conjunction with the University of Utah preformed a study in which they tested worker productivity on a number of different display solutions. The findings? A single 24″ monitor could provide a 52% productivity increase from an 18″ monitor while preforming certain tasks. This increase in productivity is by no means insignificant and can result in millions of dollars in savings. I realize this study may have some bias since it was funded by a display manufacturer but the examples don’t stop here. How many of us have been forced to limp along with slow computers? Yeah, the computers that take ten minutes to start, 5 minutes to open the web browser and 3 more minutes just to get to your online destination. Most new computers will accomplish the previous set of tasks in under a minute and a half. That’s about a 92% difference in time. Adding this time up through the year can result in hundreds, thousands or even millions in unrealized worker productivity. Examples of frustrations such as these are unfortunately plentiful.

I believe that tools are an investment, not simply a purchase. Having correct, well working tools can save time, energy and money in the long run. I encourage you, spend the money up front and realize the savings later. It’s worth it.

Posted in Computers and Electronics. 1 Comment

The Great Rudifier

Published on August 10, 2010 by Tim

Matt Kaufman’s article The Great Rudifier gives a little extra motivation to reread emails before pressing the send button.

Posted in Computers. 0 Comments

Using Windows Live Writer

Published on August 29, 2009 by Tim

Well, I just downloaded Windows Live Writer. After I installed the product, I ran it. On first run, the program asks me about my blog. I entered all of the pertinent information and it seemed to connect to my blog.windowslivewriter

Now I am attempting to write a new post. This post is really just a test to see if Windows Live Writer is going to be worth using. I am impressed that it has spell check functionality. Now, lets see if I can add a picture. Well, that seemed to work well. There are many different options available for working with pictures. Finally, the ultimate test, actually posting this post. Here goes!

EDIT: I can now attest that posting is a snap. Whether or not the feature set of Windows Live Writer is compelling enough for me to leave my typical web based WordPress editing style remains to be seen.

Posted in Computers. 0 Comments

Designing a PCB with EasyPC

Published on August 23, 2009 by Tim

One of the first assignments I was tasked with as a graduate student was learning how to design printed circuit boards or PCBs for short. There are many different pieces of software which allow you to design PCBs but in my case Number One Systems EasyPC was the software of choice.

There are two different ways to design a PCB in EasyPC. The first approach is with schematic files. Schematic files allow a user to create a circuit schematic and then translate that schematic to a PCB design. Alternatively, circuits can be designed directly in the PCB editor. The first method is most often the method of choice for medium to large designs. Small designs can often be done directly in the PCB editor.board

Circuits are designed in both schematic and PCB mode by using components. Components in EasyPC are made up of two distinct parts. The first part is a schematic symbol which is used in schematic design mode. The second part is a PCB footprint which is used in PCB design mode. By using components, translation between schematic and PCB designs can be easily accomplished.

Once you have learned the navigational structure of the program and designed a few components, it is relatively simple to design a simple PCB. The board pictured above is my first design and will host a computer which will be incorporated into a shoe. It is approximately 1.5 inches square. We soon hope to design a new version of this board which is about one quarter of the current size.

Posted in Computers and Electronics. 0 Comments

Barebone Build: Part 2

Published on April 27, 2009 by Tim

My parts finally arrived. I unpacked everything and laid it all out on my work surface. I opened the directions and laid them out next to the parts. The first thing I did was open the case. Three thumb screws loosened the cover of the case and then I was able to pull the cover right off. Next, two more screws released the inner tray which holds the hard drive, memory card reader, and DVD drive. The tray seemed a bit flimsy but I was able to get each component mounted easily. The blank bay covers came off next with four more screws.

300px-sockel_7751

775 Socket

Once the parts were mounted in the tray, I moved my attention to the motherboard. I decided to mount the processor first. This shuttle case comes with a unique “ICE” heat pipe cooling system. This cooling system consists of a plate which sits on top of the processor which is connected to some pipes which move the heat from the plate to a heat sink located on the rear of the case. To mount the processor I needed to first remove this heatsink. The heatsink came off quickly and easily with four more thumb screws. Next, I disconnected the fan connector and removed the four thumb screws which hold the cooling plate to the motherboard. The whole unit then popped right out of the chassis. I could finally see the socket port. I had never worked with a 775 socket before so this install was a new adventure for me. Luckily, it was very simple. I raised the socket lever, opened the load plate, took my processor out of its packaging, and placed it in the socket. Once the CPU was in the socket, I closed the load plate and lowered the socket lever to lock it in place. Next I spread a thin layer of Artic Silver 5 cooling compound on the CPU die. Then I placed the ICE module back over the CPU and screwed it in place. The screws required quite a bit of pressure to get them in place after the processor was installed, but I managed to do it without breaking anything. I then reconnected the fan connector and refastened the thumb screws which hold the unit to the back of the case. Processor installed.

Continue reading ‘Barebone Build: Part 2′

Posted in Computers. 0 Comments