31 Dec
2001
31 Dec
'01
11:14 a.m.
In a message dated 31/12/01 Tony Duell writes
Thanks Tony, wasn't sure of the thread.
> Most of the engineers I work with have never heard
of Amphenol or Cannon,
Then I would suggest you're working with engineers
who are not
particularly knowledgable about practical electronics. If they're (say)
mechanical engineers or civil engineers, then no problem. If they claim
to tbe electronic engineers I'd probably dispute that claim.
I agree, last year they couldn't even build a set of LED Christmas tree lights
without blowing them up, never heard of constant current drive !!! I'm not
talking
about graduates straight out of college but people who've been in industry
for a
few years. In the engineering department I work in there is only ONE other
true
practical engineer who lays out his own PCBs, is keen to learn about new and
emerging technologies etc. He is, like myself, mostly self taught, and has a
passion for this stuff - a rare breed these days. But there we are - pay
peanuts
and get monkies.
Far too many courses (in all aspects of science and
engineering) miss out
the simple practical stuff. Without which the complicated stuff is
essentially
useless..
Agreed, I believe any so called engineer should have a practical "hands on"
experience in both hardware and software, after all if they don't understand
the
basics they are of little use.
On the
subject of D-sub connectors I've sometimes come across some with
metric threaded jackscrews instead of the usual UNF thread, or is it UNC ?
I
thought it was 4-40 UNC.... FWIW, the stnadard for HPIB jackscrews is M3.5
(metric). I've had to make
such parts on occasions. One HP manual I was reading recently said that
the instrument used metric screws on the connectors, and that a
conversion kit (presumably consisting of 2 jackscrews) was available for
converting older HPIB cables. So I assume that the original HPIB used UNC
jackscrews (probably 6-32).
One day I will have to do a search for the original IEEE-488 standard just to
see what they specify. I suspect that jackscrew threads are not part of the
standard.
Chris