Interfacing dataTaker

Ever wondered how remote controlling of a large number of instruments work in a given scenario of a big experimental set up such as superconductivity testing or missile launching where a large number of devices need to be handled simultaneously, with very less supply dedicated for it? Standardized protocol and data formats to log data play a very crucial role in addressing these scenarios. One of the pioneer tool in this field is dataTaker. 

-project and article contributed by Adil Wankhede, VNIT, Nagpur. 

Right from the beginning of commercial and domestic use of electricity, the generation has always been centralized in a massive capacity. We have always depended on the power plants to generate all of the electricity that we used. Our Grid is built to serve the basic purpose of delivering the electricity generated at the doorstep of consumers. But the paradigm of the power system is going to be shifted as we, as individuals, villages, towns, states, countries are becoming more and more conscious about our carbon footprint on the world we live in.

 The Paris Treaty on Climate Change dealing with the green-house gasses emission mitigation, adaptation and financing has been signed by 161 nations within the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) as of October 2016.

SolarEdge, Israel based company has definitely sensationalized the PV inverter market with HD wave technology claiming to double the power density delivered compared to traditional pv-inverters. What is this technology? Did it exist previously? If it did, what stopped it from being commercialized? How will it revolutionize the inverter market? Endless number of questions have flooded the internet. This post is an answer to these questions in a nutshell.

Even after getting acquainted to the various concepts related to electrical engineering, there is always one important concept which most electrical engineers, including me, tend to forget. What exactly is reactive power? What is power factor? Why is it so damn important? What do you actually mean by lag and lead? So this discussion would be an informative recap into the basics.

Disclaimer: You could find this highly descriptive, but a short circuit is the only thing ‘short’ in Electrical Engineering. :P

Nikola Tesla set his foot on the land of New York, America on 6th June 1884 with 4 cents and a dream to manufacture his alternating current motor. He also had a letter of recommendation from Charles Batchelor to Edison. Edison was among one of the few men capable of helping Tesla manufacture his motor at that time.