Programming code is the invisible magic that runs our entire world. It is not only in automation equipment like PLC and SCADA systems but also the majority of electronic equipment and services we use every day including computers, phones, TV’s and even our cars.
 
Coding is responsible for the clean water we drink, the telephone calls we make, the TV shows we watch and more. It has a big influence in our lives whether we know it or not, and poorly developed code can not only cause great frustration but it can also be very costly, even dangerous!
 
This is why we want to point out how if you’re a programmer you can improve in your coding, and if you’re a manager or user you can ask the right questions of your programmer and better understand the coding process.

How can you start anything without a plan? If you want to build a house you don’t just start nailing bits of timber together and hope for the best, no, you put pen to paper and draw up a plan showing what rooms will be where. This is the same for code development. A good plan will save development time, minimise mistakes, and you will end up with a program that better suits the application.

Thank you Telstra for that brief period this week where our mobiles remained silent, we put our phones down, our efficiency soared and we were able to get a ton of work finished without disruptions!
 
Thank you Telstra also for reminding us that we need to be mindful of the points of failure within our own systems and processes, because if your chief operations officer Kate McKenzie is correct, this large and sophisticated system of yours can be brought down by one person’s simple mistake!

Telstra’s official statement was that a field technician “failed to follow the correct procedure” and brought a major telecommunications system to its knees due to an “embarrassing human error”. Comforting to know that a specific procedure needs to be followed to keep Australia’s biggest telecommunications network running.

Power surges, power spikes, dirty power, however you want to describe them, they are something that cannot be prevented unfortunately and we just have to understand that it does happen within our electricity distribution system. More importantly you need to know that you don’t have to put up with them or suffer their consequences!
 
We have had numerous calls from plant managers on various sites effected by the recent thunder storms sweeping the country, and we thought it would be a great time to raise the issue of power surge protection so it is in the forefront of people’s minds. We will look at why power surges occur and what you can do to protect yourself against them. Surge protection is an interesting topic that can get quite in-depth, but we will keep this brief and light.
 
Although in this article we are focusing on power surge protection for the automation industry, you can apply the same theory and methodology for the commercial and residential sectors.

Power surges are sudden, sharp high voltage rises in the electricity supply and are one type of electrical disturbance that causes dirty power. The extremely high voltage spikes of a power surge can last for anywhere up to a few milliseconds and damage sensitive electronic equipment and systems.

There are various types of electrical disturbances such as;