Thursday, September 10, 2020

How Fascinating History Is


Joseph Leconte - on the preparation of saltpetre - 1862 :

SWEDISH METHOD

Every Swede pays a portion of his tax in nitre. This salt is therefore prepared by almost every one on a small scale. The Swedish method does not differ in any essential respect from those I have already described. First a clay floor; upon this is placed a mixture of earth, mould, spent ashes, animal and vegetable refuse of all kinds. Small twig branches, straw and leaves are added, to make the mass porous; a light covering, to protect from weather, frequent watering with urine or dung-water, and turning over every week or two. The process is precisely the same as the French, except that the process of preparation and nitrification are not separated. I only mention it to show that nitre may be made by every one on a small scale. By this method the beds are ripe in two years-- perhaps in less time in this country.

.. from "The Alchemy of Air" by Thomas Hager - super book.

Saturday, September 05, 2020

What it Takes to Work with the Best

Electrical Robotics Engineer - Senior
Location: Manchester, NHType: Full TimeMin. Experience: Experienced
For over thirty years, DEKA Research & Development Corp. has made Manchester, New Hampshire home. Housed in the largest industrial complex of its time, the historic Amoskeag Millyard, DEKA employs a team of professionals, whose engineering, design, manufacturing and quality expertise make DEKA a hot spot for creating innovative solutions and advanced technologies. Located about an hour from Boston, the beach, and the mountains, DEKA is one of the leading research and development companies in the country and is the birthplace of some of the most innovative and life-changing products of our time.

We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer for an advanced robotics program. This position will be central to the development of one of the worlds most advanced autonomous delivery robots. This is a rare opportunity to become involved at a stage where you will have major impacts on the design direction of an amazing piece of engineering. This candidate will be responsible for the concept, development, and production-related activities of electrical circuit board designs within a multi-disciplinary project team. The candidate should be familiar with a broad range of engineering activities from low level analog to high speed digital circuitry. This position requires a fair amount of autonomy and clever thinking as projects here at DEKA involve inventing new and better ways of solving the many engineering challenges that the world is confronted with.

Responsibilities:

Design and develop complex circuit boards containing a mix of analog and digital circuitry through the creation of schematics and the ability to manage complex PCB layouts
Perform debug and failure analysis of circuitry as well as the creation of test fixtures to aid in both the development and production of circuit boards
Create clear and concise documentation including electrical requirements, design descriptions, and failure analysis procedures
Requirements:

Requires at least 5 years of experience in the development of electrical circuit boards for complex electro-mechanical devices
Minimum of a BS in electrical engineering required
Demonstrated electrical design experience from concept through production
Proficient in debugging circuitry through hands-on testing, analysis and analog/digital simulation
Solid grasp of signal integrity, signal timing, power consumption, and design for ESD and EMC compliance
Experience integrating embedded processors with sensors, actuators, power management, and wireless communication peripherals
Must be skilled in writing and working with specifications and detailed design documents
Must be able to set priorities and work independently under aggressive timelines and date driven schedules

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Oracle's Req for a Data Center Designer :

Evaluates reliability of materials, properties and techniques used in production; plans, designs and develops electronic parts, components, integrated circuitry, mechanical systems, equipment and packaging, optical systems and/or DSP systems.Responsible for designing, developing, modifying and evaluating electronic, electro-mechanical or mechanical components, assemblies or integrated circuitry for hardware systems for the external market. Includes new design, as well as modification activities that results in significant product enhancement. Activities encompass design, analysis, testing and process development using engineering principles and methods. Technical disciplines may include electrical and logical design of printed circuit boards or integrated circuits; mechanical design of electronics enclosures or integrated circuit packaging; and embedded software/firmware design.Work is non-routine and very complex, involving the application of advanced technical/business skills in area of specialization. Leading contributor individually and as a team member, providing direction and mentoring to others. BS or MS degree or equivalent experience relevant to functional area. 7 years of engineering or related experience.Oracle is an Affirmative Action-Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veterans status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.As a DC Design Engineer at Oracle, you will lead designs for data centers globally and impact other projects around the world. You will help develop a highly creative and efficient design team tasked with solving problems and challenging the status quo. As a subject matter expert, you will have a direct impact on the design of prototypical DC facilities/white space provide technical guidance, solve large scale implementation issues, and build a strong understanding of international architectural, civil, and structural design requirements.Responsibilities: Communicate conceptual designs and create/maintain project documentation before, during, and after construction. Maintenance of Basis of Design, prototype design, and template specifications for architectural elements. Create, review, and release civil/structural/architectural design RFPs. Manage external civil/structural/architectural design consultants through the design and construction process. Coordinate with internal and external MEP design engineers. Effectively communicate design standards to internal and external project partners. Manage multiple fast paced projects simultaneously. Think outside of the box to find innovative solutions prior to and during the construction process to reduce costs without negative impacts on quality or reliability. Travel for site assessments, internal design meetings, construction review, and interfacing with design consultants. Anticipated travel of up to 25%.Basic Qualifications: 5 years of commercial / industrial design experience. 2 years of mission critical facilities design experience. 3 years of Data Center design experience. Solid working proficiency with AutoCAD, BIM, Revit, and MS Office Suite. Proficiency in building codes, local/regional/international regulations, and data center standards. Excellent communication skills and attention to detail. Preferred civil / structural / architectural / mechanical engineering degree.Job: Product DevelopmentOrganization: OracleTitle: Data Center Design DeveloperLocation: United StatesRequisition ID: 20000RVGOther Locations: CA-Canada