What do Control Guys read

[panic mode 246]

I was just wondering what type of job related magazines everyone reads (free or not). What do you subscribe to and why, how do you like it?

[newpageboba 7]

Control Magazine. I'm in the Process Control Group of a paper mill. It is the only magazine I have found that talks about the current technology and ideas we are looking at. Most of the others talk about ideas and technology that we were using 5 years ago.

[Chris Elston 78]

I read: Maximum PC Servo Magazine PC Magazine Controls Engineering Assembly Magazine Machine Design I'll say why later...when I got more time.

[rpraveenkum 5]

Automation today from rockwell

[Peter Nachtwey 15]

That is one, the Rockwell, point of view. I don't normally read magazines. I don't subscribe to any magazines. I use google alerts to alert me about anything that happens in the areas I interested in. I like to read articles that my competitors write just to see what they think is important. I also write magazine articles. I find it interesting to find what magazines the rest of you read. Most of the articles I write are for hydraulics and pneumatics but I have done a few for the others listed above. I don't like reading any of my own articles. Sometimes the editors butchers them. Sometimes they put real restraints on how geeky I can get. Some editors will let me do a 'deep dive' article where I can geek out. The editors are very concerned that the articles are not too technical so that 20% of the reader are lost. This makes it hard to keep the interest of the top 20%. I have been asked to remove information that is deemed to be too technical more than once. Another point of view.

[TimWilborne 108]

I don't know about your articles but I like it when you geek out in your threads. There are great lessons in those geeked out threads. And sometimes they shoot over my head, but I just keep reading them until it sinks in

[GerryM 2]

I get: Control engineering IEEE Spectrum, comes with the membership. I just canceled IEEE Control Systems, and IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement, and NASA Tech briefs (too much to read not enough time) ISA InTech, comes with the membership. I think i still get: Control Automation something or other I read my buddies Machine Design once in a while. I mostly skim them all, and once in a while I find a decent article to actually read. I hate the ones that talk about some fabulous technology, then don't have a single reference as to where you can find it. I read an article recently about Nucor using a new model free adaptive controller and how great it was, but no reference as to whoes it was or anything. I have read some of Peter's articles(Peter's mug is in one of the IEEE Control Systems magazines from last year), and I can see where you mean they chop it up so it remains somewhat generic and easy to understand. That is where alot of magzines fall short. They should do at least one "in depth" article a month. Edited 16 Jan 2007 by GerryM

[Big Country 3]

I like to read 4 wheel and offroad, and JEEP. I figure I look at this stuff enough at work I don't need to read about it while I'm at home.

[adamriffe 2]

I agree completely! I read those too. I get the other control magazines, but I only read them at work on their time.

[Peter Nachtwey 15]

I didn't like that article. It was too much fluff and too much about me or my opinions. I was asked a about 10 questions so the topics were all 'soft' topics. That material was heavily edited. Some one , some how , got the idea to interview me. I don't know why. I am not even a member of IEEE.

[rpraveenkum 5]

magazines from Automation world http://www.automationworld.com/

[BudMan 1]

Sometimes when no one is looking I like reading a mind-numbing magazine from Alfred E. Newman. MAD magazine and sometimes I do not read it I just look at the cartoons!!! Bud

[panic mode 246]

hey hey hey... i asked for something work related, no MAD magazine, Penthouse, Hustler etc.

[BobLfoot 301]

Do most of my reading online and on the clock. Do get the NEC Digest. Has had a great few articles lately and it is free.

[panic mode 246]

I enjoy my work (most of time), i like to read and i like news in technology, developments, designs, interesting solutions etc. i am already getting number of mentioned subscriptions, but just like GerryM wrote - most articles don't get my attention, I usually just glance them and they are gone... it's just like digging through pile of yawn/celeb/gossip magazines in a hair salon while waiting for haircut. i could go crazy when i forget to bring something better (i learned to allways keep few issues of national geographic in my car just for such emergencies...). thank you all for replies...

[Peter Nachtwey 15]

What kind of articles get your attention?

[GerryM 2]

I like articles that compare specific situations and what products or solutions worked and most importantly what didn't or wouldn't work. A comparative of options and costs would be great also. For instance there have been alot of generic articles about wireless sensors, wireless this and wireless that. That's great but where is wireless most practical, what are the pitfalls, and a comparison of costs to other methods would be great. I know this is difficult information to get sometimes without alot of effort, but that is the type of information that would be most helpful rather than always finding out the hardway through experience. I realize alot of magazine articles are fluff, since they are mainly vehicles for advertisements. Some substance once in a while would be nice.

[Automation_Tech 0]

Popular Mechanics and Popular Science

[panic mode 246]

Agreed... I love to read and the only reason I read in my free time (or whatever is left of it) is to learn something, get amused or both. Reading about some device with better performance than equivalent older product is not news. It is interesting to learn what is inside that makes it what it is and how this compares to previous generation. Without comparison or benchmark, this doesn't mean much... I rate information received from popular magazines and National Geographics for example mostly as entertainment (curiosity and amusement). Such articles have less impact on my pay cheque than reading adds from automation magazines. Even though I don't have my own semiconductor or display factory, and I don't depend on farming in some exotic eco system (well, i'd like to think that I don't depend much anyway...), these magazines are still way more interesting... What strikes me the most is that every single issue of every single magazine in this field seam to go to garbage in less than 5 minutes. There should be at least something worth keeping. Imho, if people don't collect them or rip pages, there is not much in them... If nobody is tempted to take my magazines, something must be wrong... After all there are so many adds and reports about new network and safety products (among other things) and at the same time most people seam to have hard time even with basics like assigning IP addresses, or creating proper safety circuit (not to mention interfacing, PNP/NPN debates, grounding, fighting noise, scaling, loop tuning, etc.). This is an old hut but I'm sure many would (should) find such articles much more interesting... What I would like to see is actual projects, challanges, options and solutions, something bigger (problem, budget, dilemas, solution, degree of satisfaction at the end and what would they like to change if they had to do it all over...). I like to see what others do and how. ...or ..... just throw in a centerfold...

[Peter Nachtwey 15]

OK, I have two articles that I have commited to write. One is about simulation. You guys have seen the simulations I can do on the advanced control treads on the plcs.net forum. I have saved people many 100Ks of dollars with the simulations. The other is about choosing the right control algorithm such as open loop, PID, PIDD`. I-PD, SMC, feed forwards etc. Would any body care? I can see that there is more interest in application ariticles. I will work on those. What applications?

[TimWilborne 108]

I would be interested in this article. The problem is your average reader wouldn't be so I don't see it making it past the editor without getting dumbed down. But then again you have written some articles so you may have enough reputation to keep the article from being edited

[panic mode 246]

same here

[GerryM 2]

Those would be excellent articles. Which magazine to put it in is a good question. I do think that many of the readers would be interested, how many is hard to say. I think its the magazines that are interested in dumbing things down not so much the readers. As to what specific applications. My main applications right now are flow control(pump testing) and positioning(machine setups, not high performance). But, I am always interested in other applications because I will eventually run across them. To me the application isn't as important as the methods used to solve it. The same methods can usually be applied to more than one application.

[Chris Elston 78]

mrplc would be happy to post your articles as well "uneditted"....

[TimWilborne 108]

Light bulb goes off it TW's head Peter, I know the Senior Editor of THIS web publication. It reaches your target market and I bet he would let you geek out your article. I could put in a good word for you Edit - Well the senior editor beat me to it Seriously though, I would really like to see your article here in its raw format