Software for Engineers

Whether you're a geologist or geo-cacher, there's little question that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) engineering continues to advance - the demand for quality and accuracy in such products has increased exponentially.

GIS software is now being implemented on a number of different fronts to satisfy business requirements of organizations ranging from NASA and OnStar to emergency and corporate transportation services at local, state, national and international levels. But what is it really all about, and how do we narrow it down in understanding what GIS truly is? These questions may not be easy to quantify.

In its infancy, GIS engineering had a very narrow scope and purpose to achieve; predominantly that of terrain mapping software and residential, commercial, and industrial addressing. Now its applications are enormous. GIS systems are being implemented to encompass such functions as:

• Interfacing with radar technologies used by military industries
• Structuring and mapping electronic communications over a terrain
• Conversion of map images to numerical data
• Building spatial topologies
• Weather tracking
• Roadway navigation
• Virtual terrain simulation

The list continues but you get the idea. The point here is that the development of GIS engineering software still relies upon a comprehensive requirements analysis of the core business objectives of customers, and a thorough understanding of its applications. Certainly, it is not cost effective for software development firms to attempt to provide enterprise business-class solutions in this area; no organization could employ enough experts for the effort.

Getting the lay of the land on GIS projects before committing to production demands is still the surest way to "stay grounded" in your development efforts.

Time to wake up and smell the coffee! If you've been active with Microsoft the past two quarters, you've undoubtedly noticed the improvements made to the Visual Studio Express Editions for software application development. The second quarter of 2008, however, seems to be favoring the community over at NetBeans and Java developers worldwide.

The mid-March release of NetBeans 6.1 Beta Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is like a breath of fresh air. Two major enhancements are speed and easier application-database integration on the RAD end. The NetBeans development team has increased performance to such a point the IDE starts 40% or more faster (it more than doubled in speed on this author's system) and boasts more efficient thread use. In the area of application development, connection through the JDBC driver "built-in" to the IDE took all of 8 seconds to connect to a MySQL database. There is also built-in support for PostgreSQL.

NetBeans 6.1 also has better support in Ruby/JRuby and Beans development, and support for JavaScript. And here are some very cool but functional extras:

• Floating and transparent windows
• Sharable project libraries
• WebSphere integration in Beans (v6.0/v6.1)
• Monitoring and testing of SOAP services
• Generation of Java CRUD (Create/Read/Update/Delete) applications
• Support modules for ClearCase

The list for this release is nearly endless. The other thing you might not want to pass up investigating, particularly if you're a die-hard user of perhaps Eclipse or JCreator, is the videos page. These Web casts are tremendously valuable in demonstrating the ease of usability in Java development using this rather underrated IDE. You can also request a full cut on DVD at no charge (provided you are a member of the Sun Developers Network).

If you've been waiting for an opportunity to really give this IDE a shot, now's the time to get up, greet the morning sun and pour yourself a fresh cup of Java NetBeans. You won't be sorry.

Ever seen a really hot model? No, not that kind of model - the kind of model meant here is the simulation of a circuit with electrical current and dependent voltage running through it.

Developed by the EECS Department of the University of California at Berkeley, SPICE is a simulator designed to analyze linear and non-linear current flow through devices with big-sounding names that range from resistor and uniform distributed RC model to metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Since about 2002 it has been at version 3, aka SPICE3.

So how exactly does it work? Well, it begins with the order of analysis. For the most part, this includes:

• Direct Current
• Alternating Current Small-Signal
• Transient
• Pole-Zero
• Distortion
• Sensitivity
• Noise

An important facet of SPICE is that Direct Current analysis must take place before transient and AC Small-Signal, because the starting point is with shorted inductors and open capacitors. The AC Small-Signal then takes the information from the first test, and runs a range of frequencies over the linear circuit produced from its programming. The transient analysis determines transient output variables automatically from the DC analysis. The phases continue similarly through the remainder of the analyses as listed above.

The interesting thing to note about SPICE is that the commands utilized in it aren't all that much different from what you would see in a normal programming language. The SPICE3 language has keywords such as Display, Echo, Load and Write; it also has control structures like If Then Else, Goto and Break (think case switching in the that latter one, say in C++ or Java). Interestingly, Spice3 and Nutmeg (interpretative back end and standalone front end, respectively) do their circuit plotting through the X Window System. (Linux, anybody?) It also has pre-named variables, and data types like <= (less than or equal to) and ! (not).

Variations and permutations of SPICE are widely available in today's industry. There's no question you can SPICE up your models utilizing this technology. A Google search is highly recommended to review those companies that provide variations focused toward your assessment and modeling requirements.

No, we're not here to talk about politics! This Congress has an entirely different agenda, one actually designed to accomplish something. They're the Congress on the Future of Engineering Software (COFES), and they're ramping up for their 11th consecutive annual session. This year's meet takes place once more at the usual venue: the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in sunny Scottsdale, AZ -- and there's still time to get on board.

One of the greatest values provided by this organization, according to its distinguished members, is learning in a forum with like-minded individuals. As you read from their own Web site:

"COFES was founded on the idea that one-on-one interaction and the building of community are the most valuable functions of an industry forum. COFES eschews the distractions of a trade show floor and the formality of executive presentations for a comfortable, causal atmosphere consisting of large and small group discussions with the most influential players and most innovative minds of the software world."

Another key aspect of COFES is their internship programs. One look at a list of just some of the more than one hundred key participants can leave many aspiring software engineers weak in the knees. It is undoubtedly the "Who's Who" of the industry today, including reps from organizations like Raytheon, Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Autodesk and NASA.

At nearly $2,800.00 a head (not including lodging or travel), the cost is certainly a mitigating factor for some. Attendance also requires an invitation code, which you can still apply to receive. Either way, it is a consideration worthy of investigation and an event of some note.

So work on that handshake and smile, tidy up that resume, and ready yourself for that Congressional hearing.

It's tough to pick the right software package for finite element analysis (FEA)—especially if you require programs for testing, research or academic purposes. But there is hope. There are a number of free and open source products that can get the job done, and without the cost and learning overhead. Before we taste an example of one of these products, however, let's establish a general definition of this discipline. In simplest terms, finite element analysis (FEA) is the use of the finite element method to numerically calculate and produce results of elemental stresses on computer-simulated materials. If you have ever seen a television program or documentary where they use a computer to show the effects of oxidation on metal or fatigue of bridges over time, these are some examples of a type of FEA.

Objective functions within FEA serve as variables to produce the varying effects of elements. Some of these may include:

• Force and displacement
• Strains and stressors
• Light, heat, mass and volume
• Synthesized conditions (programmed by users)

There are also conditional factors programmed at model load time, and a library of elements categorized by their basic composition such as solids, liquids, gases and so forth.

There are hundreds of proprietary and open source programs for FEA. The particular example chosen for this entry was the San Le Free Finite Element Analysis (SLFFEA) package. Note: This entry is NOT a personal or professional endorsement for this product, it is only used as an example to demonstrate the basics of one type of FEA software freely available. The program was written in the ANSI C language and is distributed under the GNU License.

The majority of the finite element library in SLFFEA is geared toward structural analysis of components such as roofs, girders, and trusses; hence, the predominant focus of this application appears to be mechanical engineering. By most FEA package standards, this particular software package is quite small. Indeed, there are organizations like Noran Engineering, Inc. and Strand7 with comprehensive packages (that come with a comprehensive price tag, by the way).

Because the basics of finite element analysis is as a design technology, there are large programs written by hobbyists that actually do very little and also programs with a small footprint that can perform phenomenal feats of FEA. Depending on your needs, however, there are infinite possibilities available to allow you to jump in and start working. One excellent resource is the free webcasts you can find produced by Algor, Center for Mechanical Design Technology. These brief information tutorials, which last anywhere from 30-60+ minutes provide excellent views at the capabilities of FEA software.

In summary, you'll probably see there is nothing finite about FEA. It is a broad engineering software field with infinite possibilities waiting to be explored.