• Category Archives Opto22

  • The brand of automation hardware and software that Ben uses at work.

  • More than just speed results.

    Posted on by beno 1 Comment

    I have no idea where Gary is…. its odd not to hear from him on such a topic near and dear to his heart…. especially on a topic where he can easily top me….. however, time marches on, so here are the speed results we have which will lead us totally off topic……

    From slowest to fastest…..

    My Dad. He’s on outback satellite, solar and wind powered to boot, so while he has the slowest connection, its the greenest, that’s worth something.
    Dads download speed is 0.51mb/s. Upload speed is 0.08mb/s. (Still better than dial up ay Dad?)
    Next up we have Matt B.
    His download speed is 1.29Mb/s and up is 0.21Mb/s.
    Next up we have my LA mate Jason.
    His download speed is 1.51 mb/s. Upload speed is 0.37 mb/s.
    But the all time winner is my old flight instructor from Ballarat.
    Terry’s download is a blazing 34.33Mb/s and up is 1.71Mb/s.

    So, lets hear it for Ballarat’s Neighborhood Cable premium….. who would have thought they would set this little contest on its ear?

    However I feel the real conversation comes from Matts comment on the last blog which I reproduce here;
    “Now why would we engage in this obviously futile test when it will just fuel your internet bragging rights?????? It would appear that in the land of the stars and stripes they do have lightening fast internet, but lets turn to things that can keep us healthy such as good fresh food!!!! I know this is would be touching a raw nerve for you by now!!!! You know………….like gourmet passion fruit or mango yogurt, fresh fruit and veg’s, a great easily accessible muesli for brekky etc etc. I guess we all have our “bragging rights” in some areas and have to eat humble pie in others.
    I am not particularly enjoying my slow speed internet pie right now, but it is the only pie I have. Just don’t forget Benno………….how frustrated are you going to be upon your return to this land of plenty???? Now that will be funny!!!!!!! Crispy fresh food for thought Dude!!!!!LOLROFLOL”

    Matt is having a bit of a go at me, but he also makes a good point….. Each country and even state and town has its good points and bad points. Over here, we can get all you can eat internet for a good price, back home, you can have all you can eat yogurt for a good price.
    I guess one of the main things I want to comment on is that I am trying to see the positive in things over here. Matt is doing the same over there.
    Its the differences that make the places we live and the lives we live worthwhile or not.
    Good food or good internet is not the choice. We are not picking one over the other. Its the fact that neither Matt or I have both.
    Its about balance and compromise. I have really struggled finding either here for some time.
    My little brag about all you can eat fast internet is just my little lame attempt to show that I found something here that tickled my interest…… but as Matt pointed out, it wont keep me alive for very long…….


    Computers Life in the USA Opto22

  • Recording studio

    Posted on by beno Comment

    I spent yesterday morning in Opto 22’s recording studio.
    I was being interviewed by Gary Mintchell. He is the editor in chief of the trade magazine Automation World.
    It was interesting for a few reasons, firstly, I discovered that it is a totally different experience standing up talking to a group of people or some one on the phone about something than it is to be interviewed (I suspect the same applies for any interview, be it just audio or on camera (but I suspect it would be harder on camera)).
    I was just too focused, I had all these things I knew I ‘had’ to say, and I could not get it clear in my head how to get it all to just flow. Its not like getting a call and solving a problem. That’s what I am used to doing. I hope that with some heavy editing we can get the footage we need.
    Secondly, it was really odd being on the other side of the camera.

    Here is a photo of the set up.

    One camera is on the left, the other is behind where this photo was taken from.
    I still think its pretty cool that an automation company has its own recording studio.
    I was using it last week to record the audio of a screen cast for a hints and tips session on our graphics package.
    In the end, I had to script that one to get it even close to ‘right’. Even though I have given the exact same presentation many times to the group as they come through each month (three times next month!!!!).
    Anyway, I guess its all a matter of experience……. I didn’t  have any, but am getting it quick!


    Life in the USA Opto22

  • 1 year lunch.

    Posted on by beno 1 Comment

    The crew took me to lunch for my 1 year anniversary.

    It was pretty much the same crew that took me to lunch on the first week that I arrived.
    Rene is taking the picture.
    Its pretty much the same crew that is upstairs in the area where I work. Tommy is the exception, he works with the Engineers downstairs.
    It was a nice treat to include the family (see, told you that I was spending more time with them, even though their words are not big!).

    We are off to LA this weekend. Going to hang out with cousin Steve. We are taking the kite up, be nice if we could get some air time with it.


    Life in the USA Opto22

  • Big, no, huge week at work…….

    Posted on by beno Comment

    Monday was busy as usual. The usual phone calls and some emails from last week left over from when I was away from my desk/computer at training.
    Tuesday things were much the same, a little twist started to appear in the space time line of Ben just before lunch……. I got an email from the VP of Marketing at Opto inviting me to a meeting with two people from QSI. I have been teaching the OptoTerminal section on Thursdays, so did not think too much of it, little did I know.
    Wednesday morning Benson (VP of Marketing) handed me a wireless battery terminal, the G-58, and asked that I get it up and running so that we could show the people from QSI, it would also give me some exposure to the G-58 which is a newish product for QSI.
    Thankfully Kelly, whom you may recall is on maternity leave, had got the lion share of the application working. This is not surprising given that Kelly was the Opto guru on our QSI terminals (the G-70 and G-75). I needed to sort out some of the wireless network issues with the terminal more so than the application. I love doing this sort of thing, ‘playing’ with a new product that was wireless, had a display (close enough to color video) and linked in with Opto 22 hardware. It was a lot of work, but it was really stimulating and really interesting.
    It took some sorting, and I ended up working back late for pretty much the first time since I started.
    Thursday morning I finished things off, needed the IT guys help to get the network issues sorted (1 of the three wireless routers was configured differently). Did it just in time for the meeting.
    It was a great meeting, went three and an half hours! Covered a lot of ground and I found it really interesting. QSI were really happy with the feedback that Benson and I could give them on some of the issues and postive things we found working with the G-58.
    After the meeting Benson asked that I get the G-58 working with one of our Ethernet brains. This is something I have never done before with any of our screens…….
    I stayed back to try and get it working, Benson had to have it working by Friday afternoon. I knew the phone would be ringing as usual Friday, so at least it was quiet in the evening at my desk.
    I left for home about 6pm that evening with it not working.
    My head was spinning on the ride home for two reasons. Firstly because I could not get it working and was not sure where to start the next morning, secondly it was announced that Kelly and Steven had given notice. They both were finishing up on Friday. Kelly of course was on maternity leave, and Steve was busy finishing up editing the latest Opto 22 video. (Video editing and filming was his primary roll).
    Friday morning I called QSI and got some guidance on how to get the terminal to talk to a brain, in the past all the work I have done has been with connecting the terminal with a program running on one of our controllers….. QSI gave me a major nudge in the right direction (I was using the wrong library function…. If I am to become Kelly and become the goto guy in Opto for the terminals, I have a lot to learn!!) and I got it running before lunch. Post lunch we cleaned it up and then the rest of the afternoon got lost in getting it all working on Bensons laptop.
    I got home the usual time Friday evening.

    It was a big week. I have a lot to learn about programming the displays. I am really looking forward to that. It seems I am going to keep teaching Thursday’s class for a long time to come…. Looking forward to that too. I would love to get involved in the video editing and filming, but know that I am a better resource to have on the phone doing the application engineering than being out in a back room with an eyeball stuck to a camera. Its a small but significant shift for me, I am used to being in the back room (basement if you like) on my own, but I am finding that more often than not over here, I am in a room of people, some time among them, sometimes in front of them. The really interesting thing is that I find myself willingly making that choice. Those that know me will understand why it was a huge week for me, and a lot of other people, at Opto this week.


    Life in the USA Opto22

  • Fireside chat.

    Posted on by beno 1 Comment

    I’m going to really struggle getting this one to make sense, so bear with me, and lets see how we go………

    Some time after you start at Opto 22, the opportunity is given for you to have a fireside chat with the founder and owner, Bob.
    It really is a fire side chat too, in Bob’s office is a beautiful gas fire with logs, and the lounge is arranged around said fire.
    Kristie (web / marketing), Surge (new hire in China (in town for three weeks for different things)) and myself were the ‘new’ hires, so the three of us settled down in the couch to hear Bob recount the story that lead up to the founding of Opto 22.

    Now, before I tell you how I felt, for those that don’t know (and thats none of you that I know read this blog), I have been working with Opto 22 gear for 18 years. Thats full time. I have not had a ‘single’ day in the past 18 years where I have not worked with some other automation product that was not some how connected to Opto (so, Nick, does that make sense re Infinity?)…. Its all my kids know. They have grown up in a house that only ever mentioned ‘Opto’ in regard to their fathers work life. Think about that for a second. Before working with Opto gear at the hospital, I worked with different computers for about 6 years. So, 18 years at the hospital sort of over shadowed those 6 years more than 2 to 1. Also, my time at the hospital was a LOT more intense than those 6 years….. So, that’s a little back ground….. Now, hopefully what I am about to say will make a little more sense.
    When I had a factory tour in 2000, it was really neat to see where all the parts I had been using came from. It was like a little bit of the puzzle fell into place. Same sort of effect when I had the full tour when I started. You get to meet all the guys and girls that make, design, and dream up all the gear I had been using for all those years…. That was very cool, but, I did not know it at the time, but there was still a little bit missing…….
    Enter the fireside chat. Bob’s recounting of how it all started was that missing bit. It was the most wonderful hour. It was like finding out where you came from. Like knowing your history for the first time.
    I found it very liberating and calming all at the same time.

    Thanks Bob, and thanks Opto.


    Life in the USA Opto22