Ethical Programming

I'm not sure how familiar you all are with the malicious computer worm, Stuxnet, that became widely publicized back in 2010. Many experts believe that it was a jointly built American-Israeli cyber weapon. It was supposedly built during the Bush administration and designed to discreetly sabotage Iran's nuclear program. I say discreetly because the way it was set up was meant to leave the intended victim completely clueless as to what happened. The code was supposed to put out fake normal operation values through the use of programmable logic controllers (PLC's) so the process would continue to run as intended, while still being infected by the worm and giving unexpected commands. The discovery of this malware was due to the virus accidentally spreading beyond its intended target because of a programming error introduced in an update. This led the worm to spread to an engineer's computer. It was spread even further when the engineer returned home and connected his computer to the internet.

I understand the desire to use such technology for good, and I must say, I'm all for it. The issue here is the fact that due to a seemingly careless mistake, our cover was blown and the world found out that this type of warfare is very possible. Stuxnet succeeded in infecting almost 60% of Iran's computers, but at what cost? Now there is the danger that more malicious and infectious software is being developed, perhaps not even with the intent for war against a legitimate enemy, but for the simple pleasure of sabotaging certain processes here in the US.


I believe that certain measures should be taken to minimize the threat of attacks such as nuclear weapons pose, but if this route is to be taken, it should be taken with extreme care and flawless precision. Due to an individual's, or a group of individuals, simple overlooking of a program update, it's readily available knowledge that automated processes can be attacked without the user knowing it. This should call for stricter security on our end as well.

Sniffin' Out Mars

Some new technology may allow us to "sniff" for life on Mars. There's a sensing technique that the US military uses to remotely monitor the air to detect potentially life-threatening chemicals, toxins, and pathogens and this has inspired a new instrument which, if it is actually developed, could be used to detect bio-signatures on other planets.

This new instrument is the Bio-Indicator Lidar Instrument, or BILI for short. It's a fluorescence-based lidar. This means that it's a type of remote-sensing instrument similar to radar in principle and operation, but instead of using radio waves, it uses light to detect the composition of particles. BILI has the ability to detect small levels of complex organic materials from a distance of several hundred meters. This is important because there are some issues encountered with land based rovers carrying numerous instruments, such as not being able to easily navigate over slopes. This new device could potentially search for bio-signatures in plumes occurring over these slopes.

Branimir Blagojevic is a NASA technologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "BILI's measurements do not require consumables other than electrical power and can be conducted quickly over a broad area. This is a survey instrument, with a nose for certain molecules," Blagojevic notes. So chances are, this would not be as expensive of an instrument as those associated with NASA. Using this kind of tool on an orbiting spacecraft could increase the probability of finding bio-signatures in the solar system dramatically.

This lidar instrument has not been employed in planetary studies yet, but Blagojevic has applied the technology to create an instrument prototype. There is no forecasted date either, but it should not be surprising if we see this new technology being implemented in new studies within the next ten years.

Toxgard II Review

If you live/have lived in a mining community, you are probably no stranger to the preaching of safety. Working at a mine myself, we are constantly bombarded with this term. Management is always trying to implement new safety practices for employees. There are numerous procedures in place to prevent accidents. However, there are some dangers present that cannot be mitigated with a simple set of steps; I'm referring to toxic gases. There are a few safety nets implemented to avoid any accidents caused by overexposure, and I will briefly review one of them.

The Toxgard 2 Gas Monitor is an incredible piece of instrumentation. From the unit's main gas monitoring feature all the way down to the construction, it's about as reliable as any piece of technology can get.

This unit is designed to detect a buildup of combustible gases, the presence of toxic gases, and even a deficiency of oxygen. The sensor that comes with it allows gases to permeate through, activating the alarm. Depending on the setting it's used in, one can choose the gas they want to monitor for. The two main gases that we monitor for in my work area are cyanide and sulfur dioxide, and it does an excellent job at alerting us whenever either one of these is present and in what amount (measured in parts per million). The Toxgard can also be connected to the digital network system so that the control room will be notified if any alarms are present. So far, we have never had this interconnected system fail us.

The design of this unit is also rugged enough to be used in an outdoor setting, but can still be used indoors. The sensor is placed on the outside of the enclosure so replacement is easily performed by unscrewing the sensor and putting a new one in it's place. Even though the sensor is placed on the outside of the enclosure, it is still protected with a special guard that shields it from dirt, water, wind, etc. The units we have installed have been around for a number of years, so they are definitely sturdy.

One of the last key features that the Toxgard 2 can be equipped with is an impressive audible alarm. A 95 db horn can be selected to be put on the unit, so it's about as loud as having a motorcycle go off whenever there's any dangerous gases present. Since we are not constantly walking by our Toxgard unit to check the level, having a loud horn alert us whenever cyanide is present is literally a lifesaver.

This piece of instrumentation is incredibly beneficial to employees working around dangerous chemicals. The Toxgard monitors we have spread around our plant have been tremendously reliable so long as we keep up with the routine maintenance on them. So friends and families can rest assured that their loved ones will not be harmed by an unexpected presence of a dangerous gas. I believe this is a worthwhile investment.

A Brief Introduction

What comes to mind when you hear someone say they are going to school for instrumentation? If you're like the 90 percent of people I encounter, your mind immediately pictures guitars, pianos, drums, clarinets, or a combination of musical devices. Now how about the term instrumentation technology? This is where most of those individuals are lost.

Wikipedia defines instrumentation as "a collective term for measuring instruments used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities." This is basically the gist of it. Obviously one can go much more into depth with this, but for the sake of simplicity, I'll cover some of the basics.

If you're like me, you were/are probably under the assumption that instrumentation technology is exclusive to areas such as mine sites, power plants, or factories. While much more elaborate and complicated instrumentation systems are used in these settings, simple instrumentation is found in your home. Take a look at your thermostat; this is a great example of a temperature controlling instrument. The unit senses the temperature inside your home using a bi-metallic strip. A needle on one end of this strip rotates with a change in temperature, thus creating a shift in the mercury switch. The mercury creates contact between two electrodes and this activates the furnace. Now think of your vehicle; this has numerous examples. Whether it is the temperature of the engine, the level of antifreeze, or the pressure in your tires, all modern vehicles use the interaction of a sensing element and the transmission of a signal to give you feedback on your vehicle's condition and needs. So instrumentation, at its most basic, is simply a collection of devices that measure, record, and control temperature, pressure, flow, level, weight, and several other physical quantities. It's a lot more prevalent than what most people think.

So what does this mean for the average person? To you, it may mean simple convenience. To me, it means a career and an opportunity to challenge myself on a daily basis. Technology is continually advancing, so the demand for individuals who are willing to study and prepare for the duties in the field of instrumentation increases with it. Today's society is incredibly fast paced and the need for vehicles, medical equipment, food, entertainment, and many other necessities has only increased as well. This higher demand requires a faster and safer approach to production. Integrating instrumentation into a process to make it automatic is that approach. There is certainly no doubt in anyone's mind that this type of advancement is not going away, but rather, will only expand. Instrumentation technology has benefitted so many directly or indirectly, and it will continue to do so in the near future.