Sunday, January 26, 2020

Controller Area Network Sensors: Applications in Automobiles

Controller Area Network Sensors: Applications in Automobiles 1: Introduction In this paper an overview on the Controller area network sensors and their real world application in the automobiles is presented to the reader. The fact that controller area networks employ various sensors and actuators to monitor the overall performance of a car (K.H. Johansson et al, 2001[1]), this paper focuses only on the sensors and their role in supporting the CAN performance. 2: Laser Speed Velocimetry (LSV) sensor The application of this sensor is present in the Reanult range of vehicles where the company is incorporating the LSV as an on-board sensor to measure ground speed with better than 0.1km/h accuracy (LM Info, 2006[2]). The LSV technology is an approach to measure ground speed of a moving automobile with greater accuracy thus ensuring better on the road performance as argued by K.H. Johansson et al (2001). The purpose of the technology is to measure real-time speed of an automobile at accuracy level of 0.1km/h.The technology behind the LSV system comprises of the sensor that continuously records the interference with the motion surface that is fed back to the controller in the system that measures the speed of the car. The diagram in fig 1 below explains the aforementioned effectively. The above is the schematic representation of the mounting of the LSV 065 sensor head (Source: www.polytech.com). The above diagram further clarifies that the use of the LSV system not only provides an effective and accurate measurement of the speed but also proves that the use of this system can provide an effective control over the performance and over the velocity of an automobile. The LSV systems from Polytech, the schematic for which was presented in this section â€Å"combine a sensor head, a controller and software into a rugged industrial package that makes precision measurements from standstill to speeds of more than 7,200 m/min in either direction† (LM INFOR Special Issue, 2006). 2: Braking System sensors and Speed sensors The ABS system utilizes multiple sensors to prevent the wheels from locking whilst braking at high speeds. The main sensors used in this set-up are 2.1: Speed sensor The speed sensor is the sensor that is fitted to each wheel of the automobile. The purpose of the sensor is to identify the wheel slip whilst braking which is then fed back to the ABS controller unit to control. The speed sensor records the speed of the rotation of the wheel and when one or more of the wheels are recorded to be rotating at a considerably lower speed then the ABS control unit reduces the pressure on the pressure valves thus ensuring that the braking does not lock the wheel. The speed sensor equipment comprises of various models and can be mounted on different positions of an automobile in facilitating the measurement of the speed. The application of the speed sensor in the ABS is one of the many applications of speed measurement. The ECM method of measuring the speed using speed sensors is increasingly popular as part of the ABS technology. It is also argued as the later version of ABS that overcomes the fundamental sensor positioning related flaws in the ABS system. The ECM uses the Pulse Code Modulation technique to communicate with the sensor and the control system of the Controller Area Network of the automobile. From the figure above it is clear that the ECM plays a critical role as the controller to capture the sensor signals and transmit to the master controller area network Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for overall control of the automobile. It is also evident that the sensor plays a vital role in the speed measurement and efficient operation of the ABS braking system. The fundamental difference between the VSS and the WSS is that the VSS is part of the controller area network and is connected directly to the ECU of the network whilst the WSS feeds into the ABS controller unit that is connected to the CAN of the car or automobile under consideration. The VSS is also a successful and flexible method for motorbikes and other two-wheeled vehicles as the mounting is simpler compared to the WSS mounting for ABS system that is popular in a car. The cases of VSS mounted in transaxle and the transmission serve effectively for the purpose of velocity measurement and also provides near accurate readings for the efficient speed control by the driver of the car or the rider of the bike. In the case of the VSS mounted in the transmission, the sensor sends a 4 pulse signal at regular intervals to the combination meter that then sends the signal to the ECU of the CAN in the car. The signal so sent is recorded as the speed and shown to the driver as the velocity of the car. This approach is more accurate to the traditional analogue approach to the speed measurement and management. The above schematic makes it clear that although the mounting of the sensor on the transaxle provides an efficient method of measuring velocity, the response of the sensor can be damaged due to the mechanical wear and tear that is directly associated with the transaxle in a car. The VSS mounted in the transmission is perceived to have resolved the issue through the mounting of the sensor near the core rotor and using a magnetic field to hold the sensor in position. This approach agreed to the more effective compared to the former where the mechanical wear and tear was a critical drawback to the overall performance of the system. The schematic mounting of the VSS in the transmission is presented in the fig 4 below. The above mounting schematic in the figure further justifies that the positioning of the sensor by the rotor will help measure the speed effectively and more accurately 3: Differential Hall effect Sensors Daniel Dwyer (2007)[3] argues that the differential Hall effect sensors are not only capable of accurately measuring speed but also providing the safety measures through effectively controlling the speed. The hall effect sensors utilize the fundamental principle behind the Hall Effect which is described as follows â€Å"When a bias voltage is applied to the silicon plate via two current contacts, an electric field is created and a current is forced.† †¦ Daniel Dwyer (2007). This principle is utilized in the gear tooth profiling and speed measurement through the gear tooth sensing both in the linear and the differential cases. The differential case is argued as a more successful element especially in case of the automatic transmission automobiles because of the need to effectively control the speed associated with the car. Another interesting element with the differential Hall-effect sensors is the fact that the sensor positioning is robust in nature and its wear and tear is minimal. The differential element sensing that is the key for the differential Hall effect sensors utilizes the fundamental Hall effect. Alongside the sensor also â€Å"eliminates the undesired effects of the back-biased field through the process of subtraction.† (Daniel Dwyer (2007). The differential baseline field for the sensor is made close to zero gauss since each of the two Hall elements in on the IC (the sensor) approximately see the same back-biased field as argued by Daniel Dwyer (2007). A schematic representation of the differential element sensing is presented in fig 5 below. The major feature of the Differential Hall effect sensor is the production in the form of an integrated circuit that can respond to the magnetic field interference and differential effects due to the change in speed and the gear tooth positioning in the magnetic field. The differential element sensing and the speed measurement is accomplished through the overall peak holding of the Integrated Circuit (IC) in the field. Although the traditional peak-detecting scheme could resolve the issue of peak holding, the sensor requires an external capacitor for peak holding in order to effectively control the overall automobile speed. Since a large gain is required to generate a signal strong enough to overcome the air gap in the case of the hall effect sensor especially in the drawbacks associated with the timing accuracy and duty cycle performance in the slope of the magnetic signal strength as argued by Daniel Dwyer (2007). From the above arguments it is clear that the Hall effect sensor is a successful but expensive sensor to perform measurements and be programmed as part of the overall CAN of the automobile. Thus to conclude the research in this paper the four sensors that were discussed include The Laser Speed Velocimetry (LSV) sensor and an insight on the LSV 065 module as an example. This sensor proves to be successful and accurate speed measurement equipment but the mounting and safety related elements pose a big drawback for its commercial application. The Wheel speed sensor for the ABS in an automobile was then discussed followed by the analysis of the Velocity Speed Sensor. Finally the Differential Hall Effect sensor was discussed in the research paper. This sensor on the other hand can be mounted easily in an automobile and can perform effectively to provide accurate measurements but has higher cost liability and maintenance requirements making it a secondary choice to the traditional VSS And WSS sensors used in most of the cars. Footnotes [1] K.H. Johansson et al, (2001), Vehicle Applications of Controller Area Network, ARTIST2 Network of Excellence on Embedded Systems Design, [2] LM: INFO (2006), Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A [3] Daniel Dwyer (2007), Differential Hall-effect sensors aid rotational speed control, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Report Essay

Introduction Like other schools around the nation, Beech Grove Intermediate School is experiencing a serious problem with attendance. This has been cited as a problem and something that needs to be addressed so that Beech Grove Intermediate can achieve the attendance rate they need to become a Four-Star status school. Currently, the attendance at Beech Grove Intermediate is averaging around 95 percent. The rate needs to increase to 97 percent for the school to achieve Four-Star status. Beech Grove Intermediate does have an attendance policy; however, other strategies could be implemented to increase the attendance. Attendance is an important part of children’s and parents’ everyday responsibilities, and poor attendance habits cause lifelong consequences. Many schools around the nation report low attendance and high tardiness rates. This problem needs to be addressed in order to help our children do well in school and become responsible adults. Children who are habitually late or chronically absent miss out on much that is learned in school. Even being 5 to 10 minutes late each day creates a situation where children can lose a considerable amount of time that is being spent on their schooling. Also, it is known that children with poor attendance rates in elementary and high school continue to show problems of tardiness and even proficiency later in life once they go to college or pursue a career. Changes in the attendance program at Beech Grove are needed, and the following report is intended to propose tactics for increasing the attendance rate at Beech Grove Intermediate School. Methodology For this report we surveyed teachers from six local elementary and secondary schools to get an idea of what other schools were doing to increase their attendance. We received 50 completed questionnaires. We also searched scholarly databases such as ERIC to find relevant articles on the problem of increasing attendance. These articles outline several solutions to  increasing attendance in schools. Review of the Literature This review of recently published literature on attendance addresses causes, effective policies, parental contact, community involvement, teacher/student relationships, and rewards and incentives to increase student attendance. Causes of Absenteeism All the literature agrees that absenteeism is an all too common problem for schools around the country. This can be traced to a range of causes from unsupportive school environment to poor health of the student. According to John Doughtery (1999), home dynamics play a key role in absenteeism. The parents are the key to how often a child attends class (Doughtery, 1999, p. 10). Janet Ford and Richard Sutphen (1996) agree with this and list parent influence on absenteeism as number two on their list for reasons for absence. They go on to state that lack of caring by the parents, or parents who are not home to see the child off to school are major reasons for students not to go to class, especially with younger students (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 96). Other than home life, illness of the child is also given as a common reason for absenteeism in the literature. Also, appointments and vacations are listed as top reasons in the literature as well. Doughtery attests to this in saying, â€Å" It is now common practice for students to miss school for general appointments to avoid tests and assignments† (1999, p. 10). Two authors noted that homeless students or students who live in a family that move very frequently are more likely to be chronically absent from school (Epstien, Sheldon, 2002, p. 311). Some of the authors also agree that if a student is not succeeding in school then they are less likely to want to come to school. This also goes along with schools that do not give praise to students or interact with the students so that no one feels left out, and help to see that everyone succeeds (Doughtery, 1999, p. 10). In short, all of the authors agree that parental involvement and student-teacher interaction is very important in keeping absenteeism down. Effective Policies and Parental Contact As schools seek new programs and ideas for increasing student attendance, one of the two most frequently mentioned tactics in the literature are having an effective attendance policy and increasing communication with parents and guardians. According to Dan Vandivier (2003), a high school principal, attendance policies must be stringent and must also be persistently adhered to. He states that policies must be fair and also have â€Å"flexibility to accommodate mitigating circumstances† (Vandivier, 2003, p. 81). Vandivier’s new attendance policy no longer distinguished between excused and unexcused and allowed administration discretion in dealing with excessive absences for legitimate reasons (Vandivier, 2003, p. 81). Dougherty (1999) agrees that schools must produce a clear fair attendance policy that is up to date and standardized and communicate it. Many studies have also shown a correlation between increased parental contact and increased attendance (Smerka, 1993; Epstein & Sheldon, 2002). Smerka (1993) noted that after mailing notices to all parents informing them of the success of the attendance program and asking for their support, the perfect attendance rate increased to 13.9 percent (p. 96.) He claimed that the key to good attendance is promoting it everywhere to everyone (Smerka, 1993, p. 96). Another study also found that â€Å"the degree to which schools overcame the challenge of communicating effectively with families was related to gains in student attendance and declines in chronic absenteeism† (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002, p.315). The study noted that providing families with someone to talk to at the school about attendance or other issues was effective in increasing attendance (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002, p.315). In addition to simply having contact with parents, many authors agree that it is the responsibility of the parents to monitor their student’s absenteeism (Dougherty, 1999; Ford & Sutphen,1996; Kube & Radgan,1992). Dougherty (1999) says that parents â€Å"must be responsible for their child’s daily attendance and promptly inform the school attendance office when the student is absent† (p. 11). One study shows that increasing communication with parents and involving them in the student’s education are strategies for increasing attendance. This study also cited the use of a letter to parents informing them of the policy and encouraging them to discuss the importance  of good attendance with their children (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 96). Another study also said that parents â€Å"must be responsible for the student’s daily attendance† and they must â€Å"stress the importance of daily attendance to their children† (Kube & Radgan, 1992). C reating effective attendance policies that are reviewed and renewed regularly and establishing parental contact are very important stepping stones for increasing attendance in schools. Community Involvement While it is not crucial to the success of an attendance program, many of our authors agree that solid community involvement can positively impact attendance rates. Many schools work with businesses in the community to offer incentives for students with good or perfect attendance (â€Å"Raising School Attendance,† 2002). John Daugherty (1999), an education professor at Linden-wood College, refers to programs which offer a series of incentives for attendance, ranging from fast-food coupons to entertainment centers which were offered at a discount from local businesses (p. 16). A different form of contribution is noted in Bob Maggi’s (1991) case study of a school in Missouri. A local company contributed $500 to fund their mentoring/ adoption program. Seeing how successful the project was, the company doubled the amount it contributes to the program. Another article suggests that schools work with law enforcement and local businesses. The author states, â€Å"With their support, children who should be in school will be in school† (â€Å"Raising School Attendance,† 2002). Joyce Epstein and Steven Sheldon from The Johns Hopkins University agree, saying, â€Å"Developing productive school-family-community connections has become one of the most commonly embraced policy initiatives in schools and school districts† (2002, p. 308). There are times when the community involvement takes a much more negative but still necessary angle. Often, students will be habitually absent and schools are now working to address that issue. Janet Ford and Richard Sutphen, social work professors at the University of Kentucky, mention that in some states or districts parents of students will face fines or even jail time if they fail to adhere to attendance laws (1996, p. 95). Dougherty  suggests other tactics, such as â€Å"implementing police sweeps, involving local agencies and the media and notifying juvenile authorities† (1999). Of course, these tactics are usually implemented in only severe cases of absenteeism. Community involvement and support can be a wonderful addition to attendance policies if tailored to meet the school’s needs and the student’s desires. Teacher/Student Relationships While family and community involvement both play important roles in maintaining good student attendance, our sources all agree that student-teacher relationships are also very important. Several authors encourage one on one meetings, or mentoring students who have attendance problems. In fact, at least one study (Maggi, 1991) is devoted entirely to this practice and with great results, while others (â€Å"Raising school attendance,† 2001 and Vandiver, 2003) simply add it into their attendance programs. Authors agree that to curb poor attendance teachers should lecture students every day about the importance of attending school daily. Kube and Ratigan (1992) insist, â€Å"Teachers must let students know that they are missed when they have been absent. They must ensure that important learning experiences occur each day in their classes† (p.3), while Dougherty (2003) concurs and adds, â€Å"And they must value and reward good attendance† (p.76). According to the literature, the teachers are also responsible for coming up with new and creative ways to entice children into coming to school every day. These enticements run the gamut from Vandiver’s (2003) idea of being exempt from having to take the final exams if the student has perfect attendance to Ford and Sutphin’s (1996) strategy of giving tokens to students with good attendance so that they could cash them in on prizes at the end of the week (p.98). In the end, authors agree that in order to keep attendance under control, educators need not only to regularly come up with new and innovative ideas to keep students coming to school but to consistently tell the students how important it is for them to be present every day. Rewards and Incentives Research has shown that attendance increases when schools incorporate incentive programs into their attendance policies. Bob Maggi (1998), principal at Jarrett High School, began a program which encouraged teachers to adopt a student. Maggi (1998) claimed that â€Å"A $500 grant from Southwestern Bell Foundation was distributed to the adopting teachers to be used to their discretion: for birthday or holiday gifts, for taking student out for dinner or a show, or to buy a sweatshirt or dance ticket† (p.12). It only took one year for Jarrett High School to receive the results they were searching for. Terrance Smerke (1993, p.95), principal of Aurora Middle School, along with other schools found it effective to reward the children with positive letters of their accomplishments (Best Practices for School Attendance, 1998). According to Janet Ford, PhD, and Richard Sutphen, PhD, both assistant professors, other types of incentives are posting student’s names in the hallway or reading them over the public address system (1996). One observation mentioned in the article â€Å"Raising School Attendance† (2002), was that Monday and Friday â€Å"are typically the days with the highest absenteeism. Planning special events for these days could improve attendance.† Vandivier (2003), principal of Twin Rivers High School, and John Dougherty (1999), professor of education at Linden-wood College, agree that rewards such as movie tickets, food coupons, and gift certificates will increase attendance. The article How do you improve student attendance, claims that one way to boost attendance is to put all the students’ names with perfect attendance into a drawing (2001, p.26). Ann Kube, math teacher at North Scott High School, and Gary Radigan, principle at Ankeny High School, agree that incentives encourage students to attend school regularly (1992). As most of the authors stated, incentives have been proven to increase attendance. Punishments/Consequences All of our authors agree that absenteeism has negative consequences for students, schools and society. In the article â€Å"Early Intervention to Improve Attendance In Elementary School for At risk Children,† Janet Ford and Richard V. Sutphen discuss the effects on students. They say that  non-attendees generally fall behind their peers in academic achievement and the development of social competence (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 95). Consequences for parents include fines and jail time; consequences for schools are loss of funds, and for society higher rates of unemployment, poverty and lack of preparation to enter the work force (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 95). Dougherty agrees that habits of absenteeism and tardiness affect work performance when youngsters become adults (1999, p. 7). In Dan Vandivier’s article entitled â€Å"Improving Attendance, A Formula that Worked† he discusses an attendance policy at Twin Rivers High School in Brosely, Montana. Policies state d that students that miss more than six days in a semester are not considered to have earned credit, and no distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences (2003, p. 81). As for students and specific punishments our authors disagreed with suspension. Dougherty states, â€Å"that suspending a student is giving them what he wants, a vacation† (1999, p. 9). As most of the authors conclude, there is some form of punishment given to a student that misses excessive days. Conclusion In conclusion, the above research findings all agree that attendance is a very important issue for students. The literature indicated that the following topics are important factors in increasing attendance: effective policies, parental contact, community involvement, teacher/student relationships, rewards and incentives, and punishments/consequences.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Popular Music, Television, and Film Stars Essay

Everyone at all ages have grown up admiring and idealizing at least on celebrity, be that an actor, singer or any other famous person. What they do not ask while they are young is whether our idols are people we should be looking up to. Usually when people become older they realize that their role models at the time are not someone they would want their children idolizing now. They come to the conclusion that the person they looked up to wasn’t who they truly were, it was all an act. So should a celebrity be considered a true leader? That is worth debating. By using three characteristics of celebrities it will be known whether or not a celebrity has the potential to be a good leader. To begin, a celebrity can be known for many things, but a leader and great role model is not always one of them. One characteristic of a celebrity is being perfect. Is being perfect possible? No, but Paris Hilton is an example of someone who thinks they need to diet uncontrollably and get plastic surgery to make them seem perfect. This is not nearly close enough to be a true leader, because she is giving children the wrong idea; that it’s okay to be unhealthy and to bad things to your body just to look perfect so everyone likes them. The opposition may argue that it’s not always their fault. An example of this would be Demi Lavato. She suffered from bulimia and dieted because she didn’t like the way she looked. However they are wrong because although she couldn’t control her disease, there is no reason she should have hated herself in the beginning. We need to teach the children of this generation that it’s okay to look different. Not everyone needs to wear tons of makeup and be stick thin. A celebrity who can show all of these ideas is one who is truly a leader. Subsequently, everyone is selfish in their life for their own reasons, but should children look up to people who are selfish all the time? A successful celebrity gets money, fame, and anything they virtually want, but that is not a reason they should be selfish. An example of a selfish celebrity would be Kim Kardashion. Everything she does is related to how she can get more fame. Her tv show, her clothes line, her perfume, even her marriage was to give her more publicity. This is not what a leader would do. The opposition would argue that everyone is selfish so why can’t celebrities be who they are; however, they are wrong because although everyone is selfish it’s not as bad as celebrities and non-famous people aren’t the ones trying to get children and  fans to be just like them. Children need to learn that it is important to set aside time to help those who need more help than they do. John Cena is a great example of this. He is a famous wwe wrestler who gets paid a lot and has many fans, however, he takes the time to support the American Red Cross and goes to see children with diseases and cancer to try and make their day better. This is a great way to show how to be a leader. Lastly, something very common in the celebrity world is failed marriages. How are the newer generation’s children supposed to know that, although what t hey see on the tv and in magazines, they are really supposed to marry someone because they love them and want to be with them for the rest of their lives? â€Å"Till death do us part.† right? Wrong the tv, music, and famous world is showing that it’s okay if marriages don’t work out, that they can just find someone else or someone’s at that matter. These celebrities like Kim Kardashion and Kris Humphries were married for 10 months. The only reason they got married was because marrying a famous basketball player with lots of money would defiantly give Kim the publicity she wanted. The opposition may argue that it’s their life and there’s no reason they should be judged by their private life; however, they are wrong because when someone is brought into this industry, their private life is all everyone hears about. Just because they are famous doesn’t mean they can’t get married because of love. An example of a good couple that shows a leader quality would be Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. They are both country singers and have been married for 16 years with three children. Who said that marriage in showbiz had to end so soon? A leader isn’t someone willing to stage a fake marriage for a bigger fan base. Concisely, these days it is getting increasingly hard to tell the difference between a true leader and role model from a fake one. In the celebrity business there are three characteristics such as, perfection, selfishness, and fakeness that results in, are once role models turning into people who we look down upon. It is important to look at people for who they are as a person and what they can do for the people around them, rather than idolizing people for their fashion, money and fame.