Re: Piezoelectric caps [was: Soldering surface mount components]

From: Terry Given (my_name_at_ieee.org)
Date: 12/06/04 

Date: Tue, 07 Dec 2004 12:05:36 +1300

Bob Masta wrote:
> On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 17:05:55 +1300, Terry Given <my_name@ieee.org>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>>I think the problem with mechanics is that it initially is more
>>accessible than electronics. By that I mean it is easy to get a handle
>>on say torque - lean on a bar, whereas getting a handle on an electron
>>is a bit trickier - you cant see it, feel it etc. most of the
>>electronics people I meet have a fair understanding of second order
>>systems, stuff like that. but few so-called mechanical engineers do. I
>>have been fortunate enough to work with some brilliant mechanical
>>engineers, people who are every bit as clever and creative as the
>>smartest electronics guys I know (some guys I very briefly worked with
>>at Penn State were incredible), but most seem a bit thick. Hell, try
>>getting a *** metal shop to fold up a box accurately.
>>
>>Then when you really get into it, mechanics is a lot more complex than
>>(most) electronics - nothing is isotropic, or homogeneous, or perhaps
>>even well characterised. Everything is as non-linear as all hell, and
>>the measurements are a lot harder. I suspect all the clever mech
>>engineers go work on the really tricky stuff, and leave the rest of the
>>work to the metal-shop dropouts.
>>
>
>
> When I was in engineering school, everyone took pretty much
> the same core curriculum for the first 2 years. Then you got
> to select whether you were going to be an EE, ME, or IE
> (Industrial Engineer). The administration tried to steer you
> into one of these based on your grade average: EE if you got
> good grades, ME if mediocre, else IE. (With my average, I
> had to *fight* for an EE slot!)
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
>
> Bob Masta
> dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom
>
> D A Q A R T A
> Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
> www.daqarta.com

And the mech guys drank the most booze, by far. Honestly, I was
seriously impressed by the guys at Penn State, they were easily the
smartest bunch of people I have met. And man did they do some cool
stuff. I especially liked the sterling cycle engine powered by a block
of burning lithium (in a seriously strong room with a Cu powder fire
extinguisher handy).

Cheers
Terry

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