Introduction to Electric Vehicles

Hey readers! I hope you are doing good and learning something. Have you ever thought about electric vehicles, which are rechargeable and run on a battery? Now, it is possible, and today, we will discuss electric vehicles.

All over the globe, EVs have made a major difference by being a cleaner and cheaper way to travel than gasoline and diesel cars. Unlike cars with engines, electric cars are environmentally friendly because their engines use rechargeable batteries and give out no emissions. The rise in buyers and producers of EVs is thanks in part to new kinds of batteries, better motors, and certain actions taken by the government.

Because of their various operating systems, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are each designed for different situations. All kinds of EVs offer several main benefits: they are better for the world, use less energy, perform well, and cost less to run.

But difficulties such as shorter driving ranges, fewer places to charge, batteries losing their power, and cars costing more upfront keep many people from using EVs. Even then, progress in EVs is being pushed forward by innovations in batteries, using wireless chargers, and technology for cars and the grid. On the road to sustainability, EVs will show the way and help cut down on pollution worldwide.

Here, you will learn about electric vehicles, their main components, working, types, charging structure, advantages, and future. Let’s start.

What is an Electric Vehicle (EV)? 

Electricity, not gas or diesel, is what an EV needs to work. Its motor operates on rechargeable batteries, and those batteries get recharged whenever the toy is connected to an electric power source. No emissions at the tailpipe means EVs are green and save energy.

Some EVs are named Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), some are called Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and there are a few called Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). Many methods exist, but all technology is about lowering the use of fossil fuels.

The reduced expense to run EVs, as well as how quiet they are and how little maintenance they require, are bright reasons many choose them for future journeys.

The History of Electric Vehicles:

Electric vehicles are not a 21st-century invention; they have existed since the early 19th century. Here’s a short chronology:

  • 1828 -1835: Inventors such as Ányos Jedlik and Thomas Davenport developed the first crude electric motors and electric vehicles with non-rechargeable batteries. 

  • 1870s -1880s: Advances in technology (for example, lead acid batteries developed by Gaston Planté) made electric vehicles somewhat practical. 

  • 1890s -1900s: Mentioned above, electric vehicles gained popularity (in the U.S.) because they were quieter and cleaner than steam and gasoline-powered cars, and by 1900, it was estimated that 28% of vehicles in the U.S. were electric. 

  • 1920s: Ford's mass production of gasoline-powered vehicles, better roads, and the refusal to stop using electric vehicles forced electric vehicles into oblivion. 

  • Late 20th Century: Increasing oil prices and awareness of environmental issues saw a renewed interest in electric vehicles. The GM EV1 (1996) was a landmark, however, it was recalled. 

  • 2000-Present: Tesla Motors has completely disrupted the electric vehicle market by focusing on performance, design, and battery range, and today, nearly all major automobile manufacturers are heavily investing in electric vehicle technology.

How Electric Vehicles Work:

The electric vehicle (EV) derives its propulsion from electric batteries instead of gasoline or diesel, which is the primary difference from a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. What we refer to as an electric vehicle is the electric powertrain/s, which is a rechargeable battery and delivers clean and efficient transportation without fossil fuels.

Power Source:

The battery pack is the core of the energy system of an EV, which is constructed mainly out of lithium-ion cells. The worth of the battery pack is that it stores electrical energy for its drive system and delivers power to the electric motor.  Batteries, pack capacities may vary by vehicle battery size according to the manufacturer, but larger battery packs mean longer driving range. You can attach EVs to outside electricity sources, such as at your home or public EV charging spots. It depends on the charger: you can be charged in under an hour with a DC charger, but a Level 2 charger can take hours.

Powertrain:

EVs need to convert the direct current (DC) electrical energy in the battery pack with an inverter first to alternating current (AC). AC electrical energy is currently used to drive the electric motor to generate torque to move the vehicle in a given direction. EVs commonly use a single-speed gear reduction transmission, which is less complex than traditional ICE vehicles ' multi-speed transmission; hence, a mechanical system is simplified, and maintenance needs are also reduced. The takeoff and acceleration in EVs are smooth with instantaneous torque.

Regenerative Braking:

A unique part of electric vehicles is that they can slow down using regenerative braking. If you push the brake or let off the gas, the system will make you slow down more quickly. After that, the electric motor turns in reverse and assists in producing energy. In the old way, braking lost the vehicle’s energy as heat. With regenerative braking, the energy is turned into electricity and is fed back to the battery. As a result, less energy is needed, and the vehicle has a greater range.

Types of Electric Vehicles:

Types 

Description 

Energy Source

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

Fully electric, no fuel engine

Battery only

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

Combines an electric motor and an internal combustion engine; can be recharged

Battery + Fuel

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

Uses an electric motor to assist ICE, not rechargeable externally

Fuel + Regenerative energy

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)

Generates electricity from hydrogen gas

Hydrogen fuel cells

Components of Electric Vehicles:

The organization and construction of Electric Vehicles (EVs) differ greatly from that of traditional vehicles with Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) engines. These components work in conjunction to afford isolated and locally sourced clean green transportation that will connect efficiently. Below is a description of how the main components work together to allow EVs to operate and be controlled:

1. Battery Pack:

The EV battery pack is like a fuel tank in any car, the batteries are the basic source of energy. A new generation of carbon-free liquid-fuel equivalent. They supply enough electricity to power the motor and run all the car’s electronic circuits. Most EVs use Lithium-ion batteries today, since they deliver a high amount of energy, last over time, and are efficient.  A higher power pack kWh rating commonly means your battery will provide a longer driving range. Safety, top performance, and a long life for the batteries of an electric vehicle depend on the Battery Management System.

2. Electric Motor:

The electric motor is what converts electrical energy to mechanical energy and provides power to move the vehicle. There are a multitude of motors available for use in EVs:

  • AC Induction Motor: is utilized because of its robust construction and low price, used by every Tesla vehicle in earlier versions.

  • Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM): Found for its high efficiencies and compact design; used widely in EVs today.

  • Brushless DC Motor (BLDC): Marries the best attributes of both AC and DC motors; provides high torque, efficiency, and is ideal to use in smaller vehicles.

3. Inverter:

The job of the inverter is to change the DC battery’s current to AC so that the electric motor can use it. The inverter will also change the AC into DC during regenerative braking, so the power goes back to the battery. The inverter will likewise convert the AC to DC during regenerative braking to be sent back to the battery. The inverter controls how much power to send to the motor by changing the frequency and voltage of the AC supply.

4. Onboard Charger:

The onboard charger is responsible for taking in electricity when the EV is plugged into a charging station. It will convert the grid's AC power into DC suitable for the battery. The ratings of the chargers' power can dictate the speed at which the battery will charge. Higher kilowatt ratings will allow one to charge the battery sooner.

5. Thermal Management System:

The thermal management system controls the temperature of vital components such as the battery, inverter, and motor to provide optimal operating conditions. Thermal management systems will have cooling circuits, pumps, and in some instances heating elements. With the right thermal management, there are no upsets in system behavior, fragile components are kept safe, and temperatures are controlled so going too high or too low because of harsh ambient conditions is avoided.

6. Controller:

For many automakers, the controller is the brain of an EV because it supervises nearly all of the vehicle's systems. The controller manages the speed of the vehicle, how much torque is generated, regains energy through braking, and allocates power to each part. The controller gets input information from the vehicle accelerator, brake pedal, and a variety of on-board sensors, and applies efficiency commands to the vehicle to ensure smooth operation and optimal performance.

Charging Infrastructure:

Charging Level

Voltage 

Time Required

Typical Use

Level 1

120V

8-20 hours

Home

Level 2

240V

4-8 hours

Home/Public

Level 3 (DC Fast Charging)

400V+

30 mins to 1 hour

Commercial

Advantages of Electric Vehicles:

Rather than ordinary gas or diesel cars, EVs are better in many different ways. EVs are better for the environment, cost less, and are much more comfortable to operate.

Environmentally Friendly:

Because there is no tailpipe, EVs have no air emissions when driving. Once again, this keeps the air cleaner and is also an advantage for cities. And if you charge your EV from solar, wind, or other clean energy, it helps reduce the disease rate and the levels of global warming since it doesn't create toxic gases like carbon dioxide.

Cost Savings In the Long Term:

It is normally cheaper to drive an EV rather than a fuel car. Electricity is cheaper than gasoline, and EVs have fewer moving parts and, therefore, less maintenance costs. For example, you are not getting oil changes, and you also will not have engine issues. In the long run, this can lead to substantial cost savings.

Smoother and Quieter Ride:

EVs will provide a fast and smooth drive. The beauty of an EV is that the motor provides power instantly; therefore, you do not need to wait for the engine to rev up or change gears, and there is no noise, providing a smoother experience for you, as well as reducing, in a smaller way, the impact of noise pollution on roads.

Reduced Dependence on Oil:

By using EVs, we lessen our reliance on imported oil and fossil fuels. Since our nation can produce electricity in several ways, it could mean we depend less on other countries for fuel, become more energy secure, and save money on our fuel needs.

Government Incentives:

Countries everywhere are providing benefits to encourage both consumers and businesses to use electric vehicles. There are incentives such as lower taxes, money back, reserved parking, no highway tolls, and free rides in HOV and carpool lanes. With these offers, it’s easier to own and drive electric vehicles.

Future Trends in Electric Vehicle Technology:

Within the next decade, the technology for electric vehicles will undergo developments previously not considered possible:

Solid-State Batteries:

  • Higher energy density

  • Faster charging rates & longer life span

Wireless Charging:

Convenient and easy charging with no bother of cables

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Vehicles:

EVs could double as mobile grid storage

Autonomous Vehicles:

A combination of electrification and driverless technology

Sustainability in Manufacturing:

  • Less carbon footprint in electric vehicle manufacturing

  • Technology will incorporate recycled materials or green materials

Conclusion:

Electric vehicles (EVs) are far more than a trend; they're the future of transportation. Because they provide a cleaner, more efficient way of traveling, EVs help to reduce pollution and simply our dependence on fossil fuels as which is critical in protecting the environment. Better battery technology has greatly improved the consumer purchase price and capabilities of an EV, with improved driving ranges and charging times.

Although there are issues regarding the battery production problem (the costs) and the availability of charging stations, and there are ongoing efforts of innovation and investments in those issues, EVs are becoming the preferred transportation option globally. 

More concisely, EVs are also propelling us to a cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable future, transforming the way we move, while equally protecting the planet and its people for generations to come.

Role of Cloud Computing in IoT

Hi Everyone! Glad to have you on board. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today, I’ll cover the Role of Cloud Computing in IoT.

Digital transformation has gained momentum in the past few years, the reason traditional technologies are becoming obsolete over time. Now organizations are incorporating modern technologies into their business model at an accelerated pace. These technologies produce the influx of data and at times it becomes very difficult to process and handle that data, thanks to cloud computing that has made the handling of data easy and effective. You don’t need traditional data centers anymore to store and process information. Everything will be taken care of remotely in the cloud with data centers.

Not to mention, this is the era of automation. Companies strive to accommodate automation in the activities of their business so they can achieve maximum output without the interference of humans. And this trend complements the arrival of IoT (internet of things). The IoT is nothing but a data source and cloud computing is used to store and process that data. We’ll touch on this further in this article.

Scroll on.

Role of Cloud Computing in IoT

Both cloud computing and IoT are separate terms but can work together for better efficiency and productivity. The former is an architecture that offers on-demand computing resources to the end-users to process, store and handle data over the internet while the latter is a technology that acts as a data source from where data is produced. In simple words, IoT (internet of things) is a network of ‘things’ like physical objects, humans, and machines connected and collect and exchange data in real-time through embedded sensors. For instance, a human with a heart monitoring device and a car with sensors that send an instant alert to the driver for any danger fall under the umbrella of IoT.

According to Statista, “the total Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide is expected to reach 30.9 billion units by 2025, compared to 13.8 billion units that were expected in 2021.”

This projects that billions of devices connected will produce enormous data which makes cloud computing a major part of the IoT technology. Both IoT and cloud computing are inseparable and make an effective integration. In the following, we’ll stretch on this further.

How Cloud Computing and IoT Work Together

As touched on earlier, IoT devices are connected with each other and can produce a flood of data that needs to be handled and processed somewhere. Cloud computing serves that purpose. If IoT devices are connected with traditional data centers, it takes a capital investment to install, manage, scale and upgrade machines on-premises to handle that data. While with cloud computing, virtual infrastructure is created that allows the developers to access and handle computing resources remotely without having to worry about the management of on-site IT infrastructure.

There are cloud service providers that offer cloud computing services to end-users. The common service providers include AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud. The computing capabilities they offer are virtually endless that can effectively process and store the information produced by IoT devices. These providers commonly offer pay-as-you-go service which means you can scale up or scale down the resources as per the requirement of connected IoT devices.

Advantages of Cloud Computing with IoT

Cloud computing and IoT are not the same but they complement each other. The following are the main advantages of combining IoT data with cloud computing infrastructure.

1: Cloud Computing Secures IoT Data

Security is the top priority for any organization to run its business activities successfully. And when companies use cloud computing to their advantage, it gives them a sense of security because your data is processed and stored in remote data centers managed globally. The cloud service providers have a network of servers located at multiple locations which means your data is not stored at one data center, instead, the system creates files of your data at multiple locations in different data centers. If one server goes down, you can get a copy of data from another server.

Whether you pick private cloud or public cloud is another parameter to guarantee the security of your sensitive data. This is how it works – companies use the public cloud for storing a large amount of data and the private cloud to process sensitive data locally. If you want to keep your IoT safe and secure, you can pick a private cloud for this purpose.

2: Cloud Offers Mobility to IoT Data

Cloud makes IoT data easily accessible which means you can remotely access information produced by IoT devices from anywhere in the world. Quick and on-spot data access is crucial when it comes to monitoring information gained by connected IoT devices. In IoT technology, we often get continuous readings from the attached sensors and that readings need to be stored and monitored quickly to make instant decisions.

To stretch this further, you can even use edge computing (which is the extension of cloud computing) to your advantage for handling IoT data. The difference between edge computing and cloud computing is the time it takes to process the information. In edge computing, data doesn’t go to the cloud, instead, it goes to the edge device installed near the data source which takes less time to process it.

3: Cloud Model is Cost-Effective for IoT technology

IoT-based businesses often pick cloud computing to speed up their business operations. Since on-site IT infrastructure is costly and requires up-front payment for the management of traditional data centers. While cloud models remove the hassle of hardware maintenance and give you the flexibility to pick the pricing package best suitable for your business needs.

Common Questions

The following are the frequently asked questions when it comes to integrating IoT with cloud computing.

Is Cloud Computing Necessary for IoT?

Technically speaking the answer is no and yes. NO, if you want to locally process your data in on-site IT infrastructure. YES, if you want to leverage the cloud since it’s preferable to pick the cloud model when there is a flood of information to be handled and stored.

How does cloud computing work with IoT?

There are four different cloud models named public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and community cloud. You can pick any model based on your business needs and requirements. It all depends on the type of data you want to manage and store. For sensitive information to manage, you can prefer the private cloud model, and for non-sensitive, you can opt for the public cloud model. A hybrid model is another option that gives you the option to integrate both private and public clouds into your business.

How do I know if the cloud is right for me?

It depends on the requirement of IT infrastructure. Do your current IT requirements constantly change over the year? Do local data centers cost you more? What is the type of data? The number of connected IoT devices? These are the main questions you need to ask if you need a cloud model or not. This cloud architecture is mainly suited for you if want cost-effective and reliable solutions to handle enormous data.

 

Conclusion

Technology is evolving and every business uniquely works to keep up with the pace of this technology.

Billions of devices are expected to be connected through IoT technology, the information produced by these devices is difficult to handle if you apply the traditional approach to handle and process that information.

As the demand to handle and manage a data grows, organizations will integrate cloud computing into their business models.

And on-demand availability with cloud computing is what makes this model more attractive since this way you can monitor and access your information remotely from anywhere in the world. This trend will complement the usage of more IoT devices in the cloud computing model.

It is safe to say that cloud computing is expected to open new and flexible opportunities for IoT-based businesses to handle, store and process a bulk of data.

That’s all for today. Hope you loved reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can ask me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your experience with the IoT and cloud computing integration. Thank you for reading this article.

How Do You Pick the Best 3D Printing Company?

Product designers nowadays have access to various technologies for creating multiple prototypes. These include traditional methods such as pen-and-paper sketching and cutting foam blocks, as well as more modern technologies such as 3D printing and CNC machining service.

However, today we will focus on the additive manufacturing technique and what you should look for during your search. Numerous businesses embrace the technology by delegating tasks to professional 3D printing services.

In the globally competitive environment, adding a supply partner to the company's value chain is the way to go because the technology is capital-intensive to implement. To help more businesses adopt the technology, we've created a simple guide to help them select the best 3D printing solutions partners.

Available technologies

Working with a 3D printing provider gives you direct exposure to a broad scope of 3D printing technologies. A 3D printing service can handle a wide range of industrial projects thanks to its extensive capabilities. As a result, one of the essential criteria in selecting the best 3D printing service for you is the wide variety of current technologies.

The service provider has significant expert knowledge in all technologies due to their broader technology scope. As a result, they can recommend and help consumers with the technology that will help them get the most out of their initiatives.

Material 

Choosing a 3D printing service isn't complete without considering the materials. Material considerations play an essential role in decision-making. Not all materials can be utilized successfully with all techniques.

Only some technologies can efficiently use solid materials. As a result, consider material availability when selecting a 3D printing service. The 3D printing service you hire should be experienced in printing with the required material.

Knowledge in design

The importance of design in 3D printing is frequently overlooked. While any design can be 3D printed, some can't be done well. Methods for additive manufacturing precepts should be used when designing for 3D printing.

A service agency must be aware of the difference and, as a result, strongly recommend or endorse design changes that are compatible with 3D printing. This compatibility can help customers save time, money, and materials while improving part effectiveness, longevity, and trustworthiness. As a result, choose a 3D printing service that specializes in design.

3D Printing Services for a Specific Market 

While contacting a 3D printing service with a wider variety of technologies is usually a good idea, it is not always the best option. Numerous service providers specialize in a specific area of expertise. This is commonly seen in medical and healthcare settings.

Medical implementations of 3D printing, as well as some aerospace implementations, must meet specific rules and regs. Service bureaus with FDA or ISO-approved amenities, technologies, materials, and procedures should be chosen for particular applications.

Long-Term vs. One-Time 

If you're working on a one-off 3D printing project, the 3D printing service you choose won't have an impact on your long-term work, product, or public image.

However, if you want to integrate 3D printing or outsource long-term work, finding the right 3D printing provider should be a priority.

What Benefits Does 3D Printing Provide?

3D printing is one of the most promising technologies in recent breakthroughs. One of the most inherent benefits of 3D printing is additive innovation; it opens up an entirely new way of creating products and provides numerous benefits over traditional fabrication techniques.

Nowadays, more businesses across many industrial sectors adopt 3D printing as a viable alternative to subtractive manufacturing (acquiring machined parts online) and injection molding. We'll look at the benefits of 3D printing and how you can use this production method to benefit your company. Is it worthwhile to use 3D printing for your project?

Affordability

One of the best aspects of 3d printing is the reduced labor costs. Operating costs heavily influence the quantity of money spent on building a structure. Whenever it comes to traditional manufacturing, production costs are incredibly high, and skilled machine operators are required. In 3D printers, however, all that is needed is for an operator to press a button, and the printer's automated process will take care of the rest. Furthermore, 3D printing is comparable to both small-scale and large-scale manufacturing.

Competitive advantage 

Due to the speed and lower expenses of 3D printing, item life cycles are decreased. Organizations can improve and upgrade an item permitting them to convey better things in a more limited time.

3D printing permits the actual show of another item to clients and financial backers instead of passing it on to their minds, accordingly lessening the gamble of data being misconstrued or lost during communication.

It also enables low-cost test marketing, allowing prospective clients to provide feedback on a physical item without the risk of high upfront prototyping costs.

Quality

Traditional production techniques can lead to shoddy designs and, as a result, shoddy prototypes. Consider baking a cake where all of the ingredients are blended and mixed before being baked. If the ingredients were not extensively combined, the cake would have air bubbles or fail to bake thoroughly. The same thing can happen when using subtractive or injection techniques; quality isn't always guaranteed.

Because of the nature of 3D printing, it is possible to assemble a part or product step by step, resulting in improved design and higher quality parts/products.

Customization and creative design liberty 

Traditional manufacturing techniques are efficient at making dozens and dozens of identical items, but the models are devoid of life and repetitive.

While 3D printing allows designers to create unique models with limitless personalization, it also makes it easy to include unique features that customers demand. Meaning you can get precisely what you want after handing over your 3d printing quote to a form well-versed in this sector.

The majority of additive manufacturing's constraints relate to how to generate a print quickly enough to eliminate the need for support. As a result, developers are free to create intricate geometries and concepts.

Final Words

3D printing is a cutting-edge technology that is preferable, cost-effective, speedier, more viable, adaptable, and environmentally friendly than previous generations. We currently reside in a fast-paced universe where everything needs to be done quickly, and 3D printing technology can help us turn our ideas to life; this is a massive advantage in the printing world.

How to order PCB for manufacturing from JLCPCB

JLCPCB (JiaLiChuang Co. Limited) is a worldwide PCB & PCBA Fabrication enterprise. It is a leading company in high-tech manufacturing products specializing in PCB and PCBA production. With over a decade of experience in PCB manufacturing JLCPCB has made over a million customers through online ordering by the customers of PCB manufacturing and PCBA production.

JLCPCB is a professional manufacturer of large-scale manufacturing of PCBs, well equipment, strict management, and superior quality. It deals with the production of all types of PCBs, Stencils, and SMT.

In this article, we are going to discuss widely how the company operates its ordering system of the PCBs by their customers for production through the online booking process.

JLCPCB SMT Services

Normally, SMT components are used in professional/industrial PCBs and JLCPCB offers the best SMT services. You should first check these JLCPCB SMT services to get an idea. Let me highlight its important points:

  • JLCPCB offers single-sided placement on the PCB board.
  • JLCPCB has an extensive Library for SMT parts and you need to select the components from there.
  • JLCPCB manufacture SMT Components in-house and thus gives the best results.
  • JLCPCB places automated solder paste and then performs Solder Paste Inspection(SPI).
  • I have attached the SMT Assembly screenshot in the below figure:
You can check JLCPCB SMT Services from this video as well:

So, it's quite easy to order for manufacturing of Metal Core PCB on JLCPCB.

How to place an order online

Ordering of PCB at JLCPCB is not a complicated process, since the system is user-friendly to every customer. The steps below show the steps to be followed when placing an order.

STEP 1:

Register on the official site of JLCPCB, if you don’t have an account. if you already have an account just log in

STEP 2:

After login into one account. It will display a home page with a quotation calendar that will display an ordering page. On the quotation calendar, the customer would be asked to enter the size of PCB which he/she requires, quantity, layers, and thickness of their choice

STEP 3:

In this step, the customer is required to enter the PCB board details on the online calculator to get the price of the quoted items in step 2. Also, there is the minimum price which is the cheapest one for a particular PCB.

STEP 4:

Then click to “Add your Gerber file” this will upload the file. There are written guidelines on how to generate different Gerber files in the best format on the well-known circuit design program found in the company industry. A very small customer ID is always added to the PCB ordered to distinguish the PCB order from all others.

If one wants to put it in a specific location you are required to indicate the location by adding a unique text like “PBCJLPBCJL”

The system will analyze the file Gerber to confirm the dimensions and layers of the board after uploading the Gerber file.

STEP 5:

Then click the “Gerber viewer” to the design of the boards. Customers are advised to confirm the Gerber file carefully for any errors. After checking and confirming the errors and no problem is detected just click “save to cart” and continue to the next step

STEP 6:

After saving to cart then click “add new item” if you want to order multiple PCBs repeat the same steps from the beginning as you add both of them to the cart.

STEP 7:

Expand the cart and view all the details of the PCBs ordered, including the price of each one of them, its specifications, and all the number of PCBs ordered.

STEP 8:

After viewing all the details in the cart and seeing all the PCBs you wanted click the “checkout securely” button

STEP 9:

On the checkout, menu add your shipping address where are the PCBs are to be shipped. The country where the PCBs are shipped determines the rates. Also, the shipping options are found on the same page just below the address. The shipping methods available are DHL and Airmail both of them vary in their delivery time.

This is the payment method. JLCPCB offers two kinds of payment methods which include

  1. Pay directly: this is the most recommended method of payment by the company. It is recommended since it ensures the high efficiency of manufacturing. If the customer file hasn’t been reviewed for production you will get a refund.
  2. Review before payment: one can pay after the file has been approved. In this method, the design will not be produced until payment is made. Results of the review will be made through email. It is recommended to pay as soon as the file is approved to avoid delivery delays. When the file is not approved the order is automatically canceled.

When the order payment is made the company arranges the production where you can go through your “ACCOUNT” menu to track your order status.

Adding a new order to your existing order

Customers may sometimes feel the urge to add a new order to the existing order. This may be because may feel the items ordered are not enough or an increase in demand for the PCBs which were previously ordered

Here below we are going to go through the steps of how to add a new order to the existing order in JLCPCB.

STEP 1: log in to your account and locate the existing order.

When you log in the process will only go through if the existing order is still in the production process. If the order is finished and delivered you will not be allowed to add an order unless you make a fresh order.

STEP 2: You will open the ordering page, upload the Gerber file and add the items you want and click “combine”. Also, this will only appear if there is an extra shipping cost for the order added.

STEP 3: when you click “combine” a new order will be added to the existing order and you can check on its progress.

 

How to track your orders

After placing your order and payment has been made successfully, you can track your order through your account on the company website. Let’s discuss the steps to track your orders.

STEP 1: Open your order history

Login to your account and account menu click order history. After clicking on order history it will direct you to a previously placed orders page where all your previous orders are listed indicating their current status

STEP 2: Check your order status

Once you open the product files column file review status will appear and also the order status in the order status column. Then click order details to learn more.

STEP 3: Track production process

When you are put I am production-ready to be processed. Click the production progress to check the process.

STEP 4: Track shipment status

Once the order has been put into production and processed shipment process takes place. Once the shipment process has started a shipment notification will be sent through your email advising you on the shipment status of your order and the shipping tracking number. One can also use the JLCPCB company website to track the parcel. While on the website click shipment tracking and all the details about your parcel and delivery time information will be displayed.

 

Instructions for ordering PCBs from JLCPCB

Some users experience confusion during the online ordering placement of the PCBs from the company. Below are instructions on some routine internal actions JLCPCB will make when they receive the order.

PCB file and Gerber file in the zip file at the same time

A Gerber file is a file containing the format of the printed circuit design which is used in the fabrication of data. So while ordering the printed circuit boards on your account if both Gerber files and PCB files are in your zip file, the system will follow the Gerber file and reject the PCB file.

Solder resistance bridges

When the person ordering the PCBs does not specify on the solder mask bridge which is importantly required, it will be ignored. When doing the solder-resistance bridge a spacing between the pins needs to be 0.254mm and special notes on doing that are required.

The English description and the attachments on the zip file

Zip file attachments such as PDF files, EXCEL, DXF files, etc are ignored and PCB will be done according to the Gerber file provided. One should ensure the correct parameters are chosen and those needed to be converted into a Gerber file when placing your order. If otherwise, zip files attachment are important should be added to the remark field.

Plated slots/edge (not longer than 6mm)

In the presence of plated slot or edge, they should not be longer than 6mm, and make a note about it when placing the order or the system will make it for you. In the case where no note is provided the company will assume it and make it in the normal process.

Software incompatible issues

Since there is the use of different software by different clients to design the printed circuit board and the software where Gerber data is processed is not the same as the software used in designing the data it sometimes causes the software incompatibility problems to appear. Due to the reason of no warning notification when transferring and importing the data into the software so it is not easily noticeable and cannot be confirmed to the customers. This makes the company responsible for some of the problems caused by software incompatibility.

Markings on base materials

There are some marking that sometimes appears on the base material. This is because of some security issues and there is a way it can be removed. There is no track on which PCB will have the mark so all the PCBs have equal chances of having the marks. One should check from their side whether it is accepted while placing the order.

Gerberview

This tab is functional for reasons of reviewing the file quickly before paying for the order. Acts as the preview button on the website. At times the website causes errors when there is something wrong to display it exactly so it is advisable before placing the order to check the file carefully when you feel there is doubt.

Design about slots/v-cut/cut out/millings

The customer should ensure the v-cut line, cut out and millings are located on the same layer with the board outline. If not on the same layer with the board line it will not appear. It is advised when one is placing the order should check carefully because when it is missed due they are not in the same layer with the board outline the company will not be responsible.

Silkscreen/text

When you want the silkscreen clear on the PCB board the width of the texts and space between letters should not be less than 0.15mm and a width of not less than 1mm. when outline is the font is made and the solid part is filled with lines the fillings then should not be less than 0.15mm. the company will not modify the silkscreen on the Gerber file but the text may be widened. If the text is not enough the company will not be responsible for any complaints made regarding unclear texts caused by nonstandard design.

Layer PCB

JLCPCB company does not make 3 layer PCBs. If one orders a 4 layer PCB with a single inner layer, the company will process it with the 4 layer process directly and confirm with the customer again. So before placing an order confirm whether there is an inner layer miss or not.

Repeat order

This is the placing of orders same just as the previous one which had been successfully processed. With these orders, the company will not make any changes to the file which was used in the production. The customer should ensure not to leave any related note for the order to be changed while placing the order since the repeated order will not be checked manually by the engineers.

Items found on the board outline

The board outline is used to show how the PCB will look like when made. So everything that needs to be included in the board should be cut out clearly on the board outline. You should avoid the least useful items to avoid confusion. When both the GKO layer and the GM1 layer are found on the Gerber file the engineers will ignore the GKO layer and make boards according to the GM1 layer. when GMI, GM2 or GM2, GM3, GM4 layers are in the Gerber file at the same time, engineers will go for the smallest number after the letter GM as the outline layer by default.

JLCPCB panel

When you place an order to JLCPCB the JLCPCB panel will panel the order by default with the v-cut. JLCPCB only panels PCBs with rectangular and circle shapes. When you penalize the boards yourself but choose “Single PCB” when ordering, the numbers of designs/boards in the Gerber file should not be greater than 5, otherwise, we may cancel this order. If “Panel by Customer” has been chosen, the designs in the panelized Gerber file should not be greater than 10.

The remark field

The remark field is used when you place your order so that you can leave a note in case of any import, but the company does not recommend the use of this option since all the orders with an English note will take a longer time to get through the audition process.

Board larger than 200mm*250mm

Large boards sometimes the company might consider them, but if the good board available can not meet the quantity like the one ordered on the website due to the high cost of production they will ship the good boards and refund the difference to you.

Thickness of board outline design

The recommended thickness design of boards outlined by the company is 0.15mm. in a case when the board is greater than 0.15mm the centerline will be followed to make the board outline

Order cancellation

Orders missing crucial information such as the board outline, solder mask layer the order will be canceled out clearly during the audit process.

Orders beyond company capabilities

Orders beyond the company and engineers’ capabilities, will be canceled directly and an email will be sent to inform you about the reason. So before placing an order kindly check your file carefully before you pay for the order to save the loss due to the cancellation.

Removal of the order number

Order removal will not affect the functions of the boards if JLCPCB puts the order number at random or miss to remove. The removal of the order number will be refunded.

Easyeda generated file

Easyeda is a free online tool that we provide to design the PCB, and you can place your order on JLCPCB easily and quickly. But if there is a manufacturer error due to the design error, we may not responsible for that.

Silkscreen and solder mask openings

When the silkscreen overlaps with the openings on the board surface, the principle of openings first will be put into consideration. we will ignore the silkscreen and make the openings on the boards only. In the case where you want to keep the silkscreen on the openings, kindly make a note in the remark column so that the company engineers and factories pay attention to it and meet the required standards.

How to order PCB boards with solder mask defined pads

solder mask clearance is larger than the copper pad it’s exposing, in most PCBs, these pads are known as Non-Solder Mask Defined pads (NSMD).

Some of the other components have another type of solder mask called Solder Mask Defined pad. Which has a clearance of solder mask that is smaller than the copper pad. One can suggest pad and solder mask clearance size in the datasheet when applying. One should ensure that at least 3 mils (0.076mm) of the mask will be printed on all sides of the copper pad. The reason is registration tolerance on the solder mask placement if the mask is smaller than the pad there are possibilities that the mask could move enough exposing bare substrate which will lead to bad results.

How to transfer SMD INFORMATION TO JLCPCB

In the ordering system, there is no given option to add details on whether the board required has an SMD pad. If CAM engineers don’t get this kind of information the solder mask clearance for SMD pads will be enlarged to its default size.

When transferring SMD information to JLCPCB the following steps are used

Write a special instruction

On your account page in the ordering system, there is a text box called “PCB Remark”

Write a special instruction informing JLCPCB that your order design has an SMD pad

Confirm production file

After writhing the special instruction on the Remark box select “yes” for the “confirm production file” option

On clicking yes, the JLCPCB engineers will come up with a production file that is required to manufacture the PCB. When the production is put into consideration a check notification will appear where you can check and confirm it before reproduction. An email will be sent to you when the file is complete and ready for production. Download the processed Gerbers, pay attention to inspect the solder mask clearance for the SMD pads

Benefits of the ordering PCBs from JLCPCB

  1. Higher quality: JLCPCB has advanced its production technology by providing high precision boards suitable for industrial, military, and medical applications.
  2. Low cost: the company’s mission is to efficiently increase its production of PCB board at a lower cost. JLCPCB produces the cheapest but most efficient PCBs possibly because of extremely high production efficiency, and less human resource cost.
  • Fast delivery and user-friendly online ordering platform: the easy online ordering process have led the company to be a leading manufacturer of PCB with efficient and professional customer service, digital technology used in manufacturing, automatic production lines

and their able logistics partners make every step to deliver your PCBs faster.

  1. Shorten turn around time: PCB prototypes can be made faster even within 24hours because of the automated equipment and the fast technology we utilize the available capacity of our factories network so that system can match your orders to one of our factories which is best suited, in the shortest turnaround time.

Conclusion

JLCPCB is a good company since it provides great customer satisfaction, as long as you consider the time differences, and try to make orders with enough time to respond during your working days, and making orders, not near the weekend, they are well worth the money saved and the simple interface.

Their chat support is fairly good, and the assembly service is also mostly good.

Cloud Computing Advantages

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today, I’ll walk through Cloud Computing Advantages.

Growing a business requires keeping up with modern technologies. And cloud computing is no different. Even though it’s not a new term and has been around for a long while, it still encompasses a huge potential to effectively run and manage business operations. Cloud computing is the provision of computing resources over the internet. These resources include storage, processing power, and databases.

Integrating more technologies (like IoT, AI) into the business models means it opens up opportunities to produce a large amount of data. And it’s very challenging to store and process that data on on-site data centers. This is where cloud computing comes in handy. It has the potential to effectively handle the flood of data while giving remote access to the developers to manage that data from anywhere in the world.

I suggest you read this entire article as it aims to cover the advantages of cloud computing.

Keep reading.

Cloud Computing Advantages

Cloud computing comes with scores of benefits. A few of them include cost saving, scalability, mobility, unlimited storage, security, instant collaboration, automatic software update, and more. we’ve discussed them one by one in the section below.

1: Cost Saving

Cost is crucial when it comes to successfully running your business. You need to take careful steps to spend capital investments. Using traditional ways to handle your data allows you to spend an upfront payment for the installation of complex IT hardware infrastructure. And this is not enough. You need money to maintain, scale and upgrade that system to effectively handle your data. Cloud computing prevents you from setting up hardware on-site and your data is managed and stored remotely over the cloud with data centers. You don’t need experts to use computing resources. Everything will be taken care of by the cloud service provider.

2: Scalability

Scalability is another big advantage that comes with cloud computing. You are not bound to pay for all the computing resources. Service providers offer pay-as-you-go service which means you’ll only pay for the resources you use for your business. For instance, you can pick the specific bandwidth, storage, and processing power to handle and store the data. Business requirements increase as the business grows over time. And at times it happens, based on the customer’s current needs and requirements you need to customize the approach. If you require less storage and processing power, you can ask for it from the service provider.

3: Mobility

Cloud computing offers mobility which means your data is not stored in any specific computer hard drive. That data is available online and anyone with an internet connection can access that data. This saves you from program failures or power shutdown. If the system on your location is not working, you can access the data from a different location as long as you have the device to work on and a strong internet connection.

4: Unlimited Storage Capacity

With cloud computing, you create a virtual office to handle the onslaught of data. It gives you the power to ask for unlimited virtual access to handle that data. With traditional data centers, creating unlimited storage capacity is very difficult since you need to upgrade the hardware which requires huge investments. This is not the case with cloud computing. Data centers are handled globally by the service provider and you only pay for the resources you use.

5: Security

Security is important to turn your business into a brand. More customers will rely on your applications if they know the information they share with you is safe and carefully handled. Data on the cloud computing servers is secure. No need to worry in case your sensitive data is deleted. Data centers on cloud computing are located at different locations and they create the copy of your data at different locations. This means if you’ve lost the data or the server at one location is down, you can use another server from a different location to claim that data. Cloud computing also offers an access management feature that gives access to sensitive data to your employees only, preventing that data from being attacked by potential hackers.

6: Instant Collaboration

Cloud computing allows instant collaboration between workers. Especially if you are working with freelancers or employees from remote locations. Any file or information shared on cloud computing gives instant access to that data from anywhere in the world. For instance, Google Drive or Dropbox are examples of cloud computing. Data available on these applications can be accessed by anyone anytime.

7: Automatic Software Update

The software and applications available on cloud computing get updated automatically. You don’t need IT experts to do manual updates. This is the job of your service provider. They instantly update their systems and software for security purposes to avoid any potential threats.

8: High Speed

In cloud computing data is managed over the internet. This means you can easily try new ideas and can simply apply new tweaks in the software within seconds. The data is remotely handled and any new software deployment gives you instant access to find the information in the software or any newly introduced application.

9: Disaster Recovery and Back-up

Cloud computing offers disaster recovery and backup features. At times the updates on your applications don’t work out and you instantly require the previous version. Cloud servers store the backup of your previous version. And if one server is down, cloud computing quickly moves the customers to the running servers, preventing you from big financial loss.

10: Better Control

Cloud computing allows you to have better control over data. It gives you different types of cloud models to pick from like public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. If you want to process your sensitive data locally, you can pick a private cloud, or if you want to store a large amount of data you can pick a public cloud. And the hybrid cloud is the combination of both private and public cloud which allows you the selectively handle and process your data over different clouds. Moreover, if you don’t want to remain dependent on one service provider, you can get services from two different service providers, this gives you to have better control over your sensitive data.

11: Competitive Advantage

Not every company picks cloud services to handle data. Some are not even aware of this architecture and even if they are aware, they are not willing to incorporate this infrastructure into this business model. If you choose cloud computing to manage your data, you will remain ahead of your competitors and can better store and process your data.

Conclusion

Cloud computing gives you benefits like security, scalability, unlimited data storage, data recovery, high speed, and more.

One wrong move in the initial steps of picking the right service provider can drastically impact your business.

It takes the right knowledge and skill to implement cloud computing into any business model.

Make sure you’re handling your sensitive data in the right hands who know how to effectively incorporate this cloud model into your organization.

Rest assured, if the service provider is reputable and expert in what they do, you’ll be better off with the cloud model to enhance the productivity, revenue, security, and collaboration of your enterprise.

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can reach me in the section below. I’d love to assist you in the best way possible. Thank you for reading this post.

Types of Cloud Computing

Hi Guys! Happy to see you around. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today, I’ll walk you through Types of Cloud Computing.

Cloud computing is not a new term. Companies have been using this infrastructure for the past two decades. You might be familiar with this term, in case you don’t, cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computing resources over the internet. Simply put, you can process, store and manage a large amount of data using this architecture. The companies offering these services to end-users are called Cloud Service Providers (CSP). And most of these services offer the pay-as-you-go model which means you can ask for only those computing resources required for your business; you don’t pay for the resources you don’t use in the cloud computing model. This liberates you from using on-site data centers for managing data, and you get computing resources online including storage, processing power, and databases.

I suggest you read this post all the way through as I’ll thoroughly cover the Types of Cloud Computing and how they can be used for improving the activities of any business.

Scroll on.

Types of Cloud Computing

Earlier on-site data centers were a norm for the management of large amounts of data, but cloud computing has gained momentum due to its ability to effectively manage and store the onslaught of data online. Moreover, since these resources are available online, you don’t need hectic IT drills to install, manage, scale or update traditional data centers. These data centers over the cloud are globally managed to give you access from anywhere in the world.

The following are the main types of cloud computing.

1: Public Cloud

2: Private Cloud

3: Hybrid Cloud

4: Community Cloud

No two clouds are the same and picking the cloud type is dependent on the business needs and requirements. Every cloud enables computing power over the network and allows the running of workloads within that system. These cloud models differ in terms of storage capacity, location, and accessibility but they all work on the same principle of virtualization. There is a lot of confusion in each type and I’ll try my best to remove these confusions so you can better understand what each type is all about. We’ll discuss them one by one in the section below.

1: Public Cloud

Public clouds are typically created for businesses but they are not owned by the individual business. Public cloud providers manage and run these clouds and offer services to organizations based on their current needs and requirements. The common public cloud providers include:

  • Amazon Web Services
  • IBM Cloud
  • Google Cloud
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Alibaba Cloud

This is the most cost-effective option for organizations that don’t have enough capital to invest in the development of IT infrastructure. Public cloud resources are shared by a variety of end-users which means this model is not made for a specific business. Instead, computing resources are shared among businesses of all sizes.

Although this is the preferably best option for businesses to handle a large amount of data, this model doesn’t guarantee the security of sensitive data since this architecture is shared by multiple organizations.

Moreover, this infrastructure offers less customization options and the service providers hold the main authority. A single tweak from the provider’s side can drastically impact your business. For improved security and better control over data, a private cloud is used.

2: Private Cloud

In a private cloud, computing resources are owned by a single organization. This model offers two options: resources can be hosted on-site IT infrastructure or businesses can hire a third party to host their computing resources.

Compared to the public cloud, this model is a bit expensive since it gives you more customization power with improved security. Companies dealing with sensitive data can pick this model since here resources are not shared by a variety of businesses.

Private cloud, if hosted on on-site data centers, gives you the power to fully control the computing resources and make the adjustment based on your internal processes and preferences. Even though this model gives you more control, you require professional IT experts to handle and manage the private cloud on-site. If you don’t want to involve yourself in the nitty-gritty of handling complex IT infrastructure required for private cloud, you can get services from a third party to host and manage your resources on their system. This way you still own the private cloud but you require less technical expertise for handling this model.

Better security is another advantage that comes with a private cloud. Companies require a large amount of data to be handled and stored and in the public cloud that data is vulnerable to cyber-attacks since the computing resources are shared by multiple end-users. To prevent your sensitive data from being compromised or deleted, it is better to keep this type of data within your private security boundary so no one can manipulate your data for their advantage.

3: Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud combines both private cloud and public cloud. You can share data and applications between two clouds using this cloud deployment model. This way workload is not handled by a single cloud architecture, instead, it is shared by two different cloud models.

For instance, organizations need unlimited storage capacity to store a large amount of data, public cloud comes in handy for this purpose for handling non-sensitive data. While, on the other hand, if companies want the processing of sensitive data on the premises of their business, the private cloud is the solution.

Hybrid models are common since they set you free from the long-term investment on a specific cloud model, instead, you can use the combination of both models and ask for required computing resources valuable for your business.

4: Community Cloud

Community cloud is valuable for those sharing common business goals. A variety of businesses use cloud computing models including healthcare, education, manufacturing industries, IT sector, and more. Community cloud is suitable for companies falling under the same business model. For instance, organizations falling under the education sector can pick for community cloud with similar computing resources and storage power. Cost is another factor behind the popularity of this model. The resources cost is split between the organizations picking this cloud model.

Uncommon Cloud Types

If you’re still reading this post, it means you have got a clear idea about the four main types of cloud models. However, there are also less common cloud types used for specific purposes. These types include:

A: Multicloud

Don’t get confused. This is different from hybrid cloud. In a hybrid infrastructure, companies can get computing resources from both the private and public cloud. While Multicloud is not the combination of different clouds, instead it’s the provision of computing resources from two different cloud service providers. For instance, you can ask for public cloud resources from two different providers to avoid dependency on one single provider.

B: Distributed Cloud

At its core, a distributed cloud is an architecture that runs from multiple locations but is not owned by a single organization. This model is used to meet the company’s specific performance and compliance needs and it does support edge computing but essentially is managed and controlled by the public cloud provider.

C: HPC Cloud

This model is particularly developed to support high-performance computing applications. This model is useful if you want to perform research on a large scale and are looking for a solution for advanced computing problems.

Conclusion

Every business is unique.

It’s your job to carefully monitor the activities of your business and put dedicated thought to pick the particular cloud computing model for your business.

How you want your data to be managed, processed, and stored does matter. If you want to handle a large amount of data, the public cloud is a valuable solution. And if you want the sensitive data to be processed locally, the private cloud is the answer.

And the best part?

You can deploy both private and public cloud models to selectively handle sensitive and non-sensitive data.

And if you don’t want to remain dependent on a single service provider, you can leverage the services of two providers and use them to your advantage.

Make sure you consider the proper security protocols before picking up the right architecture. A single mistake in the initial steps of choosing the cloud model can drastically impact your business in the long run. So be careful.

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. Share your experience with cloud computing in the section below. If you’re unsure or have any questions about cloud computing, ask me in the comment section. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.

Adding Home Tech Devices Without Busting the Budget

Are you planning to spruce up your home with a few of the latest high-tech devices? Then you're in luck with the recent engineering advances that have brought all sorts of interesting, exciting products within reach of everyday homeowners. Some of the top-selling devices, apps, and gadgets have been around for several years but are only now priced to move, as merchants like to say. What's attracting today's homeowners? Several of the biggest sellers include next-generation LED lighting, smart plumbing products, advanced robotic vacuums, walkway lights that operate on solar energy, water faucet meters, ingenious power strips that save money, intrusion detection systems, and many more.

So far, the 2020s are turning out to be an era when engineering advances have come to the rescue of everyday consumers. That's true when it comes to convenience, safety, comfort, saving money, and efficiency. How can you make a plan to acquire your favorite tech products for the home? Start by choosing a few that are suited for your house or apartment, and then make a detailed budget to cover all the costs. Here's how to get started, along with a short listing of the current top selling favorite items.

Choose Three or Four Favorites

The most appropriate way to upgrade your home's technology profile is to select several products that fit in with your lifestyle, personal preferences, and budget. Depending on where you live and how large your dwelling is, some items will make more sense than others. There are many real-life products of Internet of Things that pertain to your home. If you're not sure about how much energy it takes to operate your home annually, check with your utility company before selecting an energy-saving device. As well, evaluate your need for things like robo-vacuums, shower meters, and walkway lights. Some homes just aren't good candidates for every gadget that comes along. After making a plan, move on to the budgeting phase of the operation.

Create a Budget That Covers All Expenses

Unless you have enough cash on hand to finance a major purchase, it's wise to consider taking out a personal loan to cover all the costs of upgrading your living space. Keep in mind that unless you're exceptionally handy, you'll likely need to hire professional installers for some tech products. When creating a budget, include the cost of both the item and installation. If you intend to purchase extended warranties, add that cost in too. Working with a lender to apply for a personal loan is the most efficient way to deal with home improvement costs like security systems, specialized lighting, and others. Many consumers are surprised to realize how easy it is to pay for everything at once with a loan.

Smart Plumbing

Cutting water use is easy with modern engineering on your side. Everyone has encountered the motion activated faucets in public restrooms. Now, you can install these same money saving devices in all your bathrooms, kitchens, and wherever there's running water. It might seem like a small issue, but smart faucets cut household water usage by as much as 10 percent for the average family. That means cutting utility bills significantly and saving money year-round.

Solar Walkway Lighting

If you like the ambiance and attractiveness of a lighted walkway in front of your house, check out some of the solar offerings available at improvement retailers. You can go small or extravagant with this project, but the upshot is that there's no wiring or electrical cost because the entire arrangement uses solar power. Some homeowners choose to line every cement or paved area with these lights. Not only do they look great and make your home literally shine after dark, but they help prevent falls.

Robo-Vacuums

Robo-vacs have been on the market for nearly two decades, but today's versions are better than ever. For one thing, they're quieter. They also use less energy, can monitor their paths with more precision, and come with high-tech filters as well as larger dust containers. For apartment residents, there are smaller vacs that are easier to store and don't take up much space. The high-end robo-vacs are lightweight powerhouses that do an excellent job of cleaning hardwood floors, linoleum, thick rugs, and numerous other surfaces. Some can automatically change their power levels based on the surfaces they detect.

Shower & Bath Water Meters

Recent breakthroughs in engineering made these clever gadgets possible. Not only do they measure the amount of water you're using or have used, but they also monitor the temperature to deliver a total readout of how much energy and water you use when showering, washing hands, or taking a bath. Meters are a convenient way to become aware of precisely what it costs to do ordinary daily chores and adjust your activities accordingly. For large families, cutting water usage in baths and showers can chop a sizeable chunk off the monthly bills for water and the electricity used to heat it.

Smart Power Strips

For those who like to minimize electricity use, the newest smart power strips can work in any room where you use multiple appliances. These days, that means pretty much every room in the house. Each strip includes several smart outlets that use motion detection to turn off things like lamps, TVs, and audio systems when they sense no human presence for a specified amount of time. Some of the outlets are standard, always on versions like you already have on your walls. The beauty of smart strips is that you'll never have to worry about leaving the lights on again.

Window & Door Intrusion Detectors

The latest security devices are all-around wonders that can detect any movement of windows and doors all through the house. Plus, you can monitor the entire system via an app on your phone, desktop computer, or from any remote device. Whether you're taking a nap or away on vacation, it's easy to set alarms that tell you when someone is attempting to enter your home. These ingenious products are ideal for any owner but especially for families who have small children and for adults who live alone.

What is Cloud Computing?

Hello Folks! Glad to have you on board. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today I’ll walk you through What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is not a buzzword anymore. Even though most companies are familiar with this term, they don’t know what it does and how it works. If you’re one of them, this read is for you. In simple terms, cloud computing allows you to use computer system resources over the internet. This means you can manage your data remotely over the internet from anywhere in the world. We’ll touch this further in our article.

I suggest you read this post all the way through as I’ll cover what is cloud computing, how does it work, the types of cloud computing, the advantages of cloud computing, and the future of cloud computing.

Let’s get started.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a way of storing, processing, and managing data over the internet. Simply put, it’s the on-demand availability of IT resources online. These resources include data storage, computing power and databases. This way you don’t need to worry about handling data over the computer’s hard drive or on-site data centers. This liberates you from managing hardware circuits, software patching, and on-site IT drills, giving you online access over data centers through which you can efficiently manage and process your data.

With the onslaught of IT workloads, companies harness the power of cloud computing. It’s not only fast, economical, and secure, it also gives better control over data. No matter your location, as long as you have access to the internet, you can control your information online.

Google Drive and Dropbox are the best examples of cloud computing where you can access and manage your information online. Companies can use it for regular tasks like data processing, data management, software development, data protection, backup and disaster recovery, server virtualization, data analytics, and other real-time applications.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

There are three basic parts of cloud computing.

1: Device (like computer, tablets, smartphones) through which you access data

2: Cloud with data centers where data is stored and processed

3: Internet which connects cloud with the device

You might be familiar with the term client-server model. Here user with the device is the client and the cloud with data centers are the servers while the internet connects the users with data centers.

Prior to cloud computing, handling and storing data was challenging. Companies used to install their own data centers that required proper maintenance and regular on-site check-ups to make sure they were running well, which resulted in more oversized bills and more space to accommodate them. It was impractical, expensive, and less efficient.

But cloud computing has dramatically changed this behavior. Now companies don’t need to worry about maintaining, scaling, securing, and managing their IT infrastructure, instead, they can focus on providing a better user experience with quality products. The organizations get these reousrces with pay-as-you-go terms which means the more resources they use the more they pay over time.

Companies that provide cloud computing services often offer monthly subscriptions and give users access to their computing resources. They don’t need to get in the hassle of updating servers, buying software, getting more machines to back up the data, and updating software to avoid potential security threats. The service provider takes care of all of that for them.

Types of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is perfect for businesses that have a lot of data to deal with. Cloud computing is mainly divided into three major types.

Public Cloud:

The public cloud offers compute resources like storage, memory, networking, and CPU. Public cloud vendors host these resources with globally and fully managed data centers. You can pay the vendors and rent these resources to develop your IT infrastructure.

The managed services in the compute resources include security systems and database servers that set you free from the hectic drill of managing and installing the whole solution into your local and on-site data centers.

The common leading providers of cloud computing services include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. You can hire the compute resources from these vendors as per the needs and complexity of your business operations.

Private Cloud

The public cloud is shared by a range of organizations while the private cloud, on the other hand, is specifically developed to meet the business needs of a single organization.

Some businesses don’t feel comfortable working with the public cloud. They want their separate and private cloud on their on-site data centers. Private cloud is perfect and ideally suited for single private organizations.

Two options there: companies can host private cloud or they can involve third-party vendors to host their private cloud on their system. This gives them the ability to immediately get access to the compute power based on their businesses. This setup is best for businesses that are a bit obsessed with the security of their systems.

Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud gives you the ability to combine both public and private cloud and use them to your advantage. You can use either of them for a specific purpose. For instance, you may want to get unlimited storage space from the public cloud but you want to process the sensitive data on your private cloud.

This means if you running out of computing resources from the private cloud you can get the services of the public cloud to fulfill your business needs. It gives businesses advanced flexibility to move data across both clouds without a full commitment to the public cloud’s vendor.

And cost management is another blessing that comes with hybrid cloud. If you own a private cloud you need to install data centers on-site which require proper care and a capital expense. But with the public cloud, you only pay for resources without having to worry about the management of data centers.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

Now you know what is cloud computing and how does it work. Perfect. There are several advantages of cloud computing. A few of them include:

  1. It is cost-effective. The clients demand the service from the companies offering cloud services. Cost may differ for every service depending on the storage and computing power you demand. This way companies don’t need to spend money on purchasing installing and managing IT data centers, instead, they can purchase required computing resources from the service provider.
  2. Flexibility is another advantage that this infrastructure offers. This is not static, but a dynamic and flexible process. You can process and access data from anywhere in the world no matter your location, giving you the chance to scale up your business as you like better and manage data from the locations optimal for your business.
  3. Cloud computing is scalable. Yes, you can increase or decrease the demand for computing resources from cloud service providers as you run your business. This means computing power is directly related to the activities of your business. If at a certain stage you feel you require fewer data to manage and process, you can ask for less bandwidth in your next package. You can even add more users to your plan. Plus, you can even collaborate with multiple service providers at a time depending on your business.
  4. Cloud computing makes data processing fast. This is a centralized approach and the cloud service provider offer access to their data centers that are managed and controlled by experts. Accessing data online from a centralized system makes your data secure and safe.
  5. Cloud service providers strive to comply with their infrastructure with standard protocols. They keep updating their systems and data centers, providing an excellent and reliable user experience. No outsider can play with your data. Only you have access to that data and you can modify and manage it as you see fit.

The Future Trends Of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing becomes a necessary part of the business as the requirement to manage and store a large amount of data grows. And this trend will definitely increase as managing data in on-site data centers is not only expensive, it requires a lot of IT drills to properly install and maintain machines handling and storing data.

We can expect the following future trends in cloud computing.

  • Companies are willing to incorporate hybrid cloud computing into their IT model. Hybrid cloud computing is the combination of both public cloud and private. This infrastructure is mainly used to move data between private and public clouds, providing more flexibility to the users to satisfy their computing needs. What makes hybrid computing so special is its ability to process both analog and digital data. The market of hybrid computing is expected to touch $97.6 billion by 2023.
  • It’s almost impossible to run a successful business without making a footing in an online world. And cyber-attacks, system failures, and data outages are the norm when it comes to managing data online. Cloud computing offers backup and disaster recovery solutions in case of emergency. It creates the copy of your sensitive electronic data and store it miles away in data centers. And if your data original data is lost or compromised, you can ask for a copy of that data from cloud servers. This brings us to the conclusion that more companies will accept this model onwards to make their data safe and secure.
  • We have seen this before and we’ll see it again in coming years – the incorporation of AI with cloud computing. To meet their business needs, companies are now leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence to run and effortlessly control the activities of their business. AI gives power to the organization to manage and automate their production and manufacturing processes without the interference of any human being. According to IBM, 65% of businesses feel that AI is necessary to handle their business operations and improve efficiency.
  • According to Statista, the total number of IoT-connected devices will amount to 30.9 billion units by 2025. This is huge. This brings us to another remarkable cloud computing trend – Cloud computing in the Internet of Things. IoT in cloud computing serves as a data source (from where data is produced) while cloud computing allows that data to store and process in its data centers. The combination of IoT with cloud computing gives us a model of devices connected intelligently that can manage store and process data automatically without the involvement of an outsider. For example, Alexa is a cloud-computing IoT device that can give you important information from the data stored in remote data centers in the cloud.

Conclusion

Digital transformation is on the rise. And in this era where technology is changing at an accelerated pace, it’s necessary to come up with advanced solutions to manage, store and process your data.

Cloud computing is now a part and parcel of successful organizations. But still, companies, who have reservations about the security of cloud computing, hesitate to transfer their data to a remote location.

For those hybrid model gives the perfect solution where you can get the advantage of both cloud services. For sensitive data, you can pick the private cloud while for the storage of regular and less sensitive data you can choose the private cloud. This way you can move your data and scale your compute resources as per the complexity of your business.

Not to mention, cloud computing has just started. And as the requirements and demands of businesses go complex, companies need powerful systems that not only store their data but also offer advanced processing capabilities. With new advancements in IoT technology and Artificial Intelligence, more businesses will likely adopt cloud computing for the years to come.

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you are unsure or have any questions about cloud computing, feel free to ask me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.

Python Syntax Errors

Welcome to chapter 8 of our python tutorial. In the previous chapter, we learned about Python numbers and how to use them in expressions. Throughout this chapter, you'll look at frequent examples of incorrect Python syntax and learn how to fix them.

At the end of this tutorial, you will:

  • Distinguish incorrect syntax in Python
  • Get familiar with SyntaxError tracebacks
  • Fix improper syntax or avoid it altogether

In Python, what is an invalid syntax?

Before transforming your Python code to Python byte code, the interpreter parses it. The parsing stage is where the interpreter searches for any instances of improper syntax in the program. Using the wrong syntax in your Python code will lead the interpreter to be unable to decipher it. The interpreter will try to show you exactly where the issue occurred.

Learning Python and encountering a SyntaxError can be a frustrating experience. If you're having trouble figuring out where the grammatical errors are, Python can provide you with a traceback that can be helpful. It's not uncommon for the resulting code to be nothing short of spectacular.

Please keep in mind that even if your code is syntactically valid, you may encounter other issues.

In Python, unlike other exceptions, improper syntax cannot be tolerated. Even if a try and except block was used to enclose code with incorrect grammar, the interpreter would still throw a SyntaxError.

Traceback SyntaxError

When an erroneous syntax in Python code is encountered by the interpreter, SyntaxError is thrown, and a traceback is supplied with some important information to aid in tracking the issue. Here's a Python script using the wrong syntax:

Line 4 of the dictionary literal contains a syntax error. There is no comma after 'Jim' in the second entry. Running this code in its current form would result in the following error message:

According to the traceback message, the fault does not line 4, but line 5. The Python interpreter highlights any errors in the syntax. However, it can only accurately pinpoint the moment when a problem was first discovered. If you receive a SyntaxError traceback and the code it refers to appears to be correct, works backward until you figure out what is wrong in your code.

In the example above, depending on what comes after it, it is not an issue to leave out the comma. A missing comma following the name of the person in line 5 ('michael') is not an issue. The interpreter, on the other hand, can only point you in the direction of the first thing it couldn't understand.

A SyntaxError traceback contains a few features that can assist you to figure out where your code has the incorrect syntax:

  • The name of the file containing the invalid syntax.
  • A description of the error, including the line number and exact location in the code that caused it.
  • Caret () on the line below the repeated code shows the problematic position.
  • The error message appears after the exception type SyntaxError, which may provide useful information for solving the problem.

There was a caret in the dictionary key at the end of Michael's closing quotation in file name theofficefacts.py, line number 5. The SyntaxError traceback may not be the root cause of the problem, but it will be the first time the interpreter fails to understand the syntax.

Python also throws two additional exceptions. They're similar to SyntaxError, but they're called something else:

  • IndentationError
  • TabError

Both of these exceptions derive from the class named SyntaxError, although they only apply in special cases involving indentation. When your code's indentation levels aren't aligned, an IndentationError is thrown. When tabs and spaces are used together in the same file, a TabError is thrown. A detailed discussion of these exclusions will be provided in the next section.

Which are the common syntax errors?

When you first run into a SyntaxError, it's a good idea to look into what went wrong and how you may correct the Python code's syntax. Some of the most common causes and fixes for SyntaxErrors are covered in the following sections.

Misuse of Assignment Operator (=)

In Python, there are several situations where you won't be able to assign values to objects. Assigning to literals and calling functions are two instances. You can see a few examples of this in the code block below, along with the SyntaxError tracebacks that result:

In the first example, the value 5 is assigned to the len() method. In this case, the SyntaxError warning is really valuable. It notifies you that you can't give a function call a value.

In the third and second examples, literals are assigned a string and an integer, respectively. For other literal values, the same rule applies. According to the traceback messages, the issue appears to be caused by trying to set the value of a literal to a specific value.

Take notice that the traceback fault isn't indicated in the previous samples by caret () and repeated code line. You'll notice a different error and traceback depending on whether REPL is being used or running the code from a file. As you've seen in earlier examples, an error caret would indicate where the problem would be in the file if the code was contained therein.

Using a function or assigning a literal value is extremely unlikely. This can be caused by removing one equal symbol (=) from the expression, which transforms the assignment into a comparison. A comparison like the one that follows might be useful:

A Boolean expression may be the cause of Python's warning that you're assigning a value to a variable that cannot be assigned to. While assigning an object's value (which you'll learn about in the next section), you may encounter this same problem.

Misuse of Python Keywords, Spelling Errors, and Omissions

When using Python, you'll want to stick to terms that have a specific meaning. Identifiers, variables, and function names cannot contain any of the words listed below. The only environment in which they can be utilized is within Python.

There are three typical ways that you might improperly utilize keywords:

  • Spelling error of a keyword
  • Omission of a keyword
  • Use of keywords incorrectly

If you misspell a term in your Python code, then you’ll get a SyntaxError. For instance, this happens when you spell the keyword "for" wrong:

There is a notification that reads "SyntaxError: incorrect syntax," but it doesn't provide much assistance. Using the traceback, you can go back to the point where Python first discovered an issue. To fix this problem, check your Python code to make certain that all of its keywords are spelled correctly.

Another typical issue with keywords is when you overlook them altogether:

Because of this, traceback does its best to direct you to where you should be looking. You'll see that the for-loop syntax lacks the in keyword when you step back from the caret.

You could potentially make a mistake with a Python keyword that is protected. The use of keywords is restricted to specific contexts. The incorrect syntax will result if you use them incorrectly.

'Continue' or 'break,' for example, are frequently used outside of a loop. When you're working on something and move logic out of a loop, it's easy to run into this problem:

Python does an excellent job of describing what's wrong in this scenario. The messages "'break' outside loop" and "'continue' not suitably in the loop" will guide you to the next step. Python would have the caret pointing to the incorrect sentence if the code was stored in a file instead.

Another possibility is to use a keyword to construct a function or to attach a Python keyword to a variable:

If you attempt to set the value of pass or create a new function called pass, you will receive a SyntaxError and an "invalid syntax" message.

Because the code appears to be fine from the outside, it may be tough to correct this type of poor syntax with Python programming. A SyntaxError may occur even if your code appears to be correct. In this case, look up the variable or function name in the Python version's keyword list.

Every time a new version of Python is released, the list of protected keywords grows. The term "await" has been introduced to the list of keywords in Python 3.7 and is now available as a variable or function name in Python 3.6. Any attempt to use await as an object name in Python 3.7.1 or later will result in an error.

Another difference between Python 2 and Python 3 is the print function:

A value can't be provided for print in Python 2, since it is a keyword. The built-in function can take values in Python 3, though.

Running the following command in any Python version will return a list of keywords.

In addition, the keyword offers the relevant keyword .iskeyword(). Using the one-liner below, you can rapidly verify the value of the pass variable.

Your identification will be immediately flagged as either keyword or not by this code.

Missed brackets, parentheses, and Quotes

A missing or mismatched terminating parenthesis, bracket, or quotation is frequently the root of erroneous syntax in Python code. As a result, it may be difficult to tell nested parentheses from the rest of the text, especially in long lines. It is possible to discover mismatched or missing quotations with the use of tracebacks provided by Python.

The traceback leads to the wrong code, which includes a t' after a single closing quotation. One of two adjustments can be made to correct this:

  • Using backslash to escape a single quote ('don\'t')
  • Using double quotes to surround the entire string ("don't").

The failure to terminate the string is also a common problem. Regardless of whether a string is double-quoted or single-quoted, the following is true:

In the traceback, the caret now points straight to the incorrect code. "EOL during scanning string literal" is explicit and helpful in identifying the issue in the SyntaxError notice. Before a string may be ended, an interpreter must reach the end of a line. To remedy this, add a quote at the end of the string that is identical to the one you used at the beginning. In this scenario, there would be a double quotation (").

Syntax errors can also be caused by missing quotes from statements within the f-string:

An error has occurred when it comes to f-string output. The double quotation marks at the end of the age dictionary reference have been left out. The resulting traceback is as follows:

The f-string contains the problem, and Python tells you about it. The error message "unterminated string" also clarifies the situation. The caret simply symbolizes the beginning of the f-string in this example.

This isn't as beneficial as when the caret points to the f-issue string's area, but it does assist narrow down where you need to search. Inside that f-string, there's an unterminated string. All you have to do now is figure out where. Remove the error by including all of the f-string quotes and brackets inside.

Except for removing parenthesis and brackets, the scenario is essentially the same. An error message will appear if the ending square bracket of a list is left out in Python. There are, however, several variations on this theme. The first option is to leave out the final bracket:

There will be an error message when you run the above code when there is a problem with the print() call.

Print(foo()) returns a list with three items: 1, 2, and 3 according to Python. It employs whitespace to logically order things, and because 3 and print(foo()) don't have a comma or bracket between them, Python combines them as the list's third entry.

After the final item in the list, you can use a trailing comma instead of a closing square bracket:

Now you receive a different traceback

Previously, 3 and print(foo()) were combined into one component, but now there is a comma between them. The print(foo()) command has been added to this list because Python has reached its conclusion of the file without a final encasement. An EOF error was returned by Python, which was expecting a different outcome.

The repeated line and caret aren't very useful in this scenario because Python was anticipating a closing bracket (]). Python has a hard time detecting missing brackets and parenthesis. Starting with the caret and working backwards is sometimes the only way to figure out what's missing or incorrect.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've made it to the end of this tutorial. You've been exposed to a few reasons why you may face syntax problems when programming in Python, and so in the following chapter, we will look at a few additional reasons for syntax issues. With this, you can create Python code with fewer syntax problems. Let's meet in the next tutorial for more.

Syed Zain Nasir

I am Syed Zain Nasir, the founder of <a href=https://www.TheEngineeringProjects.com/>The Engineering Projects</a> (TEP). I am a programmer since 2009 before that I just search things, make small projects and now I am sharing my knowledge through this platform.I also work as a freelancer and did many projects related to programming and electrical circuitry. <a href=https://plus.google.com/+SyedZainNasir/>My Google Profile+</a>

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