The Engineering Projects

Why Should You Get LED Light Fixtures for Dangerous Locations?

There is a deep sense of wonder in how a light bulb works. Although most people understand the function of a light bulb, not many appreciate the physics in how it converts electrical energy into light. The quantum physics behind this basic technique can help explain why some bulbs explode.

The operating principle behind a light bulb

The first step to getting a light bulb is to connect it to an electrical source. The filament in the bulbs burns and becomes hot. Because hot objects glow, the filament will become a light source.

The hotter it becomes, the brighter the light, thus the whiter it becomes. However, the filament on its own will eventually burn out and cease to create light. The presence of air, especially oxygen, causes a chemical reaction that destroys the filament.

Light bulbs have a glass 'chamber' of vacuum or an inert gas like argon to prevent the filament from burning to completion.

Why do bulbs explode?

Too much heat is what causes bulbs to explode. The hotter a filament becomes, it glows brighter. However, bulbs have sealants around the base. Therefore, the adhesive will melt if the temperatures are too high, and gas will escape from the glass chamber. The change in pressure, the outside is higher than the inside, which causes the bulb to explode.

Are LED lights explosion proof?

The structure of a Light-Emitting Diode bulb prevents an explosion from occurring: a semiconductor that emits lights. Therefore, explosions are highly improbable but not impossible. One of the reasons an LED light would explode; the presence of electrical or thermal stress.

What is electrical stress?

Most electrical outlets on walls allow for 120V electricity. However, an LED light can only manage about 2V electricity. A capacitor on the bulb usually reduces the voltage before letting it through the LED circuit.

However, this task is stressful to a bulb capacitor which may fail. Even for a fraction of a second, the voltage fluctuation that occurs causes the bulb to explode. This electrical overstress problem mostly happens to LED bulbs that are of low quality, ergo or cheaper.

What is thermal stress?

When a high electrical current fluctuates into the semiconductor of an LED light bulb, heat accumulates, causing the conducting material to expand. Lack of heat dispersion causes failure of the bulb: Pressure increase causes a short circuit which eventually causes an explosion.

How to prevent an LED bulb explosion?

Most of these types of fixtures are efficient and do not explode quickly. It is essential to look for a brand that creates quality bulbs that can withstand electrical and thermal stress. Although the explosion from an LED light is not enough to cause a fire, one should still be keen to avoid cheap solutions that will require replacements in the long run.

Why is it essential to choose the right LED fixtures for hazardous locations?

A laboratory or an oil and gas factory are places that require strict observation and care, especially when it comes to lighting. Having a good light source in these areas will prevent navigation problems.

However, a small bulb explosion can cause catastrophic results. LED lights are a much safer option for hazardous locations prone to fire because they do not quickly explode.

Unfortunately, some manufacturers create low-quality lighting that cannot tolerate great electrical and thermal stress. If you are not careful about the LED lights you are buying, you might deal with severe damage and even loss of lives.

Why do LED lights perform better in hazardous locations?

This reliable technology offers lower maintenance costs, especially for bulbs in hard-to-access places of a workstation. Moreover, Light-Emitting Diodes bulbs are a cost-efficient option, especially when running a business in a hazardous location that requires a lot of capital to maintain.

LED lights help you concentrate your finances on other areas of your factory. Furthermore, dangerous places like labs require lighting throughout and without switching lights on and off constantly. LED lighting systems provide an opportunity for IoT, which automatically switch the lights on when needed.

Install the best LED systems for your business using Phoenix hazardous locations lights to safeguard your activities and improve efficiency.

5 Current Trends in Outsourcing

Outsourcing is a relatively new form of organizing work. Yet, nowadays it’s probably the most effective and profitable way to have your project done. No wonder businesses all over the world prefer it over the traditional methods. But what is outsourcing and how it works? What are the advantages? What trends does this sphere have today?

Outsourcing Basics

Outsourcing works in a really simple way. A company needs a part of the project done, but they don’t have enough employees to finish it in time. So, they hire specialized outsourcing teams that provide professional assistance in all the needed aspects.

That doesn’t mean it’s limited to being some kind of assistance service, though. Remote dedicated teams can work on a separate part of an already existing project, or even develop a product from scratch. The only thing you need to do is to find the best outsourcing company for all your needs.

The Advantages

Answering the question about the benefits of outsourcing, there are many of them. Here’s a of the most important ones:

• Expert skill and knowledge. Most such companies on the market provide only top-level services. The skills and knowledge of their employees can be used to improve the quality of the product, or even to teach your own employees by their example.
• Cost-efficiency and profitability. It can help you save money in many processes, from removing the need to hire and buy equipment for additional workers, to the fact that paying for such services is much cheaper than issuing wages to your employees. Not even talking about how the improved quality and performance positively affect the project budget.
• Speed. The proficiency of the hired professionals ensures that everything will be not only done in time but probably even ahead of it. It can be used as a perfect opportunity to save your team from failing the deadline.
• Security and integrations. The experience of the outsourcing companies lies not only in the skills themselves but also in the acquaintance with many integrative platforms and pieces of software. That, of course, includes safe payment systems and security protocols that have passed the test of time.
• And many others!

However, keep in mind that just like any other sphere, only the best services on the market can ensure that all these benefits will be present. “In case I don’t have a budget for the best ones and go with the cheaper services, which of these is not an advantage of outsourcing?”

Well, the first one that will be lost is security and knowledge. You’ll still receive decent development speed and cost-efficiency. Yet, the overall quality will be much lower when compared to companies that have been around for a long time.

That’s why we always recommend Develux, as their level of quality in all aspects is simply unmatched. It’s one of the market leaders that are ready to take on any tasks one may present them with. You’ll never have a single doubt in their performance and security.

The Trends

Automation

Automation is everywhere today, and outsourcing is not an exception. Of course, automation has a lot of limits in this sphere due to its specifics, but it’s not impossible. Many simple processes can be done by basic AI. And that already helps to save many expenses and allows human resources to be reallocated to more important tasks.

Also, for some repeatedly demanded tasks and parts of the projects, outsourcing services are starting to use AI that is already taught how to do them. Many common things, especially in software development, can be either auto-filled or written by a computer automatically, saving the team’s precious time. In the end, both the vendor and the customer are satisfied, as the work is done faster and with the same quality.

Long-term Relationships

Many people don’t look at outsourcing as a stable sphere that can be trusted. Some businesses are afraid of entrusting big projects and parts of them to such services. But today, more and more enterprises are starting to form long-term relationships and contracts with remote dedicated teams.

That’s because once you find the company that does the job the way you need it, on the level you needed, you start trusting it. And from that moment, you’ll be more likely to turn to them for all your outsourcing needs. This builds even more trust and results in perfect strategic business relationships.

Eastern European Companies

In many cases, the cost-efficiency outsourcing brings is caused by the low average wages in particular regions. And of course, specialists with lower payments are usually expected to perform worse. But that’s not the case with companies from such countries as Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland.

The last decades proved that dedicated teams from these countries tend to be extremely good at their job, outperforming even the best professionals from Western countries. And don’t forget that the cost of their services is usually 2-3 times lower. Eastern Europe is kind of a goldmine for remote workers.

Increased Competition

A basic rule of business - the more companies of the same type emerge on the market, the stronger is the competition between them. And with the current popularity of outsourcing and the number of such businesses, the rivalry between them is really strong.

Increased competition means not only a smaller pool of potential clients but also extra expenses on marketing. Now, you not only have to provide professional services, but also convince customers that you’re their perfect choice. Of course, the rivalry always exists, but it has never been as strong in this sphere as it is today. What’s even worse, it’s not gonna stop, and the market circumstances will only become worse for new enterprises.

Different Motivation

Businesses entrust their projects to remote teams and freelancers because of their high cost-efficiency and profitability. It's a matter of saving as much money as possible while retaining high-quality work performance.

Hiring freelancers using online platforms like Dormzi can enhance many aspects of your business. Hiring freelancers is a good idea if you don't require a full-time employee. Another benefit is the fact that you don't have to pay a salary and you only pay per project worked.

Summing Up

Outsourcing proved to be an extremely profitable sphere for both vendors inside it and their customers. And with the current trends and market analysis, it’s predicted to grow many times bigger. So, use all the benefits it brings to your advantage, and you’ll see that outsourcing is as effective as it seems.

Top 5 Affordable Flooring Upgrades

If you're dreaming of a home with new flooring, but the budget won't allow it, fear not! There are plenty of affordable and easy-to-install upgrades that will make your floors look like they were professionally installed. Also, an essential thing that you should always keep in mind is to consider free flooring samples before installing this upgraded flooring at your home.

In this blog post, we'll share some of our favorite inexpensive DIY options for hardwood and tile floors.

Let's take a look at these options.

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Luxury vinyl flooring is the most expensive of our inexpensive options, but it doesn't require installation or anything more than a squirt bottle and mop to maintain. It also comes in an array of styles that mimic different types of natural hardwood floors - so you can try them before you buy!

This affordable option will never need to be sanded nor refinished, meaning this upgrade won't make your budget suffer any more than necessary. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring is an excellent option for upgrading your kitchen or bathroom without breaking the bank!

Carpet Flooring

Carpet flooring is a great option for families with pets or kids, as it can be easily vacuumed and maintained. Carpet Flooring also makes your room feel cozy, which everyone needs to combat winter's chill! New carpets are relatively inexpensive - but the maintenance required after installation will make this an expensive upgrade over time.

SPC/WPC Vinyl Plank

This is an excellent option for people on a budget or who don't want to add too much expense. These floors can be installed in any room and are easy to maintain with proper care. However, they will show wear more quickly than other options because the surface of this product isn't recommended for high traffic areas.

There are no laminate strips that you need to replace when these become damaged either, which saves money over time!

Laminate Flooring

With a laminate floor, you get the look of hardwood at an affordable price. Laminate floors are waterproof and scratch-resistant- which is perfect for families with pets or children! They also come in many different styles to fit any taste. However, this product is not recommended for people who want a more natural feel.

There are no laminate strips that need replacing when these become damaged either, which saves money over time!

Stained Concrete Flooring

This option is perfect for those who want a more natural look with the durability of concrete. This material has enough benefits to make up for them! For example, stained concrete floors have no fumes or toxins that you need to worry about if you've got pets or children in your home- just like laminate and vinyl flooring.

Also, because they are made from solid materials, there aren't any laminates strips when these get damaged, so that installation costs will be low over time.

Summing Up

If you're looking for a new home with hardwood or tile floors, but the budget won't allow it, fear not! There are plenty of affordable and easy-to-install upgrades that will make your floors look like they were professionally installed. We hope these tips help guide you when making decisions about what new flooring is best for you.

FET: Definition, Symbol, Working, Characteristics, Types & Applications

Hello friends, I hope you all are happy, healthy and, content. We have been discussing transistors lately, from the basic definition to the types and characteristics of transistors we have covered it all. If you have a brief idea about transistors, you must be aware of the field effect transistor or you might have heard or read about it somewhere, it is one of the earliest known types of transistors which is our topic of discussion today.

Field Effect Transistors were made to cover up the lacking of previously known transistors which occupied large space and produced a lot of noise, another major problem was the low reliability of previous versions. So, let's get started with the FETs.

Definition of Field Effect Transistor

Let us define field effect transistor first,

• "The Field effect transistor is a unipolar transistor made up of semiconductor material, which uses an electric field to control the current flow."

History of Field Effect Transistors

• To know how the field effect transistors evolved throughout the ages, let us have a quick trip to history, the days when we did not have a large amount of resources to materialize our concepts.
• The first attempt to make a field-effect transistor was made by Julius Edgar in 1925, and sadly he failed miserably but he was lucky enough to get the concept patented.
• In 1934, Oscar Heil tried his luck but failed to make a successful attempt.
• In 1945, the Junction field-effect transistor was the first FET device to be constructed by Heinrich Welker.
• In successive years several attempts were made and different types of materials were introduced for making field-effect transistors and their related types. All these successful and unsuccessful attempts led to the formation of the modern-day Field Effect Transistor.

Unipolarity of Field Effect Transistor

Unipolarity of the field effect transistor means that the transistor uses either holes or electrons for working, depending on the type of material being implied for making, unlike the bipolar junction transistors which employ both the electrons and holes for their functioning.

Symbol of Field Effect transistor_ FET

• The following figure shows the symbol of a field effect transistor.
• Three terminals can be seen in the figure namely gate, source, and drain represented by D, G, and S.

• The direction of the arrowhead reflects the direction of the electric field.
• The symbol is slightly different for two different types of field-effect transistors FETs, they can either be N channel FET or P channel FET, you will learn the symbols of different FETs in their respective sections of this article.

Why Field Effect Transistors are named so, or what is the meaning of FET?

Now you must be thinking about how the field effect transistor got its name? What does it mean by a FET? There are multiple assumptions behind it, the one that I felt to be appropriate is the one that, a weak electrical signal entering through an electrode generates a larger electric field through the other parts of the transistor as well, so they are named field-effect transistors. If you know any other reason, why we call them field effect transistor other than this, you can let me know in the comment section below, I'm looking forward to your response!

BJT vs FET

A lot of times, FET is compared with the BJT let's have a brief overview of their peculiarities in this section. These are some of the significant differences between the two of them;

• BJT is a bit noisy than FET.
• BJT has a higher output impedance than FET.
• BJT is current controlled meanwhile FET is voltage controlled device.
• BJT has a lower input impedance than FET.

Working of Field Effect Transistor FET

Basic construction of a field effect transistor FET

Unlike the other types of transistors, the field effect transistors are not made up of typical collector, emitter, and base, although the number of components is the same but the name and functions of each component are entirely different. To understand the working of the field effect transistor, let us first discuss its basic components one by one.

Source

• The source is represented by the symbol S. It acts as an electrode of the field effect transistor through which the charge carriers enter the channel when voltage is applied.
• As the name suggests, the source of a field-effect transistor works as a providing source of charge carriers.

Gate

• It is represented by the letter G, wherever you see a G, immediately assume it's a field effect transistor, in the case of transistors. The conductive story of the field effect transistor begins with applying the voltage to the Gate, which is passed on to the other components.

Drain

• The drain is represented by symbol D. The drain is the electrode of the field effect transistor which provides the channel to charge carriers helping them leave the circuit.

Working of FET

• As you have a brief idea about the main components of a Field Effect Transistor and their function, we are going to discuss the working of FET.
• The current always flows from the source S towards the Drain D.
• A voltage is applied across the Gate and Source terminal which creates a conductive channel between the source S and Gate G.
• The electrons or holes flow from the source S to Drain D in the form of a stream through the channel.
• There are several other things involved in the working and function of a field effect transistor according to their types, which we are about to discuss in respective sections. So, stay tuned!
• Here arises a simple question which is often left unasked and answered too, why the field effect transistors FETs are called voltage-controlled devices?
• The FETs are called voltage-controlled devices because the current in the drain represented as ID depends on the voltage across the gate G, unlike the bipolar junction transistor which is a current-controlled device.
• The gate voltage is very important for the conduction of current towards the Drain.
• There are two phenomena that influence it one is depletion of the channel and the other is the enhanced state of the channel. Let us discuss them one by one.
• Depletion of channel: Consider an N channel FET, it has the majority of electrons as charge carriers, by making the gate more negative we would repel the electrons from the gate and these electrons would saturate the channel increasing its resistance. This makes the gate region thinner because of the minimal traffic of electrons, but the conduction channel is said to be depleted due to increased resistance.

• Again consider the n channel FET, now think yourself, what would happen when you will make the gate G of the FET is more positive? The traffic of electrons would rush towards the gate! It would make the gate region thicker due to greater traffic but on the parallel lines, the conduction channel would be enhanced due to less resistance.

Types of Field Effect Transistor

We can divide the field effect transistor into the following types based on their structure;

• Junction Field-effect transistor JFET
• Metal oxide Field Effect Transistor MOSFET

Junction Field-effect transistor JFET

• Junction field effect is one of the simplest types of field effect transistors.
• They are unipolar in function and either work with electrons and holes, the same thing which is peculiar to the simple field effect transistors.
• The junction field-effect transistor has a very high input impedance level.
• Unlike the bipolar junction field-effect transistor, it makes a little noise or is somehow silent as compared to it.
• The structure of the Junction Field-effect transistor is based on its type, in general, JFET is made up of two n-type and one p-type semiconductor material and vice versa.
• The symbol of the junction field effect transistor is as follows;

Types of JFET

There are further two types of junction field effect transistors

• N Channel Field Effect Transistors
• P Channel Field Effect Transistors

We will now discuss these two types of junction Field Effect Transistors - JFET in detail.

N Channel Field Effect Transistors

Construction of N Channel FET Let's discuss the construction of N channel Field Effect Transistor first,

• A bar of n-type semiconductor material primarily silicone is taken which acts as the substrate.
• The bar is then diffused with two p-type silicone bars which are smaller in size than the n-type silicon bar, on the two extreme ends of the substrate bar. Just imagine you are placing and gluing two small blocks on the extreme right and extreme left sides of a larger block made up of wood or any material you can stick together!
• Now we are done with diffusing the p-type materials into our n-type substrate, the leftover region conducts the current and is labeled as Channel. These channels are responsible for the conductive action of the Field Effect Transistors when voltage is applied.
• After we are done with the formation of the channel, we will now see how the main parts such as Gate, Source, and Drain are formed out of these diffused semiconductor blocks.
• The two diffused p-type silicon bars which have now formed the PN junction with the n-type material are now joined together to form the Gate.
• The two ends of the channel which was formed earlier after the diffusion process are metalized to be converted into source and drain.
• The N channel Field Effect Transistors imply electrons as the majority charge carriers. They are more efficient than the p channel junction Field Effect Transistors because electrons travel faster than the holes.

P channel junction Field Effect Transistors

Construction of P channel FET

• The same process is repeated for the construction of the p channel junction Field Effect Transistor.
• The p-type material substrate is taken in form of a large wafer or bar and then diffused with two smaller n-type bars.
• The channel formed after diffusion is then metalized at both ends to form the source and drain.
• The PN junction formed by the two n-type semiconductor materials is then connected to form the Gate.
• So this is how the p channel junction Field Effect Transistors are constructed.
• The p channel junction Field Effect Transistors imply holes as Majority charge carriers as they are unipolar.

Working of Junction Field Effect Transistor

• The Junction Field Effect Transistor always works in reverse biasing condition, that is why they have a very high input impedance.
• In the case of the Junction Field Effect Transistor, the gate current is Zero which is denoted by; IG=0
• The input voltage which is represented by VGS is the controlling factor for the output current which is represented by ID.

• You must be thinking how we control the width of the channel through which the current is conducted? The answer is simple, we alter the width of the PN junction on both sides of the channel which increases resistance to the flow of current.

As we already know that the Junction Field Effect Transistor only works in reverse biasing conditions let us now discuss a few scenarios to know how the output is generated under different circumstances.

Zero biasing condition of Junction Field Effect Transistor

• When no external voltage VGS is applied to the gate the resulting voltage to the drain would be zero which can be written as VGS = VDS = 0
• The depletion regions would have the same thickness as they had earlier because the voltage is not being applied yet.
• In this zero biased condition the drain current is produced, let me tell you how! The charge carriers in the absence of a potential difference start moving from the source to drain producing a drain current that is opposite to the conventional flow of current.
• So in the zero biased condition, only drain current exists in Junction Field Effect Transistor.

Reverse Biasing condition of Junction Field Effect Transistor

Small Reverse Voltage application scenario

• In the presence of a potential or small voltage the gate-source voltage VGS on which the Drain current ID is dependent, on applying small reverse potential width of the depletion region increases.
• Due to the increase in the width of depletion regions on both sides, the channel finds it difficult to conduct current.
• This difficulty of the channel to conduct current results in voltage drop.
• The width of the depletion region increases more towards the drain terminal, one can think of it as accidental but in science, nothing exists within reasoning and logic, the depletion region increases more towards the drain because the voltage drop is higher at the drain side.
• There is a lesser amount of Drain current ID because of the shrinkage of the conduction channel.

Large reverse voltage application scenario

• In this case we apply a higher negative voltage which is our Gate to Source voltage, represented by VGS
• The depletion regions of both the corresponding PN Junctions, keep on increasing in width.
• Eventually, both the depletion regions meet each other or you can say touch each other.
• Here is a question for you, what would happen when both the depletion regions would meet or diffuse into each other? They would eventually block the conduction of the current!
• The point at which the particular voltage blocks the conduction channel completely is called the cut-off voltage or sometimes pinch-off

MOSFET_  metal-oxide field-effect transistors.

The second type of field-effect transistors is the  MOSFET, metal-oxide field-effect transistors.

Metal-oxide field-effect transistors are one of the most common types of transistors used widely.

Features of MOSFET

• The MOSFET consumes lesser power than other transistors.
• They are exceptionally scalable and if you remember Moore's law, they are the best practical manifestation of it.
• MOSFETs have high switching speeds that is why they are used for generating pulse trains. Do you know what is a pulse train? A pulse train is the square waveform of asymmetrical waves which are periodic but non-sinusoidal in nature.
• .metal oxide field-effect transistors are considered ideal for digital circuits, analog circuits, and linear circuits as well.
• Sometimes metal-oxide field-effect transistors - MOSFETs are also called IGFET, Insulated Gate Field-Effect Transistors.

Basic Structure of MOSFET

• Let us now discuss the basic structure of metal oxide field-effect transistors MOSFET.
• The metal oxide field effect transistor MOSFET has four components, unlike the JFET.
• The components of MOSFET include Source S, drain D, body B, and Gate G.
• The gate is separated by the body of the transistor through the insulating material
• MOSFET is very similar to the JFET, but the main difference lies in the insulation of Gate Electrode from the conduction channel, either P channel or N channel, with the help of a thin layer of primarily SiO2 or Glass.
• The insulation of the Gate terminal with the metal oxide layer helps in increasing the input resistance. The insulation can increase the value of input resistance into Mega Ohms.
• For a detailed outlook on the MOSFET, its construction, working and applications you can refer to the detailed article present on our website.

Symbol of The metal oxide field effect transistor MOSFET

• The following symbol is used to represent MOSFET.

• The Arrowhead indicates the direction of current and I already know that you are aware of this!
• Now you must be thinking, why the symbolic representation is only showing three terminals, please do not search for the fourth one! Because the source is always attached to the body terminal and is represented as one terminal.
• So you can only spot the three terminals naming Gate G, Drain D, and Source S.

Types of MOSFET

Following are the four commonly known types of MOSFET;

• N-Channel Enhancement mode MOSFET
• P-Channel Enhancement mode MOSFET
• N-Channel Depletion mode MOSFET
• P-Channel Depletion mode MOSFET

Detailed outlook on all these types of MOSFET can be found in our article regarding MOSFET.

Characteristics of FET

• The Current Voltage, I-V characteristics of the Field Effect Transistor is plotted between the applied voltage VDS and Drain Current ID.
• The graph for studying the characteristic curve of a field effect transistor_ FET is plotted between the varying values of Drain Current represented by ID along the y-axis, with the varying values of VDS along the x- axis.

The graph shows the following regions;

• Ohmic Region
• Cut off region
• Saturation or Active Region
• Breakdown region

Refer to the graph for better understanding. We will now discuss each of the regions in detail.

Ohmic Region

• This is the extreme left side of the graph which represents the value of Drain Current ID when the applied voltage of the transistor between the source and gate is Zero i.e VGS= 0
• The conductive channel is small but not narrow in this case.
• Depletion regions on the corresponding sides are equal in size and haven't started expanding yet.
• Our Field effect transistor acts as a voltage controlled resistor at this instance of the IV characteristics curve.

Cut-off Region

• This is the second region of our graph represented by purple the purple lines.
• This cut-off region is also called as pinch-off region because the VGS voltage , the one which controls the current of the transistor is terribly high enough to make the circuit work as an open switch.
• At the pinch off region the conductive channel for current is almost closed due to the Increased thickness of depletion regions on both sides.

Saturation Region

• The saturation region is also called the active region of the graph.
• In this region the Field effect transistor acts a good conductor.
• The value of applied Voltage VGS, the voltage between gate and source drives the transistor.
• The Drain Source Voltage VDS has minimal effect on the current ID of the transistor at this very instant.

Breakdown Region

• This is the last and terminal region of characteristics curve for the field effect transistor, you can observe this region on the extreme right corner.
• The Voltage between the source and drain represented by VDS is very high at this point.
• The voltage is high enough that the conductive channel is broken and maximum current passes through the channel into drain.

Applications of Field Effect Transistors

• Field Effect Transistors have revolutionized the electronic world, there is an endless list of uses of field effect transistors, we are going to discuss a few important ones in this section.
• Field Effect Transistors FETs are frequently used in Integrated Circuits because of their smaller size and compactness.
• FETs are used in operational amplifiers as VRs, Voltage Variable Resistors.
• They are also used in tone controls for mixer operations on TV and on FM as well.
• Field Effect Transistors are also used in logic gates.
• Field Effect Transistors are widely used in the production of digital switches as well.

We will now discuss some of the most advanced applications of field effect transistors now,

FET as Buffer Amplifier

• First things first ,let us first discuss what does a buffer do? A buffer makes sure that the signal either digital or analog is successfully transferred to the preceding wave.
• A voltage buffer helps in amplifying the current without disturbing the actual voltage level.
• So, as you are well aware of the function of a buffer, we will discuss how a Field Effect Transistor acts a buffer amplifier.
• A buffer amplifier separates the previous stage of the signal from the next upcoming stage, drain of the Field Effect Transistor works for this purpose.
• Lastly , you must be thinking which characteristic property helps the Field Effect Transistor in achieving this, i have the answer for this question of yours! The high input impedance and low output impedance make a Field Effect Transistor an excellent buffer amplifier.

FET as Analog switch

• We have been discussing the use of Field Effect Transistors in analog and digital switches lately, we will be discussing their use in analog switches now.
• We have discussed it earlier as well in our characteristics curve and operational scenarios of the Field Effect Transistor when the output voltage equals the input voltage making the FET works as a switch.

• When the VGS which is the gate source voltage as you already know is absent, the FET works as a small resistance , although a little bit of drain current is present but its value is almost negligible.
• The mathematical expression can be written as

VOUT = {RDS/ (RD + RDS (ON)}* Vin

• If you remember, the cuttoff region of I-V characteristics curve of our Field Effect Transistor, when the max negative voltage is applied to the Gate source region and eventually the Field Effect Transistor_ FET starts acting as a very high resistance.
• That resistance lies in the range of Mega Ohms.
• In this case the output voltage Vout is nearly equal to the input voltage which was VGS.

FET as Phase shift oscillator

• Field Effect Transistors are ideal to be used as phase shift oscillators.
• Phase shift oscillators are used to generate signals with wide range of frequencies.
• Field Effect Transistors can be used for amplifying as well as for feedback loop operation, that is the reason they are excellent to work as phase shift oscillators.
• Field Effect Transistor_ FETs have high input impedance, so there is a very less loading effect when they are used as phase shift oscillators.
• Most of the times N channel JFETs are used for this purpose.

• You can observe the Field Effect Transistors as phase shift oscillators in GPS units, musical instruments and many other places where audio signals are modulated such as voice synthesis.

FET as Cascode amplifier

• The word case code has been derived from the phrase " Cascade to Cathode".
• Cascode circuits are made up of two components, the first one is the transconductance amplifier and the second one is the buffer amplifier.
• Cascode amplifiers are generally made using Field-Effect Transistors due to their high input resistance.
• We use cascode amplifiers because of their quality of having low input capacitance, otherwise, the normally used common amplifiers have a higher value of input capacitance in general than the cascode amplifiers.
• Although the voltage gain is the same for both the amplifiers which is again a win-win situation for
• Cascode amplifiers using Field-Effect Transistors.

FET in Multiplexer

• Let us first discuss the function of a multiplexer, a multiplexer collects different signals from different sources to present as a single output signal. Imagine a whole year of hard work and the end result is summarized in a single result card after the exam!
• Junction Field-Effect Transistors are used to construct the multiplexer circuit.
• Each Field Effect Transistor act as an SPST.
• In case you don't know about the SPST, let me tell you, it is the single pole single throw switch that generates one output from one input.
• An SPST is used as an on-off switch in circuits.

Consider the circuit diagram given below;

• All input signals get blocked when the control signals are made more negative than the Gate source voltage VGS.
• This condition blocks all the input signals.
• By turning any one of the control voltages V1, V2, or V3 to zero we can obtain a single desired output wave.
• Consider if ye turn V2 to Zero we will obtain a triangular signal.
• If we turn V3 to zero, you can yourself figure out from the circuit diagram, the wave signal you would get, Go! Scroll up!
• So this is how the Field Effect Transistors are used in multiplexers.

FET as Low noise input amplifier

• How you define noise? A sound that is unpleasant to the ears or when talking of signals a disturbance that causes unnecessary turbulence in the desired output making it meager or weak.
• Noise is produced in many mechanical and electrical instruments but sometimes for a few things it is tolerable and sometimes it is not!
• Just imagine disturbing noise when you are streaming a video or audio, a loud signal which blurs out music during your sunny beach day on your radio, nobody wants that! That is why Field effect transistors are used for low noise amplification.
• Noise has nothing to do with signal strength which is why it is always there, even when you have ended your live stream!
• Noise production is a drawback of many electronic devices but the bright side is that our Field effect transistors make a little less noise especially if they are used in the front end of the signal receiver.
• Field-effect transistors are a bit noisy too, but I have a solution for it, MOSFETs are used where even a little bit of noise can't be tolerated, don't worry we would talk about MOSFETs in our next article!
• So, lastly, we can say that, if we use a Field-effect transistor_ FET on the front end, there is lesser amplification of undesirable signal in our generated output.

FET as Current limiter

• Junction Field Effect transistors can be used to make a current limiting circuit.
• By this characteristic and arrangement, constant-current diodes and current regulators are made, let's discuss the process, but firstly refer to the circuit diagram for better understanding.
• When there is an excess of supply voltage due to any discrepancies in the system, the Junction Field Effect transistor immediately starts operating in its active or saturated region, I hope, by now you are well aware of the active region of the Junction Field Effect transistor, if not, refer to the section of I-V characteristics graph and its explanation!
• At this instance, the Junction Field Effect transistor acts as a source of the current itself and prevents any further load current.

So friends, this last segment concludes our discussion on Field Effect Transistors(FET), I hope you have learned something new from this discussion. For any suggestions or constructive criticism or a little bit of appreciation, you can use the comment section below. See you soon with the next topic, have a good day ahead!

Step By Step Guide To Building An SEO-friendly Website

With many people clicking on organic search listings, it is essential to use search engine optimization ( SEO) so that your site can be ranked higher than other sites, and if you optimize your site for SEO, you will rank better than other websites that lack SEO. The things you should put in place include:

Get Domain And Hosting

It is important to keep SEO in mind and use the best practices when you buy a web domain. First of all, make sure to get a domain name that is memorable and easy to read. Don’t choose an overly complicated name consisting of numbers and hyphens. Simplicity is key when it comes to domain names. Sometimes using keywords in your domain name helps as well. For example, if you own a bakery, including the word “bakery” in your domain name could be a good idea in terms of SEO.

Another important point is to try to avoid the less common TLDs. The best choice is to get a “.com” TLD, but if that isn’t possible, then go for one of the other common ones like “.net”. 

Use Responsive Design for a Mobile-Friendly site

When trying to build an SEO-friendly website, it's important to make your website easy to use for both desktop and mobile visitors. So much of today’s web traffic is via mobile, so making sure your website is mobile-friendly is more critical than ever before. A good way to do that is by using responsive web design.

Responsive design allows your website to adapt to any device a user is using. Whether the user is accessing the website via phone, computer, tablet, or desktop, the website will adapt itself to the device. The reasons you should consider using responsive design include:

• Each device usually has a different sized screen which means that your website needs to adapt to fit all the available screens, and when you don't adjust it to a mobile device, the user won't get a good view of your page.
• It is essential to adjust it to a mobile version so that it won't look too small and less attractive when your customer accesses the page on their smartphone. Because if it's too small, the reader will struggle reading, and it will make them less interested in your page.

It also helps improve your bounce rate, because all of those mobile users will stay on your site longer if they find it easy and pleasant to use. Don’t you hate it when you go to a website on your phone and you have to keep moving the screen and zooming in and out just to be able to read the content and navigate the site properly? It’s very annoying and makes most people want to leave. If your site is responsive, the mobile users will stay on your site and the bounce rate will improve. In turn, Google will rank your site higher because it will see that you are answering the intent of the visitors. 

Create Website Content to Target Valuable Keywords

Content creation is a vital part of your website because you generate a lot of traffic to your site when you create content. It also provides a sense of authority and enables you to get great keywords to drive interested leads to your page.

When you decide to create content, the first thing you should consider is finding an appropriate topic. Once you've chosen your topic, you can get the proper keywords to use. To find these keywords, you must conduct keyword research.

Keyword research helps you to find vital phrases for your SEO listing and see the importance of these terms. When doing this, you will need to focus on long-tail keywords, which are keywords that contain two or more words.

Once all your phrases are in check, the next thing you should consider looking at is fonts. You could create blogs, videos, infographics, and ebooks to provide critical information for your audience.

Once you've found the appropriate format to use, you can start creating your content.  Your content needs to be fascinating and easy to comprehend, and also academic. You should also ensure the content is direct so that your audience doesn't have a hard time understanding your content.

Use Header Tags to Help Search Engines Understand Your Page

HTML header tags are used to define your page's heading and help improve Google’s readability of your page by organizing it. Header tags go from H1 to H6, in order of importance, H1 is the title of the whole page. Your page title should include keywords in them to help with your rankings.

For more minor headings, you could integrate other keywords to help you rank your page. The importance of these headers is that they make it easier for your audience to digest your information and make it easier for Google to read your page. So if you want to build an SEO-friendly website, you should create a heading structure for your pages and make your guides easy to find.

What is a 3D Printer? Working, Models, Resins, Software, & Prices

3D Printer is an electronic machine that uses digital data to generate physical 3D models through successive layer printing. A 3D printer can make an object's physical model either scanned by a 3D scanner or designed using a CAD program. 3D Printing is an additive manufacturing technique where successive material layers create a three-dimensional object (Rapid Prototyping). The 3D printing concept is fascinating. Who is not excited about 3D printing? The use of inkjet technology in creating 3D models is a revolutionary method that costs less and saves time by eliminating the designing need for separate model parts. One can use a 3D printer to make a complete model in just a single process.

Several industries use 3D Printers in printing various outputs they need; The industries include footwear, architecture, jewelry, construction and engineering, education, automotive, medical and dental industries, aerospace, and consumer products.

What is a 3D Printer?

• A 3D printer is a computerized machine that allows physical object creation using a three-dimensional digital model (3D); it typically lays down thin material layers in a successive form.
• Three-dimensional printing is an additive manufacturing technique. Thus, it uses digital designs in creating physical objects.
• The process constitutes successively laying down a material's thin layers in powdered plastic or liquid form, cement or metal. Lastly, the layers are fused (Will, 2020).

How a 3D Printer works

According to Woodford (2021), inkjet printers usually spray liquid ink, while a laser printer applies solid powder in its production. Well, a 3D printer does not use any of the two. Instead, it uses plastic in physical object modeling.

• A 3D printer functions by melting a plastic material to a molten state released via a tiny nozzle.
• The nozzle moves accordingly under computer control or automation of the 3D Printer.
• The Printer prints one layer simultaneously; a printed layer has to dry before another is published.
• The end product depends on the Printer and user skills; Mostly, the printed product is usually superb with a 3D model appearance.
• The material used in printing is equally crucial. For example, the plastic material used in the Printer will determine the quality of the object printed.

Advantages of 3D Printer

According to TWI (2021), 3D Printers in production have more benefits than traditional production methods.

Flexible design

• 3D Printers allow the designing and printing of a variety of complex models. 3D Printers have limited restrictions in printing, unlike several traditional processes.

Printing on demand

• 3D Printers require less space in stocking inventory than the traditional processes.
• 3D Printers save costs and a lot of space because printing in bulk is not necessary unless needed.
• The 3D Printer has a virtual library where all the design files are stored.

Rapid Prototyping

• 3D Printers carry out printing very fast; they manufacture many parts within a short time.
• In comparison with machine prototypes, 3D Printers cost less and faster by allowing completion of each design model at a higher speed rate.

Solid and light parts

• Most of the material parts in 3D Printers are plastics and more minor metals.
• Therefore, plastics provide more advantages because they are lighter than metals.
• Industries such as automotive use the lightweight benefit because it gives significant fuel efficiency.
• Also, several parts are made from tailored materials, providing unique properties like higher strength, heat resistance, and water repellency.

Fast design and high production rate

• 3D Printer prints objects in a short time, i.e., an hour, depending on a part's complexity and design.
• In 3D printing, the part's manufacture provides time-saving, and design processes are extremely fast by creating ready CAD or STL files to be printed.

Minimal waste

• The parts’ production process in 3D Printer only needs the materials required for each part, with very minimum material wastage.
• In alternative methods like traditional processes, parts are cut from considerable chunks of materials, especially non-recycled materials.

Cost-effective

• A 3D Printer saves on costs in its operations; partnered with different manufacturing machines.
• The Printer can automatically work on a task if set; it does not need an operator to control its functions.
• Also, the 3D Printers reduce material cost in the manufacturing process since the process only requires the material required.

Ease of access

• A 3D Printer can quickly access more local service providers which offer outsourced services for manufacturing tasks.
• Therefore, it does not require costly transportation, unlike the traditional industrial process.

Environmental friendly

• The technology used in 3D Printers reduces wastage of materials in production processes.
• Also, the 3D Printers benefit the environmental properties like better fuel efficiency than the traditional methods.

Advanced Healthcare

• The 3D Printers are used in hospitals to save lives, especially in surgery sectors. The Printer is used in printing human body organs such as kidneys and livers.

Disadvantages of 3D Printer

No matter how good a 3D Printer may look to have solved the problems of many individuals, it still has drawbacks.

Limited materials

• A 3D Printer is limited in creating items within a selection of metals and plastics; it does not have an exhaustive raw materials selection.
• Not all plastics or metals are temperature controlled to be used in 3D Printers. Furthermore, most of the printable materials are unsafe for food and can not be recycled.

Restricted build size

• A 3D Printer’s print chambers are small. Hence the print chambers restrict the sizes of parts to print.
• Things that are larger than the print chambers are printed in parts separate from the 3D Printer.
• One can join the large and small printed objects after production, but it is much work, costs more, and consumes a lot of work.

Post-processing

• 3D printed parts require clean-up to eliminate supporting materials from the building process and create a smooth surface finishing.

Large Volumes

• The cost of 3D printing is static, unlike conventional methods such as injection molding.
• The 3D printing initial investment is lower than in some manufacturing techniques.
• But, when 3D printing is scaled for mass production of large production volumes, the cost per unit for injection molding reduces more than the 3D Printers.

Part structure

• Certain orientations or stresses can delaminate the layers because of the successive layer production in 3D printing.
• The problem commonly occurs in the production of items using fused deposition modeling (FDM). Also, multijet and polyjet are

3D Printer Models

Three plastic parts 3D Printers are most developed. They include:

• Fused Deposition Modelling 3D Printers (FDM).
• Stereolithography 3D Printers (SLA).
• Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printers (SLS).
• Laser Crystal Display 3D Printers (LCD).
• Digital Laser Printing 3D Printers (DLP).

Stereolithography 3D Printer (SLA)

According to Formlabs (2021), the world's first 3D Printer is stereolithography, invented in the 1980s. Most professionals are still using the SLA technologies in production. The Stereolithography 3D Printer applies the photopolymerization process in its functioning; The process includes using a laser to cure liquid resin into hard plastics.

The Printer is popular because of its production ability of watertight, isotropic, and high-accuracy prototypes or parts. The parts or prototypes have advanced materials range with good quality features and smooth surface finishing. The Stereolithography resin offers vast mechanical, thermal, and optical elements to match the industrial, standard, and engineering thermoplastics properties.

Several industries use stereolithography—for example, dental, engineering, education, modeling, and manufacturing industries.

Stereolithography parts constitute a smooth surface finishing, fewer visible lines, and sharp edges.

Application of stereolithography

• Concept modeling
• Dental application
• Functional Prototyping
• Rapid Prototyping
• Jewelry casting and Prototyping
• Short-run production

Liquid Crystal Display 3D Printer (LCD)

The LCD 3D Printer uses UV LCDs arrays as its light source. The LCD panels produce light that directly shines onto the building area in a parallel fashion. Pixel distortion is not a problem in LCD 3D Printer because its light is not expanded. The printing quality is dependant on the LCD 3D Printer's density; increasing the pixels produces better quality (Leo, 2019).

The LCD 3D Printer has a faster building speed when compared to SLA 3D Printer; it prints parts faster.

Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printer (SLS)

A selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D Printers sinters small polymer powder particles to form a solid structure using a high-power laser. The SLS has unfused powder whose function supports the part when the Printer is printing and removes the need for a dedicated support structure. Hence, the SLS is suitable for complex geometries, including the negative and interior features, thin walls, and undercuts (Formlabs, 2021). The SLS 3D Printer produces parts with superb mechanical characteristics. Furthermore, it has strength that resembles the injection-molded parts' strength.

The SLS’s most common material is nylon. Nylon. Nylon has suitable properties that suit the SLS 3D Printer; the properties of nylon include it is flexible, strong, lightweight, and stable against chemicals, water, impact, UV light, and dirt.

According to Formlabs (2021), The SLS 3D Printer is popular among engineers because it combines high productivity, low cost per part, and established materials. The engineers use it for functional Prototyping. Furthermore, the SLS 3D Printer is cost-effective for bridge manufacturing or limited-run.

The SLS 3D printer parts have faintly rough surface finishing and layer lines that are almost not visible.

Applications of an SLS 3D printer

• End-use parts
• Functional Prototyping
• Custom manufacturing, bridge, or short-run

Fused Deposition Modelling 3D Printer (FDM)

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) also refers to the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Consumers popularly use FDM 3D Printer. The printer functions by releasing thermoplastic filaments like the Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) via a heated nozzle, building a platform through heating the material to melt and applying the plastic on successive layers until completion of the part (Formlabs, 2021).

The FDM 3D printer is the most favorable for simple, low-cost Prototyping and basic proof-of-concept models. Compared to SLS and SLA 3D Printers, FDM 3D Printer has the lowest accuracy and resolution; hence, it is advisable not to use the FDM 3D printers in printing designs that are complex or have intricate features. Mechanical and chemical polishing processes are used in obtaining higher-quality surface finishes. An industrial mitigates challenging issues through soluble support and allows a wide variety of engineering thermoplastics, increasing production costs.

FDM parts show visible lines responsible for creating inaccuracies when handling complex features.

Application of FDM 3D printer

• Simple Prototyping
• Basic proof-of-concept models

3D Printer Resins

A resin refers to a highly viscous substance of synthetic or plant origin typically converted into polymers; generally, the resin is a combination of organic compounds (Liqcreate, 2021). Transparent resin is mainly used in 3D printing in a transparent material. Transparent resin is suitable for 3D printing because of its water-resistant property. Also, the transparent resin is an ideal choice for that requires high quality, smooth finish, and fine surface.

According to Liqcreate (2021), several types of resin are used in 3D Printers basing on their functions or purpose. They include the general-purpose, premium, medical, castable, engineering, and creative purpose resin.

General Purpose resins

• General-purpose resins can perform several functions and are not specifically for one task.
• The resin is ideal for a wide range of purposes in Prototyping, consumer applications, and entertainment.
• The resins have the best quality performance and costs in the market and are easy to use.

Premium resin

• Premium resins have perfect quality in LCD 3D Printers, no discoloration, and high opacity.
• The premium resin range comprises flexible and rigid resin for functional objects.
• The premium resins are suitable for in-office printing because they do not release any unpleasant odor.

Medical resins

• Each medical application has unique resin requirements—for example, dental applications or products concerning skin contact.
• Therefore, every medical operation will require a different special resin depending on the type of medical operation.

Castable resins

• Castable resin is the best in jewelry manufacturing, industrial, and dental parts.
• Castable resin is a wax-based material with a reliable casting process.
• Also, it uses a clean burnout to crisp details and provides a smooth surface finish.
• A castable resin can create custom elegant organic geometries.

Engineering resins

• The engineering resins are suitable for applications that need specific mechanical assets.
• The engineering category of resins comprises advanced photopolymers for professionals who expect tough, extreme impact resistance, and tough.

Creative resins

• The creative resin creates the 4^th dimension when used in 3D printers.
• One has beautiful options when selecting the resins.
• The creative resins add feel, scent, sound, or glow to a 3D Printer.

Software for 3D Printing

In the past, people used a lot of resources to study Software about modeling software. Some software is easy to use, and some are free to access. Some software use solid modeling whereby they produce manifold models. While other Software is watertight, a manifold model refers to a model with some thickness in all of its walls (Strikwerda, 2021). Softwares that use polygon modeling create walls with zero thickenings; such walls are suitable for creating graphics for movies and games contrasting with 3D printing. The polygon modeling software makes the manifold models, but it would need a lengthy procedure and more experience. The Software listed in the article generates 3D printable models. Some of the Software is easy to use. At the same time, others are more suitable for professionals rather than for amateurs.

Trinkercad

According to Strikwerda (2021), Trinkercad software is a browser-based app and freely available to all users, and it applies solid modeling in its work. The creation of the Software targets beginners. Trinkercard software is unique because it introduces solid modeling and allows any person to make 3D printable modeling.

The Software applies the block-building concept. Therefore, it allows one to create models from a variety of basic shapes. The Software also provides aid to beginners through its guides and tutorials. Furthermore, the Software has the advantage of exporting or sharing with ease.

Trinkercad has an extensive library that constitutes millions of files that give the users several distinct options for finding the best shapes that will suit their problem requirements best. The Software allows the user to print and have the product instantly at your location through direct integration with other printing services. It is the best platform to learn about 3D modeling and printing.

Blender

According to Strikwerda (2021), Blender software is freely accessible to its users. The Software is not a solid model; it is open-source, rich in features, and constitutes animation, rendering, sculpting, video editing, simulation, and motion tracking. Also, the Software is very friendly since both advanced users and amateurs can use it.

The Blender Software constitutes many 3D creation facets, including simulation, animation, and modeling, e.t.c. The software suits individuals who are ready for transitioning from learning to designing complex 3D models.

One of Blender's exciting features is the photorealistic rendering feature. The feature creates models to reality; only a few free software can have such a feature.

BRL-CAD

According to Strikwerda (2021), the BRL-CAD Software is a type of Open-source Software. Also, it is an advanced solid model system comprising interactive geometry editing. The U.S military uses the BRL-CAD Software in modeling weapons and related systems. This shows the Software is very advanced and quite dependable. The Software serves its users with a precision of high level by using specific coordinates in arranging the geometric shapes.

The Software provides complex and simple shapes to its users to make their designs, having an extensive library of files. The Software allows combining multiple different forms to generate the desired model. BRL-CAD Software performs its tasks fast due to its dense features. Furthermore, it is free and available for access to all users.

Wings3D

According to Strikwerda (2021), Wings3D is an open-source software type; polygon modeling tool and has a broad range of selection and mesh tools regardless of its freeware. The Software is user-friendly, with beginners as the primary target; it has a steady learning curve. Its features, such as the easy-to-use interface and customizable hotkeys, indicate the designing or printing status; hence, the Software suits the starters.

The Software has no shortage of valuable or essential features like the inset or plane cut; thus, it can create impressive models. Moreover, the Software supports a vast range of both import or export file formats.

Modo

According to Strikwerda (2021), Modo 3D Printer software creates a creative 3D polygon modeling tool. Also, it can provide a subdivided surface designing tool that has more flexibilities for creating both the precision meshes and freeform organic designs through the use of the same Software. The Software is strictly used by professionals or advanced 3D printing users. The Software is not user-friendly, and it is costly to operate.

Modo has a wide variety of features and runs its processes smoothly. It has a very high speed in production and modeling. The Software allows extensions of partnering with other Software in production activities.

Price of a 3D Printer

The price of a 3D printer varies based on the type of printer and the needs of the user. If you rank all of the many 3D printers on the market, you'll come up with a price of $400. However, as of April 2021, the price has dropped to $ 200-$500, with some being quite pricey at $ 1500. Professional 3D printers and enthusiast 3D printers, for example, range in price from $ 1,500 to $6,000, depending on the printing capability. Finally, industrial 3D printers are expensive to buy and operate, ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.

So, that was all for today. I hope you have enjoyed today's lecture. If you have any questions, please ask in the comments. Take care.

Solar Inverter in Proteus

Hello student! Welcome to The Engineering Projects. We hope you are doing good. We are glad to introduce and use the Solar Panel Library in Proteus. We work day and night to meet the trends in technology. This resulted in the design of new libraries in Proteus Software by TEP and today we'll talk about the project based upon one of our library i.e, Solar Panel.

Solar Panels work very great in this era when all of the scientists are working to have a power source that is cheap, environmentally friendly, and clean. Solar energy fits in all these dimensions. We are designing a solar inverter in our today's experiment. This inverter is the best idea for the engineering project because it has endless scope, it is easy and trouble-free. In this report, you will learn:

1. What are solar inverters?
2. How do we add the Library for Solar Panel?
3. How does the circuit of the Solar Inverter works?
4. What is the procedure to design a Solar inverter in Proteus ISIS?

In addition, we'll look at some interesting points in DID YOU KNOW sections.

Solar Inverters

The inverters are the devices that convert the DC power to AC power. These inverters are indispensable because a large number of electronics works on AC and the cons and pros of AC or DC device depends upon the requirement of the device. In this way, we may define the solar inverters as:

"The solar inverters are the devices designed to convert the solar energy stored in the solar panel in the form of Direct current, into the alternating current by the mean of its circuit." 

The energy is stored in the form of solar energy that comes directly from the sun. This makes it suitable to use for thousands of devices and users can get the ultimate solution of the power source with minimum or no cost once set up is completed.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The solar panels are also called the photovoltaic module and these are made by the photovoltaic cells that store the energy coming from the sun and convert it into the direct current.

Addition of library for solar panel

As we said earlier, the idea of the Solar Panel lin=brary is new. We design this library to improve the experimentation and many circuits are been design by using solar energy and solar system. When you search for the "Solar Panel", you won't have this. In order to have it in your Pick Library option, just download it from our site. You can add it in really straightforward and easy steps:

1. First of all, you need to download the zip file of the Solar Panel Library for Proteus.
2. From the downloaded folder, unzip the library files into the Library folder of the Proteus.

You can also read the full description if you have any confusion about the installation.

Components of the Solar Inverter

The Solar Inverter consists of some simple passive components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes etc. along with other components. Out of which,  some of them are important to discuss. Just have a look at them:

 Solar Panel

Solar Panels are the best source to produce electricity. The Solar cells work when the sunlight strikes the surface of the Solar Panel, the photovoltaic cells capture the sunlight and convert them into another form of energy i.e. electric current. This energy is then stored in the battery or can be used directly to run the devices.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In solar panels, the collection of the photovoltaic Module is called PV Panel.
• On the other hand, the system of PV Panel is usually called an array.

Battery

We all know a battery is used to power up the components in the circuit. yet, in our circuit, the battery will be used to store the energy produced by the solar panel. This process continues until the switch is opened. Once the switch is opened, the battery will be used to run the inverter.

Relay in Solar Inverter

The relay is an engrossing component. It works as the controller of the circuit. The working of the relay seems like the switch but it has a magnetic coil in it that magnetizes and de-magnetizes, according to the requirement of the user. This plays an important part in the charging and discharging of the battery as well as the working of the Solar Panel.

Working of Solar energy Inverter

The Working of the solar inverter starts when the user plays the simulation. In this case, we always assume that the direct sunlight is striking to the solar panel and it is producing energy. We can say, the circuit of the solar inverter consists of 2 mini circuits connected with each other.

1. The circuit of the solar panel is the medium of energy.
2. The circuit of the battery absorbs the energy coming from the solar panel and releases the energy when the user requires it.

Both of the circuits are joined and disjoined with the help of switches. As far as the switch of the Solar Panel is closed, the circuit does not show any output. When the switch is turned closed(connected) then the energy from the solar panel starts moving towards the relay.

• The Relay is magnetized and it produces the path for current to flow towards the battery and charge it.
• In this mode, if the switch of battery is opened, the LED does not show output, but the battery still charges.
• If the switch of battery is closed, the battery is getting charged and shows the output at a time.

One can stop the charging process by switching the solar panel off. The output of the battery will still be seen because of the charging process until the battery has the energy.

Simulation of the Solar Panel Inverter in Proteus ISIS

To simulate the circuit of the Solar Panel Inverter, go along with these steps:

Material Required

1. Solar Panel
2. Diode
3. Transformer
4. LED
5. Resistor
6. Capacitor
7. Switch
8. Battery
9. Ground
10. Connecting Wires

Procedure for the Solar Panel Inverter Simulation

• Fire up your Proteus Software.
• Create a new project.
• Go to the "P" button and choose the 1st eight elements given in the list above.
• Arrange all the components one after the other on the screen.

• At this time, we are going to change the values of some components.
• Change the value of R1=1K, R2= 18, C1=470uF,Battery=9V.
• Connect the components with one another by following the image given next:

• You can see in the image, the red-colored wire shows the voltage and the arrows are indicating the flow of current when both the switches are closed.
• You will notice, as soon as you play the button, the terminal of the Relay changes its position.
• The lights of the LEDs indicate the working of the circuit of the Solar power inverter.

Consequently, we saw about the theory and the practical performance of Solar inverters in Proteus ISIS and we learned how can we add the library of solar panels in the Proteus.

555 Timer TV Remote Control Jammer in Proteus

Hey pupils, welcome to The Engineering Projects. We hope you are doing great. In today's simulation in Proteus ISIS, we'll seek the knowledge of an interesting topic. We are going to design a Television remote jammer in Proteus. We all are familiar with the TV Remote controller device and know it works when a light signal emitted by it is sensed by the television. Have a glance at the topics we will see in detail today:

1. Introduction to 555 Timer TV Remote Control Jammer.
2. Components of the circuit.
3. Working principle of 555 Timer Jammer.
4. Simulation of the Jammer of TV Remote Control using 555 Timer.

Moreover, you will also learn some interesting facts about the topic in DID YOU KNOW sections. let's jump to our first topic.

555 Timer TV Remote Control Jammer

Remote controls do not require any introduction. We all use many types of remote controller devices in our daily lives. The TV Remote controls work on the principle of Infrared light. Yet, what if we do not want to give any access to other users or there is a requirement of blocking the signals from the remote controller device. In this case, jammers are useful because they do not alter any functioning of remote controls and just distract the television to sense the light signals. On this basis, we define the 555 Timer TV Remote Control Jammer as:

• The 555 Timer TV Remote Jammer is a device used to jam the Infrared Lights emitted by the remote control, by producing a constant pulse of signals and distract the remote controller signals.

Before starting the working of the TV Remote control Jammer, let's have a piece of quick information on how does the TV Remote works. When we press the button of the remote, it sequentially emits the pulses. These pulses are then received by the IR Reciever present in the Television. Each time, every button has its own frequency of pulses so that the IR Reciever can sense which button is pressed. Then the TV act according to our command.

Now, in the case, when we want to cease the television to sense these signals, we just create a pulse, more powerful than TV remote controller, to disturb the pulse from the TV remote controller, so that the TV will not be able to sense pulses from TV Remote. We'll find how does this works in a bit.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In electronics, the Jammer is any device that is used to prevent the instruments to sense the signals, waves or other mediums to cease their response.

Components used in TV Remote Jammer

In our circuit, we are going to use different components such as diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc. Out of them, 555 Timers and transistors are important to understand.

555 Timer in TV Remote control Jammer

The 555 Timer is an excellent Integrated circuit used in thousands of electronic circuits. It is used to transmit the pulses and control the flow of the circuit. The main reason behind its large number of projects and circuits is its modes. Basically, the 555 Timer can be used in three modes:

• Astable Mode
• Bistable Mode
• Monostable Mode

For our circuit, we'll go for Astable Multivariable mode. This mode is chosen so because the IR waves from the remote control have very specific wave frequencies. In this way, when the waves from TV control Jammer will be Astable, this will be better to distract the TV from the remote's pulses. The 555 Timers is an 8 pin IC. In our circuit, pin 5 and pin 7 of the 555 Timer will remain unconnected. Other pins will be connected according to their respected functions.

Transistor in Remote Control Jammer

It's an NPN Transistor with three terminals called Emitter, Collector, and Base Terminals. In our experiment, the BC547 transistor will be used. The transistor will act as an amplifier in the circuit to make the pulses generated by the 555 Timer more clear, strong, and effective.

Complete List of Components required

1. 555 Timer IC
2. Resistor
3. Diode
4. Capacitor
5. POT HG
6. LED
7. Battery
8. BC547
9. Ground Terminal

Working of TV Remote Control Jammer using 555 Timer

1. The working of the circuit starts when the 9V Battery starts its work.
2. This power enters 555 Timer through its two pins. The 555 Timer, in our case, is in Astable mode.
3. In this way, the 555 timer generates a pulse that is not stable.

1. To make the pulses more strong and effective, we use the Transistor. The transistor here works as an amplifier and amplifies the pulses coming towards it through its base terminal.
2. The output of 555 Timer IC then passes through a couple of Diodes that are connected to the base and Emitter terminal of the BC547.
3. Ultimately, the pulses of the 555 Timer IC pass through the LED and then to the collector Terminal of the Transistor.
4. The LED shows the speed of the output pulses.
5. This abrupt pulse is enough to distract the Infrared Reciever of the Television.
6. So, as a result, we get a strong pulse of 36KHz-38KHz carrier frequency,

TV Remote Jammer circuit using 555 timers in Proteus

The simulation of the circuit is easy if you follow the steps given below carefully. So Let's go ahead.

Procedure to design circuit of TV Remote Jammer

• Excite you Proteus Software and start a new Project.
• Hit the "P" button then choose the first 8 components from the window that appeared.
• Now arrange all the chosen components on the screen by following the image given next.

• Go to the left side of the screen>Termnals mode>Ground and attach this ground terminal below the circuit.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The mode of 555 Timer is identified by the components and their manner of connection with 555 Timer.
• You can change the frequency of the pulses by changing the values of the components.
• This change can easily be detected by observing the speed of the power entering the LED.

• To connect them, let's use connecting wires.
• You can alter the values of some components as:

POT HG: 1K, R1: 1K, R2: 5.6, R3:470, C:110nF,Battery:9V.

• Go to virtual instrument Mode>Oscilloscope and fix it with the LED's output.
• Finally, at the present moment, we are going to simulate our circuit.
• Click on the play button and set the values of voltage and frequency through nobs.
• The output of the oscilloscope will show that waves are formed frequently.

In the end, we conclude that we can design the circuit of the TV remote control jammer using the 555 Timer in Proteus. We had a short introduction to how does TV Remote works, we saw how can we jam its signal, we found how does the circuit works and at the end, we design a full circuit of a TV remote control jammer with the help of 555 timers in Proteus ISIS. This circuit emits a constant bit of 1.775 meters per second and the frequency ranges from 36KHz to 38KHz.

Traffic Light Circuit using 555 Timer in Proteus

Hey pals! Welcome to the board. We are talking about a fascinating experiment about The Engineering Projects. We all know about the Traffic Lights. But today, we'll see inside the Traffic Lights and find some interesting working of the circuit of Traffic Lights. Before this, just have a look at the topics of discussion:

1. What is the Traffic Lights circuit with 555 Timer?
2. What does the 555 timer do in Traffic Lights?
3. What is the purpose of the 4017 IC Counter in the circuit?
4. How does the circuit of Traffic Lights work with 555 Timer IC?
5. How can we perform experiments with the circuit of 555 Timer Traffic Lights in Proteus ISIS?

In addition, we'll see some important points about the topic in DID YOU KNOW sections.

Traffic Lights circuit with 555 Timer

Whenever we rush toward any road that has a heavy flow of vehicles, we always follow some traffic rules. One of the most fundamental traffic rules is to follow the traffic lights. These traffic lights direct the vehicles to start or stop moving at the road according to our turn. These turns are decided by the Traffic Lights. The traffic Lights show the different colored lights and these lights turn on and off in a sequence. We know all these things, but we are revising these to get the logic behind the scene. we define the Traffic Lights technically as:

"The traffic lights are the combination of three LEDs colored as red, amber and green that are connected in a specialized circuit that gives the output from the LEDs in a specific format and this format is used to control the flow of traffic."

These LEDs are enclosed in a metallic body. Traffic Light signals are so useful that 99% of the countries use them. This makes the circuit one of the most fundamental and common circuits to understand.

There are many devices through which the Traffic Lights may be controlled. Out of which, two are common:

1. Traffic Lights with the D Flip Flop.
2. Traffic Lights with 555 Timer

We have discussed the 1st method in our previous tutorial, Let's have a look at the next one.

555 Timer IC Performance in Traffic Lights

before starting the simulation, let's have a look at its components briefly. The circuit of Traffic Lights uses a very common yet powerful device i.e, 555 Timer IC. The 555 Timer is so useful that it is said that annually, a billion of 555 Timers are produced and it is considered as the most popular IC of the year 2017. We introduce the 555 Timer as:

"The 555 Timer is a common 8 pins Integrated Circuit used in a variety of oscillation generators and Timers to generate a pulse of the signals that control the output sequentially."

In our experiment, we'll apply the Mono-stable Multi-vibrator mode of the 555 timer. The output of 555 Timer in this mode is in the form of a single pulse of current that has a specific length. This pulse is sometimes called the one-shot pulse.

4017 IC in the 555 Timer Traffic Lights

The 4017 is the special IC that is usually coupled with the 555 Timer. It works on the pulse generated by the 555 Timer and the definition for the 4017 IC is given as:

• "The 4017 is 16 pins counter and decoder of 555 Timer IC that generates a decade counter output from its output pins and the outputs advances from one to another with the positive edge of the clock pulse."

Once the clock pulse of 4017 IC in the traffic Lights goes from low to high, the IC started its cycle again and we get a sequential Logic output. The pins 3 to 12 of the 4017 IC Counter are said to be the output pins of the 4017 and we'll connect the traffic lights with them.

Working of Traffic Lights using 555 Timer IC

1. The Working of the circuit starts with the power connected to the Vcc terminal of 555 Timer IC.
2. the power in the 555 Timer in Mono-stable Multi-vibrator mode produces a uniform pulse of current that is stabilized with the help of capacitors used with the 555 Timer IC.
3. The current is then fed into the clock terminal of the 4017 decade counter IC that decodes these pulses of 555 Timer IC and produces the stream of output at its output terminals.
4. The terminals of the 4017 IC are connected to the diodes in a specific manner. These diodes conduct the electricity on only one side and so that a specialized sequence of the current is found at the outputs of these diodes.
5. There are two sets of the diode connections. Four diodes are connected in a set and two in another. The output of 1st set is fed to Green Light of the Traffic Lights. The Amber and Red lights of the circuit are connected with the second set.
6. The output of these two sets is connected with the resistor and then finally this current passes to the traffic Lights signal.
7. In the end, we get a specialized, clear and automatic output from the traffic lights.

Simulation of the circuit of 555 Timer Traffic Lights in Proteus ISIS

At the moment, we are going to design the circuit of the experiments. So let's start.

Devices required for 555 Timer Traffic Lights

1. 555 Timer IC
2. 4017 IC
3. Capacitors - 3
4. Resistors - 7
5. Diodes - 6
6. Traffic lights

• Fire up your Proteus Software.
• Choose the material from pick Library through "P" button.

Let's divide the circuit design into three parts:

1. 555 Timer connections
2. 4017 IC Counter connections
3. Connection of 555 Timer and 4017 IC

555 Timer Connections

• Choose the 555 Timer from the component's area and arrange it on the left side working area.
• Select the resistor then  arrange three resistors with pin 3, 6 and 7.
• Take capacitor and set two capacitors with pin 2 and 5 of 555 Timer.

• Go to terminal mode and set a Ground terminal at the Ground pin of the 555 Timer.
• Connect all the components of 555 Timer IC as:

Connections of 4017 IC

• Go to components, choose 4017 IC.
• Select diode and arrange the 7 diodes with the output pins on the right side of 4017 IC.
• Take care with the direction of the diodes.
• Set a resistor between the pins 13 and 16 of 4017 IC.
• Arrange three resistors  just after the diodes.
• Now set a Traffic Light signal on the right side of the resistors.

DID YOU KNOW?????????????????????????????

It is said by AAA, the average American spends 58.6 hours every year waiting at the red light of traffic signal.

• The circuit now looks like the image given next:

Connection of ICs

• Now, at the moment, we'll connect the ICs to finally set our circuit.
• Set a capacitor between both these ICs.
• Alter the names of the components by given them numbering so that Proteus may distinguish between different Resistors, Capacitors, diodes and ICs.
• Change the values of each component according to the table given next:

Component	Values
C1	0.01uF
C2	47uF
C3	6.8nF
R1	23k ohm
R2	10k ohm
R3	22K ohm
R4	100k ohm
R5	100 ohm
R6	100 ohm

• Observe deeply the image given below and connect all the components with the help of connecting wires.

• Our circuit is now good to go, Let's tap the play button and simulate the circuit.

The circuit shows the required output well. If you found any error, look at the steps given above again.

DID YOU KNOW????????????????

The working speed of the Traffic Lights can be varied by changing the values of capacitors connected with  pin 5 and 2 of the 555 Timer IC.

So, today we saw a fantastic circuit in which we learned that what are the Traffic lights signal using 555 timer, how does the ICs of 555 timer and 4017 IC Counter work with each other to show the output of the Traffic Lights and we designed the circuit of 555 Timer Traffic Lights in Proteus ISIS. If you have any questions, you can contact us through the comment sections.

Workforce Management: Definition, System, Software, Courses & Jobs

Hello people, I hope you all are having a great time. Let us start our discussion with a simple question, how you keep a track of your progress be it daily, monthly, or yearly? Or how your professor for fluid dynamics or any other course keep you on your toes throughout the semester? Definitely by keeping a proper schedule and record or maybe by tracking your progress through an app or anything manual! Have you ever thought about how big companies keep themselves on track? How they manage a huge network of employees by keeping in check their progress individually? Or how the day-to-day or hourly tasks are assigned and kept under check daily for every employee of the company? All these things are done through workforce management. Today, we will be discussing this process of Workforce Management through and through. Let us define Workforce first:

Definition of Workforce

Workforce can be defined as:

• "People duly engaged for performing specific tasks for a company or an individual, through a formal or informal setting are referred as the workforce of that particular individual or company."

You are very well aware of the meaning of workforce, it is time to get back on track and dive into the sea of workforce management.

Definition of Workforce Management

So, we define workforce management as;

• "Workforce management refers to the collection of different processes which keep the performance and progress of employees associated with the organization under check."

Informally, we can say that workforce management is the process through which a company keeps its employees on its toes, calculating every second of their time on the scale of progress! Oops!

Alternate Names for Workforce Management

There are a few alternate names for the workforce management system, I'm listing the possible ones below:

• Workforce Asset Management WAM
• Enterprise Resource Planning ERP
• Human Resource Management System HRM

Moving forward, Have you ever heard, seen, or experienced how established companies like Genesys, Amazon Cloud Services manage their employees or any famously known big company or a small one manages its workforce? let me tell you about Genesys for an overview, They do it through their custom made software specially tailored to keep an eye on the performance and progress of their employees, despite the fact that its employees have to move far away to the sites for installation and other stuff, but still, their system is developed enough to take care of everything.

Ever heard of UKG? Ultimate Kronos Group? Do you know what they do? They provide top-notch workforce management solutions to their clients who are looking for a better way to manage their businesses, Yes! It's a business too. And a highly profitable one, you’ll get to know this later in this article, keep reading!

Workforce Management System

The Workforce Management system is the amalgamation of several processes which keep the workforce or you may say employees of a company under check. That check may be associated with the attendance, performance, and progress of the employees and several other things which are deemed necessary for the well-being of the company.

Importance of Workforce Management

Let us first see why workforce management is important. There are a lot of advantages of workforce management, we will be discussing a few important ones in this section;

First things first, the benefits of workforce management can be summarized in three Rs.

• Right person for the job.
• Right time for the task.
• Right place for the task and the person performing the job.

These three Rs help the company to grow and achieve more.

• Workforce management helps you know the real-time situation of your company i.e. the real ground situation and help you devise a ground strategy accordingly.
• Workforce management results in the maximum use of resources without being heavy on the budget, because the right task is being assigned to the right person so it would lower the hiring cost without compromising the quality and standards of work.
• Companies that lay emphasis on the workforce management have a higher number of happy employees which means they perform well, when your employees are happy their services would ultimately lead to a better experience for your clients as well, leading to the overall growth of the company.

Basics of Workforce Management

There are a few things that are necessary to be taken care of for workforce management. I'm going to list all of them here;

• Data Collection
• Analyzing the workload
• Analyzing your staff
• Staff scheduling
• Analyzing daily performance

Now we will discuss the above-mentioned points in detail.

Data collection

• A record of everything i.e. every task from start to the end is necessary, for example, you are a huge bakery that bakes hundreds of cakes on daily basis, wouldn't it be important to calculate the timing for baking, assembling, and frosting the cake?
• It would help in the following ways;
• In order to make a better estimate of workload, you have at your place no matter how big or small it is or no matter what's the size of the task.
• To divide and assign the tasks in a better way and to schedule them properly.
• Hiring new people whenever needed, divides the workload.

Analyzing the workload

• When you are well aware of the workload at hand, you manage it better, I think we all know this! Don't we?
• For workforce management, it is a necessary prerequisite to know what awaits you in the future and manage it beforehand or at least develop a strategy to cope up.

Analyzing Staff Requirement

• The number of people who are working to get a certain job done must be ample enough to do it easily, accurately, and in time.
• Let's suppose, you have been assigned to write a manuscript of ten thousand words in a day, would it be humanly possible for you to do that in a day? No, it won't be! So, whose fault is this? Obviously, the one who has assigned you the task which is beyond your ability is at fault!
• So, in workforce management, it is necessary to divide the workload among your employees evenly and humanly, if employees are scarce make a room for more to get things done in time with accuracy.

Staff scheduling

• Staff scheduling is a very important thing when it comes to workforce management.
• Scheduling can help you assign tasks in a better way to an employee who can perform a particular task in an efficient way.
• Take an example of the above-mentioned bakery, you would assign frosting to the baker who frosts in time with accuracy meanwhile the person who assembles and decorates well would be scheduled to do that particular task.
• When we schedule our tasks, it helps up know our workforce in a better way, pointing out who is better for a specific task and who isn't!

Analyzing daily performance

• If you are able to assess the daily performance of your workforce, it would help you achieve your milestones in a more organized manner.
• For this purpose set the following criteria for assessment;
• Are the employees really efficiently doing their indicated designated task?
• Is your workforce really achieving the milestones as a team?
• Are the new additions in your team really an asset to the company?
• Are the older employees up to date enough to cope up with the modern times and trends?

Processes and Departments Involved in the Workforce Management System

Let us have a look at the processes involved in a better workforce management one by one;

Human resource management HRM

• There would be hardly anyone on earth who has searched for a job and still doesn't know about the human resource department. The human resource department helps in managing the workforce of the company through and through.
• From scheduling to assigning and paying employees, they are involved in everything.

Real-time Data Collection

• As we have discussed earlier, real-time data collection is important for the workforce management it helps analyze the performance of the employees on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
• This process is carried out easily through different analytical tools provided by the workforce management software, previously it was done through spreadsheets but now the world has changed its ways!

Performance Management System

• Performance Management makes sure that the performance of the workforce is aligning well with the milestones and long-term goals of the company.
• The outdated practices are replaced, based on low performance with the modern techniques and trends.

Training Management System

• Training management is the process of keeping your workforce up to date with modern trends and technology through proper modules and workshops.

Scheduling and Forecasting

• Scheduling refers to the planning and optimization of the tasks designated to the workforce and hence forecasting is the process of analyzing the future workload of the company on the currently available workforces to manage it efficiently.

Field Service Management

• Field service management refers to the management of off-site and on-site resources such as transportation for machinery and technical staff to the site and delivery of top-notch services to the client on-site.

Budgeting and Financing

• Allocating funds for the projects and employees is one of the most crucial processes in workforce management and needs to be done vigilantly to prevent any loss in terms of talent and resources.

Time Tracking and Attendance

• This is one of the most crucial systems for workforce management, it keeps a track of working hours, off time, paid time off, shift swaps and availability of the employees.
• There are countless available options which can used for developing the time tracking and attendance system of the company, you will get to know a lot of them in our next section about Workforce Management Software

Workforce Management Software

As we are done with the basics of workforce management, the processes and departments involved, let us discuss the software involved in the process of workforce management, the days when everything was done manually are long gone, we live in a modernized society where everything is automated to reduce time and labor cost, workforce management is one of those things as well.

Types of Workforce Management Software

Workforce management software is of different types such as;

• Time and attendance software to track the working hours of the employees.
• Software for absence and leave management of employees.
• Workforce analytics software to keep the check on the performance of employees.
• Workforce scheduling and tasking software to manage workflow.
• Payroll management software to pay according to the working hours and shifts of the employees.

Modern Workforce management software is a combination of one or more above-mentioned software, most of the available options can be tweaked according to the company's demand and culture. We will discuss the qualities and peculiar features of many available options for workforce management system in the market, in this section.

Criteria for Developing a Workforce Management Software

In order to qualify as a proper workforce management software, there is a certain criterion that must be fulfilled by that certain software either it is cloud-based software or web-based software. Let us have a look at the points which are absolutely necessary for this purpose;

• The software must allow the administrators to schedule work for employees, their leave requests, and paid time off.
• The software should be able to develop contingency plans without any delays in the system.
• The software must be able to report labor activities and produce analytics accordingly.
• There must be no technical glitches in tracking the employees' attendance and productivity through the provided app or system.
• The software must allow the users to forecast labor demands.

Famous Software for Workforce Management

So, the above-mentioned points must be kept in mind while developing and buying a software for workforce management, although there are countless available options in the market for this purpose but we will only discuss a few famously known and used ones, or we can say the ones which stood the trials and tests of time are being mentioned below,

ADP Workforce Now

• The first entry on the list of workforce management software is the ADP workforce Now software, it is an all-in-one software based on a single database.
• ADP Workforce Now is a cloud-based software which has the features of human resource management, talent management, payroll management, and time and labor management among many available features.
• It is extremely easy to use and above all, it is configurable as well i.e. you can tweak it according to your needs by contacting the service provider.
• ADP Workforce Now also helps in the management of taxation and other legal formalities without any hassle.
• There is an option of advertising the vacancies in the company to hire the new talent, hiring made easy!
• The cloud-based HR system provided by the ADP workforce Now reduces the paperwork with online document storage and helps develop a better workflow in the company.

Ceridian Dayforce

• Ceridian Dayforce is a Human Capital Management HCM company which provides modern HR solutions.
• Their motto is to "Make Work-Life Better" by providing top-notch business solutions for human capital management to their clients.
• Their software provides a user-friendly solution to the complex HR operational processes to the companies which are loved by their employees.

ADP, LLC

• ADP, LLC is the human resource management software and service which automates the HR Management, tasking and scheduling for small and big businesses.
• Alongside HR management it also manages payroll and taxation of the companies using ADP, LLC services.
• ADP, LLC helps companies achieve productivity at lesser costs and lesser employees to do a task, with best available tools for tasking and scheduling and then analyzing employee’s performance.
• It's a cloud-based software with an efficient mobile app to connect employees at a single platform, reducing paperwork and making hassle-free communication possible.

Paycom

• ADP, LLC, and Paycom are often compared with each other, but the main difference lies within the fact that Paycom is used by big companies i.e. Enterprise level companies meanwhile ADP, LLC is used by small or medium-sized businesses.
• Paycom is a cloud-based solution for HR management and Payroll management.
• Paycom being cloud-based also has a user-friendly mobile app to connect the employees of the company using it, each employee has its own user id and login pin.

Workday

• Workday is also a workforce management software provider which is particularly focused on developing a better Human Resource management solution and Finance management solution for its users.
• It is a cloud-based software that provides a personal id to each and every employee of the company using it, the employee can enter and alter personal information such as emergency contact and address, and employees can also view their work schedules, off time, paid time off and can print the details as well.
• You can download the workday app easily from the play store if you are an employee of the company using it.

Rippling

• Rippling is also a famous workforce management software that helps manages the HR, IT, and Payroll of their client's company.
• Rippling works by collecting and managing the data of employees and the company all in one place on its cloud based system.
• It performs fully automated functions with a single click without any paperwork, easy! Isn't it?

UKG Workforce Central

• UKG Workforce Central is one of the most famously known software for workforce management.
• It was previously known as Kronos workforce central.
• UKG Workforce Central helps in scheduling, attendance, absence management, and a lot of other things associated with this section of managing the working hours of the employees.
• UKG Workforce Central organizes the entire workforce of a company on a single cloud-based software.
• UKG Workforce Central claims that its service is mobile, secure, and efficient.

Deputy

• Deputy is one of that workforce management software, which have received rave reviews from its users.
• It is a web-based solution for workforce management.
• Deputy makes it easier for its clients to manage payroll, scheduling, timesheets any tasking easier with a single click.

APS Core HR Solution

• As the name indicates it is almost clear what does APS Core HR Solution provides to its users?
• It provides HR and payroll solutions.
• It helps automate the complex processes of HR management without any disturbance in the workflow.
• APS Core HR Solution helps process the payroll in hours which is itself an unmatched ability of workforce management software.

EPAY HCM

• EPAY HCM helps in human capital management.
• It considerably reduces the cost of HR management for the company by automation of the workflow.
• EPAY HCM takes responsibility for new recruitments in the company, time and attendance, payroll management, and taxation.
• EPAY HCM also provides its customer support throughout the clock in case of any system failure.
• It provides a highly user-friendly experience to the employees for better workforce management.

Namely

• This workforce management software provides a seamless solution for Payroll management, HR, and Benefits platforms.
• Namely provides an HR software tailored according to the needs of the company using it and above all, it is cloud based and user friendly.

PayloCity

• PayloCity is a very well reputed software that provides customized software for workforce management to its clients.
• It is responsible for HR management, Payroll, and benefits.
• PayloCity is extremely client-oriented and user-friendly which paves a way for better automation of day-to-day tasks.
• You can save a lot of time by using PayloCity for workforce management without having to do a lot of paperwork.

Bamboo HR

• Bamboo HR is a SaaS company which means Software as a service.
• It is usually a preferred choice for companies which are having a larger system or workflow. On the parallel lines, Bamboo HR is used by small businesses as well which are on the road to progress because it is not that much costly.
• Bamboo HR is a cloud-based software and above all, it is fairly reasonable or you may say affordable.
• The Mobile app for Bamboo HR is easy to use and has personalized information stored for each employee in the company. You can easily manage everything with a single click.

Enterprise e TIME

• Enterprise e TIME helps the big and small companies to automate their system.
• They provide help with talent management and analytics along with these two, Enterprise e TIME is also responsible for Payroll management.

Planday

• Planday is an employee scheduling solution, you can easily manage a shift-based business with this platform.
• Planday takes responsibility for scheduling, shift swaps, payroll management, and working hour management of the employees.
• Planday is a web-based system.
• The most amazing feature of Planday is that it is fully integrated employee communication system which enables the authorities to text or email an employee within its designated portal.

Zoomshift

• Zoomshift is a cloud-based software which is responsible for scheduling and tasking.
• You can easily manage and publish work schedules through this software for your employees to check and comply.
• Zoomshift takes responsibility for managing overtime, availability, working hours, and shift conflicts of the employees.
• One of the most amazing features of Zoomshift is sending notifications to employees when a new schedule has been uploaded or an older one has been updated.

When I work

• When I work is an app-based workforce management software.
• It helps in scheduling, payroll, time tracking, and communication for businesses which hire hourly employees.
• When I work can be integrated with the payroll provider of the company and you can pay your employees according to their working hours, without any hassle and with a single click.
• It also manages the scheduling of the employees according to their availability and is amazing in managing shift swaps as well.

Paycor

• Paycor is a human capital management platform that pays attention to the strategic goals of the company.
• It is a core HR solution that provides everything in a single place with a single click without the hassle of switching between different platforms.
• Paycor analytics is one of the most powerful systems available in the market providing enterprise-level insights to the small businesses.

Hireology

• If you are looking for workforce management software that can be used to hire people easily and efficiently then hierology is your best bet.
• Hireology hires the best available team required for your day-to-day tasks according to the culture of your company.

Intradiem

• Intradiem is an AI-powered system that provides solutions for the automation of customer service teams.
• Intradiem manages the call centers with a huge influx of data as they can't manage it on their own efficiently.
• It can effectively determine and manage the activity of every employee in the call center.

So, this last entry concludes our list of software available in the market for workforce management, finally! As I told you earlier there are countless other options as well, but it is another story for another day!

Pricing of Workforce Management Software

Let us talk about the pricing of this software for workforce management, pricing varies from company to company and totally depends on the nature of the contract between the two parties, by two parties I mean the service provider and the company which is buying the service from them, sometimes a third party is also involved in the process which adds to additional costs. Cost is calculated by adding in all the on-site and off-site expenses and charges for using cloud based system. The service provider can charge per user price or it may charge according to the amount of data that is to be handled.

Let us move to the next section of our discussion which involves the detailed account of courses you can get yourself enrolled in if you want to be an efficient workforce manager.

Courses for Workforce Management

Now it's time to know how you can learn workforce management. Read the following section to explore your options.

• Up till now, there is no specific degree particular to workforce management, meanwhile, a separate degree for workforce management is not essentially important too if you want to pursue it as your career, Bachelor's in human resource, finance, and other fields related to social sciences would be enough for this purpose when topped with available online course related to workforce management.
• Workforce management can easily be learned through online available courses present on educational sites such as Udemy, Coursera, and many others.
• Some of these courses are free meanwhile some of them are paid, the cost of each one varies according to the site from which you opt to buy one!
• One of the famously known courses involves the call center school workforce management online courses, it is a paid course available on their website. You can complete the whole course in six months by having video lectures, written notes, and a self-assessment kit provided by them. The call center school has thoroughly explained the whole process of workforce management, its challenges, and everything you need to know and learn about workforce management.
• Icmi Bootcamp is also an available online course for workforce management, you can learn the whole process through different modules dedicated to each step required to learn the workforce management. I'm listing the modules included in this course;
• Workforce management
• Statistics and Excel
• Forecasting
• Long-term staffing
• Weekly staffing and scheduling
• Real-time management
• Report and Data administration

Pricing varies for every intake of their Virtual classroom, it's a four-day-long course and for the rest of the information you can check out their website.

• Oracle workforce management, cloud training, and certification is another important name in the available online course for workforce management. There are several certifications available on their website, you can get yourself the one you think suits you the best.
• Some of the available options include;
• Benchmark portal workforce management certification
• Strategic workforce planning SWP certification
• Society of workforce planning professionals SWWP
• Call center workforce management Bootcamp
• All the above-mentioned online resources are paid and prices vary from course to course, let me be honest, if you are really into something invest in your choice if you have chosen the workforce management as your career path you should take the course keeping up with your pocket.
• No doubt some of the available resources are free as well but they are only basic ones i.e. you would only be able to cover the basic aspects of the job, you can't get full fledge workforce manager or workforce analyst training for free at all!
• I hope this section has cleared everything about the courses available in the market which can help you learn workforce management, now, we will be moving towards the last section of our discussion which involves the jobs related to the workforce management. Let's get started,

Workforce Management Jobs

Talking about jobs related to workforce management, there are two important roles which include;

• Workforce manager
• Workforce Analyst

We will be discussing both the roles in this section one by one.

Workforce Manager

• We talked about the system and courses related to workforce management, role of a workforce manager revolves around that i.e. keeping a check on the performance of employees, tasking, and scheduling and lot of other stuff.
• It is one of the key roles of a workforce Manager to keep the track of employees' performance and assign them due tasks according to their utmost capabilities. In simple words, assign them the task they are best at!
• A workforce Manager must have a problem-solving approach with a higher emotional quotient because it is easy to lose your calm at the end of the day, as everyone is coming with their due problems you need to solve. I would recommend a reading for this, if you have got enough time, read a book titled Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, it would help you understand how the best workforce manager keeps calm and navigate through his or her day to day work routine.
• The most important of all the things at which a workforce manager must be efficient is tasking and scheduling, timing and the right move is everything in terms of business if you really want to excel! Isn't it?
• A workforce manager is in charge of the overall workflow of the company, the processes that are going on, and their relevant things.
• A workforce manager also takes care of the culture and policies of the company i.e. is everything aligned with the goal and vision of the company or not?
• Workforce manager is responsible for the milestones set for production, if the company is achieving them efficiently or not? If not, then what are the key factors that hindering the growth of the company?
• Good Communication is the key to a better workflow, for this purpose workforce manager is responsible for carrying out meetings with the head of departments and teams involved in the processes to keep everything going or we may say running on the road to progress and success.
• Workforce manager is an important entity that checks the viability and feasibility of a project when the company has to sign any contract with a second or third party.
• The workforce manager must be picky enough to pick the right one for the right job as it falls under the duties of the workforce manager to appoint team heads for the day-to-day tasks of the company.
• Now you must be thinking about how much a workforce manager earns after performing all these jobs? According to an estimate, a workforce manager earns up to $75000 a year.
• It not necessary that the workforce manager would perform all these duties alone, instead, the workforce managers work in collaboration with their team and higher authorities to perform all these duties.

Workforce Analyst

We will now talk about the role of a workforce analyst.

• As the name suggests, workforce analyst works closely with implementation and analysis.
• Workforce Analyst is responsible for gathering real-time information about the procedures going on in the company and implement ways to improve the situation.
• Problem-solving especially the technical ones is also an important job of the Workforce Analyst, gathering information on everything related to the problem and steps to alleviate the situation.
• Workforce Analyst must be aware of the modern trends and requirements of the market and should be confident enough to implement them when needed.
• Workforce Analyst also works closely with the technical teams to assess the requirements for the pieces of equipment required in the off-site and on-site work.
• The most important of all Workforce Analyst is responsible to keep in check the finances of the ongoing projects if they are going well with the budget of the project or there is a need to improve the situation.
• Replacing the outdated practices and trends also falls under the responsibility of Workforce Analyst, important decisions make a brighter future for the companies meanwhile sticking to the old practices yield nothing but loss.
• Workforce Analyst works closely in monitoring the changes implemented in the company to undo a change or make amendments in a decision if it is not working in favor of the company.
• Workforce management jobs are available remotely as well, it is not necessary for a workforce analyst to work from the office they often work on contract on an hourly basis or virtually from anywhere in the world.

I hope this section has cleared everything you need to know about the workforce management jobs, both these roles were a sort of workforce management job description either be it office-based or remote, these roles are the same almost everywhere despite the type of company you are being hired in i.e. either it’s the call center workforce management job or a hospital workforce management job, the roles would only differ according to the culture of your organization.

So, it's a wrap for today! That was all about workforce management and everything you need to know about it, I hope you have learned something new from this discussion, in my opinion learning something new is not a difficult task at all, the most difficult of all is to unlearn the things and concepts that aren't right. I really hope to see you with another discussion real soon, for any suggestions or feedback either positive or negative you can use the comment section below. Have a good day ahead!