Automation Corner
Hard Work Pays in the End
I remember calibrating my first PXI instrument and wondering what I’d done to make the calibration gods so mad at me. At the time, I didn’t realize it was a blessing in disguise. PXI and […]
Articles by Michael Schwartz
Automation Corner
Digitalizing the Bench: Why the Future of Metrology is Model-Driven
As I prepare to speak at the DoD Digital Transformation in Metrology Workshop, I find myself reflecting on the massive evolution our industry has undergone. I remember when automation first arrived on the calibration bench; […]
Automation Corner
Working with Difficult Equipment
I’m currently writing some automation for a piece of equipment I would classify as difficult to communicate with! And like you should never end a sentence with a preposition, this particular piece of equipment, every […]
Automation Corner
Computers Can Do Math!
Today, in a meeting, we discussed separating raw data from its presentation. It is such a simple concept, but explaining the purpose of each one is more complex than I expected. So I’m dedicating this […]
Automation Corner
AI Needs Well-Formatted Data
A couple of months ago, I presented at NCSLI on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and why AI doesn’t work so well in Metrology. At the heart of the problem is the mess of unstructured data. Large […]
Automation Corner
Talk About Fast!
I talk to many people about how long it takes to write an automated calibration procedure in various languages. Also, as a manager, I know just how bad developers are at estimating their own time. […]
Automation Corner
Troubleshooting Automation Software
I can’t tell you how many times I have received an email or text message saying, “It doesn’t work!” Well, what doesn’t work? Can you give me any details? So I thought I would put […]
Automation Corner
The Problems with Hardware Emulation Modes
Let me start with “I hate it!” It is okay for simple tasks, but calibration and metrology is not a simple task. Often, what we do in automation is very complex—getting into the low-level settings […]