Noun - 4: the merging of distinct technologies,
industries, or devices into a unified whole
Probably the most common example of convergence
today is found in the cellular phone industry. What
was a simple phone now is a:
- Phone
- Address Book
- Daily Planner
- Music Player
- Navigation Device
- Game System
- Web Browser
An example that is not device specific is AJAX. (aka
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) The name itself
describes the convergence of two web technologies
that have been put together in a new way. You may
even have used AJAX without knowing it. The newer
Internet based maps that you scroll and zoom without
reloading the page are based on AJAX.
Patti has been doing a little convergence of our own.
Our new stand alone controller can control I/O, store
data, and has a built in user interface based on AJAX.
Updates can also be user installed via XD memory
card (like cameras use).
The mixture of these technologies has allowed us to
create a significantly less expensive and secure
controller that has
an expansive range of features.
Applications
installed so far include:
- Customized Facility Access Control
- Secure Weapons Access System
- Conveyor, queue and job initialization for small
robot applications
- Moving line auto part identification using photo-
eyes and cameras
- Weighing and mixing of colored powders
- Closed-loop thermal control and scheduling for
ice arena compressors
Patti continues to explore new applications where this
combination of technologies is a perfect fit with our
customers' needs.
