Coaching High School Baseball Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coaching High School Baseball - Term Paper Example During tryouts the coach has to decide on the combination of players; how many specialist pitchers he wants, how many players need to be groomed for the future and so on. If there are too many players then playing time would be split among them; if there are too few then there’s a risk of not having enough players for a game. Players have academics, vacations and other activities that take up their time so it is advisable to pick around fifteen to seventeen players. The number of players that can be picked is also dependent on the school or league rules. While picking the team during tryouts, the coach can make fact-based decisions by using a team selection matrix. The matrix consists of 3 to 5 selection criteria with weights assigned according to their importance. Different selection criteria can be chosen but the three most important are; player skills and positions, attitude and reception to coaching and athleticism and potential. Each player’s score is then multiplied by the weight for that criterion. The scores after weighting are added together to come up with the final tally used to choose the team. (Krause) After the team has been chosen, the next step is to acquire the equipment and uniforms. The overall look of the team can be helpful in providing confidence to the players. As budgets are usually tight, the cost of the uniforms is an important consideration. It should be remembered that the full cost will be a combination of the initial price and the added expense of uniform repairs and maintenance, thus quality and cost should be compared before making a decision. The athletes are the school’s representatives so the uniforms should be in the school colors and have the school logo displayed. The manufacturer should be able to design the uniforms with the athlete in mind. High school teams need uniforms that will support their growing bodies and their athleticism. The main component of a great high school baseball uniform is durability.

Operation of the Power Transformer

Operation of the Power Transformer CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Overview A factor of main economic importance and safety in electrical utilities and industrial customers of electricity is dependent on the operation of the power transformer. In the current economic situation, most of the supply utilities and industries tighten their control on production spending of capital and make savings in maintenance as well as ensuring the reliability of electricity supply. A power failure can increase the electrical loads. These loads will defer purchasing additional plant capacity and can cause the stress on the transformer increases. Thus, monitoring should be conducted to ensure the reliability of the net effect of the thermal voltage, electrical and mechanical service requirements brought about by the increase. Regular sampling and testing of insulation oil taken from the transformer is a valuable technique in the preventative maintenance program. The transformer can be used longer if a proactive approach undertaken based on the transformer oils condition. During an operation of a power transformer, transformer oil is subject to form electrical and mechanical stresses. Besides that, there are also contaminations caused by chemical interaction with windings and other solid insulations, catalysed by high operating temperature. Consequently, the original chemical properties of transformer oil changes gradually, cause it no longer function effectively after many years. Therefore, this oil should be tested periodically to ascertain its basic electrical properties, and make sure it is suitable for further use or necessary actions like filtration has to be done. The details of conducting these test is available in the standards issued by the IEC, ASTM, IS, BS. 1.2 Background Problem The dielectric strength of insulating oil is the oils ability to withstand electrical stress without failure. This test is done by applying a controlled ac voltage to two electrodes which are immersed in the insulating oil. The gap between two electrodes placed in a specified distance. The voltage recorded when the current arc across this gap is the dielectric strength breakdown strength of the insulating liquid. Contaminants such as water, carbon, sediment and conducting particles can reduce the dielectric strength of insulating oil. Clean dry oil has an inherently high dielectric strength but this does not indicates the absence of all contaminates, it may indicate that the amount of contaminants present between the electrodes is not large enough to affect the average breakdown voltage of the liquid. Power transformers are often operated under aged conditions. Thus the moisture content in oil increases, aging products become dissolved and particles are dispersed. Besides that, transformers are operated under novel environmental conditions, were low or high pressures exist. A safe service necessitates the thorough investigation of these influences. 1.3 Problem Statement Monitoring system of transformer oil existing is usually done in periodically. Duration of each use of transformer oil has been established within a time period for the replacement of the new transformer oil. So, the used transformer oil cannot be fully ensured in accordance with the standards set and this could cause a disruption in the operation of transformer. In addition, the monitoring system of transformer oil existing is expensive as well as the impact of waste oil is hazardous and cannot be disposed of. Thus, a permanent monitoring system of transformer oil with minimal costs should be established to ensure the transformer oil is always good quality to use. 1.4 Objectives The objectives of the project are important to ensure the research will fulfill the solution of the problem of the research. There are intentions conducting the research are shown below:- To study on the transformer oil and the maintenance procedures. To design a dielectric test device for transformer oil with using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. 1.5 Scopes The scopes of the project are important to ensure every step is followed in completing the research. The scopes also could be important reference to gain related data or information of the research. Those are the scopes of the project:- To study on the quality of transformer oil. To study on the dielectric strength of transformer oil. To study the maintenance of oil immersed distribution transformer. Literature research about the monitoring of Dielectric Breakdown of transformer oil. To design a Dielectric Strength testing circuit. To analyze the result of Dielectric Strength testing. 1.6 Thesis Outline In preparing this project, the development of any information obtained should be gathered and described in each chapter are contained in the project report. Each chapter will discuss some important issues. Through this project, Chapter 1 as an introduction to the project discuss on overview of the project, background problem and problem statement. The objectives and scopes of the project were also discussed in this chapter. Then, Chapter 2 will explain in an inclusive literature review of transformers, transformer oil, the methods of monitoring and maintenance of transformer oil, equipments or tools required and software programming suitable for design the Dielectric Strength testing circuit. Next, Chapter 3 will describe the methodology used in preparing this project. This chapter is important to ensure that methods and tools used systematically and effectively. Chapter 4 will give an explanation and analysis of the circuit to be designed. This chapter also includes the methods and results of tests carried out by using the circuit designed. Problems occur in doing this project and steps to overcome the problems also discussed in this chapter. Finally, Chapter 5 which is the last chapter in this project as the conclusion of the project and some suggestions for further research on this project. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Transformer is one of the most useful appliances ever invented. Transformer can raise or lower the voltage or current in alternating current (AC) network, the circuit can be isolated from one another, and to increase or decrease the apparent value of a capacitor, inductor, or resistor. Furthermore, the transformer allows us to transmit electricity long distances and to circulate safely in factories and homes. (Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems, 6th Edition). The cost of a transformer is high. The failure of one transformer resulted in a loss in terms of the price of one transformer or in terms of energy supply disruptions to consumers. Therefore, to monitor the transformer oil is one the right way and good for detecting the causes of damage to transformers. 2.2 Transformer Transformer is one of the most important electrical devices. Transformer is widely used in power systems and electronic devices. Transformer can also raise and lower voltage levels and the alternating current to suit application. Transformer can transfer power from one section to another on the same frequency but different voltage levels and currents. Transformer basically consists of two coils of a conductor which acts as an inductor electrically separate but magnetically attached. Transformer consists of two loops wrapped around the core base, core and coil which are a part of the transformer structures. Figure 2.1 shows the general structure of a transformer. When alternating current connected to the transformer primary windings, current will flow through the primary winding. Alternating current flows will create an alternating magnetic flux in the transformer core. The magnetic flux can flow to the secondary winding of the transformer through the transformer core. According to the Faraday law, the electromotive force or voltage is induced in the coil-winding transformer when the flux is changes in value. Because of the magnetic flux in the transformer core is an alternating flux whose value is constantly changing over time, the electromotive force or voltage is always induced in the coil-winding transformer. Electromotive force in the primary winding is known as the self-induced electromotive force is due to the flux generated by the coil itself. While the electromotive force induced in the secondary winding is known as mutual induction electromotive force due to the induced electromotive force is caused by magnetic flux generated from the primary winding. In an ideal transformer, the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is comparable to the primary voltage (Vp), and is given by the ratio of the number of turns in the secondary (Ns) to the number of turns in the primary (Np) as follows: VsVp= NsNp (2.1) By the selection of the ratio of turns, a transformer thus allows an AC voltage to be stepped up by making Ns greater than Np, or stepped down by making Ns less than Np. There are many types of transformer are designed to meet the specific industrial applications. These include autotransformer, control, current, distribution, general-purpose, instrument, isolation, potential (voltage), power, step-up, and step-down. To avoid rapid damage of the insulating materials inside a transformer, sufficient cooling of the windings and the core must be provided. Indoor transformers below 200 kVA can be directly cooled by the natural flow of the surrounding air. The metallic housing is equipped with ventilating louvres so that the convection currents that can flow over the windings and around the core. Large transformers can be constructed in the same way, but the forced circulation of fresh air must be provided. Such as a dry-type transformers are used inside the building, away from the hostile atmosphere. Distribution transformers below 200 kVA are usually immersed in mineral oil and sealed in a steel tank. Oil carries the heat away to the tank, which it is lost by radiation and convection to the outside air. Insulating oil is much better than air, consequently, it is often used in high voltage transformers. As the power rating increased, external radiators are added to increase cooling surface of the tank contains oil. Oil circulates around the transformer windings and moving through the radiator, where heat released into the surrounding air. For still higher levels, cooling fans blow air over the radiators. For transformers in the megawatt range, cooling can be effected by the oil-water heat exchanger. Hot oil drawn from the transformer tank is pumped into the heat exchanger where it flowing through the pipes that are in contact with cold water. Such as heat exchanger are very effective, but also very expensive, because water itself must continuously cool and recirculated. Some large transformers are designed to have multiple ratings, depending on the cooling method used. Thus, the transformer may have triple ratings depending on whether it is cooled by: the natural circulation of air (AO) for 18000 kVA, or forced-air cooling with fans (FA) for 24000 kVA, or the forced circulation of oil accompanied by forced-air cooling (FOA) for 32000 kVA. These elaborate cooling systems are nevertheless economical because they enable a much greater output from the transformer of a given size and weight. The type of transformer cooling is designated by the following symbols: AA dry-type, self-cooled AFA dry-type, forced-air cooled OA oil-immersed, self-cooled OA/FA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled AO/FA/FOA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled/forced-air, forced-oil cooled The temperature rise by the resistance of oil-immersed transformers is either 55Â °C or 65Â °C. The temperature must be kept low to preserve the oil quality. By contrast, the temperature rise of dry-type transformer may be as high as 180Â °C, depending on the type of insulation used. 2.3 Transformer Oil Transformer oil or insulating oil is usually a highly refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in oil-filled transformers. Transformer oil is like the blood in the body of transformer. It must be periodically tested to monitor condition of the transformer. Transformer oil serves three basic functions which are to insulate, to cool and maintain the transformer functions at all times. To keep these functions the industry has agreed on certain standards. The two leading transformer oil specifications in the world are IEC 60296 and ASTM D 3487. In these standards there are many specific requirement and limits based on physical and chemical properties. Many of these properties and their limitations derived from the chemistry of refined mineral oils in combination with application specific requirements of electrical insulation. In an age when alternative to mineral oil being developed, it is important both to know what is desirable and what is likely to achieved in technical terms. Whereas some brands of transformer oil could only meet the specifications, the others excel. In the end, transformer oil consumers should decide which properties are most important to their intended use. Technical specifications also have an impact on issues such as asset management, maintenance planning and investment budget. To help make decisions in these areas it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the science underlying specifications and limitations. In Malaysia, mostly used transformer oil is mineral crude oils (uninhibited mineral oils) which contains Paraffic, Naphteric or mixed. It is supplied by Hyrax Oil Sdn. Bhd. 2.3.1 Transformer Oil Properties The main function of transformer oil is insulating and cooling of the transformer. Thus, it should have the following properties: High dielectric strength and good dielectric properties resulting in minimum power loss. Low viscosity improves cooling. Freedom from inorganic acids, alkali, and corrosive sulphur. Resistant to emulsification. Rapid settling of arc products. Low pour point. High flash point resulting in low evaporation losses due to high thermal stability. High resistivity gives better insulation values between windings. Excellent interfacial tension for quick water separation. Proven resistance to electrical stresses. High electrical strength. Remarkably low sludge and acidity formation in both ageing and oxidation tests gives longer life to oil and equipment during storage and service. 2.3.2 Theory of Transformer Oil Parameters a) Water Content The standard for measuring water content in oil is IEC 60814. (Marcel Dekker, 1990). The important function in transformer oil is to provide electrical insulation. When oil has higher moisture content, it can reduce the insulating properties of the oil, which can cause dielectric breakdown. This is the particular importance with fluctuating temperatures because, transformer will cools down if any dissolved water will become free and this oil become poor insulating power and fluid degradation. (Azliza binti Mohd Jelan,2009). b) Breakdown Voltage Dielectric strength is one of the important characteristic in insulation field. Breakdown voltage of the insulating material is the maximum electric field strength that it can be withstand intrinsically without breaking down and without failure of its insulating properties, dielectric strength also means that a certain configuration and electrode dielectric material that produces minimal damage to the electric field. (Rohaina bt Jaafar, 2003). Breakdown strength in liquid according to various factors influenced in the experiment which is electrode material and surface state, geometry electrode, the presence of chemical pollutants, the presence of physical pollutants, oil molecular structure, temperature and pressure. There also various factors in the theory of voltage breakdown which is like electronic theory, suspended particle theory, cavitations theory and bubble theory were postulated. (Olive Oil from the Tree to the Table). Dielectric strength also depends on the time and method of tension, purity materials, the type of tension as well as experimental and environmental parameters, until set of dielectric strength unique to the specific material is difficult, a range of values can be found and used for application purposes. (Noraniza binti Toriman, 2003). 2.3.3 Types of Transformer Oil a) Mineral Transformer Oil (Mineral Based Oil) A mineral oil is a liquid by product of the petroleum refineries to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products from crude oil. A mineral oil in this sense is transparent and colourless oil composed mainly of alkenes and cyclic paraffin, related to. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large amounts. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores. There are three basic classes of refined mineral oils: Paraffinic oils, based on n-alkenes. Naphthenic oils, based on cycloalkanes. Aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbons. Table 2.1 Properties of Mineral Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) b) Silicon Transformer Oil (Polydimethylsiloxane based fluid) Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds that is often referred to as silicones. PDMS is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer, and is known for its unusual rheological properties. PDMS is optically clear, and, in general, is considered to be inert, non-toxic and non-flammable. It is called dimethicone and is one of several types of silicone oil (polymerized siloxane). Its applications range from contact lenses and medical devices to elastomers; it is present, also, in shampoos, caulking, lubricating oils, and heat-resistant tiles. Table 2.2 Properties of Silicon Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) c) Synthetic Transformer Oil (Organic Esters Based Fluid) Synthetic oil is a lubricant consisting of chemical compounds which are synthesized using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil. Synthetic oil is used as a substitute for lubricant refined from petroleum when operating in extremes of temperature, because it generally provides superior mechanical and chemical properties than those found in traditional mineral oils. Table 2.3 Properties of Synthetic Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) 2.3.4 Transformer Oil Testing Regular sampling and testing of insulation oil taken from the transformer is a valuable technique in the preventative maintenance program. The transformer can be used longer if a proactive approach undertaken based on the transformer oils condition. Hence, transformer oil must be periodically tested to ensure its basic electrical properties. These tests can be divided into: a) Liquid Power Factor The IEC standard method for this test is IEC 247. This involves measuring the power loss through a thin film of liquid test. Water, contamination, and the decay products of oil oxidation tend to increase the power factor of oil. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) b) Dielectric Breakdown Strength The dielectric breakdown voltage is a measure of the ability of the oil to withstand electric stress. Dry and clean oil showed the inherent high breakdown voltage. Free water and solid particles, especially the latter in combination with high levels of dissolved water, tend to migrate to areas of high electric stress and dramatically reduce the breakdown voltage. The measurement of breakdown voltage, therefore, serves primarily to indicate the presence of contaminants such as water or conducting particles. A low breakdown voltage can be indicating that one or more of these are present. However, a high breakdown voltage does not necessarily indicate the absence of all contaminants. This test was conducted in accordance with IEC 156. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) c) Moisture The purpose of dielectric tests are conducted is to ensure the monitoring moisture can be done directly. IEC 733 is a well established and can measure the moisture down to the low part of the million levels. While the acceptable values have been set by the voltage class for moisture, these are somewhat misleading. A truer picture of moisture in the transformer must be taken into account so that percentage saturation of the oil by moisture and percentage moisture by dry weight of the solid insulation can be calculated. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) d) Neutralization Number (Acidity) This value, measured by IEC standard method IEC 1125A reported as mg KOH / g sample, reports the relative amount of oil oxidation products, especially acids, alcohol and soap. As oil continues to oxidize, the acid increased gradually, generally over the years. Running the acid number regularly provides guidance as to how far oxidation of the oil has proceeded. The acceptable limit by the test is usually used as general guidelines to determine when the oil should be replaced or reclaimed. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) e) Interfacial Tension The test methods for interfacial tension (IFT), IEC 6295, measuring the strength in mN/m from the interface that will form between service aged oil and distilled water. Because the decay products of oil oxidation are oil and water soluble, their presence would tend to weaken the interface and reduce the interfacial tension value. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) f) Colour/Visual Field inspection of liquid insulation (IEC 296) includes examination for the presence of cloudy or sediment and the general appearance as well as a colour inspection. As oil ages, it will be darken gradually. Very dark oil or oil that changes drastically over a short period of time may indicate a problem. Any cloudiness or sediment indicates the presence of free water or particles that may be harmful to continued the equipment operation. Taken alone, without considering the past history or other test parameters, the colour is not very important to diagnose transformer problems. If the oil has an acrid or unusual odor, consideration should be given to carrying out further tests. (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) g) Sludge/Sediment The IEC 296 test distinguishes between the sediment and sludge. Sediment is an insoluble substance present in the oil. Sediment may consist of insoluble oxidation or degradation products of solid or liquid materials, solid products such as carbon or metallic oxide and fibres or other foreign matter. Sludge is polymerized oxidation products of solid and liquid insulating material. Sludge is soluble in oil up to a certain limit. At sludge levels above this, the sludge comes out of the solution contributing an additional component to the sediment. The presence of sludge and sediment can change the electrical properties of the oil and prevent the exchange of heat, so encouraging damage to the insulating material. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) h) Inhibitor Content Inhibited oil deteriorates more slowly than uninhibited oil so long as active oxidation inhibitor is present. However, after the oxidation inhibitor is consumed, the oil can be oxidized at a higher level. Determination of oxidation inhibitor remaining in the in-service transformer oil is based on IEC 666. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) i) Dissolved Gas Analysis The purpose and functions of the DGA is to provide an indication as to whether there may be an active or incipient tran

Homers Iliad Essay -- Art Tool of Warfare Papers

Homer's Iliad The Iliad is an epic of death. It is a tale of conflict, batle, agony, and horific mutilation. Honor and glory are atained through warfare. The great shield of Achiles stands out in this context because it depicts the glories of an orderly, functioning, productive civilization. This depiction of life stands in stark contrast to the scenes of death that constitute a large portion of the narative. An examination of the shield of Achiles in Homer’s Iliad reveals many ideas in conflict: love and honor, the pleasures of life versus a heroic death, free wil and destiny. By viewing the shield as an element of contradistinction—that is to define it on the basis of contrast—one can se that the shield symbolicaly unifies the entire poem. Achiles’ shield is the mechanism through which the poet presents a tool of warfare as a reflection of civilization; explores the concept, structure, and nature of the universe; and examines the role of art in society. I. A Reflection of Civlization on a Tool of Warfare In the epic tradtion, the arming of wariors for batle holds particular significance. The description of a warior’s armor tels much about the individual character of the warior and about the values of the society of which he is part. The Iliad contains many such arming scenes which take the simple description of armor and transform it into a more expansive and iluminating portrait of ancient Greek mentality. When compared with one another, these descriptions of armor reveal some basic distinctions that make the shield of Achiles of utmost importance. As noted by Atchity in Homer’s Iliad: The Shield of Memory, the armor of Paris is described in book thre in a conventional and most undistinguishe... ...ch contradictions. Art is the medium through which humans explore life’s great questions and test its boundaries. Armed with the belief that ordered civlization wil prevail, the artist—poet, metalworker, painter, actor—is fre to enter into the batle of ideals. Works Cited Atchity, Kenneth John. Homer’s Iliad: The Shield of Memory. Carbondale, IL: Southern Ilinois Univ., 1978. Becker, Andrew Sprague. The Shield of Achiles and the Poetics of Ekphrasis. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Litlefield, 1995. Duethorn, Guenter A. Achiles’ Shield and the Structure of the Iliad. Amherst, MA: Amherst Colege, 1962. Edwards, Mark W. The Iliad: A Commentary. Vol. V: books 17–20. G.S. Kirk gen. ed. Cambridge, MA: 1995. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Richmond Latimore. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1961. Keats, John. â€Å"Ode to a Grecian Urn.† 4 Oct. 2003 < htp://www.poets.org/poems/>. Homer's Iliad Essay -- Art Tool of Warfare Papers Homer's Iliad The Iliad is an epic of death. It is a tale of conflict, batle, agony, and horific mutilation. Honor and glory are atained through warfare. The great shield of Achiles stands out in this context because it depicts the glories of an orderly, functioning, productive civilization. This depiction of life stands in stark contrast to the scenes of death that constitute a large portion of the narative. An examination of the shield of Achiles in Homer’s Iliad reveals many ideas in conflict: love and honor, the pleasures of life versus a heroic death, free wil and destiny. By viewing the shield as an element of contradistinction—that is to define it on the basis of contrast—one can se that the shield symbolicaly unifies the entire poem. Achiles’ shield is the mechanism through which the poet presents a tool of warfare as a reflection of civilization; explores the concept, structure, and nature of the universe; and examines the role of art in society. I. A Reflection of Civlization on a Tool of Warfare In the epic tradtion, the arming of wariors for batle holds particular significance. The description of a warior’s armor tels much about the individual character of the warior and about the values of the society of which he is part. The Iliad contains many such arming scenes which take the simple description of armor and transform it into a more expansive and iluminating portrait of ancient Greek mentality. When compared with one another, these descriptions of armor reveal some basic distinctions that make the shield of Achiles of utmost importance. As noted by Atchity in Homer’s Iliad: The Shield of Memory, the armor of Paris is described in book thre in a conventional and most undistinguishe... ...ch contradictions. Art is the medium through which humans explore life’s great questions and test its boundaries. Armed with the belief that ordered civlization wil prevail, the artist—poet, metalworker, painter, actor—is fre to enter into the batle of ideals. Works Cited Atchity, Kenneth John. Homer’s Iliad: The Shield of Memory. Carbondale, IL: Southern Ilinois Univ., 1978. Becker, Andrew Sprague. The Shield of Achiles and the Poetics of Ekphrasis. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Litlefield, 1995. Duethorn, Guenter A. Achiles’ Shield and the Structure of the Iliad. Amherst, MA: Amherst Colege, 1962. Edwards, Mark W. The Iliad: A Commentary. Vol. V: books 17–20. G.S. Kirk gen. ed. Cambridge, MA: 1995. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Richmond Latimore. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1961. Keats, John. â€Å"Ode to a Grecian Urn.† 4 Oct. 2003 < htp://www.poets.org/poems/>.

Advancement in computer graphics

Since the dawn period of video graphics, graphics developers had to depend on complete knowledge of the hardware they were working with. This knowledge came from lots of experimentation and electronics know-how. (Rickitt, Richard. 2000.)Games, such as Pong or Asteroids, graphic designers had to have a good knowledge of what every chip on the game motherboard could provide them.They were required to be fully aware of the amount of memory they might require like colors and sounds etc. some times they had to get through with the manufacturers to get assistance in designing chips that cater to their requirement.Sound and graphics were primitive at best, but they worked. Since these early games were in fact a pioneering attempt, they also had to generate new user controls to work with. (Ritter, R. (2002)Early DOS games were dependent on knowledge of machine and assembly languages to enter the OS’s lower levels. With the passage of time, more intelligible languages were introduces, such as BASIC and LOGO; though, they didn't have the potential of assembly language.Next innovation in language world was Pascal and C. With C, game developers could design advanced code routines devoid of having to work with tons of assembly code, therefore making graphics easier. Very soon C language became the preferred language of graphic designers. (Timo Aila, 2003)With these language changes, one difficulty remained. To develop high-quality games, developers still required a thorough knowledge of the hardware they were running with. There was no need to know every chip's capabilities, however they had to know things such as video cards, sound cards, and input devices. They also had to cope with memory constraints, which were turning out to be a hindrance to graphic designs.Along Came WindowsAdvancement in computer operating system it turned out to be very easy to maintain specific standards in the computer industry. These standards consisted hardware interfaces, video memory s tandards, sound standards, and CPU memory specifications. Yet, there was still a lot of conflict within the industry, and lots of hardware turned out to be unsatisfactory. Consequently, numerous games developed in Windows faced a lot of problems.Microsoft understood this problem early on and emphasized its efforts on improving its environment and working to improve performance for the parts of the operating system that cater to game and multimedia requirements.These efforts were obvious in Windows 95, one of the first operating systems that produced reliable hardware-software interaction a reality. Since all hardware companies had to meet a comparable standard and Microsoft controlled how its operating system responded to the hardware.In the DOS days, you had to build your own drivers for every type of video card, but with Windows, you had to develop to only one standard. In spite of spending time producing and understanding numerous hardware specifications, designers relied on Micr osoft to do all that for them and wrap up it for their use in the OS.There was one flaw with all of this. Windows was initially designed for homes and offices not for professional multimedia development. It lacked little necessary items that had become trademark in the multimedia market mostly graphics speed, DOS was better then windows.It was the same hardware, but there were many more layers between the developers' code and the hardware they wanted to control. The effect was that a lot of developers deserted the idea of Windows game development and depended on the Windows capability to disburse to DOS.After Microsoft understand that game developers agreed with its idea but reluctant to give up the performance they had become used to in DOS, Microsoft started exploring ways to facilitate developers to reach that hardware layer. Some of the initial attempts involved WinG, WinToon, and OpenGL.Wings become popular at the time of Windows 3.1 and Windows for WorkGroups. WinG was the fir st try at a complete graphics API (Application Programming Interface) library to eradicate the limitations of the Windows API.WinG rendered high-performance graphics system that could be accessed through Windows game development world to that community who worked completely in DOS.WinToon worked as first API system for Windows 95 that supplied the potential of easy animation playback. API also provided better performance as compared to existing Windows 95 APIs. Thus it aided to improve the multimedia playback capabilities of animation programs for instance kids' games and educational programs.OpenGL is a powerful set of APIs that let the developers to cut through the Windows red tape to integrate some of the hardware procedures of 2D and 3D graphics. Unexpectedly, OpenGL was not the product of Microsoft; instead it was introduced by Silicon Graphics, Inc.These technological advancements were an enormous boost, but eventually turn out to be short. As the game market boosted and the r equirement for more games on the Windows 95 platform rose, Microsoft developers went back to work.What they came up with was the Windows 95 Game Software Developer's Kit (SDK), which introduced the first version of DirectX. DirectX was actually restricted for the computer game industry but has evolved to embrace other areas, for instance, improvement in the arcade business and handheld Windows CE devices.As DirectX has improved, Microsoft rendered network support, in addiction with force feedback support, and 3D graphics capabilities. When ever improvements are required, the DirectX team has gone on to improve the performance of this amazing software library. (John Owens. 1983.)Video graphics games fueling hardware growth and hardware in turn fueling games will continue on. Thus the future of video games will most likely be tied to the future of graphics hardware and tactile hardware. With the introduction of the DirectX 8.0 API and same type functionality in OpenGL, GPUs increased programmable shading to their functions.The entire pixel could now be achieved by a short program that could involve additional image textures as inputs, and every geometric vertex could similarly be processed by a short program before it was shown on the screen. nVidia introduced chip capable of programmable shading, the GeForce 3 (widely known as NV20).By October 2002, with the introduction of the ATI Radeon 9700 (also known as R300), the world's first Direct3D 9.0 accelerator, pixel and vertex shades could implement looping and lengthy floating point math, and in general were soon becoming as flexible as CPUs, and orders of magnitude faster for image-array operations. (Dan McCabe 1998)Nowadays, parallel Graphics Processing Unit have   started computable graphic inroads against the operating system, and a subfield of study, dubbed GPGPU for General Purpose Computing on GPU has paved its way into areas as diverse as oil exploration, scientific image processing, and even stock opt ions pricing determination.There is increased pressure on GPU manufacturers to update hardware design, generally emphasizing on adding more flexibility to the programming modelBibliographyBartle, Richard A, 2003,Designing Virtual Worlds , 1st Edition, New Riders Dan McCabe and John Brothers. DirectX6 Texture Map Compression. Game Developer Magazine,   August 1998John Owens. EEC 277: Graphics Architecture. Technical report, 2005 Lance Williams. Pyramidal Parametrics. In Computer Graphics (Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH 83), pages 1–11. ACM, July 1983.Ritter, R. (2002). The Oxford Style Manual. Oxford University Press. Rickitt, Richard. Special Effects: The History and Technique. New York: Billboard Books, 2000.Timo Aila, Ville Miettinen, and Petri Nordlund. Delay Streams for Graphics Hardware. ACM Transactions on Graphics,, 2003

Analysis of the Communist Manifesto

Analysis of The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Freidrich Engles, The Communist Manifesto is an announcement of the aims of a communist organization. It has also functioned as an explanation of the ideas that form the foundation of communist and socialist philosophy. It begins with the view of history as a class struggle. With Karl Marx’s view of history class struggle, there are two classes in constant battle. First it was the master slave relationship, then follows peasant and nobility, on down to the bourgious and the proletarait.It was a struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor, the owner and the owned. One class exploited the other because their relationships were completely opposed. This would create a merchant class and a working class from the struggle between the peasant and the nobility. But Marx and Engles felt that at some point the working class would eliminate all the remaining classes. If there was only one class, there wouldn’t be a class strug gle. There would no longer be a need for money, religion, nation-states and governments.Marx and Engels actually believed that they had discovered a method that could be applied in a scientific manner to the businesses of the world. It has been well over 100 years since the publication of the Communist Manifesto and there are many arguments as to why this method has never taken place and many argue over what made the plan unsuccessful. It may be that some of the assumptions for example, the labor theory of value were mistaken. Or the problem with the Marxian ideas set in the manifesto might be that Marx misunderstood which class would ultimately incorporate all the others.He was under the impression that laborers must ultimately take over the means of production and in doing so terminating the capitalist system. What he could not understand was that the means of production would become less and less expensive all the time due to efficiencies in production such as technology. He coul dn’t predict the arrival of computers and tools that would greatly reduce the costs of labor. The Communist Manifesto ideas are worthy of study because there are economic and historical truths within it. The first section introduces the Marxian idea of history as a class struggle.Marx and Engels were the first to put forward the notion that the working class is exploited by the bourgeoisie. With a labor theory of value where the value of goods and services is based on the amount of labor that is put into them, all the surplus that goes to the capitalist as profits is in reality the â€Å"property† of the working class who created that wealth. The second section of the Communist Manifesto addresses the nature of the new working class which he calls the proletariat. He looks at its implications for the advancement of society, including the abolition of property and family.This section also stresses a kind of Ideal that can only be brought about by violence and conflict w ith the working class taking power from the bourgeoisie (the owners of the means of production). This conflict is anticipated also to bring about the end of nation-states and, ultimately, all forms of government, bring about a worker's paradise. Parts 3 and 4 of the Communist Manifesto are more cryptic and relate more with the politics of the age and topographical region in which the document was written in 1848.Section 3 discusses the various forms of socialism, feudal socialism, petty-bourgeios socialism, and â€Å"true† socialism. Part 4 goes on to show how these different groups inter-relate. Ultimately, Marx and Engles, wrote about communism, a society where classes were eliminated, people were seen as equals and work was distributed as such. The manifesto urged the proletarait to revolt, it expressed the wrong doings and downfalls of the â€Å"evil† bourgious and created a paradise for the working class and gave theories on change for the better. The document end s with a stirring shout, â€Å"Working men of all countries, unite! â€Å"