POPULARITY
5 episodes with mppt
2 episodes with mppt
2 episodes with mppt
2 episodes with mppt
Shawn Tierney meets up with Connor Mason of Software Toolbox to learn their company, products, as well as see a demo of their products in action in this episode of The Automation Podcast. For any links related to this episode, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video. Watch The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: Listen to The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: The Automation Podcast, Episode 248 Show Notes: Special thanks to Software Toolbox for sponsoring this episode so we could release it “ad free!” To learn about Software Toolbox please checkout the below links: TOP Server Cogent DataHub Industries Case studies Technical blogs Read the transcript on The Automation Blog: (automatically generated) Shawn Tierney (Host): Welcome back to the automation podcast. My name is Shawn Tierney with Insights and Automation, and I wanna thank you for tuning back in this week. Now this week on the show, I meet up with Connor Mason from Software Toolbox, who gives us an overview of their product suite, and then he gives us a demo at the end. And even if you’re listening, I think you’re gonna find the demo interesting because Connor does a great job of talking through what he’s doing on the screen. With that said, let’s go ahead and jump into this week’s episode with Connor Mason from Software Toolbox. I wanna welcome Connor from Software Toolbox to the show. Connor, it’s really exciting to have you. It’s just a lot of fun talking to your team as we prepared for this, and, I’m really looking forward to because I just know in your company over the years, you guys have so many great solutions that I really just wanna thank you for coming on the show. And before you jump into talking about products and technologies Yeah. Could you first tell us just a little bit about yourself? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Thanks, Shawn, for having us on. Definitely a pleasure to be a part of this environment. So my name is Connor Mason. Again, I’m with Software Toolbox. We’ve been around for quite a while. So we’ll get into some of that history as well before we get into all the the fun technical things. But, you know, I’ve worked a lot with the variety of OT and IT projects that are ongoing at this point. I’ve come up through our support side. It’s definitely where we grow a lot of our technical skills. It’s a big portion of our company. We’ll get that into that a little more. Currently a technical application consultant lead. So like I said, I I help run our support team, help with these large solutions based projects and consultations, to find what’s what’s best for you guys out there. There’s a lot of different things that in our in our industry is new, exciting. It’s fast paced. Definitely keeps me busy. My background was actually in data analytics. I did not come through engineering, did not come through the automation, trainings at all. So this is a whole new world for me about five years ago, and I’ve learned a lot, and I really enjoyed it. So, I really appreciate your time having us on here, Shawn Tierney (Host): Shawn. Well, I appreciate you coming on. I’m looking forward to what you’re gonna show us today. I had a the audience should know I had a little preview of what they were gonna show, so I’m looking forward to it. Connor Mason (Guest): Awesome. Well, let’s jump right into it then. So like I said, we’re here at Software Toolbox, kinda have this ongoing logo and and just word map of connect everything, and that’s really where we lie. Some people have called us data plumbers in the past. It’s all these different connections where you have something, maybe legacy or something new, you need to get into another system. Well, how do you connect all those different points to it? And, you know, throughout all these projects we worked on, there’s always something unique in those different projects. And we try to work in between those unique areas and in between all these different integrations and be something that people can come to as an expert, have those high level discussions, find something that works for them at a cost effective solution. So outside of just, you know, products that we offer, we also have a lot of just knowledge in the industry, and we wanna share that. You’ll kinda see along here, there are some product names as well that you might recognize. Our top server and OmniServer, we’ll be talking about LOPA as well. It’s been around in the industry for, you know, decades at this point. And also our symbol factory might be something you you may have heard in other products, that they actually utilize themselves for HMI and and SCADA graphics. That is that is our product. So you may have interacted it with us without even knowing it, and I hope we get to kind of talk more about things that we do. So before we jump into all the fun technical things as well, I kind of want to talk about just the overall software toolbox experience as we call it. We’re we’re more than just someone that wants to sell you a product. We we really do work with, the idea of solutions. How do we provide you value and solve the problems that you are facing as the person that’s actually working out there on the field, on those operation lines, and making things as well. And that’s really our big priority is providing a high level of knowledge, variety of the things we can work with, and then also the support. It’s very dear to me coming through the the support team is still working, you know, day to day throughout that software toolbox, and it’s something that has been ingrained into our heritage. Next year will be thirty years of software toolbox in 2026. So we’re established in 1996. Through those thirty years, we have committed to supporting the people that we work with. And I I I can just tell you that that entire motto lives throughout everyone that’s here. So from that, over 97% of the customers that we interact with through support say they had an awesome or great experience. Having someone that you can call that understands the products you’re working with, understands the environment you’re working in, understands the priority of certain things. If you ever have a plant shut down, we know how stressful that is. Those are things that we work through and help people throughout. So this really is the core pillars of Software Toolbox and who we are, beyond just the products, and and I really think this is something unique that we have continued to grow and stand upon for those thirty years. So jumping right into some of the industry challenges we’ve been seeing over the past few years. This is also a fun one for me, talking about data analytics and tying these things together. In my prior life and education, I worked with just tons of data, and I never fully knew where it might have come from, why it was such a mess, who structured it that way, but it’s my job to get some insights out of that. And knowing what the data actually was and why it matters is a big part of actually getting value. So if you have dirty data, if you have data that’s just clustered, it’s in silos, it’s very often you’re not gonna get much value out of it. This was a study that we found in 2024, from Garner Research, And it said that, based on the question that business were asked, were there any top strategic priorities for your data analytics functions in 2024? And almost 50%, it’s right at ’49, said that they wanted to improve data quality, and that was a strategic priority. This is about half the industry is just talking about data quality, and it’s exactly because of those reasons I said in my prior life gave me a headache, to look at all these different things that I don’t even know where they became from or or why they were so different. And the person that made that may have been gone may not have the contacts, and making that from the person that implemented things to the people that are making decisions, is a very big task sometimes. So if we can create a better pipeline of data quality at the beginning, makes those people’s lives a lot easier up front and allows them to get value out of that data a lot quicker. And that’s what businesses need. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I wanna just data quality. Right? Mhmm. I think a lot of us, when we think of that, we think of, you know, error error detection. We think of lost connections. We think of, you know, just garbage data coming through. But I I think from an analytical side, there’s a different view on that, you know, in line with what you were just saying. So how do you when you’re talking to somebody about data quality, how do you get them to shift gears and focus in on what you’re talking about and not like a quality connection to the device itself? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Yeah. We I kinda live in both those worlds now. You know, I I get to see that that connection state. And when you’re operating in real time, that quality is also very important to you. Mhmm. And I kind of use that at the same realm. Think of that when you’re thinking in real time, if you know what’s going on in the operation and where things are running, that’s important to you. That’s the quality that you’re looking for. You have to think beyond just real time. We’re talking about historical data. We’re talking about data that’s been stored for months and years. Think about the quality of that data once it’s made up to that level. Are they gonna understand what was happening around those periods? Are they gonna understand what those tags even are? Are they gonna understand what those conventions that you’ve implemented, to give them insights into this operation. Is that a clear picture? So, yeah, you’re absolutely right. There are two levels to this, and and that is a big part of it. The the real time data and historical, and we’re gonna get some of that into into our demo as well. It it’s a it’s a big area for the business, and the people working in the operations. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. I think quality too. Think, you know, you may have data. It’s good data. It was collected correctly. You had a good connection to the device. You got it. You got it as often as you want. But that data could really be useless. It could tell you nothing. Connor Mason (Guest): Right. Exactly. Shawn Tierney (Host): Right? It could be a flow rate on part of the process that irrelevant to monitoring the actual production of the product or or whatever you’re making. And, you know, I’ve known a lot of people who filled up their databases, their historians, with they just they just logged everything. And it’s like a lot of that data was what I would call low quality because it’s low information value. Right? Absolutely. I’m sure you run into that too. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. We we run into a lot of people that, you know, I’ve got x amount of data points in my historian and, you know, then we start digging into, well, I wanna do something with it or wanna migrate. Okay. Like, well, what do you wanna achieve at the end of this? Right? And and asking those questions, you know, it’s great that you have all these things historized. Are you using it? Do you have the right things historized? Are they even set up to be, you know, worked upon once they are historized by someone outside of this this landscape? And I think OT plays such a big role in this, and that’s why we start to see the convergence of the IT and OT teams just because that communication needs to occur sooner. So we’re not just passing along, you know, low quality data, bad quality data as well. And we’ll get into some of that later on. So to jump into some of our products and solutions, I kinda wanna give this overview of the automation pyramid. This is where we work from things like the field device communications. And you you have certain sensors, meters, actuators along the actual lines, wherever you’re working. We work across all the industries, so this can vary between those. Through there, you work up kind of your control area. A lot of control engineers are working. This is where I think a lot of the audience is very familiar with PLCs. Your your typical name, Siemens, Rockwell, your Schneiders that are creating, these hardware products. They’re interacting with things on the operation level, and they’re generating data. That that was kind of our bread and butter for a very long time and still is that communication level of getting data from there, but now getting it up the stack further into the pyramid of your supervisory, MES connections, and it’ll also now open to these ERP. We have a lot of large corporations that have data across variety of different solutions and also want to integrate directly down into their operation levels. There’s a lot of value to doing that, but there’s also a lot of watch outs, and a lot of security concerns. So that’ll be a topic that we’ll be getting into. We also all know that the cloud is here. It’s been here, and it’s it’s gonna continue to push its way into, these cloud providers into OT as well. There there’s a lot of benefit to it, but there there’s also some watch outs as this kind of realm, changes in the landscape that we’ve been used to. So there’s a lot of times that we wanna get data out there. There’s value into AI agents. It’s a hot it’s a hot commodity right now. Analytics as well. How do we get those things directly from shop floor, up into the cloud directly, and how do we do that securely? It’s things that we’ve been working on. We’ve had successful projects, continues to be an interest area and I don’t see it slowing down at all. Now, when we kind of begin this level at the bottom of connectivity, people mostly know us for our top server. This is our platform for industrial device connectivity. It’s a thing that’s talking to all those different PLCs in your plant, whether that’s brownfield or greenfield. We pretty much know that there’s never gonna be a plant that’s a single PLC manufacturer, that exists in one plant. There’s always gonna be something that’s slightly different. Definitely from Brownfield, things different engineers made different choices, things have been eminent, and you gotta keep running them. TopServe provides this single platform to connect to a long laundry list of different PLCs. And if this sounds very familiar to Kepserver, well, you’re not wrong. Kepserver is the same exact technology that TopServer is. What’s the difference then is probably the biggest question we usually get. The difference technology wise is nothing. The difference in the back end is that actually it’s all the same product, same product releases, same price, but we have been the biggest single source of Kepserver or Topsyra implementation into the market, for almost two plus decades at this point. So the single biggest purchase that we own this own labeled version of Kepserver to provide to our customers. They interact with our support team, our solutions teams as well, and we sell it along the stack of other things because it it fits so well. And we’ve been doing this since the early two thousands when, Kepware was a a much smaller company than it is now, and we’ve had a really great relationship with them. So if you’ve enjoyed the technology of of Kepserver, maybe there’s some users out there. If you ever heard of TopServer and that has been unclear, I hope this clear clarifies it. But it it is a great technology stack that that we build upon and we’ll get into some of that in our demo. Now the other question is, what if you don’t have a standard communication protocol, like a modbus, like an Allen Bradley PLC as well? We see this a lot with, you know, testing areas, pharmaceuticals, maybe also in packaging, barcode scanners, weigh scales, printers online as well. They they may have some form of basic communications that talks over just TCP or or serial. And how do you get that information that’s really valuable still, but it’s not going through a PLC. It’s not going into your typical agent mind SCADA. It might be very manual process for a lot of these test systems as well, how they’re collecting and analyzing the data. Well, you may have heard of our Arm server as well. It’s been around, like I said, for a couple decades and just a proven solution that without coding, you can go in and build a custom protocol that expects a format from that device, translates it, puts it into standard tags, and now that those tags can be accessible through the open standards of OPC, or to it was a a Veeva user suite link as well. And that really provides a nice combination of your standard communications and also these more custom communications may have been done through scripting in the past. Well, you know, put this onto, an actual server that can communicate through those protocols natively, and just get that data into those SCADA systems, HMIs, where you need it. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I used that. Many years ago, I had an integrator who came to me. He’s like, Shawn, I wanna this is back in the RSVUE days. He’s like, Shawn, I I got, like, 20 Euotherm devices on a four eighty five, and they speak ASCII, and I gotta I gotta get into RSVUE 32. And, you know, OmniSIR, I love that you could you could basically developing and we did Omega and some other devices too. You’re developing your own protocol, but it’s beautiful. And and the fact that when you’re testing it, it color codes everything. So you know, hey. That part worked. The header worked. The data worked. Oh, the trailing didn’t work, or the terminated didn’t work, or the data’s not in the right format. Or I just it was a joy to work with back then, and I can imagine it’s only gotten better since. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. I think it’s like a little engineer playground where you get in there. It started really decoding and seeing how these devices communicate. And then once you’ve got it running, it it’s one of those things that it it just performs and, is saved by many people from developing custom code, having to manage that custom code and integrations, you know, for for many years. So it it’s one of those things that’s kinda tried, tested, and, it it’s kind of a staple still our our base level communications. Alright. So moving along kind of our automation pyramid as well. Another part of our large offering is the Cogent data hub. Some people may have heard from this as well. It’s been around for a good while. It’s been part of our portfolio for for a while as well. This starts building upon where we had the communication now up to those higher echelons of the pyramid. This is gonna bring in a lot of different connectivities. You if you’re not if you’re listening, it it’s kind of this cog and spoke type of concept for real time data. We also have historical implementations. You can connect through a variety of different things. OPC, both the profiles for alarms and events, and even OPC UA’s alarming conditions, which is still getting adoption across the, across the industry, but it is growing. As part of the OPC UA standard, we have integrations to MQTT. It can be its own MQTT broker, and it can also be an MQTT client. That has grown a lot. It’s one of those things that lives be besides OPC UA, not exactly a replacement. If you ever have any questions about that, it’s definitely a topic I love to talk about. There’s space for for this to combine the benefits of both of these, and it’s so versatile and flexible for these different type of implementations. On top of that, it it’s it’s a really strong tool for conversion and aggregation. You kind of add this, like, its name says, it’s a it’s a data hub. You send all the different information to this. It stores it into, a hierarchy with a variety of different modeling that you can do within it. That’s gonna store these values across a standard data format. Once I had data into this, any of those different connections, I can then send data back out. So if I have anything that I know is coming in through a certain plug in like OPC, bring that in, send it out to on these other ones, OPC, DA over to MQTT. It could even do DDA if I’m still using that, which I probably wouldn’t suggest. But overall, there’s a lot of good benefits from having something that can also be a standardization, between all your different connections. I have a lot of different things, maybe variety of OPC servers, legacy or newer. Bring that into a data hub, and then all your other connections, your historians, your MAS, your SCADAs, it can connect to that single point. So it’s all getting the same data model and values from a single source rather than going out and making many to many connections. A a large thing that it was originally, used for was getting around DCOM. That word is, you know, it might send some shivers down people’s spines still, to this day, but it’s it’s not a fun thing to deal with DCOM and also with the security hardening. It’s just not something that you really want to do. I’m sure there’s a lot of security professionals would advise against EPRA doing it. This tunneling will allow you to have a data hub that locally talks to any of the DA server client, communicate between two data hubs over a tunnel that pushes the data just over TCP, takes away all the comm wrappers, and now you just have values that get streamed in between. Now you don’t have to configure any DCOM at all, and it’s all local. So a lot of people went transitioning, between products where maybe the server only supports OPC DA, and then the client is now supporting OPC UA. They can’t change it yet. This has allowed them to implement a solution quickly and cost and at a cost effective price, without ripping everything out. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I wanna ask you too. I can see because this thing is it’s a data hub. So if you’re watching and you’re if you’re listening and not watching, you you’re not gonna see, you know, server, client, UAD, a broker, server, client. You know, just all these different things up here on the site. Do you what how does somebody find out if it does what they need? I mean, do you guys have a line they can call to say, I wanna do this to this. Is that something Data Hub can do, or is there a demo? What would you recommend to somebody? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Reach out to us. We we have a a lot of content outline, and it’s not behind any paywall or sign in links even. You you can always go to our website. It’s just softwaretoolbox.com. Mhmm. And that’s gonna get you to our product pages. You can download any product directly from there. They have demo timers. So typically with, with coaching data hub, after an hour, it will stop. You can just rerun it. And then call our team. Yeah. We have a solutions team that can work with you on, hey. What do I need as well? Then our support team, if you run into any issues, can help you troubleshoot that as well. So, I’ll have some contact information at the end, that’ll get some people to, you know, where they need to go. But you’re absolutely right, Shawn. Because this is so versatile, everyone’s use case of it is usually something a little bit different. And the best people to come talk to that is us because we’ve we’ve seen all those differences. So Shawn Tierney (Host): I think a lot of people run into the fact, like, they have a problem. Maybe it’s the one you said where they have the OPC UA and it needs to connect to an OPC DA client. And, you know, and a lot of times, they’re they’re a little gunshot to buy a license because they wanna make sure it’s gonna do exactly what they need first. And I think that’s where having your people can, you know, answer their questions saying, yes. We can do that or, no. We can’t do that. Or, you know, a a demo that they could download and run for an hour at a time to actually do a proof of concept for the boss who’s gonna sign off on purchasing this. And then the other thing is too, a lot of products like this have options. And you wanna make sure you’re buying the ticking the right boxes when you buy your license because you don’t wanna buy something you’re not gonna use. You wanna buy the exact pieces you need. So I highly recommend I mean, this product just does like, I have, in my mind, like, five things I wanna ask right now, but not gonna. But, yeah, def definitely, when it when it comes to a product like this, great to touch base with these folks. They’re super friendly and helpful, and, they’ll they’ll put you in the right direction. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. I I can tell you that’s working someone to support. Selling someone a solution that doesn’t work is not something I’ve been doing. Bad day. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And we work very closely, between anyone that’s looking at products. You know, me being as technical product managers, well, I I’m engaged in those conversations. And Mhmm. Yeah. If you need a demo license, reach out to us to extend that. We wanna make sure that you are buying something that provides you value. Now kind of moving on into a similar realm. This is one of our still somewhat newer offerings, I say, but we’ve been around five five plus years, and it’s really grown. And I kinda said here, it’s called OPC router, and and it’s not it’s not a networking tool. A lot of people may may kinda get that. It’s more of a, kind of a term about, again, all these different type of connections. How do you route them to different ways? It it kind of it it separates itself from the Cogent data hub, and and acting at this base level of being like a visual workflow that you can assign various tasks to. So if I have certain events that occur, I may wanna do some processing on that before I just send data along, where the data hub is really working in between converting, streaming data, real time connections. This gives you a a kind of a playground to work around of if I have certain tasks that are occurring, maybe through a database that I wanna trigger off of a certain value, based on my SCADA system, well, you can build that in in these different workflows to execute exactly what you need. Very, very flexible. Again, it has all these different type of connections. The very unique ones that have also grown into kind of that OT IT convergence, is it can be a REST API server and client as well. So I can be sending out requests to, RESTful servers where we’re seeing that hosted in a lot of new applications. I wanna get data out of them. Or once I have consumed a variety of data, I can become the REST server in OPC router and offer that to other applications to request data from itself. So, again, it can kind of be that centralized area of information. The other thing as we talked about in the automation pyramid is it has connections directly into SAP and ERP systems. So if you have work orders, if you have materials, that you wanna continue to track and maybe trigger things based off information from your your operation floors via PLCs tracking, how they’re using things along the line, and that needs to match up with what the SAP system has for, the amount of materials you have. This can be that bridge. It’s really is built off the mindset of the OT world as well. So we kinda say this helps empower the OT level because we’re now giving them the tools to that they understand what what’s occurring in their operations. And what could you do by having a tool like this to allow you to kind of create automated workflows based off certain values and certain events and automate some of these things that you may be doing manually or doing very convoluted through a variety of solutions. So this is one of those prod, products as well that’s very advanced in the things that supports. Linux and Docker containers is, is definitely could be a hot topic, rightly fleet rightfully so. And this can run on a on a Docker container deployed as well. So we we’ve seen that with the I IT folks that really enjoy being able to control and to higher deployment, allows you to update easily, allows you to control and spin up new containers as well. This gives you a lot of flexibility to to deploy and manage these systems. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I may wanna have you back on to talk about this. I used to there’s an old product called Rascal that I used to use. It was a transaction manager, and it would based on data changing or on a time that as a trigger, it could take data either from the PLC to the database or from the database to the PLC, and it would work with stored procedures. And and this seems like it hits all those points, And it sounds like it’s a visual like you said, right there on the slide, visual workflow builder. Connor Mason (Guest): Yep. Shawn Tierney (Host): So you really piqued my interest with this one, and and it may be something we wanna come back to and and revisit in the future, because, it just it’s just I know that that older product was very useful and, you know, it really solved a lot of old applications back in the day. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Absolutely. And this this just takes that on and builds even more. If you if anyone was, kind of listening at the beginning of this year or two, a conference called Prove It that was very big in the industry, we were there to and we presented on stage a solution that we had. Highly recommend going searching for that. It’s on our web pages. It’s also on their YouTube links, and it’s it’s called Prove It. And OPC router was a big part of that in the back end. I would love to dive in and show you the really unique things. Kind of as a quick overview, we’re able to use Google AI vision to take camera data and detect if someone was wearing a hard hat. All that logic and behind of getting that information to Google AI vision, was through REST with OPC router. Then we were parsing that information back through that, connection and then providing it back to the PLCs. So we go all the way from a camera to a PLC controlling a light stack, up to Google AI vision through OPC router, all on hotel Wi Fi. It’s very imp it’s very, very fun presentation, and, our I think our team did a really great job. So a a a pretty new offering I have I wanna highlight, is our is our data caster. This is a an actual piece of hardware. You know, our software toolbox is we we do have some hardware as well. It’s just, part of the nature of this environment of how we mesh in between things. But the the idea is that, there’s a lot of different use cases for HMI and SCADA. They have grown so much from what they used to be, and they’re very core part of the automation stack. Now a lot of times, these are doing so many things beyond that as well. What we found is that in different areas of operations, you may not need all that different control. You may not even have the space to make up a whole workstation for that as well. What this does, the data caster, is, just simply plug it plugs it into any network and into an HDMI compatible display, and it gives you a very easy configure workplace to put a few key metrics onto a screen. So if I have different things from you can connect directly to PLCs like Allen Bradley. You can connect to SQL databases. You can also connect to rest APIs to gather the data from these different sources and build a a a kind of easy to to view, KPI dashboard in a way. So if you’re on a operation line and you wanna look at your current run rate, maybe you have certain things in the POC tags, you know, flow and pressure that’s very important for those operators to see. They may not be, even the capacity to be interacting with anything. They just need visualizations of what’s going on. This product can just be installed, you know, industrial areas with, with any type of display that you can easily access and and give them something that they can easily look at. It’s configured all through a web browser to display what you want. You can put on different colors based on levels of values as well. And it’s just I feel like a very simple thing that sometimes it seems so simple, but those might be the things that provide value on the actual operation floor. This is, for anyone that’s watching, kind of a quick view of a very simple screen. What we’re showing here is what it would look like from all the different data sources. So talking directly to ControlLogs PLC, talking to SQL databases, micro eight eight hundreds, an arrest client, and and what’s coming very soon, definitely by the end of this year, is OPC UA support. So any OPC UA server that’s out there that’s already having your PLC data or etcetera, this could also connect to that and get values from there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Can I can you make it I’m I’m here I go? Can you make it so it, like, changes, like, pages every few seconds? Connor Mason (Guest): Right now, it is a single page, but this is, like I said, very new product, so we’re taking any feedback. If, yeah, if there’s this type of slideshow cycle that would be, you know, valuable to anyone out there, let us know. We’re definitely always interested to see the people that are actually working out at these operation sites, what what’s valuable to them. Yeah. Shawn Tierney (Host): A lot of kiosks you see when when you’re traveling, it’ll say, like, line one well, I’ll just throw out there. Line one, and that’ll be on there for five seconds, and then it’ll go line two. That’ll be on there for five seconds, and then line you know, I and that’s why I just mentioned that because I can see that being a question that, that that I would get from somebody who is asking me about it. Connor Mason (Guest): Oh, great question. Appreciate it. Alright. So now we’re gonna set time for a little hands on demo. For anyone that’s just listening, we’re gonna I’m gonna talk about this at at a high level and walk through everything. But the idea is that, we have a few different POCs, very common in Allen Bradley and just a a Siemens seven, s seven fifteen hundred that’s in our office, pretty close to me on the other side of the wall wall, actually. We’re gonna first start by connecting that to our top server like we talked about. This is our industrial communication server, that offers both OCDA, OC UA, SweetLink connectivity as well. And then we’re gonna bring this into our Cogent data hub. This we talked about is getting those values up to these higher levels. What we’ll be doing is also tunneling the data. We talked about being able to share data through the data hubs themselves. Kinda explain why we’re doing that here and the value you can add. And then we’re also gonna showcase adding on MQTT to this level. Taking beta now just from these two PLCs that are sitting on a rack, and I can automatically make all that information available in the MQTT broker. So any MQTT client that’s out there that wants to subscribe to that data, now has that accessible. And I’ve created this all through a a really simple workflow. We also have some databases connected. Influx, we install with Code and DataHub, has a free visualization tool that kinda just helps you see what’s going on in your processes. I wanna showcase a little bit of that as well. Alright. So now jumping into our demo, when we first start off here is the our top server. Like I mentioned before, if anyone has worked with KEP server in the past, this is gonna look very similar. Like it because it is. The same technology and all the things here. The the first things that I wanted to establish in our demo, was our connection to our POCs. I have a few here. We’re only gonna use the Allen Bradley and the Siemens, for the the time that we have on our demo here. But how this builds out as a platform is you create these different channels and the devices connections between them. This is gonna be your your physical connections to them. It’s either, IP TCPIP connection or maybe your serial connection as well. We have support for all of them. It really is a long list. Anyone watching out there, you can kind of see all the different drivers that that we offer. So allowing this into a single platform, you can have all your connectivity based here. All those different connections that you now have that up the stack, your SCADA, your historians, MAS even as well, they can all go to a single source. Makes that management, troubleshooting, all those a bit easier as well. So one of the first things I did here, I have this built out, but I’ll kinda walk through what you would typically do. You have your Allen Bradley ControlLogix Ethernet driver here first. You know, I have some IPs in here I won’t show, but, regardless, we have our our our drivers here, and then we have a set of tags. These are all the global tags in the programming of the PLC. How I got these to to kind of map automatically is in our in our driver, we’re able to create tags automatically. So you’re able to send a command to that device and ask for its entire tag database. They can come back, provide all that, map it out for you, create those tags as well. This saves a lot of time from, you know, an engineer have to go in and, addressing all the individual items themselves. So once it’s defined in the program project, you’re able to bring this all in automatically. I’ll show now how easy that makes it connecting to something like the Cogent data hub. In a very similar fashion, we have a connection over here to the Siemens, PLC that I also have. You can see beneath it all these different tag structures, and this was created the exact same way. While those those PLC support it, you can do an automatic tag generation, bring in all the structure that you’ve already built out your PLC programming, and and make this available on this OPC server now as well. So that’s really the basis. We first need to establish communications to these PLCs, get that tag data, and now what do we wanna do with it? So in this demo, what I wanted to bring up was, the code in DataHub next. So here, I see a very similar kind of layout. We have a different set set of plugins on the left side. So for anyone listening, the Cogent Data Hub again is kind of our aggregation and conversion tool. All these different type of protocols like OPC UA, OPC DA, and OPC A and E for alarms and events. We also support OPC alarms and conditions, which is the newer profile for alarms in OPC UA. We have all a variety of different ways that you can get data out of things and data’s into the data hub. We can also do bridging. This concept is, how you share data in between different points. So let’s say I had a connection to one OPC server, and it was communicating to a certain PLC, and there were certain registers I was getting data from. Well, now I also wanna connect to a different OPC server that has, entirely different brand of PLCs. And then maybe I wanna share data in between them directly. Well, with this software, I can just bridge those points between them. Once they’re in the data hub, I can do kind of whatever I want with them. I can then allow them to write between those PLCs and share data that way, and you’re not now having to do any type of hardwiring directly in between them, and then I’m compatible to communicate to each other. Through the standards of OPC and these variety of different communication levels, I can integrate them together. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, you bring up a good point. When you do something like that, is there any heartbeat? Like, is there on the general or under under, one of these, topics? Is there are there tags we can use that are from DataHub itself that can be sent to the destination, like a heartbeat or, you know, the merge transactions? Or Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Absolutely. So with this as well, there’s pretty strong scripting engine, and I have done that in the past where you can make internal tags. And that that could be a a timer. It could be a counter. And and just kind of allows you to create your own tags as well that you could do the same thing, could share that, through bridge connection to a PLC. So, yeah, there there are definitely some people that had those cert and, you know, use cases where they wanna get something to just track, on this software side and get it out to those hardware PLCs. Absolutely. Shawn Tierney (Host): I mean, when you send out the data out of the PLC, the PLC doesn’t care to take my data. But when you’re getting data into the PLC, you wanna make sure it’s updating and it’s fresh. And so, you know, they throw a counter in there, the script thing, and be able to have that. As as long as you see that incrementing, you know, you got good data coming in. That’s that’s a good feature. Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. You know, another big one is the the redundancy. So what this does is beyond just the OPC, we can make redundancy to basically anything that has two things running of it. So any of these different connections. How it’s unique is what it does is it just looks at the buckets of data that you create. So for an example, if I do have two different OPC servers and I put them into two areas of, let’s say, OPC server one and OPC server two, I can what now create an OPC redundancy data bucket. And now any client that connects externally to that and wants that data, it’s gonna go talk to that bucket of data. And that bucket of data is going to automatically change in between sources as things go down, things come back up, and the client would never know what’s hap what that happened unless you wanted to. There are internal tasks to show what’s the current source and things, but the idea is to make this trans kind of hidden that regardless of what’s going on in the operations, if I have this set up, I can have my external applications just reading from a single source without knowing that there’s two things behind it that are actually controlling that. Very important for, you know, historian connections where you wanna have a full complete picture of that data that’s coming in. If you’re able to make a redundant connection to two different, servers and then allow that historian to talk to a single point where it doesn’t have to control that switching back and forth. It it will just see that data flow streamlessly as as either one is up at that time. Kinda beyond that as well, there’s quite a few other different things in here. I don’t think we have time to cover all of them. But for for our demo, what I wanna focus on first is our OPC UA connection. This allows us both to act as a OPC UA client to get data from any servers out there, like our top server. And also we can act as an OPC UA server itself. So if anything’s coming in from maybe you have multiple connections to different servers, multiple connections to other things that aren’t OPC as well, I can now provide all this data automatically in my own namespace to allow things to connect to me as well. And that’s part of that aggregation feature, and kind of topic I was mentioning before. So with that, I have a connection here. It’s pulling data all from my top server. I have a few different tags from my Alec Bradley and and my Siemens PLC selected. The next part of this, while I was meshing, was the tunneling. Like I said, this is very popular to get around DCOM issues, but there’s a lot of reasons why you still may use this beyond just the headache of DCOM and what it was. What this runs on is a a TCP stream that takes all the data points as a value, a quality, and a timestamp, and it can mirror those in between another DataHub instance. So if I wanna get things across a network, like my OT side, where NASH previously, I would have to come in and allow a, open port onto my network for any OPC UA clients, across the network to access that, I can now actually change the direction of this and allow me to tunnel data out of my network without opening up any ports. This is really big for security. If anyone out there, security professional or working as an engineer, you have to work with your IT and security a lot, they don’t you don’t wanna have an open port, especially to your operations and OT side. So this allows you to change that direction of flow and push data out of this direction into another area like a DMZ computer or up to a business level computer as well. The other things as well that I have configured in this demo, the benefit of having that tunneling streaming data across this connection is I can also store this data locally in a, influx database. The purpose of that then is that I can actually historize this, provide then if this connection ever goes down to backfill any information that was lost during that tunnel connection going down. So with this added layer on and real time data scenarios like OPC UA, unless you have historical access, you would lose a lot of data if that connection ever went down. But with this, I can actually use the back end of this InfluxDB, buffer any values. When my connection comes back up, pass them along that stream again. And if I have anything that’s historically connected, like, another InfluxDB, maybe a PI historian, Vue historian, any historian offering out there that can allow that connection. I can then provide all those records that were originally missed and backfill that into those systems. So I switched over to a second machine. It’s gonna look very similar here as well. This also has an instance of the Cogent Data Hub running here. For anyone not watching, what we’ve actually have on this side is the the portion of the tunneler that’s sitting here and listening for any data requests coming in. So on my first machine, I was able to connect my PLCs, gather that information into Cogent DataHub, and now I’m pushing that information, across the network into a separate machine that’s sitting here and listening to gather information. So what I can quickly do is just make sure I have all my data here. So I have these different points, both from my Allen Bradley PLCs. I have a few, different simulation demo points, like temperature, pressure, tank level, a few statuses, and all this is updating directly through that stream as the PLC is updating it as well. I also have my scenes controller. I have some, current values and a few different counters tags as well. All of this again is being directly streamed through that tunnel. I’m not connecting to an OPC server at all on this side. I can show you that here. There’s no connections configured. I’m not talking to the PLCs directly on this machine as well. But maybe we’ll pass all the information through without opening up any ports on my OT demo machine per se. So what’s the benefit of that? Well, again, security. Also, the ability to do the store and forward mechanisms. On the other side, I was logging directly to a InfluxDB. This could be my d- my buffer, and then I was able to configure it where if any values were lost, to store that across the network. So now with this side, if I pull up Chronic Graph, which is a free visualization tool that installs with the DataHub as well, I can see some very nice, visual workflows and and visual diagrams of what is going on with this data. So I have a pressure that is just a simulator in this, Allen Bradley PLC that ramps up and and comes back down. It’s not actually connected to anything that’s reading a real pressure, but you can see over time, I can kind of change through these different layers of time. And I might go back a little far, but I have a lot of data that’s been stored in here. For a while during my test, I turned this off and, made it fail, but then I came back in and I was able to recreate all the data and backfill it as well. So through through these views, I can see that as data disconnects, as it comes back on, I have a very cyclical view of the data because it was able to recover and store and forward from that source. Like I said, Shawn, data quality is a big thing in this industry. It’s a big thing for people both at the operations side, and both people making decision in the business layer. So being able to have a full picture, without gaps, it is definitely something that, you should be prioritizing, when you can. Shawn Tierney (Host): Now what we’re seeing here is you’re using InfluxDB on this, destination PC or IT side PC and chronograph, which was that utility or that package that comes, gets installed. It’s free. But you don’t actually have to use that. You could have sent this in to an OSI pi or Exactly. Somebody else’s historian. Right? Can you name some of the historians you work with? I know OSI pie. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So there’s quite a few different ones. As far as what we support in the Data Hub natively, Amazon Kinesis, the cloud hosted historian that we can also do the same things from here as well. Aviva Historian, Aviva Insight, Apache Kafka. This is a a kind of a a newer one as well that used to be a very IT oriented solution, now getting into OT. It’s kind of a similar database structure where things are stored in different topics that we can stream to. On top of that, just regular old ODBC connections. That opens up a lot of different ways you can do it, or even, the old classic OPC, HDA. So if you have any, historians that that can act as an OPC HDA, connection, we we can also stream it through there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Excellent. That’s a great list. Connor Mason (Guest): The other thing I wanna show while we still have some time here is that MQTT component. This is really growing and, it’s gonna continue to be a part of the industrial automation technology stack and conversations moving forward, for streaming data, you know, from devices, edge devices, up into different layers, both now into the OT, and then maybe out to, IT, in our business levels as well, and definitely into the cloud as we’re seeing a lot of growth into it. Like I mentioned with Data Hub, the big benefit is I have all these different connections. I can consume all this data. Well, I can also act as an MQTT broker. And what what a broker typically does in MQTT is just route data and share data. It’s kind of that central point where things come to it to either say, hey. I’m giving you some new values. Share it with someone else. Or, hey. I need these values. Can you give me that? It really fits in super well with what this product is at its core. So all I have to do here is just enable it. What that now allows is I have an example, MQTT Explorer. If anyone has worked with MQTT, you’re probably familiar with this. There’s nothing else I configured beyond just enabling the broker. And you can see within this structure, I have all the same data that was in my Data Hub already. The same things I were collecting from my PLCs and top server. Now I’ve embedded these as MPPT points and now I have them in JSON format with the value, their timestamp. You can even see, like, a little trend here kind of matching what we saw in Influx. And and now this enables all those different cloud connectors that wanna speak this language to do it seamlessly. Shawn Tierney (Host): So you didn’t have to set up the PLCs a second time to do this? Nope. Connor Mason (Guest): Not at all. Shawn Tierney (Host): You just enabled this, and now the data’s going this way as well. Exactly. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. That’s a really strong point of the Cogent Data Hub is once you have everything into its structure and model, you just enable it to use any of these different connections. You can get really, really creative with these different things. Like we talked about with the the bridging aspect and getting into different systems, even writing down the PLCs. You can make crust, custom notifications and email alerts, based on any of these values. You could even take something like this MTT connection, tunnel it across to another data hub as well, maybe then convert it to OPC DA. And now you’ve made a a a new connection over to something that’s very legacy as well. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. That, I mean, the options here are just pretty amazing, all the different things that can be done. Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Well, I, you know, I wanna jump back into some of our presentation here while we still got the time. And now after we’re kinda done with our demo, there’s so many different ways that you can use these different tools. This is just a really simple, kind of view of the, something that used to be very simple, just connecting OpenSea servers to a variety of different connections, kind of expanding onto with that that’s store and forward, the local influx usage, getting out to things like MTT as well. But there’s a lot more you can do with these solutions. So like Shawn said, reach out to us. We’re happy to engage and see what we can help you with. I have a few other things before we wrap up. Just overall, it we’ve worked across nearly every industry. We have installations across the globe on all continents. And like I said, we’ve been around for pushing thirty years next year. So we’ve seen a lot of different things, and we really wanna talk to anyone out there that maybe has some struggles that are going on with just connectivity, or you have any ongoing projects. If you work in these different industries or if there’s nothing marked here and you have anything going on that you need help with, we’re very happy to sit down and let you know if there’s there’s something we can do there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. For those who are, listening, I mean, we see most of the big energy and consumer product, companies on that slide. So I’m not gonna read them off, but, it’s just a lot of car manufacturers. You know, these are these are these, the household name brands that everybody knows and loves. Connor Mason (Guest): So kind of wrap some things up here. We talked about all the different ways that we’ve kind of helped solve things in the past, but I wanna highlight some of the unique ones, that we’ve also gone do some, case studies on and and success stories. So this one I actually got to work on, within the last few years that, a plastic packaging, manufacturer was looking to track uptime and downtime across multiple different lines, and they had a new cloud solution that they were already evaluating. They’re really excited to get into play. They they had a lot of upside to, getting things connected to this and start using it. Well, what they had was a lot of different PLCs, a lot of different brands, different areas, different, you know, areas of operation that they need to connect to. So what they used was to first get that into our top server, kind of similar to how they showed them use in their in our demo. We just need to get all the data into a centralized platform first, get that data accessible. Then from there, once they had all that information into a centralized area, they used the Cogent Data Hub as well to help aggregate that information and transform it to be sent to the cloud through MQTT. So very similar to the demo here, this is actually a real use case of that. Getting information from PLCs, structuring it into that how that cloud system needed it for MQTT, and streamlining that data connection to now where it’s just running in operation. They constantly have updates about where their lines are in operation, tracking their downtime, tracking their uptime as well, and then being able to do some predictive analytics in that cloud solution based on their history. So this really enabled them to kind of build from what they had existing. It was doing a lot of manual tracking, into an entirely automated system with management able to see real views of what’s going on at this operation level. Another one I wanna talk about was we we were able to do this success story with, Ace Automation. They worked with a pharmaceutical company. Ace Automation is a SI and they were brought in and doing a lot of work with some some old DDE connections, doing some custom Excel macros, and we’re just having a hard time maintaining some legacy systems that were just a pain to deal with. They were working with these older files, from some old InTouch histor HMIs, and what they needed to do was get something that was not just based on Excel and doing custom macros. So one product we didn’t get to talk about yet, but we also carry is our LGH file inspector. It’s able to take these files, put them out into a standardized format like CSV, and also do a lot of that automation of when when should these files be queried? Should they be, queried for different lengths? Should they be output to different areas? Can I set these up in a scheduled task so it can be done automatically rather than someone having to sit down and do it manually in Excel? So they will able to, recover over fifty hours of engineering time with the solution from having to do late night calls to troubleshoot a, Excel macro that stopped working, from crashing machines, because they were running a legacy systems to still support some of the DDE servers, into saving them, you know, almost two hundred plus hours of productivity. Another example, if we’re able to work with a renewable, energy customer that’s doing a lot of innovative things across North America, They had a very ambitious plan to double their footprint in the next two years. And with that, they had to really look back at their assets and see where they currently stand, how do we make new standards to support us growing into what we want to be. So with this, they had a lot of different data sources currently. They’re all kind of siloed at the specific areas. Nothing was really connected commonly to a corporate level area of historization, or control and security. So again, they they were able to use our top server and put out a standard connectivity platform, bring in the DataHub as an aggregation tool. So each of these sites would have a top server that was individually collecting data from different devices, and then that was able to send it into a single DataHub. So now their corporate level had an entire view of all the information from these different plants in one single application. That then enabled them to connect their historian applications to that data hub and have a perfect view and make visualizations off of their entire operations. What this allowed them to do was grow without replacing everything. And that’s a big thing that we try to strive on is replacing and ripping out all your existing technologies. It’s not something you can do overnight. But how do we provide value and gain efficiency with what’s in place and providing newer technologies on top of that without disrupting the actual operation as well? So this was really, really successful. And at the end, I just wanna kind of provide some other contacts and information people can learn more. We have a blog that goes out every week on Thursdays. A lot of good technical content out there. A lot of recast of the the awesome things we get to do here, the success stories as well, and you can always find that at justblog.softwaretoolbox.com. And again, our main website is justsoftwaretoolbox.com. You can get product information, downloads, reach out to anyone on our team. Let’s discuss what what issues you have going on, any new projects, we’ll be happy to listen. Shawn Tierney (Host): Well, Connor, I wanna thank you very much for coming on the show and bringing us up to speed on not only software toolbox, but also to, you know, bring us up to speed on top server and doing that demo with top server and data hub. Really appreciate that. And, I think, you know, like you just said, if anybody, has any projects that you think these solutions may be able to solve, please give them a give them a call. And if you’ve already done something with them, leave a comment. You know? To leave a comment, no matter where you’re watching or listening to this, let us know what you did. What did you use? Like me, I used OmniServer all those many years ago, and, of course, Top Server as an OPC server. But if you guys have already used Software Toolbox and, of course, Symbol Factory, I use that all the time. But if you guys are using it, let us know in the comments. It’s always great to hear from people out there. I know, you know, with thousands of you guys listening every week, but I’d love to hear, you know, are you using these products? Or if you have questions, I’ll funnel them over to Connor if you put them in the comments. So with that, Connor, did you have anything else you wanted to cover before we close out today’s show? Connor Mason (Guest): I think that was it, Shawn. Thanks again for having us on. It was really fun. Shawn Tierney (Host): I hope you enjoyed that episode, and I wanna thank Connor for taking time out of his busy schedule to come on the show and bring us up to speed on software toolbox and their suite of products. Really appreciated that demo at the end too, so we actually got a look at if you’re watching. Gotta look at their products and how they work. And, just really appreciate them taking all of my questions. I also appreciate the fact that Software Toolbox sponsored this episode, meaning we were able to release it to you without any ads. So I really appreciate them. If you’re doing any business with Software Toolbox, please thank them for sponsoring this episode. And with that, I just wanna wish you all good health and happiness. And until next time, my friends, peace. Until next time, Peace ✌️ If you enjoyed this content, please give it a Like, and consider Sharing a link to it as that is the best way for us to grow our audience, which in turn allows us to produce more content
I recently kicked off a solar power project at home to test the efficiency of two 100-watt, 18-volt bi-facial panels I picked up for $99 each during Prime week. The goal is to see how they perform in different areas of my property and learn how to optimize small-scale solar setups. I've added some essential tools to my kit—crimping tools, wire strippers, and connectors—and I'm running everything through a Bluetti AC180 inverter with a 500-watt MPPT controller. I chose to wire the panels in parallel to ensure that shading on one doesn't compromise the output of the other. To monitor
I recently kicked off a solar power project at home to test the efficiency of two 100-watt, 18-volt bi-facial panels I picked up for $99 each during Prime week. The goal is to see how they perform in different areas of my property and learn how to optimize small-scale solar setups. I've added some essential tools to my kit—crimping tools, wire strippers, and connectors—and I'm running everything through a Bluetti AC180 inverter with a 500-watt MPPT controller. I chose to wire the panels in parallel to ensure that shading on one doesn't compromise the output of the other. To monitor
I recently kicked off a solar power project at home to test the efficiency of two 100-watt, 18-volt bi-facial panels I picked up for $99 each during Prime week. The goal is to see how they perform in different areas of my property and learn how to optimize small-scale solar setups. I've added some essential tools to my kit—crimping tools, wire strippers, and connectors—and I'm running everything through a Bluetti AC180 inverter with a 500-watt MPPT controller. I chose to wire the panels in parallel to ensure that shading on one doesn't compromise the output of the other. To monitor
Ladyada's diving into solar charging tech with the bq25798 MPPT charger ☀️, exploring IR sensors, drone-friendly compasses, and prepping for another big release ... but take it easy, take it slow ...baby steps
Check out the new Buddipole PowerPro MPPT Solar Charge Controller in this YouTube video! Designed for ham radio and off-grid enthusiasts, this innovative DC power management system features a 150W MPPT solar charger, automatic DC/battery switching, and a vibrant LCD display for real-time monitoring. Perfect for portable solar setups, it supports Lead Acid and Lithium-ion batteries with user-friendly controls. Learn how the PowerPro maximizes solar efficiency for your adventures!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.
This week at the Desk of Ladyada, we're getting back into the swing of releasing one or two new products a week after dealing with some tariff-related chaos. Last week we launched the Sparkle Motion Stick and the SEN6x Adapter. Next week, look out for the OPT4048. For the OPT4048, we wanted to easily plot the CIE x & y to a color graph—which used to mean writing a lot of JavaScript (something I haven't done in 15 years). Thankfully, Claude helped generate code, and now it's up and running! Check it out. This week, we also designed breakouts for: ACS37800 30A Monitor, VEML6046, and a Stemma QT adapter for Raspberry Pi bq25798 Solar MPPT Charger. And for this week's The Great Search – 30 Amp Barrier Terminal Blocks
This week's EYE ON NPI is a follow up to one we did a few years ago on the similarly-named BQ25792 (https://blog.adafruit.com/2021/05/06/eye-on-npi-ti-bq25792-i2c-controlled-1-4-cell-5a-buck-boost-battery-charger-eyeonnpi-adafruit-digikey-adafruit-digikey-txinstruments/). The BQ25798 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vnr279pz) builds on the '92 by adding selectable dual inputs and true MPPT solar support. This chip is inexpensive, powerful and can handle almost any battery and power source matching you desire. Let's look at some specifications: High power density, high integration buck-boost charger for 1-4 cell batteries supporting USB PD 3.0 profile – Integrates four switching MOSFETs, BATFET – Integrates input and charging current sensing Highly efficient – 750-kHz or 1.5-MHz switching frequencies – 5-A charging current with 10-mA resolution 96.5% efficient: 16-V battery at 3A from 20V Supports a wide range of input sources Autonomously sampled open circuit voltage (VOC) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for charging from a photovoltaic panel – 3.6-V to 24-V wide input operating voltage range with 30-V absolute maximum rating – Detects USB BC1.2, HVDCP and non-standard adapters Dual-input power mux controller (optional) Narrow voltage DC (NVDC) power path Backup Mode with Ultra-fast switchover to adjustable voltage Powers USB port from battery (USB OTG) – 2.8-V to 22-V OTG output voltage with 10-mV resolution to support USB-PD PPS – OTG output current regulation up to 3.32 A with 40-mA resolution Flexible autonomous and I2C mode for optimal system performance Integrated 16-bit ADC for voltage, current, and temperature monitoring Like the '92, the BQ25798 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vnr279pz) supports any size battery. We have lots of battery packs in the Adafruit shop, and in particular we use 1S batteries – if there are more batteries, they are wired in series. But there's lot of folks who are building robotics that require higher voltages, so they have 2S, 3S, or 4S batteries. This charger can handle any of 'em, and you can configure the battery pack size using a simple resistor on the PROG port. In this case it also allows the chip to run in 'standalone' mode without the use of I2C to configure. The biggest improvement you get with the BQ25798 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vnr279pz) is true solar MPPT support. The BQ25792 had VINDPM and IINDPM – the ability to track the input voltage to make sure it is not drooping from overdraw. While this lets you get pretty-close-to-MPPT it isn't true power-point-tracking which requires perturbation around the voltage to adjust as light and temperature affect the solar panel's efficiency. The '98 does this 'right' and even has a K Factor adjustment register - you can tweak this to get the best results based on different weather/temperature (https://www.ti.com/video/6287049638001)- or stick to the default value for good results. Another new feature is 'selectable dual-inputs' what this means if you can set up two power inputs - say DC plug and Solar - and then have the chip switch between them. This is particularly useful because you can't just use two OR'ing diodes to select the power source: the solar panel might have a higher initial open-voltage but can't supply as much current as a DC plug. I2C lets you select which one is priority! The BQ25798 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vnr279pz) also has many of the cool features we liked in the BQ25792: On-The-Go mode where you can turn the buck-boost around and have it generate a variable voltage output, say 5V for powering other USB devices. Another thing that works is powering over USB where you can have the BQ negotiate 'high voltage' support from USB 3 ports. Note that this isn't USB Type C power negotiation, for that you'll want to get a separate USB Type C PD negotiation chip like the TPS25750D (https://www.tij.co.jp/jp/lit/ml/slpp103/slpp103.pdf)...we're hoping there's a future version with PD built in! There's also a built in 16-bit ADC that you can use to monitor various voltages and current draw. While you can charge the battery in 'standalone' mode - you really do need I2C to get the best performance and capabilities. Thankfully there's not a huge number of registers, and SDA/SCL can be 3 or 5V logic signals so you should be able to get it working on anything from an ATmega328 to a Raspberry Pi. We like the high integration: you really only need a few passives and an inductor to get a fantastic all-in-one charger for any lithium ion battery pack. If you're intrigued and would like more information, you've come to the right place! DigiKey has the BQ25798 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vnr279pz) in stock right now for immediate shipment. Order today and you can start designing your solar-powered products of the future by tomorrow afternoon.
In this week's episode of the podcast, I'm going to run you through the basics of solar power and it's uses for overlanding. I see people asking lots of questions in overlanding and camping groups and forums, so while I'm no electrician, I've been using solar for the last 4 or 5 years and I've learned a lot. I was in the same place as a lot of us 5 years ago where solar seemed really intimidating and scary, but once I got into it, it's really pretty straightforward and there are so many valuable uses that it's a powerful tool for your overlanding build. As I mention in the video, here are a couple of helpful links to related articles that may help if you're getting started in solar. Mono vs. Poly: Solar Cells Comparison: https://sunvivalguide.com/amorphous-vs-monocrystalline-vs-polycrystalline-solar-panel/ Solar calculator: https://mowgli-adventures.com/rv-solar-calculator/ And here are some of the solar products I've used over the years that I liked: The first 100W Renogy Solar panel with controller that I ran on my Xterra ($130 and includes panel, controller, and cords): https://amzn.to/42YED7p Odyssey AGM Starter battery (ran this in both my Xterra and again in my Frontier-if you're not in a Nissan truck, verify the battery size for your application): https://amzn.to/3SYXnyP I built a portable power bank on the cheap using this battery (100AH LifePo4): https://amzn.to/3T0a9gC And I put that battery in a pre-made battery box for tons of capacity for around $300 total: https://amzn.to/3Ifwpyj If you have a solar panel, but want a decent budget controller to allow you to hook it up to a battery, this one is great and it's $18: https://amzn.to/3P0oQzh Or, if you want a better MPPT controller, this one is under $70 and has bluetooth connectivity and a phone app: https://amzn.to/3TdyZuK Here's that Allpowers power bank and it comes with a 200 watt flexible panel (I'm going to mount mine to the top of my RTT for about $500 total including the power bank and the solar panel): https://amzn.to/49Tkfqi
The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains. Includes 2023 ranking of best ESG companies and best solar and renewable stocks. Transcript & Links, Episode 117, November 3, 2023 Hello, Ron Robins here. So, welcome to this podcast episode 117 titled “The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. And look at my newly revised website at investingforthesoul.com! Tell me what you think. Now, remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles for more company and stock information. Also, some companies might be covered more than once and there are also 3 article links below that time didn't allow me to review them here. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1) The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains I'm beginning with this article titled 13 Best ESG Stocks To Buy Now by Syed Ijaz seen on finance.yahoo.com. Here's some of what Mr. Ijaz has to say. “We selected 40 companies from the Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD). We then picked the largest companies in terms of capitalization and then ranked them based on Insider Monkey's database of 910 hedge funds tracked at the end of Q2 this year… 13. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 106 In 2022, JPMorgan Chase financed and facilitated about $197 billion in climate, community development and sustainable development projects and initiatives. 12. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) Hedge Fund Holders: 109 The company has developed and implemented ESG initiatives over the years… The company thoroughly focuses on its diversity, equity and inclusion activities. 11. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Hedge Fund Holders: 111 UnitedHealth Group is a part of the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the US Health Sector and expects to reach operational net-zero target by 2035. 10. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) Hedge Fund Holders: 114 In terms of ESG, the firm plans to halve its emissions by 2030. 9. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) Hedge Fund Holders: 122 In its fiscal 2023 ESG report, the California-based company said that it maintained net zero residual emissions and provided more than $82 million as grants and donations to partners and communities globally. 8. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Hedge Fund Holders: 135 By 2030, the technology giant expects to manufacture all products carbon neutral. 7. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Hedge Fund Holders: 139 It intends to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 and support its suppliers' decarbonizing strategies. 6. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Hedge Fund Holders: 152 Alphabet has planned to commit to net-zero emissions throughout all of its operations and value chain by 2030. 5. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) Hedge Fund Holders: 171 Starting in 2020, Visa achieved carbon neutrality throughout its operations and transitioned to 100% renewable electricity. 4. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) Hedge Fund Holders: 175 NVIDIA has set a target to achieve and maintain 100% renewable electricity across its operations and data centers by fiscal 2025. 3. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) Hedge Fund Holders: 225 In its 2023 sustainability report, Meta's Vice President of Data Center Strategy Rachel Peterson said that the firm is moving towards the goals of net zero emissions throughout the value chain and becoming water positive across its operations, anticipating to attain both of these benchmarks in 2030. 2. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Hedge Fund Holders: 278 The company intends to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and empower its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. 1. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Hedge Fund Holders: 300 By 2030, Satya Nadella-led Microsoft Corporation expects to be carbon negative and by 2050, it intends to eliminate its emissions.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2) The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains Next, we have this great ESG ranking. The article is titled IBD's 100 Best ESG Companies For 2023. It's by Adam Shell on investors.com. This is some of what Mr. Shell has to say. “Topping the list this year is Microsoft (MSFT). Applied Materials (AMAT) took second place. In third place is Woodward (WWD). Best ESG Companies Methodology To build the 2023 100 Best ESG Companies list, we started with each company's ESG sustainability score created by Dow Jones Newswires, an IBD affiliate. These scores capture a broad spectrum of information on the ESG profile of more than 6,000 global companies. On Aug. 24, IBD asked Dow Jones for an ESG-scored list of all the U.S.-traded companies it tracks, a total of 2,067. We then cut the list to 1,559 companies on Aug. 25 by removing nonpublic companies and companies with stock prices below $10 a share. We also removed any companies that lacked sufficient data to create an IBD Composite Rating. We further qualified the list by removing those companies that did not meet or beat the S&P 500 in the past five years. [From which] We selected the 100 with the highest IBD Composite Rating — all with scores of 81 or better.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3) The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains Now we have another similarly titled to the first article above. This article is titled 13 Best Solar Energy Stocks To Invest In Heading Into 2024. It's by Ramish Cheema and found at finance.yahoo.com. Here are some of the points Mr. Cheema made. “To compile our list of the best solar energy stocks to invest in, we used the top 20 stock picks of the Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE:TAN) that are traded on American stock exchanges and ranked them by the number of hedge funds that had bought the shares as of June 2023 using data from Insider Monkey's database of 910 hedge funds. 13. SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 17 SunPower is an American solar company that sells household solar power devices in the U.S. and in Canada. 12. Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc (NASDAQ:AY) Hedge Fund Investors: 18 Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure is a global British energy company with a renewable energy division. 11. Altus Power, Inc. (NYSE:AMPS) Hedge Fund Investors: 19 Altus Power is a small utility company that operates solar power generation systems used by both private and industrial users. 10. Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) Hedge Fund Investors: 19 Sunnova Energy International is an American company with more than a thousand megawatts of solar power generation capacity in its portfolio. 9. Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MAXN) Hedge Fund Investors: 20 Maxeon Solar Technologies is a Singaporean pure play solar power hardware firm that makes and sells solar panels. 8. Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE:DQ) Hedge Fund Investors: 22 Daqo New Energy is a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer that provides products to solar panel manufacturers. 7. Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHLS) Hedge Fund Investors: 24 Shoals Technologies is a solar hardware company that sells products used to charge batteries and monitor solar power generation systems. 6. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) Hedge Fund Investors: 24 Sunrun. is a solar power hardware firm that sells solar panels and energy storage systems. 5. Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) Hedge Fund Investors: 29 The firm generates thousands of megawatts of electricity through renewable power plants which include solar facilities 4. Array Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARRY) Hedge Fund Investors: 32 Array Technologies sells hardware products that enable solar panels to track the Sun's movements. 3. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) Hedge Fund Investors: 43 SolarEdge Technologies is a backend solar power firm that sells inverters and other associated products. 2. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) Hedge Fund Investors: 50 Enphase Energy is one of the largest solar companies in the U.S. It provides micro inverters, batteries, and other solar power products. 1. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hedge Fund Investors: 51 First Solar sells solar panels to industrial and other large scale users.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 4) The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains Continuing on the energy theme is this next article titled 3 Alternative Energy Stocks to Buy Amid Rising Wind Turbine Cost. It's by Aparajita Dutta and on Nasdaq.com. Here's some of what Ms. Dutta has to say about her picks. “1. Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG) Based in Baltimore, MD, the company is the nation's largest producer of carbon-free energy and provides sustainable solutions to homes, businesses and public-sector customers… It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). 2. Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) Based in Fort Worth, TX, the company is an independent oil and natural gas company that acquires, explores, develops, exploits and produces crude oil and natural gas properties… It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. 3. Enlight Renewable Energy (ENLT) Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company provides a renewable energy platform that develops, finances, constructs, owns and operates utility-sale renewable energy projects… It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 5) The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains Yes, yet another listing of 13 stocks. This one is titled 13 Best Alternative Energy Stocks To Buy Now. It's by Faiq Zafar and found on finance.yahoo.com. Her's part of what Mr. Zafar Has to say. “To compile our list of the 13 best alternative energy stocks to buy now, we first made a list of the 30 largest alternative energy companies in the world in terms of their market capitalization… The stocks have been ranked based on the number of hedge funds which hold stakes in them. 13. Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (NYSE:BEP) Hedge Fund Holdings: 13 As of 2022, Brookfield Renewable Partners owns more than 200 hydroelectric plants, 150 wind farms, more than 600 solar facilities, and four storage facilities across the world. 12. Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) Hedge Fund Holdings: 19 Sunnova Energy International is an American solar energy company which was founded in 2012. 11. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) Hedge Fund Holdings: 20 Plug Power is an American company which focuses on the production of hydrogen fuel cell systems which are geared to replace conventional batteries in electrical equipment and vehicles. 10. Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE:DQ) Hedge Fund Holdings: 22 Daqo New Energy is a Chinese alternative energy company which focuses on the manufacture of monocrystalline silicon and polysilicon, which is an essential in the production of solar photovoltaic cells. 9. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) Hedge Fund Holdings: 24 Sunrun is an American company which manufactures photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage products, specifically for residential consumers. 8. Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. (NYSE:AQN) Hedge Fund Holdings: 29 Algonquin Power and Utilities is a Canadian clean energy and regulated utility conglomerate with multiple assets across the North American continent. 7. SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) Hedge Fund Holdings: 43 SolarEdge Technologies is an Israeli company… the company was one of the first clean energy companies in the world to successfully commercialize power optimizers, small devices placed behind each solar panel to allow for module-level MPPT and panel-level monitoring. 6. Constellation Energy Corp (NASDAQ:CEG) Hedge Fund Holdings: 46 Constellation Energy. is an American energy company which focuses on the production of electric power, natural gas, and energy management services. 5. Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) Hedge Fund Holdings: 50 Enphase Energy is an American energy technology company which produces and manufactures solar micro-inverters, battery energy storage, and EV charging stations. 4. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hedge Fund Holdings: 51 First Solar is an American energy company which focuses on the manufacture of solar panels, and provides utility-scale PV power plants. 3. NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE:NEE) Hedge Fund Holdings: 59 NextEra Energy is an American energy company. It is the largest electric utilities holding company in the world by overall market capitalization. As of 2022, more than 60% of NextEra's generating capacity was from clean energy sources. 2. General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) Hedge Fund Holdings: 71 GE is an American multinational conglomerate which is spread across multiple divisions. 1. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Hedge Fund Holdings: 79 Tesla is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company which manufactures electric vehicles, stationary battery storage devices from home to grid-scale, solar panels, and other related products.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Other Honorable Mentions – not in any order. 1) Title: White House Investment Bodes Well for This Clean Energy ETF on etftrends.com. By Ben Hernandez. 2) Title: Union Pacific a Top Socially Responsible Dividend Stock With 2.5% Yield (UNP) seen on nasdaq.com. By BNK Invest. 3) Title: Top 10: Renewable Energy Companies in the USA on Energy Magazine energydigital.com. By Charlie King. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast titled: “The Best ESG Stocks for Potential Gains.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these very troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. And, again, please look at my new totally revised website at investingforthesoul.com. Tell me what you think! Talk to you next on November 17th! Bye for now. © 2023 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul
(Note: next podcast September 8th!) This podcast: Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus… includes these articles: “7 Hydrogen Stocks You Better Be Buying on Each and every Dip”; “3 Alternative Energy Stocks With Multibagger Potential”; “Benefits of Sustainable Investing: 3 Companies Leading The Way”; and “15 Biggest Green Tech Companies in the World.” Transcript & Links, Episode 112, August 11, 2023 Hello, Ron Robins here. Now before I begin, I want to mention that I'm taking a one-episode break so my next podcast after this one will be September 8th. So, welcome to this podcast episode 112 titled “Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus…” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. And look at my newly totally revised website at investingforthesoul.com! Tell me what you think. Now, remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles for more company and stock information. Also, some companies might be covered more than once and there are also 4 article links below that time didn't allow me to review them here. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus… Today, I'm starting with the article 7 Hydrogen Stocks You Better Be Buying on Each and Every Dip, by Ian Cooper, on investorplace.com. Here's some of what Mr. Cooper says about his picks. “1) Global X Hydrogen ETF (NASDAQ:HYDR) It's up to $10 a share and could test $12 a share, all because of the growing demand for hydrogen… as I noted on July 17, with an expense ratio of 0.50%, this one invests in companies involved in all aspects of hydrogen production, distribution and use. 2) ALPS Clean Energy ETF (NYSEARCA:ACES). With an expense ratio of 0.55%, the ETF offers diversification and exposure to companies involved with renewables and clean technology… While it's finding resistance above $50, eventually I'd like to see it test $60 a share again soon. 3) Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF (NYSEARCA:HDRO). With an expense ratio of 0.30%, the ETF invests in companies that generate at least 50% of their revenue from involvement with hydrogen-based energy sources, fuel cell technologies and industrial gases. While it's been volatile, it has a strong history of bouncing back from excessively oversold conditions. 4) Air Products & Chemicals (NYSE:APD) Owns more than 100 hydrogen plants around the world and is involved in more than 250 projects. Air Products & Chemicals [has] a yield of 2.32%. The company is also working on a $7 billion hydrogen joint venture in Saudi Arabia. 5) Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) Is another one of the hot ‘must own' hydrogen stocks… Analysts at RBC Capital are also bullish… the firm just initiated coverage with an outperform rating with a price target of $24 a share. 6) Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) Has traded essentially flat this year, but it's still a solid long-term bet on hydrogen… Northland Securities analysts just upgraded the stock to ‘outperform' from ‘market perform' with a price target of $22 a share. 7) Fusion Fuel Green (NASDAQ:HTOO) Is still a pre-revenue company, but it has some impressive contracts. For one, it signed a 10-year offtake contract with European developer Hydrogen Ventures for 30 tons of green hydrogen per year.'' End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus… Now continuing with the alternative energy theme is this piece titled 3 Alternative Energy Stocks With Multibagger Potential. It's by Faisal Humayun and found on investorplace.com. Mr. Humayun includes these points about his picks. “1) Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) PLUG stock has trended lower in the last 12 months and it's a golden opportunity for long-term investors to accumulate. With the company providing end-to-end solutions in the hydrogen economy, the growth visibility is robust… With significant expansion plans, revenue is likely to increase to $5 billion in 2026 and further to $20 billion by 2030… I believe that PLUG stock is poised for multi-bagger returns. 2) First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) stock has surged by 135% in the last 12 months. However, considering the growth momentum, First Solar stock remains undervalued at a forward price-earnings ratio of 27.1. 3) Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH) stock has been trending lower and I see this downside as a good accumulation opportunity. At a forward price-earnings ratio of 30.5, the growth stock looks attractive with an investment horizon of five years… Enphase identifies itself as the world's leading supplier of microinverter-based solar-plus-storage systems.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Leading Sustainable Agricultural Related Stocks Many investors wonder what sustainable agricultural-related stocks there might be. Well, this article is for you. It's titled Benefits of Sustainable Investing: 3 Companies Leading The Way by Shoshana Weizenblut on finextra.com. Now a few comments by Ms. Weizenblut on her picks. “1) AGCO: Advancing Agricultural Sustainability AGCO integrates sustainability into its core business strategy, emphasizing innovation and technology to make agriculture more efficient, productive, and environmentally friendly. For instance, AGCO's Fendt Vario tractors leverage fuel-efficient designs and advanced technology to reduce environmental impact. The company's Precision Planting solutions help farmers optimize planting and yield, thereby minimizing waste and enhancing food security. 2) ICL Group: Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition ICL Group, a leading global specialty minerals company, and one of the largest fertilizer manufacturers in the world, offers another attractive opportunity for sustainable investment. ICL's operations center around producing a sustainable food supply, focusing on soil health, plant nutrition, and food quality. ICL's innovative fertilizers are designed to increase crop yields while decreasing the environmental footprint. They are advancing Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRFs) and Water-Soluble Fertilizers (WSFs), which help maximize nutrient uptake and reduce nutrient leaching, thus protecting water sources. Furthermore, ICL's commitment to recycling industrial by-products into useful resources, such as phosphate, magnesium, and bromine among others, illustrates their dedication to a circular economy and resource efficiency. 3) John Deere (really Deere & Co): Pioneering Precision Agriculture John Deere, a familiar name in agricultural machinery, has been pushing boundaries to make farming sustainable and efficient. The company's focus on innovations to improve machinery efficiency and promote agriculture makes it a promising prospect for sustainable investors. John Deere's smart farming technologies, such as precision ag technology, allow farmers to utilize resources more effectively. This technology involves the use of GPS and data analytics to optimize crop planting, irrigation, and harvesting, reducing waste and environmental impact. Furthermore, John Deere's advancements in electric and autonomous farming machinery reflect their commitment to reducing emissions and promoting sustainability.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Biggest Green Tech Companies in the World And now for your interest and which you might want to investigate are the 15 Biggest Green Tech Companies in the World. It's by Afifa Mushtaque and found on finance.yahoo.com. Here's some of what Ms. Mushtaque says about these companies. “To list the biggest green tech companies in the world, we targeted pure play companies in green technologies and made a list of 20 such companies. Out of those, the 15 companies with highest annual revenue in 2022 were selected and have been ranked in ascending order of high revenue… 15. Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE:ORA) Annual Revenue: $734.16M Ormat Technologies, Inc… specializes in providing alternative and renewable geothermal energy technology. With over 190 power plants constructed and 3,200 MW installed, it owns and operates 933 MW of geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants as of January 2021. 14. Bloom Energy Corp (NYSE:BE) Annual Revenue: $1.20B Bloom Energy Corp… is known for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells that generate on-site electricity… Benefiting from government incentives for green energy, the company has installed approximately 600 megawatts worth of fuel cells as of 2020. 13. TPI Composites Inc. (NYSE:TPIC) Annual Revenue: $1.52B TPI Composites Inc. is the largest U.S-based independent manufacturer of composite wind blades, serving global wind turbine manufacturers. 12. EDP Renováveis (EDPR) Annual Revenue: $2.21B EDP Renováveis is a renewable energy company based in Madrid, Spain. It was established in 2007 as part of Energias de Portugal (EDP Group) and operates wind and solar power plants in 13 international markets. EDPR is the world's fourth-largest wind energy generator. 11. Sunrun, Inc (NASDAQ:RUN) Annual Revenue: $2.32B Sunrun Inc. … is an American provider of residential photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage products. 10. Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:ENPH) Annual Revenue: $2.33B Enphase Energy… [produces] solar micro-inverters, battery storage, and EV charging stations for residential customers worldwide, shipping over 63 million microinverters to over 145 countries. 9. First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) Annual Revenue: $2.62B First Solar, is an American solar panel manufacturer and utility-scale PV power plant provider. They use rigid thin-film modules with cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor. 8. SolarEdge Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:SEDG) Annual Revenue: $3.11B SolarEdge Technologies Inc. … is the pioneer of utilizing DC optimized inverter systems and commercialized Power Optimizers. These devices enable module-level maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for solar photovoltaic systems to improve energy production compared to traditional central inverters. 7. Daqo New Energy Corp (NYSE:DQ) Annual Revenue: $4.61B Daqo New Energy Corp. is a Chinese company that manufactures monocrystalline and polysilicon used in solar photovoltaic systems. They operate a manufacturing facility in Shihezi, in the Xinjiang Province of China… Daqo New Energy Corp is one of the most economical producers of high-purity polysilicon for the solar PV industry. 6. Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS.CO) Annual Revenue: $14.49B Vestas Wind Systems AS is a global leader in sustainable energy solutions that specializes in designing, manufacturing, installing, and servicing wind turbines worldwide. With over 166 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, they have the largest wind power installation globally. 5. Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited (0968.HK) Annual Revenue: $17.69B Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited… is the world's largest solar cover glass producer with a 30% market share. It is headquartered in Dongguan and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since December 2013. 4. NextEra Energy, Inc (NYSE:NEE) Annual Revenue: $20.98B NextEra Energy, Inc is the world's largest utility company with a market capitalization over $100 billion, based in America. They lead the industry by generating more wind and solar energy than any other company globally. 3. NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) Annual Revenue: $31.54B NRG Energy, Inc. … is a Texas-based American energy company… NRG is engaged in energy generation and retail electricity and offers a diverse portfolio including natural gas, coal, oil, nuclear, wind, utility-scale, and distributed solar generation. 2. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Annual Revenue: $81.46B Tesla, Inc. … designs and manufactures electric vehicles, stationary battery energy storage systems, solar panels, and related products and services. As of 2023, it is the world's most valuable automaker that leads the battery electric vehicle market with an 18% share in 2022. 1. JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd (NYSE:JKS) Annual Revenue: $83.53B JinkoSolar Holding Co … is a Shanghai-based solar panel manufacturer… It went public on the NYSE in 2010. As a member of the Silicon Module Super League, JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd distributes solar products to utility, commercial, and residential customers in multiple countries.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Other Honorable Mentions – not in any order. 1) Title: 3 Clean Energy Stocks Set to Beat Q2 Earnings Estimates on nasdaq.com. By Aparajita Dutta. 2) Title: 5 Best Energy ETFs: Top Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Funds on insidermonkey.com. By Hamna Asim. 3) Title: Better High-Yield High-Growth Renewable Energy Buy: Hannon Armstrong Or NextEra? (HASI) on seekingalpha.com. By Samuel Smith. 4) Title: The Ultimate Guide to Vegi ETF: Investing in Vegetarian and Vegan-Related Companies on nnn.ng. By NNN. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast titled: “Best Hydrogen ETFs And Stocks. Plus…” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these very troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Now, as I said earlier, I'm taking a one-episode break so I'll talk to you next on September 8th. And, again, please look at my new totally revised website at investingforthesoul.com! Tell me what you think! Bye for now. © 2023 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul
The T400 battery box from Impulse Electronics is a great addition to my collection of battery boxes because it is small and compact, but also carries a 20AH battery from Bioenno. It also includes an MPPT solar charge controller! Let's take a look...SPONSOR: https://www.pcbway.com - create your own ideas! Link - https://www.impulseelectronics.com/dc12-mity-t400-go-box-for-lifepo4-battery-charger-150-w-solar-controller/ 20AH Bioenno Battery - https://amzn.to/3pc15dU (affiliate link)
This week's EYE ON NPI is enjoying the beautiful weather with you, whether sitting in the sun or lounging in the shade - all's good because we've got Nexperia's NEH2000BY Energy Harvesting Power Management IC with embedded solar MPPT capability! (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/n/nexperia/neh2000by-energy-harvesting-power-management-ic) This tiny, low-cost chip is a one-stop solution for extending the life of your product by making it powered by small solar cells. This chip is perfect for wearables or miniature sensor nodes, maybe with a LoRa radio, WiFi or Bluetooth Low Energy where space and pricing is important. For example, an asset tracker, traffic monitor, activity watch, or agricultural sensor network: stuff that is outside anyways so it'll be designed for outdoor use and have lots of sun exposure. We've covered other MPPT tracking solar harvesting chips (https://blog.adafruit.com/2021/04/23/eye-on-npi-max20361-tiny-single-multi-cell-solar-harvester-maximintegrated/), and the NEH2000BY has some advantages in size, cost and simplicity. Either use it to increase the time between charges, or use it to have your product be fully encased with no need for charging at all, thanks to the power of the SUN (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/galleries/?page=0&per_page=25&order=created_at+desc&search=&href_query_params=category%3Dsolar-system_sun&button_class=big_more_button&tags=sun&condition_1=1%3Ais_in_resource_list&category=51) The Nexperia NEH2000BY energy harvester (https://www.digikey.com/short/hpnfttw3) is designed specifically for use with solar cells because cells collapse under high current draw - which is what batteries want when they are charging up so that they can be ready to go ASAP! When drawing current from a solar cell, at the very beginning the voltage is very high, then is slowly drops down as more is drawn until the input voltage collapses completely. So you have to be very careful when drawing current - too little and you lose out on efficiency, too much and your power goes away completely. There's a 'sweet spot' right in the middle, where you can get the most power output, which is called the Max Power Point. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_power_point_tracking) And this point varies with how much sunlight you get - so it isn't something you can pre-program in with a comparator or anything. Instead, the energy harvester has to wiggle the power draw forward and back to find the maximum point. For large-scale solar installations, you'd have a microcontroller do the math for you, and adjust throughout the day - it isn't hard to do MPPT it just takes measurement and computation. But in small and low-current situations, you can't spend all your power budget on a microcontroller to manage your battery charger. First up, almost no extra components are needed: just a stabilization capacitor plus a capacitor for the switched-cap boosting doubler. Note that there's no inductor because it seems to use a switched-cap boosting method for approximately 2x voltage output - so you will need to spec a panel that, when the MPPT voltage is approximately doubled, you'll have about 0.3V above the battery voltage. There's some math in the datasheet to work this out but basically in the end, use a panel with an open-circuit voltage - Voc - that is about 0.7 times the battery voltage. So, e.g. if you're using a Lipoly (https://www.digikey.com/short/h02tmj1q), with a VBat of 4.2V, use a 3V solar panel - which is very common and inexpensive. For NiMH cells, add up the total series voltage before multiplying by 0.7 for the Voc desired. To keep your battery from over-charging, either use a separate battery charger chip that will do the constant-current to voltage-limited charging, or use a low cost over-voltage protection (OVP) chip as recommended in the datasheet. If you'd like to integrate the Nexperia NEH2000BY Energy Harvesting Power Management IC (https://www.digikey.com/short/hpnfttw3) into your next solar-powered product, thank your lucky stars because DigiKey has the NEH2000BY in stock right now at a great price for immediate shipment. With the long summer days ahead, you can order today and be max-power-point'ing before the sun sets tomorrow.
Missouri Wind and Solar recently introduced its new MPPT wind turbine charge controller, the Smart Boost. This innovative product is designed to increase the charging efficiency of wind turbines and prolong the life of the battery bank by ensuring a consistent and stable charge flow. In their podcast, Missouri Wind and Solar discussed the Smart Boost in detail, highlighting its key features and benefits. They explained that the Smart Boost is an intelligent charge controller that uses Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology to optimize the energy output of wind turbines. The device is equipped with a technology that continuously monitors and adjusts the charging process to ensure that the battery bank receives the maximum amount of energy possible. Another important feature of the Smart Boost is its ability to protect the battery bank from overcharging, which can lead to damage and reduce the lifespan of the batteries. The charge controller automatically adjusts the charging voltage and current based on the state of charge of the batteries, ensuring that they are always charged to the appropriate level. Missouri Wind and Solar also emphasized that the Smart Boost is easy to install and use, with a user-friendly interface that allows users to monitor the charging process and adjust the settings as needed. The device is compatible with a wide range of wind turbines and battery banks, making it a versatile and cost-effective solution for off-grid and remote power systems. Overall, the Smart Boost is an innovative and reliable MPPT wind turbine charge controller that offers numerous benefits to users. With its advanced features and user-friendly design, it is sure to be a popular choice among renewable energy enthusiasts and off-grid homeowners.
This podcast with Wes and David delves into the topic of wind turbines and the misconception that amperage is the only indicator of performance. They discuss the importance of the MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller in regulating the performance of the turbine. The MPPT controller is responsible for analyzing the incoming voltage from the wind turbine and the state of the battery to determine what the amperage should be. This is important because simply increasing the amperage without considering the voltage and battery state can actually decrease the performance of the turbine. Wes and David also discuss the benefits of using MPPT controllers, including the ability to maximize the power output of the turbine and extend the life of the battery. They provide valuable insights on how to properly set up and maintain a wind turbine system for optimal performance. Overall, the podcast is an informative and insightful discussion on the importance of understanding the role of the MPPT controller in wind turbine systems and how it can affect performance.
DNS Failover, Off Grid System and buying chinese inverters, Payhere data breach, MPPT vs PWM, Improving laptop battery life, and more... Download MP3 or Torrent
This week's EYE ON NPI is so flexible, it's thinking of joining the Rockettes (https://www.rockettes.com/christmas/)! It's TDK's BCS Series Low Illumination Film Solar Cells that are designed for direct integration of products, particularly wearables or credit card size and thickness electronic components. This amorphous panel comes with 6 cells, each about 0.4V open-circuit, for a total of about 2.6V output and 30mA. The nifty part about this panel is just how incredibly thin it is - only 0.2mm which means it can be bonded onto almost any surface or device. And unlike most panels that are made of monocrystalline cells, it is ultra flexible and will not crack or break. TDK's BCS series are thin, lightweight, and flexible solar cells offering high power generation efficiency under fluorescent and LED light sources. The cells are made of amorphous silicon film substrate, and designs can be customized according to various shapes and applications. Because BCS series solar cells offer output stability in low and dim light, they are suitable for use in products used indoors. Additional benefits of solar cells include cost reduction in electrical wiring and battery replacement. When used in combination with a primary battery, solar cells can extend battery life and usage time of rechargeable devices. BCS series solar cells can be used in applications such as watches, wearables, beacons, wireless sensor nodes and other IoT power supply applications, smart cards and locks, and more. Compared to many other ultra-low power source harvesting techniques (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_harvesting) like vibration/piezoelectric or heat, solar is very efficient, very small and very easy to use. Amorphous cells are a great option for folks who want to have indoor-powered electronics without hassle. Simply connect the two terminals to you circuitry plus and minus: when there's ambient light, you'll get voltage output. These panels may look familiar if you've ever had a solar-powered calculator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_calculator) - often times you'd have to hold these up to a lamp to get them 'kick-started'. Those pocket calculators with LCDs are a great example of ultra-low current draw electronics that could run off of a tiny cell, we're talking under a milliamp here. That's something to keep in mind when integrating panels, they produce about 1/10th of the power folks think they do! The biggest challenge that folks have with implementing solar panels is that they don't really act like a true voltage source or current source: they're somewhere in the middle, like a negative diode. With solar panels, the voltage and current vary constantly depending on sunlight available. They are unstable! That instability confuses electronics battery chargers, which causes them to do one of two things: rapidly turn on and off as they try to draw more current from the panel than possible and/or draw much less current than they can, to keep the voltage from collapsing. So you've got a few choices for implementing this panel: 1) have electronics that is OK with a widely varying input voltage: about 2V to 5V max, and will brownout safely when light disappears all of a sudden. Then, make sure it uses less than a few mA of current so that it doesn't collapse the IV curve by drawing too much power 2) use a super capacitor or rechargeable battery of some sort, that is trickle charged by the panel. once the voltage on the cap gets to a certain amount, the circuitry can use that to perform whatever calculators or data transfer required. 3) use a smart energy-harvesting chip like the LTC3588 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/analog-devices-inc/LTC3588EMSE-1-TRPBF/2216345) to manage the load on the panel and either charge a battery or directly power electronics with a cleaner supply than directly powered from the solar cell. Sometimes these chips can even operate as a MPPT charger (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_power_point_tracking) to get the very max power possible. If you're interested in adding a super-flexible and ultra-thin green power supply to your next design, check out the BCS4430B6 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vwm3z35j) and friends. The TDK BCS Series Low Illumination Film Solar Cells (https://www.digikey.com/short/vwm3z35j) are in stock right now at Digi-Key for immediate shipping! Order now and you will be relaxing in the sun by tomorrow afternoon. See these at Digi-Key at https://www.digikey.com/short/vwm3z35j
10 bits of GOOD NEWS for Vanlife! A visit to the New England Aquarium, a review of a nice ladder, an encounter with The Lady in Black, and a serious iOverlander Problem This episode has NEW MUSIC. If you'd like to hear what Simon Wagg made for Season 2, listen past the credits for the full suite! A tank at The New England Aquarium FIND US: We're on Facebook (Built to Go Group), Instagram (@collegeofcuriosity), Twitter (@colofcuriosity), and we have a Discord server (invite at top of main page at builttogo.com.) Good News! Rubber Tramp Rendezvous is ON! https://homesonwheelsalliance.org/2022rtrs/ Inexpensive Solar Panels https://amzn.to/3rt3hMv Vanlife Free Store https://www.facebook.com/groups/421501126143101 Product Review - VanTech Ladder Inexpensive, strong, and fairly easy to install. Make sure to select right one for your van. https://www.carid.com/vantech/angled-rear-access-ladder.html Tech Talk - Redarc 25 amp DC Battery Charger If you want a combo MPPT and DC to DC (Battery to Battery) charger, this one should work. https://amzn.to/3xJkkv2 A Place to Visit - New England Aquarium Old, but very well run with a focus on animal comfort and ecology. http://neaq.org Some links are affiliate links. If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.
In this podcast we talk about the new UL standard for PV, which replaces UL 1703 for PV with UL 61730, which took place in December of 2020. You can still use UL 1703, just if you come out with a new module design, it needs to comply with UL 61730, which makes things easier, since it is the same test around the world, instead of having a different test for the US and Europe for instance. We also talk about the new UL 3741 PV Hazard Control Standard, aka the Rapid Shutdown standard, which is another way of complying with 690.12 in the 2020 NEC, so you can perhaps have up to 3 modules in series after shutdown now. Mid Circuit Interrupters (MCI) on every third module maybe all you need for rapid shutdown as long as it is a UL 3741 listed solution. This is big news and a new way to deal with rapid shutdown. An MCI is likely to be a switch that does not do maximum power point tracking (MPPT), or you can have a dc-to-dc converter (optimizer) that does MPPT on a group of 3 PV modules. To learn more about energy storage, solar, the building codes, the NEC and everything else, go to www.solarsean.com
We're going to wrap up this series with Wes and David talking about the charge controllers. The review the key types, the MPPT, PWM, and the bulk controller and what they do.
Mixing Solar PanelsAre you killing the output of your solar array? In this week's podcast, Wes and David discuss the problems you might face when mixing different solar panels into one system. It's not uncommon for homeowners to add solar panels to their current solar panel array as budget allows. Be sure to listen to our podcast to find out how you can still get maximum production with mismatched solar panels.So, what's the big deal? Isn't it just a simple addition?Not exactly. Your solar array is only as strong as the weakest panel. That's right, connecting a panel with a lower output to the array drags the power output down.Here are some tips to make it easy to understandConnecting different solar panels in a single array is not recommended: You may reduce the voltage or current which leads to lower wattage output.If you can't pass up a bargain, try to buy solar panels with similar voltage and current.Charge Controllers:Connect each "sub-array" to its own charge controller, or find a charge controller with multiple input feeds. Then combine the arrays by connecting them to the same battery bank.Connecting mixed panels to an MPPT charge controller may confuse the controller and make it impossible to determine the ideal operating voltage and current. Instead, you'd do better to save by purchasing multiple PWM controllers.Grid Tie Systems:The best practice is to wire each array to its own grid tie inverter, wired into a breaker in your fuse panel.Wiring in Series:If your solar panels are the same current: Wire them in series.When wiring in series (increases voltage): all panels will produce the same current of the lowest panel.Two 8.5 Amp panels wired with an 8 amp panel will produce 8 Amps.Wiring in Parallel:If your solar panels are matching voltage: Connect them in parallel.When wiring in parallel (increases current): all panels will operate at the lowest voltage rating.Two 40 VOC panels wired with a 30 VOC panel will produce 30 VOC.Need help with solar panel wiring? Watch our Solar Panels for the Beginner Video.
Despite Wes being under the weather, he and David talk about the charge controller and how important it is in both your wind and solar applications. They discuss what function it performs and many of the popular controllers on the market.There are so many options and features, like solid state versus mechanical relays, MPPT or PWM, divert or disconnect, and so on. It can be confusing. This week's podcast breaks it down to let you know what controller is right for your application.Listen to find out why your wind turbine NEEDS a dump load and what happens to your MidNite Classic if your wind turbine produces high voltage.Recommended Links:Video: Choosing the Right Solar Charge ControllerCharge Controllers We Carry:Hybrid Charge ControllersSolar Charge ControllersAll-In-One Pre-Wired Charge Controller BoardsMidNite Classic MPPT Charge Controllers & Voltage Reducing Device (VRD)Originally aired 12/20/2017
Foundations of Amateur Radio The transceiver you use to get on air and make noise needs power to operate. The traditional voltage for our amateur equipment is 13.8 Volts. Why not 12 Volts you ask. The short answer is chemistry, but let's move on, there is lots to cover. Generally that 13.8 Volt is specified with a +/- symbol and some percentage. For my radio it's 15%, which means that if I plug it into power that's somewhere between 11.7 Volt and 15.9 Volt, I'm good to go. Then when you look a little closer at the specification you'll see that my radio draws 22 Amp. That's a whole chunk of juice that needs to come from a power supply. Of course that means that you'll also need to deal with 22 Amp fuses, wire capable of dealing with 13.8 Volt at 22 Amp, and connectors that won't melt when you do that. If you look closer again, you might notice that 22 Amp is when you're using the radio at maximum power, that is, 100% duty cycle and 100% power, and only during transmit, in the case of my radio, 100 Watts for HF. So, if I'm using a digital mode, AM or FM, at 100 Watts on HF, my radio says it will draw 22 Amp at 13.8 Volts. Those numbers aren't correct of you're using CW or SSB. A rough number to work with for CW is 40%, that means if you're doing CW for a minute, that's the equivalent of key down at a 100% for 40 seconds and key up at 0% for 60 seconds. SSB is roughly 4 times as efficient as AM, about 25% duty cycle, but realistically it's more like 20%, since your power consumption depends on how much you're yelling into the microphone. If you take long breaths, 0% power, whistle into the microphone, 100% of SSB, or 25% of overall power. Now all this gets even more interesting if you consider that you're not just transmitting all the time. If you're only transmitting half the time, you need to take your power consumption down another 50%, so SSB might be 10%, CW only 20% and the digital modes 50%, from the perspective of the power supply. So you want to go portable and need batteries. Batteries don't come in 13.8 Volt versions. So 12 Volts. Get the number of amp hour and you're good to go right? Nope. Your battery doesn't just run at 12 Volts and then all of a sudden stop, it runs down, you've seen it in a torch or a Walkman when the tape got slower and slower. A 26 Ah battery should give you 26 Amp for an hour at 12 Volts, but if you actually do that, you'll need to buy a new battery, because you'll have destroyed the one you just exhausted. All of this then starts a conversation about chargers, which incidentally might put out 14.4 Volts. You might turn to solar panels, which at peak power operate at something like 18 Volts, then you stumble into the world of PWM vs MPPT solar converters or charges. Then there's the joys of over and under current, battery discharge rates, continuous versus intermittent charging, different battery types, battery safety, storage, weight, out-gassing and more fun than you'll want to know about on your morning commute. And I haven't even talked about battery isolation, HF interference from chargers and inverters, the differences between powering your radio straight from a battery or via a DC to DC converter, using 240 Volts, or if you're in the USA 120 Volts in the field, generators, compatibility with others and how much all this might cost and if you need to invest in lotto tickets to pay for this experience. One tool I stumbled across in my travels is the Four State QRP Group website which has the W1PNS / WA0ITP / AB8XA Battery Life Estimator, which in a single web page gives you the ability to say what mode you'll be using, for how long with what battery size and how much radio draw and it'll tell you how much more battery you'll need to get the job done. Very handy for a contest that you're hoping to operate portable from a battery. This all to say that power is a very deep rabbit hole and it will take you some time to figure out where your use pattern puts your requirements and budget. Here be dragons. I'm Onno VK6FLAB
MPPT VS PWN Solar Charge Controllers ? Which One Should You Use Easy Magnet Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Buy Here https://amzn.to/2MOEegD Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Hawaiibiz If you like my content or find it helpful Support my YouTube Channel or my Podcast links below. Personal 1 on 1 Help Link Here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YWKN7RYFQCRE4 Support My Podcast Here https://anchor.fm/FreeYourMind Help Grow This Channel Donation here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=M4HQHFJXVHBYY&source=url FaceBook Link https://www.facebook.com/modern.diy.14 Twitter Link https://twitter.com/ModernOffGrid Biogas Handbook Buy Here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=LABB83ZNB8YNC Wind Turbines link Here http://windturbineusa.com/ Cutting Edge Power https://cuttingedgepower.com/ Listen to Podcast links below https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/modern-off-grid-diy/id1448119752 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yNDkwZGQ0L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz https://open.spotify.com/show/1DfOSlmRJjYF6wqawfhUsW https://www.breaker.audio/modern-off-grid-diy https://overcast.fm/itunes1448119752/modern-off-grid-diy https://pca.st/ag7T https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/yp9fw-80590/Modern-Off-Grid-DIY-%7C-YouTube-Channel-Podcast https://radiopublic.com/modern-off-grid-diy-Wd2JEr https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/modern-off-grid-diy --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/FreeYourMind/support
Charging Lithium ion Batteries With Mppt Charge Controller ? Easy Magnet Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Buy Here https://amzn.to/2MOEegD --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/FreeYourMind/support
The Salmi Brothers are back (don't miss their initial interview) to teach us about their Educational Development Radio Company-Faraday RF and some of their Outer-Space Creations! In this Nuts and Volts episode we get into the minds of Brent (KB1LQD) and Bryce (KB1LQC) as they break down the ins and outs of their Ham Radio venture. More than just building a SDR; Faraday RF looks to expand the hobby for tomorrows operators. Join us as we pull back the veil and get a glimpse of the future..."Challenging the notion of making a contact" Show Links and Mentions Faraday RF AMSAT Faraday RF Blog Posts: More Than Radio - AMSAT MPPT Faraday RF Telemetry Telemetry.FaradayRF.com Faraday goes UP! (HAB) Delayed Tolerant Networks What is MPPT? Maximum Power Point Tracking Previous Podcast Episodes regarding AMSAT Connect with the brothers: @FaradayRF @kb1lqd @KB1LQC Faraday RF on Facebook
X-Rays - Chenard Walcker; Theory - Generator Evolution; If I Could Be Your - Rachel Kann; Geeknotes: All Quiet on the Western Front; Practice - Charger Examples; Ici la Femme (XXX Mix) Louise Vertigo - The Lounge King
On this show we will discuss alternative forms of electricity generation for off grid living. Solar, hydro, solar generators and wind generation will all be discussed in this episode. We will discuss the differences, benefits and cost of various types of systems. We will also discuss the differences between PWM and MPPT charge controllers as well as the differences between Modified sinewave inverters and Pure sinewave inverters.
Vi förklarar tekniken kring solcellssystem och diskuteter hur solcellspaneler skall vinklas. Marcus nördar in lite på sitt exjobb som handlar om hur man kan gör en växelriktare MINDRE effektiv(!) men ändå kanske bättre? :)
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
