Technical Column
"Everyday Engineering"
"Everyday Engineering" was a technical column posted regularly on the VACETS forum. For more publications produced by other VACETS members, please visit VACETS Member Publication webpage or Science Columns webpage.
The VACETS Technical Column is contributed by various members , especially those of the VACETS Technical Affairs Committe. Articles are posted regulary on [email protected] forum. Please send questions, comments and suggestions to [email protected]
What is an Intranet and How to Build It?
Thao Mong Le (USA)
Organizations world-wide are discovering the ways to enhance their internal and external communications using the web technology in a new type of information system called "Intranet". This article provides an overview of Intranet, what it is and how to build it...
The Battle of Windows 98
Thao Mong Le (USA)
Windows 98 can be defined as an integration software package of Internet Explorer 4.0 into Windows 95. In this column, I would like to share with you some thoughts of Windows 98 that I learnt it from the Windows 98, lastest Beta version. I also share with you some thoughts about the battle between Microsoft and Department of Justice...
The World of Communications Networks
Thao Mong Le (USA)
The term "communications" is defined as the act of exchanging information. This information may be in the form of words, numbers, messages or drawings and is transmitted in the form of signals. Such passing of information generally involves three activities: encoding, transmission, and decoding...
The Beauty of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
Thao Mong Le (USA)
The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is one of today�s most attractive communications technologies. It is an emerging technology that uses a very flexible method to provide a high bandwidth, as well as a very high transmission rate for a communications or telecommunications network. ATM is a method of communication which can be used as the basis for both high-speed local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) technologies to support the performance of advanced computing systems. Technically, ATM is a packet-like switching and multiplexing technique that relays traffic via an address contained within the packet for broadband signals, and performs two simple functions: path determination which will be done mainly in software, and cell-switching done in hardware...
A Brief Survey of Automatic Vehicle Location Systems
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
The long-haul trucking companies and metropolitan area fleets are making increasing use of automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems for fleet management. Some AVL systems in use today rely on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for location, whereas others use communication satellites or land-based networks to compute location. The definition of AVL will become clearer with the following descriptions of some principal AVL systems, that are currently operational or will be available shortly...
An Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS)
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
Unlike anh Duc's [SCIENCE FOR EVERYONE], I decided not to broadcast anything last week. The competition was just too great. Perhaps I am too simple minded, but I am always amused by people who can build a mountain out of a mole hill.
Since 1983, automobile traffic has grown four percent annually. Americans now drive an estimated two trillion miles each year. Traffic congestion costs about $46 billion annually, mostly in lost productivity. An emerging global industry, the intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS) technology, is on its way to solve this problem and more...
So+ Lu+o+.c Ve^` Nga`nh Co^ng Nghe^. Thu?y Lo+.iDr. Binh Anson (Perth, Australia)
Nu+o+'c la` mo^.t ye^'u to^' ca^`n thie^'t cho mo.i phu+o+ng die^.n trong ddo+`i so^'ng ca' nha^n la^~n co^.ng ddo^`ng. Tuy nhie^n vi` nu+o+'c hie^.n die^.n mo.i no+i va` de^~ da`ng su+? du.ng ne^n ca'c co^.ng ddo^`ng co' nhu+~ng phu+o+ng tie^.n ca^'p nu+o+'c tin ca^.y va` ca'c nguo^`n gia?i tri' an la.c thu+o+`ng kho^ng chu' tro.ng ve^` ta^`m mu+'c quan tro.ng cu?a nguo^`n nu+o+'c. Chi? khi na`o ngu+o+`i ta pha?i ddo^'i pho' vo+'i na.n ha.n ha'n, lu~ lu.t, hoa(.c ca'c va^'n dde^` co' lie^n quan dde^'n nguo^`n nu+o+'c la`m gia'n ddoa.n cuo^.c so^'ng thi` mo.i ngu+o+`i mo+'i quan ta^m dde^'n gia' tri. va` su+'c pha' hoa.i cu?a nu+o+'c...
A Brief Note on Protection of Public Water Supply Sources
Dr. Binh Anson (Perth, Australia)
All countries have experienced serious water supply contamination problems. In the USA cleaning up groundwater is a major industry and work still outstanding is estimated to cost 250 billion US dollars. The US Environmental Protection Agency has found that pesticide contamination of 10% of public water supply wells has occurred. In the UK, an outbreak of water borne cryptosporidium infected 470 people in 1990. In the same year, 5.3 million people were supplied with water contaminated with nitrate at levels above drinking water health limits...
Automated Highway System
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
It took me many years to buy a car with a cruise control option, I just could not see the benefit. Now, I can't live without it. Zipping down the Interstate 95, I couldn't understand why it took me so long to decide on getting such an useful option. For goodness sake, the car practically drove by itself...
The Limits of Nautical Charts
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
Although I always love fishing, I must admit that water was not and probably will never be my favorite subject. But having to deal on a weekly basis with the US Coast Guard, you are bound to get some appreciation of our world biggest natural resource...
Ha`nh Tri`nh Ti`m Bo^. Chu+~ Vie^.t Cho Ma'y DDie^.n Toa'n
Ky' Su+. Bi`nh Lua^.n Cu?a Va(n Ha?i Ly'
Nhu+ mo^.t so^' ddo^ng ngu+o+`i Vie^.t Nam hie^.n ddang sinh so^'ng ta.i My~, to^i co' i't nhie^`u say me^ vo+'i tie^'ng me. dde? va` do ddo' tu+`ng vie^'t va(n la`m ba'o. To^i dda~ tu+`ng ho.c tha?o chu+o+ng ddie^.n toa'n va` ra^'t thu+o+`ng xuye^n du`ng ma'y ddie^.n toa'n trong vie^.c vie^'t la'ch va` sa('p chu+~. Ma(.c du` chi? co' mo^.t pha^`n kie^'n thu+'c ve^` ddie^.n toa'n nho? nhoi so vo+'i mo^.t chuye^n vie^n ddu+o+.c dda`o ta.o ha(?n hoi trong nga`nh, to^i co' kha' nhie^`u kinh nghie^.m su+? du.ng tie^'ng Vie^.t vo+'i ma'y IBM PC...
Bi`nh Lua^.n Ve^` "Ha`nh Tri`nh Ti`m Bo^. Chu+~ Vie^.t Cho Ma'y DDie^.n Toa'n" cu?a Va(n Ha?i Ly'
Dr. Bi`nh Anson (Perth, Western Australia)
Tru+o+'c he^'t to^i xin ca'm o+n ta'c gia? dda~ ddo'ng go'p mo^.t ba`i vie^'t ve^` ca'c va^'n dde^` su+? du.ng nhu kie^.n Vie^.t Nam qua kinh nhie^.m va` nha~n quan cu?a mo^.t ngu+o+`i kha'ch ha`ng tie^u du`ng. Chu'ng ta dda~ ddo.c nhie^`u ba`i vie^'t cu?a ca'c chuye^n gia tin ho.c, nhu+ng chu'ng ta ca^`n co' nhu+~ng ba`i phe^ bi`nh, y' kie^'n, kinh nghie^.m cu?a ngu+o+`i su+? du.ng, vi` to^'i ha^.u, ca'c nhu kie^.n sa?n xua^'t ra la` dde^? phu.c vu. dda.i chu'ng, nhu+~ng ngu+o+`i kho^ng chuye^n mo^n ve^` ddie^.n toa'n, nhu+ng du`ng nhu kie^.n nhu+ la` mo^.t co^ng cu. trong sinh hoa.t ha(`ng nga`y\...
Satellite Communications Systems
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
This will be the first of several articles on satellite communications systems. Before I lead you into this exciting journey, I like to point out some limitations and constraints I have put on these papers. First, the emphrasize and subject matter of the articles will be on systems that serve mobile users. In this regard, I will not cover the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) systems, or those huge C-Band TDMA Earth station (e.g.., INTELSAT) systems. As a consequence to this, direct broadcast services for special events such as the World Cup will not be mentioned...
Weather Satellite Systems
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
Several months ago, I published an article on Global Positioning System (GPS). I am following it up with this article on weather satellite systems. Neither the GPS or these weather satellite systems are communication systems per se, but they are interesting milestones of the satellite industry...
A Personal Journey Into the PC World
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
... When we look at the term PC (Personal Computer), we naturally picture the desktop computers on our desks at work. For those of us who are old enough to remember, the PCs used to be called microcomputers. Many of us, who are in the line of works that do not have the need for the use of PCs, have came to believe that the microcomputer evolution has passed us by. Think again! We all use them on a regular basis. We just failed to recognize them...
A Brief Note On protection of Public Water Supply Sources
Binh Anson, Ph.D. - Authority of Western Australia
All countries have experienced serious water supply contamination problems. In the USA cleaning up groundwater is a major industry and work still outstanding is estimated to cost 250 billion US dollars. The US Environmental Protection Agency has found that pesticide contamination of 10% of public water supply wells has occurred. In the UK, an outbreak of water borne cryptosporidium infected 470 people in 1990. In the same year, 5.3 million people were supplied with water contaminated with nitrate at levels above drinking water health limits...
O^ Nhie^~m Nu+o+'c Nga^`m Ta.i Ca'c DDo^ Thi. DDang Pha't Trie^?n
Dr. Bi`nh Anson (Perth, Western Australia)
Va^'n dde^` o^ nhie^~m nu+o+'c nga^`m ta.i ca'c sie^u ddo^ thi. (da^n so^' tre^n 1 trie^.u) trong ca'c nu+o+'c ddang mo+? mang la` mo^.t mo^'i lo nga.i tu+` la^u cu?a ca'c nha` ba?o ve^. su+'c kho?e va` mo^i sinh. Hie^.n nay, va^'n dde^` na^`y ddang ba`nh tru+o+'ng dde^'n ca'c ddo^ thi. co+~ trung (da^n so^' du+o+'i 1 trie^.u), va` ca'c ddo^ thi. na^`y ddang co' chie^`u hu+o+'ng ddi va`o ti`nh tra.ng o^ nhie^~m nhu+ ca'c sie^u ddo^ thi. kha'c. Ca'c tha`nh pho^' ddo' ddang thu hu't da^n chu'ng dde^'n sinh so^'ng, tu+` ca'c vu`ng tho^n que^, va` ca'c ddie^?m tu. thu+o+`ng la` vu`ng ven ddo^, ngoa.i tha`nh vo+'i nhu+~ng ddie^`u kie^.n ca^'p nu+o+'c va` ve^. sinh ra^'t nghe`o na`n, thie^'u tho^'n...
The Factoring Machine - (Cranking Out Primes)
Dr. Hoang Viet-Dung (USA)
...Some 75 years ago, an ingenious mechanical device was constructed to automatically sift through arrays of numbers to identify patterns, from which mathematicians can determine whether a given number is a prime or the product of primes. In short, this little known machine is the first machine to successfully factoring whole numbers...
Computer Ta.i Vietnam
Le Phung Long (Bankok, Thailand)
... Saigon, trong chuye^'n ve^` tha(m nha` di.p Te^'t vu+`a qua, co' mo^.t su+. pha't trie^?n dda'ng kinh nga.c ve^` so^' lu+o+.ng ca'c PC shops . Xin no'i ngay la` ca'c shops chi? thuo^.c loa.i co+? nho? , chu+ng mo^.t hai ca'i ba`n tre^n dda(.t ddie^.n thoa.i, va`i ca'i PCs, ke^' ddo' la` tu? kie^'ng tru+ng ca'c vo? ho^.p cu?a ca'c Popular Softwares, di~ nhie^n be^n ca.nh ddo' la` Diskettes dde^? ba'n, chu? ye^'u la` cu?a Maxell, Sony . Co`n AIR-CON thi` tie^.m co' tie^.m kho^ng...
Water Pollution and Its Control
Dr. Bi`nh Anson (Perth, Western Australia)
Water pollution is commonly defined as any physical, chemical or biological change in water quality which adversely impacts on living organisms in the environment or which makes a water resource unsuitable for one or more of its beneficial uses. Some of the major categories of beneficial uses of water resources include: public water supply, irrigation, recreation, industrial production and nature conservation...
