I'm an automation engineer by trade, currently working on learning programming mostly just for fun. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I'm starting with Rust... I know I know, kind of ridiculous, but I've gotten really excited about learning programming at a more fundamental level than the previous Python scripting/ JavaScript coding I've done. (Nothing against those, I just want to get into a compiled language that lets me learn about lower level stuff) While I've never formally been in the software dev world, I've done plenty of "programming" of systems like:
- CNC machines
- Haas
- Hammuel (Siemens Sinumerik 840D controller)
- Hermle (Heidenhain controller)
- Industrial robots
- Fanuc
- UR
- PLCs
- Allen Bradley
- CtrlX (Codesys)
- PLCnext by Phoenix Contact
Here are my goals in order:
- Learn git / github
- Figure out how to create URcaps for PolyscopeX (Universal Robots)
- This is kind of a double bonus, since I can use this skill at work, and I'll get to dip my feet into the "dev" world
- Learn rust
- The eventual goal, which I realize is definitely a LONGSHOT, would be to create a PLCesque program that runs on the PLC but allows the user to program from a browswer interface served by the device itself, rather than needing software installed on the programming computer. (More on this later)
I figured that a good way to start would be to create a Github account, and use the tools of the trade to document my journey.
Funny side note, literally as I was starting to type up this markup, my wife's grandfather started telling me stories of when he was working on IBM's back in the 70's. His name is Paul Tully and right around 1970, he wrote the logic for a program to digitize the Navy's punch card inventory management system. He was a mathematician and had to work with a programmer to write the program for an IBM 1401 that had 1200 slots of storage. They had to test the program on the weekend when no one was using the computer, and they took golf clubs with them to play while they waited the 3 hours for the program to run, then they'd debug for an hour and let it run again. After about 3 iterations they got the program running properly, but he said that getting the system adopted was really difficult because people didn't want to change their processes. I guess people never change... some want to innovate and some are always content with the status quo. He said when he left the Navy in 1990 the program was still running and guessed that it's probably still running to this day.
He also said he and his programmer buddy co-wrote a payroll program on the side for a big company in the early 1970's for a couple thousand bucks.
Paul taught probability & statistics
Back-engineered an inventory management program that was written for the whole Navy
Advanced Planning Officer at ASO (1975) they wanted him to be Airplane CZAR Got asked "What good is this going to do for us?" Network allowed them to syncronize inventory systems across them country and actually have "accurate" master copy. Internet probably became useful around 1980.
Talked about Nimitz loosing the Russian surveillace in the Mediterranean.