blog

Code of Practice for Visual Alarm Devices (EN54-23)

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:39:16 +0100

Are you involved with the manufacture or installation of Visual Alarm Devices for fire warning? Did you know that there is now a Code of Practice (CoP) available to download from the Fire Industry Association (FIA) website? This CoP, written jointly by BRE Global Ltd and the FIA, provides recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of visual alarm devices in and around buildings, other than single-family dwellings. To download your copy of the CoP simply visit the FIA website - http://www.fia.uk.com/filemanager/root/site_assets/guides_and_codes/code_of_practice_for_vad.pdf

For any questions relating to the testing of Visual Alarm Devices to the EN54-23 standard then please view our webpage or contact us for information on our VADER test equipment

NI Recognises PTP Engineer as UK & Ireland’s First LabVIEW Champion

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:43:26 +0000

National Instruments today announced that Dr. Richard Thomas, Senior Systems Engineer at Product Technology Partners and a Certified LabVIEW Architect, joins a select number of forty five expert engineers around the globe to be honoured by National Instruments as a LabVIEW Champion. Richard, the first LabVIEW Champion in the British Isles, received this recognition from NI for his outstanding contribution to LabVIEW's success and for inspiring others to learn and grow through active technical community participation and face-to-face interactions.

"The prestigious LabVIEW Champion title exists as a way to validate and thank outstanding advocates for their participation and willingness to help others in our user community as well as provide them with the technical resources to help others in the future" said Mike Bailey, LabVIEW Marketing Manager, National Instruments UK & Ireland. "Richard Thomas cares deeply about how LabVIEW is portrayed and taught, and his work with user groups is inspirational."

Dr. Martin Saxon, founder of Product Technology Partners, added: "We have always promoted the personal and professional development of all our staff, and we strongly encourage third-party recognition of that development through participation in the wider community. We are delighted that Richard has achieved this recognition".

Richard briefly stops commissioning a new machine for a rare still photo

"I'm a hugely enthusiastic LabVIEW programmer and enjoy pushing LabVIEW and NI hardware to their limits" said Richard. "By staying active with the LabVIEW community of developers, I not only keep my own skill up to date, but raise the quality of LabVIEW-based measurement and control systems around the world."

National Instruments online community is a resource for its 170,000 members to discover and collaborate on the latest example code, tutorials, textbooks and more. Engineers and scientists around the globe share development techniques, learn about cutting-edge technologies and connect with LabVIEW and other NI product experts working on similar applications.

Richard has a highly positive impact in technical and product communities, both locally and online. He hosts the Cambridge LabVIEW Users Group and frequently authors and presents material on a wide range of topics including object-oriented programming and user interface design. Additionally, he recently won a National Instruments world-wide LabVIEW Coding Challenge, a competition to transform a basic LabVIEW Front Panel into a fully functioning User Interface that is both creative and easy to use. Richard's winning entry was chosen based on the number of "likes" it received from the LabVIEW community members.

Now qualified as a Certified LabVIEW Architect, Richard began programming in LabVIEW twelve years ago as a post-graduate student at Leicester University, acquiring and analysing data from a large scale laminar wind tunnel. He continued to use LabVIEW in his career at the Turbomachinery Group of the Engineering Department at Cambridge University, where it is used extensively for hardware control and instrumentation acquisition and data analysis, before joining PTP four years ago.

Join PTP at Firex - 13th & 14th March

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:57:36 +0000

Thinking of visiting Firex next month? Then come and see us on stand F22 where we will be showcasing the new VADER evaluation rig for testing Visual Alarm Devices (VADs) to the EN54-23 standard. This fully automated system takes high speed measurements of the flashing lights at multiple angles over a defined period of time and then calculates whether the VAD conforms to the new standard. The test equipment is custom-made to order for maximum flexibility and can also test static beacons and emergency lighting. Our engineers will also be on hand to talk to you about any other test, measurement or inspection requirements you have for your fire-related products - ATE, FTE, soak test or environmental test... we can help with them all!

Taking place at Sandown Park Exhibition Centre from 13-14 March, Firex South is a must-attend event for professionals who want a convenient way to source new fire safety solutions and stay up-to-date with the latest news and information. Further information can be found on the Firex website www.info4fire.com/firexsouth.

We are recruiting!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:53:18 +0000

Do you have LabVIEW skills and are looking for a new challenge? We are looking for a competent and enthusiastic Systems Engineer to join the team. LabVIEW skills are a key requirement but experience with LabWindows/CVI, Visual Studio and .NET programming would be an added bonus. Our main application areas are test, measurement, inspection and control. For more information and to find out how to apply, please visit our Jobs page

Introducing the LabVIEW Community Member of the Month

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:13:27 +0000

Following on from his success in the recent NI LabVIEW Coding Challenge, we are delighted to report that PTP Engineer Richard Thomas has been named LabVIEW Community Member of the month by National Instruments. Richard has programmed in LabVIEW since version 6i as a post-grad student at Leicester University, then at Cambridge University during his research post-doc in turbomachinery, right through to his current post as a Senior Systems Engineer at Product Technology Partners.

Richard is a hugely enthusiastic LabVIEW programmer, and enjoys pushing LabVIEW and NI hardware to their limits. He co-hosts the Cambridge LabVIEW User Group, one of only two user groups in the UK, and frequently presents material on a wide range of topics, with his favourites being Object Oriented programming and User Interface design. Richard is also a Certified LabVIEW Architect and would encourage others to consider going down the certification route: "As I Certified LabVIEW Architect (CLA), I would highly recommend getting the NI qualifications to everyone. The training process hones your coding skills, programming efficiency and most importantly, your broader understanding of software design." Commenting about his favourite part of LabVIEW Richard said, "I love the fact that LabVIEW is so broad-reaching. It is easy for a newcomer to pick it up without any prior knowledge of what it takes to create software, and yet LabVIEW still provides all the power and control required for the most involved of applications."

More information about the NI Community and their Member of the Month scheme can be found on the NI website

PTP Engineer wins National Instruments LabVIEW Coding Challenge

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:08:21 +0000

Congratulations to PTP Engineer Richard Thomas who has won the LabVIEW User Interface Coding Challenge, run by National Instruments. All entries were published on the NI website and the winner was the one that secured the most votes from the community. To learn more about the LabVIEW Coding Challenge and see Richard's entry (under the user name Thoric), simply visit the NI website. Alternatively see an interactive version of the application on You Tube

Richard Thomas is a Certified LabVIEW Architect who has been using LabVIEW in engineering projects for over 10 years and enjoys creating snazzy but intuitive User Interfaces for his projects. Commenting on the achievement, Richard says "I couldn’t resist the National Instrument User Interface design challenge. Creating my entry was enormous fun, and the competition was understandably tough, so I’m very proud to have won. I look forward to the next competition!”

VADER test equipment selected for FIA New Technology Day

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:12:52 +0000

PTP is delighted to report that its Visual Alarm Device Evaluation Rig (VADER) has been selected as one of only a dozen new products to be presented at the Fire Industry Association's New Technology Seminar Day on the 2rd February 2012. VADER has been developed to allow automated testing to the challenging standards of EN54-23 and is now commercially available for supply throughout Europe. Further information can be found on the PTP website http://bit.ly/u0JXBk.

The New Technology Seminar Day is the second such event hosted by the FIA and consists of member companies presenting and displaying a mixture of new products and ideas. This day is open to FIA members, non FIA members and anyone with an interest in Fire Protection, this could also include insurers, Building facilities managers, architects and many more. The products on show cover a range of fire protection products and should be of interest to those companies and individuals involved in all aspects of fire protection. Delegates can attend for the whole day or choose from the wide selection of seminars and exhibitors on offer and arrive at their convenience.

To register to attend the FIA event, please contact the FIA directly http://bit.ly/tRtl5G

Prize Draw winner from NI Days

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:36:40 +0000

Congratulations to Julian Fryers of Lucy Switchgear who was the lucky winner in our Thomas the Tank Engine prize draw at NI Days last week. Strange to see a children's toy being given away at a professional engineering event? No, we haven't gone mad - Thomas was there as our demo ... showing various aspects of Test & Measurement, Vision Inspection and Machine Condition Monitoring around the motorised track. Whilst the demo was intended to be fun and "quirky", the technologies employed have a very real place in the world of test and manufacturing. If you would like to know more about how such systems could benefit you, then do please get in touch.

LabVIEW Certification update

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:15:33 +0000

Well done to Kevin Snelling of Product Technology Partners Ltd who passed his Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) recertification exam this week. In addition to his LabVIEW expertise, Kevin is also a Certified LabWindows/CVI Developer - one of only 5 in the UK & Ireland.

CLAD is the first step in the three-part NI LabVIEW certification process. It indicates a broad working knowledge of the LabVIEW environment, a basic understanding of coding and documentation best practices, and the ability to read and interpret existing code.

For more information about the National Instruments certification program, go to http://www.ni.com/training/certification/

NI honours Certified LabVIEW Architects at NI Days

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:46:16 +0000

A select group of Certified LabVIEW Architects took to the stage during NI Days today, including PTP's very own Dr Richard Thomas. Each was presented with a special pin badge in recognition of their achievements in the field of graphical language programming.

The Certified LabVIEW Architect is the final step in the three-part NI LabVIEW certification process. The exam for this step presents a set of high-level requirements and tests the user’s ability to build a sensible VI hierarchy and project plan for delivering an application that fulfills those requirements. You can use this certification to assess and validate an individual’s LabVIEW development and project management skills for the purpose of project staffing or career advancement. For example, having Certified Architects on staff to provide technical leadership and guidance ensures that less experienced developers are following best practices that will make them more competent and efficient developers. In addition, Certified Architects can design the application architecture and manage the development of the individual components by other engineers. More information can be found on the National Instruments website http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/13477

See Thomas The Tank Engine at NI Days!

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:11:30 +0000

Thomas the Tank Engine will be putting in an appearance on the PTP stand at NIDays on 9th November. Curious? Then come along and see how Thomas the Tank demonstrates the use of real-life Vision Inspection, Condition Monitoring and Data Logging techniques in a fun and quirky way. You can also enter our prize draw to win your very own Thomas!

While you're there you can check out the rest of the NIDays event - the UK's leading graphical system design conference and exhibition. At this free one-day conference, you can join a thriving community of fellow innovators, educators, engineers, scientists and NI developers to explore the latest technologies to help you increase productivity and improve your efficiency. NIDays 2011 offers 12 tracks of hands-on training, in-depth technical sessions on the latest NI products and a large exhibition floor. For more information go to http://uk.ni.com/nidays.

Hope to see you there!

Join PTP at NI-Days - 9th November

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:40:24 +0100

PTP are delighted to be exibiting again at NIDays 2011 in London - the UK's leading graphical system design conference and exhibition. At this free one-day conference, you can join a thriving community of fellow innovators, educators, engineers, scientists and NI developers to explore the latest technologies to help you increase productivity and improve your efficiency. NIDays 2011 offers 12 tracks of hands-on training, in-depth technical sessions on the latest NI products and a large exhibition floor.

or visit http://uk.ni.com/nidays

2011 Conference Highlights include:

Keynote: Engineering the Olympics, Louise Hardy, Infrastructure Director, CLM – Delivery Partner to the Olympic Delivery Authority

Software Development: NIDays 2011 features a complete track dedicated to software development for measurement and control applications and delivered by Certified LabVIEW Architects. Explore the latest NI software, including LabVIEW 2011, and ways to improve your productivity, performance and application stability.

Embedded Control and Monitoring: Gain an understanding of how to integrate measurements and control into an embedded device. Explore how, through abstracting complexity, NI tools fuel innovation by simplifying development, increasing productivity and reducing time-to-market.

Automated Test and Data Acquisition: Learn about new and advanced hardware and software tools for automated test, including real-time and
FPGA technology. Also, understand the common templates for measurement applications and how to apply them.

RF and Wireless Summit: Learn about next generation RF and wireless test technology and listen to top industry experts as they explain wireless trends, emerging instrumentation technologies and innovative test techniques. Also, gain a better understanding of a range of topics including measurement speed, software-defined radio and linking RF design and test.

Academic Summit: The Academic Summit provides a platform for academic professionals to share best practices in engineering education methods, discuss the future of engineering and network with colleagues. View presentations from experts in engineering application areas, and learn how they integrate NI solutions to reinforce concepts and bring learning objectives to life.

Hands-On Sessions: The conference features 30 hours of hands-on sessions, showcasing LabVIEW 2011, PXI and modular instruments, NI CompactDAQ, LabVIEW FPGA, CompactRIO, DIAdem, FlexRIO, AWR tools, Multisim, myDAQ, NI ELVIS and robotics.
You can pre-register for Hands-On Sessions at http://sine.ni.com/nievents/app/offering/p/offeringId/399460/site/nie/country/uk/lang/en

Download Agenda and read all session descriptions at http://uk.ni.com/nidays

You can also sign up to take the free Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) examination or Certified LabVIEW Developer Exam Preparation Class during the conference. Places are limited, so book now http://sine.ni.com/nievents/app/offering/p/offeringId/399460/site/nie/country/uk/lang/en

Date and location: Wednesday 9th November, The Queen Elizabeth II, Conference Centre, London

Cost: FREE!

Another NI Certified engineer at PTP!

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:04:18 +0100

Congratulations go to Chris Wallbank of PTP who has just gained his Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) qualification with a great score of 90%. All of the engineers at PTP now hold certifications in National Instruments' (NI) LabVIEW and / or LabWindows/CVI so you can be sure your NI-based Test & Measurement projects are in good hands!

The NI Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer is the first step in the three-part NI LabVIEW certification process. It indicates a broad working knowledge of the LabVIEW environment, a basic understanding of coding and documentation best practices, and the ability to read and interpret existing code.

More information about the NI certification programme can be found on the NI website : http://www.ni.com/training/certification/

EN54-23 (Visual Alarm Device) Test Equipment now available

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:38:13 +0100

Cambridge-based test, measurement and control specialist Product Technology Partners Ltd is delighted to announce that its new VADER system for testing visual alarm devices is now available for commercial sale. The system has already been approved for testing to EN 54-23:2010 standard. This new standard applies to flashing beacons and strobes used in fire alarm systems, and proven compliance will be an essential step in the certification process for these devices.

The VADER system is a novel design which allows high speed automated testing of devices during development as well as high accuracy measurement for reliable compliance testing. It can be used to measure a wide range of beacons from low-power LED ceiling units to high intensity Xenon strobes.

Key features of the VADER test equipment include:

Custom designed sensor and data acquisition assembly (to achieve the measurement accuracy and speed requirements of the standard)
Bespoke software application running on a standard PC
Suitable for all VADs up to 30cm x 30cm and 0.5kg weight
Option of both manual and automatic control of the test system
Can be further customised to test other product ranges e.g. emergency lighting, or integrate with existing systems

More information about VADER is available .

Meeting new standards for Test & Measurement

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:38:13 +0100

Cambridge-based test, measurement and control specialist Product Technology Partners Ltd is delighted to announce that its new VADER system for testing visual alarm devices has been approved for testing to EN 54-23:2010 standard. This new standard applies to flashing beacons and strobes used in fire alarm systems, and proven compliance will be an essential step in the certification process for these devices.

Developed jointly with LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) at BRE Global, the new automated system provides the first UKAS accredited certification service.

Commenting on the development, PTP’s founder Dr Martin Saxon said, "The technical challenges posed by the new standard are considerable, and compliance would have been hard to achieve without working in partnership with LPCB. Our expertise in the innovative use of technologies combined with their application experience enabled the development of robust yet economic test equipment that fully meets the measurement requirements."

Raman Chagger, Senior Consultant at LPCB said "In order to provide an effective fire warning for the deaf and hard of hearing the requirements of EN 54-23:2010 are very rigorous. New light measurement equipment was designed to overcome all the technical complexities of the standard yet with the flexibility to be used for product development purposes having many additional features above and beyond the test requirements of EN 54-23."

The VADER system installed at LPCB test facility was assessed by UKAS and given the go-ahead at the end of June after the assessor observed successful demonstrations of all of the clauses from the standard. The equipment has since been further developed to include Emergency Lighting testing to EN13032-2 and can be customised to suit individual company requirements.

Enquiries about the supply of VADER systems or other bespoke test equipment development are welcome – please contact Rachel Wood at PTP, . Enquiries for compliance testing should be directed to LPCB,

PTP Engineer gains highest level LabVIEW certification

Wed, 25 May 2011 11:26:15 +0100

Product Technology Partners Ltd (PTP) is delighted to announce that Dr Richard Thomas has today achieved Certified LabVIEW Architect status. Certified LabVIEW Architect is the ultimate step in the three-part National Instruments (NI) LabVIEW certification process. The examination for this level of certification is very challenging ... it presents a set of high-level requirements to test the user’s ability to build a sensible VI hierarchy and project plan for delivering the application in a very tight timescale. There are only a small number of Certified LabVIEW Architects in the UK so Richard is now a member of a very elite group!

NI Certification is a professional qualification that validates technical growth and skill in using NI products. In particular the Architect Certification signifies mastery of NI products and technologies, recognising the engineer’s ability to develop and build complex applications using advanced features in order to optimise execution and ensure long-term maintainability of the code, as well as leading these projects from conception through to completion.

Commenting on Richard's achievement, Kevin Snelling (Director at PTP) said, "We specifically recruited Richard for his LabVIEW skills and the fact that he passed his Architect exam on the first attempt is an accurate reflection of his competency. There is a lot of competition in the world of software programming and independent certification is an invaluable tool for potential customers to assess and compare our company's expertise."

Ruby Mann from National Instruments says, "This is a great achievement for Richard Thomas, PTP and National Instruments. The Certified LabVIEW Architect accreditation will certainly help Richard deliver the highest specification of applications to PTP's customers using National Instruments tools. Richard now joins a select community of LabVIEW Architects in the UK and Ireland highlighting his skills in developing high quality development practices right through to a complete application architecture. Well done Richard!"

Since joining the NI Alliance Program six years ago, PTP has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to training and certification. In addition to the company's LabVIEW credentials, it is proud to employ 3 out of only 5 Certified LabWindows/CVI Developers in the UK / Ireland.

See PTP at MTEC / Midlands Design & Manufacturing (April 6th & 7th)

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:26:15 +0000

Join us at MTEC / Midlands Design & Manufacturing next month!

If you have any interest in Test, Measurement, Inspection or Control then the NEC (Birmingham) is the place to be on 6^th & 7^th April this year.

Visit us on stand 1232 to see how we can implement solutions to increase the throughput, quality and reliability of your products. We can help with software-only projects as well as complete design & build developments in the field of:

custom-designed test equipment,
high speed / high precision automation,
advanced machine & motion control,
vision inspection or
complex data acquisition & analysis,

For more information about the show and to register for your free entry ticket, please visit the organisers’ website.

We look forward to meeting you on the stand!

Fun & Games at NI Days!

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 09:00:00 +0000

With over 500 visitors and 16 exhibitors, the IET was swarming with engineering expertise last week at NI Days. Kevin Snelling and Rachel Wood were manning the PTP stand and talking to the numerous visitors who had questions about software development and hardware systems for test, measurement, control and inspection.

There was also a lot of interest in our USB Robot Arm demonstration which showed how LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI and Network Shared Variables could all be used to interface to the bespoke software running on the robot arm. Whilst the actual demo was intended to be fun and "quirky", the OPC Client & Server technology has a very real place in the world of third party machine and instrumentation control.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of our prize draw was AW from Sussex who is now the proud owner of his very own USB Robot Arm - congratulations!

If you would like to know more about the Robotic Arm Demonstration you can download a datasheet here or contact us for more information.

PTP move into new offices

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:00:00 +0100

The Mount, High Street, Toft

In order to meet the demands of a growing business, Product Technology Partners Ltd has now moved to newer and bigger premises in Cambridge. With immediate effect our new contact details are:

Product Technology Partners Ltd
The Mount
High Street
Toft
Cambridge
CB23 2RL

Tel : 01223 264445
Fax : 01223 263273

All Email addresses and internet contact details will remain unchanged.

Please take the time to update your records and remember to contact us if you need any additional engineering software or systems support!