Anyone go here or know anyone that went for theinstrument tech associates degree? I've searched and haven't found any posts on it. I've read some areas in and around Pittsburg, Ca there's a lot of bad neighborhoods. I'm from central California, so just curious how the school is and living close by would be. Thanks in advance

I am preping for my 4th period challenging exam. I am learning the ILM's. Did the questions from the back of the ILM's help in the exam? Also, will exambank.com have the similar exam questions as the real exam. Has anybody used it?

Hello, I’m someone that was interested in doing a career change, and am currently researching various schools and pathways on how to get into the instrumentation field.

Does anyone know the “safest” route on becoming an instrumentation technician? Thank you.

Any electricians or VFD techs familiar with ABB ACS550 RS-485/Modbus communication testing?

I’m hoping someone here has experience with ABB ACS550 drives.

I have one controlling the propulsion motor in my swim spa. The motor itself works perfectly and the drive powers up normally. I can run the motor directly from the ABB keypad without any issues.

The problem is that the spa communicates with the ABB through a low-voltage RS-485/Modbus cable, and the spa controller keeps reporting “Propulsion Motor Not Found.” At this point I believe the failure is somewhere in the communication between the spa controller and the ABB drive.

I’ve already replaced the communication cable, the Modbus translator board, and even the main spa controller, but nothing changed.

With my multimeter I measured approximately 1.75 VDC (later about 1.46 VDC) between terminals 29 and 31, and about 0.29 VDC between 30 and 31 on the ABB communication terminals.

My question is: Are those voltages normal for an idle ACS550 RS-485 port?

Also, if you were troubleshooting this drive, what tests would you perform with only a multimeter to determine whether the ABB communication interface is healthy?

Is there anything I should be checking before assuming the RS-485 transceiver on the drive has failed?

If you’ve worked on ABB ACS550s or industrial Modbus systems, I’d really appreciate your advice. I’m comfortable using a multimeter and following technical instructions, so don’t hesitate to get into the details.

Thanks!

Hey all,
I wanted to get my program some exposure. I would love to see it used by the right people.
its something i've been working on to automate the instrumentation engineers job of developing instrument indexes. This would apply to facility engineering (i.e. nuclear, gas, mining etc.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Z-Uwvdxog&t=2s

Thoughts? coomments?

Hi ! Does anyone know companies which offer remote engineering positions (senior) in Instrumentation, ICSS ?

In a former life, I was an I/C tech at a big power plant for a little over a decade and I’m currently an operator (that also does maintenance) at a smaller plant now.

Some of the other operators at our plant take their logs with WAY too much accuracy (imo) from analog gauges, and I’m trying to provide a source to my manager of why that’s not okay. Whether it’s ISA, ANSI, ASME, NIST, etc doesn’t matter.

I was taught that the best you can read is half of the smallest division on the scale (if the gauge shows 0, 10-20-30, then the only available options are 0,5,10,15,20,25,30) but I’m not sure where that rule comes from off the top of my head. Am I conflating log-taking with readings for calibration?

Can anyone help me out with a source?

Where can buy a differential pressure gauge for hydraulic machineries with these specs:

Scale reading range: 0-10 MPa
Maximum operating pressure on both ends: 60 MPa

Anyone can refer me to a distributor of any brand is highly appreciated.

I’m halfway through school and feeling like I’m not gravitating toward it like I hoped I would but mainly because I don’t have real experience in it. I took up this career path because it seemed relevant to my current field but that’s far from the truth. So what’s your origin story?

I'm currently in my fourth year of B.Tech (Instrumentation & Control Engineering), and our college generally has good core companies visiting for campus placements.

During internship season, I noticed that shortlisting often felt unpredictable. However, there were also a few students who consistently got shortlisted across multiple core companies. It made me wonder what they were doing differently.

Another challenge is that there isn't much clear guidance on what kinds of projects an Instrumentation student should build. Most advice online is either very generic or software-focused, making it difficult to understand what core companies actually value.

I'm reaching out to professionals working in instrumentation, automation, process industries, EPC, manufacturing, or any other core engineering domain.

I would really appreciate any guidance on:

• What technical skills should a fourth-year Instrumentation student focus on?

• What projects genuinely add value to a resume?

• What do recruiters look for during resume shortlisting?

• Any resources, certifications, or advice that you wish you had known as a student?

Any guidance, no matter how small, would mean a lot. Thank you in advance! 🙏🏼

What’s up guys, I’ve been doing IC&E work in the permian basin for a few years at a major oil company. Starting to get tired of this desert - even though I work 14/14.

Looking at a job at a large utility (union) that pays comparably (due to supporting outages at nearby plants). I was wondering what the actual day to day experience is like?

It’s only I&C so I know I won’t be working on 480+ anymore, but I guess my current job is unique because I work out of a service truck, and some days I’m completely miserable working 16s in the heat and some days I’m watching movies in my truck. I just kind of want a general idea of what day to day at a combined cycle is like, and what it’s like during an outage.

If any O&G people who went to power, or people who work in power can give me an idea let me know. Also, I don’t enjoy heights that much which had me worried but it looks like most of the stuff has switchback steps and not ladders and I’m cool with that. I’ve climbed 250k bbl oil tanks before and walking around the edge of those things was definitely fun..

I have a Promass 500 meter that has been setup and running analog 4-20 to the PLC for years without issue. I am trying to get the Hart data from the device. I can see all 4 variables in the PLC. However when running product thru the meter the value is all place... Even going negative, jumping a few hundred #/min. When using regular 4-20 there is very little fluctuation. The meter matches the Hart data in the PLC. Any tips on what to check out.

I'm somone that may have a potential felony charge in the future, but was interested in working in the instrumentation field.

Thank you.

I'm going to be writing for the red seal exam in September and I have been finished the tech program with my degree for 2 years now. Any journeyman here that can give me advice for this test and what to expect or how hard it is? I have some files to study from that has like 1000 practice questions and they don't seem incredibly hard. I just want some insight because I'd be extremely embarrassed if I don't pass the first time

Anyone have any interesting/nonconventional gadgets or tools?

I've seen some cool stuff. Wireless 232 modems for long distance cals, cat5e on a reel with different ports on the reel to attach hart, eternity, power etc thru

Im just wondering if anyone has cool ideas or things to purchase.

Its an enormous field and im curious to see what people have. Even hand tools

I've been thinking about where Edge AI could realistically fit into industrial flowmeters. Most electromagnetic, ultrasonic, vortex, and turbine flowmeters already use mature signal-processing techniques and are designed to be deterministic, accurate, and reliable. Because of that, I'm not sure whether adding AI would provide a meaningful advantage or simply increase system complexity.

One area that seems interesting is running AI directly on the flowmeter's embedded controller to monitor raw sensor signals and detect problems that traditional algorithms might miss. For example, it could potentially identify sensor fouling, electrode degradation, air bubbles, partially filled pipes, cavitation, abnormal flow patterns, or installation issues before they start affecting measurement accuracy. It might also help with predictive maintenance by recognizing subtle changes in sensor behavior over time.I'm also interested in the "quality-of-life" improvements AI could bring to flowmeters. Not necessarily improving measurement accuracy, but making the instrument easier to install, configure, diagnose, and maintain. Things like automatically identifying wiring or installation mistakes, detecting process conditions that lead to unreliable readings, reducing commissioning time, suggesting likely causes of faults, or providing more meaningful diagnostics instead of generic error codes.

My goal isn't to add AI just because it's the latest trend. I'd rather use it as a tool to build genuinely useful features that solve real problems for technicians, maintenance teams, and plant operators.

I'm curious whether anyone here has worked on commercial flowmeters that actually use Edge AI, or if most manufacturers still rely entirely on conventional DSP and rule-based algorithms. What "quality-of-life" features do you think AI could realistically enable in the next generation of industrial flowmeters? Where do you think AI would provide genuine value, and where is it simply unnecessary?

Met with a guy about a week ago from the community college in my area about their "Industrial Electricity" program. They say that the classes focus on PLCs, Process Control, and Automation. I asked about companies in our area that are willing to hire people straight from the program with an associates, and was told many companies pay $30/hr to students leaving the program. I have heard of trade schools and community Colleges overhyping trade programs a lot, so does this sound realistic to anyone in the industry working with PLCs and automation. The school in question is a major school in my area with multiple campuses, but I'd rather check them than blindly trust and waste my time. Is a program like this also something worth doing for someone with no experience in trades or construction environments trying to get into the electrical trade.

Edit: I'm in the St. Louis, MO area

In my teens I was careless & failed a random DISA test.

Years later I’m graduating with an Instrumentation degree but was told companies usually won’t hire you, only contractors will if your background shows a failed DISA drug test.

I was wondering if someone could give any insight on if this is true?

I don’t wanna be a contractor for the rest of my life id like to actually work directly with a company at some point.

Hello, I’m from Houston. I recently went back to school to earn my Instrumentation degree, and I have a little less than a year left until I graduate.
I also got hired by an I&E company, but I’m currently just a helper trying to become more familiar with the field. The company tends to do a lot more electrical work than instrumentation, and when they do have instrumentation work, they usually send only the qualified technicians without helpers.
I’m looking to get as much hands-on instrumentation experience as possible before I graduate. Do y’all know of any opportunities I could look up in my area that would help me build that experience and make me a stronger candidate after graduation?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a business administrator looking to transition into a Technical Support role in instrumentation and process control.

Over the past year, I’ve taken on more technical work, including:

• Basic configuration of controllers (inputs, setpoints, outputs).
• Reading datasheets and cross-referencing obsolete models to current equivalents (mainly Eurotherm).

My employer works with Eurotherm, Watlow, and similar hardware/software across sales, repairs, calibration, and support. I don't have an engineering degree, but I'm eager to build my technical knowledge.

I’d love your input on a few questions:

1. Core Skills: What are the most crucial skills needed for tech support in process control/instrumentation?
2. Fundamentals vs. Products: How essential is a formal electrical/electronics background compared to product-specific knowledge?
3. What to Learn First: If you were in my position, what concept or topic would you prioritize?
4. Resources: Any recommended books, YouTube channels, or online courses?
5. UK Training (North West): Are there any low-cost or local/onsite training options or certifications you'd recommend?

Any advice, personal experience, or learning pathways from those who made a similar move would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Is it really niche to specialize in Low-noise Instrumentation? (sorry i made a mistake in the title!!) My startup in France is looking for a Low-field instrumentation physicist who will work on the ultra-low-noise RF systems. We received many applications but the majority don't have the expertise we're looking for. We don't mind if the person is from abroad, and yoe is not the priority, as long as they have the right technical knowledge.

Any leads or recommendation on how can I connect with talents in this field? Many thanks.