10 mejores y 10 peores estados para hacer negocios

10 mejores y 10 peores estados para hacer negocios Para losâ hispanosâ que residimos en Estados Unidos es importante conocer cules child los mejores y los peores estados para hacer negocio por una razã ³n muy straightforward: somos el grupo con el porcentaje ms alto de emprendedores. Y es que 11 de cada 100 tienen un negocio, siendo la presencia latina especialmente remarkable enâ empresas de limpieza, jardinerã ­a, reformas de viviendas, eventos y negocios que requieren licencias profesionales. Muchos de los negocios child pequeã ±os y en realidad child una forma de autoempleo, particularmente entre los migrantes mexicanos y entre los mexicano-americanos que child dueã ±os de aproximadamente 800 mil negocios de este tipo. Est claro que los negocios child importantes para la comunidad latina, tanto para la ya asentada como para la reciã ©n llegada y eligen esa opciã ³n como los que no tienen otro remedio porque llegan con unaâ visa E-2â que debe ser renovada periã ³dicamenteâ o unaâ green card por inversiã ³n. Por esta razã ³n conviene conocer en cules de los 50 estados de Estados Unidos existe una regulaciã ³n y un clima econã ³mico y empresarial que favorece la creaciã ³n y el crecimiento de los negocios. Por ello este artã ­culo comprende: Lista general de los 10 mejores estados para hacer negociosLista general sobre los 10 estados en los que es ms complicado y dificultoso sacar adelante un negocioY lista de los 5 estados que los empresarios latinos prefieren para desarrollar su thought de negocio, que no siempre correspond con el listado general. Child muchas las listas que se hacen anualmente sobre los mejores y peores estados para hacer negocio. Aquã ­ seguimos la de Forbes, por su amplitud y metodologã ­a, pero en general puede decirse que roughage pocas variaciones entre los diferentes listados. Se han valorado factores como: potencial econã ³mico para el futuro, regulaciã ³n sanitaria y de contrataciã ³n, disponibilidad de trabajadores, calidad de vida, clima econã ³mico y costo para hacer negocios. Los 10 mejores estados para emprender Utah, destacando en potencial de crecimiento (poblaciã ³n: 2,963,000)Carolina del Norte, que sobresale en regulaciã ³n ideal para los negocios (poblaciã ³n: 9,992,000)Nebraska, tambiã ©n con un excelente clima regulatorio (poblaciã ³n: 1,877,600)Dakota del Norte, con un buen clima econã ³mico, influenciado por los hidrocarburos (poblaciã ³n: 744,600)Colorado, el estado nã ºmero 1 en normas laborales (poblaciã ³n: 5,397,200)Texas, el estado con el mejor clima econã ³mico (poblaciã ³n: 27,187,700)Virginia, el mejor estado desde el punto de vista regulatorio (poblaciã ³n: 8,355,200)Indiana, el mejor despuã ©s de Virginia en regulaciã ³n (poblaciã ³n: 6,608,900)Dakota del Sur. el estado con menor costo para hacer negocios (poblaciã ³n: 856,200)Washington, un estado con excelentes perspectivas de crecimiento (poblaciã ³n: 7,108,400) Los 10 peores estados para hacer negocios En esta lista se empieza con el menos malo de los top 10 para acabar con el que califica como el peor, es decir, Virginia Occidental. Nueva Jersey, sã ³lo en un estado es ms caro hacer negocio (poblaciã ³n: 8,947,700)Vermont, es caro hacer negocios y mucha regulaciã ³n (poblaciã ³n: 626,500)Hawaii, un estado para vivir pero no para hacer negocios (poblaciã ³n: 1,424,900)Alaska, un estado muy caro (poblaciã ³n: 738,000)Rhode Island, sã ³lo califica bien en calidad de vida (poblaciã ³n: 1,056,900)Nuevo Mã ©xico, el estado con city hall leader porcentaje de hispanos (poblacià ³n:2,085,300)Maine, destaca por su lado positivo, la calidad de vida (poblaciã ³n: 1,331,600)Mississippi (poblaciã ³n: 2,995,700)Virginia Occidental, el estado que peor califica en oferta de trabajadores y regulaciã ³n (poblaciã ³n: 1,844,900). Los mejores y los peores para los emprendedores latinos Los empresarios hispanos en Estados Unidos destacan en la creaciã ³n de pequeã ±as empresas e incluso en las que su objetivo es el autoempleo y tienen un à ºnico empleado: el propio emprendedor. Por ello, prefieren estados donde las regulaciones laborales, de salud y de seguridad le sean favorables para sacar adelante su pequeã ±o negocio. Por estas razones, en las encuestas estos child los cinco estados preferidos por los empresarios latinos para hacer negocio: TennesseeOregà ³nUtahPennsylvaniaTexas Curiosamente, tres de los estados con una amplia presencia latina como child California, Nueva York y Florida, no aparecen en ninguna lista entre los mejores para hacer negocios. A tener en cuenta risks de fundar un negocio Los ciudadanos americanos y los residentes permanentes legales podrã ­an tener acceso a subvenciones para negocios, tanto de carcter government como estatal o incluso neighborhood. Es importante informarse sobre posibles ayudas para prã ©stamos, subvenciones, asistencia neighborhood y condiciones para calificar para contratar con el gobierno en la pgina oficial del Small Business Administration, que tiene una versiã ³n en espaã ±ol. Adems, tasks los empresarios en potencia debe tener en cuenta que es importante familiarizarse sobre las formas jurã ­dicas que se le puede dar al negocio para crear una empresa. Puede haber diferencias importantes a la hora de pagar impuestos o de protecciã ³n risk la ley.â Asimismo, considerar familiarizarse con el sistema de franquicias si les gustarã ­a lanzarse al mundo del emprendimiento pero no se sienten seguros porque no conocen bien las regulaciones. Y, finalmente, risks de empezar a hacer gastos, conviene realizar si es posible un buen plan de negocios y contabilizar tasks los gastos que puedan surgir, stories como abogado, contable, licencias, alquileres, seguros mã ©dicos, impuestos, derechos de los empleados, salarios mã ­nimos, and so forth.

The origination of Mathmatics in Ancient Greece

The beginning of Mathmatics in Ancient Greece Free Online Research Papers Theory Statement: The improvement of arithmetic in the old world, at one time followed back to the antiquated Greeks, is presently comprehended to have begun with the Mesopotamians and Egyptians whose scientific frameworks uncover both striking similitudes and significant contrasts in structure, use, and social noteworthiness. Campbell-Kelly, Martin, Mary Croarken, Raymond Flood, and Eleanor Robson. The History of Mathematical Tables. NY: Oxford University Press, 2003. From essential sources, the writers find out that the old Mesopotamians once in a while communicated their scientific conditions and data in tables however the structure has existed recorded as a hard copy for more than 4500 years. Or maybe, they ordinarily thought of them as records. They relate this to the way that the sexagesimal spot esteem framework had not yet been created. Indeed, even upon its improvement in the eighteenth century BCE, it is assessed that it was still just utilized in a little level of reports. Conversely, in logical and scientific improvements in the course of the most recent 500 years, tables have been instrumental in progressions and open styles. Friberg, J. Startling connections among Egyptian and Babylonian Mathematics. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, 2005. Friberg clarifies the cutting edge wellsprings of data in regards to both Egyptian and Babylonian science and she examines their similitudes inside and out. Old Mesopotamian writings incorporate a very settled number of writings recorded from dirt tablets which had been cut utilizing the cuneiform content, dating from the second thousand years B.C. Old Egyptian writings come from a lesser number of unique arrangements of papyrus writings from three diverse timespans. Friberg then investigates the broad similitudes between specific writings, for example, the nearness of geometric movements in both Babylonian and Egyptian sources. The nearness of metric polynomial math, comparable division thinking, different kinds of geometry, and the numerical underlying foundations of financial aspects are totally tended to with thourough investigations of the different writings. Katz, Victor J. what's more, Annette Imhausen. The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Katz starts by examining the previous Western predisposition with respect to numerical history and the later advances in understandings because of archeological finds in various pieces of the antiquated world. In section one, the historical backdrop of Egyptian arithmetic is talked about with the accentuation on both the numerical understandings uncovered specifically messages through issues, and the hypothetical correspondences however the ways the Egyptian utilized science. The creator remembers a segment for the regulatory utilization of the Egyptian arithmetic framework for the legislature of their progress. In section two, the Mesopotamian arithmetic history is tended to, explicitly on the different times of scientific advances in the locale. The advances of the Uruk, Shuruppag, Nippur, and Umma human advancements of the third thousand years BCE are investigated just as the old Babylonian time of the second thousand years BCE. Kline, Morris. Numerical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times. NY: Oxford University Press, 1972. Kline starts with a conversation of the causes of science as a rule, specifying the improvement of number frameworks, number-crunching, variable based math, and geometry in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. He contends that science, as an order, didn't exist before the old Greeks, yet that the preparation was set by before developments for their advancements identifying with arithmetic. In particular, he gives the historical backdrop of Mesopotamian and Egyptian science as it is known from essential sources. He associates the ascent of science to the development of agrarian civic establishments, and to the Mesopotamians of the ripe Nile River valley. He brings up the various associations between the political exercises in the district and the subsequent spread of numerical information across bigger areas. Selin, Helaine and U. D’Ambrosio. Science across Cultures: the History of Non-Western Mathematics. Boston: Kluver Academic, 2000. Expanding the assemblage of work incorporated on the historical backdrop of old arithmetic, Selin’s numerous articles address the associations among science and culture, the transmission of scholarly capital from East to West, and the individual scientific accomplishments of a wide range of antiquated societies. The science of Mesopotamia is investigated in a paper by creator Eleanor Robson entitled â€Å"The Uses of Mathematics in Ancient Iraq: 6000-600 BC,† including the two advances the way of life made, and the effect that these advances had on their general public. At the end of the day, Robson dissects both the information the progress got, just as the numerous ways they put it to use inside their general public. In another significant article by James Ritter entitled â€Å"Egyptian Mathematics,† Egyptian science are talked about, including how it was utilized inside various societies and the advanced understandings of its importance. Research Papers on The beginning of Mathmatics in Ancient GreeceCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionMind TravelInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the significance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemResearch Process Part OneGenetic Engineering

Comfort Matters

Comfort Matters MITs main lecture hall is in building ten. Its also room 250. Therefore, by MIT standards, it is referred to as 10-250 (ten two-fifty). Its utilized for a bunch of classes (including many for freshmen) and is generally well-liked. I mean, its a lecture hall, its hard to love a lecture hall, but 10-250 is very put-up-with-able. A little over a month ago an article came out in The Tech (MITs newspaper) with the earth-shattering headline 10-250 Renovations to Begin During IAP Reading through the article, I was quickly excited to hear that they were replacing the chairs! No offense to the 10-250 chairs, theyre a nice purple shade but they just arent that comfortable. A remodel of 10-250 means new and, hopefully, more comfortable chairs. I went into 10-250 yesterday to check on the remodeling progress, hoping to say goodbye one last time when I saw something very exciting and unexpected. Sitting in a row were five different types of chairs possible replacement chairs! I quickly did what any normal student would do and tested every single chair for comfort. Heres a quick breakdown: Yellow Ugly Chair The yellow ugly chair appears suitable. Unfortunately its quite hard and not that comfortable. The desk is spacious, providing a lot of room for resting your arm and writing on paper, but this doesnt make up for the uncomfortable seat. Red Squishy Chair The red chair is extremely comfy. The thick padded seat squishes under your weight, providing a posterior-friendly platform, while the back is just as squishy, allowing for a certain amount of lounging during lecture. The desk is a bit smaller than I would like but is the same size as the current desks so its forgivable. All in all, a very good chair. Black Awesome Chair This black chair is the most radical departure from what 10-250 currently hosts. The chairs are hinged in such away that when you pull the seat down the back slides back, providing, at the very least, an entertaining 5 minutes prior to lecture. I anticipate seeing people open and close their seats for the shear enjoyment of it. Unfortunately, sitting in the seat is not as enjoyable because it is HARDER THAN GRANITE! This is very nearly made up for with the AWESOME AMAZING HUGE desk it sports. The desk is mounted to a pole that sits in front of the chair. It has enough writing room for even the pickiest of lecture hall test takers. Grey Nondescript Chair Theres not a lot to say about this grey chair. Its desk is slightly larger than the current 10-250 desks but not significantly so. The large seat cushion looks comfortable but proves to be quite uncomfortable, forcing the attentive student in lecture to sit up quite high, as well as forward on their seats because of the hard chair back. Wooden Holy Chair Finally, the wooden holy chair. What it lacks in comfort (a lot) it kinda sorta makes up for in stylishness. The seams in the seat are complimented by the holes in the back but while it looks nice and professional it feels cold and uninviting. Im sorry chair, I just dont like you. I have no idea when they are deciding which chair to use, nor when they plan on installing the chairs. Call me pessimistic, but I have very little faith in the higher-ups to choose the correct chair so I made sure to let them know what the right decision was. Oh, and also, I found the markings of a prefrosh on one of the boards. Somebody certainly was excited! Thats all for now, Ill let you know in the coming months which chairs they end up choosing. I know, its very important and youre dying to know ; )

Robot Design - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 26 Words: 7661 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? ROBOT DESIGN Section 1 Requirements 1.1 Introduction Robot is a kind of automatic machine, which has particularly a series of similar competences as human-being, such as sensing capability, planning capability, moving capability and so on. The word Robot was referred by Czech writer Karel apek in his play R.U.R (Rossums Universal Robots), which was published in 1920. [1] Moreover, the word robotics, which describes this kind of field of study, was referred accidentally by the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Robot Design" essay for you Create order In his science fiction, all the robots must obey the Three Laws of Robotics (a set of three principles). The laws are stated as follows: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With the developing of science and technology of modern society, robot is moving toward the trend of the development of intelligent. The one we will design is called Autonomous Mobile Robot which is a kind of mobile robot. It has varieties of sensors and controllers on itself. In addition, it is a robot that can independently complete some tasks without external information input and control during operations. The target for autonomous mobile robot is to, in the absence of external intervention and without making any provisions on the circumstance and changing conditions in carrying out the process, sense around the local circumstance information continuously and make a variety of decision-making independently and finally move purposeful and the complete the tasks. Accordingly, navigation technology is the core of autonomous mobile robot. 1.2 Lifecycles The diagram of lifecycles for this project is given below. It shows from the beginning of the project to the end. The system project management is an extremely vital part in every project, though it is always ignored in many teams. We need make a point of doing project management before do everything. We could discuss in a group to think out all of the possibilities which may happen in the project. Many torpedoes are better than a single bullet. [7] Therefore, a group discuss together may motivate more and more inspiration rather than each single thinks it alone. A typical system feature should have simple function but complex design. It need also make a series of requirements after discussing by group, because it provides some different point of views. Possibly, there will be some quarrels during the discussion, hence, we need to respect to everyone and every point of view. In addition, a straight discipline will be built throughout the project. Every engineer should behave in honest and ethically responsibility. Otherwise, they will not be treated as a professional engineer in their field. Nea rly half of team, who is failed in the project, is due to a bad project management. However, the majority of teams may give incomplete requirements in the project; therefore, the result for them is also fail. To sum up, building a high-quality project management and system engineering will decrease project failure probability. 1.3 Quality Plan The quality plan displays the required product qualities and how these are measured and defines the most important quality attributes. The product quality is defined in High-level which emphasize the capabilities of developers for this project. Therefore, we have to consider if the project objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited. The quality plan structure is showed in table 2. Process Description Build all of the motors, microcontrollers, sensors and other components on the housing. Then connect all components to the power supply. In addition, build the software code into microcontrollers. Finally, before the formal race, we need to test the robot and improve on the ability such as speed, stable and so on. Quality Goals To drive as fast as possible and also ensure the egg will not get out of the car. Table 2. Quality Plan Structure 1.4 Requirements specification There are a series of requirements going to be given in the paper. It can be grouped in terms of Mandatory, Preference and Operational. Three specific tables of these requirements are given as follows: Mandatory Requirements Motor To make the wheels rotate. Designer need two motor corresponding with two rear wheels. Sensor To provide the robot drive on the right route. It uses A/D conversion to send the signal into singlechip. DC Converter To step-down the voltages from the power supply. The work voltage for singlechip is around 5V, but the power supply given is much higher than it. Hence, designer needs to reduce the voltage. Wheels To make the robot running. Designer need two rear wheels which measure the speed of rotating and one base wheel which makes the robot balance. It Microcontroller To integrate all inputs, outputs and memory etc. into one chip. Housing To put all components on. It is a base for the robot car. Power Supply To provide voltage so that works successfully. Wires To connect all components from one hole to another. Spoon To carry an egg whilst undertaking its journey. Black line To give the robot a track to race. The black line is 5 meter long. It can be designed any shape of routes. Preference Requirements Aesthetic Appearance To prettify the robot from inside to outside. It will be done after dealing with all Hardware and Software components, including adding several Led lights or a sound box. Also, orderly wires connected on the breadboard will be considerate. All of the opinion above would make consumer happy. Battery To give a wireless robot car. Using a pack of battery instead of wired power supply can make a real robot. However, it will increase the weight of robot itself. Operational Requirement Personnel To distribute each part of project to each of six team member specially. In the project, there are different tasks such as programming design, hardware design, mechanical construction etc. After discussion by group, we can filter out the best parts of each section. Therefore, the project can be distributed to each team member who did the best in his field. In addition, there should be a team leader, for supervising and coordinating every part in this project. Test Equipment To test the robot after designing and assembling work. Designer can use different types of raceways to test the ability of the robot such as the maximum speed, minimum and maximum radius of turning circle etc. Facilities To fix the robot with exact tools. Designer needs some basic tools to assemble the components on the housing. Technical Data To give some specific details. Designer may search online to get some technical data, which can prove our design point. Computer Software To design the programming code. Using Microchip MPLAB(if designer use PIC microchip) or other similar software to build the programming code. Cost To control the budget. As we know, designer should give a budget before working. In this project, the budget is 40 pounds, while we can exceed the budget by paying own. However, it is not a good solution. Therefore, the budget should be controlled strictly. Section 2 Design 2.1 Design Outline We divide the design outline into two parts. One is Hardware, and the other is Software. Both of them are extremely vital in this project. We will use EE2A laboratory component to guide us design the project throughout. [8] All of the specific details for each component will be given in each part. A table for design outline is as follows: HARDWIRE Motor Housing Sensor Microcontroller Power Supply SOFTWARE MPLAB IDE 2.1.1 Hardware 2.1.1.1 Servo Control The key of Servo Control is motor. In this paper we will give two kinds of motorsServo motor and Stepper motor. Servo Motor: It is one kind of indirect subsidy motor speed changing device which can control the mechanical components of the engine running. It can control the speed, displacement accuracy. In addition, it makes voltage signal into torque and rotational speed to drive the controller. The servo motor is divided into DC servo motor and AC servo motor. Servo motor mainly relies on impulse to locate. Also, when servo motor receives a pulse, then it will rotate an angle which is corresponding to one pulse. Thus, it may achieve a displacement. Because of the servo motor has sent a pulse function itself, hence, each servo motor will sent the corresponding numbers of pulse when it rotates an angle. Moreover, it is connected to the pulse which is received by the servo motor, or called Closed-loop. Furthermore, the system will know how many pulses have been sent and how many pulses have been received simultaneously. Accordingly, we can control the motor rotation accurately, in order to achieve precise positioning which can reach 0.001mm. In DC servo motor, it is divided into brush and brushless motors. The characteristics of brush motor and brushless motor are as follows: Brush: Low cost, simple structure, large starting torque, speed range is wide, easy control. Do need to maintain (but easy maintenance). Brushless: Small size, light weight, fast response, high speed, small inertia, smooth rotation, stable torque. Complicated control, easy to implement intelligence. High efficiency, low operating temperature, small electromagnetic radiation. Motor maintenance-free. Stepper Motor: Stepper motor is an open-loop control element which translates electrical impulse signals into angular displacement or linear displacement. Under the non-overload condition, motor speed and stop location only depend on pulse frequency and pulse number, regardless of the load change. That is, to send an electrical pulse signal, then turn one motor step angle. The existence of this kind of linear relationship, coupled with only a periodic error of stepper motors without the accumulated error, makes simple to control the stepper motor in terms of speed, position and other control areas. The characteristics of stepper motor are given as follows: Stepper motors are constant power devices When there is a motor speed increasing, then the torque decreases The torque curve may be extended by using current limiting drivers and expanding the driving voltage. Stepper motor has more vibration than any other motors. The vibration becomes awful at some speeds and may affect the motor to lose torque. The effect can be reduced by increasing velocity quickly through the problem speeds range, actually damping the system, or using a half-stepping motor. Motors with many phases also display smoother operation than those with fewer phases. The technical requirements of the servo control system 1. System Accuracy The accuracy refers to the reappearance of the input signal corresponding with the output of the precision required, which performs in the form of errors. It can be summarized as dynamic error, steady-state errors and static errors, which are composed of three aspects. 2. Stability The stability of the system means that when acting on the system after the disappearance of the interference, the system can be restored to its original steady-state capacity; or when there is a new input to the system command, the system will reach a new stable operation of state capacity. 3. Response The response refers to the output follow the input commands changing in reaction speed, which determines the efficiency of the system. The Response speed corresponds with a number of factors, such as the computers speed, movement system damping and quality etc. 4. Operating Frequency The operating frequency usually refers to the system which allows the input signal frequency range. When the operating frequency signal is input, the system will work according to the technical requirements, while the other frequency signal is input, the system will not work properly. The classifying of servo control system There are three kinds of common classifying as follows: 1. According to the different characteristics of parameters. 2. According to the types of the driving components. 3. According to the control theory. The Structure of servo control system Servo control system typically includes in five partscontroller, controlled object, implementation part, testing part and comparison part. 1. Controller Controller is usually a computer or a PID control circuit. The most important task is to compare the warpage output signal and deal with the transform processing, in order to control the implemental components act under the requirements. 2. controlled object The object is controlled including displacement, velocity, acceleration, force and torque. 3. implementation part The function of the implementation part is in term of control signals, according to the requirements of the various forms energy of the input transform into mechanical energy, in order to drive the controlled object. 4. testing part Testing part is a device which is able to measure the output and convert into more areas of the dimension that needed to. Typically, it includes sensors and conversion circuits. 5. comparison part Comparison part is to compare between the input command signals and the feedback signals of system, in order to attain the deviation between the output and input signal, which is usually achieved by a specific circuit or computers. Accordingly, we design this project with using stepper motor. Considering with the difficult in doing the program code, we have to give up using DC servo motor. Moreover, DC servo motor may create some pulses when it works; we have to make each program separately. Furthermore, the advantage for using stepper motor is that we have already programmed the code. Hence, we could use it with some modification easily. 2.1.1.2 Housing In this project, housing is as to the robot, just like trunk as to human-being. The stability and adaptability is the key of the project. Therefore, we prefer buy a readymade housing or the car online. There are 3 advantages for using this method. Firstly, we do not need to deal with the mechanical construction anymore. All of the basic components have already been built on the housing model. It can save an amount of time to do other work; secondly, the housing model is reliable, for the seller has sold so many models already, particularly to the competitors for the race; thirdly, the cost is lower than we do it ourselves. It can control the budget very well. To sum up, we choose this way to get the housing. In addition, the specific size of each component should be given on the prospectus. Therefore, after choosing kinds of different type of housing, we pick up an advanced housing with wheels. The size of wheels could affect the speed and the angle when it is driving. Under the same condition, using big wheels can go fast in the straight line. However, when there is a curve at the end of straight line, it is harder to turn the right direction immediately than small size wheels, because of its big radius of turning circle. The material of wheels could also affect the speed and angle when it is driving. Using plastic rear wheel may provide a high speed because of less friction. However, without more friction, it may get trouble at turning point with high angular velocity. In our case, to make sure the robot go through the black line track is the most important task. Therefore, rubber wheels should be in favour. Hence, to make wheels rotate flexible, we choose a stainless steel base wheel with 3mm inter radius, 10mm outer radius, 4mm thickness. Moreover, two rear wheels were designed with 20mm radius to make sure it has still some space under the housing to build our sensors on. According, the manufactory constructed the housing for these details we need. Finally, we fix two O-type rubber rings on the wheels. In the front of the housing, we still need to deal with some specific works. Firstly, we need two stepper motors discussed before, the point is, how to fix them on the housing steady. Right, we need two clips to fix them on the housing. Then use one screw and one nut for each side to fix the motor steady. Secondly, to make the housing tidy, we need to add a steel plate. It can not only steady the housing, but also provide another new flat to fix chips on so that do the connection work later easier. Furthermore, we have another goal in this project. It is called egg race. It means we must build a spoon provided to carry an egg throughout the race. Hence, we have to consider how to ensure the egg will not be dropped off. Consequently, we design it that put the spoon on the cover of that added steel plate. It is a good place to lay the egg on, for it is not too high. In addition, we could add several wires around the spoon to double ensure it successfully. 2.1.1.3 Sensors Image Sensor An image sensor is a device which converts an optical image to an electric signal. It is used regularly in digital cameras and other imaging devices. Normally, an image sensor is a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active-pixel sensor. Most digital still cameras use either a CCD image sensor or a CMOS sensor. Both types of sensor achieve the same task of capturing light and converting it into electrical signals. [2] CMOS A CMOS chip is a type of active pixel sensor which is made by using the CMOS semiconductor method. Extra circuitry adjacent to each image sensor converts the light energy to a voltage. Moreover circuitry on the chip might be included to convert the voltage to digital data. It is a sensor which has high system integration. That is to say, a CMOS chip can integrate all of functions needed by image sensor into a system-on-chip so that to achieve the goal of reducing the cost of the production. CCD A CCD is an analog device. When light hits the chip, it is held like a small electrical charge in each photoelectric sensor. The charges are converted to voltage one pixel every time when they are read from the chip. Moreover, the circuitry in the camera converts the voltage into digital data too. A CCD has a series of advantages as follows: High Resolution Low Noise High Dynamic Range Linearity High Quantum Efficiency Large Field of View Broad Spectral Response Low Image Distortion Small Size, Light Weight Low Consume Power, Without Strong Magnetic Fields Effect High Charge Transmission Photoelectric sensor A photoelectric sensor is a device used to detect the displacement, absence, or presence of an object by using an infrared transmitter and a photoelectric receiver. They are used broadly in industrial manufacturing. There are three different functional types: opposed, retro reflective, and proximity-sensing. A self-contained photoelectric sensor contains the optics, along with the electronics. It requires only a power source. The sensor performs its own modulation, demodulation, amplification, and output switching. Some self-contained sensors provide such options as built-in control timers or counters. Because of hi-tech progress, self-contained photoelectric sensors have become more and more small. In addition, fibre optic is passive mechanical sensing components. They may be used with self-contained sensors. They have no electrical circuitry and no moving parts, and can safely pipe light into and out of antagonistic environments.[3] After discussing both image sensor and photoelectric sensor, we decide to use photoelectric sensor during the project. From the comparison of advantages and disadvantages, we can easily find that image sensor (usually use CCD method) is a complicated and advanced technology. It is based on photoelectric infrared transmitter and receiver, but use analogue signal to digital signal. It could be used in some complex task such as 3-D race track. In our project, we only challenge to do up to 5 meters race track. Hence, it is not so much useful to get such an exact detection. Moreover, one of the advantages of photoelectric sensor is high response. It is faster than using image sensor to detect the unknown track. Accordingly, we prefer use photoelectric infrared sensor during the project. As we know, the point of photoelectric infrared sensor is infrared. We have to confirm two beside sensors do not disturb each other work. Hence, to get an appropriate distance between two sensors is the problem in this part. From reading several example projects before, we find a majority of them prefer put all the sensors into one straight line where elicits our attention. It does not matter to put them in front or back of the robot. It is similar to the X-axis. We can define each sensor a coordinate. We prefer use seven infrared sensors (1cm space between two sensors), so we can define all of these sensors into [-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3], which are the y-coordinate. Connect a LED light to the receiver of each sensor. Thus, we can know which sensor is working and which one is not. The specific diagram of sensors are showed in 1. For example, the robot starts at the centre of black line, so the LEDs should send us a data with [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0] (when sensor detects black line, the LED will light. Because the different reflectivity of black and white line). Then it will go along the track until meet a turning point. The receiver might be received a data with [0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0]. Thus, from the defin ition of setting before, we can identify the robot has departed from the centre of the black line to left. Therefore, the robot should turn left. There will be some possible troubles during debugging the robot car. The sensors are not reliable after using for a long time. Therefore, the fixed LEDs will solve this problem definitely. When they work, the LEDs should be lighted. 2.1.1.4 Microcontroller A Microcontroller is a small computer based on a single IC (integrated circuit) which is consisting of a relative simple central processor unit combined with specific functions such as a crystal oscillator, timers, and watchdog timer etc. [4] From the comparison with kinds of microcontroller, we choose MC33886 chip which is a member of the low-cost, high-performance HCS08 Family of 8-bit microcontroller units (MCUs). It is a monolithic H-Bridge ideal for fractional horsepower DC-motor and bi-directional thrust solenoid control. The 33886 chip is able to control continuous inductive DC load currents up to 5.0 A. Output loads can be pulse width modulated (PWM-ed)at frequencies up to 10 kHz.[5] The 33886 chip is parametrically detailed over a temperature range of -40C TA 125C, 5.0 V V+ 28 V. The IC can also be operated up to 40 V with derating of the specifications. The IC is available in a surface mount power package with uncovered pad for heat sinking. The features of MC33886 chip is showed below: [6] Features: Similar to the MC33186DH1 with Enhanced Features 5.0 V to 40 V Continuous Operation 120 m RDS(ON) H-Bridge MOSFETs TTL /CMOS Compatible Inputs PWM Frequencies up to 10 kHz Active Current Limiting via Internal Constant OFF-Time PWM (with Temperature-Dependent Threshold Reduction) Output Short Circuit Protection Under voltage Shutdown Fault Status Reporting Pb-Free Packaging Designated by Suffix Code VW In addition, the simplified application diagram and internal block diagram for MC33886 chip is given as follows: The 33886 chip has 20 pins. The diagram and specific Pin Layout function description will be given in 4 and table 1 as follow: Pin Layout Pin Layout Name Formal Name Description 1 AGND Analog Ground Low-current analog signal ground. 2 FS Fault Status for H-Bridge Open drain active Low Fault Status output requiring a pull-up resistor to 5.0 V. 3 IN1 Logic Input Control 1 True logic input control of OUT1 4, 5, 16 V+ Positive Power Supply Positive supply connections. 6, 7 OUT1 H-Bridge Output1 Output 1 of H-Bridge. 8, 20 DNC Do Not Connect Either do not connect or connect these pins to ground in the application. They are test mode pins used in manufacturing only. 9, 10, 11, 12 PGND Power Ground Device high-current power ground. 13 D2 Disable 2 Active Low input used to simultaneously tri-state disable both H-Bridge outputs. When D2 is logic Low, both outputs are tri-stated. 14, 15 OUT2 H-Bridge Output 2 Output 2 of H-Bridge. 17 CCP Charge Pump Capacitor External reservoir capacitor connection for internal charge pump capacitor. 18 D1 Disable 1 Active High input used to simultaneously tri-state disable both H-Bridge outputs. When D1 is logic High, both outputs are tri-stated. 19 IN2 Logic Input Control 2 True logic input control of OUT2 Table 1. Pin Layout Function Definition Some details for using the MC33886 chip should be noticed that how to use several chips together in this project. The method is using a number of MC33886 chips together in parallel. For there is no need to drive backward, hence, we could use half H-bridge and also make two half H-bridge in parallel. The consequence for this method is to enhance the driving ability of the chips. It is a common variation from full H-bridge that uses two transistors on one side of the load. Moreover, use one of the half H-bridge to drive the motor and the other one to provide power for the sensors. 2.1.1.5 Power Supply Power supply is one of the most important components and the fundament for all components working. A regulated DC power supply provides 0~15 V voltage. There are two different way to build the power supply in this project. One is using two wires to connect 0 and +15V to the DC-DC converter; the other one is building a battery on the robot itself. Both of them have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we have to analyze both of them first. Wired Power supply The advantages for the wired power supply are reliable, stable, durable and savable. The power supply is a regulated DC power supply. The only thing we need to do is using wires to connect both 0 and +15V to the DC-DC converter. Because the working voltage for whatever microcontroller, sensors and stepping motors is 5 volts, we need a DC-DC converter to convert voltage from 15V to 5V. Moreover, we do not need to consider the duration of the power supply. It will still work normally even if works after several hours. Furthermore, using wired power supply is an excellent method to consider the cost during the project, for the power supply is a preference requirement in this project. Hence, we do not need to cost a lot on it. The disadvantage for the wired power supply is obviously wired. We have to let one person hold wires when it is driving. This is a consideration from personnel aspect. It is a waste of energy to the team. Wireless Power Supply The advantage for the wireless power supply is that we can design a really autonomous robot. We do not need to contribute one person to look after it. However, we may meet a series of problems when using battery. Firstly, it may increase the weight of whole robot. As we know, it is hard to turn left or right when you drive a high weight car. It is similar to an autonomous robot. Secondly, the duration is limited. For we have to test the robot before the race competition, the problem is how long does this pack of battery provide the power. The answer is not too long. Therefore, if we choose to use battery as the power supply, we have to solve how to charge the battery first. To sum up, it is not a good method to use battery in this project. Basically, we consider from the duration and the cost these two aspects. Accordingly, the final scheme we designed is to use wired power supply. 2.1.2 Software Because we do not have MC33886 chip yet, we have to use PIC 16F648A chip to simulate this design. It should be kinds of similar to each other, but particularly in using different software. With the purpose of writing program data into a PIC chip, a software programmer is required. In the design, a USB controlled PICkit2 may be used. We will give following steps to guild us through the generation of the programme. Moreover, make sure retain a simple debug programme in order to exercise any hardware, such as a simple flashing LED. There are a series steps to help us how to program the device. We pick them up from the laboratory notes.[8] 1. Connect the PICkit2 Microcontroller Programmer to the PC by using the USB cable. Socket the 6-pin header on the bread board or frankly on to the hardware (for in-circuit programming). 2. Start MPLAB IDE from the shortcut icon on the desktop, or the Start menu. In addition, check the version number is MPLAB IDE v7.62 or above. 3. From the MPLAB IDE menu bar, select Project Project Wizard 4. It opens up the Project Wizard. Click Next to continue. 5. Wizard Step One: The laboratory project target device is the PIC 16F648A (Which we will give an example in the next section). In the wizard, select the PIC 16F648A from the drop-down box and click next. 6. Wizard Step Two: select the use of the CSSC Compiler for PIC12/14/16/18 for the project language tool suite from the Active Tool suite drop-down box. We should browse so as to discover the location of the files on the hard disk. Then Click Next and continue. 7. Wizard Step Three: Name the project and select a directory. Then Click Next. 8. Wizard Step Four: There is possible that we want to add a file which has been written previously. The file tree view box on the left should already be prolonged to the project directory. Select the file which we want to add and click the Add button to add it to the project. Since the project directory is the same as the file directory, there is no need to check the box to copy it. Then Click Next when done. 9. Wizard Summary: Click the Finish button. A new page and project are created in the MPLAB IDE. The new page includes information on the selected PIC MCU device, the active programmer and/or debugger, open windows and their location, and other IDE configuration settings. The page is also related with a project, which includes the files which are needed to build an application (source code, include files, linker scripts and so on.) along with associated language (compiler) tools and build options. 10. The project window displays the project files as a small window within the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). 11. The next stage is to add a source file to the project. Click Project Add New File To Project and enter a suitable file name in the dialogue box such as LED Flasher.c. A new window will be added to the IDE and we may observe that a file has been added to the Source Files directory on the project window. Now type in some proper C code in this example an LED connected to portA [bit 0] will repeatedly flash. We could use some example code from the internet and modify several rows of it. 12. Save the file by clicking the disc icon or File | Save. Then compile the project either by clicking the compile icon, or Project | Compile, or by pressing F10. It might be that we have entered the source code without any errors, we should see an output reporting window come out and the header file is added to the list of files within the project window. 13. The microprocessor may now be programmed. Click Programmer | Select Programmer | PICkit2. This has now selected the programmer and we can programme our device by clicking Programmer | Program. 2.2 Proof of concept In this section, the only one thing we need to do is proof. As we know, motor is the most important component throughout the project. We have already chosen stepper motor in this design. Therefore, we prefer give out some specific details to demonstrate the requirements. We need two level description of Pseudo-Code to make the difficult language programme to simple. The description supposes that the system includes two inputs, one of which is labelled button C (for clockwise). The Pseudo-Code for level 1 is given below. 1. REPEAT indefinitely: 2. Wait until either button has been pressed 3. Determine which of the two buttons was pressed 4. IF button C was pressed THEN 5. Rotate the motor shaft 180clockwise 6. OTHERWISE 7. Rotate the motor shaft 180anti-clockwise Having developed the top-level description it could be seen that there are many characteristics of the programme which are not considered enough. There is no mention that how to determine which of the buttons was pressed and how to rotate the motor. Moreover, there is no mention the angular velocity and anything else related to the implementation. Therefore, a Level 2 description should be given next which includes more detail. There are still several lines which can be seen in the Level 2 Pseudo-Code. Moreover, two more loops have been added, to control the rotation of the motor (the step size of the motor chosen is 1.8) The Pseudo-Code for Level 2 is given below: 1. REPEAT indefinitely: 2. Determine whether a button has been pressed 3. REPEAT 100 times: 4. determine which of the two buttons was pressed 5. IF button C was pressed THEN Rotate the motor shaft clockwise 6. OTHERWISE 7. Rotate the motor shaft anti-clockwise 8. Insert time delay of one step period Also, we should transfer these two Pseudo-Codes into flowchart. It is an obvious way to check each step throughout the project. The two levels flowcharts are given as follows: Moreover, we will use hybrid stepper motors in the project. The one we choose is called RS 440-436 and the size is 17. The 4 phase hybrid stepper motors are competent of delivering much higher working torques and stepping rates than permanent magnet (7.5and 15) types. Whilst at the same time keeping a high detent torque even when not energised. This feature is the core technique for positional reliability. The RS stock number 440-436 with rear shaft is shown below: The technical specification for RS stock no. 440-436 is given in the table below: RS Stock number 440-436 Rated voltage (V) 12 Rated current ( I ) 0.16 Resistance () 75 Inductance (mH) 36 Detent torque (mHm) 4 Holding torque (mNm) 70 Step angle accuracy (%) 5 Step angle 1.8 Insulation class B In the proof section, we divide it into three tasksfull stepping, half stepping, and interrupt-driven control of two motors. In addition, the full program code will be given in the appendix page. Full-Stepping For the first stages of demonstration, a program is to be designed to turn the motor shaft clockwise or anti-clockwise under the control of an input pin. One input should be used to rotate the motor clockwise, and the other one to rotate it anti-clockwise. Each time an input is turned on, the motor should turn 180. The motor should turn at a constant angular velocity of more or less 15rpm (revolutions per minute). The default drive mode should be two-phase-on full stepping (normal drive). Communication with the IO ports should be by the use of memory-mapped structures. In addition, the core stepper drive routine will be written as a subroutine which is in order to minimise code size and maximise the chic of the code. We have done a programme by using PIC 16F648A chip in the laboratory. Furthermore, we would like to use this program code to build our robot in the next semester. In addition, the diagrams for PIC 16F648A and full step mode are as follow: Step No. Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 ON OFF OFF ON 1 ON OFF ON OFF 2 OFF ON ON OFF 3 OFF ON OFF ON 4 ON OFF OFF ON 5 ON OFF ON OFF Table 3. Full step mode Half-Stepping The program should be revised to use half step drive control. The angular velocity of the motor should be user-selectable, with four selectable speeds defined by the state of the remaining PORTA pins. The angular velocity of the fastest setting should be approximately 60 rpm, with that of the slowest setting being roughly 8 times slower. The advantage for half-stepping system is much more specific in controlling the angle. Moreover, the angular velocity of the fastest setting is 4 times than full-stepping. Also, the program code will be given in the appendices page. Step No. Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 ON OFF ON OFF 1 ON OFF OFF OFF 2 ON OFF OFF ON 3 OFF OFF OFF ON 4 OFF ON OFF ON 5 OFF ON OFF OFF 6 OFF ON ON OFF 7 OFF OFF ON OFF 8 ON OFF ON OFF 9 Table 4. Half step mode Interrupt-driven Control of Two Motors The program should relapse back to full step drive control with two coils all the time being turn on as this provides the highest level of drive torque for driving the robot. The programme should be modified such that two stepper motors can be driven independently at different speeds. This will require the use of a hardware timer and an interrupt routine. The outputs of the second stepper motor may be displayed by using the LEDs. Similarly, higher supply voltages and larger series limiting resistance may effect on the motor performance. The below shows the relationship between torque and speed: From the proof section, we know to implement a program from stretch. Starting from pseudo-code to flowchart and finally programming the whole program. There are numerous mistakes throughout the whole process. One of the most notable is trying to program struct program. We set the addressing struct with the TRIS command and the whole processor cannot work. Another mistake we made is using a testing board with faultily dip switch and not realizing it. Thus it is very important to check the integration of board before testing. Section 3 Risk Management Project risk management is a part of project management which is referred at our quality plan. It is a properly way to identify the risk and also minimise the influence on a project. 3.1 HAZOP Analysis HAZOP is abbreviated form for Hazard and Operability Study which is a very effective method to find hazards in a system. Moreover, it is a diagnostic technique used to make out potential accidents throughout the project. The HAZOP technique was used to analyse chemical process system, but now has been extended to other types of system in some other fields such as for safety critical electronics and computer systems. A HAZOP is a qualitative technique which is based on guide-words. The HAZOP technique contains 4 basic steps: Identify design intent (feature of the design) Apply Guidewords to plan to find out design deviations Identify consequences of deviations with realistic causes Hazards are results with damage, injury or loss The key of the attribute is to choose suitable parameters which apply to the design intention. These are general words such as angles, displacement, angular velocity and so on in this project. It can be seen throughout the project that variations in these parameters can make up deviations from the design intention. In order to identify Deviations, the Study Leader applies (systematically, in order) a set of Guide Words to each parameter for each section of the process [9]. The standard Guide Words are below: Guide Word Meaning NO OR NOT Complete negation of the design aim MORE Quantitative Increase LESS Quantitative Decrease REVERSE Opposite EARLY Relative to a clock time LATE Relative to a clock time OTHER THAN Complete Substitution Table 3. Guide word and its meaning The following table displays an overview of normally used guide word parameter pairs and common descriptions of them. Parameters Guide Words NO MORE LESS REVERSE OTHER THAN Motor No power More power Less power Direction switch Angular velocity Completely stop Faster Slower Clockwise or Anti-clockwise Displacement Center and forwards Left departure Right departure backwards Out of track Moreover, HAZOP is commonly accomplished by a team of people, particularly in this project, with roles as follows: Name Alternative Role Team Leader Chairman Someone who has experience in HAZOP, to monitor the method followed successfully Recorder Scribe To ensure the problems in the project are documented Designer Chief design engineer To explain design details throughout the project Technician Mechanical doer To deal with the mechanical construction work User Tester To test the product if there is any problem. To ensure it can work successfully during the race Administrator Carer To ensure there is no conflict during the project. Also monitor all the branches work successfully 3.2 FMECA Analysis FMECA is abbreviated form for Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis. It is a methodology to solve the problem which includes: Identify failure modes in products and process Evaluate the risks of failure modes Make the risks in different class Reduce the risks possibility Function Failure Failure Mode Effect To make robot turn from 0to 90within 0.5 second Failure to turn appropriate angle. Motor without power supply Robot stopped. Check the connection from the robot to the power supply. 10 minutes. Sensors do not work normally Robot got a improper information to turn. Renew the sensors. 1-2 hours. Wheels are not suitable to turn these angles Out of track. Change a pair of appropriate wheels after measuring. 1-2 hours. Programme is failure Out of track. Renew the programme code. 2-3 hours. Time without 0.5 second Improper stepper motor Out of track. Renew a stepper motor or the programme. 2-3 hours. Section 4 Conclusion Consequently, from analysis of all varieties of components which we need throughout the project, we have built a very specific design plan. Due to this project plan, we could design our autonomous robot with an obvious guide. Moreover, we used two kinds of different risk analysis to monitor our project. Both of them can help us to reduce hazards and risks which may happen in the future. 5. Reference 1. a b Zunt, Dominik. Who did actually invent the word robot and what does it mean?. The Karel Capek website. https://capek.misto.cz/english/robot.html. 02/11/2009 2. CCD VS CMOS, from Photonic Spectra 11/11/2009 3. https://info.bannersalesforce.com/xpedio/groups/public/documents/literature/pr_p1_t1_e.pdf.pdf 4. 8052-Basic Microcontrollers by Jan Axelson 1994 5. https://motorola.com/semiconductors 20/11/2009 6. https://www.freescale.com/webapp/search.partparamdetail.framework?PART_NUMBER=MC33886DHbuyNow=false#PCN 7. EE2G1 notes, Lifycycles 8. EE2A laboratory components department of Electronics, Electrical, and Computer Engineering, University of Birmingham 9. British Standard BS: IEC61882:2002 Hazard and operability studies (HAZOP studies)- Application Guide British Standards Institution. This British Standard reproduces verbatim IEC 61882:2001 and implements it as the UK national standard. 6. Appendices Full-Stepping Code #include16F648A.h #use delay(clock=4000000) #fuses NOWDT,INTRC_IO,NOPUT,NOPROTECT,NOLVP,NOMCLR static int const LUTBL[4]={0x0A,0x09,0x05,0x06}; struct pinformat { int direction1:1; int speed1:3; int direction2:1; int speed2:3; int output1:4; int output2:4; }; struct pinformat ioport; struct pinformat ioportdirection; #byte ioport=0x05 #byte ioportdirection=0x85 void main() { int tableindex; int repeat=100; int stepdelay=20; int i; ioportdirection.direction1=0b1; ioportdirection.direction2=0b1; ioportdirection.output1=0b0000; while(TRUE) { if((ioport.direction1==1)(ioport.direction2==0)) { tableindex=0; for (i=0;irepeat;i++) { tableindex=(tableindex+1)%4; ioport.output1=LUTBL[tableindex]; Delay_ms(stepdelay); } } if((ioport.direction2==1)(ioport.direction1==0)) { tableindex=200; for (i=0;irepeat;i++) { tableindex=(tableindex-1)%4; ioport.output1=LUTBL[tableindex]; Delay_ms(stepdelay); } } } } Half-Stepping Code #include16F648A.h #use delay(clock=4000000) #fuses NOWDT,INTRC_IO,NOPUT,NOPROTECT,NOLVP,NOMCLR static int const LUTBL[8]={0x0A,0x08,0x09,0x01,0x05,0x04,0x06,0x02}; struct pinformat { int direction1:1; int speed1:2; int unused1:1; int direction2:1; int speed2:2; int unused2:1; int output1:4; int output2:4; }; struct pinformat ioport; struct pinformat ioportdirection; #byte ioport=0x05 #byte ioportdirection=0x85 void main() { int stepdelay,increase,tableindex; int repeat,i; ioportdirection.direction1=0b1; ioportdirection.direction2=0b1; ioportdirection.speed1=0b11; ioportdirection.speed2=0b11; ioportdirection.output1=0b0000; ioportdirection.output2=0b0000; while(TRUE) { if((ioport.direction1==1)(ioport.direction2==0)) { tableindex=0; repeat=200; if((ioport.speed10b00)==0b00) { stepdelay=2; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b01)==0b01) { stepdelay=5; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b10)==0b10) { stepdelay=10; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b11)==0b11) { stepdelay=20; increase=0x01; } } if((ioport.direction2==1)(ioport.direction1==0)) { tableindex=0; repeat=200; if((ioport.speed10b00)==0b00) { stepdelay=2; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b01)==0b01) { stepdelay=5; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b10)==0b10) { stepdelay=10; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b11)==0b11) { stepdelay=20; increase=0xFF; } } if((ioport.direction1==1)(ioport.direction2==1)) { repeat=0; } if((ioport.direction1==0)(ioport.direction2==0)) { repeat=0; } for (i=0;irepeat;i++) { tableindex=(tableindex+increase)%8; ioport.output1=LUTBL[tableindex]; Delay_ms(stepdelay); } } } Interrupt-driven Control of Two Motors Code #include16F648A.h #use delay(clock=4000000) #fuses NOWDT,INTRC_IO,NOPUT,NOPROTECT,NOLVP,NOMCLR static int const LUTBL[4]={0x0A,0x09,0x05,0x06}; static int tableindexi; struct pinformat { int direction1:1; int speed1:2; int unused1:1; int direction2:1; int speed2:2; int unused2:1; int output1:4; int output2:4; }; struct pinformat ioport; struct pinformat ioportdirection; #byte ioport=0x05 #byte ioportdirection=0x85 #int_RTCC void Timer0_isr() { int increasei; if(ioport.direction2==1) { increasei=0x01; } if(ioport.direction2==0) { increasei=0xFF; } tableindexi=(tableindexi+increasei)%4; ioport.output2=LUTBL[tableindexi]; } void main() { int stepdelay,increase; int repeat,i,tableindex; ioportdirection.direction1=0b1; ioportdirection.direction2=0b1; ioportdirection.speed1=0b11; ioportdirection.speed2=0b11; ioportdirection.output1=0b0000; ioportdirection.output2=0b0000; while(TRUE) { tableindex=0; if((ioport.speed20b00)==0b00) { SETUP_TIMER_0(RTCC_INTERNAL|RTCC_DIV_16); } if((ioport.speed20b01)==0b01) { SETUP_TIMER_0(RTCC_INTERNAL|RTCC_DIV_32); } if((ioport.speed20b10)==0b10) { SETUP_TIMER_0(RTCC_INTERNAL|RTCC_DIV_64); } if((ioport.speed20b11)==0b11) { SETUP_TIMER_0(RTCC_INTERNAL|RTCC_DIV_128); } enable_interrupts(INT_RTCC); enable_interrupts(GLOBAL); if(ioport.direction1==1) { repeat=4; if((ioport.speed10b00)==0b00) { stepdelay=4; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b01)==0b01) { stepdelay=8; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b10)==0b10) { stepdelay=16; increase=0x01; } if((ioport.speed10b11)==0b11) { stepdelay=32; increase=0x01; } } if(ioport.direction1==0) { repeat=4; if((ioport.speed10b00)==0b00) { stepdelay=4; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b01)==0b01) { stepdelay=8; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b10)==0b10) { stepdelay=16; increase=0xFF; } if((ioport.speed10b11)==0b11) { stepdelay=32; increase=0xFF; } } for (i=0;irepeat;i++) { tableindex=(tableindex+increase)%4; ioport.output1=LUTBL[tableindex]; Delay_ms(stepdelay); } } }

Women During The United States Military - 1345 Words

9 April 2016 TOULMIN ESSAY Women have always served in the United States Military, since the beginning of the existence of the United States. I will make the argument, that women can and should be allowed to serve in combat roles, that are traditionally open for men only. Combat does not distinguish between the sexes. This is an important issue for everyone. The main reason, why women have never been allowed to be in combat roles, is because the sight of a wounded woman on the battle field makes for heart breaking image. It should not matter what the gender is, as long as they get the job done on the battlefield. The conventional ways of fighting a war, does not exist anymore. We all have a part, women and men. There is only one†¦show more content†¦There are many examples that can be cited where women have served in combat roles. World War II in the Pacific. When the Philippines fell to the Japanese, lots of American Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and sailors were captured. Among th ose Prisoners of War, were also women. These women were Nurses, who were taking care of the wounded. There were treated just as bad as the men and many times even worse. Granted, there not serving on the front lines, but the front lines came to them, when places like Bataan had to surrender. Another example, is an interviews that was conducted by NPR reporter Alex Chadwick, with Army National Guard Specialist Abbie Pickett. The interview was about Specialist Pickett experience while she was in Iraq. She was part of an engineer unit. She was outside the camp on various occasions, just like her male counterparts. She was as much as a target as the male soldiers. She was driving a fuel truck between different camps. All it would take is for one rocket to hit her fuel truck and she would be wounded or killed. She was not in a defined combat military occupational specialty, but she was in combat. This female soldier was one of many thousands of female soldiers that served in various capacities in Iraq, from driving trucks of supplies, to being part of convoys, to pulling guard duty at the various camps through Iraq. There are many examples of women serving in

Home Schooling and Public Schooling Free Essays

Never before in the United States have parents been so disgruntled about their children†s education. The main reason behind this massive disruption seems to be that public schools are not living up to parent†s standards. Because of this, parents are taking their child†s education and future into their own hands. We will write a custom essay sample on Home Schooling and Public Schooling or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many parents are turning to an â€Å"alternative† means of educating known as home schooling. Home schooling is simply education of school- aged children at home rather than at school. Parents are choosing home schooling over public schools because public schools are not meeting their child†s academic, individual, and/or disability needs. First, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student†s academic needs. Parents expect their child will learn to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate. However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic academic skills. Recent studies appear to show that many who graduate, as many as 25%, cannot read or write at an eighth grade level. This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to gain an education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence seems to shows that the United States rank at the bottom of industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, students are said to be ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests. Children who attend public schools rank in the â€Å"average zone† whereas, home schooled children typically score above average. To add to this common bit of knowledge the press has recently reported the startling news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or more years ahead, of their formally trained peers, in their ability to think. These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in all academic areas compared to children attending public schools. Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking a student†s individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school year, or worse yet, passed on without ever gaining the needed skill. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to repeat the same grade or will be passed on continually without ever learning how to read. If students were properly tutored in the areas they are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades or graduate without the tools necessary to be successful. Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer have time to work one on one with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach in a style and at a pace that best fits their child†s needs. Home schooled children are not held back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects. Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects they are having trouble with. Children who are home schooled also get individual attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for their teacher to find time to help them. It is becoming apparent to many parents that home schooling meets the individual needs of their child better than public schooling. Finally, parents of children with physical and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their child†s handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time as other students. Teachers are not taking these children†s handicaps into consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments. This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of disabled children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions to teach their disabled children at home. By teaching their children at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development. For instance, children with ADD are in an environment where they will not be influenced by the action of other children and cannot be as easily distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments, as well as have all of their assignments tailored to fit their abilities and needs. By home schooling, children with learning disabilities are given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise would not get in public schooling. Public schools may have been the center for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children†s academic, individual, and disability needs. As a result, parents are choosing to educate their children through home schooling. Reports show that home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools by a noticeable degree. In addition, disabled children are having their needs met better at home than in public schools. They are being given an equal chance at succeeding in their academic endeavors. Parents are choosing home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems. How to cite Home Schooling and Public Schooling, Papers

Security On The Internet Essay Example For Students

Security On The Internet Essay Security on the InternetInternet has become an essential tool for daily tasks. The options people have nowadays are limitless: banking, shopping, booking reservations, chatting, and so on. However, several drawbacks have arisen that are of concern to all of the internet users. Unfortunately, incidents of auction fraud, the sale of illegal items, and criminal trespassing are booming in the e-commerce market. The nature of the Internet and the ease of gaining anonymity on it, has made crime easy and catching criminals much more difficult. Many cases of fraud have occurred: people who collect payments from buyers and never ship the goods to them. Earlier in the summer, for example, former eBay seller Robert Guest pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Prosecutors had accused Guest of collecting approximately $37,000 from bidders for items he never shipped. 1 Cases like these are a real drawback for e-commerce. The lack of tangibility has been a major obstacle in doing transactions online and these cases only serve to destroy the little confidence that consumers have gained so far. Many people are hesitant to shop online, for example, and when they hear of fraud cases it only serves to confirm their initial fears. That is why organizations such as The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are educating consumers to protect themselves. These agencies know that thousands of consumers are taking advantage of the opportunity to shop from the comfort of their homes via personal computers. A person can bu y anything and avoid crowded malls, long lines and busy parking lots. Furthermore, the Internet is always open: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. In order to actually benefit from online shopping, certain things must be taken into consideration. The BBBs Web site contains a section that offers tips on What You Need to Know About Cybershopping. 2 The tips are the following:When dealing with a new merchant, ask for its physical location in order to check its reliability with consumer agencies (i.e. The BBB). Determine the companys refund and return policy before you place an order. Never give out your Internet password. When creating a password avoid using established numbers, such as your house number, birth date, telephone number or Social Security number. If you are asked to create a new account, never use the same password you use for other accounts. Be cautious if you are asked to provide personal information (i.e. Social Security number or bank account information). Look at the address of the site, the URL ensures that you are dealing with the right company. It is good to print out a copy of your order and confirmation number for your records. Know your rights. The same laws that protect you when you shop by phone or mail apply when you shop online. Under the law, a company must ship your order within the time stated in its ads. If no time is promised, the company should ship your order within 30 days after receiving it, or give you an option notice. If you decide to pay by credit card or charge card, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, consumers have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. In the case of unauthorized use of a consumers credit card or charge card, consumers are generally held liable only for the first $50 in charges. 3 If you are not comfortable entering your credit card or charge account number online, call it in to the companys 800 number or fax it. The FTC also contains a section which offers consumers tips on online safety. In addition to the ones made by the BBB, The FTC also suggests that:Use a secure browser. This is the software that you use to navigate the Internet. Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Secure Electronic Transaction (SET). These standards scramble the purchase information you send over the I nternet, ensuring the security of your transactions. Most computers come with a browser already installed or you can download one over the Internet for free. .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .postImageUrl , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:hover , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:visited , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:active { border:0!important; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:active , .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b26836 0cb6f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left: 18px; top: 0; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8551716ae2a4939cea390b268360cb6f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Concept of Mentorship Essay

Choate, P. (1986). The High-flex Society. New York Alfred A. Knopf. E

Choate, P. (1986). The high-flex society. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Koretz, G. (1997). Help wanted by small business. Business Week. August 25, 1997, pp 32. Lynch, M. (1997). Choosers not beggars. Business Week. September 15, 1997, pp 8. Reynolds, A. (1994). Employment crisis: running out of willing workers. SIRS Researcher. October 24, 1994, pp 35+. Shapiro, H.T. (1996). One education way. Colorado Springs: Junior Achievement Inc. Simons, P. (1989). Lets put America back to work. Chicago: Bonus Books. Zycher, B. (1995). Minimal evidence. SIRS Researcher. June, 1995, pp 44-47. Unemployment has been a problem throughout the United States since the beginning of our economic structure. In the most obvious sense, unemployment means "being without a job." The term unemployment is one description of the economic condition of a society at any given time. Low unemployment means the majority of the labor force is involved in, or looking for steady work. On the other hand, high unemployment is an indication of an economy in recession, or even worse. This implies that a sizable percentage of the labor force is not currently working. Until they actually start working again, they will be counted in government data as "unemployed" (Shapiro, 1996). The Bureau of the Census in the Department of Commerce collects and tabulates the unemployment statistics in the united states. Next, this information is given to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) which is held in the labor department. The BLS then calculates the unemployment rate and publishes the statistics. Every month, agents revisit a set amount of households all over the United States. Some economists criticize the government's method of calculating unemployment because it fails to include "discouraged workers" in its data (Shapiro, 1996). "Discouraged workers" include those who have looked for a job over a large period of time and have simply quit. For this reason, critics say, real unemployment may be extensively larger than one might think. Throughout the 1900's there has been numerous polls taken that shocked everyone. The unemployment rate for those who cannot read and write is dramatically higher than for those who can (Simons, 1989). Illiteracy is a hidden problem throughout the United States (Simons, 1989). Another poll taken showed that an estimated 23 percent of Americans can read a stop sign but cannot fill out an employment form. Of those who can read and write, large numbers of adults cannot read and write past the fifth grade level (Zycher, 1995). How are people going to get a job if they are not even able to inform the company of their skills? Another interesting fact, is The severest deficient demand in the United States occurred during the Great Depression in the 1930's. In fact, at one point the unemployment rate had raised to twenty five percent in 1933. Fortunately, after world war one had begun the need for military had decreased the rate to as low as 1.2 percent (Reynolds, 1994). On the other hand, most people did not even pay any attention to the unemployment rate, because the considered laziness to be the main cause. Several possibilities have been speculated, but none have been proven to be the single cause of high unemployment. It is plainly clear that there have been several problems that play a role when the unemployment rate increases. Indeed, the experience of the past several decades suggest that no simple, quick, or radical remedy can eliminate the multitude of choke-points that are strangling U.S. economic and political processes (Choate,1986). Causes of unemployment can vary. Some economists have defined several types of unemployment. One type is frictional unemployment. This is a temporary and unavoidable period of time where a person is out of the work force. According to One education way, "There are always some people who are out of work for completely unavoidable reasons" (Shapiro, 1996, P.151). Another example, is when technological and other changes cause structural unemployment. There are also clinical changes in which changes in general business occur. "Peak" is a period of time when spending amounts are extremely high along with employment rates. After a period of "peak", activity consumers and business' reduce unemployment rates along with their spending levels. As this spending falls, other business firms begin to cut back on their spending. As spending

7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers

7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers 7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers 7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers By Mark Nichol Doing research to strengthen a current story or article, or to get ideas for a new one? You can google all you want and hope for a productive return, but to engage in a focused search, try one of these mediated experiences instead: 1. Infoplease From current events to reference-desk resources to features about history, this site puts a remarkable array of information within reach. Guides to the nations of the world, timelines of political, social, and cultural developments, special quantitative and qualitative features like â€Å"The Worlds Most Corrupt Nations† and â€Å"Color Psychology,† and more cover just about anything you could think of. 2. The Internet Public Library Unlike the other reference centers on this list, the IPL is a portal to other Web sites, brimming with directories of links in topics like Arts Humanities. (Dictionary of Symbolism? Check. Ask Philosophers? Right. Legendary Lighthouses? We got your legendary lighthouses right here.) If you need background information on either fiction or nonfiction projects, stop by for a visit I just dare you to leave without a digressive click or ten. 3. The Library of Congress The online presence of the official repository of knowledge and lore of the United States is an indispensable resource not only for nonfiction writers seeking background information for topics but also for fiction authors seeking historical context for an existing project or inspiration for a new one. 4. Merriam-Webster Online The publishing world’s dictionary of record is at your fingertips online as well as in print, with a thesaurus and Spanish-English and medical compendia, to boot. The dictionary also includes refreshing can’t-we-all-just-get-along usage commentary. (That and which, as pronouns that introduce restrictive clauses, are interchangeable.) You’ll also find video tutorials on usage from dictionary staff, a Word of the Day feature, word games, and a variety of language-watch features. 5. Refdesk Refdesk.com, like Infoplease, is a clearinghouse for online research, with links to headline news and timeless information alike. You can easily get lost in its Daily Diversions directory, which includes links not only to humor, games, and trivia sites but also to more respectable resources like DailyWritingTips.com (whoo!). If you have a question, chances are you can find the answer on this site. 6. Snopes How do you verify that this self-described â€Å"definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation† is what it claims to be? Go to the site and find out. The fine folks at Snopes.com will set you straight about any one of hundreds of posts each with a prominent judgmental icon, and commentary to back it up about that one thing you think you remember you heard about that one thing. (For example: Posh comes from an acronym for â€Å"port out, starboard home† the ideal respective locations for accommodations on a luxury liner right? Cue the buzzer. Bogus.) TruthOrFiction.com is a similar site. 7. Wikipedia This user-generated online encyclopedia got a lot of flak a few years ago for some inaccurate information posted by someone with a grudge, but that was an isolated incident. Also, many sources warn against using Wikipedia as a primary source for research. That said, don’t hesitate to avail yourself of the wealth of information available on the site much of which is written by subject-matter experts in the field in question. Then click on one of the online sources linked in the footnotes, or take your search to one of the other sites in this list. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Writing the Century45 Idioms with "Roll"

Introduction about Al Hilla in Iraq Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction about Al Hilla in Iraq - Assignment Example During Muslim rule, it was a major centre of education and Islamic scholarship. Among its renowned scholars were the historian and astrologer Muhammad ibn Tawus al-Alawi al-Hasam (Singh, 2004: 425), and the Shia legalist recognised as the Imam of his time, Ahmad ibn al Mutawwaj (Cole, 2002: 34). The city is now predominantly occupied by Shias. All Hilla was also visited by the famous Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta in the 14th century on his way to Baghdad (Dunn, 1986: 97). At the time of the Usmanian (Ottoman) Empire, Al Hilla was a major administrative centre and it remained so during the period of the British Empire. In 1920, heavy fighting took place in the city during an uprising against the British, and in 2003, the city again witnessed heavy fighting against the US Army during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Over the past decade, Al Hilla has been the scene of several bomb attacks due to the American occupation of Iraq, but the situation is relatively peaceful once

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation Thesis

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation - Thesis Example In 2006, the Conference Board published ‘Employee Engagement, A Review of Current Research and Its Implications’. Going by this report we see that twelve extensive studies have been published over the course of four years mainly by research firms such as Gallup, Towers Perrin, Blessing White, and the Corporate Leadership Council among others (Soldati, 2007). The Conference Board as a result took and combined all the results in order to come up with a blended definition that incorporated all the themes in it. They define employee engagement as â€Å"a heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work†. According to at least four of the studies agree upon eight of the key drivers: 1. Trust and integrity – how efficiently do managers commune and do what they preach? 2. Nature of the job –Is it psychologically inspiring every day? 3. The line between company performance and employee performance – Does the employer have an idea of how their performance will affect the company as a whole? 4. Opportunities for career growth – Will there be opportunities to grow in the future? 5. Pride about the company – Does the employee feel proud to be associated by the organization? 6. Coworkers/team members – Teamwork will greatly improve the employee motivation 7. Development of the employees – Does the organization make an effort to improve the employee’s skills and abilities? 8. Relationship with the manager – Does the employee treasure his or her relations with the boss? The other vital findings of the study included the fact that in comparison to the smaller companies, the larger companies tend to involve the workers more in the workplace. Employee age also creates a big difference in the vitality of the various drivers. As an example we can quote that employees who fall over t he age of 44 will place more importance on ‘recognition and reward for their contribution’, in comparison to their younger counterparts who place a higher value on ‘challenging environment/career growth opportunities’. However, one things that came across as the most important factor among all studies was the factor of one’s relationship with one’s manager. It was seen that it highly influenced the motivation levels of the employees in almost every case. Also according to the report, employee engagement is plays a very important part in the workplace. There is obvious and rising proof that high levels of employee engagement eagerly associates to individual, group as well as corporate performance in a number of crucial areas such as loyalty, retention, productivity, customer service and turnover. It is also seen that this difference is not just by small margins but big ones. Even though the results varied from study to study, the employees who were highly engaged usually outperformed their counterparts by a whopping 20-28%. This is a clear image of how employee engagement influences their workplace decisions as well as paves a way towards further organizational success by effectively instilling into the workers a desire to work efficiently. Finally, there is some verification that companies are reacting to this concept of employee engagement challenge mostly by creating flatter chains of command and also providing training for first-line managers to improve the communication at all levels (Flemund &

The Global Market Entry Strategies Of Banks Commerce Essay

The Global Market Entry Strategies Of Banks Commerce Essay The PESTLE analysis was enunciated to ascertain the levels of the effects the external environment plays in the global market arena. The global market entry strategy remains an important focal point in global marketing as banks in an effort to enhance growth and survival expand to other foreign markets to remain competitive in a turbulent and ever changing business environment. This research took a cursory look at the various elements that determines the options available to financial institutions especially banks as the mode of entry varies based on different criteria and how such decisions are made, the advantages and disadvantages of joint ventures, strategic alliances and mergers acquisition were appropriately considered. These elements also includes the focal theories of marketing strategic environment, the eclectic, the business network, the institutionalization and the resource based theories of foreign direct investment, the different market entry choice open for banks was a nalysed. The market conditions that influences the decision of banks in selecting markets are analysed (the internal and external conditions), the market entry partner selection criteria was enunciated. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. has taken a look at the disadvantages of the partnership style and hence opted for the choice of not adopting these styles of market entry as the countries it is participating in had not stringent protectionist regulation, all these countries of Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia all needed the influx of foreign direct investment from neighbour nations. GTBank however opted for the establishment of subsidiaries in these countries by taking the grow brand straight into the markets of its choice, the branded products were internationalized. This gives it the leverage to make definite decisions and determine the steps, pace and determine the direction in which it decides to operate. This mode of market entry strategy enhanced GTBanks chances of being innovative and to compete favourably in its continuous drive to attain maximum height in the global business environment it finds itself. This has contributed to the successive growth of the bank in the West African sub-region. Had it opted for the partnership strategy, it would have been restricted from undertaken and exploring the market as much as necessary the partial if not, total control of the principal it so attached itself to. This limits its capabilities and strides to the views and acceptance of the principal partner in the host country and this weakens its innovative drive. GTBank plc. in an effort to seek expansion has subsidiaries in emerging financial markets of Sierra-Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Gambia with a correspondent outlet in United Kingdom. This has brought in a revolutionary trend in the style and system of conducting banking business in the West African sub-region. It is along this line that this research examines the entries style and strategies employed and other considerations by the bank. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my gratitude to the following for giving me full support through the course of this project.  Ã‚  Many thanks to the branch manager of GTB, and other department heads that helped me with my study. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Barny Morris for providing support and guidance whenever I needed it. Lastly, I would like to give special thanks to my father Mr Barda, and my sister Fatima Barda for supporting me throughout my years of study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CHAPTER ONE 2.0.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  INTRODUCTION The global financial meltdown has necessitated the re-strategizing of different financial institutions with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria having to change its marketing strategies continuously and seek to internationalize by going into different foreign markets. There are two advantages that necessitated firms involving in global marketing, the idea of sustainable growth and expansion and a tacit route for survival in the ever competitive financial business environment (Buckley and Carson 1996). Guaranty Trust Bank Plc was incorporated as a limited liability company licensed to provide commercial and other banking services to the Nigerian public in 1990, commenced operations in February 1991and became publicly quoted company on the Nigerian stock exchange in September 1996, In February 2002, GTBank was granted a universal banking license and later appointed a settlement bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2003.  Guaranty Trust Bank undertook its second share offering in 2004 and successfully raised over N11 billion from Nigerian Investors to expand its operations and favourably compete with other global financial institutions. The Central Bank of Nigeria raised the minimum capital base of banks operating in Nigeria to N25 billion in 2005 as part of the regulating bodys efforts to sanitize and strengthen the financial institutions in Nigerian, GTBank subsequently met this criteria(CBN bulletin, 2006), in post-consolidation, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc made a strategic decision to actively pursue retail banking. A major rebranding exercise followed in June 2005, and GTBank began an aggressive expansion strategy and taking the product brand to Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leon, and a correspondence outlet in United Kingdom (GTB Home 2011) What are the Research Questions? 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the foreign market entry strategy that GTBank used in its quest for global expansion and growth? Did the choices of foreign market entry option work for Guaranty Trust Bank in its quest for global expansion and growth? Did the Market entry option strategy contribute to Guaranty Trust Bank competitiveness? Global marketing entry strategies has  [BM1]  been an underlining factor towards sustainable growth, expansion and survival of all financial institutions in the w[BM2]  orld, the rationale behind this research is to ascertain the importance financial institutions like GTBank derive from their  global entry strategies[BM3]  in the bid for competitiveness in the global financial markets. The last global financial crisis that led to several multi-global financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and Lehmann Brothers went bust and how a financial institution like GTbank may use its market entry strategies to effect and continue its quest for sustainable growth and continuous expansion Sceptics believe the doomsday was just postponed and not averted entirely  [BM4]  hence there is still a continued global feeling of another more clinical meltdown envisaged in the nearest future. For its continuing sustainability and expansions, GTBank choice of market entry strategy is vital so as to consolidate or plan its exit strategy as well. Financial institutions are said to be the engine room of all economic activities such as borrowing, investments, consumption spending, net exports, net government spending, and foreign exchange. This research will shed light on how Guaranty Trust Bank Plc stimulated these economic activities in different countries and enhances its growth by its choice of market entry options The aims and objectives of this Research The aim of this research is to look into the global market entry strategies, and how invaluable these strategies are to the overall theme of guaranty trust bank market entry strategy as it seek to expand into other territories.   Objectives of this research are; To review the global market entry strategies. Examine the actual and potential effects of global market entry strategies on Guaranty Trust Bank.   Examine the extent to which Global market entry strategy improves growth and sustainable expansion of Guaranty Trust Bank Methodology This research is based on a case study approach and is largely qualitative and primary data will be used as interviews will be conducted of six person in different departments of GTBank and data from educational Journals, periodical, educational Textbooks, Studies and Reports of institutions, Newsletters, internet sources in addition to erstwhile various related published educational sources will be extensively used. Organization of this Research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This Research is organized as follows: Chapter one contains the introduction to the study, which incorporates:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aims/objectives of the study  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An outline of the research methodology to be used in satisfying the aims  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Research questions  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A brief outline of the subsequent chapters Chapter two consists of literature review and theoretical framework  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This chapter  Summarise what other studies have done, their methods their results, and case studies   Chapter three contains methodology of Research  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Describing the data, providing descriptive statistics about the data (charts and tables), explain data collection, explain the analysis of the data. Chapter four is the discussion of findings. Chapter five contains recommendations and conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CHAPTER  TWO[BM5]   INTRODUCTION Rugman (1996) noted that global market entry strategic decisions are taken by firms due to economic reasons either for the purposes of expansion and sustainable growth or for the purpose of survival in a volatile competitive market environment  [BM6]   In the last decade there has been a  large significant  [BM7]  increase in cross-border entries  [BM8]  by banks,  it has been acknowledged that  inter in  [BM9]  recent years has exceeded the combined total of numbers of  partnership[BM10]  Ã‚  formed in decades (Aimin 2001, et al).  [BM11]   The over saturation of financial institutions in Nigeria led to  [BM12]  several banking groups to attempt expanding in provision of services to neighbouring countries and beyond. Craig and Douglas.,  [BM13]  (2006[BM14]  ) argued that market entry strategies are shaped by the dynamic interplay of the driving and restraining forces of globalization, with increasing and rapid technological advancement, the market need of the local economy, the firms seeking leverage, the quality of product introduced and the world economic trend while the restraining forces are organizational culture, market difference, management myopia, barriers and national control.[BM15]   As banks seek fast growth globally, the choice of market entry strategic mode became an issue, as it is an important decision for banks seeking global participation and competitiveness (Buckley and Carson 1996). The selection of an appropriate market entry mode in a foreign market may have considerable effect on a firm either it necessitates growth or causes extensive damage to a firms sustainable growth and survival  (Davidson, 1982[BM16]  ;  Gatignon and Anderson, 1988[BM17]  ; Root, 1994;  Terpstra and Sarathy, 1994[BM18]  ). The subsequent selection of an unsuitable entry mode may block opportunities and hinder growth by limiting the array of strategic market entry options available to the firm (Alderson[BM19]  , 1957); This could result in considerable financial losses to the firm, including the firms exit from the foreign market, an example is the Merrill Lynch failure in Japan in the 1980s, in its attempt to enter the private client services market, the mode of market entry was at variance with the Japanese protectionist foreign firm regulations at that time which was highly restrictive of foreign firms  (Hill, 2002).[BM20]   GTB plc. in its quest for global expansion and sustainable growth must undertake an extensive market research analysis to  [BM21]  study the foreign business environment it intends operating in as  Scott[BM22]  (1981) observed that the best way to organize a firm depends on the nature of the environment to which the firm operates. A  PESTLE  analysis is done to ascertain the viability and profitability of the intended local market before choosing an appropriate market entry mode based on that. Kotler (1998)  [BM23]  defined PESTLE Analysis as a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position and direction for Operations. Williams and Green (1997) suggested that the PESTEL Analysis also allows an Organisation to have a competitive advantage over other firms in the industry and this technique is used to evaluate and identify the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors in a given economy that would affect the operation of an organization. Source: Johnson   scholes[BM24]  Ã‚  (2008) The political factor is always necessary to be evaluated, in order to know the favourability of the political climate to market growth and development in a particular country, as the stability of government, its Taxation Policies, and Attitude towards  foreign investment is crucial to the survival of the firm. The foreign governments economic framework is accessed to measure the state of the economy by considering the GDP statistical growth, the wage level, the disposable income, Unemployment rate, business cycle and viability of participating in the country. The rate and growth of population is also measured to determine changes in the taste  [BM25]  and preferences of consumers, changes in the lifestyle of consumers and the level of education of the populace, which would have a great effect on the demand of the products or services provided by GTB plc. The laws and regulations that exist in the foreign business environment is gauged to ascertain the legislative constraints or changes, such as health and safety legislation, working regulations or restrictions on company mergers and acquisitions, minimum wage cap. Porter (1996[BM26]  ) believed environmental laws and regulation help push firms towards innovation that will reduce their cost against the cost of keeping to the regulation. The PESTEL analysis is a very relevant and useful tool in analysing the external business environment as Henry. (2008) posited that it allows the firm full and informed knowledge of the foreign business environment the firm intends entering, and contributes to the proper understanding of the competitive nature of the business environment that may affect the firm.  Hiebing[BM27]  Ã‚  et al (2011) advanced that, the nature of the competitors in the market, the consumers and government actions contributes in the development of a sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors. From researching the business environment, the firm might be able to see disguised opportunities (Zheng,.2009) Other scholars Williams and Green (1997) considers PESTLE analysis as a waste of time since the business environment is unpredictable; such analysis might become needless, as the business environment is considered uncertain. The business environment is uncontrollable hence the probability of situations arising that cannot be  controlled[BM28]   FOCAL THEORIES OF MARKET ENTRY STRATEGIES There have been different debates on the best entry mode option firms should use to enter foreign markets; most of these theories are focused on the manufacturing sectors with a peripheral research done on the services sector (Ekeledo and Sivakumar  1998[BM29]  ).   A financial institution like GTBank Plc offers products as well as services. There are several theories of foreign direct investment as it relates to the market entry strategies of firms and financial institutions, but for the purpose of this research 3 related theories will be analysed. The Business Network theory  [BM30]  as the business environment is crucial for the banks strategic participation, the  institutionalization theory  [BM31]  that focuses on the difference between the institutional laws, culture of the home or host country, the  Eclectic theory  [BM32]  as this looked at the concept of determining factors that categorized a firm as a host or source firm, and the resource based theory that look at resources as the main reason firm enter new foreign markets. The joint venture market entry mode, the strategic alliance market entry mode and the mergers and acquisition entry mode is also reviewed[BM33]  . Carson (1993) opined  the conceptualization of the business network theory is primed that the business market environment focuses on specific relationships between suppliers and the consumers as the two actors in business. At the heart of this approach lies the assumption that suppliers and customers are engaged in long-lasting relationships that they consider to be important for their business as empirical data related to some one thousand business relationships in European markets showed that most firms operate in markets where a limited number of customers account for a considerable proportion of the firms sales (Hakansson 1982; Turnbull and Valla 1986). The  institutionalization  theory  deals with the difference between the institutions in the country of origin and in the receiving subsidiarys country by understanding the complex differences between national business systems through gaining an understanding of institutions governing the way product labour and financial markets work and the way institutional sectors relate to one another ( Baptista, 2009) Such cross-national differences place various degrees of constraints on the international dissemination of practices within multinational firms (Fermer et al 2005). It has been proposed that the key variable in this context is institutional distance (Kostova and Zaheer 1999). This comprises the differences in the regulation, normative and cognitive institutions between countries, for example corporate tax policy, peoples attitude to gender issues, and knowledge about possible environmental threats. Dunning (1980) introduced the concept of an eclectic theory of foreign direct investments often referred to as the OLI paradigm, which refers to the determining conditions for a firm to be a source or a host, these acronyms stands for Ownership advantages which allows a firm to overcome the disadvantages of a foreign location, this can be a product, or a production process to which other firms do not have access, such as patent or trademark, Location considerations such as input costs, strategic interaction or trade policy which make it more profitable to produce in a country than to export to it and Internalization gains which makes it more profitable for a firm to undertake foreign production itself rather than dealing with a foreign partner more familiar with the local environment (Sodersten, Reed 1994). Markusen (1995, 1998) reviewed the OLI paradigm by listing major characteristics of firms as, that multinational firms are associated with high ratios of research development relative to sales, employ large number of scientific, technical workers as a percentage of total work-force, tend to have a high value of intangible assets, are associated with new and technically complex products, are negatively associated with plant level scale economies, are associated with product differentiation variables such as advertising to sale ratios, that the size of a firm is minimally unimportant to be considered a multinational and that multinational firms tend to be older more established firms ([BM34]  Marrewijk, 2002). Itaki (1991) argued that the concept of the eclectic theory is however flawed, as a result of the  redundancy  of  the  concept of ownership advantage, it is assumed redundant because it originates from  the  internalization and integration theories and that firms tend to acquire and exploit  the  ownership advantages and that  the  ownership advantage includes  the  cost  of  its acquisition and that after paying for  the  contribution  of  all  the  factor inputs, the firm makes super-normal profit that remains in  the  final results simply from  the  firms organizational power  in  various departments or sub units and  the issue of  the  inseparability  of  the  ownership advantage from  the  location advantage is another matter of note. The resource-based theory of foreign direct investments views firm-specific resources such as assets capabilities, as the focal drivers of a firms international business strategy, scholars such as Barney (1991), Bharadwaj et al, 1993, and Grant (1991) even though affirming the theory as the most effective theory of international business strategy considers the theory as largely conceptual and descriptive. Root, (1994) urged financial institutions and Banks entering foreign markets to decide on the most suitable entry strategy, the market entry option selection is interpreted to mean an appropriate means for firms to enter foreign markets to participate in international businesses by exploiting their advantages. Banks also need to arrange ownership, either as a wholly owned subsidiary, in a joint venture, or in strategic alliance.  There are several mode of market entry strategy adopted by banks when[BM35]  entering a new market as the entry mode choice is not necessarily straightforward. A bank may pursue different market entry routes in different foreign markets for different banking reasons.  Ã‚  There are often constraints to foreign entry in the banking sector which home governments try to regulate in other to protect the home banks, which add to the complexity of choice of market entry strategy.[BM36]   Joint ventures are considered as the best global market entry strategy and the most cost effective means of expanding to foreign business environment (Hunt and Morgan.,1995) It has been suggested that joint ventures occur as a result of the perceived insistence of nation government to encourage international firms for the purposes of foreign direct investments (Buckley and Carson 1996). Firms ordinarily though form alliances for the singular reasons of value chains and different product offerings. Joint equity are basically the type of joint venture nations governments do encourage because of the gains that can be offered in terms of shared technological advancements to the local firms. The advantages of joint venture to banks is that it addresses the issue of uncertainty by the combined creation of monitoring mechanism that could align such uncertainties for the partners, to reveal information, share technology, make decisions together and pursue certain goals collectively  Vernon (1983). This assertion was agreed upon by Pfeffer and Salancik(1978) who noted then that if the problems firms face are competitive and symbiotic, then it can be presumed that joint ventures are undertaken to reduce uncertainties and promote stability in the business environment.   Gringer (1991), Beamish and Danks(1987) noted that globally majority of banks establishes business partnerships when the perceived additional benefits outweighs the expected extra cost after undertaken a cost-benefit analysis. It was established by Harigan (1988) that firms form partnership for strategic reasons and argued that joint ventures can exacerbate competition, stabilize profit level, and precipitate in structural changes in vertical integration, technological scale of economies or industry traits. Blodgett (1991) noted that joint venture market entry strategic option could be advantageous in form