Friday, January 12, 2007

Hard wiring

Back in the good old days (it's relative as to how good they really were) we had a little device that we could connect electronic components with. We were "wire-wrapping" "posts". Before this when folk were connecting components they used "solder". Regardless, we were hardwiring. THat means we were setting up components to behave a certain way. If we wanted to change things we simply "unwound" the wire and tossed it away. If we soldered we had to "unsolder." So in temporary designs the wirewrap method might have been faster.

I don't know whether folks still use the wire wrap method. I thinbk it's fallen in disfavor. Regardless, that was a form of "hardwiring."

Who gives a darn, right?

I'm working on my railroad wiring. It is in essence being hardwired. The problem with this is to do it right I really out to document it. So I'm driving myself partially nuts. Which brings me to my next point of departure.

Hard wiring is also used when people refer to a way a person thinks. "Oh, he's hard-wired" to think that way." To some extent we are all hard wired whether we want to believe it. That's good and bad. We're hard-wired to pull our hand out of the fire. Most of us do this pretty well. When it comes to interaction with other folks our hardwiring can get in the way.

I'm hard wired to attempt to answer any question. Any question. I might not give the right answer. I might not even know the right answer but I'm hard wired to answer. A certain someone might ask a very innocent rhetorical question. My brain takes of in reaction time and gives an answer. If the answer is challenged in any way I often go into defensive mode. This can lead to arguements, and confrontations.

If I was one of my electronic designs I'd be tempted to rip out the wiring and try to get hard wired another way. Unfortunately, the brain isn't wire-wrapped or even soldered. Funny thing- the only thing that will happen if a soldering iron gets near the brain- it just hurts like hell.

So we have to find other ways to change "our hard wiring" when we find it is wrong. Sometimes this requires the outside help of others. Sometimes a great number of wires have to be changed. It takes time. When I consider how few wires hold my train together and how many things hold my actions and reactions together I understand why fix my mind takes a long time.

We all have our share of problems. I seem to discover new ones every day. The first thing is to recognize that there is a problem and then to find a way to fix it. Sometimes that requires time effort and others.

Heck, the other day I spent literally hours trying to find a short on my railroad. I was getting to a point where I thought I was a complete idiot and I out to just rip all of the wires out, drink a beer, curse a bit and blame someone else. Then I realized that there was an engine sitting on the track. DUMB ME! An electrical motor acts like a short! So I'd spent hours, disconnected dozens of "suspect" connections, cut rails and other inane things. I picked up the loco and the problem disappeared. Of course I have lots of connections to get back to square one. Sigh.

So sometimes it takes a different perspective. Sometimes it takes effort. Sometimes it takes work. And finally it comes down to "damn would you look at that!" A small change and the problem is identified and fixed. It ain't easy.

Well, back to connection BRYT2 and the orange wire. I think it goes to Black main feed. Maybe not.

G