OT, but On Topic

[daba]

Right time to move the goalposts i think....

SLC/PLC5

9 / 2 = 5
9 / 2.0 = 5

Logix5000

9 / 2 = 4
9 / 2.0 = 4

 

[TConnolly]

We have a manufacturing plant in Italy so I'm over there somewhat regularly. A few times I've taken Bubba along when doing equipment start ups. The first time he was always asking me to convert kilometers into miles, until I had him watch a few road markers to get a feel for how long a kilometer was and then also pointed out that when he was asking how far something was he was really asking how long it takes to get there, and converting kph into time is as easy as converting mph into time. After a bit he remarked how much easier it was to just have a feel for a kilometer and just not bother with converting.

I do something similar with helping new employees adapt to using MPa instead of PSI. Most of the time switching to °C and millimeters isn't too hard for them, but MPa is a lot less familiar and new users always have an irrational need to convert to PSI instead of just using the specified number. For a long time I tried to point out that thousands of PSI is not something you can really wrap your head around anyways and to just accept and use the spec at face value... didn't work, I was still always being asked to convert it. Then I realized that if I told them to make 100 MPa be 100% then 10 MPa is 10%, 80MPa is 80% and max pressure is 120%. Then all of a sudden it got easy and no one needed to convert it anymore. The numbers haven't changed, only the perception of them.

I don't think we realize how painless conversion would be.

 

[dcooper33]

Back on the Off Topic

Honestly, I feel like Rockwell went with the banker's round method in Logix5k just as a means to show how modern the new software was. I can't imagine there were a lot of engineers and SI's hounding RA nonstop about how terrible the standard rounding method was!
I'd like to see, perhaps in the L8 series, or in an upcoming firmware, some means of disabling that feature, or being able to toggle between methods.
I know I have had several guys point out to me this "anomaly" on a math instruction, and tell me that "something is wrong" with the software. After explaining how the different method works, I am invariably asked, "why?". I never have a good answer...

I'd like to hear if anyone has ever NEEDED the banker's round, and if so, how implemented, just for my own curiosity.

 

[JesperMP]

I never had a 'need' to round in a certain way.
But I was taught in school to "round half up". It is also by law that when trading, accounting etc. you must use "round half up".

I think that it is almost a universal standard to round half up, but there is confusion when rounding negative numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounding

 

[JesperMP]

Real life rounding scenarios

You have 2 kids, one 5 years old the other 7 years old. And you have 9 cookies.

You give 3 cookies to both kids and youself. But you cant have cookies because you get fat. You have to excercise. You get a headache from thinking about that.

You try to split 1 cookie in half, but no matter how accurate you try, the two halves are not exactly even, and the kids starts to fight over the bigger half. You get a headache.

You give 5 cookies to the youngest kid and 4 cookies to the oldest kid. You say to the oldest kid "you are older and should be able to accept that you dont always get everything". The oldest kid put on a sour face for a week. You get a headache.

You give 4 cookies to the youngest kid and 5 cookies to the oldest kid. You say to the youngest kid "he is bigger than you so he needs more calories". He immediately starts to wail very loudly. You get a headache.

You give 4 cookies to both kids and put one cookie in your pocket. You tell the kids "there were only 8 cookies". Everybody is happy, but you have cookie crumbles in your pocket.

Conclusion: You have to lie some times. And rounding down is the best compromise. There may be minor negative side effects.

 

[OkiePC]

Brewster's Millions

I stand by my earlier answer.

 

[L D[AR2P#0.0]]

For the cookie problem, give the cookie that needs to be broken in half to one child and let him/her divide it in two, let the other child chose which half they would like

 

[TConnolly]

I'm not sure I see the connection with Brewster's Millions. Are you sure you didn't mean Pryor in another movie, Superman III, where he hacks the computer for all the half penny's from the payroll checks and buys a Ferrari.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLw9OBV7HYA

 

[bernie_carlton]

The 'Banker's method' is technically more accurate in the LONG RUN but who really frets over it?

 

[OkiePC]

I'm not sure I see the connection with Brewster's Millions. Are you sure you didn't mean Pryor in another movie, Superman III, where he hacks the computer for all the half penny's from the payroll checks and buys a Ferrari.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLw9OBV7HYA

Oh, yes, that sounds like the plot anyway, thanks. I didn't even really look it up past those search results for the plot to make sure...doh!

EDIT: Yes that was it, thanks, Troy!

 

[MichaelG]

OT: Meter or Metre

Until y'all can figure out if it is Meter or Metre why should we bother?

this thread is getting more and more cryptic.

Knew I would find it

Meter is the measuring device and Metre is the length for All English speaking countries excluding the US. (I blame Noah Webster circa 1800's)

Even so I find that micro$oft keeps on forcing me to use US spelling so I find that I do not care and use whatever shuts up the spell checker!

Some fun reading for the history and up to 2009
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Spelling_metre_or_meter.pdf

 

[mellis]

In the language options under Control Panel, do you have "English (United States)" or "English (United Kingdom)" selected? The spell checker should have the proper spelling for the location.

 

[jdbrandt]

September 2nd

February 9th, in Europe

 

[FLAengineer]

9/2:

Register 9, bit 2.

Rack 9, slot 2.

Slot 9, channel 2.

...or you really meant to type "9.2" and hit the "/" key by mistake..!

 

[uptown47]

I would say that 9/2 is about £5.50 assuming you bet £1...