Additions to Table 310.16 Calculator

I added equipment grounding conductor size selection and CheckNum for the distance input in the Voltage Drop part. The CheckNum function checks to make sure the typed in entries are positive real numbers without commas, negatives, etc. This is about it for this calculator. I am going to obfuscate the code so the size will be decreased by about 70 per cent. This will allow a faster download. It has taken a long time to program Table 310.16 and many of the rules. I first did this using Excel in 1996. It took six weeks working about 12 hours a day. Actually I started attempting to do this in 1982 using an Hp67 and again in 1985 using a Kaypro 10 using MBASIC, but neither machine had enough memory. Fortunately after writing the Excel code in 1996 I wrote a description of how I did it using four OCPD selections. It is a real juggling act to get all the numbers to come out right after changing so many variables and using so many less than and greater than choices.

Table 310.16 Calculator Revised again

After the nth time at revising this calculator I must have at least 6 months into writing this thing counting my earlier attempts at the Excel calculator in 1996. I found another bug, and I think this was the last one. A derating factor was being used in the wrong way giving some slight errors and over sizing the conductors, but now it is corrected and the answers come out right for every problem I can find for it including the NEC Handbook, the American Electrician's handbook, and some of the Mike Holt online examples. Let me tell you this was no easy task writing this one. I guess all the features add up with all the combinations and all. Also, the Tables and rules in the NEC for smaller wire sizes make it a real bugger. I seriously doubt that 95 per cent of the electricians and engineers use all these rules correctly. How could they when it takes six months to put them into code. I used the same method as described in one of my archived articles using four overcurrent device selections.

electrician2.com

electrician2.com

Working on Calculators

I have again begun working on the Table 310.16 and motor circuit calculators. They are still in the beta stage meaning that there may be bugs yet to be fixed and of course the checksum type things like making sure entries are numeric, within range, and in some case making sure the entries are made are needed. I was going to obfuscate the source code using a program, but after accidentally doing this to a program where I did not save the original code I don't think I will bother. I know some programmers for the Palm have used my code to develop their programs and that my code is readily copied from the JavaScript but such is life.

Anyway, the snow has come, but only a few inches. The temperatures stay around -5 degrees F and the days keep getting shorter and shorter by about 6 minutes a day.