Table of Contents
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Upcoming Events
HRS Seminars
Physical Seminar Titles
10.00am - STATISTICA for Excel Users
01.00pm - Data Analysis with MATLAB for Excel Users
03.00pm - Easy, auditable calculations with Mathcad
City Schedule for Seminars
Christchurch - 19 October
Wellington - 20 October
Auckland - 22 October
Please visit our seminar page for more details at www.hrs.co.nz/seminars.
HRS Webinars
04 November Webinars
10.00am - Design calculations and documentation with Mathcad
02.00pm - Simulate virtually and keep ahead in reality with MapleSim!
06 November Webinars
10.00am - Data analysis - STATISTICA or Excel?
02.00pm - Survey your Stakeholders
Please visit our seminar page for more details at www.hrs.co.nz/seminars.
HRS Training Courses
Register today to secure your place on one of the following training courses.
Mathcad Training: Mathematical Calculations Made Easy
Date: 18 November 2009
Instructor: Helen (Quekett) Clarkson
Venue: AUT, Auckland
Investment: $795 + GST
Registration: http://www.hrs.co.nz/mathcadtraining
Overview:
This "hands-on" Mathcad training course is designed to show you the principles underlying every Mathcad document. It will not teach you the mathematics you need to know for your particular problem, but instead uses examples from a number of engineering areas to show how Mathcad is applied to real-world engineering or scientific problems.
You will learn how to refer to data and to algebraic variables in the Mathcad environment, and how to exchange data between other environments, such as spreadsheets, and Mathcad.
Mathcad has a large number of data manipulations available to you as mathematical functions, and these will be introduced, as will basic matrix methods so that you can so speed up your calculations. Symbolic mathematical techniques are also covered.
Programming techniques will be introduced, but it is important to realise that Mathcad is not primarily a programming environment.
STATISTICA Training: Using STATISTICA for Data Analysis
Date: 19 November 2009
Instructor: Dr Ray Hoare
Venue: AUT, Auckland
Investment: $795 + GST
Registration: http://www.hrs.co.nz/statisticatraining
Overview:
All students will work individually, carrying out example analysis under the supervision of the trainer.
The first section of this course teaches you the techniques involved in getting your data into the STATISTICA environment. We cover features such as value labels, variable labels and calculation of new variables, all of which you can use to make your reports more easily understood.
The course deals in detail with tabular and graphical data summaries, and in learning to do this you learn the basic techniques for setting up data analysis that are used throughout the program, including when performing statistical analysis.
Several basic statistical methods are introduced, giving you the basic skills that you need to allow you to explore these and other techniques on your own when it is appropriate.
MATLAB Training: Control design using MATLAB
Date: 25 November 2009
Instructor: Associate Professor David I. Wilson
Venue: AUT, Auckland
Investment: $1,195 + GST
Registration: http://www.hrs.co.nz/controlmatlabtraining
Overview:
Modern controller design is really all about modelling. If you can establish a suitable model, then the controller design becomes almost automatic. In this course on controller design, we will cover the basics of feedback control, and show how to select and configure common controllers for common, and the not so common, applications.
Controller design, like most engineering design, is an iterative process. That means ideally we desire tools that allow us to rapidly explore different structural options, different controller tuning algorithms, and the consequences of different assumptions, all with an intuitive, easy to use interface. The MATLAB and Simulink tools provide such a development environment. You can then spend more time thinking about your actual control problem as opposed to do repetitive, tedious calculations.
MATLAB & Simulink Training: Simulation with Simulink
Date: 26 November 2009
Instructor: Associate Professor David I. Wilson
Venue: AUT, Auckland
Investment: $1,195 + GST
Registration: http://www.hrs.co.nz/simulationsimulinktraining
Overview:
This course aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the uses and benefits of modeling physical systems and dynamic simulation. During the course, we will cover how to build models, how to assess the reliability of the results, and how to fine-tune existing models. We will build models directly from the data (black-box models), from first-principles (white-box models), or perhaps using a mixture of methods.
MATLAB Training: Optimisation with MATLAB
Date: 27 November 2009
Instructor: Associate Professor David I. Wilson
Venue: AUT, Auckland
Investment: $1,195 + GST
Registration: http://www.hrs.co.nz/optimisationmatlabtraining
Overview:
Optimisation is a key task in almost all modern technology. Optimisation forms the basis of modelling and simulation, design of experiments and the associated statistical analysis of the data, and scheduling and manufacturing problems.
This course will show you how to employ a variety of optimisation strategies for engineering and scientific tasks. We will use the Optimization toolbox to solve static problems in MATLAB, and we will use Simulink to solve dynamic optimisation problems.
In the course participants will experiment with a selection of real-world optimisation problems from disciplines as diverse as ecological models, fisheries management, optimal control strategies, statistical data fitting, travelling salesman, and optimal scheduling.
Upcoming Conferences
Dates |
Conference |
City |
HRS Exhibiting |
25-28 Oct |
Christchurch |
N/A |
|
18-20 Nov |
Dunedin |
TBC |
|
23-25 Nov |
Wellington |
Insert |
|
23-27 Nov |
Whangarei |
Insert |
|
03-04 Dec |
Christchurch |
Insert |
|
06-10 Dec |
Christchurch |
Stand 6 |
If you live in a city where HRS will be exhibiting and you would like to meet with Ray, send an email to ray@hrs.co.nz, to arrange a place and time.
Product News
The MathWorks Announces Release 2009b of the MATLAB and Simulink Product Families
New version extends support for handling of large data sets and large-scale system models
The MathWorks have released Release 2009b (R2009b) of its MATLAB and Simulink product families. R2009b includes features for faster performance and enhanced handling of large data sets, builds on component-based modeling features in Simulink, and updates 83 other products, including PolySpace code verification products.
Key R2009b highlights for the MATLAB product family include extended support for multicore and multiprocessor systems as well as improvements for handling large data sets. MATLAB and Image Processing Toolbox now offer more multithreaded implementations of functions, and Statistics Toolbox adds parallel computing support for several functions. For users with large data sets, MATLAB now offers the ability to perform FFTs on data sets larger than 2 GB, Image Processing Toolbox adds a function to support processing of arbitrarily large TIFF images, and Parallel Computing Toolbox includes a new interface for working with large data sets that are distributed across a cluster.
Other MATLAB highlights in R2009b include:
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Mapping Toolbox enables the search and retrieval of geographic data sets from Web Map Service (WMS) servers (for example, NASA JPL OnEarth and Microsoft TerraServer).
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Users can now access the MATLAB Central File Exchange, including thousands of user-contributed files, directly from the MATLAB environment.
For Model-Based Design, R2009b enables Simulink users to capture design variants in models and switch between model-wide configurations to better manage design alternatives and reuse. Engineers can now simulate and generate embeddable code from MATLAB programs and Simulink models containing arrays that dynamically change size over time, which are useful for applications such as object detection and motion tracking.
Other Simulink highlights in R2009b include:
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Simulink Control Design – Automated tuning and turnkey PID controller blocks in Simulink for faster design and verification of these frequently used controllers.
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Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder – More efficient code generation for signal processing applications, with reduced data copies and optimized matrix operations.
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Simulink Verification and Validation – Model Advisor Configuration Editor to manage and deploy a consistent set of checks and rules for modeling standards across an organization.
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Simulink Design Verifier - New API that allows Embedded MATLAB to be used as a property specification language.
The new release is available immediately and is being provided to users with current subscriptions to MathWorks Software Maintenance Service. Additional information on R2009b product updates is available at www.mathworks.com/R2009b.
to contact Bruce about MATLAB products.
MATLAB Technical Articles
Techniques for Generating Production Code Constructs from Modelling Design Patterns
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/sept
/techniques.html?s_cid=MLD0909rowTA1&s_v1=1-ALYEKW_1-45R3ZB
Automatic Hardware Implementation of Digital Filters for an Audio Codec
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/sept/
audio-codec.html?s_cid=MLD0909rowTA2&s_v1=1-ALYEKW_1-45R3ZB
Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Modeling of Population Pharmacokinetics Data
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/july/
pharmacokinetics.html?s_cid=MLD0709rowTA1&s_v1=1-A23VPR_1-45R3ZB
Analytical Modeling of Aircraft Wing Forces Using MATLAB and Symbolic Math Toolbox
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/july/
analytical-modeling.html?s_cid=MLD0709rowTA2&s_v1=1-A23VPR_1-45R3ZB
to contact Bruce about MATLAB
MATLAB User Resources
MATLAB Central: Simscape Language: DC Motor
http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/
25014?s_cid=MLD0909rowMC&s_v1=1-ALYEKW_1-45R3ZB
Blog Spotlight: Steve on Image Processing -
A new look for connected component labeling in R2009a: Part 2
http://blogs.mathworks.com/steve/2009/07/13/
a-new-look-for-connected-component-labeling-in-r2009a-part-2/
?s_cid=MLD0909rowBL&s_v1=1-ALYEKW_1-45R3ZB
User Story: TRW Automotive Develops and Tests Electric Parking Brake
Using Simulink and Simulink Design Verifier
http://www.mathworks.com/company/user_stories/
userstory20020.html?s_cid=MLD0909rowUS&s_v1=1-ALYEKW_1-45R3ZB
MATLAB Books: Visit the MathWorks website to look for a title of interest to you:
http://www.mathworks.com/support/books/
to contact Bruce about MATLAB
Introducing Grapher 8
Grapher 8 is now available. Some of the major benefits of the new release are:
- Graph Magnifiers and Inset Zooms! Magnifiers allow a small section of your data to be magnified in size.
- Transparency! See all your data! Make fill colours, lines, symbols, and text fully transparent or partially transparent.
More Customisations! Easily create the colour of your choice with our new custom colour picker.- New Graph Type! A new radar graph has been added to give you yet another option to display your data.
- Enhanced Legend! The legend has been upgraded! You can now have multiple columns, multiple rows, and display your text on either side of the symbols and lines.
to contact Glen about Grapher 8
@RISK 5.5 is now available
What's New in @RISK 5.5:
Simulation Speedup Models run up to 20 times faster than version 5.0 - In addition, all @RISK editions now use multiple CPUs and multicore processors to speed up simulations. This saves valuable time on models large and small.
Interface Improvements - Quickly see distribution graphs and add @RISK functions to your model with a new Excel-style Insert Function command. Perform common tasks faster, in fewer steps.
Translated Versions - @RISK 5.5 and RISKOptimizer have been fully translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Japanese for users worldwide.
Distribution Artist - Use the mouse to draw your own custom freehand curves, histograms, or discrete probability graphs that can be used to create @RISK distributions. Histogram bars and general curves may be adjusted after drawing, and may be fitted to probability distributions. This is useful for graphically assessing probabilities and then creating probability distributions from the graph.
Scenario Scatter - Plots New scatter plots from scenario analysis highlight simulation input values for specified scenario outcomes.
"I use the new @RISK and cannot speak highly enough about it." - Glenn Chisholm, Cisco
Better Simulation Archiving - The @RISK Library lets you store simulation results to be used as inputs for subsequent simulations, a great benefit for portfolio optimization and multi-stage applications.
New Graph Types Density and cumulative graphs may now be combined on the same graph for comparison. Tornado graphs and scatter plots are now available for scenario analysis, giving a better understanding of the interaction of multiple inputs on a result.
Graph Improvements - A new zoom utility lets you focus on particular graph regions. Scatter plot X-Y delimiters show probabilities by quadrant. Better international support helps non-US users.
Date Enhancements - Dates are fully integrated into distributions, graphs and reports for improved time and scheduling models.
Correlation Improvements - Fix or assign weights to correlation elements to more accurately model relationships.
New Distribution Types - Combine two distributions using the new RiskSplice function. Define uncertainty using new Johnson distribution types.
to contact Glen about @RISK 5.5.
DecisionTools Suite 5.5
DecisionTools Suite 5.5 is now available. The entire DecisionTools Suite has been updated to integrate seamlessly with new @RISK 5.5 New versions of PrecisionTree, TopRank, RISKOptimizer, Evolver, NeuralTools, and StatTools are easier to use than before.
Congratulations on the new DecisionTools Suite! I’m very satisfied. This version is amazing. Rogerio Miorando, UFRGS, Brazil
to contact Glen about DST 5.5.
CLC bio Updates
This is one of the things that makes CLC the leading bioinformatics company in the market... frequent updates!
CLC bio have released upgrades of all the CLC Workbenches. The releases are combinations of bug-fixes and new features. Especially the 5.2 version of the CLC Main Workbench is significantly improved.
See all the latest improvements:
CLC Main Workbench 5.2: http://clcbio.com/index.php?id=633
CLC Genomics Workbench 3.6.5: http://clcbio.com/index.php?id=1297
to contact Bruce about CLC bio products
CLCL bio User Story: License to learn at University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, have signed an agreement with us, providing each genetics student with CLC MainWorkbench.
Biomedical Research Fellow at University of Queensland, Dr James Fraser:
"...With this deal we're taking University of Queensland genetics courses to the next level, by getting this easy to use, high-end bioinformatics power from CLC bio into the hands of almost every biology undergraduate - the next generation of Australian researchers!"
Visit the following link for the full user story:
to contact Bruce about CLC bio products for academia
CLC bio delivers specialized immunoinformatics solution to Symphogen
CLC bio has completed a specialised immunoinformatics solution that is fully customized to fit into Symphogen’s proprietary Symplex™ technology for high throughput identification of antibodies with diversity and specificity customized to a particular therapeutic application.
CLC bio has developed a CLC Main Workbench plug-in, which is designed to optimize the end-to-end workflow and analysis pipeline when working with the large number of antibodies retrieved during the Symplex™ process.
"When investigating the diversity and complexity of disease-relevant antibody repertories from human donors, speed and quality are essential. Thus, the faster we can go through our initial bioinformatics workflow and identify a diverse panel of complementary antibodies of interest, the earlier we can compose the optimal recombinant polyclonal antibody (rpAb) drug lead candidate to advance into development - this is of course of the utmost importance to us" says Director of Antibody Discovery at Symphogen, Dr. Allan Jensen, PhD, and continues, "CLC bio has fully integrated the workflow by automating all the steps in the downstream bioinformatics analysis process. Not only has this accelerated the research process tremendously by eliminating tedious and complicated manual procedures but it also removes the overhead of keeping third party software running and updated - and in turn it provides a high quality and robust workflow."
Director of Consulting Services at CLC bio, Dr. Jannick D. Bendtsen, continues, "Where Symplex™ is a cutting-edge concept for testing on humans and in the lab, Symphogen’s new special plug-in is designed to analyze the sequencing data coming from all these research projects, and integrate them nicely into an end-to-end workflow. We are proud to deliver this intricate solution to Symphogen, which stresses the flexibility and stability that our overall bioinformatics platform provides, and we look forward to seeing Symphogen’s projects coming faster through their development phases."
To read more about CLC bio’s consulting solutions, go to:
http://www.clcbioconsulting.com
About Symphogen
http://www.symphogen.com/web/guest/aboutus
About CLC bio
http://www.clcbio.com/about
to contact Bruce about CLC bio products
Mathcad home-use
We have it available at work, however we cannot learn to use it because we are busy on projects, and have to account for our time. It was beneficial to download it from your site so that I could learn the basics at home. Now I shall be able to request it as an application from our IT department and not have to encounter the "learning curve" and be able to meet budget and deadlines whenever I have a problem to solve.
to contact Glen about Mathcad.
MapleNet 13 Now Available
MapleNet 13 makes it easy for programmers and non-programmers alike to provide rich mathematical content and sophisticated plots in interactive applications and web content. MapleNet also provides a standard web services application programming interface (API), making the computational power of Maple™ available everywhere you are connected -- on a web site, desktop computer, or mobile device.
Web content that requires use of 
static plots and mathematical expressions, such as those often found in technical reports or course notes, can now be created easily by including a special hyperlink to MapleNet in the web page. No web programming knowledge or tools are required. MapleNet will automatically generate and display an image of the mathematical expression or plot in the web page.
MapleNet 13 uses the most powerful and extensive mathematical engine available to perform its computations. Maple 13, the newest release of the world-renowned technical computing software, includes enhancements to its mathematical and plotting abilities that provide additional power and increased performance to MapleNet users.
To learn more about MapleNet 13, click here.
to contact Glen about MapleNet.
Maple Recorded Webinar: Getting the Most from MATLAB and Simulink with Symbolic Computation
This seminar offers a series of powerful and practical techniques for reducing the time and effort required to develop engineering applications and models. For MATLAB users, this means significantly greater flexibility in your applications. Although symbolic computation techniques have been an important part of the MATLAB/Simulink community for many years, recent developments in the technology have triggered a new generation of applications and techniques that are helping engineers respond to emerging complexities in modelling and design. Efficient parameter analysis, a dramatically increased capability in mathematical computation, and a rich documentation environment for managing, presenting, and archiving results, are some of the immediate benefits from the appropriate symbolic strategies. In specific fields such as control systems, or dynamic modelling, the right symbolic tools can reduce modelling time from months to days while dramatically increasing model performance.
During the seminar, presenters will use the Maple 13, MapleSim, and other tools to demonstrate the potential of symbolic computation in engineering. You will learn how to connect the most powerful and complete symbolic computation system directly to your MATLAB session and leverage the respective capabilities of the symbolic as well as the traditional MATLAB capabilities. You will also learn how to accelerate your Simulink and RealTime Workshop application with an enhanced modelling environment powered by the same symbolic engine.
What is the modern definition of symbolic computing? What are the critical differences between symbolic and numeric computation? How can respective advantages be exploited to solve more complex problems? What is the future of symbolic and numeric computations? This Webinar explores these and other issues that comprise the very heart of mathematical computing technology.
Please click here to access the On-Demand webinar:
http://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/prereg/register.jsp?eventid=
160757&sessionid=1&key=4A682ED51F08839BA592583C4BC72BC6
to contact Glen about Maple.
Maple TA 5.0
Maple T.A. 5.0 is now available. Enhancements to this release include a completely new question management model which provides increased flexibility when organizing questions. This new model also provides greatly improved performance when loading and saving questions, and an extremely simple process for 
sharing content with colleagues. With improved organization, searching, performance, and question sharing, instructors can assemble assignments more quickly and reuse questions more effectively. Other enhancements include a new system administration interface which makes it easier to set up and monitor Maple T.A. and support for Blackboard Vista (formerly WebCT).
For the full list of new features, see What’s New in Maple T.A. 5.0.
to contact Glen about Maple TA 5.0.
PLECS 2.2
PLECS 2.2 is now available. Try this software if you are interested in modelling and simulation of power electronic circuits.
Have a look at the new exciting features offered by the updated software:
Code generation - PLECS can generate stand-alone C code from a circuit schematic. This allows you to simulate a system in PLECS first, then generate C code e.g. for real-time simulations.
Enhanced scope - You can now calculate the total harmonic distortion (THD) of a signal directly within the PLECS Scope.
New components - The new Configurable Subcircuit allows you to combine different implementations or configurations of a complex component within a single masked subcircuit. The new Piece-wise Linear Resistor can be used e.g. to model varistors.
The updated manual can be downloaded from:
http://www.plexim.com/downloads/
Customers with a current maintenance service will receive an updated license file shortly.
to contact Bruce about PLECS 2.2
PLECS Stand Alone Version
PLECS is now becoming more versatile. In addition to the MATLAB/Simulink based version, it will be available as an independent stand-alone product.
R&D engineers using Simulink already prefer PLECS to model power electronic circuits. They can easily create virtual prototypes and quickly obtain results even for complex systems. Besides transient simulation of electrical circuits, PLECS features thermal loss computation as well as steady-state and AC analysis. Real-time simulations are supported with the new code generator.
Stand-alone PLECS is ideal for engineers who need a lean solution that operates independently from any other simulation platform. It offers:
- New block-set for controls and signal processing
- Faster simulation thanks to an optimized solver
- Lower overall investment and maintenance cost
The stand-alone version will be available at the end of 2009.
to contact Bruce about the PLECS Stand Alone Version
Upgrade to STATISTICA 9
Why upgrade to STATISTICA 9? Here are some key reasons:
Performance Improvements - Many low-level optimisations have been implemented that greatly improve the overall performance of STATISTICA in both the 32-bit version and the new native 64-bit version of STATISTICA. (STATISTICA 8 was already one of the fastest analytic applications on the market.)
User Interface Enhancements - Application navigation is simpler and more intuitive with the addition of an Office 2007-style ribbon bar.
Graphics Enhancements - New visualisations have been added for exploring data distribution, comparing variables, and creating colour maps for correlation matrices.
Statistics Enhancements - A Distributions & Simulation module number of distributions for continuous and categorical variables.
to contact Glen about upgrading to STATISTICA 9
General News & Working with HRS
HRS Sponsorship
HRS has sponsored many association and society events over the years and we will continue to do this for events where delegates have a strong need for our products.
If you or an associate are organising a conference where the delegates could benefit from using the many mathematics based products sold and supported by HRS, please contact Leon by emailing leon@hrs.co.nz or by calling him on 0800 477 776.
User Stories
If you have any newsworthy user stories related to our products that you think our customers would be interested in reading, please contact Leon.
to email Leon or call him on
0800 477 776 to supply us with your product news.
Advertising your events on the HRS Website
If we sponsor your event, or your delegates are likely to be using one of our products, contact Leon to place details of your conference on our website.
to email Leon or call him on
0800 477 776 to advertise your event.
Best wishes,
Leon Tepania
Marketing Manager
Hoare
Research Software Ltd
Email: leon@hrs.co.nz