This time, after coming across he Markov Chain in the Elements of Information Theory book, I was inspired to use it in my data science endeavors at work.  Oftentimes, when a task has two elements with no direct connection (parameter) on Revit, a use of a third node can achieve the task with great accuracy (and probably better than performing it manually). One of these tasks was to perform zoning for the ELV/Telecom elements in a big hospital project in Africa. Here is a brief about my first project using Markov Chain and how it achieved tremendous results: Data: Over 3,000 cameras, data outlets and rooms.   Application: The client in Africa requested that each CCTV camera be categorized according to the department which it serves and the telecom room to which it connects.     There is no direct connection on Revit between the AR departments and telecom rooms and CCTV cameras.     However, as per the Markov Chain process, using a node in the middle, connecte...

Often times, we are on a very tight schedule in terms of project deliverables, especially when the project has a big built-up area and is a fast track project.  Since the introduction of Dynamo in Revit, things have changed in the engineering design business. Tasks that used to take hours can now be performed in minutes using simple automation codes. But, what if we can take this to the next level with even smarter codes and observations using data science that extend to other future projects? A couple of months ago, I decided to take that step. First, I joined the masters degree program in data science at the University of Nicosia as a part-time student while remaining as a full-time telecom design engineer at Dar. In addition, I found an amazing course on edX by assistant professor Clayton Miller at the National University of Singapore. The course title is:  Data Science for Construction, Architecture and Engineering . If you are thinking about taking your first steps in dat...

 The past week was hectic at work. I was assigned to design a site-wide network for an engineering camp, a camp containing housing compounds, offices, utilities and other facilities for engineers and workmen working on building a new city on the Red Sea.  A0-sized infrastructure drawings are good for taking pictures with But this time, things were different, no longer were we assigning a Telecom Room/Closet in each building, where we host the native equipment (access/distribution switches), we were just providing cables. Why you ask? Well, in the past few years, the lighting technology (fiber optics) have become a more affordable technology for large scale projects than the normal copper-switched networks.   Instead of providing each building with a Telecom space to host active equipment, the network is now mostly passive (fiber optic cables and passive splitters) swirling around, while each apartment/building/house/... gets its own ONT/ONU (small or large switches to ser...

  The other day, I was assigned on a task to design a mixed-reality solution for the first time for a reputable client in the Gulf region. It was the first time a client requests such a solution. Going through different solutions, I settled for the one by Digital Projection, and used it as the basis for design. In my opinion, I think they provide the best solution in the market so far, with the ability for 3 users to use the solution, while others provide only 2.  Mixed-reality = 3D multi-view projection. Source: Digital Projection Looks really cool right? Well, hell yeah! But not the underlying technology behind it and how it works. Let's get a bit technical.  Concept design Digital Projection went a bit further this time and took into consideration the bulky requirements for such a technology to operate and made amendments to make the bulky equipment hosted in a the Telecom Room while you only have the projector lens in the room in where the users have fun with 3D proje...

  Two years ago, I embarked on a mission to learn how to automate Revit design tasks using Dynamo, a visual coding language by AutoDesk.  This time of my life, I really enjoyed coding for one single reason, it made my life easier by getting tasks done in much, and I mean MUCH, less time.  My first idea was to automate the task of providing data outlets for CCTV cameras, especially in a huge project, where cameras can easily exceed 700 cameras. I had some issues along the way, but they were easily resolved (thank you AutoDesk forums).  However, as I rolled the code out for other engineers to use across the company offices, feedback came back along with ideas to improve it. Many were telling me that the code would save even more time if it can follow future design changes. Now this required 4 main steps: extracting the existing design, finding which cameras changed their locations, which cameras were deleted, and which cameras were added. I worked my ass off but then I...

  My latest, and most exciting, project has been to design a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) for a new big airport in Africa. This was no easy task. My main challenge was in the diversity of spaces, the cluster of walls and the scale of the project. With a tight schedule at hand, you can't simulate the entire airport. So, I selected 4 random, yet different, locations where the ceiling height, cluster of walls and the number of people connected differed. Luckily, after simulating these 4 areas, I came to the following conclusions when it comes to access points spacing: 1) A 12-15 meter spacing would be sufficient for areas where walls are clustered. 2) A 25 meter spacing would be sufficient for an open and double height space with the presence of high number of users. 3) A 30m spacing would be sufficient for a normal open space area and the presence of a high number of users.  Choosing one huge area containing the above mentioned space diversity, using Ekahau 9.1 and 802.11n/a...

  As part of my experience in engineering design, I decided to increase my skills set by learning to do audio design and EASE simulations, which is highly valuable in the AV industry. One of the early design experiences was a prestigious hotel lounge and entrance in Egypt.  Below is a snapshot of the model: The entrance is a double height area reaching almost 12.8m, while the lounge area was around 4.8.m  The design was a bit challenging because the interior designer was highly picky when it came to speakers placing and location. Enough tinkering led to the conclusion that in the lounge area, Tannoy CMS 603DC BM was used, while in the double height area, Control -47HC by JBL was used.  Results were highly  satisfactory. The total SPL was great in the range of frequencies from 1k to 10k and and so was the STI,  as can be seen below: Total SPL at 1000 MHz Total SPL at 5000 MHz Total MHz at 10000 MHz STI and MTI. As you can see, values are withi...