REGISTER

Howard Revell, BA, MIRSE

Manager, Engineering Development Union Switch & Signal Pty Ltd

Our industry is exposed to an ever increasing rate of technological change.

For almost a century we have been able to improve, refine and expand our approach to vital system engineering based on the well understood and established principles and predictability of relay sytems at a relatively "leisurely" pace that hitherto has not caused us too much stress.

This cra however, has past us by and we have been rapidly propelled into a new era taking us far beyond the well defined and secure boundaries of relay based technology and into new areas - some of which are foreign to many signal engineers.

This transition is generating many new trends that must be identified and controlled, and this, in my opinion, is providing us with an opportunity to engage in a far more exciting and demanding range of activities than was previously the case but not without ramifications.