2006 PE Exam Review Course
Below is information about ISA web seminars, links to
study materials, and links to the official California PE
exam website. To sign up for the current class or for
more info, please contact
John Prince at
(714) 968-5501.
Course Schedule for 2006 (PDF)
Study Materials
Official State of California Exam Info Site
Contents
Class Meeting Location
Important Dates
Registering for the Class
Books and Study Materials
Course Outline
About the Instructors
About the California Exam
General information
The Section will provide breakfast pastries, coffee and bottled water at the beginning of each class. If you would like any other snacks or refreshments other than these, please bring them from home. A refrigerator will be available.
Important dates
For exam dates and information on the exam, visit the State of California PE Exam webpage.
The classes will be held on Saturdays. There will be no classes on Labor Day or Columbus Day weekend. Also, we may hold additional problem-working sessions during October if is enough interest; however, there may be no instructor at the optional sessions. Click here for the complete schedule.
Class Location
Please confirm class location before driving to the class in case there has been a last minute change. As of this update, all sessions will be held:
10540 Talbert Avene, Suite 200
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 593-5100
Map and Directions
Registering for the class
The PE Review Course is presented by the Los Angeles Section of ISA beginning on August 12, 2006. Some classes may make use of archived ISA web seminars (see below), however, this will be up to each individual instructor. Certificates of Achievement will be awarded to all who complete the course.
The registration fee for the course is $195 for ISA members and $280 for non-members. (Non-member registration includes a one-year membership in ISA, an $85 value.) The registration fee includes all sessions, including the web seminars, but no class study guide or other books. These are available directly from ISA. See "Books" below.
The class will be limited to the first twelve (12) ISA members who register, with those planning to take the 2006 California CSE exam having first priority. To register for the class, please mail a check payable to "ISA Los Angeles Section" to the address below. (The section is not set up to accept credit cards.) Please note that registration is not complete and your seat will not be reserved until payment has been received by the Section. Should you change your mind by the first session or if the course is cancelled for any reason, your full registration fee will be refunded.
PE Exam Review Course
P.O. Box 5770
El Monte, CA 91734
To join ISA or for more information about its benefits, please contact Membership Chair, Bill Campbell.
Books and study materials
Each class member will be required to have a copy of the official ISA study guide, which can be purchased directly from ISA. Click here for more info on these study materials.
Course outline
Please note that the class sessions and content as listed below is subject to change, so check by phone or email if you need the latest information.
The following are descriptions of each web seminar session excerpted from www.isa.org. Click on the title for more detailed information about that session. (The scheduling and pricing information given on the ISA pages do not apply to this course as we are using them by special permission of ISA.) All full-dues-paying ISA members have unlimited access to all archived ISA webinars.
Session 1: Final Control Elements
Victor Wegelin, Instructor
August 12, 2006
This session will give you a quick review of control valve types, characteristics, installation, and application, as well as valve sizing and selection, with references for additional study. Relief valves will be reviewed briefly with additional reference material noted.
August 19, 2006 - No Class
Session 2: Control System Analysis
Victor Wegelin, Instructor
August 26, 2006
This session will give you a quick overview of the most likely exam topics in control loops, methods of loop documentation, various loop types, characteristics of control function, and some loop problems. Controllers and their function are included in the application portion of the review. Some advanced control techniques are also surveyed.
Session 3: Control Systems Implementation
Paul Darnbrough, Instructor
September 9, 2006
This session will give you a quick review of control loop tuning, control system implementation, architecture, configuration, programming, and safety instrument functions, as well as open and closed loop tuning, system layout, and considerations for safety integrity levels (SILs).
Session 4: Measurement, Part 1
Joe Hohn, Instructor
September 16, 2006
This session will give you a quick review of the base primary measurement of pressure, level, and analytical properties. The review topics include units of measurement, sensor types, transmitter fundamentals, applications and calculations.
Session 5: Measurement, Part 2
Joe Hohn, Instructor
September 23, 2006
This session will give you a quick review of the base primary measurement of flow and various signal types and transmission. The topics include units of flow measurement, sensor types, transmitter fundamentals, and applications. Signal types, transmission methods, and installation considerations are also reviewed.
Session 6: Standards and References
Paul Darnbrough, Instructor
September 30, 2006
This session will focus on the Control Systems Engineer (CSE) Professional Engineer (PE) exam in general. It will give control systems engineers an introduction to the background and format of the CSE PE examination produced by NCEES and administered by the state professional license boards. The exam specifications, knowledge areas, and skill requirements are outlined. References, test taking tips, and standards/codes are included in this session.
Optional Sessions: Review and Problem Working Session
Details to be announced later
October 14, 21, 2006
We may hold one or two optional sessions as an informal review of any topics that students need additional help with. We will arrange to work as many problems as needed at this session. Additional problem-working sessions may also be set up after this class if needed. These sessions are not confirmed at this time.
Click here for a list of all archived pre-recorded ISA Web Seminars.
Click here for a list of all upcoming live ISA Web Seminars.
About the instructors
Paul Darnbrough is a registered Electrical Professional Engineer with KDC Systems in Los Alamitos, and has over 15 years of experience in design, engineering, programming, and construction of electrical systems and process automation projects. He is a 1989 graduate of UCLA. His industry experience includes plastics, food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, while his process experience includes material handling, batch and continuous processing, scaling/metering, extrusion, evaporation, and the development of OEM equipment. Paul's recent experience include I&C design and programming on two 10,000+ I/O DeviceNet and Foundation Fieldbus pharmaceutical projects, and he is currently acting as lead project engineer on a large DN and FF water treatment project.
Joe Hohn is an I&C engineer with Dynalectric in San Diego and has over 25 years of experience in the application, commissioning and troubleshooting of instrumentation. Among Joe's recent projects was the 16,000 point Biogen Idec (now Genetec) plant in Oceanside, California, where he served as design lead for instrumentation and valves. He will review traditional analog and discrete equipment and circuits as well as the more common of the fieldbus technologies. Joe is a 1977 graduate of the University of Maryland. He has taught the ISALA review course a number of times and is an exam writer for the ISA CAP exam. Joe has also taught ISA seminars, including "Field Buses and the Controls Technician," an overview of the more common buses, their applications, troubleshooting techniques, configuration and diagnostic tools and best practices for maintaining both the bus infrastructure and the instruments, valves and I/O that are routinely connected to the buses.
Victor Wegelin is owner of PMA Concepts, an independent consulting firm based in Westminster, California, and has over 25 years experience in the design, implementation and support of Industrial Networks, total integrated solutions that include measurement, control, operator interface, and business system links. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from University of Cincinnati, and an MBA from The University of Chicago. He is a licensed professional Control Systems engineer. Victor joined ISA in 1983, and was recently named a Fellow. Victor began teaching for ISA in 1990, and now specializes in the teaching and development of many popular courses dealing with industrial network technologies. He also helped develop and now teaches the Industrial Controls Certificate program at California State University, Fullerton., and a Wonderware HMI course for Texas State Technical College.
Instructor in the Webinars
Gerald Wilbanks, is the instructor who presents the web seminars in the videos that will be shown at each session. (He will not be present in person during the class.) He is Vice President of Documentation & Engineering Services at ISA - The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society and has over 36 years of experience in engineering, management, consulting, and design in heavy industry. He served in progressive positions of increasing responsibility as an Instrument Design Engineer, Senior Design Engineer, Engineering Manager Control Systems, and Vice President Quality Improvement with Union Carbide and Rust Engineering before becoming a principal of his own firm. Mr. Wilbanks is a registered professional engineer in 14 states, a member of NSPE, ASQ, and an International Former President (1995) of ISA -The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society. Gerald is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and was recognized as the Engineer of the Year in 1991 by the Engineering Council of Birmingham. He serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Engineering at Mississippi State University and is a Distinguished Engineering Fellow of the university. The Birmingham Section of ISA accorded Mr. Wilbanks the Engineer of the Year award in 1996, as well as the Distinguished Society Service recognition in 1997 and Young Engineer of the Year award in 1978. He has served as an instructor in many courses, classes and other educational sessions.
Additional information about the instructors will be added here as it is received.
About the California Exams and PE Registration
The Official State of California PE Exam website, contains examination and application information, future exam schedules and filing deadlines for both PE and EIT/FE exams, downloadable forms, laws and regulations, a searchable PE licensee database, publications and links, exam sites and maps, and exam reference materials, and statistics of past examinations since 1998.
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