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ELECTRONICS & POWER JULY 1987

braking or heating effect. The 3rd order will be filtered by the delta/star connection of the distribution transformer, while the supply impedance, which is effectively low compared with the transformer leakage reactance, provides additional filtering for the 5th and 7th harmonics which are thus not reflected through to the high-voltage system. With the development of closed-loop systems which can provide true constant current control at start, inherent electronic overload protection, plus alternatives of constant acceleration and current ramp features in addition to the open-loop voltage ramp system, there are few constant-speed squirrel-cage motor drives which could not benefit from soft-start control. Much work is also undertaken in the retrofit field to overcome problems left behind where electromechanical starters have been incorrectly applied, and an ever increasing number of engineers are writing soft start into their specifications to ensure a correctly matched motor/starter system for their particular application. Yours faithfully, LR. ROGERS (M) Conder Electronics Abbotts Barton House, Winchester Hants. SO23 7SJ, UK 2nd June 1987

Classification of hazardous areas

Dear Sir I agree with Peter PallesClark that area classification should not be the exclusive responsibility of the electrical engineer (April 1987 E&P, p.262). In this connection it might perhaps be of interest to note the approach of the Israel Standards Institution. IEC 79-10 has been adopted as the Israeli national standard with a few additions. One of these stipulates 'Classification of hazardous areas will be effected by a committee of experts representing the following disciplines: process design, plant equipment design, electrical design, instrumentation and process control.' Yours faithfully, L KIPNIS(F) L Kipnis Engineering Ltd. 19 Sweden Street, Haifa 34980, Israel 14th May 1987

Crosstalk
Electronic nerve grafts
Surgical reattachment of severed limbs may take a giant step forward if recent developments in microsurgery and microelectronics come to fruition. At present most reattached appendages only regain from 5 to 20% of their previous functionality. It is virtually impossible for surgeons to reconnect the more than 2000 individual nerve fibres (axons) when the severed nerve is sewn back together. Consequently, most signals from the brain to the member are blocked at the surgical interface. Medical researchers at Stanford University in California have found a way of identifying the individual axons. Holes are drilled into a tiny integrated circuit which is then implanted between the ends of the severed nerve. Over a period of about nine months the axons grow into the holes, and the circuit is then connected to an external computer than scans the nerve signals on either side of the chip. The surgeons can correctly identify the two halves of each individual neuron on a monitor screen. The integrated circuit is then programmed to make the appropriate 'connections'. Transmission redundancy of the nerve signals makes it unnecessary to reconnect every axon to obtain complete appendage functionality. The technique has been used experimentally with laboratory rats and has achieved a measure of success. The preparation of the integrated circuits has been the most difficult part of the process. 8 (im diameter holes must be precisely drilled by laser into a silicon chip which is 1 mm * 1 -5 mm in size. Application to humans is several years in the future and is dependent on being able to reliably access the peripheral nervous system. J.E. BOARD