Guide to Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers are the cargo containers that allow goods to be stored for transport in trucks, trains and boats, making intermodal transport possible.  They are typically used to transport heavy materials or palletized goods.  Shipping Containers are used to protect transported cargo from shock and bad weather conditions, as well as keep storage products intact. They were first used in the 1950s and were initially developed for the purpose of commercial shipping.

Shipping containers are also referred to as, ISO container, conex box, railroad container, intermodal container and certain truck trailers. This industry term refers to the International Standards Organization (ISO), the largest developer of international standards and the organization that developed the standard dimension specifications for steel shipping containers used worldwide.

The design of the ISO standard containers allows for intermodal shipping, which is the movement of containers from one mode of transport to another, like ship, rail, or truck, without the need of having to load and unload, and reload its contents.

Shipping Containers is used to protect transported cargo from shock and bad weather conditions, as well as keep storage products intact. They were first used in the 1950s and were initially developed for the purpose of commercial shipping container transport.

Depending on the type of product that is going to be sent, the Shipping Container can vary in dimension, structure, material, etc. Characteristics of these shipping containers were later standardized, something that expedited transport without the need to load and unload the merchandise along the way.

There are different types of Shipping Containers for different types of transportation:

Common Types of Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers are another name for the conex boxes most used on the market.  Shipping Containers are typically suitable for any type of dry cargo: pallets, boxes, bags, machines, furniture, etc.

Common types include:

• Dry Storage Container
• Refrigerated Container
• Open top container
• Flat rack container
• Open Side Container
• Tanks Container
• Ventilated containers
• Dry Storage Shipping Container

Dry Storage Shipping Containers are your typical standard shipping containers.  Basic construction is made of steel, and hermetically sealed, without cooling or ventilation.  Sizes typically come in 20 ‘, 40’ or 40 ‘High Cube.  The High Cube category facilitates an increase of 13% of the internal cubic capacity and can handle the heaviest loads (coal, tobacco, etc.)

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Refrigerated Shipping Container

Reefer Shipping Containers provide a temperature controlled environment. They have a power supply that connects to energy sources during transport. This allows the products to be transported at a constant temperature throughout the journey. They have the possibility to lower temperature from -18 ° to 30 °.  There are 20 and 40 foot models, in addition to the High Cube.

This type of Shipping Container is especially recommended for transporting food or products that need a low storage temperature.

Open Top Shipping Container

Open Top Shipping Container have the same measurements as the standard containers, but are open at the top because they have a removable canvas roof.  These containers facilitate the transport of bulky loads.

Flat Rack Shipping Container

Flat Rack Shipping Containers are like the Open Top, but also lack side walls and even, in some cases, front and rear walls. They are used for atypical loads and pay supplements in the same way as Open Top.

Open Side Shipping Container

Open Side Shipping Containers have the same measurements as standard containers; 20 or 40 feet, with the difference that they have a side opening. This allows for transporting very long merchandise, whose dimensions prevent it from being loaded by the back door.

Tank Shipping Container

Tank Shipping Containers are used for the liquid transport and made to carry dangerous as toxic, corrosive, highly combustible chemicals, as well as oil, milk, beers, wine, mineral water, etc. They have the same dimensions as a Dry Shipping Containers, but their structure is different, as they include a polyethylene tank inside.

Ventilated Shipping Containers

Ventilated Shipping Containers are made for transporting products such as coffee or cocoa beans, which must be ventilated in transit; sometimes these units are called “coffee containers”.

Shipping Container Door Diagram and Troubleshooting

Now we are going to run through the essential parts of a shipping container.

• For a door to work, you need hinges. Pins hold the shipping container’s hinges together through a barrel.  In certain cases when doors are difficult to open, hinge pins and blades may be seized due to corrosion.  Each door is fitted with 2 to 4 vertical lock rods to enable opening, closing and locking of the doors.
• The door handle rotates the lockbar to initiate the door opening process by forcing the cams out of their keepers. Each door handle has a door locking handle retainer that slides over the door handle when in locked position.
• At the end of each lock rod is a cam welded in place which engages with knuckles, also known as cam keepers. The action of engaging the cams to the keepers forms an anti-racking function.  In certain cases, often unfortunately too many, contents of the shipping container may have shifted causing shipping container doors and lockrods to warp. 
• When opening a shipping container, start with the right hand door first. Swivel the handles, engage the cams and keepers, and twist both door handles.  Closing the doors is just a reverse of this process.
• The lock box is a steel box welded to the right hand door which overlaps a staple welded to the left hand door. A padlock, normally CISA type 285 66 can then be attached inside the lock box through the staple and is then protected from direct attack, hindering attempts to gain entry to the container.
• ISO markings and a consolidated data plate allow worldwide intermodal transport and are updated as necessary. Take note that customs authorities in some countries may also have their own container seal regulations as part of their national security.
• Rubber gaskets are fitted to the container doors during the manufacturing process and prevent water ingress. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become stiff thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it from being closed.

1. Doors

Two door leaves are fabricated from two vertical rolled hollow sections and 2 horizontal c section members. The frame is infilled with corrugated steel paneling.

These are normally attached to the rear corner posts each with four drop forged steel hinge blades. The blades allow 270 degree opening which allow the doors to swing back against the container side wall.

(Cargo may shift during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top and bottom.  In cases where the container frame is racked and the door gear will not operate correctly.)

2. Lockbox

The lock box is a steel box welded to the right hand door which overlaps a staple welded to the left hand door. A padlock, normally type CISA type 285 66 can then be attached inside the lock box through the staple and is then protected from direct attack, hindering attempts to gain entry to the container.

3. Lockrods, cam keepers, handles

Each door is fitted with 2-4 vertical lock rods to enable opening, closing and locking of the doors.

At the end of each lock rod (top and bottom) is a cam welded in place which engages with knuckles, also known as cam keepers.

The action of engaging the cams to the keepers forms an anti-racking function.

(In certain cases, often unfortunately too many, contents of the shipping container may have shifted, or containers even dropped, causing shipping container doors and lockrods to warp)

The door handle rotates the lockbar to initiates the door opening process by forcing the cams out of their keepers.  Each door handle has a door locking handle retainer that slides over the door handle when in locked position.

4. Rubber gaskets

Rubber gaskets are fitted to the container doors during the manufacturing process and prevent water ingress.

(Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it being closed.)

5. ISO markings and CSC plate

ISO markings and a consolidated data plate allow worldwide intermodal transport when left in place and updated as necessary.

6. Hinge pins

Of course for a door to work, you need hinges.

(In certain cases when doors are difficult to open, hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.)

Choosing the Right Company for Buying a Shipping Container

When doing research in finding the right Shipping Container, follow some of these tips:

Research Online

Choose which companies have a good track record of excellence and reputation.  Read reviews and what other customers have to say.

Check for Availability

If you are shipping from various locations, check for availability if containers can be delivered to your required areas.

Check for Best Pricing

If money matters, you can find used container resellers online that might be able to offer half the price on used containers.

Check for Good Customer Service

If you plan to order often, you might want to check for good customer service.  Ask potential container companies a question through email or their online customer service. See how fast they respond.

Check for Warranty

Check with companies to see if they offer any warranties or buy back or trade in plans.

There are millions of Shipping Containers in use around the world, and a lucky few get a second life as repurposed shipping container structures. While they look a bit plain and boxy to the untrained eye, shipping containers play a critical role in our lives, whether embarking on ocean crossings to deliver the goods we use every day or venturing into a second life as a container structure.

Here are Some Fascinating Facts about Shipping Containers

• Shipping Containers can be safely stacked nine-high.
• Well-maintained Shipping Containers hold 759, of their original value for 25+ years.
• There are over 37 million Shipping Containers in use around the world.
• A Shipping Container floor can hold up 55,000 lb. of goods without warping.
• Shipping Container flooring is made of 1-1/8” marine grade plywood.
• Most Shipping Containers are 20 feet or 40-feet long.
• Shipping Containers are made of 16-gauge corten steel.
• Common container modifications include: personnel doors, windows flooring, shelving, work stations, insulation, climate control & even restrooms.

Fun Ways to Use Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers are not just used for cargo these days. There are many innovative and imaginative uses you may like to consider.

Here are few ideas of how shipping containers have been used for modern, cost effective buildings.

Homes

The trend to build cost-effective homes from recycled shipping containers started in USA and has reached Australia.

Art Galleries

Architect, Tomokaza Hayakawa designed an art gallery in Japan using two shipping containers stacked on each other.

Drive-Thru Coffee

Starbucks in Washington have used four old shipping containers to create an architect designed drive-thru store.

Cafes

A cafe in Footscray (Melbourne) called Rudimentary has been built using three 40-foot shipping containers.

Polar Stations

India has built a Polar Station in Antarctica using 134 shipping containers. They cover three floors and are well insulated for the weather conditions.

A well-maintained Shipping Container can hold 75% of their original value for 25+ years. Every day, container ships transport goods all over the world on the international seas.

Shipping Container Opening and Closing Tool

Shipping containers often take a beating, traveling around the world, being exposed to freezing conditions and rust due to seawater or when the frost has melted.

During the cold season, and in freezing parts of the world, our shipping container tool can benefit the opening and closing of frozen shipping container doors and hard to open or rusted containers.

Injuries often occur as a result of personnel trying to open and close difficult container doors, and often are the result of inappropriate techniques being used to open them.

To aid in opening and closing shipping container doors, we introduce OPNBar.

A Shipping Container (also known as Intermodal Container, ISO Container,Railroad Container, and certain Truck Trailers)  is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport.   Shipping Containers can be used across different modes of transport.  They can go from ship to rail to truck, without unloading and reloading their cargo.

The metal doors on the shipping containers on these containers are standardized.  Shipping Containers use the same type and style of doors and locking bars, which our tool can be used.

Lengths are as follows: 20′, 40′, 45′, 48′, 50′, 53′. All these containers are globally used to transport cargo. The 53′ length is now, the new the standard length.

Here are some likely reasons a Shipping Container door will not open or close.  Visit https://www.shippingcontainertool.com/what-is-a-shipping-container/ to find out how to overcome some of these issues.

Doors and lockrods may warp or container frame is racked so that the door gear will not operate correctly. This may be caused by cargo shifting during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top and bottom.

The hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.

The door gasket has been damaged and is preventing opening. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it being closed.

Water has become trapped between frozen shipping container doors, particularly relevant to refrigerated cargoes, or containers with moisture releasing cargoes in cold weather.

Introduction

JTAG is an integrated method for testing interconnects on printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are implemented at the integrated circuit (IC) level.  Since its introduction as an industry standard in 1990, JTAG has continuously grown in adoption, popularity, and usefulness—even today, new revisions and supplements to the IEEE Std.-1149.1 standard are being developed and implemented. This document is a brief introduction to the nature and history of JTAG, from its introduction to new extensions in current development.

JTAG Technology

JTAG is commonly referred to as boundary-scan and defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1149.1, which originally began as an integrated method for testing interconnects on printed circuit boards (PCBs) implemented at the integrated circuit (IC) level. As PCBs grew in complexity and density—a trend that continues today—limitations in the traditional test methods of in-circuit testers (ICTs) and bed of nails fixtures became evident. Packaging formats, specifically Ball Grid Array (BGA, depicted in Figure 1) and other fine pitch components, designed to meet ever-increasing physical space constraints, also led to a loss of physical access to signals.

These new technology developments led to dramatic increases in costs related to designing and building bed of nails fixtures; at the same time, circuit board test coverage also suffered. JTAG/boundary-scan presented an elegant solution to this problem: build functionality into the IC to assist in testing assembled electronic systems.

Today, JTAG is used for everything from testing interconnects and functionality on ICs to programming flash memory of systems deployed in the field and everything in-between. JTAG and its related standards have been and will continue to be extended to address additional challenges in electronic test and manufacturing, including test of 3D ICs and complex, hierarchical systems.

History of JTAG

In the 1980s, the Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) set out to develop a specification for boundary-scan testing that was standardized in 1990 as the IEEE Std. 1149.1-1990. A few years later in 1993, a new revision to the standard—1149.1a—was introduced to clarify, correct, and enhance the original specification. An additional supplement, 1149.1b, was published in 1994 to add Boundary-Scan Description Language (BSDL) to the standard, paving the way for fast, automated test development and spurring continuous adoption by major electronics producers all over the world. The lessons that were learned became formalized in an update to the core standard in 2001 and IEEE-1149.1-2001 was published.

As new applications of JTAG were discovered, new standards were developed to extend the capabilities of JTAG. Standards such as the IEEE-1149.5 module test and maintenance bus standard in 1995 and the IEEE-1149.4 standard for mixed-signal testing in 1999 were met with low adoption rates and are not widely used at present. The IEEE-1149.6 standard introduced in 2003, on the other hand, began with slow adoption but has since become standard in many ICs as the technology it addressed—high-speed, AC-coupled signals—became a common feature of electronic systems. IEEE-1149.7, published in 2009 to address the need for JTAG in low-pin-count systems, is now standard on many popular microcontrollers.

Additional standards have also been published to add specific test capabilities. In 2002, the IEEE-1532 standard for in-system configuration of programmable devices was released and is now a common feature of FPGAs and their supporting software systems. IEEE-1581 was developed in 2011 to provide a convenient method of testing interconnects of high-speed memories with slow-speed test vectors; a version of this capability is implemented in some DDR4 memory components. To address the new application of combined capacitive sensing and boundary-scan test, IEEE-1149.8.1 was published in 2012. The extensibility of JTAG has been proven time and again.

More recently, efforts have been made to standardize JTAG access to instruments embedded within ICs. The IEEE-1149.1 standard was updated once more in 2013 for some housekeeping and to add extensions to access these instruments. Just one year later, an alternative standard for accessing these instruments, IEEE-1687, was published. Looking to the future, industry activities to extend JTAG into 3D-IC testing, system-level testing, and high-speed testing are already underway, proving that the versatility and extensibility of JTAG is here to stay.

How Does JTAG Work?

The JTAG/boundary-scan test architecture was originally developed as a method to test interconnects between ICs mounted on a PCB without using physical test probes. Boundary-scan cells created using multiplexer and latch circuits are attached to each pin on the device. These cells, embedded in the device, can capture data from pin or core logic signals as well as force data onto pins. Captured data is serially shifted out through the JTAG Test Access Port (TAP) and can be compared to expected values to determine a pass or fail result. Forced test data is serially shifted into the boundary-scan cells. All of this is controlled from a serial data path called the scan path or scan chain.

Because each pin can be individually controlled, boundary-scan eliminates a large number of test vectors that would normally needed to properly initialize sequential logic. Using JTAG, tens or hundreds of test vectors may do the job that had previously required thousands. Boundary-scan enables shorter test times, higher test coverage, increased diagnostic capability, and lower capital equipment cost.

The principles of interconnect test using boundary-scan components are illustrated in Figure 3. Two boundary-scan compliant devices are connected with four nets. The first device includes four outputs that are driving the four inputs of the other with predefined values. In this case, we assume that the circuit includes two faults: a short fault between Net2 and Net3, and an open fault on Net4. We will also assume that a short between two nets behaves as a wired-AND and an open fault behaves as a stuck-at-1 condition.

To detect and isolate defects, the tester shifts the patterns shown in Figure 3 into the first boundary-scan register and applies these patterns to the inputs of the second device.

Of course, interconnect testing is just one of many uses of JTAG—the aforementioned JTAG TAP has been extended to support additional capabilities including in-system-programming (ISP), in-circuit-emulation (ICE), embedded functional testing, and many more. The standard accounts for the addition of device-specific instructions and registers that can be used to interact with additional IC capabilities. For example, a microprocessor device may have embedded functionality for data download, program execution, or register peek-and-poke activities accessible using JTAG TAP; using the same tools, FPGA and CPLD devices can be erased, configured, read-back, and controlled using JTAG instructions through the IEEE-1532 standard. More recently, embedded IC instrumentation—from instruments that measure voltage and current to devices that can execute high-speed test on the chip—has used the JTAG TAP as the access mechanism, providing new visibility into the IC and further expanding the scope of JTAG testing.The input values captured in the boundary-scan register of the second device are shifted out and compared to the expected values. In this case, the results, underlined and marked in red on Net2, Net3, and Net4, do not match the expected values and the tester tags these nets as faulty. Sophisticated algorithms are used to automatically generate the minimal set of test vectors to detect, isolate, and diagnose faults to specific nets, devices, and pins.

JTAG for Product Life-Cycle Phases and Applications

While JTAG/boundary-scan was originally regarded as a method to test electronic products during the production phase, new developments and applications of the IEEE-1149.1 standard have enabled the use of JTAG in many other product life cycle phases. Boundary-scan technology is commonly applied to product design, prototype debugging, and field service as depicted in Figure 4.

The same test suite used to validate design testability can adapted and utilized for board bring-up, high-volume manufacturing test, troubleshooting and repairs, and even field service and reprogramming. The versatility of JTAG/boundary-scan tools delivers immense value to organizations beyond the production phase.

JTAG Test Basics

Most JTAG/boundary-scan systems are composed of two main components: a test program generator for test development and creation, and a test program executive for running tests and reporting results.

JTAG Test Program Generator

Test program generators accept computer aided design (CAD) data as input in the form of a netlist, bill of materials, schematic, and layout information. The test program generator (TPG) uses the information provided in these files, along with guidance from the test developer, to automatically create test patterns for fault detection and isolation using JTAG-testable nets on the PCB. Full-featured test program generation software will generally also include the capability to automatically generate tests for non-scannable components including logic clusters and memories that are connected to boundary-scan devices. A sample of faults that can be detected with automatically generated tests is shown in Figure 1.

JTAG Test Program Executive

Test program executives are used to run the tests created by the test program generation software. The test executive interfaces with the JTAG hardware to execute test patterns on a unit under test (UUT), then compares the results with expected values and attempts to diagnose any failures. Modern test executives include advanced features such as flow control, support for third party test types, and often include an application programming interface (API) for integration with additional test systems or development of simplified operator interfaces.

JTAG Benefits

The continuous drive toward higher density interconnects and finer pitch ball-grid-array (BGA) components has fueled the need for test strategies that minimize the number of test points required. By embedding the test logic within the IC itself and limiting the physical interface to just a few signals, JTAG/boundary-scan presents an elegant solution to testing, debugging, and diagnosing modern electronic systems.

Today, JTAG provides the access mechanism for a variety of different system operations. Just some of the benefits provided by JTAG are:

Reuse through the product life cycle. The simple access mechanism provided by the JTAG TAP can be used at all stages of the product lifecycle—from benchtop prototype debugging to high volume manufacturing and even in the field.

Test point reduction. JTAG provides test access through just 4 pins (2 pins for IEEE-1149.7 compliant devices), reducing the number of test points required, resulting in lower PCB fabrication costs and reduced test fixture complexity.

Independent observation and control. Boundary-scan tests operate independently of the system logic, meaning they can be used to diagnose systems that may not operate functionally.

Extensibility. JTAG has seen continuous development and new applications are frequently being discovered. Additional standards have been developed to address AC-coupled testing, reduced pin counts, and control of test instruments embedded within ICs.

JTAG Scan Chain Infrastructure Test

JTAG testing usually begins by checking the underlying infrastructure to ensure that all devices are connected and test capabilities are operational. Test patterns are used to exercise the instruction register and boundary-scan register for comparison against expected lengths and values. If present, device ID codes can also be read and compared against expected values to ensure that the correct component has been placed.

JTAG Interconnect, Bus Wire, and Resistor Tests

After verifying that the scan chain is working properly, test patterns can be used to verify interconnectivity between system components. Nets that involve three or more boundary-scan pins represent a special case, called a bus wire, where additional patterns can be used to isolate faults to a specific pin, as shown in Figure 2. During a buswire test, boundary-scan driver pins are tested one at a time to ensure that all possible opens are tested.

Devices that are transparent to DC signals can be modeled as “short” signal paths and included in the test; for example, series resistors can be tested for component presence and open faults, while directional buffers can be constrained and tested to ensure that signals sampled at the buffer output pins match the signals that are applied to the buffer input pins. Additionally, tests for AC-coupled signals can be integrated with interconnect and buswire tests in systems with IEEE-1149.6 standard components, allowing capacitors to be tested for AC signal transparency.

Special tests can also be used to check pull-up and pull-down resistors, ensuring that resistors are present in the assembled system in addition to testing the nets for open and short faults. To accomplish this, resistors are tested by first driving the signal to a state opposite the pulled value. The net is then tri-stated, allowing the resistor to pull the signal back to the original state. Finally, the signal is sampled and the value is compared to the expected pulled value.

JTAG Testing in Logic, Memory, & Complex Devices

Not only can interconnections between boundary-scan components and simple transparent components be tested, but additional non-boundary-scan components can be controlled and tested for functionality and continuity using connected boundary-scan components. Simple test patterns may be used to test logic devices such as decoders or multiplexers, while sophisticated scripts may be used control and test complex devices for basic or advanced functionality, including analog-to-digital converters, UARTs, and Ethernet PHYs.

A common application of a cluster tests uses the storage capability of RAM devices to verify interconnects between a boundary-scan device and a connected memory. Using a model of the memory component, tests can be automatically created to write specific data patterns to memory addresses and then read back and compared against the expected value. These patterns are designed to ensure that all memory data and address signals are driven to both high and low logic states. The same concept used to test RAM can also be applied to non-volatile memory, such as flash, EEPROM, and NVRAM components.

JTAG Testing throughout Product Lifecycle

While JTAG/boundary-scan was originally regarded as a method to test electronic products during the production phase, new developments and applications of the IEEE-1149.1 standard have enabled the use of JTAG in many other product life cycle phases. Boundary-scan technology is commonly applied to product design, prototype debugging, and field service.

The same test suite used to validate design testability can adapted and utilized for board bring-up, high-volume manufacturing test, troubleshooting and repairs, and even field service and reprogramming. The versatility of JTAG/boundary-scan tools delivers immense value to organizations beyond the production phase.

JTAG Embedded Test

Many modern processors use JTAG as the main interface for on-chip debugging (OCD), allowing the processor to be controlled over the JTAG port within an embedded system.

Using this same interface, the JTAG port can be used to initialize a processor, download and run a test program, and then obtain results; this test technique is a fast, convenient method for developing and executing peripheral tests and in-system-programming operations in embedded systems.

Because these tests run at the system processor speed, defects that may not be identified during low-speed execution can be detected.

In-System-Programming with JTAG

In addition to test applications, JTAG is also frequently used as the primary method to program devices such as flash memory and CPLDs. To program flash devices, the pins of a connected boundary-scan-compatible component can be used to control the memory and erase, program, and verify the component using the boundary-scan chain. FPGA and CPLD devices that support IEEE-1532 standard instructions can be accessed and programmed directly using the JTAG port.

Faster performance can be achieved using a CPU or FPGA to program the flash. In these cases, a small flash programming application is downloaded to the controlling device over the JTAG port, which is then used to interface between the test system and the flash programming application running on the embedded system. The program can run at much higher speeds than boundary-scan, increasing production throughput and rivaling or surpassing the speeds of USB and Ethernet-based programming solutions, without requiring an operating system or high-level software be present on the embedded system.

The IEEE-1149.1 JTAG team had the foresight to design an extensible standard—one that could employ additional data registers for many different applications. As a result, JTAG has grown from its original roots for board testing into a ubiquitous port that can be used for diverse applications such as in-system-programming, on-chip debugging, and more recently control of instruments embedded within ICs.

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