Model Driven Architecture for Industrial Applications

Abstract

The most important element of industrial software development is the creation of a common vocabulary of terms for exchanging information between software and industrial engineers. Based on this cooperation, technical domain knowledge is converted into data structures, algorithms and rules. Currently, when people are used to receiving short and quick messages, the most efficient way of knowledge extraction is work on examples or mockups to facilitate better understanding of the problem. Shorter rounds in the presentation of mockups allows continuous work on live object models rather than specifications which make experts more open for sharing their knowledge and provides quicker and more reliable feedback on the data structure and the completeness of the model. Latest research and progress in the area of Model Driven Architecture (MDA) resulted in advanced tools for the creation of models, automatic source code generation as well as whole frameworks for creating application skeletons based on these models. In this paper a collaborative process which uses MDA approach (model, tools and frameworks) for extracting knowledge from domain experts is presented. During presented process, a cooperation of a software engineer and a domain expert via phone calls and one live workshop resulted in a complete model of machine and drive including specific machine features and diagnostic processes. Finally, a working diagnostics application was verified by the domain expert proving that MDA resulted in the expected results. The diagnostics application was verified on real data collected on the winding machine for more than one month, collected diagnostics data included more than 150 signals and 20Gb of raw analog data to dig into before getting condensed diagnostics results. Additionally to the process itself, the article presents identified risks, benefits from applying the MDA approach and lessons learned from applying this new innovative process. For further work, the possibilities of extending and dynamically extending existing models should be studied. In previous works we have focused on an ontology based approach, which does not meet all expectations when it comes to application in real world environment. As simpler and more mature technology, MDA was shown to be more productive and easier to adapt for building industrial applications.