Graphical Programming Tool Research Articles

A New Simulation System of Programmable Logic Controller

Programmable logic controller (abbr. PLC) is essential for automation in modern industry. In many colleges, it is also an important course for automation major. Currently, PLC is monopolistic technique with foreign company. Simulation of PLC has become popular scheme for substitute to real PLC. Virtual PLC is a kind of common scheme. Otherwise, virtual PLC is unfavorable of practical training for student. The thesis spread out exposition for a new simulation system, which consists of virtual PLC platform and a printed circuit board. The virtual PLC platform had been programmed under visual C++ by authors. It is a graphical programming tool, and is an interpretive routine too. Based on MCU, the board is developed for communication between virtual PLC and real control objects. The simulation system has been tried out. As an example, traffic light control of intersection shows feasibility and effectiveness.

Analysis of outcomes in radiation oncology: An integrated computational platform

Radiotherapy research and outcome analyses are essential for evaluating new methods of radiation delivery and for assessing the benefits of a given technology on locoregional control and overall survival. In this article, a computational platform is presented to facilitate radiotherapy research and outcome studies in radiation oncology. This computational platform consists of (1) an infrastructural database that stores patient diagnosis, IMRT treatment details, and follow-up information, (2) an interface tool that is used to import and export IMRT plans in DICOM RT and AAPM/RTOG formats from a wide range of planning systems to facilitate reproducible research, (3) a graphical data analysis and programming tool that visualizes all aspects of an IMRT plan including dose, contour, and image data to aid the analysis of treatment plans, and (4) a software package that calculates radiobiological models to evaluate IMRT treatment plans. Given the limited number of general-purpose computational environments for radiotherapy research and outcome studies, this computational platform represents a powerful and convenient tool that is well suited for analyzing dose distributions biologically and correlating them with the delivered radiation dose distributions and other patient-related clinical factors. In addition the database is web-based and accessible by multiple users, facilitating its convenient application and use.

Web-Based Collaborative Learning Architecture for Remote Experiment on Control of Bioreactor’s Environment

The unprecedented growth in Internet technologies has created revolutionary changes in collaborative working in an on-line environment with round the world accessibility. The adoption of collaborative learning tools with remote laboratory enhances the experiential learning aspects of engineering education. This paper presents a collaborative learning and remote experiment on the control of a bioreactor environment by establishing communication between the process control computer and remote users through the Internet. The software application is developed using graphical programming tools to control the process parameters and to set the control constants associated with the PID control system. The LabVIEW virtual instruments transfer information to web clients is performed using web server and standard internet browsers for data access. Multimedia features are added to the architecture to supplement the teaching and learning activities. The proposed system structure and functionalities tend towards the translation of traditional collaborative characteristics into an Internet based on-line collaborative learning environment.

Digital proportional-integral-derivative velocity controller of a Mössbauer spectrometer

The digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) velocity controller used in the Mössbauer spectrometer implemented in field programmable gate array (FPGA) is based on the National Instruments CompactRIO embedded system and LabVIEW graphical programming tools. The system works as a remote system accessible via the Ethernet. The digital controller operates in real-time conditions, and the maximum sampling frequency is approximately 227 kS s−1. The system was tested with standard sample measurements of α-Fe and α-57Fe2O3 on two different electromechanical velocity transducers. The nonlinearities of the velocity scales in the relative form are better than 0.2%. The replacement of the standard analog PID controller by the new system brings the possibility of optimizing the control process more precisely.

Modeling and verification using UML Statecharts. By Doron Drusinsky. Published by Newnes Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 0‐7506‐7617‐5, 306 pages. Price £39.99. Hard Cover.

Modeling and verification using UML Statecharts. By Doron Drusinsky. Published by Newnes Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 0‐7506‐7617‐5, 306 pages. Price £39.99. Hard Cover.

A Rapid Prototyping Tool for Embedded, Real-Time Hierarchical Control Systems

Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation and Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) is a graphical programming tool based on the dataflow language G. Recently, runtime support for a hard real-time environment has become available for LabVIEW, which makes it an option for embedded systems prototyping. Due to its characteristics, the environment presents itself as an ideal tool for both the design and implementation of embedded software. In this paper, we study the design and implementation of embedded software by using G as the specification language and the LabVIEW RT real-time platform. One of the main advantages of this approach is that the environment leads itself to a very smooth transition from design to implementation, allowing for powerful cosimulation strategies (e.g., hardware in the loop, runtime modeling). We characterize the semantics and formal model of computation of G. We compare it to other models of computation and develop design rules and algorithms to propose sound embedded design in the language. We investigate the specification and mapping of hierarchical control systems in LabVIEW and G. Finally, we describe the development of a state-of-the-art embedded motion control system using LabVIEW as the specification, simulation and implementation tool, using the proposed design principles. The solution is state-of-the-art in terms of flexibility and control performance.

A powerful graphical pulse sequence programming tool for magnetic resonance imaging

A powerful graphical pulse sequence programming tool has been designed for creating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. It allows rapid development of pulse sequences in graphical mode (allowing for the visualization of sequences), and consists of three modules which include a graphical sequence editor, a parameter management module and a sequence compiler. Its key features are ease to use, flexibility and hardware independence. When graphic elements are combined with a certain text expressions, the graphical pulse sequence programming is as flexible as text-based programming tool. In addition, a hardware-independent design is implemented by using the strategy of two step compilations. To demonstrate the flexibility and the capability of this graphical sequence programming tool, a multi-slice fast spin echo experiment is performed on our home-made 0.3 T permanent magnet MRI system.

Labview-Based Configurable Virtual Controller for Distributed Parameter Reactors

The aim of this paper consists in the implementation ofthe new adaptive control algorithm, dedicated for distributed parameter reactors, as the fully-configurable PC-based virtual controller. For this purpose the LabView graphical programming tool from National Instruments was used. Since the control law has a number of different parameters that must be set up to ensure its best control perfonnance, it is possible to configure these parameters by the controls placed at the front panels of this device. The most important properties of this virtual controller are presented in this paper.

Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 User's Guide and Reference Manual

Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 is an Ada interface to the Lego RCX "brick", included as part of the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System. Programs are written with an Ada compiler, translated into Dave Baum's Not Quite C langauge (NQC), then recompiled and downloaded through the Mindstorms IR transmitter to the RCX.Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 is distributed with the USAFA AdaGIDE Windows Ada compiler. This document assumes that you have obtained and installed AdaGIDE. If you are using another Ada compiler, see Appendix A. We also assume working knowledge of Ada. If you haven't used Ada before, we recommend learning the basics first before reading further, http://www.adahome.com/Discover/Introduction.html is a good place to start. We also assume a general familiarity with the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System and the RCX.To use Ada/Mindstorms 1.0, you need a PC running Windows and a Windows Ada compiler. To download Ada/Mindstorms programs to an RCX and test them, you need:1 Dave Baum's NQC system installed on your PC. It's available from http://www.enteract.com/-dbaum/nqc/index.html. If you're using AdaGIDE, the file nqc.exe executable needs to be in c:\gnatpro\bin so that AdaGIDE can find it. Otherwise it can be anywhere convenient.2 A Lego RCX brick pre-loaded with Mindstorms firmware.3 A Lego I/R transmitter hooked up to your PC's serial port. These come standard with the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System.If you have already purchased a Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System, you don't need the CD/ROM and software that come with the it. Ada/Mindstorms is a separate programming environment, replacing the Mindstorms graphical programming tools with an Ada interface.

P-RIO: a modular parallel-programming environment

The authors discuss the development of their Parallel Reconfigurable Interconnectable Object (P-RIO) environment, which offers a graphical programming tool, modular construction, high portability, a separate configuration language, and runtime support mechanisms for parallel programs. P-RIO provides a middleware-based environment for parallel and distributed programming. Its object-based, software construction methodology facilitates modularity and code reuse, allowing engineers and scientists with little training to build relatively complex programs.

Development of a versatile computer integrated control system for bioprocess controls.

A general approach is described for the implementation of a networked multi-unit computer integrated control system. The use of data acquisition hardware and graphical programming tools alleviates tedious programming and maintains potency and flexibility. One application of the control system, the control of a mammalian cell perfusion culture based on a key nutrient glucose concentration, was demonstrated. The control system offers customized user interface for all process control parameters and allows the flexibility for continued improvement and implementation of new tailored functions. The temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and glucose level were accurately controlled.

A visual interface for a database with version management

This paper describes a graphical interface to an experimental database system which incorporates a built-in version control mechanism that maintains a history of the database development and changes. The system is an extension of ISIS [6], Interface for a Semantic Information System, a workstation-based, graphical database programming tool developed at Brown University. ISIS supports a graphical interface to a modified subset of the Semantic Data Model (SDM) [7]. The ISIS extension introduces a transaction mechanism that interacts with the version control facilities. A series of version control support tools have been added to ISIS to provide a notion of history to user-created databases. The user can form new versions of three types of ISIS objects: a class definition object (a type), the set of instances of a class (the content), and an entity. A version-viewing mechanism is provided to allow for the comparison of various object versions. Database operations are grouped together in atomic units to form transactions, which are stored as entities in the database. A sample session demonstrates the capabilities of version and transaction control during the creation and manipulation of database objects.