Unified Control System – General Description

Unified Control System is currently in design phase. Intended users are companies specializing in various areas of industrial control and data acquisition.

Unified Control System is implemented as a C++ class library combined with user interface software (Java applets). Could be used as a framework for PC Based industrial control systems under Windows NT.

Unified Control System runs under Windows NT operating system and uses advantages of Object Oriented Design to provide base for development of industry specific control systems.

Unified Control System – Hardware and Software Platform

Computer

Standard off the shelf PC or industrial PC if environment requires.

I/O interface

PCI or ISA bus industrial I/O cards from various vendors. Unified IO will be used to interface hardware.

Operating system

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 or Windows 2000 Professional. Real time extension for Window NT will be only required for applications that require hard real time response. We are considering using VenturCom RTX as a real-time extension for Windows NT. However, final decision has yet to be made.

Development platform for base system, IO interfaces and control logic

Microsoft Visual C++, standard C++ class library. Other third party libraries – only open source.

Development platform for graphical user interface

Java.

Unified Control System – Base Module

Primary function of UCS Base module include:

  • support for digital input, digital output, analog input, analog output devices;
  • quadrature encoder counting support;
  • statistics collection;
  • error logging and reporting;
  • remote GUI connectivity.

Unified Control System – Graphical User Interface

Graphical user interface is implemented as Java applet running out of any Java compatible web browser. That provides complete platform independence. User interface applet establishes separate TCP/IP connection (local, intranet or internet) to control system. User interface transmits data requests or user commands to control system base and displays data received from control system base.

Functions available through user interface:

  • Remotely control PC running Unified Control System base module;
  • View/modify IO points statuses including dynamic IO point status monitoring (soft oscilloscope);
  • Perform PID loop tunning;
  • Calibrate analog devices;
  • View/modify logical device configuration;
  • View statistical system performance data;
  • Display dynamically updated graphical view of the system;
  • Other system specific functionality.

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