EASY5

1
EASY5 Beyond Version 6
Brian Ummel EASY5 Product Support March 17, 2000
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Development Areas

• More improvements to the EASY5 Schematic Diagram
• Making it easier to build Library Components
• Making it easier to modify models
• Improved Model Documentation
• Enabling Concurrent Engineering
• Configuration control of Models
• Help with obtaining model data
• Improved Viewing of Results
• Making MAT and EASY5 work better together
• Algorithm Enhancements
• Platform Support - where EASY5 runs

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Development Timescales
Imminent Will be included in a bug-fix
release within the next few months Near Term
Will be included in the next main release (which
will probably be called 7.0) which we hope to get
out in the next 12 to 18 months). Further Out
May be in our next release but may be delayed to
a later release Future Direction Some ideas
about where we would like to go but not
understood enough yet to work on
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Improvements to EASY5 Schematic Diagram

• Near Term
• Finer Grid - Four times as many grid points in
  both x and y axes allows much more freedom of
  placement of components while maintaining
  auto-routing of connections
• Named Pins - allow connections to a component
  port to attach to a component by default at a
  specific point on the component icon. Alternate
  icons for the component can have different attach
  points
• Text Annotation - Put a formatted text message
  anywhere on the schematic without having to tie
  it to a specific component
• User Defined Connection Labels - allow you to put
  any text as a connection label rather than just
  the component name
• Smart Hot Text - eliminate unnecessary zeros and
  ones (e.g. 1s 0 should display simply as
  s)

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Making it Easier to Build Library Components

• Near Term
• New Macro Name Syntax
• S2 IN-- becomes S_2_IN (or maybe sig_out_integ)
• No double underscore or imbedded blanks
• Total name length can be 24 characters - allowing
  4 more to be added to designate instances
• No limit to length of macro
• Interim ability to use both old and new libraries
• Further Out
• New Icon Editor
• New interface
• New Operations
• Text Blocks
• Ability to edit existing text
• Ability to reshape existing object
• Schematic Macros
• 1. Build model schematic
• 2. Designate and name inputs and Outputs
• 3. Group becomes library component

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Making it Easier to Modify Models

• Near Term
• Multiple selection of model objects
• Cut and paste of object within and between models
• Further Out
• Replace Operation
• Drag a component from the add menu and drop it on
  a component in the model would cause the new
  component to replace the old one.
• The connections from and to the original
  component would be made to the new one.
• Only happens when it makes sense
• Insert Operation
• Drag a component from the add menu and drop it on
  an existing model connection would cause the new
  component to be added to the model and connected
  between the original from and to components
• Only happens when it makes sense

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Improved Model Documentation

• Near Term
• Component Notes
• Text form
• Short text note explaining purpose of component
  in this model
• Saved as part of model file
• HTLM link
• Could be used to point to vendor data for
  component
• HTML Documentation to include Schematic
• Uses Simple Vector Graphics (SVG) web protocol
  to draw schematic
• SVG browser plug-in required (available free from
  Adobe)
• Linked to HTML Docmod component tables
• Clicking on component in schematic causes
  component data to be shown in Docmod frame

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Enabling Concurrent Engineering

• Further Out
• Smart Submodels
• Built like any model
• Have named inputs and outputs to allow easy
  connection to rest of model
• Connections made via standard Connection Form
• Replace would update submodel without manual
  reconnection
• Creator can determine if users can modify or even
  see the internals
• Future Directions
• Levels within Submodels
• Can specify models of various levels of accuracy
  within single submodel
• Only selected level is included within compiled
  model
• Layers within Models
• Permit selective viewing of schematic contents
  (e.g. only electrical)

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Configuration Control of Models

• Further Out
• Based on having XML format which stores all model
  data
• Current metafile contains extra and redundant
  data
• Smart Difference Utility will be able to
  determine differences between versions of a model
• Standard diff could be used but would require
  interpretation
• Source code maintenance utility will be used to
  manage differences
• SCCS or RCS on Unix
• Several on windows

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Help with Obtaining Model Data

• Near Term
• Prepared Common Data Sets
• Pressing button on CDT will bring up list of
  parameter sets available
• Example EC Motor component might have a
  parameter set for a 10 Horsepower Motor
• Selecting a set would cause the parameters and
  initial conditions to be loaded into the
  component data table
• Future Direction
• Convenient Access to vendor supplied models of
  system elements
• Preferred access via the world wide web
• Would be in the form of single components or
  smart submodels
• Requires agreement about protecting proprietary
  information

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Improved Viewing of Results

• Near Term
• Improvements to Interactive Simulation Widgets
• Improved control panel (combine with TI block)
• Restart and extend capabilities
• Multiple y-axis scales
• Review strip chart results that have scrolled off
  window
• Plot Everything from Simulation
• Generate plot data before and after switch events
  and sample times
• Further Out
• Display Steady State Results on Schematic as Hot
  Text
• Pressures and Temperatures near Components
• Flows (and Temperatures) near connections

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Making MAT and EASY5 Work Better Together

• Present
• Rely on system call to run EASY5 from within
  MAT
• Slow - must re-start EASY5 on each call
• Tested prototype based on CORBA communication
• Performance was good
• Configuration was complex
• Stability was unacceptable
• Near Term
• New implementation based on MAT .emx architecture
• Abbility to Create Executable as .emx file rather
  than stand-alone executable
• Need for multible resident .emx files for
  optimization

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Improved Algorithms

• Near Term
• Add Linearization of Discrete Implicit Systems
• Update Switch State Logic
• Allow continuous states to be reset at switch
  state events
• Remove requirement that Set Switch command be
  executed even when no event occurs.
• Further Out
• Add new integration algorithms
• Fixed step with proper switch state handling
• Additional implicit system integration algorithms
• Combine Steady State Scan and Root Locus
• Future Directions
• Run simulations on multiple processors
• Generate separate models of top level submodels
• Run within standard backplane architectures
• Run stiff ( e.g. hydraulic) models in Real Time
  environments

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Platform Support Where EASY5 runs

• Imminent
• Windows 2000 on Intel PC
• D-space real time board within PC
• Near Term
• Improved integration with Exceed on PCs
• Linux ( still waiting for demand to show up)
• Continue support of current platforms (weak spot
  is DEC Alpha)
• Future Direction
• Web enabled GUI with EASY5 distributable between
  local and remote processors
• Run from anywhere - No need to install EASY5
• Could be license on a per job basis