EASY5

EASY5BeyondVersion 6

Brian UmmelEASY5 Product SupportMarch 17, 2000

EASY5 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

EASY5 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

EASY5 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”)

EASY5 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 Macros1. Build model schematic2. Designate and name inputs and Outputs3. Group becomes library component4. Appears to user just like any macro

EASY5

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

Making it Easier to Modify Models

EASY5

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

Improved Model Documentation

EASY5

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)

Enabling Concurrent Engineering

EASY5

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

Configuration Control of Models

EASY5

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

Help with Obtaining Model Data

EASY5

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

Improved Viewing of Results

EASY5

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

Making MAT and EASY5 Work Better Together

EASY5

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

Improved Algorithms

EASY5 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