Smart Digital Valve Control Simulator

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Smart Digital Valve Control Simulator

• May 01-11
• April 25, 2001
• Client Fisher Controls Intl. Inc.
• Contacts Patrick Ryan and Jeff Seyller
• Faculty Advisor Dr. Jacobson
• Team Members
• Chad Janovick
• Ty Hartwick
• Mike Ziller
• Brian Kierzek

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Presentation Outline

• Problem Statement
• Design Objectives
• Functional Requirements
• End-Product Description
• Assumptions and Limitations
• Project Risks and Concerns
• Technical Approach
• Evaluation of Project Success
• Recommendations for Further Work
• Human and Financial Budgets
• Lessons/Skills Learned
• Summary
• Demonstration
• Questions

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Problem Statement and Solution

• Fisher Controls needs the ability to simulate
  Digital Valve Controllers (DVCs) due to the
  physical and financial impossibility of testing
  Valvelink software with large networks of DVCs.
  

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Problem Statement and Solution ( cont )

• The goal of this project is to develop, HARTSim,
  a Windows based application capable of simulating
  communication between Valvelink and a network of
  virtual devices.

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Users and Uses

• Users
• Software Development Engineers
• Software Test Engineers
• Technical Support Staff
• Sales Representatives
• Uses
• Development and testing of Valvelink
• Troubleshooting
• Showing capabilities of Valvelink to customers

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Design Objectives

• Communicate with Valvelink via a serial port
  through the use of industry standard Highway
  Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol.
• Build a set of virtual devices capable of
  understanding and creating HART messages.
• Allow user configuration of device
  characteristics.
• Provide a intuitive graphical user interface.

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Design Constraints

• Windows 9X/NT restraints
• Visual C restraints
• Serial communication restraints
• Expandable/Open-ended format
• Need for intuitive interface

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Functional Requirements

• Network Tree Pane
• Device Properties Pop-Up Pane
• Communication Log Pane
• Status Pane
• Communication Module (Router Logic)
• Virtual Device

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Network Tree Pane

• This pane allows the user to configure, start,
  and stop a simulation drag, drop, and delete
  devices and open a device properties page.

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Device Properties Dialog

• This pane will allow the user to view and
  configure variables and their values for a
  specific devices.

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Communication Log Pane and Status Pane

• The Communication Log Pane will list all HART
  commands that go over the line. The Status Pane
  will display the number of messages sent and
  received, and an LED will light if there is
  activity on the line.

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User Interface
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Communication Module(Router Logic)

• Receives packets from Valvelink
• Creates application friendly HART packets
• Routes packets to correct virtual device
• Packages response
• Sends packets to Valvelink

Incoming FSM
Routing Logic
Serial Port
Virtual Device
Outgoing FSM
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Virtual Devices

• Interprets HART packets
• Looks in packet for command number and any data
• Creates response for Communication Module
• Uses command number and data to create a response
  packet

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Virtual Device Inheritance
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Device Archive (Not Implemented)

• Object serialization system
• Uses Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) object
  serialization methods
• Saves
• Network configuration
• Device properties

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End Product Description

• Windows based software package
• Intuitive user interface
• Capable of emulating DVC 5 6000s
• Communication through the serial port using HART
  protocol

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Assumptions and Limitations

• Assumptions
• Users are familiar with ValveLink and HART
  protocol
• Accurate DVC models can be constructed
• Open-ended design will allow for future expansion
• Software will be easy to set up and use
• Limitations
• Serial port timing constraints
• Software can only be run on Windows based PCs
• Semester is not long enough to implement all
  features

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Risks and Risk Management

• Loss or damage of master code
• -Source Control
• Staying within the scope of the project
• -Constant contact with Fisher Controls
• Time Management
• -Weekly team meetings
• -Multi-tasking ( split project into sections )

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Technical Approach

• Visual C vs. Visual Basic vs. Java
• Multi-Threaded Application vs. Single Threaded
  Application
• Use of object inheritance for modular design
• User interface parallels ValveLink

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Evaluation of Project Success(Milestones)

• Intuitive user interface
  (100)
• Easy for user to set up a simulation
• User is able to configure devices
• Communications enabled (100)
• ValveLink thinks physical devices are attached
• Accurate virtual device simulation (100)
• Devices provide correct results
• Application meets the needs of Fisher Controls
  (100)

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Recommendations for Further Work

• Serialization for saving configured
  devices/simulations
• Multiplexer network capabilities
• More detailed device logic
• -Virtual diagnostic capabilities
• -Mux scanning
• Future device types

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Human Budget
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Financial Budget
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Lessons Learned

• Start research as early as possible
• Try to inflate time estimates
• Prioritize tasks
• Maintain contact with the client
• Take more time to familiarize ourselves with
  Visual C

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Developed Skills

• Technical Skills
• -Visual C (coding skills improved immensely)
• -HART protocol
• -Serialization techniques
• -Working with technical documentation
• Non-Technical Skills
• -Interaction with professional clients
• -Team meeting utilization
• -Documentation techniques

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Summary
HART COMMUNICATION
ValveLink Software
HARTSim Software
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Questions