Smart Digital Valve Control Simulator May April 25, 2001 Client: Client: Fisher Controls Intl. Inc. Contacts: Contacts: Patrick Ryan and Jeff Seyller Faculty Advisor: Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jacobson Team Members Chad Janovick Ty Hartwick Mike Ziller Brian Kierzek

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

User Interface

Communication Module (Router Logic) Receives packets from Valvelink ® Receives packets from Valvelink ® Creates application friendly HART packets Creates application friendly HART packets Routes packets to correct virtual device Routes packets to correct virtual device Packages response Packages response Sends packets to Valvelink ® Sends packets to Valvelink ® Incoming FSM Routing Logic Outgoing FSM Virtual Device Serial Port

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

Virtual Device Inheritance

Device Archive (Not Implemented) Object serialization system –Uses Microsoft Foundation Classes’ (MFC) object serialization methods Saves –Network configuration –Device properties

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

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

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

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 ®

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

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

Human Budget

Financial Budget

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

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

Summary HART COMMUNICATION ValveLink ® SoftwareHARTSim Software

Questions