OCR Cambridge Nationals in ICT (Level 1/2) R010 Developing Control Systems

Computer control is used in many different areas. Control systems Automatic garden sprinklers… Windows that automatically open when the sun shines… …and robot workers in car factories, are all examples of control systems at work.

Weather systems are used to predict storms, tornados and earthquakes. Weather systems They also help people to know when the best time is to irrigate land, spray pesticide or gather crops. They monitor air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, rainfall and soil temperature.

Heating systems are controlled by thermostats that turn the heating up or down depending on the temperature. Heating systems They can be set to come on and go off at specific times and are often used to maintain a constant rate of heat. These are found in homes, factories and greenhouses.

Many businesses and homes have burglar alarms that go off if a magnet switch is broken, a window is opened or an infrared beam is broken. Alarm systems Control systems like this can be programmed to react to sensors and know what to do when the sensor is triggered.

Traffic lights are a prime example of a set of repeating control sequences that work on a loop. Sequences Sensors detect motion or, in the case of a crossing, a button is pressed that starts the sequence of events to ensure the traffic lights work as they should.

Control programs are often viewed as flowcharts so it is easy to see the starts, stops and sequences. Flowcharts It is easy to ask questions and see the answers in a flowchart diagram. You may have used a flowchart creator program and seen this at work.

Writing control programs involves: logging any changes testing the finished article and ensuring the system works as it should. Testing The last thing you want is a greenhouse full of plants dying or traffic accidents caused by poorly controlled lights.

You will learn… How to write control programs.How to test a control program.How to create flowcharts. How to plan and create a control program. What control systems are used for. How control programs work.

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