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Publications

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Publication summary

Author(s): Steve Osella

Publication date: February 1995

Citation: Steve Osella: "Expert Control System Shell Version 1.0 User's Guide," NISTIR 5601, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 1995.

Key words: control systems, expert systems, real-time systems, multi-agent systems

Availability:

  • A paper copy of this document is available by contacting Kristy Thompson [web,email]
Abstract:
The Expert Control System Shell (ECSS)is a software program running on a Macintosh computer which permits the rapid prototyping of control system architectures and strategies. The ECSS consists of a user interface development tool, a rule-based expert system, an integrated text editor, a data-logging and playback facility, and a generic external device interface. The user-interface permits the design of graphical "controls" which are either actuators (push-buttons, toggles, and slider-control, etc.) or displays (LEDs, strip-charts, dials, etc.). The actuators can be manipulated directly by the operator, by the knowledge-base system, or both. A display can be directly linked to an external device, can be set by the expert system, or can be a calculated value from other actuators and/or displays. The rule-based expert system facility permits the creation of concurrently operating "control modules" which can synchronize their activity using message passing. The expert system is forward-chaining and is driven by operator actions, external events, and/or by messages from other control modules. Control modules can make function calls to external C language routines, which could be, for example, a PID control function. The ECSS permits the logging of all control values and the subsequent play back using a "remote control" graphical device.

Attention users of these documents: The information contained in these files should not be altered in any way. Attempts to change these files will adversely impact the integrity of the information and its usefulness. It is intended for use as is and will lose its usefulness if changed.

 

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