An expert system approach for the design of cable networks

The aim of this paper is to show the utility of expert systems in the task of designing cable networks. At Enditel Endesa we are developing a project called Datacab in collaboration with the Electronic Technology Department of the University of Seville. Datacab is an expert system for automatic routing and positioning of the elements of both the civil design and the cabling of a cable telecommunication network. It uses as input data from a GIS (geographic information system) and obtains an optimal design by applying a specific design rules database. Datacab´s representation of the geographic information is entirely based on graphs. Among the advantages of the proposed expert system approach is the possibility to add new rules or to modify present rules easily if design criteria change.