X Window implementation of Petri net based animation for FMS

The authors describe a software package which can model and analyze the performance of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) cell based on Petri net theory. Using X Window graphical interface and animation, this software package allows modeling and analysis to be visualized and makes it easy to understand and manipulate. It lets a user draw the factory layout of an arbitrary FMS cell on the screen using the tools supplied. A corresponding Petri net model can also be drawn on the screen. It can display the animated overall operating process of the FMS corresponding to the Petri net model. By experimenting with different inputs and comparing the output in a timed period, a user can quickly determine how to improve the efficiency, reduce the cost, and pin down the bottleneck