An Interface for Computer-Aided Control Engineering based on an Engineering Data-Base Manager

A companion paper [1] describes an engineering data-base manager (EDBM) for computer-aided control engineering (CACE). The need for an EDBM to support the complete control system design cycle is also discussed. The obvious benefit of integrating an EDBM into a CACE environment, as demonstrated in [1,2], is knowing how all system models and analysis and design result data are interrelated. This results in a data base that is documentable and reproducible. If the user interface of the system is designed correctly, there can be several major secondary pay-offs as well: information hiding (eliminating the need to recall commands and file names, for example) and direct integration of CACE activity and EDBM functionality. Conversely, if the CACE environment and EDBM are not integrated well, many users will not be motivated to use the EDBM to track models and results. The features of an EDBM-based user interface to a CACE software environment are described in detail below. This includes demonstrating the execution of all data base operations, including browse, display, edit, purge, delete, and replicate, as well as executing certain CACE activity directly from the EDBM displays. Some of these features have been implemented in a rapid prototype software environment [3,4]; more of them are currently being incorporated in version 1.0 of our CACE environment [5]; a few will remain to be realized in future stages of this work. The primary goal of this user interface design is to make EDBM an integral part of the environment, not merely an appendage.