An Open Architecture Framework for the Integration of Virtual Prototyping Software Tools

Author(s):  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
Sankar Jayaram ◽  
Donald Tilton ◽  
Kevin Seaney

Abstract The use of virtual prototyping tools typically results in products with lower costs, better quality, and shorter development cycles. However, there are many interface/configuration problems that occur in the process of obtaining a design solution using the typical gamut of virtual prototyping tools. This paper presents the architecture, design, and implementation of a framework to support the integration of the multiple software systems used in the virtual prototyping of mechanical components. Some of the virtual prototyping software systems considered in the implementation of this framework were customer input systems, solid modeling systems, finite-element systems, knowledge-based systems, NC code generator systems, and virtual assembly systems. There is a pressing need for the different software systems to talk to each other while transferring the required data at varying levels of abstraction without compromising data integrity. Of special significance is the fact that the philosophy of the framework is widely applicable to any mechanical system, and is almost independent of specific software utilities. Thus, this design incorporates a clear path towards expansion to encompass other independent tools/systems. The architecture was designed using object-oriented methods. The framework was very successfully demonstrated for a well-defined subset of software systems being used at Isothermal Systems Research (ISR) Inc., a leader in proprietary spray cooling systems for multi-chip modules. This framework effectively supports the strong industry push towards integrated design, manufacturing, and virtual prototyping. The work presented in this paper was supported by an SBIR grant from the Department of Commerce, DOC contract 50-DKNB-5-00117.

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Angster ◽  
Sankar Jayaram

In the current marketplace, products are required to proceed rapidly from conceptualization to production. This has put a great deal of pressure on the current state of computer software systems. These include computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, design for assembly systems, design for manufacture systems, and manufacturing simulation systems. Modern product development processes call for rapid designs and adapting designs to suit ever changing customer requirements. Virtual prototyping is allowing engineers to quickly create digital prototypes, allowing for quick evaluation of conceptual designs. New technologies such as virtual reality are now being used to aid engineers in the area of virtual prototyping. Existing systems using virtual reality technology are limited in their expandability, customization, or usability with current design software systems. This paper discusses an expandable and customizable architecture aimed at integrating virtual product development tools.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20-23 ◽  
pp. 992-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Wu ◽  
Shi Ying ◽  
You Cong Ni ◽  
Hua Cui

Service-oriented software systems are inherently complex and have to cope with an increasing number of exceptional conditions in order to meet the system’s dynamic requirements. This work proposes an architecture framework which has exception handling capability. This framework ensures the credibility of service-oriented software, during the architectural stage, by adding exception handling-related architecture elements and modeling exception handling process. It allows a clear separation of concerns between the business function and the exception handling unit, using reflection mechanism. It plays an important guiding role for achieving reliable service-oriented system.


Author(s):  
Warren A. Hunt ◽  
Matt Kaufmann ◽  
J Strother Moore ◽  
Anna Slobodova

The ACL2 theorem prover has seen sustained industrial use since the mid-1990s. Companies that have used ACL2 regularly include AMD, Centaur Technology, IBM, Intel, Kestrel Institute, Motorola/Freescale, Oracle and Rockwell Collins. This paper introduces ACL2 and focuses on how and why ACL2 is used in industry. ACL2 is well-suited to its industrial application to numerous software and hardware systems, because it is an integrated programming/proof environment supporting a subset of the ANSI standard Common Lisp programming language. As a programming language ACL2 permits the coding of efficient and robust programs; as a prover ACL2 can be fully automatic but provides many features permitting domain-specific human-supplied guidance at various levels of abstraction. ACL2 specifications and models often serve as efficient execution engines for the modelled artefacts while permitting formal analysis and proof of properties. Crucially, ACL2 also provides support for the development and verification of other formal analysis tools. However, ACL2 did not find its way into industrial use merely because of its technical features. The core ACL2 user/development community has a shared vision of making mechanized verification routine when appropriate and has been committed to this vision for the quarter century since the Computational Logic, Inc., Verified Stack. The community has focused on demonstrating the viability of the tool by taking on industrial projects (often at the expense of not being able to publish much). This article is part of the themed issue ‘Verified trustworthy software systems’.


Author(s):  
James A. Stori ◽  
Paul K. Wright

Abstract Within the Integrated Design And Manufacturing Environment (IMADE), operation planning provides a mapping from geometric design primitives to machining operation sequences for manufacturing processes. Operation planning includes tool selection, machining parameter selection, and tool path generation. An object oriented approach to program structure is adopted, whereby features, operations and tools, inherit behaviors and attributes from the appropriate class-hierarchies for the part, the manufacturing operations, and tooling classes. A detailed example is presented illustrating the operation planning search algorithm. Scripts are generated by the individual machining operations for execution on a machine tool. Tooling information is maintained in an object-oriented database through the FAR libraries for Common LISP. Examples of particular process plans show that the inherent trade-offs between specified precision and machining time can be investigated. An Open Architecture Machine Tool (MOSAIC-PM) has been used to machine the parts created by the feature based design and planning system. The novel contributions of this paper relate to the demonstration of “seamless” links between, a) design, b) planning, and c) actual fabrication by milling.


Author(s):  
Sankar Jayaram ◽  
Scott R. Angster ◽  
Sanjay Gowda ◽  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
Robert R. Kreitzer

Abstract Virtual prototyping is a relatively new field which is significantly changing the product development process. In many applications, virtual prototyping relies on virtual reality tools for analysis of designs. This paper presents an architecture for a virtual prototyping system which was created for the analysis of automotive interiors. This flexible and open architecture allows the integration of various virtual reality software and hardware tools with conventional state-of-the-art CAD/CAM tools to provide an integrated virtual prototyping environment. This architecture supports the automatic transfer of data from and to parametric CAD systems, human modeling for ergonomic evaluations (first person and third person perspectives), design modifications in the virtual environment, distributed evaluations of virtual prototypes, reverse transfer of design modifications to the CAD system, and preservation of design intent and assembly intent during modifications in the virtual environment.


Author(s):  
P. Robinson ◽  
F. Gout

As consultant-educators, the authors created the extreme architecture framework (XAF) in order to quickly grasp an understanding of an organisation’s architecture from different perspectives. The framework is presented as a matrix of system types and architectural perspectives that is described by a single uncluttered diagram. Elements within the framework are defined along with the content that can include architectural representations, planning, and governance information. A discussion follows to show the relationship of the framework to planning, development, and governance activities. The minimalist framework presents a consolidated view of both human activity and software systems and can also help to foster a shared understanding between IT groups and business areas. It has been designed to answer a manager’s questions: • Which elements of the enterprise do I need to be aware of and understand; and • Which elements am I responsible for and need to manage?


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