MICOSE4aPS: Industrially Applicable Maturity Metric to Improve Systematic Reuse of Control Software

automated Production Systems (aPS) are highly complex, mechatronic systems that usually have to operate reliably for many decades. Standardization and reuse of control software modules is a core prerequisite to achieve the required system quality in increasingly shorter development cycles. However, industrial case studies in aPS show that many aPS companies still struggle with strategically reusing software. This paper proposes a metric-based approach to objectively measure the m aturity of i ndustrial IEC 61131-based co ntrol s oftwar e in aPS (MICOSE4aPS) to identify potential weaknesses and quality issues hampering systematic reuse. Module developers in the machine and plant manufacturing industry can directly benefit as the metric calculation is integrated into the software engineering workflow. An in-depth industrial evaluation in a top-ranked machine manufacturing company in food packaging and an expert evaluation with different companies confirmed the benefit of efficiently managing the quality of control software.

A novel method for on-chip debugging based on RISC-V processor

An on-chip debugging method based on the RISC-V processor is introduced, which simplifies the complicated debugging operation into instructions and improves the debugging efficiency effectively. The method adopts a JTAG interface to realize the debugging functions of the processor, such as running control, software breakpoint, hardware breakpoint and single-step execution. The method was verified by simulation at the RTL level, and the logic synthesis was carried out in SMIC 180nm process library.

Editorial

On the behalf of the organizing committee of the International Conference on Electronics, Electrical and Information Engineering (ICEEIE2021) held during September 24th-26th, 2021 in Changsha, Hunan, China, Due to the Covid-19, there were travel restriction for every scholars who were linked with this event, by using Zoom conference system and physical venues in different sponsors’ university, we enjoyed 3 keynote speeches and oral presentations made by the authors which lasted for 15 minutes each, a lot of inspiration sparked during the Q&A parts, thanks to the modern technology and dedication of every committee member, we finally made this conference, to sum up I would like to present you all this proceeding: A strong mixture of academia and industry was the key aspect of this year’s conference. ICEEIE 2021 promotes research and developmental activities in the field of Electronics, Electrical and Information Engineering along with exchange of knowledge, ideas and information among the researchers, practitioners and scholars from all over the world. Researchers who have contributed their work to the conference shared their findings and experience with other researchers and attendee. Many attendees without any contribution of research paper have also been allowed to attend the conference to gain knowledge in their respective areas. With all contributions from the participants, 74 papers are final accepted from 215 submissions. Those accepted ones are well categorized into six sectors as follows:Information Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Automation Control, Software Engineering, Machine Learning, IOT & Data Sciences, Intelligent System, Information Security. List of Committees are available in this pdf.

Virtual Indication of the Torque for a Marine Gas Turbine

Gas turbines are used in marine applications where high propulsion power is required compared to engine size and mass. In some cases, the torque and engine power developed cannot be measured with a special transducer implemented in applications or if there are indications, they need to be compared with the calculated torque indication. For this purpose, we developed in the engine control software application a mathematical model for calculating and displaying the torque and power developed by the engine. Through comparisons in the tests with the engine on the test bench, this mathematical model was refined. At this time the comparative sampled data can be used as a virtual indication of torque in cases where this is necessary.

Control of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor in Simulink

Nowadays, before the era of modern Steer-by-wire steering systems, the most widely used steering technology is Electric Power Steering (EPS). This paper contains the developing of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) control circuit for EPS systems, in Matlab Simulink environment. The mathematical model of the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor was created via the four equations that represent the relation between the fluxes, voltages and currents in d-q reference frame and the motor torque equation. Mathematical transformations are required to generate the equivalent input values of the model from analog input waves. In this way, the embedded software is able to communicate with the motor through the analog input and output signals. The control model was also tested in a physically implemented system. The control software is executed on a dSpace AutoBox hardware. The output interface block creates the output phase voltages specified by the control module, and the input interface block allows the phase currents generated by the output voltage to be measured back.

Towards an integrated automatic design process for robot swarms

Background: The specification of missions to be accomplished by a robot swarm has been rarely discussed in the literature: designers do not follow any standardized processes or use any tool to precisely define a mission that must be accomplished. Methods: In this paper, we introduce a fully integrated design process that starts with the specification of a mission to be accomplished and terminates with the deployment of the robots in the target environment. We introduce Swarm Mission Language (SML), a textual language that allows swarm designers to specify missions. Using model-driven engineering techniques, we define a process that automatically transforms a mission specified in SML into a configuration setup for an optimization-based design method. Upon completion, the output of the optimization-based design method is an instance of control software that is eventually deployed on real robots. Results: We demonstrate the fully integrated process we propose on three different missions. Conclusions: We aim to show that in order to create reliable, maintainable and verifiable robot swarms, swarm designers need to follow standardised automatic design processes that will facilitate the design of control software in all stages of the development.

Parental supervision and control of adolescents’ problematic internet use: understanding and predicting adoption of parental control software

Purpose This paper aims to identify the factors that motivate parents to adopt internet monitoring software (aka parental control software [PCS]) to curb problematic internet usage and safeguard their children online. By doing so, the authors are able to curb problematic internet usage and keep children safe online. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted using a representative sample of 330 parents in the USA with children ages 10 to 15. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings This research combines two theories, namely, technology acceptance model (TAM) and protection motivation theory (PMT) to factors that motivate parents to adopt internet monitoring software to help their children. Perceived severity, perceived vulnerability from PMT and personal innovativeness (PI) from TAM, which is related to self-efficacy and the belief that future technologies will require less effort to adopt, are key factors that influence parents’ perceived usefulness of PCS. Perceived usefulness and PI both positively predict parents’ purchase intention for internet monitoring software. Practical implications The study establishes that there are personal, technology and situational factors that motivate the adoption of PCS. These determinants have implications for how marketers identify potential users and how they might improve the promotion of internet monitoring technologies. Originality/value The paper extends the application of the technology acceptance model and PMT to predict technology adoption aimed at helping others. Findings show that personal and perceptual factors motivate parents’ adoption of internet monitoring software to curb problematic internet usage and keep children safe online. This paper is the first to combine the technology acceptance model and PMT to explain the adoption of software solutions to protect others online. By doing so, a more thorough account of parents’ technology adoption to protect their children is offered.