Distributed Computer Control Systems

A reference guide for professionals or text for graduate and postgraduate students, this volume emphasizes practical designs and applications of distributed computer control systems. It demonstrates how to improve plant productivity, enhance product quality, and increase the safety, reliability, and

A reference guide for professionals or text for graduate and postgraduate students, this volume emphasizes practical designs and applications of distributed computer control systems. It demonstrates how to improve plant productivity, enhance product quality, and increase the safety, reliability, and

Distributed Computer Control Systems: Proceedings of the IFAC Workshop, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A., 2-4 October 1979 focuses on the design, processes, methodologies, and applications of distributed computing systems. The selection first discusses the use of distributed control systems for facility energy management, including space conditioning control, plant design, central plant control, and system design. The book then takes a look at programming distributed computer systems with higher level languages. Topics include design of an application programming language for distributed computing systems; realization of a suitable programming language for distributed computing systems; and optimal structure and capabilities of an automatic control system. The text focuses on the similarities and differences of distributed computer control systems; transaction processing as an efficient conceptual framework for comparing and understanding distributed systems; and multi-processor approach for the automation of quality control in an overall production control system. The selection also deals with transaction processing in distributed control systems; parallel processing for distributed computer control systems; and design and development of distributed control systems. The book is a vital source of data for readers interested in distributed computing.

Designing Distributed Control Systems presents 80 patterns for designing distributed machine control system software architecture (forestry machinery, mining drills, elevators, etc.). These patterns originate from state-of-the-art systems from market-leading companies, have been tried and tested, and will address typical challenges in the domain, such as long lifecycle, distribution, real-time and fault tolerance. Each pattern describes a separate design problem that needs to be solved. Solutions are provided, with consequences and trade-offs. Each solution will enable piecemeal growth of the design. Finding a solution is easy, as the patterns are divided into categories based on the problem field the pattern tackles. The design process is guided by different aspects of quality, such as performance and extendibility, which are included in the pattern descriptions. The book also contains an example software architecture designed by leading industry experts using the patterns in the book. The example system introduces the reader to the problem domain and demonstrates how the patterns can be used in a practical system design process. The example architecture shows how useful a toolbox the patterns provide for both novices and experts, guiding the system design process from its beginning to the finest details. Designing distributed machine control systems with patterns ensures high quality in the final product. High-quality systems will improve revenue and guarantee customer satisfaction. As market need changes, the desire to produce a quality machine is not only a primary concern, there is also a need for easy maintenance, to improve efficiency and productivity, as well as the growing importance of environmental values; these all impact machine design. The software of work machines needs to be designed with these new requirements in mind. Designing Distributed Control Systems presents patterns to help tackle these challenges. With proven methodologies from the expert author team, they show readers how to improve the quality and efficiency of distributed control systems.

Components and Instruments for Distributed Control Systems provides a conceptual framework for organizing the elements of the distributed system for integration of the many diverse information processing, decision-making, and control functions that are involved in a total plant control. With the enormous progress in micro-electronics that has taken place over the past years, intelligent instruments can now be created that integrate processing once reserved for calculators. This book notes that the development of distributed micro-computing systems is linked to this progress, and their use in industry and in service areas is becoming more and more widespread. This text also emphasizes that great progress has also been made in the design of sensors and other components in the automatic control chain. This book is a useful reference for students and individuals studying instrument development and its use in distributed control.

One of the most important issues in the development of distributed computer control systems is the ability to build software and hardware which is both reliable and time deterministic; this is an area where control engineering and computer science naturally meet. This publication brings together the latest key papers on research and development in this field, allowing cross-fertilization between the two engineering disciplines involved and allowing both academics and industrial practitioners to find new insights and learn from each other's views.

The focus of the workshop was on recent advances in the theory, applications and techniques for distributed computer control systems. Topics included: tools and methods for inner layers of DCCS; application papers presenting operational DCCS; the infiltration of true real-time or "time critical" concepts and the emergence of artificial intelligence methods in DCCS applications, leading to novel computer architectures being integrated in computer networks. The book will be of interest not only to those involved in DCCS but also software engineers and distributed computing scientists.