Imagine if an individual with little or no computer programming experience had the ability to automate complex equipment in a fraction of the time as it would otherwise take an experienced control engineer to do. Now imagine if this could be achieved without writing low level code or creating complex graphical block diagrams.

With the intuitive drag & drop design environment of Programmable Equipment Co.’s Hiatronic Development SuiteTM the developer need only construct an object model and write simple test steps to create an application. The software platform automatically takes care of all low level tasks including data acquisition, creation of the user interface, data sheets, manual control form, watching and updating, troubleshooting, and error handling.

THE OBJECT MODEL

A revolutionary new software technology called ‘Hiatronics’ has been developed by Programmable Equipment Co. to control automated equipment. The technology is based upon the construction and subsequent manipulation of an ‘object model’, which in essence is an object oriented duplicate of the physical equipment. The object model is comprised of groups of similar objects arranged hierarchically and in communication with the electronics of the physical equipment, hence the term ‘Hiatronics’.

Construction of the object model is fast, easy and requires no computer programming. The object model is instead built at runtime by clicking on a hierarchically arranged tree, and populating forms that automatically appear.

COMPOSITION OF THE MODEL

The object model is comprised of several different domains including DAQ board, hardware, control, and test. The DAQ board domain contains a virtual representation of all data acquisition boards that are used to control the application. The hardware domain contains a virtual representation of all instruments, actuators, and switches that are used within the physical equipment. The control domain contains all PID feedback and control objects which are used to set the actuators to specific settings.

The user interface is automatically generated for an application. Note the test list at middle left, the control buttons at lower left and the circular gauges at the center of the screen.

CREATING SEQUENCES

The platform uses VSTA to allow users to create automated test sequences. The object model is automatically exposed within VSTA and the programmer can command the object model using simple calls from within the VSTA editor.

The VSTA editor is tightly integrated with the tree view. To call any object within the object model, simply drag the item that you wish to call from the tree view, and drop it into the VSTA editor. A user can quickly learn the simple techniques to create test sequences.

THE USER INTERFACE

The user interface is automatically created for the end user and is based upon the configuration of the object model. Any changes made to the object model are automatically reflected within the user interface.

The top left hand portion of the user interface contains buttons which allows the user to toggle between three different screens. The first screen is the test screen which displays a list of test sequences which can be automatically run.

The second is a manual control screen. This screen is useful to manually control the physical equipment.

The third screen is the tree view, which allows access to the object model. This screen can be used to modify the object model or can be used in conjunction with Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) to create new test sequences.

ADVANTAGES

Hiatronic Development Suite is highly effective at organizing and managing large applications. It is easy to step in and understand an existing application. The highly structured organizational aspect of the platform does not take away from its flexibility. The object model offers an almost unlimited number of possible configurations.

The platform provides the tools necessary to create an object model to mirror the physical equipment.

Hiatronic Development Suite uses hiatronics as its core technology. This technology is revolutionary because it allows an end user to easily configure complex automated equipment without the need to program low level code or create highly customized computer programs for every new application, thus saving time, and money.