System Architecture

A typical Tsentry system architecture is shown in the following figure. All hardware employs industry-standard, open-architecture systems commercially available from multiple equipment suppliers. Communication is via industry-standard TCP/IP protocol over Ethernet. Graphical human-machine interface and maintenance support displays are implemented via standard Internet web pages. These pages are displayed using a standard web browser. Additional technical details concerning this architecture follow the diagram.

Open

Basic Tsentry System Hardware and Software:

• Standard IBM PC compatible computer (450MHz Pentium III or faster)

  • 320 MB memory / 13GB removable hard disk

  • APG and PCI bus slots

• 19" color monitor

• Graphics controller

• Read/Write

• Two (2) Ethernet communications adapters

• Optional Process I/O controller and driver

• Microsoft Windows 2000® operating system

• VenturCom RTX real-time operating system extensions (optional)

• Windows® Web services

• TCP/IP Networking services

• Microsoft Visual Studio® software development environment

Application Software Environment

• Standard Windows® operation remains intact.

• A library of real-time extensions for Windows® system is provided.

• Three process task types are supported:

  • Standard Microsoft Windows® processes (Win32 Normal)

  • Standard Microsoft Windows® Real-Time processes (Win32 Real-Time)

  • VenturCom RTX Hard Real-Time processes (RTSS Real-Time)

• VenturCom RTX® Hard Real-Time process attributes:

  • Strict priority-based CPU utilization

  • Processes run to completion before relinquishing CPU

  • True deterministic real-time process scheduling under Windows®

• Hard Real-Time processes run at higher priority than all standard Windows® processes

• System and application software developed using Microsoft Visual Studio tools

  • Visual C/C++

  • Visual Basic

• All processes can be developed (code, edit, debug...) as standard Win32 processes on any PC with access to Microsoft Visual Studio.

• Any process can be changed from one type (Win32 Normal, Win32 Real-Time, or RTSS Real-Time) to another with a simple re-build.

• All process types can use the same library of application functions.

• TelePro supplied C++ classes support many process control functions.

• Application processes call Class Methods to execute control functions.

• Application-specific code is developed in C/C++.

• Complete facilities for developing custom applications are available to the end user.

Human-Machine Interface (HMI)

• HMI displays are supported through standard Web pages.

• Displays are developed using a combination of Visual Basic and Active Server Pages.

• Complete facilities for developing and publishing custom HMI displays are available to the end user.

• Standard interfaces implemented via Windows® web server environment.