Software Services

 

Real-Time Software Design, Development, and Commissioning

ISC is an NI Alliance Partner.

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Our Approach

Our in-house expertise comes to the fore when an embedded control, signal processing or data acquisition application needs to be turned into reality. Starting with a 'blank sheet of paper, ISC can build simulations to evaluate different design options and assess likely performance. Simulations allow control designs to be refined, such as choice of scan rates, DAC/ADC resolution and control strategy (e.g. PID, feedforward etc).

These designs can be implemented as real time applications using LabVIEW and CompactRIO. ISC's engineers follow proven software design steps of specification, design, implementation, test and deployment, and include software quality plans and extensive documentation.

We have de-risked designs using simulations, not only at early design stages but also by building software-based emulators to allow virtual commissioning for proving operating logic, fault handling and operator interfaces as early as possible. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing can follow to prove the real-time realisation prior to commissioning with the real equipment.

What We Provide

Our services range from feasibility studies of control strategies and algorithms, to full implementation of control software using the National Instruments LabVIEW platform and the hardware series (e.g. CompactRIO and FPGA, PXI).

Software Features Developed

  • Real Time Control
  • Interfacing to IO and Safety Systems
  • Operational Logic
  • Monitoring and Fault Actions
  • Independent Watchdogs
  • User Interface - Touch Panel Computers, Joysticks, Buttons, LED's.
  • Data and Event Logging
  • Commissioning Procedures
  • Remote Access

EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK

Active Boat Motion Compensation

The heave, pitch and roll motions were compensated in the algorithm to enable safe transfer of personnel in the Offshore Wind Turbine Access system. Developed in MATLAB, the algorithm was implemented using LabVIEW and cRIO hardware.

Nonlinear Compensation for Sensors

A bespoke algorithm was developed and analysed for the online compensation of sensor nonlinearities. As well as accuracy and computational burden, data diversity issues were paramount in this safety critical application.)