Archimedes is a prototype system platform that attempts to facilitate the integrated development (concurrent engineering) of the different parts of Mechatronic Systems, exploiting the MIM architecture.
Archimedes system platform along with the appropriate extensions can be utilized to address the development of complex Mechatronic manufacturing systems that allow run-time reconfiguration exploiting the IEC61499 Function Block model.
The Archimedes system platform is comprised of:
A methodology, which should guide the engineer in deciding how to navigate into the MIM architecture, what activities and in what order to execute them in order to create and manage the artefacts, and how to use specific artefacts to measure and control the development and operation of complex MTSs.
A framework that should provide technology required to reuse both the architecture and the functionality of mechatronic manufacturing components allowing the engineer, to ignore all the complexities inherent in the lower three layers, and to concentrate on the actual problem to be solved.
A run time environment for the software component of the MTC.
An Engineering Toolset that is an integrated set of tools that support the engineer in the development, validation, configuration, and monitoring and control of re-configurable, agile Mechatronic manufacturing systems.
A prototype system platform is under development. This platform is comprised, in its current form, of:
a framework, on which the software parts are developed;
a methodology that currently focuses on the application and resource layers;
a run-time environment, on which the software part of the MTS will be executed; and
an integrated toolset that currently supports the application and system layers.
Three implementation model frameworks with the corresponding Execution Environments are currently supported. Each one is supported by a specific Archimedes EXecution Environments package (AXE package)
1. RTSJ-AXE package
The RTSJ-AXE package is based on RTSJ and currently supports TimeSys RI and Jamaica. This implementation framework, which is described in [ETFA'05 paper], provides all the benefits of using the Real-Time Java technology. A prototype implementation is provided for evaluation on request.
2. RTAI-AXE package
The RTAI-AXE package exploits RTAI to provide an open source real-time implementation framework that provides extremely good performance results as described in [INDIN'05 paper].
3. CCM-AXE package
The CCM-AXE package exploits the CORBA component model specification. A prototype implementation is included in Archimedes ESS main package.
4. Luciol-AXE package
The Luciol-AXE package is an Archimedes package that supports the execution of IEC61499 Function Block based control applications on Luciol, an aJile-based industrial device.
The MechaTronic Component (MTC) is the key concept of the MIM paradigm. MTC is the primary building construct for MTSs It is composed of a mechanical part, an electronic part and a software part. Primitive MTCs are developed with generic functionality that enables their use in different systems of the same application domain. These MTCs may be discovered and utilized for the development of systems that require the specific functionality in the mechatronic layer.
An MTC is provided in the form of what we call MTC package
The following artifacts constitute a MTC package:
the real world MTC,
metadata (service inter.,QoS, service semantics, ),
the simulation model of the MTC.
Source: K. Thramboulidis, Model Integrated Mechatronics: An Architecture for the Model Driven Development of Mechatronic Systems, 2nd IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics, pp. 497-502, Istanbul, Turkey 2004.