5,478 research outputs found
Enabling the On-line Intrinsic Evolution of Analog Controllers
The intrinsic evolution of analog controllers to provide closed-loop control of the speed of a DC motor has been previously demonstrated at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. A side effect of the evolutionary process is that during evolution there are necessarily poor configurations to be evaluated that could cause damage to the plant, This paper concerns the development and implementation of a safe Evolvable Analog Controller (EAC) architecture able to evolve controllers on-line even in the presence of these poor configurations, The EAC concept is discussed and experimental results are presented that show the feasibility of the approach This EAC architecture represents the first in a series of steps required to make deployment of an evolvable controller a reality
A new line-shape asymmetry model for wavelength modulation spectroscopy in gaseous flows
This communication reports technical notes on the development and application of an automated line-shape fitting procedure for wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS). Near-infrared transitions of carbon dioxide (CO2) around 1573 nm were measured in vertical cold (non-reacting) flow of CO2 at atmospheric pressure using WMS with demodulation at second harmonic frequency. Semi-empirical model based on the set of so-called Gabor functions was developed and parameters of Lorentzian line-shape profile and its asymmetry resulting from simultaneous frequency and amplitude response of the current-modulated semiconductor laser were determined. Nonlinear least-square fitting procedure employing differential evolution algorithm was successfully utilized for performing this task. Line-shape fitting procedure enabling efficient signal de-noising and background subtraction of wavelength modulation spectra was implemented into an open-source code.Web of Science18416115
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Evolved transistor array robot controllers
For the first time a field programmable transistor array (FPTA) was used to evolve robot control circuits directly in analog hardware. Controllers were successfully incrementally evolved for a physical robot engaged in a series of visually guided behaviours, including finding a target in a complex environment where the goal was hidden from most locations. Circuits for recognising spoken commands were also evolved and these were used in conjunction with the controllers to enable voice control of the robot, triggering behavioural switching. Poor quality visual sensors were deliberately used to test the ability of evolved analog circuits to deal with noisy uncertain data in realtime. Visual features were coevolved with the controllers to automatically achieve dimensionality reduction and feature extraction and selection in an integrated way. An efficient new method was developed for simulating the robot in its visual environment. This allowed controllers to be evaluated in a simulation connected to the FPTA. The controllers then transferred seamlessly to the real world. The circuit replication issue was also addressed in experiments where circuits were evolved to be able to function correctly in multiple areas of the FPTA. A methodology was developed to
analyse the evolved circuits which provided insights into their operation. Comparative experiments demonstrated the superior evolvability of the transistor array medium
Versatile emulation of spiking neural networks on an accelerated neuromorphic substrate
We present first experimental results on the novel BrainScaleS-2 neuromorphic
architecture based on an analog neuro-synaptic core and augmented by embedded
microprocessors for complex plasticity and experiment control. The high
acceleration factor of 1000 compared to biological dynamics enables the
execution of computationally expensive tasks, by allowing the fast emulation of
long-duration experiments or rapid iteration over many consecutive trials. The
flexibility of our architecture is demonstrated in a suite of five distinct
experiments, which emphasize different aspects of the BrainScaleS-2 system
"Going back to our roots": second generation biocomputing
Researchers in the field of biocomputing have, for many years, successfully
"harvested and exploited" the natural world for inspiration in developing
systems that are robust, adaptable and capable of generating novel and even
"creative" solutions to human-defined problems. However, in this position paper
we argue that the time has now come for a reassessment of how we exploit
biology to generate new computational systems. Previous solutions (the "first
generation" of biocomputing techniques), whilst reasonably effective, are crude
analogues of actual biological systems. We believe that a new, inherently
inter-disciplinary approach is needed for the development of the emerging
"second generation" of bio-inspired methods. This new modus operandi will
require much closer interaction between the engineering and life sciences
communities, as well as a bidirectional flow of concepts, applications and
expertise. We support our argument by examining, in this new light, three
existing areas of biocomputing (genetic programming, artificial immune systems
and evolvable hardware), as well as an emerging area (natural genetic
engineering) which may provide useful pointers as to the way forward.Comment: Submitted to the International Journal of Unconventional Computin
FPGA design methodology for industrial control systems—a review
This paper reviews the state of the art of fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) design methodologies with a focus on industrial control system applications. This paper starts with an overview of FPGA technology development, followed by a presentation of design methodologies, development tools and relevant CAD environments, including the use of portable hardware description languages and system level programming/design tools. They enable a holistic functional approach with the major advantage of setting up a unique modeling and evaluation environment for complete industrial electronics systems. Three main design rules are then presented. These are algorithm refinement, modularity, and systematic search for the best compromise between the control performance and the architectural constraints. An overview of contributions and limits of FPGAs is also given, followed by a short survey of FPGA-based intelligent controllers for modern industrial systems. Finally, two complete and timely case studies are presented to illustrate the benefits of an FPGA implementation when using the proposed system modeling and design methodology. These consist of the direct torque control for induction motor drives and the control of a diesel-driven synchronous stand-alone generator with the help of fuzzy logic
Digital signal processor fundamentals and system design
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) have been used in accelerator systems for more than fifteen years and have largely contributed to the evolution towards digital technology of many accelerator systems, such as machine protection, diagnostics and control of beams, power supply and motors. This paper aims at familiarising the reader with DSP fundamentals, namely DSP characteristics and processing development. Several DSP examples are given, in particular on Texas Instruments DSPs, as they are used in the DSP laboratory companion of the lectures this paper is based upon. The typical system design flow is described; common difficulties, problems and choices faced by DSP developers are outlined; and hints are given on the best solution
DESIGN, CONFIGURATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FIELDBUS SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING OF A PROCESS PLANT
The first process control systems used mechanical and pneumatic controllers, and
were run conservatively for stability rather than economic performance. In the 1950s,
the first electronic controllers were introduces that used analog signals with simple
devices, and later in the 1970s distributed control system (DCS) emerged, which is
the current standard for large control system. In DCS however, a central processor
controls all parameters and has limitation in terms of reliability and cost. This lead to
the introduction of fieldbus system: the digital communication and fieldbus system
replaces the DCS architecture by enabling distribution of control function to
equipment in the field such as sensors, controllers and actuators. This report discusses
the findings on the literature review of fieldbus system and the fundamental issues in
the development and implementation of a fieldbus system for controlling a simple
process loop using a fieldbus test rig. A configuration and implementation procedure
for the development of a fieldbus test rig is presented involving process variables that
are pressure, temperature and flow. A complete control system functions
implemented are the monitoring, measurement and control. The methodology towards
accomplishing the project includes the theoretical and technical research, the
installation and commissioning, the configuration of network, device and control
strategy, the troubleshooting, operation and maintenance, and the analysis on the
fieldbus savings and its benefits. Detailed design, configuration and implementation
for a temperature control are presented. The findings demonstrate the benefits of the
fieldbus system over the DCS in terms of signal conditioning, loop interconnection
and configurations and verify the qualitative characteristics of the fieldbus system in
terms of simpler and better controllability
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