Scilab

Scilab is a scientific software package for numerical computations providing a powerful open computing environment for engineering and scientific applications. Scilab includes hundreds of mathematical functions with the possibility to add interactively programs from various languages (C, C++, Fortran…).
It has sophisticated data structures (including lists, polynomials, rational functions, linear systems...), an interpreter and a high level programming language. For more details, check Scilab hompage!

Scicos 

Scicos is a graphical dynamical system modeler and simulator toolbox included in the  Scilab® engineering and scientific computation software. With Scicos you can create block diagrams to model and simulate the dynamics of hybrid dynamical systems and compile your models into executable code. Scicos is used for signal processing, systems control, queuing systems, and to study physical and biological systems. New extensions allow generation of component based modeling of electrical and hydraulic circuits using  the Modelica language. For more details, check Scicos hompage!

Xenomai

Xenomai is a real-time development framework cooperating with the Linux kernel, in order to provide a pervasive, interface-agnostic, hard real-time support to user-space applications, seamlessly integrated into the GNU/Linux environment. For more details, check Xenomai hompage!

Scilab/Scicos Code Generator for FLEX

Concept:

To develop a single-click digital control automatic code generation tool for the FLEX boards!

Requirement:

•  A FLEX Board.
•  ERIKA Enterprise
•  The Microchip tools (available for free).
•  A Microchip ICD2 (this dependency will be removed soon when it will be possible to program Flex through USB).

Procedure:

As decipted in the figure above, the process of code generation is as follows-

•  Design of a control system in Scicos.
•  Simulation and tuning of the control system in Scicos.
•  Single-click code generation for ERIKA Enterprise for FLEX.
•  Automatic flashing of the FLEX board.
•  Integration in the Scicos HIL support using the FLEX USB/wireless connection.

Project:

The Scicos-FLEX project, currently in beta stage, but is usable, contains:

•  Code generator for ERIKA Enterprise Basic.
•  Over 100 Scicos blocks ready for code generation!
•  Automatic generation and compilation of the Scicos generated application.
•  Manual flashing of the generated application on the dsPIC device on the FLEX board.
•  Working examples using the FLEX board.
•  Tutorial for the creation of a sample application included in the documentation.
•  USB and OpenZB connection blocks available.
•  Hardware in the loop working.

Future scope:

•  Automatic programming of a Scicos-generated application on the FLEX target.
•  Comprehensive documentation and examples.

Comments:

Please note that the code generator is currently a direct derivation from the Linux/RTAI Code Generator for Scilab and Scicos i.e. the code generated is correct and working but, he quality and efficiency of the code generated is not "the best" for a microcontroller (in terms of usage of RAM, complexity of the data structures, optimization of the overhead, and other things).

We are working for improving the efficiency of the code generator with INRIA Roquencourt, and for that reason you can expect changes in the quality of the code generated in the next months.

Download:

Check the Scilab/Scicos page at the ERIKA Enterprise website on TuxFamily...

Scilab/Scicos Code Generator for Xenomai

Concept:

To develop a single-click digital control automatic code generation tool for Xenomai machine!

Also check Scliab/Scicos remote CanOpen I/O made by AUTOMATA and WAGO! 

Requirement:

•  A host PC with Scilab/Scicos and Xenomai development enviornment installed on it.
•  A target Xenomai machine.

Procedure:

As decipted in the figure above, the process of code generation is as follows-

•  Set-up host (PC with Scilab/Scicos installed) and target (Xenomai machine).
•  On the host PC, design the control system for the target using Scilab/Scicos including UDP block, if required.
•  On the host PC, generate the code for the target and subsquently upload this code on the target for execution.
•  On the host PC, design the application to monitor the target function using Scilab/Scicos including UDP if used earlier.
•  If UPD was included, check the Scilab Graphics output window on the host PC to confirm the desired designed behavior of the target.

Project:

The Scicos-Xenomai project, currently in beta stage, but is usable, contains:

•  Xenomai code generator for all basic Scicos 4.1.2 blocks available in secondary domain.
•  UDP receive and UDP send blocks working in primary domain and with support for RTnet.

Future scope:

•  Porting Scicos blocks in primary domain.
•  User documentation.

Download:

•  Xenomai 2.4.3 (from the Xenomai web-site) or Xenomai 2.4.3 (local mirror)
•  Scicos Pack for Xenomai and CANopen Version 0.2 (zip file)
  

Partners

Scilab/Scicos development team

•  Simone Mannori, project METALAU (INRIA Roquencourt) ScicosLab Embedded Applications
•  Roberto Bucher , SUPSI (Lugano, CH)

Simone Mannori, Project METALAU (INRIA Roquencourt), ScicosLab Embedded Applications

Useful links

•  Scilab home page
•  Scicos home page
•  Xenomai home page
•  Microchip IC Wiki
•  Evidence Forum
•  Evidence Wiki