The ep5 Educational Broadcasting Foundation

Objective:

Construct the template of an interface between a sophisticated and complex process control strategy implemented in a .NET program and an Ethernet-based I/O communication faculty using Modbus to read from and write to real-world sensors and effectors in actual field conditions.

Resources - Software:

• C# programming producing run-time executables for Windows10Pro on conventional desktop computers and their industrial, hardened, or special-purpose equivalents. Please note: Linux is not part of this project.
• NModbus4 library for .NET
• Protos X Utility

Resources - Hardware:

• Protos X fieldbus hardware using TCP
• Industry-standard I/O devices: sensors and actuators
• Technology demonstrator using the automation of an actual building

Documentation:

• Introduction
• Protos X manual

Status:

• ✓ Preliminary design, layout, and component procurement
• ✓ Initial testing: bus coupler configuration, bidirectional communication, and reading from and writing to digital points
• ✓ C# code to open connection to bus coupler and demonstrate control function
• Introduction of machine-state variable as interface between business rules and real-world I/O
• ✓ Combination of digital and analogue demo programs into one
• Add main event loop iteration to the demo program
• Refine modularity along functional lines
• ✓ Begin construction of the formal full-featured test facility

Demonstration code:

• Digital and analogue demonstration programs

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