Objective The main objective of this project was to develop tools, based on Unix and X-Windows, to help the design and use of user interfaces and graphic subsystems on the shop floor in manufacturing industry. Two application areas were selected with corresponding graphics subsystems: -the Active Management Dashboard (AMD), for production systems with a low level of automation -the Active Control Dashboard (ACD), for the remote control and supervision of systems with a higher degree of automation, mainly in the mechanics industry. For each area an industrial test-bed was defined: -for the AMD, it was built around Syseca's ORDO package for real-time production scheduling -for the ACD, it was built around Mannesmann Kienzle's KIBIS package for workshop planning and management. Development was undertaken in two parallel and complementary ways: -a short-term approach based on toolkit design and use -a long-term approach based on user interface management system (UIMS) design and use. The main objective of this project was to develop tools, based on Unix and X-Windows, to help the design and use of user interfaces and graphic subsystems on the shop floor in manufacturing industry. 2 application areas were selected with corresponding graphics subsystems: the active management dashboard (AMD) for production systems with a low level of automation and the active control dashboard (ACD), for the remote control and supervision of systems with a higher degree of automation, mainly in the mechanics industry. For each area an industrial test bed was defined: for the AMD it was built around the ORDO package for real time production scheduling while for the ACD, it was built around the KIBIS package for workshop planning and management. Development was undertaken in 2 parallel and complementary ways: a short term approach based on toolkit design and use and a long term approach based on user interface management system (UIMS) design and use.The toolkit approach led to redesigning ORDO and KIBIS. The objective of the UIMS approach was to provide the man machine interface (MMI) engineer with tools that automatically generate the user interface code. In a first step the MMI programmer specifies the builder user interface management builder (UIMB) which generates the source code of the user interface (UI monitor), using the so called skeleton technique. Compilation of this code and linkage with the computer integrated manufacture (CIM) application produces the run time system. 2 sets of tools were developed to implement the approach: the logical model builder tools, consisting of the graphical presentation techniques-dialogue control (PT-DC) and application interface (AI) editor and the UIMB.The toolkit approach led to redesigning ORDO and KIBIS. Functional analysis of manufacturing production management was performed and the AMD external specifications produced. This allowed the design of a toolkit - a library of user interface objects - and its use for implementing the AMD user interface. The resulting prototype was evaluated on a test-bed in the Bull plant in Belfort (F). After architectural analysis the internal ACD specifications were produced and an X-Window system protocol implemented. A business graphics library, GKS and window managers were then layered onto both Mannesmann and Bull hardware. The objective of the UIMS approach was to provide the man-machine interface (MMI) engineer with tools that automatically generate the user interface code. It was based on the Seeheim model, which divides a user interface into three logical components: presentation techniques (PT), dialogue control (DC), and application interface (AI). In a first step the MMI programmer specifies the builder (UIMB) which generates the source code of the user interface (UI monitor), using the so-called skeleton technique. Compilation of this code and linkage with the CIM application produces the run-time system. Two sets of tools were developed to implement the approach: -the logical model builder tools, consisting of the graphical PT-DC and AI editor -the UIMB. The final system builder prototype was demonstrated at the end of the project in October 1989. The results of the project will promote the more efficient utilisation of manufacturing resources by the employment of windowing and graphic display techniques. Fields of science social sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomationnatural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicsmathematical analysisfunctional analysissocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementemployment Programme(s) FP1-ESPRIT 1 - European programme (EEC) for research and development in information technologies (ESPRIT), 1984-1988 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator SYSECA SA EU contribution No data Address 315 BUREAUX DE LA COLLINE 92213 SAINT-CLOUD France See on map Total cost No data Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung eV (FhG) Germany EU contribution No data Address Sebastian-Kneipp-Straße 12-14 76131 Karlsruhe See on map Total cost No data Politecnico di Milano Italy EU contribution No data Address Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32 20133 Milano See on map Total cost No data Tecnologia Energia Ambiente Materiali Srl Italy EU contribution No data Address Via G. Marconi 46/20 21027 Ispra See on map Total cost No data Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut-Cambrésis France EU contribution No data Address Le Mont Houy 59304 Valenciennes See on map Total cost No data
