EDROOM. Automatic C++ code generator for real time systems modelled with room

Abstract

The development of real-time control systems is usually part of a design cycle, involving implementation, experimental control system testing, and re-design. For a faster and better complete development, a software engineering approach, based on a modelling language, is recommended. A successful alternative is ROOM: a modelling language with a graphical syntax. In this paper EdROOM is presented: an environment developed to graphically edit ROOM models and to automatically generate, from the models, C++ real-time control code for direct experimental application. The code generated is modular and easy to debug. The paper describes the design of the environment, with the key aspects of the modelling methodology. EdROOM has been used by our research team for several applications, with satisfactory results. One of these applications concerns the control of actuators of a fast ship for vertical motion smoothing: this is described as an example of EdROOM use.