Directed Study Project
Melanie Pfautz with Ken Hoganson
Melanie has proposed a project involving embedded systems and control/communication using TCP/IP divided into phases. She works at AutomatedLogic Corporation in Atlanta, and the company is strongly supporting this project.
Background:
AutomatedLogic Corporation (ALC) http://www.automatedlogic.com/
Produces microcontroller-based building control systems (i.e. heating and cooling)
LANgate: an AutomatedLogic Product that provides communications facilities between two other AutomatedLogic Products: front end software and a proprietary network. LANgate is a PC with Ethernet NIC, a proprietary EIA-485 network card, and 4 EIA-232 com ports. LANgate uses a proprietary minimal implementation of UDP/IP.
ALC’s proprietary network is built on the EIA-485 interface, and is used to communicate between device control modules, which control the building equipment.
UDP/IP on Ethernet is used as a "backbone" to interconnect the EIA-485 network segments together.
Student Learning Objectives:
To learn about imbedded hardware and software systems, and TCP/IP interfacing through C++.
To create a useful software enhancement (by enhancing ALC’s products with a command interface).
Tentative Project Outline
Phase I: Familiarization with hardware and software systems. Experiments to demonstrating control and interfacing with the EIA-485, using Borland C++ v3.1 for DOS, using assorted existing libraries, utilities, and drivers.
Phase II: Data extraction from the network: Develop a monitoring application, that allows extraction of data from the UDP/IP over E-net and directing that data to one of the EIA-232 serial ports of the LANgate. Another PC running a product called HyperTerminal can then display the data in the packets.
Phase III: Construct Command Interface: Extend the techniques learned in Phase I and Phase II into a usable product that would allow users to type commands to the proprietary EIA-485 network from the LANgate.