Graphical program with physical simulation and data flow portions
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of systems and methods are described in which system simulation techniques are combined with graphical programming techniques in a common environment. For example, various embodiments of the methods comprise displaying a graphical data flow diagram connected to a system diagram, e.g., where the graphical data flow diagram and the system diagram are displayed together in a compound diagram. In the displayed compound diagram, the graphical data flow diagram may be connected to the system diagram, e.g., by a line or wire. In one embodiment the wire may visually indicate that the graphical data flow diagram is executable to produce a value that is provided as an input signal for a simulation performed based on the system diagram. In another embodiment the wire may visually indicate that the graphical data flow diagram receives an output value from the system simulation as input.
1. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions executable by a processor to:
display on a display a first diagram, wherein the first diagram represents a physical system and is executable to simulate the physical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a plurality of components corresponding to components of the physical system, wherein the plurality of components are interconnected by lines, wherein the lines interconnecting the plurality of components in the first diagram comprise lines of a first type, and wherein the lines of the first type represent physical connections among the components in the physical system;
display on the display a graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram, wherein the graphical data flow diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical data flow diagram, wherein the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram are interconnected by lines of a second type, and wherein the lines of the second type represent data flow semantics among the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram;
execute the first diagram to simulate the physical system; and
execute the graphical data flow diagram, wherein said executing the graphical data flow diagram comprises one or more of:
passing a first simulation value computed by the simulation of the physical system as input to the graphical data flow diagram; or
producing output data, wherein the output data is provided as an input signal for the simulation of the physical system.
2. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a mechanical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the mechanical system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the mechanical system.
3. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a chemical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the chemical system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the chemical system.
4. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a hydraulic system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the hydraulic system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the hydraulic system.
5. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a thermodynamic system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the thermodynamic system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the thermodynamic system.
6. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein said displaying the graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram comprises displaying a first line from the first diagram to a first block in the graphical data flow diagram, wherein the first line visually indicates that the first simulation value computed by the simulation of the physical system is passed as input to the first block in the graphical data flow diagram;
wherein said passing the first simulation value to the graphical data flow diagram comprises passing the first simulation value to the first block in the graphical data flow diagram.
7. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein said displaying the graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram comprises displaying a first line from a first block in the graphical data flow diagram to the first diagram, wherein the first line visually indicates that the output data produced by executing the first block in the graphical data flow diagram is provided as the input signal for the simulation of the physical system.
8. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the lines of the first type have a first appearance, and wherein the lines of the second type have a second appearance to visually distinguish the lines of the first type from the lines of the second type.
9. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein said executing the graphical data flow diagram further comprises modifying the first diagram.
10. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
create the circuit diagram in response to user input; and
create the graphical data flow diagram in response to user input.
11. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
a computer system displaying on a display a first diagram, wherein the first diagram represents a physical system and is executable to simulate the physical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a plurality of components corresponding to components of the physical system, wherein the plurality of components are interconnected by lines, wherein the lines interconnecting the plurality of components in the first diagram comprise lines of a first type, and wherein the lines of the first type represent physical connections among the components in the physical system;
the computer system displaying on the display a graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram, wherein the graphical data flow diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical data flow diagram, wherein the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram are interconnected by lines of a second type, and wherein the lines of the second type represent data flow semantics among the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram;
the computer system executing the first diagram to simulate the physical system; and
the computer system executing the graphical data flow diagram, wherein said executing the graphical data flow diagram comprises one or more of:
passing a first simulation value computed by the simulation of the physical system as input to the graphical data flow diagram; or
producing output data, wherein the output data is provided as an input signal for the simulation of the physical system.
12. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a mechanical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the mechanical system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the mechanical system.
13. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a chemical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the chemical system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the chemical system.
14. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a hydraulic system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the hydraulic system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the hydraulic system.
15. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the physical system comprises a thermodynamic system, wherein the first diagram comprises a diagram of the thermodynamic system, and wherein said performing the simulation comprises performing a simulation of the thermodynamic system.
16. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein said displaying the graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram comprises displaying a first line from the first diagram to a first block in the graphical data flow diagram, wherein the first line visually indicates that the first simulation value computed by the simulation of the physical system is passed as input to the first block in the graphical data flow diagram;
wherein said passing the first simulation value to the graphical data flow diagram comprises passing the first simulation value to the first block in the graphical data flow diagram.
17. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein said displaying the graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram comprises displaying a first line from a first block in the graphical data flow diagram to the first diagram, wherein the first line visually indicates that the output data produced by executing the first block in the graphical data flow diagram is provided as the input signal for the simulation of the physical system.
18. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the lines of the first type have a first appearance, and wherein the lines of the second type have a second appearance to visually distinguish the lines of the first type from the lines of the second type.
19. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein said executing the graphical data flow diagram further comprises modifying the first diagram.
20. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a display coupled to the processor; and
a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to:
display on the display a first diagram, wherein the first diagram represents a physical system and is executable to simulate the physical system, wherein the first diagram comprises a plurality of components corresponding to components of the physical system, wherein the plurality of components are interconnected by lines, wherein the lines interconnecting the plurality of components in the first diagram comprise lines of a first type, and wherein the lines of the first type represent physical connections among the components in the physical system;
display on the display a graphical data flow diagram connected to the first diagram, wherein the graphical data flow diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected blocks that visually indicate functionality of the graphical data flow diagram, wherein the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram are interconnected by lines of a second type, and wherein the lines of the second type represent data flow semantics among the blocks in the graphical data flow diagram;
execute the first diagram to simulate the physical system; and
execute the graphical data flow diagram, wherein said executing the graphical data flow diagram comprises one or more of:
passing a first simulation value computed by the simulation of the physical system as input to the graphical data flow diagram; or
producing output data, wherein the output data is provided as an input signal for the simulation of the physical system.