Re: Waveform Mini-Language




rickman wrote:

I am not sure what you are asking for at this point. I thought you
wanted to "control" a waveform generator. Some of your examples go
far beyond "controlling" a generator and are more a waveform
description language.

Sorry for being unclear. I am *DESIGNING* the waveform generator.
And a waveform description language is exactly what I am devising..

I don't know for sure, but I expect the waveform generator does
not know what "CIAJ CES-Q001" is and has no way to set it up
directly for that. Instead you have to translate that into
bandwidth and other specs that the generator understands.

That was my point. I don't want to pre-program in hundreds
of special cases, only to have to add more every time a user
calls with an application I hadn't thought of. I want to
devise a waveform description language that is powerful and
flexible enough so that the answer is almost always "yes, it
can be programmed to do that as well."

Example C: is clear, but this is the sort of thing that is way beyond
a language per-se... unless that is truely your intent which will be a
*much* more complicated thing.

If the waveform description language can describe any waveform,
it can describe the waveform in example C. And indeed, I can
devise such a language if I abandon the requirement that it be
easy for a human to write programs in the language; just specify
the time and amplitude of each individual sample.

I did not think much about the generator you are controlling.
Is this an arbitrary waveform generator?

As I wrote in the post that started this thread:

"I am doing some preliminary design work on a AC waveform
generator. The primary use will be generating signals
that, when amplified, will generate three-phase AC power
with various line disturbances dropouts, spikes, etc.).
This will all be done with DACs.

and

"I am pondering making a mini-language to make it easier
for the users (who range from EEs to electricians) to
program waveforms ... how simple can I make such a mini-
language whole minimizing the odds of someone ending up
not being able to create the waveform they want?"

Just how much control do you have over the output?

100%. I control the entire hardware and software design.

If the control is complex, the language will be complex.

I disagree. I have seen many examples of simple languages
being used to do complex things. FORTH is a good example;
the same basic concepts that were designed to control the
movement of a telescope have proved to be flexible and
powerful enough to do many complex things without having
to add extra features to FORTH to accommodate each new
application.

I assume that the front panel can be used to program
the device.

Nope. I may put in a simple panel that displays voltages,
turns the unit off, etc. or I may make it 100% headless.

I have no intention of trying to make a panel with a bunch
of buttons be able to program in any waveform. Others have
tried that and have ended up with systems that are very
limited and hard to use. That's why I am going with a mini-
language paradigm.

I don't know why I am having so much trouble making it clear
that I am asking about a mini-language-based design and not
about a GUI-based or front-panel-based design. Is my writing
unclear, or is this a case of the readers assuming that there
are only one or two possible ways to tell an embedded system
what waveform to generate?


Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/>

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Waveform Mini-Language
    ... And a waveform description language is exactly what I am devising.. ... no matter if the generator knows what "CIAJ CES-Q001" ... about a GUI-based or front-panel-based design. ...
    (comp.arch.embedded)
  • AN: Open Instrumentation Project Progress
    ... Currently available instruments include an oscilloscope, waveform ... Information on the hardware is available at www.syscompdesign.com. ...
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  • AN: Oscilloscope, Generator for Mac OS-X
    ... Currently available instruments include an oscilloscope, waveform ... Information on the hardware is available at www.syscompdesign.com. ...
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  • AN: Open Instrumentation Project Progress
    ... Currently available instruments include an oscilloscope, waveform ... Information on the hardware is available at www.syscompdesign.com. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • AN: Open Instrumentation Project Progress
    ... Currently available instruments include an oscilloscope, waveform ... Information on the hardware is available at www.syscompdesign.com. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)