CyFlex Modularity

CyFlex Architecture provides for a highly modular, generic test system. It is very "feature rich" with features isolated into separate processes. Each feature can be "configured" to support the needs of the system through data. The richness of features and the architectural approach allows for test systems to be quickly developed through a process of configuration and integration rather than primarily through software development. This paper provides an overview of the available features, and the development process of how they are integrated into a system.

What is Modularity

A module in the CyFlex Architecture is a set of software with a focused purpose that has a well defined interface. The interface for each module is typically configured through a "specification file" that specifies:

• How the module is to function (most modules have parameterized rules or behavior that the system integrator can make use of through setting appropriate parameter values).
• Which data in the system the module is to operate on – typically these are the names of input and output real-time variables at the engineering units level.
• Which events the module is to receive (to trigger its operations) or set (to indicate completion of its operations) to the rest of the system.

Multiple instances of a module can typically operate simultaneously – allowing each module’s functionality to be used for varying system purposes. For example, the system has a high speed data logger module – one instance of this data logger could capture information triggered by one event of interest with an arbitrary set of channels, and a second instance could be triggered by a second event with an entirely different set of channels. The architecture supports an arbitrary number of these loggers – limited only by hardware and operating system resources.

There are close to 500 modules available in the system – for any specific test application a sub-set of these are typically used. For example – a performance engine test cell might use only 130 of these modules at one time. Some of the modules have very specific purposes that were developed to support the unique needs of the various types of testing or instrumentation to which the system has been applied. Other modules are highly generic – and are generally used in typical test systems.