Template Design of Discrete-Event Systems

A new methodology for the design of DES control is proposed which allows for the creation of conceptual designs by using encapsulated low-level elements. The approach can be used within the standard framework of modular supervisory control. The notion of DES templates is introduced, where both DES modules and specifications are represented as high-level abstractions of typical behaviors. The control engineer creates instances of these abstractions and specifies the way the instances interact. System modeling and the design of specifications occur simultaneously. Rapid prototyping with implicitly consistent models improves the speed and robustness of the design process. The implementation of software for template design is described, as well as the application of the proposed methodology to a small system to get real-world feedback.