Object-oriented application framework for IEEE 1451.1 standard

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, smart sensor project focuses on the development and support of the IEEE 1451 Smart Transducer Interface Standard for Sensors and Actuators. One of the main objectives of this project is to provide reference implementations and applications of the IEEE 1451 family of standards. This paper describes an object-oriented application framework for the IEEE 1451.1 standard. This framework consists of four layers-the operating system, middleware and tools, the 1451.1 layer, and the application layer. The 1451.1 layer focuses on the class hierarchy of the IEEE 1451.1 standard. It consists of the neutral model and middleware-based 1451.1 model. The application layer focuses on the application system design that is the composition or aggregation among the objects of the 1451.1 application systems. The initial implementation of the object-oriented application framework for IEEE 1451.1 is provided using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) tools and Adaptive Communication Environment (ACE) middleware. The wastewater treatment system is used as an example to initially customize this framework. IEEE 1451.1 application developers can customize their specific applications with the help of this framework, and the time-to-market for 1451.1 applications can be reduced significantly.