Ontologies as knowledge representation structures for CACSD software

In the software building practice there is today a shift toward model based software development, rooted in the ideas coming from artificial intelligence and software engineering. The so-called domain ontologies are the conceptual structures where the knowledge models are represented. This paper shows the possibilities of the use of ontologies as the main components for Computer-Aided Control System Design applications. The paper shows how control engineering knowledge can be represented into an ontology and how this representation can be used inside a software application. An example is presented based on the development of an ontology and an application for the design of lead-lag controllers with techniques from the classical control theory.