The role of the graphical user interface in the development of intelligent sensor systems

It is normally accepted that as systems become more complex they become less reliable. In order for intelligent sensors to become established it is necessary to reverse this truism, and the way to do this is by making the devices self-testing and auto-calibrating. In the system described in this paper the programmer works on a schematic diagram of the intelligent sensor subsystem. It is possible to trace signal flow through the various nodes of the subsystem, either numerically or graphically, and there is continuous feedback of warnings about possible hazardous switch connections. There are several advantages to program development on the PC, and if this is performed in a portable language, such as C, it can ultimately be compiled for the target processor. Nevertheless, by means of the approach described, the procedures will all have been tested on the actual hardware structures on which they are to run. The value of the GUI in carrying out such development, followed by rigorous testing and debugging, can hardly be overstated.