A multi-threaded simulator for a distributed control system

The goal of our research is to develop a methodology for distributed control where the control activity is governed by a concurrent program that has "artificially intelligent" features. The test bed for this system is a computer-controlled model railroad. A high-level Petri net that incorporates the attributes of neural networks, timing, and Petri net color is used to model the system. A multi-threaded simulator provides the means to test centralized, partially distributed, and fully distributed control paradigms. This paper presents the model, the functionality, the development, and the features of the simulation software.