XXVIII. ASR '2003 Seminar, Instruments and Control, Ostrava, May 6, 2003 64

Developing of Database SystemsConnected to Control Systems

FARANA, RadimDoc. Ing., CSc., Katedra ATŘ-352, VŠB-TU Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, Ostrava - Poruba,

708 33 radim.farana@vsb.cz, http://www.vsb.cz/~far10 Abstract: This Paper is focused on interdisciplinary teaching in the area of control andmanagement systems. The structure of subjects and the subjects’ contents have been changedbecause of changing the study plans in respect of the Bologna Declaration. This generalchange has opened new ways to connect these subjects to other problem parts, especially tothe problems of control systems, data collection and data processing systems, datavisualisation systems and management systems. The Paper presents good experience withdeveloping real laboratory tasks oriented on wireless communication systems, using GSMcontroller. During their semester project in the subject „Database systems“, students havedeveloped these laboratory tasks. The completed projects put the problems of datameasurement, control systems, database systems and other parts together and make demandson students to solve all these problems together. This has proved a useful way to understandthe complexity of separately taught subjects. The presented results have been achieved duringthe development of the research project MSM 272300012. Keywords: database, control system, management, teaching, Bologna Declaration

1 Study plansThree years ago our Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has changed all study plans to theserial study system, according to the Bologna Declaration, because of the accreditationprocess, which motivated us to change the study plans completely. Now our students are inthe second year of a three-year Bachelor study and we started study specialisation. Figure 1shows the main parts of actual study plans. The study branch subject starts in the fourthsemester of Bachelor study, the Master study has only a few connected subjects. This is ahuge change in study plans, because previous the study system had been parallel and only asmall number of bachelor students continued to the master study through a special year ofstudy, including background subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Mechanics, etc. Now wehave much more space for the study branch subjects than before, but we have differed thesubjects for bachelor and master study, because previously the subject contents had beensimilar from 20% to 50%. The second problem is to fill in the study branch subjects. We havenow much more space for specialisation, so that we have prepared three specialisation in ourstudy branch called “Engineering computer science and control” in the bachelor study plan.They are:

• Control systems – focused on basic knowledge of control systems, instrumentation,sensors etc.

• Application of computer science – focused to computer hardware and software,database systems etc.

• Technical management – information systems, engineering management etc.

XXVIII. ASR '2003 Seminar, Instruments and Control, Ostrava, May 6, 2003 65

1st year 2nd year3rd year2nd year1st year

Joint background of mechanicalengineering:

Mathematics, Physics, Mechanics,Machine Parts, ElectricalEngineering background,

CAD systems, …

Study branchsubjects

Control systems, Instrumentation,computer HW and SW

Specialisationsubjects

Bachelor study Master study

Study branchsubjects

Specialisationsubjects

Jointsubjects

Jointsubjects

Figure 1 – Main parts of actual study plans

Figure 2 shows the study branch subjects divided into parts according to study specialisation.Separate parts are guaranteed by different teacher groups as individual study parts withoutconcurrence with other study parts. In consequence of this situation, students have theproblem to understand the problem connections between different fields of study, especiallybetween different study specialisations. These problems are apparent during the final examsevery year. Students have a huge problem to solve the complex problems throughout studyspecialisation, including development of software systems for concrete mechanical systemscontrol. Restructuring of the study plans gave us a very good opportunity to prepare newsubject contents respecting the requirements of separate study part connections.

6th sem5th sem4th sem

Bachelor thesis

Bachelor study

Control Systems Theory

Instrumentation

Computer Science,Computers, Networks

Electrical Engineering Backgrounds

Control Systems DesignThermomechanics

Machine Parts

Management systems and methodsForeign Language

CAD systems

Figure 2 – Study branch subjects

2 Computer science subjectsThanks to the study plan changes, we have obtained the possibility to completely change thesubject content. At first, we changed the content of subject “Databases and Internet”, whichis the fundamental subject in the specialisation Application of computer science. Previoussubject content was oriented on database system development only and laboratory tasks werefocused on database system problems, Internet connectivity etc. It is clear that we cannotchange the full subject content, the main database problems have to be included in thelectures. Then we changed the principles of exercises taught to show how databases andinformation systems are connected to other control systems parts. They are many differentproblems and systems using databases or other ways to store data for their processing, likevisualisation and supervisory systems [Landryová, L. & Koziorek, J., Škuta, J.], measurementsystems [Kočí, P., Tůma, J.], instrumentation systems [Smutný, L.] etc.As a first step to connect database problems with other parts of study, we found someproblems taught in other subjects and included them in the exercises:

• Measured data storing and processing (Instrumentation, Sensor Systems).• Control system analysis and next data processing (Control System Theory).

XXVIII. ASR '2003 Seminar, Instruments and Control, Ostrava, May 6, 2003 66• Technological process data storing and analysis (Process Visualisation).• Production data analysis (Management systems).

This strategy helped students to develop their semester work, bachelor and diploma thesisfrom these fields of interest. Unfortunately, it was very complicated to take data and databasesfrom so much different fields of interest, because every part of problems has been solved indifferent laboratories with different equipment. This way is also good for completing abachelor or diploma thesis, but very complicated for standard teaching. Upon thisascertainment, we started to build a special laboratory for database and information systemcompleting, including:

• Database server (Microsoft SQL 2000 Server).• Application server (web server with ASP technology support).• Client program developing systems (PowerBuilder, Microsoft Access database).• Data acquisition systems, measurement systems.• Supervisory control systems, remote control systems.• Control system developing software.

3 Information systems laboratoryFigure 3 shows the basic structure of a built laboratory. The main part is a server farm locatedin a special computer room together with network hardware. All servers are remotely operatedusing the network. The computer laboratory has been equipped with software for client toolsdevelopment. Most important is a specialised laboratory, which is built now. The firstequipment installed in this laboratory is shown in Fig. 4:

• Bar code readers – enables to develop typical warehouse and sales informationsystems with online data input,

• Simple input carts – enables to develop data measurement and data processingsystems, connected to existing laboratory tasks used in other subjects from the area ofcontrol systems and instrumentation,

• Special GSM controller – enables the development of simple measurement, datastoring and remote control systems with the use of knowledge acquired in subjectsfrom the area of control systems theory, sensor systems and data processing systems,

SCADA/HMI software connected to the laboratory tasks for system visualization and control.Laboratory tasks are used during the exercises for example for data source connection, datastoring and on-line data processing. Some of them need knowledge from special subjects likereal-time system programming [Kačmář, D.], non-linear control theory [Wagnerová, R.] orspecial data processing methods [Tůma, J.]. An important use of this equipment is also incompleting semester work, which is an integral part of the completing a subject.

Network

SQLserver

Computerlaboratory

Specialisedlaboratory

Clientsoftware

Webserver

Laboratorytasks

Figure 3 – Information systems laboratory – server farm and computer connection

XXVIII. ASR '2003 Seminar, Instruments and Control, Ostrava, May 6, 2003 67

Figure 4 – Specialised laboratory equipment

Semester works are oriented on solving complex problems, including the problems of thesystem analysis, control system synthesis, data collection (sometimes including datacompression), data processing and presentation. A typical problem, solved with the help ofthe GSM controller, is shown in Fig. 5. GSM automat is used as a data measurement system,which puts data in the database for further data processing and visualization.

Sensor iButtoninput

GSMcontroller

I/O

Dallas

GSMnet

RS 232

Datatransfer

Centraldatabase

Dataprocessing

SMS

Localdatabase

Laptopcomputer

Figure 5 – Typical laboratory task with use of GSM controller

4 ConclusionsWe have now only the first experience with solving complicated and complex problems in theteaching process and they have showed us that it is very complicated to prepare suitablelaboratory tasks, but students are achieving very good results and these problems are verypopular, especially among good students.

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5 ReferencesKAČMÁŘ, D. Windows CE practical deployment in real-time applications. In Proceedings of

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KOČÍ, P. Diagnostic of Machine Tools Dynamic properties. In Proceedings of 3rdInternational Carpathian Control Conference. Ostrava : VŠB-TU Ostrava, 27. – 30. 5.2002, p. 575-580. ISBN 80-248-0089-6.

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TŮMA, J. Identification of Blast Furnace Model with Feedback in Experimental Data andStatistically Optimal Control. Sborník vědeckých prací Vysoké školy báňské - Technickéuniverzity Ostrava. Řada strojní, 2001, vol. XLVII., (No. 1), s. 155-162.

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