Application of software in managing and controlling

electronic systems

Nikola Lilić

Mihajlović soft d.o.o.• Computer systems engineering society founded in 1992.• Department: software design, computer consulting, information

systems and computer networks design and implementation.• Standard software packages, unique solutions in stakes of

installation, administration and exploitation based on the leading world technologies and standards.

• Over 300 users.• Development Tools

– VB.NET, C#, ASP.NET,XAML,Silver light, XML– Crystal Reports– SQL SERVER 2005, 2008– Reporting Services

• Microsoft Certified Partner (since 2003.)

Trend – Concept• In recent years, Mihajlovic Soft increasingly engaged in the

development of software systems that manages and controls electronic systems

• Such electronic systems can be classified as embedded systems

• The concept of designing such systems is suited to our country environment in which the most cost-effective way is to design a relatively simple (dummy) hardware and reliable (smart) software

• Harware can only perform few simple operations

• More complex operations, management and control of the whole system are performed by software

Characteristics of these software solutions

Software solutions for controlling and managing electronic devices are quite different than a common desktop applications

• Reliability– These solutions are often found in systems that are expected to work

flawlessly for years– Because of that software has to be developed and tested more carefully

• Real-Time Concept– The software must be able to respond instantly to a new event /

situation

Advantages and disadvantages of the "dummy hardware - smart software" conceptThe advantages of this concept are numerous:

Cheaper development (development of software is generally cheaper than the development of specific hardware)

Flexibility (easier to change functionality of the system) Easier and faster recovery due to errors (it's easier to reset the

application, than all devices in the system) It is easier and faster to find and debug errors Reusability of code parts (eg communication with devices part of

code, while the hardware is more difficult to re-use)

Disadvantages:o Speed (hardware control is always faster than software)

In practice ...In the past few years, our company has been oriented to the development of software solutions that controls hardware devices in order to solve many nowdays problems.

Some of these solutions are:• IQOS – Information and Queue Organization System• Automatic management and payment system for closed parkings• Gas pump station - management and payment system for fuel dispensers• TLog – software support for speed enforcement digital video laser radar

This presentation describes two such solutions as follows:• IQOS – Information and Queue Organization System• Automatic management and payment system for closed parkings

Parking system

This system provides :

- Parking is fundamental problem in large cities.

- By implementing such a system, it defines the concept of regulation of parking which can also be extended and improved, according to new requirements and other changes.

• effective control of the operators• parking payment• vehicle access control• increase in vehicle safety• minimum waiting of vehicles on ramps• centralized management of parking lots • possibility of online checking for free spaces• possibility to reserve parking space

Parking system - description• The system consists of an central base (usually at the city level) and one or more parking lots located at various locations in the city

• Parking lots operate as independent systems for the parking payment, with different hardware configurations

•  Each parking lot may have a particularly defined payment system: the type of card (bar code or RF), the opening hours, tariffs and vehicle category

• Payment is made with two types of cards for identification: barcode card exclusively for hourly payment proximity cards for other types of payment: prepaid, postpaid, free

    card for a certain period of time or number of entries

• The software manages all elements of hardware devices and provides access control and payment for parking on one or more parking lots in the system

Parking system – elements System consist of following hardware devices:

1. Entrance / Exit Terminal• Entrance inductive loop• Entrance button• Bar Code printer• RF cards reader• Traffic light• Ramp• Ramp inductive loop

2. Information display3. Video surveillance system4. Lighting system5. Intercoms

Sofware elements:1. Database2. Communication server3. Client application

EXIT

Parking system – elements

Bar Code printer

RF cards reader

Entrance button

Entrance inductive

loop

RF cards reader

RampRamp

inductive loop

Traffic light

Information display

Bar Code scanner

Ramp Traffic light

Traffic light Printer

ENTRANCE

TERMINAL

EXIT

RAMP

RAMP

SQLServer

CLIENT APPLICATION

COMMUNICATION SERVER

SOFTWARE

Parking system – software

IQOS - Information and Organization Queue System

IQOS (Information and Organization Queue System) is a electronic queue management system which also serves as information provider to customers and employees in counter halls and offices.

IQOS represents a technical solution for long queues in waiting rooms and provides to customers and employees working atmosphere without the crowds, stress and high-tech organized way of doing business with the equal distribution of work among employees.

System provides: • No crowd and no stress in waiting rooms, • Information to customers, • Guarantee confidentiality of information at the counter, • One service – one queue, • All menus, papers, dialogues and software are with multilanguage support, • Additional software modules and services are developed (centralized

monitoring, SMS alerts...), • The system is completely modular (hardware and software).

IQOS - description• User console (terminal, ticket dispenser) is used to generate tickets to the clients

as well as to provide information to customers with the ability to print parts of information.

• Ticket is generated after the client selects the desired service offered on the touch screen. Terminal prints the next number (ticket) by using a thermal printer.

• After taking the ticket citizen / client is waiting for his number to appears on the right counter display.

• Counter terminal is a set consisting of display and control console.• With control console counter officer can change currently status and call next one

in the queue - line.• Central display is usually LCD or group of display units mounted in the waiting

room, showing to clients information current status, the average processing time and client related information.

• Central computer controls the whole system: central displays, displays on the counters, control consoles and process information gathered from terminals.

IQOS – elementi sistema

Hardware system elements:

Terminal− Touch screen display− Thermal printer− Smart card reader− PC

Counter display

Counter console− Display− Buttons

Info display

Speakers

Software system elements:Main service (Windows service)

Main service agent

IQOS controller

IQOS controller agent

Voice service

SQL database

Admin application

Terminal application

IQOS – Block diagram

IQOS – Advantages

• Multilinguage support (all menus, papers, dialogues and software have a language support)

• Guarantee confidentiality of information at the counter• System is completely modular (hardware and software)• Touch screen on the user console (terminal)• Very intuitive and simple terminal interface• Flexible terminal interface with the changeable design options to specific

customers• Possibility of design adjustments of the terminal itself• Controlling a large number of counters (127 counters on a single controller)• Voice support for automatically calling the next in line• Large, highly readable displays• Easy-to-use control console• Printing of tickets and necessary information• Easily to customize the system through the admin application• Generated reports can be used to monitor and analyze, and thereby to

improve business process

SUMMARY• Both systems can be completely realized as hardware controlled

• Apllied software concept brought: Cheaper development Simpler development Scalable systems Greater flexibility Easier maintenance Easier and faster way to find bugs and debug

Thank you

Questions?