Host computer

Work is being done to create uniform standards for exchange of information between analytical iastmmentation and external (host) computers, but the diversity and the competitive nature of the iastmmentation marketplace tend to impede these efforts, leading to an environment of constant change and a need for new and rewritten programs to communicate between LIMS and the automated iastmments. 

Transputers. At higher levels of coimectedness there is a wide variety of parallel computers. A great many parallel computers have been built using INMOS Transputer chips. Individual Transputer chips mn at 2 MELOPS or greater. Transputer chips have four communication channels, so the chips can readily be intercoimected into a two-dimensional mesh network or into any other interconnection scheme where individual nodes are four-coimected. Most Transputer systems have been built as additions to existing host computers and are SIMD type. Each Transputer has a relatively small local memory as well as access to the host s memory through the interconnection network. Not surprisingly, problems that best utilize local memory tend to achieve better performance than those that make more frequent accesses to host memory. Systems that access fast local memory and slower shared memory are often referred to as NUMA, nonuniform memory access, architecture. 

Host computers. These are the most powerful computers in the system, capable of performing func tions not normally available in other units. They act as the arbitrator unit to route internodal communications. An operator interface is supported and various peripheral devices are coordinated. Computationally intensive tasks, such as optimization or advanced control strategies, are processed here. 

Communication to the host computer, modem, printer, and other controllers... 

Along with the capability for the operator to evaluate and trend, information can be communicated to a host computer. Additionally, archived data may be sent by modem to a remote location for use in planning, reporting, or expert evaluation by support personnel. 

Ease of integration with the host computer system... 

Use is controlled by specifying the software by type designation and version in the development and production test procedures or a register which relates products to the test software which has to be used to verify its acceptability. You should also provide procedures for running the software on the host computer or automatic test equipment. They may of course be menu driven from a display screen and keyboard rather than paper procedures. 

For routine monitoring, 800 lines of resolution are recommended. Higher resolution may be needed for root-cause analysis, but this requires substantially more memory in both the analyzer and host computer. While the latter is not a major problem, higher resolution reduces the number of measurement points that can be acquired with an analyzer without transferring acquired data to the host computer. This can greatly increase the time required to complete a measurement route and should be avoided when possible. 

Data transfer The data acquisition unit will not be used for long-term data storage. Therefore, it must be able to reliability transfer data into the host computer. The actual time required to transfer the microprocessor s data into the host computer is the only non-productive time of the data acquisition unit. It cannot be used for acquiring additional data during the data transfer operation. Therefore, the transfer time should be kept to a minimum. Most of the available systems use an RS 232 communications protocol that will allow data transfer at rates of up to 19,200 baud. The time required to dump the full memory of a typical microprocessor can be 30 minutes or more. 

The host computer provides all of the data management, storage, report generation, and analysis capabilities of the predictive maintenance program. Therefore, care should... 

To maximize the unit s profit, one must operate the unit simultaneously against as many constraints as possible. Examples of these constraints are limits on the air blower, the wet gas compresst>r. reactor/regenerator temperatures, slide valve differentials, etc. The conventional regulatory controllers work only one loop at a time and they do not talk to one another. A skilled operator can push the unit against more than one constraint at a time, but the constraints change often. To operate closer to multiple constraints, a number of refiners have installed an advanced process control (APC) package either within their DCS or in a host computer. 

As mentioned above, there are two options for installing an APC. One option is to install an APC within the DCS framework, and the other is to install a multivariable modeling/control package in a host computer. Each has advantages and disadvantages, as indicated below. 

With a host computer framework, the control package is all in the software. Changing the program can still be agonizing, but the program can be tested off-line. There is more flexibility in the computer system, which can be used for many other purposes, including on-line heat and weight balances. 

The host computer-based system may have its own problems, including computer-to-computer data links. 

With a host computer allows moving on to advanced control and multi-variable control. The unit is sensitive to day/night temperature swings and the multi-variable control can track ambient changes. 

Exit from ISIM to the host computer operating system. All files are closed. 

The computer system for this laboratory consists of a single Hewlett Packard 1000 A-Ser1es minicomputer which 1s networked to an HP 1000 F-Ser1es host computer. The A-Serles computer was chosen because Its operating system (RTE-A) 1s real-time, multiuser and... 

Since the data base for this Instrument resides on the host HP 1000 computer, the experiment setup files must first be transferred from the local computer to the HOST computer. This 1s done using the Dowell Schlumberger local laboratory computer network and the Hewlett Packard DS/1000-IV networking software. The programmatic user interface to the network Is again accessed through the main menu program for the instrument. 

A control panel, which serves as the connection point between various system components. The control panel communicates information back and forth between the sensor and the host computer, and controls access to the asset by engaging or disengaging the system lock based on internal logic and information from the host computer. 

A host computer, which processes and stores the biometric trait in a database. 

In order for the data generated by the analyzer to be useful, it must be transferred to the operation s centralized control or host computer and made available to process control algorithms. Vendor packages manage instrument control and can do spectral interpretation and prediction or pass the data to another software package that will make predictions. Most vendors support a variety of the most common communications... 

Figure 13.3 A schematic diagram of agitation fluidized bed granulator (NQ-i60, Fuji Paudal). i Agitation fluidized bed. 2 Bag filter. 3 Spray nozzle. 4 Blower. 5 Heater. 6 Motor. 7 Agitator blade. 8 Slit plate. 9 Image probe. 10 Image processing system. II Host computer. 12 Controller. 13 Pump. 14 Binder. Reprinted from Watano et al. (2001) with permission from Elsevier Science.

The interface provides efficient transfer of samples into the Merlin, and, most importantly, a rapid flush-out there is no hold up of mercury (which is a feature of the commonly used atomic absorption techniques). To aid the transfer of mercury vapour, the tin(II) chloride regime is used, together with a gas/liquid separator designed for this task. Mercury is sparged from the reaction vessel into the Merlin Detector. Full automation is provided by using a simple standard DIO card fitted into an IBM compatible computer system with the PSA Touchstone software. This is an easy-to-use menu-driven system which controls the modules used in the instrumentation, calibrates the system, collects, collates and reprints the results, and which finks to host computer systems. 

---