Introduction
Building a system is at the core of the Simumatik platform.
A system can be defined as a set of interacting components. Behaviors and attributes set the rules for the interactions. This includes physical, electrical and mechanical attributes.
By running a system in a simulation
Simumatik emulates its real world behavior when running the system. We can view and analyze it as it would behave in the real world. A system grows from simple to complex, but the basic principles for building one stays the same. Components are placed, configured, connected and customized. The toy system you are about to build in this module may seem a little trivial, but the concepts are fundamental to anything you build in Simumatik.
Learning Outcomes
In this module, you will learn the basics of building a system. It is assumed that you have basic knowledge about how to navigate the user interface, as well as placing, connecting and configuring components. When finished you should be able to create a basic, non trivial system by yourself. You will learn to use component ports and how to control component interactions. The knowledge you get from this module is one of the core foundations of working with the Simumatik Platform, and you will have a great opportunity to further develop your skills in further modules.
The most basic system consists of simple objects that interact directly through their innate properties, such as physical interactions between objects. These systems may give valuable observations, but contain no logic and do not achieve anything.
The system you are about to build needs to solve a problem. It consists of a set of conveyors where a product is transported. The path is blocked by a door, and we need to model the system in a way for the door to open, so the product can exit the system. To achieve this we use a photoelectric sensor that controls an electric motor that opens the door.
For basic knowledge about how to use the platform interface please refer to the manual. The exact positioning of the components isn’t important as long as the functionality is preserved.
