Computer-Controlled Railroad Simulator

1. Computer-Controlled Railroad Simulator Adrian Anderson http://compsci.snc.edu/cs460/andeaj/

2. Project Description • Create a model railroad simulator • Show graphic representation of trains, turnouts, and sensors • Allow for a custom track design • Receive hardware commands from external programs, and send response commands back • Allow the user to recreate certain conditions • Simulate hardware failure

3. Solution • Computer-Controlled Railroad Simulator • Written in Visual Basic 2005, using .NET

4. Simulator • Internally stores the state of trains, turnouts, and sensors • Moves trains around a virtual track • Interface for controlling the track and trains • Simulation of ideal, controlled railroad conditions • Check for train collisions • “Disasters” – see what happens when things go wrong

5. Track Editor • Track data stored in an XML file • Loaded and stored in an internal database • Fully customizable • Allows for many different track arrangements

6. Communications • Receives NMRA standard digital railroad controller packets • External programs can interface with the simulator as if it were a real railroad • Change train speed and direction • Request state of all sensors • Good for testing programs like the Train Operating System

7. Methodology • Problem: Represent track as computer data • Solution: • Junctions • Segments, which go from junction to junction • Turnouts, which connect two segments at a junction • Sensors, which are connected to segments

8. Methodology • Problem: Save and store track data • Solutions: • Internal Storage: DataSet Class • Visual Basic class, relational database • ReadXML command reads and interprets XML files • External Storage: XML • Easy to read, interpret, and edit • Standard format for miscellaneous data • Easy to validate • Easy to use in Visual Basic programs

9. Methodology • Problem: Collision detection • Solution: • Collision table • Train’s movement leaves records in the collision table • Compare a train’s potential destination with collision table records on the same segment/junction • If two records overlap, then the trains crash • Sensor detection: Trains “collide” with sensors to activate them

10. Methodology • Problem: Collision detection • Solution: • Collision table • Train’s movement leaves records in the collision table • Compare a train’s potential destination with collision table records on the same segment/junction • If two records overlap, then the trains crash • Sensor detection: Trains “collide” with sensors to activate them

11. Exceptions • Saved state of trains and track • Save status log to a file • XML validation • Preset train types • More labels in simulator window

12. Demonstration

13. Learning & Development • References • MSDN Library • Win 32 System Services: The Heart of Windows 95 and Windows NT • CS Concepts • Database – track representation, track editor • Operating Systems – pipe communication, threading

14. Extensions • Read more types of hardware packets • Advanced collision detection • More detailed graphical layout • More detailed object information

15. Advice • Start early • Set concrete goals with deadlines • Meet those deadlines • Update journal often with small updates

16. Questions?