Summary	Java implementation of IEEE 1451 Smart Transducer Interface
Categories	None
License	Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) License
Owner(s)	gthomps, jliu, lowlylowlypeon, semesa2

JTI     Java Transducer Interface

The Java Transducer Interface project consists of developing a Java language implementation of a transducer interface based on the IEEE Standard for Smart Transducer Interfaces for Sensors and Actuators (IEEE 1451.2).

Last modified:  16 March, 2004

Background

The nature of this API is that it will be used by many platforms.  The transducers that these API's will represent may be configured to perform a wide variety of functions. They could:

• Control the movement of robots assembling automobiles.
• Control the flow of water at various remote sluices, pipelines and checkpoints from the Hetch Hetchey Reservoir in the Sierras to a San Francisco Water Treatment Plant.

There may be tens of transducers included in a single application or there may be tens of thousands.  The transducers may be connected on a stable, wired network or they may communicate from remote locations via J2ME CLDC and MIDP.  They may be controlled from a J2EE application which uses a mobile HMI and logs data onto redundant real time data base server clusters.

The IEEE Standard for a Smart Transducer Interfaces for Sensors and Actuators (IEEE 1451.2) supports a broad range of sensor and actuator models including those for buffered, time-triggered, data-sequence and event-sequence models. The standard uses an object representation for measured variables that resolves the problem of handling physical units. Additionally, it defines the Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS), which abstracts the properties of sensors and actuators enabling their dynamic definition via contextual information associated with data.

Documents

The JTI Overview can be found here.

The JDDAC Documentation Trail Map is currently available.   This trail map includes overviews of JDDAC and various APIs, binaries installation notes, source code installaion notes, sample runtime instructions, etc.

Here is a link to interesting related sites.

Project Summary

The following lists of tasks  are open items as of January 20, 2004 and will be updated as tasks are accomplished and needs develop.

Open Tasks Requiring Effort Task or Skill Required Description Develop UML documentation of API Take existing (non-java) implementation and create UML representation Determine Hardware, software and protocol constraints to which the implementation will conform Identify hardware packages which will create acceptable platforms for hosting transducers and the applications that utilize transducers.  Determine the software and protocol limitations of each of these platforms. Determine appropriate communications fabric Investigate communications stragtegies that will most seamlessly allow a simple communication API between smart transducers and their controlling applications given severe network limitations such as long latency periods, limited bandwidth, etc. Transducer Electronic Data Sheet Design XML Schema for Transducer Electronic Data Sheet and design and implement a parser to accompany it. Embedded Programming Port and test API's onto J2ME platform. Algorithms Design Librarys to manipulate measurement results (i.e. use 'fuzzy logic' to add two numbers, each with a seperate degree of uncertainty). GUI Programming Design a NetBeans Platform plug-in to allow users to lay out a data flow using the 'Drag and Drop' editor within the NetBeans IDE.

Participation

At this time we are currently seeking advisory members with expertise in such diverse backgrounds as J2ME, J2EE, JXTA, JINI over JXTA, and mobile communications.  We are currently in the process of outlining and developing the framework for this API.  A discussion forum will be opened shortly to provide a venue for communication.

We are currently seeking developers with the skills and interests listed above to work with Project Owners to develop code.

For more information please contact Gary Thompson, JTI project owner.