System Characteristics

One complication characteristic of computer-based systems is which the category comprising one system may also represent 1 macro element of a yet huger system. The macro element is a computer-based system which is 1 category of a larger computer-based system example for let we consider a factory automation system which is essentially a hierarchy of systems describe in the figure. At the downiest level of the hierarchy we have numerical control machine data entry devices and robots. Every device is a computer-based system in its own right. The component of the numerical control machine include electromechanical and electronic hardware example for memory motors and Processor sensors; software for communications, interpolation and machine control; people the machine operator; a database the stored NC program and procedures and documentation. A same decomposition could be applied to the data entry device and robot. Every device is a computer-based system.

In the hierarchy a manufacturing cell at the next level is defined. The manufacturing cell is a computer- based system which may have parts of its own example for mechanical fixtures, computers and also integrates the macro elements which we have called robot, numerical control machine and data entry device.

To summarize its macro elements and the manufacturing cell each are comprised of system elements with the generic labels hardware, software, database, people, procedures, and documentation. Some cases macro elements may share a generic element example for the NC machine and the robot might both be managed through a single operator the people element. In the other cases generic elements are exclusive to one system.

The role of the system engineer is to describe the elements for an exact computer-based system in the context of the overall hierarchy of systems macro elements. In the sections which follow we examine the tasks which constitute computer system engineering.