Lecture 15 - Flowcharting Methodologies
Lecture 15 - Flowcharting Methodologies
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Outline
• Traditional Algorithm and System
FlowCharts
• Data Flow Diagrams
• System Flow Diagrams and Process
Flows
• State Diagrams
• Shuttle Malfunction Procedures
• Decision trees
• System Modeling Tools - UML
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FlowCharts
• Flow charts show the process of algorithms by showing
the sequence of operation and decisions using standard
symbols
• Developed by Herman Goldstine and John Von
Neumann at Princeton in the 1940’s
• Useful in sequential machines with single flow of control
– These types of computers are called “Von Neumann Machines”
• Less useful in more modern computers with multiple
parallel processes
• Can be used to express flow of systems as well as
algorithms
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www.bbc.co.uk
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Shows the
order of Shows the
program connection
execution and flow of
data within
system
elements
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Difference between a program flowchart and a system flowchart
Generalizing a system through a flowchart – this could be an all
analog implementation of control system or a software algorithm
or even a completely mechanical system 9
Watt Governor – The Mechanical Control
System that led to the industrial revolution –
can be described by the previous flowchart
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Functional Flow Diagrams
• A functional flow show the process of
hardware through various stages
• These are very useful for industrial
process types of problems
• Next chart shows the hardware flow of
space shuttle components through
Kennedy Space Center
• These types of diagrams are important in
planning and explaining the interaction of
different components in a system and their
relation to each other
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Data Flow Diagrams
• Defining Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)
– Graphical representation of a system’s data and how the
processes transform the data is known as Data Flow Diagram
(or DFD).
– Unlike, flowcharts, DFDs do not give detailed descriptions of
modules but graphically describe a system’s data and how the
data interact with the system.
• DFDs are constructed using four major components
– external entries – e.g. sensors, keyboards
– data stores – e.g. disk, memory, cd
– processes – e.g. calibration, limit checking, computing averages
– data flows – how all of these are linked together
• System Flow Diagrams and Data Flow Diagrams are
very similar
– System Flow Diagrams tend to focus on connections and do not
tend to discuss processes
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Example – Temperature Data Acquisition Problem
Set Alarm=On
Delay
Stop ?
40 ms
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Stop
Analog To
Signal Alarm
Sensor Digital Calibration In Limits ?
Conditioning Off
Conversion
Alarm
On
Display Display
Log Log
Raw Calibrated Calibrated
Raw
Value Value
Value Value
Data Flow Diagram – Temperature Data
Acquisition
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LabVIEW – Programming thru dataflow
diagram
Red
Flashing
Red
Loss of
Comm
Green State
Power
Off Off
State
Yellow
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Shuttle Malfunction Procedures
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Decision Tree