Values of an object can be entered in the Object Properties dialog. To obtain the Object Properties dialog, double click on the object or right click on it to select Properties from the context menu. Depending on the class of the object, there are different numbers of spread-sheet like data grids, identified by the tabs underneath them. These data grids display the attributes defined in the class and hold the values of the object.
An Input Assistant can be obtained in the right click context menu of each data entry field. You can use it to see the definition of the attribute and enter a value by using a series of function buttons available according to the definition.
Class attributes are defined by simulation developers. The possible types of the class attributes are described in the GUI Control Types section in Chapter 1 of this manual. In the Object Properties dialog, the attributes are shown with descriptive names under the Attribute header. The measuring unit associated with an attribute, if any, is displayed under the Unit header. The value(s) of the attribute can be entered in the proper cell(s) under the Value header. A cell attribute has its value confined in a single cell while an array attribute has a row, a column, a sheet, or multiple sheets of cells for entering values. There may also be check boxes under the question mark '?' header for result logging flags, indicating whether or not the simulation results of the particular attributes shall be sent to the Result View. For advanced users, there is a code for each attribute to be used as cross-field aliases in symbolic parameters or as corresponding variable names in DLL overriding routines. It can be revealed by moving the mouse pointer to the attribute name and let it sit there for a second or two.
The GUI Control Types section in Chapter 1 describes various data entry types supported by SansGUI. Here we list a few general editing tips in using the SansGUI Object Properties dialog:
Most of the text and number fields are used in the same way as you found them in other Windows applications.
The data grids in the Object Properties dialog is considered as one control, similar to the object name field, the OK or Cancel button.
To traverse among the controls inside the Object Properties dialog, use the Tab key. To traverse backward, press Shift-Tab as in other Windows applications.
In a data grid, a thicker border surrounding a cell indicates that the cell is current. Use the arrow keys to move to an adjacent cell.
Some cells, such as headers and attribute names, are protected. You cannot move into these cells.
When a value cell has a tooltip color background (default set to light yellow, or as defined in your Windows desktop appearance properties), it is protected and cannot be edited.
A small square indicator is placed next to the attribute name. The colors are 1) red, meaning that the data field is required but does not have a value, 2) yellow, meaning that the data value in the field is being edited, and 3) green, meaning that the data value has been entered and validated.
You can type over a text or number field directly when the cell is current. You can also press the F2 key to get into the edit mode in the current cell.
Pressing the Enter key while editing a cell will commit the entered value and move down to the next field.
You can also use the arrow keys to commit the data entry and move to an adjacent field.
The original object values will not be changed until the OK button is clicked and the Object Properties dialog is closed.
Use the Cancel button to quit the editing session and keep the original object values intact.
Right click on a text or data field and select Input Assistant in the context menu to get help regarding the field. See below for more details.
Clicking on the large icon button at the upper left corner of the Object Properties dialog to obtain on-line documentation.
The Check Data button, when enabled, allows a data validation routine in the simulator to be called. Check your simulator's documentation for availability.
The Load Data button, when enabled, allows the data in the object to be loaded programmatically. The function is defined by the simulation developer and may be overridable. Check your simulator's documentation for availability.
The Clear ? Log button is for Setting Up Result Log, explained separately in Chapter 3.
Some numerical attributes may be defined with units of measure. To change the unit of a particular attribute for data entry and display, click on the unit cell and make it current. A unit of your preference can be selected from a drop-down list after clicking on the button with a downward triangle.
When a new unit is selected, the value of the attribute will be converted to the unit. In fact, the values of the same attribute in other objects of the same class will be synchronized with the same unit.
If the desired measuring unit cannot be found in the selection list, you can extend the unit table by adding the unit name and its conversion factor to the proper unit object. The procedure can be found in the User Extensible Unit Conversion section in Chapter 1. Some unit objects may be locked by the simulation developer. You need to check with your simulator supplier for more details.
The tabs under the data grids in the Object Properties dialog are used to organize the attributes by their scopes: Input / InOut, Output, and Port. You need to complete the Input / InOut and Port attributes as required by the simulator before running a simulation. The meanings of these scopes are:
Input: the value of the attribute is entered by the user and will be kept throughout the simulation.
InOut: the value of the attribute is entered by the user and may be changed by the simulator during the simulation run.
Output: the value of the attribute is initialized and modified by the simulator. The user cannot enter any value in the value field; it is for display only.
Port: the value of the attribute is associated with a port in the component. Only component objects with explicit port definitions can have Port attributes.
An Input Assistant can be invoked via the context menu when you click on a text or number field using the right mouse button. When the field is current, the context menu can also be obtained through the menu key on some Windows supported keyboards.
Most of the controls in the Input Assistant are protected; they are used to show the definition of the selected attribute. The primary fields are the Value field and its Unit, if defined.
The Attribute field shows the name of the attribute.
The Code field shows the variable name of the attribute. It can be used to create cross-field aliases, described in the GUI Control Types section in Chapter 1.
The Object field shows the full name path of the object, including the deriving class.
The Value field is the primary field for entering the value. You can type the value directly in this field.
The Default button, if enabled, is used to enter the default value displayed in the Quantity section in the Input Assistant.
The Quality... button, if enabled, is used to invoke a Quality Input Assistant to be described below.
The {Parameter}... button, if enabled, is used to check and select from existing parameters. If some parameters have been defined previously, a Case Parameters dialog will show these parameters and you can select one by clicking on the parameter name in the Parameter column. When a parameter is selected, the whole row in the Case Parameters dialog is turned into an inverse display. Click on the OK button to commit to the selection.
The <File / Dir>... button, if enabled, is used to invoke the standard File Locator for selecting a file or a directory. To select a file, simply click on the file to have its name displayed in the File name field. To select a directory, navigate into the desired directory and type in *.* in the File name field. Click on the Open button to commit to the selection.
The Reference Object... button, if enabled, is used to invoke a Reference Object [Select] dialog to enter an existing reference object as the value. The dialog displays only those reference objects compatible with the field, not all the reference objects. Click on the desired reference object to put it in the selection area. Click on the OK button to commit to the selection.
The Quantity section below the function buttons is for the numerical definitions of the attribute. Items with boxes checked indicate that the features are defined and enabled. Most of them are self-explanatory. For Vector (1D) or Matrix (2D), there may exist limits so that the elements should be monotonically increasing (the next element is greater than or equal to the previous element) or decreasing (the next element is less than or equal to the previous element). The Strictly modifier indicates the increasing or decreasing is strict; no equality is allowed.
The Open button below the OK and Cancel buttons can be used to open the file or invoke the Object Properties dialog for the reference object, specified in the Value Field.
Below the Quantity section are indicators for allowing arbitrary strings, value not required, and allowing part override, defined in the attribute.
A Quality Input Assistant, when qualitative definitions exist in the attribute, can be accessed through the Quality... button in the Input Assistant. Each rank in the quality space is listed with a selection button to the left. You can select a rank and enter a confidence factor from 0.5 to 1.0 to complete the qualitative value. If Quality-Quantity mapping is defined, a quantitative value within the minimum and maximum range has to be entered. The range depends upon the qualitative rank and confidence factor entered above.
With reference and component objects, a DLL Override tab can be found under the data grid. If there are any entries in the DLL Override data grid, you can create an overriding DLL file to customize the behavior of the object. The fields in this area are similar to the fields that allow file names. You can use the File Locator in the Input Assistant to find the DLL you made. For more information regarding how to create overriding DLLs, please refer to Chapter 6 Overriding Simulator Routines.
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SansGUI Modeling and Simulation Environment Version 1.2
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