E. Templ, A. Stritzinger, G. Pomberger, Process Visualization with Oberon System 3 and Gadgets, Proceedings of the Joint Modular Languages Conference (JMLC '94), Ulm, Germany, September 28 - 30, 1994, Universitätsverlag Ulm 1994.
In process automation, visualization systems are used to visualize the state of a plant (in real time) and to enter control commands for interaction. The proliferation of graphical user interfaces has improved design opportunities as well as user interface quality considerably. Nevertheless, the state of the art in visualization systems is rarely satisfying for end users (operators) or for application developers (automation engineers). Concrete visualization systems often vary considerably with respect to their user interface components and their process control system interface. Hence, adaptability and extensibility are utmost crucial in visualization systems. This was the reason for choosing Oberon and the graphical user interface kit Gadgets as the system platform for the realisation of a new visualization system, called VISION. In the following, we present short introductions to Oberon System 3 and Gadgets as well as to the field of process visualization systems. Furthermore, some interesting implementation aspects are described. A rough rating of Oberon’s suitability for practical applications based on our experiences is given in the conclusion.