Visual programming interface for optics, detector, and signal processor modeling
Philip D. Henshaw, Norman R. Guivens · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1994
The concept of visual programming is a powerful, new way to approach the simulation of optical detection systems. The visual programming interface described here is being designed to allow the user to create and manipulate block diagrams to describe the system of interest; the computer will automatically generate the script which performs the simulation of this system. In this paper, we consider several key issues associated with the development of a visual programming interface for modeling physical systems. First, the `syntax' of a visual programming interface for modeling of physical systems is defined. Second, we describe ways to keep the interface as flexible as possible -- not limiting the operations which can be performed through arbitrary restrictions. Finally, we describe how to implement error checking to prevent the user from creating simulation models which are physically incorrect.