What's New in Version 4.0
See also What's New in other versions.
Highlights
-
Modeling wireless sensor networks (see also
VisualSense).
The wireless domain extends the DE domain with wireless channel modeling and
library of components and methodologies for modeling wireless systems.
This domain is packaged in a Ptolemy II configuration called
VisualSense, which includes
an extensive suite of demos.
-
Hierarchical classes, subclasses, and inner classes. (See also
classes illustrated visually and
Rijndael Encryption).
Version 4.0 introduces actor-oriented classes, subclasses, and
inner classes with inheritance. This is a major improvement in
the modularity mechanisms available in actor-oriented design.
A side effect of the class mechanism is that MoML files are now
much smaller since they do not duplicate information defined
in a base class.
-
Lifecycle management (see also
ModelReference).
Version 4.0 introduces the first of a family of
lifecycle management actors, which are actors
that control the execution of associated models.
This example uses one model to control repeated runs of another.
Other Key New Capabilities
-
Statically Checked Unit System (see also the older
Dynamically Checked Units System).
The new statically checked units system associates
units with ports and checks compatibility in connections.
-
Higher-Order Components.
Version 4.0 adds higher-order components,
which are components (like actors) that operate on other
components and functions rather than directly on data.
-
Interactive decorations in Vergil diagrams.
Actors can have custom icons, diagrams can be decorated with
decorative elements, and parameters of the icons and decorative
elements can be tied to values compute by the model.
-
Reconfiguration analysis
A new capability helps to ensure the safe use of reconfiguration.
Currently it is primarily used by the code generator to
ensure that synchronous dataflow rate parameters are constant
over the lifetime of the model. This analysis also enables
parameterized static scheduling of some models where rate parameters
change only between iterations of a sub-model.
-
de/demo/HierarchicalModel/HierarchicalModel.xml (Removed after 7.0) Causality analysis (see also
SR FeedbackLoop).
A new (and still evolving) capability unifies causality analysis
that is required by several domains. It provides a systematic
framework for determining whether events at a particular input
affect a particular output.
-
Copernicus
The copernicus code generator has matured significantly:
- Better handling of data types, reconfiguration, and attributes other than
simple parameters.
- Code Generation for the Giotto domain.
- A primitive code generator for generating atomic actors from models.
- Static analysis of reachable code for generating self-contained jar files.
New and Enhanced Actor Libraries
New Demonstrations of Older Capabilities
Capabilities requiring additional software and/or hardware
- Using the serial port.
(see SerialPort actor documentation).
- X10 power-line network
Note that the X10 jar file is under the GNU General Public License, so
we do not ship the X10 jar file with the Windows installer. Thus, the
X10 actors will not work
-
The
Matlab Expression actor
now takes a String Parameter instead of a StringAttribute.
This means that you can now reference parameters in scope using the
$name or ${name} syntax. For instance, if there is a parameter named
foo, you can specify a Matlab expression like:
output = fft(in, $foo)
Before, you would have to have read foo in a Const actor and
provided it as input to the Matlab expression actor.
- Java Media Framework (JMF)
(see JMF actor documentation).
- see GR Quicktime actors.
- Other updates to Vergil:
- Single Window Mode (contributed by Thales).
If vergil -single
is invoked, then a single window interface
is used. This interface is experimental.
Limitations:
- The
-single
argument should be the first argument.
- The plot windows come up outside of the single window interface.
- XMLToken.
This is a preliminary mechanism for manipulating XML data in Ptolemy II models.
- Sandbox support
Vergil has better support for operating in a security sandbox.
For details, see the
Ptolemy II Sandbox documentation.
New Actors
Other What's New pages