Applications Software

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Applications Software
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Lecture Outline

• Packages versus programming
• Software applications
• business and productivity
• communications and networking
• scientific and engineering

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Packages versus Programming

• Twenty years ago, engineers could not use
  computers without knowing how to program
• Programming became a core part of the engineering
  curriculum
• Today, powerful and easy to use software packages
  are available for almost every imaginable
  application
• No programming required!

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Applications Software

• We will consider three main application areas
• Business and productivity
• Communications and networking
• Scientific and engineering

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Business and Productivity Applications

• Far more business and productivity applications
  are available for PCs than any other platform
• Windows applications outsell all others combined
• Programs like Word and Excel are among the most
  sophisticated ever written

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Business and Productivity Applications The Big
Three

• Wordprocessing
• Spreadsheets
• Database

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Business and Productivity Applications

• Personal Information Managers (PIMs)
• e.g., Lotus Organizer
• Drawing and Illustration
• e.g., CorelDraw
• Flowcharting
• e.g., Visio, Micrografx FlowCharter

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Business and Productivity Applications

• Presentation graphics
• e.g., Microsoft Powerpoint
• Desktop publishing
• e.g., Corel Ventura
• Image processing
• e.g., Adobe Photoshop

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Communications and Networking

• Web browsers
• FTP
• Telnet
• Email
• Newsreader

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Scientific and Engineering Applications

• Mathematical
• numerical
• symbolic algebra
• Simulation
• Data analysis and visualization
• CAD/CAM
• Project management
• Special purpose

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Mathematical

• Two main application types
• Numerical
• number crunching
• Symbolic algebra
• algebraic manipulation

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Numerical Math Packages

• There are several ways numerical computations can
  be done
• Write a program in Fortran, C or Pascal from
  scratch
• Write a program, but use canned math
  subroutines and function libraries
• Use a higher level application
• spreadsheet
• Mathcad
• Matlab

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Mathcad Screen Shot
Source
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Matlab

• Matlab is a high level programming language that
  understands matrix math
• Consider multiplying two matrices
• Mathematically,

C AB
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Matlab

• To multiply these two matrices in FORTRAN

DO 10 I1,M DO 20 J1,N DO 30 K1,L C(I,J)A(I,K)
B(K,J) 30 CONTINUE 20 CONTINUE 10
CONTINUE
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Matlab

• To multiply the same two matrices in Matlab

C A B
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Matlab

• Matlab is much more powerful than FORTRAN
• Application areas include
• Control systems
• Signal analysis
• Optimization
• Visit Mathworks for a Matlab Demo!

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Symbolic Algebra

• Sometimes algebraic manipulation is more
  important than numerical computation
• Often closed form solutions exist
• For example factoring an expression

By inspection, the roots are (-3, 2)
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Symbolic Algebra

• Example to factor the expression in the
  previous slide, the Maple command is

factor(x2x-6)
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Symbolic Algebra

• Other symbolic operations include
• Differentiation
• Integration
• Simplification
• Factor and Expand expressions
• Solve differential equations
• And many more

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Symbolic Algebra

• The major symbolic algebra packages include
• Maple
• Macsyma
• Mathematica

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Simulation

• Two main kinds of simulation
• Continuous
• governed by differential equations
• eg., simulation of a bouncing ball
• Discrete
• governed by probability and discrete events
• eg., simulation of manufacturing systems

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Simulation Software Examples

• Continuous simulation
• VisSim
• MatrixX
• Discrete simulation
• Promodel
• Witness

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Conceptual Design and Brainstorming

• Here are some tools to support the early design
  stage
• Idea generation software
• Invention Machine is a revolutionary product for
  generating and evaluating design concepts
• Brainstorming
• SMART Ideas is a visual concept-mapping tool for
  brainstorming

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Data Analysis and Visualization

• Experimental or computational results need to be
  analysed
• Traditional Peer at large tables of numbers on
  a computer printout
• Modern Visualize data graphically

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Data Analysis and Visualization

• The simplest visualization is a graph.
• Three dimensional data can be visualized using
  contour or surface plots.
• Multidimensional data is difficult to visualize -
  need to use 3-D computer graphics

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Scientific Visualization Example
3D Ozone Density visualization
Source
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CAD/CAM

• Most engineering drawings are now produced using
  CAD software
• Eg, AutoCAD
• Mechanical design involves defining and
  manipulating 3 dimensional geometric objects
• CAD is a major application area for 3D graphics

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CAD/CAM

• More powerful CAD software includes
• solid modelling
• kinematic analysis
• mechanism synthesis
• finite element analysis of stress, temperature,
  etc.
• CAM software is used to generate computer
  numerical control machining instructions from the
  part geometry

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CAD/CAM Links

• High-end (Unix-based)
• I-DEAS
• Unigraphics
• Catia
• Mid-range (PC-based)
• Solid Edge
• AutoCAD
• Solidworks
• Microstation
• Working Model

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Solid Edge Screen Shot
Source
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Mechanical Desktop Screen Shot
Source
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Project Management

• Gantt charts
• Resource allocation
• Milestones
• Scheduling
• E.g., Microsoft Project

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Special Purpose

• Many special purpose packages exist
• Examples include