Real World Instrumentation with Python

Creating Your Own Simulators

Now that we’ve touched on what simulators are and seen some ways they can be used, it’s time to consider what goes into creating such a thing. I’m a big fan of simulators, but I also try to temper my enthusiasm with some realism. It’s all too easy to eat up a big chunk of the time and budget for a project just fiddling with the simulation. So, before starting to build your own simulator, there are three key questions you should ask yourself:

1. Why do you want to use a simulator?

2. What do you want to simulate?

3. How much time and effort can you expend to create a simulator?

How you answer these questions will help you avoid spending time on something you don’t really need (even if it is fun to build and play with).

Justifying a Simulator

First and foremost, there must be a real need for a simulation. If it is really not possible to develop the instrumentation or control software without one, that is probably enough justification. As I stated at the start of this chapter, such a situation might arise when software needs to be written, but the hardware won’t arrive until some later date. Rather than wait for the hardware, and run the risk of running over schedule as a result, you can use a simulation to start at least building and testing the framework of the instrumentation software.

Another example would be where the hardware is something unique and special, and there is a definite risk that the software could make it do something that might damage it. Some motion ...