Control Design

MPI/CPO Manager

MPI/CPO Manager is the EicasLab Tool specifically conceived to manage the overall model parameter identification and control parameter optimisation process.

HOW TO CONFIGURE THE MPI/CPO PROCESS

The MPI/CPO module integrates the SIMBUILDER with a suitable configuration interface where the user may:

• define the list of parameters subject to identification/optimisation;
• provide the process configuration (in particular the range of variation of the parameters to be identified/optimised and the accuracy with which the algorithm must compute the parameter values);
• define the related cost function;
• configure the plotting areas for monitoring the MPI/CPO process during its execution.

HOW THE MPI/CPO PROCESS WORKS

When enabled, the MPI/CPO Manager tool, created through an Assisted Compiling Process, is integrated inside the SIM tool if the user is working in Modelling and Like Real-Time operative mode and in the RCP Manager tool or Slow Motion tool if the user is working respectively in RCP on field operative sub-mode and Slow Motion operative sub-mode with the goal to manage the overall MPI/CPO process.
Specifically, the MPI/CPO process distinguishes the following three main steps:

1. initial Base Trial execution;
2. iterative process;
3. final Base Trial execution.

In the first phase, a preliminary execution - called initial Base Trial - is performed starting from the initial parameter values provided by the user and a preliminary evaluation of the cost function is made. During the initial Base Trial the trends of the variables selected by the user may be displayed in the classical SIM / RCP Manager / Slow Motion plotting window.
At the end of the execution of the initial Base Trial, the second step, named iterative process, starts. It is the iterative part of the MPI/CPO process and in such a phase the parameter values are changed in order to reduce the cost function value, updated at any iteration, until the minimum has been reached, with the requested accuracy.  During the iterative process the MPI/CPO Manager GUI gets opened on the screen allowing the user to control the overall iterative process.

The MPI/CPO Manager GUI includes:

• a control panel for a full control of the MPI/CPO process allowing to start, continue or stop the MPI/CPO process, as well as to restart it;
• a set of plotting areas for displaying in graphs the parameters and cost function values;
• a text area for showing the results of the MPI/CPO process, including the numerical values both of the parameters and of the cost function as they are changed during the MPI/CPO process with respect to the initial values used in the initial Base Trial;
• a menu toolbar for customising the algorithm and for configuring the parameter values.

When the iterative process is completed the third phase, named final Base Trial, starts. Once achieved the minimum value of the cost function, the final Base Trial is executed with the related parameter values obtained from the previous iterative process. The results are graphically displayed again in the SIM, RCP Manager, Slow Motion GUI for showing a comparison with respect to the ones obtained in the initial Base Trial.
Both in the initial and final Base Trials, SIM, RCP Manager, Slow Motion GUI plots the dynamic behaviour of the variables selected for plotting in order to immediately show the benefits obtained with the MPI/CPO algorithm.