A knowledge-based system for designing transformers and inductors

A knowledge-based system, Encore, was developed that combines object-oriented, rule-based, and procedural programming techniques to design transformers and inductors. The system generates an initial design and then applies modification heuristics to generate better design alternatives. The heuristics are represented and applied as rules; the electromagnetic components are modeled as objects. The object-oriented nature of this system facilitate enhancements; by specializing some of the objects comprising a power transformer, a power inductor model was quickly developed. Encore reduces design time from a couple of days to less than an hour; it is being used to design the transformers and inductors of power supplies in Schlumberger well-logging tools. The system was implemented on a Xerox Interlisp Workstation using an object-oriented environment called Strobe