A Database Approach to Computer-Aided Control System Design

It is proposed that all the information associated with the design of a control system should be organised as a formally-defined database. A particular model of databases is examined in order to probe its suitability for control system design. It is concluded that the major feature missing from the model is a mechanism for communicating with external procedures, and a possible mechanism is outlined. It is also concluded that a semantic model of a database is desirable. Fragments of a possible database design are used to illustrate the points made.