The Advanced Continuous Simulation Language, or ACSL , is a computer language designed for modelling and evaluating the performance of continuous systems described by time-dependent, nonlinear differential equations. It is a dialect of the Continuous System Simulation Language (CSSL), originally designed by the Simulations Council Inc (SCI) in 1967 in an attempt to unify the continuous simulations field.

Language Highlights

ACSL is an equation-oriented language consisting of a set of arithmetic operators, standard functions, a set of special ACSL statements, and a MACRO capability which allows extension of the special ACSL statements.

ACSL is intended to provide a simple method of representing mathematical models on a digital computer. Working from an equation description of the problem or a block diagram

Block diagram

Block diagram is a diagram of a system, in which the principal parts or functions are represented by blocks connected by lines, that show the relationships of the blocks....

, the user writes ACSL statements to describe the system under investigation.

An important feature of ACSL is its sorting of the continuous model equations, in contrast to general purpose programming languages such as Fortran

Fortran

Fortran is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative programming language that is especially suited to numeric computation and scientific computing...

 where program execution depends critically on statement order.

Typical Applications

Applications of ACSL in new areas are being developed constantly. Typical areas in which ACSL is currently applied include control system

Control system

A control system is a device, or set of devices to manage, command, direct or regulate the behavior of other devices or system.There are two common classes of control systems, with many variations and combinations: logic or sequential controls, and feedback or linear controls...

 design, aerospace

Aerospace

Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...

 simulation, chemical process dynamics, power plant dynamics, plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

 and animal

Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

 growth, toxicology

Toxicology

Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...

 models, vehicle

Vehicle

A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....

 handling, microprocessor

Microprocessor

A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...

 controllers, and robotics

Robotics

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...

.

Tools Implementing ACSL

The following commercial ACSL simulation based development tools are currently believed to receive active development and support:

The acslX family of products, by AEgis Technologies Group, Inc.

The Modular Modeling System(MMS), by nHance Technologies, Inc.