CIFER®-MATLAB Interfaces: Development and ... - Cal Poly

Chapter 5: Conclusions
5.1 Code Development
The primary goal of this thesis was to create a modernized interface for CIFER ® that utilized both
command-line functions and a GUI interface within MATLAB. Command-line functionality was
introduced for CIFER ® programs FRESPID, MISOSA, COMPOSITE, the utilities for RMS,
Bandwidth, and Frequency Response Arithmetic as well as additional plotting and data
storage/retrieval utilities. This library of functions will provide a base from which further
modernizations of CIFER ® can take place. The command-line functions proved to be complex
enough that only an experienced user should employ them, however, the time savings to that user
are significant. In-house users of CIFER ® at Ames Research Center were pleased with the new
capability to script the set-up and running of cases.
The development of the GUI as a feasibility study also proved successful; the general look and
feel of the CIFER ® screen interface was preserved while adding various elements that enhanced
and accelerated the case set-up process over the previous Curses interface. The introduction of
modern navigation tools such as browsers and menus will afford users more awareness of where
they are in the set-up process and improve the learning curve of new users.
The last important aspect of the programming was the attention to the fact that the code will be
built upon by other programmers at NASA. Thus the code was well commented and documented.
The general structure of the code was made to be as uniform as possible. While the author’s
development of this code has ceased, programmers at Ames are continuing development and
report that the efforts made to create an easily modifiable code were successful. GUIs for both
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