CAAPE User's Manual - ALSTOM Signaling Inc.

Introduction2. SECTION 2 – INTRODUCTION2.1. WHAT IS CAAPE?CAAPE, the Computer-Aided Application Programming Environment, is an integratedsoftware package for developing VPI ® and CenTraCode ® II-s applications. Data entry,data editing, compiling, simulation, application data verification, download and otherfunctions are performed through a single project-oriented interface. Applications can beimported from existing projects or built from scratch.CAAPE manages the input data and the output and report files for an entire project anddisplays them in a hierarchical format.2.2. THEORY OF OPERATION2.2.1. ApplicationsCAAPE is an integrated set of tools allowing the user to create, simulate and verify VPI,WIU, iVPI and CenTraCode II-s applications. An application is the user programmingthat controls the operation of one of the processor boards in a system and customizes itfor a given location.Vital software controls the safety-critical aspects of a system and may use specialtechniques to ensure that it cannot fail in an unsafe manner; Vital applications supportsuch software. Vital system software and applications are used on such boards asCPU/PD or CPU II in VPI.Non-vital software controls aspects of the system which are not considered safetycritical.Non-vital system software and applications are used on such boards as theCSEXn boards in VPI or the NVSP boards in WIU and iVPI.NOTEWhen used as a general term, “VPI” refers to both the original VPI and thenewer iVPI product.Unless otherwise noted, the term “CSEX” is used as a generic term for thenon-vital processor boards in the CSEXn series: the original VPI CSEXboard (sometimes called CSEX1), and the newer VPI CSEX2, CSEX3 andCSEX4 boards. The term “CSEX1” is used when necessary to distinguishthe original board from the newer ones.P2512A, Rev. Oct/09 2–1 Alstom Signaling Inc.