REAL-TIME APPLICATIONS

In real time applications, computers control an on going activity. Let us consider the
example of a manufacturing process. A product C is made from raw materials A and B. The
quality of C depends upon, among other things, the quality of A and B and their quantities. In
big manufacturing processes, raw materials are fed by machineries. Due to problems i n
machineries, the performances may vary from machine to machine. This affects the quality of
final product. Manual inspection of quality and operation of these machineries to control the
quantity are slow. This slows the manufacture of C from raw materials A and B. Signals from C
are fed to the computer. Suitable sensors are installed in the lines carrying raw materials as well
as finished product. These generate signals. The values of these signals for correct proportion of
raw materials are stored in the computer. When the process is on signals keep coming from the
output line depending up the quality of finished product.
Let us see what happens if either A or B varies in quality. The quality of the finished
product also suffers. The sensor in the finished product line senses this. The signals generated
by it change in strength. They are sent to the computer. It compares the signals with already
stored signals. The difference is used to change the quantity of raw materials A and B.
Manual control of this process is slow. Moreover, if people inspect quality and operate
machineries feeding raw materials, they become tired after sometime. But computer does not.
So the quality of product is uniform. Moreover, there may be processes where the presence of
human beings continuously for hours together will be injurious to their health. In such places
computer control avoids such ill-effects.