isee systems Stella Simulator

Stella Simulator

Command-Line operation for High Performance Computing

Create engaging model-based apps

Stella Simulator is a stand-alone, XMILE-compatible simulation engine based on isee systems’ well-known STEAM engine that can be used for server or High Performance Computing (HPC) applications, or embedded in desktop applications. Available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, it allows full control over parameters at each step of the model run.

Command Line Operation

Stella Simulator is started from the command line. Command line options control how it behaves. For example, the following command:

stella_simulator -p 4 -pd 0.25 my_model.stmx

will run the model file my_model.stmx, pausing every 4 time steps to export data, wait 0.25 seconds, and then import data before resuming. This example uses a time delay to resume after the pause, but writing to a handshake file can also be used and is more reliable for synchronizing with another application.

A single model can also be run multiple times in one invocation with complete control of the parameters for each run and at each time step. This allows applications that need results from several runs, for example, evolutionary optimization algorithms, to quickly collect that data using builtin export to Excel or CSV files.

Licensing

Stella Simulator is licensed for servers and HPC applications using a concurrent execution model. The base product allows 20 concurrent executions of Stella Simulator. Additional concurrent executions can be licensed. Stella Simulator is licensed for embedded desktop applications on a per CPU basis, i.e., one license is required for every physical processor on the computer on which it is installed.

Parameter Control

The full set of options available with Stella Simulator:

rn N: Run the model N times

d seconds: Delay seconds between each model run

h filename: Use file filename for handshakes between model runs (-d becomes a timeout)

p interval: Pause the model every interval time units (use 0 for DT)

pi: Pause immediately after initialization (to get initialization values)

pd seconds: Resume from pause after seconds

ph filename: Use file filename for handshakes to resume from pause (-pd becomes a timeout)

i: Import now before each run

x: Export now after each run

0 variable: Force the given model variable to zero before the first run

1 variable: Force the given model variable to one before the first run

q: Execute in quiet mode (only output errors)

Key Features

XMILE compatability

Runs industry standard XMILE models

Program Integration

Easily control simulation execution from within another program

Control each step

Change parameters as the simulation proceeds

HPC and servers

Special licensing for many concurrent users or executions