A unique Open Simulation Systems Architecture™ (OSSA™) was developed by Aurel to make CADSIM Plus a generic process simulation platform. CADSIM Plus can host different simulator "personalities" for various industry sectors. It is extensible so that anyone with C++ programming skills can include their own custom process modules. And source code is available for purchase for most process modules.

All process-specific information, including units of process equipment, streams, physical properties, specialized controllers, and special purpose modules such as logic and signal units are external to the CADSIM Plus program, and are loaded at runtime. All modules conform to our OSSA communications standard, which defines how each module must describe itself and its requirements to the CADSIM Plus program.

CADSIM Plus surveys all of the modules in the libraries that are present, and then assesses your process flowsheet to choose a 'best fit' module for each piece of equipment, using a keyword structure and artificial intelligence algorithms.

Object-oriented design is an important part of the CADSIM Plus architecture. Unit module objects are joined by streams, physical properties and specifications which are also objects. This is unique to CADSIM Plus. Coded objects are used for stream calculations. These objects allow complex relationships, including conditional calculations and equations that are not possible in other simulators - which pass data structures or arrays of numbers as streams. And, because code is encapsulated in one place, it does not have to be repeated in every unit module. This increases functionality and greatly improves performance and computer resource management.

Another big advantage of object-oriented design is that unit modules do not have to know every detail about the stream calculations. This means that adding a new stream variable does not require all existing unit modules to be recoded. What this means to you is that it is easier and faster to develop new modules for CADSIM Plus.

An open system standard ensures that you have access to a rich variety of module options for your process models. From commercially available libraries, to custom module development, to the ability to do your own in-house using ANSI standard C/C++ coding - you will always have the ability to model a unique piece of equipment - now, or in the future.